Broken

Today was a sad nail day. They all decided they were going to come off. A bit heart wrenching but alas it occurred. And it will be an excellent to watch and track how they grow. So at present all 10 digits look like the four digits below.

Polish combo is OPI black onyx with China Glaze Point me to the party layered over top. I love this polish. If there is one polish that I could have buckets of and it might be this one.

Enjoy and I look forward to sharing my progress.

-A

June

I was away the first two weeks of June, so that put a bit of a damper on the finished pile. I did take with me a blanket to crochet though, so at least that made progress, yes I know another thing on the go. I really do not feel that my finished pile is getting all that larger, my started pile is just getting larger, its not fair, you feel me????

The bright side to this is because I have been away I have finished two books, The Heir, and DUFF. Both delightful easy reads, that were uncomplicated, yet engaging enough to read while exhausted before passing out somewhere on the English isle.

This month I also purchased while in England a set of 12 Bronte novels with an companion novel by Elizabeth Gaskell on the Bronte family, they are being shipped to me, and were published in 1911. Not as old as I was hoping but a full and complete set, that all matches and is bound beautifully in green silk, with gold embossing and illustrated.

Crafting will continue upon my return. But while I was meandering in downtown York the other day I saw a bobbin lace making kit, and did a wobble at the knees sort of movement, and decided do I need one? Maybe I already have one...can I do this using a different method??? Who knows, maybe if I managed to finish a pile of knitting etc, I will work on Bobbin Lace, the only problem is you do not get much return for your time spent. I will keep you posted.


Knitting I have on the go:

1. Dragon Stole: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragon-stole
2. Illuminated Lines Blanket: Thank you Knit Picks
3. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks
4. Fingerless Mittens: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fingerless-mittens-8
1. I have 1 complete and about 25% of another one complete, a matching pair is within my grasp. These are beautiful, I want to do them on smaller needles with smaller yarn, it will take longer, but they will be less thick. Sadly these ones are in black which makes them hard to photograph nicely.
5. Reverie Beret (I have done so many of these I could do them in my sleep, but I have made 1 or 2 minor adjustments to make it my own)
6. Entrelac scarf, I do not think I am going to finish this per se... who knows
7. Feather and Fan Blanket - this will be finished when it is good and ready to be finished, I keep picking it up and putting it down again, it is a do I have to project??
8. Mitered Square blanket in Parrot...I was crocheting this into something, but I did not like it, I still don't really like it but it will happen. 
9. Moss Diamond Blanket: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/moss-diamond-baby-blanket
1. This blanket was started so that I would use up some skeins of yarn that I had purchased for something else and then not used, now I need to buy more yarn to finish up this project evil curses abound. 
1. Went to buy new yarn, and there is on of this colour available at the moment...WHY DO YOU HATE ME!! Thank you Danielle for saving my skin, and having a skein of yarn handy.
2. Now that I have so much yarn, I think I am going to un-do it and then re-do it but wider. mmmhmmmm - DONE, it is now 130 stitches across. 
10. 10 Stitch Square Blanket
1. I am using up yarn from the first Hue Shift Afghan, it should be a good time, I hope it works.

Crocheting I have on the go:

1. Corner to corner blanket in Green and Pink
2. Corner to corner blanket in Dark blue and Light blue

Books:

1. Outlander
2. Longbourn
3. Heartless
4. Pride and Prejudice
5. The Heir
6. Duff
7. Persuasion

P.S. I am trying to take more pictures of the things I do, but there are not enough hours in the day, I am sorry. 

-A

Ginger Preserve/Syrup Or what you will

While away in England we had the opportunity to taste a Ginger preserve, it was basically crystallized ginger in jam form, delicious. I found a recipe when I got home and so went to making some.

I started with about 4 lbs of Ginger, which was then peeled and cut up into both chunks and slices. This was then put into a sauce pan with about 5 cups of water and boiled/simmered for an hour and a half. The liquid is then drained off, and everything cooled.













Batch 1:
Measuring three cups of ginger chunks, and 1/2 cup of ginger liquid this was then boiled with about 5 cups of sugar, liquid pectin added, then simmered for a further 7 minutes. The smell of the entire process was amazing, and luckily with the amount of ginger I had I will be able to make another batch. WIN!

Sadly, and this seems to happen every time I use Certo pectin, my preserve did not set up, and I was treated to a delicious batch of Ginger syrup, which is still delicious. And would be amazing with Vanilla Ice cream, on french toast, crepes, or drizzled into hot water with a dash of lemon.

