eClaire

Day One, of Many

2012-01-01T23:23:00.001-06:00

366 of them to be exact. It's a leap year. I promise more blogging, some crazy stuff, and well maybe some surprises. So happy New Years people. Go and get Crafty!

Last Minute Gifts

2011-12-05T14:01:00.001-06:00

I know I've said this before, but I'm big on the whole Christmas thing. It sorta freaks me out. All those expectations and wants. Hub and I don't do presents anymore. Just birthdays, that are both in december. This year I'm striving to make all my gift, sans a few. They aren't going to be big things. Back when I was unemployed and living in OK, I was able to make PJ's for my mom and a mess of great gifts for the folks at my old lab. Last year was just a wash, but this year its small gifts. Small, tasty gifts.

Washington Riesling Wine Jelly
2 bottles Washington Riesling
3 cups raw sugar
1.5 packages no sugar needed pectin
Heat up the wine until boiling, add the pectin and slowly stir in the sugar. Cook until the sugar dissolves, it generally takes a while with the raw sugar. Keep stirring. Add to cleaned jars and process for 5 minutes, if you want to can it. Keep it in the fridge otherwise, but it won't last long.

Serve with crackers, sharp, blue or stinky cheeses. Fruit and a dry salami also go great. Or just eat with a spoon.

"and I couldn't stop it"

2011-11-25T20:51:00.001-06:00

That's a favorite Stewie Griffin quote, and exactly how I feel about this year. ITS THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING!!! When did that freakin happen, huh huh!?!?!

I guess I should work harder on my current projects so I can get to making the ones in my closet. Sure.

Veterans Day

2011-11-11T12:09:00.001-06:00

Donald

The Unknown, but never forgotten

These are all photographs from out trip to DC this summer.

ABCD...EFG..H.I...JK..LMNOP

2011-10-03T19:39:00.000-05:00

To tell the truth I still sing the alphabet song in my head every time. Its the only way I know it. Every time I file, and every time the tubes get laid out for my daily PCR'er.

While flitting about the interwebs wasting time I spotted this on the freshly redesigned Oohleela.

A. age :: 29, until December

B. bed size :: queen

C. chore you hate :: parakeet cage cleaning, he bites sometimes

D. dogs :: My parents have two, Dot and Madam. Maddie passed away last year. When she was good she was my dad's when she was bad, she was mine.

E. essential start to your day :: Crossfit

F. favorite color :: GREEN, currently its more teal.

G. gold or silver :: silver

H. height :: short

I. instruments you play :: I can press play

J. job title :: Micro-fricking-biologist (I take far to much pride in my title, by it was actually what I got a degree in, so I'm super proud of myself)

K. kids :: Yey, no

L. live :: Tacoma, WA

M. maiden name :: McCann

N. nicknames :: I'll respond to almost anything, except "shorty" (I'll beat you senseless, and don't think I won't. I've got lots of short girl grummies)

O. overnight hospital stays :: Twice, nothing serious

P. pet peeve :: stupid

Q. quote :: "entropy is still promoting chaos"

R. righty or lefty :: righty, but I do a lot of things with my left hand.

S. siblings :: See "D"

T. time you wake up :: ASS CRACK-O-DAWN

U. university attended :: University of Idaho (BS MICRO) Austin Peay State University (BS MT)

V. vegetables you dislike: eggplant, and raw tomatoes

W. what makes you run late :: People who can't merge

X. x-rays you’ve had :: mid section, ankle, teeth

Y. yummy food ::Braised short ribs

Z. zoo animal favorite :: THE WHOLE THING!!!! I love love love the zoo. We go to the zoo in every city we visit. I wanted to be a zoologist for a long time, but I find that I like helping the animals stay healthy and safe better (I work for a vet. diagnostic lab)

I do still Knit

2011-09-24T11:21:00.001-05:00

But you don't get to see it much. Or at least the finished products. So thing about getting from camera to computer is a chore and then on to the blog. I'm trying to make it work on that but I'm just running on auto until I have more time. Hub's job is a super time suck and I'm trying to workout twice a day, which leaves about 0 time to knit or post. A while back I finished this project......

Project: Willow Cowl
Yarn: Hazel Knits, sock
Colorway: Hometown Team (?)

I ment to wear this to ALLLLLL those chilly M's games
that I would go to this year. I went to one,
before I finished it.
So sad we went to like 20 last year.

Hidding from how bad the M's have been

More shawls

2011-09-19T10:26:00.001-05:00

It seems that's all I knit right now, but since I really given up on socks I need to do something with all the sock yarn. I'm unable to cram a socked foot into any of my shoes so I find that knitting them is just a waste of time. Plus I suffer from serious second sock- ittis and never make the match. Oh well.

BACON

2011-08-20T22:43:00.003-05:00

Hub is the bacon man in our family, he handles the making of the bacon. Except he might just have less than zero time, in fact I'm certain he's borrowing it. So we had promised a few people some bacon and so I dug around in the seemingly bottomless chest freezer to find some uncured pork bellies. Mmmmmm pork bellies. Without further ado....

BACON!!!!!!

All rubbed down

Hiding behind the soda, in the fridge

I call this pre-bacon

Instructions

Fall Planting

2011-08-10T20:31:00.003-05:00

While it's not fall yet in Tacoma it is time to start thinking about it. I wanted to some cool weather plants started to give them ahead start. We need all the help we can get around these parts. Also I had this pesky box from my CSA laying around that I did want to just break down.

How to turn a box into a greenhouse for planting seeds:

Gather the parts. Box, plastic bag, seeds and egg cartons. I cut the flaps off mine.

Fill up your cartons with dirt and moisten it so the seeds have a nice place to start out.

Press the little seeds into the soft dirt and arrange the egg cartons in the box.

Cover up with your garbage bag. Now place in a sunny spot. Water when needed. If you use a waxed box you can add a little water straight into the box. Just sit back and wait for little plants.

Stash Break Down

2011-07-24T23:14:00.003-05:00

Its time to tackle the stash. Yes, that place that yarn hides. Where bits of fiber lurk and wait. Its there behind the door of my studio closet, stressing me out. IT HAS TO GO!!! All of it, well most of it. For starters all the yarn needs to be assigned a project, projects and yarn are going into bags. Extra yarn that is project-less or that I just don't ever what to see again will be sold, traded or gifted. The only yarn I will purchase from now until when ever all that stash goes away is sweater amounts. You heard me right, I only have 2 sweaters waiting in the wings. Also I have never purchased a "sweater amount" without a project. This sounds really strange, but its true. My "stash" is mainly bits of sock yarn (I don't wear socks) lace, and some random heavier weights. I'm posting this because I want you to keep me on task. I'll update soon, like after I wade through the crap. Check back.

O CHIN

2011-07-03T23:45:00.004-05:00

For some reason we like to say O-chin, rather than ocean. It makes us giggle. Granted it was like back in April, but it was great.

The Beach at Roads End

Hover Dog

SUN

Our Lovely Rental

Where are you?

2011-06-26T10:27:00.002-05:00

Please disregard this blog post if you did recently move from Lawton, OK with a tight knit group of sweet kiddos a mess of spinning wheels and I think was it three looms. You know who you are. You blog is gone and I don't seem to have your email. How did that happen? Any whooooo, shoot me an email.

Best Mayo Ever

2011-06-23T20:44:00.001-05:00

For christmas I got this great book, full of super easy and uber d'lish recipes. Fantastic pictures and good tips and tricks. Part of my crossfit world includes being as paleo as possible, which falls into my personal goal of eating squeaky clean. Homemade everything makes me happy, no or minimal chemicals limitly processed and yummy. So you know what's amazingly easy to make on your own and is CRAZY good. MAYO!!!!!!!! Get yourself a stick blender an egg, a touch of mustard and a cup of grapeseed oil (my favorite neutral oil) and whirrrrrr together for creamy delightful finger licking burger smearing, french fry dipping, ketchup mixing mayo. Trust me you might not "like" mayo but this will change your mind.
Ps this was also the best batch I've ever made.

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Ladies

2011-06-18T12:36:00.002-05:00

These are 4 of the 5 chickens
who call an out building home. They're a cross between buff orpies and rhode islands. We're just waiting for them to lay some tasty tasty eggs

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Weekend of spring

2011-04-26T20:53:00.002-05:00

The northwest isn't known for its warm sunny days. Really! It rains most of the time in the spring, fall and winter and about every 3rd day in the summer. So when we sun starved NWners can string together a few pre-summer days with the falling water from the sky we kinda freak out. I mean freak out. Short, socks, tank tops (in 65 cool weather!?!?!?!!) sunglasses, and tons and tons of blinding white ass skin. Its a sight. So what did we do with the third sun filled that we had, BASEBALL GAME!!! Granted the M's are painfully bad this year but a game is still a game.

Delightful Time

2011-04-18T16:40:00.003-05:00

... Was had by all. Has requested I drove, since I have the most gas friendly car. The sun shone and the wind that seems to plague the coast lessened. Before we knew it we had arrived. It was like a Yarn Heaven. Delightfully squishy yarn heaven. Granted Church Mouse doesn't carry huge amounts of anything, or a massive amount of yarn. Its the well chosen brands, like Shelter and Rowan. Good stables also, like season acceptable colors of Cascade 220 and my yarn stand by Ultra Alpaca.

However the real reason that Church Mouse is the yarn capital of Washington, patterns. Well organized, and deep. Their selection is fantastic. Not only can you get almost every Fiber Trends pattern ever printed, they publish a staggering number of skillful, beautiful, and simple patterns. All so wearable and in such nice yarns you don't feel so bad about buying a fair of number of them. Also if you're interested Jarrod Flood is a NW native and still feels much love for Church Mouse, thus selling all his patterns and yarn there.

I picked a yarn orange red to make a KAL with some of the knit group.

After we finish the Hat, we'll make one of their great patterns.

To top the day off we had a great meal and then a trip to the fabric store, where I got 2.5 yard of this fabric 50% off!! I plan an easy wrap skirt for it, from S.E.W.

Field Trip

2011-04-17T09:54:00.002-05:00

Today the girls and I are going to Church Mouse yarn! It should prove to be a blast. DB Cooper (thats my red velvet mini cooper) will be our escort for the ride. I jump at the chance to show off what that seeming so small car do. Four adult ladies and their yarn treasures, no match for DB's German know-how. (Yes, while the factory that every mini cooper has ever been produced in is in England, and the car is still "English". BMW purchased the company from Rover Group in the late 90's. I have the smallest cheapest BMW you can get, and it rocks).
Please check out Church Mouse on the web, and if you're a NW'ner go up and have a visit.

