So Much

SO much has happened since I last checked in. The most important being that we built a closet. In renovating our house we combined the two bedroom closets to make one master closet, which was greatly needed. The problem is that a bedroom without a closet is no longer a bedroom. It took us three years to get around to but only one day to build. Of course that does not include taping the seams, sanding and painting but at least now we have a closet.

The other big accomplishment is the master closet curtains! It took intervention from my husband and both mothers to complete, but at least it is done. I used a very heavy fabric that proved difficult to work. As a result the project took much longer than anticipated. I am not sure what my problem was, it is sewing straight lines.

The final thing that I accomplished was my 'Health in Candy Form' project. It was recommended that eating Brazil nuts would be a good thing as they are rich in selenium which is great for boosting thyroid function. I am not a huge fan of Brazil nuts but luckily the daily 'dose' is only 3 to 4 nuts. I came up with this idea to make little treats; essentially the idea of a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. (I dare you to re-read that without hearing the Mary Poppins song- ha!)

My idea: 3 nuts and a dried apricot sandwiching a small piece of melted chocolate. It turned out much better than I expected. There were some design flaws; Brazil nuts are not a good base and now that I look at the finished product they are a bit big. Next time I am going to go for a smaller square of chocolate, half of an apricot and only 2 nuts. That way I can eat two and be happy.

In the future accomplishment category, I have again re-started the Red Devil Sweater (for the last time). If it is not comfortably wearable at the end of this, I am giving it away and starting on other, better conceived projects. More on that when it moves to the done list.

Guilt Spuds

I work very hard at keeping my pantry and refrigerator clean, organized and uncluttered but occasionally I will make an impulse purchase and then never follow through.

My latest experience has happened before and has happened to you all as well, I am sure. A few months ago I bought a big bag of potatoes because I love making soup and what is soup without potatoes? The thing is I didn't make a lot of soup this winter. There were not many snow days and it was not all that cold for long periods of time. I forgot about my potatoes, they forgot about me and we happily existed for a while out of each other's way.

With Easter being just a few days away I remembered my potatoes and thought that they would be lovely with the lamb I bought. They had other plans, like Spring and growing.

I christened  my find as Guilt Spuds and celebrated but throwing them out. Henry celebrated by occupying their old home.

My Brush With Fame

I always imagine myself meeting stars and hitting it off and being calm and just right. However the actual introduction is key, I see the famous person surrounded by fans and because I do not like crowds I am in the background watching. And then the star will look around and see me and invite me over or come over to me and it is perfect.

I never thought that it would happen but it did. Granted my husband took me to the book store where Amanda Soule was and there were not many people there but that is what happened. The people she was talking to left and she looked around and saw me and came over to talk to me. It was amazing.

We had planned to attend her periodical signing in VT since she had mentioned it, which gave me a few weeks to properly build up the excitement. I had though about what I wanted to tell her and talk to her about. Of course casually show her the item of clothing that I had made (it ended up being a pink cowl that day). Maybe tell her that I was trying to start a business and that I had a blog. We were going to chat about everything and anything and would become the best of friends instantly.

When the day came I was so filled with nerves and excitement I don't think I could properly talk. The book store was about an hour away from our house and it was a gorgeous Spring day so we set up the GPS and set out. Of course we got lost. The GPS thought we were going to the next town over which in VT means an extra hour driving on tiny pot holed roads. We only stopped and asked directions once and then we were there.

I was so nervous, there was no talking. I believe my husband was literally pushing me towards Amanda but I could not go. When she did come over and talk to me I can only remember saying hi and something about her being amazing and inspiring. I did mention her Blog and how I read it all the time. She signed my copy of her new periodical: Taproot. It was more than I could have hoped for. She is nice, polite, warm, friendly and seemed just as shy was I was but more practiced in a public setting. She was Normal and just like her blog conveyed. We did not stick around after that and were able to get home quickly.

It was a great day.

Crawling Back

I have fallen off the blogging band wagon and I am ashamed of it. I knew it would happen eventually but I was really hoping that the Sunrise House would be different. Plus, I do love being here with you.

