good little granola girl

2009-05-29T21:19:00.001-06:00

testing testing 123

i'm an aunty again!!

2009-05-01T19:53:00.002-06:00

yep. another new nephew has been welcomed into the Werner family: Vincent Edward Werner, born April 29th, 2009. So, in honor of our newest nephew, and my new aunty-ness, we are having a Sale! And because i usually have a theme to the sales, this one is 29% off Everything in the Shop, because he was born on the 29th-- and that's a pretty good savings! Enter promo code: VW. this is no joke.

oh, hey.

2009-04-28T18:39:00.002-06:00

garter stitch yoke sweater, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

i forgot to tell ya'll that i finished a sweater. well, this is not news if you see the photos on ravelry, or if you follow my photostream on flickr. but what the heck, i'll talk about it here as well.

this is the garter stitch yoke sweater (rav link), designed by the very talented melissa LaBarre. i saw this in her ravelry before she got it published and knew that would finally be the right design to go with my beautiful beaverslide dry goods mctaggert tweed yarn.

i actually knit this twice. the first time i put in too many button holes, too close to the edge of the button placket. and because the buttonholes where put in-as-you-knit the entire sweater, i couldn't fix them too easily. well, i could have sewn them up and cut new ones in, but i couldn't bring myself to do that. so i pulled the whole thing out, and reknit it with buttonhole placement that was better from me.

i also really like the short(er) sleeve although the first night i was wearing it, i dunked the sleeve in the peanut butter spread for a sandwich. i know how to avoid that now. hehe.

and just when i think, whew, it's too hot for this sweater, it snows the next day, so it has gotten a lot of wear in just one month of spring.

in which i am not a steady blogger,

2009-04-27T17:52:00.000-06:00

but very good a multi-crafting.

if there is anyone still reading, i've decided it's high time for an update. on stuff-- just stuff that's all. it's probably one of those list-type posts telling you snippets about stuff.

the stinky sweater: recently while working away on sweater #2, alone, in the car one morning, i smelled something funky. old garlic smell. on my hands. then on my needles. and even more funk on the last few rows of my knitted work. image some on-looker: that lady is alone in her car smellin' her sweater. now i never! the only thing i can imagine is that i picked up my knitting post garlic-handling. i was either mincing it for cooking, or i had garlic bread with dinner, and the oil didn't come off my hands.

(are you still with me? i know this is very exciting.)

i might run out of yarn: while working away on sweater #1, the notion dawned on me that i would likely run out of the lighter, cream colored yarn. i only purchased this yarn, um, 2 years ago so the thought of obtaining more made me stall. i knew i could get more. but i was feeling lazy. i finally ordered more, it has arrived and all is well.

i love to sew: i have 3 quilts, count 'em: THREE! quilts in progress. one, i will confess, is 3.5 years late for a wedding present. the other two i started within the last two weeks: one for my on-the-way, due-any-day nephew. another for an upcoming wedding present (which i have sworn will be done in time. thank you, machine quilting). all of this quilting is to due to the quilt shops i found in Longmont. I can't believe I didn't know about them until now.

more shopping: i love Fancy Tiger Crafts, in denver. i can only describe it as being able to walk into the craft section of the internets. being that i am a tactile person, i like to typically touch the things i buy: hold them in my hand, flip through the pages, feel the texture and weight of fabrics. Thus making some of the craft things not so fun to buy online. but walk into fancy tiger, and i am set! While there, i bought ysolda's whimscal little knits, organic cotton gingham, organic cotton sherpa and sublime stitching's i luv veggie's pattern. i tried to use restrant, since i would kinda like to walk out with one-of-everything, please. (and yes, i have transfered all the veggies on to fabric, gathered embroidery thead & hoop and i am ready to start another 'little project'.)

um, there is this book of which i have developed a crush on. i fell in love when i saw these photos. people, you do the quilting as you sew the pieces to the batting! genius! i.am.determined.not.to.start.until.one.quilt.is.done. must not dive head first into plentiful stash of scraps. must not dash off for quilt batting. must finish one other quilt.

i have lost two seam rippers in the craft-room, or the greater house area. so rather than stop a project, tidy and try to find one of them, i went to the sewing store and bought 4(!) more seam rippers. then i labeled each one and put them in the places i use them: sewing machine, serger, craft-couch and sewing tool box. when the other ones turn up, i'll have that many more in the 'reserves'.

i made 2 more 'uniform' dresses. new, fresh and ready for the heat of summer. i made one while trying to resist starting that new patchwork quilt. tomorrow's another day full of temptations. must finish another quilt first!!!

we drove to moab for some groceries. it's a terribly disappointing story having to do with very full camp grounds, full or expensive (!) motel rooms, and a whole night's worth of driving back home. ugh.

well, i think you are up to date. thanks for reading.

shop update: march 16, 2009

2009-03-16T09:06:00.001-06:00

Good Morning! I would like to invite you all to wander over to the Shop to see all the new diapers that have just been added! Additionally, some diapers still remain On Sale. We hope you like what you see and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!!

my new favorite picture of yarn

2009-03-11T10:49:00.001-06:00

my new favorite picture of yarn, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

i just thought i was share this lovely, soft, basket of wool with you.

mama & me, circa 1981

2009-03-08T12:03:00.002-06:00

mama & me, circa 1981, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

i'm not sure what i want to say here. just that i wanted to post this picture on March 8, one week from my birthday. i've been reminding myself to this on this day, so that i could get the timing just right.

also, a little reminder: the 28% off sale, at The Shop, ends today so if you wanted to order something for a great price, do it today. The sale includes 28% off items that are already marked On Sale (wow! cheap!).

i hope you all are enjoying March. I certainly am. I made myself (and the husband) a second birthday cake to keep the celebration going all week long. The weather has been unseasonably warm so there has been a lot of time spent outside as well. In some places the crocuses are up-- soon to be filled with snow i am sure.

as i type this i am listening to a wee bit of Irish fiddle, flute and pipes. St. Patrick's Day, another favorite holiday, will be here shortly. Another tasty meal and celebration and the baking of (american-ized) Irish Soda Bread. Did you know i used to be an Irish Step Dancer? My favorite part of St. Patrick's Day was performing this time of year-- at pubs, and senior citizen's homes. I love going to see them, because it didn't matter if you got your Steps mixed up. Most started to clap their hand and move their feet-- remembering their own happy times of lively dancing. Oh, the power of music.

okay, i'm kind of rambling and reflecting.

a tale of three sweaters

2009-03-07T20:06:00.001-07:00

oh yes. i've been knitting. i also have a twinge of startitis.
sweater #1: milk/chocolate (tree line cardigan from purl bee), ecological wool, brown and cream. this sweater grabbed my must-knit-it-now feelings when i saw it floating around in my friend-activity on ravelry. i didn't know what yarn to knit it in though until i saw Kate's jailbird. i happen to have quite a stash of ecological wool on hand, meant for other projects that failed terribly. this is working up really fast since the one-row-striping method is a tiny bit addictive (and incredibly clever. it might be my new favorite knitting trick). i knit the sleeves in one weekend, while i wasn't feeling up for much else. it's going to be fine warm wool sweater when it's done.

sweater #2: the red sweater, my own design, cascade 220 in perfect shade of red.
this sweater kinda showed up in a dream. which lead to a must-go-to-the-yarn-store now! moment. tom actually picked out this fantastic shade. not to pinky. not to dark. not too bright. it's really hard to photograph the correct color. anyway, the plan is a raglan shaped cardigan, very simple, with heart shaped elbow patches. that's the key: the elbow patches. i was doing this sweater top down, and nearly had the whole thing done when i finally told myself the truth: the arm holes were too tight and so were the sleeves. i had 'winged' the numbers from another top-down pattern, but it didn't working out so well. i pulled the whole thing out, and decided to go with EZ percentage system and work it bottom up. I've done sweaters in that fashion before with beautiful results, so i figure it will work this time as well. Lately, Knitting Workshop has been a daily reference and travels everywhere with me.

sweater #3: garter stitch yoke sweater, beaverslide dry goods, wild mrytle.
i originally bought this yarn to make a sweater for my father but, realized the color was a bit too purple for him. i ended up getting my hands on some on some BDG yarns in charcoal for him. this yarn is wonderful. i made a husband a sweater with the same wool and some times when he isn't home, i wear his sweater. It's so darn cozy. I knew i needed to make myself a sweater with the yarn, but i've been waiting for just.the.right.sweater design. I've changed a few things however: the buttonholes (only doing six) and i want the neck line to be different, so i did a provisional cast on so i can go back and add some more rows, and shaping for a cozy fit.

and that's the knitting update.

happy birthday... to me!

2009-02-28T22:37:00.002-07:00

cloth diapers: film photographs, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

it's my 28th birthday today, Sunday March 1. And to celebrate, i'm having a wee sale over at the shop. everything, including On Sale items are 28% off until Sunday March 8 2009. Enter the promo code: birthday.

happy diapering!

hey, i know her! kinda. 'cause she blogs.

2009-02-26T23:16:00.003-07:00

i'm feeling kind of star-struck. maybe that's not the right term. anyway, let me tell you why: the family i work as a nanny for has a subscription to Mothering magazine (well, the Mom does) and i often bring their mail into the house. Well, when i saw the cover (not up on their site just yet) i recognized it quickly... from Ravelry. Oh those Knitters on Ravelry! what a fun community. This is the rav link to the photograph on the cover- the girl with the crystal blue eyes!

then i continued to look at the cover and noticed the issue is focused on crafts, handmade and some crafty moms (naturally). Well, low and behold, those crafty moms are some of my favorite (!!!) daily blog reads: Amanda Blake Soule of SouleMama, Amy Karol of Angry Chicken and Sally of Shim + Sons.

Of course, I don't know these women personally, but the medium of blogging, especially with a post everyday, certainly makes me feel like i know them (i hope that isn't creepy). I have been following some of these blogs for years now and thoroughly enjoy what they have to say and share. and i love that they invite us into their homes, to see their children grow and change and share their daily thoughts with us. all of us readers. Seeing them featured in Mothering Magazine made me really happy and a little bit of that feeling of "i know her!"

thanks ladies. i'm so happy to see you in the pages of the magazine and to be able to read your blogs each time you post. You often make my day and give me limitless inspiration.

ten things i didn't blog about

2009-02-21T20:48:00.002-07:00

CPSIA National Bankruptcy Day: february 10th 2009. and the press conference i attended that day. hosted by the best cheerleader a small business could ask for.
making yummy strawberry rice-krispie treats. yes, i eat like a 7 year old.
the gnomes i made for Gnome swap on ravelry. you can see them here. i have yet to photograph the gnome i received.
my almost-finished garter stitch yoke sweater (rav. link). it was finished until i realized i didn't want 12 buttons on it (i messed that one up.). and then i couldn't bring myself to cut (a la elizabeth zimmermann) button holes into it. so i pulled the whole thing out. and now i am doing it again... with six button holes.
the 3rd time i have strep this season. ugh.
the loverly valentine's day i had.
how much i enjoy the 'contacts' section of my flickr account and the 'friend activity' on ravelry.
the time i spend watching #CPSIA on twitter . but now i do it fast with TweetDeck
missing my self inflicted dead-line for having a red sweater finished by 2/14-- complete with heart-shaped elbow patches.
having several diaper orders from here and here.
(one more for good luck) seeing a former boulder knit-night knitter, kate gagnon & her newish business in KnitScene. congratulations!

um? what knitting.

2009-02-17T16:15:00.004-07:00

i was just putting together a post about, you guessed it, diapers. and the fun new shop i have.
but then i went looking back over the recent posts and, ugh! where is the knitting? no fun at all.
i have been knitting. i just haven't been documenting said knitting with photographs.
so. i'm not going to post any pictures, until they are knitting pictures and i write a proper knitting post. because, i really would like to share that stuff with you too.
bye.

