Drea_Dear

I Don't Make Resolutions

2016-01-01T19:36:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year! 2015 brought a lot of changes for me, unfortunately those changes took a lot of mental energy! The beginning of a new year is a great time to review the previous year, identify things you want to change, and take steps to improve for the next year. Most people make resolutions, but I'm going to tell you why I don't make them!

Resolutions, to me, are wishes. They're "want tos" and "it would be nice ifs" and "it's okay with me if it doesn't happens". Resolutions make me feel bad about my progress before I even start! Think about the common ones people usually make - they're vague, or set an unreasonable expectation. Please understand, I'm all about dreaming big! But at the end of the holiday season and the beginning of the new year, I'd rather set goals - specific, measurable, completable!

The key to great goals (and this is the downfall in my mind of resolutions) is to give them a deadline. For me, you'll see that I'm spreading my goals out over the whole year. I'm not going to attempt to do everything perfectly starting today. That's just not feasible. And because I know myself, I know that if I can't do something perfectly I won't even attempt it!

Let's reframe some common resolutions into goals (by the way, these are all goals of mine for 2016!)

RESOLUTION: "I want to lose weight" or "I want to get in better shape"

Most common resolution of all time (I think). It sends people to sign up for gyms and classes and buy workout gear. It causes a lot of feelings of guilt when the numbers on the scale just don't seem to move, and the clothing size is the same in July as it was in January. What if, instead of focusing on the number on the scale or the label, we made some specific goals about strength and fitness?

GOAL 1: Complete 1 round of PiYo by February 29

GOAL 2: Compile and complete 3 month 21 Day Fix/PiYo fusion by May 31

GOAL 3: Participate in 2 5Ks by September 30

The result of achieving these goals will definitely be improved strength and flexibility, and will likely be a smaller waistline. But even if more pounds don't come off, I can still be proud of achieving the goals!

RESOLUTION: "I want to eat better" or "I want to drink more water"

Both very vague resolutions! What does that even mean? Salad everyday? Cutting out sugars? Only eating food you grow for yourself? Walking around with a cup with a straw every where you go? These resolutions are so frustrating because you have to eat every day. And many times we sign up for a plan, or buy a book or a membership so someone can teach us how to eat. And we commit to it. And the first time we are tempted by treats in the office, we feel guilty and it can derail us. "Diet" is hard to measure because there isn't an endpoint - you can't set a deadline and at the end say, "wow I met my goal, guess I'm done eating!" Instead, food and other behavior goals fall under the "every [frequency of opportunity] is a new chance to make the right choice" category! This is where a food plan like the 21 Day Fix is so helpful - every day you have a goal of getting all your containers in, and you know that if you do that, you're making healthy choices that fuel your body!

GOAL 1: Drink Shakeology daily

GOAL 2: Track containers in January - hit 100% containers 3 times per week.

BONUS GOAL: If I achieve the 3 times per week in January, increase goal to 4 times per week in February. If not, February stays at 3.

It's okay to give yourself a break! You're living, you have a life! The goals are to measure progress, not to make you feel guilty!

RESOLUTION: "I want to make more money" or "I want to get promoted"

This is a great resolution. You may even be able to map out goals to achieve it. The difficulty is that often the decision on the raise or promotion is up to someone else! You don't control it! But you do control your performance, which contributes to your value as an employee.

GOAL 1: Complete training certification by May 31.

GOAL 2: Be independent of trainer by August 31.

RESOLUTION: "Personal growth"

Haven't you stated it just like this? I know I have! You know you want something inside yourself to change, or to express yourself in a new way. But it's scary to set a goal about something personal! Because if you don't achieve it, then what? But this is where those big dreams come in. What do you want for yourself? Break that down into action steps for yourself. I like to think in seasons or quarters - 3 months is a good amount of time to make progress on something that could be a lifelong dream! Mine happens to be writing a book about my own recent "personal growth" - here's what the goals look like for this dream:

GOAL 1: By March 31 - create chapter outline

GOAL 2: By June 30 - begin writing (remember, I'm doing a certification course in here, so I'm giving myself a little bit of a break)

GOAL 3: By September 30 - finish first draft

GOAL 4: By December 31 - revise first draft and share with trusted person for review

I have stitching and knitting goals as well, but I'll share those in another post. Here's to a fantastic 2016!

7 Tips For Enjoying Holiday Food Without Quitting Your Goals

2015-11-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I know it's the day before Thanksgiving, so if you're traveling you may have some trouble implementing these tips. But they really work any time you are headed someplace and you aren't in control of the food!

First things first, I want to say that I LOVE Thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday, by far. The only expectation is cooking tasty food, and eating it - there's no stress about shopping or finding "the perfect gift." Just getting together and telling stories and making memories!

But for many of us who've struggled with food addiction, we have a hard time with a food-centric holiday. If you're on a weight loss journey, you may feel like food holds you captive. And that can make you dread food-related holidays and gatherings. Or, even worse, give up on your goals completely during those times.

You don't have to be a slave to food! A lot of these tips are about food, and what to eat, but the idea is to set you free from the mindset of "well, I can't have anything on the table, so I guess the food plan starts over January 2!" No! One meal does not have to derail you for an entire holiday season! Try some of these ideas, let me know if they help you!

1. If you're invited to someone's home, offer to bring a side dish that you cannot resist - then remake it to fit your plan. Pinterest is your friend! Try searching "21 Day Fix friendly" or "Whole 30" recipes - these terms will help you makeover almost anything. Personally, I'm making mashed potatoes in my Crock-Pot (love this method- no draining!!!), and mixing them up with coconut oil and coconut milk to keep them dairy free.

2. Snack! Especially if you're travelling to your meal, pack on-plan snacks (I would do raw veggies and some hummus, or apple slices and almond butter). Just watch portions, and time it so you're still ready to eat at meal time.

3. Get your veggies in. So many holiday meals are carb-heavy; try to fit in veggies in other ways. The fiber will help keep you full so you don't overindulge at the main table, and on most plans you can eat as many veggies as you want without ruining your progress. Watch out for veggies-that-are-actually-starches (corn, green beans, etc.) and extra sauces!

4. Portion control is your friend. So you're sitting at a beautiful table filled with all kinds of amazing goodness, and you really just want mashed potatoes and gravy (or maybe that's me). You can have some! Here are the guidelines:

Get the veggies first - green salad, raw veg platter, easy on anything with a sauce
Lean protein - white meat turkey is actually really good for you (just take the skin off - sorry). A serving size is about the size of the palm of your hand. Keep that in mind when counting how many servings of protein you had.
Fruit - if there's uncandied or not-sugared fruit, grab some.
Starches - mashed potatoes, stuffing/dressing, yams and sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls - use the palm of your hand as a measure again. Not literally, because that would be weird. But as a general idea of appropriate serving size - try to stick to one potato-type and one bread-type. Your plate should already be pretty full anyway!
Fats - gravy, dressings, etc. - For this, I suggest measuring with a teaspoon. The idea is to get the flavor of the gravy without going overboard on fat. Fats and salad dressings are the number one culprit for hidden calories - if you control it here, you will feel so much better about yourself when the meal is over!
Dessert - you have permission. Enjoy one piece!

5. Get out for a walk before or after dinner. Collect some leaves or pine cones for a craft, see some new sights, make some new memories.

