Rani Knits

A Good Read

2012-03-06T17:38:00.002-06:00

If you are a Yarn Harlot fan or even if you're not, her lastest post, "Dear Luis" is worth a read.

Here is the link.

Enjoy!

Fun Bags

2012-03-04T07:09:00.005-06:00

Knit Picks Brava Sport

I received my order from Knit Picks. I was so excited to show you that I took that crappy, under-lit, blurry picture and posted it right away. This bag off goodies will be the amazing "Neat Ripple Pattern" by Lucy of Attic 24.

I might add that it's acrylic. The whole kit and caboodle. ACRYLIC I tell you! Why? I'm taking a chance here. The last time I tried acrylic, the texture and unearthly squeak it made threw me over the edge. BUT I could not find the vibrant colors I wanted and adorableness in any of the natural fibers. I'll give it a full review as I begin rippling along.

Knit Picks Wool of the Andes ($2.49)

This is a goody bag full of Wool of the Andes in all sorts of delicious nutritious colors. Believe it or not, these colors aren't as bright as that Brava from above. I'm going to make myself a fabulous felted bag that will rival Josephs amazing technicolor dream coat.

So I don't really have time to sit here and post about it because I'd really rather be working on it.

Fiber Artists Rock

2012-03-02T15:27:00.001-06:00

Most of you already know all about the "yarn bomb". But for folks who visit my blog (thanks mom) and may not know: this here is a seriously kickin' yarn bomb - all the way from Germany. I might also point out to those of you who have either not come out of the crochet closet that this little example of yarn bombing is done with the crochet hook. Thank you very much.

I did not take these pictures. I took them from THIS website which is entirely in German and I can't read a lick.

It's A SNOW DAY!!!!!

2012-02-29T13:28:00.000-06:00

HELL FREEZES OVER: Minnesota schools announces 2 hour late start.

No. That is not really Minnesota. It's a photo from the NYTimes of the Colorado snowpack from last year. My hubby told me about a demotivational poster but I couldn't find it, so I just improvised and made it myself. If you're from around here . . . or anywhere north of here, for that matter, you'll appreciate that.

I need to start out this post with some fiber stuff, so here is a little ditty called "Phannie" that is a great stash buster. I used a plain old worsted weight wool and an f or g hook - can't remember. . . It has yet to be blocked but my little goofball "Phannie" could care less. Guinifer got me going on this tam kick.

We were in a hurry to take these photos - so they're a bit blurry.

Every kid growing up here says a little prayer each night for a "snow day". That means that the roads or the cold are so severe that they either postpone the start of the school day until the roads are clear or they cancel school altogether.

One would think that Minnesota would be the front runner for snow days, but because we are so hardy and well-prepared, it is highly unusual for our "Supes" to cancel school. It goes a little something like this:

Today we were lucky to get a two hour late start. Great joy abounded in our house this morning as alarm clocks went off and then were promptly turned off and ignored. Oddly enough, the kids got right up out of bed and were as peppy as Christmas morning. Hmm.

Wildcat Canyon Scarf

2012-02-24T17:20:00.001-06:00

Here is a sweet scarf called "Wildcat Canyon Scarf" by Stacy Mar. (Pattern will be available soon!) It is knit lengthwise and knits up surprisingly fast. This took two skeins of Plymouth Select Merino Superwash Worsted on US 7. I skipped a repeat in the center but I have some yarn leftover, so I may have had enough. Oh well. It is still really pretty.

I learned a clever new stitch called "Cluster Stitch" which made a beautiful, smooshy fabric with a nice texture and feel.

Hahahaaaaa. Look how I'm standing. D.O.R.K. But how else can you capture a picture when you have no one home to help you out.

Darn it, red is hard to photograph. Can you see where I tried to edit out the yarn tails that I have yet to sew in? I was just too excited.

So now I'm off to wear it about town. When people ask, "Where'dya get it?" I'll gloat a bit and explain that the art of hand-knitting is not forgotten.

PS. I ordered that Knit Picks yarn yesterday and boy does it feel good!

PPSS. I ordered even MORE yummy yarn today! Don't tell Mr. Darling - he'll kick my butt.

Happy First Day of Winter, Minnesota (better late than never)

2012-02-22T15:21:00.002-06:00

I'm enjoying a quick cup of coffee while I decide on yarn for my next project. Since I'm on my computer, I thought I'd show you a bit of a proper Minnesota winter.

We went into lessons last night with a gray sky and brown grass. We emerged a few hours later to this happy mess. And glory be, were we happy!

I tried to snap a photo of the house with the snow, but this is what I got instead. You get the point, though, right?

So we hunkered down in front of a cozy fire and I added a few rows to the test knit I've been working on (it's almost done).

Stella kept my feet warm and she had no trouble keeping her own feet warm.

When we awoke, it was a winter wonderland.

Off we went to school, with the kids bemoaning the fact that they couldn't stay home and play outside.

Isn't it pretty?

Presidents Day

2012-02-20T08:43:00.005-06:00

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

- Thomas Jefferson

February

2012-02-19T09:04:00.000-06:00

This is that time of year when the rest of the country gets a good chuckle at Mr. Groundhog. But if you live in Minnesota or any where north of there, Groundhog day gets hardly a nod. Six more weeks of winter is mandatory and then you can safely tack on a few more just for good measure. We authentic north folk don't let that furry fellow lure us into believing that we may have only 6 weeks of winter left. We've had snow well into April.

But this year, winter in Minnesota has yet to get started. This wacky weird weather we've been having (colder in Texas than here?!) has been making it difficult to go sledding, skiing, snowmobiling. But it's been great for playing fetch with little Stella here.

Happy Knitting.

Oh yeah. My little blankie.

2012-02-17T16:15:00.000-06:00

I forgot to mention my little blanket. I was not loving the color scheme. They were just a bit too mushy or too acidic for me. So I finished it off with a nifty little edging that I got out of this book and gave it away.

It now belongs to a 9 year old who, upon me presenting the blanket said,

"But it's full of holes."

It's crochet, kid.

That's what it's supposed to look like. What can I say. She's been raised by a Knitter.

Seeing Red

2012-02-14T20:10:00.000-06:00

Blood red knitting - test knit - more to come . . .

It's Valentine's Day here in the States. We had a mother from England come in with her child's Valentine card for the class. She did not understand that there were to be Valentine cards for the class - one for each child. She looked boggled until I explained that you could make little heart shaped cards or stop by the grocery store and pick up 30 premade cards for $3.00. This got me thinking. I took for granted that this minor little holiday was known around the rest of the globe, but I was mistaken.

So here's the deal (preschool style):

our cute little students

Little kiddos wear red and pink to school and bring Valentines for all their friends. These can be store bought mini-cards or you can make cards at home. There is usually a small piece of candy attached to the Valentine.

We put up a few decorations in the room to make it more fun and festive.

That's a red velvet donut hole. Breakfast of champions.

Our classroom mascot.

Each child decorates a bag or a box either in school or at home (teachers choice) and brings their creation to school on Valentine's Day. There are usually cookies and games. Each child then delivers his or her Valentine's to the boxes and voila, your child comes home with a months supply of chocolate and lollipops.

This was my stash - sort of like Halloween but a lot less work and I don't have to dress up and go begging for my chocolate. It's literally dropped into my bag. Nice, huh? We, of course, like to participate and drop little surprises into their little bags, too. This year we choose bubbles and stickers.

My 9 year old made her box at home. I am really quite impressed with her work.

The older kids will often make Valentines, but around 5th and 6th grade (11-12 years old), the idea of handing out Valentines to boys, or boys giving Valentines to girls, is just too embarrassing for the average pre-teen and they end up having skating or sledding parties at school instead.

I hope that sheds some light on our little corner of the world.

And may I say,
Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Girl Time Getaway.

2012-02-11T18:32:00.002-06:00

My gal pals and I are up north for a sweet little vacation away from laundry, driving, diapers, jobs, dishes . . . you get my point. And I brought my bad of fiber and needles. . . and hooks.

We drove into town today and walked into a store called "Utrinkets" which boated your usual cabin town sundries of souvenirs. When low and behold at the back of this very understated, nondescript joint was a place of heaven on earth. A yarn shop. A full blown, mother-truckin' yarn shop with all the bells and whistles. The shop is owned by a friendly husband/wife team; the husband was knitting while we browsed.