CPSIA blog-in

2009-01-27T19:52:00.003-07:00

oh, yes, another post that is CPSIA related. Don't you all wish The Law Makers of Congress would hurry up and change, amend or repeal it, already!! so that i would stop blogging about it. I mean really!?

today is BLOG IN day, an idea from the Etsy community which is a big voice in the battle for a change to the CPSIA. So for my contribution i have a few words-- well i have more than a few. I have a few points, let's say.

I feel strongly about needing a change to the testing requirements simply because of how it affects Handmade and here is why:

hand making things has always been a part of my life. there is value in learning to make items or clothes or home made food. there is value in knowing how these things are made and taking pride in what one can do with one's hands and body.
hand-work is a part of my everyday. how lucky am i that someone would want to buy it!
handmade is typically done in small batches. Small, thoughtful and carefully done batches.
handmade is supported by other people who VALUE handmade. just like the people who make things because they enjoy the process, people who buy handmade like knowing who made it. It also has value because hand-made is now more of a luxury than a necessity. There was a time when handmade had little value because it was cheaper to make something than purchase it. One is no longer considered poor because one's clothes are handmade.
handmade has added value because so much of our stuff is mass made, in factories, overseas. The handmade items we have in our homes often have special places, memories and stories. Obviously, I can not hand-make my cell phone, my television or even this here computer i type on. I know that I can't make it all, but what i can make i try to. And then I try to share that with others. And with this law, I feel penalized (by the outrageous prices and time consuming paper work) because I want to sell something hand-made.
Hand-made holds memories, thoughts and personality.

I think what i am trying to get at was best said by a ceramics teacher I once had. While making a pot he commented on the value of hand-thrown pottery. Of course I can not remember his exact quote, but to sum it up he said: hand made items will always be valuable because people will pay to have something hand made. Why? I asked. Because the more we (we, the society) embrace and depend on technology, become more fast paced and impatient, and no longer learn trades for a living will still want something hand made in our homes (it makes us feel safe and comforted. It speaks to our senses.) and we will pay for it rather than take the time to learn how to make it (because come on ya'll, you know it takes years to master a hand-work trade or skill).

so that's my post for today's Blog In. I don't want to complain about the law. I'm no longer very confused. I got my XFR testing done for my products. I feel 'okay' until August. But I also don't feel marvelous about this law. It's disappointing: i'm disappointed that Law Makers didn't take the time to think of how damaging this would be. I'm disappointed that Big Toy Companies didn't value their products and let the lead levels get too high for children. I'm disappointed that small businesses are already closing because of this.

today, I have diaper making to do. But i also am ready to stuff envelopes with letters to Congress, the CPSC (even though their hands are tied) and the media. I'm so thankful for the great community that has come together .

thanks for reading.

just a blog post

2009-01-19T15:47:00.005-07:00

i'm having one of those i-feel-like-blogging-but-don't-know-if-i-have-much-to-say moments. i do have things to say actually.

i am currently packing my list of items to be XRF tested tomorrow. somehow, in a meant-to-be-situation, i was invited to be part of a group of local business owners/manufactures getting XRF lead testing done for a small fee. i feel so lucky to have been asked to be part of this testing, since i wasn't quite sure what kind of plan i was going to come up. Turns out, a plan just landed on my computer via Twitter (how i adore thee!). The testing will be valid through august 2009. but i'm still hoping the CPSIA law will get changed, if not totally repealed

i got an order for cloth diapers from being on the news. did you watch? did you laugh at me?
i have a new store front. Now it's easier than ever to purchase Aunty Em Diapers via Big Cartel. i'm still working on filling in the inventory but so far, so good. and i really like the Big Cartel format.

i got a new serger. i'm still getting used to sewing on it but, i really enjoy it. the cloth diaper production is going to be much quicker with the new serged-edges compared to what i was doing before. and the possibilities for future projects feels limitless. Finished egde? Here I come!

taking a zillion photographs of my paper-whites. they were so cool to watch while they grew and changed. they have past their peak now, and are totally unmanageable. such a lovely arrangement to have on the table despite cold temperatures and nothing but brown 'foliage' every where in site.

Knitting: i am managing to get some done, despite non-stop CPSIA watches and sewing. I am working on the garter yoke cardigan (rav. link) from the winter issue of Knit.1. But i don't have any progress pictures to share with you at the moment.

my t.v. news interview!

2009-01-14T20:16:00.002-07:00

i know, i know. you want to read about knitting. or some other project i have going on. like canning (oh! by the way, i heard from a buyer at a local store that carries Ball brand jars, you know for canning, that sales at Ball are up 300%! crazy huh? that's why the size jar i want has been out of stock for months!) any way, I'm sure the CPSIA news will calm down in February, but right needs the news and awareness needs to be large and strong. So I am thrilled to share with you my 15 minutes of fame related to CPSIA. I was interviewed today for 9news/KUSA here in Colorado and the story aired today. I'm thrilled. I've been a twitter all day. And for those of you blog readers whom i have never met, now you can see and hear me. Isn't that fun?

Enjoy! and if you haven't taken any CPSIA action yet, please do. We need your support and your children (or nieces, nephews or friends) need your support. Thanks. and yes, I do have knitting to share with you in an upcoming post.

on the local news

2009-01-09T21:08:00.003-07:00

the CPSIA is getting to be big news with lots of questions. And i am no expert, at all. but i have been trying to be vocal about it so people become aware of the new law that takes effect February 10th. Mostly it makes me sad to see such a wide and ill thought-out law take effect on so many people and small businesses. With that said, I'm also happy to know that my diapers were featured on the local news today. I'd love for you to a take a moment or two to watch-- just because local news is fun, and I'm on it. And it might be interesting if you are interested in the CPSIA.

gingerbread girl

2009-01-01T19:04:00.002-07:00

i'm kind of behind on the holiday-project blogging, but christmas is a season (the lesson i learned this year) so why not share!

i made this gingerbread girl from Alicia Paulson's Ice Skating Afternoon pattern. I found it while searching for holiday felt ornaments on flickr-- looking for inspiration. i pondered over whether or not i should buy it for 3 days. Three Days! I've developed quite a little crush on this Gingerbread Girl. I made this one for my mother but, i think i'm going to have to make one for myself (for year-round enjoyment) when i need a little project.

i hope you and yours had a merry holiday season and enjoying the New Year.

purchase!

2008-12-31T11:14:00.003-07:00

aunty em diapers are now available at Childish Things in Boulder, Co. This is very exciting! Childish Things is located at 2071 30th St, Boulder Co., 80301. It is on 30th between Pearl St. and Walnut, sort of behind Target. You know i would love to have you buy one of these beauties if you find yourself in Boulder.

in other news: have you done anything about The Handmade Fiasco? If not, please take yourself over here to sign a petition, or over here to vote that this is one of the issues Mr. Obama takes a look at (it is currently #1 in the Economy Topics and voting closes today!). The new Law passed and will go into effect on February 10th if it does not get amended. Ick. If you have had the thought that this really won't effect you or what you make, please take a moment to reconsider that it probably will effect some one you know (me!) who makes something (anything!) for children. You can also click the link on the side bar to read more.

Save Handmade

2008-12-29T13:21:00.004-07:00

it's been going around the cloth-diaper-making community, etsy and many other craft blogs and forums: Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new law designed to ensure the safety of children’s products. Basically, it's lead testing for all products intended for children 12 years and younger. It will effect thousands of small businesses because the testing costs are crazy expensive. Sew, Mama Sew has a lovely, well worded post. And i am also using her links to refer you to TAKE ACTION.

please visit one or more of these websites to learn more and contact your representive to let them know that targeting the entire children's market will not only effect our overall economy but, it will also distroy local handmade goods & toys and small businesses everywhere. it will also take away all of the beautiful wood toys that get imported from Europe.

merry christmas: the holiday note

2008-12-26T13:22:00.002-07:00

2008: road trip, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

i sent this photography and a short note to family and friends in snail-mail version. But i only did 36 of those family and friends to save a bit of money. So, for all the other friends i have out there in internet-land i wanted to share it with you as well!

merry christmas to one and all. we hope you are well. i haven’t written a christmas letter in a few years so i thought it was time for an update. This year’s ‘theme’ was Road Trip. In May we drove to N. Carolina to meet our newest (and first) nephew, Max. He is really cute in all of his baby-goodness, and we held him a lot while we were there. being with family we don’t see too often was really nice. and did i mention holding the baby a lot? our next road trip took us to Nebraska to help my parents tow a late 1940’s spartan manor trailer back to colorado. my dad has since sold it, but it made for a fun, vintage (we even slept in it one night), laid back road trip (because one has to drive slow-ish when towing such a trailer). when september rolled around tom and i took a ‘driving tour’ of southwest colorado (and moab too). we camped, i took a zilllion photographs, and tom drove and drove and drove.

boulder is nice. i work as a nanny with 2 charismatic children. tom is still at REI. Throw in some knitting (for me) and bicycle tinkering (for tom) and that’s another year here at our home.

we hope you had a lovely holiday season (although, it is not over yet.)

diaper order #01

2008-12-16T19:29:00.002-07:00

diaper order #01, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

i have a had my very first diaper order generated from auntyemdiapers.com! it has been very exciting. so exciting in fact, that i went to denver to meet the women who was buying them (and we had cloth diapering 101). i loved every minute of it.

the website has been seeing some traffic, but i haven't been getting many emails with requests or questions. I'm sure people are looking for a way to order them. That is in the works and i have some creative ideas for doing it.

but i really should be sewing at the moment. i have another order to fulfill. yipee!

thanks ya'll

2008-12-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

so this whole time, or least lately, i sort of thought that no one read this little old inconsistent blog. but then i posted about my new venture, Aunt Em Diapers, and i got all sorts of hits over there. It was wonderful watching the stats counter move up up up all day! So, i've come to the conculsion that this here blog does indeed have a visitor or more. and that makes me very happy indeed. And if you were one of those that got my email too, double thanks. The diaper business is very small, but i hoping that with the internet community, my friends and theirs it will grow a little bit. I also really want to focus on Local and perhaps, just maybe, I can sell my diapers in a few store in Boulder. I find it tremendously important to support local, handmade folks.

I am one of those that love photographs: i could just eat them up. So if you are curious to see more of the diaper photos, please head on over to the flickr and see them all. I did all the photography and film and a manual camera. And then do please, feel free to send them along to anyone you think might also be interested.

thanks to all my little birdies for spreading the word.
kindly.

aunty em diapers

2008-12-08T12:42:00.002-07:00

aunty em diapers, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

for some of you, the ones who read this, occasionally, because i post occasionally, you might have read (a long time ago) that i had a project i was working on.. but keeping it under wraps. well, i am ready to present that to ya'll now!

I introduce you to: Aunty Em Diapers. Cloth diapers and (soon to be) diaper covers for babies.

the fabric, snaps, patterns and more fabric have taken over the craft room, but in a really exciting new way. And i have new toys too: a snap press and a new sewing machine and webpage that is all mine! And i'm hoping a serger will be in the near future (gotta make a little money first).

It's definatelty a project i am really happy with and really look forward to pursuing. Take a look at the new website for all the information. if you have any questions, i'd love to hear from you.

oh, and one more thing: I'm on twitter now. i've even got it in the side bar here, so if you twitter too, give me a tweet, little birdie.

hello. blog much?

