Category Archives: WIPs

Knit-Chat Alphabet Knits 2012

Aran Twist Socks

The lovely ladies of the G+ Knit Chat and I have begun a year-long project whereby we are going to start/work on/complete a project based on a corresponding letter of the English-language alphabet, every two weeks. Started on New Year’s day, which was conveniently on a Sunday, and I’m now working on “D”. The rules are somewhat up to interpretation, such that we can alter project names to suit.

The socks above are my “A” project. The Aran Twist Socks were a heck of a project, mostly because I kept messing up and having to restart. Annoying as heck but user error for sure. Nice simple pattern that I would likely do again. I did a different heel than what’s listed in the pattern but the main thing is the top and leg of the foot right? :)

Next up is my “B”. I had originally thought of the Buttercup Tunic (Ravelry link) sweater but that pattern is a disaster, IMO. I read through it to familiarize myself with the construction and couldn’t make heads or tails of why it’s constructed the way it is, so I changed my mind and went for a Tappan Zee Sweater, renamed ‘Bridge Sweater’ to fit the project. So far, not bad. I’m already done with the knitting. I opted to make it into a pullover instead of the cardigan it’s designed as. Not sure if that was a good idea, or if I just used a not-very-good choice of yarn because it bloomed like CRAZY with blocking. Instead of buttons I will be adding in some ribbon to cinch the neckline and button band. Whoops.

Then there’s “C”: the Caroline Hat. Caroline Hat

This needs a ribbon and I already bought it, but you know me, procrastination galore here in Chez Bean. I bought it the same day I got the ribbon for the Bridge sweater, so at least I’m on something of a roll in terms of acquiring the embellishments. I’m sure I’ll get it done before Fall. ;)

Finally, I’m on “D”. First, understand that projects are NOT required to be finished within the two weeks, just that it should be the main thing I’m working on.

'Da Age of Brass and Steam shawl

I’m knitting The (‘Da) Age of Brass and Steam next. It’s all in my own handspun. Some of the fiber is pre-dyed Grafton Fibers Merino that I picked up in a buying frenzy when I first learned to spin back in ’06. The rest is some undyed Merino that I dyed myself, with Koolaid the following year. I’m just now getting around to using it. I’m sort of on a stash-burning quest in the process of completing these projects. Kill two birds with one stone, or something like that.

Eileen is next on the horizon, though, guess what? She’s done! Except for the zipper, which makes things easier, but I’ll likely throw in a secondary “E” project for $hits and giggles. We’ll see..

TTFN!

Proof of Knitting….

Not quite proof of life but it’ll do. ;)

52/365--Back to Basics

With winter coming I had to get on the move with some new handknit accessories. You need something around your neck in these cold Northeast winters but I got tired of arranging and rearranging scarves. Cowl time! I just wanted something simple to start with, something I could use up some leftover KP yarns. I got 4 wildly different colors of Palette together and just ran them one behind the other.

I hit a roadblock with the way the top droops and I’m going to fix that before I show a FO picture.

I’ve also been putting some inches on the sleeves of Eileen, after pinning together the body to get a better sense of how I’m going to work the sleeves. Thanx to a very kind and smart knitter I learned the sleeves would have turned out WAY too big so I ripped and restarted. They’re almost to the arm caps as I type this.

55/365--Eileen WIP

I’ve also got a scarf and hat set going for Littlest Beanlet. They’re being done in undyed wool, so I’m going to dye them all at once when they’re done. I’ll see what color is her favorite this month. ;)

TTFN!

Addiction–Not Pretty, but perhaps Useful

That was the theme for a recent photo from my 365 challenge. I’m referring to a washcloth pattern that I found, when looking for something small and portable to work on while running errands that required long waits or travel.

Washcloth in progress

I had about 8 or 9 balls of dishcloth cotton. I was supposed to make some new potholders but got sidetracked by a stuffed animal pattern, only to abandon that(for the time being), to wind up working on the washcloths. The pattern is easily remembered and that only fueled my crochet addiction.

