AK Balance Act

Christmas come and gone

2011-12-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas! Lots of family, noise, and fun! I hope your was the same!!

I did finish a project just in the nick of time. Grinch pajama's for my boys. When this fabric had come into the shop I knew that I had to have some!! I machine appliquéd the shirts and the bottoms are cozy flannel. This project was definitely fast and easy especially getting to use my serger on the pants. The Grinch ended up being one of the boys favorite books and movies this year :)

Please excuse the sleepy goofy faces.....

I have been saving all my tiny scraps and batting scraps to make a bed for Oakley. This is the result! It's cozy minky fabric but it sure was crazy cutting it! It shedding all over the place, I was very glad to use my serger on it as well. All in all it was a 30 min project tops!!

My grandmother (who is 87 and soon to be 88!) just finished this wall hanging! It is a good 30" in diameter and she said it's the biggest doily that she's ever made. I love seeing it on her wall and just thought it would be cool to share. I feel lucky to come from some pretty talented women!

Please excuse the photo quality! We have so little daylight right now and trying to wait for the right lighting is just impossible for me right now!

5 Years of Sweaters

2011-12-14T18:53:00.000-08:00

My firstborn Corbin is FIVE. I can hardly believe it and have been staring at him lately as he plays and pretends. I cannot believe how big he is and how much he has changed. I am so proud of him and the boy he is growing into. He has tons of energy and it can be hard for others to see past that initial craziness. However he has the biggest heart and is constantly thinking of the others in his family. The day before his birthday he "surprised" us all with breakfast. He got us each the cereals we liked to eat and had the milk poured. It was on the table and ready to eat. Another family tradition is going out for breakfast on their birthday. When we asked Corbin where he wanted to go he turned to Noah and asked if he would like to choose. I just love him so much and can't wait to experience the fast approaching school years. Christmas has already been so fun and I love getting to talk to him about the Christmas story.

It may be obvious from previous blog posts, but I make sweaters every year for each of my boys' birthday. As I was updating my ravelry projects page I realized that I had the history of sweaters and growth right there.

One Year Old, Not much of the sweater to see but it was the Wonderful Wallaby. It was also the first sweater that I ever knit :)

This is Corbin at 2, This was actually knit for Easter, I hadn't established my "tradition" yet. It is the Cobblestone Vest. It was knit from my handspun.

This is three! I loved this sweater and he wore it quite a bit! Only two skeins of Cascade 220 for this Twisted Tree Pullover.

Corbin's a fan of showing off his muscle's lol. This is four years old and I knit this out of Highlander a super yummy Alpaca and Merino blend. The Pattern is Langstroth it was a very fun knit.

And here he is a five this past Sunday. Sheesh!! So much bigger yet still a fan of showing off his guns lol.

His sweater for this year is Elizabeth Zimmerman's Tomten. I am in LOVE with this sweater and can't wait to make one for Noah. It was super fast and makes a great jacket with lots of ease for movement; as well as having a functional and fun hood! I knit it out of good ol' Cascade 220 and couldn't be happier with it!

Christmas Rag Quilt

2011-12-05T09:25:00.001-08:00

I love Christmas Fabric. However I know myself and restrain most of my impulses to buy it all. I did last year buy this super cute line of Christmas Flannels! I colors all went with my house and my other decorations. I got busy and the fabric languished.

This year I conquered. Pulled it out and finished it up!! The result is this lovely, cozy, and comfy flannel rag quilt and pillow. After clipping all the edges I took it to the laundromat for it's first wash. Corbin accompanied me :) To him is was a grand adventure and he told me he "loved" being there. He was very well behaved and entertaining. He sang Frosty the snowman, Only a boy named David and played football.

Yesterday this same boy turned FIVE years old. So hard to believe :) I have an ornament on our tree that is recordable. It was a gift from my mother when Corbin was two weeks old. We recorded his sweet new born cry. It is my favorite ornament to hang on the tree. My husband and I tear up every year when we hear it. :)

The holidays have already been so fun. I have been waiting for this age with my children. They TOTALLY get that Christmas is coming and have loved everything that we have been doing to get ready for it! We have two advent calendars that we are doing this year and Corbin especially is grasping the countdown. Can't wait to decorate some cookies with them.

In other life news my husband is now a sworn in probational firefighter with the Anchorage Fire Department! His first day on shift is today!! I can't wait for him to be home tomorrow so I can hear all about it! I am so proud of him and the dedication that has brought him this far. I praise God for his faithfulness in our lives!! My God is so great!!

Here is the news spot they did on our local news. My hubby and Noah have a little spot at the end :)

Sweet Pea Cardigan and Capucine

2011-11-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

Two more knits are off the needles and I am in love with them both.

The first is a darling cardigan for my nephew Rowan. It has many sweet details that make it such a satisfying knit. For some reason I did not get the sleeves in but there is a picot hem there as well. I knit it out of cascade 22o and it delivered as expected. My only disappointment is the sizing used in the pattern. It lists this size as 18months and it fits my 3 year old. And my gauge and measurements are correct. Heavy sigh. I am still very happy with it though.

Second is a hat knit for the Yarn Branch as a store sample as well as a class I will be teaching. It is the Capucine hat. It is so comfy and really don't want to bring it back to the shop ;P. It is knit out of one skein of Noro Nadeshiko. It has wool, angora, and silk. So soft and yummy with great colors!

My oldest will be going with my mother to see the Nutcracker this year. My mom first took us girls when we were five and I am so excited that my son will get to join in on this tradition! We have been reading The Nutcracker everyday and both the boys are loving the story. We have watched a couple of online videos as well. I want to make sure he is prepared and knows what to expect :) He is VERY excited and loves searching out any nutcracker decorations in the stores.

Noah fell asleep in the evening service at our church yesterday. My mom was delighted to have his warmth on her lap. There is just something perfect and sweet about a sleeping child. :)

Quick Knit!

2011-11-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

I have been bit by a trend. All over the place I see people wearing these super cute and chunky knit/crocheted head bands with these dramatic flowers on them. I wasn't sure I could pull one off. But I jumped on the bandwagon and whipped one up yesterday and it's on my head this morning :)

Some gratuitous pics of my boys cracking me up yesterday. Noah with his goofy faces and Corbin spent a good deal of yesterday "scooting" himself around in his new favorite toy. Life is never dull with them around.

Baby Shower

2011-11-12T09:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday evening was the baby shower for my sister that I hosted through our church yesterday! There was a great turn out and it was so fun to get to together and fellowship! Our church is so full of young families right now and it's just wonderful to see all the babies. Though I will admit that I feel like these last months of my sister's pregnancy are going 5x slower than before. I am so excited for my little nephews arrival and I just can't wait to snuggle him!!!!

Here's some photo's from before the event started :) We did a woodland theme as her nursery is decorated in that theme. (We used my sister's camera for the actual event so I am sure we will get some photo's with people in them from her)

Spinning!

2011-11-12T09:25:00.000-08:00

I finally got my spinning wheel back out. I can't tell you how long it had been. I would look longingly at my beautiful wheel and think tomorrow! Quite a few "tomorrows" passed and I finally sat down!

I can't remember what the fiber is as it is a wool blend that my sister bought. However it is dreamy! A very lustrous silky yarn is the result. I navajo plied the yarn and ended up with right about 200 yards of this yummy yarn. It is going back home to my sister and I am excited to jump back into spinning more.

Unfortunately I have some knitting that is in the front of the queue. A baby sweater, hat, cowl, and socks need to jump off my needles before I progress with any other projects get the front seat. The above are all samples I need to knit for my classes and I really would like them done before Thanksgiving. I want to be able to enjoy the holidays without them hanging over me :)

Halloween Catch Up

2011-11-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

I think we had the best Halloween ever this year! I did lots of cooking with the boys during the day and then they took off with their Daddy and went Trick or Treating. It was Noah's first year and he was SO excited! I stayed home to help my Grandmother hand out candy and I had a great time talking and chatting with them. Whenever we (my grandparents and I) spend time together I learn more and more about our family history.

I have been working on lots sewing and knitting projects and I hope to get to them soon!

Bag and Log Cabins

2011-10-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

I finished a bag yesterday. I love how it turned out and it is exactly the size and type of bag I have been needing. Plus it has fabric on the pockets that I LOVE and find hilarious. I call them the creepy knitting ladies. I knew the instant that I saw the fabric that I had to have a project bag with them on it. The fabric is by Alexander Henry and it's called The Ghastlies. I for some reason could not get my head around this bag though. It took several tries, buying more fabric, and settling for a few things that I wouldn't normally accept but it's done. I think I would do much better the second go around, however I am still happy with the end product and love my new bag.

I am taking a quilt class right now, Classic Log Cabin. I have been anxiously awaiting a class like this. I am two weeks in and LOVING it. I didn't have much time last week to work on it, but all the logs are now cut and I am happily chain piecing away. I have four finished blocks and 16 that need one more round. This quilt will be for John to take with him to work for his bed there. I am hoping to get a maltese cross quilted onto it or something like that. It will be a gift for John graduating the Anchorage Fire Department Academy. One of the things I love best about a log cabin quilt is how amazing they look regardless of your fabric choices. I really stepped out of my comfort zone and bought all of the fabrics at 50-70%. As long as they were a light or a dark and weren't too similar to each other they went into the "buy" pile. I bought the backing at the same time for 70% off and enough of the center fabric to do borders and binding (although I am leaning towards doing a log cabin border too) at 70% off. The cost for the top and backing of this twin sized quilt will only be about $45. That is smoking! Anyhow I love a good deal and am excited to see the blocks coming together. I am using Judy Martin's method and I LOVE how easy it has made it. I am also using the organizers she recommended and they have been keeping my fabric so nice and ready to piece. I can't wait to post a finished picture!

Also here is a picture that my sister took from Noah's birthday party. I love it :)

My Noah

2011-10-03T07:32:00.001-07:00

My baby is three! I just can't believe how fast it has gone (the mantra of all parents I believe). Although I think Corbin's is going to hit me even harder this year. Five is just such a big kid age. School age. My sister picked some amazing pictures (that totally had me crying) to show Noah's changes from year to year so I will refer you there :)

Catch up

2011-08-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

So I won't even try to play catch up but here are a few pictures of what I have been doing craft wise (well and the fair!) the past 2 months or so :)

Board walk, knitting, and boys

2011-07-15T22:46:00.000-07:00

This morning Corbin had his second riding lesson (which went great!). But we had an hour to kill before heading to his lesson and decided to spend it at Potter's Marsh. I have great memories of exploring there as a child and love that my children get that same experience. My Dad had taken them earlier in week, which had made me realize how long it had been since I had gone. The boys enjoyed showing us everything and the day was so beautiful and the air so fresh. I needed that hour of respite in God's creation more than I knew.

There was also knitting (Skype socks)

While I was attending (another) baby shower the boys enjoyed more time outside! I came home and promptly gave them baths (although I am not sure how wise that was as they are camping out with their daddy in the yard tonight). This was Noah's feet just before bathing. I used to cringe at the thought of the kids getting this dirty. I feel joy in it now, a boys feet should look like that in the summer. As Corbin told me this morning "TV is boring" I must be doing something right!

Go Dog Go

2011-07-12T17:53:00.000-07:00

I have a baby shower to attend tonight for a little boy that will be here soon. I got the dog fabrics from a friend and then had coordinating fabrics in the stash! So that made me happy and I think it turned out pretty cute. I am still working on my free motion quilting skills, but overall I am very happy with the finished project.

