I was graciously adopted into Red Sox Nation when I met my husband, but I've kept my football allegiance my own. I've been cheering for the Baltimore Ravens since I moved to Maryland. This past football season was a rather tense one in our house since the Patriots were facing the Ravens in the conference championship.
While we had a non-monetary bet with one another (the loser having to do that week's grocery shopping), I had a "sweeter" bet with a coworker. Also a native of New England, he's an avid Patriots fan. Our bet was that I would make a cake decorated in the winning team's colors. The loser would have to wear the winning team's jersey and pose for a photo to place on their profile on Facebook.
The reason I was willing to put in all this effort to bake and decorate a cake was because it was part of the Wilton gum paste and fondant class I took in January.
Sadly, the Ravens lost so I had to make red roses instead of the purple ones I really wanted to make. Here's the finished cake:
Pay no mind to the less-than-smooth sides. I HATE covering cakes in fondant because mine NEVER turn out smooth on the sides. I had hoped that this being my second fondant class I would finally be able to do it, but alas - that's why that blue border is there, helping hide the issues.
You may wonder why I'd put so much effort into the other team's cake. Well - it's still my reputation on the line for making pretty cakes. I'm not going to waste time on a bad finished product.
This year is off to a lovely start. I spent a wonderful weekend in Virginia with my chosen sister, Perches. Her new home is so delightful and welcoming, especially the backyard. Seamus was over the moon as he ran around the fenced backyard in the lush green grass. Some unpacking was completed, a cabinet or two organized, and so much food was enjoyed.
I baked a cheesecake and a strawberry-cherry pie for Perches and her boys. Here's the pie, prebaked.
That's a homemade crust, a recipe I learned from my DH's awesome grandmother. I'm happy to report that the pie turned out delicious, even for breakfast.
No additional photos to share because sometimes you have to live life as it happens rather than trying to photo-document it all. Other times you're too busy eating steak and cheesecake to remember to take photos of anything.
The new list is up and I've already crossed off a couple of items. No photos of the banana cream pie I made over the weekend as I was not happy with the consistency of the custard. Luckily, the custard's flavor was wonderful and the crust of the pie was spot on.
I'm looking forward to move loveliness throughout the year! My first fondant and gum paste class is this week. Yay!
Many a lovely thing was experienced and accomplished in 2011. Below is the list showing I got to cross of 44 of 52 lovely things. If there was a post about an item, I included a link. For those other 8 items (in red), some may return on the 2012 list.
Make a small sewing project| a decorated cake|a gingerbread house| pies| craft swap gifties| reindeer candy canes|a "window" for my new office| mead| butternut bisque| a new appetizer recipe|a new entree recipe| a new dessert recipe| a playlist for the iPod
Celebrate the new job| my birthday| Sean's birthday|our anniversary|a full moon| a solstice or equinox| freedom from the cast!
Pamper manicure| pedicure| bubble bath| facial
Travel Knit and Crochet Show in Minnesota| Wisconsin to see family| MS&W| NC to see "C" and "D"| plan a mini-vacation| Red Sox game| renaissance festival| weekend on the Eastern shore
Do attend a concert| plant an herb garden| stare at the stars on a warm spring evening| take a crafty class| send snail mail| Skype with friends| organize the yarn cabinet| visit a not-previously visited LYS in Maryland/DC/Virginia| go to a museum| have family dinner| host/attend a movie-a-thon| take a mental health day|enjoy a snow day| take silly photos | try a new restaurant
Give to charity (a project, donations, or money)| blankets to my Girls| blankets, hats, etc to all the new babies
It was a busy autumn and holiday season, hence the long hiatus from the blog. I wasn't as crafty as I had hoped to be during that time and I wasn't inspired to blog about much. I did think about it - and I tried to come up with some posts; but I blog for fun and when it isn't fun, I don't blog.
But the new year is upon us and with it, there seems to be some frenzied crafty energy swirling around me. Have you felt it, too? Here's how it has been affecting me:
A project that was stalled on progress, regardless of the work and time put into it, now seems to be crocheting itself.
I learned in December I've got three more friends expecting which brings the new baby blanket count for 2012 to four - one in February, one in March, and two in June.
In one day, I was able to find the perfect patterns and the purchase the perfect yarns for the first two blankets. The yarn arrived just three days later and it is now patiently waiting in the craft room.
In just the past few days, I've found three crafty classes to take during the first half of the year.
I've already written my list for the Year of Lovely Things 2012 (thanks to Perches who has also found her way back to the blogosphere)
The enthusiasm to blog has returned!
Let's hope this crafty energy sticks around for a while!
