Music Monday

"Make the World Go Away" by Eddy Arnold. I'm feeling exactly this way right now - almost 6 am on a Monday morning and I'm ready to crawl back into bed and pull the head over my covers. I think we can all relate to this feeling.

FO: Simple Skyp Socks

Now that it's almost the New Year I feel like things are a little more calm and I have time to post again without feeling like there are deadlines to meet or parties to attend.

Finished socks!  

These are for my new brother in-law so they're too big on me but I think they'll be perfect on him - I also want a pair for myself now that I've made these. 

Pattern: Simple Skyp Socks by Adrienne Ku

Yarn: Malabrigo Arroyo in Vaa

Needles: US #2 (2.75 mm) needles

Mods: None! There are over 2,000 projects for these socks on Ravelry so if you're interested in modifications I'm sure you can find them there. I knit these in sport weight yarn but a lot of people have knit them in fingering weight and they turn out fabulous regardless. They're also available in multiple sizes. 

Happy 5th Birthday!

Today is Little A's 5th birthday! At some point (maybe if she's taller than I am) I'll have to stop calling her Little A but she's still Little A to me. I can't believe that she's been around for five years already and getting ready to enter kindergarten next Fall - time flies! This morning I made apple pancakes with golden syrup and veggie sausages and then Little A opened her gifts.

 There were books and art supplies and a board game to play as a family. She received this giant atlas from her Nana and it's a new favorite already.

I knit her a Bunny Girl with two different dresses and I now have a standing request for a Fox Girl so they can be friends (I did not disillusion A about the "friendship" between real rabbits and foxes). Also, "more clothes in lots of different colors" for the bunny and the fox. 

Little A is going to her Grandma's house to make and decorate sugar cookies later today and we're having the requested dinner of burgers and french fries with cupcakes for dessert. In case you're wondering, we did throw a birthday party for A a couple of weeks ago that involved around 20 of her preschool friends with some parents, lots of food, dinosaurs in party hats, a book exchange, and all the attending noise and mayhem of a room with loads of children free to run and yell. It was exhausting and wonderful. 

Happy birthday, Little A! 

Just in case you want to knit some little bunnies and foxes of your own here are the details: 

Pattern(s): Little Bunny Girl (or Fox), Seasonal Dresses by Julie Williams

Yarn: Rowan Kid Classic in Cream, Millamia Naturally Soft Merino in Fuchsia, Lime, and White

Needles: US #3 (for the body) and US #2 1/2 for the clothes

Mods: I knit the skirt portion of the dresses in the round and the bodice back and forth since I didn't want to knit colorwork flat. You'll also need black yarn for the embroidery on the face. I used DMC perl cotton thread in black since I already had a little ball of it hanging out in my sewing kit and it is nice and smooth to used for the french knot eyes. The dresses are great to knit in leftover balls of sock yarn since they take hardly any yardage and you can add all sorts of details in a contrast color. Little Bunny has already been stripped down multiple times and redressed this morning - I think she's a success!

Music Monday

Last week I wrote that I don't like Christmas music, but there are several songs that I do enjoy listening to this time of year. I'm not sure they're "in the spirit" of the holiday season but I think they mention snow and Christmas and other seasonal stuff that other Christmas songs mention, so there we go. 

"Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues

The Sonics "Don't Believe in Christmas"

"Fuck Christmas" by Fear

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the Holiday season and all the attending parties, family time, and sparkly lights but the music does absolutely nothing for me. So here you go, Christmas music ErinB style. Happy Holidays!

Music Monday

I have to admit that I'm really not a fan of Christmas music. Being inundated with the same songs over and over and over again doesn't move my Christmas spirit or instill feelings of good cheer the way I think it's supposed to do. So what do I listen to when trimming the Christmas tree? Booker T. & the MGs. Every year I slap "Soul Dressing" on the turntable and give it a whirl while we fancy up our Christmas tree. Give it a try, it's definitely got more soul than jingle bells.

Music Monday

"Sir Duke" from the 1976 album, Songs in the Key of Life, by Stevie Wonder.  I'm through round one of the Holiday party circuit and Monday came way too quickly - I need a little pick me up!

