Emily's Creations

Twitter & FB

2009-06-03T12:36:00.002-04:00

so, i'm sort of using twitter for the polaroid stuff. follow here

so, i also have a facebook fan page for ehl creations. be a fan here

visit ehl creations, too.

so, that's why i've abandoned the blog. maybe i'll pick it up again this summer. we'll see.

horrible habits

2008-08-15T00:15:00.002-04:00

so, i have this terrible habit of putting things in the freezer i know i won't eat. here is an example.

what the hell is that?

here it is, about 30 minutes later. any ideas? those ice crystals are pretty cool, huh?

here it is this morning. i know, i could have tossed it last night, but i really wanted to know...

sadness! it's my favorite post-huge meal meal. everything dumped into a baking dish and mushed. this one looks like turkey, some veggies, zucchini pie, some stuffing...this was from last thanksgiving. it was sitting in my freezer for almost 9 months.

see, i wanted the pyrex back a few months ago but thought, "gee, maybe i'll eat that." no.

this morning, as i gazed upon the unfrozen mush in the sink i thought, "gee, maybe i'll eat that." no.

update-ish

2008-08-09T00:02:00.004-04:00

i had a fun week. very unexpected. while the first week of my vacation was painfully boring and slow, the second week was equally fast and enjoyable. some mini-excursions with a surprise guest, including wine and fun food.

i also completed two more items on my "things to do on vacation" list...sort shoes and donate items. it wound up also allowing me to clean up my closet, which was juuuuust super. so, i had all these shoe boxes filled with...shoes. many of them i had not seen in ten years. really. the receipt was in the box with a date of 8/13/98. i remember my mom and i searched and searched for the perfect shoes to wear with a super cute dress for my friend's husband's commissioning in the marine corps. i have not worn the shoes since, i have not worn the dress since, and the couple divorced about 6 years ago. in total, i donated to goodwill...

* 11 pairs of shoes (yes, 11. includes a pair of sneakers in quite good condition)
* 1 pair boots (at least i THINK they were the ones i wanted to give away)
* 5 handbags (i used to like to go through the sale stuff at old navy)
* 1 pair rollerblades with wrist guards (i haven't used them since fall '99...i remember it well)
* 3 t-shirt dresses that just look weird on me now. haven't worn any of them in at least two years.

none of these items were helping me exist. in fact, they were taking up precious closet and karmic space. if you recall, i've spent the better part of the last, oh, 12 to 18 months or so getting rid of things through donation, freecycle, craigslist and such. i've been able to curb my spending and really reform my list of needs. just because the item is there in front of me does not mean i need it!

today (friday) was my last weekday day of vacation. baby nora and i went to the natural history museum and saw "dinosaurs 3d." nora and dolley also met on the floor.

here is nora again.

aw!

happy birthday to me

2008-08-02T15:21:00.002-04:00

i think i'm going to go out tonight with some folks. i'm not big on birthday stuff. anyway, if i do go, i made these earrings to wear. they're cat's eye glass and crystal.

i got to hang out with baby nora on thursday. aw. here she is, smiling at her mama, wondering why her awesome GW dress is so big.

whoa! she's alive!

2008-07-31T21:51:00.004-04:00

yes yes, bla bla bla

what have i been up to? in a nutshell...

* school! yah, i'm officially in grad school now and took my third class during the first summer session. that ended, thankfully, 7/21.
* work! i got a great new job at my current association that gives me more responsibility, travel and moolah!
* travel! a week in sexy kansas city, mo. not so awesome.
* vacation! i'm taking this week and next week off in between my old and new jobs. i'm not really planning on going anywhere, and i'm really bored already.
* computer! bought a new macbook. sweet.
* photos! i had a show of my Polaroid prints at the awesome Java Shack near me. My prints were only supposed to be up for the month of May, but I finally took them down in July!
* food! i'm trying to move towards a more bean-focused diet to replace the meat protein i'm not getting. i like beans, anyway. i think they're super tasty. save your jokes.

last week i tried this recipe, originally from about.com here

2 cups mashed garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, grated
1/2 onion, minced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

Preparation:

Mash together all ingredients, except oil, thoroughly. Form into patties and lightly fry on each side in oil until golden brown. You can also barbecue these veggie burgers on a hot grill.

all i did was add some cumin, and you know how much i hate cumin. they are really good. i got four patties out of this mix.

then i cooked them up. i need to work on my fry practice.

i put my burger on a bun, which is kind of silly, but a later version had muenster cheese and dijon mustard. i'm salivating just typing this.

also went on another photo day trip to pearmund cellers. here i am in no condition to drive home yet. (i spent another two hours there after this pic was taken, so relax.) i took two awesome rolls, then lost one! argh. i was so upset. you can imagine how relieved i was when i found the lost roll....in the bottom of the washing machine. >sigh<

so, what have YOU been up to?

Captain Vegetable (Sesame Street)

2008-05-22T16:54:00.001-04:00

My first post in five months...

It is I...Captain Vegetable!

new year update and rabbit forts

2008-01-02T15:32:00.000-05:00

happy new year!

this year i resolve to have less stuff. i will continue with my freegan attempts with regards to not throwing stuff away if someone else can use it. i still won't dumpster dive, though. i will buy less stuff in general, with the exception of food, polaroid film, hay and socks.

my class has finished! i got an a-. go me. i hope to take another class this semester.

updates...luke's dad finally took a pic of the blue sweater i made for him. it's still a little too big, but aw. satisfaction.

we spent new year's eve with dante and his parents. he will be 1 in a few weeks! here he is showing off his 5 teeth.

my latest post-school hat for happy heads, dc. it's lion brand homespun...cheap but soft.

we made a rabbit fort on sunday night and it was quite popular in the living room.

finally, i worked on a bunch of slides. here are a few. check out the full set here. (these are all copyright 2007, duh.) i would like to do custom pet portraits. so far they've come out very well. here is rana.

different texture paper has very different results, same image and development times.

cool, huh?

and finally, for comparison with the pic from my last post...

little dude i met on the beach

2007-12-10T21:51:00.001-05:00

DSC05210.JPG
Originally uploaded by elandsman

i spent a day in florida after the board of directors meeting was over. i stayed with my neighbors...i suppose former neighbors...who used to live across the street from my parents. it was very nice to see them.

she blows glass now, and it's just the coolest hobby ever, i think.

i took a bunch of pics on the beach in order to make them into slides for prints. i took about 120 of them in 45 minutes, but only put 37 online. i don't know which i'm going to use yet. here's a little dude i met while walking. i wanted his shell, but he wanted it more. he won.

more pics soon....but probably not for another week because my final is on monday. if you want to look at a few more, you can go to this set on my flickr page.

cheppy chanukah!

2007-12-05T16:25:00.000-05:00

candles 'n fried things 'n all.

so here's the scarf i gave to my boss's three year old daughter. i finished it and weaved in the ends an hour ago while sitting at my desk with my door open...and talking to my boss. (it's a little slow here thanks to the icky weather.)

he's going to get a pic of her wearing it. should be cute. i'll update then. i also gave her a "paint your own dreidel" kit that someone had given me a few years ago, for some reason. ages 3+.

here's a pic i took in lexington last week. tee-hee. (click on it if you can't read the text.)

off to the board meeting in florida tomorrow morning! let's see if i can take off at 6:30 as planned...

also...both pics here are from the iphone.

who likes those apples?

2007-12-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

i do!

so i'm back from KY and leaving for FL on thursday. i love 630 am flights. really. really. i love them even more when i have to fly all dressed up and go straight to a meeting with the executive committee! then another committee meeting. i don't even do anything at these meetings! why do i need to be there? why?

my class is almost over. the final is on the 17, so after that i will return to the crafting life for a few weeks. i bought a few nice cigar boxes in KY for $2 each. i will play with them and turn a few into something else.

i am also working on some slide prints. i will have a few scanned ones to share in a few days.

here is a pic from danielle's wedding. i am putting the bracelet on her...

All the cool cats are doing it-blogging on the iPhone

2007-11-27T20:26:00.000-05:00

i have little to report except that I am in Kentucky until Friday. :)

one more thing

2007-11-21T11:22:00.000-05:00

happy heads, dc is going to get a boost this coming winter so get out your knitting needles!

plus, i was asked to be on the board of directors of a new/consolidated knit/crochet group! more on this as it develops.

dull update

2007-11-21T11:02:00.000-05:00

i'm alive.

hello readers in bulgaria! (i know you're there...i can see you on my tracking info. thanks for stopping by.)

quickly...

i learned how to knot pearls. here is a bracelet i made for danielle. she wore it on her wedding day last month!

practice makes perfect...

we had a going away party for dan at the end of september. i made the cake. orange chocolate with orange sauce.

went apple picking in october.

wait, no, that's a chicken.

here are some apples...

oops, sorry. another chicken.

yay!

here is the pie i made later...

it was tasty.

here is josh ritter and the band at the 9:30 club in october. >sigh<

more >sigh<

weblog awards - vote by Nov 8!

2007-11-02T10:40:00.000-04:00

no no, i'm flattered, but i wasn't nominated for a weblog award. probably because my blog is boring and no one reads it and i haven't updated in forever. but Tifaux and Frumteacher were nominated! go vote for them once a day until november 8!