Catching Up

2011-03-03T20:33:00.003-06:00

Lots of my projects are finished with little fan fair. Seldom do they get photographed or posted to Ravelry. So I got a movin' and got my projects page up to date!. Monday is my Sunday which means I get a whole un-bothered day to play with my yarn!

These are the socks that are keeping my busy at work. The Yarn contains "seafood". It seem quite a few folks buy it and then discover that the intended recipient of said socks are highly allergic to said seafood. I have inherited 3 balls of the stuff.

A few weeks back I attended a cousins baby shower with very short notice but was able to whip this little number up. It was all stash yarn too! Once I get my etsy shop up and running I plan on selling some of these cuties.

In my former state a lovely little (no so little anymore) LYS opened too bad I moved about 5 months latter. They carry a great, I mean great selection of yarn. Since I'm not a huge sock wearer I turned a lovely ball of Mountain Colors into this great beret. It wears well and knits fantastically.

What can I say about the Chevron Scarf. I bought the yarn years ago, started it years ago and pushed to finish it. The only saving grace about this thing was the constant color changes. The two socks yarns, all the colors, it was really fun.

While the knit was great and the scarf so wearable, the yarn over takes the pattern a little too much. However I do wear it often, and love it. I might make another.

Plans for my future crafting include some sewing from my Christmas gift (I kinda ordered it for myself and wrapped it) Stitch by Stitch. Almost all of my sewing knowledge is self instructed and I love these types of books, I can build on the things I learn from each project. Stay tuned.

Sometimes...

2011-02-13T19:24:00.002-06:00

I've been having trouble finding the time to blog, and I've been giving it lots of thought. I don't plan on going away, but I do plan on limiting what I post. I'm still here and even if I have huge breaks in my blogging, know I still care. I am on Twitter (shortrow) and facebook. Also I'm keep my flickr feed up to date.

Short Notice

2011-01-15T17:48:00.003-06:00

When I went to Georgia for my multiple chicken workshops last year, I spent some quality time online scoping out restaurants, grocery stores and shopping. Before I even hit the ground everything was in order. The time Hub and I drove cross country (before google) I sat in the sun with a calculator, pen and paper tracking miles driven and small cities with a roadmap. Planing is somehow programed into my DNA. In my little knitting world its the same. I want notice and lots of it. Say if you have a good nine month lead on me, please let me know. Sigh, this brings me to my cousin, and how she's about to have a baby. Really I'd like more time to properly knit for this little one.

Also I'd like as much time as possible to work on this. My lace scarf.

Goals

2011-01-04T18:06:00.001-06:00

This year I have some goals but I don't want to push to hard. Things I'd love to do and thing I will do. First the things I'd love to do, include making a stay page and actually selling something. I want to blog once a week (I can do it on my dang phone its not hard). I also want to fill my house with homemade goodies. Now for the things that must happen in 2011. Weigh at or less then my drivers license (when I moved back they just changed my name on file, everything remained the same). A pullup will happen and a whole real pushup workout.
All in all I think those are some good plans.
The hat you ask? I made it for the christmas lunchon auction. Its the Starcrossed pattern. Spool quick and easy.

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Have your self a merry.....

2010-12-24T13:46:00.003-06:00

little Christmas!

Merry Christmas from us in the Warren House.

B.Y.O.C

2010-12-06T19:31:00.003-06:00

The whole of last week was spent in Athens, GA. A fantastic college town that has too many people and too much sprawl. This was my second trip to the Georgia Poultry Institute. Yep a week of chickens. Luckily this wasn't a Bring Your Own Chicken week, they are provided for you. Mine was not a local but a grubby little layer from a producer. It made me miss my work chickens, who like their in-house chickens are big for layers (all the good grub they can eat) and just a mass of soft white feathers. Trust me all birds are the same about their feathers, from parakeets to dirty little chickens, they want to PREEEEEEEEEN.
Of course the week before my outing, which is work but I'm not doing any work, we had a seriously early, seriously annoying snow.

I mean it was Beautiful but it was a major pain. Though I live atop a large hill and drive a small small car, I was the only one to get to work that day. Which lead to a little grumpy from me when I discovered an incubator full of unlabeled samples and undone work. I did not come to work until noon the next day. This lead us right into Thanksgiving, and then my weekend of work and Georgia. I feel like November has been a strange strange trip. Did I fail to mention the downed power pole, oh I did. The week before the snow storm we had a wind storm. It toppled the main power pole for our 50 year old building, and thrust us into the mid 18th century. We ran on generator power for a week while the powers that be refused to pay. Really, how long do you have to pee in the dark before you just give up and go home. The answer is, one week, because not only did we have snow and ice the next week we also had a full septic tank and couldn't use the "system". Tell that to the preggo girl at work. But enough.....

Today was dedicated to doing fun stuff. A Harry Potter movie marathon sucked my whole day yesterday. After hitting the grocery for apples, pears and these lovelies, I set about making butters! Maple apple-pear butter for gifts and spiced persimmon butter for me. I added limited water to the persimmon and allowed them to brown a little in the pan, then added some water and blended using the stick blender. I believe that I might try to roast some apples and pears to make butter next time. While the giant canning pot came to a boil I pulled the xmas decorations from the whole in under the house, and braved the second highest rung on the ladder for lights. Which look fantastic (no they really look like someone in their yoga pants and slippers put them up, because they did).

Mom and I went to get a little dinner on Saturday night, while dad was out hunting and Hub was relaxing on the sofa watching the Apple Cup. This was sitting there just waiting to be photographed. For non-NW'ners this is a dancing clam costume, check it out

Keep Clam

Fall Crafts

2010-11-14T17:14:00.002-06:00

Where have all the Fall Crafts gone. I understand that x-mas is just around the corner, but really?!?! I have a huge confession to make. Ready for it, Christmas and I are not friends. I'd skip it and go straight into New Years if I could. I love Halloween, and rather enjoy the relaxed (and food filled) atmosphere of Thanksgiving. No gifts no expectations. The thing about Fall crafts is that are good for Halloween and Thanksgiving so why don't we have more of them. Grrrrrrr. So I'm call all Fall crafts!!! Lets compile a great big list of great, fun, cute, good through fall crafts. Send me your links, ideas and what not. I'll get them all together and in September of 2011 I'll post a month of crafts!!!

Chicken Salad on the Freeway

2010-10-18T11:33:00.003-05:00

I know, I keep dropping off the planet, sorry. Still on the Whole 30, I still want pancakes (not that I ever eat them) and a glass of cold cold milk. I haven't lost any weight, but do feel great. The thing about the whole 30 is going out to eat is nearly imposable because you have no clue what they stick in their food, and since we in America must put sugar in everything its hard to avoid. Its even harder to avoid things like potato, wheat and dairy when all you want is that steaming bowl of Ivars clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. Yes you heard that right. On a super chilly, slightly windy night I found myself in the stands of Husky Stadium (we have season tickets to see college football at a school I did not attend and work for their rival). All I wanted was a hot chocolate and a chowder but not I got a cup of black bad coffee and a fleece blanket instead. The game dragged on and on, tied at 21-21 and then OVER TIME. Feeling in my fingers has long since gone away and the use of my legs questionable. BUT FINALLY, the Huskies blocked the drive and we could go home. As fate normally has it, break lights appear on the horizon as we traveled back to Tacoma. A huge frickin' wreak. *sigh* just stop the car and wait. Always prepared, and since dinner was a Larabar, I extract two forks and a tub of chicken salad from under the seat. So we moved at .000002 miles an hour at 12 am, eating chicken salad on I-5. Next game is the 18th of November, by then I'll be done with this diet experiment. I won't bring huge amounts of wheat or potatoes into my diet but for one chilly night I'll indulge by taste buds and tummy in one of the greatest NorthWestern traditions of Ivars Clam Chowder (served from a small air stream trailer called the "chowder wagon").

A Year ago

2010-09-28T18:05:00.004-05:00

This was taken a year ago. Before I began Crossfit, and before I moved back. That shrug is no more. I've frogged it and its going to become a more wearable item. I hope to share some photos with you and then take some after shots. Pictures like this and others. We'll see, I'm not so good with the timer on the camera.
Our lab was audited yesterday, which was a little stressful. But its over now and we can stop looking over our shoulder all the time. When the auditors arrived, they wanted to know who had been at the lab in Kentucky, which was me. The fact that checked up on me and the old life was a little strange.
Day two has been going smoothly. Hub is having some trouble with snacks. He loves crispy salty things, but no CHIPS. I think so far I've felt less change then him. Normally snacks are small and healthy so it seems that I've gotta leg up on him. Friday we have to attend an event so lets see what going out to dinner is like.

Whole 30

2010-09-27T17:42:00.003-05:00

Day One, today Hub and I started the Whole 30. Which is like food boot camp. And for two crazed foodies, its not going to be an easy month. The idea behind the Whole 30 is that by not eating certain foods (grains, dairy and sugar) you can help reset the way your body handles food and you learn to use it more effectively. Hub is looking for more power at Crossfit. However I'm looking for my relationship with food to change and hopefully be able to excert more self control when it come to weaknesses. Like BREAD!! I also have a serious sweet tooth that I hope to bring under control. I do also hope the my flagging engery levels will stablize and that my strange allergies might clear. The nagging stuffy nose and dry skin.

So for 30 days I will put aside the yummy homemade loaves of bread and greek yogurt with honey and give this thing a try. I'll take my vitamins don't worry.

Breakfast: eggs
Lunch: Sloppy Joe insides with spinach leaves
Dinner: Skirt Steak with veggies

Its like crack for plants

2010-09-06T15:51:00.003-05:00

They don't say that on the bag but it should. Tagro might be poo dirt but its the best dang poo dirt ever. The tomatoes I planted went crazy, and so too have the winter veg garden.

From Drop Box

I also saw this little guy while going to target. I was not driving.

From Drop Box

Mmmmmm

2010-08-09T16:22:00.003-05:00

I made these a while ago.......

I also worked on my studio. Too bad it gets really warm up here.

