deadlines!
Posted by Nina on Jan 31, 2010
First up we have the Green Autumn (Druid Mittens) by Jared Flood. I love these mittens more than words can say.. however, I have found that the yarn I chose has left a lighter dyed band around the center of the mitten and I am obsessing over it. I think I might have to knit an additional mitten to mask this. I finished the pair this morning at about 8am. The pattern has amazing texture exactly like you would expect from Jared. I made a few modifications to the pattern. I decided to mirror the chevron pattern around the cuffs of the mittens as well as the cables on the thumbs.
Next we have this beautiful yarn! I purchased these two batts from Uniquely Yours. These were the New Year’s themed mystery batts (I purchased them without seeing what they would look like) for the spin-a-long. I don’t think there are very many of us spinning these batts and so far, mine are the only yarns posted on the contest thread! I had planned to spin these two yarns together so I made them very thin but once I finished them I loved them separately so I plied the black base with black nylon thread and the white base with white gold metallic thread.
I’ve over taxed myself in January. I decided to do all 6 HPKCHC classes, a new years themed spin along, plus working on my HPKCHC OWL project. I finished 6 projects, 2 skeins of very beautiful yarn, and have done a lot of knitting! February I have committed myself to the Ravelry olympics games to finish off some of my works in progress (event: wip dancing) and spinning (event: flying camel).
That about sums up January for me! oh yeah, and some fantastic food in there too! Celine & Joni’s new book is going to be incredible. Every recipe I have tried is turning out to be my new favorite! Last nights dinner was ‘beef’ & broccoli bowls.. I lacked the seitan so I used tempeh but was FANTASTIC! I think I might make another batch to eat on all week lol.
they say time heals all broken hearts?
Posted by Nina on Jan 30, 2010
I would say that it’s every parents nightmare to outlive their children and it’s every child’s nightmare to lose their parents. These days we have so many things that rob us of precious time and one thing about humanity that is certain and that is one day we will all die, hopefully later rather than sooner, but none of us will get out of this battle alive.
When I lost my dad it took me a long time to really be able to talk about him without crying or at the very least trying to fight back the tears. I don’t think you ever get over losing a parent and I am sure you never get over losing a child.. but I can say that every day that comes it gets a little easier to get through but that doesn’t mean the hole is filled. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about my dad or wish I could call him up and just shoot the breeze.
I used to hate to watch television after he died because I would constantly see something that reminded me of him.. little girls standing on their dads feet and dancing, fathers hugging their daughters, songs, movies, weddings, funerals, sports games, food, holidays, every thing reminded me of him. It took me 2 years to realize that I shouldn’t feel pain when I see these things because every little thing that reminds me of him is a little piece of him still alive… alive in me.. in my family.
No, I still cry from time to time.. I’ve decided that trying not to is pointless because the tears come anyway.. but my dad wouldn’t want that.. in fact he’s told me “Baby don’t cry” more times than I can count.. no, I will never stop hurting but it’s getting easier to smile when I see and hear things that remind me of my dad… the most is hockey and music… those are two things we shared… they were special to us… something that was just his and mine.. something that connected us and in a way it still does.
I’ve realized that I am all my dad has left to carry on for him.. for myself, for my family, and some day.. for my children. He didn’t want to leave us.. and with the types of cancer he had, its amazing he lived 4yrs with it.. he was a fighter.. he beat alcoholism, divorce, he was a single parent, and he was extremely giving and kind.. very laid back and down to earth.. and I don’t think there was a single person he met that didn’t love him. I made a single vow to him as I watched his casket be lowered into the ground… and that was to just keep breathing and carry on..
So Daddy… this is me carrying on 
remembering how amazing you were, how blessed I am to be your daughter, and just how very much I miss you.
All my love,
Your Daughter.
Hogwarts Express!
Posted by Nina on Jan 25, 2010
Remember when I joined the Harry Potter Knitting & Crochet House Cup group on Ravelry and I said I would share a little more about it with you? Well.. now is the time! We are sorted into houses at the beginning of the term (3 months) and each month a class listing is given and the more classes you participate in the more points your house earns.. and you are also competing for some real prizes! I have met some really fabulous people there and they are cheering me on to reduce the size of my knitting queue and finish up those works in progress (during the Ravelry olympics of course!) and I have created some of the cutest little things for the first round of classes!!
First up we have this super cute flying spaghetti monster… I made him for potions class. We were instructed to create something dangerous or something that Dumbledore would love.. I think he fits on both accounts.
Next was this really cute cupcake for Charms. We were instructed to create something to make the professor smile.. well being that I was sorted into Gryffindor.. our house decided to create a secret food fight where we would all make cupcakes and food items to turn in all at the same time (I lost count after 18 of us turned them in!) and later that evening we would storm the Slytherin dungeon and start the food war all over again! I made a white cake with lavender frosting and a cute little cherry on top with rainbow sprinkles.. it now functions as a soft toy or pin cushion.