I am not really sure what my problem is, I have been doing all sorts of projects and activities that would be prefect blog material but I never sit and write. I know I am hesitant to write after the fact because I never have any pictures to document what I have done. Really, what is a blog without pictures?

Now that I think on it I have a whole bunch to tell you all about.

I knit my first pair of socks and they came out quite nicely. I used the Martha Stewart for Lion brand Yarn striped socks pattern for worsted weight yarn. The pair took me just a few dedicated hours one weekend. They are a bit big but that would be easy enough to fix.

I experimented with using the same yarn but different needle sizes in a luxurious cowl that I happen to be wearing right now. In the same project I figured out a nifty way to add multiple stitches in one location to keep with the pattern stitch. The trick is to use two different ways of adding stitched in combination, keeping the correct tension and using wonderful and bulky yarn.

I have also tried a few new recipes. I found the best spice mix for salmon: ginger and smoked paprika. I know it sounds weird but it really works on Salmon, just a sprinkling of each, probably about a 1/2 tsp per 3/4lb, with some garlic power. I always start out fish with a even coat of lemon juice and round off the seasoning with some salt and pepper and a dab or two of butter.

I have started working Brussels sprouts into my veggie list, they are just so good for you that I had to try. My husband loves them and my mother in law has this great recipe of roasted Brussels sprouts and chestnuts that she serves during the holidays. I came up with two recipes, one roasted one pan cooked.  For the roasted sprouts I cut then into quarters length wise and threw them in a sheet pan with 1 bell pepper, a package of mushrooms - quartered, 1 large onion - dices large and 2 cloves garlic - sliced, tossed it all in olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at about 350. Stir the mixture after 15 minutes, 10 minutes after that stir in 1 can of diced tomatoes (you can add a can of rinsed kidney beans now as well) and cook another 10 to 15. This can be a main dish or side, just sprinkle a bit of Parmesan when serving. It can serve 2 to 6.

My pan cooked recipe is some sausage meat with an onion and a clove of garlic and quartered Brussels sprouts with a bottle of ale. Let that cook down for 15 to 10 and served that over pasta and finish with a chunk of cream cheese.

I have been roasting chicken thighs for lunch the past few weeks, it is the easiest thing ever, I couldn't believe it. I used the method from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything for roasting ‘chicken parts’ (as opposed to chicken breasts). 375 degrees for the oven, sheet pan, I season the meat on both sides lightly with a chicken seasoning mix from McCormick. The tights have skin and bone but I trim off the extra fat and any skin that seems in the way. Lay the chicken out skin side up and stick it in the oven. Roast for 45 minutes total, turning every 15 minutes, check the temp, if it’s over 165 you are done. For this week I chopped up 2 bell peppers and a large onion and filled in the areas around the chick on the pan and voila! Delicious Lunch.


 I have been reading a bunch lately too but I will save those for another post.

I am happy to be back, thanks for stopping by. :)

A Healthier Side of Vodka Sauce

I am always working on ways to have a one pot dinner that covers most if not all parts of a well rounded dinner. I find something very comforting about eating a meal from a bowl and I find nothing to be more daunting about dinner then breaking out a bunch pots and pans just for one week night dinner.

This being said pasta always seems to be difficult. Sure you can throw anything over pasta but when you are working with the standard past and sauce format often you have to serve the veggie on the side. I love veggies but when I want a one pot dinner getting the veggie worked can turn a good idea bad. Last night though was a total success.

One chicken breast cut into ½ inch cubes

One medium onion, chopped

One clove garlic (or more :D) diced fine or sliced

¾ to 1 cup frozen peas

Half of a jar of Vodka sauce

Pasta for 2, I used about 2 cups of ziti

Cooking oil

Parmesan cheese

I cooked the chicken in a medium sauce pan until there was no visible pink then added the garlic and onions. When the onions were translucent I added the peas and stirred that mixture around for a bit, until the peas looked mostly defrosted. I threw in the half jar of vodka sauce, stirred well, covered and turned to low heat. While the sauce mixture was simmering I cooked the pasta. As soon as the pasta is done, drain and split between the two bowls, add the sauce and sprinkle a desired amount of parmesan cheese on. We love cheese so tend to add more than most.

