My Bit of Earth

Would you like some tomatoes with those chairs?

As we were moving into the house (was it really less than a month ago?) Nice Mother-In-Law found this pair of chairs in the basement.  They were old and wobbly and kind of a nasty dark-colored wood.  I'll be the first to admit I was a little skeptical when she brought them upstairs and insisted on cleaning them up, but eventually they grew on me.  They moved from the porch to the living room, and, once there, I decided they were just the thing to flank our little chessboard table.  With some paint, of course.

I actually originally thought of painting our dining room chairs (not here yet, but on the way) this color, but, well, you have to be committed to have "Tangerine Peel" chairs as part of your permanent decor.  But since these guys were freebies anyway, it didn't seem like as much of a risk.  If I hate 'em in two months, I can put them on the curb and someone will gladly take them, I'm sure.  In the meantime--voila--cute chairs!

And what are those things on the chair to the right?  So glad you asked!  They are the first tomatoes of the summer!  A bit late this year perhaps--according to Nice Grandpa's "first tomato by the 4th of July" rule--but sampling proved that they are tasty all the same.

Gentle Reminder: It's Strawberry Season (With Knitting)

As Martha would say, consider this your gentle reminder--it's time to be eating strawberries.

We went out with some friends, via scooters, to Lawson Brother's Farm last weekend to "pick-our-own".  Sweet Husband and I picked just a little over seven pounds, but I still don't think it made enough jam.  But, really, is there ever enough strawberry jam?  

Next year I think we might shoot for fourteen pounds though, or maybe somewhere between fourteen and ten or eleven.  Our seven pounds only made about twenty jars of jam, which is just not enough, especially when you want to share.  (The recipe I used is here, and it's also on the back of the pectin packet.)

In other news, I finished a knitting project.  This is kind of more amazing than it sounds, because lately I seem to be having trouble keeping my mind steadily on...well, much of anything!  However, I have no photographic proof of said project because I taped it all up in a box for shipping to its recipient before I realized I hadn't taken a picture.  As I said, scatterbrains!

Anyway, it was three cute little  baby "Bibs O'Love" from Mason-Dixon Knitting.  Super easy.  All garter stitch, so I didn't even have to keep track of rows.  Very sweet--in cream and green with little frog buttons--all rolled up and tucked into a little box.  Will make again!

My Yarn Basket Runneth Over

I think I may have a problem.  It's a problem that, while new to me, seems to be common for people who knit.  In short, my lust for yarn is outstripping the speed with which I can knit it into usable items.

In the past two weeks I've cast-on Shalom, Clapotis, and a Chevron Stipes Hand Towel. Despite all that I'm so fighting the urge to start a pair of Bella's Mittens (yes, I know it's almost June, but did you see how cool they looked in the Twilight movie?), and I really, really want to order this kit for a Habu Scarf (it's metal yarn, dude, what other reason do you need?)  

In my defense, I didn't buy new yarn for Shalom, but I did buy two or three skeins of washcloth making yarn for monthly knit-a-longs (despite the fact that I have several skeins of Sugar n' Cream just hanging out) so I probably only broke even.  

Further, again in my defense, I've actually finished a baby kicking bag (for the millionth time, it's so the baby can kick, not for kicking the baby--and it was the most delightful, meditative thing to knit in the whole wide world), a single bootie (yeah, it's kind of club-footed, but really that's what the pattern looks like), and a hat (fit only for the Arctic tundra, but maybe Sweet Husband will wear it next winter when it gets really cold?).

Nonetheless, I'm thinking the yarn buying must stop....at least until I finish one of the projects I've got going.  There are only so many things you can knit at once, especially considering that I only have two hands....It's just that there's something so comforting about having a big old basket of yarn to run my fingers through.  All the textures and colors...all the possibilities...but really no more.

Ribbon Bookmarks, So Much Better Than a Spaghetti Noodle

I am a reader of books, and as a reader of books, I often find myself in need of bookmarks.  I usually grab whatever's handy--a library receipt, a Kleenex, a wisp of string, a dry spaghetti noodle.  (Yes, I actually did that once.  But it was a cookbook, so that's appropriate, right?)  

But here's a better idea:

I discovered this on Everyday Beauty.  She used all velvety ribbon, but I had trouble finding velvet in the right width, so I used some gross-grain and satiny ribbon, as well.  You can get the little end clips here.  Then you just pinch them on with pliers and attach whatever bauble you like to the end.  (I raided my earring drawer for a few, got one at a garage sale, and am still searching for a few more.)

