fo·li·age

fo·li·age

noun /ˈfōl(ē)ij/ 

Plant leaves, collectively

• - healthy green foliage

I bought a new plant and I have no idea what kind it is. Do you?

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Pi(e) Day

Wordless Wednesday: looking thru the golden glass

Socks revisited

While in the midst of my Saroyan pity party, I decided to face ignore the problem and start a brand new yarny project.

Or shall I say, REstart a brand new yarny project called knitting socks.

Apparently, I can knit a tube like nobody's business. I have made it to the heel flap and I am looking forward to the hard parts. I really hope I can make it past the hard parts.

As for my pity party....I think it may be near its end.

My original plan was to ignore the problem, hoping that the yarn would miraculously join on its own. But, I decided to look at it again and I actually think I may have it this time. Unfortunately that leaves me with a whole new problem, which project do I work on now?

Not a joiner

It looks like knitting on the Saroyan has stopped. 

You see, I came across a knot. I have spent over a week trying to join together the yarn so that I could continue knitting. So far nothing works.

Malabrigo Silky Merino is a single ply yarn so I am unable to use a braided join.

I tried a Russian join but could not get it to secure. It just slips apart. This yarn is like taking a cotton ball, pulling it apart, and then trying to stick a needle through the middle. Add in a bit of silk and you have quite a slippery combination. There really isn't a "center" in this yarn.

Knotting the yarn will be my next try but I am not too confident that it will work. Plus, there is the whole idea of having a knot right in the middle of my knitting.

I have never been so disappointed in a project before. Actually, I am not so much disappointed in the actual project but more disappointed in myself.  Mom's birthday is tomorrow and there is no way this will be done by then.

I can't be the only one that has had trouble with this yarn. People use it every day and I know the Russian join has worked great for them. I have watched every video and read every online tutorial I could find and I still cannot complete what is considered a simple join with this particular yarn.

So here I am.....whining. Big time!

I hope that as soon as I post this complaint, I will magically come up with a join that will work with this yarn. Keep your fingers crossed for me, okay?

I started something...

I know the plan is to FINISH things, but I just couldn't resist starting on a new yarny project. 

I have wanted to knit Saroyan for quite awhile. I figured since I bought myself some super awesome knitting needles, I needed to work on a super awesome pattern using super awesome yarn. Let me tell you, this pattern really is super awesome. I had no idea that I could make something as pretty as a leaf with just a simple decrease/increase stitch. I get giddy each time I see a new leaf form.

This one will be going to my Mom for her birthday, hopefully I can FINISH it in time.

working on it

One of the many projects on my list of things to FINISH, is the editing and uploading of the last of the photos from my Project 365:2010, daily photo project. I'm only 15-months or so behind. Better late than never, right?

So...that's the plan. Only 95 photos to go.

one little word

I am not a person that makes New Year's resolutions, but I do like the idea of choosing one word that I can focus on through out the year. I have chosen a word in the past and this year I have done it again.

I guess, in a way, you could call it a resolution.

The word I chose for 2012 is FINISH!

That means....

FINISH what I have already started.
FINISH anything new that I start.

FINISH projects. 

FINISH my classes. 

FINISH this post.

2011: A year in scrapbooking

I only managed to scrap one page and make one card in 2011. That's really not even enough to bother writing a post about, but since it has been YEARS since I have scrapped a page (and this blog did start out as a scrapping blog after all) I figured I needed to write a post about it. If not only to remind myself that I did indeed scrap one page (and one card, I can't forget about the card) but also to complete my trio of year in review posts.

Here's to hoping that 2012 has a lot more scrappiness in it.

Three Generations layout

Feel Better card

2011: A year in yarn

I worked on a lot of different yarny projects in 2011, but by the end of the year, I only managed to completely finish three. For me, that is actually pretty good. What makes it even better is that a couple of my completed projects were large ones.

Spumoni {ripple}

Chunky Knit Beanie 

Brownie {ripple}

2011: A year in photos

As predicted, it really is hard to post a year in photos post when you don't really take any pictures during the year. This is the first year that I didn't participate in a daily photo project and it shows. I went from taking a photo a day to almost none for the year.

But, that's okay. We didn't really do anything to take pictures of. This past year found us mostly at home. With me taking non-stop classes, there really wasn't much we could do. So, we watched a lot of Netflix and I did a lot of studying.

January

The beginning of January was a sad one. A mass shooting is not what one wants to have happen in their hometown.

February

The in-laws sent me flowers for my birthday. A very nice surprise.

March

Teeny tiny green leaves started to grow on our tree (So happy we didn't kill it) and we finally found a painting for our wall, that we both loved.

April

Lots and lots of studying (with only 5-weeks to finish up a 15-week course).  And the only photo I took the entire month, was this one, of my cat.

May

The husband made yummy meals and creatures have been exploring the backyard.

June

My parents celebrated 50-years of marriage.

July

The husband's brother came for a visit.

 

August

I scrapped for the first time since 2009 and the backyard was invaded.

September

Skies were stormy and I started work on a yarny Christmas present.

October

Unseasonably warm days (some in the 90's) and I did a lot of shredding. Paper clutter, be gone!

November

We celebrated Thanksgiving with family and then had one of our very own.

December

Christmas was very low key this year, and at the end of the month, the year ended on a lazy note.

The sock attempt

I really have enjoyed this past week. No classes, a 4-day Christmas weekend, and since the husband is off of work until next year, I don't have to spend time driving back and forth picking up and dropping off. It's days like this that I find myself thinking...

"Hey, I should totally knit a sock!"

Never having knit a sock before, I figured it couldn't be all that bad. I mean lots and lots of people knit socks. That means it's easy and fun, right?

