Major Knitter

Happy New Year!

Wilma's wishing you the very best in 2008.

SNL Ladies at Tea

Today we met for a social gathering at Susan's home.  It was lovely and delicious

Susan had the most beautiful table set for a festive afternoon tea

My favorite part (aside from the dark chocolate caramels with sea salt) was the beautiful collection of tea cups and saucers.  I selected this one for my coffee.

My mother used to have a mis-matched set of antique cups and saucers so this brought back very happy memories for me.  As if that weren't enough, Susan made her famous Charlotte Rousse - yum

When sliced, it's even more delectable with the sauce on top

I'll ask Susan if she'll share the recipe.  But there was also some lovely fibre sharing going on.

Susan framed this lovely bread basket lace for her dining room wall.  What a brilliant idea.  I have one of these too, and I never quite know what to do with it.  Maybe I'll frame it like Susan did.  Copy cat.

I also got my holiday gift from Susan.  Look how cute!  They're stitch markers by Split Yarn.  You can get some Scrabble stitch markers of your own on her Etsy site.  Not much knitting was done, but we sure had a great time! 

Betsy finished her sweater for her son.  I didn't get a picture, but I immediately recognized it as the same one Stephanie made for Ken for Christmas.  Technically, I think it's called the Cobblestone Pullover by Jared Flood which was featured in the Interweave Knits Fall 2007.  Betsy made hers out of souvenir yarn from her trip to South America about 2 years ago.  It was so much fun to see the yarn when she brought it home from vacation and even better to see it turned into a finished Christmas sweater.

It was the best possible way to spend a day with friends.  Thanks Susan.

Earflap Hat Pattern and Gift

Remember my quest for a pattern for the Earflap Hat?  Everyone was so helpful sending me links and pointing me in the right direction.  Lin W was so kind that she even mailed me the Fall 2007 KnitSimple magazine whose cover featured an Earflap Hat with the bonus note that it knits up in two hours!

As if that weren't enough to put a smile on my face, Lin also included a gift for my tree.  Look - it's a lovely lace angel

Thanks Lin.  I am so grateful.  Now I have to start knitting my cap.  We've got our January Boy Scout winter campout coming up soon and it will be the perfect accessory to keep me warm.

The Knitting Time Trials

I decided to test my knitting speed.  I got my project ready.  Revved my engines.  Started the timer.  And away I knit.

BF is so good to me, so I picked up 3 more skeins of the Lobster Pot Cashmere in the Old Silver Beach colorway, my US Size 5 Turbo Addis and began knitting another pair of bed socks for him.  I knit with no interruptions (except for one mistake I had to repair) and timed myself.  I counted up the stitches.  I did pretty well.  I won't give you the details since the contest is still open (if you haven't entered, check out the contest HERE). 

I will encourage you to time yourself.  It's fun.  It's a totally useless piece of knitting trivia to have about yourself, other than to post something on your blog and have a general idea of your knitting speed.

What's your knitting speed in S.P.M. (stitches per minute)? 

Matsu Sushi is a Hit

Generally when the boys are at their father's house, BF and I have Date Night.  It's a great thing to have a built in date night.  We usually go out to one of our favorite restaurants in town - either Tarantino's or Zest.  But with our new culinary capers resolution, we decided to try another eatery in town last night.  This time it was our first visit ever to our local sushi bar. 

Matsu Sushi

33 Jesup Road
Westport, Connecticut 06880
(203) 341-9662

For those of you who know us, you're probably wondering what the heck BF and I could possibly eat at a sushi bar.  That's a very good question.

I ordered the yummy chicken teriyaki bento box.  BF ordered the sizzling beef teriyaki plain with rice.  I like California rolls, but that's about as exotic as I get.  I've tried sushi at many restaurants before - but the Iowa girl in me just can't get accustomed to the taste and texture.  So while I can't vouch for the sushi and sashimi at Matsu Sushi, I can definitely tell you that the teriyaki is excellent.  We also liked the ambience of this restaurant tucked just off the Saugatuck River near the Westport Public Library.  This is definitely going to become a regular stop on our routine restaurant rotation (once we finish our Year of the Culinary Caper Resolution).