Much better!

On the Needles: Pretty April Showers and the Hat That Just Won't Quit

This month's "April Showers" "Monthly Dishcloth Knit-A-Long" cloth was so pretty I thought about repeating the pattern over and over until I had a scarf.  After last month's dishcloth monstrosity--which has become the official nasty pot scrubber--this pretty, little one made me happy.

Which is good, because if not, I might be inclined to give up knitting all together right now because of this stupid hat.  

For background: Nice Co-Worker is going to Central America for six weeks this summer.  While I have to admit that I have entered a phase where I often prefer soft beds and warm showers to wanderlust and adventure, I encourage the pursuit of the latter two in others.  Living vicariously and all of that, you know.  So when, whether seriously or not, Nice Co-Worker made a comment that he would like it if someone would knit him a hat for his trip, I thought to myself, "I've been wanting to try something cable knitted, and a hat would be a good, small project to start with."  I picked out some soft, slightly fuzzy alpaca yarn and started in on an easy cabled pattern.

I started and ripped out that pattern three times before I decided it was time to pick a different pattern.  I started a second pattern, and again was completely unsatisfied--twice.  The sixth time I decided to just use a simple pattern, but tried to add a stripe with yarn that was a slightly different weight--again, not so much.  

For the current incarnation--lucky number seven, maybe?--I am going simple, simple, simple.  I picked out one of "Kim's Hats" from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.  A little ribbing around the rim, and straight up plain knitting from there.  I just re-started it last night, but I'm already further along than I was on any of incarnations one through six.  I'm actually really enjoying the simplicity of it--the fuzzy/nubbiness of the yarn just works so much better since I've stopped trying to wonk it into cabled shapes. 

(And if I get the urge to try anything fancy, someone take the damn needles away please!)

Family Fan Chart

A fun little crafty project for today....

I found this family genealogy fan chart on Martha Stewart years ago, and immediately loved the idea.  (It's the name collector thing rearing it's head again.)  Basically, it's just a pretty way of displaying your ancestors--ours starts with Sweet Husband and I, and goes back to our great-great-great grandparents.  (I left the "1st generation" to be filled in with Nice Kid later.)

Although, once I really got going, it only took me about fifteen minutes to fill everyone in, I'm disproportionately proud to have it done, as the "planning stage" took me forever.  Why so long, you ask?

Reason one:  I couldn't decide how to do it.  At one time I had the crazy idea of embroidering the whole thing.  Then I thought maybe I'd send it off and have a calligrapher do it.  Ultimately, I decided I'd better just get going and write it all out myself, because of....

Reason two:  While my family genealogy on my Dad's side is mapped out all the way back to the Mayflower era, and Sweet Husband's family is fairly well recorded too, the family history on my Mom's side is next to non-existent.  What's more, my grandparents on that side of the family are both dead, and their siblings are all of an age where I feel like I need to get the information from them as soon as possible or it will be lost.  (Yes, that's the polite and long way of saying they're very old.)

But trying to squeeze in visits during out already packed trips home, or communicate with the non e-mail generation (read: via snail mail letter) has made for slow going.  Once I got the entire "great-great" generation filled in, I decided that, for safety's sake, it was time to organize all my scribblings, just in case I get hit by a bus or something! 

Back to practical matters though, to make the chart the size you want, I would highly advise just following Martha's recommendation to take the file down to your local copy shop.  I probably could have manipulated it myself, but the Nice Kinkos Lady made everything just the size I wanted, centered it up nicely, and printed it off for me--all for about twenty cents.  (Mine is 11x17, so bigger sizes may cost more, but still....)

And the names I've learned...oh the names!  We have an "Asro" (probably my favorite, although I understand he was not the nicest man)...an "Ezra" (very fun also)...a few "Clara's" (which I had never thought of before really, but I love)...several "Myrtle's" (which kind of makes me wrinkle my nose, but it evidently was in style for quite a while)...I could go on for days!

Pretty Flowers/Ugly Knitting

First, the pretty.  Look what came back!  Despite being encased in ice last weekend, my daffodils weathered through like champs and are now making me very happy!

And, the ugly?  This month's monthly knit-a-long washcloth.  The yarn was kind of pretty in it's ball--very spring looking.  And, I don't think the pattern is inherently yucky either--looking at some of the cloths others have made, the pattern could be very pretty.  But something about the two together is just ugh.  It could easily be mistaken for a 60's sofa doily.  