2008-11-10T09:55:00.001-07:00

the nanny, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

well, i'm around. i've also been lying around. on the couch. i found out i had strep after days of a wicked bad sore throat, feeling lousy and having to cancel my knitting party (which was the worst part of being sick. boo hoo). but while i was feeling lousy, i was also missing work. so my 'charge', Axel, sent me a wonderful picture. This was super exciting for two reasons. Number One: it still rocks to get mail with a stamp, from the postmaster, in the mailbox. i loved opening it up to see what was inside. Number Two: check out the glasses! This little boy has gone from totally scribbling, to drawing images (and telling you what it is he is drawing) in what seems like overnight. i know that's not true, but is was a quick transition. I'm so in love with this picture, that i fell compelled to show everyone.. so i am. on the internet.

pumpkin hats and other warm woolies

2008-10-18T20:51:00.003-06:00

pumpkin hats, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

hello autumn. may i greet you with some knitting? wrap yourself (your head for starters) in wool. then for your chilly nights we have something for your feet as well.

these little pumpkin hats were made for my nephew max (the dark orange) and my little friend Ave (the lighter orange). i rather enjoyed making them sort of different, as no two pumpkins are really the same. similar yes, but not the same.

i also am have a felting frenzy.

so quick and so rewarding. i'm wearing my new slippers now and i am rather tickled with them. i put a wooly fleece lined leather sole on the bottom, so i don't slip and break my ass.

at the moment i don't feel like i have many knitting projects but,i am surrounded by wool all over the couch.

more photos. now in film

2008-09-28T21:15:00.001-06:00

SCAN0174, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

so, just incase you didn't get enough pictures of southwest colorado-- now you can see more. i have all the film photographs up at the flickr. i like these ones much better. but i knew i would.

oh, yes. and i know. in my last post i typed 'right' instead of 'write'. oops. too tired to go back in and fix it. but i will.

and hey! stick around. i might share some knitting with you soon too.

awww. Colorada

2008-09-27T18:56:00.001-06:00

awww. Colorada, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

so autumn is here. and i am in love (do i say that a lot? i am. i love fall. the coolness. the apples. the squashes. the colors. everything about it delights me). tom and i took a loverly trip through southwest colorado and moab and needless to say, i took a lot of pictures-- out the car window (not this one. we stopped for this one). i can't really put to words the beauty of it all, in a way that would make me happy. so you'll have to head over to the flickr (click this here photo-graph) to check it all out. i have more pictures on film, but they are at the developers now. i am hoping they turned out well, with a certain softness that film holds.

we did a lot of camping while on our trip. i had so much fun and i'm getting the hang of it quite well. i was 'put in charge' of the tent. it became a joke that i was The High Priestess of The Tent. This is funny to us, because when i first met tom (and didn't have any camping experience. and he did. lots!) i was sort of shy about it all. and i said to him, "i'm nervous about going camping with you and your friends, because i don't know what the hell i am doing. and ya'll do. and i don't want to look foolish or prissy in front of your friends." Turns out, that was never an issue, because camping isn't really hard. and i'd like to think i have some sense. i think i was having a girly moment. anyway, we have lots of fun now and i am totally comfortable camping.

wow! looks like i can right a decent blog post. humph!.

black and white film

2008-09-13T06:49:00.001-06:00

My creation, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

so, i have this pentax k1000 camera from high school-- from when i was pursuing photography in and the photo editor for the school paper. i learned to develop film and print photographs. i had a few other successful photography adventures as well. but then i just sort of stopped using it. sure i had other cameras: a fancy (to me) canon eos that was more automatic and a canon elf that used that funny drop-in style film.

and then the whole digital fun began. i stopped using film all together. i quickly adjusted to the insta-quality of digital and downloaded/uploaded photos to my hearts content. who needs film when you can take endless photographs?

but then i remembered my simple pentax. i got it down off the shelf, dusted it off and replaced the battery. i decided i wanted to take some real black and white photos. i bought film, loaded it into the camera and promptly but it back on the shelf.

it sat there for about another year.

then i started looking at cafemama's flickr. she uses film, get's her pictures scanned and then uploads them to flickr. i love the texture and richness of her photographs. her images are simply and beautiful. i'm convinced it's the film.

so when i needed to do a little project that required a little photo shoot (that i wanted to look different from all the other digital stuff) i knew i needed to use film. and my simple yet elegant, pentax camera. it's totally manual, but i definitely enjoyed planning out my shots. i had to use the black and white film that was already loaded into the camera. these shots are what turned out.

i am in love.

bon iver- skinny love

2008-08-27T09:29:00.001-06:00

Ratatat - Black Heroes

2008-08-23T14:29:00.001-06:00

2008-08-15T08:50:00.000-06:00

uh? what year is it?

2008-08-15T08:28:00.001-06:00

uh? what year is it?, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

dudes. here's a trippy way to waste time. i can't believe the stuff on the web. what the hell. but i'm totally smiling at all the dumb pictures. you can do this too you know. one of the pictures totally made me look like my mom, which was sort of crazy, because even though i look like her daughter, i don't look just like her. crazy huh.

okay, well that's enough carnival style fun for me.

my work table

2008-07-28T09:34:00.002-06:00

my work table, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

i was inspired by cosymakes to share my work spaces... complete with notes to clue you in on what's what. it was a lot of fun. i've got a lot of sewing going on lately, but there is some knitting stuff there as well. there are many more photos over at my flickr that can give you a well rounded view.

got a little project brewing

2008-07-14T13:40:00.001-06:00

got a little project brewing, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

i've been a way a while, huh? i guess i'm not feeling feeling very bloggie; like sharing. that's not so say tho, that i'm not spending obsessive amounts of time looking at blogs and spending time on flickr. i am. and i expect updates all the time. but when it come to my own, i'm a slacker.

i've been working on a little sewing project, hoping it will grow into a little income as well. i've been teaching myself to silkscreen print. there's a lesson in patience i should have practiced better, but didn't. i don't feel ready to reveal more, until i have it all in order.

have i mentioned flickr lately? like 800 times. well, i'm enjoying it tons and tons, (that any the 'friend activity' on ravelry. they expanded it, and i get to see so much more.) and i tend to put more pictures there. at this point i'd have to say, that if you want to see more of 'me' that's were the images are. it's the part of this blog i've always enjoyed the most. the pictures.

alright, i think i'm off to try making brown rice pudding with coconut milk.

cheers.

the game: fiber

2008-06-30T23:33:00.001-06:00

the game: fiber, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

you've seen it here and there... and i wanted to play too. So when i saw the 'fiber edition" i knew it was the one for me.

Questions:
1. first name: emily marie
2. favorite yarn: beaverslide dry goods
3. first thing you made with yarn: a cotton garter stitch dishcloth
4. favorite color: earth brown
5. which designer do you currently have a crush on: helloyarn (love her flickr stream)
6. your favorite handmade gift you received: a vintage red & white quilt
7. your dream project: a farm. dream big right?!
8. your favorite notion: bamboo knitting needles. can't do much with out that notion.
9. what will you make next: a wool cardigan, maybe like this one even.
10. what do love most about yarn: the variety
11. which one word describes your craft: peacefulness*
12. what is your main inspiration: the simply organic nature of knitting.

* i found this to be extremely challenging as all of my 'one word' descriptions were rather abstract feelings and i'm sorry, but white sandy beaches just didn't fit into my fiber/knitting love.

in nebraska there was a trailer

2008-06-23T11:40:00.002-06:00

in nebraska there was a trailer, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

my dad purchased a 1949 Spartan Manor trailer from a fellow. So we went to help tow it back to Denver this past weekend. It's beautiful inside: birch wood everywhere. You can click on the picture to get to good ol flickr for more pictures of the inside. And if you'd like a little history on Spartan head here.

i can see you.

2008-06-09T14:11:00.001-06:00

i've got new specs. need i say more. round and cute.

on the corner of baseline and 27th way

2008-05-23T20:51:00.001-06:00

on the corner of baseline and 27th way, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

sometimes it's the little things that catch your eye while you wait at a red light in your car. i was heading to the bank (boulder to lakewood) and i saw this while still in town. it was one of those things that made carrying my camera around in my purse (heavy) lately worth it. i wanted to catch more of those 'small things'. i wonder who made-- and why they thought to do it there.

p.s. i now have a 'pro' account at flickr and can do so much cool stuff. if i don't have you a contact.. i'd love for you to be one.

sewing day

2008-05-19T15:02:00.001-06:00

sewing day, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

it's been a great, quite at home sewing. my dress in green. my cutting board is green. my sewing machine is green. my fabrics are green. there must be a theme here.

aunt and uncle

2008-05-04T13:07:00.001-06:00

aunt and uncle, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

i am an aunt! for the first time. i'm super excited about it. yes, i am auntie em and tom is uncle tom to our nephew max. he lives in north carolina and we have been there to hold him... lots of holding indeed.

we rented a car (a prius = great gas mileage) and drove to see the Werner family a couple weeks ago (i'm just getting around to posting something). we had a great time. i especially had a great time. it was all so comforting.

there is more over at the flickr

yarn in the light

2008-04-14T17:05:00.001-06:00

yarn in the light, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

the light has changed. spring is here. and i find it very soothing.

i'm back to knitting after my quilting project and it feels so good.

threads

2008-04-01T08:13:00.001-06:00

threads, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

i've got a quilt i'm working on-- with lot's of colorful stitching. the light was coming in just right the other day. i love a basket filled with color.

2008-03-28T17:34:00.002-06:00

thank you soulemama-- what a marvelous way to end the day.

why not take a picture of myself?

2008-03-26T13:42:00.003-06:00

i keep getting distracted while cleaning the house (like to take this self portrait). i feel like i'm seven: time to clean up the ol' bedroom and all i can manage to do is jump on the bed with my dress-up clothes on and sing to myself in the mirror. it must be the sunny weather we are having here. okay, gotta go tidy something up.

sheep mobile

2008-03-24T13:37:00.001-06:00

sheep mobile, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

happy spring to you all. i am enjoying the hunt for spring flowers and creating new knitting projects.

saving light

2008-03-11T21:32:00.002-06:00

saving light, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

while my body (and mind for that matter. i'm having trouble guessing the time) is taking a bit of time to adjust to the time change, the light is just beautiful in the evening. i can't get enough of finding it hit different spots in the house.

these pictures were taken while i was cooking dinner monday night.

just beautiful.

my collection

2008-03-11T00:08:00.001-06:00

my collection, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

i don't often think of myself as a "girly-girl", but apparently i like soaps, lotions and lip balms.

this is my little cabinet where i keep home-made soaps, my Burt's Bees collection and all the salves, balms and creams i keep. i like to look at it. i like to think about which soap i'll use next, and i love to open it up and smell it.

baby legs project

2008-03-07T06:49:00.001-07:00

baby legs project, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

so there is a design brewing in my head: for baby legs. does that sound creepy? i know there are many patterns available for longies: those adorable little 'sweaters for the bottom half' that work great with cloth diapers as soakers, keep those little legs warm in cool weather, and are just plain fantastic to have ( i suppose if you are one of those natural fibers type). but i want to create my own pattern. with short rows. that's all i'm saying for now.

thanks for the comments on the Old Man Werner Sweater-- that wool, from beaverslide dry goods, is so freakin' soft-- no scratch what so ever.

i'm using flickr to help me blog. it might just be the trick to keeping up with it: keep it simple.

old man werner sweater

2008-03-05T13:49:00.002-07:00

old man werner sweater, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

this a tom's new beloved sweater. i self patterned every detail of it: i'm most proud of the collar, in which i used short rows to shape the garter stitch. the wool: is to die for. it now has leather buttons on it too.

there are more photographs over at the flickr, and details over at the ravelry (granolaGirl).

p.s. i had a birthday on the First. I'm twenty seven now. just so you know ;)

february sweater #2

2008-03-05T13:44:00.001-07:00

february sweater #2, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

how sweet. a little baby sweater. i cranked this out for a friend's baby shower. i totally forgot to take a photograph of the completed sweater-- but i love the color of this one.

wearin' o the yarn

2008-03-05T13:43:00.001-07:00

wearin' o the yarn, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

what? you haven't been reading this blog? you say there is nothing new here? ever!

well, you are right. i've lost a little blog momentum. but i'm still alive and well-- and happily knitting. i have some more completed projects i should post. hey, i'm do that. right now. just little messages. not full-on documentation.

omg! i saw crocuses yesterday. be still my beating heart.

these are new...