Vote here for Tifaux in the Culture category

Vote here for Frumteacher in the Education category

i'm still around

2007-11-01T13:34:00.000-04:00

so i'm still alive. i'm taking my first graduate class and i have about 7,000,000 hours of reading each week. i got an "A" on my first paper, so i'm feeling pretty good about that. i have another one due on monday, so i hope to return to civilization shortly after that.

i've been off of flickr and blogger for so long both asked me to log in again and i forgot my passwords. that was annoying.

here is a very quick update.
madison wears her new hat...(recap...i made it in august and her mom gave me this pic weeks and weeks ago)

also, though i'm trying to do the freegan thing (slowly) i did buy a new dresser to replace my old one. that kind of defeats the idea, i know, but here's my logic...this new dresser is smaller and therefore i am forced to go through my clothes again and dispose of stuff i won't wear anymore. plus, it's shorter than the old one so i can hang things over it and get some closet space back, meaning my clothes aren't squished anymore and i can again go through and get rid of stuff. i did both of these purgings on monday night and i feel pretty good about it. i have two bags of donations, and i might have some more by next week. here it is...it's a malm by ikea.
or maybe it's a bluurg or a vyorn or heefen or whatever.

i put the other dresser on freecycle and i have found a new home for it already. there's the freegan sprirt!

pasta salad, more knitted stuff, some crocheted stuff too

2007-09-05T22:00:00.000-04:00

first off, here's mr. dante. i went to visit him on saturday. said hi to his mom while i was there, too.

next, i went to the national symphony orchestra's labor day concert on the capitol lawn on sunday with some friends. they brought drinks and sandwiches, i brought pasta salad.

ok here's what i did...
1 bag multi colored rotini (this one was called "wacky pasta" or something. it was 6 servings when cooked)
1/4 cup italian dressing (maybe a little less)
3 T sundried tomatoes, drained
1 container feta cheese (i don't know, 6, 8 oz?)
about 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 small can sliced black olives
2 green onion tops, thinly sliced

cook the pasta about 30 seconds less than normal and drain. rinse with cold water to stop cooking. toss to dry as much as possible. add pasta and all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to mix. adjust add-ins as desired. refrigerate until serving time.

so i'm making a hat for a friend's mom who's going to lose her hair to chemo soon. here's a crocheted flower that i hand felted. i used lamb's pride worsted wool. love it. LOVE it! anyway, i didn't like any patterns for flowers that i found online so i sort of made up my own. i like the way it came out. if i can figure out how to do it again, i'll post directions. to felt, i used rubber gloves for some extra agitation. worked really well, probably took about 5 mintues. very warm water, drop of DISH SOAP in the water.

here's lurlene modeling the knitted hat. i used lion brand organic cotton in "strawberry" for a basic cap with a rib. it's quite soft. the flower is still a bit damp but should dry by tomorrow. i'll sew it on tomorrow. the flower can be worn on either side. i'm concerned that it's a little too big, but i think i can fix that by making something of a seem up the back. (can you tell i've been watching plastic surgery shows all summer?)

shhhhh! and make a mitten while you're at it...

2007-08-29T23:08:00.000-04:00

so, i totally need to learn to stop talking. anyway...

here is an update on the scarf i'm making for my boss's 3 year old.

there are two cables...and i made a little hole in the middle so you basically just thread one end through so it stays on. i think i'll start the pink again in about another 1" and then yellow and then it'll be done.

again with my whole yarn diet...i started making this sock maybe a year ago? after the sheep and wool festival in 5/06 i know, because i got the yarn there.

it's totally not going to happen. i took it apart, and it's now going to be a pair of fingerless mittens! not my pattern...don't want to steal intellectual property or whatever...giving credit!

my universe now revolves around josh ritter's new album

2007-08-27T09:55:00.000-04:00

(bit of a long catch up post again today)

i posted a josh video here a few weeks ago. here's another one.
(hi doug!)

the new album is called "the historical conquests of josh ritter" and came out aug 21. hey josh, don't forget about us old fans who came to see you back in the day when you opened for joan baez!
(josh is from latah county, id. COUNTIES!)

next, here's another baby hat from last week. i added a pom-pom after i took the pic, too. i've made about 4 hats in the last week. they take me about two metro rides and a lunch break. i'm going to start on some child size ones soon.

i'm going to do a happy heads, dc push in the next month. if you have a knitting related list or friends who knit, please let them know about happy heads. our 4th year!

i started a scarf for my boss's (almost) three year old daughter. now i have about 24" finished...about 2" yellow, 4" pink, rest purple. i'm doing two little cables in it, too. i think it's pretty cute. i'll take another pic tonight. i'll probably make it about 32" long. she's really little. i think she'll like it a lot. i'm using left over blue sky cotton.

do note the stain on my couch. that's from cheese. i wound up cleaning the covers of the cushions on saturday, and then i stitched up some bunny-related holes.

dante came to visit on saturday, too. he brought his mom and dad. he's just starting to crawl and sit up on his own.

(don't worry, dolley wanted nothing to do with him.)

dante was interested in the aflac duck i have. don't know where i got it, but if you squeeze it you hear its annoying "aflaaaaac" thing.

here he's showing off his two fabulous bottom teeth.

Freegan Girl : Day One: How to Be a Freegan in Nine Easy Steps

2007-08-23T15:51:00.000-04:00

Freegan Girl : Day One: How to Be a Freegan in Nine Easy Steps

i'm going to write more about this later this weekend, but i'm going to try a little bit of the same idea...mainly the using what i have in order to eventually use less. i've already talked about using up stuff in my bathroom cabinet...and using up the yarn i have now before getting more...this will encourage my hat program as well.

more to come...

week's worth of updates

2007-08-19T21:40:00.000-04:00

ok so i'll go backwards from arkansas...

on the plane ride back i worked on a shawl...i finished it this evening but haven't taken a photo yet. i will soon.

next, i took some pics for slides. here's one in sepia.

need to crop this a little, but it's called "after party"

i started a simple baby hat for a co-worker's three months old on friday. she was born a month early and she's still tiny.

and here it is....i finished it this afternoon.

i made a mock banana sundae this weekend, too. used plain yogurt instead of ice cream. was really good. also peanut butter and choco syrup.

went to a bead show on saturday. this is all i bought! i was able to control myself somewhat. i've already used two strands for two pieces, so i'm well on my way to using some of what i got. i have plans for the pearls, too. plans!

i shoved some oat hay into this grass ball and doll played with it for a while. looked like a lot of fun.

taxidermists are our friends

2007-08-10T14:50:00.000-04:00

i'll post AR pics when i get home tonight....if i get home. my 1235 flight was canceled and i'm waiting for a 335 to take me to o'hare, then eventually home. considering my luck at o'hare, i might finish up my crochet work here to make myself a pillow on which i may sleep tonight.

had i known that i'd be stuck here for an extra 3 hours, i probably would have gone to the clinton library for real, and not just looked around the lobby and pished in the bathroom. i did learn that FDR was the first president driven around in an armored car after the attack on pearl harbor. at the time, the only armored car the secret service could get right away had been confiscated from al capone in 1934. it was a black and green bulletproof 1928 341A cadillac town sedan weighing 9,000 pounds. here's the whole story.

free wifi in the airport at LIT. that's making this a smidge more tollerable.

*smidge.*

like the deer? he looks so real, it's almost like he wasn't shot in the woods while eating!

bill clinton is a rock star in arkansas

2007-08-09T19:55:00.001-04:00

really.
he really is.
people LOVE him here in arkansas. i'm in hot springs for one more day. going to try to go to the clinton library tomorrow before i fly out from little rock. it's beastly hot here. i have to go to a party now. more free light beer!

so, jack at work thinks my simpsonized self is a little off. he thinks i'm more like this...

i'd say, on a humid day....

guess what movie i saw this weekend...

2007-08-06T10:09:00.000-04:00

yes, that's me.

www.simpsonsmovie.com

i should by asleep now...

2007-07-30T22:59:00.000-04:00

....and not watching this great movie on lifetime movie network!

in a nutshell, a 14 year old girl gets an STD and starts drinking with her friends! everyone in her high school is chock full of STDs, too! terrific! how did she get it? it was the cute older boy. who'duh thunk it?

a novel idea!
go LMN!

where's my yarn....

plums, popcorn and josh rouse

2007-07-26T21:18:00.000-04:00

Country Mouse, City House arrived in my mailbox today, along with a companion CD! YAAAAY! i left my ipod at work, though. should have gone back to it. i have josh's new music on my home computer, and i will have it on my work computer soon. ipod tomorrow night, though. i was hoping to listen on my way tomorrow morning, but oh well. the last two hours of listening have been great!

i went out to martinsburg, wv last weekend. got some deeeelish yellow plums. they're about 2/3 as big as regular plums. doll approves.

also i have a new favorite method of making popcorn.
big metal bowl on the stovetop.

popcorn, bit of oil, bit of salt, make sure all is coated.
foil cover on top of bowl.
lots of holes from toothpick.
heat on medium/medium-low.
gently move around every 30 seconds or so when popping starts.
continue until 2-3 seconds between pops.
remove foil CAREFULLY.
enjoy!

where i've been....so far

2007-07-24T20:39:00.001-04:00

cute, huh?

Tourists fined for cycling nude in heat wave

2007-07-24T11:39:00.000-04:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19914229/
Tourists fined for cycling nude in heat wave
Two Austrians, German stripped down in 104-degree scorcher

Reuters
Updated: 11:21 a.m. ET July 23, 2007

BELGRADE, Serbia - Two Austrians and a German were fined for cycling naked along the banks of the River Danube in Serbia where a heat wave has sent temperatures soaring.
“Police arrived after being alerted by passers-by,” said police spokesman Stevan Krstic in the northern city of Novi Sad.
Temperatures in Serbia and other parts of the Balkans have hovered stubbornly for the past week at around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
The three men were brought to a magistrate on charges of disrupting public peace and order and were fined 10,000 dinars (125 euros) each.

stuff i want for my birthday

2007-07-22T16:49:00.000-04:00

here's a list of stuff i want for my birthday...coming up in just over a week.

(the first time i posted this something went wrong and it didn't save. %^*#!)

* duh
* anything here (specifically on the first page, top right column)
* this, but just the body would be ok
* delish. lots of it.
* this GRE stuff finished already.

i wrote more stuff, but i don't remember it. something about a vase i'm looking for for some new slides. something about crying at disney world.

i haven't picked up my knitting needles in over a month. GRE.

curse you, GRE!

also, some pics.
here i am with tamara at jo's wedding last weekend in ny. i was in richmond, va at the time for work, so i flew up for the night and back in the morning. this is the only picture i took in which i actually look like myself.

here are jo and erik

also, i made this jewelry box with crackle paint a few years ago. here is pic of the box, and detail of the crackle effect. it's pretty cool. i smudged it before it was fully dry. i also could have taken the hardware off before painting it, but i just thought of it now. hm.

Josh Rouse, 'Hollywood Bassplayer'

2007-07-07T16:34:00.000-04:00

josh rouse is awesome. here's a new video from his upcoming album Country Mouse, City House
(yes, another musical josh)

hm

2007-07-06T16:58:00.001-04:00

i dunno...i did some stuff. made some things.

here are some fireworks from july 4. i watched 'em on the national mall.
ooo

aaah

this one looks like a koosh ball

we were right in front of the monument

straight ahead was lincoln

and here's doll last night

doll has a favorite doll of her own

2007-06-26T22:03:00.000-04:00

dolley likes to play with a little stuffed elephant. sometimes she drags it around.

hello, elephant. rub my nose!

hey elephant, want to play?

climb on my head, elephant!

now i can't see, elephant!

nose-snuggling success!

she is currently trying to dig in the carpet. about 20 minutes ago i watched her reach up to the first shelf of the coffee table and pull out a heavy paper coaster. she brough it about 5 feet away to nibble.

muahahaha! brother is no more!

