33

I turned 33 yesterday. It was a nice quiet birthday – not much pomp, but I spent it with C. and that was terrific. We went to dinner here in the Slope at a place owned by some other Yinzers (read: Pittsburghers). It was so nice to be around some people from home. I love Pittsburghers, they’re just so great. It made me feel at home and homesick all at the same time. The food was terrific. The cauliflower puree was sooo deelish! I’m still thinking about it.

The big news of the month is that C. and I are finally headed to Europe.

We’ve been kindly invited to Johnny’s wedding in Dublin, Ireland. We’ll be headed there and then taking a side trip to Paris. It feels like a dream that I might be able to make this trip. Is Europe real? I mean, I know it is, but this will be my first trip and I just can’t wait to experience something so new to me. I love history and learning – so this will be a trip of a lifetime. It will even better to see Johnny and Aisling tie the knot – couldn't happen to two nicer people. I'm trying to learn French off of iTunes podcasts...wish me luck.

Speaking of weddings; six months ago today I was getting hitched! Happy anniversary, Mr. C.

I find that coming into my 33rd year is good. I think I’ve turned a corner. I’ve spent the last few months trying to get a handle on insecurity and have been trying to become a positive thinker. It’s paying off in spades. My life is calmer, more centered and my mind is quieter, more focused.

We’re moving in a few weeks – one of our least favorite past times and we’ll be giving up a precious Saturday to drive around Westchester county in search of a place to live. I’m hoping to find the following three amenities (for the record, I don’t think these are much to ask for, but apparently here in NY, they are):

A washer / dryer in my apartment. I’m so tired of sending my clothes out to be laundered. Many of you are thinking “if I could send out my laundry, have it washed, folded and returned to me, I’d be in heaven!” and I hear you – it’s nice. On the flip side, we loose clothes, have clothes shrunk and tend to see that the life time of our clothes is much shorter. I just want to be able to wash my own stuff when I want to. Sheer laziness often causes some questionable laundry pile ups here at casa de Yarnal.
An assigned parking spot – or tons and tons of parking. I hate to look for on street parking – especially at night and in November. November creeps me out. Something about the wind, often the rain and the dark at 4:30 PM.
The ability to have a doggie at the new digs. I really want to adopt a dog.

As for knitting, I’m working on the Diamonds and Pearls Shawl from the KBoy. I love it. I really do! It’s a fun knit and how great is this yarn? It makes me think of Neapolitan ice cream or cupcakes or some kind of pastry.

For now, this is all the news that's fit to knit.

Ok - I'm back! Whew! It hasn't all been a Superbowl coma - though I have to say, how bout dem Stillers??? Six Burgh! Ok - that's out of my system; moving on.

I've had a really busy few weeks for work; we're getting closer to having to find a new place to live and we've been having fun with friends. Facebook is a total time suck. So is twitter. So is the Internet as a whole BUT! I've also been knitting:

This is the "Sunset Shawl" and I'm really enjoying knitting on it. It's a free pattern from Lion Brand Yarn. Finished, it should be 24", but I've got my doubts and my stash may just let me down. I swear I had another 200 yards of this incredible yarn from Farmhouse, but I haven't been able to find it. The current ball is getting a little small and I'm getting a little nervous. I'm knitting this on US 6 needles (Knit Picks circular needle). The original name of this pattern is the Knitted Ripple Shawl and it's for Microspun - I've subbed with 100% wool, hand dyed. If you're looking for it - just check out the Lion website. It is available for download.

I've got my eye on a new cardi in this month's creative knitting magazine - more to come! For the love of goodness, they have patterns for hand puppets. The alligator is awesome! Check it out if you haven't had a chance.

I owe this blog a big update post - but until I can do that, I leave you with the picture from my window a few weeks ago:

Park Slope Brooklyn looks pretty with a dusting of snow! Till later, this is all the news that's fit to knit!

Here We GO!

Let's Go Steelers! We love ya, baby!

