Sweet and Light

Working Girl

So, two significant things have happened in the last two weeks that have impeded my blogging: I started my new job, and my old desktop computer died. The death had been a long time coming, so it was really no surprise. My only regret is that I never backed up my files. That means hundreds of pictures and designs potentially lost. I still plan to take the computer to a specialist to see if he/she can salvage the hard drive. Keep your fingers crossed!

About the new job... there's not too much to say. The position is in the construction industry, but I work in an office, pushing papers. So far things are going well. It's just been hard adjusting to this new 8-5+ schedule. Most nights I've been exhausted, hitting the hay at 9pm. It's a little pathetic, but hopefully I'll get into a normal routine soon. In the meantime, creating is mostly on hiatus.

What little I have done has revolved around cooking and crocheting. Last weekend it was delicious caramel corn and quickie cinnamon bread.

This caramel corn was made from the recipe found here. It's quite good and easy. The only change I made was to use corn popped in our stove top "Whirly Pop" rather than microwave popcorn. We don't eat microwave popcorn anymore because of the health concerns involved. I also doubled the amount of popcorn and kept the amount of caramel the same. There was still plenty of caramely sweetness to go around.

We also decided we liked the caramel corn better if it was baked only for 30 mins, rather than the full hour. But that could have something to do with our freakishly inaccurate oven. 

For Saturday breakfast I made quickie cinnamon bread. There's no recipe, but it's really easy. I buy the Pillsbury bread in a tube when I have a coupon or it goes on sale. I prefer the "Country Italian Loaf". It's in the refrigerated section with the crescent rolls, biscuits, etc... This bread has great texture and taste and I use it for all kinds of shortcut cooking. When you open the can, you're supposed to bake it as is, in a tube shape and it will become a little loaf of bread. But there is a seam on the bottom that you can peel back and unroll the loaf into a flat rectangle. It makes great pizza crust, filled sandwiches, etc... And also pretty good cinnamon rolls!

Just unroll the bread, and sprinkle with a combination of 1/2 white sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Roll back into loaf shape and pinch seam closed. I baked it as a loaf and sliced it afterward, but I don't see why you couldn't slice it before baking like with traditional cinnamon rolls. Just spread with a little butter to prevent drying.

And, because we're decadent around here, I made some icing to dollop on top.

 
The bread was quite sweet and yummy without icing, but everything's just better with icing, don't you agree?

I've been crocheting up some little coasters and table pads. They're like little granny circles, with a scallop around the edge for decoration. We needed something to protect the table from drippy glasses and hot plates. These are made from wool yarn and do the job nicely.

 

Thats all I have for now. I'm writing this on Aaron's laptop and it's bugging the heck out of me!  With any luck we'll find a great deal on a new computer for me this weekend!

See you again soon!

Snow and Tell

It's been a crazy week. We made a trip back to Indiana to visit with a beloved grandfather one last time and attend his funeral.

There is no question about the sadness associated with such times, but in addition to mourning our great loss, we also gathered to celebrate a life well lived. I like to think Grandpa is happy now, reunited with his wife and son who have gone before him.

The funeral was held on Friday, which also happened to be a cold and snowy day in Indiana. It seemed that no part of the eastern United States escaped this storm. For the first time, our entire route home from Indiana to Maryland was blanketed with a thick layer of snow. There was not one mile we traveled without the white stuff.

And we returned home to town covered with 3 FEET of snow! The roads were nearly impassable. Exits off major highways were closed off by heaps of snow taller than our car. Three lane roads had become one lane.

The meltdown has begun, but this was the scene around the apartment building today:

People are still trying to dig out and clear their vehicles. There is a front end loader helping to open up the parking lot. Honestly, I've never seen anywhere near this much snow in my life before. The Valentine's Blizzard of 2007 in Lafayette IN dropped about 16-19 inches. Last month's snowstorm in MD had a similar total. But at 3 feet, this snowfall is like both of those put together!

When walked Casper this morning, he jumped off the cleared path into the snow and literally disappeared. All I could see was the leash coming out and I could hear a faint whimpering. I laughed at him as I pulled him out, but after that experience he was ready to go back inside! 

Appropriate to this wintery weather, I spent my downtime last week crocheting a scarf to go along with my earflap hat.

I used the same "Neat Ripple Pattern" from Attic 24 as for my friend's baby's blankie. I'm in love with this pattern. It's easy enough to do while having a conversation, but the counting keeps it from being too monotonous. Again, I used Naturally Caron Country yarn on a size G hook, chaining about 250 to begin with. The scarf itself ended up being about 52 inches long, so I added fringe to give it a bit more length. Still loving this yarn, but I did find a knot in the middle of a skein where two pieces were joined together. It's a bit of a nuisance, but nothing major. I've seen the same thing in the very expensive Noro Silk Garden yarn. 