I'm a sucker for contests

2010-08-07T19:19:00.002-05:00

I rarely win, but I love to enter and dream a little about the prizes and how super great it would be to have them. I think I purchased about a dozen chocolate bars in hopes of winning a dark brown Mini Cooper stuffed to the gills with treats. Thought I never won one of these rare chocolat-ly colored autos, I found myself many years latter on the good end of a used car deal for one that looked much like a red velvet cake. However it wasn't full of cake :( . One of my fav blogs and shops is Sew-Mama-Sew, I've given things away for their big give-away day. I've commented on most of their give-aways and purchased some great, I mean great fabrics. Today they asked us to answer one easy question in hopes of winning a serger. The question "how would your life be better with a serger" And here it is the long awaited answer.
I don't have time to sew like I want to any more.
When I lived in OK and was unemployed I had nothing to inspire me, nothing to drive me to create. I tried. I wanted to. I did, a little. It was like my need to was there but the crafty pants were just not there. Fastforward to now. Moving back to a place I love, full of beauty and living in a great area FULL of art, I want to craft again. I finger fabrics and yarn, look longingly at patterns and then poooooof! No time. Now I have a job, a job I love, doing the other thing I LOVE. Microbiology. But between my Crossfit addiction, and keeping my house at a level of clean that only kinda makes me happy, my craft time as almost dried up. Now if I had a serger, and after I had learned how to use said serger, with all its bells and what nots, I could spend less time getting grumpy with my sewing and more time actually making stuff. Plus being on the short, stocky and busty side being able to make or at least fix my clothes would make me feel a lot better.
So there is my answer!
Thank you for your time.

Things I've learned

2010-07-03T18:41:00.004-05:00

Since I started Crossfit about 6 months ago I've learned some rather important things about health and fitness. Most importantly, when you are running from zombies NO ONE, I mean no one cares what you look like in a bikini. What I mean by this is, that just because your skinny ass can wear a flap of fabric and get away with it, does not mean in any way shape or form are you actually "in shape". Your brain is going to be dinner sweet cheeks. However my thighs and I are getting away.
While I have spent the last six months trying to reverse 28 years of near and complete inactivity, it still needs some work. After a handful of real pushup I kinda hit the floor. A real pullup still eludes me. I run about as fast as a old dog and half way through my workouts I gotta stop and push my glasses back up my nose or just take them off all together. Though I have lost an 1.5 from my waist, and deadlift and back squat my body weight. 12 inch box jumps still make my shins fear for their lives and anything requiring me to go upside down, is NOT fun. My progress is slow, very slow, but I'm there. I will never get a green box around my name for anything, but just the fact that my name is on the white board every morning at 5:30 is enough for me.
Though just for once I'd like to get my freakin' picture on the blog. Come on!

Up To No Good

2010-06-21T21:43:00.003-05:00

Okay so a little good. However just three days after I took these pictures we had a 39 degree night and they died! Every last tomato turned brown and crispy and died by the end of the week. Not to be stopped I bought new tomatoes, and stuck garbage bags over them up the weather improved. It hasn't. It might have been about 56 here today. If anyone likes fried green tomatoes let me know and I'll send you some, since I seriously doubt they'll ever turn green.
Work has been a blast! Actually its been nice since we're all there and I've been able to actually catch up on things from my closet/office.
Projects, projects, project. I have a super secret one I've been working on, then the same old same old, the chevron scarf, the red scarf, and a pair of socks. So to combat these knitting ughs I've worked some actually time in to my schedule for projects. For an hour each day after I jog, after I come home I have to work on something. Since mondays are my sundays I would normally stay in and project it up. Now ever I been messing around with things like car repair and visiting the big city of seattle for fresh crab. Thats a long store and a whole other post. After spending all morning trying to decide if I should trade the beloved DB cooper in for a non-broken mini cooper I learned that the thought of leaving my DB behind on the lot was tooooooo heart breaking and am taking him for a second opinion next week. They say my transmission is shot! I don't believe them. Any whoooo, the napkins that have been in progress for what seems an month are all but washed. A touch dull but very nice and useful. Next project to get started on is a Folklore Bag from 101 one yard wonders. Plus I can't wait to start ordering fabric from Spoonflower!
Other than that we're still alive and kicking here in North End.

What Passes For Spring

2010-05-17T22:02:00.004-05:00

Around these parts things move at their own speed. In some respects we're busy-busy, sometimes we're down right explosive (its been 30 years since the Mt. St. Helens explosion) but then on the other hand summer doesn't get around to showing up until July 5th.
Other than a week or two of 70-ish degree weather that seemed to pop up out of now where in Feb and a couple of days in March, Spring works in mysterious ways here. Our local garden center (Garden Sphere, which also carries worms and chickens) recommends that tomatoes go in the ground this week, and sooooooo tomatoes went in the ground. Except that the ground is still full of weeds and some plants that need to be moved. To get around this problem and to remember the water the little guys I went for container gardening.

Tacoma also has a special recycling program for its waste water, its called TAGRO. Its just what you think it is. Yes, waste water turned into dirt. Its clean! It also causes plants to go CRAZY! I got 4 bags. Since our house is pushing 90 years old, so is the dirt, and it shows. Over the next year I plan to begin our compost bin and get the flower beds back into shape.

(by the way these are plastic and are super easy to move around, you can find them at Home Depot)

With two red cherry's, an orange and a yellow, plus a purple I hope to have a great turn out. Granted I don't like raw tomatoes I do like them grilled, cooked, squished and any other way but right off the vine. But I do like lots of herbs! So they went into the ground last week, in their own special bed by the kitchen.

ps. On my way to Crossfit this morning, as I turned from McCarver on to Tacoma I saw a deer. A deer, just walking down the side walk as if on her way to get a cup of coffee at Tulley's. However she freaked a ran back up into the neighborhood. Even though Tacoma is a major city, its hills and cliffs where not all graded like our big sis Seattle and we have quite a few large undeveloped green areas which have become home to near by wildlife. This makes me glad I have a fence.

Projects

2010-05-04T22:09:00.002-05:00

While unpacking all of my worldly goods for the umteenth time I was reminded of how much yarn I had, how much yarn I had and didn't use, and how much yarn I had and really wasn't thrilled with. The excitement of belonging to those sock clubs, the mystery of what's next normally gives way to like three balls of yarn that you're never going to touch. Combined those odd balls of wacky sock yarn with a half dozen of washcloth cotton, mix liberally with leftover project bits and you'll have my stash. The time has come to part with my one offs and what nots. I'm not a stasher by nature I'm just too bloody cheap to buy whole sweaters worth of yarn without a pattern, but sock yarn doesn't count. Until you stop knitting socks and your socks that rocks mates with some selfstripping wool and you get waaaaay more yarn than you could every know. After this weeks knit night, I'll post whats left of the sale yarn.
Another thing I should cover is the project list on the left. Its outdated and needs to be addressed. Since I've been at a total lost as to what to blog we'll get to those. As for right now, on the needles, I have Laura Cho's Shoulder warmer that is almost complete. I also a rust colored cabled scarf which is just over half way done, the chevron scarf from last minute knitted gifts, and a pair of socks. Wednesday knit group has got we knitting socks again.

Egg-citing

2010-04-22T21:57:00.002-05:00

I went back to work. Yes after 8 months of being a kept women I returned to the working world. The transition has been, um, good. I wanted to work, and yes I volunteered in OK but here I have a paying 8-5ish job. That also means that I go to Crossfit at like 5:15 in the morning, and wakeup at like 4:45. MMMmmmmmmmmmm bed is so warm at 4:45, I just wish I could sleep a little longer. I am surprise how many people are out and about at 5 in the morning, which includes people riding their bikes to work at 5 am!
This round of employment is about close to the world I lived in TN. My last job was an almost full time microbiology gig with a touch of molecular diagnostic (you can glaze over here if you want to) my new job contains a lot, I mean a LOT of chickens. I mean Avian is in the name of the lab. So is Food Science. I play with chicken products all day! Between checking on the chickens we keep for their perfect germ free eggs to the crazy powdered egg product we get from a producer in the area.
So far the I'm loving the job. Enjoying the full days, that mean I don't sit on my ass too long. One of the best perks in that I'll get an "office", which isn't a real office with my name on it, but at least a computer that is mainly mine. Biggest down side, saturdays. I'll be working a lot of saturdays, but they'll be those fantastic hours when you have the whole place to yourself and can crank the music while dancing poorly with a 5mL pipette in your hand. Now if you're at all curious about what I do or some of the other cool stuff they do at the WSU extension in Puyallup you can check them out here http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/ and here http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts_waddl/avian.aspx

Okay......

2010-04-08T22:49:00.002-05:00

So I know that I've dropped off the radar a little but I've been busy. With the move, the mass of unpacking and well the general ****GASP**** of finally moving back to the great northwest.

We move ALOT! I mean like more than any normal person should who isn't trying to escape some kind of law enforcement. Yet each time I get out the plastic tubs to create my signature "kitchen in a box" I totally freakout! Its not that kind of run-around with your head cut off like a dead chicken freakout, its a teeth grinding "OHHOLYCRAPDIDIFORGETTODOTHAT" kinda freakout. The thing about this kinda spaz is its hard to relax from but it does feel so good when things finally get into shape. And into shape they have, just a few neighborhood highlights include a farmers market just about 6 blocks from my door. Two, count 'em two grocery stores all of nine blocks. Granted one of these stores is the super fancy pants grocery which I only shop at when I need something that just CANNOT be found in one of the "normal" grocery stores. However when you have sooooo many places to shop in the city, including the various ethnic markets which come with a major city, its almost unheard of for me to shop the FP store. Not going to name store names but this is the type of store which sells like 10 different kinds of jam and 30 jellys all of which are "organic, and grown on patches of reclaimed landfill with natural water recycled from middle schools" or something to that effect. They all cost upward of 5 bucks a little jar too. Granted you can get like two flavors of good ol'smuckers there so they can call themselves a real grocery store. The kind of folks you find filling their funny little half grocery buggies with level 5 vegan walnut bread and heirloom beer, aren't so interested in the providence of their food or even how freakin yummy the Milk that comes in the glass bottle is (which it is) but that they can afford to purchase insanely expensive pre-cooked "rainbow" carrots. Which when I gleefully wandered around the produce to pick out my own "rainbow" carrots to make them at home, they didn't carry them. However they have a fantastic beer selection!
After supporting my local and well stocked farmers market, it was time to start enjoying the few things which are in season in the Great NW.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble, super tasty and a great way to enjoy season noms. The rhubarb came from a small farm in the valley and the strawberries from one of Tacoma's coolest grocery spots, Tacoma Boys. I also made a Rhubarb Strawberry compote with the rest of the fruits.

Its wonderful just eaten with a spoon or over ice cream or greek yogurt. I'll make more this season, in fact I might even get into some canning and "put some up" for fall when you need a little bite of spring time.

Finally I've been busy with some yarn related projects too namely Lil's birthday Blanket.