2008-02-06T10:18:00.000-07:00

... if you haven't seen it on ravelry. (do i really need to link?!)

selbuvotter mittens (finally, the right size). Elemental Affects Natural Shetland Fingering Weight, US 1 & 2 needles.

zeebee hat-- reynolds soft sea wool, us 3 needle. great pattern. but you absolutely have to make a GAUGE swatch! it's in the math, people!

big blue hat (not for me, but i make a lovely model): self design pattern. twinkle soft chunky wool, us 15 (never again. i lost all sense of dexterity using this mega yarn and needle. it was like knitting in slo-mo).

that's right. i cut my hair. i got a 15 inch braid cut off. i was O-V-E-R the whole long hair routine. Not being a big fan of brushing my own hair, the long hair made for some unpleasant times. not to mention, the time it took to dry in the winter, the long hairs that i was finding EVERYWHERE. it was time for it to go. and i'm quite happy with it!

and that's the recap for you.

caps for nova

2008-01-13T13:33:00.001-07:00

during all the holiday knitting i made nova a darling little hat. it was totally inspired by lotte-- so sweet and fair, i knew i had to make one. she looks that-much-more-elf-like in her red snowsuit, but she hates sitting around in it. so it really wasn't worth all the fuss for a simple photo.

specs: Sweet Baby Cap, size US 1 and 2 needles, a wee bit of shetland jumper weight yarn in two shades.
******************************************************

earlier, in the fall, i made her a baby heart hat because... well, when you know a sweet baby they need sweet baby heart hats, right. now i have photographs (because we were having a little photo session).

the pattern is from Piecework, march/april 1999. but it was adapted from a pattern in Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop.
I used two different color-grown shades of organic cotton and size US 6 needles.

so, it's 2008

2008-01-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

apparently, it's all the rage in the New Year to have blog post. it's high time i posted one of my own. mostly i have picture to show this time. enjoy.

with knitting and a good fire on christmas night.

a lovely bloom

i created a workspace all my own.

a hat for nova-- i'll have to get a shot of her wearing it, adorable.

the shawl continues to grow.

a new sweater for tom. we call The Old Man Sweater. this picture was take prematurely. i had to pull it back to where you see that other yarn running through ( i had thought i might need to do it, and i didn't want to pick up all those stitches. i never pulled the yarn holder out when i started to join the arms to the torso). turns out i made the torso too short and the sleeves too small. now, i have the length proper and 1 new sleeve made, with the second on needles.

very wooley thrummed mittens: a christmas gift to my mother.

the end. happy stitching in 2008.

in the next post: my new quilt project and what was the search for the perfect image transfer to fabric.

Notes on a Holiday

2007-12-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

or, how i finally came up with a post for this infrequent blog.

1. don't start the season with The Day after thanksgiving. the day after The Day of Thanksgiving is fine. just give it a day. or even until december 1.
2. if you bitch and moan about all the icky-ness of The Commercialism of Christmas the whole month of december, you miss the holiday season, Charlie Brown.
3. household chores are made much more do-able with christmas music. pile of dirty, greasy dishes? no, problem: santa claus is coming to town!
4. i want to celebrate solstice as well next year.
5. snow really does put me in the mood.

6. knitting with red and white wool is very festive indeed. especially when making mittens.
7. putting the tree up 1 week before christmas is not early enough for me.
8. hot chocolate is good any time of day.
9. peppermint flavor peeps go smashing well atop my hot chocolate.
1o. eat more candy canes.
11. i sound like Buddy the Elf.
12. if you have to be out shopping on december 24th, just park in the first spot you see.

13. a well organized craft space makes things easier. i only know this because mine was anything but organized and every time i went to fetch something... well, let's just say, it took a while.
14. homemade goodies baking in the oven make the house feel warm and smell good
15. i've identified my favorite smell in the whole world: 1 part fresh christmas tree, 1 part last nights fire in the fire place, 1 part beeswax. if you've ever been to a historical house that is part of a living museum, it's that smell too.
16. i love me some wool base layers.
17. winter walking is one of my favorites-- it's so quiet and still.
18. there is always time for having treats and hot chocolate in the middle of the day with friends
19. oh, what the hell, i'll mention hot chocolate again. go make yourself a cup, really. it goes well with cinnamon rolls too.
20. Merry Christmas, ya'll. and a fine year of knittting in 2008.

2007-12-05T14:31:00.001-07:00

well, hello there. how's your holiday crafting going?

mine is delicate balance of stitching. just enough to keep me busy, not so much to burn me out. this is going to be ornaments. i hate that pink hoop. ick.

this morning i was so excited to get back to my feather and fan shawl. lots of knitting the night before had finally gotten me to the end-of-the-tails section. i was all set to start the feather and fan lace with my new color.
this morning however, i thought it best to double check the instructions before whipping that new color into the mix. sure enough. there was more work to be done on the tails section in the dark brown (which by the way i just found more of, while going through the-stash-that-lives-in-the-garage this weekend. it was a complete surprise to find more. turns out i needed it.) by doing another set of eyelet rows.

with those few (but forever taking) rows done, i can finally say that i have started the feather and fan lace section in the next color. how glorious it is!

and that's the latest.

black and white

2007-11-19T14:57:00.001-07:00

knitting, knitting how i love thee.
stitch by stitch.
round after round.
lovely bamboo needle running through.

sure, we are having record warm temperatures and i can drive around in a tee shirt with the windows down, but i am, nonetheless, craving winter. winter, nordic, winter. i was lolly-gagging around ravelry, exploring mittens and perusing the selbuvotter group-- beauty. there is so much beauty in those tiny stitches. i simply had to get the needles working on it. (if you want the long story: it was saartje's adorable baby cap that had to put into my ravelry queue, that had me then exploring the danish groups, the nordic knitters and finally selbuvotter.) well, i'm down right addicted. can't stop. this is what i've cranked out today. last night i had to pull the better part of the reindeer/moose glove i had going. it was HUGE. i knew i had a slightly different gauge, but this wasn't even going to fit papa elf himself. Now i'm well into this mitten, and while it fits me perfectly, i would have liked it to be a bit bigger to fit my father. oh well, new mittens for me.

now, speaking of Folk (it's all folk, all the time around here)
here's another shot of my feather and fan triangle shawl. there hasn't been too much growth recently. for one thing, the rows "all of a sudden" have a gagillion stitches on them. each row takes a little longer to finish. and reason two: i've got selbuvotter. the picture shows the new light browns that are going to make up the feather and fan portion of the shawl. the 2 skeins i so badly had to get.

cheers. happy thanksgiving ya'll. i'm making pies.

"prevention is the best medicine"

2007-11-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

it would appear that there is A Cold out there in blog land. that's an enormous blanket statement. but let me just say that it seems many people have been sick and so clearly, The Junk is spreading. That being said, i'd like to leave you with my favorite things to take when i might be getting The Crud.

First Up: Kick Ass Immune. (apparently, there has a been a name change, i liked the old one. it made me feel bad ass, thus unable to get a wimpy old cold. bring it! i'll kick your virus ass with herbs! take that!)

This one is great when you feel that little bit off and the voice in your head says, "i'm feeling odd. might i be getting sick?" Yes, you probably are, and you'd better take something now. And then you should bulk up.

Ultimate Zinc-C

time to kick up the good stuff. what i like about these, compared to other zinc products, is the addition of echinacea, bee pollen (wonder of the world, what can't bee pollen do for your body?!) and slippery elm, which coats your [now] slightly scratchy throat. what i don't like is the semi- metallic taste i have in my mouth at the end of the day, after taking several. That's okay tho, because i wash it all down with: yogi tea Cold Season.
it's got a ginger taste and something else wonderful and with a healthy glug of honey poured in, it's really rather good. my experience with some other cold and throat teas is the overwhelming licorice taste, which I DO NOT LIKE! it turns me off from using teas to help prevent or heal. ick. licorice. i know it's good for you, but really, ick!

and there you have it, some of my favorite things for cold prevention.

santa is a knitter

2007-11-14T09:25:00.001-07:00

For those of us that prefer to make holiday gifts, it really isn't too early to start thinking Christmas. that being said, i still don't like hearing and seeing all those holiday jingle bell singin' holiday commercials on t.v.-- it seems too early. i asked tom about this, the commercials being early, and he said, "no. it's just that the weather hasn't changed and cooled off enough." oh. right. Seventy degree days don't make for christmas weather here in the Rocky Mountains.

anyway. every year i love getting The Prairie Schooler Santa issued for the year. I've been making these for my Mother Werner, a previous cross-stitcher herself. I totally spaced it out last year! So, this year i'm on it. And imagine my thrill when i saw that santa is a knitter. Not just a knitter. but, a multi-project knitter. santa's got two pairs of needles with him. And look he's doesn't have just one bag. but a basket and a bag! like me. i've been stitchin' a lot. it's been a nice little change from knitting.

oh, but who am i kidding. i'm knitting too. i've started the feather & fan triangle shawl from Folk Shawls- thanks to Cosette's inspiration!
i'm using the rest of the ecological wool that i had-- and just used for the Tomten. i think i have a new crush on this yarn. i also just bought two other shades to go with it. i drove really fast to get more yarn. it was one of those Must Buy Yarn for This Project Today moments. No, it wouldn't wait until tomorrow. And no, it's not like i needed it to keep knitting. I just had to get it today. So, i'm rockin' it down to the town that has the yarn (yes, i called to check) about 35 miles away. And when i get there, the shop is CLOSED. what!? i thought i checked the closing time online. they "should" be open later. As i approached the door, to double or triple check that they were closed, the shop owner was walking out (you know, end of her business day, ready to go home) and kindly said, "Did you need something?" I sure did. I needed yarn. and I knew just what yarn i wanted. "well come on in and pick it out," she said to me. Can you believe that?! The shop is closed and she's still willing to sell me yarn! I was so appreciative. Ya'll should visit the Recycled Lamb (during regular business hours, of course) if you are needing yarn. Today!

**********************************

look people! it's a little dusting of the precious white stuff. of course, it didn't last long after i took this picture. but it's hopeful. and makes for a good soup day. i did a little nordic snow dance (not traditional. i made it up. didn't want you to google 'nordic snow dance' and come up disappointed.).

the button factory

2007-11-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

it's only taken me forever to figure out how to get titles for each post. and, i've decided on a new page template. it's a mini-make over. something new.

some projects have been lingering in the "needs buttons" basket for awhile.

little birdies for a little sweater.

something simple for simple shoes.

and a classic zipper for a classic jacket.

the tomten is done and i love it. i love it so much i could just about make another one right this minute!

2007-10-24T13:18:00.000-06:00

well folks, i've been to South Dakota. it's offical. I can put a thumb tack in the Black Hills area (Silver City to be specific. But we drove around a lot. Deadwood looks a lot better on HBO) on my United States map. we went with some friends, who happen to be the parents of the children i now only care for 20ish hours a week. they have good ol' friends up there with cabins. i like cabins.

we went to Mt. Rushmore ( it was VERY windy). Saw the Presidents. I even smooshed their faces onto a penny. So American.

we also saw the wildlife there. One of Tom's favorite: the Mountain Goat.