Monday is just fine

It's Monday and that's just fine. We had a nice weekend, including a very relaxing and lazy Sunday yesterday. It was pure bliss to lounge around and be lazy without feeling guilty for a moment. I recommend it to everyone. I figured that I needed this Sunday to rest up for next Sunday! We're having a friend over for the super bowl (a fellow Pittsburgher) and we're planning on noshes and beer and lots of cheering on the Steelers!

This weekend I finished the Cowl and am quite happy with how it turned out:

It's laying on a skein of yarn that I was about wind up for the Wedding Blanket. If you haven't heard, I've been working on a Queen sized blanket. It was supposed to be done for our wedding, but I'm sure you can understand how many stitches that is and how freaking big it is and then you can imagine me in my apartment this summer with no central air and you'll forgive me for not picking this up again until the weather was cold again. I'm working on it every night and I'd saw we're not quite half done. I keep having to stop and wind yarn. I do several skeins at a time, but still....

I just picked my next project and plan on casting on tonight. This is the "Simple Yet Effective Shawl" by Laura Chau. This is another Ravelry pattern. I'm using Farmhouse Yarns Cotton Blossom Yarn by Dixie:

In the reading world, I've made another yarn book purchase this week (this ends my hard copy barnes and noble Christmas gift cards - still have $100 online though, so I'm working on my library) by picking up Knitting America by Susan Strawn:

If you're interested in the history of knitting in America, then this is the book for you (and for me too)! I've been thinking a lot about the roots of this hobby and this book has been a really fun look at how it grew in early America and where it is today. There are some neat old patterns in here as well. This book and The Knitter's Book of Yarn will really keep me busy for awhile - there's just a ton of information to digest, but it sure has been fun.

Speaking of books, we finally took our Christmas tree down and that's important because it means that we could finally set up our second bookcase:

My knitting books had been in sorry shape on the floor of my bedroom. They finally have a happy home and I have access to them too. Our cookbooks got a new and accessible home too - thank goodness! I think the easy access has made the husband so happy that I might finally get him to invest in the big Billy Bookcases that I've had my eye on over at Ikea!

So for now, this is all the news that's fit to knit!

There it is! I’ve found my knitting mojo, thank goodness. I’ve never had a problem finding my creative outlet before. Knitting has served as a way for me to focus myself on something that isn’t serious and yet has rules that I totally understand. I like that about knitting. I like having something substantial at the end of the dance I take with these sticks and strings. I like to feel things – deeply feel things when the wool is in my hands. Knitting is a treasure that I horde and being without my knitting mojo for a few weeks was hard for me. I’m glad that’s over. What brought me out of the woods? I found the Good Luck Cowl by Christianne Gerstner through Ravelry. Thank you, Ravelry for existing. It’s such a fun and creative place for knitters around the world. I cast on for this cowl using some stash yarn from Knit Picks – a sock yarn in white. I apologize for the shadow in the picture; January has been a dreary and gray month somewhat devoid of sunshine this year. The streams of light tend to come and go as they please.



But there is sun today – just like the Beatles song, “Here Comes the Sun” – today, C. and I and the rest of the world watch history being made as the United States welcomed it’s 44th President. I really wish all the best for President Obama. I’m really excited for his leadership. I love America.

In other news: how about my Pittsburgh Steelers? We’re headed back to the Super Bowl, baby! Go Steelers! I love this team, I love this game I am full of love for everything right now and I haven’t even been drinking! My brother and SIL are Tampa bound. Rachel scored tickets and is taking my brother on the occasion of his 40th birthday. He’s over the moon and so am I – those two kids work hard and have a great life. I’m so glad they’re getting away for a really fun weekend and I really hope the Steelers bring it home for them!