I had a wonderful time at the Knit and Crochet Show in Minneapolis last month. The Professional Development Day was the highlight of it all for me, and not just because I won some awesome stuff in the raffle. The presentations, both plenary style by Vickie Howell and Ellen Gormley, and the small group presentations by nine accomplished instructors and designers, were very informative and interesting. Lion Brand sponsored the day (thanks, Lion Brand!) which included giving everyone some free yarn and hooks with which to make some chemo hats for the charity, Knots of Love. Here's my improvised design:
I was not able to attend the CGOA event at the Textile Museum inducting posthumously the fabulous Jean Leinhauser into the Crochet Hall of Fame, but I can share with you the video that was shown that night:
Such an amazing woman who will be missed by so many people.
My sister-in-law and I went to the shopping preview on Thursday night and had a blast. One of my favorite purchases was a handmade sheep pin by Ogle Designs. My SIL and I each got one in different colors.
I had so many people complimented me on the pin and asked me where I got it. I hope I steered more business to their booth and now I hope I've steered you to see their website.
New Zealand possums are a bit different from North American possums. They were first introduced to New Zealand as a viable fur trade but they have since become a threat to other wildlife as they have no natural predators to keep numbers under control. The government has to do some drastic things (as in killing loads of them) to protect other species of animals, mainly birds.
This yarn by Zealana is available for purchase from The Yarn Sisters. But you're not just buying some awesome yarn, you're also helping a conservation movement. Learn more about how this yarn is helping - "Save a Kiwi - Knit with Possum!"
I picked up three skeins in three lovely colors and I'm hoping to make a pair of gloves from them. This yarn is so incredibly soft.
My SIL and I stopped at another booth, this one completely for charity. Called the Mother Bear Project, the charity is "dedicated to providing comfort and hope to children affected by HIV/AIDS in emerging nations, by giving them a gift of love in the form of a hand-knit or crocheted bear." I picked up a crochet kit and I hope to make at least one bear before the end of the year.
The CGOA dinner on Saturday was also great - and there was more free yarn (and there was wine)!
Between shopping, free gifts and raffle wins, I had quite a haul of goodies when I returned home.
I don't have plans at this point to attend the conferences next year, but that could change. If you're been thinking about attending this fall or next year, DO IT! You'll have so much fun!
It is amazing how time has been flying all summer. First, I couldn't believe the Knit and Crochet show was a month away - then it was suddenly time to pack and go - and now it's three weeks later. Has your summer been like this, too, or am I just stuck in some kind of time warp?
Anyways - long story short, it was a great trip. While the 2011 Knit and Crochet Show in Minneapolis was the initial reason for a trip to Minnesota, it was also a great chance to see family in the area. That area included a 5+ hour radius from Minneapolis, too. Neither my DH nor I had ever visited this part of the country (beyond a layover at an airport) so the trip also let us add other states to our list of places we've been together.
Our trip from Minneapolis started with the 5 hour road trip to Wisconsin. It started out as a nice morning, but the rain came...
Sheets of rain, big drops pummeling the car, scary driving rain...but light in the distance made us hopeful for better roads ahead.
A few days in Wisconsin with family included two other states - Iowa and Illinois. Iowa was more of a drive-thru trip just to say we'd been in Iowa. The stop in Illinois was more of a destination. We visited the town of Galena which was historically known for being a major port of call for steamships. The town is full of history having hosted speeches by Lincoln and was the town where President Grant retired.
Inside of Grant's house with almost all the original furniture.
Downtown Galena
It is an artsy, fun little town with boutique-type stores along the main street. One of these stores was especially fun to visit - you guessed it - a yarn shop!
What a wonderful little LYS this is! It has such a welcoming energy as you step through the door. The yarn selection is great as are the book, hook and needle selections. The owners are super nice and knowledgeable and the customers in the store (including yours truly) were having a wonderful time perusing the shelves for lovely fibers. While I normally try to find some local yarn when I travel, I wound up with two national brands.
I picked up some Flounce which, I found out later, is all the rage now. I had to have it once I saw the sample scarf being worked up in the store. The ruffles are so fun and the yarn is so soft. I chose purple as this will be my Ravens scarf now that football is back. The yarn is actually really easy to work with once you start. There are also videos online to help you figure out where to pick up the yarn edge. I'm knitting just 6 stitches on size 11 needles and it works up quickly. If it was my only project, I'm sure it could be finished in an afternoon. But I've got a few WIPs plus a book series I can't put down.