But, I suppose it will still scrub pots just as well as a pretty cloth would, so whatever....

Sacks from Sheets

I may never buy full price fabric again (well, not really, but you know).  I have now made almost three projects from a pair of old sheets I found for less than $10 at the thrift store:  PJ pants, these pillows (which I'm still working on), and these little sacks....

It's just a drawstring sack, but if you need directions (and they do make it better) Betz White has a tutorial here.  She made her's for shoes.  I may make some for shoes eventually, but these were meant for other purposes.  I kept the striped one for myself as a little knitting project holder--lately I never have enough of those--and gave the flowery one away with some yarn in it--a little eco-friendly wrap-sack.

Using-Up-the-Yarn Booties

Have I mentioned that I adore Ravelry?  Seriously, if you're into knitting and you haven't perused through, you're missing out.  You can search patterns by yarn, needles, availability (read, "free"), and about a million other things.  I can't count the number of times lately that I've logged in with x amount of such-and-such weight yarn and this-or-that size needles.  It's so perfect when you have just a little of something in your basket, your fingers are twitching to make something right now, and you don't want to go buy stuff.

For example, I had two teeny-tiny balls of this yarn (the "Celery") left after some Christmas projects, and--voila!--booties!

Knit-a-Long'd Dishcloths

As if I needed an excuse!  

I was putzing around Ravelry the other day when I found the "Dishcloth-a Month" and the Dishcloth-a-Week knit-a-long groups.  After looking through (and doing a project from) each, I decided the "a-Month" group was a little more my speed--well, if I ever want to knit anything else, that is.

It's way too perfect for me though.  A little something different, maybe a little challenging, but no long-term commitment or attention span required.  The "a-Month" group only releases about 10 lines of the pattern every day, so that's nice too--I don't have to sit down and knit a whole afghan, just 10 lines and then I have to put it down 'till tomorrow.  And, on top of that, they're uber useful--yay dishcloths!

The "Circles Dishcloth" at the top is from the "a-Month" group, the "Heart Lace Dishcloth" is from the "a-Week".

Love Quilt Update

Way back in July, I blogged about my plans to take apart an old quilt and put it together again.  

It's actually taken a bit more work than I thought it would.  Just cutting the pieces apart took a few evenings.  Going through to determine what was re-usable and what was too stained or threadbare took more time on top of that.  So much of the fabric was just paper thin.

But, in fits and spurts, I've made progress.  It's hard to say how much progress, because I'm not sure exactly how big it's going to be when I'm done.  The plan is just to keep stitching--keeping the quilt in a basically rectangular shape--until I run out of fabric scraps.  Along the way I've been experimenting quite a bit.  I did the first square as a random "crazy quilt", but have subsequently been working generally in diagonal strips.  It's quite a bit faster that way, although eventually I'll probably have to do another completely crazy square just so the one doesn't look weird.

I love the way it's coming together though, especially when I stop and lay it out in the sun.

(For more Love Thursday fun, check out Chookooloonks.)

Moe Speaks: Even With a Broken Tail, Our Little Redhead Friend Got the Better End of the Deal

Our little redhead friend, Maddie, broke her tail last week!  Can you believe it?  And she just has a nubbin' like me--actually, even less of a nubbin' than me--so there was really nothing they could do 'cept give her some good drugs and tell her to take it easy on the waggin' for awhile.

As a get well present, Mom knitted her a new ball.  I'm thinking maybe I need to fake some sort of illness so that I can get a cool knitted present like that.  The only thing Mom's knitted for me is this sweater.  While I will grudgingly admit that it looks pretty good, it's still a sweater.  Really Mom?  A sweater!  

C'mon...how 'bout some toys next time?  I promise I won't destroy them too fast--I'll give them three minutes, at least!

(Note from Meryl: The pattern for the ball is here, and the sweater is Warm and Wooly from Doggy Knits by Anna Tillman, slightly modified to make it a little longer.)

A Small Loom

Encouraged by the wonderful Ms. Crone-Findlay (I can tell by her voice that I like her), I bought a small metal potholder loom last week, and have been weaving away.  (See her potholder loom weaving tutorial Part 1 and Part 2.)  Made in cotton yarn, the resulting square ends up a nice size for little scrubbie wash-rags, although I'm playing with the idea of making several and sewing them together for a little throw blanket.

