So I've been slogging along with my knitting and not really sharing it with you all, because, let's face it, Tuscany is a whole lot cooler.

I haven't bought any new yarn this year and I've been devoted to working through my (modest) stash and finishing projects that I've had on the back burner for far too long. It's been a (somewhat) successful experiment.

Until now. This is Brights 1, from Rowan Studio 9. It's been hibernating for almost a year and when I picked it up, I had no idea where I left off. Not even what size I was making because nothing was adding up. I had even put it on a stitch holder because I obviously needed the needle for something else and I didn't know what size needle I was using!!

I ended up having to do a new gauge swatch and ripping it (this s the left front, the back is finished) to a point where I could recognize where I was in the pattern and count the stitches. It's been smooth (if not slow) sailing since then.

I also finished the Christie Bolero, but am a bit stuck, if anyone can offer me advice. The bolero meets (just barely) in front under the bust. When I hold it in place, it's really flattering and the fit that I desired, but when I added my button it pulled horribly. Does anyone have a tried and true method for sewing a button onto knitwear? One that is super sturdy? I'd appreciate the help!!!

Hi, darlings! I'm back from Italy and not quite the 10lbs. heavier that I thought I was (despite my best efforts)!

This trip was, in every sense, about food. I packed some knitting, but didn't even touch it once. All I did was eat food, cook food and shop for food. It was the best vacation ever.

Click on the pics above for bigger versions. I'm working on adding descriptions and details.

Springtime has come to Sunnyside and I couldn't be happier! This is what I've been waiting for all winter long. Slowly, I've been watching little sprouts fight their way through the frozen earth and suddenly- daffodils! Tulips! Cherry blossoms!

I'm leaving you, dear readers, for 10 glorious days in Tuscany. Be well, without me. I've armed myself with a Berlitz phrase book, some travel essays and a book on Tuscan cuisine. Hopefully, I'll be a changed woman when I return.

Arrivederci!!

A week ago, my good friend, Libby (who lived in Paris, lucky girl) was in NYC for her 30th birthday. I had the honor of attending her birthday dinner at Lupa.

Lupa is a Roman style Italian trattoria, which I found utterly charming and completely inspirational. Since Libby is a long time vegetarian, veggies were the highlight of what we ate. For starters we shared butternut squash, beets and brussels sprouts, all prepared in a new (to me) and really, really delicious way.
Libby also had a dish made of farro pasta with (more!) brussels sprouts. It was kind of a revelation to me. I had never combined a vegetable like that with pasta before and suddenly I had a use for the sad head of savoy cabbage that had been sitting in my fridge!

I put water on to boil and caramelized some onions in olive oil with red pepper flakes. Once the pasta (I used whole wheat because I couldn't find farro pasta) was in, I put the finely sliced cabbage in the pan with the onions and let it cook. Pasta comes out, goes into that pan along with a really, really healthy bunch of grated Parmesan cheese and a little of the pasta water itself. Prego! A late winter pasta dish to get you through that last push. Spring awaits!

Ah, but there's more to all this Italian talk than last night's dinner. I, my dears, and going to Tuscany!!!!!! I leave on April 11th for ten (count them, ten) days!!!!!! I have never been to Italy before and am blessed enough to be staying in a friend's digs in the countryside for free.

I have NO IDEA what I need to do or see while I'm there. I'll have access to a car, so if anyone can recommend sights to see or a good guide book or can't miss experiences, please leave a comment!!! Grazie!!

I saved these roses from what was going to be a long, sad, lonely death in our flower refrigerator at work and stashed them in what is my new favorite Winter-Spring transitional handbag.

It's actually a tool bag from Klein Tools, but I loved the unbleached, heavy-weight canvas and metal and leather buckles, so I ordered one. They also have some all leather bags with which I am only mildly obsessed. They're pretty reasonable and oh, so sturdy! And I only feel a little silly carrying it when I run into one of the many construction workers buying their morning coffee at the corner bodega.

(I was so smitten with the roses/bag combo that I didn't even notice the tacky ad for laser hair removal on the newspaper that I used to wrap them up. Nice.)

These are two pillows that I finished well over a year ago. They were meant to go in my old apartment, which was all 70's fabulous orange, brown and avocado green.

Now they just don't fit in my new place so off to the Etsy shop they go!
(These photos were taken on my new ivory velvet love seat! I absolutely am in love with it! It fits perfectly under the window in the front of the living room. Some people {ahem} think it was a crazy choice, but I don't care).