Music Monday

"Funnel of Love" by Wanda Jackson.

FO: Maeby Socks

Pattern: Maeby by Liz Abinante

Yarn: Fly Designs Cashmara (80/10/10 merino/cashmere/nylon) in Blood Red

Needles: US #1 (2.25 mm) Hiya Hiya Sharps

Mods: None. I knit four repeats of the pattern for the leg and four for the foot with three rows of plain knitting before beginning the toe. Easy peasy.

 

 I won this yarn as a door prize at Madrona the last time I went - at least four years ago now - and it wasn't even entered in my Ravelry stash despite multiple cullings between then and now. How does that work? 

Pair #6 for my Holiday gift-knitting marathon. 

Updates and an FO

I've been a bit lackadaisical about posting here lately so I thought I'd bring y'all up to speed on what's been happening at chez ErinB.

• Mr. B got laid off at the end of October
• I got a new job that starts on Monday
• I had my grad school interview a week ago
• Thanksgiving
• Planning Little A's birthday party

That list is super concise and I think that belies the fact that all of those things happening at approximately the same time makes me feel really crazy and nervous about everything. I can manage one or two major events at a time without feeling overwhelmed but when no single aspect of my life is stable (rather, everything is in flux at once) I get a little....stabby. 

But what this also means is that I've been adhering to my gift knitting to-do list since it's structured and creates focus for my knitting while the rest of my life is off-kilter. Without further ado, proof of my knitting steadfastness.

Pattern: Hedera by Cookie A

Yarn: Tosh Sock in Port (this color is sadly discontinued)

Needles: US #1 (2.25 mm) Hiya Hiya Sharps

Mods: None. I knit these exactly as written for the 60 stitch size. I was worried that these would be too small for the recipient but they fit my slightly larger foot fine even if they're too short for my foot.

Music Monday

"Never There" by Cake from their 1998 album, Prolonging the Magic.

FO: Salida

Pattern: Salida by Janneke Maat (free)

Yarn: Araucania Ranco (376 yards per 100 grams; 75% wool/ 25% nylon)

Needles: US #1 (2.25 mm) Hiya Hiya Sharps

Mods: I knit the pattern as written using a Twisted German cast on for extra elasticity around the cuff. I'm not a fan of short row heels but I decided to go with the flow for these - they're snug enough with all of those twisted stitches that the heel fits okay. I ended up knitting the pattern repeat twice for the foot and then rows one through eight or ten again to finish up the twisted stitch motif before I started the toe. There are so many twisted stitches on every round that I highly recommend using a nice, pointy-tipped needle to make the knitting easier on yourself. This is the first time I've knit sooo many twisted stitches at once and I found it slightly difficult to get into a good rhythm for knitting them. The finished socks are well worth the effort of being married to a knitting chart for several weeks, though. 

This is pair #3 for my Holiday gift list. Pair #4 and pair #5 are already complete and I'll share those soon.

Music Monday

"The Killing Moon" by Echo & the Bunnymen from the 1984 release, Ocean Rain. Personally, I need a little easing into my work week this week and this totally fits the bill. Enjoy!

A Month of Favorites: Final Giveaway Winner!

Sorry for the delay in drawing a winner, I'm still experiencing some work and home upheaval that makes thinking about other things a little problematic. Let's get down to business, shall we?

Random number generator chose Sanja T (LoveofCuteness on Rav) who said, "Amazing giveaway! Thank you. Definitely a fantasy retreat would be a spa in the morning, and knitting on a blanket while enjoying warm weather for the rest of the day. Champagne and catered food wouldn't hurt either:)." That sounds fabulous! I'll be in touch to get  your mailing address and send out your package. 

I really enjoyed reading all of the fiber retreat ideas and I'd like to try all of them. The annual retreat I attend with my knitting group is very laid back and we all kind of do our own thing during the day and play games and have drinks in the evening and knit. Thank you for taking the time to share your ideas with me. 