Batch 2:
Three cups of ginger chunks, and 1/2 cup of ginger liquid, with 5 cups of sugar, and instead of liquid pectin by Certo, I am going to use powdered by Bernat, and following the instructions as to when to put it in, and see if it makes it solidify any differently. I can confirm that it is slightly more solid, especially once it has been in the fridge, SOO EXCITING, and so delicious.


The liquid:
There was about 2 cups of liquid left over from all of this, so being in a waste not want not sort of a mood I poured this into my pan and added sugar...I do not know how much sugar, and I boiled it, and boiled it, and boiled it some more until I got a nice syrupy consistency. I think it will be great over ice cream or added to hot water for a delicious beverage. Then it was put in jars and left too cool, I hope it is delicious.

This drizzled over vanilla ice cream is amazing, put into club soda, or with lemon and hot water, the list goes on. I am so glad I made this, and I will be making it again.

-A

May

May by the sheer uselessness that was April has been pretty good. I got finished the two Tardi blankets that I was working on. Here you go:

Yes the ends are weaved in and everything too, pat me on the back, okay fine I will do it myself. I only managed to find a picture of one of them, but when I get another one I will put it up as well.

This is a busy month at the office, so other than getting these finished it has otherwise been pretty uneventful, AKA no reading has occurred, I will make up for that I am sure.

Now if you remember from the beginning all I wanted to do was hats...and now look at all the crazy things I have going on. I feel that I should do some socks, but I cannot start socks until I finish some more things!


Knitting I have on the go:

1. Dragon Stole: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragon-stole
2. Illuminated Lines Blanket: Thank you Knit Picks
3. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks
4. Tardis Afghan x 2 (Yes I have two on the go)..might soon have three, scary.
1. One of these I need to have finished by May, but the yarn is a bit scratchy so I just need to either figure out how to make yarn softer, or use the softer Yarn I have to make a different one...Thoughts?
5. Fingerless Mittens: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fingerless-mittens-8
1. I have 1 complete and about 25% of another one complete, a matching pair is within my grasp. These are beautiful, I want to do them on smaller needles with smaller yarn, it will take longer, but they will be less thick. Sadly these ones are in black which makes them hard to photograph nicely.
6. Reverie Beret (I have done so many of these I could do them in my sleep, but I have made 1 or 2 minor adjustments to make it my own)
7. Entrelac scarf, I do not think I am going to finish this per se... who knows
8. Feather and Fan Blanket
9. Mitered Square blanket in Parrot...I was crocheting this into something, but I did not like it, I still don't really like it but it will happen. 
10. Moss Diamon Blanket
11. Corner to Corner in light blue, dark blue, and white
12. Corner to Corner in pink, green, and white

Tardis the 4th

I started this glorious piece of work on April 16th 2015. As of May 16th 2015 It is off the needles and will be subject to various bits of torture in order to get it finished.
I am amazed that I did this much knitting in such a short time frame.





Some notes on this blanket:

1. C/O 141
2. Knit 16-20 rows of garter, corners are seed stitch
3. Knit 4 rows stockinette
4. Begin colourwork

The colour block on the bottom could have done with being 4 rows larger and maybe a touch wider, as it is a base, and is holding up the rest of the Tardis.

I have decided to do duplicate stitching to come out with the lettering regarding the words "Police Box, Public call" as knitting them in seemed stressful and unnecessary especially having to place them backwards. I will let you know how that goes.   I decided against this for multiple reasons. I will explain: It got tricky to do working on the black....and then I decided that I did not want to drive the point home to viciously, because I was sure that people would get that it was in fact a police box, so there you go. 



I am about 50% complete on weaving in the huge number of ends that have occurred as a result of this project. The ones I am having a hard time with are the ones that occur around the wraps, they are inevitable, when you do not know how much yarn you will need, but they are also a PAIN. Getting very close. I am going to start with the ones where there are two ends that are in the 'middle of the work if you will, then do the ones around the wraps. 

Made a bit of a mistake, but we learn from them do we not? That I should have knit Police Box into the knitting, as originally planned and not put in afterwards. I think at this point I will weave in the ends contemplate the words further and then just sent it off to its new home sans lettering. 

Blocking time, if I figure out how to rotate this I will.