I still owe you pictures of the Minnow Cardi, but in the meantime, I started a new project. It's the Christie Bolero that I designed for The Point, ages ago.
I always wanted one of my own, so in an attempt to plow through some of my stash, I cast on with some Harmony from Naturally Hand Knit that I've been holding onto forever.
It's a smaller gauge than the original pattern and I'm also planning on making it slightly larger so that it can crossover in the front with a button closure.
I'll keep you updated!

I updated my shop with some vintage finds. Go and visit!

Oh, and I finished my Minnow Merino Cardigan and it's a winner! I'll be sharing that with you soon!

I wanted to share with everyone a new discovery that is currently making me very, very happy.

This is a bath product line that I found through one of the many, many blogs that I read. I'm ashamed to say that I forget which one, or I would give them credit where credit is due.

The Bubble Roome bath products meet two very important requirements for me. (Well, many more than two, but you get the idea.) They're handmade and paraben and sulfate free AND they're locally made. In addition to that they work like a dream and have really, really cute packaging that I love to look at in my bathroom. (Makes me feel so *fancy*).
Though I have to warn you, the brown sugar scrub is addictive.

So, it's crappy self portrait time.

I've been too busy to beg my roommate to take my picture and all I have is a sad little point and shoot camera without a tripod, so I'm reduced to this. Taking a picture in our entryway with my downstairs neighbor's bike in the back ground. All I can say is that crazy bright new overhead lamp my super installed makes for good nighttime picture takin'.

I'm really not sure how I feel about Patsy. I want to love her, I really do. She looks so cute on the back of my office chair, or folded on my sewing table. Everyone loves her. But when I try her on (which I do bi-weekly) all I feel is, "Meh."

She's ever so slightly small. I could do with the fit across the bust since she is a Swing Cardigan and only fastens with one button (missing from this picture). But the sleeves! The sleeves, people!!!

I feel as though they hit at the most unflattering point possible. I wish that they were about two inches longer, ending at mid-forearm, rather that just below the elbow. I'd undo the binding and knit them longer, but I have zero yarn left over and also seem to be unable to locate a ball band to identify a Lot #. Yep, it's pathetic.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do just yet. I forgot to have my future sister-in-law try it on when she was visiting this past weekend. She's smaller than me and Patsy might make for her a better fit. Now, wouldn't that be a great pre-wedding gift?

P.S. I totally look preggers in that last picture! Terrible!

P.P.S. I also appear to have a triple chin! Even more terrible!

Look! Look! A Finished Object! I know, I can hardly believe it myself. I started this in November and just finished it last week.

It's the Patsy Swing Cardigan from The Point and I highly recommend this pattern to anyone who wants to knit a first time cable sweater. It was their pattern of the month for November and I bought the recommended yarn, as well. The pattern is a dream and super easy to knit. It's knit from the top down, though, and being a cardigan, the stockinette gets a little tedious towards the end.

I think this may be one of the first sweaters that I've made that I'll really wear. I usually end up so unhappy with the way I look in the finished product that I stuff it in a drawer.

I've been a really impatient knitter up until now, but I think I'm entering a new phase where I can knit from challenging patterns and take my time to undo mistakes and check for fit. I'm less concerned with having a finished item than having an item finished well.

Words to live by.

Oh, hi.  It's me.  Yep.  Looks like I missed my blogiversary.  It was 3 years ago on New Year's Eve that I started this blog.  NYE came and went and I was too busy having fun (ok, actin' like a fool, really) to post.  But between then and now I've hit two other milestones, so were going to celebrate them all at once, ok?

I turned 32 on the 23rd.  And this is my 300th blog post.  Not too shabby.

It was also the 4 month anniversary of my new life in The House with the Blue Room the weekend of my birthday, so I was feeling milestones all around.

These are just a few glimpses of my Blue Room.  I'm finally, really, really settled into my new place.  I'm all unpacked here, with my new macbook and my sewing machine side by side, so there's nothing to hold me back now, really.

 

Well, there was nothing holding me back, ever.  This is what I've learned this year.  It's not a New Year's resolution, per say, but a new philosophy.  I'm just saying, "Yes."  Kind of cliche, kind of like Jim Carrey, I know, but, I've found,  it's a good attitude to have.

I've done things this year, that I've never thought I could do.  I ran a (3) 5K race(s).  I started the HRB.  I moved into a new apartment.  I sang karaoke.  I painted a room blue. I bought a hacksaw.  I stayed out until 5am.  I volunteered.  I voted.  I ate sweetbreads.  I sold something online.  I made my own birthday dinner.  I made new friends.

