Orchid

By my desk

Things that make me happy

1) Max (most of the time)
2) yummy food and drinks
3) warm weather and sunshine
4) getting my nails done
5) ice skating
6) new clothes
7) sparkly stuff

Camerons Smoker

This stainless steel stovetop smoker is the best present I could have given Max for Christmas. It comes with wood chips so you can start right away. We smoke sausages and flank steak - the taste is amazing! And we used the pan drippings to make a sauce... the smokiest sauce you've ever tasted!! We'll never need liquid smoke ever again.

Blogiversary

Dear Blog,

Happy Anniversary!

Hodology pattern

Hodology is the study of pathways and interconnected ideas, derived from the Greek hodos meaning path.  The cables twist and flow over and around each other, eventually linking up and reconnecting.  The hat will look like the thoughts and ideas racing around the inside! Size S fits a child; size L fits a man child or a slouchy hat for a woman. The design came together from a stitch pattern I found in The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches by Reader's Digest and a short-row cabled hat that I have enjoyed making on many occasions.  The yarn is soft and machine washable; it's easy on my hands and on my monthly knitting budget.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Materials Needed:

• Red Heart Soft Yarn [100% acrylic; 256 yards/234m per 5 oz. ball]; color: grass green; approx. 3 oz./150 yards/138 meters (or other worsted weight yarn)
• US #8/5mm straight needles
• I-9/5.5mm crochet hook
• cable needle
• tapestry needle

Yarn Substitutes: Lion Bran Woolease could also be used for a slightly smaller fit

Sizes:

• S Circumference: 18inch / 45cm
• L Circumference: 22.5inch / 57cm

Gauge: 18 sts/24 rows = 4inch / 10cm in stockinette stitch

Techniques and Abbreviations

CN: cable needle

T4L (Twist 4 Left): sl 3 st onto cn and hold at front of work, p1 from left needle, k3 from cn
T4R (Twist 4 Right): sl 1 st onto cn and hold at back of work, k3 from left needle, p1 from cn

C6B: sl 3 st onto cn and hold at back of work, k3 from left needle, k3 from cn
C6F: sl 3 st onto cn and hold at front of work, k3 from left needle, k3 from cn

Pattern

CO 41 st.

Row 1: K6, p1, T4L, T4R, p8, T4L, T4R, p1, k9.

Row 2: P9, k2, p6, k10, p6, k2, p6.

Row 3: P8, C6F, p10, C6F, p8, wrap next st and turn, leaving 3 sts on left needle.

Row 4: K8, p6, k10, p6, k8.

Row 5: K6, p1, T4R, T4L, p8, T4R, T4L, p1, k3, wrap next st and turn,  leaving 6 sts on left needle.

Row 6: P3, k1, p3, k2, p3, k8, p3, k2, p3, k1, p6.

Row 7: P6, T4R, p2, T4L, p6, T4R, p2, T4L, p3, turn, leaving 6 sts on left needle (do not wrap).

Row 8: K3, p3, k4, p3, k6, p3, k4, p3, k6.

Row 9: K9, p4, T4L, p4, T4R, p4, k6, pick up wrapped st, k3, turn, leaving 3 sts on left needle.

Row 10: P9, k5, p3, k4, p3, k5, p9.

Row 11: P6, T4L, p4, T4L, p2, T4R, p4, T4R, p6, pick up wrapped st, p3.

Row 12: K10, p3, k5, p3, k2, p3, k5, p3, k7.

Row 13: K6, p1, T4L, p4, T4L, T4R, p4, T4R, p1, k9.

Row 14: P9, k2, p3, k5, p6, k5, p3, k2, p6.

Row 15: P8, T4L, p4, C6B, p4, T4R, p8, wrap next st and turn, leaving 3 sts on left needle.

Row 16: K9, p3, k4, p6, k4, p3, k9.

Row 17: K6, p3, [T4L, p2, T4R] twice, p3, k3, wrap next st and turn, leaving 6 sts on left needle.

Row 18: P3, k4, p3, [k2, p3] 3 times, k4, p6.

Row 19: P10, T4L, T4R, p2, T4L, T4R, p7, turn, leaving 6 sts on left needle (do not wrap).

Row 20: K8, p6, k4, p6, k11.

Row 21: K6 p5, C6F, p4, C6F, p5, k3, pick up wrapped st, k3, turn, leaving 3 sts on left needle.