I have been knitting away like mad during my spare moments preparing for my fall classes. All the projects are going well, I just wish I had more time (Like everyone).

In other news, my husband is currently in the middle of testing with the Anchorage Fire Department and that has added a little stress to the mix. A family member also has some serious health issues going on right now and that has had me struggling to hand over the worry to God. I know He can handle it and knows the big picture, I just need to let go.

In happier tones our church just called an associate pastor. I am so excited for this man (and his family) to now be on full time!! The Lord has worked so amazingly in his life and he has done a lot for the church already!! I know it can only get better!!

Riding Lesson

2011-07-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

Corbin had his first Horseback Riding lesson today!!! I must admit I am living a bit vicariously through him as I have had a life long love of horses! He took a bit to warm up to his instructor (as expected) however he was talking normally to her by the end of the lesson! I look forward to many more. He did so well following her direction and it was exciting to experience my child's success. He had a session in their riding corral and then he got to go on a trail ride. He and I can't wait for him to go back.

Here's a couple of pics :)

also an apology for the !!! I am really excited about his lessons :)

New Zealand Pullover

2011-06-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

So my pattern for the New Zealand Pullover (rav link) arrived in the mail and so the shawl has to take second seat at least until I can determine how long this pullover will take. I am SO excited to be working on this though as I am making it for my husband. He has wanted me to make him a sweater for a long time. When I saw this pattern I knew it would be for him. I did the swatch as prescribed by Elizabeth and washed and blocked it. I am getting 5.75 stitches to the inch and this will be the smallest gauge that I have ever knit an adult sweater. This will also be the largest sweater I have ever knit. So....I am a little nervous at how long it will take me. It is mostly stockinette so it will be fast on that account, but with probably 4-5 hours knitting yesterday at least, I have 3.5-4" on the body. I'm knitting it in Elsbeth Lavold's Silky Wool, their Burnt Orange color. It is one of my favorite yarns. I LOVE the resulting fabric. Below is a picture of the yarn, I will try to get some WIP pics when there is more to show :)

Also this will be one of the classes I am teaching in the fall at The Yarn Branch. We're doing "A Study in Elizabeth Zimmerman", with a choice in projects of either the Baby Surprise Jacket or the New Zealand Pullover. Both are unisex and can be knit in any weight yarn. I think this will make for a great class!

Through the Loops Summer Shawl KAL

2011-06-23T08:52:00.001-07:00

So I jumped in! I have tons of knitting to get done, but I could not resist joining this KAL. I started the Cladonia shawl yesterday. I had purchases the pattern within minutes of seeing it. I am doing it out of my Cashnyro yarn in Big Blue World and Verily Verde. I am already about half way through the stripes, but I am getting into the "long" rows. Still trying to decide which color I will use where in the lace borders.

Also this is definitely helping to tide me over as I wait for Elizabeth Zimmerman's new book Knit One Knit All.

Also here is a gratuitous darling pic of Corbin with Oakley

Summer

2011-05-19T11:20:00.001-07:00

Well we're now into Alaska summer. The leaves have popped and I have definitely been keeping busy!! We now have a puppy and we LOVE him. He has been the easiest puppy ever so far. Easy to train and very loving. He's done really well with the boys and they are doing great with him too.

Lots of sewing and knitting have been happening and I have so much to catch up on picture wise. I will try to do a collage or something. Just the thought of catching up is daunting so I might just let myself off and the hook and do better with future projects.

Here is a sweet picture of Oakley sleeping in Corbin arms :)

Valentines Day

2011-02-14T19:02:00.001-08:00

I find this holiday more fun now that I have children to celebrate it with. I told them we would have a special lunch....pink pancakes and eggs! They got a huge kick out of it :) I even made the pancakes into heart shapes! John and I are going out tonight after I get off work and I'm looking forward to that. Although today's lunch was a pretty fun way to celebrate our love as a family!

P.S. The eggs turned out prettier then the look in the picture lol.

Finished - Yellow Brick Road Gone Girly!

2011-02-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I busted out the quilting and binding on this Yellow Brick Road quilt. It took right around 7 hours! Whew, the boys were super co-operative (Noah napped during most of the quilting) and this was done without *almost* any strife. Only the end of the binding gave me fits, as I was trying out a new technique for meeting up the binding. It turned out great though I had to use my seam ripper a couple of times! I backed the quilt with minkee and I have to say I was VERY glad to have "basted" this using fabric spray adhesive. It really did a great job keeping the minkee in place rather than stretching. Now this quilt is ready for the baby shower on Sunday and I have a big weight off my shoulders. Just have one more coordinating burp rag to finish which should take all of 30 minutes!

Also finished up a pair of socks this morning, but as I was taking my first picture of them the battery on the camera died, so until next time on those. I am also waiting for my personal photographer (also known as my sister Whitney) to take some pics of me in my Undergrowth Hat and Hallet's Ledge Sweater so I can post about them!

A couple things from a BUSY Week!

2011-02-07T11:34:00.000-08:00

So I won't touch on EVERYTHING I was busy doing this last week, but here are two accomplishments.

1. The boys room.

I forgot to take a before picture. But the upper half of the walls had been tarp blue. Not a bad color but it had been waiting a year for me to finish the room and I just woke up and realized that I never was going to want to spend the money on the paneling and chair rail. We have many more pressing fixes around that house. So I went to Lowe's and picked out some new paint. Went home and the next day jumped into painting mode! I taped, primed, and painted. here are the results. I'm very happy with it, and the boys (Corbin in particular) though it was a "beautiful blue". I had gone through their room a couple days before that and was ruthless. Now they have a nicely organized room with a place for everything. They have been doing much better at cleaning it up as well (which had been the real goal!).

2. Started a four patch posy quilt top.

This is one of the new classes this session at work. The sample is done in oriental prints and was just lovely. BUT! I have been dying to use a really bold and fun print and decided this was the time to try it! This is easier than some of the other patterns out there using the "stack and whack" method. It means layering four repeats (where the pattern 'repeats" across the fabric) exactly on top of each other and cutting them simultaneously to creat a kaleidoscope effect when they are pieced together. This was harder than I expected (though I should've known) and took me a long time (well longer than I thought it should have). I got it all cut out and have pieced 9 of the blocks so far. I think they are pretty cool. Here's how it looked as I went from step to step :)

Camilla Baby Sweater and Pants

2011-01-19T12:41:00.000-08:00

Yay! Nothing like the instant (pretty much) gratification of knitting for small babies. I finished the knitting on this two days ago but just sat down this morning to graft the underarms and weave in the ends. I am so happy with how this turned out! I think it's much cuter in person. I don't think the camera picked up the details so well. Of course it's a grey day and I have no baby to model it on....

The corduroy pants I whipped up in no time using a free template online. I think they turned out great! They cost about $5 to make and were so fast. I have materials to make two more pairs and hope to get them done sooner than later.

I made the 6mo size in both so it should be a great little fall/winter outfit for this spring baby.

Why I Always Have Knitting With Me

2011-01-12T13:10:00.001-08:00

Because life is full of waiting. Right now I am waiting for my hubby to finalize the details after teaching his first CPR class. Thankfully I am not going crazy because I have my knitting. I have waited long enough to not only have written this post but to have finished one repeat on the little baby sweater that I started yesterday. I am loving how it's turning out. The pattern is Camilla Babe, a darling little sweater with a different twist (rav link). I am going to make a matching corduroy pleated skirt and pants, oh and of course little booties to match.

Happy Homeowner

2011-01-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

We've now lived in our current home for about 17 months! It's been exciting to have a home that is all ours to paint and change as we desire. Though of course what comes with that is responsibility to fix what breaks!

We have a tubular skylight that has decided to leak, thankfully it's really not bad and John will have no problem fixing it. By fixing it we have decided to remove it!! Now the plan is to build out that wall and put in a pantry as well as some built in shelving. We are very excited about it (especially have more storage to make our kitchen that much more efficient). My husband used to work as a framer and he is definitely more excited by the prospect of this kind of housework than the other finishing type projects that he's had to do thus far.

Crafting wise I have finished another yellow brick road quilt top. This time for a friend who is due with a little girl in the beginning of March. Oops, I do still have the borders to add, but then on to quilting!

No pics today, hopefully next post!

Finishing Up

2011-01-04T23:54:00.000-08:00

As with most people, I was excited for the holidays to come and excited to see them go. I love the extra time with family and appreciate them so much. But it also makes me appreciate the everyday. So 2011 I am ready for you!I have one resolution (that's new anyways) and that is to get on top of my calendar. So far I'm taking baby steps, but that means it's better than it was. I just always feel helter-skelter, and I want to change that.

I have been finishing projects including three lap quilts! Two are yellow brick roads (they only differ in quilting pattern and binding so I've just included one pic) that I made for my boys to enjoy this winter and they were fun to make and my first foray into quilting something bigger than a bag. They aren't perfect, but the boys love them and I learned much from

doing them! I also finished a quilt that I had been making for my Grandpa Wes, it features RV/Camping fabric and he is very happy to have a leg quilt to go in the RV with him!

I have two other large quilt projects ready to start and can't wait!! Before I can get to those I just have another small wave tote to finish. (Please excuse the poor night/flash photography - it totally skewed the colors) It's for my MIL, she used to live in Alaska and loved it here, so I thought she would enjoy these fabrics......

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Here's just a small sampling from ours :)

Baby it's Cold Outside

2010-12-16T21:13:00.000-08:00

So....my sister has really been pushing for a post and surprisingly I am in the mood for it! I have been spending so little time on the computer that my blog has been suffering (obviously). I have been creating away and have finished many new projects, but I am not going to try and catch up...I think that is always what gets me in trouble. I feel a nonsensical need to explain that gap in posting, and I am just going to ignore the impulse.

So to jump back in I'm going to use this template to get juices flowing :) Your welcome Whitney!! lol.

December 16, 2010

Outside my window.... Is a windswept, snowy driveway with very fresh moose tracks heading through them. I wish I had gotten to the moose! I haven't seen as many around the house so far this year.

I am thinking...about how there is never enough time and since I have been sewing more I have been fighting with myself over whether I feel like sewing or knitting.

I am thankful for... my family, the ability to buy Christmas gifts for my children, and the opportunity to share the true meaning of Christmas with my oldest son.

I am wearing... the yoga pants I hijacked from my sister, a white cami, and my favorite comfort shirt. A purple fleece REI button up shirt that was my Grandma Jan's. I always think of her when I where it and feel a little closer to the years I got to spend with her.

I am remembering...how stressful past holidays have been, and so thankful that this year is not turning out to one of them!

I am going... knit some more tonight and hopefully finish the slippers I am working on for myself.

I am creating...Quite a bit right now! I have two quilts I'm working on and two that just need their bindings sewn, as well as various a knitting projects. I also just bought a new cookie cook book and I am SO excited to bake out of that with the boys :)

I am reading... A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin....one of my favorite series

I am hoping... we have no more sickness with my boys. Just finished up a couple weeks with the stomach flu and pink eye making rounds....

I am hearing... my boys rustling in bed as they have just laid down for the night.

On my mind... making the best use of my time and that John makes it home safe from the Valley tonight.

From the Kitchen... Tonight was Pork Loin roast, Peas, Crescent Rolls, with Chocolate chip cookies as a treat. Yum!

One of my favorite things... Relaxing with a good book

A few plans for the weekend... xc skiing, baking, spending time with family, knitting, and sewing.

