This Gal's Unusual Christmas List

I started this list a few weeks ago, I'm not really sure why, but I'm glad I did. Sometimes I find that when I put my goals into writing they have a better chance at actually happening. When I revisited it a couple of days ago, I thought, 'hmm, this is like my own little personal Christmas list.' Obviously, none of these things can actually be done before Christmas, but it's like they always say, it's the thought that counts. I narrowed down my semi-long list to five of the goals I most want to reach and you can read them after the cut.

Staying Warm this Winter 60s Style

I set out and actually wrote an entire post about my current knitting work in progress. But more pressing things have come to light. And nothing, in my eyes, is more pressing than vintage fashion. As you will soon learn, I have a little bit of a thing for vintage clothing, movies, music... basically anything.  Surprise, surprise, I'm listening to Bobby Darin as I write this post.

With the weather taking a turn down Depressing Lane today, I decided to pull out my vintage coat from the 60s and wear it... for the first time, even though I bought it a years ago. 

Honestly, I have no idea why I haven't been wearing it every winter since I got it. I don't think I have ever owned a winter coat that's as warm as this one. We'll see if I say the same when it's 25 below zero before wind chill.

I think my favorite part about this coat is that it has the ILGWY tag on the inside, which is one of the tell-tale signs that an article of clothing is vintage. I do hope however, that one day I'll have at least a few articles of clothing with these labels in them that I won't be excited to see this one anymore.

One thing I did realized while wearing this today is, I'm going to need some new hats and gloves to wear with this since the ones I'm currently wearing don't go with it at all. 

Fresh-Off the needles: Spooky Socks

Look, Ma, I knit a pair of socks! And what a lovely pair of socks they are. They're a bit big, but I'd say they're not too bad for my first ever pair of socks. Plus, there was no second sock syndrome for this gal, so there's one more thing to be proud of.

I used the pattern Vanilla Latte Socks by Virginia Rose-Jeanes. The pattern was super, super easy to understand. I don't think I could have chosen a better pattern for my first time. What I really like about this pattern is that it gave you different options for both the heel flap and the toe shaping. It was sort of a build your own sock sort of thing.

I'd been putting off knitting a pair of socks, because it seemed so complicated, and just plain scary. I had heard so many horror stories about turning the heel that I didn't even want to touch a sock pattern, let alone try to knit one. But after I found Very Pink's sock knitting video tutorials I realized it was totally doable. Then I just took a deep breath and dove in, and if I got stuck there was always the video there to help me out.

The yarn is Knit Picks Felici in the Spooky color way, and I love it. I saw someone on Ravelry using it and knew I needed to make something out the Halloween inspired yarn. And I actually finished them in time for Halloween, too! Just one more thing to be proud of.

I'd always been a bit hesitant about using self striping yarn, for whatever reason, but after using it on these socks I know I'm going to be using it a lot more. And thank goodness, Knit Picks has a wide variety of self-striping yarn.

Skills needed:

Everything you need to know is covered in Very Pink's videos. Watch them here.

Check out my Ravelry project page 

Fresh off the Needles: Magical Mystery Tour Scarf

Finally! This has been a marathon project. Not literally, I'm not about to be like David Babcock and knit a scarf while running a marathon. It just took a really long time to finish and I'm still not completely done with it. I still have to weave in about three thousand ends and close up one end.

The idea initially came to me when I'd come across a lady who had knit herself the magnificent vest. At the time I knew I didn't have the skills to knit the actual vest but needed to own something with that color pattern, and this is what I came up with. 

I wanted to keep the scarf looking as much like a sweater as possible, so I started with about two inches of 2x2 rib. Then I proceeded with the color pattern that I charted out myself, after hours upon hours of staring at the different pictures of Sir Paul McCartney wearing that marvelous sweater vest. I then, finished it off with another two inches of 2x2 rib and closed it up with the Kitchener stitch.

With this scarf nearly finished, I plan on knitting the actual vest. And in the future, I plan on knitting a few other colorful sweaters the Beatles have worn. I even have a 'Beatles Sweaters' folder on my computer for when I'm ready to start charting out other color patterns.

Skills needed:

Knitting in the Round: 1
Long Tail Cast-On: 1
Reading Charts: 1|2
Knit: 1
Purl: 1
2x2 Rib: 1
Fair Isle:1|2
Kitchener stitch: 1|2
Weaving in ends: 1

Check out my project page on Ravelry for more WIP photos and other amusing commentary.

WIP Wednesday: Stash Bustin' Cowl

I promised myself that I'm going to work this year on getting my stash down to a reasonable size. The first stash busting project I've been working on is the Gap-Tastic Cowl by Jen Geigley. The yarn I'm using is Lion Brand's Vanna's Choice in Navy, from a frogged Ravenclaw House Scarf. An odd thing I've noticed while going through my Raverly project page, nearly everything I've knitted so far is in navy blue or some other blue tone. Which is weird seeing as my favorite colors are purple and green. I need to change that.

