Sunday Inspirations

Love the look of these Slippers and the pattern is here for free. She even has instructions for adjustment for larger feet in the comments.


A Crochet Slouchy Hat! Love it! Going to have to make one.


Recipes I’d like to try:


I tried my sister’s recipe for the Eggplant Parmesean . . . forgot to take pictures and stuff for the blog. Even the husband liked it, which makes me want to try these Eggplant Parmesan Stacks. They are like sandwiches almost. Looks delicious.


Fresh Gluten Free Pasta looks yummy.


I know I am on a soup kick, this Potato Broccoli and Bacon Soup looks delicious.

Food Friday - King Arthur Gluten Free Muffins

Loved these! The muffin is nice and fluffy. This light and fluffiness leads to the small problem of fruit sinking to the bottom though. Still delicious though.




Cherry Flavored Craisins.



The muffins done. Very lovely and brown.


As you can see though, the fruit all sank to the bottom of the mix. This made the bottoms stick to the pan also.


Here is a close-up, the muffin is upside down.




Overall, honestly, the mix is a little expensive. Not something I would buy too often. But when you do, it is definitely worth it. As I said before, lovely, soft, and tasty. I bought some dried cherries to put in a batch this weekend. I am going to be VERY patient, which is not much like me, and chop the dried cherries into smaller pieces in hopes they won't sink again.

I immediately thought these muffins would make a wonderful cake . . . they don't. The mix is called muffin mix and that is what it is meant to be, trust me. It's an odd mixture of over-cooked, under-cooked, and volcanic activity. I had to clean the oven. An experiment worth trying, but learn from my mistake, just enjoy the muffins as muffins! :)

Healthy Thursday

You can tell a good week from a bad week by if the weight is listed at the top of the post or the bottom! :)

Weight : 276.6 (Down 2.2 lbs from last weigh in 2 weeks ago)

There is no Friday and Saturday in this weeks listing, since my back wasn't back to normal until Sunday.

Sunday:
Exercise= 25 minutes of abdominal and leg work with my new balance ball. 2 sets of 10 reps of arm exercises with 5 lb weights.
Sweets= None
Sleep/Mood= 8.5 hours. Mood was good, started taking Vitamin B6, B12, and Niacin today to help with my blood circulation.

Monday:
Exercise= None, sore from the day before.
Sweets= None.
Sleep/Mood= 6 hours, going from Sunday to Monday is never a good night, my body fights it all the way.

Tuesday:
Exercise= 25 minutes of abdominal and leg work with the balance ball. 2 sets of 10 reps of arm exercises with 8 lb weights. The 5lb weights weren’t quite heavy enough, so pushed it up to 8lb, this worked much better.
Sweets= None
Sleep/Mood= 7 hours. I think the vitamins are making me a little tired during the day .

Wednesday:
Exercise= None, trying to ease into everything. I don’t want to be so sore it’s hard to move anything.
Sweets= None. I am focused on not eating the sweets. I know everyone says in moderation, but once I give in, I’m not so good with the moderation.
Sleep/Mood= 7 hours, I noticed for the last few nights. I am definitely sleeping better on the days I exercise. Next week will do exercises every night, maybe do Friday as my day off.

Thursday:
Exercise= I will be doing 25 minutes of abdominal and leg work with the balance ball. 2 sets of 10 reps of arm exercises with 8 lb weights.
Sweets= None
Sleep/Mood= Got about 7 last night, again noticed that I didn’t sleep as well as the nights when I exercised.

This week was good. I feel so much better when I don't eat sweets . . . why can't sweets taste bad? :) Food was good though, made Veggie Soup and Baked Potato Soup this weekend and those have been lunch this week. The veggie soup has an insane amount of veggies in it : carrots, celery, onions, peppers, mushroom, corn, peas, bean sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli, plus there was black beans and rice. I had homemade guacamole and chips for snack.