Oh, and i rode a bicycle. I know, you just fell out of your chair! but i did it. All 16 miles of the days adventure. and i wasn't totally knackered at the end. While we were in S. Dakota, Tom and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary ( i love that we got married in October, the weather and scenery are alway so bee-u-tiful!). Turns out we had our first real bicycle ride together. It only took three years for the man to get me on bicycle with more than one gear.

(there's my "boyfriend," {all week i heard his sweet little 2 1/2 yr old voice say, "Emwee, come here."} axel on his dad's handle bars. adventure abounds. )

Knitting

I've been working on a Tomten-- a wooley, brown, eco-wool Tomten. really, it's the hood that gets me, and the squishiness of the garter stitch (and i won't kid you, it probably has something to do with Scandinavian folklore. We all know my enthusiasm for all thing Scandinavia last winter.). i'm not sure on the size. some where between baby and toddler size, i guess.

there are lots more South Dakota pictures over at the flickr. get on over. you'll get a more well rounded view.

2007-10-11T14:59:00.001-06:00

well hello.
did you think i was in the corner making out with my applesauce, unable to compose a decent post? no, it's not that bad. tho, i did make another 19pints recently. used galas, golden delish., a wee bit of honey and a hint of cinnamon. mmmm. i used my presser cooker to cook the apples... in like 3 minutes. it's been a very happy autumn. i had a kick ass cooking day last sunday: hearty chicken noodle soup a la farmer's market veggies, apple crisp (with maple syrup), moist corn bread and brown-rice pudding made with rice milk. yeah! but, the noodles in the soup turned to mush and i hate mush in my food. the crisp was soo good i want to make another pan pronto! the cornbread was excellent. and the rice pudding was too sweet because i didn't really need to add honey or vanilla to the vanilla rice milk i used. it was a bit of trial and error. that's the thing with recipes: you gotta try 'em and then adjust to your own liking. i like maple syrup!

so in knitting news:

the rusted root is finally done. it had been done once before but it was too long and got bunchy. so i took out rows from the bottom pattern and reknit the rib band. i like it now and it's great for autumn. i wear it over the this b/w striped long sleeved shirt and i think it look rather artistic.

this is my autumn light picture inspired by SouleMama (one of my new favorite blogs. she posts about everyday and i still can't get enough. love her!)

this is the nursing shawl in alpaca i've been working on forever. i don't need it for nursing purposes at this point so it serves as a lovely, warm and soft scarf/shawl/wrap. it's really elegant.

my latest yarn love, er obsession, is Beaverslide Dry Goods McTaggert Tweed. It's so squishy and wooly! I also thoroughly enjoy supporting small farms that make an effort to keep the processing state side or in some cases just north of the border. i'm in love and if i could buy this yarn locally i'd been swimming through it and snuggling up in bed with it. I'm using it to make Tom an old-man style cardigan: shawl-ish collar, pocket and great wood buttons. Oh, i can just imagine the snowflakes flying and the smell of the wood fire.

I've been in a bit of finishing/starting funk lately-- thus the lack of interest to post anything. but i've finally got is squared away. I'm making a baby tomten in cascade eco wool (tho, for the life of me i can't figure out what makes it "eco") and a set of Big Snugs in Cascade 22o and Twisted Alpaca.

it's all good. now, off to that apple crisp!

2007-09-21T13:36:00.000-06:00

the homemade home-front continues. earlier this week i found myself at a local farm stand asking the farm-stand helper, "how many pounds of apples are in a box?" he didn't really know, so he popped the whole box on the scale. "About 25, " he replied. "well, then. I want the whole box, " I told him. "Someone must like apples," he said.

why did i want a whole box of organic gala apples from the western slopes of colorado?

"I'm making applesauce."
"Someone must really like applesauce."
"Well there's three of us making applesauce," i quipped back, a little bothered that he comment on my whole box of apples. i don't believe for a moment that i am the first or last person to buy the entire box of apples.

We made fantastic, organic, local, applesauce. (i'm calling it local because most Colorado apples come from the western slope. and while we did try to make an appointment to pick our apples from a much more local {i.e. the next town to the north} farm, the farm did not return my requests in time. ) Nearly 17 pints full of tasty, fresh and smooth applesauce. and there's nothing else in it except good memories, friendship and homemade local taste.

(i might have a crush on my applesauce.)

it's scrumptious-- i i love that autumn is here!

2007-09-10T15:01:00.000-06:00

i've just returned home from my friend's house in which we made our 1st and 2nd batches of fresh mozzarella cheese! our first batch, was not successful. we almost had ourselves some cheese; the curds separated from the whey, but it looked a lot more like ricotta cheese then mozzarella. so we went out to the health food store, baby and all, and bought some really, really good milk -- it's not local but came so highly recommended by the staff, who knew about cheese making, we thought it was worth the try. it's all in the milk people! it can't be ultra pasteurized. we came home with milk that hadn't been homogenized and was VAT pasteurized allowing to cook better and had cream on the top.

with the second batch looking much better, we congratulated ourselves on being Cheese Makers. this is exciting to me for 2 reasons: one, we made freakin' cheese! and number two, because the whey pulls the lactose out of the milk, my ain't-gonna-take-no-lactose body, don't mind this yummy homemade treat!

cheese, people, i made freakin' cheese!

2007-09-09T16:42:00.000-06:00

so with my new job i've had lots more time for knitting and thus reflection.

here's what i've been thinking about: it's green

i've finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.
do i really want to be a Costco member any more? they carry a variety of organic foods and some eco cleaning products... but i just don't know.
The Boulder Farmer's Market is hosting this good event: Save the date Septeber 15 (Saturday) EAT LOCAL! CELEBRATION. Come join us in a community celebration of our local foodshed! Speakers, demonstrations, tasting, music and more! Sponsored by Boulder County Farmers' Markets, BOULDER COUNTY GOING LOCAL!, Boulder Valley Relocalization, and Boulder County Independent Business Alliance. Inaugural publication release of Boulder County's EAT LOCAL! Resource Guide, a complete guide to the local foodshed! One Boulder Plaza (13th & Canyon), 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
i've been watching It's Not Easy Being Green. you really should watch all the video clips. i watch it at 10pm and then feel compelled to turn my entire balcony into a vegetable patch and hitch up a wind turbine.
i've been lurking here, here, and here.
and there is this going on too.
i *heart* organic yarn.

and there you have it. i've wanted to share this for awhile, but couldn't organize it. this is simple.

2007-09-04T07:23:00.001-06:00

so, how'd you like that whole week of completed projects... and daily posts? i thought it was heaps of fun, and bit of a show-off. Fun nonetheless.

Now on the needles: A Sweater for Tom.
and not just any sweater, ya'll, but The First sweater i have knit for him. It's going to be an Elizabeth Zimmermann seamless hybrid-- i'm hybriding right long, now that the sleeves have been added on the looooong circular needle.
i'm using Reynolds Candide: it's a natural color, with more vegetable matter in it than just about any other yarn i've used. it's 100% virgin wool, but i've been calling it 100% Itch.
Not really.
I think we've all become so used to highly processed wools.
The bits of vegetable matter make it real. and i have lovely thoughts of Sheepy in the pasture.

The sweater, in this photo, doesn't look like it's going to fit him.
But trust me.
he's been faithfully trying on all the pieces to confirm my measurments.
again and again.

2007-08-31T07:30:00.000-06:00

another organic blanket
(can you tell i am starting a collection)
un-named organic cotton
color grown cream and sage
us size 8

my own design-- thanks to stitch pattern books.
this blanket was intended to be a donation item to the school auction at my group-care job. but since i don't work there anymore...
it's just gonna stay with me.
and of course, i love it!

**********

feather and fan scarf
di.ve autunno (100% fine merino wool)
us size 9

made for my Werner mother, Florence. she picked the yarn out while visiting us this summer.
**********
WOW! can you believe i've had a post for every day this week!
it's like i'm a regular now.
mostly it is because i have so many finished projects stocked up, but i hope to be a little more consistent in the future.

2007-08-30T07:36:00.000-06:00

saartje's booties
debbie blisss cotton angora
us size 4
buttons to close booties have not yet been sewn on

these are the happiest garter stitch bootie-- so i made a few more pairs.

in other home-life news: yesterday was my first day at the new gig. it's going to take a little time to settle in, but i enjoyed it and i'm glad i made the switch.

2007-08-29T07:30:00.000-06:00

garter stitch blanket
blue sky alpacas organic cotton: color grown sage
un-named organic cotton: color grown brown
us 8 needles

i've had this one on the needles for a long time-- it was just garter stitch. so it was the project i worked on when i wasn't feeling obsessed with any one project. but suddenly, this was the project i was obsessed with. i worked on it every moment i had. something about the simple garter stitch lent it's self perfectly to the simplicity i needed during the latest transition. i ran out of yarn before finishing the lace border. Tom took me up to Ft. Collins (~1 hr north) to get one more skein of precious organic yarn after work on a tuesdays night. it took up our entire evening. it's the only yarn store in the area that carries the un-named kind i was using.

i was a little crushed when it was done.
i bound off. admired it. washed it.
and then proceeded to pace around the house. nothing felt good to knit.
there was not ONE project in the house that was suitable.

tom took me to the yarn store to get a new project.
i'll post about it soon.

2007-08-28T07:30:00.000-06:00

february sweater
cotton comfort: 80% wool, 20% organic cotton
us 6 needles
sans button, but i'll get them on there soon.

i've joined the ranks of so many neo-zimmermann's. but how can you not when it is so charming. i made mine a bit different from the pithy instructions. i reserved stitches at both the top and under arms for sleeves. then i proceeded to knit the entire body. Later i picked up the reserved arm stitches, used the magic loop method to knit the sleeves circular and established the lace pattern. Absolutely no seams!

2007-08-27T07:31:00.000-06:00

Good Morning!
that's right. it's monday. and it's good
i'm knitting.
it's really good!

no work for me today. i've started my new job this week, and it allows me a whole lot more of this. that's right: sittin' and knittin'.

The new gig: i've accepted an offer to work for one family tending to their wee children, 20-25 hours a week, in their home. There is a long and involved story in which this all played out, but the details get me all worked up and irratated (mostly that piece involved the company i worked for, their lack of written policy, and lack of professionalism...blah, blah, blah) and i was happy to work for people who offered me the job saying, "we want to make this work, and we'll do what we have to get you. it's crazy that some people pay more money to have their house cleaned than to care for their children."

I'm so dang happy to be starting something new, to change, and to work in a home with one family. my heart is no longer in group care for the very young. not to mention a 16 step diaper change (of which i could do up to 20) and wearing vinyl gloves to serve food. in my new job i'll get to wear a baby, if that's what she and i need (something i fought for, but didn't win about 2 years ago while working in the infant room. ), i'll be able to use glass, mostly all natural foods and toys, and spend time going on walks.

so that's the news. it's new. and it makes me happy.

2007-08-10T23:49:00.000-06:00

i have so much i want to share, i'm not sure where to start, how to tie it together or whether to put it into different posts entirely. nonetheless, i want to share the variety of completed knitting projects (really, i refuse to call them "F.O's", it's such a strange description to me.), how The Green Thing has a strong hold on me, and my new exciting job change (for you, my steady blog readers, who are also My Knitting Group, this is old news) and how, with all of it going on, i feel more in touch with how i want to live my life.

but tonight it is late. i have no pictures to share. my contacts feel dry from staring at this computer screen for too long searching out the latest in knitting goodness, tips for vegetables and composing emails.

goodnight.