It was delicious and easy.

Thanks Giving

My Very First. Well not really. Of course I have had Thanks Giving before, every year of my life and sometimes twice depending on the family situations.

This is the first, however, that I am in charge; the only cook in the kitchen. Even though its just us, (husband and the 3 cats) of course I have a 12 pound turkey. I am going the distance.

I dance between complete comfort and total panic with the prospect of doing this on my own. I have been raised and been around great cooks my whole life. I have always been in the kitchen if not the right hand gal of many mothers on Roast Giving day. How could I not already have this in the bag? But a whole turkey, dressing, baby red potatoes, asparagus, bread, cranberry sauce, gravy and dessert?

Really? What am I thinking??!?!

I have drawn the line in the sand though; not stuffing but dressing and a store bought selection of cheesecake bites instead of my own pie. I am not going to try anything fancy, just straightforward recipes and stuff I am familiar with, like asparagus - easiest thing in the world. Now that I have said that, though, I know that will be my down fall.

I am going the leg work, I read Fannie Farmer this morning. Adam and I picked the menu together so we will both be happy. Grocery shopping is done. And no guests, which will ease the pressure.

All I can do is hope now. Hope for the best, and know that I have ravioli and a jar of sauce if it all goes down the pooper.

 My one question: do I defrost the turkey first? I am going to just in case - it won't hurt, right?

Happy Thanks Giving everyone.

Nutbutters

I love nut butter. My passion for nut butter started with peanut butter. I think nothing is better than natural PB with my mom’s Raspberry Jam on whole gran bread or smothered on a ripe banana. But if i need a quick snack or a topping for ice cream I go for a spoonful of the more traditional PB like Jif or Skippy.

Back to nut butter; I love that different nuts have such different flavors and textures. I love how creative nut butters can be, just like their whole nut counterparts. It’s not uncommon to see candied walnuts or chocolate covered almonds but only recently can you find chocolate flavored peanut butter.

Every once and a while I will spoil myself and buy Almond butter or this amazing maple cashew butter from our local hippy co-op. At one of our recent grocery shopping trips I was having the ounces versus price debate with myself over fancy almond butter when my husband asked, “Are you suddenly allergic to normal peanut butter?” Considering that my two almond butter options were both more than twice the price of the peanut butter I usually get I cannot blame him.

As I grudgingly put the fancy stuff back and went to get the normal PB I decided it was time to take action and create the product I was looking for. I could make my own stinkin’ nut butter and I already had everything I needed!

My first two experiments were walnut butter and almond butter. The walnuts my mom bought me from Cost Co a while back and have been patiently waiting in my freezer. I am not a big walnut fan because they taste bitter to me but they have been donned as the latest “supper food” so I had to get on board. Almonds I had from making Chickpea burgers, which were awesome by the way.

From there it could not have been easier. I set the oven at 350 and spread the nuts out on my half-sheet baking pan. When the nuts looked toasted i took them out and threw them in the food processor. i didn’t both with pulsing but just set the processor to ‘ON’ and read my book for a while.

Every few pages I would give it a look. When everything looked like it was the same consistency I gave it a taste. I added some sea salt and brown sugar and let it go for a bit longer. When it reached the texture I wanted I poured/ scouped everything out into an empty glass PB jar. These amounts made around 6 to 8 oz of butter.

The walnuts took about 16 minutes in the own and the almonds about 13 minutes. For half of the half sheet I added a ½ tsp of salt and a tsp of sugar to both.  The thing that surprised me was the end consistency. The walnut butter was very loose and runny but the almond butter was stiff so I added some light olive oil to the almond butter to loosen it up.
       
For my second experiment I did a whole sheet of walnuts. I toasted them at a slightly higher temperature, 375. instead of brown sugar I added some maple syrup and processed it for a longer period of time. The consistency is completely different, It was much more smooth, almost like it had been whipped.