I am trying to make exercising/health/fitness more of a priority and it paid off this week. I will admit, I do feel bad when I look at my knitting just sitting there, but I have to learn to prioritize a little better . . . obviously I've always been a little more of a procrastinator. I have even feel good enough this week, that I am back to making breakfast in the morning, instead of just eating a bowl of cereal. This is helpful because real food fills me up for longer and it is easier to eat a lighter lunch.

Definitely a good week overall.

Matching Socks

Here are the 0-3 month socks! They are adorably small and cute. They are fairly quick and I plan on making more in different sizes and styles.

Yarn: Jo Ann Sensations Cuddle
Color: Baby Pink
Content: 100% acrylic
Care: Machine wash and dry
Needles: US 2
Pattern: My own.
















Beware . . . baby knitting is addictive, especially small little socks! :)

Matching Baby Hat

Here is a baby hat I made to match the Wildwood Romper. This is the 0-3 month size and I will be making a 3-6 month size. Heads tend to run large in my family, so who knows which size she'll need when her body is about a 3 month size. :)

Yarn: Red Heart Soft Baby Steps
Color: Baby Pink
Content: 100% acrylic
Care: Machine wash and dry
Needles: US 6 / 4mm
Pattern: No pattern, this is my own.
Size : 0-3 months








This one is a simple version, because I want to get my numbers right for the plain before I try designing anything more complicated with the little hats. So expect to see more hats in the future . . . plus I might be making something else to match also, come back tomorrow to see.

* * * * *

On a side note, I am still going to try to be as active on the blog, in fact, I have lots of ideas for things to do with the blog there just never seems to be enough time in the day. However, in the mean time, I am trying to make getting healthier a priority, which unfortunately means a priority even over crafting. If I don't, I'll never take the time, since crafting takes up so much of my time. So things may be coming out a little slower, but I will still be here.

Sunday Inspirations

First off, an apology, sorry I wasn't around here much this previous week. I pulled something in my back lifting incorrectly on Monday. I felt moderately okay standing or laying down, but sitting in a chair was anything but comfortable. Since my job is to sit in a chair at a computer most of the day, I did not want to come home and sit in a chair! Back is pretty much back to normal, so I am back! :) Onto the Inspirations:


I am a super fan of bags like this Bucket Bag. I haven’t made one yet, but I think this year will involve more sewing. I love that they have a closure at tops as this is a must for any bag I carry.


Love the look of this Baby Hat. I just wish the pattern had gauge listed. That is my pet peeve with patterns, because my gauge is so often very different from other peoples.


This Micro-Preemie Hat is a wonderful idea. I will look for some kids socks to do this.


Recipes I’d like to try:

I love the way these Enchiladas start out. The frying and then immediately putting them in sauce before you roll them sounds interesting and like it will work better. Gotta try it!


This Feijoada Brazilian Black Bean Stew looks really good, especially over the rice. There are a lot of different meats in it, but honestly, now that I don’t eat gluten, I find I crave protein more.


These Dumplings look good. Still a little weary of gluten free pasta products, but anything is worth trying once.

The husband would probably love this Chocolate Peanut Spread after all, he loves Nutella. The problem is, I don’t know if our food processor could handle nuts.

Pay It Forward 2011

Monika had a very good point in her comment on Sunday's post about the Pay It Forward. I will agree that honestly, to Pay It Forward to five more people is a big obligation and potentially a burden. I wasn't happy with that number when I posted it, but that's how the circle had been going. Paying It Forward is suppose to be positive, not negative. It's suppose to be a joy of giving, helping, etc.

So the Pay It Forward is still going to happen, but differently. The first five people to leave a comment on this post will receive something handmade from me in 2011. However, I only ask that you Pay It Forward to one other person and in your own way. It doesn't have to be something handmade and it doesn't have to be through your blog. Maybe you help the customer in front of you who is a little short on change, give up your choice parking spot to someone else, etc.

This is a little closer to how things should be and that giving and helping others should be a joy.

Knitty Winter 2011

Knitty Winter 2011 is up! And I finally have a review out again in decent time.