Today's a rather busy day for me, as I'm trying to prepare for my new job. Yep, that's right, I'm going back to work. I guess all my mother's nagging finally paid off. It's full time and there will certainly be an adjustment period. I've warned Aaron that meals will be of lesser quality, if prepared at all. Housework will suffer. Laundry will pile up.  But he's assured me that he's ready to pick up the slack. We'll see!

Hope you're having a wonderful day!

An ear flap hat and some catching up...

Uh, it's been awhile. Sorry. I never meant to stay away so long, but this month has completely gotten away from me. Things have been mostly quiet at the Brown home. I'm still struggling to keep my New Year's resolutions. Failing in some respects, and having some success in others. Isn't that the way it always is?

Been cooking alot. Most of it healthy stuff. Some of it not so much. I love love love this recipe for soft caramels. These come out super soft if cooked just to 240 degrees and are absolutely excellent drizzled with or dipped in chocolate. Decadent. But, if you prefer a bit of a firmer, chewier caramel, just cook for a couple minutes past 240. I ran out of brown sugar at Christmas time, so I've used a pound of white sugar with a drizzle of molasses as a substitute. This recipe makes ALOT of caramels!

Up until a couple days ago, the weather had been pretty decent here in Maryland, so I've been walking for exercise. Walking is a BIG deal for me. For almost a year now I've been suffering from a severe case of plantar fasciitis which has kept me from walking or standing for more than just a few minutes at a time. Finally it seems my foot is healing, so I'm back to walking everywhere. If I have to go to the post office, I'm walking. To the grocery for a few things? I'm walking!

In fact, Aaron and I had plans to walk the 2 miles to the theater this weekend to see Avatar. But then it snowed. My "special" shoes aren't suitable for walking in snow, so maybe next weekend. Instead we stayed in, and in the spirit of this winter weather I crocheted a cozy ear flap hat.

I have a 20 degree rule. As long as it's above 20 degrees, I walk. So a warm hat was in order.

For this hat I didn't use a pattern. Just started by chaining 3 and forming a ring, then going around and around in a spiral, increasing when I deemed necessary until it was hat-shaped. For the flaps, I worked rows back and forth, then edged the whole hat with contrasting yarn to smooth the edges. Easy peasy.

I used Naturally Caron Country Yarn, which is a favorite of mine for apparel items. It's a merino wool/acrylic blend that's soft against the skin, easy care, and has a beautiful drape once worn in.

The yarn wrapper suggests a size I hook, but in my opinion that's entirely too big. I use a G with this yarn and still get a soft and supple crocheted fabric. 

And, since it snowed yesterday, it seems an appropriate time to share some pictures of the blizzard we had here on the east coast last month.

Officially we got 16" inches here in Columbia, MD.

 
The snow was about level with Casper's back.

But with the high winds, the snow drifted much higher in some places.

This is the view of our balcony:

Can you see how the drift is up even with the door handle? Crazy!

Okay. That's all I have today. But I'll be back sooner, rather than later! Hope you all had a happy January!   

Doing it wrong, then starting it over

I'm still being lured by the siren song of the hexagons. This time in the form of crochet. I had some yarn leftover from my dear friend's baby's blankie, so I thought I'd add a few girlish colors and begin an afghan of my own.

I spent all of Sunday evening crocheting away, using Lucy's tutorial. Foolishly, I worked the steps from my memory.

I was utilizing the "join as you go" method and, after doing many hexes that night, I sensed that something was not right. And alas, when I checked her tutorial again online the next day, I discovered that I'd joined all the pieces incorrectly. Bluh.

So now I've started over. I haven't gotten to joining the hexes again, but I've amassed a little pile of colorful circles.

I just love playing with the colors. I'm using Vanna's Choice yarn. It's acrylic, it's cheap, it's bulky, it's soft, and there are alot of colors to choose from. I've mixed in yarns from Vanna's "Baby" collection as well, since they are bright and fun and the same weight as the rest of her collection. You get alot of yarn for your money too. I finished one ripple baby blanket in 10 colors, about 40" x 40" and still have plenty leftover to get a good start this afghan. I'm not sure how the yarn will wear, but this being my first try at hexagons, I thought it would be better to test the waters with a cheap yarn!

One of the things that has made me wary of trying a multi color blanket such as this was weaving in all those ends. But I'm crocheting over the ends as I go, as Lucy recommended and it works pretty well with this design. It's a little bit of a nuisance to keep those ends in place as you're hooking, but definitely less of a nuisance than weaving them in at the end!

Hope you all are having fun in the New Year!

Resolutions

Sorry to be away so long! We had a wonderful Christmas holiday full of fun and excitement and time spent with family and friends. How about you?