My challenge to you - make a point to get out and discover new eateries in your very own neighborhood. 

We're so glad we did.  We've learned more about our town in the first week of this resolution that we ever could have imagined.  Plus we've already squeezed in a Date Night every single night this week.  I promise our culinary capers will slow down once the boys are home and we're back to our normal school routine.   

Suzanne Urban Designs

I put a lot of things on my Christmas Wishlist this year.  I tried to give generic ideas.  BF is so good to me - he got me everything on my list.  One thing I wanted was a OOAK (one-of-a-kind) ornament by local fiber artist Suzanne Urban.  She has many websites - but the one that combines everything is Walnut Beach Artist.  Suzanne makes these amazing felted creations and auctions them on ebay about twice a month.  I've tried several times in the past to *WIN* one, but I'm not the best ebayer, so I called in the big guns.  Yup - BF.  He managed to win, not one, but two felted ornaments.

Great Santa Spirit OOAK needle felted art bear portrait head ornament is hanging from the fireplace in my Knit Nook.

Rudolpho OOAK needle felted art-bear portrait head ornament is gleefully adorning the Christmas Tree and bringing smiles to everyone.

To see more of Suzanne's amazing creations (felted ornaments, illustrations and more) check out her blog at Walnut Beach Artist.  Tell her Major Knitter sent you.

Making a List, Checking it Off

I made a list of all the eateries in Westport, Connecticut yesterday.  If I didn't miss any public eateries, I came up with 110 places to eat.  Granted that counts the 3 Starbucks, the 2 Dunkin' Donuts, etc.  BF and I have been to nearly 2/3 of them.  This list is interesting because it made us aware of eateries we didn't even know existed in our town.  In fact, we went to check one out last night.

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I ordered the shrimp satay appetizer.  It was yummy, spicy and had a lovely peanut dipping sauce.  BF ordered the Tiger Beef.  It was fine.  This restaurant was a tough one for us because we're not big on spices, bell peppers and many other ingredients in Thai and Vietnamese food.  In fact, we picked out the simplest food on the menu.  Not too spicy.  Not too many ingredients.  Not too many vegetables.  I'd like to know how others like it.

Pho Mekong

1849 Post Road East
Westport, CT 06880
(203) 255-2748

After dinner, we wandered around town checking our list and seeing if we had included every restaurant.  We found a few new eateries - a health food store, a seafood fast food restaurant, lots of pizzerias and more.  This one is a bit of a stretch, but we wandered into one of the local  chocolateries in town

Munson Chocolates

1460 Post Road East
Westport, CT 06880
(203) 259-6991

What can I say?  I'm a self-confessed chocoholic.  I don't like milk chocolate.  I like DARK yummy chocolate.  Dark chocolate covered caramels are one of my favorites.  Chocolate toffee, chocolate fudge and chocolate covered coconut are right behind.  This is definitely worth a visit for the chocolate lover on your list. 

How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Stitches.

In my household, everyone gets socks and underwear under the tree.  It's sort of a running joke with my kids.  When they ask me what I got them for Christmas, I always reply "The traditional socks and underwear".  This year, BF was home sick with the flu the week before Christmas which hindered my stealth knitting time and I didn't get the chance to knit his socks.  Instead I gifted him the yarn and needles which led to quite the look of surprise.  Late last night, though, I managed to finish his Christmas socks - just in time to call it a night.  Of course, the heater was finally repaired, so they weren't as desperately needed.  They were still greatly appreciated for the man of my life who has cold feet ice cube feet.

They're a perfect fit!  These socks are the best sleeping socks for the man who has cold feet.  I used 2.5 skeins of Lobster Pot cashmere and US Size 5 Turbo Addi's - 40" length and knit them up in the Magic Loop method.  Quick and easy gratification.  I've often wondered how many stitches are in a pair of socks.  Granted, these were done in worsted weight wool so they have far fewer stitches than other socks I've knit in fingering weight yarn.  But still, I'm curious.  Won't you help me figure this out?

Let's Have a Contest

Take a guess!  I'll have a two-fold contest so you can help me figure out how many stitches are in BF's Bed Socks.

