Knitting Projects

Yup, I have some knitting projects that I've been working on, too.  Since I tend to ramble, I'll make it into a separate post. 

I finished the socks I've been working on FOR-EV-ER.  They started out for me, but when I didn't check my gauge and they started getting really wide they became socks for Dillon.  The scylla socks pattern was found online, and I fell in love.  They turned out a little bit "swamp monster" because of the color (Patons Socks in Camo colors) but they will be okay for warm tall socks.  In my opinion, at least they are done.  I'm sure we've all had projects like that, right???


After I finished these size 12 lovelies, I made the cowl my Mom requested at Christmas.  She asked for gray to match her peacoat.  I found this adorable chunky Patons Tweed yarn in Charcoal (dark gray with little yellow and white flecks) and used The Trio of Cowls aka Infinity Scarves by Cari Clement pattern (found on Ravelry).  Of course, I can't help but modify just about every online tutorial/pattern/direction that I encounter, so I only used the one color of yarn (instead of the written 3) and only used a two strands held together (instead of the three as written).  Additionally, it was only supposed to have one twist, but somehow I managed two.  I would HIGHLY suggest this pattern for anyone just learning to knit.  This would be a great first project worked in the round (as it is easy to see what it means when they say "join, making sure not to twist yarn"), only uses series of knits and purls in easy patterns, and was a quick project to whip up (I made this in 3-4 hours).  So, Mom, consider this yours as soon as we see each other again. 

Sewing Projects

I've been sewing up a storm this week trying to finish some projects I've promised to people. 

First of all, I've been meaning to make a microwavable heating pad thing for awhile, but when I crawling into our freezing cold bed last week I made a realization:  I could heat up a rice bag and put it at the foot of the bed before I get in (cue the angelic chorus or mental light bulb).  So I got a nice, 2lb bag of rice and sewed it into a little bag, then made a tiny pillowcase for it so that it can be washed.  A minute or two in the microwave will be perfect.  No more freezing feet.  YES!!!

And once again, Thanks Rach for the birthday fabric!

Additionally, I told Dillon's coworker that I would make him a reusable sandwich wrap similar to Dillon's one that I made him last Christmas.  Since I will be taking sandwiches to work with me (YAY WORK!), I whipped up two.  They are basically a cut up plastic Ziplock bag and two pieces of fabric, sewed into a flat square with plastic on one side (and the right side of a piece of fabric showing through it) and fabric on the other side.  Add velcro to each corner.  To use, you place a sandwich at an angle on the square wrap, fold opposite corners to each other and fasten. Then, fasten the other corners and it holds a sandwich perfectly!  Hope that makes sense, here are some pictures to help:

I used the manliest fabric I had for Brian's, and the prettiest fabric I have for mine.  There is no reason not to make everyday things beautiful.  And yes, I left the pretty selvedge edge on purpose!




                     Have you made anything lately?

The bathroom

This is our bathroom.  Pretty cool, huh?  

Well I think it's cool anyway, since we got this nifty shelf from my parents for Christmas.  It helps us to fill up our giant bathroom, and it is an excellent place to put towels for those of us who don't remember until we are actually IN the shower.  

Also, I'm showing this to you today because I remembered waaaay back in October that I promised to show you the gift I made my mom for her birthday.  Unfortunately, I can't as it's currently hanging above the mantle in her home; fortunately for us, I made myself a replica since I liked how it turned out so much.  It's that nifty wreath above the towel bar.  Here's a close up:

Green and white wool felt rosettes, painfully hot-glued to the wreath form, inspired by THIS etsy seller, handmadecollectibles.  So there you have it, my bathroom wreath duplicating my mothers birthday wreath inspired by someone else's wreaths.  Like it?

Old & New

Things around here are changing!

