Knit & Crochet Blog Week: Day 5

Location, Location, Location

Where do you like to indulge in your craft? Is your favorite arm chair your little knitting cubby area, or do you prefer to ‘knit in public’? Do you like to crochet in the great outdoors, perhaps, or knit in the bath, or at the pub?

Day 5:

I knit at home a lot on the couch...but I meet up weekly to knit with a group of girls/ladies at various restaurants/pubs around the Monterey area! We love it and it is so much fun to knit with others! We talk about knitting until we're blue in the face! ;)

Knit & Crochet Blog Week: Day 4

A New Skill

Is there a skill related to your hobby that you hope to learn one day? maybe you’re a crocheter who’d also like to knit? Maybe you’d like to learn to knit continental, knit backwards, try cables or attempt stranded colourwork.

Day 4:

My list of things I'd like to learn:

• Continental knitting (holding yarn with left hand)
• Stranded colourwork
• Knit backwards (I honestly have never heard about this)
• Learn how to crochet more (I did start crocheting earlier this year, but am not that great at it yet)
  

Knit & Crochet Blog Week: Day 3

One Great Knitter Write about a knitter whose work (whether because of project choice, photography, styling, scale of projects, stash, etc) you enjoy. If they have an enjoyable blog, you might find it a good opportunity to send a smile their way.

Day 3 Answer:

Well...my answer will be a little bit different that the description above. Because, currently a knitter/professional yarn dyer that I enjoy and admire is Dani from Sunshine Yarns!! I first heard about Dani's yarn after joining the knitting meet-up group that I attend weekly. A few girls in the group were talking about this yarn dyer who had Twilight-inspired skeins of yarn. I was like...hold up! What?! Oh my gosh, I've got to check this out...and I've been addicted ever since. She has become so popular, in fact, that on the days of her store update (usually Tuesdays at 11 MST), her yarn sells out in approx. 20 minutes!! It's insane!

Her eye for color and color combos is extraordinary!! She can see a picture or see something in nature and imagine a skein of yarn with those exact colors...and execute it down to the last detail! You just have to check it out. But, not only does she dye her own yarn, she also knits, blogs and personally deals with her customers in such a heart-felt way! She is amazing, basically!

For all you Twilight fans...she has colorways for Bella, Edward, Edward's Volvo, Twilight Baseball, Rosalie, Alice, Alice's Porsche, Bella's Truck, Bella's Lullaby, New Moon, Wolfsong...just to name a few. There are many more. Oh, and she has Harry Potter colorways as well. I'm telling you, she's got good stuff! :)

My FIRST Sunshine Yarns purchase..."Esme Island" in sport weight

Great Reads!

Both by Tana French from Ireland! Excellent mystery thriller reads:

For synopsis, click here

For synopsis, click here

Day 2: Knit & Crochet Blog Week

Today's blog/Day 2:

An Inspirational Pattern

Blog about a pattern or project which you aspire to. Whether it happens to be because the skills needed are ones which you have not yet acquired, or just because it seems like a huge undertaking of time and dedication, most people feel they still have something to aspire to in their craft. If you don’t feel like you have any left of the mountain of learning yet to climb, say so!

My inspirational pattern:

Yeah, this puppy, right here!

It's a Seahorse Afghan and it's 50" x 60". I love how the pattern has the seahorses right next to each other, going different directions. I just think it's beautiful! But, come on...this thing would take months!!! It is definitely a project that would undertake lots of time and dedication. But I definitely aspire to complete it one day!

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Day 1: Knit & Crochet Blog Week

So, it's Knit and Crochet Blog Week (who knew?) :) meaning there will be a new post everyday regarding knitting/crocheting! I know, you all may get tired of reading about my knitting obsession, but I support my craft!!

Another blogger, Eskimi Knits, came up with this idea, to host a Knit & Crochet Blog Week, and also created the topics for each days bloggings:

Here's todays:

Starting Out

How and when did you begin knitting/crocheting? was it a skill passed down through generations of your family, or something you learned from Knitting For Dummies? What or who made you pick up the needles/hook for the first time? Was it the celebrity knitting ‘trend’ or your great aunt Hilda?

So...

I began knitting in the Summer of 2007. I had just started graduate school at SIUC earlier that year and had met a good friend, Susan, as she was one year ahead of me in my program. I found out that she was a knitter the year prior when I came for a departmental visit. At the visit, we met all of the current students, including Susan, and she was just knitting away on a couch in the department lounge. After my first year was over, I realized that I needed a de-stresser and something to take my mind off school/thesis/etc., even if just for an hour at a time. And Susan had been nudging me to take up knitting...and that she'd teach me. She did, and I became obsessed. While we were still in school together, we worked on a few projects together, which included fingerless mittens (so cute!) and we continue to share projects and talk knitting every once in awhile...even though we're states apart! Thanks Susan! You were such a great teacher and I'm so glad you started me on such a great hobby! :)

Here's us in action on our mittens:

Happy Earth Day

Reuse, Recycle, Renew

Healthier Eats

Here are my Top 10 Healthier Eats/Snacks I am enjoying right now (in no apparent order):

Morning Star's Chick'n Nuggets

Blue corn tortilla chips

Oats

Annie's Cinnamon Bunny Grahams

Annie's Cheddar Bunnies (think Cheez Its)

Divine Grape Kombucha Synergy

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Amy's Black Bean Veggie Soup

Amy's Veggie LasagnaWhole Foods 365 Tomato & Pesto pizza with Goat Cheese

Seriously, all of this stuff is YUMMY and at least semi-healthy! :)

Veggie Chili

Last week I decided to take a shot at making vegetarian chili in the crock pot! It turned out pretty good and was super easy to make.