6. Refuse leftovers. This is more difficult if you're hosting. I'm having visions of my children doing a Jack Sparrow impression: "But why is the gravy gone???" But here's the deal - if you can't resist it or control portions in the days following the holiday, it's not worth keeping around.

7. Remember that it's one meal on one day. One meal does not have to throw you off for the entire day, weekend, trip, season.... You are more than the food you eat. You get together with family and friends to make memories - so make some! Let go of the guilt - it overshadows the time and takes away from your enjoyment of the actual day.

And whatever happens, you will get another chance to make healthy choices. Even if you overindulge at Thanksgiving or Christmas, you can start over at the next opportunity.

I hope you have a safe and blessed holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!

My Weeks In Stitches

2015-06-10T21:07:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone! I've had a few crazy weeks with training for my job, end of school stuff and prepping for a business trip. I'm actually typing this blog post from the airport on my way home! I have a few photo updates for you, though!

This last weekend I started back on my socks. I figured I should do some work on them before it officially hits 100 degrees in the Boise area!

And I've been doing a lot more cross stitch. I finished the brown on the first set of Dorotheos. As you can see, I decided to do a second shade of brown as the "stems" of the flowers. I've been doing the variegated flowers on the plane this trip.

I also printed some coloring pages from Don't Eat The Paste - they were so fun to work on when we had a little down time during our trip! If you need coloring pages for a trip, or just to help you unwind, I highly recommend her site!

Health Focus - Sometimes It Is About The Numbers

2015-05-13T15:22:00.000-06:00

We've all heard weight loss experts encourage us by saying "when you're working out to lose weight, don't worry if your weight goes down slowly, you're building muscle, it isn't about the number on the scale." This is true, and it's an important idea I hope everyone grasps. When you're training to lose fat, your body weight can actually go up as your muscles get stronger. This is normal, and healthy, and the way it's supposed to be - please don't severely restrict calories while you are strength training just because the scale isn't doing what you want. Definitely pay more attention to inches than the scale. Starving your hard working muscles is not the answer!

However. There's something I want to say to you who are in the trenches with me. I understand that the number on the scale DOES matter to you. It matters to me, more than I'd like to admit. The only time it didn't matter to me was when I gave up on my health, and even then it still had power to make me feel bad about myself.

Here's why it matters - for most people, it's the only way we've had to measure our health and our progress over our lifetime. I'm going to bet that very few of us knew our waist circumference when we graduated from high school, let alone our bicep measurements. We may have read an article in Cosmo about how to calculate BMI, to determine if we were "healthy." Over the course of years, the one place we've gone to see "where we are" is the scale.

When I moved to Idaho, I weighed 195 pounds. I don't know what my waist circumference or body fat percentage was. Over the next almost 6 years, I gained nearly 30 pounds. Those 30 pounds were not muscle. When I started working out on my own, I was discouraged at how slowly the weight was coming off - even though I've read more and I know that muscle tissue is denser than fat, and it has to build up before it can increase my resting metabolic rate, and that eventually my strong muscles will take over the fat burning...... that number on the scale still mattered to me.

When I started the 21 Day Fix, I knew that I was already 13 pounds below my heaviest weight. I knew that meant 17 pounds to my "move to Idaho" weight, which was about 30 pounds above my top weight for a healthy BMI. For me, being able to watch those 17 pounds tick off on the scale was really exciting and encouraging. Because I could see long term progress. I started to see the drop in my measurements (I lost 11 inches on my first round of 21 Day Fix), I felt my clothes feeling looser, but now I had confirmation of a downward trend, and I knew that I was making progress with the help of proper nutrition and sustainable fitness.

So here's the bottom line - don't hang all your hopes on the scale. Don't weigh yourself every day. For some people, even once a week is too often. If you're doing a set term program like the 21 Day Fix, weigh yourself at the beginning, the halfway point, and the end. When you're strength training and building muscle, it will mess with your head to weigh yourself more often than that.

But (separate paragraph because I don't want you to miss it) DO use the scale as one of your many tracking tools. It's like your tape measure. It's like your BMI calculator. It's like your perceived exertion, and that feeling that maybe you need heavier weights. It helps to mark your progress; just don't let it be the sole indicator. Set your milestones and realistic expectations for weight loss, and use all the tools in your bucket to see how close you are to reaching your goals!

My Weeks In Stitches - A Finish!

2015-05-10T15:35:00.001-06:00

Hooray, I finished the Easter sweater! I'm really happy with it - it fits, it feels so soft, and it got lots of compliments at church LOL. People hugged me and stroked the fabric, then said, "Wow you made that?!?" followed pretty quickly by "You look amazing, by the way!" It feels nice to have people notice my efforts!

So, sorry for the bathroom mirror selfie (laundry room, no less), but the kids were occupied when I wanted to take the pictures:

This is a little better look at the fabric and the front drape. It can also be twisted and worn around the neck like a scarf with sleeves. The sleeves fit perfectly, too. I didn't have a single moment of tugging the shoulders forward. This is awesome, because it's my first time doing sleeves this way - I've always done raglan, but these were set in.

I also did a little bit of cross stitching. I pulled out Dorotheos (My Big Toe Designs). This is the last progress picture I found in my gallery, so I'm pretty certain it's the last one I shared:

At some point I finished the brown border of this motif, this is what I accomplished Thursday night:

I'm out of the practice of taking pictures when I stop for the day. But I did finish the blue flowers in this motif, and start the border of the next. I'll have more to show next week!

My Weeks In Stitches - The Easter Sweater Continues

2015-04-27T21:53:00.002-06:00

When you are creating over 9 inches worth of stockinette, it can be hard to gauge your actual progress. The conversation in my head goes like, "This is going to be the rest of my life, don't measure, you'll just get discouraged, okay now you can measure, holy cow only 1/2 inch left!" Yes, at the end of Friday night I only needed to knit 6 more rows on the front drape, then 4 shoulder-shaping rows, then a joining round, then 3 or 4 rows of ribbing (depending on how it looked and how tired I was) then I would be DONE. With the body and ready to start the sleeves.

Saturday was a stay home and clean kind of day, and normally I would have the kids clean their rooms and hide in mine and knit. But this time I actually did something about the clutter I'd accumulated (why do I keep so many plastic bags!) I feel a little better about the state of my space - I cleared out my reading/writing/study corner again. It has to stay this way LOL But I still managed to make progress and by Sunday afternoon I had finished the body and everything! Sunday night I started the sleeves!

I really hope to wear this thing to church next Sunday - stay tuned!

Recipe Reboot - Ham and Bean Soup

2015-04-13T18:20:00.000-06:00

Recipe Disclaimer: I'm not a chef or a nutritionist/dietitian. I'm just a mom who loves the 21 Day Fix program, and I figure out container counts for some of my favorite foods and share them with all of you!

One of my favorite comfort foods is ham and bean soup. I love ham in general, it's a great way to feed your family for several meals when you're on a budget. If you get a ham on the bone, one of your options for using up the leftovers is soup! This soup is not traditional "diet" food (but what does that even mean on the 21 Day Fix??) - it's usually high in fat and sodium. Canned soup uses a lot of starch, very little ham, and a lot of salt to make it taste ham-y. All of that changes with what is about to follow! It even passes the kid-test in my house - kids that usually don't like soup at all.

