Gruesa Hat

True confessions with April:

1) The 127 yarns I have stashed on Ravelry only represents about 60-75% of my stash.
2) I have a box hoarding problem. I blame it on the fact I've moved nine times in the last ten years. Good moving boxes are hard to find.
3) This morning I found all of the clothes I have on in piles throughout my upstairs. I'm pretty sure this tank top is clean. Kinda sure.
4) I have a casting on problem. But you already knew that.
5) I made some truly bad sourdough blueberry muffins this weekend.
6) I abandonded the Helix gauntlets after five rows.
7) And I started a new project. But I finished it.
8) See the bottom of this post.

I really needed the satisfaction of finishing a project. There is a reason you have never seen me bragging about a sweater or finishing my crazy lace stole (which I was working on to keep me sane oddly enough). With that in mind, it really wasn't a good idea for me to cast on with a project using size 0 needles for some selfish gratification.

So I got out my skein of Malabrigo Gruesa instead.

I had really gotten this to make (another) cowl. But the super bulky was hugely deceiving in my spastic state I seem to have been in with shopping at Knitche in Downer's Grove (Chicago suburb) and there wasn't enough. But it's gorgeous. I knit it to six inches before decreasing and it is just the right length to cover my ears. I have a very round head. Rounder than most I believe.

So this weekend I made a new hat.

Ravelry Project Page
Pattern: Woolly Moguls Hat (Rav Link)
Yarn: Malabrigo Gruesa
Colorway: Sealing Wax 102
Needles: US 15 (except for the last two decrease rounds where I had to use 13's because I could not seem to find the 15s!)

And when I showed the former husband this hat his reply was "It looks like you." Which I'm not quite sure what that means... He's in a trying to get back together mood, so I assume that was not an insult. Either way, I loves it. The hat. I don't want to talk about the ex and that confusing mess.

Ahh. Yes. And about true confession #8. After I finished this, despite the nine other projects. Five of which need to be done in the next month and a half. I cast on for a pair of gloves to match!

Which I forgot to take a picture of before leaving this morning.

No Need to Not Cast On

I should totally cast on for the Helix Gauntlets fingerless gloves, right?

And I shouldn't let Grandma's shawl...

...or my Multnomah shawl...

...or, umm, my Damson shawl....

...or Layne's Tucker Teddy...

...or the ex's socks...

...or this scarf I've been working on all year on conference calls...

...or my sister-in-law's french press slippers...

...or my grandma's quilt...

...or my brother's Hawkeye pillows...

...or my Bella mittens...

...or this damn hat I volunteered to make someone else...

...or mom's present I'm not giving any specifics on because she has this address..

...or the flannel pants or knit owl I haven't started yet...

...stop me, right?

Thanks for agreeing with me! I knew you'd see it my way..

Sigh. I'm such a project slut.

An Impressive Effort

Hey, there! Remember me? Life has been C.R.A.Z.Y. I have been on the road for work five of the last seven days. I'm tired.

But I didn't come over here to bitch. Promise. I did come to tell you about a few of the days of my travel and the awesome project I got to be a little part of.

You see, there is this little town in southeast Iowa and in this little town is a little school. A little empty school. Two years ago this little town's school consolidated with a little bit bigger of a little town's school to cut costs. Now their school is empty. And it was scheduled to be knocked down. But this town of 185 said no! They wanted a community space and they wanted to reclaim this empty space. They wanted a place where the wee ones could get quality early childhood education, they wanted a place where people who needed help could come and get assistance, they wanted a place where people working to get things in order could have transitional housing, they wanted a place where the youth could play basketball in the summer. They wanted a place to be a community. And they are getting it.

I was invited in as a consultant to work with the community to have conversations using the World Cafe model and do some capacity building work with the community around asking powerful questions. I came to challenge others, but I also got the opportunity to learn and be challenged myself. Which is one of my favorite parts about my job working in communities!

So, not only did we talk.

We also cleaned some doors.

And some bleachers.

And we painted.

(I got in a little trouble for letting the youth paint with their hands!)

And we fixed the roof.

This wasn't all. We also dreamed for the future, talked about the present, made new relationships, learned from each other, and for a weekend we were all together.

Thanks for letting me be a part of this. :)

Yarn Stormed!

So, Monday I drive up to my apartment and see a box propped up against the door of my townhouse. Two thoughts crossed my mind in this order:

1) "Damn mailman. What in the hell is he doing leaving that box propped aganist my door totally stealable in this neighborhood??"

2) "Hmmm. Did I order yarn and forget about it again? I really need to stop that. Definitely a sign of a problem."

So, I went and rescued the box. I was on my way to pick up some shoes I had ordered. (Reference above mentioned "sign of a problem" thought.) I threw the box in the passenger seat and started towards the mall. I glanced at the return address and saw "Yarn Stormers". First stop light I ripped through that packaging with only my stubby, yet deadly, fingernails for tools. (Okay, so I may have continued digging once driving commenced.)

I behaved and pulled out the letter first.

Then I dug through the yarn.

