February 6, 2009
Stocking Update
IMG_3544
Originally uploaded by kerner
I finally, finally conquered the fair isle section, and am on to the very easy part of the stocking. Hooray! It's really cute, but I'm not looking forward to knitting another one. Luckily I've got plenty of time. =)
In weekend news, I have way overscheduled myself, so it will either be awesome or exhausting (or quite possibly both). Highlights include:
MSU vs. MU hockey game
Winter Clearance Sale at my LYS
Breakfast with friends
Gardening class
Decorate the altar for church (the sermon is on the basics of United Methodism... any ideas for the altar? I'm kinda drawing a blank as far as visuals are concerned.)
Pick up farm share veggies
Church
Teach knitting lesson
Hopefully exercise in there somewhere
Hopefully do some sewing somewhere in there
Well, it will be busy, but it's all things I love to do, so it should be great.
(Usually around Thursday or Friday I make a list of "my perfect weekend" and list all the things I'd like to do that weekend. It is amazing how often I can actually make it happen just with a little planning. It helps that my perfect weekend includes things like finding time to sew and read, and not jetting off to the Bahamas, so it tends to be a bit more achievable.)
Posted by zarah at 6:14 AM | Comments (2)
December 11, 2008
The marshmallow factory is OPEN
This year, instead of making Christmas cookies, I made homemade marshmallows. I made 2 batches of plain (vanilla), one batch of peppermint, and one batch that was supposed to be cinnamon, but it didn't turn out very cinnamony.
Most people don't know that you can make marshmallows from scratch. It's actually not hard at all, as long as you have a stand mixer (like a Kitchenaid). I used Alton Brown's recipe, so it's hard to go wrong there.
I tried to document the process, but I apparently didn't get a picture of boiling the sugar and corn syrup. Just imagine a medium pot on a stovetop with a candy thermometer clipped to the side, and boiling sugar mixture inside. Fun! and - be careful! I manage to find a way to burn myself no matter what I'm cooking, and this was no exception.
Next up, pour the boiling sugar slowly into the mixer, where the unflavored gelatin has been patiently waiting. See the steam coming out of the mixer? Whip on high until the mixture is lukewarm - about 12 minutes. (This is where your arm falls off if you have a handheld mixer.) When it's done mixing, it looks just like marshmallow fluff you can buy in a jar. I'm pretty sure it's the same thing.
Spread the marshmallow goo into a sugar-and-cornstarched pan, let set for at least 4 hours, then dump the big marshmallow rectangle out onto a cutting board and slice it up into little squares with a pizza cutter.
Voila! Absolutely delish with hot chocolate - or even coffee!
Posted by zarah at 12:26 PM | Comments (2)
December 27, 2007
BEST.PRESENT.EVER!!!!!!
MOON SHOES, Baby!!!!
Oh yeah! Remember that post a while back, about Christmas traditions and memories? So, I was complaining about a Christmas many years ago when all my cousins got moon shoes, but I didn't get any because I was too old. Well, my mom and grandma both read my blog and took pity on me. Apparently they still make them! (And just for the record, I WASN'T too big for them when I was 12-ish, because I'm still in the weight range! (...with a bazillion rubber bands) Hooray!)
ETA: I guess not everyone has exeperienced the wonder of MOON SHOES! The simulate the feeling of walking on the moon. You strap your feet into the plates in the middle, which are supported by thick rubber bands which connect to the outside frame. When you walk, you bounce inside the frame. It's silly, but really fun. I guess you could go crazy like that little girl in the picture above, but I'd rather keep my ankles intact, thank you!
Posted by zarah at 8:42 PM | Comments (7)
December 26, 2007
An embarassment of riches
Oh how I love Christmas presents.... yes, I am a little embarrassed to say it, but my parents (and other family members) still spoil me rotten, and I love it!
They know how much I love knitting, and my gifts this year definitely reflected it:
Simply fibers gift certificate,
Knitting books,
Fun knitting notions,
AND customized labels for my knitting (and sewing) projects!
Thanks Mom, Aunt Jeanette, SIL Sarah, MIL Denise, and Uncle Don!