And just a little update on my knitting progress, I finished these socks last weekend and just need to wash and block them before they go in the gift basket for Christmas. They're pair number three and I couldn't be happier with them.

Music Monday

"Streams of Whiskey" by the Pogues.

A Knitting Day Trip: Tolt Yarn and Wool

Yesterday I wrangled two of my good friends into my car and took a little day trip out of the city and into the wilds East of Lake Washington. After about a 45 minute drive we arrived in Duvall and had breakfast at the Grange Cafe. This place is delicious. The coffee was tasty and appropriately strong and there were plenty of vegetarian options - my veggies benedict was cooked to perfection and served on a homemade biscuit. Yum! After lingering over our breakfast we made the short drive to Carnation (about 15 minutes South) to attend the Grand Opening of a new yarn store - Tolt Yarn and Wool.

 There was quite a crowd! I think the owner and employees were a little overwhelmed but they were cheerful and smiling and happy to see so many people make the trip.  The store is open and airy (well, it would be open and airy on a normal business day) and smells like freshly cut wood and sheepy wool. In a word, heavenly.

 The fixtures holding yarn were beautiful and inventive. I was particularly taken with this old p.o. box unit. Those are tiny balls of Rowan Fine Tweed.

There were tons of samples throughout the store. This is a Lopi sweater displayed next to Lopi and Peace Fleece yarns. The store is thoughtfully curated with basics like Cascade Yarns and Malabrigo interspersed with interesting and harder to find yarns like Jill Draper, Sweet Fiber, and Spincycle. I came away with some Imperial Stock Ranch Tracie Too in Navy Blue and a heavy duty Tolt mug for my morning coffee. The line to check out was looooong but the little bag of swag they snuck into my bag of purchases and the opportunity to knit while in line made it worthwhile. I'll definitely go back soon!

WIP: Hi-Lite of my life socks

 When I volunteered at Knit Fit! last weekend I picked up a couple of presents for myself. My new favorite Indie Dyer, Intrepid Otter, had a small but lovely collection of self-striping yarns at her booth. I snatched up a ball of "Highlight of my Life" and cast on the next morning at the registration table.

I think they're perfect. I cast on 64 stitches on a US #1 (2.25 mm) and am knitting plain vanilla socks.

A Month of Favorites: Wrap Up Giveaways

Remember last week when I posted two different giveaways?

Random number generator tells me that Sheila is the winner of Leethal's Adventure Knitting: A Day in the Woods.

Sheila said, "I'd like to go on a real life knitting adventure to Iceland. I've seen so many gorgeous photos (of both knitting and scenery) on various knitting blogs in the last few years. Since the budget puts that firmly in fantasyland, Leethal's booklet would be a good substitute knitting adventure that I could maybe actually experience!"

Sheila, I totally agree with you! Iceland seems to be the hip new place for knitters to visit abroad and I'd like to see all of those fantastic Lopi sweaters in the wild. I've sent you a Rav message and your ebook, I look forward to seeing what you make with it.

The other giveaway was a mystery giveaway. I picked up some very nice goodies from the Knit Fit! marketplace while I volunteered over the weekend.

 A Knit Fit! project bag. Small enough to carry in a purse but large enough for a pair of socks.

 A small skein of Willow Creek Farm Alpaca & Silk from Roy, WA.

 

A skein of Intrepid Otter Sparkle Sock in the Natalie Color. I love the Stellina in this yarn base and may have to purchase another skein for me.

A reusable, reversible coffee (or tea) sleeve from Chubby Cloud.

Isn't that a nice little bag of goodies? I had a fun time shopping the market knowing that some lucky person was going to have all of these nice things.

To enter, let me know what your dream fiber event would consist of - a small retreat in cabins with catered food and wine? A huge market with vendors from all over? A traveling yarn bus that takes you on a regional yarn crawl? Let me hear it!

Please make sure to leave a way for me to reach you, email or Ravelry username both work great! I'll take comments made through next Monday, the 11th, at midnight and draw names on Tuesday. Make sure to check back to see if you're a winner! Good luck!

Music Monday

Roy Orbison singing "Blue Bayou". I think it's a good song to ease into the work week.