I remained strong and made no purchases. It was difficult for me, so we headed to the local pizza joint for some pizza and a pitcher of beer.

Full of our libations, we headed out for some shopping and landed our booties in the little coffee shop.

It was cold outside but we were warm and toasty inside sipping our very suburban soy lattes and talking about kids, cats and dogs.

Good times and good friends.

WARNING: Cussing Ahead

2012-02-07T23:10:00.002-06:00

I came downstairs in the middle of the night for a glass of water (so cliche) and was passing a big window when the outside security light switched on and this gal scared the shit out of me. I couldn't come up with a better word than that.

This bird feeder is a few feed from our windows and apparently this is the reason we go through bird seed so quickly.

Anyway, so this is what I've been up to when I crawl into bed. Watching some boob-tube: 30 Rock reruns.

I've been making these Baby Hearts.

I got this quick and easy little pattern from Spindles and Spice and can't seem to stop myself.

This pile represents only a fraction of what I've actually made because I've been giving them away and scattering them around the house which I thought was a cute, fun idea until I realized that the dog has eaten some of them but that makes for a huge run-on sentence. And so I go on.

I have been keeping the hearts in this little plastic tub I pulled from the recycle bin.

And . . . you guessed it. Crochet bombed it. Bombed the bajeezus out of it.

And as for these little hearts. I think I'll give the teeny tiny hearts to my teeny tiny students. Or maybe I'll make a garland of hearts. Or those hippie doorway hanging garland thingies. Oh crochet. How I love thee. So many ways to spread the crochet cheer.

Can't stop. Send help.

2012-02-05T21:23:00.001-06:00

Inspired by: Attic 24 Jar Jackets

Everything in the house, at this point, shall be covered in crochet. Send help.

You should see the pile of crochet hearts I've been making. Oh, I just want to eat them. That's for the next post.....

Gray Daze

2012-02-02T17:48:00.000-06:00

This was a view of the lake today.

My drive to work.

My latest creation. Warm and glowing. (and yes, Guinifer - possibly a fire hazard, but like you - I am a daughter of a fire fighter and therefore, fully armed with extinguishers in every room - coincidentally, most of my experiences with fires in my homes have been caused by my firefighter father, but those are stories for another time and I digress).

Perfect for Valentine's day, don't you think?

Crazy Town

2012-02-01T15:27:00.000-06:00

Where else could I possibly be when I go from knitting sensible things like socks and sweaters to crocheting mum dish cloths.

Seriously. What is happening to me?!?!?

Distracted

2012-01-30T22:56:00.001-06:00

I have plans to make some really cute Birdie Decorations, but then I found this little ditty on Ravelry and had to make my own version. I think I'll make a few more with some red sock yarn. I'll let you know how they turn out.

Sunday's Crochet

2012-01-29T14:52:00.000-06:00

If you have been reading my blog for a while, then you may remember that I have a slight aversion to spiders. By slight, I mean full-blown panic attack at the sight of them. In recent years, I have been undergoing "Exposure Therapy" wherein the patient is exposed to the source of fear and therefore made more immune to the panic response. Well . . . that's the idea anyway.

My sessions have all taken place at the cabin where I have had several late night sessions with spiders of monstrous size on my way to the outhouse, and yes, sometimes while I'm IN the outhouse. Also, while I'm sitting on the dock and sometimes when I'm sitting on the porch. Inside the cabin is spider proof - don't ask me how, it's fairly complicated and involves duct tape.

Why am I telling you this and how does it relate to the fiber arts? Last summer, I found a drowned spider in my glass of water that I keep filled on my nightstand. Don't shudder too hard - I found it in the morning, NOT in the middle of the night while taking a sip. Thank you Lord.

I came across a pattern for a tradition jug cover. It was probably something they used in the south to cover the lemonade. That's what I imagine, anyway. So now that I'm crocheting like a mo-fo, I whipped out my own version of the Traditional Jug Cover from Learn to Crochet (edited by Sally Harding). I did not have fancy, artsy beads, so I raided Belle's craft bin and found enough to finish the deal.

Isn't it cute? No more turning on the light in the middle of the night to check for spiders.

What else did I do this weekend beside crochet? We took our Lunker out on Tonka for some skate skiing. It was a beautiful sunny day and there are only a few inches of snow, so it was perfect for cruisin' along. Stella came too and is now soundly sleeping in front of a cozy fire.

Love to all!

Color my world.

2012-01-24T21:44:00.000-06:00

See this? This is what my days have been looking like lately.

Gray. Dull. Colorless.

So my new endeavor to learn crochet has been an opportunity to bring a little pizazz to this quiet, bleak scenery. Let me give you a little show.

The little tam I was working on was sitting on my desk - like a little squid-like blob and making me feel inferior and lazy. Just block it and sew in the ends. That's it! And true to all of your friendly comments, blocking made all the difference. She is, indeed, looking and acting like a proper tam.

I'll try to post pics of someone actually wearing the darn thing. It's cute. Here's the pattern, if you're interested. It's called "Autumn in Garrison" by Kate Gagnon Osborn.

And as I mentioned, I thought I'd try crocheting my way through Attic 24. I thought I'd start with Lucy's Birdie Decorations. I started crocheting a circle and suddenly found myself with six of them and counting. So far, so fun. I'll show you my pretty little birds when they're all done.

And finally. After a particularly aggravating confirmation class in which I agreed to "assist" the teacher with a gaggle of 7th grade boys (one of them being my own), I was presented with these lovely flowers from one of the parents. That, and a big glass of red wine with a bow on it on my arrival back home made me reconsider quitting and telling all those 7th grade boys where to stick their . . . well. . . you get the idea. . . . Thanks C & L & K. I'll give it another go. But these gray hairs are multiplying . . . Pray for me. (wink wink).

I could eat these flowers up, if I could. Aren't they divine?

I'll be in the attic if you need me.

2012-01-19T16:26:00.001-06:00

So that's it. Some people cook their way through Julia Childs or try to climb the highest peaks.

I'm going to crochet my way through Attic 24. It's a charming place to visit. She has a dazzling eye for color and creativity and so I think I'm going to toss aside my Addi Turbos (for now - I heard that collective gasp) and take up those little aluminum hooks and place them on my nightstand and have a go at it.

I'll be sure to tell you all about it.

Seriously Infected

2012-01-17T14:14:00.003-06:00

The Crochet mess of '06

I am suffering from a severe case of the Crochet. It struck hard and I think this time, I'm going to take a while to recover. I'm not sure if I'll ever be the same. There was the Crochet Outbreak in '06 in which I dabbled with an acrylic grab bag of odd, 1980 colors. It landed on the donation pile.

Then I found this bedspread through Ravelry and was obsessed with making my own version. This was created by the fabulous LizK of Crossroad Knits.


Afghan and Afghan photo by LizK - pattern by Attic 24

The pattern is from Attic 24 which I mentioned in my last post. So off I went, purchasing yarn and starting my king size afghan. After doing some calculations, I realized I'd need about 15 times more yarn and that just wasn't in the budget. I made a baby blanket instead. The pattern (Neat Ripple Pattern by Attic24) and tutorial are so well written. If you've ever had trouble with crochet before, try it again and try this blanket. You won't be sorry.

Today, I am in the full throws of the Crochet. I just emptied my knitting bin which included the almost finished, unblocked tam and filled the basket up with colorful cotton yarn that was on sale at Michael's for $1 a skein.

I also saw this book on crochet edging and then some beads and maybe some new hooks, oh and a bag of buttons.

There was quite a bit of yarn that I never used for my giant king sized afghan, so I rebooted the old granny square blanket with the new colors. Not sure what I think of it, but with each new row/color, I feel differently about it. The photo stinks but I'm short on time since technically I'm not supposed to be blogging (or shopping for that matter). I am organizing my laundry room. . . or supposed to be.

I think I'll just curl up on the couch here and settle in for a cozy winter of The Crochet. May as well stop fighting it.

Mid-Winter Hello!

2012-01-15T19:50:00.000-06:00

That fiberlicious feeling has been slowly returning. Must be the cold weather which is now finally arriving in Minnesota. We were snowed in by December last winter. This year, winter really hasn't started yet and it's mid January. That's a brave little icefisher out there on that ice. There are strange open bits of water out there. No thanks. I'll stay put right here.

