A lot of catching up to do

I last posted a month ago and for good reason. I've been darned busy.

1) I went back to work 2.5 weeks ago. I found that my work was all sorts of messed up and have spent the last couple weeks fixing things.
2) Lucy started daycare. This is going really well. She seems so happy there. We really like our provider.
3) John's been working lots of hours. And lots of those hours have been in the evenings.
4) My running got abandon. Mostly because John's late evenings.
5) I'm going into surgery tomorrow. Goodbye gallbladder.

Really my gallbladder is the biggest deal. I'm nervous. I'll be happy to have it gone after all the pain its given me and everyone assures me its a minor surgery, but its still surgery, my first one. Can't help to be scared.

Tomorrow I'm going to put on my big girl pants and enter the center like a mature adult, but on the inside I'll be a scared little girl. Good thing my Mommy is coming with me. But now that I'm someone's Mommy I'm so terrified that something bad will happen to me. My little girl needs me and I need her.

Anyways, that's the last month in a nut shell. Now here's some pictures of Lucy and I in our newest hand knits.

Morning Lucy

Afternoon Lucy

Week 2

Last week went well. I did miss one day of cross training because I had to have tests run and I couldn't eat until 2pm that day. Didn't sound like a good idea to work out. I also missed one day of running because John didn't get home from work until 9pm. With no treadmill option, I decided to skip the day.  But, I did run 3 days, cross train 1 day, and keep up my daily walks with Dottie and Lucy.

So onto week 2 of my training. So far its not off to a stellar start.

I supposed to walk 2 minutes and run 4 minutes 5 times. Tonight I did that twice. Then I ran for 2 minutes and uh...I burnt out. I could stand the calf burning, but when it hit my ankles it was too much. I'd say my running is also a cross between speed walking and jogging. It will get better though. I couldn't totally give up though because I was 1.2 miles from my house. So I just turned around and briskly walked home.

As if the threat of emergency surgery wasn't even to keep me moving, we stepped into Lululemon today.

I like. I want. BUT I have to loose like 3 inches off my hips to fit into the largest size. Boo!

At least I have lost 3 lbs. in the last 2 weeks. Something about cutting out sweets, beef, pork, fried foods, and whole milk products from my diet. Again, nothing like the threat of emergency surgery to make a gal stick to her diet.

I also finished knitting a nice summer sweater this week. Part of a month long festival I'm participating in. Turned out really nice and I think it will gat a lot of wear in the office this summer.

Baby Knitting

So glad I knit during those first couple of weeks, because now Lucy actually wants my attention and not just my boobs.

So here's Lucy modeling a couple things I finished knitting for her.

First up is this little tunic. I started this just a couple days before she was born, knit a little bit in the early stages of labor, and then finished a few days after she came home. Knit in Plucky Knitter Primo Sport yarn. Color is Jazz Age. I wanted to make a dress, but this yarn was given to me as payment for doing a test knit, so I only had one skein.  Little big still, but might fit for a while as a tunic at first and then a top as she grows.

Also finished this little dress. Made with Plucky Knitter Primo fingering (held double) in Goin' Courtin' (Pink) and Hope is a Good Thing (blue). Its a 3 month size, so still a little bit big too. I just hope I remember to put these on her as she grows. This pattern was a test knit and I was really happy with the pattern.

Also started cloth diapering this week. Isn't her fluffy butt sooooo cute!!! Lucy is already 3 weeks old.

Addiction

Hi! My name's Jessica and I'm addicted to knitting baby sweaters.

Plus one dress...

I have one more sweater and dress completed. They only need buttons sewn on.

I think I should stop, but they are just so darned cute and quick to work up that I can't help myself. How many hand knit sweaters does one baby need? Like 4 or 5 in each size right? Because that's where I'm headed with my obsession. Forget nesting by arranging a room or buying diapers...I'm just going to knit an entire baby wardrobe.

Knitting for John

John's been asking me to knit him a sweater for a while...or maybe I kept asking him what kind of sweater I could knit him. Not sure which, but my point is that I'm going to attempt to knit John a sweater.

But could I find a pattern he approved of? Nope. Modern men's patterns seem to be written for the type of big bulky wool that is completely impractical in Los Angeles.

So I took my search to Etsy and came away with this gem.

