Monthly Archives: December 2017

Math… After Dark

When I start a project, I like to finish it.

And sometimes, when I’m working on something particularly tricky, I want to finish it right now.  Which can lead to mistakes.  Especially when I get stuck on a bit of particularly tricky math.

Which has led me to make a rule for myself:

No math after dark.

I’ve burned myself too many times with this.  I start working on a particularly tricky part of a pattern, or find a mistake, then next thing I know, I’ve deleted and re-jiggered a weeks’ work in an evening.

And invariably, there ends up being some massive mistake in my “fix” that takes three days to re-fix.

(When I worked in an office, I had a similar rule- no mass emails after 4:00, especially on Fridays.  The few really big email mistakes I made always happened when I tried to send out emails right before leaving work.  Like when I accidentally sent invitations to a group of about 50 “no” applicants to interview with our company.  Whoops!)

I’ve been working on a fairly complicated design lately, and I’m 90% of the way there- I just have a few more tweaks (and a little ripping out and re-knitting) before I’m finished.  I almost finished yesterday, but felt myself starting to get carried away last night (and the growing urge to delete big swaths of data that I was sure were wrong).

But, this morning the sun’s shining (as much as it ever does in Seattle at this time of year), I’ve got my fully-caffeinated coffee and I’m ready to tackle some more math.

Wish me luck!

One Last Bear

Waaaay back at the beginning of the year, I promised I’d finish 12 Mother Bears this year- one for each month this year.

Well.  I got close.

None of them are officially “finished,” but, I’ve got a half dozen knit up and stuffed, and five that have been knitted, but still need to be assembled.

And I’ve got one bear still on the needles.  I’m just about to the legs… and I’m just about to run out of the pants color.I guess this bear is going to be wearing shorts… and a scarf.  I suppose that makes sense.

I still have a couple days until the official end of the year- if I work like the wind (and get some more stuffing; I’m just about out), maybe I’ll be able to make it through and finish off all 12 bears.

Fingers crossed!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone!  Whether you’re all dressed up for a big fancy party, or sleeping late and having a cozy day in, I wish you the Best Christmas Ever!  If you have to work, may your shift be low-stress and get over with quickly.  If you don’t celebrate Christmas, may you have a fantastic Monday!

We’re keeping it pretty low-key this year.  We’re not traveling, and no one’s visiting.  My husband is making a fantastic stollen (that smells amazing- it’s baking right now!).  Instead of going crazy and making a big Christmas Dinner for just the two of us (three, if you count the dog), we’re going to put together a big ol’ cheese plate, play board games and watch a bunch of Christmas movies.  It’s going to be a great day!Well, I gotta go- I think I need to go make some coffee (with egg nog, of course).

Have a fantastic day!

It’s Time To Call It

You’ve fought a tough battle.  You’ve spent your winter (and probably a good chunk of your fall) working on your Christmas knitting.  It’s now time to rest.

If you’re an amazing go-getter, maybe you’re already done. You can wrap up your gifts, pour yourself a nice glass of eggnog and take a nice Christmas nap, knowing that you’ve completed everything you need to do.

If you’re a human being, you’ve probably got a pile or two of half-finished projects still hanging around.In that case, I’ve got a little poem for you to use on Monday morning, explaining what’s happened.

An Apology

Rudolph has his reindeer

And Santa has his elves.

There’s only one of me, alas

Just knitting by myself.

I tried to get everything done

And bind off all my rows,

But Christmas comes just when it comes

And that’s my source of woe.

I haven’t finished up your scarf.

Your sweater has one sleeve.

I haven’t completed your present

Though it’s late on Christmas Eve.

I beg of you forgiveness.

Let me knit the last few rows.

As soon as your gift is bound off,

I’ll deliver it wrapped with a bow.

And, I’ve made it into a nice, printable format, so you can print it out tonight, wrap it up and give yourself the weekend off.

You can get the printable version here: Christmas Printable 2017

Enjoy your weekend!

Christmas Cheer

It’s almost time!  You’re almost there! You can do it!

You’ve got until Monday morning to finish all your Christmas Knitting!  That’s five whole days!

And, heck, if you don’t make it, it’s no big deal, really.  Christmas will come either way, whether your presents make it or not (isn’t that the moral of How the Grinch Stole Christmas?)  I’m a big believer in doing what you can, then letting go of the rest.    I love a good plan, I love big ideas and lofty goals, but there comes a point in every holiday season when you just have to shrug, and go “good enough.”

BUT WE’RE NOT THERE YET!

Go!  Knit like the wind!  Weave in ends like a champ!  Block like there’s no tomorrow!

You! Have! Got! This!

Ollie believes in you!What are you finishing up this week?  (Or are you being lazy like me, and skipping the Christmas knitting entirely?)