I have many pictures to share from these last few weeks. We even had a blizzard here in Maryland!. A BLIZZARD! But I'll save those for another day.

Today I wanted to talk about resolutions for the new year. This is such a hopeful time. An appropriate time to shed old destructive habits and create new productive ones.

In 2010, I'd like to:

1. Live each day as if it were a special occasion. Because it is! 

For me this means staying on top of the housekeeping, dinner at the table, dressing up, inspired cooking, fresh flowers, making the bed, etc... Just the little things that I often ignore.

2. Take better care of my body (and my husband's).

If we're lucky, there will be a baby in our future, so it's about time I begin preparing my body. Healthier food choices, a little exercise, and some weight loss are all in the plan. Over the holidays it's been all about comfort and gratification. Now we'll shift our focus to health.

3. Make and stick to a budget.

 
Aaron and I are a pretty thrifty pair and we typically save a decent portion of our income. But this year my goal is to really track our spending. I printed out a very detailed monthly budget worksheet from Dave Ramsey's website. It will be interesting to see how my perceived budget compares with our actual spending! I've also thought about instituting a form of the "Envelope System" for groceries and eating out, since those are two areas were I tend to lose control.

I've been in such a practical and domestic state of mind lately. Even spending tv time crocheting useful things like dish scrubbers and washcloths.

 
And feeling pretty good about myself, since all this yarn is thrifted and scrap. Unfortuntely for Aaron, all the washcloths are some shade of pink! 

I've been giving some serious consideration to joining Dottie Angel's "Challenge of the Utmost Kind". The amount of money saved would be immense, but could I handle a whole year without crafty shopping sprees?

Happy 2010 to you all!

Playing hooky

The Christmas rush is upon us. Aaron and I finally went out and did some shopping last Sunday. We made a fair dent, but still have a ways to go. And then there are the handmade gifts... I'm using my new-found crochet skills to make handmade gifts for his grandma and grandpa. My mother will get tablecoths for her new (thrifted) dining room table. My dad is getting a pocket planner in a handmade leather sleeve. What to make for my secret santa person is still in question. But I will report back when I've come to a conclusion.

For now I'm just slightly overwhelmed. Is it true that Christmas is only two weeks away? Yikes! Sales are still up in my Etsy shop. Thank you to everyone who has bought from me. And, if you haven't, there's still time! I just listed these candy colored wristwarmers.

That sweater was a real find. Such bright colors!

Also, I've been carrying my new leather bag and wallet all week and I love them! The bag is light and comfortable to carry and the slim wallet is perfectly sized for my essentials. I'm planning to have some slim wallets listed in the shop in the next few days. Wouldn't they just make perfect gift card holders?

 
That's it for me today. After a quick trip to the Post Office, I'm settling in for a few hours with my crochet hook and a movie. I rented Julie and Julia and am so excited to see Meryl Streep playing the cooking icon!

What we've been up to

It's hard to believe that the long holiday weekend is already nearing its end. Although Aaron and I missed spending Thanksgiving with our families, it was nice to have a few lazy days at home together.

We did a little decorating.

 
We put up the tree and Aaron set out our lighted winter village. Pictures of that to come soon!

We've been eating lots of fudge and popcorn and watching silly movies.

I've been trying to keep the shop stocked with goodies. So far the holiday shoppers have been good to me. Thank you, thank you thank you!

I made these wrist warmers on Friday and they sold within a day.

I have a whole bag of sweaters to be felted, so there will be more felted accessories hitting the shop soon!

Also available in the shop now are some super cute Moleskine Journals:

Matryoshka

Blue Bird

and Bunny and Heart

Even in the age of technology, these Moleskin Journals are a standard. I love them for jotting down lists and random thoughts. And they're perfectly pocket sized too!

I've also been working on a secret crochet project intended for a certain adorable baby I know. Here's a sneak peek:

I used Lucy's Neat Ripple Pattern, which was very easy to learn and makes nice soft ripples. But, for some reason I'm having trouble keeping the proper number of stitches in each row. It's not noticeably affecting the pattern, but the edges are a little uneven. I think that can be remedied with some decorative edging applied at the end, but I still can't decide whether to continue with it. I chained too many to begin with and the size is rather large for a baby... and the colors are not very juvenile. I know I don't want to go pastel, but is it just me or do these colors look a little retro?

 

I hope you're having a wonderful Sunday!

Everybody's doing it: Part II

I've been sick the last couple days, and taking advantage of the down time with crochet. Yesterday, while waiting at the doc's office, I started one wrist warmer, finished it, and started the other. I was waiting for a long time.

This morning I trimmed both with lovely bobble edging.

 This time I chained 26 to begin and they fit almost just right. If you have skinny hands and wrists, I'd suggest chaining 24. I tend to chain tightly, so I used a size J hook to chain, then switched to size G for the rest. That allows the stretch needed to fit over my arm. The bobble edging itself is quite stretchy, so no need to worry about that.

