Dainty Kitty

Cleaning and Knitting

Holy cow, you can see the floor of my craft room!  I just spent about two hours getting it in good enough shape to leave the door open.  There's still stuff to organize and find places for but the stacks look neat enough for now.

I have a lot of stuff/junk.

I got just past the heel on my first Oktoberfest sock but, on my third row of the leg pattern, a stitch slipped off and - poof - there went one of Reverse Irish Knots from the first row.  I ripped it back to the beginning but I'm thinking I might go back further and redo the heel.  One side turned out perfect but I think I blanked out on one purl row or something because the other side looks a little funny.  The socks are going quick enough that I think I have time to really make them look good.  Not that I'm looking forward to tearing out an entire heel...yuck.

I'm going to go reward my cleaning with leftover chicken soft tacos and American Gangster.  Hope every one had a lovely weekend! 

Short Row Toe - Second Attempt

Thanks to my friend Mary, who recommended this tutorial, I was able to conquer the short row toe!  Well, maybe not conquer it exactly but get around it.  The tutorial shows you how to make it without wraps which is a-ok by me.  No wraps = no stress.  And no holes!

And now I have some mindless knitting to do this weekend.  Although, a lot of Saturday is going to be dedicated to housekeeping (and maybe Sunday, too, because I've got to get that craft room back in order...at least that's what I keep telling myself).  I borrowed Mom and Dad's carpet cleaner and have started to clean the couch but have only finished one side of the three cushions.  It's hard work!

Short Row Toe - First Attempt

I cast on the Oktoberfest Socks, um, two or three times yesterday.  Thanks to a couple of tutorials I found online (misocrafty, knitty and cosmicpluto), I've gotten the hang of the wrapping part of the short row toe and I think I get how to pick up one wrap but picking up two has me a bit fumble fingered.  Tonight I'm going to use a tip I found on Ravelry and practice with regular worsted weight yarn and larger needles.  Luckily, I just figured out that my parents are actually going to be on vacay on Dad's birthday so that gives me a couple of extra days.  So now I have three weeks to figure this out and finish them....

Cuteness:  this button flower pin tutorial found via Craftzine.  Very cute. 

Scarves & Socks & Sinus Infections

My hangover was not a hangover after all but the beginnings of a bug of some sort that's had me down and out for a couple of days.  It's blossomed into a sinus infection now but I have prescriptions and hope to feel better in a day or two.  It did give me time to get a few repeats of the Leaf Lace Scarf done - including having to back up a couple of times due two too many knits here or a - poof! - completely missing stitch.  It's so pretty and light but wow, time consuming...maybe I'll have it finished by next spring.

I picked up size one dpns on my way back from the doctor this morning so, since the kit arrived earlier this week, tonight or this weekend I'll get to cast on for the Oktoberfest Socks.  It reads like a difficult pattern but I hope it makes more sense when I have the yarn and needles in my hands.   And - hooray - it comes with an non-eyelet wheat pattern for those who aren't eyelet friendly.  Or, as I read it, for the more masculine sock.   

Gah, I'm tired and am looking forward to coming home to a lot of couch time and at least the beginning of a movie.  I really don't see myself making it through to the end but that's okay.  And thank goodness tomorrow is Friday already. 

I Want a Hippopotamus for Easter

Kinder Happy Hippo Biscuits!

And I finished the Dream Watch Head Wrap.

Meh, my allergies are killing me and I have a pretty terrible wine hangover - what a way to start the week....

Tuesday This and That

The Pub. I tried The Pub at the Greene (not to be confused with the Dublin Pub) Friday night for the first time.  It was good but the portions are giant: I had FISH and chips.  Seriously, it was the biggest piece of fish I'd ever seen.  I'm not fond of heavy meals and giant portions.  I liked the Tavern Crisps, though - homemade potato chips covered in cheese and bacon with a BBQ dipping sauce. 

So, yeah, I thought it was okay.  Beer is a bit steep, too - $6 for a pint. I had two pints and a Knob Creek while we were waiting for our table and our bar bill was a ridiculous $19. 

Aha!  Another portion of my list complete!  Number 41. Try four new restaurants in Dayton - two down, two to go. 

Friends. The best part of the night, though, happened as I was walking in.  A close friend from college that I had lost touch with was walking out.  Nikki was always kind of tough - after college she became a cop - so it was kind of funny to find out that now she's a stay at home mom with three kids and and MA in Literature.  Anyway, we exchanged phone numbers but I'd be kind of surprised if we actually get together.  Still, it was really nice to see her again. 

Saturday night I went to Craig and Lisa's for a St. Patrick's Day party.  It's been over a year since I'd been to one of their parties and it was so wonderful to connect with everyone again and feel that kind of...well, love.  And who knew Skky Vodka and a green Hawaiian Punch could be so good....