Under Construction

I feel a little like I’m writing to you guys from a construction site today, even though it’s really just my kitchen table.

We have a pretty old house (at least by Seattle standards).  The oldest part of the house was built in the early 20s, and bits and pieces of the house have been remodeled and added-on-to over the last almost 100 years.  (And we have the 50’s wallpaper, 70’s shag carpeting and 90’s pocket doors to prove it.)  The previous 100 years of owners have done a pretty good job with the house as a whole, it’s really a very nice house, and the important things (like the windows and roof) are in great shape.

But over the years, people have just slapped coat after coat of paint on the doors and trim in the oldest part of the house… probably (definitely) lead paint.  And the paint has started to chip and peel.  It’s honestly the only thing I really didn’t like about the house when we bought it (other than the knob and tube wiring which we got rid of right away… because FIRE!). I always half-thought that I’d just fix the paint myself “someday”, but clearly that hasn’t happened.

Anyway, long story short, four years after buying the house, we finally hired guys to come and fix the paint!  They’re here now!  It’s very exciting!

But then…

Our furnace decided to stop working yesterday.  It got real cold here this weekend, and our house was about sixty degrees.  Luckily, because we have an old house, we have a fireplace.  It took a while to really start putting out heat, but thankfully, we’re back into the mid-sixties, so it’s a lot more comfortable today.  Supposedly, the furnace guys are going to come over this afternoon, but I’m still waiting on a confirmation phone call.

Fingers crossed!

I guess the only thing to do in the meantime is sit back with my knitting, a blanket and a big mug of tea.

Inspiration: Prince Philip’s Antarctic Sadness Sweater

Are you guys watching the new season of The Crown on Netflix? You know me, I’m a sucker for a costume drama- especially one about a royal family that wears a lot of fancy clothes (especially a lot of sweaters).

This season opens with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip (though I think he’s still “just” a duke at this point) in the midst of a big fight, like a if-we-weren’t-royalty-we’d-be-getting-a-divorce-right-now fight.  It turns out that Philip is being a big baby about having to play second fiddle to his wife who is literally the Queen of England.  Maybe this is just because I’m a dumb American living in 2017, but Philip’s whole argument is just a bunch of misogynistic whining in my ears.

Anyway, after the fight, there’s a big flashback where Philip goes off on a “tour of the colonies” (blech) that really turns out to be a big 5-month long bachelor party with all sorts of unsuspecting women in the south Pacific (double blech).  Near the end of his tour, his ship visits Antarctica, and he spends a lot of time brooding around the ship, being grumpy that his wife might know what he’s been up to.

While I don’t love Philip, I gotta say, I do love his Antarctican brooding sweater.It’s a crew-neck pullover with set-in sleeves worked in bulky navy blue with white accents.  It might even have been thrummed, but it’s hard to say.  I like the subtle naval stripes around the collar and cuffs, and the simple over-all pattern.I’d wear the heck out of that sweater.

Now, I couldn’t find a pattern that exactly matched Philip’s sweater, but you could easily modify a simple sweater pattern if you wanted to make your own.

This sweater has the same feel, if not the same design.  Its all-over rib and raglan shoulders really evoke an old-school sailor feel.  You could use a white-and-navy marled yarn for a similar look to Philip’s sweater.

Trent by Martin StoreyThis sweater would be a great starting point for making your own Philip sweater. It’s the right shape, and has the right shoulders and neckline.  If you worked the yoke in stockinette, and added in some stranded knitting to make the “snowflakes” on Philip’s sweater, you’d get pretty dang close.

Riley Pullover by Kristen HipskyIf you really wanted to embrace the whole “Antarctica” thing, you could even thrum your sweater (though that might be too much- I’ve never actually seen a thrummed sweater).  Thrumming adds an insane layer of warmth and thickness to garments, and is usually saved for accessories like these super-cozy mittens.

Thrummed Mittens by Jennifer L. ApplebyHave you been watching anything good lately?

Broken Seeds

I’m currently working on a big project for work (it’s another pattern, and I’m super stoked about this one… buuuuut, I can’t show it to you until next fall), and I’m in love with the stitch pattern I’m using.

This stitch pattern is insanely easy to work, but it looks crazy fancy.  It’s a great way incorporate some color into your knitting, and it’s so simple that you barely have to pay attention to what you’re working on.

It’s the Broken Seed Stitch:It’s literally a 4 row repeat, with nothing more complicated than knits and purls.  In fact, I’m going to give you the pattern right here:

In the round:

  1. MC (beige):  K
  2. C1 (dark brown): K1, P1
  3. MC: K
  4. C1: P1, K1

Worked flat:

  1. (RS) MC: K
  2. (WS) C1: K1, P1
  3. MC: K
  4. C1: P1, K1

It’s easier than I believed the first time I saw it.  It looks so complex- almost like there’s a MC  lattice knit over a C1 background.