A Month of Favorites: Wrap Up

Posting my favorite things this month really got me thinking about the small things that make my life happier. Sometimes it feels like a real challenge to look beyond a bad day or job that you don't much care for and glean the goodness from your life. Good things can be as small as Halloween stitch markers or as complex and large as an entire knitting group. This week has been a real trial to me and my family and part of what helped me through it was the support and love of my friends and family both near and far. As we enter the Holiday season it's important to take time to appreciate what we have, to spend time with our families and friends, and to relish the small things as well as the large. On that note, I'll leave you with yet another smorgasbord of my favorite things! Don't forget to check back next Tuesday for the final two drawings for my month of favorites. 

Wes Anderson films. 

The Coen Brothers movies.

1970s punk rock.

Lounge music.

Dance scenes in movies.

The feeling of casting on a new knitting project! The feeling of binding off a knitting project! 

I'm so glad to be a part of the knitting community and to meet wonderful people from all over the country and the world. Thanks for joining me for a month of my favorite things!

A Month of Favorites: Day 30

What do you know, I wrote most of this post over the weekend so I could just add in the winner for last week's giveaway and I totally forgot to post it. Sorry!

The winner of the skein of Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in Splish Splash is pinkknittergal! Who said,"What a lovely colorway. I would make Song of the Sea on Ravelry. It's perfect." I agree, it is perfect for that pattern! I've contacted you via Ravelry to get your mailing address!

So, what's the giveaway this week? The answer is that I don't know yet. I'm volunteering at Knit Fit! fiber festival in my neighborhood of Seattle this weekend and I'll be picking up several scrumptious prizes from the marketplace. That means some lucky reader will win a little goodie basket put together by me from vendors at the market with some other little trinkets thrown in for good measure.

To counteract an entire week of waiting I've decided to do a double giveaway! Hooray! Last week I knit a pair of Leethal's Rumours mitts from her Remixed ebook. Can I say how awesome they are? I had one teeny tiny ball of cashmere and was able to get a pair of mitts out of it - less than 126 yards of sport weight yarn made into a lovely, soft, warm pair of mitts for this winter.

I'll gift some lucky reader with a copy of Leethal's new booklet, Adventure Knitting, which is kind of like a choose your own adventure knitting pattern. One of the amazing things about Leethal's patterns is that they work with just about any yarn so you can definitely stash dive for this one and use up some of those long-lingering balls of yarn.

To enter, please comment below telling me what kind of knitting adventure you'd like to go on. You can choose something from the book or tell me where you'd like to go in a real life knitting adventure! Please make sure you leave a way for me to contact you if you win - Ravelry id or email address work great. Good luck!

P.S. I'll also be attending game knitting night at Knit Fit! hosted by Leethal herself, come say hi if you're going to be there! We're watching Singles this year.

A Month of Favorites: Music Monday

I've been trying to think of music favorites thematically but my choices are a bit of a smorgasbord since I've been doing all kinds of listening lately. Enjoy!

Hedwig and the Angry Inch "Tear Me Down".

"Quick" from the Magnetic Fields' album Love at the Bottom of the Sea. 

"Flashlight" by Parliament

"Rebel Girl" by Bikini Kill

"Girlfriend in a Coma" by the Smiths

I did warn you that it was a wide variety of music, but I'd say that it's also very representative of my music collection - eclectic!

A Month of Favorites: Days 26 & 27

You may have noticed that I'm lumping days together lately and all I can say is that I'm really tired and still recovering from my cold and my visitors and my birthday. My good friend, Monica, put together a birthday party for me last night at a local coffee shop/bar and I may have imbibed a bit too much of my favorite pumpkin beer (it was worth it). I also got a slew of gifts from my lovely friends who also happen to be knitters. I've known most of my knitting group since I started attending in late 2006 or early 2007 and I've become fast friends with them. We watched Labyrinth, which is my favorite childhood movie, and marveled at David Bowie and his, um, codpiece. If you've seen Labyrinth you'll know exactly what I mean.

I got presents!