Total success. Now I am having day dreams of my new business....  :)

Today is October 21st

Today is the four year anniversary of the day that my husband proposed to me.  I am awestruck with all that we have done in 4 years, how much we have changed.

        Four years ago yesterday I was in Colorado watching one of my best friends from High School get married to the love of his life and hanging out with people that I rarely see but get along with so well. I was single, in my last year of college and had a promising career in the hospitality industry. My high school sweet heart only occasionally crossed my mind. It’s amazing how much can change in one day. One day that I will never forget. I had just gotten home from the red-eye flight back from Colorado; I planned on getting some sleep before part CT of Gordon’s wedding when I got a call from the last person I expected. Adam insisted that I come over right away because he needed to talk to me.  We went for a walk but only made it to the end of his parent’s access way. Looking back the day was magical, the New England Autumn in full swing on a crisp but not cold day. I don’t remember when I cottoned on to what his intension was but I was stunned. Even now I am on the brink of tears thinking about it. He had been doing a lot of thinking, examining his life and his future. It was my dreams come true, this man in front of me – so nervous he was holding the wrong hand. As he was talking I was thinking about my life and my future, so many times I had pictured us together forever but recently those thoughts had been pushed away. The last time we had talked was his birthday at the end of July; we had not been in a relationship since March. Now here he was asking me to marry him. I think I responded with only a nod, unable to speak. I know I was crying though. When we got back to the house his parents had the champagne out.  We took pictures and talked. I made Adam call my parents; it had to be one right, even if out of order. My Dad was stunned; he was at my sister’s house, in a park across the street watching my nieces.

        That Day started the rest of my life. The wedding planning went quickly, I picked out the venue and the date, June 22^nd, and the covered dinner, drinks and the cake. We used the florist and photographer from my sister’s wedding. The DJ was recommended by a friend. The day is a blur to me; I only remember a few things. We moved to Vermont where Adam had a good job and we could start our life easily. I found a job quickly as well with the help of one of Adam’s old professors. Since then we have bought a house, adopted 3 cats, been promoted and found a comfortable life together. We have found new hobbies and gone on adventures. Several times we have driven down the eastern coast to visit family. I think back on who I was 4 years ago and I know that I am a different person now, though I cannot articulate how I have changed. I have watched Adam change and grow for many years; he is nothing like the person I met so many years ago. He is more confident in himself and his choices, he is proud and beautiful. He is nurturing, supportive and appreciative; saying ‘thank you’ for every dinner even if it’s just defrosting something.  

        Ten years ago plus 11 days we started our first relationship: October 10^th, 2001. We had known each other through friends but did not connect until the Homecoming dance that year. He had lost his glasses and I felt bad. I remember sitting in the courtyard and looking at the sky later on in the evening.  I remember our first kiss a few weeks later, it was in my driveway and I think I kissed him first. I have 6 years worth of memories, some good and some bad. We started and stopped many times in the six years between the first October 10^th and the fateful October 21^st. I know now that every experience, even the times when hearts were broken, was important and necessary to the bond that we have today. I have no doubts about the decision that I made to get married; no concern about missed experiences.

        I thank God every day for the life and the love that I have. I would not change a thing, I have no regrets just excitement and anticipation for whatever is next for us.

Productivity

On some of my days off I am productive and on others I cannot even say that I worked on knitting or crochet while I watched TV. I have been trying to think of why that is; do I not have a good plan or motivation? Strangely that isn’t it. I have woken up in the mornings and thought about all of the things that I wanted to do that day. I have even set up projects or planned ahead so everything is ready for me but then something happens and I am on the couch carefully selecting a Netflix movie to watch.

Other days, like today, I sleep in and think of nothing but curling up on the couch and watching some dumb movie.Here I am though, its 12:30 and I have successfully made both almond and walnut nut butters and I have veggies roasting in the oven for soup. I have plans for this afternoon to work on a Christmas gift as well.

I can’t even say that my weekend days are balanced, one productive, one sloth like. Yesterday was a great day. Again I woke up wanting to spend the cold rainy day on the couch and, admittedly, work on a kntting project. One of my husband’s friends was going to come over in the morning and help Adam with a dump run. Suddenly Jeremy is not coming and we are going to the big city to go shopping.

