Birthday Girl

10 already...where did that time go?

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She just learned her first bits of sewing on the machine she got for Christmas from her grandma. It took a lot of patience (on my part AND hers)...



I quilted and bound it last night just in time for a birthday surprise! It is a friendship quilt that she and her friends can write on, and save special memories on her first quilt.

If you are interested in some of your own quilting - join this QAL over at Sew Take a Hike with me.

You literally quilt as you go - sounds kind of fun! I heard about it from Amber over at Life in Color - if you need a little color, her blog brings it. I get excited evertime her blog lights up on my bloglines. Check her out!

I believe in miracles...

you hex-y thing...


my first hexagons...

Well, I'm a knitter - but lately crochet has been feeling like a dirty little habit. I don't crochet except when I have to for a knit project with crochet. My grandma tried for years to teach me, but my guage was a disaster. So I was apparently a born knitter. Then Carolyn and Christine thought "let's try hexagons!" I was so pleased to be part of this, and since it technically came with on-site crochet training, I dove in. Well, don't tell my knitting needles, but I am having fun on this jaunt away. Kind of like hanging out with new friends that you know your old ones wouldn't approve of.

I am using cascade 220, since I had a bunch for a past failed crochet project. I started a blanket too wide that would have probably weighed a ton. So, I abandoned ship on that, and now have lots of yarn for these guys. Now, I realize Cascade will felt if I really wash it good - but still - for experimental purposes, it is working well. I am digging the fun colors, and the immediate gratitification of a single hex...though it will take like, oh... 95 of them to make the afghan, there is nothing immediate about that.

I also want to share a cool early birthday gift that Christine gave me when she came to Wisconsin last weekend. An infinity scarf kit - inspired by Twilight. hot. Yes, I watched New Moon yesterday, on release day.



I just finished an Infinity scarf and it is a total do-again-project. I love it and you can make so many color versions that they just won't look a bit alike. And the fact that this kit by Sunshine Yarns has a colorway called Edward's Car, causes major swoonage for this Twi-Hard. I'll be wearing Edward and Jacob around my neck this fall - omg. *waving myself for cool down*

:: just finished Jodi Picoult's new book, House Rules, more on that later.

Got Plucky?

The Plucky Knitter's booth at the Madison Knit In

I got to meet Sarah from The Plucky Knitter again, and had a wonderful weekend with some special knitting friends. The Knit In was all day Saturday - I only went to shop, and to, well, shop. I could not believe how lost I as looking at all of Plucky's wares, I did not know where to start...she is super nice and cute in person, btw. I ended up spending my whole budget at her booth. My Plucky tote bag was fat and I was happy.

I shared the weekend with two special knitters. Carolyn and Christine. They knew each other first in person, and then Christine and I met through a swap - and the rest is history. They are on-line knitty friends who I am lucky enough to occasionally see in "real life". We had such a good time - we stayed at Mansion Hill, which is plushy fabulousness. My husband had an inside-tip on the place, so it was an extra special treat.


Carolyn taught us to crochet in front of the fire. There is an alleged hexagon afghan in my future

We ate wonderful food.


French Toast at the Marigold Kitchen.

We reveled in our Plucky goodness.



I was tired come Monday but it was worth every second. Knitting has brought me a true appreciation of woman friends. I really enjoyed feeling like I could be myself with these girls. I can't wait til next time. Rhinebeck perhaps?

p.s. I have almost finished a whole bag of Cadbury mini-eggs. I need an intervention.

To infinity - and beyond!

Warning :: I have many unrelated things in my head today - so I hope you will bear with me.



I finished my Dipped Infinity in a week. I love it! Though, she needs a good blocking - it is curling up like a sleeping bag for now. This project has been a great way to use a myriad of different fingering weight yarns. And now, it has me on the hunt for something else that uses different colors to use up some more. I am yearning to keep at my quickie projects, maybe a stripey set of Toasts? Suggestions welcome.

I also have to tell you what happened to my mittens this week...On Wednesday, on my regular walk, I found my mitten - the one I didn't know I had lost. I apparently had dropped it right in the exit path of a factory - where lots of semi-trucks methodically squashed my mitten. Let's call it blocking-to-the-max. After shaking off the dirt, it appears perfect, well, a little duller, but a bath will help. How is that for a vote of confidence for Plucky Knitter's MCN Worsted? It takes a licking.



I just finished Under the Dome by Stephen King. King, is a departure for me. I read all of his books up to about 1987 (The Tommyknockers, I'm thinking?) and then decided enough. He writes about gross things and the clown on IT, well, that truly was "it". Ack, hate clowns. Anyways, my kindle allows me to "sample" books - and I thought King deserved another peek, I mean - for free, why not. I ended up buying the 1000 page book of crazy...and I liked it. Just sayin.



This cute little grandma is to blame for my shameless book loving.

I'm a dip...

for the dipped infinity scarf that is...



Here is my color plan. I needed a simple knit to compliment my Peasy Sweater - which is kind of a tedious, take forever kind of project. I have been loving all of these amazing inifnity scarves as ravelry - The Plucky Knitter even sold a few kits to try. Of course, I jumped the bandwagon seconds too late to get one of those, so I made my own. The MCN is crack-a-lackin. I have so much freaking sock yarn, I should be committed - so it seems like a project made in heaven, since you use 8 sock yarns. Once I looked at the whole cache - it was hard to pick which would make it into the scarf. Kind of like qualifications for the short track in the Olympics - I'd look at four, pick two...so on. I think it will be a quick knit - I'm this far in one evening...



I also have to share this yummy recipe after finding it on flickr of all places. Adrian from HelloYarn has a gorgeous Dutch Baby pancake on her photo page - omg. I plotted all weekend to come home from work early today to make one for myself - you know, kind of a test run before I hand it off to the family. Jeez, wow. And I bet you have everything you need in the pantry - you can dress it up any way you like. amen.



You should really check out all of Adrian's gorgeous pictures if you haven't. She posts cool recipes and links too.