Red mittens

So I finished knitting my first pair of mittens. Ugh. For my first pair of mittens, they're not bad. I guess. But do they look good? Well, when I showed a co-worker she said they looked home made. Yeah. . . that's the look I'm going for.

I wore them for a couple of days and they're certainly very warm. But they're also really big and, honestly, ugly. I'm going to frog them and use the yarn to make another pair - using the Koolhaas Mittens variation that yarnpaperscissors came up with so they'll match my red hat exactly.

Next I'll tell you about my second pair of mittens using the Plaid Mittens pattern. Eventually I'll catch up to the present to tell you about what I'm actually knitting now.

Thanksgiving prep
I made the crust for the tart last night and left the kitchen pretty clean at the end of the night too. Which is good because there's more to do today... prepping the turkey, making the focaccia, finishing the tart, and rounds of clean-up in between to make the next thing. Plus calling or texting friends to wish them a happy thanksgiving!

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Last night, my friend Missy came over for dinner. It was her birthday last Sunday. Since it was Max's birthday on Saturday, she brought over apple pie for dessert - his favorite. For dinner we made oven roasted salmon and couscous with red bell pepper, toasted pine nuts, raisins, and sauteed mushrooms. Delicious and relatively healthy. We opened a bottle of German Riesling and talked for a couple of hours. A nice break for Max and he didn't feel too guilty since he got some of his homework done before Missy came over.

Tonight I think I have to start the Thanksgiving preparation. According to Max's project plan, steps 1-4 for the Caramel Cranberry Nut Tart. I'll have to check what that is when I get home!

Max's birthday weekend

Max's birthday was on Saturday. He's 29! I got him two tickets to a NHL game and Super Mario Galaxy. We had alot of fun playing all weekend. There's even a 2nd player mode that you can help collect the star bits. That's what I did, in between knitting a pair of mittens. We also went to see Beowulf in 3D. Very cool.

On Sunday we went out for lunch with our good friend Slavomir to Legal Seafood. Everything was delicious and we were there for 2 hours talking and having a good time.

Max's lunch
Crab cake appetizer
Halibut and crab special with mashed potatoes
Key Lime Pie (that he had with 4 shots of espresso)

Nicole's lunch
New England Clam Chowder (with oyster crackers)
Deep-fried scallops with broccoli (and polenta, not pictured)
Vanilla cappuccino (yum!)
Pumpkin cheesecake with whipped cream (super yum!)

Slavomir's lunch
Oysters
Lobster roll with mushroom ravioli
Cheesecake

There were some phone calls and some emails from friends and family wishing Max a happy birthday that also contributed to a really good weekend. It was the first weekend he has taken off from his school work since August and that made a huge difference as well.

Inspiring doors

budapest_orange-blue_buildings_01
Originally uploaded by wvs

These doors are very inspiring. I think they would be great patterns for knitting. If only I can wrap my head around the patterns and recreate it.

New curtains

When it comes to decorating our house, it takes forever for us to agree - especially when it's something big like picking a colour to paint a room, choosing curtains, or furniture.

Last year in November, we repainted our living room and I love the new colour. This year, we bought a new dresser and bedside tables, Max refinished the kitchen table and chairs - and finally picked out curtains that we both like (more his choice than mine since curtains are girly to begin with). They're from Pottery Barn.



Maybe next year we'll finally get a new couch.

Viking Turid

I rarely receive questions so when I get one, it's just too good to ignore.

Shannon asks, "Could I possibly, PLEASE, pay for a copy of the Viking
Turid pattern?"

Well, although I did start knitting that pattern, I never did knit the Viking Turid. I gave up actually and frogged what I had knitted. And since I was using a library book for the pattern, I don't actually have the pattern. This is the book I was using. Maybe your library has a copy? There's also a copy on sale on eBay.

Hope that helps!

Red hat, red mittens

I finished my red Koolhaas hat over the weekend and I'm keeping it for myself. It's soft and warm. The decreases aren't exactly right, but close enough. When I showed my friend Erin, she said it looked fine to her. That's good enough for me!



And, I'm making myself some mittens to match. They're a bit big, but more fitted than the fleece ones I bought two years ago. The pattern is Target Wave Mittens from Knitting by Nature but the instructions I'm using are from an issue of Interweave Knits. Here's the first one finished:



I'm working on the second one now.

Baby wrangling

I spent Sunday afternoon with a friend and her 6-month old. It was fun for me and my friend was able to get a lot done - laundry, lunch and dinner for the rest of the week, and even eat without being interrupted. Ahh... the things we take for granted. :) In exchange, I took home a shoulder full of baby drool and big smile. I woke up this morning with really sore arms. What a work out! I was so tired when I left, and that was only five hours... Not that it is all hard work. Helps when you have a good baby that doesn't cry too much and likes to play! Every time I go visit, the baby is even bigger and more active than the last time I was there. And while 23lbs doesn't sound like along, think endurance training. :)

New Haircut

The last time I got my hair cut was in May, so I was long overdue. What do you think?



Can you tell that I cut off 4 inches?

Koolhaas hats

Not one but two.



The green one is on hold because I have run out of yarn upon completing the 4th repeat. Doh! Just not enough to do the decreases. And since I like the colour, I want to keep it and not play around with another colour. So I will have to wait until I can buy more to finish it.