So you start with a bone-in ham. When I made this soup and took pictures, it was a few days after Easter. I had a large spiral-cut ham (the kind that comes with a packet of brown sugar glaze, a packet that promptly went in the garbage). We had a delicious dinner on Easter, breakfast for dinner the night after, sandwiches... and soup!

The soup starts with soaking the beans overnight. Or, if you're like me and forget to put beans in water overnight, it starts by covering beans with water, placing on the stove and bring them to a boil. Let them boil for about 5 minutes, then turn the temp off, cover and let sit for an hour. Drain, and set the beans aside. Have your yellow container handy for later.

Now we get to the delicious smelling part In the same pot, brown the ham-hock on all sides. Butter is not allowed on the 21 Day Fix, but you do need a fat to brown the meat. You want to avoid coconut oil for this, as the smoke point is too high. You can use a small amount of olive oil (a tablespoon or less - when you divide into servings, the amount will be negligible).

While the meat is browning, chop your veggies. I start with the Holy Trinity of soups - onion, celery and carrot (one green box of each). When the meat is fully browned, drop the chopped veggies in and allow them to soften. If you're using frozen spinach, add it now. Hold fresh greens until the end. For the record, I love frozen chopped spinach for soups, and I always keep a box in my freezer in case I get the urge to soup something.

When the carrots and celery are soft, add the water, seasoning, bay leaf and beans - measure them with your yellow box into the pot. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour.

When the timer goes off, carefully remove the ham-hock from the pot and set it on a cutting board - let it cool before handling. Check the beans to see if they are tender. If they aren't, give them another 30 minutes of simmer time. Mash them gently with a ricer. When the ham is cool enough, chop it up (removing fatty parts) and measure it with your red container into the pot.

Stir in the meat, increase the heat slightly (add any fresh greens now if you want) and cook together for 15-20 more minutes.

To serve: ladle soup into your green box (per Autumn's instructions in the book). When I measured my soup, I got 12 green boxes. So all my calculations are done by dividing the total ingredients by 12. I think that 2 green boxes makes a hearty soup for a main dish (see the top picture - 2 green boxes-worth in that bowl); if you're having it alongside a sandwich or salad, stick with one box. If you have 2, remember to double your container counts!

Annie was really mad that she didn't get any of this soup. She thinks it's really unfair to have to smell ham cooking so many days and not get any. Meanest dog-mom EVER. Also, mean to call her over for a picture and not have a piece of ham ready.

This soup just gets better when it sits in the fridge (although if it will be more than 4 or 5 days, stick it into the freezer). It also thickens as it stands, so add water if necessary to bring it to your preference.

Select and print this part:

Shopping:

Green
Celery, chopped - 1 box
Onion, chopped - 1 box
Carrot, chopped - 1 box
Spinach (frozen chopped, or fresh) - 2 boxes worth

Yellow
2 Cups white, navy or Great Northern beans - 8-9 boxes after soaking

Red
Leftover ham-hock, browned and chopped - 12 boxes

Free
4 cups water
1-2 tsp 21DF Multipurpose Seasoning
1 bay leaf

Cooking:
Prep: Overnight or 1 hour; Cook: About 2 hours

Soak beans overnight, or place beans in pot and bring to a boil; boil for 5 minutes, then turn the heat off. Cover and let sit on burner for 1 hour. Drain and set aside.

Brown ham-hock in 1 Tbsp olive oil. When meat is browned on all sides, add chopped celery, onion and carrot and frozen spinach (if using fresh, hold until later). When the veggies are soft, add water, seasoning and bay leaf. Measure beans into pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Remove ham-hocks and cool before handling. If beans are not yet tender, allow to simmer for another 30 minutes. When beans are tender, mash them slightly. When ham is cool, chop the meat, remove fatty portions, and measure into pot. Stir, increase heat slightly (add fresh greens if desired) and cook an additional 15-20 minutes.

Ladle soup into green box - each green box measurement gives you:
.5 green, .75 yellow, 1 red

My Weeks In Stitches

2015-04-12T20:40:00.000-06:00

Only one project to update this time - the Easter sweater. I'll end the suspense right away - I didn't finish in time for Easter. I found one in a really similar color on Amazon, which had a lacy pattern, and was on sale, and available for free Prime shipping. It arrived the Thursday before Easter! Shoulders properly covered - and I still plan to finish this sweater because:

Twist Pullover, the cover project from Knit.Wear Spring 2012

Look how cute! And unique! The long section in the front can be twisted around the neck like a scarf, too.

I had a hard time finding a pattern, until I had an e-mail from Interweave Press about magazines available for $1 - I ordered Spring and Fall 2012 of Knit.Wear (which both have beautiful patterns, and I'm really excited). The downside was it took 10 days for the magazines to arrive. So that left me with only 10 days before Easter. I gave it a good go. In 2 nights I got this far:

We had a brief power outage at work one day, and I thought maybe they would send us home, and I would get sooooo much done... and then the power came back on after about 30 minutes. Oh well. But that same night we had a craft night at church, so I managed to get about 4 hours of work in there:

It seemed like I got so much more accomplished that night than shows in this picture! But at this point I'd finished the ribbing and started on the stockinette. I worked really hard the whole next week, and managed to finish the seamless lower portion, then shape the back of the armholes and work the back up to the shoulder seam. By the night before Easter, I'd attached a second ball of yarn and started shaping the front armholes. But I was so happy for that back-up sweater! It took all the stress off me, so hopefully I'll still love this one when it's done! Here's the progress as of now - I'm working on the front drape:

Stay tuned, I will keep working on it and updating as I go!

National Crochet Month 2015: A Guest Post from Michelle

2015-03-25T19:52:00.000-06:00

This week, I'm so thrilled to bring you a guest post! Michelle and I have "known" each other online since our first kids were born - we met in a parenting message board group that has stayed together, and I'm privileged to count her among my real friends, even though we've never met in person! A couple of months ago, she began posting questions on Facebook for her "crochet friends" about a vintage afghan pattern she was trying. As some of us looked at the pictures and googled and Pinterest-ed and questioned her sanity, she began to tell the story of why this afghan was so important to her. Michelle is sharing with us how that story makes the struggle and the frustration (and the victory!) worth every minute - I love this story, and I hope it touches you, too.

Michelle has a blog and a Facebook page! You can visit, like, and see more of what she's working on!

Calming. Relaxing. Satisfying. Accomplishment. ......These are the words that come to mind when I think of crocheting. I try and make sure I carve out time for myself on a regular basis to crochet - whether I'm making blankets, hats, scarves, baby booties, even cup cozies....whatever comes my way. It is my wind-down at the end of a busy day. It is my sanity saver. It calms me. It is something for "me" in a schedule busy with taxiing kids, planning lessons, and the day to day ins and outs of family life and raising 3 kids. I enjoy the challenge as much as the finished product and the joy of sharing it with others. However, recently I took on a project that I have found to be a challenge beyond any crochet challenges I've had before. It has been trying, frustrating, and even aggravating at times. So why, if crocheting is my way of relaxing, would I take this on and torture myself? Isn't there enough stress in life already? The answer is simple and complex all at the same time, and it is a story that comes from my childhood.