Last week I received a tube of fancy shmancy lipstick from Jessica which I've been using practically every day (it's this one). 

 Jeanne made me some delicious apple cider caramels which I shared last night but am now hiding from my family so I can eat them all up myself. 

Monica gave me a skein of yarn all the way from Rhinebeck and a pair of Jennie the Potter earrings.

Hannah's present was an Italian silk scarf with an awesome red and white abstract print.

Abra made me a most delicious vanilla birthday cake with star sprinkles. She's my favorite cake baker because she gave me all the leftovers and I had some with my coffee this morning (way too early in the morning, I might add). 

Amanda promised me a future brunch date and she always takes me to yummy places.

Sharon gifted me (and the rest of the party) with some contraband Canadian Girl Guide cookies.

And Jodi presented me with a little pumpkin and a craft book for zombie felties. I made my way down to the local Joann's this morning and picked up craft felt and sequins and beads galore to make some of the projects. 

Due to my violent love affair with knitting I sometimes forget about the joy I feel when I'm crafting other things like teeny zombie cats.

I guess that's really two days of favorite things - a party with some of my favorite people and some non-knitting crafting just for fun. 

Do you have other crafts besides knitting that you indulge in?

A Month of Favorites: Days 24 & 25

I've slacked on writing the last couple of days since I was nursing a head cold but I seem to be doing much better now and am mostly recovered. The last week or so has been really chilly in Seattle and it's making me appreciate my wool blankets. I only have two but they've been so cozy this last week I think I need more of them!

 My Old Shell Shetland Shawl is serving two purposes - if my arms are cold I fold it diagonally and wrap it around my shoulders and if my legs are cold I use it as a lap blanket. Although it's very light, it's also very warm and has found a permanent home on the back of my sofa.

Little A's Mitered Crosses blanket came out of storage and is now gracing her big girl bed and keeping her nice and toasty during bedtime. She also has a tendency to bring it into the living room for snuggle time on the sofa - something we both enjoy. 

Blankets aren't my favorite thing to knit but I have to admit that they are much warmer and nicer than commercial blankets, even those fancy throw blankets that have to be dry cleaned. Do you have a favorite blanket pattern?

A Month of Favorites: Day 23

I love to read. In fact, I don't really feel like myself if I have fewer than two or three books in progress at any given moment. While I was in school I did a lot of reading for classes that I didn't necessarily enjoy, though I did learn quite a bit about genres, topics, and time periods outside of my comfort zone. I'm a fairly active member of goodreads (you can find me as Erin Birnel) and love browsing books the way I do patterns or yarn on Ravelry. Without further ado, some of my favorite books:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I discovered this book as a middle schooler and became obsessed with Gothic literature and the Bronte sisters.

House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski. This book falls firmly in the self-consciously post-modern genre but I LOVE it. Depending on how sympathetic you are to the characters this can be a horror story or a love story - either way it's creepy.

Anything by Shirley Jackson. I'm currently reading her autobiography, Life Among the Savages, and it makes me laugh out loud. I find her writing style very engaging and she tackles slightly freaky subject matter in a lot of her novels and short stories, which I totally dig.

Anne of Green Gables and the rest of the Anne series. This series has been a constant in my reading life from middle school to today. As I've grown older there are different aspects of the story that speak to me and change my perspective of Anne and her life on P.E. Island.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This is a classic and the movie version is pretty awesome as well.

John Steinbeck and Daphne DuMaurier. I'll read pretty much any book written by either of these authors - they both have points of view and styles of writing that I enjoy and value even if the subject matter isn't something that appeals to me.

A Month of Favorites: Day 22

Phew! I just wrapped up a whirlwind of a visit with my bestie, my mom, and my sister. I'm back to work and trying desperately to keep my cold in check - Little A is on round 3 of school colds and everyone at work is trying their best to spread the, ur, love - I'm surprised I've held out so long. 

But let's talk about the good stuff! The giveaway from last week was 2 skeins of Fibre Company Acadia in the Kelp colorway. Random number generator says the winner is Carrie B.! Congratulations! Carrie, I don't have an email address for you so please contact me (erin.birnel@gmail.com) with your mailing address so I can send out your yarn. Yay!