There's really nothing to this pattern at all, cast on the amount of stitches the pattern calls for, then knit in seed stitch for your desired length. With that said, this is taking me much longer than I would like. I started it a few weeks ago, and just haven't been making very much progress on it. But I'll keep at it, and it'll get done eventually.

In other stash related news, I've decided to use an antique dresser to store my stash in. It's great because it's basically just been sitting in the basement taking up space and storing stuff I really don't need anyway. Yes, I've always wanted a reason to have a vintage suit case, but this just wasn't it. I guess I'll just have to put the money I was going to spend on the suitcase towards a vintage typewriter. 

Knitting Season is Upon Us/Stash Busting Season

This weekend as I sat in my grandpa's house at the lake listening to the rain fall and the wind blow, all I could think was, "knitting season is upon us!" Of course, when I went to check the upcoming weather it turns out temperatures will hit the mid-80s during the early part of this week. Nevertheless, once my brain is in knitting mode it takes more than a couple of 80 degree weather days to get me out of it.

I'm still trying to figure out how my stash is so big after just two years of real knitting. So, this year I've made a vow that I'll challenge myself to make pretty things out of all the yarns currently in my stash... Just ignore that Knit Pick's tab I have open showing all their fun self-striping yarns. 

On the topic of my stash, it's grown so much I'm running out of space for it, and my sister is getting kind of fed up with it being all over the basement. So, I need somewhere to keep it. While at the lake my mom, my aunt and I went shopping and I saw a few vintage suitcases and thought they'd be perfect to keep my stash in. Now of course, I'm spending more time than I should on Etsy looking at vintage suitcases. And am quickly finding it may not be the best place to buy one after factoring in the shipping costs. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go visit some antique shops instead. What a shame.

But before I decide on a suitcase, I'll be spending my free time on my Raverly account trying to figure out my best plan of attack on getting rid of most of my stash, and I'll compile a Top 10 Must Knit Patterns for this Fall/Winter. I can already tell, it'll be full of more hats than my family and I could ever dream of wearing.

Journey into Sewdonia: Pleated Pouch

Upon deciding I needed practice inserting zippers, I went to E-bay and ordered 50 assorted zippers. They arrived, I proceeded to practice with some scrap fabric and then decided I wanted to get some practical experience. I then logged onto Pinterest and found the pleated pouch pattern and tutorial from Skip to my Lou. Since pleats have quickly become my favorite things in the world, I couldn't resist.

All my zippers and other things.

The fabric is just some random fat quarter that I got years ago for an unknown reason and the zipper, of course, is from my 50 piece stash.

A bit wobbly but not too shabby.

What I really like about this is that it came with a free pattern. It just makes everything a lot easier for a newbie like me. If you read the instructions carefully they're very easy to follow. Did I read the instructions carefully? No, no I didn't. I ended up needing to attempt this thing two times. The first time, I for some reason, sewed the right sides to the wrong sides so I had a half inside out pouch. But after tearing it out and doing it over, all went well. A little wobbly but well. This is also my first completely solo sewing project, so I'm pretty pumped about that.

For the last few months I've said I want to make bow ties. But I think the next thing I'm going to make is a Bow Clutch designed by Elm Street Life. It looks so fun and relatively simple.

So, I noticed something while looking through pictures for this post. I think I sew on the wrong side of the machine... Am I right about this?

Apps This Gal Can't Live Without

You'd be hard pressed to ever find me without my iPhone in hand. It's become essential for me to stay connected, organized and entertained. It's cliche to say, but I truly couldn't live without it. Over the year that I've had my iPhone, there have been apps have come and go, but below are three apps that I truly could never let go because my life would be in shambles if I did.

 
Bloglovin' - As a blogger one of the most important things for me is to keep up with other blogs and not just my own. The only way I can do that is to have some sort of a blog feed. Bloglovin' is the best one I've come across, I've tried so many before and none have been as good as this one. It's also earns a gold star from me for having a Tumblr feel. Follow my blog with Bloglovin'.

 

Evernote - This app by far is the best thing that has happened to both my fiction and my "professional" writing in a long time. It's far more convenient than trying to carry a pad and pen around. Whenever I get jolts of inspiration I just whip out my phone, start that baby up and write away. It's also where I've written most of my up coming posts at. In fact, that's where the first draft of this post was conceived.

 

Icon Pop Games - This post has been a little bit misleading as to who I am. It seems like I'm all work and no play. That could not be further from the truth. I've downloaded ever single one of the Icon Pop games. And in all honesty, they probably take up more of my time than just about anything else. They're the right mix of addictive, fun and challenging. I can't get enough of them and I will not rest until I have conquered them all.