For me, this project is so much more than a pattern and some yarn. It is sentimental, a connection to the past, and it is a work of heart. You see, crocheting is a gift from my mom. It is a piece of my childhood and the tangible remains of my memories. I have many vivid memories of my mom sitting down in the evening working on a craft project of some sort. I inherited her love for crafting - it was an innate part of growing up for me. Among the countless, invaluable things a mother teaches her daughter, crafting wove its way into so many lessons..... patience, determination, giving... love. There was so much to learn from her, but unfortunately time was not on our side. At the age of rr, my mom was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. Knowing each day was a gift, she made the most of every last one. (I have so much I could say about how amazing this woman was, but that is a whole other post!) During that time, she was always working on a project. Throughout the last months of her life my mom went back to crocheting. She said it helped her to keep her hands busy and it calmed her. It was during those months that she taught me to crochet. I completed my first project - a very basic afghan - during those months. I treasured that time with her. The conversations, the quiet, the company, the lessons, the memories - all of it a gift. Crocheting was truly one of her last gifts to me and I have continued to crochet ever since. When I became pregnant with my first child, I crocheted her baby blanket and made her Christmas stocking, as I did with each of my boys after that - just as my mom had done for my siblings and me. Crocheting has been a connection to my mom that I cannot put into words. It has also been a way for me to carry on a tradition that I grew up with - crafting items for my children and those I care about. Giving from the heart.

So what does any of this have to do with a frustrating, aggravating afghan pattern that has caused me to say more than a few unlady-like words? The afghan is a replica of one my mom made over 30 years ago. Growing up, it sat on the back of our couch. As a little girl I would curl up under it on a regular basis. A little over a year ago my dad had taken it out and immediately I was flooded with memories. At that moment I knew I had a mission. I was determined to make what she once had made. It took me awhile to track down the pattern. Hers had long since disappeared. When I finally found some tidbits of information about the pattern I learned it was no longer in print. Still determined, the hunt continued and by chance I found a copy of it on eBay. It was only recently I was finally able to start working on this afghan from my childhood. The yarn had been chosen and I was ready.

Then I read the pattern and immediately I was intimidated and discouraged. It was written a little differently than most other patterns I was used to. There were terms I was unfamiliar with and not even a Google or YouTube search was very helpful at times! I read, reread, searched, re-searched and even posted on Facebook for help (of which my husband was convinced I was speaking a foreign language!) FINALLY I felt like I had the stitches figured out. This pattern as 2 basic sections:
1) an aran pattern bordered on each side with a high ridge front stitch and knurl stitch.

... and 2) a basket weave pattern.

The last one was familiar territory - but almost every single thing about the first section was unfamiliar and a challenge. The terminology and the description took many read throughs to be certain I understood what to do. Then, once I thought I had the stitches and patterns figured out, working through it the first time had me second-guessing myself every step of the way. A double chain? Surely they must mean double crochet? No? Wait - what? Could that REALLY be right? Eventually it came together. I learned to break it down to small familiar nuggets. For example, the knurl really is a variation of the crab stitch. The double chains are really a way to create a cable effect. I began to understand the importance of how this pattern uses FLO and BLO to create a working design on the front and a smooth sc appearance on the back. The puzzle was becoming clear piece by piece.

Now that I have finally completed the first run through of all the stitches and patterns, I feel more confident. I also fee energized, and yes, even a little proud of myself. I have a LONG way to go! These two patterns will repeat several more times, but I already feel like I have conquered my own crochet version of Mt. Everrest by getting through this..... from tracking the pattern down to figuring out the unknown (mostly) on my own. In retrospect, having worked through it, the patterns are relatively simple now. But it certainly took more work and "research" than I would have thought, or even welcomed in most cases. As I work on it now - finally finding some calm in this crazy pattern I am determined to get through - I feel this incredible connection to my mom. I fell she is a part of me, that she is with me. This afghan, when finished, will truly be a work of heart with memories and love woven in to each stitch.

My Week In Stitches

2015-03-23T18:39:00.001-06:00

Hooray for stitching! And actually having progress to share!

Week before last, I had 3 days off from work, so I spent part of day 1 watching Breakfast at Tiffany's (for the first time - yes, I know, many of you are shocked!) and casting on a pair of socks. Because for some reason that's what I do when the weather gets warmer.

I've had this yarn on my desk at work for a while - I always meant to do something with it during my breaks. But I'm not the best at taking my breaks, so the yarn just kind of sat in a mug as a decoration. I decided it was finally time to use it, and brought it home for my very long weekend.

It makes big wide stripes! They make me really happy - I've had so many self-striping yarns lately that made skinny stripes, that sometimes barely made it around my foot before changing colors...

You can find the pattern here, it's called Anastasia, and I really like it. It has an intuitive pattern, so it's easy to work on while you're watching a movie. However. When I got to the heel, it was too tight again (just like with the cursed socks from last fall). I think the issue is the short row heel. I suppose I might not be making the foot section long enough, but it seems that I have a "tall" heel, which means I need some give in order to get the foot past the ankle portion.

So I pulled it out, and cast-on again. I'm working my way back up the foot, and this time I'm going to do the heel the way I did the Uzu socks - with a gusset. I really like the idea of the short row heel, and maybe one day I'll be able to make it work for me. But I also want to like these socks, so I'm modifying!

I'll have to put the socks down, though, and get to work on the sweater I want to make to go with my Easter dress. Must have a sweater, since it's a sleeveless dress and I'm helping to lead worship Easter Sunday! Less than 2 weeks left - I'm still waiting for an older issue of a magazine to arrive that has a bunch of cardigan and shrug patterns before I can begin.

After Easter (read: after I finish this sweater) I want to get back to working on Doro Theos. Then maybe Fairy Sisters will wake up a bit. You never know with me!

We have one more post for National Crochet Month, and I'm really excited to share it with you - a guest post from my friend Michelle. I think you will all really like the story she has to tell.

And I figured out how to make a signature! There's actually a simple tutorial for CSS here - I hate doing anything with CSS, but if I can do it, then so can you (if you want to!)!

Have a great week!

National Crochet Month 2015 - Boot Cuffs (sized for teens and adults)

2015-03-18T09:30:00.000-06:00

Alright, you patient people! Finally, a crochet pattern - boot cuffs!

Thanks to K for being my photographer for some shots - she did pretty well for her first try - while waiting for dinner!

Boot cuffs (sometimes called boot toppers) are great gift ideas for fall into early spring. They've become more and more popular over the last couple of years as calf-high and knee-high boots are in style for everyday wear. In my office, boots are a staple, and everyone loves something to dress them up!

The pattern I'm sharing with you is designed for worsted weight, inexpensive yarn. It looks great in solids and variegations, and works up super quickly - 2-3 hours per cuff. Stitches used: slip stitch, single crochet, front-post and back-post half-double crochet, bobbles, and shells. These are worked in the round, because you know how I hate seaming! Sizing is listed based on calf circumference, and is easy to adjust based on your own measurements! The front- and back-post ribbing allows for some stretch, so adjust down if necessary.

Bobble Edged Boot Cuffs
(c) 2015 Andrea Holme

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
ss = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
hdc = half-double crochet
fphdc = front-post half-double crochet
bphdc = back-post half-double crochet
dc = double crochet
yo = yarn over

Sooooooo soft. I like to make all the things with this.