On Knitting My Stash, Learning

I spent an hour or so last week, on Ravelry and otherwise, searching for knitting projects I could do with yarn I already have.  I've gotten to the point where I enjoy knitting for knitting's sake enough that it doesn't matter what I'm working on so much.  And it gives me a little high to keep learning new ways to put stitches together and etc., without having to spend a lot of cash to do so.

This particular "scrap yarn" project is the Baby Bonnet from the book Last Minute Knitted Gifts.  The yarn is Lamb's Pride worsted (in "kiwi"  and "sandy heather"), leftover from this hat I made for Christmas.  I don't really know what I'm going to do with it--probably tuck it away for some last minute baby shower gift or some day when we have a wee one--but I learned to make an i-cord in order to finish it.  It was a tricksey concept, but, with a little help from the all-knowing internets, I quickly figured out why the "i" stands for "idiot".  (As in, even an idiot could figure this out!)

Look for lots more little "stash" projects to come.

An Inspiration Board

I love inspiration boards, but I can't do clutter.  (I know, I know...it's creative clutter, but still.)  So, for awhile now I've been saving bits of ideas--you know, "that would be awesome for a garden" or "that would be great to make for dinner in the summer when tomatoes are good"--through electronic means, i.e. tucking away a link, scanning a picture, etc.  Not terribly organized, but whatever.

Then yesterday, I read this post on BlogHer about a new microblogging platform called Tumblr.  You can do text, videos, pictures, even audio--either uploaded yourself or (handy-dandy!) pulled straight from the web via Tumblr's bookmarklet feature.  I can toss stuff up when I think it's cool, and delete it just as easily later when/if the impulse passes.  Revolutionary, I tell you!

Without further adieu...An Inspiration Board.  (A permanent link is also in the left sidebar right under the comments.)

Toast-y Armwarmers

I am not quite enough of a child of....well, whatever decade, to wear legwarmers, although I dearly wish they would come back in style.  In the meantime, I will have to settle for these.  The pattern is called toast and they're made out of Lamb's Pride worsted in "Sandy Heather".  I debuted them today, and they were so nice for making my three-quarter-length-sleeve-shirt just a wee bit warmer.

(Thanks to S for functioning as tripod so I could model!)

A Little Clutch

No, it's not just your imagination, there has been an awful lot of sew-y-ness around here lately.  The thing is, I got a few new pattern books (thanks Dad!) and a gift certificate for fabric (thanks Anita and David!) for Christmas.  And then MLK day weekend came along, and I had some extra time....ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom! 

This little clutch is from Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol (aka Angry Chicken).  It's just a little lined sack folded over on itself, with a bit of elastic and a big button to close it up.  Right now it's home to a bunch of small knitting odds and ends, but for a few days I had it tucked into my purse holding my cell phone and chap stick and stuff.  It's kind of a fun little project, because, as the book notes, you could easily change the fabric and size to make it fit any occasion or contents.

Pants From Sheets (This Time Without the Oops)

The pants re-made.  This time in the right size and with the right parts sewn together.  

They're just like these that I made earlier this year, except that I put in an elastic waist instead of the drawstring.  And (hat tip to One more Moore) I made them from old sheets.  Which are divine.  Because I can wear my sheets all day long, never-ever take them off, thought about wearing them to work a few times even.

Mmmmm.....

Alabama Pincushion, Plus

Another one from The Alabama Stitch Book (I'm making myself a skirt from it next!), this is the "Over the Arm Pincushion".  One thing I love about this book is the little stories sprinkled throughout.  This project was patterned after a similar pincushion made by author Natalie Chanin's grandmother.  In the pouch of her grandmother's pincushion, Chanin found the following little poem:

I'm an Arm Chair Caddy, a very handy tool you'll see.

Put your thread and scissors in my pocket, pins and needles in the middle of me.

When you are finished sewing, fold me up as I am.

Put me away 'til next time you need a helping hand.

So handy and cute--and all made from old t-shirts I would have otherwise thrown away!

Weekend Afghan: Falsely Advertised, But Still Quite Nice

Another knitting project that got finished up last weekend was this "Weekend (Baby) Afghan" that I've been working on for a friend's soon-to-be arriving small one.

The "weekend" part?  Completely untrue.  I don't know what super-human-speed-knitter pattern writters use to time these things, but this took me more like a month.  However, it is lovely and soft and even somehow enhanced by my few small mistakes, so I suppose I can forgive them.  ;)