As Promised!

Swallowtail Shawl By Evelyn Clark
Knit Picks Shadow, in Eggplant, 1 skein. Knit on US 4.
Beads - Clear Size 6, Purple AB, Size E (Size 8 crochet Hook).

This was a great knit. I had never done nupps before, and they were absolutely easy. I am a visual learner, so I did find myself a video to watch just to ensure I had my act together. The beads were even easier, but I did feel like they were more time consuming. The pattern is well written, provides charts and written directions, as well as the differing amounts of yarn and needle sizes needed if you opt to use heavier gauge yarn.

For those of you who are worried about beads - it's a 4 step process.

1. Put bead on crochet hook and hold it up the hook with your middle finger.
2. Use crochet hook to pick up the stitch you intend to bead off of the left needle.
3. Use your middle finger to slide bead down the crochet hook and onto live stitch.
4. Replace stitch onto left needle, and knit the stitch.
(Check out this guide on Knitty for more info)

Seriously. That's all there is too it. Apparently some patterns indicate whether or not to knit the stitch once it has the bead on it. For the swallowtail, there is no beading information in the pattern, so I opted to knit the stitch. There are a great many resources and out there if you are wanting to bead this particular shawl. Ravelry member "yards-of-yarn" has great info in regards to bead quantities and placement.


(BTW - good to know - when knit as written it takes approx. 210 beads. Know this before you buy beads. Ahem.)

Overall, I'm really pleased with how this turned out. I think Tobs will be too.

Happy Tuesday!

PS - I linked the shawl to a nifty Knit-A-Long site. It has a ton of information on how to knit the shawl larger, needle sizes, etc. For those of you who simply want the pattern, you can find it here. Oh yeah, and it's free. =)

So What... I've been busy!

And I'm still so off schedule! Gah! I feel like I need to schedule myself in some fashion. For example:

Here is how I currently spend my day:

Step 1 - Wake up. Consume Coffee.
Step 2 - Take Mini-Me to school, return home and consume more coffee.
Step 3 - Waste the whole damned day being relatively unproductive, and not focusing on one task for more than 20 minutes.
Step 4 - Make sure I'm home by 3 for Mini-Me. (That's if I get the gumption to leave the house.)
Step 5 - Waste more time until it's time for sleep.

So you see the problem right? I feel lazy, unproductive and rather bleh. Some thing's got to give.

I did manage to finish a shawl for my good girl Tobs. Pictures to follow. Due to a recent restructuring of furniture, my blocking area is completely not suitable for picture taking.

In the mean time, check out the fluffy white stuff I encountered on a recent trip to NH to see Sunflower Girl get married.

Doesn't she look lovely?


I love the way this tree looks in the snow. I'm still unsure if one should call it a hydrangea bush or a tree - the thing is taller than me. While the jury is still deliberating, I figure we should call it a tree.


And no, 'lil Chewie stayed home and out of the snow.

I promise there will be pictures of yarn next post.

Promise.

No talking. Just reading.

In the morning, she wakes up, and opens her eyes to the ceiling.

She rolls over to look at the clock and closes her eyes. No. Not yet.

See, she’s still caught up in her dreams. Didn’t she tell you it’s easier there? None of whatever this is. When she’s sleeping, it’s easier. She can float where she wants, see the colors with unparalleled clarity, and sing the songs that she wants to sing. When she sleeps, the water is as cold or as hot as she wants it. The rain is soft or roaring. She’s free to let her mind wander without fear of discovery. Perhaps she wants to laugh with him. Maybe she just wants to think of where her heart should go next.

But where does it become reality. How does one take the beauty of the mind and translate it a flat piece of black and white? It’s all in there, you see. Locked inside of her mind. Millions of specs of time that all add up to something – to it. And she wants to know what it is. What is the point in getting to dream if you can’t take it with you?

She’s moved past the dreams that one has as a child – ones that become tangible.

“When I grow up, I’m going to have a swimming pool.”

Check. It’s out there. Right now. Want to go for a swim?

It’s the dreams that are found behind her eyes… The dreams that you can’t create. The perfect shade of robin’s egg blue that filled every inch of your mind, yet there’s no paint chip that could match it once the dream is over. The amazing glow of a smile that filled you with such warmth, and the realization that the smile belongs to a person you’ll never meet.

Can’t you see what she wants? Can’t you see why she wants to take it with her? It’s the perfection that she knows exists.

And so she lays. Trying to go back. Ignoring the sunshine.