Yarn used - Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable in Cappuccino - I love the variegations, and it's really soft (which is important, because this could be worn directly next to your skin).

Stitch instructions:

To work shell - work 3 (5) dc in designated stitch (for start of round - ch3 for first dc and work 2 (4) dc). The more stitches you have in your shell, the more ruffled your cuff will be. If you want a pronounced ruffle, use 5 (or more, always an odd number); 3 will still give you a ruffle, but it will be more subtle.

For bobble - yo, insert hook in next stitch, yo and pull through, yo and pull through 2 loops, 2 loops remain on hook; yo and insert hook in same stitch, yo and pull through, yo and pull through 2 loops, 3 loops remain on hook; yo and insert hook in same stitch, yo and pull through, yo and pull through 2 loops, 4 loops remain on hook; yo and pull through all 4 loops.

Gauge: 3 stitches per inch (I/9 hook - 5.5 mm) - I work tightly, so you may be able to use H. Check your gauge and your measurements, if possible, for the best fit. This pattern is designed to work with any even number of stitches, so you can easily make adjustments based on your own stitches, yarn, and calf measurement.

Sizing (circumference around largest part of calf): Small - 15", Medium - 16", Large - 17"

There are great tutorials on YouTube for "no-chain foundation row" - look for one for sc to start this way, and try not to let it twist!

Ch 43 (47, 51), join with slip stitch to work in the round - 42 (46, 50 stitches). If you prefer, you can start with a no-foundation-chain row in sc. This would count as row 1. (Yes, I know the math doesn't quite work with the gauge. You want to round down a little so the cuffs fit snugly, especially if your boots have a heel.)

Rounds 1-3: ch1, sc around, ss to ch1

Round 4: ch2 (counts as first hdc), hdc in next stitch and each stitch around, ss to top of ch 2

Round 5: DO NOT CH2! yo and work fphdc in ch2 of previous round; *bphdc in next hdc, fphdc in next hdc* repeat from * all the way around, ending with bphdc; ss to top of first fphdc

Round 6: yo and work fphdc in first fphdc of previous round; *bphdc in next bphdc, fphdc in next fphdc* repeat from * all the way around, ending with bphdc; ss to top of first fphdc

Repeat round 6 until cuff is desired height, approximately 3-3.5 inches from edge.

Measuring tapes are our friends.

Embellishment set-up round: ch1, sc around, ss in front loop of ch1

Note - the shells are worked in the back loops, and the bobbles are worked in the front loops. We'll do the bobbles first. See my note above on the shells to determine how many stitches you want in each shell.

Front loops!

Bobble round: (worked in front loops) Work bobbles as described above in front loop of previous round; in between bobbles, you may use either ss or sc. SS will secure the bobbles to the front of the shells like a beaded trim, while sc will create more of a "flap", making it look like the bobbles are folded down in front (this flap can slide onto the top of the boot). Alternate bobbles and ss or sc all the way around, finishing with sc or ss; ss into back loop behind first bobble to set up for shells.

This image shows the flap created with a sc between bobbles

First shell round (see note above on the shells to determine how many stitches you want): ch3 (counts as first dc), 2 (4) dc in next stitch, sc in next stitch, *3 (5) dc in next stitch, sc* repeat from * around, ending with sc. Finish the round with ss in both loops (this is a little fiddly, sorry).

In this image, you see the finished bobble edge, and 2 shell rows. I made my shells with 3 stitches.

You can fasten off here, or you can do another shell round: We'll put these shells through both loops SS to the top of your first shell, then ss in center dc You have a sc between 2 shells in the previous row - we'll work our shells in those sc's. *3 (5) dc in sc, ss in center stitch of shell in round before*, repeat from * around, end with final ss; fasten off and weave in ends.

Make one more (I easily get 2+ out of the yarn mentioned). Wear and enjoy!

I may need some brown boots now!

Copyright notice - this pattern, along with the images used to illustrate it, is my gift to the online stitching community. You may make as many of these boot cuffs as you like. Anything you make you can sell. However, the pattern is my property. Please do not sell, repost, copy, or otherwise distribute the pattern without my express written permission. Thanks!
(c) 2015, Andrea Holme

Pi Day Catch Up Post

2015-03-14T11:10:00.000-06:00

Happy Pi Day! At least in the US, with the way we express dates, today is 3.14. More than that, today is 3.1415. I know that the next numbers are 926. So at 9:26 in every time zone, social media sites are being flooded with pi posts. And images of people with pies (because of course we instinctively use pi to serve pie). I work for patent attorneys now, I may be picking up on some of their humor.

And we use pi in hand crafts too - any time you're creating something circular. You may not realize it but you use it! It's one of those mathematical laws that we can be proud of ourselves as humans for figuring out. So Happy Pi Day, everyone!

I don't have any pie- or pi-related updates to show you. From my post on mental fatigue a few weeks ago, you may guess that I've lost a little mojo. It's starting to come back, though. We've had several days of sunny, warm weather (71 yesterday!) which, oddly, makes me feel like knitting socks. So I've started a new pair, and I like them so far. I also have plans for a new sweater/cardigan/bolero to go with my Easter dress.

In reality, I spent the first 2 months of the year working on my health. I'm not in terrible health - I don't have any chronic diseases or muscle pain, I fight off most colds, etc. But I had a troubling health screen last winter. My company provides the blood draw and cholesterol screening for us and if we improve numbers or maintain healthy levels, we get a bonus in our health reimbursement accounts. It's a great benefit. But last year my numbers were out of whack. My blood pressure was high (never before in my life), and my healthy cholesterol was too low and my triglycerides were in a dangerous category. My weight was too high, and my waist circumference was dangerous. With my family history of heart disease, these numbers were a wake-up call!

I joined a gym (another benefit of our company) and started working out but the weight was coming off slowly. I felt stronger, but I didn't see very many changes. In January my friend Kristy invited me to do a 5-day clean eating challenge. I figured I could do something like that for just 5 days! Because I'm dairy-free (as much as possibe) the changes weren't huge. But I lost 5 pounds and an inch off my waist in 5 days.

After that challenge, I joined another challenge called 21 Day Fix - 3 weeks of portion control, focusing on lean protein and getting fruits and veggies, and daily exercise. After 3 weeks - I'd lost another 5 pounds and 3 inches off my waist. I went from no real results to 10 pounds and 4 inches lost in the equivalent of a month!

I just started a second round of 21 Day Fix - this may be where my increased energy is coming from! I'm having some fun modifying recipes and figuring out "container counts" - I sort of half-promised some lactose-free recipes a couple of years ago. I'm now planning to share some of these calculations here on the blog.

Oh, I didn't tell you the best part - we had our 2015 health screening at the end of February (in the middle of my last week of round 1 of 21 Day Fix). I just got the results back. Blood pressure - normal. HDL - moved into (low end) of optimal range. Triglycerides - dropped over 100 points, from dangerous to optimal. My LDL was in a normal range, but it dropped too! I'm now 5 inches from a healthy waist circumference. I'm not using pi in any way to calculate that number, LOL. Or pie, either!

Thanks for reading all of that, it feels good to share it. I know that as crafters we don't always seek out fitness (yes, I know there are exceptions, and I think I'm on my way to becoming one of those exceptions). In general, we are drawn to handcraft because it's comforting. We like comforting food, comfortable chairs, comfortabe clothes... I just wanted to share with you that it is possible to improve health and still have time for the comforting things you love!