Stay tuned.... I'll reveal my BEST PRESENT EVER tomorrow!
Posted by zarah at 9:16 PM | Comments (4)
December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Posted by zarah at 7:57 AM | Comments (2)
December 16, 2007
I've got the Christmas Spirit now!
Well, Matt finally broke down and agreed to a fake tree. But if we're going fake, we're going really fake! So we got a white sparkly Christmas tree from Target.
I don't have too many Christmas decorations, so I really enjoy getting out all my ornaments. We have a set of wooden "12 Days of Christmas" ornaments that Matt's grandma painted, plus all the ornaments that we've bought from our vacations together. This year I added a set of four moose on a skilift, from our ski trip to Copper Mountain last January, and a knitting lobster ornament from Tammy!
Posted by zarah at 7:12 PM | Comments (5)
December 14, 2007
Mittens are fun
Woo hoo! As you can see, the mittens are almost done! (As you can't see, they don't have thumbs yet.) I'm really happy with my second-ever straded knitting project. My big accomplishment was learning to knit with each color in a different hand - that made it go so much faster! I'm not sure if I'm knitting the official Continental way, but it works for me. (I tried to purl with the yarn in my left hand, too, and that was just a disaster. Kate? Help!!!)
Now that I've got this project almost done, I'm having lots of fun looking at all the mitten patterns on Ravelry. Thankfully, Anxiousdog Kate has queued up about a hundred of them, so she saves me the time and I just go straight to her queue and favorites.
In other news, I has finally occred to me that Christmas is really right around the corner - as in, relatives show up in 9 days! - so I should probably do something about getting the house decorated. I have a wreath on the front door, but that's about it. Most of my decorations are ornaments, so with no tree, my house looks a wee bit Grinch-like.
Hopefully by Sunday I'll be able to post a picture of a fully decorated tree. That's doable, right?
Posted by zarah at 7:01 AM | Comments (4)
December 10, 2007
Getting to Know You - Christmas Edition
A fun Christmas meme.... (thanks to Anne for the idea)
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Usually wrapping paper. I can never get the tissue paper in gift bags to look right.
2. Real or fake tree? I’d like to get a fake tree, but my husband insists on a real one. (They do smell nice!)
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the first weekend in December, but I haven’t done it yet this year.
4. When do you take the tree down? A couple of days after Christmas.
5. Do you like eggnog? Yummm…. Definitely.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? It’s funny, I mostly remember presents I didn’t like or presents my sister or cousins got that I wished were mine. (I’m the oldest grandchild on my dad’s side, and most of my younger cousins got “moon shoes” one Christmas. They were these plastic things with rubber bands that you strapped your feet onto. Apparently I was either too old or too big for them, but I was really jealous!)
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, I usually put it up on the mantel over the fireplace.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My dad.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My mom.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever got? Karaoke machine!
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Neither. Just say no!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Late summer - early fall
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My grandma’s Christmas tree cookies.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear. I have very strong opinions on that!
17. Favorite Christmas song? Hark the Herald Angels Sing
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I like to do either, as long as I’m with my family.
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeers? No.
20. Angel or a star on the tree top? Star.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning – no matter how much my sister pleads to open a present on Christmas Eve.
22. Where are your favorite places to shop? Amazon.com, local gift shops, friends who are artists
23. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Traffic around the mall and shopping centers.
24. What I love most about Christmas? Reading the Polar Express and the Christmas story on Christmas Eve.
Posted by zarah at 6:39 AM | Comments (2)
December 4, 2007
Knitting Advent Calendar
Posted by zarah at 10:06 PM | Comments (1)
December 28, 2006
Tis better to give...
Enough with all of my presents already!
Did I actually GIVE any presents this year? Or just GET GET GET???
Remember that sneaky little Christmas knitting project I snuck in at the last minute? Well, here's the big reveal: It's Odessa, for my little sis!
Project Details:
Pattern: Odessa, magknits.com, by Grumperina
Yarn: Rowan Cashsoft DK, 1 ball, Size 6 lavender colored beads.