2007-06-24T22:12:00.000-04:00

i have done away with little brother!

all that brazilian jujitsu, all for nothin'.

or maybe it's just a blood puddle pillow....

slide(s) around the kitchen

2007-06-21T21:20:00.000-04:00

i wasted two sheets of film because i can't read.

once i figured it out, i screwed up one more.

but finally success! i worked on two images and got very nice prints in a few different colors. i'm going to scan them tomorrow at work and then water color them.

tonight i made lentils for dinner. holy cow...so good. go me.

1 1/3 cup red lentils, sifted and rinsed (i used the other 1/3 cause that's what i had left.)
2 to 2 1/2 cups water
1 large onion, quartered (or two small, halved)
3 cloves garlic, peeled but whole
1 16.9 oz can diced tomatoes (no herbs or anything like that) including liquid
salt
pepper

dump everything into a pot and cook over medium until lentils are tender, about 20-25 minutes. remove onions and garlic. enjoy!

stupid things that arrive in your inbox

2007-06-19T19:54:00.000-04:00

i just checked an email address i (clearly) don't use. i logged on for the first time in a long time and started giggling at the messages that would normally get stuck in a filter. here are selected e-mail subjects from messages from the last 6 weeks and a bonus. read them really fast and they're pretty funny. i wonder how many google searches will find my blog now...

(anything in brackets i added. duh. i also haven't changed any spelling or punctuation.)

* you wont believe how easy to get university degree!
* Such a big size that she never felt before!
* Products that can improve you life
* Why don't you buy some drugs to be healthy
* impress your girl with a WonderCum!
* Make your sexual life more different and easier!
* Investitionen in Mobilfunkmarkt (hm...where does one find a mobilfunkmarkt?)
* fool watch weekly
* No caucasian of concertina
* Wait nolonger, order WonderCum today!
* MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH THIN UPPER LEVEL CLOUDS.
* Remember to tell me later
* Tell me now. Okay
* These data support the notion that visceral fat produces inflammatory cytokines that contribute to insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease.
* Always ask yourself the magic words: "For example?
* Separate yourself from other men
* you and postmultiply
* Где_ты (this one actually came in in russian characters from "Гладков Юрий" but it's not so funny because i know the guy. ok, not really.)
* What to look for when purchasing a replica watch!
* Happy
* No prescription requered for So|m|a v1aGr@ FLiU1NaY
* WonderCum - is a sperm enhancement pills (finally! i was wondering)
* pleasure and beauty
* Meet and Email 1,000s of hot Singls

here's one i love...do note that i didn't have this particular domain name until 2002. (i took out e-mail addresses, the rest is just as it arrived in my inbox)

Subject: Re:
From: "Vy & Jan Grimaldo" riggedhuskers@blablabla.bla
Date: Mon, January 1, 2001 2:44 pm
To: ehl@blablabla.bla
Options: View Full Header | View Printable Version | Download this as a file | Whitelist Sender | View as HTML | Add to Addressbook

Hello my friend!I am ready to kill myself and eat my dog, if medicine prices here
(http://flowbell.hk) are bad.Look, the site and call me 1-800 if its wrong..My dog
and I are still alive :)

Josh Ritter's New Album: The First Sounds (Preview)

2007-06-18T18:35:00.001-04:00

gaaaaaaa

i love josh ritter.

quick finger puppet update

2007-06-18T11:39:00.001-04:00

lucas's sweater is done! i hope his mom and dad will send me a pic of the sweater in use!

i had brunch with dante yesterday. his mom came too. i made some finger puppets for us to play with...they're a little scary, but i didn't think that would bother him too much.

i make interesting puppets...

finger puppets are huggable...

and apparently, they are very funny...

i left detroit in a kia optima

2007-06-11T08:11:00.000-04:00

that was strange. considering the motor city's history, i left in a foreign car. i also couldn't adjust the driver's seat back or my right side mirror. kind of an uncomfortable drive down here to toledo, ohio. additionally, there is a gentleman's club called "scarlett's" somewhere on the oh/mi border that serves top shelf liquor! billboards are the best way to advertise, the best.

last night i went to a mudhens game! name the celebrity who's picture/name is all over toledo (and the tv show he was on) and win a prize!

*just a note - if you haven't figured it out already, i don't have any prizes. just gratitude for reading my blog. thanks!

i brought the final pieces of lucas's sweater with me to ohio. i am now working on the collar, and i expect to be finished with it tonight, depending on my work schedule here. if not, then by the end of the week when i get home. after another 1/2" on the collar, i just have to sew up the arms, sides and pockets! no photo updates there, i left my camera at home. oops.

i also made up the "blood pillow" for my brother. this thing has been all over the interweb-er-do and so he wanted me to copy it for him. i didn't have a pattern or anything, it isn't really needed. i started by marking out squiggly lines.

this is as far as i got...

i ran out of fiberfill, so it's going to have to wait until the weekend. i still have about 3/4 yard of the fabric left. it's a lovely blood red color, but you can't really tell in the picture.

after these two projects are done, i'm going to take a crafting break until the 28th when i take the GRE again. just one part of it, not the whole thing. i'll still post, but just about stupid things, nothing craft-related. wish me luck!

rabbit is shedding like mad now. she doesn't like it when i help the process and gently pull out tufts of fur, but she's going to have to deal. better than her ingesting it, or having it wind up stuck to my eyeballs.

so, last week a friend came over for a few minutes and was pretty much surprised that my place is not as obsessively neat as was predicted. in fact, i was basically told i was messy! insanity! just so you know...

* most importantly, i know where everything is
* i have a hanging spot for my keys (how many of you have that? huh? i haven't said "where are my keys?" in a long time)
* i like organized piles and organized clutter (they're mobile)
* i vacuum every single day (rabbit fur!)
* bathroom counter is wiped up every day, whole room is thoroughly cleaned 2x a week (germs)
* i make my bed every day (thanks, mom)
* all of my crafts have their own designated area
* i keep my sink clean (except for right now 'cause my flight was canceled yesterday morning and i had to scramble to get a new one so i forgot to put my dishes away but other than that...)
* i generally keep my kitchen counter clear. i have only one.
* i have no bugs or mice or whatever (that's extreme, yes, but true)
* and finally, it's a work in progress. i already blogged last week about getting rid of things and my need to have less stuff. scroll down to see, if you'd like.

yeah.

off to work in toledo!

Me Lost Me Cookie At The Disco

2007-06-07T12:37:00.001-04:00

i remember thinking this was the height of pop music.

cookie's eyes. i love his eyes.

i wonder if he ever found his cookie.

Would You Like to Buy an O?

2007-06-06T20:29:00.001-04:00

my mom just told me i used to listen to this record every single night....when i wasn't listening to "annie" and singing to the "annie" poster in the kitchen.

another sweater update, bunny galore, reduction of stuff

2007-06-05T16:02:00.000-04:00

first things first...

sleeve #1 is complete! after this i just cast off and put it in the pile with the other pieces. i'm about 3" into the second one and hope to have it done some time next week. then all i have to do is the collar and sew everything up.

rabbit enjoys eating lots of things.
spring lettuce mix...

strawberries (though she didn't eat them...i just gave her my plate and she enjoyed licking it. i thought she'd lick a hole through the glass.)

argh. she's so pretty.

here's my next felting project...this will be a large trivet and a set of coasters. be on the lookout for my etsy store coming soon! i'll post about it when it happens some time next week. :)

i've been making an effort to reduce the amount of stuff i have. crafters tend to accumulate stuff associated with their various interests. it would be one problem if i just had a lot of stuff. in addition to stuff, i have more craft stuff. fortunately for me, i have only a one bedroom apartment, so hoarding stuff is limited to the space i have. i need less stuff. i came to this conclusion several years ago, but i only started to do something about it in the last year or so. i've been reorganizing my craft stores:

*beading
*needleworks (yarn, patterns, needles/hooks)
*quilting (never really got that into it, but i still have a bunch of stuff)
*bath stuff. (tons of soap left over, still. good thing it won't rot.)
*slide transfers (less of the "craft" and more of the visual, but the same amount of stuff)
*other various projects.

with regards to the yarn...this past weekend i went to a knitting guild meeting in maryland where they had a yarn swap. i was very concerned about leaving yarn there but coming home with some as well. i brought a bunch of novelty yarn that i loved using a few years ago, but balls and balls of it have since found their way to the "some day i will use this" box. i left the yarn there and lo and behold, someone else wanted it! i got rid of about half of what i have, and i even got a few $$ for it. the only bad part is that it didn't take up much space in my bedroom. it was one large shoebox full, but that's still one shoebox less!

tonight i am also expecting my little kitchen table and chairs to be picked up by someone i connected with on freecycle. (great service, by the way. check it out if you haven't already.) it's a cute little table with two drop down leaves, so it was perfect for my first few apartments that had only small spaces for eating. i've had it for several years and i'm a little hesitant to give it up, but i'm not really using it and someone else wants it. everyone wins!

the whole key here is to not replace things as i use them up. even toiletries. i don't use hairspray, but for some reason i have, like, 3 bottles of it. gotta use that stuff up. clothing has been going to goodwill on a regular basis, too. i have so much stuff i haven't worn in a while, or that i know i'm not going to wear ever again, so why should i keep it around? i don't have a lot of space.

i feel kind of stupid because i've spent money on all of this stuff that i don't need to live, and i feel like i will be wasting it if i get rid of it in some manner, but aren't i wasting it if i don't use it, too? i'll just spend this summer giving things away, using things up, crafting with what i have and such. just have to move on from here and be wiser about my accumulation of stuff and things.

I don't know what the hell I'm doing here. I'm 237 years old, I should be collecting social security.

2007-05-28T16:01:00.000-04:00

several updates and notes! this is a long post. go me.

* totally love that movie. the giant banana, man. terrific. too bad woody allen is such a creep now. (name that movie and win a prize! hint...it's listed somewhere here on the blog.)