~Diversify - - Usually not a cowl person, because honestly, I don’t think they give enough coverage. I am very adverse to the cold and look like an over bundled child when I got out. Which is one of the reason I love this cowl. I love the big bulky yellow one that is wrapped around twice. This is my kind of bundling up!

~Fleece - - Love the movement in the stitch pattern. Cannot tell if I like the color variation or not as it hides some of the lace stitches. It would be nice to see an alternative version in a solid.

~Palisander - - I love how it truly is reversible. The stitch pattern on both sides is nice. If I was more of a scarf person, I would definitely knit this.

~Gweneira - - Looks like a super comfy shawl! Maybe a little over board in size, but will definitely work well.

~Cartouche - - A lovely shawl. I really like the texture and detail in it. This is definitely a shawl I would take the time to knit. Her explanation also convinces me that I really need to save up for Japanese Stitch Dictionaries!

~Thruway - - Unfortunately not a fan of most art yarns and this is not aesthetically appealing to me. The different colors and different textures are not compatible or pleasing with each other. There is simply too much variation.

~Glass - - I like the simplicity of the overall pattern which draws the eye to the detailed waist. The waist detail is well done and the shape of the detail makes the waist look smaller. Also love the seed stitch hem and bands, but we all know I am a sucker for seed stitch. The only change I would make, would be to make it just a bit longer after the waist detail is done, probably about 2 inches. As is, it is at a length I find uncomfortable and would be constantly trying to pull it down. I hope I have time to knit this.

~Lady Lovelace - - Not a fan of bulky yarns in clothing. Also, this is something that would be meant to keep you warm, after all, it is Merino Wool. Yet the bulky nature makes the lace holes even larger. Seems to contradictory to me. In a thinner yarn and in a cotton blend, I could see it as a nice Spring or Fall garment, but not as is.

~Joanie - - I love the top picture, but that’s pretty much as far as it goes. When it is buttoned up, the neck opening it too open for me, it doesn’t remind me of a cowl, as it sits too far away from the neck. I would probably like it more if it was more like a turtleneck, closer to the neck. The ribbing and cabling doesn’t help the fit and makes it look odd as it cinches in some places and bags in others.

~Constantine - - I like to look of this, just not a cape person. As with the cowls, not enough warmth, too drafty.

~Jacqueline - - Love the texture on the body of the top. The button band is unflattering and needs reinforcement so it doesn’t pull oddly at the buttons. One someone so small, it just looks sloppy, on someone larger it will make them look even larger than they are. Again, the cowl top is too open for me, it would let too much of the cold in.

~Shetlander - - Love the leaf motif used on the one side of the fingerless mitts. The colorwork here is nice and not overdone. I am considering knitting a pair.

~Shelburne - - Nice texture, not a mitten person, but these look very comfy.

~Chrysanthemums - - Again, not a mitted person, but the color work is nice. It looks very feminine.

~Java - - Love the texture and movement in the pattern. Simple yet complex. These are on my list to possibly knit.

~Sweeheart - - Interesting design, I can see the heart pattern if I look for it, but it looks more like little heads in ski masks to me.

~Maeva - - Interesting cabling on the sides. Very visually interesting. This is something I might knit just for the process of it.

~Southern Lights - - Cute hat. I love the earflaps, would probably keep the pompoms on the strings, but not the top of the head. Nice, simple, useful.

~Rock Creek - - The texture and depth created by the two colors works very well. Cabling works well too. Only sizes small and medium though, which will not fit my large head. Too bad, it’s a cute hat.

~Undergrowth - - Cute hat, love the colorwork. However, since when is an adult Large equal a circumference of 21.5? Usually color work is not that stretchy, so I doubt it stretches out to fit a large head.

~Quest - - Cute hat options, yet again, how does a 20.5 inch circumference equal a large?

Overall, there are some nice patterns, but not many things I really like. How about you? What do you think? Anything you feel is a must knit?