Delay

2010-04-01T22:11:00.003-05:00

Just a few pictures until I get things in order in our new house.

OK GO!

2010-03-16T09:02:00.002-05:00

Yes I like some OK GO, in fact the new album is seriously tempting me but this is not what this post is about. Its about the MOVE!!! The long awaited 4 day drive-fest which is our relocation to the great state of Washington and the City of Destiny, Tacoma. Its sounds darn impressive but it was just a marketing ploy by railroad, but I'm not saying that Tacoma doesn't live up to its name and in the last few years it has seriously improved. As I type the carpets are being cleaned and then I go to post for Hub's Graduation (this is like him getting his army masters) pick up so goodies at the WAL*MART (hopefully that is the last time I shop there for a few years) and return to the house to have the exterminator come and then turn in the key. Since you can't stay in the house after "inspection" we decided to drive to the nearest major city for the night, which is Amarillo. This gives us a very nice 8 hour drive tomorrow to Denver where we stay at the wonderful Hotel Talbert. I'm seriously excited about seeing my aunt and uncle in Denver since I haven't since, well its been about two years. Now that we are moving its about a 2.5 hour flight to see them and I feel that there might be some weekend trips to Denver.
I'll post from the Road promise.

Falling into Place

2010-02-19T22:39:00.002-06:00

So things have been rather up in the air these days. Things that needed to fall into place could not. Finally the pieces began to slip in.
I fell in love with a house in the Proctor area of Tacoma and so did Hub, I flew up to Seattle this week to see the house and just enough the great northwest. The house did not disappoint and as we prepare for move number 6, in the 6 years since I graduated college, I've finally begun to feel okay. (if you want to know we moved from Moscow to Seattle, Seattle to Lawton, Lawton to Clarksville, Apartment to house in clarksville, Clarksville to Lawton) We have moved dates now, all I need to do is get the nitty gritty handled, such as gas and cable and our alarm system moved. Its a long list but not too bad.
I also have a unexpected job interview while I'm here, which if offered I will take since it is my favorite line of work, veterinary microbiology. However the job is working for my rival and sister college, WSU! How do I explain that I need a few days off to go to Moscow and watch the Vandals play football. I guess its a good thing I didn't go to the UW. Funny thing is I had to buy a whole outfit, complete with shoes since I didn't bring anything with me.

These are a few of the pictures from the house...
Backyard

Bathroom

Kitchen

Seattle Trip

2010-02-14T21:44:00.003-06:00

I'll be gone for a few days. Not like I've been good a posting but I will be better at it sometime. I'm going to Seattle for a few days to get some things in order for the "BIG MOVE". I've got a few houses to check out. Check out these pictures......

The Walk In

2010-01-30T10:02:00.003-06:00

So around 5 on Thursday the power gave up the ghost. After flicking, and flashing the power lines down Lee Blvd. went down and went down hard. The neighbors with an electric stove, and 2 kids came for dinner which was cooked over a gas stove. All the flashlights were out, the last of the laptop batteries put into service for movies and an okay time was had by all. We were all fed and as warm as we could be. When the power turned on at 9pm hub and I jumped out of bed (we went to bed at like 8, figured it was better to read all snug in bed then on the sofas) and turned out lights and turn on dishwashers and house alarms. As we got all snug back under the hardly cooled blankets ready to drift off with sound of the fan running again (we're white noise addicts) the power goes out again. *SIGH*.
Needless to say NO one slept well. The non-coffee'd neighbors shuffled down the iced street to partake in the black gold that is french press coffee, and a warm breakie. By now however the poorly insulated house had dipped to a cool 59. I was wearing, in this order, underthings, leggings, long tank top, wool socks, jeans, long sleeve shirt, slippers, cashmere hoodie, cardigan, hat, scarf and topped with a blanket. With little to do, I tried to curl up on the sofa and knit. Hub got the stubborn gas fireplace lit, it had long ago been caulked shut, and the key lost but with some work we had fire. Needless to say the CO detector hung out with us in the living room. By now I'd packed up the contents of the fridge in the laundry basket and put in the garage, since it was a giant walk in refrigerator.
The freezer items went out on the porch, and the chest freezer stayed right were it was. In fact the ice cream and garden burgers are still out on the porch I don't feel like getting on the boots to get them yet. To keep the small amount of heat the fire place was making in the huge, dramatic, hard to heat family room/kitchen/breakfast nook we put a sheet. Just as we'd pulled the sofa's up to the fire and the chili was simmering on the stove it happened! The lights came back on!!!! Oh it was wonderful!! The heat, the light, the internets!!!! So we crossed our fingers and celebrated with chili and cookies.

Stock up on French Toast

2010-01-28T15:53:00.004-06:00

There are few things that make me stay home. I grew up in the rainy state, learned to drive at night in the rain, went to college in place which had one snow every may and don't fear strange parts of town. Ice, that's a whole other thing. Car aren't made for ice, cars don't like it and I don't like it. Since about 8 am the rain has been freezing to anything which will hold still long enough.
The cars are covered too. The roads are still in good shape, but wait until the sun goes down. Every now and then the lights go off and the cable gets cranky. All cell phones are charged and flashlights are at the ready. I have milk, bread and eggs. I also have enough knitting to keep me busy for HOURS.

For sometime I've been using a small bubble gum pink Coach wallet, don't get me wrong I love Coach, but don't like all that pink. It wasn't so much a wallet as a little wristlet thingie. It has no pockets and is PINK! Two strikes. So I made a replacement that works a little better.
See just the right amount of pink, and little pockets to keep all the little bits apart. Its large enough for my cell phone too.

Sweet Time

2010-01-15T11:04:00.004-06:00

The Great Sweater Remakes of 2010 are on their way. First step is total sweater destruction. I don't plan on frogging all the bad projects, a few are just going to get a partial rip, and other are getting the sewing machine. Really it wasn't painful at all, it really felt great!

The remains of a dead sweater.

Another thing that is taking its freakin' time, my orchid. All covered in HUGE fat buds just waiting to bloom. Good crap if this doesn't pop soon it might have to move with blooms. Wait, I see whats going on here. In the last move the two orchids (this one and the sickie one) the two African Violets and my peace lily got stuffed into a box and moved across country in a stupid hot truck. If the orchid blooms, I'll treat it all nice and stuff. Darn plant.

Bad Film Re-Makes

2010-01-10T09:21:00.003-06:00

It seams that every time I turn around Hollywood is remaking a bad movie from the '70 and making them into equally bad movie from the 2000's or turning really good movies into blah films staring some big names. I've been inspired by the great big film guys on the left coast to remake something bad, something very, very bad. Ages ago I made a "Something Red" sweater from the lovely Knit and Tonic. Like lots of people, I love her patterns but like lots of people my body is um not any where near hers. I think we're about the same height but shes a weee wisp of a thing and in the "twin" department not the same. These days I've been trying to knit more user friendly sweaters, thing that I'll really wear and won't make people ask "did youuuuuuu make that". Of all the sweaters I've made I wear ONE. Since I'm 5' 2" but a 41 inch bust things don't always fit. When I make a sweater that fits the "twins" the arms are all hanging and the shoulders fall off. Out of shear grumpy-ness I just shove the ill fitting messes into the back of my closet. After lots of "What Not To Wear" and lots of reading of great sewing books, I'm on a campaign to re-make or fix all my craptastic creations and after that help myself make better sweaters and anyone who needs my help.

Oh did I show you this.....

A Pint is A Pound, The World Around

2010-01-08T15:28:00.004-06:00

I'm always trying to think stuff up in my head to blog about, sometimes I even write them down in little books I tote around. Trying to sketch out ideas and adventures I've had. Problem is now-a-days I just don't do much of interest. Don't get me wrong I'm "always up to something" but I don't think any one cares to read about my adventures in laundry-land or the time I did dishes. Granted I do still do "stuff" other than house work. To keep my skills sharp and to avoid have conversations with the house plants I've been volunteering everyday at the post hospital in the lab. OOOOOOO-E, thats a strange world. Lots of people running around like chickens with their heads cut off who have forgotten how to multi-task and run more than one machine at once. Any-way, basically all hospitals have blood banks and blood banks need blood. So today was like TARP for the blood bank and guess who found herself having a pint drained.........
Giving blood is also my excuse to take a nap and eat cookies!!! Plus it's an effective and guilt free way to get out of a hard CrossFit work out.

For more squeamish member of the reading world, my lace knitting........

It's good to be back

2010-01-06T17:39:00.003-06:00

Since I'm an "only" my folks come to me for christmas. This tradition started way back when we first moved to Lawton and really didn't have the time or money to travel to Seattle for the holidays. We had such a good time that year all stuffed into out one bedroom apartment and making do with two burners and a toaster oven that my folks come to visit ever year now. Well except for that year I went home during the Iraq deployment that resulted in my cousin asking were Hub was, "with his parents", ummmmm NO! It's just easier this way. Soooo this year was no different. Folks arrived, we had great foods, a great time and lots of good laughs (which including yelling at the buffalo) and some seriously good football watching.
The morning of christmas eve broke COLD and gray. By 8am the power went out and we still needed foods. After packing up the jeep we went to post got groceries and "power is out" supplies. This was just about 10 am and it was full blow blizzard. Sideways snow and wind. Frankie spent the whole day all covered up under his budgie blanket to keep warm, since the gas stove didn't work. But at 3 in the afternoon as I napped under the supper fuzzy blanket the power came back on. Christmas was a total snow day which was great.
Looking for cool things to do in Lawton, a few days after the "great christmas snow of '09" we headed out to the wildlife refuge. Lots of great pictures and lots of laughs. For New Year's eve we made rockin' chili and had the neighbors. The next day my parents left, and the same day that we left for Jonesboro, AR. for a good friends wedding. It was a long long drive but worth it.
SOooooo now I'm back in the real world. The x-mas decorations are slowing coming down, the laundry returning to a normal amount, and my sleep and eating habits returning to more healthy level. This includes some Crossfit workouts that are causing my muscles to hurt in ways that I didn't know was possible.
Got some project to show you, including the results of the "secret project", got pictures of the brand spanking new (not a refurb) sewing machine!!!!!!!!!! I'm beyond excited about this because it starts slowly and doesn't make any funny clunky-clunky noises.

A little After Christmas Fun

2009-12-26T20:35:00.002-06:00

Today we drove out to the Wichita Mountains and had some fun.