Botanical Medallion Cardigan

2010-08-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my sister Whitney, I was FINALLY able to get pics taken in my Botanical Medallion Cardigan. I knit it out of Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece, in their limelight colorway. It is one of my favorite finished projects! The knitting was fun, and I loved the different construction (being that it's just a giant circle with armholes), though I don't think I could bring myself to knit another one. The outer band is just a four row repeat and it got pretty tedious.

*Please excuse my wet dog look....it has been raining steadily this morning and my hair shows the results.

Pockets to Go

2010-07-30T21:17:00.001-07:00

Especially since I have my sewing cabinet organized and ready to use, I have been doing a good amount of sewing these past couple days. Today, I have also taken the opportunity to pull out my small fabric stash. I have now measured and marked all the pieces that are full width, as well as sorted scraps. I even took pics of them all and uploaded them to my google web albums.

Here is a picture of my cabinet in the middle of me using it. I have my little ironing pad and iron. My baskets fit perfectly in the cubby holes and contain patterns, scraps, WIPs, and my new Pockets to Go organizers. Two of them are destined for my sister and her boyfriend as they are heading off to college in a couple of weeks and thought they would make great gifts.

I have also completed two stealth projects, but I will have to post the pics in a couple of weeks, as they are gifts for a friend.

I am definitely excited to be planning uses for the fabrics in my stash. I probably will be picking up the One Yard Wonders book to try and make the most of the fabrics and cost pattern wise. It's a great book and I've been wanting it either way.

Change

2010-07-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

I don't think I have publicly stated this anywhere, and maybe it's time that I should. I have taken a break from my business. It was getting to difficult for me to balance between my business and my family. I am planning on returning to dyeing and selling after my boys are both in school as that would give me a defined time to work. My shop is still up and I am selling the remainder of my stock, but I will be doing no more dyeing for the time being. Thanks to my customers, I can't tell you how much I've appreciated you!

Explore!

2010-07-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

Today I picked up my sister Whitney and we headed out to the Eagle River Nature Center. We had an awesome time and the boys loved exploring the trails and board walks. The inside of the visitors center was great too, there was lots to touch, which works well with little boys lol. Whitney was awesome and remembered her camera and took some great photos (as usual). You can see her post and pics here.

Now home, I am catching up on cleaning. I have really been slacking (also known as sewing and knitting lol) and have quite a bit of household chores to catch up on. Noah has had a little bit of a stomach bug and I think he is still not quite himself. So an evening home sounded like a good idea!

Oh! I was able to finally able to talk the hubby into carrying up my new (to me) sewing cabinet and have told myself that if I get my list done I'll get to sit down and finish up my notions basket that I am working on.....

Seward

2010-07-27T00:06:00.001-07:00

Thanks to now having a reliable vehicle we decided to take advantage of the day that John and I had off together to do a day trip to Seward. I packed extra clothes, rain gear, lunches, and snacks, then I loaded the boys and picked John up by 9:15 or so. We stopped for Coffee and then started the drive.

I love little road trips and John and I really enjoyed the scenery and the chance to chat. The boys did great and were berry happy to be going on an "adventure"!

We took our time and I was even indulged to detour to Cooper's Landing to stop at their quilt shop! It was an awesome little shop and I picked up a wallhanging appliqué pattern and a little kit that will be a gift.

We got into Seward around 1pm and headed to their great playground to have a yummy (if somewhat chilly) lunch. Then we took advantage of the playground and let the boys stretch their legs. Very fun.

Then we headed to the Sealife Center, which we all enjoyed, though Corbin was especially intruiged by it all and was so fun to watch him discover and observe. We all thought the Sea Lion was pretty awesome (as we always do), though I always love the Puffins too!

I hit the yarn shop and quilt shop while the boys napped in the car, then we headed down to the docks and I knit while all the boys napped.

We got ice cream, and then headed for dinner (gotta love dessert before dinner ;P). After a hearty warm dinner we drove out to Exit Glacier and walked out to the glacier. Corbin did great and walked the whole way by himself and Noah was only carried about half way. Corbin loved walking in the drizzle and was pretty impressed with the glacier, thinking it was pretty cool that it could leave scratches on the rocks.

We headed home after that and wearily pulled into the driveway around 10:45pm. We all slept quite soundly :)

*I apologize for the crappy stretched pics - my camera batteries were dead, so I was stick with the iPhone camera and I am writing this from my phone and haven't figured out the stretching, I'll try to correct it at the pc in the morning*

Counterpane Tunic

2010-07-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

Finally got some pics of my sister in the Counterpane Tunic. I knit it out of Knit Picks Shine Sport in their green apple colorway. I thought it would be a great choice for her to take down to college. I think it's super cute on her and should be easy to wear summer and winter, and hard to ruin ;P. It was a fun knit and the only changes I made were to knit the lower body several inches longer. I got a little bored with that part, but I think it was worth it!

Sew much fun!

2010-07-20T10:28:00.001-07:00

I'm excited to say working at a quilt/yarn shop has been a good influence! I haven't gone crazy spending there (which sometimes is very hard to resist) but I have made a couple planned puchases. I've bought the materials to make a purse, jackets for the boys, and shirts for John and the boys.

I'm half way through the matching shirts, but I've finished the others and here's some pics.

Family

2010-07-02T20:45:00.001-07:00

I have a great family and am lucky enough to live close to them.

Today I had lunch with my mom and then helped clean out her office. It turned out to be much more entertaining than expected. We found some amazing letters and journals. Including a journal of my great grandmother's from 1973 & 1975, it was crazy to hear my mother talked about as a teenager and to hear her speak of sewing maternity clothes for an aunt of mine. We also found a letter my mom had written to a friend that had mailed it back after twenty years. It was written when she was 16 and it was pretty funny! I biked home feeling really lucky for the loving family that surrounds me.

Oh, and today is my parents 33rd anniversary!! Way to go Mom and Dad!! You are an amazing inspiration :)

Sundays

2010-06-27T21:39:00.001-07:00

I have to say I love Sundays. They are a special day for me and always have been. I start out the day with church and then it is almost always a family day after that.

Today I woke up to the sound of rain. It was wonderful and the clean smell of trees and water wafted into my bedroom. My excitement was only a little dampened (haha pun intended) when I realized I would be biking to church. After packing my skirt and top and dressing accordingly it was really no big deal. The streets were so quiet and it was truly a peaceful ride.

We had lunch at my parents - my Dad is giving his new grill a workout and grilled some amazing salmon with a raspberry chipotle sauce brushed on it!! YUM!! Then we headed home and I put the boys to bed, but not before promising Corbin that he could wear his new firefighter rain boots and go for a puddle jumping walk once he woke up.

Three hours later I finally went in to wake him up! So we put on our boots and headed out. The boys had a blast and listened so well. I can't wait to take them out for more puddle jumping...though Noah still hasn't quite figured out jumping so he is still puddle stomping ;P

Afterwards we came home and made muffins and dinner together. I really gotta say it was an awesome day. The boys were so well behaved and fun. I think it was pretty much a day that Mom's live for :)

Completely unrelated but John has been waiting to see if he still had a job as his company is merging with two others. Upon checking the mail yesterday we were so excited and relieved to see an "offer of employment" and not only that but a significant raise in pay!! This is just a huge answer to prayer!

Payday!

2010-06-25T20:13:00.001-07:00

Gotta say I love payday! Also today was a little momentous for us as we made another step toward being debt free! Another card is paid off!! I won't go into the dirty details, but we have quite a bit to pay off and it felt pretty good to have one less monthly payment and more money to pay down the others!

Also biked my errands while pulling the boys. I logged around 10.3 miles today! Not too shabby for just around town :)

And lastly I realized I need my sister to help me with some pics of my newest sweater!! *hint hint* Whitney :) so hopefully Sunday I will have a crafty post!

More biking

2010-06-24T21:51:00.001-07:00

No more crafting updates, I need to get some photos taken and uploaded before that can happen so I will continue with my biking log!

Yesterday was another day of family biking. We headed off towards Lake Hood planning on connecting to the Coastal Trail at Earthquake Park. The boys were asleep quickly as we headed out a little after their normal nap time. BUT, quickly woke up once they heard all the float planes taking off at the lake. We stopped and took some pics and let them enjoy all the planes.

Then we were back on the trail and biked on to Elderberry Park downtown where we had a nice picnic dinner.

The boys enjoyed the playground and made a couple new friends. The bike home was nice and uneventful. All in all it was a 19 mile ride, though it was considerably easier for me than Tuesday as I was not attached to roughly 80lbs of kid and trailer!

Today I worked - which I have not yet announced, but I am now employed at Quilt Tree! I loving it and am constantly inspired by the creativity around me. I must admit it has been providing me with a much needed regular break from being a stay at home mom. John is loving the alone time he's getting with the boys and the change of pace is welcome for both of us :)

As I was saying, today I worked so that meant my main bike rides were just the to and from work, though I was joined by my youngest sister Beka on my way home (a very welcome suprise! I can hardly believe she will be gone to college in just six weeks!!). It's only around a 4.5 mile ride one way but it adds up to about 45 min of biking a day so is still a welcome workout!

After getting home John washed and tuned up my bike as well as his. Then we enjoyed a quick ride to Tastee Freeze where we ate a yummy dinner and ice cream sundays!

All in all today I bike 12.8 miles, and I must admit my muscles protested a little today after my two previous rides!

Hello Summer!!

2010-06-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

My sister has been blatantly nagging me about blogging, and admittedly it's been awhile! The last two months have been packed with biking, starting a new job, a trip to Illinois, and more biking!

I think my lack of blogging has been a result of feeling like I needed to catch, and if I didn't where would I jump back in? But my sister is right, I need to blog. I miss it :)

I'll just ease in with biking. Yesterday I biked my longest trip while pulling the boys, 19.5 miles!!! I was pretty worn out as they are pretty heavy! Buy I am proud of myself and look forward to more such trips. I've mentioned this before, but my goal in biking is to save gas money and burn some weight off. I have around 40 pounds to lose now. I have already lost eight, and i am really trying to make a real lifestyle change rather than binge dieting. It has it's ups and downs, but I am slowing dropping the weight :)

I'll try to do a crafty update next! I have a lot of sewing and knitting in progress!

A New Leaf or branch??

2010-04-21T23:25:00.000-07:00

The past couple of days have been filled with thoughts for the outdoors. The whole family is now outfitted with bikes (or the trailer) and we have gone out twice out of three days! My bike has to have some modifications made to be able to pull the Chariot (doh! Would have helped had I checked for the quick release rear tire before buying! John is in the garage installing a new axle on it and it has been cool to how a bike comes apart. Hopefully it will be ready to go for me tomorrow. Today's ride was pretty intense (for me) and there were a lot a rather large hills involved! I made it though and it really gave me the confidence that this is going to work! I have decided that rather than focus on weight, or eating (as in regimented diet and exercise) that I am going to try to really change my lifestyle. I need/have to take better care of myself and I need to have fun doing it. So rain or shine my bike and I will have a daily date!

In other news our backyard is almost completely free of snow and is even getting close to being dry. So Hubby headed out to trim all the trees. One was a real problem as much of it's branches were laying on the house, encouraging moss to grow. So he trimmed that tree way back and then using his chainsaw also took down many of the lower branches on the rest of the trees! It was fun puttering around out there with him and I can't wait for more time out there! It will be our first summer at this house and it's going to be great!

I also discovered some bulbs coming up! There are definitely some tulips as well as these! I am not sure what they are but they totally made my day! I know the pics a little fuzzy, but you get the idea :)

Suprise!

