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Socks on Parade!

The baby sock parade continues! You can click the image for notes on the yarn and what projects the leftovers were from. I realized most of them were blues and greens, so I decided to branch out with the Koigu. And what discerning baby wouldn’t love Koigu socks 🙂

I have the laceweight yarn for my next project for Anne though, and OMG! It’s just BEAUTIFUL! Or at least I think so. You be the judge.



She’s calling the colorway Vermont Maples. Now we just have to get the Quaking Aspen colorway perfected and we’ll be set.

If you’ve got some extra love, send it my way for my kitty Ekho. He’s sick and we’re taking him to the vet tomorrow morning to see what they can do. Hopefully it will be a quick fix and he’ll be back to normal in no time.

M

Posted 06 August 2007 † Mim § Acquisitions § Designing § Knitting ‡ Comments (21) °

Mmm… : )

Some things you can’t help but smile at. Here’s some for me today.

1.

Baby socks : )

Pattern: My own free pattern for baby socks
Yarn: Pair on the left is Trekking XXL left over from cable and rib socks; in the middle, leftover from a pair of socks for my sister; and on the right, left over Lorna’s Laces from my Canal du Midi socks.
Needles: US Size 0
Modifications: None

And just for good measure, another shot of my favorite pair.

The green and gray trekking pair has already sold to a coworker, but the others will all be sold from my sister’s booth at fairs or on etsy. I’m between big projects, but didn’t want to start something large like a sweater, so I’ve been knitting baby socks like crazy. The middle blue one was finished before I realized that I didn’t have enough yarn for the pair…. maybe I’ll use it for display.

2.


Sheepy Mat!

I bought it from Webs since I was already putting in an order for some Jaeger Matchmaker 4-ply. I’ve been wanting to use it for a while now, and had meant to buy it, but with it being discontinued (I think…) I figured I’d better snatch it up right now. So I bought 2 bags in 2 of my favorite colors : ) One is for a future project and the other will be for Arisaig.

3. JAM. Lots and lots of jam. I’ve got more of it listed on etsy for those interested. My house is being over run by jam. I think I need to visit Logan just to offload some of it on my sister.

M

Posted 02 August 2007 † Mim § Acquisitions § Knitting ‡ Comments (7) °

Not Dead… Yet….

I am plodding along, quite busy, and then WHAM! It hits me that I haven’t blogged for more than a week, and sketchily before that.

What happened!?

Well, in list form:

1. Work has been busy. I’ve been getting ready for the new academic year and some new duties that I’ve been given, which include lots of organizational office supplies, and locked filing cabinets. Work has honestly been sucking my brain out.

2. When I get home from work, C is usually on the computer. By the time he’s off, we just want to do something TOGETHER, so home time is not generally computer time, and I sort of like it that way. Someday I’ll get a laptop and I will be able to blog or work on patterns or answer support e-mails while he’s playing WoW, but for now, it’s not possible.

3. My back is really unhappy. Because I’ve been so “head down” at work, I haven’t been paying attention to my posture, so my back is NOT pleased. It hurts, and when it hurts like this, all I want to do is switch between sitting down and laying down about every 20 min. The only thing that allows me to do that is being at home on a couch, watching a movie or reading.

4. I am knitting, but it’s not terribly interesting. I finished a Seraphim, that’s 90% black, so I can’t get a good picture of it until it’s blocked, and I haven’t had the open floor space (or the desire to be crawling around on my knees) to block it. Then I started The Great Baby Sock Project of Ought Seven™ in which I knit as many pairs of baby socks as is humanly possible before I start another large contract piece, so that I can send them with my sister to sell at her boutique shows.

5. It’s just so GODDAMNED HOT! It’s been so astoundingly hot here (over 100 on a regular basis) that I don’t want to go outside to take photos and even though I want to set up a photo place inside, it’s too damn hot to go out and BUY the things that I would need. I really just want to crawl into my air conditioned apartment, read, and make jam until it just COOLS OFF.