Oh I'm so Sorry

2009-12-18T17:14:00.002-06:00

It always seems like once I find a new Blog to read that Blogger goes on some extended vacation from the rest of humanity, and I'm sorry to any new readers. Lately I've just been try to recover from the mad gift making and shipping, the slew of x-mas parties and the cookies that go with them. What have I been up to? Well one I can't show you because its a secret, but some others I can.
First I made my own surface of the sun.....My good friend Evan of Evan Baines Photography out of Nashville uses this method for his amazing photography and for about $20 you can too can take better pictures any time of the day. Check out this link for instructions, Strobist.

Yes that is my Red Swingline Stapler!

When I moved out here from TN and away from the great people in my lab, they threw me a little going away party. The also gave me a little gift card to one of my favorite yarn shops. Little Knits in Seattle. Well the idea was that when I couldn't stand living in a yarnless town any longer I could break out the gift card and get some much needed fiber therapy.
BEHOLD! Enough Silky Merino Malabrigo to make the Hour Glass sweater in this great tone on tone blue. Really? Blue? Claire? I needed a change. It's more glacier than blue.

Next week I'll share more, including my gifts from the BVC folks and snippets from the secret project. After Christmas the Etsy Shop will be updated, and a second shop will be rolled out after in the start of the new year (oooooooo).

Until we meet again, a little surprise from my African Violet that seems to forget its winter.

Winner!

2009-12-07T13:53:00.003-06:00

The winner of this years give-away is Merlin the Cat, her concise answer jumped off the page the moment I read it, "I craft because with out crafting I would not be who I am."

Now for my answer. A few of you asked "Why I craft?" The answer is because I can't not. I can't explain it, but I must create. It can be anything. When I'm not knitting I'm sewing, or cooking. At work I'll draw or just retype all the SOP's. I need to be making. It amazes me that I can take a plain old ball of yarn and turn it into a hat or sweater. Something completely useless to something useful.

I have lots to share from give-away week, christmas gifts finished and new yarn. Please come back for a visit!

THANK YOU!!!

2009-12-06T09:32:00.002-06:00

I want to say thank you to everyone who stopped by this week! It was great. I spent all week running to the blog to read comments. Tomorrow I'll post the winner. Keep checking back to see what we're up to next.

GIVE AWAY DAY!!!

2009-12-01T17:02:00.001-06:00

Today is GIVE-AWAY-DAY, So......I'm going to ask ONE question, "Why do you craft?"

The answer I like the best, gets......This three bag set. You will get a large 14 inch Knit-along Bag with a handle, a medium Sock-along Bag with handle, and a small 7 inch zip bag.
You have until the 6th to answer, and you'll know the winner by the 12th!

Monday-Monday

2009-11-30T17:30:00.004-06:00

Mondays are well mondays, even when you don't have a real job. It still stinks. The only cool thing about Mondays is that its our Lawton area Knit-together-get-together. We go to the Atalanta Bread Company. Nice and tasty. Knitting in Public (KIP) draws a lot of stares, which makes me laugh. Lots of "they're sewing" and other mis-interpretations from parents to children (NO KIDDING, once in the airport a mom told her daughter I was SEWING!!!! I always carry my Brother sewing machine on the plane, and on what planet do you not know what sewing looks like that you mistake it for knitting. Personally just ask, its good for kids) .
I took some pictures today since we had a wee bit of sun.

Lady Feb.

ID Badge Holder (Christmas Present for someone!)

Earrings for Myself

Earrings for sale on Etsy

I risked my fingers to make a light box. I'll show some more pictures on Wednesday. Stay tuned because all this week is GIVE-AWAY week, and I have a give away.

Serious lack of posts

2009-11-24T19:10:00.003-06:00

Okay so I didn't post every day. I kinda forgot, kinda didn't have anything to talk about. My crafting has been lacking. Since I have been volunteering everyday, I just kinda forget. The lab is a strange place and if you never worked in one its hard to describe. Lots of machines and not any windows. I do have some projects in mind. Like a stuffed buffalo pattern, an upcycled snowman or other holiday themed creature and deconstructing a shrug that I love but wish was in a different color.
I did however finish my Lady February Sweater...

Trafficing across State Lines

2009-11-15T18:07:00.002-06:00

In Lawton recycling is personal choice. No one picks it up for you nor do they have an easy way to drop it off. The towns main recycle center is on post. The other strange thing is, they don't take glass. No one takes glass. So once a month or so we pack up the Jeep and drive south into Texas with a boot full of glass bottles. It might just be the strangest thing I've done in the name of the being green. Sometimes we just leave other times we hit the Best Buy and the Target since Wichita Fall has about 13,000 more people than Lawton does it gets these stores. We have a um a Cato's. This time we went for dinner. It was rather uninspired but it wasn't a chain and it wasn't in Lawton which seemed to be two things going for it. WF's is also this giant mess of freeways which are poorly labeled and hard to navigate. I want to know what that planing session was like. "I wana make this city really confusing, so people just can leave so they stay"

Crafts and Cooties

2009-11-13T17:34:00.006-06:00

Fridays are always a little lazy. Since learning about our coming move to Seattle the weather has responded and its been cool and gray, and thus adding to the Friday lazy's. Our lab was slow and peaceful, except for the constant chatter of the students and what they'll do with this weekend. One of the great perks of working in a post hospital is that you work very few weekends. It's very costly to employ civilians on nights and weekends but not the military. Though it sucks a little they rotate just like we do, just more.

After work I've been trying to keep my craft level up and not just get sucked into the computer. Since Turkey day is sneaking up on us, I started my major projects. Two finished one not.

Felt Thanksgiving Garland

TURKEY-LURKY

Buffalo

This was way easy, just felt cut outs and string. I'll make a template for the shapes if anyone wants one.

Fall Leaves Paper Wreath

I wanted a nice wreath but didn't want to spend a ton so I just got out the old craft paper and following some MS instructions knocked with out in like 20 minutes. I'm thinking about how I can make one for x-mas too, but since I have a holly outside the front door I might just steal some branches from it. My Thanxgiving table runner is still a work in progress but should be done soon.

Sooooooo

2009-11-12T18:26:00.002-06:00

I know, I know I didn't blog yesterday. But since it was Veterans Day yesterday I thought I'd leave the Blog blank. Yes that is a picture of Mt. Rainer. We will be going home in March, finally. It's only taken us 5 long hard years and 24 months of deployment time to get there. I'm overwhelmed. I get to look for new grocery stores and yarn shops! I get to see my fam again.
Mainly I've been hanging around the lab and it has been fun. I just kinda float around and bug people and learn there systems. I think I'll find myself back in Chemistry. We here at RACH run the same analyzers that I ran at my first lab. They are people sensitive and if they like you, they like you. It might have something to do with my skill of killing Mercury Vapor lights. Tomorrow I think I'll go knock on the Micro lab door and introduce myself.

Guess what?

2009-11-10T15:32:00.001-06:00

If you know where this is, then you know where we're going.

This is my home, I'm coming home.

When Mondays are good

2009-11-09T16:28:00.005-06:00

Sometimes Mondays are good, sometimes they can start something that will make the rest of the week. I'm ignoring the super wet back yard and my HUGE water bill (I've called the landlord). Celebration cupcakes are in order today. It was a delicious little cupcake too. The runt of the litter I frosted it first, then ate it. The red cross was dragging its big feet so I went to "help" out this morning and push them into getting my placement. It didn't take long, I went to the lab around 10:30. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, the feeling of being somewhere needed and wanted passes over you. I played around in Hematology which appears to be my new home. It was lovely. Then when I got home I got my order of lovely Blueface lester wool! (pictures later) and an email about the Lab job I applied for. So I made cupcakes of celebration!

Weekends

2009-11-08T11:13:00.003-06:00

I'm going to count the weekends as one day, since I know most readership is done at work.

These are the long over due shots of the Hew Shrug.

I'm not sure where to start about this shrug, but don't make it. I'm all for it hurts so good knitting. Hell I drive a stick shift and like it, but this shrug was just stupid. Cast on some 200+ stitches for the ties WTF? It doesn't have a good picture nor anyway to know what this baby is going to look like. The directions kinda suck. I'll wear it but don't make it. I think I'm getting old and cranky in my knitting. I want projects that are well thought out and test knit, I want good directions and looks of maps and measurements. It could be the cabinet makers daughter in me, but I want to know what things should be.

That said, I've been working on my Thanksgiving crafts and am quickly understanding that x-mas is getting ever closer and thus need to start making those gifts. Eeeek!

Photo-Friday

2009-11-06T16:33:00.001-06:00

Keeping Track

2009-11-05T14:58:00.003-06:00

Still no word on the MT volunteer gig so I figured I'd make the best of the 70 degree day and sit on the back porch with a blanket and the giant house spider. So far so good. In order to feel like I'm actually doing something with myself and to keep me from getting distracted by the internet or the like three hours of the New Detectives on the ID channel, I keep a calendar. You know for all my super important meetings, and power lunches that I have with those other ladies who lunch. Please try not to laugh so hard that anything comes out your nose, it really hurts. No really I do have all sorts of silly things written on the calendar, like, "dishes" and "post to etsy" and "spin" so that when I do these things I can cross them off and feel good. I've worked this way since childhood. I made my own homework sheet in middle school, with boxes for each class (algebra, lit, religion, what do you want I went to a catholic school and yes we had religion homework) it was very popular, I made copies for people. Sometimes a try using oh say one of the two electronics that I have on me at all times, my crackberry or my iTouch. Alas nothing is a satisfying as paper. I can flip back to last week or two weeks ahead. You don't get that from your crackberry. This also means I've taken to carrying a very large purse too. Its damn handy

Speaking of purses, I love purses, bags, pouches, whatever you want to call it. On this fine day I got around to taking some pictures of the super carry all I made some time back from the fantastic learn to sew book, SEW.

I ordered the fabric some time back, like when I lived in TN, from Sew, Mama, Sew. They have some of the cutest fabric plus they have a great blog. I've got some good size scraps leftover too which I think will find themselves as more drawstring bags.

Any way, the wind is starting to pick up out here and I've gotten all the vitamin D that I need.

Having a Punny Good Time

2009-11-04T13:37:00.003-06:00

We like jokes in this family, we also like really silly puns. An attack with rolled up socks is normal and then the claim of being "socked". So while making dinner the other night it happened, there was at good ol'fashion

BEET DOWN!

I'm not sorry for that.

