"It is better to travel well than to arrive."

Little Leggies: An Update

2012-01-10T17:41:00.000-06:00

Baby Leg Warmies for Maggie

2011-11-12T16:00:00.001-06:00

Friends in North Dakota welcomed a baby daughter, Magdalene Esther Montgomery Schmidt, in mid-October. (Good name, right?) And I thought, what a great opportunity to do some knitting for someone who'll need lots of cold weather clothes! It took awhile to find the perfect project, but finally I came across these striped leg warmers, which should keep Miss Maggie's little knees warm through winter and spring. Since the pattern size was for 9 month olds - 2 year olds, I made one pair as instructed and then followed another knitter's directions for making a tinier size, too. That way one pair should fit her very soon, and the other she'll just have to grow into. (I hear they do that.)

Fellow knitters, I was also directed to these fantastic instructions on how to knit stripes in the round so that it barely shows when you switch colors. Thanks, TECHknitting, for the new technique. That's why you can see a faint spiral on the backs of the turquoise and pink leg warmers below.

I can't wait to get these in the mail!

Pink Elephants for Marley

2011-10-19T22:47:00.000-05:00

I knitted this sweater for a friend's baby in September, but had to wait for her shower before posting pictures on the interwebs. It's my first Fair Isle pattern, in which you follow a grid that tells you which color yarn to use on each stitch to make the design. I just fell in love with the little elephants when I saw a version (in green) at The Knitting Nest, an local Austin yarn shop. The pattern, available on Ravelry, is called Ella Funt after one of fictional young heroine Ramona Quimby's stuffed toys. My rendition is on there, too.

Baby Marley also received a homemade card inspired by the lyrics of Old Crow Medicine Show and the super-cute vintage nursery paper from JourneyLane in Fredericksburg, TX.

She should be arriving in a couple of weeks. : )

Birthday Week

2011-10-07T23:59:00.001-05:00

I got to celebrate three birthdays over the past week, including my own. What a treat!

Winter Wheat Cowl

2011-09-25T21:20:00.000-05:00

I guess I'm on a cowl kick.

This time, wanting to make something that is indisputably autumnal, I found a bright, leaf-orange hue and used the gull lace pattern that seems to be public domain. With the thick texture and large needles, the lace looks like a cross between wheat grains, fallen leaves, and tall branchless trees -- all things fall.

I used some of the softest, thickest, lightest and cutest yarn made from the wool of baby llamas, picked up at The Knitting Nest in South Austin. Sadly, I don't think it is made anymore, and I had to pay a pretty penny (on shipping of all things!) when the project needed a second skein.

Winter Wheat Cowl

Materials:

2 skeins Elsebeth Lavold Baby Llama Yarn

Set of five US #10 double-pointed needles

To begin:

Cast on 112 st. in the round, on US#10 double pointed needle. (That's 28 stitches per needle.)

Purl one round.

Knit one round.

Body:

Work rounds 1-4 of the gull lace pattern for 10 inches, ending with Round 4.

Round 1: K1, K2TOG, YO, K1, YO,SSK, K1
Round 2: Knit
Round 3: K2TOG, YO, K3, YO, SSK
Round 4: Knit

Ending:

Purl one round. Cast off with knit stitches.

A Coastal Cowl

2011-09-22T16:58:00.003-05:00

For the first several months of summer, I avoided knitting altogether. Living in Texas, even in fall and winter it’s a rare occasion that one needs to bundle up in warm woolen items, and this time of year the craft seems downright ludicrous.

A few weeks ago, though, I started getting the knitting bug. Maybe it was that “Christmas In July,” mentality. I dug some near-finished projects out of a bin in my closet, turned up the A/C and pretended it was winter, concluding the sleeve on a toddler-sized sweater, sewing in the ends on a ski-season hat. But outside the temp. kept rising, and my zeal faded fast.

Then, while on vacation in Chicago (which was nearly hot as Austin), I visited a great little yarn store, Windy Knitty, and got inspired. The colors! The textures! Who cares what the weather’s like? Yarn art is a year-round sport. I bought as much as I could stand to carry around in my backpack, including some light-weight options to encourage summertime knitting.

I came up with this cowl during a drive to the Gulf Coast, using thread-thin, cobalt-blue mohair yarn from my Chicago trip. It was soft and feathery enough to get me past the cognitive dissonance of knitting in Texas heat, plus the blue made me think of an oceanic paradise the whole way to Padre Island.

The tiny stitches create a delicate, airy netting, which I think will fall gracefully around the neck for the chilly days in-between summer and winter.

Mohair Coastal Cowl

Supplies:
1 skein of Berroco Mohair Classic
US #5 circular needle, or a set of 5 double-pointed needles

Gauge:
~ 28 stitches = 4 inches

Instructions:
Loosely cast on 170 stitches. Join for knitting in the round, placing a marker at the start of the round.