This week's giveaway is a special one. I've lauded the yarn of Wendee of Hazel Knits for years now and it's still my absolute favorite. The Fiber Gallery hosted a Hazel Knits trunk show over my birthday weekend and I hand picked a special skein to give away to one of you lucky folks! 

<photo via Hazel Knits>

The color is Splish Splash on Wendee's Artisan Sock base - 90% superwash merino/10% nylon and 400 yards to 120 grams. 

To enter, comment on this post saying what pattern you would knit if you win the giveaway. I'll randomly draw a winner next Tuesday and ship your yarn. Please remember to leave a way for me to get in touch with you in case you win (email or Ravelry name work great). Good luck!

A Month of Favorites: Music Monday

Some random songs from my punk rock days in no particular order. 

Fugazi "Waiting Room"

Sham 69 "If The Kids Are United"

X "Los Angeles"

The Ramones "Do You Wanna Dance"

A Month of Favorites: Day 16 through 20

One of my favorite things is...vacation! I'm taking some time off to spend with my best friend and family who are all visiting Seattle for my birthday. I'll be back on Monday for some musicy goodness! Have a great week!

A Month of Favorites: Day 15

Sorry for the late post! I have family coming into town for the week and they start arriving tomorrow so I've been utterly swamped with housework and tidying since I came home from work - not to mention things like, you know, cooking and eating dinner. Phew!

Random number generator tells me that the winner is Andi! Congratulations, Andi! Andi has a wonderful blog and if you haven't read it, you totally should.

This week's giveaway is a new favorite yarn of mine, Acadia. I recently cast on the Quaking Aspen Shawl in some Fibre Company Acadia and I immediately fell in love. I've knit with other Fibre Company yarns in the past but Acadia really takes my breath away - the colors are rich and complex and those slubby little bits of silk just get me. I'm so in love with it that I'm drawing out the knitting process so I can knit with it even longer.

I have two skeins of Fibre Company Acadia in the Kelp color (slightly acid green) to give away to a lucky reader. To enter, all you have to do is comment below and tell me what Fibre Company yarns you've knit with or if you've never knit with any of them. Please remember to leave a way for me to contact you in case random number generator decides that you're the winner. I'll draw a name next Tuesday and post the winner! Good luck!

A Month of Favorites: Music Monday

I'm an Elvis Presley fan. I think I may have mentioned it on Music Monday before but I'll say it again - I love Elvis. His rock n' roll is good but my favorite album consists of rhythm and blues and some slightly country-ish tunes. The album, Sunshine, is a picture disk that has Elvis wearing two different cable knit sweaters (swoon).

A Month of Favorites: Day 13

I actually forgot to post yesterday because I was doing one of my favorite things - hanging out with friends. Jessica had a donut brunch at her place and then I went to the Fiber Gallery to talk with my good friend, Hannah. I spent the rest of the afternoon with my family and doing random housework to get ready for the influx of out of town visitors I'll have this week for my birthday. Yay!

A Month of Favorites: Day 12

 These are some of the knitting magazines and booklets that I inherited from my grandmother. My sister has the other part of the collection. Until I was in middle school my grandmother knit sweaters for both me and my sister for Christmas every year. Some of these pamphlets still have my grandmother's notes with details about sizes and yarn amounts and I love looking through them.

 I dig her hairstyle and Thinker pose.

 That monkey wants to know where the little boy's pants have gone to.

The Christmas before my grandmother passed away I knit her a pair of thick, soft anklet socks and she sent me back a note saying how much she loved them and that she was impressed with my knitting - in her decades of knitting she had never knit a single pair of socks! Maybe this sock pamphlet scared her off of them?

Were the men or women in your family crafters? Did you inherit any of their collection?