But other than silly food jokes, I'm still crafting away. Granted I did go to post to get my volunteering straightened out. Turns out no one called the lab director yesterday (when I talked to the volunteer coordinator about starting today) so I had to wait on her to call us back, and it was a busy (okay they thought busy) morning in volunteer land. Well long stupid, you people have got to get this ironed out or your going to keep loosing every volunteer you get through here, story short..... I'm going to be working in the lab as a volunteer MT. I know that sounds really strange, and the more I say it the stranger it sounds, since ummmm I made lots of money per hour as an MT and now I'm giving myself away. Since we've reached our employment event horizon so to speak (just about 4 and half months left here and thanksgiving and x-mas in there) I'm really not going to get to do anything unless I just give it away. So hopefully I can start soooooooooooooooooooooooon, I'm so board I'm making root vegetable jokes.
After fighting and fighting with the printer to get it to print in reverse so I could make some neato little tags for my stuff....
I also got some yarn cakes ready for use. I'm almost done with the first arm of the Lady February Sweater (soft green), I plan on making a shawl with the dark green, and a second ball of silk bamboo for some fingerless gloves to take the chill off the mini coopers chrome gear shift. Let me tell you that bugger gets red hot in the summer!

Craftig

2009-11-03T10:46:00.002-06:00

So I was puttering around my strange collection of blogs I read, and I came across this, Craftig !
It's a rather nifty world of crafts of all kinds and a way for everyone to find your "story". A Story is anything, a funny story about how your dog ate all the yarn you bought for the wrap or the pattern for the wrap. I've already posted my original Mint Chip Purse Pattern (don't worry I'll put a link on the side bar). Thanks to Carina and her super craftblog, since she was the one who interviewed the founder of Craftig, Kristen. I can't wait to check it out more.
Remember it is also the third year of HandMade Holidays over at Sew, Mama, Sew! with a daily installment of great gifts to make, buy and NOM!
So other than my wasting time on the soul-sucker that is the internet, I've been trying to line up a reason to get out of bed. I haven't had any sales from the etsy site so I haven't been making much of anything. Instead I've had my blood drawn, spent an hour of death by powerpoint, and then went up and down back and forth to become an American Red Cross Volunteer. As neat as a paycheck is, working at the JC Penny's in the mall is just not going to cut it on my already sad resume so to the LAB. Okay so not the real lab, and not any test, or any real responsibility. I'm back to the world of blood letting. Not leaches, just normal phlebotomy. But mark my words the first smart mouth who calls me a "vampire" is getting an 18 gauge to that little vein that runs your pinkie and ring finger.

November Challenge

2009-11-02T08:43:00.003-06:00

So for the month of November, I plan on blogging daily. Yes once a day. I just can't seem to get in a groove with the world of blogging. I'll work on updating my blog, getting more current pictures up, getting those finished project on the left up. Showing you all sorts of not so great lawton stuff. Well, I'll be seeing you!

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T15:16:00.004-05:00

Pumpkin Pile (Vertorama), originally uploaded by Panorama Paul.

Medicine Park on Sunday

2009-10-25T20:08:00.005-05:00

Unlike the Falls of my youth in the great Northwest, with large mountains covered in huge ancient Fir trees and the foothills full of bright fall colors, fall here is painfully short and lacking the color. We tried for a little fall foliage and headed out to Medicine Park, a strange little community just north of Lawton.
First of all Medicine Park is tucked away between the two Lakes collectively know as LETRA. It's a funny little art community which is best compared to a very small Vashon Island. Its less artsy than totally nut-jobby.

We headed out to checkout the Bath Lake area, which is about downtown, after a piece in the local paper caught my eye.
We couldn't have asked for a better day, cool wind, bright sun, very few people.

We even ran across a bale of turtles warming in the sun (look it up, a group of turtles is called a bale, that's what wiki is for)

Not much Going on

2009-10-23T08:10:00.004-05:00

These days it seems like nothing is going on, and yet not a lot is getting done either. No pets that need walking or have funny attachment to thing, thought the parakeet loves the remote control. Other than trying to track down where in the world the part to my dishwasher is since it hasn't work in the two months I've lived in this house and have had to wash EVERY single plate, dish, cup, soup etc by hand. The finally agreed that the 10 year old contraption had to go and I got a brand spanking new one. Granted its about the size of a suitcase rather than the newer larger types but it's a working dishwasher none the less. BUT! It leaks, from the back, into the carpet. :( Wet socks are really gross. I needed to go to the grocery today, get things to eat, to make dinners with but now I get to call the rental people and wait for someone to check on my wet carpet. GOODIE! But its not all bad, I can get some more spinning in and work on my sewing project.

So far the spinning is going well, I do predraft and all that, but I think my very first try at making yarn was a good one. It had some really thick spots but that seemed to get better, and the twist is a little tight so that the yarn will do something a little funny when I knit it, I'm sure, but I'm okay with that. Only problem now is that I have to get some more fiber. If I was back in TN I could go to the up coming fiber fair but alas I'm here. I should just get on it and order more of the same since it was well priced and only faintly itchy. I do have about 4oz of undyed silver alpaca. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

COOKIE!

2009-10-15T17:28:00.003-05:00

Since I've been home during my stay-cation (aka unemployment) I've been releasing my inner Martha Stewart. This includes crafting, cooking and more importantly COOKIES. See the Hub loves cookies and power through a bag of chips-a-whatevers in like 3 days. I started out with those just add an egg and stick a butter type cookies but recently moved up to see what the COOKIE of the day was at Martha Stewart.com.
Now you can go back through the past few days and see the other cookies. Lots of those too may ingredient kinds of cookies, even more of those too complicated for cookies which will be consumed in one bite kind of cookies. But every now and again, you get a good one.
When I was a weee little Claire my gram and I would go to the bookstore on friday (after lunch-bunch but that's another story) and then go two stores up the hill to the deli and I'd get a snickerdoodle and milk. Never failed for years. Mmmmm they were those big snickerdoodles, that are a little crisp on the bottom up soft too.
I just had to make them, and when the Hub asked "whatsa snickerdoodle" I was sure if I'd have 3 dozen cookies to myself or if he's eat them too.
The dough even tasted like right, just like the cookie but unbaked. These are quite possibly the tastiest cookie I've cranked out in a long time.
I highly recommend this particular recipe, You'll find it here! They are best served with Milk or tea, and are not half bad with coffee, water, soda, or just after dinner.

Welcome home

2009-10-12T13:53:00.003-05:00

So after I went to the grocery store on Friday, I made it home just in time to see the UPS man in the back of our housing development. OOoooooo, could it be! It was he was there with my wheel just as I unpacked the groceries.
Hub packed it into the house for me while I spent a little time with a friendly puppy who had a bit of a jail break. Groceries, lunch and then my spinning lesson from Woven-Spun. She showed me some of the little ins and outs of spinning. After that I went home to attach the treadles and get started.
I've been spinning a few hours everyday just to get the timing right and the magic pinch, release, give pattern. We're working on it. Right now it's more predrafting then spinning but that's okay with me.
Still no name for the wheel it's self or the ladybug.

It has been done

2009-10-07T12:57:00.003-05:00

Hub gave me a lovely gift, the chance to buy my Wheel. I had said that I really never wanted to learn to spin, that I didn't need another hobby that needed me to sit on my butt. I was never thrilled with the way most wheels looked, the darn Alpaca looking at me on some, the total lack of anything on others. I knew if I ever spun I wanted a double treadle, and something slightly portable since we move every two years (either state or house) like clockwork. While at the Dickson Fiber Fair I saw it, THE WHEEL (insert angels and lights here), but then I fell on my face when I saw the price. $925! Ugh. But a Schacht Wheel, with all it's lovely wood work, and art deco appeal, the way the wood aged and the the way the treadles worked! I was smitten. I couldn't even use a drop spindle, how would I have get a Matchless. Not long after I went head over heels for the Matchless Schacht introduced the LadyBug, and my heart leapt again! *SQUEEEEEE* It was affordable, for any wheel, painfully cute, and well just want I wanted. Thing was I was working full time, and drive roughly 1 hour and 20 minutes round trip daily. Which left me NO time to spin, and barely enough knitting time. Fast forward a year or two, new town, no job until January (adjunct at the college to teach lab) and some new friends who spin and weave. What's a girl to do? After an evening breakdown that focused on "I didn't get to BS's to wash dishes and make house" Hub looked at me and said "well do something you've always wanted to do but didn't have the time, so get your wheel." After a wee bit of hemmming and haaaaaaing, and me trying to make excuses in my head for why I didn't REALLY need it I broke down and ordered the thing.
No idea when she'll be here but Friday is my first spin lesson!

Wrap

2009-10-01T13:16:00.004-05:00

PATTERN: Strangling Vine
YARN: Fiber Denn Sport Weight 1 large-ass Skein
NEEDLES: Knit Picks Options US6
SIZE: about 63", so me sized
Before being Blocked
I loved this yarn and this pattern, which was super easy to remember and the pattern was easy to modify, I added a few repeats to make it more wrap than scarf. It was a lot of yarn.
I bought this yarn some time ago, when I can't quite remember. I do remember that I was going to split the yarn and share with a friend who purchases the more purple of the two. It would have made a great chevron scarf. Well it never happened and I needed to knit some lace!

Every Thing Off the Needles

2009-09-29T17:09:00.002-05:00

I've been using my excess of time to get things, everything, off the needles. My rule about only three things on the needles was blown out of the water sometime along the time when I started knitting some gifts and teaching toe up socks to the lunch bunch at the BVC. Soooooo, I've frogged the dish cloth because I couldn't remember what row I was on, I finished the Strangling Vine Scarf and blocked it (pictures to follow), the black shrug is super close to being done, the Hew shrug is giving me fits and killing my arm, pink socks need binding off, teal socks need a toe sewn up. I still have a stormy sea sock to make and most of the Potato chip scarf to finish. I'm kinda running on empty though. I REALLY WANT TO CAST ON FOR A NEW PROJECT. But what? The Lady February Sweater just in time for winter, the Chevron Scarf with two beautiful skeins of alpaca bought last year at the Dickson Fiber Fair. I just can't do it, I MUST FINISH!!!!! I must finish what I have on the needles before I can start anything new.
I'll post pictures soon!

Just What I Don't Need

2009-09-26T21:26:00.003-05:00

I don't need another bag, I have tons and tons of them. It doesn't stop me from making more of them though...
Once again another project from the Sew Everything Workshop, which is a great step by step book to learn from.

Don't forget to check out the new earrings at The Good Bird

Round and Round

2009-09-23T16:13:00.003-05:00

Sooooo a long while back Tracie and I from my old job back in my old city, back in my old life (I do miss it but only because I was comfortable and happish there, but this, this new start in a sorta new place is a means to an end. That end is Seattle) started the Circle Shrug from the lovely Glampyre knits which Lion Brand featured for free. We love free, and we love shrugs. While I'm not thrilled with the way the pattern is written and it's lack of measurements in important places (ehhhh TATAs) I will wear it and it is soft and comfy.

