Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Last Week of Summer

I finished the blanket! It looks really good. Its really warm because I used some wool yarn, and it has a really nice texture from the wool vs. acrylic yarn, too. Plus it's really big. I think it turned out really well. I gave it to Brian last night and he was pretty excited about it, too.


Plus, I got to see my sister last weekend!!

Oh, and I got my hair cut again. It looks a lot better, much less soccer-mom. It's basically just a lot shorter in the back and not so froofy. I'll put a photo up when I get one.


Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Go for the cheesecake

I had a great time in Chicago - It was great to just spend a few days with a good friend, eat yummy food, and relax. Mary lives north of the city in a really cute little neighborhood with the train, parks, the lake, a few stores, and a yarn store (yes, a yarn store) within walking distance. We spent one day just hanging out there, and the other two exploring the city. We rented bikes and rode up the lakeshore one afternoon, stopping at a couple beaches to laze on the beach, drink smoothies, and eat ice cream. The other day was spent doing a little shopping, walking down the Magnificient Mile, and people watching in Millenium Park. She took me out to eat at the Chicago Diner (near Wrigley Park), and if you are ever in Chicago, you must eat here - fabulous vegan food. I had a delicious dinner of polenta with vegetables, black beans, and spanish rice; and for dessert we tried raw cheesecake (i guess its made with finely ground up cashews, coconut oil, and some other stuff I can't remember). It was to. die. for. I mean, for real, delicious. All in all, it was a great time.

By the by, Molly mentioned Barbara Kingsolver books a while back and I second Molly's thoughts - Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors. Right now I am reading her latest book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It is about her and her family's experience spending one year eating only local food, food that they knew where it came from. So for, it has been real thought provoking... I think both of you would really like it if you haven't already checked it out.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

My Happy Day

Look what I got in the mail yesterday!




This package made my day! What beautiful yarn and I love the project bag. This gift really brightened up my day, I was having one of those days where everyone I talked to was nasty and mean, and the gift made me remember that there are some nice people somewhere in the world! So thanks Jill, I really appreciate the gifts and nice thoughts.

Later in the day, Kane and I went up to the Lake for an evening/sunset picnic. Here is an action shot of the skirt.



And here is a picture of the gorgeous sunset.



All in all, a nice day to turn 29!

Hope all is well with the two of you.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Blanket Update


Yay for spending hours and hours of every day working on this blanket instead of studying for the GRE.... It's coming along well. I'm almost done with the squares, about halfway done sewing them all together, and I got some rust colored yarn to use for the border.

Have fun in Chicago... The only thing I can suggest is if you see a little man running around the streets with an ice cream cart selling little popsicles, BUY ONE, they're delicious like nothing you've ever tasted. I'd suggest mango. They are made with real fruit and milk and delicious.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Getting Out

I'm heading to Chicago tomorrow to visit a friend that just moved there. Its been a long time since I've been to Chicago and I'm super excited! Any suggestions for (cheap) things to do there?

I've been slowly working on a few projects: Carolyn from Knitty, the scarf for my aunt, and a couple secret projects, but I'll give you a glimpse of them! See you in a week!
Oh yeah, my Sock Pal, Meredith, received her socks! And they fit! And she likes them! Unfortunately, I haven't gotten mine yet, but I'm checking the mail every day... Sock pal, are you out there?

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Finito!

Yo girls!

I'm finally caught up....what are we going to K-A-L next?

The big unveiling:




No glamour shots here, but I do plan on taking this bad boy out for a day of fun tomorrow, maybe I'll get some action shots to post the skirt in public! I tried every way possible to remove the kitten from the picture, but Flannel would have nothing of it. I'm sure he's felt neglected this week.

It's so interesting to me that all three versions turned out differently. I'm sure one variation has to do with Rowan Summer Tweed vs. Jaeger trinity.....Jaeger has a finer gauge, but also I think I've discovered that my gauge loosens as I knit. Something I'll have to be aware of! But nonetheless, I LOVE the skirt and I'm glad you both invited me on this knit along, I don't think I would have ever decided to make a skirt otherwise!

I promise to post some pics of the skirt in San Francisco....unless it's too cold!
Have a good weekend... must get some sleep, I'm delirious.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Thinking Green

Over the past few months, I have decided to (again) try to become more environmentally aware. In college and when I lived in Wisconsin, I was surrounded by more “environmentally friendly” people; however, here in Alabama, that kind of attitude is hard to come by (at least in my experience). For instance, recycling is not required in Alabama, as it is in Wisconsin, and I would say that the majority of people here do not recycle. I could not believe that when I first moved here. Recycling has been mandatory in Wisconsin for at least 20 years. In Huntsville, they do have curb-side recycling for some items, but if you live in an apartment or want to recycle things like glass, you have to bring it to the recycling center yourself. For most people, I think, that is way too inconvenient (whew, that is a hard word to spell!). Huntsville does have an interesting waste program. All garbage is considered to be household waste, including bathroom waste, food and other kitchen waste, paper, and cardboard) is incinerated. The fumes are cleaned (? Not sure how this is done), and the heat or energy from the incineration is used to heat the nearby Redstone Arsenal. Any metals left in the ash are removed and the ash is then landfilled. This is an interesting approach, at the least, and it makes me feel a little better about throwing all that paper and cardboard into the trash.