Last but not least we have this adorable little apple cozy I made for Defense Against The Dark Arts.. we were instructed to create an item that represents your resolution for the year.. it represents two for me.. start & finish projects on my queue and to stay healthy! I spent most of 2009 either ill or injured and I figured the old saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ might not be a bad thing to start with!
Take a look at the Harry Potter Knitting & Crochet House Cup group on Ravelry… go right now! It’s my favorite group! Oh and I was the Gryffindor featured for the 2nd interview on our house blog!
You probably won’t see me again until the end of this month while I am busy finishing up class projects and spinning like crazy for a contest!
Tasting..
Posted by Nina on Jan 12, 2010
It’s been a while since I shared some photos of the food I am testing for Celine & Joni’s new book ‘The Complete Guide to Vegan Foods Substitutions‘. If there is one thing I can say about the recipes I have tried from this book.. all but 1 has been a huge success! That single recipe that caused me some trouble has worked well for every other tester though! The photo you see above is a delicious polenta and chili bake.
This is an incredible sweet baked vegan brie!! I loved spreading it on bread, crackers, toast, and eating it with fresh fruit! I never really ate brie cheese before but this spread is dangerously good! I topped mine with blueberry jam for the photo but it works equally well with apple butter, pumpkin butter, or any other sweet preserve.
This is a little bowl of heaven. This is a rustic pasta bake and tastes fantastic hot or cold. It makes up a bunch and I can see it being a fantastic party food. I have a love/hate relationship with artichokes but this recipe makes me love them! You could easily adapt the spices to change the flavor of the whole dish.
Last but not least is this delicious green temeph casserole.. I didn’t expect to love this recipe as much as I did… I love tempeh, that’s no secret, but this was just plain insanely delicious. I can see eating a bowl of this for dinner or wrapping it up in spring rolls for lunch.. its just FANTASTIC. It’s super healthy, very cleansing, and very garden friendly. It looks to me like Celine & Joni have another hit on their hands… and I cannot wait for you all to get to taste these incredible dishes!!!
Decisions, Decisions
Posted by Nina on Jan 9, 2010
After I got my spinning wheel, I knew I wanted to spin with other spinners.. where? I have no idea but I do know there are local spinners who meet up and spin together a few times a month.. and I am sure my local yarn store could organize one as well! When I was buying my wheel, I wanted one that looked old fashioned, had great reviews, and had single and scotch tension abilities.. my wheel is just perfect for that… however, I cannot really travel with my wheel.. I am sure there are those of you who pack their Symphony up in your car/mini-van/truck and lug it around town with you — I however, cannot bring myself to move her… I am terrified of her breaking! but after I spend a couple nights away from her every so often, I miss her.
I want a travel wheel. There. I said it. All of my spinning friends online have travel wheels or a universal wheel that they can carry around.. I would love to attend the spin in public events, spinning guilds, and just be able to bring my spinning with me when I leave for a weekend or two. Since I have a Kromski main wheel, that kind of leaves my choices to a bare minimum of 2 wheels.. a Minstrel or a Sonata. I want to be able to just grab my bobbin and go.. and since I don’t think I have room for a Minstrel and the Sonata folds up into and comes with a carrying bag.. it sounds perfect..
Now.. if I could only find a way to convince my husband and family that this is a needed accessory………… The only downside to the Sonata is that they do not come unfinished and I really wanted a colorful travel wheel.. but I guess all in all, it’s not really that important, right?
Mosaic Opal Handspun
Posted by Nina on Jan 8, 2010
I’ve had a love/hate relationship with this yarn. When the box came and I saw it for the first time it was everything I hoped that it would be.. the color was beautiful! soft pale pinks and blues mixed with a beautiful green and black.. it was breath taking.. and then I picked it up. It was sticky.. not the usual fresh shorn sheep sticky but more like it had been soaking in laundry detergent and allowed to dry without rinsing. As I started spinning I found that it was full of slubbies.. now, I could have pulled them out but I would have ended up with half of the fiber in waste! so, I decided to suck it up and spin my first art yarn!
I spun a thick and thin single with slubbies here and there helping to create the thick and thin single.. I plied with black nylon thread purely to hold the slubbies in the yarn. It’s approximately 166yrds of fingering to worsted weight art yarn. I’m pretty proud!
my little pony hand spun
Posted by Nina on Jan 6, 2010
Having my spinning wheel sure keeps my hot little hands busy! This is my second handspun. It’s roughly fingering weight.. I plied with gold metallic thread to add a little sparkle.. I am so proud of this yarn!! I ended up with 273yrds out of the 4.1oz roving I purchased. I really wish I had more because it is just beautiful!!!