A Month of Favorites: Day 11

1. Little Zig Zag, 2. yarma, 3. Fightin' Words, 4. DSCN0645, 5. DSCN0587, 6. Audrey's Birthday Sweater, 7. DSCN0331, 8. Rainbow, 9. Elephants for Audrey

I love doing colorwork in knitting. Watching pictures and patterns emerge out of something so easy as stockinette stitch is magical every time. As you can tell, I don't have a preference for contemporary or traditional patterns but when the mood strikes I hit up my Ravelry queue and dig through my prodigious stash of fingering weight wool. 

A Month of Favorites: Day 10

I have a fondness for weird television shows. I'm pretty sure the catalyst for my love of the weird was Dark Shadows - I watched the entire series on vhs when I was in middle school. I'm slowly rewatching this on Netflix since they added it to their watch instant lineup before the Tim Burton movie came out.

The Prisoner is also a favorite of mine. The Simpson's version is pretty amazing, too.

Twin Peaks! I was super stoked to go to North Bend, WA and eat at the diner where Cooper gets his pie and coffee (it's a place called Tweety's) and it's really quite terrible.

Other shows that I really like with the same weird bent to them are X-Files, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Outer Limits (original 1963 series), and the Twilight Zone (original 1959 series).

Do you have any weird tv shows that you like to watch? Yes, Toddlers and Tiaras does count. I've only seen one episode and it scared the bejesus out of me.

A Month of Favorites: Day 9

I hail from Northern California wine country. I've worked in pear sheds packing pears and in the office of a cooperage for a large winery. My home town of Ukiah, also the county seat, is nestled in a valley 2 hours North of San Francisco and about an hour and a half from the Pacific. When I was putting myself through school (the first time) I used to take my rare days off of work and school and head to the coast for a day of studying and napping on the beach. My favorite place to go was Mendocino.

Mendocino is an artist colony that features lots of small shops and galleries with small places to eat tucked inside historic buildings.

 

The town is beautifully landscaped and sits on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. 

 This is where I chose to spend my free time before I moved to Seattle. To the right is a small beach where a river meets the ocean and I'd lay down there for hours basking in the slightly chilly Northern California coastal breeze and get my reading done for class. When I finished up I'd head back into town for a bite to eat before driving back to Ukiah or go up to Fort Bragg where I could eat at any number of micro-brewery restaurants. 

If Mendocino looks slightly familiar to you it may be because it has been featured in several movies: East of Eden with James Dean (it's supposed to be old-timey Monterey), The Majestic with Jim Carrey, Forever Young with Mel Gibson, and Dying Young with Julia Roberts.

A Month of Favorites: Day 8

Last week I kicked off my month of favorite things with a giveaway. Random number generator tells me that the winner is  RC who said, "Cute markers! I usually use a mixture of the plastic locking type and the plastic circles. Boring but I hate snagging markers. Would love to try these out!" . Congratulations! I'll be in touch to get your mailing address and send off your Velvet Hippo stitch markers. Yay!

I decided that Tuesdays are giveaway days and, lucky you, there happen to be five Tuesdays in October. This week's giveaway is for patterns from my favorite designer, Amy Christoffers. My two favorite sweaters are Amy's designs - the Acer Cardigan and the Bailey Cardigan. And while I have a tendency to think of Amy as a capital S sweater designer she does publish a lot of accessories, too.

 <pomme de pin via Amy's blog, Savory Knitting>

What do you have to do to enter? Tell me in the comments below which of Amy's designs you've knit in the past or what design (or designs) you're dying to cast on. The winner will receive two of Amy's patterns. Patterns need to be giftable via Ravelry but don't worry about that, Ravelry tells me that there are still 50 patterns to choose from! You have until I post next Tuesday to enter to win. Good luck!

A Month of Favorites: Music Monday

I'm a big fan of old school Soul music - Aretha, Otis, Etta, Wilson, you get the idea. A large portion of my record collection consists of this genre of music and I'm always on the lookout for more. It's a feel good kind of music and even when it's sad it's still good.

My version of this song is from the album, Aretha Now which is totally kick ass.

"Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding. My favorite Otis song (this may have to do with seeing Duckie do a lip sync to this song in Pretty in Pink at a tender age). 

Etta James singing "Something's Got a Hold On Me". 