Knitting. The yarn I ordered to make the Leaf Lace Scarf shipped today.  I like to search Ravelry for info on online yarn websites that I'm thinking about using and I read nothing but good stuff about Eat.Sleep.Knit which I'd have to agree with since I just placed my order yesterday afternoon.  Hooray for speedy delivery and a good chance that I'll have a new project to work on this weekend.  I didn't notice until after I'd ordered it that I'd bought the exact shade they use in the pattern - I do love green.  This'll be my first lace project and my first charted project as well but I've read that this is a good starter pattern.  It looks easy enough. 

I also started the Dream Swatch Head Scarf last week with some gifted Socks That Rock (thanks again, Bertha!) and am a little over halfway done.  It would be a nice beach vacation project, too - lightweight and easy to carry but still kind of fun to work on. 

Veganomicon.  I heart the book Veganomicon and I'm far from a vegan.  I picked it up at the library late last week after reading a review in Bust and have already checked to see if Books & Co. has it (they do) because I've already decided to purchase it.  Heck, that was before I'd made anything from it.  Last night I made a potato and greens soup that was wonderful and there's a tomato bisque a few pages away that looks good, too.  Oh, and blueberry brownies...mmm.  It's well written and a little funny and I think it will also help me explore the herb and spice world as well as open me up to new vegetables (if I can find them).  It even has a few basics that would be handy to have as a reference as well. 

Oh, and in the world of cooking - my parents bought a KitchenAid mixer (sigh, I'm so jealous) this past weekend and had to get rid of a few things in order to make it fit in the cabinet so I own a fairly nice steamer now. 

The doll house.  Sorry everyone was disappointed in the lack of a bathroom.  :-)  I'll admit that tiny tubs and sinks and itsy bitsy rolls of toilet paper are cute but it just didn't work with the layout.  Plus I can make most of the craft room bits with things I have on hand - the idea of purchasing a lot more is a bit daunting right now (seriously, that wood was stupid expensive).  I think I'm going to pick up some pinstriping tape and a little more trim wood tonight to start working on the windows.  My biggest conundrum is the roof.  I'm not sure if I should paint it or use the shingles I already have from the cheap kit I abandoned.  And if I did use the shingles I'm not sure what color I would paint them either...or if I'd just use stain.  Any suggestions?

Yikes!  Holy long post, Batman!

Doll House

There's a lot more to building a doll house than I thought but it's finished!  Well, the basic construction is finished.  Before I can get to the fun stuff like painting and decorating, I have to do a bit of sanding and a lot of trim work. 

Here's the front.  The chimney was just a little something that Dad cut out at the last minute.  I don't have plans to put in a fireplace but maybe some day.

And the back.  Isn't it awesome!?  Living room, kitchen bedroom and a craft room.  There's no bathroom because I'm assuming doll house dolls never need heed the call of nature. 

And here's the roof - I love the little attic. Perfect for a bunch of little cardboard boxes and maybe a mouse or two. 

I know that my dad is talented but it was really something to see him at work.  I was only a glorified board holder/gluer - Dad did all of the measuring, math and cutting.   It's really  something to see.

I have lots more to say about the weekend (running into an old friend, reconnecting with lost friends, this great cookbook I got at the library) but I'm exhausted (i.e. a wee bit hung over) and need to get some potatoes ready to go in the oven for the potato soup I'm making tomorrow night. 

Sweets via the Mail Carrier

I got the sweetest package from my friend Delly!

Besides being a fabulous knitter, she's also taken silver smithing classes.  I had admired this stitch marker - it is a kitty after all - when she made it and she was nice enough to send it to me along with the yarn it's photographed against, a crochet hook and pattern for a cute octopodish creature....

and these salt and pepper shakers which I had also admired on her blog!

Sorry for the dark photo - I live on the second floor but might as well be living in a hole because there aren't many windows...my kitchen is cave-like. 

Thanks to the miracle of saving posts as a draft and a rather slow day at the office I was able to finish the above mentioned octopodish creature.  His name is Pi and today is his birthday (Happy Pi Day!)....

I wrote quite a bit more but lost it due to my own stupidity and I've run out of time.  Hopefully Sunday I'll have a photo of a bare but glued together doll house to post since Dad and I are getting together tomorrow to start working on it!

I Finished My Mrs. Beetons!

 

   

Socks - My Favorite Pair

I was Easter basket shopping at Target yesterday when an older gentleman stopped me.

"I'm sorry - I have to tell you I love your knee socks." 

I laughed and thanked him.  "I love them too...and I won't tell you how old I am."

"It doesn't matter.  On the inside you're twelve just like me."

I thought that was really sweet.  And a good blog post so I took a picture of said socks when I got out to my car.  I may have posted a photo of them before because they're my favorite and I get lots of fun comments when I wear them.

Sadly, they're starting to fade a bit.  Ah well.