I’ve got some Sugar n’ Cream ‘Denim’ yarn which is a bit thinner than the regular style. I’m going to make towels with those instead of cloths. Can always use more kitchen towels, right? ;)

I’m making minimal progress with Eileen. I’ve long since finished a front but I had to rip the second front when I realized I’d done too many waist decreases. Oopsie. I should be picking that up again in the next few days. It’s just the portable, mindless, addicting washcloths came into my life and totally took over.

On another note, I might wind up dropping the second towel to get back into wearables for the Beanlets. It’s getting cooler and that means hat and scarf time. Littlest is begging for gloves instead of mittens. I really am not a fan of knitting all those fingers. I convinced her to stick with mittens by telling her that your hand stays warmer if all your fingers are together; like in a mitten. She went for it, so I’m off the hook for now. ;)

I’ve got some undyed Merit brand 100% wool I picked up a the Save-a-Thon a while ago, I was making a shawl from it but it’s just too thick and not very shawl-like. It’ll make a decent hat for her and that’s what it’ll become. I just need to find a suitable pattern.

That’s what’s been going on with the yarn-craft.. If you’re looking for photos, check here!

Updates

My mind’s still a bit frazzled from the mini-earthquake/Hurricane Irene occurrences of the last week so I’m just going to do an update post, hold the humor.

Sewing:

Instead of making another sleep mask I decided to try my luck at making a camera strap cover.

Camera strap cover!

Nice and simple. In hindsight I probably should have padded it and spent the time to press the seams open so you don’t get that divot along the seamlines. All in all, it was a quick sew and I’m looking forward to making more strap covers with padding.

Knitting:

I’m almost done with one of the fronts for Eileen, but I got sidetracked by some bus knitting. I’d made a few trips around town last week and needed something portable to work on. I still haven’t memorized the chart for Eileen so I took some sock yarn and cast on. In just a few days I’ve already passed the heel on the one I started. I’ll probably go back to Eileen before I cast on the mate.

Cooking:

First Carrot Cake

I made carrot cake! Yay! Well, maybe. It was fun to make and the cream cheese icing was easy and delicious but the cake itself, well. It was OK, but not as moist as I’d have liked. I might have over-baked it because with a cup of oil and 4! eggs, it shouldn’t have been so dry. Oh well. The Beanlets like it so that’s all that matters, right? ;)

There was also a first attempt at making my own corn tortilla chips:

Homemade Tortilla chips and Salsa

Those didn’t go over well at all. I don’t know where I went wrong, so I just gave up and bought a bag from the store. The salsa, though? Awesome! It was originally supposed to be tomato sauce and I jumbled up the processing steps and it came out too chunky to be ‘sauce’. I am now planning to try and make this mistake again on purpose to get more salsa. It’s a hit!

Here’s what I remember doing:
I blanched 6lbs of plum and regular tomatoes to get the skins off
Chopped and boiled them down for about 20 minutes, then added a large white onion and large green pepper, both chopped up into about 3/4inch pieces.

Boiled that down about 10 min more to soften the pepper and onion, and added about a teaspoon of seasoning salt.

Then, in batches I pureed the mixture to what was a salsa-y texture. I stopped at that texture because the mixture was hot and somehow spilling out of the food processor. That’s when I just said “F it!” and jarred it all up and did the heat seal thing.

I SHOULD have pureed the tomatoes alone to get the sauce texture I was aiming for. I actually followed a recipe for that which is probably why I got it right the first time. Oh well, learn something every day!

Photography:

I’m currently working on putting my current photography themed posts and any future posts onto a separate blog. Stay tuned for the launch! :)

TTFN

Canned!

I promise I have not accumulated yet another hobby. Canning isn’t so much a hobby as it is a life skill. I’ve wanted to can for quite some time and after falling headlong into farmers’ markets(now that could become a hobby!), and seeing such great deals on fresh produce, I decided it was time to try my hand at it.

What started out as this(sans peppers, they are for something else):

Almost ready...