I can’t wait to tell you all what I am working on and share photos with you!! but for now, I’ll leave you with more images of this gorgeous yarn.
2009 in review
Posted by Nina on Jan 5, 2010
It’s pretty customary to blog about what you did in the last year and mourn its passing.. I spent a lot of 2009 being sick or injured and it just seemed to be a really chaotic year. It could have been worse, I’m grateful that everyone is alive and healthy and with any luck, 2010 will be much better.
December 2009
I bought my spinning wheel and found that my passion for spinning was still going strong.. I made some great food and got ready for the holidays.
November 2009
This was the month that I decided to do my Veganmofo. I blogged mostly about food, reviewed some great cookbooks, and made some holiday decor. I put up Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving, as always. I was officially picked as a taste tester for Celine & Joni’s new cookbook.
October 2009
Sergey celebrated his 31st birthday, I canned a 35lb pumpkin into a bunch of pumpkin butter, I finished a baby quilt for my neighbors new daughter, and found a Vegan tuna salad recipe that wasn’t totally awful, and we discovered that all the fantastic stuff we saw at the Good Eats taping never made it on to the television show.
September 2009
We celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary in Georgia and it was quite possibly the most fun vacation I’ve ever had.. we went to the taping of Good Eats 10th anniversary show, I caught a cold and spent our anniversary in bed at the hotel until we went to Paula Deen’s for dinner, despite the sickness, I had a wonderful time. I celebrated my 30th birthday, my friend asked me to be her maid of honor at her wedding, and I discovered my beloved Russian scarf is missing..(it still is for those of you who keep asking).
August 2009
Bella’s dr told us she should be taking some knee supplements (ironically the same ones I take for the same reason!), we booked our anniversary trip, I bought some great quilt fabrics and patterns, and discovered konad.
July 2009
This month was spent injured so there wasn’t a lot going on. I started seeing photos of konad nails. We spent the 4th of July at my family reunion in West Virginia.. it was the first time Sergey met a lot of my dads side of the family, well aside from dads funeral.
June 2009
Michael Jackson died, I made some great food and cooked something from the Uncheese cookbook for the first time, broke and replaced my favorite Vegan Dish bowl, and finished a quilt top that I have reserved for my future children.
May 2009
We spent the majority of this month recovering from what may have been swine flu. No one was ever tested but we had all of the symptoms except vomiting and it took each of us 3 weeks to recover. I started knitting more on my wedding shawl but can’t seem to keep knitting it without finding errors and reasons that I need to rip it back and fix something..
April 2009
This is the month we caught what may have been swine flu. I discovered hooping and vegan borscht & vegan mold-able jello.
March 2009
I reflected on my memories with my father, finished a pretty awesome scarf for Sergey, cast on the wedding shawl, and continued my twilight knitting.
February 2009
I knit a lot of things relating to the Twilight movie, finished both my winter scarf and hat, and did a bunch of blog memes. We also bought our new breakfast nook table and chairs.
January 2009
We celebrated New Years watching Dick Clark’s program, drinking a bottle of champagne, eating in our living room in front of the roaring fireplace, opened gifts, and on the 13th we took down our holiday decorations (as always).
Hello Mrs. Breeton
Posted by Nina on Jan 4, 2010
Now that the holidays are over and life is starting to return to its normal speed, I finally have things to blog about! I finished these beautiful Mrs Beeton’s on Christmas eve. I was never a big fan of wrist warmers or fingerless mitts but I think these are fantastic. Not only do they keep your hands warm by preventing wind and snow from going up your coat sleeves but they look really festive and are super soft! My husband says they look like anemones.. I guess that makes sense why I love them so much because I have always found anemones to be quite beautiful!
I took a trip to one of my local yarn stores to see if I could find some yarn for something to cast on and knit quick to wear on Christmas and I found this beautiful angora yarn and I love the pinkish taupe shade mixed with bright white pearls and fur. I love them so much I plan to wear them to my dentist appointment today.. nothing like a soft hand knit item to calm your nerves.
I also signed up for the Harry Potter house cup championship on ravelry.. it’s sure looking like a lot of fun! I hope this group and the olympics will help me finish off those WIP’s (work in progress) and break down my queue.. it’s 29 pages, 862 projects long! I’ve been sorted into the Gryffindor house and have begun working on my projects for classes.. more on this later! I also signed up for a fiber pen pal and met an awesome woman from the group. We weren’t paired together but I think we’ll swap together anyway! We have a lot in common!
Mrs Beeton by Brenda Dayne
Knit on Addi Turbo Lace Circs. US 5 / 3.75 mm & US 7 / 4.5 mm
Yarn: Lion Brand Fun Fur Solid (White) & Sublime Yarns Angora Merino (#0041)
Started: December 22, 2009
Completed: December 24, 2009
On Ravelry @ CherrySprinkle