2010-04-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up to an unexpected and not really welcome surprise. If you live in Anchorage, or the surrounding areas you already know what I'm talking about. SNOW. I know, I know, we live in Alaska, isn't that what it does here? Well, it does, and occasionally it dumps like this during spring. But I am soooooo ready for the warmth and lack of bulky clothing. Plus the cheetah 2 chariot we ordered for the boys came in yesterday. We promptly went for a lovely walk. There was still snowy patches, but overall the path was dry. The sun was shining, I had falsely believed we were done.

So last night, due to John working out in the Valley, we stayed at my parents so that we could go pick up a rental car after they were asleep (we only wanted to rent it for one day, he is working the 6am-12am shift). We had walked over with the shiny new chariot thinking it would be great for me to just walk home in the morning. At 1:45am, when we picked up the car the snow had just started, but it was barely sprinkling and really even looked like rain. The roads were still dry and I thought it was just a passing thing. But when we woke up at 7am, there was 5-6inches on the ground! Wet and sloppy, my least favorite snow!

So, out of a weird stroke up luck, I had worn my snow boots last night. So I still had no problem walking home, a little more resistance pushing the chariot, but it did great! The boys were toasty warm inside, which was a good thing since they were just in jammies (though they did have a fleece blanket).

I guess what it really showed me was that I need to not let the weather hold me back! I had already decided this mentally, but today really cemented that even 5" of sloppy nasty snow is no reason to stay inside!

*But I still can't wait for summer!*

Funky Flip Flop Socks

2010-04-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

Sooooo as I mentioned in my last post John wanted some socks. Specifically he wanted socks he could wear with his flip flops. He lounges in these flip flops at work between calls (he's an EMT III) and he wears them all winter because he loves them so much and remind him of our WDW vacations (They are mickey mouse croc flip flops ).

Long story short they are finished! I did have to rip out one toe as I made two right socks (doh!).

Skew

2010-04-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

Woo! These socks were a FUN and FAST knit! I got the first one done in under 48 hours (not straight knitting time, but I cast on the evening of my birthday and cast off two evenings later). I took a few days off to spin and then picked the second one back up this morning. Seriously satisfying and exciting. The pattern is so unique and the fit is really great, they totally hug my feet and are so comfortable to wear (and they are the same length for some reason the left looks longer above, but it really isn't).

If you can't already tell I am totally in love with these! I used some precious Wollmeise yarn that had been gifted to me and was waiting for the perfect pattern. I think it worked out perfectly! I still have enough yarn left for a pair of ankle socks, so that is pretty exciting too. This was my first time knitting with Wollmeise and I can see why everyone loves it so much. The colors are so saturated and the construction of the yarn seems very durable and I think the socks will hold up very well.

Now I have to cast on the second flip flop sock that I am making for John. I am being a big baby about it, but I really don't feel like knitting it. It's worsted weight and should theoretically take between 4-6 hours, so it shouldn't be a big deal and he really wants them....but I am still not feeling it. I think when we sit down to watch a movie tonight I am just going to do it! Especially since I have some Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece winging it's way to me to become a Que Sera...I know I will want to cast on the second it's in the door and I don't want anything in my way!

That Lazy Kate!

2010-04-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

Alright, if you spin, you know what kind of lazy kate I'm talking about! It is a tool used in plying (taking multiple strands of spun fiber and twisting them together for a 2, or 3, or 4 ply yarn) Well mine was an Ashford, meant to be used with Ashford bobbins. Now I have Abigail, my antique spinning wheel, and her bobbins were just too wide for my Ashford lazy kate. So after much begging, my wonderful husband did a little surgery and widened it! So as you can imagine I have done a little spinning this weekend. I just finished my second skein about 20min ago. Neither are washed, but you get the idea :)

The springy greens and purples is a Funky Carolina superwash merino. It came out right at worsted weight and 211 yards. The pinks, peaches, and browns is Romney dyed by me! It is a dk weight yarn coming in right at 200yards. Also in the collage is a lovely coffee mug I received for my birthday from a good friend :)

A Trio

2010-04-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

Wahoo! I must say my boys looked pretty handsome on Easter :)

Jared Flood's Alberta vest, one made as directed and two downsized for my little chublets. John had been begging for a set of vests/sweaters so that he could match his boys. I must say I should knit for him more often!! He was full of praise and loved wearing the vest...I see more in his future!

He is Risen!

2010-04-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 15

The Resurrection of Christ

¹Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. ²By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

³For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵and that he appeared to Peter,^[b] and then to the Twelve. ⁶After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

⁹For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. ¹¹Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

¹²But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.¹⁵More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

²⁰But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²²For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. ²³But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. ²⁴Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. ²⁵For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ²⁷For he "has put everything under his feet."^[c] Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. ²⁸When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

²⁹Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? ³⁰And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? ³¹I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. ³²If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,
"Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die."^[d] ³³Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." ³⁴Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.

The Resurrection Body

³⁵But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" ³⁶How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. ³⁷When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. ³⁸But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. ³⁹All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. ⁴⁰There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. ⁴¹The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

⁴²So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; ⁴³it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"^[e]; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. ⁴⁷The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. ⁴⁸As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. ⁴⁹And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we^[f] bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

⁵⁰I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵²in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."^[g]
⁵⁵"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"^[h] ⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Resolutions...Ok I know they're a little late!

2010-04-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

As so many Alaskans and probably most of the US (though it has reached many of them already) I can't wait to get my rear out into the warmth and sunshine! Today I totally stepped outside my comfort zone and took the boys for a walk....the walk wasn't out of my comfort zone but the puddle jumping was!! I am such a baby when it comes to getting dirty, but I took a note from my sisters who both love puddle jumping and let the boys have at it (yes they are in their PJ's, I figured if they got super dirty or stained most people would never see them)! Though I was still too paranoid to enjoy it myself! (Old habits die hard, what can I say)

Speaking of habits, I plan on breaking a few as well as forming some new ones. I have goals for the coming year (which I do find a little interesting that this is hitting me now, as I had no inspiration whatsoever over new years)

1. I will get outdoors everyday. I just used Fiber Festival moolah (THANK YOU to whomever shopped from me!!) and some money from selling our single chariot to purchase a new bike and double chariot for me and the boys. I have weight I want to lose, but more importantly I want to lead an active and fit lifestyle, and give my kiddos the tools and example to do the same! Plus all of my family members (as in my hubby, parents, and sisters) love to bike so I think it will be great fun!

2. I want to participate in more local events. I am already planning on doing the Walk/Roll for Hope and look forward to participating in some races this summer and fall as well! I also discovered that there is TONS of stuff to take the boys to that cost either nothing or little around town and I need to be taking advantage of them!! Plus hopefully I will be riding my bike instead of taking the car so I will be saving on gas as well!

3. Make time to enjoy the moment and stress less. This pretty much applies to all areas of my life and I think I need to stop being so centered on getting things done (well not lose that completely but balance it a little) and focus more on enjoying the moments I'm having, regardless of whether they are going exactly to plan. I am sort of a planner, so this is a big stretch for me. hmm...I feel like I need to explain how I am a planner...I am not a long term planner as much as I am a daily planner. In the morning I have expectations for my day and if things don't go accordingly I am known to get cranky....proof?...ask the hubby!

So there they are! There's not ever going to be a better time than now :)

Alaska Fiber Festival Sneak Peek!

2010-03-12T22:31:00.000-08:00

So tonight was setup! As you can imagine it has been a busy week preparing for this event. The Alaska Fiber Festival only happens every two years, so don't miss it! The marketplace is open Sat and Sun from 10-5. Come down and say hello!! There is all types of booths, it not just yarn & spinning fiber.

Here's a sneak peek into my booth (though it is missing a few finishing touches)

The Fingering Weight Yarns

The Sport through Worsted

And the Spinning/Felting Fibers!!

2010 Iditarod

2010-03-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

So John and I have always loved to go to the Iditarod start in Anchorage. We usually start downtown at the official start and enjoy the barking dogs, the crowds of people with their Fur Rondy dress, and the energy of the event! Then we go on to Goose Lake Park and get an up close and personal view of the mushers and their dogs running down the trail!

Unfortunately John was working today, but I took the boys anyways. My mother joined me for the downtown portion (though I have no pics from downtown, it was pretty busy!). But here are the pics I took from Goose Lake. The boys had a blast and I love getting to watch the sleds run so close! It was a great day for it :)

Oh! And we even came away with souvenirs! The mushers were throwing their worn out dog booties for people to take home...Corbin thought it was pretty cool that the dogs had their own shoes.

oh and P.S. The Alaska Fiber Festival is this week and I will be vending there next weekend. So come see me!! I will be sharing a booth with Sally, from Moose in Socks. I am knitting up some sample stuff to have for show, including some darling booties I cast on last night!

Peace

2010-03-05T14:58:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I let myself get very frustrated. Today as I took muffins out of the oven my kids were going crazy. Corbin was just being a goofy three year old and was just making extremely annoying noises, normally I handle it. Noah was doing his whiney cry as food was not arriving as quickly as he thought it should to his mouth, normally I kind of handle it. However both of these together put me over the edge. I yelled at both of them, which resulted in them both crying, not an improvement. I hate looking back on those moments.

Peace. Now I am peaceful, all three boys are in bed and I love the joy that comes with knowing that they are in their respective beds, sleeping, hopefully dreaming. These are some of my favorite moments.

Now I am going to spin and enjoy my peaceful house (while it lasts! lol!)

Snow Sculptures!

2010-03-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

After a quite hectic weekend (I have a future post coming with my Olympic Knitting projects) we've been just chilling and quietly working on various things around the house. Today we decided to get out and see the Fur Rondy Snow Sculptures. It has been quite warm (in the upper 30's to low 40's) and wanted to go see them before they fell apart. There were some really simple ones as well as some intricate and quite beautiful ones. Here's a little collage (the pics are black and white so that the sculptures stand out as they should).

I have been going to see these since I can remember and am excited to continue this tradition with my children. They both loved them!

75th Fur Rondy!!

2010-02-26T10:46:00.001-08:00

There are some things that are so special about living in Alaska! The Fur Rondy is one of them!! Today kicks off the 75th anniversary - which I think is pretty amazing! It has had some rough years as it costs quite a bit to put on! I have been going to Fur Rondy events my entire life and cannot imagine not getting to see the sled dogs, or any of the the awesome events that happen. John and I will be sitting down when he gets home to plan out which events we don't want to miss!! Definitely the start of the Iditarod, the running of the Reindeer, etc. I can't wait!!

Also on the knitting olympics front, I am into the body of Corbin's vest, hoping to finish that up tonight and do the steeking etc. tomorrow. Noah's vest is going to need a little reworking because his head is huge! so I think I am going to put in buttons on one shoulder for his......

Second Go around

2010-02-21T16:17:00.000-08:00

whoa! This week seemed to fly by!

John's vest is finished!! Took me about 5 days of knitting, definitely fast and satisfying! The steeking was scary, but as I have read, it was completely easy :) I haven't blocked it yet, so no finished pics, but this is after I have done one armhole and the neck :)

It's only been three weeks since my last cooking adventure, but meat was on sale and I had the time this weekend to cook, so I went ahead and cooked the meals for March! I went bigger this month and prepared 13 different recipes and now have a nicely stocked freezer with even more variety! I will admit that this past month some of the meals were a little too familiar :) So this way I should only be eating the same meal once every two weeks (the 13th meal is moose roast and the 14th, spaghetti, but they were already prepped and frozen, so I didn't count them). I just love looking the freezer to see such variety and availability!!

Recipes for March:

Sloppy Joes
Chili
Double Baked Potatoes
Sweet n Sour Chicken
Lasagna
Shepherds Pie
Sweet BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Moose Stew
Ginny's Beans
Chicken Quesadillas
Bean Burritos
Quiche Lorraine (an improved recipe over last months!)