Sunday Inspirations

Isn’t Joris beyond adorable!?! I am so getting this pattern when it comes out and knitting one of these guys!

I love this Rainbow Bag! Simple and cute!

Love these little Bird Seed Rings, but I fear where I live it would only encourage the squirrels.


Recipes I’d like to try:

Egg Rolls Recipe. I like the explanation in this recipe and made me realize maybe I can find some gluten free spring roll wrappers, I know it is possible to find ones made with rice flour!

I’ve never got up the gumption to make Eggplant Parmesan before, but my sister just makes it looks so easy that I think I will try a gluten-free version this week.


* * * *

Going to admit that I am disappointed no one wants to participate in the Pay It Forward.

Pay It Forward 2011

G Marie is doing a Pay It Forward 2011 and I was lucky enough to be on of the first five to comment so I get to do it too!

I am super excited because I love doing these. So, here is how it works. I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. They in turn must post this and send something they make to the first 5 people to comment on their blog. The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 5 recipients sometime in 2011.

Don't think that you can make 5 people something? Handmade covers a wide variety, sewing, knitting, drawing, cooking, etc. It doesn't have to be fiber related.

Healthy Thursday

Well, this week was trying to get back into good habits. Little stress in that I have been trying to get more sleep, but my body is use to getting less and tends to wake up after about 6 hours and it's restless sleep for the rest of the night with feeling a little sleepy during the day. Hoping after a while though, this will stop and sleep will be good throughout the night. Been having a few nightmares too, but hopefully those will go away when stress lessens.

*Sleep will always apply to the night before, going into that day. So Friday's sleep, is really the sleep I had Thursday night going into Friday morning. I think this is better, because this has more of a direct effect on the following day and how I do.

Friday:

Exercise= 31 Minutes on the Wii, mostly balance games, my calves got a nice work out.

Sweets= Ate a half a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Fro-Yo Fish Food.

Sleep/Mood = Last night I got about 7 hours of sleep, not all of it good sleep though. Was supposed to find out this week if I got the reception job I applied for, so I figured since I had not found out yet, Friday would definitely be the day . . . nope. Guess the anxiousness moves into the next work week!

Saturday:

Exercise= 30 Minutes on the Wii, did some yoga and balance games.

Sweets= Ate the other half a pint of Ben & Jerrys Fro-Yo Fish Food.

Sleep/Mood= Got a little less than 8 hours of sleep. Had to set the alarm to get up, which I usually don’t on a weekend, but we had an appointment to take the silver car in to get repaired. My husband was rear-ended a few days before in the snow on his way to work, when the guy behind him was rear-ended and pushed into our car. No one got hurt badly and the poor kid at fault was frantic and felt horrible, I hope things go well for him; he pretty much totaled his car.

Sunday:

Exercise= Arm exercises with weights (about 15 minutes) plus all the hand-spindling I did today gave my arms a work out, plus since it makes me sit more upright, my abs and back got a small work out.

Sweets= One single serving pudding cup.

Sleep/Mood= Got about 9.5 hours of sleep last night. It was good sleep, but felt like too much compared to what I normal get and the day was a little slow and groggy.

Monday:

Exercise: None, too tired. The shift from the weekend to waking up early on Monday never goes well for me as a natural night person.

Sweets: 2 pudding cups

Sleep/Mood: About 6 hours of not good sleep. Very restless because I wasn't necessarily tired enough to lay down to sleep.

Tuesday:

Exercise: Arm exercises with weights, 5lbs 1 rep of 15 for each exercise. 15 crunches and 10 side crunches on each side.

Sweets: None

Sleep/Mood: 7 hours. Restless sleep again and I've been waiting to find out if I got the job I applied for and have been a little stressed about it.

Wednesday:

Exercise: 21 Minutes of the Wii in the morning. Trying to get into a new cycle of Wii in the morning.

Sweets: Medium bowl of ice cream.

Sleep: 7 hours, restless again. Tired during the day. Found out that day that I got the job I had applied for.