National Crochet Month 2015 - The Return To Tunisian Crochet

2015-03-11T22:55:00.000-06:00

This week, I thought we would revisit Tunisian crochet. Several years ago I made some scarves using this technique. This technique makes for a more closely-woven fabric than traditional crochet. It is more like a knitted fabric, but still has the weight of crochet. You work each row from right to left (if you're right handed) to pick up the stitches, then you complete the row by working the stitches off, left to right. You never turn the work, which is part of the appeal for me!

You can buy a special long hook for large projects, but if you're doing something narrow like a scarf (or a granny square) you can use a standard crochet hook!

I'm using the cursed Premier sock weight yarn (the yarn isn't really cursed, just the socks were) and an E hook (the top of the recommended range) - it's a good idea to go up in hook size to avoid tension issues and curling. I still have curling, but I think it will block out.

I'm showing you the diagonal stitch (new to me) in a variegated yarn; if you want to see more options for working this stitch, I recommend visiting Stitch Diva - she has very good tutorials on how to execute the basic stitches (flat and in-the-round), as well as a series of classes you can purchase from her (not an affiliate post, I just really appreciate stitchers who put effort into teaching others!) - she also has free and paid patterns available. (Here's one of the free ones - chainmaille! It uses this stitch!)

On to the project!

I found the best way to start this was with a no-foundation-chain row. It sets you up perfectly for executing the Tunisian diagonal stitch.

The diagonal stitch reminds me of Entrelac knitting. Especially when I did a block of about 11 stitches, 11 rows high (I don't know why 11, it's just the number I picked). I saw the left-hand edge looked an awful lot like slipped stitches that would be easy to pick up to start another block, so I did, and made a cool tulip-v-shaped thing:

Then I wondered what would happen if I picked up stitches on the right-hand edge of piece #2, and slipped each row to the top of piece #1 as I worked. This happens:

It's like a hexagonal granny! (I think it was pretty easy to figure out as I looked at it, but if you want a step-by-step for creating this granny, let me know in the comments!)

I think I've found some 12-y Seahawk redemption for this yarn, and I may try making my first real afghan out of these! I started a grey one, too - I just need to get some off-white sock yarn to edge and attach the pieces!

You could also assemble them more like a puzzle, making 2 of the v-shaped-tulips and turning them points in. There are a lot of really neat options with this idea. What would you do with this stitch?

National Crochet Month 2015 - Looking Back and Looking Forward

2015-03-04T20:50:00.002-07:00

Welcome to National Crochet Month! A couple of years ago I did a series of blog posts featuring new-to-me stitches and interesting projects. To this day, the post on the Celtic Knot Granny Square is the most popular post of all time on this blog!

For this year, I have a lot of fun things planned, including techniques, a pattern of my own invention, and a guest post from one of my crafty friends! If you have a Google account, you can easily follow so you don't miss any of these posts.

I'll be updating this post with links as the month progresses. But let's start the celebration with just talking about crochet itself.

I know this question is asked by fiber arts pages on social media as a conversation starter all the time, but I'm really curious. What is your favorite part of working yarn with one hook?

For me, there's something comforting in the repetition of pattern. Somehow, crochet patterns seem easier (my friend Michelle will likely disagree with this when she tells about the project she's working on!) because of the repetition. It soothes me - after the first few rows or rounds, I don't have to worry about what's coming next, or where I am, because it's all the same, and that's relaxing.

I've shared with you before that most of the things I crochet are utilitarian. So I like to imagine my kids wearing the scarf or hat, someone carrying the bag, wearing the cardigan, wrapping their child in the blanket... That's also comforting to me. This is the craft I do with purpose that also brings me joy!

Okay, your turn! What do you love about crochet?

Super Bowl 49 - My 4 Game Day Must-Dos

2015-02-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

I don't do roman numerals. Does anyone know why the NFL uses roman numerals for the Super Bowl count? I think they do it just to be fancy!

I'm very excited for the game this evening, since my Seahawks are playing for their 2nd consecutive title! My Facebook feed has been a lot of fun for the last 2 weeks, with articles and videos meant to inspire fans. It's working!

Since I have something of an emotional investment in the game for the 2nd year in a row, it feels like I'm starting to develop some ~~superstitions~~ traditions:

1. Skittles. The link explains it all.

2. Wear the proper colors. I was on the worship team at church today, so I 12'd in public, with blue eyeliner and a blue infinity scarf I crocheted. Just not in Seahawks team gear (which is not easy to find in Idaho). But I did this with my nails:

Love these Neptune Jamberry wraps! They actually remind me of summer and swimming pools!

3. No chicken for food during the game. I don't know that this tradition is a thing, because I think we had wings last year, and it was a blow-out. But tonight we're having slow-cooked ribs, because that's delicious.

Game-day food gets a little more tricky because I've drastically changed my diet over the last few years. I think I told you, about 2.5 years ago I discovered I am lactose-intolerant. And I'm pretty sensitive to things I ought to be able to eat (yes, I can take enzymes to help, but my body still reacts. So I usually avoid anything made with animal milk). This combined with an effort to improve my overall health means that I am now about 80% paleo - focusing on whole foods, lean protein, fruits & veggies, limiting grains (I do still eat whole-wheat bread). And I feel gross when I go off this plan, so I'm trying to stick to it, even through the big game. I made a vegan spinach-artichoke dip that I found here (recipe is made with cashews, so if you're avoiding dairy and nuts, this may need more modification). Soooooo good and really fast to make. I may not even miss the cream cheese dip my mom makes!

4. Fiber arts in team color. So, I abandoned the socks I was knitting - I decided the yarn was cursed. Not only did the Hawks not play up to par when I worked on them, but I had fit issues, and when I pulled the whole thing apart to try a different sock the yarn started splitting. I think I'll work on some of the things I want to show you for crochet month. Which is not all in blue or green. But I'm having a good time with it, which is also important. I may also work on the blue sections of Doro Theos.

Whether you watch the game for the football or the commercials (or don't watch at all), I hope everyone has a fun and safe Super Bowl Sunday. Go Hawks!

My Week In Stitches

2015-01-10T11:47:00.001-07:00

Looks like this...

Like I said, my brain was too tired to focus on anything more than i-cord, which is not very interesting to look at. But I did this today:

Yarn was 25% off at Joann, so that's actually the inside of my shopping bag on my lap in the car. I think I have stash for some fun ideas and tutorials for crochet month in March!

Also, I found this cute notebook (clearance! bonus!) I think I'll keep it in my purse for times when I need paper. And this reminds me that I want to do a post on "color of the year!"

(And I'm blogging from my phone, so I have different formatting options - it won't let me choose my alignment, so everything after the pictures is centered. It probably only bothers me!)

Mental Fatigue and Stitching

2015-01-07T10:44:00.003-07:00

How do you pull yourself out of a stitching slump? I had several days off of work (11 in a row, although I only took 4 work days). And coming back to the full-time schedule again has been a hard adjustment! By the time I fight traffic (in the freezing fog) to and from work, concentrate all day, and deal with getting dinner on the table and interacting with my offspring, all I want to do is collapse in a chair and zone out in front of the TV! Not good, because I also need to get back to the gym. (Again, freezing fog keeps me home.)