1. I'll give the person who guesses the correct number of stitches (closest to the actual number without going over) two skeins of Koigu KPM in a Navy Blue. 
2. The second part of the contest is the number of stitches per minute - the first person to guess the EXACT number of stitches per minute I managed on BF's Bed Socks will win one skein of Sockotta in this lovely purple/gray colorway.

Leave a comment (only one entry per person) no later than midnight Sunday, January 6, 2008. 

Let the contest begin!

New Year's Resolution

BF and I began wondering if we had been to every eating establishment in Westport.  We concluded that we had not and decided to make it our goal to go to every one of them.  Our soft goal is to complete this by the end of 2008 - but we're not going to eat out 4 times a week to meet that.  We consider an eating establishment any place that serves prepared food.  Gas stations don't count, but concession stands count --at the beach, the swimming pool, the ice skating rink, etc.  Tonight was our first foray in this fabulous food frenzy.

Splash Restaurant
The Inn At Longshore
260 Compo Road South
Westport, Connecticut 06880
203-454-7798

I had the fish with crispy spinach and noodles.  It was a delicious meal in a lovely setting.  BF and I had a wonderful evening and look forward to our year of culinary capers.

Blog 365

Norma decided to do it.  She seems like a sane, rational person.  Claudia and Kay endorsed it.  They seem like sane, rational people.  Why not take their advice and give it a try myself?

I'm going to attempt to blog every day in 2008 as part of Blog 365.  Want to give it a try?   

PS.  This is what happens when you surf the internet in the pre-dawn hours of the night.  You find new knitting things to join.

Deck the Halls

AmeGiDo is all dressed up and ready to celebrate Christmas. 

This is a quick and easy knit for your favorite little 18-inch doll owner.  I'm going to spend some time tomorrow drafting the actual pattern.  In the meantime, get your DK wool out and some US Size 5 needles.  I used 1 skein of Zara by Filatura di Crosa.  I really love the way it knits up. 

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! 

Santa's Elves Have Been Busy Knitting

I had a lot of fun knitting last night.  I managed to knit the front and the back of the American Girl Doll sweater.  This morning I woke up and made a beeline for my project.  I sewed the shoulder seams and the side seams and picked up the neckline stitches.  AmeGiDo (my new nickname for my American Girl Doll) tried on her WIP and she seems to like it.  She's just waiting for Santa's elves to finish the sleeves and fill her stocking. 

BF pointed out that it would be really cool if I made a sweater for AmeGiDo that matched something I already own.  You know - like 10 black sweaters!  I like the way this man thinks.  The funny thing about this sweater, is that I thought I was making a plunging neckline.  The AGD has a large head, which, unlike the Barbie Doll of my youth, does not pop off for easy dressing.  This requires either a large neck opening, an extra slit in the back of the neck, or a cardigan sweater for easy dressing.  My plunging neckline for AmeGiDo does the trick, but once finished, it really just looks like a normal crew neck.  C'est la vie.

Now I'm off to work on those sleeves.  Maybe I'll scrounge around for some black yarn in my stash.   

Vintage Knitting Accessories Bring on Inspiration

I was cruising ebay last month and I found this great treasure from 1962.  It's a cardboard knitting tin (with a great hole in the top of the tin lid to guide the yarn) and instructions for knitting items for Barbie.  Mine came without the instructions, but with some cool buttons and zippers just the right size for a 12-inch doll.

This inspired me to think about knitting some doll sweaters... but my thoughts quickly jumped to the 18-inch doll (aka the American Girl Doll) so I grabbed some of the Zara and the US Size 5 Turbo Addis and I cast on for half a sweater

I haven't decided if it will be a cardigan or a wide-neck pullover.  We'll see what the knitting gods bring me for inspiration.  I'm going to make this pattern a very simple-to-follow pattern.  I generally knit from the top down - and it often confuses the average knitter.  I'd rather have a pattern that everyone can use - so that's my plan.  Stay tuned.  This should make some little girls very happy. 

More Ornaments

BF and I drove into the city for a big birthday bash for Angel at Turkuaz on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  It was a wonderful Turkish restaurant and the drive there and back afforded me the opportunity to knit three more little socks.

I like the bright cheery colors.  I think that sometimes that makes for a happier Christmas tree. Of course, I appreciate the classic look of an all-white tree - so I knit both types of ornaments.  Go figure.