Thursday:

Exercise: Will being doing my arm exercises and crunches once I hit "Publish Post".

Sweets: 1 Pudding cup

Sleep: 8 hours. Wow, slept crappy last night. Actually the first 6 hours were great, except I woke up from a nightmare at the end of the 6 hours and then the next two hours were super crappy restless sleep. Day was a little stressful trying to get things in order for being hired and tomorrow will be weird and busy too with drug tests and the stuff they want me to fill out on the computer not working correctly. The drug place is only open while I am at work too, so I'll have to take the car . . . not the bus tomorrow, so I can leave work and go to the drug testing place.

Weight: 278.8 (up 1.6lbs since last weigh in on Dec 9th) Can not believe that cold stuff lasted a whole month!

Overall, good week in some ways, just stressful and restless. I am hoping that once the stress eases, so will the pounds! :) Here is to a three day weekend coming up. I hope all of you can find some time to take care of yourselves this week.

Wildwood Romper

Yarn: Red Heart Soft Baby Steps
Color: Lavender and Baby Pink
Content: 100% acrylic
Care: Machine wash and dry
Needles: US 7
Pattern: Wildwood Romper
Size : 3 months



The flash makes the buttons look all different colors, but they are all a medium purple. I think it turned out quite cute.


The back, you can kind of see the little short-row increases for the butt.


The collar, this is more the true color of the buttons.


The lace panel. The buttons look too dark here.


The textured cuff.




Overall, this was a good knit and I think it made an adorable end product. I hope it ends up fitting her well and that they like it. I may be making a couple things to match it . . . but we shall talk about those at a later date.

Sunday Inspirations

Love this ballet style wrap! I think I will be knitting Justice one when it comes out.

I would love to be able to sew my own underwear and bras. This is something I would love to learn to do.


Recipes I’d like to try:

The Tamale recipe sounds wonderful. I use to work with a lady named Maria back when I lived in Washington State, she made the best tamales. I will be trying this recipe soon!!

As a huge fan of lemon flavored things, this lemon curd sounds good.

Egg Drop Soup looks delicious. One of the things I miss is different types of Asian food because they often contain wheat somewhere in their ingredients. I can do this though, just might try it this week.

I love tartar sauce, but I am picky about it too. This tartar sauce recipe would give me something to try and adapt.

Knitty - Deep Fall Review

Knitty Deep Fall 2010 Review! I know it is late, so lets get to it!


Patterns
Beatnik - - Love the sleeve texture, sleeve length, and love the cables. I don’t like the way the yarn looks aesthetically. For the general look of the pattern, the first couple of pictures are lively, but not helpful in actually seeing the garment.

Eileen - - I think this is a lovely lace cardigan/jacket. The lace is nice and not over-done. Love the way the top of the shoulders come together. The range of sizing options is nice.

Mothed - - I understand the back story and it makes sense in an artistic way, but I don’t care for it as a functional piece of knitwear. Reminds me of Seattle’s 1990’s grunge.

Cadence - - I think this is cute. I love just the little detail at the top. The sleeve length is really nice. The neck is just too open, bra strap would show, not really wearable in the fact that it looks like it is going to fall off.

Vines - - Love the lattice stitch. The collar is way too wide and looks like it is going to fall off.

Lia - - In general I like this top. The cable work is nice. From the projects that have been completed on Ravelry, you really want a snug fit!

Scarlow - - Looks like a great jacket/comfort piece. Love the hidden colors in the sides and collar. The pockets and play with texture is great. This is not a knit that will make you appear slender though. I am very inclined to knit this.

Humphrey - - A nice man’s vest. I like the texture. The vest is both simple and interesting.

Carnaby - - I like the texture and design of this. I am not a fan of knitted skirts, but think this would make a cute skirt if sewn with similar visual patterned fabrics.

Indigenous - - Over all, I like the texture but the item seems “off” to me as a shawl. It seems a little heavy. I think it might look better as a blanket. I like the shot with it up above and the light coming through it.