Is now this:

Tomato-Basil Sauce

And this:

Pickles!

Let’s talk about what I’ve learned, shall we?

I’ve learned that only certain produce can be canned in a waterbath, and since I’m a chicken I won’t be getting a pressure canner for a while, so that means I’m limited to things like tomatoes, pickles, and certain fruits. But that didn’t stop me from jumping in ‘half-hog’.

The tomato sauce is orange because I didn’t remove the skins before pureeing them. Oops. I actually had read about blanching them and placing them in ice water to get the skins to just slide right off but I wound up following a different recipe which called for straining after pureeing. Which of course didn’t work, so there are bits of skin in there. No biggie. I was also advised to just keep letting it boil down for it to turn red, but then I probably would have been left with a spoonful, since I only started with 9 tomatoes which resulted in just the two jars. I’m not sure when I’ll get around to tasting it, but based on the overall consistency I might be better off calling it a soup rather than a sauce. Oh well, live and learn.

Now on to the pickles. Who doesn’t love pickles!? Well, other than Mr. BeanKnit.. ;) But I adore them. Once I got into trolling browsing the various local farmers’ markets, I realized what great deals there are to be had and decided I could save money by canning my own pickles. For a little less than the price of a commercially made jar(at least where I live), I could get 4 times as much! So I picked up 6 lbs of kirby cucumbers and got started. It was much simpler than the tomato soup/sauce and I even had a few extra spears to make refrigerator pickles. I knew I should have gotten that 5th jar! ;) I have to wait a few weeks for the flavors to really kick in, and that’s going to be the hardest part, perhaps.

I also learned there is some truth to the old adage, “A watched pot never boils.”. This is especially true when prepping a 21-qt canning pot. Between traveling to the markets and the canning process itself, I was able to get in some knitting. I put some serious rows on the toe-up socks I’ve been working on, but I’m almost done, so look for an FO shot in the next post, as well as a finished Eileen back.

TTFN!

Random Goings-On

There’s been bunch of activity here in the Bean household concerning crafts and food. Well, there’s always food but recently I made a conscious decision to get more vegetables into my diet, come hell or high water. I finally hit up the Greenmarket at Union Square yesterday and I had a ball! There were many vendors selling all manner of edible goodness, some pricy(like heirloom tomatoes at $4.75/lb), and some just right(various squash at $1.00/lb). It was dizzying to say the least, but I can’t wait to go back! ;)

Farmer's Market Goodies

Clockwise: Yellow Summer Squash, Zucchini, Sweet Basil and Yellow Onions.

These ingredients made up part of the Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake I made for dinner tonight.

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake
I’d left out the other cheeses called for in this recipe because I forget to purchase them. Next time, they will be added. It’s really yummy, though the Beanlets weren’t too thrilled. Too bad, they’re not the ones cooking. ;) There’s still one yellow and one green squash left. Not sure what to do with them. Refrigerator pickles may be in order.

As for yarn craft, the Eileen sweater got picked back up again during a fun evening of chatting with some knit buddies on G+. I forced myself to get over my fear of knitting the shoulders(I’ve had this fear since I first started knitting sweaters in pieces), and just did it. I’m not actually at the shoulder decreases yet, but I’m no longer scared of them.. There was a brief moment of “Noooooo” when I couldn’t figure out what was happening last, even though the chart is marked. I solved that and it was party time!

Eileen progress

Now, I’m looking forward to starting the next sweater.

There’s been some other crafty FO’s too, but that’s the next post.

TTFN!

Whoops! or, Crash and Burn

That’s basically how things have been going with the spinning lately. I’ve missed a few days in the TdF. But apparently I missed more than that. I somehow mislaid a bit of the fiber I was spinning and thought I was done with it. And I also seem to have forgotten how to Navajo ply.