Also just for good measure a pic of my little mad scientist, lol!

The Olympics!

2010-02-13T20:49:00.000-08:00

Had so much fun settling in to watch the opening ceremonies as well as cast on my project! I am knitting the Alberta vest (three actually, one for John, Corbin, and Noah) by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed and the challenge will be that it is my first steeking project!! (yikes!) I have read that it is easy, but the though of cutting my knitting is just a little scary and intimidating! I am using Australis Yarn, my merino worsted weight. I cast on and was several inches into the stripes when I decided that I just didn't like it. I had dyed the yarn in semi-solid tones of blue, green, and a goldish brown. As I progressed I decided that the gold was just too bright and was becoming the focal color. Not what I had been hoping. so I ripped out to the ribbing and reskeined the gold and overdyed into a much deeper brown. It is steaming as we speak and if all goes well should be dry for me tomorrow morning.

So, in the meantime I have cast on the ribbing for Noah's vest....thank goodness for interchangeable needles!! At least this way I am not losing too much knitting time.....

Yesterday we made our weekly trek out to the zoo, but this time with a new sled for Noah. He was buckled in, so no diving out or making us run after him too much. He was still really able to see the animals and get a kick out of what they were doing! I LOVE going to the zoo in the winter, no crowds and the animals are so much more active than in the summer.

Today was Second Saturday and they had a ton of stuff set up for kids, they played with some cool toys, did some crafts, watched some dancing and got some free hot cocoa :) It was a super fun day! Then after we got home Corbin and I made valentine cupcakes. It was so fun to have him help me and participate!

Oh and some new fiber came home to live with me....isn't it GORGEOUS!

Gathered Scarf

2010-02-11T10:54:00.000-08:00

Another project off the needles! This scarf went pretty fast and that was a good thing....scarves are really not my favorite type of project. My Mom really needed one though so that she would stop wearing the last one I made her. It was really ratty and just not my best work. This yarn was so nice to work with and I can't wait until I am able to order more for the shop and for myself. It is my Polaris Luxury yarn, a 70/20/10 Alpaca/Silk/Cashmere blend (YUM!).

Today

2010-02-09T15:04:00.000-08:00

It's been a good one. I made sure to go to bed earlier and actually set an alarm (my kids are what I usually wake up to) and enjoyed a quiet start to the morning with coffee and reading. It made a big difference in my state of mind and I think I am going to make an effort to keep waking up earlier than them!

So being Grand Slam Day I picked up John from work and we headed to Denny's for our free breakfast! We don't eat out often (anymore) and it was great! Considering that it was crazy busy our server was VERY friendly and efficient and everything came out when and as it should. Here is Noah enjoying his meal :)

Went on to do a little shopping and bought a preschool work book for Corbin. He was really been wanting to learn to write his letters and talks about the ABC's all the time, as we can't afford preschool and I am home with him anyways I figured it was a good idea!! So we sat down to do "homework" as he calls it and he loved it!! I can't wait to start doing this with him everyday :) It was a really special moment in the day.

Now Corbin is down for his nap, Noah is happily tottering around talking and playing, and I am going to knit on the Gathered Scarf that I am knitting for my Mom.

Andrea's Shawl

2010-02-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

I finished a new shawlette Friday and I LOVE it!! More so than I even expected! It is so light and airy as well as just having a beautiful shape. The edge gently scallops and the construction was just so fun to knit. I already have plans and yarns for another one, this time with the stripes as called for in the pattern. Kristen of Through the Loops is just a great designer! I wore it to church today and it stayed in place nicely and just was warm and silky all at the same time. The yarn is Pigeonroof Studios 80/20 Merino/Silk blend lace (held double) from her Luminosity Project in "Aquae". These aren't the best pics but they will have to do :)

Pictures!

2010-02-05T21:08:00.001-08:00

What to say?

2010-02-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

What I hate the most about "taking a break" from blogging is that I feel like I have to "catch up"...which makes me not really feel like posting. So I am just ignoring that fact that I haven't posted in over a month....

I have several projects to post about...I even have pics of most of them. Alas my camera is in the car and I am on the couch....so maybe tomorrow I will do a wordless post to make up for today's lack of pics.

The biggest change in my house since I last posted is that I have gone to once a month cooking! I now have a large stand alone freezer (thank you Aunt Connie!!) and have 50lbs of moose and 30+ meals inside it! It took me around 6.5 hours to cook and then I was done! It's been very nice knowing that I will be having a real meal each evening while not having to decide what to cook. Plus I got to break the food up into portion size that make sense for our family as well. I am already looking forward to planning and cooking for next month as I learned a few things and have found some more good recipes!

well that's all for now and I will hopefully be getting some good pics up by tomorrow!

We have a winner!!!

2010-01-01T11:11:00.001-08:00

Thank you so much to everyone who entered and to everyone's wonderful comments!

I would also like to thank everyone who participated in the sale!! Definitely finished my year out with a bang!

and the Winner is.......

notacat! =D

Now to all of you I wish a very happy new year!!! I think 2010 is going to be a great one!!!

Happy Birthday NLFC!

2009-12-18T16:46:00.000-08:00

So it has been one year today that I've been in business under the new name and I have to say it's been a great one! I have really enjoyed the people I have met online and in person. Contributing to Phat Fiber has definitely been one of my better decisions as I love being a part of that little community!

So to celebrate I am doing a Sale for the rest of the month! 30% refund on all items in the shop - including the gift certificates!! And I am doing a give-away! Comment on this post and you will be entered to win this skein of my dk weight yarn in the "pacified" colorway along with my new pattern "Mood Lifter Slouch".

It's been very wintery here lately (big surprise - I do live in Alaska! lol!) and here are some pics!

New cardi

2009-12-09T15:29:00.000-08:00

I need a new cardigan. Badly. So when the yarn I got off of Ravelry (thanks Ina!!) came in the mail the hunt was on! I decided on the Alexa Capped Sleeve Cardi (Rav Link) I think the tweed will work great with the cables and that I will easily be able to wear this most of the year as well as with most of what I own or will own in the future. It has been very enjoyable to knit so far. My only complaint is that the pattern is written in a rather irritati

ng way in regards to the cable pattern. I find myself wishing for a chart, or even just for each row to be one one line instead of three or four.I plan on retyping it but the kiddos have not been co-operating with that so for now I will just deal with it. I have surprised myself in that I enjoy knitting sweaters in separate pieces. I think it is easier for me to get my head around and have a goal to work towards. I don't think seaming is really so bad after all :) Then again we'll see what I think after I seam this baby! Here is a pic of my progress. Hoping it will grow quite a bit today!

Also a little update in the shop today!

Looking for a gift for a fellow crafter? I put up Gift Certificate in the shop for $25 and $50!

Have you read the Yarn Harlot's latest post? I was just telling a friend yesterday...I really want to learn how to weave!

December already!?!?

2009-12-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

Whew a lot has happened since I last posted!! As I am sure for most people this time of year. I always feel busy year round, but the time just seems to be running at a constant fast-forward speed during the holidays.

So here's a photo run down!

Thanksgiving!

Corbin's 3rd Birthday!

oh and here's a photo of him and I when he was new :)

and my latest project off the needles - a birthday sweater for my big boy!

Phat Fiber - Home for the Holidays

2009-11-21T11:30:00.001-08:00

With moving and "The Upheaval" as I like to call it, I took a break from contributing to Phat Fiber. It feels good to be back! This is a great group of artists and definitely have a great sense of community! I love being a part them.

So yesterday my box came!! It is one of the best yet...I think I say that every time, heheh.

So I was on top of it and took my pictures and am ready to post 'em!

Fiber:

Frosted Spruce: 2 samples in one! A little bit of white Alpaca, and some beautiful spruce SW Merino. Silver Sun Alpacas
Timmy Knocked Over the Christmas Tree! - Ok I can't help but love this one - the blend is great and the name just describes it perfectly! Wild Hare Fiber Studio
Through the Woods (To Grandma's): Wool top, Flax (so cool!), and Firestar. The firestar is the perfect christmas colors and gives the greatest sparkle! Giffordables
Turkey Stuffing: I was so excited to get one of Brittany's samples! I have never gotten one before and it does not disappoint! It's a merino and silk blend. Boho Knitter Chic
Green Beans and Cranberries: A great bodied domestic longwool. I love the colors in this sample and the name describes it perfectly!! Natchwoolie
Next Day Leftovers: This delicate yet rich colorway is beautiful and soft with a great variety of fibers. Beesybee Fibers
Glowing Embers: I have been dying to see what this luscious fiber blend is like and I can't wait to get it on the wheel. 80/10/10 Merino/Cashmere/Nylon. The colorway is just gorgeous it has a lot of depth. The Sassy Sheep
Fall on the Farm: Beautiful. It is just a classy and lovely batt. I admit I teared up when I read the sweet family story that had inspired the colorway. a reminder of why it is so great to buy from the artisans themselves! Knit It Up

Yarns:

A upcycled yarn, in a really pretty purpley pink color. Jag's Funky Fibers
Gobble, Gobble. A gorgeous BFL handspun in fall colors. I LOVE the way she packaged it. The yarn makes the "tail" of the turkey. My whole family thought it was great!! Melissa's Kre8tions
Sugar Plums, yummy sock yarn in 70 sw merino/30 Seacell (LOVE) I have been eyeing this shops yarns...they are all so pretty and this one is no exception! Anzula Luxury Fibers. Oh and I really like her logo!
Peacock Feathers, sw merino sock yarn. Lovely blues, purples, and turquoises. Shelby B's Designs
Mom's Harvard Beets, I loved her tag and colorway. I am not a fan of eating beets, but I LOVE the color. Great naturally dyed yarns in BFL or Organic Merino. A really lovely yarn! Vibrant Fibers
Spin Girl Fiberarts socks sample is a really beautiful dusty autumnal colorway. I think it would make BEAUTIFUL socks.
Winter Colorwheel, a lovely 2ply sock yarn. I was really hoping to get this sample! I was so happy to see it nestled in my box. It is a self striping sock yarn and I can't wait to knit it up! Also Nancy from Fireweed Dyeworks is another Alaskan!
Gingerbread was another sample I was really hoping to get. It is just beautiful!! Wool, Camel, and tussah silk. Seriously yummy yarn!! By Rebekah with Love. Plus I gotta say I love her name :) My sister is a Rebekah also...

Extras:

Got a cute block printed bag from Ruddawg with her logo on it...super cute doggie!
A beautiful glass button from Sea Air Arts, really would add a lot to any project! Seriously huge value here!! This is a (rightly so I might add!!) $21 value.
The Luxury Spa Cloth Pattern - Gonna have to try this one out! I have some cotton yarn with it's name on it! Rule Out Fiber Addiction
Very nice no snagging stitch marker with a shoo-fly charm AND! a Super awesome shoo-fly pie recipe!! Not to mention the awesome froggy thanksgiving pic on the card! Lampyridae
No snagging very pretty stitch marker from Susan's Kitchen.
A nice variety of business cards and discounts

Whew! Check out these shops! They are amazing!

Hand Knit Love

2009-11-19T21:13:00.000-08:00

This is my son with the blanket that he has slept under from the moment that he was born. It was part of a layette that was made by my aunt (you can see it here....[rav link]). I washed it (not for the first time lol) and it was drying over a railing. Noah did not appreciate that whatsoever. In fact it infuriated him, and he could not be distracted. Finally after some food and a nap he snatched it from the railing (albeit a tad damp in spots) and ran around the house victorious. He was so happy to have it around him and it just reminded me of the love and time my aunt had put into the blanket. This is one of the major reasons I love anything handcrafted!