Needle Size: Denise circular needles, size 5 and 6, one set of size 6 DPNs.
Skills needed: cast on, knit, purl, knitting in the round, yarnover, slip slip knit, knitting with beads!
Pattern Modifications: I added one inch to the length of the hat before starting the decreases. (Otherwise it looked like a beanie!) I also used a size 5 needle instead of size 4 to knit the ribbing because the Denise set only goes down to size 5.
Time to knit: Less than a week, including ripping back the decreases after discovering the hat was too short
Final impressions: I love this pattern, and everyone thinks the swirly pattern is magical. The beads are nice, too. The pattern gives a very nice description of how to knit them in. Oh - do NOT forget to buy a beading needle when you're getting ready to make this pattern. Those beads will not fit on a tapestry needle, and this yarn will not fit in a regular sewing needle!
My sister's husband likes it, too. =) (please disregard the Kansas shirt. My family is all Mizzou grads and yes, we hold it against him for being a Jayhawk!)
Posted by zarah at 7:19 PM | Comments (10)
December 5, 2006
Another knitty day
The pictureless posts continue... seriously, it gets dark at like 4:30pm these days! I can't take a decent picture for anything. Ridunkulous! (Just say it out loud. It's a funny word.)
I was planning on taking a super up-close picture of the secret Christmas knitting, but since that didn't come out very well, I will give one clue - the cheerleader's hometown on Heroes. If you figure it out, don't tell! It's a secret, remember?!
In new knitting news... Matt has been asking for a scarf to match the hat that I made him earlier this year. The only problem is that I bought the yarn in the super discount bin and I'm pretty sure I won't be able to find anymore. Plus, it's pretty fuzzy so that stitch pattern doesn't really show up in it very well. So, what do you think - new hat AND scarf? Or just try to match one of the colors in the multi-colored hat?
Oh, we finally got the Christmas tree put up in our house! We bought it over the weekend, but we had to let the ice and snow melt off of it in our garage for a few days before bringing it inside. I got lights put on last night, and hopefully I will be able to hang all the ornaments today and tomorrow. I just love how a fresh Christmas tree smells.
Posted by zarah at 6:06 PM | Comments (5)
December 28, 2005
Christmas Gifts for Me
What a great book -- lots of quick glove and mitten patterns (since I've been such a slacker with the Peaceful Palms KAL)
You gotta put down the needles sometime! One of my New Year's Resolutions is to start reading again (besides for work). And quit rotting my brain with all those reality shows (exception: American Idol. Oh yes, you know you love it too.)
No more excuses for this blogger... she got her very own digital camera! (Thanks Mom and Dad!)
Posted by zarah at 10:00 AM | Comments (2)
December 25, 2005
12 Days of Christmas - Day 12
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Posted by zarah at 10:12 AM | Comments (1)
December 24, 2005
12 Days of Christmas - Day 11
Woo hoo! More travel ornaments! This is from the first road trip my husband and I took together, back when we were dating in college. It was Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, and we had Monday off school. So we bought a dozen Krispy Kremes and hit the road for Memphis. The trip got cut short when my (very protective) father found out where we were... but we did have time to visit Graceland and eat some yummy BBQ before we had to turn around and head back home.
Posted by zarah at 10:00 AM
December 23, 2005
12 Days of Christmas - Day 10
Thing 1 & Thing 2... these are actually Happy Meal prizes from a few years ago. My dad used to call my sister and I "Thing 1 and Thing 2," so my mom was buying Happy Meals left and right trying to get these dolls for my sis and me. Apparently they only shipped Thing 1 dolls to our local McD's, because she ended up with about 10 of them and no Thing 2's. Then a couple months later I was at a friends house and spotted a Thing 2 on her kitchen counter. She happily gave it to me and I finally had a pair!
Posted by zarah at 10:00 AM | Comments (2)
December 22, 2005
12 Days of Christmas - Day 9
Okay, I know you think I am the most sentimental person in the world. This ornament probably represents my long-lost pet pig, Wilbur, who lived in peace and harmony with all the other barnyard animals. But actually, it's just a little tin piggy from Mexico. I thought it looked cool. !Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano!