I think that’s why I put off finishing that little bit that remained. Because I knew I couldn’t remember how to chain ply. And I also had forgotten that singles which are going to be chain plied need to be tightly spun. Every attempt I made at getting into a groove failed because the singles would unravel and drift apart. Sigh. Add to that the fact my lazy kate is untensioned and it’s a recipe for disaster. I have decided I will have to add the extra step of winding that singles off into a center-pull ball so I can Andean(2-ply) it instead. :(

Do I make up the gaps by spinning through the second rest day? Or do I continue with the socks I’ve been working on. There are some changes with them too.

Socks on the loop

I started out with the Java socks pattern but that wasn’t working out. With this alpaca yarn, you can’t really see the stitch pattern all that well, so I’ll just keep on with the 2×1 ribbing. I’m going to run out of this yarn before I get to the toes, so I’ll be using some other yarn to finish. They’ll probably spend all their time not being seen(except in an FO photo) so I’m not really worried about them being perfect. But the effort involved in making them according to the pattern would be totally wasted if you can’t even see it.

Due to my epic failure in spinning this evening, there are no fiber photos. So I’ll leave you with the Lower Manhattan Skyline, as seen today from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.

Lower Manhattan Skyline

TTFN!

Halfway There; In the Zone

I forgot how ‘in the zone’ I can get when I’m spinning. I can just prep my fiber and go. Adding on and adding on and lose track of time. All of a sudden, I’m half way there.

TdF day 6(5 for me)

Above: HelloYarn “Gestures” 100% Merino wool

As of this writing, I’ve since finished plying it and it’s awaiting a bath to set the twist.

 
Creatively Dyed singles

Next up is some Creatively Dyed bamboo/wool I got at Rhinebeck ’08.  I’m spinning it really thin, so I can navajo-ply it. It’s going so fast, that though  I’d originally figured it would be ready to ply on Wednesday, it might get done on Tuesday instead. So I’m looking forward to finishing this and moving on to the next fiber.

Today is actually supposed to be a rest day, but I decided I will spin today to make up for my starting a day late plus missing a day. Truth is, I’m having too much fun to stop at this point! ;) I’m thinking, had I started on time and not missed a day I’d be done with the bamboo/wool and onto the next thing anyway. It’s all good.

 

TTFN!

A day late and a bobbin short…

HelloYarn Merino wool for Tour de Fleece

Every year, there are special fiber-craft events going on. Lacevember(and NaNoWriMo, for everyone) in November, Socktober in October, various Mystery shawls, and Tour de Fleece which is held during the Tour de France cycling event.

This will be my first time participating in TdF. I don’t have any specific spinning goals; I’m simply using this to get back into spinning. I admit I did get in over my head trying to spin an adult sweater’s worth of yarn(2 years ago) and that frightened me a bit. But I’m back in the swing of things, so to speak.

TdF began yesterday July 2nd but I’m starting today. No goals, remember? ;)

I’ll be spinning some lovely HelloYarn 100% Merino gifted to me by MUAKnits. YAY for crafting friends, huh? :) I love HelloYarn fibers, so she must have read my mind because it couldn’t have come at a better time. Alors!

30-day Photography Challenge–First Day: Self-portrait

Yes, the blog is sort of turning into a photo blog. Trust me, I’m still knitting. See?

Day 1-- Self-portrait

Still working on the Multnomah Shawl I started I-don’t-remember-how-long ago. I figure it’ll be done by Thanksgiving 2012 at this rate. :)

Now, back to the challenge. I’ve taken on a 30-day Photography Challenge based on this page I found through Pinterest.

I’ve been sputtering along trying to understand and learn photography and so far it’s been fun. But something was missing. I don’t have the time-freedom to take classes and all my photography-loving friends are on a different schedule than I am so it’s very hard to hang out with them when they’re in the mood for photowalks. So I’ve been winging it on my own, Bean-style. (Every craft I do now was learned by books or photos/video online. I’m a visual learner, more than anything else.)

Enter the photo challenges. Back when I first got my dSLR I made up my own version of a “Project 365″ which didn’t last a month. Oops. Maybe I needed a daily topic/theme to get me on track and keep me there. So here we are.