Also big update in the shop....five new colorways of my Borealis DK weight yarn that my Mood Lifter Slouch was written for. Also if you purchase Borealis DK and the pattern I will refund $2. I also put up some more Cashnyro Luxury Lite and Terino Luxury. Whew that was a lot of links! :)

Mood Lifter Slouch

2009-11-16T19:20:00.000-08:00

I feel like a proud new mama (okay not quite as intense as with my boys - but you get the idea ;P )

My first pattern is now live! Up on Ravelry and in my shop! Soon it will be available for purchase on Ravelry as well. I am just waiting to be hooked up to their system as a designer.

I also have plans for making this up into kits. Dyeing up a bunch of yarn tomorrow if all goes well!

Another wrap!

2009-11-13T15:20:00.000-08:00

My Mama requested and I delivered! Took way less time than my last one...then again I don't think children ever really get over wanting to please one's parents ;P I knit it out of a pretty fantastic new yarn....Hillside Linen, 80% Alpaca/20% Linen = yum! I had never knit with linen before and I have to say I liked it! I really would love to make the Soap Bubble Wrap (rav link) out of linen yarn as called for in the pattern.

I have also started two more projects as my fingers have just been itching for more variety.

Corbin's birthday sweater - a darling pattern called "Twisted Tree Pullover". I am loving it! I

have to say I am pretty entranced with twisted stitches, and I am even knitting this out of my stash, good ol' Cascade 220 in a nice goldish color.

Also more socks! Just a preview pic for now as Noah has decided that it is time to be up and playing....

Socktoberfest Wrapup!

2009-10-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

Well the end of October is looming (must start and finish the boys costumes!) and it was my first "Socktoberfest" which I eased into by participating in The Through Loops KAL (old news if you've been reading) but! I finished them! Pretty in love with them though I am suspecting that I could have gone down a size. This was a very stretchy pattern. My first time doing any sort of "cool" heel and toe and overall thought it was a great experience, here's my pics....

Also I am working on a pattern, it involves this yarn that I just finished dyeing and I am hoping it will debut with my other samples in the Phat Fiber November box, so just a little taste :)

I am on a sock roll and will be starting my next pair as soon as I hit "Publish".

Fall

2009-10-27T15:29:00.001-07:00

So these past few weeks have been a pretty true fall for Anchorage. Pretty impressive as we usually have (at least what seems like) two seasons - summer and winter. With the new place comes a fantastically huge yard. Not so fantastically there are lots of leaves. John probably spent a good 14-18 hours cleaning up the yard and getting it ready for winter, ending with a cold drizzle that brought him in cold and hungry. He thoughtfully took a picture of the bags. This was even after I asked him to cover the garden area with a good layer of leaves. Though I will add that probably half of the bags are from previous years of leaves, grass clippings, and miscellaneous wood scraps that had turned into a not good gooey mess in one untended corner of the yard. John is guessing that there are around 45 bags or so....

A more enjoyable fall activity has been carving pumpkins! Corbin is now the age that he is "getting" more of this seasonally oriented activity and has been getting super excited about everything. He got to help Daddy get all the "guts" of the pumpkin out and kept telling me how yucky and dirty it was. He loved it!Also I finished the 4th clue for the TTL KAL. So happy with these socks!! I almost just finished the toes, but then thought she might have some surprise that I would miss out on. So I'm thinking that tomorrow night I should have a newly finished pair of socks...not the greatest pic but you get the idea :)

A common and beloved sight.

2009-10-26T09:03:00.001-07:00

I totally meant to put this in my last post but completely spaced it!

This is very often the scene around 9:30am on John's days off. He's employed as an EMT-3 for a local Ambulance service in Anchorage and works a rather odd schedule. It is what's called a "Modified Kelly Schedule" (not that I have any idea where that name came from!) and he basically works on a 9 day work week, actually working 3-24 hour shifts in that time. He rides his bike to and from work and so as he gets off at 9am, he is typically home between 9:30am and 10am. Of course my boys literally squeal with delight when they hear the door open and Daddy walks in. He is a fantastic Dad and I just had to share this pic of him with my boys

well I know it's not fiber related, but I thought it was pretty sweet :)

Knitting, Knitting, and Knitting!

2009-10-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

I am loving the cooler weather and I am just so wanting to be wrapped up in cozy hand knits all winter long! I am surprised that we haven't had snow in town yet. In fact it scares me a little. I feel like the weather is lulling me into complacency and then *BAM* it's going to come out of nowhere with a blizzard that will leave several feet on the ground! I just keep hoping that it's going to ease in gently.....

I started and finished a hat! It is one of those "slouchy" hats (Jan e by Jane Richmond - ) as I thought my Sis's bangs and hair in general would work great with it! I gifted it to her last night at her birthday party we threw for her. She loved it and commented that it will be nice to have a hat that will keep her warm and not mess up her bangs! This pattern was awesome. It felt so good on the head with the doubled brim and slouchiness. I will be casting on one for myself as soon as I finish my minimalist cardi and TTL socks. Here's some pics of me in the hat.Also I have been on the look out for podcasts. I keep reading about much people love them but I had really poor luck in finding any that I liked. Especially now that we don't have a tv, I am always on the lookout for other ways to entertain myself while knitting. Thankfully I did happen across Never Not Knitting. I don't know how I had missed it before now but I LOVE it! I have now downloaded all of her podcasts and am catching up. Plus her blog itself is great. So leave a comment if you have any other podcasts. They don't have to be fiber related (though I would love any more of those), though I don't find myself enjoying political stuff. A little to heavy for knitting right now.

Another little update in the shop, my sale is still on - just mention my blog for a 15% refund!

Picking up where I left off and a SALE!

2009-10-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

Well due to moving and getting organized I have had UFO staring me in the face! So when I was thinking how nice it would be to reduce their number, I realized that I was pretty close to finishing several of them! So with about 2.5 evenings of minimal knitting I finished my November Ruffle Wrap. I had cast this on in February so it felt pretty good to get off the needles. It is smaller than intended (which I knew it would be) but is still a pretty good "wrap" size at 16" X 52".

Now I have picked back up my Minimalist Cardigan. I already have the back and one sleeve done, and am now 2/3 through the second sleeve after casting it on yesterday afternoon. I think I am going to overdye this when it's all knitted as there are just a few "bright" spots.

I did finally finish the Jeanne shawl I was working on! This was using Funky Carolina's 2 ply Superwash Fingering Yarn in a beautiful deep wine color. I packaged it up and mailed it today. The first picture is too bright color wise, the second is more accurate.

Lastly I did a larger update in the shop! Here is a pic of the latest stuff that went up. I have more yarns and roving steaming, and a shipment due tomorrow or so. So keep watch! My latest additions included a wonderful new base that is amazing! It is a 70/20/10 Alpaca/Silk/Cashmere blend and needs to be felt to be believed!! In honor of the "knitting or crocheting season" I am offering 15% rebate! Just mention my blog and I will send your 15% off back to ya!

Roving and handspun, and hankies oh my!

2009-10-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

Just a collage of what is now up in the shop! Go have a look!

Chickadee

2009-10-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

So after finishing the second clue I feeling like casting on something new. I had been eyeing the chickadee cowl for awhile and have been wanting to do linen stitch so it was a perfect match. So a day, some bargain yarn, and a whole lotta linen stitch later....voila! (though excuse my serious face, I was concentrating on not dropping my camera lol) One Christmas present down! (Though I am seeing one of these in my keeper pile for the future! The fit and weight of it felt GREAT!)

Chugging along!

2009-10-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post of pics from my Socktoberfest knit a long. I just finished the second clue for both socks! I think I may have been able to do the smaller size, but they still fit nicely. Unfortunately this colorway is proving difficult to photograph as they are actually purple not black, and let variegated in person as well. So as with many things they look even better in real life! Can't wait to be wearing these!

Can you feel the Love

2009-10-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

Went to The Lion King last night. It was every bit as amazing as I thought it would be. I had not thought that we were going to be able to attend - but then SURPRISE! My parents bought us tickets!!! Included in the gift was watching the kids so John and I were able to get away for a wonderful evening together. I think it was our first date in about 2+ months....we usually try for more often than that! John and I always enjoy getting to attend events at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts as that is where we met and worked together for 3+ years. So definitely a great date spot :) Here is a pic of us about to leave (I find that we never seem to get pics together anymore, must be something about the camera always being pointed at the kids or fiber ;)Also I finished the second cuff of for the TTL Mystery Knit A long. I am thoroughly enjoying it and can't wait until tomorrow for the next clue to come out! I had brought it with me last night and had the opportunity to explain it to the lady sitting next to me.....she did ask first ;P

That's all for now! I have quite a bit of roving, silk hankies, and handspun which will be making their way into the shop in the next couple days. Part of the "to-do's" for today include a photo-op....

Before and After

2009-10-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

Whew! This week has flown! Lots got done and was probably one of the most satisfying weeks I have had in awhile! All the sewing and knitting has had some nicely tangible results and that always leaves me in a good mood! So I thought I would share some before and afters of my living area. It still seems a little bare (it needs a rug and boy do I have big plans for that!) but it is coming along nicely - a big improvement from moving day if I do say so myself.

Before

After

I also am doing the Through the Loops Socktober Fest Mystery Knit A Long. I have never done a knit a long, much less a mystery pattern! So far it is proving most exciting and I already have my first sock through the first clue and the second sock about 25% through. Already looking forward to next Thursday! Here is my picture of the progress. The yarn is Pigeonroof Studios Original Sock Yarn in her Mourning Dove colorway. My lighting was terrible (flourescent - bleh!) so I apologize and will post better pics soon!

Happy Birthday Noah!

2009-09-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

One year and about half an hour from typing this post my little Noah was born! It's been a great year and he has had a pretty fun birthday so far if I do say so myself! Calls and visits from friends and family - including Sally! She made him some pretty awesome tie-dyed shirt with appliques of dogs on them (he thinks dog are pretty awesome right now) and a little lovey blanket. Here's a collage of the afternoon...oh and he's wearing his birthday sweater too! It turned out great and I know it's going to get lots of wear.

After finishing his sweater I went ahead and cast on a hat for myself! I am super happy with how it turned up and will be writing up the pattern. I used a superwash merino dk weight yarn from Becoming Art that I had purchased from Sock Summit for just this purpose. Now I am back to working on the Jeanne shawl that I am doing for Funky Carolina! It is just cruising along and is a very enjoyable knit - more on that later but here is a little sneak peek pic for now!
All in All Monday had proven to be a good predictor of the week! I hope it stays that way!

Monday

2009-09-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

Mondays often have a bad name. This week mine has been amazing! I feel full of excitement for the week and energized! I have quite a few fun things planned - including my little one's first birthday! So get ready there might just be a lot of posts this week with lots of pictures! For now just a pretty fun picture of the soon to be birthday boy - Noah!

Normal

2009-09-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

I have always been a big fan of normal (and by that I guess I mean my normal - I've always enjoyed being a little weird) . I like have a regular schedule, knowing what's coming. I have never wanted to be famous, or anything like that. I love having my little life with my family and friends.

That said - for two months life has been anything but normal! I guess moving will do that to ya! So I have been a little crazy. It has been a whirlwind of packing, painting, children, unpacking, more painting, cleaning, children, driving, packing, painting, unpacking, and the flu! But now finally a semblance of normalcy is starting to blanket my new home. My grandparents are now living downstairs from us and I am already loving it! (that was the second set of packing, painting, and unpacking). But enough of that!