Happy Birthday Angel!  We had a blast.

Post Christmas Let Down

Christmas is over.  The gifts are unwrapped.  At least, that's the case in my house.  The boys are with their father for the holiday break (we alternate years) and now I'm having the post-holiday crash.  On one hand, I'm thrilled to be done with the holiday craziness.  On the other hand, I'm sad that it's over already.  Add to that, the fact that our heater went out last night.  There's really only one thing to do.  Yup.  That's right.  Crawl right back into bed with Wilma (for extra heat).

But the whole day wasn't lost.  I managed to knit a few more miniature sock Christmas ornaments.

I also went over the pattern with Joanne - who managed to finish 2 of them.  She helped me test the pattern.   I'm about to send out the pattern to a few other testers and then I'll share it with you.

Stay warm and enjoy these last few days before Christmas.  Merry.  Merry.

Have a Merry Christmas - That's a Direct Order

My good friend and knitting buddy (not to mention fellow Marine) - Julie - posted the best military OpOrders (Operational Orders) ordering all to have a Very Merry Christmas.  You'll have to pop on over to her blog to check it out for yourself.  Look for the post from 18 Dec 2007 at 0637.

M.E.R.R.Y...C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S!!!

Just Knitting

Last night we celebrated Christmas at our house.  It was magical.  I got many wonderful gifts, but this one is extra special and required immediate attention.  It's a handmade creation that was the brainchild of Secundogeniture.

He asked me for a white shirt - you know - one that might fit you, Mom.  I got one and he decorated it with "Just Knitting" and a picture of some knitting needles on top of a smiley-face sweater

It's the best knitting t-shirt I've ever owned.

Zara Knits Up So Nicely

I'm enraptured with the way the Zara knits up on my miniature ornaments.  I started branching out into new color schemes - away from the Christmasy colors.  It was great fun.

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Joanne came over today for a bit of knitting.  I taught her how to make these stockings using the Magic Loop method.  She helped me test the pattern.  I need a few more testers before I'm ready to share this pattern with everyone.  They're a great deal of fun!

I Love Receiving Gifts!

Jane of Pink Hebe surprised me with a little parcel in the post this morning (I have to talk that way because she's British).  I couldn't wait until December 25th, so I tore the packaging open and was so thrilled with my gift that I wore it immediately.

It's a handknit red neckwarmer!  It's so soft and comfy and it brings a touch of color to my otherwise pale face this morning.  It was the perfect hug for a cold wintry morning. 

The Great American Miniature Sock Race

Sunday was a perfect day for staying indoors and knitting.  At least I thought so.  After a reading of the Monday morning blog posts, apparently, many of you thought the same thing.  I was busy knitting up some miniature Christmas Stockings for gift ornaments.  These are all new, never before seen ornaments.  Some may be repeats of former patterns/designs, but these are all the product of Sunday's knitting frenzy.

 

Take a Knitting Survey

Deb at Chappy's Mom is considering setting up a subscriber-based online knitting tutorial service.  Won't you help her out by visiting her blog and taking her survey?  She's offering prizes (contest style) for everyone who takes the survey. 

Socks That Are To Die For

I love it when knitting makes news.  I especially love it when it makes the front page.  I am generally flabbergasted when it makes the Wall Street Journal.  But what's not to love.  We all know that knitting is big business.  Check out this article in today's WSJ about the Sock Wars where you "kill" your secret pal by finishing your sock and shipping it off in record time.  It's Sockapalooza / Knitting Olympics meets Assassin.

For more information about the Sock Wars, check out Julie's blog - Yarnivation.  You can also find the link for the Scar sock pattern here.

Spreading the Holiday Cheer

Cheryl over at Diva Knitting is having a great holiday cheer contest.  Go check out the details.  She asks you to share a picture of a holiday house in your neighborhood (not your own).  Here's one down the road from us that simply makes me smile every time I see it.

I think it's creative and unique.  The homeowners have a large deciduous tree in their front yard.  They take dozens of white light strings and wrap each one into a loop.  Each loop is hung from a separate branch of the tree and then all the lights are plugged in.  This tree won't win Most Decorated House of the Year, but I think it's refreshing and it makes me go "Awwwww" every time I pass it.