I need tips, please!! I know my brain is tired and probably needs a rest, but is there anything you've tried that wakes you up enough to work on projects?

My Weeks In Stitches

2015-01-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been almost all Christmas gifts. They are finished and (mostly) delivered now, so I can focus on other things!

Great Is Thy Faithfulness is finished!

I've started on Doro Theos:

The plan when I started this was to stitch Doro Theos twice - once in each of the variegated threads I got to use in Great Is Thy Faithfulness. These colors go nicely with the color scheme in my bedroom, and I want to hang them in the chair-corner where I do my Bible reading and blogging. However. The chocolate variegated thread is very subtle. And the blue-tan thread blends too well into the fabric (you can see what I mean in the "finish" pic of Great Is Thy Faithfulness). So I think I've decided to do mixed color schemes instead of mono. I'm also thinking about stitching each motif and framing separately (maybe in hoops not frames), so there would be 6 circles around Great Is Thy Faithfulness - here's a pic of the intended design as charted:

What would you do? 6 separate motifs, or 2 vertical sets? I need help deciding before I finish this motif - I need to know where to start the next one!

Finally, a peek at the hibernating sweater. The designer calls it "$5 In Paris", but I call it Parisian Berries & Cream. I really like these colors, and I'm glad I did the charcoal stripe in between the main colors:

This seemed like a very short holiday season to me, anyone else? It seemed like I only really had 2 weekends to get everything done, and that meant everything! I'm glad to be done with all the busy-ness, although there was a lot of enjoyment in the busyness. For one thing, K played Mary in the church Christmas program (I think she did an amazing job). And I had a great time hanging out with my coworkers at our annual holiday party.

Maybe the shortness of time was because I didn't do as many handmade gifts? Since I didn't start working on secret projects in September, I experienced the season more like "normal" people who buy things pre-made in stores?

Have a great week everyone!

This Year I Resolve To Work On One Project At A Time

2015-01-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

I'm just kidding; I would never ever do that! But you're reading!

Yes, I know what the productivity experts say about focus and really being able to devote attention to tasks. And I think we've had this conversation before on this blog. I think a creative person needs a certain amount of chaos to sort out, mess to organize, a reasonable number of problems to solve in order to function. At least I do! It may take longer to finish something this way, but my enjoyment in what I do is a lot higher than if I treated it like a task. In general, I am a highly efficient person at work and at home - I am the type of person that sits at the table for a minute after dinner, mentally plotting the most efficient way to clear all plates, serving pieces, glasses, etc. It's like a puzzle to me. But with hand-made pieces it's a different type of efficiency - not based on "getting done" as quickly as possible. My enjoyment is from the process. Why would I want to be done stitching quickly? What do you all think? Is anyone else like this?

In honor of turning the pages of the calendar, I thought I would post my "Wish To Finish" list for 2015:

- $5 In Paris sweater (I haven't posted any pictures of this yet, as I haven't done a lot of work on it since I started up blogging again)
- Dorotheos x2
- Frame "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and both "Dorotheos" for my bedroom
- Cross-stitch design I started working on over a year ago on my computer - I want to complete the pattern so I can share it!
- National Crochet month series of posts (that will be for March)
- Promised knitting tutorials for hat and hooded fingerless mitts

As I look this over, I don't have a lot of new projects planned, but I certainly have room for them! Do you all have any fun project starts planned for 2015? Share in the comments - either your planned starts or your thoughts on doing one thing at a time - or both!

Happy New Year!

That Time When I Got Mad On My Friend's Behalf

2014-12-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

...and said nothing. Because she asked me not to. *sigh* It's hard to sit back and watch your friend be treated unfairly. Honestly, if we were geographically closer, I don't think I would have been able to keep quiet. It would be a very long drive for me to just go and give people a piece of my mind. Not that it would make a difference in any way - I guess the thing I'm struggling with is how people can be cruel for no real reason? I see no gain for them. Zero. The only thing they've gained is winning a power struggle. Congrats. Enjoy that, and whatever else comes with it.

I've never truly understood group politics. I'm not the type of person who is out to get anything from anyone else. My focus is always on how I can contribute to the group, whether that's at work, or church, or among friends, or here in blogland... I'm definitely a competitive person, and fiercely loyal, but not to the point of tearing someone else down to make myself feel better. I don't understand how someone can live inside their own head when they feel that way! Talk about misery! I would actually prefer to work toward someone else's success than try to make them fail.

My friend had her confidence betrayed by someone she called a friend, who then "spun" what was said in confidence into vicious lies, and the result was pretty major. Not just for my friend and her family, but for a larger group. I'm angry and hurt on her behalf, and there's nothing I can do to help. I can reassure her that the people who did this have something broken inside them, that her actions all along the way were totally reasonable (based on the information and trust she had). That she is better off knowing now who she can trust and who she can't, and that she finally has the freedom to control who she lets into her life. But that doesn't change what's happened. It doesn't erase the hurt, or the loss. It doesn't restore friendships for her children. It doesn't restore their security, or provide answers for their next steps. It doesn't encourage her to make new friends in the future.

But because she asked me to stay quiet until after important conversations were had, and facts disseminated, I didn't post vague Facebook statuses or share (too many) supportive rainbow-glitter style pictures. No more than usual. I did find myself reverting to about 13 years of age, wanting to post status updates about "some people needing to grow up..." - then I realized how it sounded. I even held this blog post for a week or so to avoid causing my friend any more difficulty.

All of this may be why I've been thinking about anxiety and ways to handle stress. And on the positive side, has given me inspiration to start writing again.

So now I'm going to say this: Lies hurt people. Spreading lies not only continues to hurt the person being lied about, but it hurts the person telling them - like I tell my children, if you lie to me, how can I trust you? Eventually the truth comes out - either in public, or in realization within yourself. And then the liars face That Moment When You Realize You Tried To Ruin Someone's Life Just Because You Were A Terrible Person.

My Week In Stitches

2014-12-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

Progress pics! And kids growing up too fast!

Let's start with this year's Seahawks socks (I dubbed them Volume 12, referring to the loud fanbase in Seattle - the cabled side gusset reminded me of the 12 hawk wings on the uniforms). The original pattern, which the designer called Maeva, can be found here. Holy Cables, Batman. Lots and lots of little cables, and the pattern didn't seem very intuitive until I got to the leg portion. And the cuff was very difficult. And then I bound off and fastened off without trying on - and couldn't get the cuff past my heel. Here I am binding it off, so excited, going to wear it...

And here's the sock after I discovered I couldn't wear it:

I gave up on this pattern. I may try again another time, because the side gusset was really cool. But I would 1) try on as I go (which is the point of toe-up socks anyway), 2) do a different cuff, and 3) take the time to do a stretchier bind-off. And maybe do a solid color. Yes, I did try to salvage the sock itself, but I swear the ribbing was difficult to figure out, and I'm not very good at picking up stitches unless it's a stockinette row. Also, I would have had the same agony of trying to make the 2nd one, and I would have bad feelings every time I looked at them.

So now I have another one started. But all I have is the toe, and I'm not happy with it. I may give up (again) and finger-knit a scarf or something.

Kid-knit:

(See this post for a full report on the winter accessory set I made for the girls). I remade H's hat, properly measuring her head, ears, everything this time. And it fits! And she loves it!