Right now I’m reading a few things of note: I picked up via a BN gift card The Knitter’s Book of Yarn (also know in the knitting world as the Kboy). Clara Parkes gives a really nice point of view about yarn and knitting and provides the facts that you need to really understand how yarn works – there’s a ton of knowledge delivered in these pages. I’m enjoying going through slowly and really thinking about what she’s saying about fiber. The patters that are featured are really lovely too – an added bonus to a book that is not marketed as a book of patterns, but rather a text booth of fiber and its sources. If you want to know more about the materials you’re working with as a knitter, then in my very small and humble opinion, this book should be in your knitter’s library.

I’m also still reading The Portable Dorothy Parker – if you like to laugh, she’s you’re gal. I really do recommend this book to anyone who reads and likes wit.

Also on the night stand is some information from Joyce Meyer. She’s been helping me with letting go of things like anxiety, guilt and stress (these are just a few of the things besides yarn that I like horde). Since practicing her methods of embracing new ways of thinking, I’ve really found a more peaceful way to exist. It’s been nice. It’s been good for a lot of things in my life. This is a Christian based teaching and that makes all the difference. If you aren’t down with G-O-D, you might not find it helpful. But I am down, so it does.

See – a few weeks with nothing to say and now it all comes spilling out, so I leave you now, but I’ll be back. I’ve got my eye on some other new knits and hopefully I’ll have some finished cowl pictures for you in a day or so.

Till then my fellow Americans, that’s all the news that’s fit to knit!

I'm Sorry

Dudes, I've been trying to write an interesting blog post for weeks now, nothing is happening. It's been work and personal stuff and that's it. I took very few pictures over Christmas and I'm just at a loss. I'll be back - I hope. Maybe my creative suck (I can't knit anything either) will fade away. Maybe I should just blame this on the economy too. Sigh. I might just start knitting garter stitch blankets soon just to try and get past this darn drought.

I did get a lot of Barnes and Noble gift card cash this Christmas I picked up Clara Parkes' book, The Knitter's Book of Yarn. I'm really looking forward to learning a lot from it. I need to start pairing yarn with patterns and not the other way around. I've got so much wool from a tiny dealer who doesn't write patterns, that I have trouble finding patterns for un-marked yarn. This book should give me the tools to start pairing yarn and more importantly, yarn weights with patterns (thanks, Ravelry!).

So that's what's happening here. I'm snuggled on the couch, drinking a beer and watching football playoffs.

More later, till then, I'm not knitting and that's just not fit!

Happy Christmas!

Here are some holiday pictures of NYC that I took last night! See you next week:

The Rock Center Christmas Tree - it really is something to see.

(Sorry for the rhyme)

This is how the day started - the view from my home and the snow that has

kicked off our winter. It was great!

This is Donald Trump's Christmas tree - in case

you were wondering.

Rock Center ice skaters

Rock Center - so pretty this time of year.

Cartier - Chris didn't want to go inside and shop...

But they did wrap the building.

Outside of The Plaza - at the left of this picture was a guy dressed

as Santa. He yelled to me "Hey Lady, Merry Christmas!" I yelled back!

From Me & Chris - we wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!

Till Next year, this is all the news that's fit to knit!

Charlie's Tree

We got Charlie Brown's Tree! I love this sad little tree and nothing says Christmas like A Charlie Brown Christmas. It's such an awesome show!

I have finished not one, but two hats for Christmas presents. I knit up my usual design for the skull cap. I've taken a picture of Chris wearing his, but it's so stinking dark you can't see a thing! Next sunny day, I'll pin him down for replacement pics. I knit a matching hat for my new BIL. He deserves one. He's had a hard year.

I'm hoping this week will blow right by so that we can get on with being on Christmas vacation and visiting with our family. I miss my family and I can't wait to get together with them for some fun. As my nephew would say it's time for the "The Festival of Treats" --we know how to do it up!

Till later, it's all the news that's fit to knit!

A Memory

The holidays are an interesting time. I really love this time of year, but it makes me nostalgic too. I put on some holiday music this afternoon while I was working and in a finger snap I was home - I was in my parents family room laughing and dancing with my father and singing this stupid song at the top of my lungs along with my brother while my mother fussed with drinks and snacks and we decorated the tree. It was a fantastic moment.