I first found this stitch pattern on a pair of socks.  I was looking for a nice pattern to use up some half-finished ends of sock yarn last summer, when I came across the Broken Seed Stitch Socks.  It’s really more of a recipe than a full-blown pattern, but it got me started.  I love using the MC yarn for the details- cuffs, toe and heel.  And I really like how the designer used a variegated colorway for the C1 yarn.  I haven’t tried it with variegated yarn yet, but it’s on my to do list.

I’ve already made a pair of socks with this pattern (which turned out really nicely- this design works so well with stripes- a great way to use up little ends of yarn).  And now I want to put it on everything!  Broken Seed Sweaters!  Broken Seed Hats! Broken Seed Mittens and Blankets and Scarves!Have you come across any new favorite stitch patterns?

PODCON

Woo!  You guys!  I just had a super fun weekend with my husband at the first annual (hopefully) PODCON in Seattle.  It was a great weekend of podcasts, podcasters, and podcast listeners.We got to watch live tapings of several of my favorite shows, and podcasts I’d never heard about before.  It was so much fun!

And I got a lot of knitting done.

Because what’s better than a fantastic podcast?  Knitting while listening to your favorite podcast.

They’re basically made for each other.

If you’re not on the podcast bandwagon yet, they’re essentially independently-produced radio shows that you can sign up for with an app on your phone or computer.  Some are from bigger names (NPR has a huge collection of podcasts, as well as some podcast “networks” like Earwolf, and Maximum Fun), but a bunch are just made by people who are passionate about something, know how to use a microphone, and want to share their excitement.

Think about them as on-demand, specific radio shows.  News, fiction, comedy, science- it’s all there!

I want to share a couple of my current favorites, if you’re looking for something new to listen to.

Every weekday morning, I start my day by listening to Up First from NPR.  It’s a 10 to 15 minute little synopsis of the important news of the day.  It’s a great, succinct, wrap up from a reputable source of news every morning, hosted by the folks that put on Morning Editon.Another podcast I listen to as soon as it goes live is My Favorite Murder.  Now, I realize this might be a little dark or grizzly for some people, but I gotta admit, I love a true crime story.  The hosts of MFM share interesting stories of crime (usually murder, but not always), with a weirdly positive spin- they talk about mental health, personal safety and other positive things between all that death.  (And it’s really funny… I know I’m not selling it correctly, but I promise, it’s good.)If My Favorite Murder is too dark for you, then Wonderful! might be just what you’re looking for. It’s hosted by a very charming husband and wife team, and the concept’s so simple, I wish I had come up with it myself!  They literally spend their hour each week talking about things they think are wonderful.  You’ll get music recommendations, you’ll learn about cool animals and non-profits, and you’ll be reminded of great TV shows and board games from when you were a kid.  (It’s silly, but Wonderful! is really wonderful.)

Do you listen to any podcasts?  What’s your favorite?

Inspiration: Christmas Cookies

I mentioned on Wednesday that I’m getting ready to begin my yearly Epic Baking Adventure.  I’ve been doing my Epic Baking Adventure just about every year since college, with more or less Epicness depending on the year.  I usually make a half dozen (or more) types of cookies, give them out to friends, take them when I visit someone’s house, and (honestly) eat more of them than I should.

Every year, the menu varies slightly (usually by adding on an extra variety or two).  This year, I’m making sugar cookies (of course), chocolate crinkles, spritz, pfeffernusse (a must-do holiday tradition in my husband’s family), mocha meringues (if it doesn’t rain too much), and soft caramels.  And, maybe I’ll add on a cookie or two if I get done with those too quickly.  (We’re having a small Christmas this year, just the two of us, so I’m trying not to go too over the top.)

Let’s celebrate Christmas Cookies with some cookie-themed patterns:

This little guy is too cute!  I love the big red gumdrop buttons and the “piped” icing details.  I’m not actually a big fan of gingerbread cookies.  If I’m going to make gingerbread, I usually make a big old gingerbread cake and serve it with generous dollops of whipped cream.  Yum!

Christmas Gingerbread Boy by Teresa AlvarezI love that this designer made patterns for 5 different cookies.  I think the variety is really what makes Christmas cookies special.  When else do you get to make (and eat) dozens and dozens of different cookies without guilt?

Christmas Deco Cookies (Set of 5) by Eva PolaripopAnd how could you forget Santa?! The most fiendish of cookie fiends!  When we were kids, my brother and I would always leave out cookies and milk for Santa (even though we didn’t super believe in him, it was better to be sure… just in case).  I love these cookies- you could totally use them as super-cute coasters this winter.

Santa’s Cookies by Jessica SpencerI can’t wait to get baking this year!

What cookies are tradition in your house?