Cross stitch:

Before

After

Yes! Really! I did a little work on "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" Friday night while H was at her first school dance.

!!!

Yes! Really! She turns 12 and goes to a school dance. With her friends, because they're 12. The theme was "Hunger Games", and I think the dress we found went with the theme pretty well:

Sorry for the dark picture, I barely got home from work before she had to leave, so I didn't even have time to turn on another lamp. She had a fantastic time, and made some great memories!

The Kid-Knit Catch Up Post

2014-12-11T09:15:00.000-07:00

Both of my kids have outgrown their winter hats, and they both have tried to steal my fingerless gloves. So I decided to make them each a full set of winter accessories - hat, fingerless gloves, and new scarves. This whole concept evolved from the moment I started thinking about it. What really happened is I saw this yarn on sale at Jo-Ann:

Deborah Norville Serenity Garden Yarn in "Gems". I originally took this picture to prove to my friend Micki that it was in fact Deborah Norville that was working up so soft and amazing.

I happen to have a child (K) who loves everything rainbow, and I thought it would be perfect for a set for her. Until I knit a test swatch. The color changes didn't happen the way I expected, and from the first swatch it just didn't seem like her. But it really looked like her sister. (Isn't that funny, how a color palette can have personality?) So I went back to Jo-Ann and found this yarn:

Still Deborah Norville Serenity Garden Yarn, in "Mountain Heather."

And the way it works up is sooooooo K. But the pattern for the fingerless mitts I chose (Sojourn) was not her at all (but very H). And this, my friends, is when Pinterest comes in handy. I searched through my "Yarny Goodness" pinboard until I found this cable pattern on craftcookie.com, which just fits K's personality. It's called Angel Wings! I had to adapt the Sojourn pattern a little bit, but not much.

Pattern for this cable is here. Image belongs to craftcookie.com

The next problem to tackle was that it gets cold in Idaho, and my little darlings can't walk around with exposed fingertips. So I wanted to add a "hood" to the fingerless mitts - and it worked! I'll do a tutorial on how I did this, it was kind of fun.

The hood actually comes down far enough that they can tuck their thumbs in if the weather turns cold. These are great for fall and spring days, I make them wear real gloves when it snows! (Also she didn't do a great job of posing so you can see the cable, but it ended up right where I wanted it, on the outside of her hand/wrist.)

The final step in the evolution of this project was in the creation of the hat - they both said they wanted ear flaps. H had a hat a couple of years ago that had flaps, and there was a buttonhole in one flap and a long string on the other, so she could secure it under her chin. It took a bit of pattern adapting to get these right but finally:

The cable in K's hat is in the flaps - that made them a little longer.

There's also a tutorial coming on this. I've sent my instructions to some brave volunteers to check that my math works for other people's kids!

H's Sojourn scarf in progress - it's ripply.

The scarves were the last thing I did. H's Sojourn pattern worked so nicely, all I had to do was cast on a multiple of 6 (with a 3 stitch border on each side), and boom I had a scarf. The Angel Wings made things a little more interesting - I actually had the main cable motif run up the center, and I had half the motif on each side, but offset, so when the cable pattern in the center twisted, the side motifs were ending/starting. In short, there was more math happening in my house than I really wanted, but I'm so happy with the result:

H's hat actually has to be remade, because somebody (me) didn't measure anything correctly. It was 1.5" to short, and I tried to guess how long her ear flaps should be. But her scarf and mitts turned out perfect. And the best part is, I finished everything before the snow arrived - the second week of November (and then we were in the 60s yesterday, in the second week of December).

Tuesday Pinterest Fun - Maybe I'll Make This For Next Year

2014-12-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

Our office doesn't have any restrictions on holiday decorations in cubicles. One friend had a Santa chair cover. My cubicle neighbor has a snowman display complete with ladder and flashing lights. Someone else still has her fall leaves spread out. What do I have? A jar of red and green star mints (popular! I need more!) and a card I received last year that features one of my favorite lines from Elf: "I just like smiling, smiling's my favorite." I need more cheer for my desk!!

(The snowmen ~~with which I'm competing~~ that need accessories)

Enter this pin (link takes you to original blog instructions). A cute knitted tree ornament. But, you know me, that's too simple. I need to make lots of them! And a swagged garland to drape across the shared front of the cubicles!

Obviously this won't happen for this year. I'm realistic enough by now to know that May or June is a reasonable goal. My plan (as of now) is to use leftover sock yarn from my Seahawks sock projects and my Entrelac fingerless gloves to make trees, then crochet a garland upon which to hang them. Because people are questioning my holiday spirit! (Even though neighbor is letting me call it "our" display! Haha!)

Monday Musing: Creativity vs. Anxiety

2014-12-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

I've never really considered these 2 states to be opposites. But I saw this quote (Facebook? Pinterest? I can't remember any more) and downloaded it, and made it the wallpaper on my work computer:

I'm not a subscriber to Deepak Chopra's overall philosophy, but this quote struck a chord for me. The one thing creativity and anxiety have in common is imagination! Normally I use imagination in a positive sense, as describing wishes, hopes, dreams, possibilities. But when I really think about it, anxiety does stem from letting imagination run to the most negative place.

I tend to be equal parts hopeful and anxious. I generally have a positive outlook on big things (a 500-mile move with no housing lined up, nearly 2 years living apart from my then-husband because of his job location, separation and divorce...) but I get all worked up and gloomy over little things (the terrible voicemail message I left for a client recently - I was totally unclear, and even gave the wrong phone number - it's still bothering me). I definitely imagine that people think the worst about me over little mistakes, and that causes a lot of unnecessary anxiety!

The crazy thing is that our imagination can be under our control. We talk about someone's imagination "running away" with them, but we choose where we focus our attention. It isn't always easy to change the focus off the negative. But when we focus on the positive, it's always by choice, isn't it? We don't just go through our day and realize, "Oh, I'm really thinking positive thoughts, and imagining good things for myself, and wow I feel inspired!" Most of the time we have to choose a positive experience - either through an activity (music? stitching?), or a distraction, or a conversation with a friend. These may seem automatic, but they are choices. They are our "go-to" solutions for a bad mood. When I'm truly anxious or mad, my kitchen gets soooo clean! I choose to channel the negative energy into a task (loathsome) that gets a positive result. And when I'm elbow-deep in dish water, I find my "imaginings" start to turn and become more realistic. And suddenly I have a positive outlook - and sometimes even a solution! And clean dishes!

Really, that's what creativity is - harnessing imagination and using it in a positive way. To solve a problem. To bring joy and beauty.

What do you all think about this?

I Get To Be The Cool Mom Tonight!

2014-12-05T11:55:00.001-07:00

H turns 12 (!!) this weekend. Instead of doing the now-traditional sleepover with friends and movies and pizza, this year we decided to do a girls' night out - H, her bestie and I will have dinner at their fav hamburger restaurant, then see the newest Hunger Games - Mockingjay Part 1. Because 12. Honestly, I'm just thrilled that she still wants to hang out with me and isn't insisting on being dropped at the entrance to the theater. Come to think of it, I'm trying to remember when I did that. It seems like I was somewhere between 12 and 14. She's growing up way too fast, and I'm so proud of the young lady she's becoming!