The red one is heavenly... I am knitting with a cashmere blend and it is so soft and lovely. This one might be for me.

And I'm already contemplating a third, in blue and white. Blue for the purl stitches and white for the knit stitches, like a snowflake in the winter sky.

Did I mention that I love this pattern?

Erin & Brookline

This weekend Max and I took our kitties to the vet for their annual check-ups. I didn't realise it but they're getting old! Erin, at top, is already 7 years old. Brookline is already 6 years old.



They're good kitties and still run around the house chasing each other so I forget sometimes that they're getting older every day just like me. For the most part they had a clean bill of health. Erin has a little gingivitises (which might account for the recent increase in drooling and slobbering) and needs to get her teeth cleaned. Brookline has a little stomach issue but luckily that can be treated with a Pepcid AC tablet.

Koolhaas hat

I love this pattern! It is coming along swimmingly. The chart is easy to read and the pattern is easy to follow. Best of all, it looks fantastic.



I used size 6 needles on the k2p2 ribbing and then switched to size 7 for the rest. The yarn is Red Heart Soft. The soft halo obscures the stitches a bit but not too much. I've almost run out of yarn so I need to decide if I'm going to switch to another colour or buy another ball of yarn.

Cool weather cooking

Despite another long week at work, once rested up, I felt like cooking and baking. On Saturday I made a big pot of chili - Max's favorite. Most of it is already gone but we saved some for dinner tonight for Chili Mac.



On Sunday I made Yogurt-Braised Chicken with cashews, raisins, and red pepper for dinner. Max made the rice to go along with it. I also baked the Apple Cranberry Crisp from the December Bon Appétit. That's for dessert tonight!



I was very tired when I was done last night (especially after cleaning up) but it was a good tired. And with Daylight Savings Time ending yesterday, it felt like I got to sleep in an extra hour this morning.

Ribbon scarf

Matches the blue hat with stars. The pattern is Ribbon Scarf from Handknit Holidays. The first few rows were great and easy to knit. By the end, each row took 20-35 minutes to completed. I used my Boye circular needle set and had two of the cables connected so it was long enough to hold all the stitches - especially since I was knitting the longer scarf. The yellow is meant to "twinkle" out between the blue... like stars.

Happy Halloween

My neighborhood is great for Halloween and some houses go all out - lights, decorations, music - the works. My street in particular sucks for Halloween and after getting 11 kids the first year and 9 kids the second year... we've opted out. Instead we dress up and head over to the street party that is just one block away. Mostly it's adults that are much older than me and Max, and no one that we really know very well, but we always stay for an hour or so, drink some wine, have a hamburger or something and then call it a night.




Max will be dressing up in his usual "doctor" costume - scrubs that my sister sewed for him several years ago, as well as a surgeon's mask. This year I'll be going as an "accident" and making full use of my crutches, walking cast, bandages and ankle brace that I acquired earlier this year when I sprained my ankle.

I love Halloween!

Baby surprise jacket

It took a few times to get the gauge right but finally I started the baby surprise jacket, knit two rows and lo, I needed a row counter. And the one I have was being used for the green frivoli hat. So now that I'm done with the hat, I've returned to the jacket.




Not alot of progress but it's so pretty. And I think I've gotten a hang of the pattern so that I can knit without having to follow along too carefully. Of course, the even rows are my favorite but all in all, it's a good knit. I'm using Cherry Tree Hill yarn, tropical storm I think.

Green frivoli

This hat is meant for a 4 year old... so on me it is pretty much cutting off all circulation in my head.



Turned out super cute and it will be so warm! Good thing because it was freezing last night and we still haven't turned on the heat in our house. Not literally freezing but there was supposed to be scattered frost in the area... whatever that means.

Orange Frivoli finished

The pompom bobbles a little but I'm okay with that. It's so cute! I love making baby stuff. And kid stuff! It's all so small.



I'm about half done with the other hat, then I can give them both to the Dad.

Rain

Even after hoping for rain for a week or so now, I can't help feeling sad and gloomy because of it. Still, it's the perfect weather for hot tea and knitting.

Knitting
I'm working on another Frivoli, this one in green Mission Hills 1824 Wool. For the brother of the baby of my coworker who is due in a week or so. The colour is discontinued but it's a really nice dark green.

Also started the baby surprise jacket using Cherry Tree Hill yarn but I only made it to row 2 before realising that I would need a row counter and the one I have is being used for the Frivoli hat. Stalled for now.

I really want to start is the Short Row hat but with the other two on the go, I feel like I need to wait.

And I really want to go out and buy the holiday issue of Interweave Knits so I can make the Koolhaas hat... but I'm way over my monthly budget so I have to wait until next weekend.

Tatami Kimono

My friend Erin B. has finished knitting another project, the Tatami Kimono. She often knits larger objects than I usually do and so naturally they take much longer to finish. Then again, she usually gets something to wear when she's done. This one looks amazing!



She says, "I really am happy with it. It's the first project I've done where I can't find any mistakes (or at least haven't yet), and I think it fits pretty well. There is nothing more annoying than following a pattern to a T and then having it not fit right. My next project will be much smaller."

Maybe a hat?

:)