Side effects

2009-09-15T16:24:00.004-05:00

So one of the side effects of chronic unemployment is that I have lots time. Loads and loads of time. I've been getting stuff done, lots and lots of stuff done. Besides lots of earrings for Etsy
I finally got around to finishing some projects that have been floating around my knitting bag. For starters I picked up the stitches for the button band on the basic black cardi, not as hard has I had thought it would be.
I'm going to block the whole thing again because it's a little dumpy, I made the sweater to fit the tatas but forgot that I have to arms and shoulders of someone much smaller.

I've also been working away on my strangling vine wrap. I want to use up all the yarn but it just seems to keep going and going.

Eye Candy Friday

2009-09-11T14:20:00.002-05:00

Helper Bird

2009-09-10T20:23:00.003-05:00

Frankie has always been know as "an up in your stuff" budgie, and he's always helping people out....

I caught him doing Hub's CFA homework, I knew he had a head for numbers but too bad he's only got seed for investing.

Great big move...

2009-09-07T16:27:00.003-05:00

So the great big move is all done, still haven't changed some addresses but mostly all moved. Still unemployed, which is a major crapper. A few pictures of the new house...

Living Room

Kitchen

The house

I've also did something I've been meaning to do forever... ETSY PAGE!!!!!!!!
The Good Bird is up and running.
Please go check it out there will be lots more promise!

It's on

2009-08-28T21:21:00.003-05:00

We hit the road at around 10:30 this morning. One Mini Cooper packed to the gills, a Jeep stuffed with Booze and TV's and a Huge Yellow Penske truck pulling a huge red car. One Parakeet, four people and a spare roll of TP rolled into the city of Van Buren AR at about 7:30pm with all kinds of road buzz. Tomorrow morning we will cross over into Oklahoma and officially move into our neato house. See you there!

Moving

2009-08-20T20:47:00.004-05:00

So Lawton, OK is home to Field Artillery and now home to the Army's ADA (air defense artillery) which means that the homes they had for FA now has to make do for two sets of people. We lived on post the last time, in a hotel room. Now we're getting a real house and living like normal(ish) people. Because of the house crunch they've been jacking up the housing cost, someone wanted to rent this house for $1200 a month....

We just kept looking. We did find a place but the last renter left the place a little sad so I didn't take any pictures at the rental lady's request. Time line is as follows.... Movers on monday to pack, Movers to move on tuesday, Wednesday last day of being with the 101st (sooooo long), thursday pick up and fill the uhaul and car trailer then pick up the parents, friday get up at the ass crack of dawn to leave for the first half of the trip, saturday second half of the trip and arrive in Lawton.

Just Noms

2009-08-17T19:48:00.004-05:00

The Great Big Quiche of DOOOOOM, 6 eggs, two sticks of butter, 1 pound of bacon, two onions
It was beyond good.............

Chocolate Banana Bread, the recipe needs some work it turned out a little dry, but I've got Banana's and some sour cream and lots of time...

Finally, the Spring Onion Corn Bread! Normal Betty Crocker Corn bread with whole corn nibblets and spring onions, brushed with butter!

Back by popular demand

2009-08-12T20:49:00.002-05:00

A few facebookers have requested the London photos sooooo here they are.....

LONDON

Birthday wishes

2009-08-04T19:23:00.003-05:00

You know how some friends are "buy stuff" present people. The kind of people who know just what they want and it's just better to buy that one thing for them, but you also have "make stuff" present people. I have one of these friends.
She loves the ocean, which was my inspiration for these. I picked all the beads that reminded me of seaglass.

I searched for a good owl pattern but never found one so I just made this little guy up. I call him Hooty. I promise that a recipe for him will make it to this page someday and for his bat stunt double. She also got a nice hand made draw string bag. It was a little preview of things to come on my Etsy site when I get it up.

Claire-cation Day One

2009-07-20T16:49:00.002-05:00

Today was the first blissful day of my three day Claire-cation. I've been sleeping in (6 am!) Grocery shopping in the middle of the day! and making yummy foods, chocolate banana bread. I have lots of plans not all of them will happen. The most important thing that I'm going to get to this week is making THE quiche from St. Thomas Keller's Bouchon cook book. I know that better cooks than I have tried and failed but I am confident that I can make something passable and at least yummy.
Not only do I have a pound of butter with my name on it but I also have some lovely fabric to play with.

Dry Those Clothes, Damnit

2009-07-12T09:26:00.003-05:00

So I was watching Sunday Morning, as we always do and they had a short segment about a nice lady in Oregon who was drying her clothes outside in the FREE sunshine. Well her super bitch neighbor driving her SUV, wearing a big fat diamond Channel Necklace and a pair of super expensive bug sunglasses was interviewed about how ugly it was and how it was against the rules blah blah blah, and as she pursed her old wrinkled lips to bad month her neighbor some more it came to me! Go outside and dry you clothes today and every day! It's free!

Spinach Phyllo Pie with Turkey

2009-06-30T20:25:00.005-05:00

A while back I came across a recipe what just needed something, but was too yummy looking to pass up.
Adapted from Everyday Food
Spinach and Turkey Phyllo Pie

Olive Oil
1 medium onion
3 large garlic cloves
1 package baby spinach
1 cup crumbled feta
1/4 dried dates
16 oz ground turkey or chicken
20 sheets frozen phyllo, thawed
salt and pepper

Heat oil over medium heat, and cook onion until soft and then add ground turkey. Cook until slightly brown. Transfer to a large bowl.
Return pan to heat and working in batches if need be cook spinach until wilted about 1 minute. Press out the excess moisture and then roughly chop. Add the spinach to the turkey. Add the feta and dates to the bowl, then salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Unroll the thawed phyllo, working one sheet at a time, brush with olive oil and lay another sheet down. Repeat until you have 10 sheets. Spread half the mixture down the center and roll into a log. Brush the seem with oil to seal. Use a sharp small knive diagonally cut across the top.
Repeat with the remaining filling.
Place both logs seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Baked until golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp.

London Part II

2009-06-28T16:19:00.006-05:00

Yes I know, I've been a little slow on getting this second post up but I've had lots going on and just haven't thought much about it.

On Sunday, we got up at our usual half awake what-time is it here and what time is it there. Hit the Pret for our now favorite breakie. We did lots more walking on Sunday. Remember that all the museums are free, so we popped into the National Gallery to see a few of the more important item there. Another place that will make your head spin from all the amazing art and the amazing amount of it. So we headed out to St. Paul's by taxis after walking around by Parliament again and snapping some pictures of the Household Guard. Those boots are not made for walking.

We walked along the water front until we reached the Tower and the Tower Bridge offering me a chance to take some nice pictures. But most of them are very underexposed.

The people watching at the Tower was fantastic, including a large group of overly skinny girls wear nasty street walker shoes and nearly falling on their butts. So we moved on to the next thing. It was getting to be lunch time so we walked over to St. Katherine's Dock. On a little "island" in the middle of the dock we had a great meal and watched the boats go in and out. A touch sun burned and very full we went a walking again.

As soon as we could find a cab, which was kinda hard since this end of the Thames is very residential, we went out to Greenwich Park and the Prime Meridian. I did fall asleep in the cab, which was hard to avoid. It was a great toasty warm day, I was full and it was a long ride. Hub and I climbed all the way to the top of the hill, which wasn't as bad as it looked. A huge line was waiting to take their picture with a line in the brick. I just snapped a few pics at the end of the meridian. Despite the large number of people we walked through the observatory. It was amazingly well preserved. By now, we've gotten a little hot and sticky so we stopped at the best little I can't believe this is in the park kind of a place, The Honest Sausage. They serve yummy sandwiches and more importantly ICE CREAM! Two ice cream cones and two waters.
After we headed down off the hill we want to find the farmers market that we had passed when we drove it, but it was just too hot and there were just too many people, so we called it quits.
Once back to the hotel we napped a little and got ready for our last night in London. Just a few more stops. Refreshed we made the short walk to the palace again, and across Green Park, which lead us to Picadilly Circus. WOW, the people watching was fantastic! So by now it was dinner time and we wanted something a little different. Now if you want to go to TGI McFunster's this is the place to find one. I did not fly 9 hours to eat at a restaurant that I can eat at in Nashville, so to the Alley! A little Japanese Restaurant caught our eye, called Akasiro. The dinning room was super tiny but the food was great, it came up from the down stairs kitchen on a little elevator. As with every restaurant we dinned at in London, something was just a little off about this place and it was the music.
After dinner, we walked down through Reagents and Pall Mall and through St. James Park.

Good Bye London!
We left Monday morning, getting to the Airport almost 3 hours early to avoid any problems. We enjoyed a great Airport Breakie at a pud and then spent the next 9.5 hours on a plane. Once in Atlanta we collected our bags and rechecked as is the process, and then flew home to Nashville. We'll be back!

London Part I

2009-06-09T20:21:00.004-05:00

As many of you know Hub and I went to London for a long weekend a little while back. I have been avoiding it but here goes.

We left late on Thursday for Atlanta and then at about 10pm for London. It was like the first night of summer camp on the plane. Everyone was making friends and getting comfy. They gave us all blankets and eye masks. They even fed us a normal, and darn good dinner for free! Lots of sleeping and trying to find a place that didn't make my back hurt but we got there. We picked up a cab into the city and took a nice long nap before dressing up and going to the concert.

The Concert which was held at The Royal Albert Hall, was freaking fantastic. It wasn't too long, but had encore. Lots of lights and good solos. He had his usual backup singers and keyboard player. He played Cocaine and Badge plus lots of other great stuff. An amazing range of people there too. We had dinner from a take-away truck in the park which proved to be quite tasty. I have no pictures because they said no cameras but everyone was taking them. We walked part way home and took a cab. We fell into bed, which mind you was two beds. Yes, in a rush to get us checked in they gave us a room with two fulls and not a king like we asked for, so we pushed the two beds together. It was the first of many laughs.

The next morning we struggled to wake up but we wanted to get going before it was too late in day and we headed straight for the Pret. Pret A Manger is like the Starbucks of London, except 10 times more cool. They don't just serve coffee, they mainly serve wonderful fresh made sammies and what nots. It's hard to explain, go to the website. It's all fresh and made from fresh things and the coffee is beyond 4 dollar frappie thing that the 'bucks could ever make. From there we strolled to down to Buckingham Palace. There we learned how stupid most American's really are. A group of silly, stupid, fat, and overly tan ASU girls jabbered like morons in that OH MY GOD voice while we waited for the changing of the gaurd.