6. Jam. My weekends are taken up by Jam making. I’ve been producing it at an alarming rate and if I get a chance this afternoon, I’ll put some more up on etsy (including some Liquid Crack), but my house is full of fruit that I’m too tired to process right now.

7. Also there’s a bit of depression. Not sure what triggered it this time, but it’s hard to push myself right now.

Aside from the excuses though, I do have a lot of cool stuff in the works. I have a book that I want to review for you tomorrow and soon there should be yarn for the next shawl project, which I’m attempting to make a half round shawl.

Also I’ve got a lot of cool stuff in the mail that I should share and a pattern that needs test knitters and a website that needs a template.

But today I am heading up the canyon for a staff retreat for work.

M

p.s. Oh, and also… Ravelry has sucked my brains. I’ve been joining groups, and I made one for MimKnits patterns. If you are knitting or have knitted a MimKnits pattern and would like to join the group, please do!

Posted 31 July 2007 † Mim § In The Kitchen § Knitting § Web Design ‡ Comments (13) °

OMG JAMS!!!!

As I strolled through the farmer’s market on Saturday, I saw flats of gorgeous raspberries and peaches and nectarines, all calling out to me, reaching for me through their various fragrances, wanting to jump into my bag. But I was a good girl and didn’t buy any of them, because I knew that I had 10 lbs of blueberries and a tree full of apricots waiting for me.

I went to the grocery store and stocked up on sugar, pectin, and some other non-traditional fruits (like mangoes and lemons), and I got to work. The fruits (har!) of my labor are thus (apologies for craptastic pictures… a lightbulb burnt out in my kitchen and my flash is broken):

Grand Total for the weekend:

Grand Total for the weekend
Jars of Jam: 40.5

Ounces of Jam: 316

That half jar is the portion of a jar of blueberry lemon v.2 that wasn’t full enough to process.

Flavors Made
Blueberry Lemon (version 1 & 2)
Blueberry and Ranier Cherry
Blueberry Mango (of which C heartily approves)
Apricot Cantaloupe

Version 1 of the Blueberry Lemon didn’t set up very well yet (and doesn’t look likely to), so I think I’ll pawn it off as pancake syrup or ice cream toping.

M

p.s. I’ve still got some blueberries left as well as some cherries, apricot, mango, lemons and cantaloupe. So maybe I’ll make a hodge podge batch and see what happens.

Posted 23 July 2007 † Mim § In The Kitchen § Knitting ‡ Comments (24) °

New York City, Part II: Yarn and Knitting

Our yarn crawl wasn’t terribly spectacular, but it was just what I wanted. We went to Habu Textiles (where you stand at this wall full of hanks of simply amazing yarns and then tell them what you want and how much of it and they wind it off for you) and to School Products (which had a full line of Karabella yarns, and stuff on cones, but not a whole lot else).

Despite being a little disappointed with the selection at School Products, I did buy some laceweight and a pattern.


Merino Lace from School Products. Total of 810 yds


Baby Camel Laceweight also from School Products. Total of 762 yds


Tsumugi silk (A-1) from Habu in 2 colors, with a third, lighter color coming in the mail


Wool wrapped stainless steel (!) from Habu. Don’t know what I’m gonna make from it, but it was too cool to pass up

To end the yarn crawl, Jen and I hung out at Grassroots, picked a table (complete with fortuitous appropriate graffiti) and met up with Penny and had a great time! I was hoping to have met more NY area knit bloggers than 1, but oh well.

As for knitting, I got a lot of it done. I finished the socks for C’s birthday and got some photos that didn’t really come out the way I want them of the finished LL’s wrap (it’s gorgeous! So worth the wait!), and started a second Seraphim. I got a LOT of knitting done on it and I’m currently into Chart #2 even though this picture (taken yesterday morning) only has be partway into Chart #1.

M

Posted 20 July 2007 † Mim § Acquisitions § Knitting § Travel ‡ Comments (13) °

New York City, Part I: The Foodie Heaven

New York was awesome! I had a great time hanging out with Bakerina and her more manly half Lloyd.