I remembered to bring my project so I got a few rows done in the car, we went to the Mall and I got a new pair of shoes ($11 black pumps :D) and some fancy socks. Then we went to Loews and finally got the matching switch plate for the kitchen. We got lunch at 99, one of our favorite places, and then split up - Adam went to BestBuy to look at entertainment stuff and I went to Christmas Tree Shoppes to stock up on unnecessary Tea, cat toys and kitchen supplies.  We were home by 5 to relax and watch TV (and continue to work on knitting).

I guess it comes down to what  want to get done that day. Sometimes I really should just stay on the couch; maybe I just had the worst week ever or if I am starting to get sick. If nothing is all I do - mission accomplished.

Still Alive

I am still alive!!! Don't worry - I am still cooking and creating and getting up early.

Summer came and went by so fast, it took me a while to catch up and process. Then the Fall hit hard at work and I got lost in everything.

I am back now and will be posting on a regular basis (or trying).

Here is a preview of some of the subjects:

• Quilting
• Knitting
• House updates
• New Chicken recipe
• Summer events and activities
• Maybe a few book reviews.... Sam - what can I say, I am inspired by you.

See you on the flip-side!

Eggplant

Try eggplant.

It is one of the more strange looking foods in the vegetable and fruit section but boy is it good. I have been looking for new things to try and also have been doing research on foods that help with high cholesterol ( my big issue according to my doctor). Eggplant kept coming up so I went out and got one.

Relying on my trusty copy of Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" I found out how to roast and then make the best Parmesan something ever, well so far. And it was so easy.

To Roast, peel the eggplant and slice into 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick pieces. Brush with oil (olive), flip and sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. From there the slices can go right on the Grill or under the broiler, say the broiler on your favorite toaster oven.. leave them alone until golden brown, flip again and brown the other side.

At this point I like to coat the bottom of an oven safe dish with tomato sauce and carefully fit the slices in, layer in more sauce and mozzarella cheese and back that for 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbling nicely.

If the prospect of another dirty dish is out of the question simply place a few slices on a plate, spoon hot tomato sauce over add cheese and presto! Self serve eggplant parm. The naked, cooked slices hold up well in the fridge for a day or two waiting to be a great lunch. Oh, if you like a more creamy cheese presence add a bit of American cheese to the mozzarella.

Skirt

I made a skirt!!!

This is a huge triumph for me. I started with 1.5 yards of fabric that I love and have had for 5 years. Adding to that is a great need and desire to make my own clothes as I can never find skirts or pants that fit me or my style.. well me mostly. Throw in motivation, time and an existing skirt (that I converted from pants 8 years ago) and there you have it!

The best part is IT ACTUALLY FITS! :D  When I first made the skirt it was really big and I was so pissed because of the way I did the waist band. I would have to completely deconstruct the top of the I skirt to take it in. Then I decided to wash it and see how things looked. My washer and dryer are miracle workers.

The liner fabric is from another project that I took apart

This project was a great experience for me. I used tissue paper ( for wrapping presents) for the pattern and did a bunch of math: my waist is so many inches and I intend on having 4 panels so they all have to be so many inches on the top.

 I used many different colored pens when I was converting the existing skirt dimensions to be the skirt that I wanted. To make the front and back panels symmetrical I discovered that I could just fold the fabric over - perpendicular to the direction of my pattern. I used an invisible zipper and foot for the first time! It worked out so well and I was so excited about it that I forgot to add the pockets (oh well).

 I even did darts - I had to, it was from the original pants and actually helped shape the skirt nicely. The darts are a funny learning experience. If you make them too severe you end with what I like to call Nipple Bottom. I have no pictures of said Nipple Bottom because I was able to undo and elongate them. I found the best way to determine how long they should be by using the iron, though I am sure there is an official way.

See, no Nipple Bottom.

Now that I have done this one I can't wait to change the pattern and see if I can make a different one! Or maybe just try the same one but with different fabric...

Charlie is SO helpful!