The holidays have had a transformation over the last ten years. One generation has passed on and our new traditions are taking hold and becoming a lot of fun. But every now and then, I think back to the people who made the first part of my life so special and I miss them. I'm sad, but not so sad that I don't remember how excellent that time was and look forward to the coming holidays.

________________________

In other news, I'm trying to finish some holiday knitting and like every year, I'm falling more and more behind. I hope I'll make it! At least everyone has a birthday every year ! : )

Till tomorrow with pictures, this is all the news that's fit to knit!

Upgrade

This year, we finally upgraded our Christmas tree from a tabletop size to a 6' tree. I really love this tree, it's nice to be able to show off our tree ornaments properly. I won't even begin to tell you where I got this tree - it's way too low brow, but I love it. It's an artificial tree, I've long since given up the need to have a real tree. We've had a boxed up tree since I was a teen and I've been fine with that.

Here is our cheap but tasty Christmas tree that will be serving us for many years to come:


I even got a new ornament - it's a knitter's ornament, you knit wit!

The other night I tried out a new recipe. It's a cream sauce for pumpkin tortellini. It was so good that night, that I made the sauce again with mushrooms and penne this time. It will probably take a year off of my life, but I'm hoping that it was year 98 and I wouldn't have been all that aware of that one...just look at the cast of characters in this little dinner:

Last night, Chris and I went into Manhattan for some Christmas shopping. We hit all of our SoHo favorites (though we missed The Strand in favor of Pommes Frite* - I had the peanut satay sauce, oh lord. So good. Oh, I had two other sauces, but we won't talk about that). Then we hit the big shops set up in Union Square - so awesome! And then we went to the movies. We had a great night. We walked out of the theater and into a snow globe. The time that I love the city is when it snows! At least, the first snow. After that, it goes back to being pretty filthy.

It's a big football night for people like me. The Steeler's squeaked out a win and I've got another game to keep my eye on...I'm going to start on some more holiday knits as I watch each down. I hope you are somewhere warm feeling as comfy and happy as I am tonight. Except for my evil, awful, vicious neighbors who are making an un-godly amount of noise today. Sigh.

Till next time, it's all the news that's fit to knit!

*A landmark NYC eatery, Pommes Frite's makes delicious Belgian French Fries and they offer a slew of amazing dipping sauces. You can have one sauce like C. or three like me. Hmmm. We get to go to Pommes Frite about once every five years, so why not get three sauces? You won't get anymore for awhile. Go on. People will look at you. You should just look right back. They're amatures. You're brilliant! And Happy!

Happy Thanksgiving 2008!

When good knits go bad - find another use for them...I knit the biggest freaking beret in the world a few weeks ago. I'd show you a picture of it on me, but you'd just see it coming down to my chin. It's a bad picture. So, I used super wash wool on it, so there's no felting and no shrinking, but it turns out that my toaster is french and needed a french beret - so, there you go! I new cover for our toaster! Whew!

Chris asked me for a new hat - one that would cover his ears better for this winter. I cast on for my normal rolled brim hat. He likes the skull cap kind of hat with just a tad more length. The light is washing out the color on this wool - it's a rich, dark black. I love it. I hope C. will too!

This is my Christmas knitting pile. We're getting there. The scarf (and I have three other scarves too) and the fingerless knits should make great stocking stuffers. I hope folks will love these. Check out the cool crock that Kelly, Dani and Heather gave me for the wedding. I love it!

Here's a better look at the cables on the mitts. The pink shows them off nicely and I think they're the sweetest little cables that really give the mitts some polish.

Lots and lots of knitting happening here at chez Yarnal Knowledge. I also need to make some pies tonight. I'm making pumpkin! I have a secret ingredient. I love having a secret ingredient! It's so...secret!