Knit one, purl one around, being careful not to twist the first couple rounds.

Repeat pattern on every round until cowl measures 12-13 inches.

Cast off loosely in K1, P1 pattern. And you're done!

This pattern is adapted from Isabelle’s Cashmere Cowl on The Purl Bee blog.
She used lace-weight yarn, which is a little thicker than what I used. Her pattern is a variation of the Pashmina Cowl from Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson and Anna Williams.

Scalloped Sweet Potato Fries

2011-09-08T12:43:00.000-05:00

Last week we got sweet potatoes at the farmer's market, but they had worms in them. : (

So I made an emergency run to the store and picked up five of the orange root vegetables sans worms, and we peeled them, sliced them, tossed them in oil, put them in the oven and voilà! Scalloped sweet potato fries.

Lottie, ever the optimist, was very hopeful she'd get to eat some, too.

A place for everything and everything in it's place: Knitting Needle Clutch

2011-08-28T21:08:00.000-05:00

When I tired of not having the right sized needles for my knitting projects last year, I went on Amazon and ordered a low-priced set containing nearly every size of double-pointed needles. Double-pointed needles are great for small projects that call for knitting in-the-round, like hats, mittens, cowls and sweater sleeves. I even like to use them for narrow projects such as scarves. They revolutionized my ability to pick up almost any pattern and start it without taking a detour to the craft store.

For several months, the new needles lived in the bubble-wrap envelope that they were shipped in. Each set of six needles had it's own plastic baggie within the envelope, but that was the extent of their organization. The more I used them, the more the bags were torn or lost, and the bamboo tools ended up in a mixed up mess. Finally, I bought a fat quarter set of brightly patterned calicos and fashioned this knitting needle organizer.

This design has pockets for double-pointed needles size 0-13, and folds up in quarters to form a compact clutch. Two ribbons fasten it together, and the top tab folds over to keep the needles secured during travel.

I didn't make a pattern for this needle holder (just used a series of carefully measured rectangles), but instructions for one with even more pockets is available here on Design*Sponge.

For the Fourth

2011-07-05T08:33:00.000-05:00

Blackberry. Apple. Pie.

Doesn't the top crust, brushed with milk & egg and sprinkled with turbinado sugar ("sugar in the raw"), make this pie look like it walked straight out of 1953? It was a big hit!

The highly-recommended recipe can be found here.

Picture Perfect

2011-06-24T11:21:00.000-05:00

I made this presentation for some of my co-workers to help them promote their university programs through photography. Isn't Prezi fun?

How To Take Great Portraits on Prezi

Homemade Garden Pickles

2011-05-26T21:52:00.000-05:00

This weekend my mama and I got to work harvesting cucumbers and dill from her and my dad's garden, mixing up brine of salt, vinegar and mustard, and canning pickles! We used recipes from my great grandma. It's been so cool to see them through, from the vine to the jar to - three weeks from now - the table! Can't wait to taste them.

My younger cousin Beth doesn't call me "Jill Pickle" for nothing.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

A photo essay. About making pickles.

A Very Spring Soup

2011-04-05T12:59:00.000-05:00

Here's a soup to enjoy on a windy Spring evening, when it's no longer winter, but still cool enough to use the stove. (You Texans know what I'm talking about!)

Spring Soup Recipe

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
4 spring onions, chopped
2 leeks, thinly sliced
2 portobello mushrooms, diced
2 medium carrots, chopped
4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
6-8 leaves of kale, cut from stems
the juice of half a lime
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan over medium, saute the leeks and onions in butter for about 5 minutes, until they start to turn a translucent color

2. Add in the mushrooms, carrots and broth. Bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, turn down to low heat, and stir in lime juice, salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer 20 minutes.

3. Finally, add kale. Cover and simmer about five more minutes.

4. Last of all, go outside for a moment and soak in the Spring air. Then come back to your kitchen and take in the delicious smell of Spring soup! Serve with a hardy artisan bread.

Caution: Be sure to let the soup cool slightly before eating. We don't want any burnt tongues; those are for hot chocolate season only.

This weekend I knit a baby sweater...

2011-03-28T19:40:00.002-05:00

Things Your Grandmother Knew

2011-03-25T13:45:00.001-05:00

Things Your Grandmother Knew: Sew Your Own Lingerie

Love it!

Climbing Chaco Canyon

2011-03-19T19:42:00.001-05:00

My family just returned from a trip to Albuquerque to visit my grandparents, aunt and 3 and 5 year-old cousins. On Wednesday we took a day trip to Chaco Canyon, about 3 1/2 hours away. Finally, a real journey to post about!