"Land of 1000 Dances" by Wilson Pickett. Do you know all of the dances he mentions? I spent a long internet session trying to find videos of them 'cause that's the kind of geek I am. 

A Month of Favorites: Day 6

I love Indian food - the spices, the smells, the complexity of flavors, the amazing variety of dishes. My very favorite dish is Malai Kofta which is dumplings made from mashed vegetables and paneer and then simmered in a thick tomato sauce. Serve it with some fresh naan, basmati rice, and an Indian beer and that is my idea of perfection in a meal.

<indian simmer - homemade kofta recipe>

My favorite Indian place in Seattle is Masala located in the Northgate neighborhood. I've never had a bad meal there and the menu is excellent. They're also certified Kosher so they have the menu divided between different meats, poultry, seafood, or vegetarian options with each option divided by items that have dairy or do not have dairy. Did I mention that they also have an amazing dessert selection? They do! Besides the often seen rice pudding and mango ice cream they have my favorite Indian dessert, rasmalai. 

Do you have a favorite type of food?

A Month of Favorites: Day 5

Fall always feels like the perfect time to sort through all of my stuff and get it organized. I do it sporadically throughout the year but there's something about Fall that kicks my neat-freakiness into high gear. I've spent the greater part of the morning in Little A's room sifting through the amazing amount of stuff she has in there and then decided to tackle the armoire where my hand-knit accessories are stored. It's rather amazing.

 Apparently one of my favorite things is to have enough hand knit accessories to swathe a small army.

I have to admit that this isn't all of it. I've got a fabric cube in my bedroom closet that has the "fancy stuff" aka the stuff that is slightly fussy/fragile/delicate to wear. The wicker basket in this picture has my mitts and some cowls in it and there's another one in the armoire with hats and more cowls. Eep. A small portion of the items shown are gifts or from swaps so I didn't knit all of these items but I did knit the vast majority of them. Maybe it's time to let my family pick through it, huh? I know I won't stop knitting accessories any time soon.

I'm curious, how many hand knit accessories to you keep on hand for yourself or your family?

A Month of Favorites: Day 4

 Hand knit socks!

Seattle is very temperate so I get to wear my handknit socks practically all year long. When I first learned to knit I didn't understand the appeal of knitting socks but I'm a convert! Wool socks keep my feet nice and toasty and there is such a huge variety in patterns that I can find one to knit that matches any of my knitting moods.
1. vanilla socks 2. Traveler's Socks 3. Vanilla socks 4. Gentleman's Half Hose in Ringwood Pattern 5. Cadence Socks 6. Chinese Bellflower Socks 7. Tea Time 8. Angee 9. Tobias

Do you have a favorite sock pattern?

A Month of Favorite Things: Day 3

 Trader Joe's is pretty much the place to get inexpensive seasonal treats that are super tasty. I'm a sucker for practically anything pumpkin flavored once Fall hits and Trader Joe's does a pumpkin-loving girl good.

This isn't the whole haul from this week, I also have pumpkin ravioli in the fridge. I wasn't always a pumpkin lover, as a kid they were only to be used for jack o' lanterns or pie, but as an adult I absolutely love them. Pumpkins work equally well as sweet or savory additions to dishes and there's something so comforting about having them baking in the oven or spicing up my coffee. I'll be indulging in the pumpkin bounty of Fall until I make myself utterly sick of it (that actually never happens). Pumpkin is really easy to cook with but these items are my favorite grab and go items to have in my pantry or to take to work for lunch. 

Do you have a favorite Fall food or treat?

A Month of Favorite Things: Day 2

If you've listened to my podcast or read my blog for a while you might know that I absolutely love horror movies. In middle school I would stay up late to catch old black and white movies on PBS, many of which were horror films and mysteries.

The Innocents from 1961 is a film adaptation of The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Creepy as heck!

Cape Fear from 1962 featuring Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck.

Rebecca from 1940, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The book may have one of the best opening lines ever, "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again".

The Haunting from1963 based on the Shirley Jackson novel, The Haunting of Hill House.

Do you have a favorite scary movie?