I'll probably never need to buy another men's pattern book again. This book had v-necks, cables, vests, cardigans, turtlenecks, etc. Plus I can use any weight yarn I want. Light weight to bulky.

Think John can pull of this look?

Ascots are sexy.

May Knitting Update

For the month of May I participated in a celebration of Madelintosh, one of my favorite yarn companies. 


Basically we all knit only with one brand of yarn for the month. Giving us a chance to use some of what we have stashed and have support from fellow knitters. 


It was a lot of fun and I managed to knit two sweaters, even with John travelling all month and house guests. Go me!

Project 1:


(Mad)rigal for Madelintosh aka Madrigal from the Twist Collective
Dates: May 6- May 30, 2011
Yarn Used: Madelinetosh Tosh Sport
Color: LaVie en Rose
Yardage: 1050 yards


Great sweater. So soft and comfy. I know I'll get a lot of use out of this with sundresses. I purposefully made it shorter so I could wear it with my full skirted sundresses and still look like I have a waist. The color is awesome! The perfect mix of pink and purple without making me look like I'm 5 years old. Someone even stopped me to ask where I bought it. Truly the best compliment. 


Project 2: 

Betty Draper's a Witch aka Elphaba Pullover
Dates: May 1-May 28, 2011
Yarn Used: Madelinetosh Sock
Color: Betty Draper's Blue
Yardage: 990 yards


Not my favorite picture ever, but oh well. This sweater also fits great, though I made it extra big in the hips and I really didn't need to. I learned a new skill with this sweater, something called horizontal dust darts. Basically the HBDs add a little extra room in the bust so your sweater doesn't pull upwards. Since I'm rocking size Ds, these little darts made a big difference. 


All in all it was a fun month and it was a lot of fun to knit along with other people using the same patterns and yarns. 


I also finished this sweater in May 

Akoya 
Dates: April 8-May 6, 2011
Yarn Used: Madelinetosh Tosh Sport
Color: Porcelain
Yardage: 1110 yards


Love this sweater too. Makes me happy that my skill has improved so much since last year. 


Wow! That's a lot of knitting. 


So far for 2011...9,263 yard in finished projects. That's 5.26 miles of yarn. And its only June 1st. 

Sewing...my first passion

Lately I've been making more of an effort to get back to my first passion, sewing.

I think if I could spend my days sewing sundresses and my evenings knitting, I'd be a pretty happy girl. So its been especially fun making a few things lately.

Sewing project 1 - Victorian blouse

What do you do when a major museum event is in 3 days and you don't have a top?

You dig through your fabric stash to find something suitable and then whip that sucker out.

Sorry for the poor quality photos, but I was on my own.

Here's the back.

I also recently made a new dress and finished a new sweater.

The dress is still a little plain. Could use some trim or a sash or something. The sweater...oh its awesome. Soft 100% wool. You would think that would be too warm for LA, but not really. Wool is pretty breathable in a hand knit, so this was just right for a day in the 70s.

There is also what I'm wearing today...

Not the most flattering photo...but I love this dress. Cute tie around the wait. And its a wrap dress. So it wraps around the back to create a V.

Can't wait to make a few more from my vintage patterns, and who knows, maybe this is my business plan. A little help from my husband for good photos and I could be on my way.

Oh, and here's Dottie's latest photo. She's sleeping with us now (not all night, but part of the night).

I think she's getting too comfortable.

Home Again

Today John returns after an entire month away from Dottie and I. Its been a long month, but in many it was also easier than when he was gone for a week.

Let's start with Dottie...

Dottie has been battling parasites the entire month. She woke me up in the middle of the night vomiting three times. We've gone to the vet with bloody stools. I've figured out a way to feed her really bitter tasting pills, and a way to force cherry flavored antibiotics down her throat. She's woken up early more times than she's slept in.

But she also learned how to walk on a leash better thanks to her new Easy Walk harness. She also only had one accident in the entire month. (It was while I was at work.) She also started doing tricks for her medicine thanks to the invention of pill pockets. I think John's going to be surprised with how mature Dottie has become.

I also did a lot of knitting.

I finished a short-sleeved cardigan for Kristin's birthday.

...a short-sleeved sweater for myself (that I then gave away to my aunt Jennifer)

...I've been working away on the Mata Hari sweater

...and lastly started a new spring weight cardigan.