The fun parts have been tucked here and there. There has been quite a few family gatherings - so wonderful! John, the boys, and I were able to get out to the Alaska State Fair and we had a great time! I am going to tuck in a few pics from that at the end....

I also am finally back together business wise. I have a new studio area that I am super excited about and I have been able to get some new things listed in the shop including the return of my Scrap Happy Grab Bags. I have also been dabbling in needle felting and can't wait to do more.

My latest knitting project (at least my latest that should be finished soon) is my Noah's birthday present. He is now walking all over the place and starting to say his first words. I can't believe how the time flies (though you think I would be used to that by now). Corbin keeps us on our toes with his funny thoughts and amazing memory. He now is wearing big boy underwear (which of course makes Mama soooo happy!). Well I hear them stirring in their room and must wrap this up!

I'm here!

2009-08-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Okay - I've been here awhile :) BUT! I am having so much fun and seeing so many people and doing so many cool things!! More to come but just had to share!! Sock Hop tonight - definitely looking forward to that!

I'm leavin' on a Jet Plane.....

2009-08-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

So ready for Sock Summit!! I am heading out tonight and can't wait for all the fun I am going to have! I finished my outfit for the sock hop and was lucky enough to have my sis take a pic....

See ya there!

back in time...

2009-06-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

So I meant to get this post up yesterday evening, but time did not allow...

Hubby and I decided to get out into the beautiful weather and fit in another hike/slow crawl (we do have a two year old with us walking after all) as part of our a hike a week goal. So far we have been pretty successful and Corbin (the two year old) still seems pretty excited to get out to go one "big walks". This time we went high up on hillside and walked up a gravel trail that is a nice easy winding trail with an amazing view. I brought along my knitting and managed to get a nice couple of repeats done on my sock hop socks as we walked. It was so peaceful to be out in the unbelievably fresh air. We had a great time and I look forward to many more such excursions. Another collage (click on it to see it bigger...) ....

Today is Noah's 9month B-day - I had quite a bit more written up regarding this, but when I added the pic I accidentally deleted it! DOH! >_<

In other news, my friend just opened up shop - totally awesome - check it out!

Oceanic Handspun

2009-06-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

So I have spun my set of samples from June's box! They fibers just jumped into my hands and I really had a finished yarn before I knew it! I took the samples from Into the Whirled, Mad Angel Creations, H.A.Y., Silver Sun Alpaca's, and Smoky Mountain Fibers divided them into 5 strips each and spun them end to end. So I should have a nicely striping yarn of each sample! I just spun a single and ended up with around 290 yards! I am very excited to make something from this, and I will be keeping it all for myself!

We have a winner!

2009-06-23T15:15:00.000-07:00

Through the magic of internet I have randomly generated a winner!!!

POG KNITS is the Winner!!!

Thanks to all who have entered....and not to be a tease but there is a fingering weight skein in the same colorway in the shop!

No photos today - but I am working on spinning up some phat fiber samples right now so there will be some soon!

June Phat Fiber! - My Box is in!

2009-06-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

So after a long wait and many schedule items getting in the way I finally was able to dive into my June edition of the Phat Fiber Sampler Box! I have never managed to do a great run down of what's been in my box, but that is about to change! When I opened my box this is what I saw!

Isn't it just lovely!?!? I think Jessie (the mastermind) does such a fantastic job of keeping the box fresh and using the themes in great ways! This months was Oceanic - I was pretty excited to see what everyone came up with!

Here's the fiber!
Starting with the lovely grey batt in the lower left corner & working in a clockwise swirl - here is what I received fiber-wise...

Dawning Dreams Murano Granite - It is a lovely & squishy wool batt in all natural colors
Into the Whirled (I love their name!) Mercer's Pier wool roving - LOVELY deep color
H.A.Y. "Oceanic" Batt - made with delicious luxe fibers and in bright and tropical ocean tones (think Merino, BFL, Corriedale, Tussah Silk, bamboo, milk fiber, Angelina, and recycled Sari silk - it just doesn't stop!! :)
Silver Sun Alpacas "The Great Barrier Reef" Batt is another sumptuous blend of luxe fibers, Mohair, Bamboo, Superwash wool, wool, and glitz. Just beautiful colors!
Mad Angel Creations "Oceania" Batt was packaged in a sweet little organza bag, but when it was pulled out it almost grew to twice it's size in fluffiness! I have been hoping to get one of Paula's samples for awhile and I am so glad to try this batt out! It has hand dyed wool, white silk noil & silver angelina!
A generous .5oz sample from Gale's Art of Deep Blue Sea on Black Blue Face Wool - I haven't tried this wool before and am anxious to get it on the wheel, pretty sure I am going to like it! It is a beautiful, deep jewel toned colorway!
Smoky Mountain Fibers "Frosted Sea Glass" on Merino is a lovely soft color and would be fantastic for hats or baby items (in fact this is one of the samples used in the newest hat I made...)
WoolyHands Tropical Fish on wool mill ends is a refreshing colorway with an exciting combination of colors. I might save this for some needle felting embellishments that I have been wanting to do!
Natchwoolie's "Blue Hawaii" on Silk Milk & Bamboo is just amazing! Dyed beautifully with natural plants I have been "dyeing" to try this stuff! (Bad pun I know...). Plus she win's packaging in this months box! I love her hawaiian printed fabric and flower that ties up the package!
Twisted Fiber's un-named (but delightfully bold!) superash merino sample. I love color combos like this one and know it is going to look fantastic spun up!
It's not included in the above picture but it is in the last pic at the bottom (doh!) but I was super excited to get super shiny and soft Mohair lock from Goat Goat Sheep (another riduculously cute name!) They are amazing bronzey colors and I can't wait to use them!

Onto yarns!Starting again with bottom left and working clockwise....

Moonlight and Laughter submitted a 50 Superwash Merino/25 Alpaca/25 nylon blend I had never seen before and oh my YUM! I forsee this yarn being in my near future!!
Holiday Yarns Flock Sock Yarn (75/25) was lovely shades of purple and green (very close to my wedding colors ;) a definite nice choice for sock knitting, would produce very crisp stitch work!
Sneaky Pig Yarns (just can't help but LOVE this shop's name!!) sent in a great worsted sample (don't see many of those and it's nice when you do!) of 100% wool in a great semi-solid tonal yarn in rich deep greens. Always a favorite color for me!
WC Mercantile sent a FABULOUS Panda Sox yarn 60 Superwash Merino/30 Bamboo/10 Nylon. Amazing sheen and a beautiful colorway named "Sea Glass", very vibrant!

Last, but definitely not least the yummy accessories (& one fiber sample that escaped my first photo!)

I got one of the ceramic buttons!!! I was SO hoping to get one of these and her workmanship is even more beautiful in person! Heartstone Ceramics had a fantastically packaged product and I loved reading her touching note on the back! This will definitely be used on something special!
Winemakerssisiter made up a super cool Koi stitch marker that I love!
Miss Becca Designs included a stitch marker as well. I liked the bead colors as they reminded me of sandy shores with water I also got her Phat Pacific Octopus Pattern and will definitely be knitting up a couple of these! I know my boys would love them!!
The other pattern I got was the Fish Pattern which can help me work on my crochet skills (which is much needed). It's a cute little pattern that will be great for using some samples as well (think sneaky pig!) It was submitted by Sunnie Fairy.

Whew! I made it!!! Talk about a lot of fibery goodness! That's not even including the amazing pirate treasure map!! My family was over as I was going through and photographing my samples and they were pretty in love with that part! (They are yet to be fully converted to the fibery way! My mother for example thought it was very odd that I was photographing my box to share with you all...) If you've made it this far, thanks for sticking with me!!

and....I feel like a broken record but, if you haven't entered my contest you really should! I am drawing the winning number on the 23rd!

A hat and vest

2009-06-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

Finishing a project is always so satisfying! Here are two of my latest....

Wow even more great moving suggestions keep popping up! I love reading them all! I will be staying in Anchorage - so it shouldn't be too big of an upheaval. Though I have never moved with children before, so ask me after the move for a more accurate description ;P

So many great pics have been popping up on the Phat Fiber Rav boards! I have loved seeing everyone's boxes and I really hope that the next post you read will be a description and pics of my box!! I can't wait for it to show up!!

Oh yeah, and I am feeling a little lazy tonight about project details....I have more info on my ravelry page....sorry about that!

Adventures in spinning

2009-06-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

So I have been trying to match up some of my compatible Phat Fiber Sampler Box fiber to get larger quantities of yarn out of them as well as practice different techniques. So I took samples from 1,000 Petals (Hydra on Breeze roving - YUMMY), H.A.Y. (Summer Day on Falkland), Smoky Mountain Fibers (Beach Glass on Merino), as well as some soysilk scrap from Funky Carolina. I split them all down and drafted them together to make a sort of hand pulled roving. Then I just went ahead and spun them into a relatively fine single. Here is where I was starting to step outside my box. I decided to navajo ply the single. I have only plied using this method say three or four times and I definitely need more practice. I ended up running the yarn through the wheel again after plying to get rid of some excess twist, which definitely helped quite a bit. I ended up with a light worsted weight yarn that is about 90yards and 2oz. Through a great suggestion on the ravelry Phat Fiber group I went ahead and cast on Brittany Wilson's Sweet Georgia - I think I am going to finish it today! YAY!

Also a pic of one of my other scores from the fiber garage sale last Saturday. It's a 50/50 Camel/Corriedale blend and the label seems to indicate it is from a personally owned bactrian camel - which I think is pretty cool! It's a good three oz and I got it for $3 due to some guards hairs (I have seen very few and I think they will be pretty easy to remove. I have never spun camel and think it will be a great adventure!

Just noticed that these two fibers have very similar colors to them....I must like them! lol :)

Again I am LOVING all the comments and I must say that it is pretty cool to see the number that have been left for me! You guys have been giving me great suggestions! If you haven't entered yet there is still plenty of time! The drawing isn't until the 23rd!

Garden Closeups

2009-06-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

So more and more flowers are blooming everyday! John has been out keeping up the lawn and it is looking better everyday. I still have lots of weeding to do, but somehow I think it will always be that way. Anyhow - here are some closeups of a few of the flowers in my garden. (You can click to enlarge if you would like!)

Thanks to all the great suggestions so far! Keep 'em coming! :)

Contest!

2009-06-16T23:04:00.000-07:00

First I want to say thanks to all my customers! Today I woke up to my 100th sale under my new name and shop. It was an amazing feeling and I really appreciate each and every purchase that brought me here!

To show my appreciation I am doing a give-away! I would love to share my buttery soft Cashnyro sport yarn with someone. I will be moving towards the end of this summer (if all goes well!) and I would love to get some moving tips from you! Leave a helpful tip and I will enter your name (number) for a random drawing! The yarn is dyed in my water lilies colorway and is a delicious 80/10/10 Superwash Merino/Cashmere/Nylon blend with 250yards in a 4oz skein. Here's a pic (ok it's really a collage, and yes I know that I am addicted.....:) I will draw the winner one week from today, so that would be June 23rd.

Also I have been doing more hand carding and now have quite the bag full of little rolags (I feel like that is not a nice sounding term for the little lovely's that I am describing). They are so light, airy, and just plain amazing that I had to share again. After about probably a good three and a half hours of carding here and there I now have 3.5oz of rolags. Prepare to be amazed. I have included above skein of yarn (which weighs 4oz) for a scale purposes. I cannot wait to start spinning this stuff up, I think it is going be dreamy. I am forcing myself to work on other projects right now though (sock summit stuff!! So they are still pretty exciting too!)