* i stayed in all day on saturday. unknowingly got into the shower with my glasses on and scared the crap out of myself. cleaned up my apartment. very proud of myself. today i continued on that path and worked on my craft "area" which is basically everywhere but the oven.

* my bunny is so sweet, i can't stand it. right now she's bathing...again. earlier this morning i was at my desk and had no idea where she was. i decided to start my day-off errands and stood up. i kicked the rabbit. she looked up at me and snuggled back into her spot, not getting up. so that's where she was...

* dante's booties were a hit at the bbq at his mom and dad's house yesterday in annapolis...sort of. the blue ones were too small. the pink ones fit well, so now i know that the smallest size will just be impractical. baby dalia is a few months older and had a fun time playing with the shoes. apparently i make tasty shoes. i'm going to make her a fuzzy bunny (eventually.) (i also figured out how to make the bottoms grippy today...rubber cement. the smell will fade after the glue is totally dry.) danielle was not happy about her son wearing pink shoes, but she's just going to have to get over that. he was just my tester, and what a lovely tester he was!

* also figured out centerpieces for danielle's wedding. my mom and i found candles at the restaurant supply depot...now i'm looking for gold colored 14" or 16" round platters that we can use as a base...preferably a plastic-y. preferably ones that don't cost $30 each, as we need about 20 of them. also got glass pebbles in yellowy-brownish colors to surround the candles on the platter. we will put 5 on each platter. that's the centerpiece idea for now. thoughts? something low and simple is desired. i'm totally a "less is more" person when it comes to these kinds of things, and i'm glad i've been given this job! (i'm also doing welcome bags for out of town guests, but we're not going to start on those until about october.)

* here is the latest on lucas's sweater. i'm pretty sure his dad is not interested in how i'm "almost done" with this piece or that piece, much less with my knitting in general. i bet he doesn't think i'll finish this one either. (reminder!) here are the front and back. i also have part of a sleeve done.

* i had some extra gray yarn from the pot holder experiment last week, so i made this little bag. i'll felt it on the next go 'round. how will the flower come out? i don't know how much the whole thing will shrink. this is another experiment. once it's done, i'll add a zipper on top.

here's another dante pic...just because he's so cute.

i felt happy while felting

2007-05-25T14:52:00.000-04:00

took the train up and back for this most recent trip to new york. this was on the way back...

ooo pretty.

so dante's booties are felted now! i think they're going to be a bit too small, so i don't think i'll make that size. the next larger ones are the pink ones. they're both super cute. this weekend will be a big try-on weekend.
here they are in the washing machine.

i also made a SUPER DUPER POT HOLDER!!!!! it started out 12"x12" and is now 6"x7" so that's super! here they are...everything is still drying from last night.

i have been asked if i sell my creations...yes! i do! just drop me a note. custom colors and sizes available.

booties, bananas and bunny

2007-05-14T22:57:00.000-04:00

i am making felted booties for little feet now. i made my first pair yesterday and today. now i think i got the hang of it. i will felt them tomorrow night and see how they turn out.
here are dante's booties, in notre dame blue and green!

last night i made tasty chicken on my cast iron grill pan. i bought some bananas in the morning and figured i'd cook 'em up! i quartered the banana with the skin ON and cooked them for about 2 minutes. the pan was HOT HOT.

then i drizzled some honey and raspberries...

i lured doll up on to the couch a few days ago, then stuck the camera under her face. i like these pics...even though one is a little blurry. ooo look how big and threatening she looks!

heh heh heh...

damn you, slide printer! beer makes it all better.

2007-05-10T21:46:00.000-04:00

yay!

my printer has arrived! i still don't have directions or the transfer kit (just some supplies that make it easier to do.) i got a regular 3x4 base and a 4x5 base. the 4x5 film comes in sheets and each one hates me more than the last. it took about 30 minutes of internet searching to figure out how to load the sheets, then how to expose them. i paid a tushie-load of money for a box of 20 sheets of polaroid 59 film, and i screwed up about 6 of them tonight. i stopped. the 3x4 film comes in packs of 10, so you just load the pack and you can use it for a while. i need to practice this weekend....the light, ugly, washed out prints i made tonight will just be practice. why are they so light? did i underexpose?

here is a pic...

also, i had three cans of beer from amsterdam...long story, but i didn't buy them...someone gave them to me in the airport in philly after we got off the plane. i had the last about a week ago...yum.

pretty NM pics and are you KIDDING ME?????

2007-05-08T18:43:00.000-04:00

hello! i'm back.

first off, i had a fabo time in new mexico this past weekend! my traveling companion is the best.

and

and

we took hundreds of pictures!

i just dropped off three rolls of slide film at penn camera. they will be ready tomorrow after 5. (oh really? we'll see about that.) won't do me much good, though, because my slide printer finally arrived with the new 4x5" base after 6 weeks and it came WITHOUT DIRECTIONS!!!! HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO PUT THIS THING TOGETHER? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? AND WHERE IS MY TRANSFER KIT? DUDES, THIS IS INSANE ALREADY!!! SEND ME MY STUFF!!!! plus, i was apparently "misquoted" and was charged $100 more than i was originally told. i complained, but they couldn't change it. plus, i didn't have it in writing, which doesn't surprise me. the girl i had been dealing with over there seems to be a huge idiot. she's supposed to call me back before the end of the day (PST) but i don't think i'll hear from her. i was told the directions and kit would be sent out first thing tomorrow, but i don't know if it will happen. i'm going to continue to call and harass them until i get my stuff.

life's a beach!

2007-04-24T22:21:00.000-04:00

bobble-claw crab! mini beer bottles! palm trees! shells! beach fun barbie!

cake was so tasty! everyone was happy! no cake left! deeeelish!

wha-hoo! cake and josh rouse!

2007-04-24T10:31:00.000-04:00

wonder of wonders, i went to another concert alone last night. i reached a point about two years ago where i said, "screw this. if i can't find anyone join me at a great show, i'm going alone!" i don't see it as depressing or anything. i can sing along and piss off strangers. i have no problem with that. (i WAS supposed to have someone with me...but that didn't happen and i couldn't sell the other ticket...so i lost some cash.)

last night was josh rouse at the birchmere. he rocks. he cracked some jokes and was in a general happy mood. they played some of my favs, too. i met him last year at an XM recording session. here's a pic from that....
i cut my coworker out because he was so far away anyway.

then i came home and continued work on the cake for the super secret going away party today.
here are the cakes, cooling.

then i trimmed them and put cherry filling in the middle. had a little accident and the top piece broke. i think i fixed it up, though.

i did a "prep" layer of frosting, put the cake in the fridge to firm up a bit, then a finishing layer of frosting so it wound up looking much better than i thought it would.

and for the beach scene...

i found this spray-on cake color at the craft store, so i used it for the sand. then yellow sugar crystals and blue edible glitter. (if you notice, i put the cake on four pieces of wax paper as i decorated. then all you have to do is slide the pieces out and you have a clean cake bottom and clean cake tray. it doesn't really look that messy. in fact, it's pretty sleek looking.)

then i put it in the box and fridge for the night with some tooth picks here and there to keep the box from getting TOO close to the cake, took it in on the metro this morning, and was surprised that it's actually in pretty decent shape now. it's in the fridge here, and i'll just have to do a bit of touch up later this afternoon. another department member is in charge of beverages and we will be making a mojito-inspired limeade and mint beverage. sure, we'd love some liquor in the middle of the day here, but that mystery bottle of scotch in the lunchroom is gone...

on another subject, i think i'm going to trim this and make a slide. going to order a whole new batch of them this weekend so if my PRINTER EVER COMES i'll be ready.

success on several levels!

2007-04-21T13:15:00.000-04:00

allison, if you're reading this post...stop now because i talk about
you and the party you "don't know about."

seriously. stop it.

first and most importantly, the homeless man i see all the time finally got soup. we went to lunch at uno's to celebrate allison's last friday at work, and on our way out, i picked up some soup. we saw the dude on the walk back.

me - sir, would you like some soup?
dude - oh yes! (pause) what kind is it?
me - broccoli cheese.
dude - broccoli cheese. thank you, god bless you!
me - enjoy!

now, i wasn't after the thank you or anything, that defeats the purpose of giving the soup. he seemed happy.

next, we will be throwing a "super secret" going away party for allison on tuesday. uh...shhh. i was asked to make the cake. i'm going to do a bang-up decorating job, i tell you! this is what she knows so far...chocolate/yellow cake marbled together. two layers with cherry pie filling in the middle (her request) and some stuff on top. here's the secret part...she is moving south to a city mentioned in a will smith song. i bought some doll house plastic palm trees and shells to make a beach scene. i just need a doll for my main character, and i'm set. i'm going to go to toys-r-us later today to hunt for one. didn't see anything that fit my imagination while at the craft store this morning.

also, my brother wants me to make him a "blood puddle pillow" like these so i got the fabric and i'm going to work on it tonight. i have no idea about how to make it up, but it should be pretty easy. updates to follow. lots of pictures in the next two posts, i'm guessing.

stuff i made back in the day

2007-04-18T22:48:00.000-04:00

i used to make funky cards for the grandmas and grandpas. grandmas wore "pearls" (plastic from craft store) and grandpas were bald, with just a bit of doll hair around the sides of the head. i made mc a birthday card almost three summers ago, and i still think it's one of the best. i really tried to capture a unique feature of the subject...what does mc love to do?

i got one of those wooden drawer things from ikea. saved the sunday comics for a while. found some wooden feet and sticky felt....came up with this!

i really enjoy making these photo albums. here is one i did for my mom's friend who got married in 2002.

here are two baby ones. i was surprised to get paid for the girl one. a happy customer.

on another note, this week alone i have turn two people on to his excellency, alton brown and good eats. >sigh<

small hands...smell like cabbage. bye, bye ktdid! (and, so long, eddie stubbs)

2007-04-15T22:14:00.000-04:00

first off, so long, eddie stubbs. thanks for the great music. i have listened to you nearly every sunday for the past 6 years. here's some info on the eddie stubbs show on NPR.

i was invited to a supper club today. it was lots of fun, and i got to socialize with some lovely ladies. the theme was ethiopian food, so i asked one of my coworkers what i should make. cabbage, of course!

