we have not met

a hiking resolution

One of my friends made a new years resolution to plan a hike or camping trip each month in 2012. Such a good resolution no? I didn't hesitate to join in.

Our first hike was down at point lobos. It was a bit of an adventure getting there, due too some bad directions, and we ended up eating our picknic in the car. But once we were there, we enjoyed stunning views, hidden beaches and some beautifully unique rock formations.







How about you, how are your new year resolutions coming along?

silver leaves sweater: update with cute baby

Here is little Amelia in the sweater that I made her. (photo curtsy of baby's mom)

pickles

I have been making pickles. It is really satisfying. Here we have spicy green beans, spicy carrots and maraschino cherries. The cherries are the real thing—made with maraschino liquor—nothing like the candied ones you buy at the supermarket.

Since making these I made another batch of spicy carrots, using purple carrots and spicy asparagus. I like my pickles spicy I guess, because thus far I have put hot peppers in every jar.

My main source and reference has been "Canning for a new Generation". In addition to being packed full of delicious recipes, the author made it easy to get past my fear of "doing it wrong" and killing all of my loved ones with rampid case of botulism.

Pickling cucumbers are in season now, so they are next up on the list, and I have plans for okra when it comes into season in august.

I am very much enjoying summer this year. Lots of park days, camping, hiking, bikes, happy hours and brunch out doors. Here is to summer!

silver leaves: done

I finished the silver leaves dress. It was sitting for months with just one sleeve needing to be cast off, and the button sewn on. Both of which I did the morning of the baby shower. heh.

don't you just love the sweet little yellow button on the back? i do.

Pattern: Autumn Leaves by Nikki Van De Car.
Yarn: Naturally Caron, 75% Acrylic, 25% Bamboo
Needles: US 5

All the details and notes are on Raverly.

thirty before thirty: no. 18. get an oakland library card

gosh, i didn't realize how much i missed libraries. number 18 on the thirty-before-thirty list was to get an oakland library card, and now i have one!

 

coffee date with maggie + kai

remedy cafe with maggie and kai.

quilt

I finished the quilt for my friends wedding!

It all started when I found this house print at Ikea. I think it's so sweet, and wanted to turn it into something special for the newlyweds.

Carlton likes it!  

I learned a lot working on this, and it isn't perfect, but I am really happy with the result of my efforts. I will be trying quilts again for sure. Finishing this also counts as number 8, on my 30 before 30 list.

I didn't use a pattern for this, but after I made plans for my design I realized that it is very similar to the quilt in Amy Karol's book Bend the Rules Sewing. I kinda winged it—cutting the strips and arranging them on the floor till I found a combination that I liked. I think this method would make a traditional quilter's head explode. That is how I work in general, feeling it out  as I ago. Maybe it is a designer thing?

For anyone who might be curious, fabrics are:
Birds/Houses: Ikea
Floral: Daisy Doodle by Michael Miller
Trees/Birds with dots: Circa 50 By Monaluna for Birch Fabrics (100% organic)
Sofas/Chairs: Tufted Tweets by Laurie Wisbrun

wrapped

I like to "package" my handmade gifts.; somehow it makes them feel more finished. This is just stuff I had in my crafting stash. I have a lot of patterned papers around from back when I used to make a lot of paper crafts, something I don't do these days.

silver leaves baby dress: project update

I think that sometimes I (unintentionally) give the impression that everything I knit drips off my needles perfectly—just the way that I envisioned it. This isn't exactly true. A lot of projects are started and abandoned because I don't like the yarn, the pattern, or the way that fabric is knitting up, or because i am simply not having fun. And, more often then not, I make a lot of adjustments throughout the process. I tend to swear a lot.

This tiny little dress has been giving me a lot of grief. I knit the lace yoke without much incident, but after dividing for the sleeves and knitting several inches I could see that it was teeny-tiny, and I was worried that it would be too small for even a newborn. I adjusted the chest size, by ripping back and casting-on 10 stitches at each underarm.

I didn't care for the shape of the dress in the original pattern either, so i decided to do a series of increases across one row. This, simplest of knitting tasks, took me tree tries to get right...and the first two times i did it wrong, i didn't realise my mistake till i was at least halfway to the hem.

Once I had the skirt finished the in a way that pleased me, i wasn't happy with how big the sleeves were; i tried to make a “puff-sleeve”, but i didn't like how it came out; it is more like a baby straight jacket then a dress.

Baby isn’t due for three months, so i have some time to workout what i want to do in order to resolve the sleeves. In the meantime, I am letting this little project rest so I don't don't drive myself mad fussing with it.

This is my hobby, it is supposed to be fun right?

Despite all the trouble I think it will be sweet in the end. There is a keyhole closure at the back, and I can't wait to pick out a little button. I'm thinking red.

is it a toque or is it a tam?

 

i looked it up and decided that this is indeed more tam then toque, but i could be wrong.

I finished this tam weeks ago, but still haven't blocked it, or gotten a chance to take photos of myself modeling it. It is similar to the grey beret but his one has a slightly different ribbing pattern. Knit one, Purl 3 vs. Knit 7, Purl 1, and i added a pom too. This one is going into my long-term planning box for gift giving.