The major portion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is associated with energy used to heat and/or cool buildings. Unfortunately for me, I don’t have a whole lot of control over this area. The apartment I live in is a terrible energy – sucker. It is not insulated at all, as far as I can tell, and very drafty. The windows are ancient, the doors have gaps at the bottom, the appliances are ancient and definitely don’t have an energy star on them… My utility company does off a green option – you can change all or a portion of your energy to come from renewable resources – solar, wind, or methane gas (collected from a waste water treatment plant) power. The green power is sold in blocks and each block adds an additional $4 to your monthly bill, according the TVA, one block is about 12% of an average household’s monthly energy use. I have not done this because I can barely afford to pay my utility bill the way it is, I just can’t afford to pay any more.

My other downfall is that I drive practically EVERYWHERE. There really is no other option in Huntsville. It is not a walking town. It is not a biking town. There is a grocery store close enough to my house to walk, although I usually pick things up there on my way to somewhere else. The only place I ever walk is to the coffee shop where Bill & I go to hang out and where my knitting group meets. Otherwise, its all driving for me.

So, this has all got me thinking about what I have already done to ‘green up’ my life and what more I can do.

What I have already done:

  • Changed all my light bulbs to compact flourescent light bulbs (CFL)
  • I don’t use paper napkins and very rarely use paper towels
  • I wash everything in cold water, don't wash clothes until they are actually dirty, and use the appropriate water level for the amount of clothing I am washing
  • I don’t use a dishwasher (this is a tricky one – hand washing dishes saves on electricity/energy, but depending on how you wash your dishes, the dishwasher can save on water. If you wash your dishes with the 2-sink, one for washing, one for rinsing method, you should use about the same amount of water. Plus, most people I know (including the former me) practically hand wash the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, so I think this voids everything I already said.)
  • I only use recycled paper, always print on both sides of the paper, and reuse any paper that is only printed on one side. I have gotten into the habit of stapling these papers together to use as a notebook, instead of buying a notebook. I also only print things that I really need to print.
  • I use only natural cleaning products (OK, the one exception was when I moved in to this apartment, the bathtub was absolutely disgusting and I bought some nasty chemicals to clean it with)
  • I recycle everything I can
  • I eat meat no more than three times per week
  • I try to buy food (rice, pasta, flour, sugar, dog bones, coffee, tea, cereal, etc) in bulk when I can, to reduce packaging
  • I turn off my computer when I’m not using it (instead of hibernating), turn off the TV when I’m not watching it, and unplug appliances when I’m not using them and when I am gone for long periods
  • I only use the AC in the room that I am in, instead of cooling the whole apartment
  • I installed a water saver showerhead
  • I put a brick in my toilet tank to reduce its water use
  • I use cached rain water to water my plants
  • The majority of stuff I buy is second hand: clothes, kitchen stuff, furniture, books, sheets, etc.
  • Reuse as much stuff as I can (bread bags, food containers, tin foil, glass jars, etc)
  • I don’t drink bottled water. I am perfectly capable for bottling my own water. I have always thought bottled water was ridiculous since I have access to have perfectly good tap water for a lot less money, but this issue has been getting a lot of hype lately. Both Dasani and Aquafina bottled water is just tap water put in a bottle. So consumers are simply paying for a plastic bottle, and convenience, I guess.
  • All my bills are electronic, no paper bills
  • I drink only organic, free trade, shade-grown coffee ( Yeah! for Aroma's)
  • Use rechargable batteries when possible
  • I take a mug with me to work so I don't use a styrfoam cup every day
  • Always take the stairs and never the elevator
  • I don't got to the gym, I only exercise outdoors

    New stuff I’m working on/trying out:
  • Air drying clothes instead of using the dryer
  • Eliminating plastic bags – bringing cloth bags when shopping (I use to be so good at this – I don’t know what happened!)
  • Reducing my use of plastic (mainly for health reasons – read this to learn about plastic leaching) - using glass containers for food storage instead of plastic. An interesting note – Nalgene bottles are made from #7 (other) plastic, which is listed under the ‘avoid’ column, it can leach a chemical that can mimic animal hormones. ick. So if you do use a Nalgene (I do), don’t ever put hot liquids in it, put it in the microwave, or leave it out in direct sunlight (I’m guilty of 2 out of those 3 – oops). Check out this cool alternative to Nalgene bottles. I like the idea that they are stainless steel, so you can put flavored drinks in them without the flavors being absorbed by the plastic. Also, I am interested in finding out what kind of plastic those camelbacks are made from because I always think they taste like plastic – a bad sign when it comes to leaching. I don't ever use them b/c I think they are disgusting, so if you have one see if it has a number on it & check it out!
  • Not buying things with excessive packaging
  • Using organic/natural/homemade toiletries and cleaning products
  • Eating locally grown, seasonal fruits and veggies (and organic when I can afford it)