1 med. head green cabbage, chopped into 1" pieces
2 onions, cut into 1" pieces
2 carrots, cut into 1" pieces
potatoes (i used about 10 red new potatoes, cut into about 1/4" slices)
1 T grated fresh ginger
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jalepeno pepper, sliced lengthwise into quarters and seeds and veins removed
oilve oil
salt & pepper

in a large pot, sautee onions in oil on med heat until pale, add ginger and garlic. add potatoes and carrots. add cabbage and turn occasionally so all pieces cook. add salt now to help the cabbage release water, and add pepper. (i kept the pot covered for a bit so the top would wilt, then i took the top off so some of the liquid would evaporate.) add in the four (or 8, i wound up making smaller slices) pieces of jalepeno.

i was instructed to "cook until done, but not mushy." there's still a tiny bit of crunch left, but it should be mostly soft. enjoy with injera!

katie moved to ny this weekend. i'm sad that she left, but she has promised to update her blog so that we can follow along on her culinary adventures! she stopped by on friday and brought me this delicious creme egg!

maybe that's why i ran around my apartment in a hyper state of being for hours before finally going to sleep.

also, doll insisted on being treated like a queen. i gave her a crown.

my rabbit the great sphynx

2007-04-11T22:26:00.000-04:00

here is my beautifulness...right before she had a manicure.
we are currently not on snuggling terms.

i just watched hours 5 and 6 of "roots." i've been watching it on TVONE since monday. i will add it on the right to movies when it's all finished. in case you're wondering, kizzy just decided not to get married, and george is setting out on the cock fighting circuit.

here is the front of luke's sweater. i should have this piece finished by this coming weekend. hopefully, he will fill the pockets with little boy things, like rocks, sticks and frogs. not cell phones and ben & jerry's coupons.

i tried to buy soup for the homeless guy without teeth again. we saw him on our way to lunch, and as usual, he wasn't there when we came back. i kept the soup for later and nuked it before we went home. passed his usual hang out, no dice. i decided i would give the warm soup to someone else i passed, but for some reason, there was no one there! no homeless people in the two blocks from my office to union station. how was that possible? i took the soup home and it's in my fridge now; i think i'll have it for lunch tomorrow.

i'm starting to feel guilty about my attempts to buy soup for this one particular man. partly because i keep missing him...i need to get him when he's around. i don't know what kind of appointments he has in the middle of the day, but it's always at the end of my lunch time, which i vary from day to day. i'm going to keep trying, though. maybe i'll get him oatmeal one morning. i always see him in the morning. i'm not going to give him money. i can't do that...it seems wrong to me when i can give some warm food, especially because it's still chilly out.

thoughts?

a sweater update! plus, food and sondre lerche

2007-04-07T23:02:00.000-04:00

i'm making great progress on luke's sweater! the back is finished, as are the two inner pocket linings. i am now working on the front of the sweater. soon i will join the linings in the middle of the front piece. ("what?" you say. don't worry, i'll post pics when i do it.)

i went to see sondre lerche on thursday at the birchmere. finally! i've been waiting for him to come back to dc since he was last at IOTA about two years ago. here i am with sondre and two members of his band, the faces down. (his bass player looks a little sleepy...) i also realized i've been wearing this outfit for several days. i have, mind you, washed the blue shirt. i keep wearing different tanks with it, though. plus, you can see the paste magazine on the table. finally! all four on the cover have signed! i think i'll put sondre over there on the right in the "music" section.

i will also add willy mason to the music section. he was one of sondre's opening acts and was totally amazing. i bought his latest album. give a listen here at his myspace page.

i made tilapia on thursday for a passover dinner. here's a rough recipe for one serving. you can easily make more, as each serving gets its own pouch...
1 piece tilapia fillet (i don't know how much, enough for you...)
4 lemon slices
4 slices red onion
4-5 grape tomatoes, halved
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp dried basil
salt
pepper
drizzle of oilve oil

preheat toaster oven to 400 degrees. cut a piece of parchment paper appx. 18" long. place two lemon slices and two onion slices on the first half of the paper. coat the tilapia with the garlic, salt, pepper and dried basil. lay fish on the lemon and onion slices and place two more slices of lemon and onion on top. add the tomatoes. drizzle with olive oil. fold the paper over and tightly fold up each side a few times to make a tight pocket. place a few staples in the paper to make sure it's secure. bake for about 18 minutes. carefully open the pocket. there will be a lot of steam. enjoy!

not craft related, blanktop cab!

2007-04-04T14:35:00.000-04:00

i'm at my parents' house until tomorrow. i'll post updates of my favorite model's new sweater when i return to my place. until then, read this guy. he's funny. i have taken "blanktop" cab many times before. i haven't had a problem with them. seems like they have great customer service, too.

http://blanktop.blogspot.com/

levels of tzedakah and why i'm a little annoyed now

2007-03-30T16:37:00.000-04:00

Levels of Tzedakah
Certain kinds of tzedakah are considered more meritorious than others. The Talmud describes these different levels of tzedakah, and Maimonides organized them into a list. The levels of charity, from the least meritorious to the most meritorious, are:
Giving begrudgingly
Giving less than you should, but giving it cheerfully.
Giving after being asked
Giving before being asked
Giving when you do not know the recipient's identity, but the recipient knows your identity
Giving when you know the recipient's identity, but the recipient does not know your identity
Giving when neither party knows the other's identity
Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/tzedakah.htm

so remember a few weeks ago i wrote that my coworker and i bought soup for one of the homeless guys we see all the time outside union station, and that he wasn't there when we passed back? well, we tried again yesterday. of course, he wasn't there again when we went back to the office. (this time we had tomato basil soup...i had a cup, too. it was tasty.) another dude asked for money, so i offered him the soup.

dude - "got any money?"
me - "no, but do you want this soup?"
dude - "yeah i want some soup!"
me - "here you go, enjoy!"
dude - "thanks! (mumble mumble mumble) you know what the greatest story ever told is?"
us - "no, what?"
dude - "i have no idea (mumble mumble)"

we begin to walk away and the dude keeps talking to us, mostly incoherent something about home made american money? he asked for money, a dime or nickel. i replied that we only had the soup, so he asked my coworker, and she said sorry, just the soup. he sort of got a little mad at us then. hey, pal. i just gave you soup and a nice crusty piece of baguette and you're asking for a dime? i don't understand that, man. i felt good at first, then i got mad. is that wrong? how would some coins help you then?

i'll continue to try to buy soup for the original guy. he has no teeth, so i may rethink the crusty bread.

sharks and birds and sweater update

2007-03-25T18:50:00.000-04:00

first off, are you WATCHING THIS??? i am watching now and not really looking at the computer too much so let's see how i type. go discovery channel, go! (in case you're not interesting in clicking, i am watching the discovery channel's planet earth series which started about 32 minutes ago.)

did you see that great white shark get the seal? amazing. totally amazing. that one second kill was stretched out to 47 seconds. you can almost see each drop of water fly in the air.

i have a new philosophy on courtship. i think humans should follow bird behavior. males should clean up their nests to make it attractive for a mate. then, he should get all gussied up and dance, >DANCE!< to impress the ladies. we'd have our pick of the best housekeeper, dresser and dancer who's all about doin' the deed and makin' some baby chicks. sure, he won't stay around but it'd be fun while it lasts.

if you haven't noticed, check the "movies" section on the right. i am updating this section every time i see a movie. i am putting a link to imdb there, too. most of them are from the cable "on demand" thing. i have it, i may as well use it! very nice, considering i'm spending a lot more time alone now. boo.

anyway, i am once again obsessed with tyrone power. he's so dreamy. i watched 1939's "jesse james" with ty (we're on a first-name basis) and henry fonda. yes, yes, i'm the one who threw things at the tv while watching "the patriot" several years back thanks to the historical inaccuracies, but there were lots of things i didn't like about that movie. this one was good because tyrone powers is so dreamy. i had a major hollywood crush on him my freshman year of college. too bad he had died 39 years earlier.

so, here is a sweater update. i went to wonderful stitch dc today. marie hosted a "yarn tasting" fundraiser for a woman doing a triathalon benefiting the leukemia and lymphoma society. i went to knit with others and make a donation. (marie also said they're going to be updating their web site soon, so more on that later.) everyone was impressed with my seed stitch abilities because it isn't as easy as straight knitting...k1,p1,k1,p1...and so on. it hurts my hands a lot sooner than usual. here is my progress. after 5 days, i am pleased. if i continue like this i should have the back done by saturday.
i need 40 cm and i'm at 22, as you can see.

plus, rabbit enjoys folding socks.

DSM, friends and my favorite model gets a new sweater

2007-03-22T20:47:00.000-04:00

i spent a few days in iowa for work. i took these pics on the plane on the way back. i also took some in the airport at 630 in the am and was convinced i'd get cuffed, interrogated and put on several "lists." good thing no one paid attention...
i finally see some iowa farmland.

sorry, but this was just too freggin' awesome to pass up.

luke is getting a new sweater! he has outgrown this one so i am going to make a new one for him. his dad said that he enjoyed wearing the striped one, so i feel i've done well. i told him to keep it for their next kid, too.
for the next project, i have chosen a moss stitch sweater with collar in the cotton DK from Number Three. so far i've accomplished a lot after starting tuesday night!

a boxty update...they are headed to the arlington street people's assistance network soon, hopefully. i hope they will be enjoyed.

also to follow up...the music goes on! more music postings soon. i'm glad that won't end. :)

the old saying was right....