As always, details on Ravelry - but I will point this out, something that may be obvious to more experienced knitters but it took me a minute to figure out. The patterns and photos on Ravelry show a flatter scarf but I wanted the round, boa-type scarf. So - if you want a flat scarf with ruffles on only one side, knit stockinette stitch (knitting one side, purling the other). If you want the round, boa-type scarf with ruffles on both sides, knit garter stitch (knitting every side).
My other purchase was this Comfort yarn by Berroco. It caught my eye at the store as the colors are so nice and it is so soft. While I have oodles of baby yarn at home, I was with my sister-in-law who plans to have kids in the next few years. We thought it would be fun to buy the yarn for the hat and booties together so that when she does get the items, she'll remember when we bought it.
I should have bought my needles for the scarf there, too, but I thought I might get a better deal at the show. Lesson learned - but details about that and the rest of the trip in the next post.
From Wisconsin, we drove back to Minneapolis along the Mississippi river. It was a lovely trip along the water and was thankfully a rain-free drive.
While in Minneapolis, I didn't visit any local yarn shops as there was going to be plenty on the conference show floor. Plus, it was time to do some sightseeing!
I did find some crochet-related fun while on a tour of the Twins baseball park. Here's the front page of the Minneapolis newspaper the day the ball park was approved. Up in the right hand side - an article about crocheting!
The past two months have been oh so lovely. Quite a few things to cross off the list...
My birthday was celebrated in many ways, starting first with a trip to see "C" and "D". Our visit was in Fredericksburg instead of North Carolina, but it was lovely just the same. I also received some awesome gifts - a sheep mug and the cutest yarn stitch markers.
My birthday celebration continued with a pedicure, facial and massage thanks to my wonderful husband's gift of a day at the spa. I did my own manicure after a relaxing bubble bath at home. I was truly pampered for my birthday!
Other lovely things accomplished include: sending some snail mail, seeing a Red Sox game, staring at the stars on a warm spring evening, and trying a new restaurant. I watched a marathon of "Game of Thrones" and I am wholeheartedly addicted. I've tried to celebrate the small lovely things of every day life too, like an easy commute home on a Friday and the fun emails exchanged with friends.
And still, there are so many things on the list to look forward to. I truly am blessed.
This weekend included such lovely things, including a few that I can cross off my list.
On Friday, Sean and I attended a concert by one of Sean's most favorite artists, Orla Fallon from Celtic Woman fame. The seats we had were amazing and the meet and greet afterwards was wonderful. She's one of the nicest celebrities I've ever met in person.
An added bonus to the evening was discovering a new band, Tin Cup Gypsy. They were the opening act as well as the backup musicians for Orla. I had never found an opening act to be very good - HAD being the important word here. They started their first song and I was immediately smitten. Beautiful harmonization, thoughtful lyrics, amazing vocals, and gorgeous melodies. I've been listening to their CDnon-stop, I love it so. (Yes, I am the crazy girl rocking out in her car while stuck in traffic on the beltway.) They were also super nice when we met them at the end of the performance. Cassandra in the band makes her own jewelry so there's a crafty side to the band, too. Seriously - go check out some music samples.
On Saturday, a visit with my chosen sister and little nephew brightened the day. We invited over some other friends to join us for dinner so there were five adults, two toddlers, a baby and one very excited dog in the house. It was deliriously fun chaos from which Seamus is still recuperating. There was also CAKE!
Perches' birthday would not go uncelebrated during her visit so a new recipe was tried. This is Stout Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream frosting from Bon Appetit's Dessert cookbook. The name of the recipe comes from the fun ingredient - BEER! Instead of Guinness, I opted for Rogue Brewery's Chocolate Stout as a way to include more chocolate in the recipe. I modified the frosting a little to make it fluffier and a tad bit sweeter. It still needs work as I didn't love the consistency or the flavor. Maybe using milk chocolate instead of bittersweet chocolate next time? And I highly suggest making this cake in square pans. It was too difficult to cut a small piece from the round cake. Smaller square slices would be much better considering how ridiculously rich the cake was.
And when will this be made again? In just a few short weeks for Sheep and Shenanigans 2011!!!!
But back to this past weekend...
On Sunday, there was bacon, eggs and french toast for breakfast. There was also a quick crochet lesson about crocheting in the round. In the afternoon, there was nap time, more chocolate cake, and a lesson on crocheting a puff stitch. Such a wonderful way to spend a Sunday.
It turns out it was a wonderful weekend for two good friends. One welcomed a baby boy into the world and another got engaged!
A few weeks ago, I ordered a new chair and ottoman for the craft room. It was a beautiful oversized chair in a warm neutral color with a big squishy ottoman that had a storage compartment. When it arrived, the color looked great in the room but it was waaaay too big. We moved the cabinets to different locations to try and make the chair fit, we tried different angles, but it was just no use. So a call was made and back to the store went the chair and ottoman.