If you aren't of a certain hight then kiss off the changing of the gaurd since you aren't going to see a bloody thing.

We moved on as soon as we could, and caught a cab to the British Museum. Neither one of us was fully prepaired for what we were in for. We could have stayed at the museum for the whole trip and still not have seen everything or read everything. The impressive collection was just too much for us and we had to move on. It was just past lunch and so after walking up and down the streets we settled on an Italian place that looked promising and we were not disappointed.

From there we took a cab to over to the other side of river to check out the EYE, but when we got there the line was huge! And the thought of being stuck in a pod with a possibly stinking, non-DO wearer was more than we could handle so we moved on. The next stop was a walk to iKnit, which was surprisingly just around the cornor. I picked up some yarn, which wasn't from England, why didn't have any. Can't say the guy running the place was a real talker or that the place was very large, but it was cool.

Mind you we're walking, and walking and walking. So we walk to the next stop. The Imperial War Museum. We stayed until closing time. It was also way more museum than either one of us could have handled. We stopped for drinks and then trucked back across the river stopping to snap some shots of Big Ben and Parliament. More walking and a pub dinner. I was not thrilled with my fish and chips, but the blind date at the table next to us had great conversations! Off we went, walking back to the hotel and bedtime.

To be continued.......

*Visit the Picture Gallery*

Green weekend

2009-06-07T18:17:00.006-05:00

Clarksville stepped up this weekend and opened a real Farmers Market. Not a lot of veg yet but the city is working on it. I was happy to see a few grain fed beef vendors with sign ups, a few organic growers and some crafts. Without any veg to buy I picked up some nice plants from Nancy's Herb Garden.

My tomatoes are also doing a nice job of doing what they do best.

So on thursday we drove out to nowhere for a hail and farewell, when I asked Hub where we we're going for this dinner he answered "a Quonset Hut in the middle of nowhere. I laughed. No really folks it was a quonset hut in the middle of nowhere decorated with a ton of 101st stuff. I have no pictures, but we had no bars on our phones.

I've been knitting too, a co-worker and I are knitting a shrug together. We've picked the Textured Circle Shrug from Glam Knits.
I'm using UltraAlpaca which is one of my fav yarns. We're working our way through, and I'll keep you up to date.

Welcome

2009-06-06T11:24:00.001-05:00

Hey, Welcome to the new and improved blog. New name and such. Yes there will be still be knitting but lots more of lots more things. I just don't knit as much as I used to and I have lots of other fun stuff I do.

London Bound

2009-05-17T18:00:00.000-05:00

So Hub and I are London bound this weekend, for just the weekend. I know this is silly but its our starter Europe trip. We didn't want to commit to a huge trip until we got the feel of things. Maybe europe won't agree with us (HA, yeah right) but we figured we'd feel things out first. We've got a bunch planned so far, the museum, a concert (oh that's Eric Clapton), and my person favorite a big trip to iKnit London. After hours pouring over the tube maps and the interactive map of london I managed to plan most of our trip via the underground, and scout out some super yummy noms. The big thing, knitting. All that time just sitting. It's a long flight people, nine hours!

Granted I'm going to sleep mostly there and I'm not afraid of a little niquil either, but the way back is a day flight and I'm going to have to find a way to keep busy. Now I can't get a straight answer about knitting needles on flights leaving Hethrow. They're web site says nothing about, no sharpish pointish sticks with yarn on them but I've heard from some people that they're banded. Alas what's a girl to do. In come the socks. Almost to the heel they can be knitting and finished on the "over there" flight. Then I'll start a whole new project on the flight back. The needles detached from the cord and stored with the pens in my messager bag, the cord wrapped up in my knit-kit. A big ball of yarn and a pattern all ready for the 9 and half hour haul back to the states. We'll see how things go.

BTW: Have you seen this thing about Cheesu, the cheeto that looks like Jesus! Its almost as good as the Nun Bun. Oh and this little guy was hanging on my window screen for about a half an hour.

BREAD!

2009-05-10T20:09:00.000-05:00

So after knit night on wednesday, I picked up a book that I've been oogling for some time now. I just couldn't wait anymore, since Hub was going through two loafs of bread a week.
I was busy for most of the rest of the week, between big birthday parties and my neighbor graduating from college!!! Which mind you is super cool. It was Saturday morning before I could get started on the bread.

It's not a starter or a sourdough, it a super wet dough that you just take hunks off of when you want to make some bread. If you've read Kitchen Confidential, then you'll understand why I'm calling it "the bitch".

My first attempt looked promising....
But it turned out looking like an alien loaf!
Alien loaf or not it was super yummy,
Then the second loaf was picture perfect!
I've already used up the first batch, bought a better bucket for the bitch and have tried another kind of bread. It grows on you!

Man-esia

2009-05-09T10:58:00.000-05:00

So the other night while Hub and I were getting ready for bed (we've been watching the first two season of "How I met your mother" for the last month or so) I asked him about when he was going to clean up the stuff that litters his side of the bed. He looked at me with that "HUH?" look. "BUT, its a low wide shelf!" "NO, it's the floor". Just a few days before, the last of his month-o-vacation, I had assigned two things. The light in the bathroom which has been broken since we bought the house, and to clean up the million and a half books on his night stand. Well both are still not done, but he just forgot. The diagnosis for this just up and plum forgetting, a serious case of manesia. Symptoms include, complete and udder forgetfulness of things which were complete important to you, forgetting of dates, why things happened, why things need to happen, forgetting to tell someone else something important, where things where put, what time something is going to happen at, with whom these things are going to happen with, whether or not it's clean or dirty, forgetting to remove wet things from a dry place. These are just a short list of symptoms of Manesia and they vary from man to man. For some a simple list with important tasks helps, other need electro shock therapy to help them remember. It's un curable but treatment does help. It is not contagious to females but when two or more men are within a six foot radius of each other they're individual forms of manesia converge into one, and as a group things like time and bodily functions are forgotten. Just continue to monitor them so that breathing continues and that they don't loose any eyebrows.

New Computer

2009-05-05T18:01:00.000-05:00

Well it's here and it's great!

I'll be back

2009-05-04T06:46:00.000-05:00

I promise, I've got tons of pictures to share, projects and what not. The new computer is on the way my hard drive will be open!

End To End

2009-03-29T15:39:00.000-05:00

Pattern: Marialis End-to-End Scarf
Needles: US 3 options fixed
Yarn: Sundara Sock Yarn, Deadly Nightshade
Made For: ME!
Started: Jan 1st
Finished: Feb 25th

When I got this yarn in the mail I just couldn't bring myself to make socks out of it. The lovely way the color changes and that oh so perfect twist.

So far it has become one of my most favorite scarves even if it did feel like took a life time to knit.

Tasty..

2009-03-28T23:11:00.000-05:00

I love Orangina, but I never drink it. It's for a few reasons. Mainly because it's hard to find in C-ville but also because it very sugary. I know I've kinda forgotten about my blog, but my hardrive is 'bout full and I can't risk adding more pic until I can move some stuff around. In April I should be getting a new computer, all new bits and pieces. Spot the Younger has been with me for 4 years and its about time to replace the little bugger. I've got it all picked out just gotta wait a few more weeks. So I talked to a friend whom I haven't heard from in like 4 years. Lots has changed in those four years since I got this thing. Like he's married and has a kid, crazy. He's going over seas in a few monthes really for the first time, we're just finishing our second full deployment. Hopefully we'll get out to see them sometime before he heads out. I don't really know where time goes sometime.

BTW: We BBQ'd tonight and made cedar smoked Salmon and some grilled Sea Bass. Also I whipped up some white truffle mac and cheese to go with. Yum YUM. I really have been knitting too I promise!

Just A Taste

2009-02-08T12:22:00.000-06:00

All the regions have their special season. In the Northwest it's our late summers which cross into fall The days are as long and warm as they are going to get, and breeze off the sound is cool. By the time baseball calls it quits we're thrown into the short rainy days again. After four years I have come to love and long for a Tennessee spring. After an all but to short fall, we have winter with the ever changing cold to mild weather. Today the mini cooper told me it was 66 degrees! The wind is mild, the sun shining and the need for spring is very deep.

I picked these flowers up almost two weeks ago, during the snow storm. I had driven the Hub down to Nashville for his flight back to the 'stan in the snow. I wanted to do some grocery shopping while I was down there, so I went to my favorite place.... Trader Joes! They had loads of lovely flowers all waiting to go home.

I've been working away on my End to End scarf in Sundara Sock deadly nightshade,

I love knitting this pattern almost as much as I love this yarn.

Before Christmas I spent some time with my sewing machine and made this little box bag

If you'd like to make one of your own check out this Tutorial at Drago[knit]fly.

Oh and one more picture....

That's what I look like with straight hair!

Hit the Ground Running

2009-01-28T14:03:00.000-06:00

So I'm back from my vacation from the rest of the world. It was great. It started with a surprise early flight that got the hub into Nashville at 10 am rather than 5pm. There was a trip to seattle that included a dog bite and some oysters. Two BBQ's, indian food, a 1 TB drive, and the admission that I should be able to have a dog. We gained a tread mill too. It all ended with a drive in the snow to Nashville and a trip to Trader Joes for me. The Hub has just under 45 days left to go before I get him back for good and rather than contemplate the nature of snow and slippers I can just get him to take the trash out for me.
Hub was luck enough to catch the first flight out of Atlanta and made it to Nashville a whole day early. This was nice and not so nice because I had drive to work and wasn't even inside the door when he called to tell me. Mind you I just could run out the door and start to Nashvegas I had to change, really I was wearing a sweater, jeans and pair of hiking boots. We BBQ'ed that weekend and then went to the Acorn with Evan and Amanda. Took off for Seattle on Thursday wear we enjoyed a really great dinner at Salty's on Alki. The in-laws made us want to jump out the window and their super food posessive dog bit my food for trying to move him while I cleared the table. For the next few days all Hub could say was, grrrrrr. I've managed to be sick for almost two weeks, since I have a new germ in the house. Personally I think I have a sinus infection but going to the doctor is a real case of last resort.

This Just In......

2009-01-11T18:23:00.000-06:00

I'm interrupting my regularly scheduled life to take 18 days off from everything! The hub is in this time zone, this country, this indoor plumbing, beer drinking, real clothes wearing world again. Though only for a short time. We will be in Seattle for a few days and the rest of the time we're here.