Carding, gardening, and Phat Fiber! Oh MY!

2009-06-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

As mentioned yesterday I went to a pretty amazing garage sale with lots of fiber & yarns. I got several pounds worth of dyed fiber and yarns for under $50! I immediately got to hand carding the luscious dyed raw wool and I can't wait to start spinning it (though I still have a lot of carding to go!). These aren't the best pics (it is overcast and kind of gloomy today) The first is before, the second the after - the white is some angora that I have been carding in.

I am a bit late but here are some progress pictures from the garden. I have columbine, forget-me-nots, and poppy's blooming with many more getting close! I still have lots of weeding to do - but am hoping to get to that maybe sometime tomorrow! The lawn was mowed by the hubbs including the newly planted grass and I think it is to the point of being ready to play on so I am sure I will be out there lots with the boys this week.

Last but not least Phat Fiber June's boxes go on sale today!!! I am doing my Phat Fiber Day sale again as well, offering 20% off everything in the shop for today only!!

Summer, Summer, Summertime!

2009-06-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

This week we had the opportunity to go camping! We had tons of fun and can't wait to go again. We went to the Matanuska River Campground right outside Palmer. This was Corbin's third time camping, but his first time really getting to participate in the activities, he helped roast hotdogs, ate his first s'more, and protected us from bugs with his "bug smacker". It was super hot and I was almost wishing that it had been overcast! This is our favorite "easy" campground, it is very well maintained and is a joy to bring the kids too. I know the hubby can't wait to take the boys on "real camping trips" - he and I have very different views on that! Lol! He loves to backpack in to camp and is already planning father/son trips! As we got to go during the middle of the week he had the campground pretty much to ourselves and emphasized again the benefits of my hubby's schedule.

In other news I got to go to a pretty awesome garage sale put on by the local spinning and weaving guild. I got some awesome dyed raw fiber and have already started hand carding it! More to come on that tomorrow!

In the early stages

2009-06-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

So as promised here are the garden pics. Please excuse the neighbors house (and my long grass)....I will try to update with pics every week or two, I am excited about seeing the progress. I won't be getting to buy any new plants this year, but I am looking forward to tending what I have. Each week I am going to feature a different flower, hopefully as they are in full bloom.

Also I updated today, so drop by and check out these great new fibers up in the shop! More to come tomorrow!

Tulips....where are you?

2009-06-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

Today was a nice average day. Perfect for getting out into the garden. Which (after really putting it off) I did!!! With much help from my Aunt I was able to really get most of the big weeds out and really "bring to light" my bulbs and perennials! I really am wishing that I took a before picture as it was pretty bad. I have so much grass coming over from the next yard it makes it a little difficult to keep up with! Not to mention that I was pretty pregnant at the end of last summer and my garden really suffered. With most of the weeds out and everything cleaned up I am hoping to have a summer with lots of time tending my plants. A few didn't come back this year - but most are back a rearing to go. The new grass we planted has come in pretty thick and I think it's getting close to being ready to mow. I will be taking pics of freshly dyed fiber tomorrow and I will try to get some "early summer" pictures of the garden then too.

In the home I have been meeting more goals. All of our meals for the past week have been cooked from scratch and they all have been much heavier on the fresh fruits and veggies too! I just need to really keep things going to try and make this habit - I think the key for me will be having the evening meal thought out and ready before evening arrives. That is what's been working so far.

Anyhow no fun pictures or links tonight! Though I will most likely finish up some handspun yarn tonight that I plan on putting up in the shop! It has definitely been a while since I have spun yarn for sale.....I have been a little greedy ;P

I will include this recipe that is a favorite of my family - handed down by my Grandmother.

Ginny's Beans:

1 Can Pork & Beans
1 Can Lima Beans w/ham (I usually use butter beans...)
1 Can Kidney Beans
1 Can Tomato Sauce
1 Can Stewed Tomatoes
1/8 Cup (+or-) mustard (try different varieties to kick it up a notch)
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2lb-1lb Browned Ground Beef
1 Medium Onion, chopped (optional)
1 Green Pepper (optional)
1/2lb Crumbled Bacon (Optional)

Put all ingredients into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 2-4 hours. For the cans, just make sure they are all the same size - this recipe is very easy to double for more people! Yep that easy!

I love this recipe as it is easy to make last minute as the key ingredients are easy to keep on hand! Especially shopping at Costco. It is very flavorful and the mustard and brown sugar come together to make an amazing combination. This is one of my husbands very favorite meals - he asks for it often!

Sock Summit Sock Hop - Oh Yeah!

2009-05-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

So as a result of not getting one of the classes I was hoping for I have decided to go all out for the Sock Hop! I am making some awesome knee high socks (which I messed up on last evening and now need to rip a couple of rows - ugh!) and a super cool rockabilly 50's style dress (I mentioned this plan earlier but now it is getting closer to reality). I was very successful with fabric and yarn - I couldn't be happier! The fabric is an Alexander Henry print and the yarn is Dale of Norway baby Ull in a really nice icy blue. Enough chatter as pictures speak louder than words....

I am working on the socks first as they will take longer, and I am back on track for losing weight! My goal is another 15lbs before Sock Summit. I have maintained for the last couple of months - but I really need to break through this plateau as this weight is the lowest I have gotten for the past 4 years or so. I know I can do it - unfortunately it is going to require the treadmill from this point......

June Phat Sneak Peek...

2009-05-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

As promised....though there is one set of samples missing from the pics...they'll just have to be a surprise! Clockwise starting from the top left.....Big Blue World on Seawool, Citrus Siesta on Seawool, Big Blue World on Cashnyro (this is already in the shop), and Kelp on Yakino. Due to some shipping error and a big storm I will actually have double the samples this month! So most of the people should a get a sample from me!! Which works out nicely as I am taking off the month of July from Phat Fiber....letting the truly non-woolly sellers shine!

When the knitting world shook....

2009-05-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning was a momentous day! It was the day that Sock Summit 09 opened up for regisration. It was crazy (but fun)! The Ravelry Sock Summit forum was hopping - giving a crazy play by play of each moment. I felt fortunate to even have the opportunity to try for classes and even now there are a few choices open! I ended up with one of their one hour wonders on ergonomical knitting, which I definitely need. I am also super excited as I was also able to snag tickets to the opening reception, sock hop, and luminary panel. It is going to be amazing!!! I am already making plans for a rockabilly Swing style dress and some cool lacy knee socks (Sodera - Rav link) to be exact. I am going to hopefully get out to pick out the pattern, fabric, and yarn today.

In other news Noah is just about to hit the 8 month mark and is pulling up, crawling, and scooting like a madman - no more immobile and safe baby. It sure is fun to watch him though!

Corbin is cracking me up constantly. For example going to see Night At The Museum II is on the agenda for today. After telling Corbin this, he was super excited. Acouple minutes later, as he was eating breakfast, he told me that "He wanted to stay home and eat Daddy's cereal - the movie was too scary...." Though of course a couple of seconds later he was back on for heading out! His latest terror has been the mosquitos though (not that I for one blame him....). He is terrified of them and starts crying as soon as one lands on him. :( All he talked about last night was how "the moaquito's were walking on him" - I think I am just thankful that he doesn't react to bites as I did, in fact I don't think they itch him at all.

My next post should include a sneek preview for my June Phat Fiber Samples!!! Stay Tuned!!

Dinner, Knitting, and Dessert

2009-05-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

Yes that's right! Three things that make me very happy!

Two friends came over for a delightful & tasty dinner of BBQ Country Style Pork ribs (YUM), potato salad, sweet corn, and beans. It was delish and and a fun start to the evening.

We then went off for a night of knitting at Far North Yarn Company. This is my second time coming and it was fun but I know I need to get out there a little more....I am not very good at inserting myself into a group. I all but cast off the first yoga sock that I am working on! I am excited about these as I think they will be perfect to wear with my sandals at sock summit looking pretty snazzy while keeping my feet cool considering it will be August. There was lots of sock knitting going on and I loved seeing some of the different patterns and yarns being used!

Dessert was a great finale at Sugar Spoon a relatively new place in the Spenard area (we walked from Far North) that serves dessert and coffee! I will definitely be back. We all dined on S'more cake - I was even a good wife and brought some home for John (big kudo's to him for being off work and staying home with the kiddo's).

All in all it added up to a pretty fun and satisfying evening!! Hope there are many more Friday's like it to come!

A couple days to slow down

2009-05-20T21:39:00.001-07:00

As I think I have posted before my Grandparents homesteaded when they retired on a 5 acre tract of land a few miles outside of Talkeetna, Alaska. They have no running water, have an outhouse, and use a generator for when they need power. They designed/built the all the structures on their property themselves - A main cabin, detached garage, wood shed w/tool shed, outhouse, generator shed, and guest cabin. They decided to move away from city life in 1981 - three years before I was born. Their home has been a place of relaxation and retreat my entire life. Their continued strength and resiliance amaze me - they are both 85 this year. They have been amazing examples of character for me, they have shown me that life can be what you make it, not what "popular" society dictates. Anyhow - this may seem a strange post, but I just
wanted to share a little bit of this retreat (again) and the beauty of the great state that I live in.

Oh - and as a result I sped through the second sock I was working on, finishing my hubby's second pair of handknit socks.

Also just had to share that I am starting my little one early on yarn addicition =D

Swap'oholic

2009-05-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

I think I'm addicted! I participated in a swap on The Fibery Goodness board on Ravelry! Spiderspins sent me tons of fiber! Two batts were by her as well as one roving and then she also included a set of mini batts from Terra Bella Spun! They are all so beautiful! I couldn't resist spinning some up yesterday and I got approx 240yards out of the Mother Earth Batt. I spun it as a slightly thick n thin single. Already plotting what to make with it! I thought it was very aptly named and it is a very soft blend of Superwash Merino, BFL, and angora bunny! YUM! Here is my collage of what all was included!
Here is the finished yarn spun from the Mother Earth Batts:

Last night I went to knit night at Far North! It lots of fun and I am pretty sure I will be able to be there next week! My Aunt Connie came with and it was awesome to have her with me - plus she helped me feel brave! I meant to take pictures and while I remembered my camera I forgot to take it out! Oh well another time I guess!

In shop news, my recent yarn orders came in and I am back in the swing of dying again! Some are already up in the shop - Lots of new yarns including cashmere, seacell, tencel and yak blends! Also I am running a special in my shop today only - In honor of the Phat Fiber Boxes going on sale today I am offering a 20% refund off your entire purchase - Just put "Phat Fiber Day" in your checkout notes!

One Step Behind

2009-04-10T22:18:00.001-07:00

I have been feeling so sluggish this week, I am not sure what to make of it. I wouldn't go so far as to say that nothing has been working, but I will say that it has been one of those "try, try again" scenarios. Another example of this is the lack of photos in this post.

On a positive note, I am back to cloth diapering my 6mo full time! I even whipped out a wet bag today and enjoyed using my serger (it had been awhile!). Knitting is my passion, but I must say sewing has great the benefit of speed!

Arctic Berry Handspun

2009-04-07T22:43:00.000-07:00

Finally got my wheel back out after a couple weeks of no spinning at all! I have a custom order right now that I am working on, including spinning up some of my Arctic Berry BFL I have in-stock right now. So I thought I would share what it looks like spun up into a 3ply worsted yarn! It definitely felt good to get in some spinning and I will be spinning more tonight!