Journey into Sewdonia: 90s inspired skirt

I'd like to announce that my first ever sewing project was a success. And such an adorable one at that. I'm so pumped it didn't turn out anything like Lucy's or Denise's first sewing experiences. Instead it was actually very enjoyable.

I honestly love this skirt. It's such a perfect 90s-esque flower print and I love it. I feel like I need an awesome bowler hat with some flowers attached to wear with it... As a matter of fact, that just might be my next DIY project.

As for the sewing part of it, I think it went pretty well. I bought a pattern that was initially way too big for me, and with the advice from this nice woman at Hancock Fabrics, I decided I would cut it down. Of course, by that I mean Mom would cut it down. So, needless to say there were a few fitting issues along the way, but nothing we (again, more Mom than me) couldn't handle.

I can't wait to tackle my next sewing project. Right now, it's a tie between two vintage inspired dresses that I just can't settle on. In the mean time, while I'm deciding which one to make, I think I'll make some bow ties just for funsies. 

Excuse Me While I Fangirl...

I've had at least three far more fun posts planned and even written for the past week, but the weather has been super crappy which means I haven't gotten to take any decent pictures for said posts. So, that means you all get to read me fangirl over my newest obsession, the Merlin/Arthurian legends. 

It basically all started when I discovered  that Guinevere was played by a beautiful black actress, Angel Coulby, in BBC's Merlin. If you know anything about me, you'd know that I can't resist watching anything with an interracial couple in it. So, I dove head first into the series, fell in love with each and everyone of the characters and never looked back. Now, I plan to read whatever I can get my hands on that has to do with anyone even a little bit related to these legends. I think I'm going to have to renew my library card soon.

Yesterday, I finished the second installment of Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy, The Hollow Hills. I'll admit the first book was slow going for me, but the story really did pick up in the second one. In all honesty, I think the only reason I felt it was slow is because I'm more interested in King Arthur than in Merlin. But who wouldn't be when your first introduced to Arthur by the stud muffin that is Bradley James?

This post wouldn't be complete without me mentioning the aspect that completely sold me on the series, Merlin and Arthur's relationship. From the moment Arthur came charging into that forest and met Merlin for the first time, I couldn't put the book down. Then the scene where Arthur admits that he thought Merlin was his father, ugh... You have to read it yourself to understand the emotions I was feeling during  that scene.

Tiniest Print I've ever seen in my life but so worth it.

If you're even a little bit interested in the Merlin/Arthurian legends it's definitely worth a read. I think you could really start anywhere in the series since I think Stewart wrote them each as stand alone books. 

Our Wisconsin Dells Trip

Our trip to Wisconsin Dells is my favorite type of trip. It was so laid back and a whatever happens happens sort of a thing. That's the way vacations should be, relaxing.

Don't get me wrong, we did our fair share of walking and were pretty much exhausted at the end of each day. Thank goodness we brought movies with so we could just sit back and relax. 

On the day of the trip I got it into my head that it'd be fun if we did a photo challenge in the Dells. So, I spent most of the drive there making a list of fun things to take pictures of. And here is what I came up with:

o Cheese
o Water Park
o Ups and Downs
o A piece of History
o A good brew
o Serenity
o A beautiful sight
o Comic Relief
o The Culture
o Body of Water
o Streets Ahead
o Good Eats
o Work of Art

o Paul Bunyan

Here's a downloadable PDF version to print off. And the pictures above are the products of our imaginations taken by my mom.

All in all the trip was pretty awesomely relaxing and I can't wait for it to come around again next year. Maybe I'll even write up a different photo challenge.

#Wisdells2013

Yes, it's that time of year again! My mom, my sister and my annual trip to Wisconsin Dells. It'll be three days of eating, walking, sleeping, laughing,  eating, and other general tom-foolery. By time you're reading this, we'll already be on the road... Hopefully...

I don't think I'm in the minority when I say, packing is the worst part about traveling. It's so hard to decide what I'll be in the mood to wear. What will be weather appropriate? You know how the weather guys always get it wrong. I never know what I'll want to read when there's down time. Should I bring movies or shouldn't I bring movies? Will my entire pen and notebook collection fit in my duffle bag? And oh geez, what about food? There are just so many things to think about! In the end though, this gal knows, or at least she should know, that there's really no use fretting over these things because no matter what, the company alone makes for a pretty kick ass vacations.

Journey into Sewdonia: Day 01

This is what I imagine Sewdonia would look like.

"I kind of want to dress like Blossom and Six." That was pretty much my main motivation behind learning how to sew. I'll admit I have wanted to learn how to make my own clothes for much longer than that, but never had the motivation and drive to actually do it until then. Which is sad because I've had a teacher right at my fingertips since birth.