2007-07-30T22:55:00.000-06:00

OMG!! where is the knitting content in this blog? it's been days. weeks! months?! (lord i hope not!). there are batteries in the camera. the camera is near the knitting. why aren't the pictures happening? oh, i've had a few things going on:

getting a new jobby-job set up
working on leaving the old one
what is insomnia?
knitting to reduce stress
visit from my werner parents (i.e lots of cleaning before hand while fighting off a cold)
more knitting, feel sanity returning
reading my new favorite book (no Potter here. I'm only on the third chapter, but i am smitten, sigh.)
cast off. ponder new project(s).

knitting photos to come.

2007-07-23T23:25:00.001-06:00

i'm sending this cooling thought out to Meike.
Lordy it's hot outside-- hey Winter, come visit us any time. this whole 100 degree thing is not for me.

2007-07-05T22:18:00.001-06:00

we are back from our bicycle tour of colorado: steamboat springs, walden, winterpark, copper mountain, leadville and kremmling... and back to steamboat springs.

upon arriving in 'the boat' we visited Moots headquarters.

and this gentleman was making ice cream, powered by a bike, of course!

camping in steamboat springs the first night it became obvious in about two seconds that this was not going to be The Tour of Colorado, but rather, The Tour de 'Skeeto, as we all experienced about 10 more mosquito bites than preferred. i quickly searched for the bug repellent and anti-itch cream (i'm a total weenie when it come to itchy bites).

here is Gould (a tiny place 20 miles outside of Walden, also tiny): we got a million more bites.

Oh, hail! No 'skeeters here. This is atop Loveland pass-- after freezing rain and the biggest bolts of lighting i've ever seen (one mountain top away!) we had hail twice; the weather is crazy in The Rocky Mountains (use your best announcer voice for that!). Cyclist were seeking shelter everywhere, including port-o-johns (we saw three bicycles leaning against one, leading us to presume there were at least 3 people hiding out in there...ewwwwww).

i spent most of my week assuming the position: drive approx. 20 miles, park safely, knit, greet tom with water/heed mixture, and bug repellent, repeat.

alas, we reach the end after 6 days of riding (+ 1 rest day in Copper), 8 mountain passes, crossed the Continental Divide 6 times, countless itchy 'skeeto bites, one shoulder partially sunburned, 4 nights of camping and 3 nights with a roof over our heads, returning to Steamboat.

and just for grins, this is Mt. Werner; we'd like to think it is OURS!

next post: knitting projects in review.

2007-06-22T13:03:00.000-06:00

soon, i'll be seeing the beautiful scenery that is mountainous colorado-- for a whole week. so i thought i would leave you with some artistic photographs.

here's my tribute to amelie. happy summer ya'll, it's cherry season.

my current knitting project: of course it's organic cotton... and of course it's a baby blanket.

and more summer goodness-- a boutique of flowers.

talk to ya in july!

2007-06-02T21:41:00.000-06:00

late spring

i've got new greenery for the back patio waiting for planting. it's a variety of herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and flowers.

in addition to all the human babies being born (to the lovely mama's i call my friends) in the past months, i have also been the proud on-looker of baby birds. their nest in the tree outside our front door has been a flutter of activity. in fact, i saw them early this morning (this picture is from last weekend) stuffed into their little home, but upon returning from errands they had taken their first flight and were gone.

Knitting

my own fingers have been a flurry of activity trying to finish up the last of the moderne baby blankets for said arriving babies. unlike the other blankets knit, this one has a babe-in-waiting for it-- born a little before (my) schedule... and so, it must be done!

of course, there are other temptations lurking on the needles. i didn't have Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac added to my library for more than 24 hrs. before i had the wee February Sweater cast on (and crankin' along) using left over Cotton Comfort (i'm keeping this one for my own hope chest).

another batch of organic cotton has been purchased to make a baby blanket for the auction at my school/work later in the summer. my intentions were to knit it up in a garter-entrelac pattern, but the yarn camouflaged the pattern. needless to say, i'm going to use the same slip stitch i used for the previous organic cotton blanket. i guess i'm not done with the simplicity of the pattern yet.

and yet one more project cast on this week. using Lorna's Laces shepherd worsted in the sand ridge colorway, i'm making a lacy (like the easiest "lace" to knit: *k2tog, yo, repeat from * across. purl next row. repeat these two rows) scarf. it's part of a two-gal knit along (with rules: must use LL Shepherd worsted that was purchased while shopping together, must use same needle size, cast on same number of stitches, and must must must work on it ONLY when knitting with each other).

2007-05-24T22:25:00.000-06:00

Organic-rama!

organic cotton baby blanket off to another babe (4th of 5th blanket to 2007 baby, tho i might just do a 6th for the school auction this summer. i'll keep ya "posted").

slip stitch pattern using 2 color-grown colors of Blue Sky Alpaca's Organic Cotton (i retained its chemical free nature by washing it in the machine with Boulder Laundry Detergent) on size US 8 needle. Garter stitch border. Used approx. 4 skeins of each color.

Cotton Comfort Sweater:

i'm simply in love

raglan/cap sleeve style from the neck down. picot-hem edges on sleeve, collar and bottom edge.

natural wood buttons along a garter stitch placet.

length to top of hip. gathered style waist in front and back.

fits like perfection.

did i mention this is my own design and pattern.

Cotton Comfort from Green Mountain Spinnery (and yes, i retained its chemical free nature by washing it in Soak before lighting blocking), approx. 8 skeins, size US 6 needles, and last but not least, i didn't write a damn thing down about it-- i figured it all out as i went knitting along.

2007-05-24T13:31:00.000-06:00

here's a little meme i've seen around town. bold the ones you have done, italics the ones you plan to do, leave normal the ones you're not planning to do.

Afghan/Blanket (baby)

I-cord

Garter stitch

Knitting with metal wire

Shawl (wrap?)

Stockinette stitch

Socks: top-down

Socks: toe-up

Knitting with camel yarn (i even have it in my stash already)

Mittens: Cuff-up

Mittens: Tip-down

Hat

Knitting with silk

Moebius band knitting

Participating in a KAL

Sweater

Drop stitch patterns

Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn

Slip stitch patterns

Knitting with banana fiber yarn

Domino knitting (modular knitting)

Twisted stitch patterns

Knitting with bamboo yarn

Two end knitting

Charity knitting

Knitting with soy yarn

Cardigan

Toy/doll clothing

Knitting with circular needles

Knitting with your own handspun yarn (already have that in the stash too)

Slippers

Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)

Continental knitting

Designing knitted garments

Cable stitch patterns

Lace patterns

Publishing a knitting book (sure, why not?!)

Scarf

Teaching a child to knit

American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)

Knitting to make money

Button holes

Knitting with alpaca

Fair Isle knitting

Norwegian knitting

Dying with plant colors

Knitting items for a wedding (remember the tedious but lovely hush-hush?)

Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)

Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars

Olympic knitting

Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn

Knitting with DPNs

Holiday related knitting

Teaching a male how to knit

Bobbles

Knitting for a living

Knitting with cotton

Knitting smocking

Dying yarn

Steeks

Knitting art

Fulling/felting

Knitting with wool

Textured knitting

Kitchener BO

Purses/bags

Knitting with beads

Swatching

Long Tail CO

EntrelacKnitting and purling backward

Machine knitting

Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn

Stuffed toys

Baby items

Knitting with cashmere (because who won't want to?!)

Darning

Jewelry

Knitting with synthetic yarn

Writing a pattern

Gloves

Intarsia

Knitting with linen

Knitting for preemies

Tubular CO

Freeform knitting

Short rows

Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers

Pillows

Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine

Rug

Knitting on a loom

Thrummed knitting

Knitting a gift

Knitting for pets

Shrug/bolero/poncho

Knitting with dog/cat hair...

Hair accessories

Knitting in public

pass it along.

2007-04-14T14:25:00.000-06:00

acquisitions:

Lorna's laces, shepherd worsted in color way Sand Ridge, 2 skeins. maggie and i went to a sale (danger, danger!) and we each got some; her's is the mother load color way. we decided we'll make the same project.

also at the sale: cotton comfort (the label speaks for it's self). i bought 10 skeins, and i'm dreaming up a cardigan sweater for myself (you know, the one you make and the one you love and the one you wear everyday). i've been scheming of the possibility to buy only organic or low-process yarns-- i don't know if i can hold to it because there are so many wonderful yarns out there. i do think i can make more projects with those yarns however.

close up on comfort cotton, silver

also new to the stash, is the 50% wool, 50%mohair custom spun yarn maggie gave me for my birthday (don't you just love when your birthday lasts a whole month?). she found it while on adventure in Taos, NM. It's so lovely, soft and special.

Progress Report:

after 3 attempts of starting (#1: sure it was fitted, a little too fitted. #2: dye lot issue with skein 2, pulled out 2 and started with another skein. #3: dye lot issue not resolved. thought. pondered. checked labels. ah ha! the first skein was the "odd man out". pulled the whole damn thing out and started again) Rusted Root, i'm finally making progress. the actual color is not as fushia, but rather deep red. many thanks to meike for her motivation to continue, because really, i was starting to think it wasn't meant to be.

the slip-stitch baby blanket is growing. i'm in love with this project-- partly because i am in love with organic yarn-- but you knew that already. i think i'm going to crochet a border around the edge when it reaches the proper length.

here's a picture of the Nursing Shawl-- i really need a new name for it because i'm not making it with the intent to use it for nursing a wee babe. made of beautiful baby alpaca from blue sky alpaca on size US 8 needles. the lace and cable pattern is the perfect combination of easy knitting without being mindless (and being one of tara's patterns, she would want me to be mindful while i work on it-- and i am.).

in other non-knitting news:
i'm looking really forward to planting in the gardens at school. i've become increasingly enthusiastic about biodegradable soaps, compact florescent bulbs, and collecting compost. ski season has ended and now i am thinking about hiking (because walking is really the only "exercise" i enjoy). i've got a few places in mind to go this spring (i've even got a hiking buddy), so i can be ready for a 14er (or 2) this summer. the babies, who i have spent many hours thinking of (and their mothers) while knitting for them, are starting to arrive (just as spring does) and that is rather exciting and happy.

2007-03-25T21:04:00.000-06:00

it's probably terrible to post such a thing, but finding a worm in the gardens at work recently was the exact glimmer of spring we all needed. it's predicted to snow LOTS in the next few days-- so the gardens will have to wait a while longer. on the knitting front i can now show you 2 more of the log cabin moderne baby blankets i made (crappy photos, sorry). both made from brown sheep cotton fleece, size US 6 needles.
one for alex
and one for erica

the third is for katie, who received her's with the needles still on, cause honestly, i have until june to finish it-- and i'm gonna take advantage of the time.

sure there's more going on (like the 3 times i had to restart my rusted root... thank the knitting gods that Meike started one too and i was totally inspired to try it again. oh, the all the new yarn i am the proud mama of. okay.. that's another post.) bye.

2007-03-16T21:57:00.000-06:00

Now that this has been sent to the proper babe, i can reveal it to ya'll.

Log Cabin (guidelines from Mason Dixon book) cotton blanket for a Boy.

Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, needles US 6

when you see some of the other baby blankets (coming soon) you'll see i've been in Garter Stitch Land... or channeling the spirit of Elizabeth Zimmerman.