2007-03-16T20:04:00.000-04:00

WARNING: this is a depressing posting, so please read with sorrow.

so i made 154 boxty pancakes for the party tomorrow....
sunday, monday, tuesday and wednesday nights. each night. all evening.
boiled and/or grated 10 lbs of potatoes and three onions.
fried 'em all up.

froze them on cookie sheets.

bagged them for the freezer...with reheating directions.

then i was told last night that i am no longer wanted.
no more party.
no more music.
guess i couldn't make boxty.

the great boxty experiment

2007-03-12T21:44:00.000-04:00

Boxty on the griddle, boxty in the pan, If you can't make boxty, you'll never get your man

i will be single forever.

ag and housemates are planning a big st patrick's day party for this coming weekend. i said i would make boxty. fried anything goes well with lots of beer, no? all excited, i bought a 10 lb sack of potatoes on friday and googled "boxty." that's where i went wrong. 94,000 hits. argh!

i just called a friend to ask his advice...not because i thought he knew how to make them, but that he knew how to eat them. he said they're little fried balls of potato...the recipes i've seen have been flat like pancakes. ok that didn't help much. but he's right; every family would have their own recipe.

i set out to make my irish latkes. c'mon. that's what they are.

i made less than half of the whole batch. i have the other half of the batter from tonight in the fridge and i will play with it tomorrow night to see what happens. ideally i will freeze them and just reheat saturday afternoon at the party.

potato--> mashed and grated, buttermilk, flour and some baking powder. i threw in some grated onion for good measure. why not? i already had no idea what i was doing. i weighed everything out...

love the box grater...no fingers!

here's my batter. i wound up adding about another 1/2 cup flour after this point.

love that splatter guard

hm. how do they look? they taste nice and greasy, but i don't know if they're supposed to taste like that. they're not burned, but super crispy. soft on the inside. probably another minute would have burned them, though.

i've only had boxty once, with the lovely friend who received my panic-stricken phone call tonight, so i really have no frame of reference.

HELP!!!!
do you know how to make boxty?
do you enjoy eating boxty?
readers! (i know you're there!) please assist!

i'm back, and i bring popcorn!

2007-03-09T10:16:00.000-05:00

i took today off. i'm about to go grocery shopping, which should be very exciting. i will work on some other projects later on in the day and will post later this weekend.

before the conference started last weekend, i made a massive bowl of popcorn. it took me (and doll) several days to finish it.

>pop!<
>pop!<

lots of pop

so i try to keep my knitting projects separate. i have enough trouble staying with one project at a time as it is now, so i had to figure out how to keep all my stuff for each project together. my brother moved back to NY a few months ago and he gave me a bunch of stuff when he moved. next to the bookcase and tv, he gave me a costco size box of zipper-type ziplock bags. i decided to use them for the projects!

each project gets one bag. i have a little pair of scissors and a few yarn needles that move from bag to bag. if i have a larger piece completed, such as the back of a sweater or a sleeve, i'll just take it out of the bag. also great to toss into my backpack or suitcase.

i feel like a genius.

>update!<
1:02 pm

just returned from the grocery store. i asked for help unpacking, but it seems that my assistant decided to eat my stuff instead...

still around

2007-03-05T08:56:00.000-05:00

i have been at my association's conference for several days now...knitting has halted, so there have been no posts.

several days of fake smiling and chatting with folks from around the country has tired me out. more on that later.

i'd much rather be knitting and blogging, but i have to bring home the soy bacon.

updates soon!

FINE! you want to see the sweater?

2007-02-24T16:22:00.000-05:00

here it is, sickos.

see? failure. failure. i really don't want to talk about it anymore unless you have some suggestions. and don't tell me i made it the wrong size. i am a small...i am barely 5'3" but i tend to have problems in the shoulder area. in that case i could have made a medium, but this was just so messed up everywhere that i don't know if it would have made a difference. the arms are ok, right? and no, it's not supposed to be a midriff baring piece.

doll took some time to relax on her tummy in the sun this afternoon.

here i am about 25 minutes later with calmer hair, along with a pissed off rabbit. (fyi...i didn't take her away from the sun. she came over to me and therefore she was fair game for the photo.)

here is alton brown's baked mac and cheese that i made for our black history month potluck at work yesterday. we're supposed to make something "traditional" from our family, or whatever. i didn't. i make this every year cause it rocks and people love it. (though, i do admit, last year i put too many onions in it and didn't let it cook long enough, so it was kind of oniony, but i got it right this time.) someone always brings in a stouffer's frozen mac and cheese, which i don't get. this year, that contribution was at least presented in a corningware dish, so it didn't look as icky, at least some thought was put into presentation.

ag has a gig tonight, so i'm excited. scap will be playing, too, as the event is his creation. yaaaay.

blue sweater failure...FAILURE!!!

2007-02-19T21:28:00.000-05:00

i finally finished the blue sweater...all along i thought the body was a little short, but that was ok. worked on the neck and got the v part all set to go.

and then i finished the neck ribbing and cast off.

i tried it on...

NO!

there is no picture of me trying this sweater on. it ends about an inch above my belly button. i am so annoyed. to fit me, i would need a medium (large?) body and small sleeves! it's not going to happen. i'm going to take the whole thing apart now and figure out what to do with the yarn. dang!!!

arms and body have joined together!

2007-02-16T13:54:00.000-05:00

here we are...arms and body together at last! i'm almost done with the front shaping...it'll wind up being a "v" neck. then all i'll have to do is sew up 10 stitches under each arm! i hope to finish it during this three day weekend (yay for president's day!)

also, my coworker and i just came back from lunch. there was a homeless guy asking for money outside of cap city brewery next to union station. we passed him and she and i went to abp and got soup and bread for lunch. then we decided to get soup for the man, too. we got broccoli cheese soup, nice piece of multi grain bread, gave him napkins, spoon, salt, pepper in the bag...go out to give it to him, he wasn't there. we've seen him before so we're going to try again. we're not saying we're saints or anything, but it's cold outside and we enjoyed our soup and thought he would too.

more rockin' the crock pot and sweater

2007-02-12T12:16:00.000-05:00

the sweater didn't go in the crock pot, no. this is the blue sweater i was working on back in september and never really got around to finishing. i am ready to join the arms to the body. to recap, the yarn is from webs and is one of the yarns from their valley yarns line, shelburne. it's super soft. considering the cold days we've had recently, it will be a welcome addition to my messy closet.

also, i made some chicken last night in the 'crock.

i know what you're thinking..."that looks like boiled chicken!" well, that's pretty much what happened, but it was still super tasty.

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces

several sprigs of rosemary

several sprigs of thyme

1 large onion, sliced into 1/3 inch slices, then sliced in half again to get semi-circles)

1 package button mushrooms, cleaned and cut into quarters

4 large cloves garilc, cut into large pieces (i just quartered mine)

1 10.5 oz can chicken stock

1 cup white wine

1 lemon, cut into slices

pepper

(i didn't add any salt because the stock is salty and i used kosher chicken. you can add salt, if you want, but most likely it will be too salty.)

place chicken in ziplock bag. chop up half of the rosemary and thyme and add to the bag, makign sure to cover each piece of chicken. let it sit in the fridge overnight.
layer onions in the bottom of the crock pot. place chicken on onions, add mushrooms around chicken pieces, add garlic and lemons. add stock, wine, the rest of the rosemary and thyme and pepper to taste. cook on high for about 5 hours or low for about 8 hours.

if you want to make the potatoes, cut up two red potatoes and steam until they start to get soft. spoon off some of the fat from the chicken and add to a skillet on med. heat. add the potatoes and cook until crispy and brown, turning each piece to cook all sides. add salt and pepper to taste.

i want to marry my crock pot

2007-02-06T13:27:00.000-05:00

and it's a really deep bowl, so just in case you think there's nothing in there, oh, it's full.

today's lunch was scrumptious as well. i need a nap now.

stew! loving the crock pot

2007-02-05T09:25:00.000-05:00

i am in love.

i am in love with my crock pot. (mine is red, though)

i've had it for almost two months now, and i've already used it about 6 or 7 times. this morning before leaving for work i threw in this beef stew, which will be ready for me when i get home at 6 tonight. it will be a most welcome meal, as right now it is 14 degrees outside. i took out the ingredients last night (except for meat and veggies) and i was all set. total prep time this morning from chopping veggies until turning on the cooker....14 minutes! excellent!

i have made soups and stews in there. i also cooked a whole chicken. it was FALLING APART when i took it out. ag and i couldn't get over it. so delish. i'm going to attempt some kind of herb chicken later this week, maybe for dinner thursday night. i have a whole cut up chicken (8 pieces) in the freezer right now and rosemary, lemon, garlic and thyme. i will experiment. maybe with a side of rice.

not to brag or anything, but i have inspired at least TWO people to purchase (and fall in love with) crock pots! for a singleton like me, the 3.5 size is ideal. not so small that you can't make anything real, and not too big that you wind up making an obscene amount of freezer-filling food. this one makes about 4 servings. perfect!

are you a crock pot cooker? please share your recipies!

flub

2007-01-26T15:53:00.000-05:00

flub is all in dutch.
i think he's awesome.
at least i think it's a he.
i have a flub keychain.
flub has lots of friends.
http://www.flub.nl/

slides slides slides!

2007-01-22T18:18:00.000-05:00

here are some more slide transfer images. i'm going to watercolor some of them and rescan soon.

amsterdam (next three)

japan

virginia/dc

steve's hat and a very sleepy doll

2007-01-18T09:32:00.000-05:00

since steve's return from japan several months ago i have been promising him a new hat to keep his ears warm in his new city of chicago. it is finally done!
it's really dark here, but lurlene models this navy blue hat in rowan big wool. it'll look spiffy with his blue eyes!

obligatory sleepy dolley pic....

i got a glowing review of the towel pillows from ag on monday. i have yet to try them out, but it sounds like i'll have to make some more if i want to use one. don't think he's going to share. (excellent! more!)

also, i see i have a new reader! i have a real reader! (no offense, loyal fans) welcome, lady luxie! thanks for stopping by!

scarf update

2007-01-14T21:24:00.000-05:00

i'm here in a funk tonight. no work tomorrow. that's good. just bought new tires. that's expensive.

ag really liked the towel pillowcases. i'm going to make some more, i think.

what better to do than drink and knit? amarula on ice. it's kind of girly, but whatever i don't care. it's nice and tasty. plus, here is a scarf update...

it's almost 16" long, and i think i have about 6" left in this ball of yarn. with the other two, it'll make a nice, long scarf.

make a pillowcase out of towels!

2007-01-08T22:50:00.000-05:00

ag wrapped a pillow in a towel a few nights ago and remarked how great towel pillocases would be...so i decided to make them! i searched online and couldn't find any kind of "how-to" and i decided to do it myself. total time was about an hour for both of them. i'm going to make some more. they were really easy, no tape measure needed, and they're soooo comfy! here we go!

i got two regular size bath towels from bed bath & beyond...they're having their annual clearance sale now, so that was just a bonus. i had wanted to use one bath sheet, but i couldn't find any that i liked. so...

then line up two towels exactly. i wound up cutting off the ends with the tags.

next, i lined up a regular pillowcase so it would be the correct size. (if you want to use the bath sheet, just fold in half so the edges line up and continue with the next step.)

then i pinned around the case to keep the two towels together, and then marked the top towel with tailor's chalk.

then i sewed around the chalk marks. i went right up to the edging, and then went back and forth to secure the edges.

here is the completed pillowcase, inside out.

then i trimmed the edges, leaving about 1/2 inch around the stitching, and turned it right side out. that's it!

it's in the washing machine now to clean it up. now, what to do with all the left over scraps?