New Title

Don't worry people, the blog is not changing - just the name. I was never really happy with Creative Rambling but I had to come up with something to have a blog. I am extremely happy with The Sunrise House because I am often up at or before sunrise doing stuff and most of the rest of the house is up with me.

I am on a time crunch now but I will be back later to tell all about the most delicious and easy Eggplant Parm recipe.

See you on the flip side!!

Hummus Success

It is now Thursday evening and I have yet to write anything as I had planned, I did however get the computer turned on one morning this week. I am not so surprised, this week has been very intense, with heat, humidity, yorping cats and the need to (once) and mistake of (a different morning) sleeping past my alarm.


I did have a great pre-breakfast morning on Tuesday. Got up on time, maybe even early, got my exercise in and I experimented with a new hummus recipe.


This was not a planned or intensional experimentation but out of need. During the weekend when I might have had a quick 10 minutes to get some more hummus together I did not realize that my supply was so low. Monday rolled around and I had just enough to make the standard lunch of late, hummus and cheese with pickled something on HM roll. The pickled something refers to the two jars I have in my fridge; pickled curry green tomatoes and sweet picked hot peppers.


Lo and behold my pantry did not come through for me this time – no chickpeas. But I did have plenty of black beans, so I went for it. I was partially inspired to do a non chickpea hummus from the small spread about Fresh Peas in the May 2011 issue of Whole Living, featuring – you guessed it! - a fresh pea hummus.


One well rinsed 16oz can of black beans, a medium clove of garlic, a tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon each of tahini and lemon juice, a half teaspoon each of salt and cumin plus a quarter teaspoon of black pepper later I have a respectable amount of the best hummus I have ever made.


It is smooth and full of flavor, great plain (even before 6AM) or on my sandwich. The smooth part is really key for me as I usually end of adding way too much tahini and lemon juice to my chickpea hummus to try and get it to smooth out. I would, and will, say that this was a huge success.
My next adventure is eggplant parm, though I am planning for his one. What adventures have you taken in the kitchen lately?

Dressing a Salad

Salad Dressing
The Rule of Threes..or fives depending :)

In trying to get in shape and get into healthy habits now while it is “easy” I make myself a salad for lunch every day. It might just me a side salad of spinach or the main course with spinach, beans, nuts and tomato – all depends on what I am feeling like and how hungry I was the day before.

Whatever the salad I always need dressing but I am usually not satisfied with the store bought selections. I find dressing to be too fatty or not have enough oil, too salty or with too sugar and never the right consistency. Being from a family of great cooks I have grown up with homemade dressing so it was not daunting for me to just make my own and be happy.

I make a half cup batch at a time because that it the container I have to bring to work and I can usually get 4 to 5 days out of that amount. I love this system because I like variety. Having the same dressing ever week is boring and makes me regret salad which is a very bad thing. I should say this applies for non-creamy dressings. But I guess you can mix some mayo or sour cream in and achieve what you are looking for.

Making the dressing. I find it is a rule of threes but if you like dressing to be lighter on the oil it should be a rule of fives. The basics are one part flavor and acid two parts oil though your preference might be 2 parts flavor and acid to 3 parts oil or vice versa. The creamy ingredients would be on the oil side of the parts and maybe use a daily liquid to loosen not oil. I always season with 2 pinches of ground pepper and a ¼ tsp of kosher salt. For the spices I use dashes so the absolute max amount would be a ¼ tsp, the sweeteners could range from a ¼ tsp to a full tsp and anything chunky (onion flakes, or dried herbs) usually is a main flavor so ½ tsp to a full tsp.

The main combinations I use are:

curry, ginger, cumin and garlic with brown sugar and white wine vinegar
ginger, honey and lemon juice with white wine vinegar
ginger, garlic, chive and soy sauce with a few drops of sesame oil with light oil
garlic, mustard powder, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar
onion flakes and parsley with balsamic vinegar

I try to experiment with the herbs and spices I have to find new and interesting (but never again) combinations. I would recommend working in small batches until you get the hang of it. There is nothing worse than being stuck with or throwing out a large amount of nasty dressing.

on my mind...