The craft room looked much better without the giant chair taking up so much room, but the craft room was also a mild disaster since the large cabinet had to be emptied in order to move it. It had contained a significant mess behind those closed doors - books and patterns and yarn, plus some other crafty items, in unorganized stacks and piles. That mess was strewn about the room for over a week as I tried to find the motivation to tackle it. That motivation kicked in on Sunday.
I went through everything, putting like items together, like all the sock yarns in one place. It was great to go through everything, reminding myself of the beautiful yarns I've purchased these past few years and that I still have not done a darn thing with them. Then I got to the many remnants of yarn I had. Mainly acrylics from baby blankets made years ago as well as a substantial amount of Homespun for which the labels were gone and I couldn't even begin to guess at the color's name. There was also some really cheap yarn I had bought for a dollar, hoping to make a blanket for charity.
Looking at all this yarn, I said to myself - even if you made more baby blankets with this same kind and color of yarn, it's so old, would the dye lot even be the same when you bought more? And when are you going to make all this charity stuff? You've got a project list long enough for the next few years with some fantastic yarns already in your stash.
Well, when I'm right, I'm right.
I filled up a sizeable bag of yarn for donation. There is no sense keeping good, quality yarn in my stash for some future charity work when I'm sure there is some group locally or nationally that would love to get this yarn for their projects. So once I find a group that will take this bag of yarn, it will be sent on its way.
The craft room clean up is not completely done - the 3 ring binders of patterns and magazines as well as all my pattern books need to be organized and put back inside. That was the part I least wanted to do - so when I came upon some extra curtain material and the wonderful Mr. Burns, I immediately pulled out the sewing machine and got to work.
No pattern, no pinning, no ironing. I just folded the fabric, took out the scissors, then sewed it up where it needed sewing. It's not pretty close up - the sleeves are really wonky and the seams are sloppy - but it's supposed to be a hospital gown, which I think it resembles. This also counts toward my Year of Lovely Things as my small sewing project.
It was a glorious weekend full of beautiful weather and blue skies but my hermit tendancies were in full expression. It was just as nice for me to enjoy the days with my husband and dog in the comfort of home than out and about with the masses. The sun was warm on the balcony and proved to be a most excellent spot at which to sip my coffee and absorb some much needed vitamin D. This wasn't on my list of lovely things, but it was lovely just the same.
My 2011 Year of Lovely Things list is finally updated. As it now mid-January, I've already got a few items crossed off. This includes celebrating both my new job and freedom from the cast. There is also the self imposed snow day I'm enjoying today.
Got a list of your own lovely things? Then head over to the main site to sign up.
I did a number of the things on my 2010 list of lovely things - see them here before they get updated for 2011. I got to complete 41 our of 50 on my list with a few things being delayed because of my fall (Sean did get his banana cream pie but I couldn't help Grandma make it).
As for my crafty resolutions, I did pretty well, as long as we don't count the projects list. And all the activity seemed to happen in the first half of last year (see mid year update). I'm still working on a list for 2011 so that I have a meaningful list and also one that I can accomplish. I'm definitely leaving projects off the list. It seems a project put on the list never gets done. Maybe I should try some reverse psychology and make a list of projects to not finish.
This beautiful pottery is from Dancing Pig Pottery. Keep an eye out for the Etsy shop to reopen to get yourself one of these great knitting bowls or the other fabulous pottery she creates.
Two more off the list - I went to the Maryland Renaissance Festival, which given the multiple artisans at the festival, I'm counting this as a craft fair, and I finally tried tai chi.
The festival was awesome as always. I bought some beautifully crafted leather goods from Holy Cow (a great name, don't you think?) - a belt and pouch for my festival garb. (Sorry, no photo at the moment.) While the little pouch will hold my wallet and phone, I'll have to find or create another bag in which to hold my crocheting/knitting. There were many times during the day I wished I had brought a small project on which to work. Those were times when there wasn't a frosty ale or giant turkey leg in my hand. :)
I had my first - and what will be my last - tai chi class on Saturday. The instructor's teaching style just doesn't meld with my learning style so I'm going to get a partial refund while I can and try to invest in a good tai chi DVD. All in all, not a failure as I did find out that I would enjoy learning tai chi, just not from this particular instructor.
My hooks were also quite busy last week and through the weekend. The secret projects for the craft swap are well underway and I am actually hopeful that I'll be done in plenty of time to mail them to the recipients.