    Things I am considering, but haven’t done yet:
  • Composting with worms (my friend Joel has the worms, I just need to get them set up so I can start)
  • Get a bike to ride to school (I am working on getting a bike from a friend at school, but it has to cool down a bit before I can think about riding to school)
  • Bring food containers to restaurants for leftovers
  • Reducing junk mail and planting a tree every month through GreenDimes.com


    So, I know you gals are green too, what do you do? What do you think of my list? I had to think about it a little, but a lot of the things I listed I don’t even think about anymore, or I just do them because I am cheap, not necessarily ‘to be green’. Its kind of fun to think of the ways you contribute. If you want to read more, there is tons of great information on these blogs: No Impact Man and Green as a Thistle. And I also found this interesting.
Your photos are amazing. I am so sick of being cooped up in this city. Heat and Pavement do not do well together.
So finishing the skirt made me motivated and I felt the need to do some more knitting. But being dirt poor I have to make do with what I've already got, which is of course a vast assortment of yarns in all colors, sizes, textures, etc. Yay. What to make? Well Brian's birthday is September 3rd, and I wanted to knit him something, but I have to do with the yarn I've got. So I decided to go with a patchwork blanket. So far it's looking really good and I'm pretty excited about it. I am using the loose color scheme of browns, golds, blues, and greens since these are most common in my yarn collection. I'm just sewing the patches together with orange yarn, and then I think I'm going to put a 2 or 3 inch border around the outside in a color undetermined as of yet (ideas?). For just having worked on it one weekend, I feel very accomplished so far. But I haven't woven all the ends of the patches in yet, which will be loads of fun at the end....

Have you guys read any Barbara Kingsolver? Probably have at least heard of Poisonwood Bible? Well if you have time to check out her two books of essays, High Tide In Tuscon, or Small Wonder, you should. They are amazing.


Oh, and I chopped all my hair off. Check it out.

Monday, August 6, 2007

What I've been up to...



This weekend we went on a backpacking trip to the Desolation Wilderness area west of Lake Tahoe. It is a really beautiful area with over 100 alpine lakes full of fish. We did some fly fishing and I caught one, Kane-0. But he did try really hard and the camping was great. Jill, I can't wait for you and Bill to come visit, this is definitely a place I want to share with you guys. Even just for a day hike.

I haven't posted for awhile because I haven't really had much to talk about. I did finish some projects last week, namely a baby blanket for my cousin. It's based on the ballband washrag pattern. It's Brown Sheep wool bulky and it moved fairly fast.

And a close-up:



And Molly, you've really motivated me to get the skirt off the needles. I even took it backpacking.....Kane was nice enough to carry it in his pack for me!



I'm hoping to have a completed photo for you both no later than next week. Hope you both are doing well and tell Frazier it took me like 5 years to get my roll and I still prefer flat water! =)
Hugs!

Favorite Photos From this Summer













(1) Regal Moth, (2) Frazier kayaking at Madison County Lake (he doesn't have his roll yet, so he's still on flatwater), (3) Fawn bedded down, pretending we're not there, (4) a Chuck-will's-widow sitting on his eggs (males incubate in these birds), (5) Puppies all sitting AT THE SAME TIME!, (5) Ruby-throated hummingbird at the feeder, we had at least 6 hummingbirds fighting over the feeder this summer - it was very entertaining!

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Sockapalooza Send Off


I sent out my Sock Pal's socks today, along with a couple other goodies - a little tote bag for her sock knitting that I made and some chocolate. I really liked how these socks turned out; I just hope she likes the sock. I am still a little worried that they won't fit... but I guess there's nothing I can do now. I sent the left over yarn in the package in case she wants to make them longer.
The details:
Pattern: Go With the Flow by Evelyn Clark (from Favorite Socks)
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM

Friday, August 3, 2007

YAY! It turned out really actually. The waist is huge but with the drawstring it's pretty close to perfect. The first half turned out to be really wide, so I did the second half a lot narrower and I was afraid it wouldn't really work and I'd have to start all over, but it was pretty perfect. I didn't use the ribbon at all. For the lace part I just put a couple rows of straight stitch which looks fine, and for the top I used 6 lines of yarn which was leftover, knotted at the ends, for the drawstring, which I think looks really nice. Yay! I was also afraid that the stitch was going to be too loose and I'd have to line it but I think it turned out ok. Definitely have to be careful which underwear I'll wear with it though. In a couple of the pictures you can check out, for your viewing pleasure, my gorgeous support hose. Ugh.

Ta-Da!!!







I'm finished!!!