Lately I have been bursting with great crafty ideas and filled with a yearning to do...something.... Every time I turn around a new idea comes to me; a cotton shell to wear over tanks for work, a sandwich roll idea using pizza dough, trying to adapt my bread recipe into cinnamon swirl, making a skirt.. and the list goes on. I also again find myself starting blog posts in my head but I never write anything. This is frustrating for me because if I don't take the time to write things down and think projects through I forget – either the whole thing or some key part.

Baby's First Haircut

Today Henry got his first hair cut; I think it was harder for me than for him. I was very nervous about how he would react and if he would have a really hard time with the whole ordeal. I had my husband take him so that I would not have to watch the freak out. Henry is the black and white long haired one on the right.

I had nothing to worry about though. Adam came back with a full report of considerably good behavior and reaction. The Groomer did cheat a bit with 'Rescue Remedy' - Natural stress relief for pets, which may have mitigated some of the panic. Whether it helped or not, she did manage to get all ten of his nails clipped as well.

I think the most shocking thing is how small Henry really is. We consider him to be the big man on campus. He is heavier than the other two and just bigger overall. But let me tell you; its all hair. All of it. My Mother- in- Law was correct in calling him the Marshmallow.

I guess we will have to come up with some new nicknames....'Big Fluff' just does not seem very fitting...

New Project Love

Two of my favorite couples are getting married this year, and I am pumped. Both couples were at my wedding (kinda) and all four people are extremely important to me. What does this mean? Wanting to put thought and meaning into their wedding gifts.

Easy right? Ha!

I was at a complete loss until Sam (future wife in couple P) asked my husband to make them a gift and then BAM! I had an idea-quilts. YES!!!! Nothing quite like a good comfortable idea to send my creative motivation through the roof (and my work attention span down the drain).

Obviously I cannot speak of my ideas and plans but I will, hopefully, when they are done and given away.

I have not been excited about quilting since I was a Freshmen I college and wanted something to express my creative side as Art classes sucked. That idea turned into a 6 year labor and a King Size quilt. I learned a ton about quilting but I made some big mistakes as well. I really look forward to taking the time to plan everything out and do research on how to do things properly.

Wish me luck!

Sweater Progress

In a turn of success, I was inspired for another attempt at the bolero but this time I had the correct needle, checked my gauge and rejected the pattern stitch and just K the knit and P the purl. The Bolero turned out just how I wanted it, big and cozy. This is a great success for me and it seems like I was against the odds after reading all of the reviews of the pattern. In the end I had to look up a different Lion Brand pattern to get the specifics on how to do the finishing on part of it. I might have been a bit liberal with the length on certain parts as well-it's my sweater darn-it!. 

I have recently bought one of Elizabeth Zimmerman’s books, Knitting Without Tears. The concept of a sweater with no seams is so exciting I can’t stand it. I read slowly-which killed me-but I wanted to make sure I really absorbed as much as I could. The book changed my knitting life- I now understand gauge and how to make it work for me and the percentages system is so far working well. 


I have completed the body up to the arm pits and did the 3/4 length sleeves this weekend. This sweater project was a test of my tolerance during the first try but now it is an exciting challenge where I am learning new things and honing my skills. The project is now sentimental as I am using my Nana's size 5 metal circular needle and the set of size 5 double point needles are from my mother.(Thats right, metal knitting needles. Dude.   I have found the trick with metal needles is the tension-too loose and they slip right out causing a heart attack but just right and they happily stay.)


Anyways, I will be adding the sleeves today and starting with the yoke part!! YAY!!! I plan on making it a wide neck and I intend (right now) on doing a simple eyelet detail around the neck to make it interesting.. we shall see how I do..

Wait a Moment

Oh My Gosh, it has been along time since I invested a few moments for my blog! Life has been very busy for the past few weeks with a business trip and the associated catch-up and with house improvements that my husband has hinted at, I have so much to write about and no time!

I will get to it, though I can't promise..not with the other promised- yet still missing- posts hanging over my head.

Though our visit has been short, it is a hello none the less and a commitment to stop by again soon!