Dottie and I also started our garden for this year. So far we have arugula, kale, two types of tomato, green peppers...

and strawberries and cucumbers.

Tomatoes are for John. Cucumbers for me. Everything else is something we both enjoy. I'm just hoping I get a few of the strawberries this year. John's such a berry loving freak and I don't think I got a single berry last year. 

Next time he goes away I'll try to learn a synonym for the word 'also'. 

My first Test Knit: Momo

I recently dipped my hand into the world of test knitting. I got an unreleased pattern then knit the pattern for the designer to make sure there were no errors and the end product turned out correct. Some people are compensated for doing this, but when testing for a small designer you usually use yarn from your own stash and get the pattern for free. Its pretty cool to see the process. Most designers have already knit the piece up in one size and just need to make sure the grading was correct for all the other sizes. So for the most part you're checking for math errors and typos.

Enter Momo...

Pattern: Momo (Ravelry link)
Yarn: Malabrigo Silky Merino in Pink Panther
Yardage: 738 yards
Timeline: February 19th to March 11th

The testing process was fairly smooth. Terri Kruse has already written a few patterns so the formatting was great. Really just a couple typos were found between all the testers.

Its a totally cute sweater. Elbow length sleeves, square neckline, and cable pattern down the front. The yarn is yummy. 50% wool 50% silk this thing is SOFT! But...its just not for me. I like my pullover sweaters to be fitted and have some structure. One thing I didn't get from the designer's pictures, was the way the underarm fits. Kind of low for my preference. This is partly my fault, since I haven't used this type of yarn before, I had no idea it would stretch as much as it does. Really I think the sweater is just better suited to wear with jeans and maybe over a t-shirt or long sleeved shirt rather than with a skirt and heels.

So...if anyone wants this beauty...its yours. Its sized for a 35' bust, but I think it could fit up to a 38' bust and maybe larger. Its about 14 inches long from the underarm and I found it plenty long enough to go over the top of pants. It has slight waist shaping, but nothing dramatic (also an issue for me...I need more waist shaping). So if your interested leave me your contact information and we'll sort out the details. 

And the winner is...

Like there could be any doubt...I picked Mata Hari... and I'm in love.

Isn't it pretty?

I know there were some concerns over that deep v in the back, but this pattern is awesome because you can also wear it like this...

The designer also included instructions for adding bra fasteners so you can wear this without worrying about exposing your undergarments. Isn't that nifty?

In other news...this was the weekend of wrapping up projects.

I finally picked up some wool wash and spent hours hand washing my knits one by one. So I got around to shaping this...

It will get its own post later this week.

And I shaped this...

Notice that little paw creeping in?

Dottie decided to help. She's a good helper (not!) I will say she is good about not walking on my drying garments, though she will gnaw on them from time to time. Naughty little girl!

So it was a busy weekend of knitting, but successful in that I have a whole bunch of freshly laundered items to choose from. Yay!

This or That?

I'm wrapping up a project I've been knitting on my lunch break at work and I'm gearing up for my next project. So which project should I make next?

Option 1:
Mata Hari

(Photo From Twist Collective)

Its got a scoop neck in the front and a deep v in the back. Bow is optional/removable. 

I'd use this yarn...

Its called truly, madly, deeply and its from Madelinetosh. 100% merino wool.

Pros: I want it...its pretty...seems fairly simple to make. 

Cons: Summer is coming and this is less practical. Would be able to wear it on days like today (rainy and slightly chilly).

Next option...

Emelie (Ravelry link)

(Photo from Ravelry)

Light weight cardigan with lace panels along the front. 

Using this yarn...

Lavender Lil from Colinette. 

Pros: Also very pretty. Lighter weight. 

Cons: More bulky to work on when riding the train. 

What do you think? What should I make next? 

Missing: Yarn Shipment

MISSING!

5 skeins Madelinetosh Yarn, Color - Tannenbaum

Last seen by USPS on Friday, March 4th at 11:02am

If you have any information regarding their whereabouts, please comment

Fortunately the company is sending me a replacement shipment, but I wish I had this yarn today. Doesn't it scream St. Patrick's Day?

Ah St. Patrick's Day. Everyone in my office is a little loopy. I caught my boss trying to juggle stress balls. Its just one of those days...

Damn knitting for others!