Posted by zarah at 10:19 AM | Comments (3)
December 21, 2005
12 Days of Christmas - Day 8
Are you getting lots of Christmas cards in your mailbox this week? Remember to thank your postman! This little mailbox is (sadly) the only ornament on my tree made of yarn. I meant to knit some of those little sweaters out of LMKG, but it just didn't happen.
I got this ornament from my mom, who had it on her tree for many years. She had a mailbox ornament because my grandpa used to be a mailman. I think it's a lot cuter than a lawyer ornament would be. =) (That's my job if you didn't know)
Posted by zarah at 7:18 AM | Comments (1)
December 20, 2005
12 Days of Christmas - Day 7
Oh look! It's another monkey handing in Zarah's tree! (She must have an infestation.) This is just a really cute ornament I saw hanging in a shop window a few years ago. My mom bought it for me... actually, she bought three. So there really is a monkey revolution taking over my Christmas tree.
Posted by zarah at 10:00 AM
December 19, 2005
12 Days of Christmas - Day 6
Birdie, birdie! Who can spot the birdie? Growing up, there were a couple of ornaments on my grandma's tree that she always hung in a "hidden" location. My sister and I always had a competition to see who could find them first. One of them looked quite a bit like this little bird.
Posted by zarah at 10:00 AM
December 18, 2005
12 Days of Christmas - Day 5
This is a new ornament this year, purchased by my mother-in-law. (She usually always buys us one around Thanksgiving). It is not too interesting or unique, just a standard Hallmark ornament -- but I like it because it is a "New Home 2005" ornament, and my husband and I bought our first house earlier this year. It will be fun to put it up on future trees and remember our first year in our own home.
Posted by zarah at 10:00 AM | Comments (1)
December 17, 2005
12 Days of Christmas - Day 4
Here's the latest edition to my "travel" ornaments -- it is from the trip my husband and I took to Santa Fe this fall. That is a cool town... lots of yummy food. I bought some yarn there, too, but its kinda weird. I might make a hat out of it.
Posted by zarah at 10:56 AM | Comments (1)
December 16, 2005
12 Days of Christmas - Day 3
Sock monkey! Everyone loves the sock monkey.... right? This is a mini version of the REAL sock monkey my grandma made me when I was younger. It was a real sock money, too, made with one of my grandpa's socks. I's guessing he had worn out the heel or something, because my grandma would never have bought brand new socks and made them into toys... she was way thrifty like that.
Posted by zarah at 10:53 AM | Comments (3)
December 15, 2005
12 Days of Christmas - Day 2
All you pet lovers know... you just HAVE to have a few ornaments that look like your pet! This is the first of several "Lucy" ornaments... my cute red mini dachshund. Lucy is much better behaved in ornament form than in real life!
Posted by zarah at 4:52 PM | Comments (2)
December 14, 2005
Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 1
For those of you who are counting, there are only 12 days left until Christmas (including Christmas Day). So, for the next 12 days, I'll be featuring an ornament from my Christmas tree!
(No, no... this has nothing to do with Christmas knitting procrastination. Nothing!) I will try to do some knitting posts, but "the scarf got longer today" gets kinda old.
This ornament is, of course, a partridge in a pear tree. It was hand-painted by my husband's grandma. We actually have a full set, but I won't be showing them every day (that would be boring).
See you tomorrow!
Posted by zarah at 4:07 PM | Comments (3)
December 9, 2005
Christmas tree
I finally got my Christmas tree up and put the ornaments on. Isn't it pretty? (Yep, that's a real tree... my house smells very piney.) If you look at the top left side, you will see one of my favorite ornaments, which is really a little stuffed toy of Thing 1 and Thing 2 from Dr. Seuss. (My dad used to call me and my sis that. I was Thing 1!)
(Note to self: oh, there are your black shoes! What are they doing on the couch?) Seriously. Those shoes were lost until I saw this picture.
Posted by zarah at 7:32 AM | Comments (1)