Pretty Maids - - I really love the shapes and imagery within the lace. It reminds me more of masks or helmets, other parts looking like arrows. Makes me thing of tribal, ritual, war.

Bound by the Beauty - - I don’t have much of an opinion on this one. It would be nice if there were a picture of it flat so you could actually see the design on the cowl.

Eleanor - - I love the shape, it seems to fit nicely against the neck and not really gape. I am not personally a cowl person, but I could see knitting this as a gift for someone who is.

Crocodylia - - Interesting shape, but not really a scarf knitter.

Decembre - - It looks nice and warm. I like the color-work.

Mary Mary - - I don’t find this very interesting. The lace pattern is buried under the many colors of the yarn.

Rodekool - - Cute, but looks like it is more for looks as it doesn’t seem to cover enough of your neck.

Brambles - - First off let me say I love the fact that she took a little more time to make the hat have three depth options. I think it is cute and I love the texture. It is another one of those items that comes close to being overdone, but isn’t quite there. This is something I might knit. I like the cables and it looks very architectural.

Stitches in Time - - I could see knitting this specifically to be used as a period piece, but other wise, it’s just odd. It doesn’t seem to cover enough of anything to be of use.

Rebecca - -A simple cute cabled hat. Do not like the use of the other color on the top though.

Spry - - Love it! Simple and yet complex, definitely want to knit one!

Riff - - Love the sizing options. Yet another design that is simple, yet complex. I love that combination.

Nemesis - - I love all the detail and intricacies of this pattern. This would be something I would consider knitting, but more for the process.

Kilravok - - Nice and could be knit just as regular socks or knee-high like socks.

Ringwood - - Absolutely love the texture! Love the button on the wrist too. Am considering knitting myself a pair.

Cuckoo - - These seem a little overly complicated to me. Not much of a mitten fan in general though.

Scare Isle - - A cute and colorful Halloween hat.

Chow - - Yeah, don’t much get this. I mean, I see it as the training device it is based off of, but that’s it. Why knit it?

Caireen - - I like how this is more between a shawl and a scarf. The cables are nice and the size looks very functional. This is also a consideration to knit.

Motley - - Don’t so much get the holes. I do not find them aesthetically pleasing and thing they would diminish the warmth provided by the wrap too much. I could see it more as a cotton garment for the summer.

Overall, there are some really cute and visually interesting patterns. I hope to knit a few things from this issue. What did you guys think of this issue?

Food Friday - Stroganoff

My sister, Rhoni, posted about her Stroganoff experience and I just had to try it. The only type of stroganoff I had eaten before this was the boxed Hamburger Helper version, so nothing to really compare it to. I used gluten-free options. I used flank steak for my beef . . . something Rhoni also got me to really like.









This was really good and would definitely make it again. I wish I could find a gluten-free large noodle that I really love though. I think next time though I will try it with my rice noodles that are more spaghetti like.

Healthy Thursday

So this week wasn't much to speak of, so we won't really. I am having a very difficult time kicking this cold completely. Every time I think the cold is on it's way out it swings back full force. This weekend was spent with some coughing, sneezing, and vomiting again.

I even tried to exercise a couple times this week and let me tell you it was pathetic.

So instead, we shall talk about the week ahead. I am going to be more detailed because I think this will help stick to things better. Each day will be listed individually like this:

Monday:

Exercise=

Sweets=

Sleep=

Mood=

These are the things I feel I need to focus on so these are the things I am going to hold myself the most accountable for.

I still plan on listing my weight, which unfortunately I think I might have actually gained weight while I was sick. Blah! Plus, I plan on taking a picture of myself. I haven't decided how often, but I was thinking about 6 week intervals.

Next Thursday will be the real start to this, no matter how little or much is achieved. I hope you all have time to take care of yourselves.

