Status Update: Chevron Blanket

Posted on February 18, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Five and a half stripes down on my Chevron Baby Blanket! I plugged some serious time into this project. I had a migraine most of Saturday. It was wicked, I got so dizzy I almost passed out when I stood up. As a lifelong allergy sufferer, unfortunately these hit me a couple times a year. Usually at wild weather swing. My husband basically ordered me to the couch so I wouldn’t fall or hurt myself. Upside, I had several hours of uninterrupted (quiet) movie watching while knitting.

This is usually my bed time knitting but I needed a familiar and soothing project this weekend. Not sure when I’ll be done with this one, and I don’t care. It’s a warm and soft project they I’m thoroughly enjoying.

I get the day off from my big kid job for Presidents Day. I was hopeful for some knitting time but I have a doctors appointment and a meeting with an insurance agent. Exciting stuff right?

I wish everyone a happy Monday!

Time To Knit

Posted on February 16, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Being under thirty with a very busy schedule, I get two questions ALL the time:
1- You knit!?
2- How do you have time for it?

Knitting is a very big part of my life and I don’t have a problem KIP (knitting in public). I usually just smile and tell people that its easy to knit all the time. I have projects in my purse, in my desk at work, and almost every room in the house. And a yarn stash to back it all up, lol!

Just today I knit:
– on the couch having my morning coffee before I went to the gym
– in line at the post office to ship an order
– in line at grocery store waiting to check out
– waiting for sushi guy to make my lunch to go order
– on my couch again while catching up on this weeks DVR shows
And it’s not even 2pm!

Sure people stare and look at me like I have two heads, but it doesn’t bother me. When I have time to kill, I knit to pass the time. When I’m relaxing, I knit to enjoy the time. And when it’s all said and done I get a cool FO.

Today at grocery store, the cashier smiled at me and said “look at you wasting no time!” She made my day. I could tell she was a fellow crafter.

For now I’m off to cast on next week’s projects and make some progress on my current WIPs!

Happy Saturday 🙂

Valentines Day Surprise!

Posted on February 15, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I love my parents! For as long as I can remember my dad has always made sure to send flowers to ALL his special ladies. He sends gifts to my mother, my sister, his mother, his mother in law, and I. I don’t have a particular desire to celebrate V-day especially as its mostly a commercial holiday. But it melts my heart how sweet my daddy is. He is such a great and honorable man that words cannot express how much I love him. And there is just something about flowers (especially at work on my desk) that just make me smile!

On the home front the husband and I had a cozy dinner for two at home. T-bone steak for him and salmon fillet for me both with fresh salad and steamed veggies. We shared a mini Sara Lee Cheesecake just because. By alas, the husband had to go to his Int Algebra class so I was left to knit on the couch with a glass of wine in my stretchy pants.

Ain’t married life grand!!

Book Review: A Life In Stitches

Posted on February 14, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I’ve had Rachel Herron’s A Life In Stitches on my bookshelf for awhile. For some reason I had the urge to pick it up this past week. I read the whole thing in two days

This book was amazing! It was the right book for my life right now. Rachel Herron is awesome. Her essays were heartwarming in one chapter and heart wrenching in the next. This book literally made me cry. Not cute little dab-your-eye tears but actual crocodile-check-your-makeup tears. This book explores the highs and lows of life and how knitting intertwined with it all. And even how knitters can build a community and friendships without ever meeting in person.

EVERY KNITTER NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK! But beware, grab Kleenex and a good glass of wine. No spoilers here, just a wish to share this wonderful book. I stumbled upon it on Amazon mostly because I’ll buy most any book remotely related to knitting, lol. I connected very powerfully to the family stories in this book and its helping me process my Grandmothers passing and even my Mothers current grief.

Won’t you please give it a read?

FO: Zig Zag Baby Blanket

Posted on February 13, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Warning: this post may get a bit mushy!

My Zig Zag Blanket is complete!!!

It turned out a bit more square than rectangle, but then again so am! The Bernat Cottontots Solid is butter soft but yet washable! The pattern was easy to memorize but yet so complicated looking. I couldn’t put this project down!

I did a lot of thinking during this blanket. First off, this blanket is made for a fellow knitter and her firstborn. I kept thinking “She’s going to love this! Even better she’s going to truly understand how much energy and time went into each stitch” There is just something so inherently different in knitting for a knitter. Not that I’m saying knitting for the general public isn’t fun! It’s just that I pour so much of myself into my projects I almost hate to part with them. I’m a process knitter, I can look at a piece and know exactly what I was doing and thinking while I was knitting it. The process of making the FO is what’s important to me, the love that woven with each knit and purl. Only a knitter understands this obsession and it feels good to be understood and appreciated!

This blanket will forever be linked to my memory of my Grandma Leta. She passed while I was working on this project. I couldn’t help but hope the little baby girl who gets this will love her Grandma just as much. This blanket was good therapy as I worked through grief and sadness. Knitting goes a long way to heal any kind of wound. It doesn’t cover it up or erase it as much as it soothes and eases. (See I told you this was going to get sappy!)