I modified this recipe here

My modifications:
NO onion, bell pepper or cayenne pepper
I used garlic powder instead of garlic cloves
I added elbow macaroni pasta to mine

My Ingredients

I let it cook on Low for 4-5 hours

End Result! MMmmmmmmm!!

It was definitely yummy...although, I think next time I'll leave the pasta out. The chili turned out pretty thick (not soupy like chili usually is) because I think the pasta soaked up all of the juices. It was still great though and I had leftovers for days! :)

My First Sale on Etsy!!!!

OMG, I was so excited yesterday afternoon...I received an email notifying me that I had received my first sale on Etsy! Holy freakin' cow!!!

Now, to back up, I started hand dyeing a few skeins of yarn a few weeks ago...a few of us girls even got together and had a yarn dyeing 'pow wow' one Sunday! :) And I figured, well, I might as well start an Etsy shop and put 'em out there! FYI: I have been planning on posting about the yarn dyeing and my process...but just haven't gotten a chance yet...so be on the lookout! Anyway, the yarn has been in my shop for about a week now...has been viewed a little bit. Well, I decided, maybe it was a good idea to pay the $7 to have it showcased on the Main knitting page for a day. Well, it evidently helped A LOT!! My yarn got so many more views and I got a sale for 2 of my skeins!! AAHHHH!!! I'm a little sad to see them go...hehe...but the money makes me feel a bit better. :)

On the left side of my blog, below the About Me section, you can find a link to my Etsy shop!!

Sew What! Bags

So, on Saturday a group of us girls got together to do a little sewing! I was very excited to use my machine again and hopefully get some tips/tricks from some more experienced sewers. We decided to make 'project bags' which, in the knitting/crocheting world, are just bags that hold 1 or 2 knitting/crocheting projects that are being worked on (so you can tote along your project wherever you go). But really, the bags could be used for just about anything.

We had SO much fun and it really helped that we were all working on the bags together...I felt like I learned a lot and actually finished something that isn't hideous! Haha :) And, I tried to make another one today, by myself and it turned out pretty cute too! They're definitely not perfect, but I feel great about making progress!

The bag with the *cute* owls is the one I made yesterday and the hearts one is today's:

Aren't the fabrics just so cute?! But folks, fabric is NOT cheap...cute fabric, anyway ;)

They both have drawstrings to tighten up the top, like this:

What do ya think?

My friend Jenn and I are really wanting to make a bunch of them to sell on Etsy or at craft fairs...and we've got lots of other patterns/projects that we want to accomplish as well!

So, stay tuned for more craftiness coming your way! ;)

Surgery Scheduled!

Eek...so, I've been in the process of trying to get my tonsils out for quite some time now. I know, I know...I should have gotten them out as a kid...but I didn't. So, I woke up this past Fall with a bad case of tonsillitis and I just couldn't take it anymore! My doctor referred me to an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor and he couldn't believe that I hadn't had them taken out before now. Evidently they are very large!!

Needless to say, they're coming out! I will be having a tonsillectomy at the end of May and I really hope it helps me with my breathing, energy level, sleeping and (yes) snoring! Supposedly it takes a lot longer to recover than if you were to get them out as a child. So, this should be FUN (sarcasm)!! Nothing but ice cream, jello and liquids for about 2 weeks! BOO! Hehe, maybe I'll lose some weight though...that wouldn't be so bad! :)

Well, I definitely feel relieved that it is scheduled, but can't believe that it's not that far away. I'd like to say that I'm not nervous...I mean, it's basically a 1-hour outpatient procedure...no big deal! But, yeah...still a bit nervous about it! I hate IVs...I mean HATE them! Ugh, I'll be fine though, right! Breathe Kristin!! :0

Twilight Fans!

In case you hadn't heard...Stephanie Meyers is releasing a new novella/short story to the Twilight series.

It follows Bree, an original character featured in Eclipse. She was one of the newborn vampires in Victoria's army attempting to take down Bella and The Cullens.

Release date:

JUNE 5

Right before Eclipse is released in theaters...it should be an interesting read, especially with this new point of view!

Read more here, and here

Gifts from Mama

I just had to give a shout-out to my lovely mother who is always sending me cool & thoughtful gifts!


For our anniversary, since the 1st year Anniversary gift is paper, my mother sent me this gorgeous eco-friendly idea journal:

And the coolest part...the cover is embedded with wildflower seeds, so you can actually remove the cover when you're done and plant it! How freakin' cool is that?!

Plus, the journal is made of 100% post consumer waste paper! Their theory "If you think you write and if you should think & write you will most certainly grow!" So neat! Check them out here

AND, since my bday is coming up :) My mother added to my already-growing Friends DVD collection!

Seasons 4 & 5

My collection thus far! It's a growing...

Thanks Mom!! Isn't she the greatest?!

Anybody else gotten any cool gifts lately? Memorable anniversary gifts? Find a list of traditional wedding gifts here