The beginnings of John's scarf

John’s Scarf
My brother-in-law, John, would like a scarf for next year. I love that he likes hand made things, any who, he wanted it in the Seahawks’ lime green color. The man is a little over 6 foot, there is no way I was going to knit an almost 7 foot scarf solely in lime green. After all, I don’t even like to knit scarves.

So I am making him something I am going to enjoy knitting, an illusion scarf in the lime green and dark blue of the Seahawks. This will be my first real illusion knitting. I have even charted my own letters. It’s been a lot of fun designing this. The yarn I need is on order however, so my test swatch to make sure I was charting it correctly is done in some other colors . . . purple and pink! Any who, I enjoyed doing the test swatch of the letter S and think that this scarf not only isn’t going to be so bad, it might just be a rather enjoyable knit!











I have all the other letters charted out and have all my stuff figured out, just had to wait for the yarn to arrive! It arrived the 31st. Which here it is. It was really hard to find a good lime green color in any type of yarn, but this works well because it'll be easy to care for.



Even harder was finding a good lime green in a brand that also had a good deep blue! So thankful Caron Simply Soft had it, since I am a huge fan of their yarn too.



Here is the beginning of the scarf. The first 12 inches will be regular stripes. I am really liking the way these two colors work together. I will most likely have a nice chunk of yarn left over and have a few ideas running through my head for these colors.






Since this is a long project and isn't needed to be finished until November/December of this year, it will be a nice project to work here and there on. I am excited that this is something I designed and will be making.

New England Knits Review

Better late than never, right? :)

New England Knits Review! This book is by Cecily Glowik MacDonald and Melissa LaBarre. This was the book I got for my birthday that I liked more than I thought I would. I bought it based pretty much solely off of the Brattleboro Hat that was featured in the Interweave magazine because I liked it so much.

Patterns
Hampton Cardigan - - Love the look of the garter and lace. Usually not a fan of hook and eye closures, but these larger ones look really good.

Chelsea Skirt - - this skirt has a nice structure to it, which is often lacking in knitted skirts. I think the lace peeking out of the bottom is cute.

Ashfield Cardigan - - Simple and cute. I like the lace on the sides of the front. The closure at the top looks a little flimsy to me, but that would easily be made thicker or deviated from.

Auburn Top - - Love the neck opening on this one! Not so much a fan of the sleeves. The rest is a nice simply top with a nice fit. This is in consideration to make.

Groveland Satchel -- Looks nice and sturdy. I like that the strap is thicker than on a lot of patterns.

Northampton Neckerchief - - Cute and simple. I really like the colors they used.

Greylock Tunic - - As a fan of tunics I really like this. I even love the ruching, but think it’d be nicer with some decreases and increases worked to make it go in more so more shape was provided to the body.

Fairfield Sweater - - Not as much a fan of this. I think it would look nice much smaller as a child’s top. As I think of it as “cute”, but not something I would wear.

Whale Watch - - This is cute and would be a nice color-work project.

Brattleboro Hat - - Well we all know how I love this pattern. I’ve made 3 variations of it so far! I love the contrast of the band against the moss stitch. Plus we all know how I love variations of moss stitch!

Greenfield Cardigan - - Love the garter stitch, love the texture. I am also a fan of the raglan construction. The simple leaves add a nice touch. Nice, simply, looks comfy.

Portland Mittens - - Not so much a fan of these, but am not a mitten fan in general. The honeycomb texture with the wispiness of the yarn is not appealing to me aesthetically.

Melrose Peacoat - - I like the look, love the moss stitch. I would add a little waist shaping as I would wear it as a cardigan, not a coat. Love the little detail on the back.

Augusta Cardigan - - Love the cables. I like how it is not over done, the back is left nice and simple. The same with the sleeve, just a simple cable. I also like how the V-neck is not too deep.

Mystic Pullover - - Love the neck! I also like the hidden pockets, actually super love the pockets. Don’t so much care for the front detail, but that is easily changed, but I do like it on the back. I just think on the front, it is too much detail.