This Gal's Work Out Routine

You hear it all the time, "Well, I started working out and then I got sick and I never got back into it." People use that same tired excuse all the time. And I am so proud of myself that I didn't use it earlier this month. The dramatic part of me would say I was on my death bed for the better part of a week. But the rational part of me would say I was slightly ill for about two days. Therefore, the truth is I was fairly ill for three or four days. Nevertheless, I didn't work out for an entire week but when I was feeling better I eased my way back into it by doing one of Back On Pointe's Morning Workouts three days for a week. But now I'm back into the swing of things and ready to get back into the groove of things.

Week of March 24 - March 30

Day 32 - 36: Curves

I lost all inspiration for this project for a few days. So, I went over to 365project.org to get ideas and prompts. These are my answers to the prompt, 'Curves.'

Days 030 and 031

Days 028 and 029

Day 027: Avocado Tree

Last night, I decided it would be fun to grow an avocado tree so we could have our own fresh avocados. So, I went to the internet and found out how to go about doing just that. I quickly found out it could take anywhere from 2 to 25 years for the tree to bear fruit. That initially put me off, I was NOT happy about waiting that long for a couple of avocados. But then I remembered this quote I read, "Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." Okay, so maybe growing an avocado tree wasn't necessarily one of my biggest dreams, but the quote still applies.

Fres off the needles: Twins Hat

Finally! I have completed a knitting project. I put my sweater aside for a bit, things were getting too repetitive and boring with nothing but stockinette round after round after round. So, I went to Raverly in search of a fun hat I could make myself, and I discovered the newly published Innsbruck hat. I'm such a sucker for cables and the cables in this pattern turned out so pretty.

The pattern itself was enjoyable enough, there wasn't a lot of thinking involved and it took me just over a day to finish. I made the body of the hat in a pretty navy blue (Lion Brand Wool-Ease) and the pom-pom in red, white and blue (leftovers from other projects.) It'll be perfect for all those early season Twins' games at Target Field I never go to. Speaking of that beautiful pom-pom, it gave me more trouble than it should have. I couldn't get it to attach securely, every time I tried it was about half an inch away from the hat. It just hung there, flopping from side to side. Not a good look. After about the 500th attempt I was getting very frustrated... I think at one point I threw it and the hat across the room. After I took a deep breath, I dug the whole thing out of the corner and attached it with ease. And I honestly, have no idea what I did differently. But it's on there, and it's secure so I'm happy.

Like I've said in the past, one of the first things I do before I start knitting any project, is read the pattern through and see if there's anything I need to learn before I start.

Skills needed for Innsbruck hat:

How to cable knit: 1|2|

How to make a pom-pom using a pom-pom maker: 1|2|

I did make a few modifications to the pattern. To see them in detail, check out my Ravelry project page.

Day 025: Smoothie

Who knew eating healthy could be so tasty? Not this gal. Today, I tried a Raspberry Banana smoothie and it was so good. Now, I'm on the prowl for a protein coffee smoothie for those mornings I'm too lazy to make a real breakfast.

Day 025: Full Moon

Negro Leagues

The Minnesota Twins have been honoring the St. Paul Colored Gophers (an all black baseball team) for a few years now by wearing their uniforms, for specially designated games. A while back I did some quick research to see what I could dig up about the team. It's not much. But it's really interesting all the same.

Day 024: Bikini

I've come to really enjoy practicing depth of field with figure suits and bikinis. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I got used to using my sister's camera taking photos of these.

This Gal's Weekly Workout Routine

I'm leaving this here as a little bit of extra motivation for myself to meet my goals each week. I have a very specific six month fitness/life goal that I want to meet and could use all the motivation I can get. Maybe this will also motivate a few others to change their lives as well.

All the workout can be found on Back On Pointe's tumblr page. I've done a few of these work outs and they're really fun, and a good way to keep your workouts different. I've had the problem in the past with getting sick of my workouts, and I think these just may be the solution.

Week of February 24 to March 2

 

Day 023: Duckies

Day 022: Yarn Poopies

I learned how to make yarn pom-poms this week, and haven't been able to stop myself since. Yes, I've dubbed the little bits of left over yarn 'yarn poopies.' What? Poop jokes have become annoyingly funny to me lately.

50 Word Friday: New Beginnings

Prompt from: 50 First Words
Title: New Beginnings

The goodbye was naturally going to be sad, with a lot of tears. But neither of them had been outside Minnesota. So, they knew they were starting a new chapter of their lives, it was a necessity. Besides, maybe in four years they’d meet again and fall in love again.

Day 021: Best in the World

Either you already know, or you'll soon find out that I'm a huge wrestling fan. I've been dying to make a wrestling related knitted piece since I learned how to knit. So, I've set out to make a hat that sort of resembles CM Punk's ring attire. Details to come shortly.