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Friday, December 18, 2009

No Time!!

I realize now that next year I should just knit a bunch of things and then when I have lots of items I will select which ones are going out as gifts. Because waiting until the end of November and starting projects for people's Christmas gifts is cutting it too close. I'm only actually knitting two people's gifts now and bought everyone else something. I just knew I wouldn't have enough time.

The silly thing is I have finished other items less pressing that are not gifts. I just can't seem to stick to just one thing and if I see something I want to make I have to make it right away. No waiting. It is like ADD or something.

I made another Foliage hat from knitty.com. I really like this hat. It is super quick in the chunky version. I am currently knitting a worsted weight version, but that is a little more tedious and slower going. I may have to take a Foliage break after that one.
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I also knitted a silly hat for Dan that is VERY WARM. The yarn is SUPER EXTRA BULKY and I used needles too small and it hurt the crap out of my hands, but I enjoy the results. It isn't exactly as I had hoped, but it keeps his poor head warm in the winter cold and he seems to like it, so I'm not going to complain...much.
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He had to kneel on the floor for me to photograph it at a good angle. Haha. Poor thing, I do this nice thing where I knit him something and then I force him to be photographed in it. He's a good sport.

We cleaned the crap out of our living room last Saturday. Dan had to go to the store 3 times for different cleaning products/vacuum cleaner bags/detergent/light bulbs and made about 10 trips to the dumpster. We, er, have a messy problem? We are lazy, that is the main problem. It was pretty bad, guys. Garbage on the floor bad. I'm not proud. But it is tons better now, so there! I learned that my vacuum sucks, or rather it does not suck. I want a Dyson so badly. But a lazy person who isn't great at cleaning probably doesn't deserve a brand new expensive vacuum. Maybe just one that doesn't leave cat hair clumps on the floor after going over them 8 times.

After the cleaning we went to the liquor store to pick up the regular holiday fare. You know, peppermint schnapps, brandy and of course the one staple of Christmas time, Bailey's. We almost bought the $45 giant jug of Bailey's, and come to think of it I still might. I don't drink it all year long, but during Christmas I just want to have a big ol' glass of it every night with some cookies.

Once we had the proper libations, we put up the tree. When I moved out of my mother's house 7 years ago I stopped having Christmas trees every year. They are expensive. And I haven't had a car. And they are expensive. I think perhaps when I had roommates we may have had a fake tree one or two years, or we had intentions for a tree but it never panned out. I never got one when I was living alone. Last year Dan and I spent our first Christmas living together and we got a tree. Let me tell you, it is not Christmas without a tree. There is no better feeling than to come home to a fresh pine scented home (no air freshener will do) and to walk over and plug in the lights and just bask in the glow of the holidays. Cheesy? Yes. I don't care. It doesn't feel like Christmas to me without a tree.

So we have our tree up this year. It isn't even 5 feet tall, but it is fat and beautiful. It was definitely expensive. I always intend on looking at the cheaper Douglas Firs, but the Noble Fir is just so...NOBLE. And beautiful. And this year we didn't even have to buy lights or extra ornaments because we had all the ones I bought last year and a nice selection of ornaments from my childhood. The ones my mom hand beaded, probably when I was an infant, are my favorite. They are falling apart a little, but they look antique and beautiful. The cats also enjoy the tree, especially the jangly bits.
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I can't wait for next week. I have Wednesday-Sunday off for total relaxation time. Well, part of the time will be spent celebrating with family and that isn't necessarily always relaxing, but it is still fun. Hopefully I'll finish these two knitted gifts that I am still working on furiously.

Happy Christmas!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

1x1 Rib Chunky Cowl Pattern

1x1 Rib Chunky Cowl
by Jessica Seeley

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If you don't already know, tube scarves are starting to pop up in trends everywhere. I figured I'd knit one before I got sick of seeing them. Plus, it is COLD in Seattle right now.

Please bear with me as I have never written a pattern before, mostly because I am not good at gauge. I mean, I pretty much always just use the needles suggested for a pattern/yarn and it turns out how it is supposed to, so I guess that means my gauge is good. I just don't check gauge. Apparently I need to start doing this.

This pattern is about as easy as you can get and isn't all that interesting except Malabrigo Chunky feels like heaven and keeps me nice and warm on the frosty December mornings we've started having this week. I don't know if the pattern even needs to be written out, but I am doing it anyway because I FEEL LIKE IT. So deal.


Materials:
- 1.75 skeins Malabrigo Chunky (color shown is Alpine Pearl)
- US size 10 24-inch long circular needles (6mm/60cm)
- Darning/yarn needle to weave in ends


Techniques Used:
Knit, Purl, Long Tail Cast On, Circular Knitting, Bind Off

Pattern:
Using Long Tail Cast On, cast on 100 stitches, place marker and join for knitting in the round.
Work 1x1 Rib for 14 inches - *Knit 1, Purl 1* and repeat to end of each round


Binding Off:
I used the knit 2, slip 1st stitch over 2nd stitch type of bind off. I recommend binding off in pattern as it would look at lot better. I was just totally lazy at that point.

Weave in your ends and you are ready to throw that baby around your neck and face the cold!


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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Vegas, Baby

Yes, we went to Vegas. Yes, we came back unmarried. Yes, I will post more details soon.

But for now, here are a few videos that I find amusing from our trip:

Dan meets Penn


I meet BOOZE (and I have BOOBS)