See that?  It's our old Christmas wreath awaiting deconstruction.  Unfortunately, it's now covered with snow and I really don't want to bring it in the house anytime soon.  I missed out on taking a picture of the imprint our old tree made when we "gently lowered" it off our patio to the dumpster.  It was old, now it's gone.

Next up is the tragedy of my Zumi 2.0 that I was so excited about.  It came with some small cracks in the case covering the battery compartment that finally broke off.  So I'm sending in my "old" one for an even newer one.  Hopefully it will be back in time for our little trip to Sturgeon Bay in February.

And this is us, being an oldy moldy married couple.  We've been married for 6 months!  (I know its a little silly to celebrate, but this is the only year I can get away with it, so I'm doing it!)  I made lots and lots of homemade yummies for dinner that night, using this recipe:

I think it's old, originally from my grandma.  I made homemade egg noodles (with a vintage noodle cutter thing) for homemade chicken noodle soup and homemade buns and this cake:

It's not old, but it sure looks impressive, I think.  So come and visit us so that we don't eat the whole darn thing ourselves.

The last thing that is Old/New this week is that I got an offer for a job!!!  New career, here I come!  I start on the 31st, and am a little nervous for it.  I did get to go purchase some new dress clothes for it though!  This job is in another city, which means that eventually this apartment that was our home for the first year of our marriage is going to be our OLD apartment, and that we will be needing a NEW apartment closer to my new job. 

Things are changing!  I've got to go child proof our home for my nephew, who I'm babysitting today.  Yikes.

Pants!

Nope, I don't technically know how to sew.  But I do try my darndest, and thus far, most of the projects I've attempted have turned out okay.  So when Dillon got this hole in his pants, I patched it.  Technically, this is the same pair of pants that I already patched near the back pocket, the front left pocket, the zipper, and the knee.  But this was a new hole, so I patched some more!  I'm not sure that this patch is going to stand the test of time, because I didn't stitch the peripheral, or use pinking shears to guarantee that the patch wouldn't fray, or use super strong fabric for the patch (I did a lot of internet research about the best methods, then I ignored them and did it my way).  Anyway, here's the final product, and I'm proud.

lucky me!!!

This is the guy!  A few things have happened and come to my attention this week that make me realize how incredibly blessed and lucky I am to have such an amazing man in my life.  He is the perfect one for me, even though we fight (maybe even fight a lot) and drive each other nuts sometimes.  But we are perfect together in at least one way:  we have the same solid beliefs in Christ and what it means to live our lives for Him.

I was reminded this week of just how big of a challenge that is for some couples; I know that no matter what happens, Dillon and I view everything from the same christian perspective and will be able to live our lives together that way.  My faith is not challenged because of the environment that I live in, instead, it is encouraged.  So this week I've been thanking God for this man, and doing a lot of praying for other couples to experience this same blessing.  (not MY blessing, but, you know, their own) 

Don't forget to thank the Lord for the blessings in your life this week!

Thanks, Grandma!

Check out this... thing that I got for Christmas from my Grandma.  I know it's a little bit different, and when I opened it I wasn't sure about putting this up on my walls. When Dillon said it was "vintage-y" and that he kind of liked it, I was set.  It's above our entryway, and I like it a lot. 


When I was a little girl, this was hanging behind the couch at my Grandma's house (she made it in 1983).  I remember putting my face inches away from this and looking at the threads, wondering how it was possible to make a picture out of them when I backed up. 

Now I can stare at it all I want.

 

Someday...

This is what we have:

Someday, THIS is what we will have:

The Expedit desk and bookcase from Ikea.



While we're at it, why not throw in one of these little beauties from Anthropologie?  I love that the doors slide open.  Ahhh to be organized.  And to be organized in such a pretty way! 

By the way, if you haven't stopped by Anthropologie lately, I would highly suggest that you check out some of the eye candy they have on display there.  Admire it.  Long for it.  Then attempt to make it yourself because you, like me, cannot afford the $3,000.00 cupboard to the right.  What's your favorite online store to visit?