The Mets Ornaments

I had so much fun making the Christmas Tree ornaments that I quickly whipped up a complementary pair of Mets Stockings for the Christmas Tree.  Thank you to everyone who expressed concern about my Red Sox knitting spree.  Yes... BF is a huge Mets fan and I felt a little Mets knitting was in order.

I think I'll have to make a series of these little ornaments.  They're fun and fast and a great way to gift a little fibre heaven into the holiday theme this year.

Knitting Gifts are a Home Run!

Our annual party at the Four Seasons was a spectacular event.  We had such a lovely time and knitting played a fun part in the gifts.  I gave a few knitting gifts and even got a few.  Here I am with the lovely felted scarf and my new knitting book:  KnitKnit Profiles + Projects from Knitting's New Wave

Michele got a copy of this Sublime knitting book and a gift certificate to Stitches East - which is conveniently located a few blocks from work.

Erika, who doesn't actually knit (but for whom I still hold out great hope!), got this precious little ornament from Anthropologie of a knitter complete with knitting basket and needles.

I made a Red Sox ornament for Bill and the lesser known Mets Sox ornament for Leon.  I had a lot of time in the afternoon before the party, so I went to Stitches East to sit and knit.  I used to stop by here once or twice a week for my regular fibre fix when I worked in the city.  Now that I'm a suburban housewife and mother, I rarely get into the city.  It was great to see Joyce.  I knit these ornaments with Stitches East yarn - orange/blue is Zara and the red/white is Paton's Classic Wool Merino.  I used the same needle and the same pattern, but they turned out to be slightly different sizes based on the wool.  I think I like the Zara better.  It had a more finished look to it.

There were countless wonderful gifts, and I wish I could share them all with you here, but I limited myself to the knitting gifts since this is a knitting blog.  I hope all your holiday happenings are equally as fibre-licious.

Happy Holidays!  Happy knitting!   

My Two Friends

I met with Elizabeth Rubidge of The Felted Garden fame and Regina Moss (of Regina Moss fame).  Both of these ladies are dear friends of mine.  I had so much fun combining efforts with them.  I ended up with a fiberlicious scarf and a drop-dead gorgeous stick pin to show for my social efforts.  I can hardly wear these to my big Christmas party in the city tonight.  I don't know what else I'll be wearing to the party, but I do know that these two things are a must.

Oh - did you notice that woolen wonder?  Here's a close-up of Elizabeth's latest stickers.  Too cute.

I'll try to get a phenomenal photo of my final fashion statement later.  Wish me luck!  I confess to being somewhat challenged in the world of fashionistas.  it's nice to have friends who are more in the know to help guide me along.

Chocolate Toffee Cracker Day

It's not quite the same as Stollen Day, but today was my Chocolate Toffee Cracker Day.  I love to bake for the holidays and this year I decided to make homemade toffee.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• Club Crackers
• 1 package smi-sweet chocolate chips
• Finely chopped nuts of your choice (optional)

Arrange the club crackers on a cookie sheet (with edges!)

In a saucepan, mix the butter and brown sugar and cook on low heat.

Pour butter/brown sugar mixture over Club Crackers and bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and let sit a few minutes until sugar mixture stops bubbling.

Sprinkle the top of the crackers with the chocolate chips.  Wait a few minutes until the chocolate chips start to melt.

Once the chips have melted, spread them evenly over the top of the toffee.

If you like, sprinkle the top with finely chopped nuts.  I used pecans.  BF prefers slivered almonds (something I did not know until after I had already put the pecans on top).   Since some people don't like nuts, I usually make part with nuts and part with just chocolate.

Cool in the refrigerator for at least one hour.  Be sure to put hot pads underneath the pan.

Once the toffee has cooled, remove it from the refrigerator and break into pieces.  Store the toffee in the refrigerator.

These make great gifts - so package them in little gift bags and share the joy!

Sleet Day - School Canceled!

