More pictures of my favorite afghan

Whole lotta knitting going on

Ok, let's start with the largest sigh of relief first--this is the first, and possibly last, afghan I have knit. I have a house full of afghans that I crocheted, but knitting is somewhat more time-consuming than crocheting, and I didn't think I would ever knit an afghan.


But then there was a 75% off sale on Cascade 220 wool yarn, in a color that pretty well matches my couch, and wool is cozier than acrylic, and I saw a pattern for a cute baby blanket, and it just seemed like a good idea. Last October!


So I got going on it, and then Christmas came along, and I put it aside, and then there was considerable traveling in January and February, and while whipping a sock out of your purse to knit on a plane has a certain panache, whipping out an entire afghan has much less panache.

So it was threatening to turn into an aborted project--and then in February I made up my mind to just power through it. It still took another 5 weeks or fairly dedicated knitting, but I bound off last night and it is currently blocking, smelling sort of wooly. I hope to take this with me to the nursing home, when I am old and befuddled. I call it Amber Waves of Grain.

In the interim, I knit these socks, Trekking XXL, in a colorway that was one of about 3 available at a small quilt shop in Newport Maine that only grudgingly carries any yarn at all. I would never have chosen it otherwise, but it turns out that I love it!


I have also discovered the fun of knitting for babies! Jelena at work was expecting, and I decided to whip up a sweater from some yarn that I hand-dyed several years ago with koolaid. It's called something like Stupid Easy Garter Yoke Baby Sweater, and it was fast and fun and only semi-ugly--variegation is almost always semi-ugly. but the colors! So cute!

Also cute as a curious little Origami purse! Not actually functional for carrying around, but a cute place to stash a small collection of coins.



Then I got busy on a *pair* of sweaters for poor Jenny, who is having boy and girl twins. This yarn was also hand-dyed by me, this one with Wilton Food Coloring. For the girl, I decided on the famous February Baby Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmermann. It was fast and fun.


And then I got creative and used the same pattern, but instead of lace, I used a dish cloth pattern for a textured body for the boy twin.

Same but different is always cute, and baby clothes are always cute, so this was a sure thing!

And all unknown to me, when I chose this color yarn, the baby shower was held on Saint Patrick's Day! Perfect!

Finally, a sweater vest that was less than a total success. I got the yarn at the Torrance Fiber Fest the first week in November, and I love it--it is called Fez and is 15% camel and the rest merino. Soft as a cloud....but...

a sad tendency to pill. And to look ratty, almost instantly. Also, due to user error, I didn't start the neckline soon enough and ended up with a crew neck rather than a lovely scoop neck, as the pattern indicated.




And also, the waist shaping isn't in quite the right place, and the end result is that this is a warm hug of a sweater vest that makes me look 20 pounds heavier than I am, and I am quite heavy enough, thank you!

Still, it is so cozy!

So, all those projects are off the needles, and I have nothing left to knit! I cast on a wash cloth today, in desperation! But I *do* have a gift certificate at Twist, and a couple of sweater patterns in the queue...I think I can remedy this problem tomorrow.

Chicago and home again

Before school starts back up, I should upload all the latest pics and itineraries. So here's what I did last weekend:

On Thursday evening we ate at Roti, yummy Mediterranean fast food, in the Loop and then attended a taping of NPRr’s “Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me.”
On Friday, I hung out for a while at the best Starbucks ever, on North Ave near the Sedgwick stop (real working fireplace! Many many soft chairs and tables! Open 24 hours!) and then went to the Chicago History Museum on Clark Street. A little expensive, as museums are these days, but very interesting. Then I took the Clark bus to Windy Knitty. One of the nicest yarn stores I’ve been in, and I bought a skein of locally dyed yarn, Fleur de Fiber that is gorgeous.
I had lunch right up the street at a place called M. Henry, that was very charming.
Friday night, daughter and I had a fantastic dinner at Fork, with a flight of wine, cheese plate, mussels with wine and cream, and grilled trout, oh my!
On Saturday morning we had coffee and delicious croissants at the coffee shop next to the L stop. In the past, Kristen ran into Mayor Rahm Emanuel having breakfast there with his daughters and his bodyguard! No such sighting this time, however. Then we took the Brown line downtown and stopped by Kristen's office in the Chase Bank Building

and then took the L tour offered by the Chicago Architecture Foundation, which I highly recommend.