Bakerina gave me the quick and dirty foodie tour of New York by first initiating me into the delectable world of New York City Pizza. C asked me how it was different and I tried to explain…. thinner crust, but not really CRISPY… homemade sauce… just cheese… Totally not like any pizza I have heretofore liked, but simply AMAZING all the same. And eating a New York bagel almost dripping with cream cheese reminded me how much I miss good bagels (you can’t get them in Salt Lake).

We ate breakfast at Alice’s Tea Cup where the scones were crumbly perfection and would have made a fantabulous dessert when you add in the raspberry jam and freshly whipped cream that they also put on the plate.

We also went to Crif Dogs where I made a total mess of my face, but enjoyed every minute of it (their fries? You should ABSOLUTELY have them).

I also brought home some LOVELY teas from Sympathy for the Kettle. They go nicely in my loose leaf tea steeping travel mug from Alice’s Tea Cup.

We also stopped by Kitchen Arts and Letters where I bought 3 books (Bread Science: The chemistry and craft of making bread, The Jamlady Cookbook, and Mes Confitures) and met Julie.

There was also much yarn, but I haven’t had a chance to take pictures of that yet, so I’ll discuss that and the knitting tomorrow.

New York City is a strange and wonderful place. There is so much to be seen and so much to be purchased, but at the same time, people walk around in a little bubble. Case in point, I stopped dead in my tracks to take a picture of this, but I’m sure hundreds of people walked by the same window and never saw it.

That is a live cat sleeping in a window display full of stuffed dogs. teehee.

M

Posted 18 July 2007 † Mim § In The Kitchen § Travel ‡ Comments (22) °

Hey all

I’m back from my trip and working on a post or two about it, but I had to spend today catching up at work and now I’m tired. I’ll get a post up tomorrow. But for now, I’ve got some jam available in my etsy shop. I have 4 12 oz jars of Apricot Cantaloupe jam if you’re interested. I will be listing some more kinds soonish. I brought 10 lbs of blueberries back with me from

Posted 17 July 2007 † Mim § In The Kitchen ‡ Comments (3) °

Quickie from Astoria

I’m here, I’m alive and New York is humid. : )

Jen has me happily ensconsed in her apartment and tomorrow’s plans include a yarn crawl. There will be pictures!

I did manage to totally forget to pack the wedding shawl, but I am calling C in a minute with instructions to FedEx it to The Other Miriam’s place so it will be there when I get there. *headdesk*

Posted 11 July 2007 † Mim § Travel ‡ Comments (10) °

Finishing things up and packing

Holy crap! Deadline knitting right before you leave for a trip where you may not have internet access is NERVE RACKING!

I got the lace piece done and it is BEAUTIFUL! Look for its publication in the Fall.

Also, I finished a mitt pattern for Anne’s spinning fiber club. This was my first knitting with my own handspun and it was AWESOME! The cormo is super squooshy, and it was fun to design something with handspun as well.

So I leave tomorrow (Tuesday) and I will be gone for a week. If I can, I will check in, but I can’t guarantee that I will be checking e-mail, so don’t count on it.

By way of a reminder, if you’re in the New York area and would like to join us for a blogger meet up, here’s the details:

Where: Grassroots Tavern on St. Marks Place in the East Village
Day: Thursday, July 12th.
Time: Starting 5 or 6 ish until whenever.
Notes: Bakerina said that they’re really cool with people bringing in take-out from the surrounding restaurants, so you could come for dinner too.

See you there!
M

Posted 09 July 2007 † Mim § Designing § Knitting § Spinning § Travel ‡ Comments (12) °

Blog weirdness

Apologies for the missing sidebar material. I upgraded wordpress and it uninstalled my sidebar widgets, so I need to revert to my old install long enough to write it all down and THEN I can upgrade and reinstall it. Hopefully it will be back up today.

***Edited to Add:*** K, I think I got the sidebar reconstructed (wasn’t in the backup so I had to recreate it). If there was something in there that you see I missed, leave a comment and I’ll get it added.

Posted 06 July 2007 † Mim § Knitting ‡ Comments (2) °