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Things I have learned so far about knitting a sock:

1) I have learned that I don't have enough fingers to use 4 needles and the fingers that I do have, hurt. Like, A lot.

2) Starting over from the beginning is not so bad, but only when you are 4-rows in.

3) Mistakes happen, learning how to hide them will keep me from having to repeat lesson #2. 

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I really really really  hope I love knitting socks. 

Sock yarn is gorgeous. Have you seen this stuff? There are so many pretty yarn colors available, I just want to play with them all!

Brownie {ripple}

I am happy to say that the Brownie {ripple} has been completed and is now in the hands of Nephew 1.0. 

He really does like it and I think he appreciated it more than I thought he would. He told me he bought a girl some knitting needles in exchange for some fingerless gloves and he is now awaiting a scarf and a hat. I have a feeling that anything I make for him in the future will be gladly accepted.

As for the Brownie {ripple}........

I started with a chain of 171 using a 6.0 mm (J) hook. A smaller hook size would have been ideal but I couldn't find one in my stash at the time. With the larger hook, this blanket worked up pretty quickly and the drape of the entire blanket is really nice. If I ever make another ripple blanket though, I will probably go with a smaller hook size.

Pattern: Neat Ripple Pattern from Attic24

Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice and Lion Brand Wool-Ease

Hook size: 6.0 mm (J)

Chained: 171

Finished Measurements: 55 x 54 inches

And just in case you are on Ravelry and are interested in more details, here's the link:

Brownie {ripple} on Ravelry.

I knit a hat

What's a person to do when they run out of yarn in the middle of a project? They start a new one, of course.

This past weekend, I ran out of yarn and had to put Brownie {ripple} on hold. I was just too comfy at home to go out and buy some more. 

The yarn was purchased a year before with the intention of making a hat or two, but instead found itself sitting in a bag in the closet. I searched online to find a pattern that used the yarn and needle size that I already had. Pressed play to watch Charmed on Netflix and a few episodes later.....Viola! A hat!

Click to view larger sizze

Yarn: Lion Brand, Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, Grey Marble

Pattern: Chunky Knit Beanie (knit flat)

Needles: size US 13 circular

I cast on 44 stitches and then followed the steps for the large size pattern. I knitted 10 rows of garter before changing to stockinette and then knitted the entire piece for about 6 1/2 inches before starting the decrease rows. 

I knit the hat flat and seamed it up at the end. I totally learned how to do the mattress stitch and now know that there is nothing to fear from seaming. I actually kind of liked it, although I would still prefer not to have to do it.

Finally Friday

I cannot tell you how happy I am that it is Friday. This past week has been so exhausting.

At work, I began what I thought would be an easy peasy software conversion update. I started on Wednesday and had hoped to complete the conversion that same day. I had to run an error check on all entries from 2004 to 2010. I ended up with 8592 errors that needed fixing before any converting could be done. I am fixing errors that people made that worked there before I did. Some are really dumb, others are because of new fields that the software program created in 2010. Some entries require just a zero to be entered into an empty field. Others are much more involved. Needless to say, I still have not run the conversion.

Every night this week, I have barely been able to keep my eyes open. Last night was the worst. I even fell asleep while crocheting. Like right in the middle of a stitch. That has never happened before.

Speaking of crocheting.....Brownie is almost finished "cooking". Only a couple of rows left to go.

Isn't it pretty?

Meet Brownie {ripple}

I think it's about time you all met Brownie. 

I started working on Brownie back in September, but had to put him aside in order to concentrate more on studying for my final exam (I think I may have mentioned something about said final exam, maybe once or twice). Now that all that stressful study time is over and done with (at least for now), I can finally get back to spending my evenings on something much more creative and fun. This really is good thing since I do plan on giving Brownie as a Christmas present. 

So, here we go again, the pressure is on and the countdown begins. 20 days and counting.....

Eek!

Do you know what happens when you poke a praying mantis with a stick? Well now you do.

This picture isn't mine, but I would have totally taken a picture of my own if the thing hadn't scared the heck out of me!

Thankful

In the 7 years that I have had this blog I have not really written about Thanksgiving except maybe to complain share the bad. I don't know why I do that. It is the good memories/happy stuff that I want to remember, not the bad.

Starting now that is going to change.

*********

This year, the husband and I spent Thanksgiving at my parents' house. It was a smaller crowd than usual, only 30 people and all of them family. Everyone showed up right on time, but something happened with the oven so the turkey was not completely cooked. So, we had to wait. 30 hungry people, waiting at least an extra hour for turkey. Luckily, the majority of the turkey was cooked, so enough edible pieces were able to be cut off and 30 hungry people were hungry no more.  

I am thankful for my family and the time that we can get together and visit. That extra hour gave us more time to catch up.

*********

The day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday to most of you) the husband and I had our own Thanksgiving. Every year, usually a week or two after Thanksgiving, the husband will cook a turkey just for us. He really really really LOVES to cook and this way we are able to have our own leftovers. This year, he invited a co-worker, whose wife is deployed overseas, to join us for dinner. It was nice to share our own Thanksgiving dinner with someone other than just the two of us. All the food was very yummy and looked pretty too.

That husband of mine sure does know how to cook and for that I am thankful.

The husband's deviled eggs

Fresh fruit cup. Yep, the husband made this too!

I made it!

Yay!

I survived my final exam.

What a wonderful feeling it is not to have to worry about this class any longer.

My life can now get back to normal.

Well, as normal as my life can be.

Too bad this wasn't my final final exam. Lucky me, I get to do it all over again in 15-weeks.

A less whiney post

2 lessons left to complete.

1 quiz left to take.

1 day until Thanksgiving with the family.

2 days until the husband cooks our own Thanksgiving dinner along with added guest.

5 days until my final exam.

I have a feeling that I just might make it.