Mini-Me's Letter to Santa

Dear Santa -

Sorry if you don't like the card.

Thank you for everything! Hope you like the croissant.*

I watched you on the tracker online!

Did you fly in the day and is rudolph's nose a radar?

Did you visit my dad?**

xoxoxo
Love,
Maddie

PS - Sorry about the cookies. I'll let you have truffles to!!***


*In true Mommy fashion, we are fresh out of cookies. Luckily I had chocolate croissants on hand.

**We happened to luck out and check out the tracker while Santa was in Afghanistan. Which is where her dad is. I cannot tell you the delight that brought.

**Uncle Dennis gave her a box of chocolates for Christmas. So she is sharing with Santa.

Merry Christmas, friends. I am a lucky lady because of people like you. MWAH.

One would think that with all of this time I have on my hands that I would be blogging like a mo'fo.

Yeah, well, fuggedaboudit. This whole jobless thing has really caused my brain to go a bit haywire. Normally, I suffer from a bit (cough cough) of the blues during the winter season, but this year has been rather nasty. Sunday I just put myself back to bed and just tried to keep my mouth shut.

Tuesday I had an interview, which went really well. I liked the company's vision and their plan for growth. I even got to use big people words like "cost trends" and "market analysis."

(gag)

Either way, the company has people take this wacky hour long test. Personality, leadership styles, manageability (har har), verbal reasoning and mathematical reasoning. When was the last time any of you thought about the following:

frog:dinosaur :: whale :
a. dog
b. fish
c. bird
d. snake

or

-11(0.825 + 30)(576%/26%))

better still

1 1/3 x 4/5

The recruiter informs me that this test is not a make or break for employment, but I did have to laugh when I was asked to answer yes or no to the following:

I have NEVER blown up at anyone. (Or did they use "gone off"?)

o.O

Oh, and I have been busy with fluff too.

Here is a coronet hat for one of my favorite little ladies, Ms. EJ, Mini-Me's BFF. I used Aysen from Aracuania for it and I have a lot of love for how it does with cables. It looks similar to malabrigo in the skein, but it's a bit denser than malabrigo making it a true aran weight yarn.



And here is about 2 oz of "Barrow Owl" from Enchanted Knoll's Happy Hooves Batt Club. I spun this up as a fingering weight single and navajo plied it into what you see today.


I am almost finished with the remaining 4 ounces and will ply them after the holiday. I am truly tickled with how it's turned out. Particularly the sparkles.

I sure do hope everyone has a wonderful holiday. Know that I will be thinking of you and wishing you much joy, good health and contentment.

After all, if you can learn to be content, everything else is cake.

Come on.. Just Try Them Once.

I swear you will be hooked. Be careful with the filling - it's addictive.


Nana's Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

(Be sure to use pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)

2 ¼ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon (I add a bit more)

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cloves (I add a bit more)

8 tablespoons of soft butter (1 stick---I use unsalted for baking)

1 ¼ cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup sour cream

1 can of pumpkin

¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts—optional

Drum roll please...

FOR THE FILLING

6 tablespoons soft butter

4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla (I use a little bit more)

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

FOR THE COOKIES

Position 2 racks in the middle and upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

COMBINE the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl.

PUT the butter and sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for 30 seconds.

DECREASE the speed to low and mix in the sour cream and pumpkin just until combined. Add the flour mixture and blend just until it is incorporated. Stir in the walnuts at this time if you are using nuts.

DROP 28 rounded tablespoons (I use the smallest Pampered Chef scoop) of batter 3 inches apart onto the parchment paper. The batter is thick enough to hold its mound on the sheets.

BAKE the cookies for about 12 minutes, or until the tops are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cookies comes out clean. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheets. Use a wide metal spatula to loosen them from the paper, then cool them thoroughly on the sheets.

FILLING: Put the butter, cream cheese and vanilla in a bowl and beat on medium-low speed for about 1 minute, until the mixture is smooth and thoroughly combined. Decrease the speed to low and add the confectioners’ sugar in 2 additions. Beat until it is incorporated and the frosting is smooth.

SPREAD a slightly rounded tablespoon of cream cheese filling over the flat bottoms of the cooled cookies and add the tops. ENJOY!

Why we left the remaining ones at someone's house after Thanksgiving Dinner I will never know. These are so fabulous, and the pumpkin isn't over powering at all. I think I'll be dreaming about these tonight..

P.S.
Remember that you are strong and nothing is going to stand in your way. You have overcome a lot in life to be here today. Never let anyone take that away from you.

Never.