Public Art Private Parts

2007-01-05T12:24:00.001-05:00

Posted by Evelyn at DC Knit Blog (See link at right)

DC-Based Crochet Artist featured in Documentary
Happy Holidays, DC Fiber Artists,

I received an email from Brandon Bloch, a graduate student at American University who just completed a short documentary on DC-based crochet artist, Ming Yi Sung. Ming is a very imaginative and talented crochet artist. You may have heard
about her - in the summer of 2005 her "controversial" crochet work,
featuring knitted nude figures, was censored by a DC law firm.

I visited this exhibit last summer and I was impressed with Ming Yi Sung's work as well as the work of the other artists that was displayed there.

Mr. Bloch is trying to spread the word about his documentary film, so take a look and feel free to share it on your blogs and with your fiber arts enthusiast friends.

new scarf and new amsterdam photo

2007-01-04T21:13:00.000-05:00

i had dreams about eating fries with mayo for weeks before my trip. totally worth the wait. but...what's with the pinky?

here is a new scarf. now that i'm fluent in "cable" i'm hooked, so to speak. i joined a knit-along! i'm using rowan chunky chenille, which is now discontinued. boo. i got it on sale at de afstap. here is my progress from last night.

as promised, here is the melted menorah. >sigh< better luck next year. it spewed so much junk into the air in my apartment i had to clean my air filter every day. i usually do it every week.

some pics from amsterdam...happy new year!

2007-01-01T19:14:00.000-05:00

the last time i was in the netherlands, i noticed that bathrooms do not have hot water for hand washing, only cold. this is still pretty much the case. it didn't seem to be a big deal to my friends, just soap up and rinse. i did notice everywhere that that there was soap, which is not always the case here.

anyway, that was my big obsession on this trip. again.

here is the hat i worked on. my first cable project. this pic was taken on the plane on the way over...

if you think i did anything here besides take this picture, you and i have obviously never met. neon is pretty.

this is me...traveling 3500 miles for a new yarn shop, de afstap. that's me.

ah, canals are pretty. plus, they don't stink like they do in venice. a bonus.

more soon....

I AMsterdam!

2006-12-30T22:28:00.000-05:00

i will post more tomorrow. just uploaded my pics from this past week visiting shosh in amsterdam! lots of fun. almost gave my mom a heart attack on the street. see what happens when you don't read my blog? you are surprised by a family member in a foreign city.

apparently, the dutch require a license to drive a shoe. would have been nice to know that ahead of time...

(we were here in the hague at the time)

and remember...

now i know that the #1, 2 and 5 trams stop here.

but yes, more tomorrow. do note the cable hat i am wearing. this trip did include, in fact, knitting. i started it while waiting for my first flight at DCA and finished it three days later. more on that tomorrow, as well.

PLUS...i just picked up a light box today! finally! plus, i got a coupon from another customer at the store! >dancing at desk< now i can check my slides much more easily.

necklace and menorah

2006-12-21T10:39:00.000-05:00

so i made a menorah last week for chanukah. i made a menorah out of sculpy, thinking it was a great idea.
so, it melted.
every night it melts a little more.
here it is before chanukah started, when it still looked all pretty. i'll take another picture of it at the end of the holiday so you can see the aftermath.

also, my mom asked for this necklace...oh, a year ago? maybe more? i strung 6 strands of freshwater pearls onto 5 pieces of acuflex and then knotted them. the caps and clasp are gold fill. she thinks i still haven't done it and she'll never get it. i'm going to give it to her next week in amsterdam. shhh!
it's ok, though. she won't know because she refuses to read my blog. anyway, i think it's a pretty cool necklace and i want to make one for myself now. hm....

next week i will post from shosh's computer! haha.

School shuns tech, teaches fountain pen

2006-12-11T14:30:00.000-05:00

School shuns tech, teaches fountain pen
In this age of cell phones, text messages and computer keyboards, one school has returned to basics. It's teaching youngsters the neglected art of writing with a fountain pen.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16151317/from/ET/

So? What do you think? Leave a comment. This goes back to the whole handwriting issue I tried to discuss several weeks ago.

first polaroid transfers!

2006-12-07T17:04:00.000-05:00

more to come as i perfect my technique!
from the camping weekend in october...

also from camping weekend,

my girl

these prints came from slides i made from digital images i had. sent away for them sunday night and they came in yesterday (wednesday) from tonawanda, ny, near buffalo. where are the slides from cvs? still not here. they all know me in the store now. i'm the crazy one. i want my forking slides. never take film to cvs. argh. i hope they come before the weekend so i have something to play with.

return from iowa

2006-12-01T20:40:00.000-05:00

so freggin' cold. so cold. i think it brought the cold west with me, because it was apparently around 65 the day before i landed. outside temp for my arrival? around 20. i'm a zombie now, but i wanted to post tonight before i begin an intense study of my inner eyelids.

i didn't knit at all while i was there. (WHAT????) tired hands for some reason.
thoughts....

maybe it was the cold.
maybe it was the corn.
maybe it was the pork on my plate at dinner last night that i had to gently avoid.

however, two nights before i left i set up the daylab jr and practiced printing a few slides i took a few years ago. i totally figured out what i had been doing wrong before! duh. i am re-energized now and am looking forward to trying new things! i went to cvs and bought a ton of candies to photograph....dropped off the film the night before i left but it still isn't back. when i handed the film to the kid at cvs he didn't understand why i didn't want prints.

"wait you don't want any prints?" asks he.
"it's slide film," says i.
"but you don't want prints?" repeated he.
"no. it's slide film. you don't make prints. you make slides," responded i.
"uh ok," mumbled he.

dude, just put it in the box. you don't take care of it anyway.

thanksgiving update

2006-11-26T21:40:00.000-05:00

first off, if you've ever wondered who buys ronco products...well, we do.
the showtime rotisserie actually works quite well. my mom has had it for a few years, and we are always happy with the results....as long as we can wrap up the turkey. those elastics don't work, but two and a half yards of kitchen cotton sure does.

here is my latest sock...from my favorite blue sky cotton. i don't have a pattern for it, but i'm basing it on the many dozens of socks i've made over the past few months, so i think it'll be ok. so far, so good.

i'm also going to start doing image transfers again. while i was at my parents' house in ny i found my daylab jr. from many moons ago (took me 45 seconds to find. they swore they couldn't find it anywhere.) they're these really funky watercolor-looking prints that i used to make back in the day. i suppose i'll scan in the finished product. bought some film today, too.

update on projects

2006-11-21T12:35:00.000-05:00

i know, i need to update my progress on the blue sweater and shed's sweater. i have also started another adult sock. now that i actually understand the construction of a sock, this one has been much easier and less intimidating. here is an earlier attempt http://slimeblog.blogspot.com/2005_10_01_slimeblog_archive.html that wound up being pulled out and rewrapped into a nice little ball, wound on my winder thingy.

i was in kentucky last week for work and i'm off to exciting des moines, iowa next week, so i'm going to to update this weekend after thanksgiving.

shosh, where do you buy yarn? i hope you'll take me there! also, what are YOU working on? if you need a hand, i'll be happy to help soon!

beez's baby shower

2006-11-07T15:27:00.000-05:00

so beez is decorating the nursery in a classic pooh theme...look at the wall! very impressive...and she did it freehand, too!

i went to her baby shower on saturday and here is the cake! from a bakery, not home made. it was quite sugary.

this pic is funny because he won't be a D if mummy has anything to say about it...

camping in wv

2006-10-31T10:50:00.000-05:00

sure, i'm sniffly now from sleeping out in the cold, but what else could be expected of me?
i'm a lumberjack and i'm ok. i sleep all night. i work all day.

(yep, that's me. only got through about 3 pieces, then i gave up. i was too slow, also.)
we made spiced cider...

...and thanks to ag, we built a spit and roasted chickens. took a long time, but they were super tasty.

let's see...what else did we do? took a walk and then a little hike in the afternoon. came across some interesting sights, so i filled up my camera. shocking.

(this one is my new desktop at work. sorry josh ritter, you're gone)

this tree was pretty interesting...sort of shaped like an "n" with one side broken and a new top. must have somehow broken as an adult tree and then slowly curved downward over many years. i'll put another pic of the whole tree up later.

i know, i'm usually into texture, but landscapes are pretty. this reminds me of a photo i have hanging in my bedroom that i call "low river" from a tributary of the monongahela river. i took it in the spring of 2001 when the river was dammed as the search for a body began. hm. drunk kids. anyway, it was really pretty and i collected smooth pieces of coal that look like river rocks.

piece o' pie!

2006-10-26T12:21:00.000-04:00

my coworkers were pleased with the pie! i got very encouraging reviews, so i am excited to present this pie this weekend at the outing. it's spicy!

there is barely a sliver left now, as public affairs has sucked most of it down.

i'm going to make the other two pies tonight to join the third in the fridge now. i also wanted to make an apple pie, but because willy is coming in tonight, i won't have time to go out and get another crust. i DID, for some odd reason, buy crisco when i went to the grocery store last night so i'm going to attempt to make a crust. stay tuned...

emily has pumpkin instead of brain

2006-10-26T00:04:00.000-04:00

so, tonight i cut up the pumpkin, cooked it, pureed it, and finally turned it into pie. still baking now...smells so good. however, getting to this point has been a pain in the bottom. shosh, did you make your pie from the real deal...or did you use the canned stuff? there's a reason everyone uses the can. it's a lot of work to get it ready!

remember, i used this site on pumpkin info.

ok i picked up two packages of frozen pie crust, which turned out to be quite fortunate. got all the extra spices i needed and headed home.
and so it begins!

oo, cut up pumpkin! seeds and guts!

guts and flesh and all...this is after the cooking. it came out easily.

pureed it all...i think i had about 8 cups in all. EIGHT CUPS. EIGHT. remember that number.

i decided that with all the puree, i should make "two" pies. i'd be bringing at least two with me this weekend to an outing. here are the two bowls after spices were added. (observe seeds in the back there. they were soaking in honey and soy sauce. i just toasted them up. super tasty.)

this is when things started to go downhill. first, i got whole allspice berries, not ground. quick fix, pulled out my coffee grinder (not used for coffee, don't worry) and pulverized a few of those suckers. ah, all is well...or is it? i started to pour into the frozen crust...but wait! why does it look like this filling is for two pies? well, because it is...and i made two batches....for four pies. FOUR! i thought there were too many eggs in there...

here i am, watching comedy central and waiting for the timer to ring. i've cleaned up the kitchen. once those pies come out, i'm going to sleep. i'll finish the last two tomorrow, then maybe make an apple after that, but i'll have to go out and get new crusts! all for the love of home made baked goods.

and, crazy will is coming to visit tomorrow!

mmmmapples!