Just say yes, people.  Too much time is wasted worrying if you're gonna like something, or if you're going to look silly.  I still have a lot to overcome, but every time I hesitate, a little voice* yells at me, "Just say yes!!" 

Happy 2009 everyone!

*His name is Kevin, everyone should have one. ;-)

I just wanted to share a little something with you all before I head back to NJ for Christmas.

These are buttons commissioned by Ms. Blue Garter for her February Lady Sweater. They look huge here, but they're only 1" in diameter. Made from fabric from my grandmother's stash, so I guess it can be considered vintage, 'cause it's probably really old! The fabric is a little sheer so the shine of the button shell comes through.

They should be arriving on your coast any moment now, Sarah! I hope you like them!!!

I've been doing a lot to get into the Holiday Spirit this week. I think it's working.

Tuesday night, the NYC/SNB ladies wrapped presents for Children of the City, a very worthwhile charity. Only a few of us braved the snow that evening, but we were well rewarded with Glad Tidings!

I bought a one pound bar of chocolate at Trader Joe's in Brooklyn. It was supposed to be for candy-makin', but I couldn't resist busting into it right away. Oops.
I also bought a crate of clementines that I've been enjoying all week. They look very festive in a bowl in my dining room.

I've also been having a really grand time selecting items for my etsy favorites, but every time I go to check on them, one more has sold before I had the chance to buy it!!
I like to think that all of my friend who read my blog are buying them up for my Christmas presents. A girl can dream, no?

Yikes! It seems like, the last thing I remember is that it was the day after Thanksgiving, and I was talking about Christmas gifts.....
Then, I blinked my eyes and now it's December 16th! Christmas is next week!!!

I've been very, very busy the last month. Too busy, it seems to post anything here. I don't like to post without pictures and it's been nearly impossible to take pictures in my new place.
(Busy = getting home too late = no pictures).
These, however, are pictures of what's been keeping me so busy. Curtains. Lots and lots of curtains.

This is my roommate's bedroom. He has two windows that I made four, eight foot panels for. They're totally lined and have hidden tabs on the back that create cool pleats on the front when you put a curtain rod through them. It's kind of cheating, but it's cute.
The room is a pale gray color and the curtains are gold, with a white leaf motif, the fabric from Ikea. They're fully lined, but still let in a good deal of light. This was taken on Saturday around 11am without a flash. The (east facing) room is fairly dark, but you can see the sunlight struggling through.

This is The Blue Room. The Office/Wardrobe/Crafting Room. The Multi-Purpose Room. The It's -Good-To-Have-3-Bedrooms Room. This room and the gray bedroom are separated by french doors, so I wanted to create a real sense of privacy, but in a way that didn't feel static.
Enter the hospital curtain track. This was a project that took over 2 months to complete. I ordered industrial medical supplies online to get the type of rack with rollers that I could mount to the ceiling. I never ordered enough of what I needed at one time. But now it's finished and I am incredibly triumphant!!!
This fabric* I purchased online and I was amazed at how it matched the walls. It's hard to see in the picture, but around each motif, between the brown and white, is the exact color blue of the wall! Amazing.
Each panel is over eight feet long and nine feet tall. Fully lined, so that from the gray room you see only white. They hang straight from the ceiling to the floor and can be pulled back from the middle of the room to allow for the french doors to be open. Whew!

I've also been busy crafting, but they're all gifts so I can't share. I have: 2 knit hats, 2 sets of fingerless gloves and two eye masks from Amy Butler's In Stitches (which is a great source of holiday gifties).

*I have over 2 yards of it left. The fabric is 52" wide. I paid $15.95/yard and would be willing to work out a trade or a deal if anyone is interested in it. It's really beautiful, but I can't imagine using it for anything else in the apartment, now that it's on the wall.

With Thanksgiving just past, I know I've got Christmas shopping on the brain.

Every year, in an attempt to have a less commercial holiday, I try to make as many of my gifts as possible. This year, however, I've been busier than normal and so I've needed a little help to check off everyone on my list. This is where etsy comes in.

If I can't make handmade, than I'll buy handmade. Or some of the amazing vintage finds that have been so carefully culled.

These are just a few of my favorites, which I hope to inspire you towards a homey-er, handmade holiday.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year.

If you had talked to me a month ago, I probably wouldn't have said that. I probably would have just started crying and ran away, leaving you in stunned silence, but I'm feeling differently right now.

At Thanksgiving, my family has a practice that makes me cringe, but it's sweet in its way. Before we can eat, we go around the table and everyone says what they're thankful for. With nearly 13 of us gathered around the table, it can take awhile, and I usually get all shy and can't think of anything thoughtful to say.