May 16, 2015: This little beauty has all of its ends woven in and it is blocked and sitting in a box ready to head off on its great adventure living with the Clark family. I am thrilled chuffed and every other possible version of excited possibly known to man. 

May 19, 2015: this beauty is on its way, so it is now safe to post this....I think.



Oh the relief of having this completed is just somewhat overshadowed by the hatred of the one I started first not being finished yet, but it will be complete soon. 

*Mental Note: when joining a yarn of the same colour knit two stranded for 6 stitches, this will reduce the weaving in time. 
*Mental Note 2: Hold the yarns very tightly together when doing intarsia, and then you do not get loose stitches on the attached, or wrapped, sections of knitting. 

-A

To Accomplish

So, I spend a decent amount of time knitting, but I also spend a decent amount of time wondering what I should work on next. That list is about as long if not longer:

1. Heart Wood Collection: Mesh Crew Neck
1. Yarn - yes
2. Needles - yes
3. Pattern - yes
2. Giant Knitting
1. Yarn - yes
2. Needles - yes
3. Pattern - needs developing/finding
3. Giant Crocheting
1. Yarn - yes
2. Hooks - no
3. Pattern - maybe
4. Hue Shift Afgahn #2
1. Yarn - yes
2. Needles - yes
3. Pattern - yes
5. USE UP ALL THE YARN
1. Like any good knitter I have stashed away quite the stash of yarn. I want to use some of it up on goodness knows what so that I can clear out that corner, and feel less like it is going to devour me one night in my sleep. Also I want some new yarn, but to get new yarn I need to use the old yarn
6. Knit a pair of socks - A good new challenge for me 
1. Yarn - maybe
2. Needles - yes
3. Pattern - no 
7. Knit a pair of mittens
1. Yarn - maybe
2. Needles - yes
3. Pattern - no

I also have some other accomplishments that need doing:

1. Chris Baby Due in August - Girl
2. Paul Baby Due in July - Boy
3. Heather Baby Due in November

Will all of these people get a blanket, that is yet to be determined, but we shall see. All in all I just need to get some stuff finished or I am going to feel like I am going mad. 

-A

April...

I started another corner to corner blanket, and I am enjoying this pattern far more than the other pattern that I was following, We will see how that goes to get the border on. These are so mindless, and handy to have around in case someone you know is suddenly 'expecting' and have not told you.




Oh that Tardis Afghan, it has a post all of its own here. It must be in the mail before May 8th or so (approximately) I so want to take it down to her personally but I do not have time for a 9 hour flight I really wish I did. I have on the whole enjoyed working on this project, I do plan on doing a couple more and putting them in a corner to have around in case there is another surprise baby. Its sooooo gorgeous and I love it so much.
I decided to start another one because I realized that two friends who enjoy Dr. Who were both having babies, so I did two...I got 25% of the second one done in one weekend, so I am at 60% with that one, and 72% with the other.

For reading I am re-reading the first book in the Outlander series, that being said the first time I read it I started where the half season in the show cut off, as I needed to know what happened, but I thought I should read it in its entirety. So this would count if I had finished it.

Sadly my finished rate this month has been nil, but I have got so much accomplished, so it was not a wasted month when all is said and done. The Tardis blankets have made astounding progress, and that is what counts for a lot. I think after I finish these Tardi, I will once again tackle the Illuminated Lines blanket, I do want it finished.


Knitting I have on the go:

1. Dragon Stole: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragon-stole
2. Illuminated Lines Blanket: Thank you Knit Picks
3. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks
4. Tardis Afghan x 2 (Yes I have two on the go)..might soon have three, scary.
1. One of these I need to have finished by May, but the yarn is a bit scratchy so I just need to either figure out how to make yarn softer, or use the softer Yarn I have to make a different one...Thoughts?
5. Fingerless Mittens: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fingerless-mittens-8
1. I have 1 complete and about 25% of another one complete, a matching pair is within my grasp. These are beautiful, I want to do them on smaller needles with smaller yarn, it will take longer, but they will be less thick. Sadly these ones are in black which makes them hard to photograph nicely.
6. Reverie Beret (I have done so many of these I could do them in my sleep, but I have made 1 or 2 minor adjustments to make it my own)
7. Entrelac scarf, I do not think I am going to finish this per se... who knows
8. Feather and Fan Blanket
9. Mitered Square blanket in Parrot...I was crocheting this into something, but I did not like it, I still don't really like it but it will happen. 

Why is my list not shrinking???

-A