This little elf of a girl is sporting what is supposed to be a tam. I was over there on Guinifer's blog checking out her pretty little tams and decided I would try my hand at it. The pattern is Autumn in Garrison by Kate Gagnon Osborn. I think it MUST be blocked. . . and yeah, bound off. Maybe then I will look like it's supposed to. And maybe I should have checked my gauge before I started.

Finally, I have a big bag of cotton yarn and I'm not afraid to use it - nor am I afraid of the Ben Franklin tin crochet needle from my grandma's stash. I might make this into a throw or just get as far as a pillow cover. It's a zippy little project - completely mindless and quick. If you are even slightly inspired to try your hand at crochet or to dust off those needles, you must check out this blog: Attic 24. It's amazing. Just scroll down and dig into all that color.

Not your relaxation vacation. . .

2012-01-11T12:44:00.003-06:00

I awould be referring to a Disney Cruise. As part of my dad's retirement festivities which seem to have gone on for a few years now, my folks graciously took us all on a whirlwind cruise. My sisters, their husbands and all the little children packed onto this enormous and gorgeous ship and set off for the Bahamas. Don't hate me.

My sister and I put together this little graphic based on the old advertisement for It's A Small World. I made them into door magnets and hung them on all our stateroom doors.

Yeah. There might have been a few Disney chicks hanging around the place.

I did bring some knitting but Disney keeps you running your tail off from sun up to sun down. I'll post more pics later.

But the best part was this place. It's as delicious as it looks.

This is a clip that I goofed when I exported it - so ignore the 'blog' and the background music. It's the sound of the ship horns blasting at midday. If you go, you'll have a wonderful time, but stay out of the hot tub. (ick - we're talking 25 kids in there).

Haahahahahaaalarious.

2011-12-27T21:28:00.000-06:00

I can't find the original source of this photo. But I had to post it anyway because it's so friggin' hilarious! Seriously. It's just a big old sweater. "Her" face is in one sleeve and her feet in another and then her cool drink is resting in the turtle neck. HAAAAAhahahaaaaaaaaa. I would be so pissed off if I caught one of my kids wearing their sweaters like this.

ps. found it on pinterest and then traced it to here. Not sure where it came from before that. . .

Happy Boxing Day.

2011-12-26T15:49:00.000-06:00

We went with the Pom. I think I should have made a bigger one, but I'm onto the next hat and so this little hat is an official FO. The hat I'm currently knitting looks like a glob, so no pics this time. I thought I'd share some photos of our crazy family Christmas, instead.

Here's a lovely picture of my middle kid. We like to call him Lumpy because he is the kid who doesn't walk down stairs, but slides down the railing or tries to see how many steps he can jump down - hence the many bumps and bruises and, well, lumps.

Lumpy is sporting a plate of hrísgrjónagrautur, though my mother-in-law calls it möndlugrautur. Don't even try to pronounce them unless you happen to be Icelandic, and even then, you may have trouble. This is an Icelandic (and probably Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish) tradition. Each guest is served a plate of this rice dessert with berry sauce. One blanched almond is hidden in one of the dishes. We sit around teasing and joking about who might have the almond. Sister-in-law Anna claims to not have found an almond in 41 years. If you happen to find the almond, you are supposed to keep it to yourself until everyone has finished and the proper amount of badgering and teasing has concluded. This year, I'm happy to announce, Anna frænka (aunt) won the almond and was awarded a large box of chocolates which was promptly wrenched from her arms and passed around the table as a consolation price to the rest of us losers. The verdict is still out on whether or not it was a fair win since her husband is lactose intolerant and Anna scored two dishes of rice pudding.

My Knitting-Kniece is kneeling here showing us the perfectly knitted delicious milk-chocolate colored socks she knit for her pappa. 12 years old and knitting socks. Wow.

Merry Christmas with our favorite canine cousin. That is not a toy. It's a real dog.

Finally, I'm showing off a bit here. My Christmas steamed cranberry puddings. I'm not sure about its history, but I'm told the recipe is my great Aunt Helen's and she got it from her mother and so on. These were probably made with prunes back in Scotland and then changed to cranberries here in the US. I thought the recipe was one of a kind, but it turns out that it's not a big fat deal after all. You can google it and have the recipe at your fingertips.

They were delicious- thanks for asking.

To Pom or not to Pom?

2011-12-15T22:59:00.001-06:00

Yes. That is the question. And that is me actually knitting in front of the fire. I just finished the hat and I'm trying to decide whether or not to add a pom pom and now I think I've decided to knit an entirely new hat because I have a different idea of how this should look and well . . . . KNITTING MOJO - HERE I COME. WHOO! I'm back, ladies! (and a few gentlemen, maybe).

Tomorrow I am going to grab a cup of joe and catch up on all of my old bloggy girlfriends. I miss you all! You feel like old friends. Let's get our merry knitting game on, shall we?

Knitting Elf at Work

2011-12-14T17:26:00.000-06:00

Sneaking some Christmas knitting during a piano lesson. Clever, huh? As long as he doesn't turn around I should be fine.

Are you knitting for the holidays?

Merry days to you!

Go Gophers Go

2011-11-25T13:03:00.001-06:00

Happy belated Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for all my bloggy friends who are understanding of my weird lack of blog/knitting mojo. It's creeping back, though. After making all the tiny little hospital hats, I cast on for a big girl hat in honor of the Minnesota Gopher hockey teams. It's going to my wonderful neighbors who are avid Gopher fans and who also drive my boys to school every day so I can get to work on time.

Big news. My daughter (9) asked me yesterday if I would teach her to knit. I've asked her so many times I can't count anymore and she's never been interested. She found some pretty leftover Claudia Hand Painted yarn. That was the first good sign. Good taste. Must get that from me. heh.

I cast on and showed her what to do and after about 2 hours of solid focus, she had completed about 1 1/2" of the most perfect knitting I've ever seen. She actually got angry with me when I told her she couldn't knit at the dinner table. A girl after my own heart. She wore a headlamp from Amma's house so she could knit in the car on the way home last night.

This morning, a tiny little girl with messy hair and bad breath crawled into my bed with her stuffed animal and her knitting. After showing her that she has to always start with the yarn on her right, she was off again. I am the proudest mama in the world.

So what does any proud knitting mama do? Opened her a Ravelry account and entered her first project! She has been on Ravelry constantly checking for messages (from her cousin) and sending me comments on my page. What a nice Thanksgiving treat.

Happy Holidays to all!

Oprah likes me!

2011-10-23T14:42:00.000-06:00

That might be a a stretch. She liked my comment. I've been "attending" Oprah's lifeclass online and each day she posts a question and you can post your own answer. Out of 2600 people, my quote was one of 17 chosen as her favorites! hee hee hee hee. I'm giggling like a little girl.

Mine is in blue on the left side there. heee heee heeeee.

More time to knit. . .owls.

2011-10-16T09:40:00.002-06:00

I was just thinking to myself how lucky I am that football season is over. You know - little guy football. Now we can relax in the evenings because now we only have . . . (drum roll please) . . . piano, hockey, archery club (not even kidding), choir practice, confirmation, service club (before school - doesn't count), learning lab, after-school Spanish, ballet, theater class and rehearsals. But don't feel bad for me - heh heh - and stop rolling your eyes. And don't feel bad for my kids. Except for piano - this is self-imposed schedule and spread over three of them, so it's not too bad.

This may sound like a daunting schedule, but really - all this translates into loads of book-on-cd-driving time-reading-knitting-in-parking-lot time. See how I spin that tune? I'm the gangsta of the mini-van moms. Didn't I tell you I drive a mini-van? Watch me work it, ladies.

Photo taken from Retro Lemon Ravelry Page (i hope she isn't mad!)

This crafty lady on Retro Lemon Studio designed these little nuggets of cuteness which will now be using up some more of my leftover yarn stash. She is kindly sharing the pattern on her Ravelry pattern page. Here is the Ravelry link to OWL PUFFS.

Hello stranger.

2011-10-08T07:58:00.000-06:00

Holy crap. That was a long hiatus. I can hardly remember my last post, except, there it is. . . right under this one. And oh, there were those socks I was knitting. I think I started them in June. Wow. It's October and I've managed to get down to the last toe.