So until next week - I wish you all a very thankful Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving. I think I love it because I really, really, really know how lucky I am. I can't believe Chris married me. I can't believe how cool my mom is and my brother and his family are so awesome. My in-laws are the best and I love them so much - I've got the best friends in the world. I have a warm bed, a good job and the ability to knit. I'm a lucky gal. Enjoy your blessings this year too!

Until then, it's all the news that's fit to knit!

Mitts

The fingerless mitts that I started in an effort to revive my delicate self from the mouse incident, have turned out to be fantastic. Here's an image of one of them. Doncha love the cables? I finished this brown pair, started a pink pair and have decided that I need a pair in black. I wore them today and they rocked. They kept my hands warm, but allowed me to use my fingers for important things like, iPod surfing, key operation and signature making.

I think these will be stuffed in atleast four stockings this Christmas. Yay!

Mouse update:

Haven't seen one since the last update. We found the traps that I wanted that lure the mouse in and then hide their little carcases away from me. They are in place and seem to be remining empty (so far). Of course, since I wrote this last paragraph, I've thought I'd heard the mouse twice. I've checked once and resisted once. Stay tuned.

So the needles are full of fingerless mitts! C. says that no man would be caught dead wearing them with their fancy cables. He's getting coal.

Till next time, it's all the news that's fit to knit!

And it goes on!

War has been waging here at casa de Yarnal and so far the tally is:

Us: 1 and the Mouse: 0

We lay our trap last night and no more than fifteen minutes later the all knowing sound of the snap - that sounds seems to echo to your little ears no matter where you are in the house. Lucky for me, my wonderful husband is willing to be the person in our house who handles the after the "snap" aftermath. He really doesn't have a choice - I won't go near it.

I've been thinking about who's actually winning this war. This is what my kitchen looks like right now:

The other side of the kitchen (hey, I live in NYC - I'm rocking the galley kitchen like everyone else!)

As a result of this awful intruder, I've had to store all of the appliances that you would normally find on the counter top. In NYC, space is at a premium and it hurts me deeply to surrender this space to a furry little squatter. Besides, doesn't that beautiful Artisan mixer just scream to be on display? I loooove it!

I feel the need to store the appliances because I know the little mice run along the wall and counter - where the back of each appliance is. I've had to sanitize all of the backs of each appliance (some had poop on them!) every day that we had a mouse encounter. The mouse has worn me down - and here I am, giving up my space:

In an effort to comfort myself, I have started on a pair of fingerless gloves, using a pattern from Knitty called "Fetching". It's been a very popular knit in the knit-o-universe, so I dug into the stash and came up with some chocolate / chestnut Patons Classic Wool Merino. Excellent!

Wish me luck tonight. C. is kind enough not to set traps while I'm working from home. The trauma of finding one that is occupied would prove to be far too much.

Till tomorrow, that's all the news that's fit to knit!

Of Mice and Me

We have mice again. I hate mice. I think about them before I go to sleep - in my kitchen, on my counter tops. In the morning I find their poo behind the microwave - oh they love it behind the microwave. They love it over by my brand new wedding present glory that is the Artisan Stand Mixer. They love the corner behind the sink - they love my kitchen.

You must understand that I have done my best to make our kitchen totally unappealing to mice. No food, no crumbs, no water. So tell me, if there is no food, no water, no stuff to build a nest with - what are you doing in my kitchen? It's a barren place - it is a desert to a mouse. So what gives? Why come back? I'm finding no other evidence of mice in the rest of the house.

I hate the city! I've lived in the suburbs for most of my life with nary a mouse encounter save for the back yard. Here in the city, on the third floor of an apartment building, I'm lousy with them. I need a cat! If only C. would let me get a cat!

If these mice start messing with my yarn, we're moving faster than C. thinks!

Till tomorrow, it's all the news that's fit to knit.

Remembering

I miss you daddy!

Love,
Kris

Knitting!