I even put bobble edging on those mittens I made a while back.

Now I really love them.

I feel that I may go bobble crazy. There are so many patterns available out there for simple crocheted bobbles.  I'm already thinking of a little baby blankie with bobble edging. And perhaps some washcloths. It would be adorable trimming some pillows... The possibilities are endless!

Now I just wish I could find a good sale on yarn.
 

Everybody's doing it...

So I thought I'd give it a try too.

I'm talking about the crochet wrist warmers that Lucy so kindly shared at Attic 24.

I don't crochet. Didn't even know how until a couple days ago. But after my dear mother-in-law left on Monday afternoon, I was feeling a little sad, so to keep my mind off it, I settled on the couch with my I Can't Believe I'm Crocheting book (a Leisure Arts publication). I created a few small swatches to get the hang of the technique and try to get control my tension.

And last night, while watching "V" and then "Melrose Place" (it's a guilty pleasure) I popped out this baby:

I really despise most varigated yarn and this one's no exception. But since it was my first attempt, I didn't want to waste any of my favorites. It's Patons Classic Wool, which I love to work with. And it's super warm!

I've just started the second mitt this morning and I'm still having issues with my tension.

See how it looks like a curly piece of bacon? I'm guessing that's not supposed to happen. But that's why I love working with wool. You can just stretch it out flat!

Patons Classic Wool is a medium worsted weight yarn and I chained about 28 to begin with and used a size G hook. It ended up just a tad too loose for my taste. Next time I'm using cute colors and I'm planning to attempt the bobble shell edging. Woo hoo!

This is really a great project for beginning crocheters. It's easy, quick, and useful. They would make great gifts for people who work in chilly offices. I've considered knitting some of these in the round for gifts. Maybe I'm just being uppity, but I prefer the look of knit to crochet. It somehow seems more elegant. But that's just me. Crochet is definitely the faster method. Pros and cons, I suppose.

Speaking of gifts... My best friend has a birthday this weekend and I have a present to finish up for her. I should probably put the crochet away and focus on that. Hmm.

Hope you're all having a great week!

 

Practical Knitting

Last week I discovered something: even a novice knitter can knit socks!

This is the first sock I ever knitted. And it was easy! Everytime I came to the next step in the pattern I thought (out loud) 'I don't understand how this is supposed to work'. But when I actually knitted it, everything came together in such a simple way. Now I have no idea why I was ever intimidated by knitting socks. I used the pattern found here. It's written by Lisa Dozier and she does such a good job of laying out the steps and telling you which needles you're working with at which time, which is very helpful if you're knitting in the round with double pointed needles for the first time.

Since this was my first attempt at socks (and double pointed needles), I omitted the ribbing at the top and just used stockinette stitch for the whole thing. It rolls a bit at the top, but I think it's cute.

Now I'm working on a pair for my mom using a bit of mock fair-isle at the cuff. It looks quite wintry I think.

This pattern knits up quickly and  and feels comfortable on the foot. My only problem has been sizing. The first time I used size 7 needles. The sock fit well at first, but has become a little loose with wear. I've read that when knitting socks you should typically go down a needle size from that recommended by the yarn manufacturer. So, for my mom's socks I'm using size 6 needles. But this first sock is a little tight on me. I assume it will relax with wear, just as the others did, so hopefully it will end up fitting my mom well. Her feet are a little smaller anyway.

Here's a close up of the mock fair-isle.

 This pattern is made by slipping two (main color), knitting two (accent) for two rows, then knit one row (main color). Repeat. Alternate accent colors as desired.

You can also see the lovely texture of this wool yarn. For both projects I used Patons Classic Wool. It's a hand wash only yarn, but hand knit socks are a luxury anyway, right? I have to say I love this yarn. It's so great to work with. No splitting, quite soft. And there are so many colors to choose from.

Fall has set in here in Maryland, but the weather's still wonderful. But despite the warm weather, I can still look out the window and see a few colorful leaves fluttering out of the trees. That means it's time for this:

If you haven't tried a pumpkin latte, you should. Like fall in a mug. There's a good recipe here. I use canned pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not the canned pie filling) and instant espresso powder and it's yummy! And, to use up your leftover pumpkin, I suggest the "Great Pumpkin Pasta" from Posy Gets Cozy. I made it last week and Aaron and I both loved it. And Aaron typically hates anything pumpkin.

I got my cast off last week and I'm tentatively stepping back into the world, trying not to re-injure my foot. But it's fall and it's hard to stay cooped up. Aaron and I had the most lovely weekend seeing some sights in Annapolis and picking our own pumpkins and apples at a nearby farm. Pictures soon!

Hope your Monday is splendid!