I wish I had a great story for you - I was abducted by a pack of wild skunk-apes and kept hostage with no Internet connection. Ah, no. It was really much more mundane. Just busy. That's all. Instead of knitting my usual stuff, I attacked those dusty yarn bins and began knitting little tiny hats for teeny tiny babies. We're talking babies with heads the size of eggs. Back on a yucky topic: for babies born too soon that usually don't make it. Sometimes these little babies are SO small that even preemie clothes and hats are too big.

As you can see from the pics, time is flying past and it's already fall. I took most of these pictures a few days ago and already, the place is looking different. Mother Nature visited yesterday with wind that stripped several of our trees down to bare bones.

dippity-doo-dog

And that little puppy still won't sit still, but she's turning out to be one hell of a retriever. I will be needing your best wild duck recipes, too. I'm afraid to cook them. They look like bloody livers in my freezer and it's freaking me out.

Next week. Finished socks, I swear. And I WILL be back next week. I miss you all!!!

Mille Lacs Mojo

2011-07-17T19:30:00.000-06:00

I haven't touched a knitting needle in over two months. This has kept me up at night, thinking of the three (or more) large plastic bins full of yarn and projects getting dusty in my damp, dank basement.

Then my niece showed up . . . the one who has taken up the calling, remember her? She said, "Auntie, can you show me how to knit a pair of socks." And she produced a few (sorry Liv) limp and dusty skeins of lumpy old wool and said, "I brought my own yarn." Oh, you sweet thing.

So a quick trip to the Local Yarn Shop (LYS) for some Addi Turbos and a quick dip into one of those aforementioned bins* and THIS is what she whipped up in a matter of hours.

Literally. Hours. She is knitting faster than I am! An eleven year old! I am so proud of her. She chose a nice Collinette Jitterbug sock yarn in the colorway: Popsicle. Isn't it perfect for summer and for an amazing niece?

Today she turned her first heel. I am a very proud Auntie.

*Side note: when you open one of my yarn bins, there is an ethereal light that shines forth and if you listen closely, you may even hear angels singing the hallelujah chorus. I'm just sayin'.

And while Liv was busy looking for the perfect yarn in my bin, I noticed this neglected yarn called "Icehouse" and thought how UN-icehouse it was, but how perfectly "lakey".

(Here is a picture of Minnesota ice houses - note the lack of, um . . . color). This picture was taken in February of Lake Mille Lacs (say it with me "mill - LAX").

However, I spent a beautiful summer day fishing on Mille Lacs with some friends and family yesterday and these were, indeed, the colors of the day. The photos don't quite show it off, but the day was heavenly blue and deep shady green.

So this is my Mille Lacs sock using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Multi - Colorway: Icehouse.

The pattern is Nutkin by Beth LaPensee which is a favorite since it is quick and easy to memorize. So thanks to Liv, my knitting mojo has returned! Thanks, Liv. I'm back.

I'm still here, folks.

2011-07-02T07:20:00.000-06:00

Hi friends,

Just me, here - Rani. I am going to be up front and tell you that I haven't touched my knitting in over a month. A MONTH. It's just too pretty outside. And warm. And, well, I just don't feel like knitting.

We've been in Montana for some rest and relaxation. I didn't even bring my knitting. !GASP!

Aaaaaaaah. Summer. Hope you're enjoying yours, too.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary . . .

2011-06-10T18:52:00.001-06:00

. . . how does your garden grow? Sigh. Do you know what I've been doing lately? Spending time in my garden. Taking pictures. Breathing the warm air. Last week the air smelled like apple blossoms. Really, it did.

I took my camera out today and took a close look at things growing there. I caught this tiny creature nibbling on a yellow flower.

Don't worry. I let him go on a big hosta plant. That will take him all summer to devour. Good luck, little buddy.

I've waited so long for this. I'm going to savor every minute.

Miracle

2011-06-05T15:22:00.002-06:00

Some of you may remember when I posted about my sister losing her baby later in her pregnancy. This happened a year ago - May. I am so pleased to tell you the great news. That same sister, after a nail-biting pregnancy, gave birth to a healthy baby boy. He is home safe and sound with mommy, daddy and big sister.

My hubby meeting Little Buddy for the first time.

Where do you knit?

2011-05-20T17:19:00.000-06:00

Where do you find the time and place to knit? Here are a few of mine:

Cabin time.

After-school-sports-waiting-in-the parking-lot time.

Piano lesson time.

TV Time.

R & R

2011-05-15T19:48:00.001-06:00

Hoooo, boy. I just enjoyed a much needed little breaky-poo Up North. This was Stella's first trip in a boat, on a dock and in wolf country. Within an hour, she pulled a leg bone of a deer up onto the porch with meat still on it (shiver me timbers), presumably from a recent wolf kill. This morning, we heard footsteps of a large (wolf-sized) creature trot past the back of the cabin just out of our sight. We'd best keep that puppy close or she'll become a snack for the local wolf pack. Sends shivers down the spine, doesn't it? Last summer, we had wolf scat right in front of the cabin. But I never hear or see them. Hmm.

Anyhow. I finished my beloved Coraline!!

This is what I look like when I'm blowing off steam and trying to relax...

She is a beaut. A tad small. But if I can't stand the fit, I have a nice sister out west who lives in sweaters and happens to be smaller than I am.


Yeah, it still needs buttons...

Puppy Problem Solving

I also started a kit that's been in my knitting cupboard for a few years now. It's a pattern that was written in Norwegian and translated by Arnhild Hillesland. The pattern is called Ladies Mitts. I figured that it's putzy enough for me that I should start them now if I want them in time for next winter.

For my dog lovin' friends.

2011-05-11T22:09:00.000-06:00

Knitting? No. Crafting? Yes.

2011-05-10T21:18:00.000-06:00

Today is the one year anniversary of the birth of my sister's still born baby girl, Olive Stephanie.
While it was horrible and sad, there is great joy here, too. My kid sister is due in three weeks to deliver a baby boy. Just one year later!

So while we twiddle our thumbs in anticipation of the birth, we spent the weekend making these gorgeous baby wraps to donate to the hospital specifically for (yucky word ahead) fetal demise. Isn't that just a horrible couple of words!? Yuck.

We made several sizes from premie to full-term.

Boy warps and girl wraps.

We cut 12, 14 and 18 inch squares out of cotton flannel - washed and ironed. . .

Fold the middle piece of fabric in half, wrong sides touching.

Lay folded piece on top of second piece (right sides touching).

Add third square over the top of both (right side down).

Straight stitch starting at bottom third of pocket and continue all the way around leaving about three inches open so you can flip the piece right-side out.

Top stitch the entire blanket once you've flipped it right side out and given it a good iron.

Attach ribbon to the back.

Fold and tie.

If you are in the mood to try your own hand - please do! There is a great need for these items. Preemie clothes and hats are often too tricky to use with these fragile bodies. When we dropped off our twenty wraps, the nurses were so happy and appreciative. This was exactly what they needed, which made us all feel so good. They told us that they have about 150 - 200 cases of fetal death/still birth every year. Can you imagine?

Straight Up.

2011-04-28T21:43:00.001-06:00

Hey. Did you forget about me? I have not forgotten about all of you, but I have been a huge lazy ass when it comes to my blog. I have begun a monogamous relationship that has been taking up any and every meager bit of spare time I have. Her name (yes, it's a her and it's really not that racy) is Coraline and she is a warm and nifty little thing. Well, take a look for yourself.

Almost done!

The pattern was written by Ysolda Teague. I'm using a basic Knit Picks Swish DK in persimmon and a puny size 3 needle. It has been a turbulent relationship but I think we've come to an understanding. She looks good with a nice pair of jeans.

We're still wearing wool sweaters and jeans in Minnesota but today I wore a short sleeve shirt underneath. Sadly, I even wore my floor to ceiling down quilted ugly brown coat to work today. Tomorrow is supposed to be a miraculous 58 degrees. I'm skeptical. We have an outdoor field trip scheduled and I'll be damned if I will spend another two minutes standing around watching my own breath freeze in the air.

Spring has been keeping us busy. The garden is completely untouched. Too cold. Now it's too wet. Wah wah wah.