Nine total skeins. And then I proceeded to do what any sane knitter in my position would do. Called my knitterly friend to brag that a knitting fairy stopped at my house. Then said a prayer to thank God for having people in my life, that while they have never met me face to face, do amazing things like have me yarn stormed, send me patterns I've been drooling over the day my divorce is finalized, and drop random bits of handspun in the mail to me with encouraging CDs. And these are just the friends I've never had the joy of seeing for real.

Then I sat down with some research I had to get through for a meeting this week and cast on for a cowl with my newly acquired yarn.

I used the Dolores Park Cowl pattern from s i x o n e s e v e n.

Ravelry Project Page

But I made some adjustments. Many (most) that were totally unnecessary. But you see, all this yarn came with was a little tag that told me it was from Dancing Leaf Farms and 100% wool. No idea how much yardage I had. And I haven't really knit much with thick and thin yarn, so I wasn't quite sure how accurate a gauge swatch would be. And I'm a lazy bum who doesn't swatch.

So…


I went down a needle size from the pattern. (From US13 to US 11).

I cast on an extra 10 stitches (bringing the total to 60. Not needed in any way, shape, or form. Obviously.)

I added two rows. One before the middle increase section, one after. So knit 14 before started the increase, knit 12 before the last purl row. Obviously not needed.

The thick and thin yarn gave this usually smooth cowl a really interesting look with puckers and bulges and whatnot.  (And I haven't gotten around to weaving in that loose end.)
 

This cowl is so crazy and large! One of those pieces that says "Hell, yeah. I made this. No way you are buying something that rocks this much in a store, honey!".

So to the yarn fairies at Yarnstormers. Thank you. Much love from this knitter who's had a rough month. Well, okay. A rough few years.



To make this an EXTRA long entry, this reminds me of a post I put up in the Ravelry Casting Off group almost a year ago. Still true today as much as it was then.

 

I Knit So I Don't Kill People...

 

This phrase has always entertained me. I was catching up on my blog reading this morning to avoid the big mess I made on my desk before leaving yesterday and Yarn Harlot’s blog had an entry that really got me to thinking how grateful I am for being a knitter through these hard times.

"How do non-knitters handle stress? I mean, I know they must do something, since it’s not like I see them all weeping on the bus all the time, but when everything in their lives is all messed up, what is the thread of sanity and sameness that runs through it and keeps them from being a lunatic? Does knitting attract people who need something to moderate stress more than others? Do you think that you use knitting to moderate your behaviour, and in this spirit of this shirt (I knit so I don’t kill people) do you think your behaviour would be different if you didn’t?"


This was an entry she wrote about some renovations and handling stress. It made me realize I really don’t know how non-knitters handle divorce! :)


Being a knitter has truly kept me sane. It has given me something to concentrate on when I can’t quiet my thoughts down, it has allowed me a reason to zone out for hours just as long as I kept the knitting going, it has given me a sense of control over a life that I can’t stop from spinning out of control, it has made me feel like I am worth something when I’m feeling like I can’t do anything right. It has given me a reason to sit and knit with others for hours and not have to really say anything, but not have to face the night alone.


Not only has the actual act of knitting kept me sane, but the intense spirit of community between knitters. When I realized I was leaving my husband a year ago I started a knitting group. Knowing I need to be there for this group has given me structure, it’s made me not sink completely in to my introvert shell, I always know that they’ll listen. I’ve made friends that accept me for who I am through my knitting.


Yarn Harlot mentions the “thread of sanity and sameness”. My knitting makes me feel grounded. It connects my past with my present and as I finish a project I often find myself wondering what storms and joys that finished object will be with me for. Who will unwrap that scarf from my neck? When I buy yarn I wonder who I will make a project for to show them my love. It reminds me who I am and it is something I hold on to while everything else around me seems to keep changing, including myself. I am a knitter.


Today I’m feeling grateful and I wanted to share.

Fettuccine Alfredo-Low Fat Double Take

So, I figured I really should include low fat somewhere in that title so you didn't think I finally gave in to the urge for the aformentioned willlingly belly flop with a super ungraceful dive off the diet wagon. This is really hard to believe it's low-fat. I mean look at this picture, the cheesiness factor alone seems like you should gain a few pounds just from licking the spoon.

And it has bacon. I know. I promise this isn't a bridesmaid dress ploy. You know, where I make you all look bad in your nasty bridesmaid dress so I can shine in comparison to you.

This gave me the diet pick me up I needed to feel like I was indulging, but not.

Rich Fettuccine Alfredo

from Taste of Home-Healthy Cooking

Yield: 6 servings.

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked whole wheat fettuccine (I used the regular fettuccine noodles)
2 bacon strips, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces fat-free cream cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1/3 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain. Saute the mushrooms, onion and pepper in drippings until tender. Add the garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in cream cheese until melted.

Combine cornstarch and milk until smooth; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the chicken, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and salt; cook and stir until cheese is melted.

Drain fettuccine; add to chicken mixture. Heat through. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and reserved bacon. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Nutrition Facts: 1-1/3 cups equals one serving
417 calories
12 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
38 g carbohydrate