Oh - you read this blog for knitting? My deep apologies, dear friends, I have been knitting, but have also been sidetracked by things like writing wedding thank you notes, the election, a foray into scrap booking for the wedding and NaNoWriMo - which is going better than I thought it would be. But I have been knitting. In fact, see the below scarf which I'm calling "the oopsey scarf" because I meant to do a totally different stitch pattern that I adapted from a book, but realized about six inches into it that I'd made the mistake and that I loved the mistake. I just love those kinds of things, don't you?

This is made from SeaCell Yarn, gifted to me by my mother-in-law. It's seaweed, wool and silk and it is the most wonderful thing you've ever wrapped around your neck. I should give it to her for Christmas, but I've been wearing it around the house since it came off of the needles:

This week, I'll show you a knitting failure...if I can bring myself to. It's a tale of why you really should check your gauge, or risk wasting five knitting days on a beret that could fit three heads. But when you walk on the knitting edge like me, you take those risks and sometimes you end up with a giant beret that even your friend with the biggest head you've ever seen couldn't wear.

Also this week, or next weekend, I'm pulling out the sewing machine to make a new table cover and possibly something else. It's time to learn to use that machine the right way. We're headed home to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving and I might need to have a session with mom and Rachel. Threading the damn thing makes me sweat (and swear).

Till then, it's all the news that's fit to knit! (and it's Steeler Sunday! GO STEELERS!)

And Next...

Well, now that the election is done and the country is looking toward the future, I figure it's time to get back to business of blogging here. I'd like to show you some knitting, but I need some sunlight to make something you can see - hopefully tomorrow. In the mean time, here's a picture of my kitchen cabinet. I show you this because you can see some of the amazing North Carolina pottery that was gifted to us for our wedding. Sadly, the potter who was a dear friend, passed away before the wedding, but not after making us this entire set of dishes. We really love them. The green plates were Chris' grandmother's and he's spent half a lifetime of Sundays eating with his family from them. It's a happy cabinet, full of fond and happy memories. Of course, the carrot shaped timer, that's just from Target!

Wow

Wow, wow, wow...what an amazing night and day this has been in America. I was overwhelmed by the President-elect's speech last night. No matter where your vote came down, aren't you thrilled to be living in a country where you had the choices you had yesterday? Aren't you glad to be in a country where anything is possible? I know I am. I'm really happy today to be an American and to be alive in the midst of historical change in this country.

Back to knitting tomorrow - go hug your neighbor today.

For now, it's all the news that fit to knit.

Vote!

Just a friendly reminder dear blog readers, be sure to vote today. Don't tell me who you're voting for or who you're not voting for, but seriously - just get out there and let your voice be heard. A lot people sacrificed a lot so that you can do this - be sure to cast your vote and be a part of this historical election today.

C. and I have already voted this morning and it felt great. The mood in the hour-long line was one of excitement and hope for a better future. I hope you'll feel the same when you pull the lever, touch the screen or punch the chad.

The lines are long, so grab a coffee, grab some portable knitting, or do like me and grab your spouse and enjoy some time hanging out together in line.

For now, it's all the news that's fit to knit!

Happy Halloween!

We carved up our pumpkin this week - I love this guy! For some strange reason, I think he needs a cigar!

Here's our Mr. Potato Head pirate pumkin. This was a great idea - for about two days...then I discovered the mold...it was gross! But for those two days, we just loved this guy. I think these do better sitting outside on a cold front stoop - something that doesn't really exist in Brooklyn.

People often ask me when I'm home what we do for Halloween in the city. Since trick-or-treating isn't the safest in apartment buildings, the neighborhood that I live in throws a giant parade and the kids trick-or-treat to all of the businesses down the main drag of Park Slope. It's a genius idea when you think about it - ensuring that the kids are safe and anyone with a costume can march in the parade. We go to see the costumes on kids, adults and the dogs! It's always a blast. I hope you have a great Halloween too!

Knitting - I finished my "mistake" scarf and I'm decreasing on a grey beret for the upcoming winter. Pictures and notes to come! Till then, it's all the news that's fit to knit! Spooky!