2007-03-11T13:58:00.000-06:00

Well, i took out the ripple stitch blanket-- i didn't enjoy knitting the pattern. so now i am doing a slip stitch pattern. sure, i've made a mistake, but it doesn't bother me much so i'm leaving it. and yes, it is yet another baby blanket; number 5 of 5.
in an oops-my-credit-card-slipped-at-kpixie moment, i am now the very proud owner of 8 skeins of blue sky alpacas 100% baby alpaca, sport weight in a natural (duh!) color. i am using it to make a shawl from Nature Babies. love it! have mentioned in this post yet that BSA is my favorite yarn company? well, it is! also part of my order was the pattern for Rusted Root (i need help picking a good color) and Samantha.
In an effort to save The Fiber Whorl, my pal in Helena Montana has become of vital member to fund raising. one of their campaigns is a calendar-girls style calendar. she was kind enough to send me copy in part because it features my handiwork (does that mean i am now published?). i made that brown triangle shawl you see in mid-line-up.
see here: i made these socks
You're probably so tired of hearing about these socks, but i'm darn proud of 'em. Needless to say, the Fiber Whorl needs lots of support. If you find yourself near Helena, MT make sure to give them some love.

now, back to my luscious organic yarns.

2007-03-04T22:01:00.000-07:00

So, for the last 6 years i have been celebrating my birthday with especially kindred spirits: My dear knitting pals. Mary is one of the dearest. I met her in a knitting class neither one of us needed to take. i was there because i needed to get out of my small apartment, out of my own depressive head, and just be out with people. (We learned to make gloves/mittens.) Meeting her literally changed my life. During many a friday evening knitting together she served as teacher, companion, woman of wisdom, sympathizer and second mother. We discovered that, although there were many years in between, our birthday's were just days apart; her's on the 3rd. We absolutely needed to share this event. The first year, is fondly remembered for the blizzard that postponed the sharing of homemade chocolate birthday cake. the following week the weather was slightly better. On the way to meet, my car slide backwards on an icy hill downtown (i was an extremely nervous and uncomfortable driver at the time) and when i finally arrived at the coffee shop it announced, "this better be the best god damn chocolate cake ever!". and it was-- and without it none of the following birthdays would have ever happened (the second year was positively the most beautiful spring day in the world. i gave Mary a huge bundle of hyacinths and daffodils, i knit my first sweater with out a pattern in 21 different colored stripes {i turned 21 that year} and we had our birthday party in the morning over coffee and oatmeal. the third year was grand once again-- at yet another coffee shop. the fourth year was a full blown party, we hauled in the loot and proclaimed, "the best way to have a birthday is with a group of knitters!". The fifth year I was so sick i couldn't get off the couch and had to cancel which broke my heart (we rescheduled later in the spring, but it wasn't in March and it wasn't quite the same).

This year was another great one: with nine knitters in attendance, muffins, fruit salad, chocolate birthday cake and a whole load of presents!

Mary and I always sit together and open our gifts.
We littered the floor with a rainbow of tissue paper. i'm obviously thrilled about something (more home/hand made soap)!
We compared presents.
and shared cards. notice we have the same gift? We each got this.

In years past mary and i gave each other very similar gifts. I made her a quilt the same year she gave me a vintage cotton quilt top; i knit her a white lace scarf the year she knit me white lace socks; i knit her a lace shrug the year she made me a cabled shawl.

this year we didn't match, but we still have the same amount of love for each other than all the years of the past.

2007-02-28T23:27:00.000-07:00

a very merry birthday to ME! yep, march the first: the day i turn 26. i'm pretty happy about it, but i am one who enjoys my birthday every year-- alway have, always hope to. twenty six however has a slightly different feeling than all the others i can remember (i'd say since the last 25, but i don't honestly remember the first several). i don't know how to put it into words, but there is something around/about it that seems different from all the others. as i child, my birthday always seemed like one year older, one year closer to the next grand thing (13, 16, 20-- although as i think about those years, i'm not sure i liked them. 13 was awful, full of adolescent anxieties; at 16 i refused to learn to drive and had absolutely no interest in learning; and 18-21 were awful. i experienced a difficult 'leaving the nest' with my parents, a heart breaking death and grief experience (don't regret a day of it, would do it all over again if i had to, but it was still hard) a major break up with a boy, and a job change-- those were turbulent years) but at 26 i don't have the "next up" feeling. overall years 22-25 have been happy, full of love and new 'meant to be' experiences; feelings of satisfaction and contentment. Perhaps this 26 feeling is the wonderment of what will be next rather than the sense of what is supposed to be next. yes, that seems right-- i think i will sit with that thought for a while and see how it feels.

i took a little (like 1/2 an hour) break from baby blanket knitting to make gnomes. or rather korknisse. (norwegian, gotta love it. The Knitter's teased me about my Nordic winter. I laughed and said, "I know, what will i do in the summer?" A fellow knitter quipped back, "Norway has summer too!" Though perhaps not known for their summers, i'll have to do a little cultural research.) they are so charming. i want to make a whole village . they remind me of this-- tho for my birthday i would need more. people, please send me your wine corks!

speaking of baby blankets, i've finished another one, tho i can post no photo just yet. three down, two to go. however, i'm not feeling the love for this blanket-- i'm tempted to rip it out because i don't enjoy knitting the pattern, but don't have good design for it's two toned color (i.e not enough of one color to make one whole blanket, thus the color dilemma), any suggestions?

well, i think that about wraps up the news. wish me well as i turn 26.. or as my Poppa (who shared my birthday season with and i miss greatly during this time-- his death happened during those turbulent late teens) used to say, "As you begin your 27th year".

p.s. updated side bar. check it out.

2007-02-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

I'm all about the ski weekends-- this one landed us at Devil's Thumb outside of Winter Park and Fraser. It was beautiful. Just when we thought we would go a whole week without snow fall, we got some flurries during our time outdoors.
I have however received a new "injury" (this one will not effect knitting, whew!) a lovely red blister that i managed to tear open while skiing. lovely.
in knit-knews: i'm makin' burp cloths. they're easy and functional. and for a gift. edit: i used the pattern from the Mason-Dixon book, size US 6 needles and cotton sugar 'n creme yarn.
gotta run, Rome is on.

2007-02-04T22:27:00.000-07:00

i had another ski day today. what's that you say? You're wondering if it was windy? Just a little. Oh, yeah, part of the mountain was closed. Why? Gust of 100 mph at the top. As for the nordic skiing? well... let's just say that my 'ski day' turned out to be a day of knitting in the truck.

Yep, that wind (and icy packed snow) isn't for me yet. i'm still a fair weather skier ( i got about 100 yards away from the nordic center)

i was pretty disappointed. i wanted to feel that 'good mountain air in my lungs' again.

but the knitting was good.

2007-01-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

Apparently, Anne and i have more than knitting in common. we went to Eldora today for the thrill of trying to stay up right while on cross-country skis. it was great. i fell a lot. i still think i love my new sport. driving down the canyon, i announced, "oh my lungs feel so good with all the mountain air!" anne, probably thinks i am a dork .

the knitting front is good and busy (except for the "injury" i received while at an eatery this evening. i sort of pinched and tore a hunk of skin out of my left pointer finger-- also known as the dependable pointer finger that pushes the knitting needle. i can sort of do it with my 'tall man' or if my pointer is wrapped in a wad of band-aids. ) but i must admit that with all the babies arriving, i won't be posting many pictures of it all-- until it's been received. i can tell you this: 5 blankets needed; two blankets done!

oh and to add to my nordic winter, i now am the proud (down right beaming!) of this-- i thought i was going to have to make a 'special' trip to Telluride-- the last place i had laid my pretty little hands on it!

2007-01-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

Random Thoughts:

i wanted to show a picture of the holiday ornament that is inspiring my Nordic sweater. The swatch is still in the "swatching" form-- which means i haven't done anything new to it. I'll keep ya posted. I used Cascade 220 for my swatch but now i am wondering if i want to use Knit Picks Telemark (i think might be better for a "two layer" garment and way cheaper), or O~wool's Classic (i think the yarn is too thick?)-- both would require some new swatching for mathematical sake.

During the time at home i took a small break from gift knitting to make myself a Calorimetry. It took a little knittin'-and-rippin' to get a good size and the short row holes resolved. I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran on size US 6 needles and by mere chance had a perfectly-pink button in my jar. And by golly, it sure does help to keep me warm when i have my hair pulled up.

And i feel i need to make a public statement: hi my name is emily and i am a yarn snob.I got a Lion Brand catalog in the mail the other day. Now while i am a yarn snob, i do not refuse to look through a catalog, but didn't think i would be interested in anything.Well lookie there: Lion Brand has Organic Cotton! (which i would happily link you to, but can not find it on their site-- hmm?) Hot damn! "Now i can get loads of organic cotton on the cheap, " i cleverly thought to myself. Let's do a little math shall we?

Lion Brand Organic Cotton: 82 yards at $6.99 per skein would be $0.085 per yard.
Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton: 150 yards at ~$9.75 per skein (that's what i paid just recently) would be $0.065 per yard.
Henry's Attic Inca Cotton (100% organic): 650 yards at $21.00 per bag (you have to order in bags, 2 hanks per bag) would be $0.032.
Clearly i should be ordering from Discount Yarn Sales for my organic "fix", but that yarn is slightly thick and thin. So, I am happy to report that I can continue to be a snob and buy Blue Sky Alpacas and not completely through money away.

I was knitting in the tea shop the other day. I was approached my a child curious about my knitting. She smiled at me, i half smiled back. Then she came over and sat down right next to me, with out talking to her mother, and proceeded to interview me about knitting and what i was making. I thought the whole experience was a little odd, given the mother's complete lack of attention to her child. Then is struck me: this is clearly a child raised in a "It takes a Village" mentality. She was a Village-child. And then they left.

That's all for now. I'll try to post again before another entire month goes by.

2007-01-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

New Year's Meme (a little late...)
First Things First:
What is the first thing you did in the new year? after waking from a restful slumber (of which started in the "old" year) i got in the shower.

What is the first thing you ate in the new year? Scrambled eggs with cheese, 3 slices of bacon, a glass of orange juice.

What is the first thing you knit in the new year? still cranking away on the log cabin baby blanket.

What is your first ‘blessing’ of the new year? i didn't break any limbs while "gracefully falling" down a hill on the new x-country skis.

What is the first thing you will do to make the world a better place in the new year? teach the wee-folk i care for that you don't have to be friends, but you do have to be respectful. (I am also adopting strong recycle-reuse-reduce practices this year-- including composting,)
Post the first photo you took in the new year!

After my first real x-country "adventure"!

Happy New Year... may your year be filled with peace, prosperity, and compassion.

2006-12-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

Nordic Winter

I wouldn't normally be one to brag about my Christmas loot, but i must share a few things.

These boots (this blog is now all about boots and socks) i've had for a few weeks-- and thank goodness i have plenty of snow to wear them in. They are wool boots, with wonderful rubber soles (perfect for packed and icy snow). They are hand made in Norway... i ordered them from Alaska.

I also got my VERY FIRST pair of skis-- in my entire life. As a colorado native, i've never once been on skis, gone skiing, or been to a ski resort with snow-- it's a long story, but it never peaked my interest. But i was recently thinking about trying cross-country skiing-- warming up the idea of renting a pair and trying. Then the snow fell-- lots of snow fell. And while out one snowy day Tom cleverly drove me by the North Boulder Park-- groomed for cross country and skate skiing. I was down right giddy with excitement sitting in the truck, mesmerized by the activity. And then everything fell into place (sale prices, discounts and friendly tech information) and i found myself (and Tom too) set up ready for skiing--anytime there is snow. I'm pretty darn excited-- better go treat my new ski boots (also part of the christmas haul along with new wool socks, gaiters, wool base layer, snowshoes, nordic "Norway" hat, and a Johnny Cash cd) with water proofer.