Then we hit Loopy Yarns, and after that, lunch at Hackney’s. We also visited the Field Museum,



and had dinner at a Korean-Japanese restaurant called Oysy (expensive, but good.)

(Kristen and Mark, her "person of interest.")
On Sunday morning we had a fantastic brunch at Marmalade

and on Sunday night we went to Aroy Thai on Damen Avenue. Their spicy pork is to die for!
So that’s it! The weather was all that you could ask for in Chicago in February, and we had a great time.

Winter In Maine

I spent most of the time I was in Maine at various hospitals and nursing homes, but I did manage to take a couple of pictures on the last day. Mist rises up from the river in Hartland and then freezes on the trees, turning even weeds into gorgeous sparkling creations.


And with all that time on my hands (pardon the pun), I made myself a pair of wool gloves out of self-striping sock yarn. And I weighed the gloves and the remaining yarn and I have enough for another pair. (But no need for another pair.) The yarn is Berocco Sox, and it is not one of the softer sock yarns I have worked with, but I love the colors. Gloves feel like a major accomplishment to me. I'm looking forward to wearing them in Chicago in February!

Eat. Knit. Christmas.

A lovely breakfast with home fries and smoky links...






Later, roast beef, peas, sweet potatoes, biscuits, mashed potatoes, and more!


Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without presents.




A baby hat designed by me, and knit by Kristen for a co-worker.


And new year, new knit...I have started a vest in a lovely yarn called Fez that is 15% camel, 85% merino wool.

Autumn Leaves Coasters and more!

and the goose is getting fat...

Well, I am tired of looking at that chicken meal! So before Christmas, here are a few things I have knit lately.

I posted a pattern on Ravelry today for these Autumn Leaves Coasters.


I knit like 14 of 'em, for Deborah, for my office mate, for myself. I can't stop. They are addictive!

If you'd like to make your own coasters, the pattern is available here for $1.00:



I also finished a lovely shawl:


Live Oak Shawlette.


I wore it when I met up with Katie in Palm Springs.

And I have embarked upon an apparently endless afghan.

Knit. Cook. Eat.

For supper tonight, I adapted a recipe for a chicken bacon appetizer, to make it a main course.

My Version:

4 chicken skinless, boneless chicken breast filets
4 strips of bacon
1 container cream cheese with chives and onion
1 jalapeno pepper

Pound the chicken breasts to flatten them. Put cream cheese on top of each piece, along with a small strip of jalapeno. Roll up and hold with a toothpick. Then wrap bacon around, and use the toothpick to hold the whole thing together. Place in rack in pan and bake at 375 till bacon is crispy.



I also bought a stalk of brussel sprouts the other day, just because it looked awesome. Turns out you just pop the brussel sprouts off the stalk and cook them like any other brussel sprouts. It's a trick to get white people to do farm work. I fell for it.


So, brussel sprouts, off the stalk, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with a lot of salt. Put in the same oven with the chicken.

The rice is a package mix of Spanish rice. It's a trick to get white people to eat rice...no, I kid.




Anyhow, it all came together into a nice simple meal.

And then, there was some knitting that got its picture taken over the weekend.
The scarf is knit in laceweight cashmere, in a pattern called Barbara, for my Mom, who is also named Barbara.








The sweater is further pictures of Peasy, to show how cool it came out.


Isn't it cool? Some day I will get a photo of it on me. If I can find someone who knows how to do this. My poor husband holds the digital camera up to his eye, no matter how many times I tell him not to. Just not worth it.