2006-10-22T11:14:00.000-04:00

last weekend we went apple picking in poolesville, md. we have been to homestead farms a few times in the past year and always enjoy the picking. it's also still a family run farm in an area that's prized for land...prized by developers, that is.
katie needed a lesson on holding the basket properly after this was taken.

i tried to hide, but didn't do so well.

there were, of course, 756,597 kids there with their families. most of them were funny. this little girl loved feeding this kid, and shreaked with delight every time he took food from her.

also, i thought this was very "wizard of oz" like.

so, i have this 11 lb pumkin from the farm that's all clean and ready to be cut up. it's sitting on my counter. i brought some of my big knives in to sur la table to be sharpened yesterday, realized i didn't have any knives for the next week and a half, so i picked up a new one while i was there. it's so pretty, and i can't wait to use it. i've been eating pumkin seeds in the shell from trader joe's all week at work. once i cut this one up, i'll clean up the seeds and give most of the flesh to katie. kind of like we're killing our own livestock.

i want the snout!

Seriously, people, your teeth are white enough! - More Health News - MSNBC.com

2006-10-18T16:30:00.000-04:00

Seriously, people, your teeth are white enough! - More Health News - MSNBC.com

i thought about that "friends" episode where ross bleaches his teeth before a date and they glow in the dark.

ok so i once tried those strips...i got through about a day and a half before i had to stop. i have really sensitive teeth. duh. keep away from coffee and smoke and such, but my weakness for tea is great.

my teeth are white enough. i pick food out of my teeth often, and, uh, sometimes brush a few times a month. what else do you need? why am i blogging a second news article instead of knitting? because i'm at work and if i type instead of plug in my camera, it looks like i'm doing something.

katie and i went apple picking this past weekend. i got an 11 lb. pumpkin. i'm going to cut it up, roast the seeds, give her the flesh. i'll put up pics of that when i start it this coming weekend. also, ran into shed today at mayor williams's press conference (that was cool...my first dc gov't press conference.) though he did not come out and ask for a sweater update, i know i have to put up the latest pic. i swear i'm going to finish it.

WP article about handwriting

2006-10-11T09:57:00.000-04:00

yes! handwriting is a craft!
remember that i have a pen pal 3800 miles away!
remember that we send each other letters because handwriting is an art and that the connection that comes with a letter can never be duplicated in an e-mail! sure, my handwriting isn't the greatest, and now i write in emily-script. but if i really wanted to, i could write in proper cursive.
here is the article.
please leave a comment let me know what you think.

violent sweater behavior (alpaca/silk, too!)

2006-10-10T22:26:00.000-04:00

ok so the front is not impressive enough for it's own pic yet, but here is the back. it has been sitting in the yarn craft drawer for a while. you know, shed, sweaters can be the kiss of death to a relationship. are you sure you want to lose our glorious friendship?
eh? eh???

also, i got all this alpaca and silk from blue sky alpacas to make this cool silk shrug, but stitch dc doesn't have the pattern in yet. i'm just going to wait for them to e-mail me. it's SOOOOOO soft. you can't really tell what color it is...it's sort of a charcoal/chocolate brown mix. holy cow.

moo

threatening phone call promts wrist pain

2006-10-08T20:23:00.000-04:00

so, i got a call from shed on friday.

about 3 years ago i MAY have promised him a sweater. (i don't know, my memory is a little fuzzy from that time.) anyway, i completed the back and started the front, then put it away...nearly two years ago. i don't see him at work anymore since he left so it's not really my fault!

apparently, he's been walking around DC shirtless since the agreement was made.

i have once again picked up the sweater, and i vow to finish it by the beginning of novmeber. check back for weekly updates. i am also sending him a link back here so he can see that progress is actually being made.

grandma's scarf update

2006-10-03T15:59:00.000-04:00

here is an update on the funky scarf for grandma's birthday later this month...

it's 50" long. i don't know if i should make it longer, or what. she's a little lady.

shosh, my parents are starting to work on their travel plans. i'll put you in touch with them in a few weeks!

josh ritter is in town this weekend. joy of musical joys!

grandma's birthday present

2006-09-26T23:27:00.000-04:00

my grandma's 85th birthday is this october. my parents are going to taking her out with some of her gal pals for a fancy dinner. i am working a present for her right now. i actually bought this yarn last year with the idea of making her something, but we all know how slow i am, and here we are a year later. this is recycled silk left over from making saris...(this info is from http://www.rugsandcrafts.com/silkyarn.html but i don't remember where i actually bought it)

Recycled silk yarn is the by-product of colorful saris that women wear in South Asia. It is the loose ends of saris collected from industrial mills in India that is hand spun into yarn in Nepal. The vibrant colors and unique texture of these silk fibers and silk yarn are inspirational to designers, knitters, and artisans. The popularity of recycled silk yarn has extended beyond Nepal and India and has created an empowering cottage industry primarily benefiting women.

We work with women's development groups in Nepal to produce unique hand knitted silk yarn products. Knitting, crocheting, and weaving in their spare time in their own home, women make many products out of the silk yarn. This work provides additional income to support and improve their families.

so, it's actually really cool yarn. really bright colors, you can see just a bit from this pic. it's a little tricky to work with, but i found a pretty simple drop stitch pattern that has turned out to be great. this is after about 30 minutes of work.

old cars, old houses and hoosiers

2006-09-19T22:23:00.000-04:00

i am now in south bend, indiana for work.

first, necessity is the mother of invention. my hotel does not have shower caps. anywhere. i had to make my own out of the ice bucket plastic bag. yes, i still use shower caps. that's my creative exercise for the week.

tonight i went to the studebaker museum!

after that, we went here for dinner...tippecanoe place, the home of clement studebaker...

how well do you know me? why did this house make me nutty?

about the home...

By the 1870's, the Studebaker brothers were quite rich and enjoyed living well. Clement Studebaker, then president of the company, had many friends who had also struck it rich in the early days of America - Andrew Carnegie, Cyrus McCormick, John Wannamaker, and J.P. Morgan, to name a few. In 1886, Clem decided to build a home suitable to his position in life.

Tippecanoe Place, with four main levels totaling 40 rooms and 20 fireplaces, is the embodiment of everything great wealth in the late 1800's could suggest. The 26,000 square-foot mansion was designed by Henry Cobb and built by local craftsmen. Work on Tippecanoe Place was completed in 1889 at a total cost of $250,000.

The massive walls are made of local granite fieldstone, and the many broad porches are paved with tile and supported by stone pillars. A flight of stone steps at the main entrance leads into the mahogany paneled vestibule. The decorative carvings on the oval doorknobs exemplify the great attention to detail throughout the entire house.

The mansion, however, was to be more than simply a monument to the architecture and craftsmanship of the period. It would serve as the setting for many lavish parties, weddings, and balls.

Guests would arrive by carriage and enter through the west doors. They would board the elevator - one of the first in the country - and be whisked upstairs to freshen up. The formally clad ladies and gentlemen would then descend the Grand Staircase into the Reception Area. Then, as today, Tippecanoe Place was known for its hospitality and as a gracious setting for fine dining.

blue sweater progress

2006-09-16T12:46:00.000-04:00

the blue sweater is coming along nicely. the body is done, up to the underarms, and i have set it aside. working on the arms now. it's all done in the round, which is awesome. there won't be any seams, but i'm a little worried about working in the ends. i'll just have to think about that when it comes time.
it's really really soft yarn, but it will be a really warm sweater. can't wear a t-shirt under it like i thought i'd be able to. we'll see.

banana cranberry chocolate muffins

2006-09-11T21:06:00.000-04:00

so, i had all these bananas in my freezer, whole, just waiting to become banana bread/muffins. i also still have choco chips left over from a project i finished many moons ago, and some new dried cranberry pieces i got from trader joe's last week. threw them all together, and voila!

i had no recipe for these muffins beyond a basic banana bread, but i've made it so many times before that i have started to add my own little touches. i rock. go me.

and...we like strawberries.

to clarify...

2006-09-07T14:13:00.000-04:00

i made the SWEATER, not the kid.

also, shosh! my parents will probably be in amsterdam for new year's! you can say hi.
:)

my first clothing model

2006-09-05T14:14:00.000-04:00

here he is! toothless smile and all.

latest sweater!

2006-09-03T22:41:00.000-04:00

so, i started a new sweater last night...and i'm already about 1/4 done. it's knit in the round, and the yarn is rather big and soft, so it'll go quickly. i'm very excited about this one!

the yarn is from webs and is one of the yarns from their valley yarns line, shelburne.

right, i'm spending my three day weekend knitting. is that a surprise?

here is my roommate, who was allowed to roam free all day. she is laying on her tummy under my desk in this pic.

ta-da...sweater is done!

2006-08-28T20:35:00.000-04:00

aw!

the two buttons are simple 5/16" shirt buttons. here is button detail...

lucas's dad is bringing it home to him tonight. hopefully, i'll get a picture!

depressing news

2006-08-23T22:13:00.000-04:00

so, i'm going to get the buttons for the baby sweater this weekend. nothing depressing there.

BUT, because i felt i was on a roll, i went back to the pink and brown sweater i started about a year and half ago (pics on here somewhere) and began to piece it together. well, the seams were looking GREAT. everything was working nicely...

then i tried it on. it's too small. i'm not a big gal! i should be a small! i have shoulders that fit a medium better, however. i'm crying.

i will weave the ends in tomorrow night and take a pic...then give it to my mom so she can enjoy the soft, soft blue sky alpacas sweater. 100% baby alpaca!