Row 22: P6, k5, p6, k4, p6, k5, p6.

Row 23: P10, T4R, T4L, p2, T4R, T4L, p10, pick up wrapped st, p3.

Row 24: K13, p3, [k2, p3] 3 times, k10.

Row 25: K6, p3, [T4R, p2, T4L] twice, p3, k9.

Row 26: P9, k3, p3, k4, p6, k4, p3, k3, p6.

Row 27: P8, T4R, p4, C6B, p4, T4L, p8, wrap next st and turn, leaving 3 sts on left needle.

Row 28: K8, p3, k5, p6, k5, p3, k8.

Row 29: K6, p1, T4R, p4, T4R, T4L, p4, T4L, p1, k3, wrap next st and turn, leaving 6 sts on left needle.

Row 30: P3, k1, p3, k5, p3, k2, p3, k5, p3, k1, p6.

Row 31: P6, T4R, p4, T4R, p2, T4L, p4, T4L, p3, turn, leaving 6 sts on left needle (do not wrap).

Row 32: K3, p3, k5, p3, k4, p3, k5, p3, k6.

Row 33: K9, p4, T4R, p4, T4L, p4, k6, pick up wrapped st, k3, turn, leaving 3 sts on left needle.

Row 34: P9, k4, p3, k6, p3, k4, p9.

Row 35: P6, T4L, p2, T4R, p6, T4L, p2, T4R, p6, pick up wrapped st, p3.

Row 36: K10, p3, k2, p3, k8, p3, k2, p3, k7.

For size S: Repeat these 36 rows 3 times for a total of 108 rows. 

For size L: Repeat these 36 rows 4 times for a total of 144 rows.

Knit one row so the end of the yarn is at the top of the hat.

BO all sts.

Finishing

Break yarn, leaving a 20-inch tail. Using safety pins, line up the four cables. Beginning with brim, sew seam toward crown, taking care to match the pattern. When crown is reached, with the hat inside out, single crochet around the edge every other row, and then in the round every other stitch until only three stitches remain.  This will create a rose-like effect on the crown of the hat from the outside. Weave in ends.

Congratulations! You’re done! ☺

Cat nap

Gifts

Well received!

Snow

The storm that hit the east coast, hit Alexandria in a big way.



I was supposed to be in Canada for Christmas but after two flights cancelled, we're staying in DC. It will be a quiet Christmas for us but at least it looks like winter outside.

Happy Solstice.

A walk through Alexandria

A tree on concrete

Christmas past

Mitered bowl

Do you remember the before pictures? Here it is after felting, drying on one of my pasta strainers:



After a little clean up:

O Christmas tree

My little table top Christmas tree.

Another Christmas hat

This time in green and for a smaller neighbor child. Hopefully it will fit!

Christmas cap

Made from leftover yarns, they're both soft and will be super cute on a certain little boy who lives down the street.

Mitered and steamed

I finished the mitered scarf last night and steamed it with my iron. I love the look of it now. And while it was barely long enough before steaming, it's definitely long enough now. It's a Christmas gift for a friend.

Driving update

Over the weekend, I drove someplace totally new (for me). It was nerve-wracking, followed by terrifying, ending in some relief but pretty shaken up. Sounds great, right? The terrifying part was driving on a narrow road that felt like a parking spot. Ugh. But I made it, no one honked at me, and the only bad part was that I scared myself (and Max too probably). More practice needed I guess!

Pink

The yarn was purchased on a recent trip to Boston at Newbury Yarns. It's Karabella Aurora 8. I used size 5 needles on the cuff, which seemed to be great but moving up to sie 6 on the mittens and the gauge is off. To compensate I am using my hand as a measurement as I go. Which is why the thumb looks so wonky. Maybe I should take it out and start over?



What do you think?

Mitered squares

I am loving the colours... so beautiful! At the end, this will be a scarf. Haven't figured out how many that will be, depends on how many I can knit from the ball of yarn I have. Knitting with Whorled Peace is quite nice. Not splitty at all and very soft. Makes for a nice squishy texture in garter stitch.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This morning Max and I ran the Alexandria 5 mile Turkey Trot with our friend Slavomir. We didn't feel great starting out but everyone finished strong and felt good about running the race. Unofficially, the three of us finished in about 52-54 minutes. Plus I wasn't the only one dressed up in something funny.



Official Results
Slavomir 52:48.4
Max 52:49.0
Nicole 54:57.2

And dinner was great of course!