Full Moon time!

And I don’t mean the kind that’s plastered up against a speeding car window.

I was up at 4:30 this morning with what looked like sunshine streaming through my windows (damn full moon).  Good thing I have an entire scarf to rip out and recycle and a new project to gauge or I would be lying here listening to the dog snore (or maybe that’s hubby I hear through the walls to HIS room!).

Finished another mobious cowl scarf.  Blocked it and didn’t like it so its rip rip rip.  I think I’m over this pattern and can move on.  I’m still going to make a scarf but will make up my own pattern, knit the conventional way, and seamed together to make my continuous scarf.

At the same time (damn I’m good – LOL) I’m swatching some yarn to see if I can get it to gauge for the capelette in the photo.  I didn’t have any bulky yarn so I’m doubling some DK weight yarn that I had bought for another project that didn’t get made. 

Funny I always have good intentions when it comes to the yarn I buy, but it ultimately ends up as something totally different than what I had intended it for.  I’m sure I’m the only knitter in the world who does this – hehe

Ok back to ripping, winding and gauging!  TTYL

Wooley Mammoth Cowl

I liked the Mixt Cowl so much that I made another one out of different yarn and on larger needles.

Size 11 needles; Yarn is one strand of each held together (Savoy silk/merino blend (top ball) & Maggi’s Mohair Loop (bottom ball). 

Since it was thicker I didn’t make it as wide as the Mixt Cowl because I wanted to wear it doubled and didn’t need it 11″ wide.  This one is approx 6 inches wide.  It took an entire ball of the Mohair and a ball and a half of the Savoy.  The yarn tends to be pricy but I got it 30% off at a local knitty shop that is going out of business – moment of silence and a shed tear for my favorite knitty shop :’( 

I have good intentions of making a matching set of fingerless mitts and hat to go with it, which I will only be able to wear at zero or below because this stuff is so warm!

Quinoa Veggie Chili

See a trend here?  Yep I love to put Quinoa in everything.  Why?  Because I eat little to no meat I need to get my protein from other sources and Quinoa is one of the grains that is higher in protein.

1 can Eden Organic Kidney Beans
1 can Eden Organic Black Soy Beans
1 sm can Organic tomato paste
1 lg can Organic Whole Peeled tomatoes w/juice
1/2 to 1 tsp ground cumin (to taste)
1 to 2 tbs chili powder (to taste)
2 tbs Organicville Katsup
Agave syrup to taste (I used approx 2 tsp)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup Organic Red Quinoa
4 or more cups water
1 cup diced organic carrots
1 cup diced organic onions
1 cup diced organic celery
2 vegetable broth cubes

Throw everything but the Quinoa in the crockpot, breaking up the whole tomatoes into smaller pieces.  Cover and cook on high for 6 – 7 hours.  1 hour before serving add in the Quinoa, stirring occassionally as it can settle to the bottom.  Serve it up and enjoy!

I like my chili slightly sweet with lots of spice, but you can adjust the seasonings and agave to your taste or omit the agave alltogether.

This was sooooooooo good that I managed to eat 2 bowls!

Bad Girl

Its really bad to have a yarn shop right up town on the way to the post office!

Purple Veg Saute

Needed to clean out the fridge and this is what I came up with.  A great tasting veg dish.  Makes a large pan.

1/2 head of organic red cabbage shredded
1 large organic onion (preferably red its better for your health) sliced thin
4 to 5 organic peeled carrots sliced thin
1 pkg frozen organic brown rice
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1/2 cup (or more) organic shelled raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt (I use pink hymalian crystal salt)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Couple of good shakes of Old Bay Seasoning to taste
1 TBS Canola/olive oil blend
1 TBS organic butter

In large frying pan heat oil and butter over med high heat add veggies, salt and pepper and saute till tender crisp, add frozen rice and a little water to the pan.  Put on a lid and cook for 5 minutes stiring occassionally till rice is tender.  Remove lid and cook off any remaining liquid.  Add in sesame and pumpkin seeds and Old Bay Seasoning, toss everything together and serve warm.  This is yummy and healthy for you.  If you want to cut the butter out – replace it with a TBS of oil.

Fiber Trends Felted Baby Shoes

The start of felted shoe #1.  Working on #2 and should have them felted by tomorrow morn.  Then making the Mary Jane version to see how that comes out.

The pattern calls for DK yarn on a size 10 needle for sizes 3 mo, 6mo & 9 mo. I’m using up some of my worsted weight wool on a size 9 needles hoping that they will come out close to the sizes in the pattern, we will see. I’m making the 9 mo size since the grand baby is almost 9 mo now.

This is a great pattern for using up scrap wool. It hardly takes anything to make a pair and about an hour and a half of knitting time.

Cure for hormonal depression

Drugs?  Not for this chick.  PMS can kiss my butt!  A trip to the local knitty shop is all I need to lift my spirits.  Couldn’t resist this stunning bulky yarn.  Going to make myself a hat and pair of fingerless mitts or maybe a scarf – haven’t decided yet.  Sure hope that cold front gets here so I don’t end up with another felt-as-you-go project   I heard from the gal at the knitty shop that they were talking frost, which would be fine with me.

Fishtail Lace Beret

So I think I finally have this down after starting it for the 2nd time!  Even after starting this one I have some minor changes in the pattern but I think I have all the major kinks worked out.  I’m hoping to have it done and blocked by the end of today. 

The final one will have a 2 x 2 rib instead of a 3 x 3 rib like the one in the photo I’m posting now.  I’m using size 7 and 8 needles but I think on the final one for the pattern I may use size 8 and 9 needles (the band is slightly tight for my head and going up a needle size will ease that a little ~ I tend to knit tight).

I’m using a worsted weight wool for the one in this photo (Kaleidoscope by Elegant Yarns, Inc. ~ 100% Wool ~ Color: CK03 ~ 174 yards/skein ~  Approx $8/skein ~ suggested yarn gauge 22 stitches & 24 rows per 4″ on size US 6 needles). 

I will most likely use a skein and a quarter by the time I’m finished with this one.  I may even use Noro Kureyon (worsted weight) for the final one for the pattern, but any worsted weight yarn should work.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So the hat didn’t turn out well enough for me to post a pattern, however if you are interested in the stitch pattern for the body of the hat, let me know and I will post it here, otherwise I have chalked this one up to a learning experience.

It came out way too large so I threw it in the washer with a bunch of jeans on warm just to see what would happen and damned if the thing didn’t shrink down to the perfect size! I love it! But I ended up felting away my fancy fishtail lace pattern – oh well I’m still happy.

BSKG Slouchy Hat SAVED by the Daughter-in-Law!

I was so unhappy with the way this looked on me that I was ready to rip it out and recycle the yarn into something else.  When my daughter-in-law came to visit last night and tried it on and it looked so darn cute on her – hat saved! 

Apparently I have too much hair to wear one of these bad boys and have it look good.  So I’ve already started a new beret for myself.  I’m making up the pattern as I go and will post it here for everyone else once it’s done.

Side note on the pattern:  I liked the pattern but would never use it again with a P3tog (purl 3 together) stitch in it.  It was too hard to catch that 3rd stitch for the purl.

I Am A Football Widow…. A Poem

I Am A Football Widow…. A Poem.