Stella has grown into a pretty little lady. She is quite the swimmer and retrieves like a mo-fo. Seriously. We've been smacking tennis balls into the woods and after zigzagging back and forth for 5 minutes, she comes back with the darn thing.

Easter came and went. It was lovely.

We rented a little teeny tiny cabin with the kiddos and had a sweet little vacation in the woods. Wait. Don't we live in the woods already? I guess we do. Hmmm. I'll have to think about that a bit.

Fishing for minnows in a hidden creek.

Floating rubber duckies down the creek.

I forgot the graham crackers. No worries. We made due.

Mr. Darling was the master roaster.

While the rest of the family played games in the lamp light, I snuggled into my top bunk (I had to wrestle my kid for it) and knit on with my headlamp. You all would have been so proud of me.

Bob, Chuck Norris and Flower - bad ass rubber duckies

Hello, everybody.

2011-04-15T19:54:00.004-06:00

Happy April 15th. Or in Minnesota, you can also say, "Happy Snow Day!"

Just stopping by to tell you that it's snowing tonight. Right now, actually. As I tuck my sorry butt into bed.

Not complaining. Just letting you all know.

Cheers!

Signs of Spring (and knitting)

2011-04-04T07:42:00.003-06:00

Minnesota's winter is hanging on with sharp claws, but I think she's beginning to lose her grip. Take a looksy at this.

That's my garden and until just recently it was covered in snow so deep that I was certain that this was evidence of another ice age. Under this pile of mud are tiny asparagus babies, weeds and flowers - rubbing their eyes and about to stretch. I have taken to sitting with a cup of coffee in my window and just staring at it. Dirt. Snowless dirt. Frozen dirt, but still . . . a gardener's Turkish Delight.

And another thing. I am going to finish this damn sweater. My lovely and talented bloggy friend Harpa just cast on for a man's sweater. Knowing her, and I think I do just a tiny bit, she'll finish that man-sweater faster than green grass goes through a goose. So I sort of sassed off and told her that I would be finishing my sweater before hers and now I think I need to start knitting. Here it is thus far:

The "Swamp Thing" socks are really more ball-of-yarn, than sock. They'll remain neglected until the sweater is off the needles and blocked.

There are a few lame snowflakes in the air today. I'm not going to fret. There has been far too much whining and complaining on this blog lately. Yesterday, I grabbed the camera and took the family (except for Lumpy who is down with flu or something) to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. It's a hop, skip and a jump from my front door.

There were birds . . .

and would you believe - flowers?

Mr. Darling has also been busy boiling down sap from our maples to make our year supply of syrup.

The supply never makes it past the summer. It's that good. There are also friends and family that often leave our house with a jar for themselves. Mmmmmmmaple syrup. Thanks, Mr. D.

Filler

2011-04-02T15:36:00.001-06:00

I will be the first to admit that I've been a totally lame blogger lately. Whining and whinging. No knitting. And using Youtube videos to take up space.

BUT THIS IS SOOOOO . . . . . it's SOOOOOOO . . .
well. You decide. I think most of you will laugh so hard you'll cry. I did.

Endless

2011-04-01T21:06:00.000-06:00

I was just beginning to think that I should put down the wool sweater and start something more summery. I mean, spring is just around the corner. How many more days of cold and snow and dark and gray can there possibly be? There is a finite number - the earth keeps moving in its axis and we eventually tip towards the sun, right? Something like that.

Insert snowstorm.

So I'll keep fidgeting with this Knit Picks wool and my nice little cardigan sweater. The truth is that I'm in a sort of knitting purgatory - and endless parade of stockinette stitch that has no end in sight. The sweater has taken on a metaphoric meaning - winter is endless. Knitting 114 rows of stockinette on US 4 . . . is endless. But the spring will come and it will be spectacular. My sweater will be, too.

You don't need to speak Icelandic. . .

2011-03-26T22:44:00.000-06:00

. . . to appreciate the wooden spoon trick.

For my little Knitting Kniece!

2011-03-25T15:34:00.000-06:00

My niece is learning to knit using her first pair of Addi Turbos - swoosh! So this is a personal little video tutorial for her since she lives a bit to far for me to come and show her myself. Hope it helps, L!!

There. That's better.

2011-03-22T16:11:00.000-06:00

Color. I had to update the old blog to reflect my yearning for spring. But winter hangs on and the reality is just outside my window. Here, have a look.

So what's a gal to do. How about buying herself a hum-dinger of a coat with flowers the color of ripe summer raspberries. Here's a shot of me getting the mail in my happy spring coat. Ignore the winter cap.

Don't you just love it! And speaking of spring, I tossed my sweater aside to cast on for a pair of socks for Lunker who is a gigantic 12 year old who is often mistaken for Big Foot. He wears the same size shoe as his old man. Anyway, it's another pair using Knit Picks Felice self-striping sport. The colorway is "Ecology" but going with the size of this kid's feet, I'm calling it "Swamp Thing". The colors are mud and spring greens. Perfect.

Alas, the guilt over my unfortunately-colored sweater was nagging at me from its little bag in the corner. I'm onto the sleeves, so that should be somewhat motivating, right? Well, yes. And it is an interesting construction. What you see is a little eye-cord moving onto the sleeve which is increased quickly at the cuff to full width. Hmmm. I like it.

Color! I NEED COLOR!!!

2011-03-13T08:59:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody! Guess what. It's snowing!

I was born and raised in Minnesota. My mother was born and raised in Minnesota. I've always been taught not to complain about where we live because we're lucky to enjoy four unique seasons. The summer is so much more appetizing when you've gone through almost 6 months of cold and gray. The winters are refreshing and cozy after the hazy, humid, bug-infested months of summer.

But . . .

I can't take it anymore. There is only so much of THIS that a person can take.

OR this

and this.

The lack of sunshine and fresh air have taken their toll. On top of the gloom, February was the month of funerals and flu. The one-two combo really took the wind from our sails. For the first time, I am seriously considering moving into a trailer in Florida somewhere down near the Keys. Nothing fancy. Just green and warm, where the sun shines strong and bright. There is a sadness that has descended over me. Maybe it's a touch of Seasonal Affective Disorder. I have hardly touched my knitting and the blog? Well. It's speaks for itself. I haven't posted or visited my friends' blogs in weeks.

I had been working on Ysolda's Coraline sweater. Cute pattern, yucky color. What was I thinking? It's a weird copper penny color. There are days when I like it and days when I'm not sure I'd ever wear it, but darn it anyway, I'm going to finish. Today, I will be picking it up again for the first time in weeks.

I had a dream last night that I drove past our local garden shop and the place was fully stocked with flowers, tomato plants, geraniums, bags of soil - oh the joy! Oh the agony. I am not going to feel sorry for myself any more. Time to pull myself up by the bootstraps and move forward. March forth into spring. It never fails to come - no matter how long it takes. Dust off my needles. Crack open the seed catalogs.

Buy some tulips, Rani.

Play with the puppy (isn't she getting big?).

And keep on knitting.

Snowy Days.

2011-02-23T15:58:00.002-06:00

Last weekend, a warm breeze blew in from the south and Minnesota had a nice thaw-out. Look at that - water on the lake.

Don't let that kid you, though. There is still at least 2 feet of solid ice under that water. This early taste of spring was the calm before, yet another, Minnesota blizzard. Gobs of snow and howling winds kept us home for most of two days.

A little snow and cold didn't stop the boys from grabbing their airsoft rifles and heading out the door to play 'army'.

I stayed safe and warm inside trying to clean out my yarn container that is an entire den. I took pictures, but I'm really too embarrassed to show you that in some areas of my life, I am - a hoarder.

I also managed to finally put an end to these forever toe-up stockings. These are Belle's "Lagoona Blue" socks in Knit Picks Felici; colorway "Marine Life" on a US 1.5 or 2.5 mm needles. Snore. Took forever.

They turned out pretty darn cute, though. She ever wore them to school today, sweet thing.

Hibernation

Happy Shoveling!

March Sweater Madness anyone?

2011-02-20T09:07:00.000-06:00

If you're itching to knit a sweater, The Sweet Sheep shop is itching to start the nest March Sweater Madness. Check it out.