This year. This year, though, they won't be able to shut me up. For real.

I have an adorable new apartment and an amazing roommate and a really, really good job, which I love and a cousin who survived cancer and a soon-to-be sister-in-law who I adore and tons of friends who would do anything to make me smile and THE MOST FANTASTIC FAMILY, who loves me more than I can explain to anyone.

So, yeah, I have a lot to be thankful for this year.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Friday night I shuffled off to The Point for a workshop. I say shuffled because it was bitterly cold and it was a Friday evening after a long, long week. I would have rather been tucked up on my couch with a glass of wine, watching a DVR'd episode of Ugly Betty.

But Jared was going to be there! And wasn't that enough to make the trip worth while? So, of course, I'm glad I went. I've never knit lace more complicated than some Feather & Fan, so I was taking a big step outside my comfort zone with the Hemlock Ring Blanket. But I figured that under the watchful eye of Brooklyn Tweed and the capable folks at The Point, I could get over my fear. Right?

So right!! I caught on right away to the clever cast on Jared taught us and was knitting along in no time at all! We have a two week break for Thanksgiving and we'll be back the first week in December for the second installment. I've knit quite a bit on my own, but after round 35, my eyes were starting to cross, so I put it down for a while. I'm really looking forward to the next class!!

(Had to sneak in this picture of Ms. PassionKNITly with Mr. Brooklyn Tweed. So cute!)

See? Knitting content. I promised.
This is a sweater that I started back in August, after the Olympics were over.
It's still not finished.

This is Jil Eaton Minnow Merino. It's a superwash merino, because I think it's generally intended for children's garments. The colors offered are crazy bright This hot magenta was the most tame of the bunch.

It's a sort of loose single ply, but sooooo soft. I'm a little annoyed by how the loose ply is already all fuzzy (I know it's going to pill like crazy) but the softness and warmth make up for it.

It still needs sleeves, but I put it on the dress form at work so I could steam block it a little bit. I wanted a soft looking structure and originally planned on letting the stockinette on all the edges roll naturally, but I didn't account for the extra length and width I would need to accommodate the rolling, so I added a simple edge by picking up stitches, knitting one row and binding off. It's still very simple looking but hopefully the edge will keep it from rolling too much.

This was my first real weekend in my new place (real, meaning, it wasn't Moving Weekend or Halloween) and I have to admit, it was a little rough.
Important items are unpacked and tidied away and I'm settling into a routine, but with that routine comes a reminder of all the things that my new life isn't.

It isn't a life that I'm sharing with someone a love. It isn't a life that I'm building with someone else. It may be strange for some of you to hear, but I've never experienced this before. I've never been so completely on my own.

An independent life is something that I'm having trouble adjusting to. I don't know what it's like to make decisions that affect only me. Simple choices like what color to paint a wall or what to buy for dinner seem so daunting, because I'm out there floundering on my own, with no partner to turn to and ask, "What do you think?"
It also feels incredibly indulgent. And risky.
I'm struggling a little bit, but I'm hanging in there. I'll be back with some knitting content really, really soon.

Oy! I've been tagged for a meme by Ms. PassionKNITly, herself!

7 Weird Things You Probably Didn't Know About Me (here we go):

1. I hate, hate, hate bell peppers. More than a normal person should, probably. I've been known to cry if they appear in my food and I wasn't aware that they would, because that means that the food is entirely inedible. I get teased about this a lot, which I don't understand, because it's the *only* food that I don't like.
   
2. I don't like talking on the phone. This includes ordering food for delivery and calling my grandmother. If you don't hear from me often, don't be insulted. (Sorry, grandma!)
3. I'm incapable of "saving" food that I like. If I have a box of candy, or jar of pickles, or bag of chips, or whatever, I will systematically eat it over a period of no more than two days. I'm am always genuinely shocked when I visit friends and find easter candy in May. Shocked. Consequently, I don't keep snacks in my house.
4. I fall asleep *really* easily when in transit. Cars, buses, trains, subways. Like, scary easy.
5. I can't watch TV without knitting and vice versa. Unless there's someone to talk to or something, but I can't just sit an knit - it drives me batty.
6. I have to take glucosamine for my hip. I call it "my old lady pills".
   
7. All my family's pets are named after jazz musicians: Miles (kitty), Parker (kitty) and Ella (doggy)!

I apparently have to tag 7 other peeps:
John
Patty
Jess
Ana
Jill
Steph
"Lucy"