Stitch after stitch, knitting goes on. Just like life. I miss Grandma but I also can’t wait to meet sweet baby Lazo. Sweet and sad at the same time. Knitting is such an integral part of life I’d feel lost without it. Now on to my other WIPs, I’ve got more love to share!!!

Happy Knitting

Best Laid Plans

Posted on February 12, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Hey! My name is Bella. I see that you are trying to knit. I think that’s really cool. Can I smell it?! Can I sit my butt directly on top of it and wiggle non stop!? Can I climb all over you so that you make sure to love on me?

Here is my buddy Barley. He would very much like to use your legs as a pillow and take up 75% of the couch. He would also appreciate if you didn’t move around a lot. He weighs 100 lbs so I doubt you will be able to move anyway.

We are so glad you came to visit!! Can we take a nap now? Oh…wait someone crinkled cellophane in the kitchen. We must investigate!!!!!

(This is pretty much what happened every time I sat on the couch to knit this past weekend. I love my mom’s dogs but needless to say I did not finish my zig zag blanket. No worries I have made progress since then and I have 1 1/2 pattern repeats and the border to complete!)

Ps. I had a wonderful time with the family celebrating Grandma’s 80th back home this past weekend. Food, wine, and fun! I even have the extra 5lbs to prove it….

Blocking Like A Big Girl

Posted on February 11, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I can finally block my finished garments like a big girl!!!! (No more pinning towels to my guest bed) After pricing many many blocking mats….I found the best bang for my buck was at Lowes. For $16 online and one hour pick up these alphabet beauties are mine!!! I figure they can serve a dual purpose when we ever have kiddos.

Should even have a FO to slap on this baby yet this week! Happy Monday to you all!!

Smothered Steak n Rice

Posted on February 9, 2013 by atangledyarn84

The hubs and I have been on the road A LOT lately. This had led to eating a lot of junk and a poorly stocked kitchen at home. This week I have been absolutely craving vegetables and good home cooked food. But alas, when opening my pantry I didn’t have a lot to work with. I did manage to find:

– tenderized beef minute steak (frozen)
– cream of mushroom soup
– brown gravy mix
– half a bag of long grain white rice
– some beef stock
– frozen bag of green beans

And dinner was born! I mixed two cans of the cream of mushroom soup with the gravy mix powder and a little fresh ground black pepper and salt. I pulled out my thawed steaks and pounded them out extra thin and laid them in a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish. I poured the soup combo over the meat and slid into a 350 degree oven to bake.

I put the rice in my steamer and used the stock instead of water to infuse flavor. Kinda came out looking like brown rice!?

The meat was done in about the same time as the rice (not sure exactly how long, sorry!) I served the meat and sauce over the rice and added steamed green beans for a complete dinner. All in all this cook/prep time took less than 40 minutes!

It was hearty and satisfying and according to my rough calculations, under 400 calories for the whole meal! I even got a thumbs up from my hubby! Not mention I made dinner without going to the store or drive through lane! The dogs were disappointed I didn’t spill…and they keep really good watch!

Status Update: Chevron Baby Blanket

Posted on February 8, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Finally some progress on stashbustin’ #7!

This pattern by the Purl Bee is addictive! This is my second go round with this pattern and its just as good as the first. This is my “calm before bed knitting”. I work a few rows every night and I’m almost done with my third stripe!

This pattern makes me think of the Peanuts cartoon for some reason. I find peace and the ability to meditate while working on it. It’s really helping me deal with my Grandmothers passing. Slow and steady progress as row after row of stitches form on my needles. Nothing complicated, just garter stitch beauty.

I’ll be sad when this blanket is finished but I can’t wait to see the end result!

Now I am off to pack for another weekend family event (a much happier one). My other grandmother is turning 80! We are going to let our hair down and stuff ourselves silly! So I’m off to land of little to no cell coverage and no wifi, see you on the other side!!

FO Alert: Test Balaclava #1

Posted on February 7, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Finished my first test balaclava/stashbustin’ #8 project!

I just wanted to work with the pattern to learn the building blocks of a balaclava for the special request of my coworker Kevin. I had a skein of Bernat Denimstyle and it didn’t have enough yardage to knit the full length of the pattern as written. So I chose to knit a shorter version. My Rav page is here.

It fit my husband much better than it did me. The yarn was delightful to work with and the pattern was easy to follow. I like the seamless construction but not the all over ribbing. I think I will take out the ribbing on the neck and only keep it around the face opening to keep the fit and stretch. I will also make the cap portion a little taller and the face opening a smidgen smaller.

I really hope that I can come up with a really cool FO for my awesome co-worker. I feel under pressure because he is a wood worker and understands quality construction and the value of hand made! I’m about to cast on test #2!!

Happy Knitting!!

My Tangled Yarn Knitting Adventures

Ramblings from an obsessed knitter

Monthly Archives: February 2013