My Super Model

2011-02-18T18:49:00.000-06:00

Hi folks,

My darling little niece is modeling the Baby Cable Yoke Sweater that I knit for her and gave for Christmas. (here is the Ravelry link)

Isn't she yummy? And look at the fabulous owl hat on her head! I wish I could claim that little ditty as one of my own creations, but my crochet skills aren't quite there . . . yet.

There is a better picture of the hat for those of you who are dusting off your crochet needles. If you figure this pattern out, would you ever share it with me?

Sissy also sent me an iPhone photo of the legwarmers in action. She promises to send better pics, but I think you can see that I made them a tad too long. She still sports them well, in any case.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to download some Flashdance songs and clean my kitchen.

Love to all!

Fun for me.

2011-02-15T00:16:00.001-06:00

What a weekend. I spent a true Minnesota weekend at a good old hockey tournament. I know some of you are smirking - Rani? Rani of Raniknits? Have you become a full-fledged hockey mom?

Yes.

Yes I have. And I'm having a marvelous time.

Remember the puff balls from hell? I managed (barely) to finish enough for the moms.

The ladies shakin' their pompoms.

Here we have a shot of beautiful Lake Mille Lacs (pronounced Mill - ACKS). And we usually don't say "lake" Mille Lacs. Just Mille Lacs, thank you very much. It's a famous fishing lake and pretty damn big, too.

my god, why do we live here?

That's an ice road heading out to the hot spots or temporary fishing "villages" that spring up each winter. You can also use the ice roads for shortcuts across the lake - we can do this on Minnetonka, too if you've got 4-wheel drive and nerves of steel.

Next we have a water tower in the shape of a fishing bobber.

And finally, a very jubilant bunch of hockey players showing off their 5th place consolation trophy to an equally proud and pandamonious crowd of about 11 parents.

Good times, good times.

My kid is the cute one. You know - number 11.

See Grandma? We won! WE WON!

An eventful game in which Lunker is sent to the penalty box for the first time; a right of passage, so to speak, in the game of hockey.

I know I know. You're thinking, "Hey, fun for you. Boring for me." So here's the finish. Airing out the stinking hockey bag and you-know-who crawls in for a nice afternoon nap.

She's sort of camouflaged.

Of course, there is the knitting. Always the knitting. The second knee-high is languishing with a high fever and a severe case of Second Sock Syndrome (did Yarn Harlot coin that phrase?). But my sweet little sweater is moving along.

Happy February. The Chickadees are singing their spring song! WHIIPEEEEE!

Puff Ball Hell

2011-02-11T10:35:00.000-06:00

Somewhere between philanthropy and insanity, I decided to make and donate 15 pairs of "spirit fingers" to my son's hockey team moms. If you don't know what spirit fingers are, here's the scoop. You take cheapo gloves and attach pom poms to the ends of the finger in your school colors. Yeah me. Fun idea.

The Concrete-Sequential person in me would have calculated yardage and pom pom amounts before deciding to take on the task.

The Abstract-Random person in me, although creative and fun, began pumping out puff balls at an astonishing rate. Then there was the oops-I-ran-out-of-yarn moment, another trip to the nearest craft store and four more skeins of yarn. I was at 70 puffs. Should be close. Let's do the math. . .

15 pair = 30 gloves

30 x 5 = 150 puff balls needed

Crap.

Better news, I finished ONE knee up sock.

The puppy ate my Addi Turbo knitting needles (I know - my fault) and tore up the yarn balls. I had to get out the good old wooden double points to finish, but finish I did. I only have about an inch on the second sock to finish, but it's taken a back seat to pom pom mania.

Oh, and she chewed up my phone charger, too.

Have a great weekend!!

Oh, hey there.

2011-02-03T13:48:00.001-06:00

Turkeys by the feeder. Kind of ugly.

I have been awfully quiet on the blogosphere lately. Like all of us, life gets busy and one has to prioritize. Of course, this little lady takes the cake.

If anyone out there is thinking about having a baby . . . or another one. Borrow a puppy for a few days. You'll get over it.

All is forgiven. Stella was innocent; she didn't leave the bathroom door open. Of course she'd shred an entire roll of toilet paper. Wouldn't you?

Momma loves you.

And there has been a wee bit of knitting. I finished my niece's leg warmers. They might be too tight and too long, but they're done and so am I.

Knit Picks Felici is soft, but I'm worried a bit about slouchy stretch happenin'. Love the colors, though.

The other Knit Picks Felici is still being processed into the longest pair of stockings on the planet. If I don't get them done soon, they will no longer fit my daughter. And yes, I have been knitting two socks on one pair of addi turbo needles (really, is there any other way?) that have been, by the way, slightly chewed on by Stella Blue and tend to snag the yarn here and there.

I have also been baking. See?

I read The Help and in it, the author mentions southern caramel cake several times. I have not rested until I found a version I like. Here is the link. The cake is a bit eggy, so I might find a different yellow cake recipe, but the frosting is TO DIE FOR.

Finally, my middle kid, who started skating about a year and a half ago, scored his first goal. I was poised with the camera throughout the game and managed to ruin the shot because I was screaming and yelling like an idiot. That blurry white guy is my kid. (and yes Guinifer, that's EP he scored against mwoo ha ha haaaaaa. But did Tonka beat EP? Oh, well. That's not really important and I can't remember anyway ;-)

Kickin' and Chillin'

2011-01-23T10:45:00.000-06:00

Hey folks. I'm kickin' and chillin' with my girl, here. Stella Blue Lulu. She's a little mutt my husband picked up from a farmer up the road. When we picked out Leo, we picked the cute little bundle that pushed his way through the litter and began chewing and pulling on our shoelaces and pants. Charming. Turns out, that's a sign of dominance, which isn't a bad thing - you just have to know what you're doing with that kind of dog.

So this time, Mr. Darling watched as all the puppies scurried under a tractor and hid. The farmer rolled a tennis ball and all the pups came out to play except for one. That's the one he brought home.

shy baby girl

She was timid and shy, but we were careful about her first few days of introduction. It paid off. She is a bumbling, healthy, active little pup.

Chasing the boys.

And since this is a knitting blog, I will include a little section here called,

What's On The Needles

These are unintentional knee highs. I started them toe-up and I just kept knitting and knitting. The yarn is Knit Picks Felici in Marine Life.

This lump is the beginning of my Coraline sweater by Ysolda Teague. I'm using Knit Picks Swish DK in Persimmon.

This is a pair of legwarmers for my little baby niece in Utah. Knit Picks Felici Sport in Garden Gate.

STAY WARM!

Nama's Knitting

2011-01-15T10:07:00.000-06:00

Since the dog's away - the turkeys will play.

Wild turkeys on the driveway.

Hi folks,

I am, as the Yarn Harlot puts it, in the 'black hole' of my Coraline sweater. I knit and knit and knit and seem to go nowhere. But I do appreciate that it's mindless and can be done while watching The Dog Whisperer, which I've also been obsessing over.

So today, I thought I share a little number that my mother made last summer. She is Namaknits on Ravelry, but she rarely, if ever, visits her page. She needs to toot her own horn more often. hint hint, mom. By the way, I added the shawl to her project page for her.

Anyway, I give you Nama's Adagio Shawl with color change modifications.

She bought the pattern at our local LYS - Coldwater Collaborative.

My daughter, giving me advice at bedtime about how to remember things in the morning:

"Sometimes I write a note and stick it to my face, so when I wake up, I find the note stuck to my face so I don’t forget what I wanted to remember." ~ Belle

I'm still here!

2011-01-11T12:52:00.000-06:00

My gosh. I can't possibly thank you all enough for being THE COOLEST BLOGGY PEEPS EVER! You took time from your day to send your condolences and it really made a difference. My husband could not believe the outpouring of concern from not just our friends and families but from my "odd bloggy habit".

We're moving onward. We even visited the pound a couple of times but it's still a bit painful. AND you won't believe this, but a week after Leo kicked the bucket, our ancient cat decided it was her time to go, too. Can you imagine this scenario: I'm at the front desk of the veterinarian, squaring up our account when out comes the vet saying, "I'm so sorry about your cat." and at the exact moment a tech comes out and says, "Here are Leo's ashes." Gulp. They just handed over a brand new box of tissues and said, "Here, take it."

We can't believe we just paid out A LOT of cash for two pets we no longer have.