School was canceled in most of southeastern Connecticut today because of the snowstorm despite the fact that there was NO snow on the ground this morning.  There was nothing... and then all of a sudden at about 11:45 a.m. it started coming down hard with only about 25% visibility.  That was right about the time I was out and about with the boys.  Now it's sleet and freezing rain - and I'm very happy that the boys aren't coming home on a school bus now.  During this nasty bit of weather, I managed to get some knitting done on my mistake rib scarf today.

I also knit some more miniature socks and even ordered a whole bunch more.  When I took Wilma outside today, she wasn't so sure she wanted to be out in this kind of weather.  In fact, as soon as the freezing rain hit her, she tried to run right back inside.

No girl.  Give it another try.

"Maybe if I get a running start, I can race right by that lady" - Nope.  It still didn't work.  She's so funny in the elements.  I think it's all a ploy so she'll force me to knit her something to wear in this kind of weather.

Put One Foot In Front of the Other

I couldn't bear to go to sleep before finishing all the miniature socks.  These little quickies are quite addictive.  I wish I had about thirty more of these miniature wooden sock blockers.  They're entirely too much fun.

Now I have a little gift for each of the ladies in Saturday kNit Live.  But I'm starting to think of all the other people I'd like to make a miniature sock for as a little gift.  Hmmmmmm.  This is fun.

Miniature Keychain Sock Blocker Socks Are the Perfect Gift

I whipped up two of Debbie Jenning's miniature socks tonight for my friends from Saturday kNit Live.  I can't make it to the holiday get together, but I'll be sending my gifts along. 

Here's a close-up of just the keychains.

The gold Koigu is leftover sock yarn that Betsy gave me for my Knit Notes.  The green Lorna's Laces is some new yarn I have in my stash, but which just happens to match Regina's newest sweater perfectly.  I'm trying to knit up the rest for the gals... but I think they'll have to wait until tomorrow.   

Secundogeniture's Latest Gingerbread House

Look at Secundogeniture's latest Gingerbread House.  Isn't it amazing?

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Truthfully, this was Secundogeniture's find at our local grocery store.  I happened to have my camera with me, so I gave it to Secundogeniture and he snapped these cute pictures.  it would be fun to undertake a huge confectionary construction like this.  How festive!  Speaking of festive, I made another Red Sox ornament.

This time I used the Magic Loop method with leftover Koigu KPM and US Size 2 Turbo Addis.  I'm fine-tuning the pattern - so check back shortly.  This took me roughly one hour from start to finish.  Not bad for a cute hand-knit ornament.   

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Ever have one of those days when you get to do the things in life that you really love to do?  I did.  It was today.

This morning I taught a knitting lesson to a group of lovely ladies.  It was part of a knitting basket I had donated for a friend's fundraiser in the spring which included 4 skeins of Koigu sock yarn, some needles, some patterns and knit notes.  I included a gift certificate for a knitting lesson for 4 people.  I can't tell you how much fun I had sharing my passion.  I really do enjoy teaching people to knit - or expand their knowledge of knitting.  I'm not sure I can express in words the joy that I feel when someone else catches the knitting bug.  I'm happier than if I had managed to finish a masterpiece of knitting on my own. 

It's sort of similar to the buzz I get when we have a great Scouting event.  Tonight we had our Court of Honor (our awards and advancement ceremony).  I was thrilled that one of our senior Scouts passed his Eagle Scout Board of Review.  His is such a success story that it inspired me.  I closed tonight's ceremony with a Scoutmaster's Minute, which is a Scouting tradition where the Scoutmaster, in this case, yours truly, gets to give a few words of wisdom.  I always hope that somehow a bit of what I might say will stick with the boys.  This evening I talked about pride - good pride and bad pride.  I told them that tonight I was filled with a great deal of pride - the good kind.  I was proud of each and every one of them.  I was proud of the progress they had made.  I was proud of the outstanding individuals they proved themselves to be.  I was proud to have the pleasure of working with each and every one of them.  It's truly an honor to know each person in my Scouting family.

These are the things I truly love to do.  I am fortunate to have the opportunities to do those things that I am passionate about.  It's a great feeling.  What are your favorite things?

"Red," She Said.

I finished my second pair of the Knitting Central Sock Club socks by Danni - called Cables, Cables Everywhere.  I could barely contain my excitement, so I wore them mere seconds after finishing them.  Here they are all ready to go to dinner.