So after a long fall of knitting Christmas gifts for others, I went through a spell of selfish knitting. I looked around and realized I'd only finished one sweater for myself, and even that one was missing buttons. So as you've seen I've finished a couple more for myself in the New Year. Success!


I even pulled out some old things I knit before and hadn't finished. 

Pattern: Audrey in Unst
Yarn: Louisa Harding Kashmir DK Color 2
Yardage: 986 yards
Timeline: February 17-April 27, 2010


Ah...this was intended to be worn on my honeymoon, but I took this picture a few days ago and the sweater still doesn't have buttons, only a white paper clip closure. 


What was I saying?


But gosh darn it...that wanting to knit for others bug has bit me hard. I now really want to knit for someone else...namely a good friend of mine whose birthday is only a month away. 


I'm also obsessed with knitting another sweater for John. He already has two, but I feel like neither came out perfectly, and I must fix that. But how? All the patterns I've found are horrible. I've made him the couple of one he liked, but we've reached the end of the road. But then I found vintage mens knitting patterns on Etsy and now I'm sudden inspired again. 

Okay, maybe not this one. But there were a few other super awesome patterns. This one was pretty awesome too. 

Sexy!


So...be on the look out for a couple more things coming soon. 

Saturday Night Fun

John and I hit up the Eagle Rock Brewery this weekend and I was tickled by this group of guys next to us.

Hot Saturday night with the guys? Can't leave home without your vest, plaid shirt, and beard, right?

Oh and the center vest...it had this on the back.

Sorry for the camera picture, but I just couldn't pass on capture this jewel. I freakin' love it.

John and I enjoyed sampling the brews, though I'm still sad John got the last Highway 78 Scotch Ale. Especially since he totally talked me out of ordering it the night before. He said I wouldn't like it, and I believed him...then the next night he went on and on about how good it was. Jerk. (John totally believe he did not talk me out of getting this beer, but I choose to interpret the event my way).

Anyways, it was a lovely weekend. Very relaxing.

I also finished this sweater finally. Turned out really nice, though I have a couple gripes.

Again, camera photo pictures. I lost the charger to my camera, so I'm making due for now.

Love: The detailing at the sleeve and neck opening. The wash-ability of the yarn. The color...Purple Mystery...Yum!
Hate: The yarn is a little thick and warm for Los Angeles. The pattern called for this to be knit in pieces, then sewn together. Good for knitting on the go (like when I was in Colorado), but bad for completing the project. It sat in my sewing room for a month while I tried to find a day when I had both time and daylight to be able to see all those stitches in such dark yarn. Also the pattern called for you to sew a little hem into the bottom. This make a nice finished edge, but also makes the sweater twice as thick right around my hips.

Pattern: Greenaway
Yarn: Malabrigo Rios in Purple Mystery
Yardage: 1092 yards
Timeline: December 23rd-February 26th

Recipe: Slow Cooker Lasagna

Last night John made dinner and it was awesome. John actually cooks a lot. When he's not working, John has the time to make more complicated things during the week, while I do the quick meals when I get home. Some times we tag team, like Wednesday night when we had stir fry. John made the rice, while I did most of the veggie portion.

Anyways...last night John made dinner and it was awesome. He made slow cooker lasagna.

(Picture from Real Simple)

It really was very easy to put together and I cannot recommend this enough. It has a ton of spinach, so you can feel confident you are getting your veggies. Its also cheesy, but not so cheesy that it upset my delicate digestive system. 

Ingredients

2 10-ounce packages of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture)

1 cup ricotta (we used low fat)

3/4 cups grated Parmesan

3 cups marinara (we used Prego, but will probably opt for something with less sugar next time. John noticed the sweetness, I did not)

6 lasagna noodles (not no boil)

1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella

Directions

1. In a bowl mix together spinach, ricotta, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan. In a second bowl, mix together the marinara sauce and 1/2 cup water.

2. Spread 3/4 cup of marinara mixture in the bottom of your slow cooker. Top with two noodles (break to fit if needed), 3/4 cup of the remaining marinara mixture, half of the spinach mixture, and 1/2 cup the mozzarella; repeat. Top with remaining noodles, marinara mixture, and Parmesan. 

3. Cover and cook on low until the noodles are tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. 

See...not too difficult, right? 

I also finished my cozy Dahlia color sweater last week. So soft I don't want to take it off (but I do so it won't stink)