Isn't nice to have a cute little knitting project to work on when you're feeling sorry for yourself? I choose to cast on for sweater number two. The little ditty is
Coraline by Ysolda Teague
I'm making mine in a rusty colored wool (Knit Picks Swish).

I think my blog looks so boring without photos, but I can't look at that puppy face anymore and so neither should you. The new year brings new blessing and hope and, achem, socks and sweaters. So moving on . . .

Little Buddy

2011-01-02T21:56:00.000-06:00

There is no way to put this. No way to tell you how difficult this is for us but we lost our dog Leo just before new years. He was hit and killed by a car near our home. We recognize that it's a dog - that no human lives were lost; that my children are all safe; that the driver (who stopped) was not physically hurt, my husband who lifted him from the roadside and brought him home to us was not physically harmed either. But the pain and emptiness we feel is devastating regardless.

I am wiping tears as I type this and know that I mean it from the very bottom of my heart when I tell you that I appreciate all of your hilarious comments and advice over the last three years regarding this rascal of a dog. Guinifer, I can't thank you enough for helping us find his breeder. Hold on - crying again. . .

Thanks to my family and friends for understanding and for loving and missing him, too.

2010-12-27T11:20:00.000-06:00

Sigh. Have you ever had that feeling after a sauna or a hot bath? It's that relaxed, warm, pleasant feeling. That's how I feel on this cheerful December morning as I look back at the last few days.
Except for a few backseat fights on the way to grandmother's house, the whole family and extended family put their best feet forward and made an effort to enjoy each other and to enjoy all the merriment that goes hand in hand with the holidays.

I hardly touched my knitting, but did manage to finish my owl sweater. I really like it, but the back puckers in weird way and the bottom ribbed hem is too tight and too short. It tends to highlight my bubble butt. Next time, I'd probably continue the ribbing for at least two inches. But the color is scrumptious and the sweater does indeed fit like a hug.

Here she is:

See how happy I am in my first (finished) grown up sweater. Hooray for me!

Specs:
OWLS by Kate Davies
Yarn: Drops Eskimo light blue
Needles: US 11

Merry Christmas, happy holidays and a very happy new year!!

2010-12-23T16:13:00.001-06:00

Russell Stover box of chocolates $12

8 x 8 pan of homemade fudge $ 6

Handpicked chocolate truffles flown in from Utah $ 10

Emergency Vet bill $521.00

Having Leo back home in time for Christmas . . .

priceless

I don't make this stuff up.

Ps. Things have been busy here at Chateau DeBris. I miss checking your blogs but I'll be back soon. Love and joy to all!

The Blizzard of 2010

2010-12-11T16:12:00.002-06:00

I'm sitting in the middle of a fantastic blizzard. The stuff from my childhood. Not only did it appear to snow about 10 inches, but the wind is howling around the house.

A nice morning for a cup of coffee (with cream) and a fire in the fireplace and then to top it all off, Christmas knitting.

I am up to the yoke on my "Owls" sweater (scroll down the link).

We ventured out in the car and barely made it to grandma's house. It was nice to see that the city I live in has their priorities correct. Notice the Caribou Coffee in the background?

We made it home and let out the dog. Look at Mr. Meat Head challenging the weather.

Here he is brought back down to size by getting himself stuck into a snow drift. Heh. heh. Did I help. Oh hell no. I took pictures.

Don't worry. He got himself out. Then brushed himself off and went on his merry way.

Big Dope

We'll be digging out in the morning. I hope its like Little House on the Prairie. Remember that episode when they woke up to find they had to crawl out an upstairs window to get out because the snow had drifted so high? Oh what a story we would tell.

Do you know this dog?

2010-12-05T23:21:00.001-06:00

If you've ever owned a labrador, or any dog for that matter, then you know what this face means.

Let me give you a clue.

There is a previously full, empty bread bag on the floor.

'burp'

Mmmm hmmmm.

Labs and loaves of bread.

A love affair of the worst kind.

I wish I was this cool . . .

2010-12-03T23:50:00.000-06:00

I don't know who put this photo poster together, but it's funny and it made me smile. Hope it makes you smile, too.

Yarn Sale

2010-11-30T18:39:00.001-06:00

I forgot to mention where the sale is taking place.

Brainerd, MN has a little yarn shop called Between Friends Yarn. The shop is closing and the owner is hoping to relocate to Florida. With the wind howling outside the shop door, I could hardly blame her. The shop was empty accept for the very back wall. When I asked if I could take a picture, she politely asked that I not capture the store in its state of deconstruction. Apparently, the shop was a delightful, warm haven for fiber fiends. She wants it to be remembered that way.

Of course, one cannot pass by a yarn shop EVER. And 60% off would make it a crime not to stop and shop. A lot of the yarn was picked over but I found a few gems. I have been wanting to make traditional monkey socks (red/gray) for kids, so there are three skeins of something or other. And a pretty pink skein for my Belle. Not sure if it will be socks or cuffs or . . . oh the skies the limit. And a few items like row counters and coil-less safety pins (so the yarn doesn't get snagged in those little coils).

On a different note: We had a parent donate some yarn to the school, so I took a wee bit and began making mittens and hats for the annual winter clothing collection.

It's chilly, so I'm off to build a fire and maybe, just maybe, whip a little hat to go with the mittens. Oh, and I should probably finish up on these arms here.

Does this need any narrative?

2010-11-30T14:51:00.000-06:00

The planets must be aligned.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T17:00:00.000-06:00

The weather outside is really frightful.

The sun might be out, but don't let it fool you. The temperatures are below 0 degrees F. Whooooooooooo.

But we're up north somewhere,

that just happens to be a skip, hop and a jump from an indoor swimming pool with heated water. Mmmmmmmm.
Time to throw the kids in the pool and get some knittin' done.

Enjoy the holiday! There are so many reasons to be thankful.

Oh God, I'm off the wagon.

2010-11-14T08:56:00.000-06:00

I spent about an hour last night looking through Ravelry and Ysolda's website for sweater patterns.

"Why, Rani? Have you finished your pile of U.F.O.s as promised?"

No. No I haven't. I have a terrible Ravelry hangover this morning to prove it. And kick me when I'm down - we ran out of coffee-cream this morning, so I'm looking at my almost-carmel-colored cup of coffee this morning, cursing myself and wishing I had just turned the damn computer off last night when my half-asleep husband suggested it. My Ravelry queue is no up to 203 but there are some darling little sweaters in there if anyone is interested.

And there is more bad news. I was working on a beautiful shawl pattern by Anne Hanson "Luciole". We were having a nice evening in a snowstorm watching "The Princess Bride". I fudged a couple of rows and because I had a boldness that came out of a large bottle of beer, I thought I could just keep going without a lifeline and make up for my mistakes by adding an extra stitch here and k2tog there. I'm too embarrassed to admit what happened next. But I will tell you that I have a nicely rewound ball of pretty, raspberry colored yarn sitting next to my chair and an empty pair of needles. Oh, and that empty beer bottle as well. No matter. The color was all wrong for the pattern. It kept nagging at me.

The good news. There is one less project I have to finish before Christmas. Don't fret Luciole - I will return and I will knit thee. In the meantime, I must get back on the wagon and continue . . . slow and steady. Next stop: socks - plain old k2, p2 socks. No bottle of beer can mess that up. . . right?

Slow and Steady Finishes the Race

2010-11-12T14:02:00.004-06:00

When I was "training" for the Kortelopet ski-a-thon-for-crazy-people race last year, "slow and steady" was my mantra. It's not the most inspiring or exciting mantra, but for someone who was looking forward to simply being able to finish the race, it worked fine for me. And surprisingly, they had not yet cleaned up the finish line when I eventually crossed over and dropped in the snow.

The next Kortelopet is a few months away but I won't start to think about it until after Christmas. Instead, I am chanting the mantra over my pile of ufo's that are having a face-off with me at this exact moment. I'm maintaining mental control by not spending hours on Ravelry constantly adding patterns to my queue. I'm practicing the art of self-control and discipline by refusing to cast on one more project until I clear out the knitting runway. There are too many projects on the tarmac and chaos is threatening to break out at any moment. 197 patterns in my queue should keep me busy for some time, but for now, I will plug away at the current pile - slow and steady. Slow and steady.