If you are viewing this on Facebook, you should go ahead and click here to see the slideshow. There's also a flickr slideshow here.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Photo Essay: Day of the Fallen

2011-03-08T07:13:00.000-06:00

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Austin, TX -- Construction workers, human rights activists, religious leaders and legislators marched to the Texas State Capitol Mar. 2 to demand safer working conditions in the state with the highest construction site mortality rate. They carried black coffins in rememberance of the 138 construction workers who died on the job in 2009. (That's three times more construction site deaths than any other state in the U.S.)

My friends over at Workers Defense Project organized the rally and march, and I got to help out by calling all the media contacts. It was also a pleasure to march with my seminarian friend, Carmen, several area Lutheran pastors, my co-workers and several of the people who volunteer with the Hutto Visitation Program to visit immigrant women in detention.

You can also view this Day of the Fallen slideshow on flickr.

View from the 21st Floor

2011-03-02T12:31:00.000-06:00

I work on the 21st floor of the UT Tower. My office is the elevator lobby, which has it's ups and downs. But what a great view! When I need a mental break from work, I look out the window at the City of Austin and pretend I own it.

I heart pizza dough.

2011-02-18T17:01:00.000-06:00

My friend Carmen and her family came over earlier this week and we made our own pizzas. Yum!

Wish I had more pictures -- but I lost my camera memory card. Need to address that...

Henry's card

2011-02-15T11:00:00.001-06:00

A place to hang your heart

2011-02-13T14:15:00.000-06:00

I've seen several design blogs feature homemade paper heart garlands (such as this and these). They've been made out of all sorts of things - sheet music, the pages of old books, brown paper bags, even old maps.

I decided to make my own hanging hearts to brighten up our kitchen this February, using red and creme colored wrapping paper left over from Christmas. For the past two weeks, the festive valentines have twirled and fluttered in the window light, making me feel happy. : )

It's the little things, right?

Project Journal: Hats for Henry and Sofia

2011-01-20T08:14:00.006-06:00

The new year brought newborns for several of my friends, so as soon as I wrapped up the Christmas projects, it was on to tiny, tiny hats for the "new brand" babies, as my sister used to call them.

A Hat For Henry

Henry's hat is an adapted version of a Lion Brand pattern (sign-in required). For a clean and simple look, I used 100% cotton yarn from the Lily Sugar 'n Cream Twists collection. The little knot on the top was added by knitting a 2.5 inch i-cord with last three stitches before casting off. I think it really makes the hat.

A Hat For Sofia

For Sofia, I basically used The Purl Bee's "Heirloom Hat for Newborns" pattern. I didn't splurge on cashmere yarn, but a washable wool sock yarn (Patons Kroy Socks) in a colorful rainbow stripe did the trick. This yarn is a bit thicker, so to adjust for the gauge I started by casting on 84 stitches instead of 108 and worked the first four inches as instructed. To knit the crown of the hat, I followed the pattern but started at Round 5.

I LOVE this yarn, and it was a delight to see the colors stack up in neat rows like lifesaver candies. With one skein, I knit the newborn size hat, and a second hat, sticking to the original pattern, that will work for a 9-12 month old. (Thanks to Bev's Country Cottage hat size chart for helping me figure that out.)

*Gratitude to my sister Rachel for taking the photos! They turned out splendid, as so many of her photos do.

An interesting map

2011-01-18T15:48:00.000-06:00

Texas' GDP is roughly equivilant to Russia... That I would not have guessed.

And giant Montana has about the same population as the tiny southern African country of Swaziland.

Project Journal: Scarves for Grandma and Aunt Jenny

2011-01-18T08:47:00.000-06:00

I made these scarves for my Grandma and Aunt Jenny. They were intended for Christmas. Grandma's took a little longer, so it is only just now in the mail. But since she lives in Albuquerque where they have an actual winter, I am sure there will be plenty more cold days for her to wrap it around herself and feel warm and loved.

Project Journal: Mittens for Emily

2010-12-31T16:39:00.000-06:00

These mittens are adapted from The Purl Bee's fingerless gloves pattern and flip-top mittens pattern. Both variations of the pattern I drew from are available here.

Project Journal: Hand-rolled Handkerchiefs for Dad

2010-12-31T16:17:00.001-06:00

My dad's big Christmas gift this year was a new guitar (!), but I wanted to give him a handmade present, too. Using some fat quarter print collections that resemble men's ties, I made him a set of hand-stitched handkerchiefs. He needed some new ones, since his old ones are all, well, old.

Although I wasn't sure how the rolling and hemming would work out, with a little practice the hems turned out to be easy, and the hankies seem pretty durable. The rolled hem handkerchief pattern is from The Purl Bee, one of my favorite online reservoirs of knitting and sewing projects.