Knitting

With the school-closing blizzard last week i found myself with much desired time home. I got all the elfie holiday tasks done: made peppermint bark, wrapped packages, make pecan treats, and knit, knit, knit ( i forgot to take a picture of the lace alpaca scarf i made for my mother). I started yet another organic cotton baby blanket ( have i mentioned i know 6 pregnant women right now).
I swatched (I only do when i absolutely have to) my thoughts for a new Nordic (of course) sweater based on a kindred childhood character (which also inspired the Saint Lucia Christmas)-- who i have in ornament form. Turns out it will be a bit of a modified fana sweater-- and i'll create/write the pattern.

The swatch was especially helpful as it was my first steek experience. It was a little spooky, but went well. Next up, washing, blocking and measuring. Then the math piece and yarn purchasing and i'll be casting on.

The snow has been falling again and quiet inspiring-- not to mention I got another snow day at home (i.e 3 day weekend became 4 1/2 day weekend).

2006-12-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

Want to Know about my Christmas past?

borrowed from Anne.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I enjoy both equally, although my nog has to be soy and i like my hot chocolate made from scratch with peppermint in it.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? wraps the presents unless they are too big (like the bean bag chair i got one year).

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White lights on the tree-- it's the closest thing to burning candles. (and while i mentioning my lights-preference: i can not stand lights that blink un-synchronize in more than one strand. )

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Only if i can find the real stuff (which is toxic to eat i might add)

5. When do you put your decorations up? Some time between the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve-- it's different every year.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? I like 'em all!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? One year my brother and i found a soot covered bag in our fire place ... we were pretty sure Santa left it. Another year i was pretty sure i saw Santa and his big toy bag work around our Christmas tree. As an adult i realize it was probably my father (work boots and all) "delivering" those bean bag chairs my brother and i wanted so much. but i still like to think i saw Santa. Oh, and one more: my mother made me a swiss -dot St. Lucia gown and my father rigged up a candle wreath that lit up with a battery pack. And in the tradition of St. Lucia, i made sweet buns in the morning and carried them out to my family sitting in the dark room waiting to open up presents.

8 . When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? When my younger brother opened up his package clearly marked From Santa and said, "thanks mom and dad for the _____ (insert really cool toy of the year)". I didn't really ever want to believe there wasn't a Santa-- i still don't -- but i "know".

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? A s a child we could open one small package on Christmas Eve (after church) and all the rest on Christmas morning. As an adult with out children, we don't really have a "system" yet.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Very carefully. Just kidding, with white lights, ornaments that have been given to me since birth and a few candy canes for fun.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it! Especially when it makes for a White Christmas.

12. Can you ice skate? A little-- for fun , if we make it to the mountains that have a rink set up.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? No t really, which makes me a little sad because i know my parents (and Santa) worked hard to get me the things i desired each year.

14. What's your favorite thing about the holidays? The lights, the decorations, the traditions and the special foods that are only available this time of year.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? This year: Peppermint Bark.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? i'm not sure. I know we have traditions, but they don't seem very traditional to me.

17. What tops your tree? a homemade cardboard star wrapped in foil.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? I've been pretty good about buying myself presents this year-- but i like making presents the best. I like to have Elf-ie moments all season long.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I can not pick just one-- but this year i can not stop listening to Wintersong by Sarah McLachlan.

20. Candy canes yuck or yum? Yum, Yum, Yum-- peppermint bark.

21. What's number one on your Christmas list this year? I'm having a self-desribed Wool Christmas; head to toe! (version A).

2006-11-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

We interrupt this boring blog to give you a knitting news update:

Lacy socks.
Now, i know how many (wink wink) faithful readers i have, so just in case you were thinking to yourself, "Haven't i seen those socks on this blog before?" you are almost correct-- you saw them here. But that pair traveled to Montana, and this pair is staying here on the front range. I think i need more hand knit socks. These are kool-aid dyed, the result of Grand Plans/Strategies colliding with Heaps of Impatience. But the muted tone is satisfactory and i've got myself a smashing pair of socks.

The kool-aid dye (i.e low color saturation or shocking fruity colors) just wasn't enough thrill for me. So i switched to fast wash acid dyes. I present to you this:
Sure, the color card said "Boysenberry", but i'll call this skein "Muscles". Again, a fit of impatience struck this innocent skein as it sat in the pot. i just through some dye on top of the wool. it's an interesting effect, and will make another pair of socks just dandy.

Let's see what else? The Wild Stripes baby blanket reached 100% completion (polyester fleece sewn to the back, yellow running stitch added, late night with repetitious blanket stitch...) and was given to it's new keeper. They love it!

Some of my knitting time has been redirected to hand quilting. And more with be further spent on Holiday Hand-Mades (which is still in R&D stage). Thank goodness i can stash a sock in my bag for all the dull times in between.

2006-11-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

It isn't road cycling and it isn't mountain biking... it's Cyclocross:
(or, "Hey have you seen my lycra")
*this post does not contain knitting

Tom started his day attending the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross Boulder Cup. It's so local it's stupid not to go.. and beautiful too!
One of his co-workers Val, won her race:
And enjoyed her morning coffee in her winning cup.
This is the field when the professionals (Elite Men) took to the course (i showed up to watch this part of the racing):
they do a little down hill, a little up hill (with logs obstructing the way = hike-a-bike), a little sand, and a little grass and little pavement.

This is the winner Barry Wicks about to cross the finish line:
And this is Ryan Trebon, the guy who kicked ass-- changed bicycles 4 times during the 10 lap race and made up wicked amounts of time. i apologize for not being able to give your more information like teams and all the technical stuff-- but if you're that curious check out Velo News (where you can also see pictures of Lance Armstong looking quite awkward in an upright running position during the New York Marathon) or Cycling News for all the latest information:
And to top it all off: Miss Colorado filled the role of "podium girl". (she was so close, how could i not take her picture... and it was entertaining to me-- haha!):

in other news: i made four curtains for my classroom windows and kool-aid dyed a skein of yarn (i have issues with kool aid and color saturation so i don't know if i love the dye job, but that's for another post). cheers.

2006-10-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

Solution: the Shirt Dress
my face doesn't show the excitement, but my shopping trip was a success (and i'm so darn excited and through them all on and took pictures without washing or ironing, so pardon the creases). I found three dress, all in a similar style, but with different details-- giving me the "look" i was going for: vintage, pretty, not too trendy and a bit of western flar. This top one is navy, with a wide belt and small side pockets.
a detail shot of the the front.
a brown one (with out making me look like a brownie, a nun, or a 1st grader): faux wrap dress with long ties, a full-ish skirt and smart sleeves.
this is the fancy one-- black and white polka-dots with a bright red satin tie. it has all the flare i wanted.
this one is not like the others, but i saw it while walking out the store and knew it had to come with me too. I actually really love this dress-over-jeans look (it has that perfect preschool teacher look to it)-- it's a little crunchy, but so am i at times. i bought new jeans too. You didn't think i owned a pair did ya? well i do, check these out.

they have been patched several time (love that fabric) and just keep ripping. it's like every time i move in them they fall apart a little more. i may wear them clean off! so i got some new ones.

knitting content in the next post: baby blankets galore!

2006-10-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

Strike Two!
(or why i should stick to knitting)
i'm not sure i like this dress either. the dark blue calico fabric gives it a denim look, and the layered skirt adds a ready-for-square-dancin' look as well. it's still not the "look" i'm going for. (i'm beginning to wonder if i can ever give up cotton calicos.) unfortunately, it took up way more time than i had wanted. the jury is still out if it will make it into the regular rotation.

In other weekend news:
i carved myself a pumpkin-- bought from a local farm. i had forgotten the smell of pumpkin guts... and the feel (oh, how i love the feel. after words while washing the seeds in a bowl of water i had an "amelie" moment, running my hands through the slippery seeds). we also bought a baking pie pumpkin destined for the oven this afternoon.

but for a now i'm goin' shoppining!

2006-10-23T13:56:00.000-06:00

i'm having a fashion crisis!! my new boots have inspired me to put the "prairie" clothing away and go for a more funky-western-vintage look. i want something with a bit of flair, feminism, and ease-- and i want to wear DRESSES (which don't seem to be in fashion this season, as there are slim pickin' at the stores-- or cost $100+). So i thought i would make something. In this picture here we have chocolate 100% wool gabardine. i modified the pattern but i DO NOT like the results. This look says, "country nun" or "grown up Brownie, gone western"-- or i look like a first grader.

i know it's the choice of fabric...and pattern but, i'm reaching my frustration level. i don't want to spend a lot of timing sewing a new pattern, but i also don't have a large bill fold to support commerical made dresses. what is a girl to do?? anyone want to recommend a good thrift store?

2006-10-20T20:08:00.000-06:00

Observations on the road:

1. while sitting in traffic gazing into my review mirror i spy a woman wearing a gas mask. She is driving a Prius.

2. while cruising down the highway i look out my window to see a minivan filled with children ranging from adolescent to infant. All the windows are closed. The driver, the mother (?) is puffing away on her cigarette.

3. while waiting for the light to change from red to green i read the bummer stickers of the car beside (and slightly in front) of me. "Go Vegan", "Fur Kills", "The Greatful Dead", "Green Peace".
The driver appears to be enjoying her cigarette mightily.

2006-10-17T22:48:00.000-06:00

Read On!

People! there are finally new posts uploaded, but you'll have to scroll through a little bit.

And in other non-knitterly news:

i've got new kicks! i'm totally in love with them. I completely wore out my previous pair of lace-up style dansko boots, so now ya'll with be seeing me walkin' around in these here boots. Giddy-Up!

p.s. this new foot wear may lead to a style/wardrobe change in the near future. stay tuned.

2006-10-03T23:38:00.000-06:00

the horror!

Bunny has been rescued.

did you know Bunny was missing?

first let me introduce you to Bunny:

sure he's a little dirty-- and was once white. but he has a very valuable job. see:

to my discovery and horror, Bunny was not found in the knitting basket-- when i needed some stitch markers-- the project came to a screeching halt! I remained calm. I took everything out of the basket. i unfolded, untangled and neatly sorted through. No Bunny. Next i looked in my purse-- again with the emptying out. Not there either. I looked on the end table, underneath the couch (oh, there were bunnies, but not the kind i was searching), underneath all the projects accumulated on the "craft couch", in other random baskets dutifully tending yarn. Again, i looked through my basket. No Bunny.

Then it struck me-- a glimmer of hope amoung all the despair of loss: Bunny was not in the house. I went over my steps. No, I didn't drop my basket in the parking lot lately (sending balls of yarn though an obstacle course of grease stains, debris and sand). No, i hadn't taken my knitting out during work and scattered it about in the break room. The last place i was knitting and making use of Bunny was.... AMANTE!!! (suspense music ends here--- dun-dun-daun.)

That was Wednesday night and here we are, lost and seperated on FRIDAY night! Calmly, I found their phone number: "ring.ring.ring"
"Amante. how may i help you?"
"hi. do you guys have a lost-and-found?"
"sorta. why"
"well, i lost- i mean i think i lost it in your store. I was wondering if you had a white, white-ish, bunny coin purse thingie?"
"oh yah. we have that here" (now, i have to describe how he said that. his tone and speed, a remarkable quick reply, that also said "can't miss that odd thing?!?! what kind of person looses a bunny coin purse. what kind of person has a bunny coin purse? Sure, lady, we have that thing here.")

The fine adventure, and reunion concludes with an immediate drive to Amante (in which tom orders, "a small Latte and one white bunny.) and the recovery of Bunny. On the ride home i could only think of the adventures Bunny had while spending a few nights at Amante. It's a little bit like the story of Corduroy. Perhaps Bunny now needs a "if lost, call...." tag.