FO: Baby Cable Yoke Jacket by Cotton and Cloud

I used Cascade 220 Paints Hand Dyed "9843 Paradise Beach"
Details on Ravelry

This is for my sister's baby. Well, she's not exactly a baby. I mean, she's walking and da-daing and ma-maing and all of that. But since my babies are starting to wear shoes that my shoes can fit into, she is still a baby to me. I'll be seeing her in a few weeks and I'll get a good photo shoot with my (sister's) baby wearing the darn thing. For the meantime, there you go. Pretty cute, huh?

The first time I saw this jacket was over at Picperfic's blog. She whipped out two of these suckers in no time at all. She said - and I quote, "... a very quick little knit . . ." but somehow, I managed to take eight months to finish mine.

Sigh. It feels so good to have an empty needle around the house again.

Meet Stekkjarstaur (aka Gimpy)

2010-11-09T17:23:00.001-06:00

True story. Iceland has various "Yule Lads" that visit on the days leading up to Christmas. Strange little men, whose mother is thought to live in a cave and feast on naughty little Icelandic children. If she doesn't manage to snag a wee one, her grisly black cat stalks the country side in search of poorly dressed children.

Nowadays, the tradition has had some sweetener added to it. You can find little "Jolasveinar" cards, figures and ornaments all over the place (if you know where to look).

OR, why not knit your own. That was my big fat idea. Knit 13 varied Yule Lads using "Yuletide Gnomes" by Alan Dart. That was one year ago. I finally finished Gimpy. Stay tuned next November 2011 for "Gully Imp" (aka Giljagaur). So in 2023, I should have the complete set.

Strange. But true.

ps. The boys are wrestling with the dog while I'm in my blog-trance. Until I heard one yell, "He's got my sock!" To which I screech, "It had better not be hand knit!" I gotta go! I have some arse to kick.

Ingredients in my son's 12th store-bought Birthday Cake

2010-10-30T19:59:00.001-06:00

"1/4 sheet cake decorated buttercream iced"

Sugar, enriched wheat flour bleached (wheat, nicain, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid) water, whole egg, partially hydrogenated soybean, cottonseed & palm oil, citric acid, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, invert sugar, salt, dextrose, sodium bicarbonate, acidid sodium aluminu phosphate with sulfate, food starch-modified (corn, tapioca), nonfat milk, cocoa with alkali, wheat starch, monoglycerides, propylene glycol - THAT IS A FORM OF ANTIFREEZE!!! mono esters, sodium sterdyl lactylate, calcium silicate, corn starch-modified, whey, baking powder, wheat gluten, natural & artificial flavor, soy lecithin, sodium acid, pyrophosphate, polysorbate 60 & 80, monocalcium phosphate, cellulose arabic xanthan guar tragacanth carrageenan carbohydrate & locust bean gum, sorbitantristearate, chocolate liquor, sodum caseinate, soyprotein, caramel color, calcium propionate, rice flour, liquid whitener, high fructose corn syrup, microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose gum, carrageenan, confectioners glaze, sorbitol, canola & coconut oil, hpko, triethyl citrate, glycerine, polyglycerol esters, algin, titamnium dioxide, e461, methocel, alcohol, carnuauba was, dextrin, potassium sorbate & sodium benzoate preservative to maintain freshness potassium sorbate, phosphoric acid, methyl & propyl paraben, sillicon, sodium hexametaphosphate, carmine, red 3, 5, 40, yellow 5, 6, blue 1, 2, blue 1 lake, black lake

My cake recipe (which I'm kicking myself for not making....)

eggs
flour
butter
cane sugar
baking powder
salt
vanilla

Buttercream frosting
butter
powdered sugar
vanilla
cream

I am so mad that I paid money for that damn cake. GROSS.
Next post - KNITTING, I swear.

Achem. Notice anything?

2010-10-28T17:08:00.003-06:00

From the Winter 2010 Athleta catalog

Do you see what's on her head? Have a closer gander...

And for a nifty $20.00, it's yours. Or you can grab your knitting needles and some leftover yarn from your stash and make your own nifty "Petra Headband" - or as the rest of the knitting world calls it:
THE ORIGINAL CALORIMETRY by Kathryn Schoendorf. A free pattern, I might add.

And now let's take a left turn from that moment of product-plagerism to another astonishing advertisement in a popular clothing catalog. I found it while browsing for knitting inspiration. I am not usually very critical of fashion, since I am known for both my informal and formal sweatpants. (You can buy cashmere and velvet sweatpants. Really, you can.) But this picture, which was carefully planned and coordinated by paid fashion professionals, made me snort part of my fifth cup of coffee out of my nose.

Is is just me or is this outfit (and beard) (and hair) all wrong? ALL WRONG.

And now I'm off to dig out some old stash yarn for my next Calorimetry; thank you Kathryn!

Happy Trails

2010-10-24T09:07:00.000-06:00

My mom surprised my daughter and I with a short trip out west to visit my sister and her family. We hopped on a plane and soon found ourselves in the middle of the mountains of Utah.

First on my agenda . . . well, after saying hello to my sister and her family . . . was to find the local knitting shop. The good news: it was a spinning shop called Rumpelstiltskin. The bad news: it had closed. The good news: there is a new knit shop. The bad news: it won't open until November.

So close.

There we were, wandering through this charming little town and I saw this in the window of a Hallmark store.

I went on a covert mission to find out more. I snapped these photos with my super-spy camera (and by the way, one should always turn your mute on and turn your flash off when sneaking indoor photos or you'll find yourself in a very awkward situation).

This would be a lot of stockinette stitch, but if you're in the mood for mindless knitting, or if your lucky enough to have a knitting machine - there you go. A funky wrap. I'll be spending some time on Ravelry trying to find this pattern.

The real enjoyment came from simply spending time together with my family. Belle found plenty of things to amuse her, including herself. My niece was a ball of wonder and joy.

My sister and her husband were gracious and hospitable, feeding us well and touring the town in their shiny new Subaru with all of us in tow.

We passed this house and I had to go back to get a photo. This was typical of the town. Chickens in the backyard, sheep and horses right there in suburbia. The homes were tidy but always decorated and inviting. And look at the corn! This was a gorgeous garden that inspired me to try corn again next year. I think I just need to plant more, move into a Victorian home and hire a gardener.

I couldn't put my finger on what was so appealing about this little town. This house above, was fairly typical of many homes there. Big and little, humble or grand - the yards were clean - the front porch always tidy with chairs and tables. Beautiful, functional gardens were alongside sheep pastures and chicken yards. Pumpkins lined the steps of many porches, one for each member of the family. One porch had 14 pumpkins . . . but we are in Mormon country, so I was told that this is not unusual.

And my Knitting? Yup. I've been working feverishly on a gorgeous little sweater for my little niece that should have been done two weeks ago. It's almost done. I'll post pictures soon.

Calorimetry

2010-10-12T13:08:00.001-06:00

I took a break from the regular car knitting schedule - yes, I knit when I drive. It's the only way I can sneak in my daily fiber supplement. When I come to a complete stop at a stoplight, I'll very cautiously knit a few stitches here and there, being careful not to let the driver next to me see my crime.

Anyway, my kiddo here, wanted a funky hat, so I whipped out a Calorimetry with some fabu yarn that I won from Karoline Knits (thanks Karoline!).

I actually told this little punk to just act normal so I could get a decent picture. That makes about as much sense as me asking the birds not to sing or the rain to fall up instead of down. So that's the photo shoot.

Specs on Ravelry.

Beat the Birthday

2010-10-05T12:22:00.001-06:00

That's right, I finished my first crochet blanket just before my cousin's baby is due. Phew. As the Yarn Harlot puts it, there was a lot of "Black Hole" moments - those moments when you feel like you've put in the time, but the darn blanket doesn't appear to have grown at all. And then suddenly, it's done.

The yarn was Cascade 220 (on sale at my LYS). I've used Cascade before but this time, it felt like acrylic. Very strange.

The pattern was from a fabulous tutorial that very clearly demonstrated just how to turn at the end of a row - something I've never quite managed, which is why I prefer round doily shaped things. You can find the pattern and tutorial for the free Neat Ripple Pattern here.

I'll pack this little baby up and ship it off to my cousin before the big day. It will be perfect for a car seat blanket or stroller blankie.