Montpelier Jacket - - Not really a fan of the military inspired button placket. I think it makes her look a little too much like a lock box. The rest of the sweater is a nice simple sweater.

Providence Hoodie - - Absolutely love the texture in this! I think it wavers very close to the line of being too much, but I do like it. Love the dressed up yet thermal feel of it. I like that hood stitch ties the hem back into the garment. Definitely being considered!

Salem Hooded Jacket - - Love the texture and pockets. I am not so much a fan of the snaps, I would probably use buttons instead. The ribbon is also something I don’t much care for, but it would easily be omitted. The hood seems a little small, but the can be altered.

Derry Raglan and Cowl - - I Like the little detail and the cowl. I think I would probably like it if the cowl was actually attached, more like a turtleneck sweater.

Old Port Pullover - - Super love this! I think the cable shaping is lovely and I like that it continues up into the lace. This is definitely a consideration on the to-do list.

Lewiston Striped Vest - - It is shown more like a tank top, which I personally don’t so much care for. I think it would probably look good as a vest though. I like the stripes and the thick hem band with the buttons. I think the detail of the little button on the shoulders is cute and a good visual tie back to the hem.

Middlefield Pullover - -Not a fan of this one. The asymmetrical ribbing is going to show any curve . . . good or bad, because the ribbing is going to pull and distort with anything that does not go straight down. From the pictures in the book and people’s project pages on Ravelry, I don’t think this is going to be a flattering top on any female, maybe a man who is in really good shape, that’s it.

Cranston Coat - - This looks a little over done to me. I am not so much a fan of the panels and the middle one is not placed on the correct height for the model. It might look nice if it was placed at her waist; instead it pulls oddly and makes her shapeless from the front. It looks better from the side.

Montague Bulky Lace Vest - - I like the back of this and the general shape. I think the contrast of so much ribbing in the front with so little lace makes the model look bigger than she is. I would make the lace panel in the front wider somehow to balance the front out more.

Windsor Warmer - - Interesting, but not so much a scarf or cowl knitter. Looks nice though and the lace design is pretty.

Overall: Pleasantly surprised by his book. Honestly thought it would be a book just to look at and potentially give away. Love it though and hope to make a few of the items out of it!

Sunday Inspirations

Leftover Socks by Haphazard Knitter are wonderful! Cannot wait to see how the second one turns out.


Recipes I’d like to try:

Gluten-Free Steamed Dumplings sound so yummy. I will most definitely have to try this.

Peas and Bacon looks like a rather simply dish but yummy. I wonder if this could make me like frozen peas?

Meatballs with Peppers and Pineapple sounds super delicious. The husband doesn’t like fruit mixed with meat, so I’ll probably end up substituting just pineapple juice and he will be none the wiser.

Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp sounds good. I have been on a bit of a shrimp kick. Maybe I can even convince the husband to try some . . . he’s not so much a seafood person.

Chicken Enchiladas look delicious. I love that it includes home-made sauce. This is very different from the one I tried before and now I have to try this one.

Doing vs Thinking about Doing

So, how do I feel about 2011? Not sure. 2010 was far too interesting for me, I am hoping that 2011 is more successful . . .more is accomplished or decided. 2010 felt so much up in the air.

What are my goals for 2011? Well they are simple. For life in general I have one goal - Do.

Yes, I know it seems to make no sense. But I like to plan, think about things, etc. which leads to not as much doing as I spend too much of my time thinking about doing things. So in 2011 I hope to do more.

I plan on continuing my process of getting healthier. I am going to have a bit more accountability. Hopefully with trying to have the attitude of do vs think, this will increase my progress. You will see more what I mean this week with Healthy Thursdays.

I also plan on doing a little more with the blog. I want to take the video stuff in another directions and do more "how-to" and "lesson" type stuff. Classroom type style stuff. We shall see how it goes. I hope to have something for that up soon.

Most of my goals simply revolve around the action of "Do".

I leave you with that as I go to actually Do some stuff! :)