Oops...I hope these are not famous last words and I'm forced to stay up all night, multiple nights, to complete the projects. It wouldn't be the first time I've procrastinated to the last possible minute.
Speaking of procrastination, I'm still far behind in completing my crochet Masters course. But really, I work best with an unrealistic deadline for such things. This weekend looks like it will be my self-imposed final, final, FINAL deadline to get my rear in gear and complete it.
Another item crossed off on my Year of Lovely Things list - Sean and I went to an evening game at Camden Yards to see the Red Sox take on the Orioles. Even with the number of Sox players on the DL, it was an excellent outing. I managed to get only a few funny looks as I worked on another baby hat.
This hat isn't for anyone in particular. I just needed a small project to take with me on my commute. I should have selected a pair of socks to work on (still 2 more to complete in order to cross it off my crafty resolutions list) but the last two hats knit up so quickly, that I was looking for some more instant (or at least quick) gratification.
This hat will differ slightly from the blue version I just finished. That hat used the umbilical cord hat pattern from Stitch n' Bitch and for this red version I'm using the Berry Hat pattern (can be found here). This pattern is also super easy - only minor counting and color changing involved when you get to the last few rows. Otherwise it is just knit, knit, knit all around. Less likely to lose your place when you have to look out for foul balls heading your way.
What has been your experience with knitting or crocheting in public? Good, bad, indifferent?
To celebrate my DH's birthday, we headed to the Eastern shore for a few nights. Staying in our favorite town, St. Michaels, we were able to really enjoy our time there. Past visits were only day trips that always seemed to end too soon. Not this time - this time we were able to see and do all the things we wanted to over a few relaxing days. We went to the maritime museum, the St. Michaels museum, wine tasting, a cruise on the Miles River for long afternoon ride, lunches and dinners at so many wonderful places, and great accommodations at the B&B.
And knitting - lots of knitting...
at the winery...
on the boat...
at dinner...
and (though not pictured) in the room and at the LYS sit and knit.
The sit and knit took place at Frivolous Fibers on Sunday afternoon. I had such a wonderful time meeting the new owners and the local crafters. It was a welcoming group that made the two hours I spent there fly by.
Before I worked on the new baby hat, I first finished the fourth ocean waves baby blanket. (Not before I left for the weekend, as I had hoped, but at least now it is finished.)
In total, this is three more items off my list for a Year of Lovely Things - spend a weekend in St. Michaels, go wine tasting, and go to a knitting/crocheting group.
My weekend was lovely and I was able to do most of the items on my list.
donate to charity
I found the two hats I wanted to donate to charity. They will be going in the mail this week.
send snail mail letters
Written, stamped and sent. Email is great for quick communication but there is something special about handwritten letters on pretty stationary.
try tai chi
This is the one that didn't happen. I had every intention of trying out a DVD I bought a long time ago - but it sat in the drawer while I sat on the couch crocheting (which was also a lovely activity in which to participate).
sit on the balcony, stare at the stars, and drink some wine
I did sit on the balcony with a glass of wine and Seamus on my lap. Unfortunately, the clouds had other plans and decided that stars would not be visible that evening. It was still a lovely way to spend some time relaxing.
make lasagna
Done and DELICIOUS! I made my own sauce for the lasagna which turned out really well considering I didn't know what the heck I was doing. I looked at a few recipes to get the basics down and tried to remember how my mother-in-law makes her sauce. I attempted to write down the recipe...but looking at my notes, I know I did and added a bunch of stuff that isn't written down.
I was able to harvest lots of herbs from my balcony garden. Here are chives, parsley, basil and thyme. (Harvesting was ever so appropriate for August 1, eh?)
Lots of chopping later, half the fresh herbs were stirred into the sauce (at the end of cooking) and the other half was added to the spinach-ricotta filling of the lasagna.
Assembled and baked....
The finished dish?
It is as delicious as it looks.
I had a great time cooking and I was reminded just how delicious homemade dinner is compared to most take out and frozen dinners from the grocery store. Considering what a large dish of lasagna I made and the fact that Sean doesn't eat lasagna, this will be my dinner for the next week or so. I'm not complaining, though!
It's looking like it will be quite a lovely weekend. Not weather wise - the hot and humid is still lingering - but lovely activities are on the agenda.
donate to charity
send snail mail letters
try Tai-chi
make lasagna
sit on the balcony, stare at the stars and drink some wine
It begins this time tomorrow...The Knit and Crochet Show in Manchester, NH. I cannot wait! My bag is packed, my notebook in order, the location programmed in the GPS - I'm ready!
Hopefully I'll have a post or two up by Monday next week. Stay tuned!
