Ruffled Top

...had been resurrected. Hooray!

Works in Progress – Updated 7/30/2010

-Short Sleeved Cardigan (Now going to Rae.)
-Palindrome Scarf (Currently my at-work project.)
-Houndstooth Scarf
-Owl Sweater (On hold until yarn is bought.)
-Lace Panelled Baby Blanket (On hold for next shower – whenever that is.)
-Dalmatian Cross Stitch
-Ruffled Top
-Thermal

My list is getting longer! How did that happen?

A Teeny Rant

I am hardly a perfect writer (or speaker for that matter). I make mistakes. I’m sure my posts are littered with grammatical errors, spelling errors, punctuation errors, etc. I can’t diagram a sentence. I don’t know when to use “who” and when to use “whom.” I don’t even know what an adverb is. (Although I’ll be looking that up after finishing this post.) I doubt there is a person on this planet who knows anything and everything there is to know about the written English language. However, I’ve seen (and heard) some pretty atrocious things written (and spoken) by otherwise intelligent people. Here are three of my biggest peeves:

The I-Me Complex

I don’t know who deserves the blame for this I-Me problem. Maybe the schools? Parents? TV? In any case, it is blatantly apparent to me that a large portion of the American people see the use of “I” instead of “me” in any context as an easy way to sound “smart” and proper. Oh no, no, no. There are many situations for which the use of “me” is necessary, and people who omit “me” in attempt to sound smart ending up sounding, well, stooopid. I know that someone who majored in English (or perhaps paid more attention in English class) could explain the following in much more detail with fancy terms and diagrams, but you’re stuck with me. Deal with it!

Mom took Tracey and I to the store.
Greg asked Michael and I to help him move.
This is a picture of Jackie and I on the beach.

All three of these sentences are incorrect. Think about it. Once the person partaking in the activity with you is removed (And I’m sure there’s a special term for that person, but I don’t know it.), you’re left sounding like this:

Mom took I to the store.
Greg asked I to help him move.
This is a picture of I on the beach.

Perform this test next time you’re thinking about using “I” instead of “me.” If the “I” can’t stand alone, then the “I” should not be used.

Here’s the same situation from the opposite direction:

Tracey and me went to the store.
Greg and me asked Michael to help Bob move.

WRONG!

Here are the sentences post-test:

Me went to the store.
Me asked Michael to help Bob move.

Obviously the “me” cannot stand alone, so “I” should be used.

Apostrophes

I hate it when I see something like, “I brought my cat’s inside.” I always want to ask, “Your cat’s what?” or “Oh my God you gutted your cat!” An apostrophe never makes something plural! Apostrophes are used to show possession or to signify a contraction. (i.e. Meghan’s book, it’s = it is) (There are other uses – like for quotes in research papers – but I’m not going to get into that.) Interestingly enough, I discovered fairly recently that “hers” and “yours” should not include apostrophes. Go figure!

You’re, Your, Their, They’re, There

These are pretty self-explanatory. Obviously these words have different meanings and are not interchangeable.

You’re = contraction – you are
Your = possessive

Their = possessive
They’re = contraction – they are
There = a position in space

Thermal Progress

I didn’t get much crafting done over the weekend. I battled a case of strep throat instead. I managed to sneak in some Thermal knitting, and I’ve completed about 7 inches on the body. I believe my risk taking has paid off, as I can now see that the waffle stitch is very stretchy, and the 32” size should fit me just fine. I’m going to try to knit 13 inches worth of body (instead of 12) to account for the negative ease ride-up phenomenon. I may vote against that as time passes by, though. I’m pretty sure I’ll have to make the sleeves longer. I have freakishly long arms. And I see that there’s some short row action further along in the pattern. ::shudder:: If I do finish this project, I think I will feel invincible.

I have been tasked with the unfortunate (haha!) job of finding a new “at-work” project. My latest at-work project (a cross-stitch Christmas ornament) is pretty much done (…except for the french knots, which are driving me bonkers.). Let’s see…I could do something from my Ravelry queue…or I could try to get a head start on my cousin’s baby stuff…or I could resurrect one of my hibernating works in progress. Which will I choose? It’s a mystery!

Pink Slouch

Last week I finished a pink slouchy hat. If you’re interested in knitting it for yourself, it’s called ETTA on Ravelry.

Getting a good picture of this hat in action was pretty near impossible.

I took a risk and did the ribbed brim with size 5 needles. The sample pictured on the pattern appeared to have a very loose brim (done with size 6 needles), and I knew I wouldn’t wear it if it kept sliding off my head. However, I’m not sure what convinced me that I’d get gauge. Of course my gauge was much tighter, and the brim turned out a little snug. Some serious blocking widened the brim a bit, and I can fit the hat on my head, so I guess I can call the project a success. Besides changing the needle size for the brim, my only other modification was to knit 4 pattern repeats (instead of 3 like the pattern said) because the hat wasn’t slouching to my satisfaction.

So as of now, I have two knitting projects that I’m working on regularly. There’s the pink cardigan that needs about an inch or two on the body, both sleeves, and button bands. I’m going to give the cardigan to my sister because I am absolutely certain it will not fit me. I hope this change of recipient will make the cardigan easier to finish. (Less mods!) The other project I’ve got going is Thermal. A while back I mentioned that I bought yarn for some fingering weight sweaters, and Thermal was one of them. I’m doing this sweater as part of a knit-a-long with my friend, Sara. I’m hoping the knit-a-long aspect motivates me to finish the sweater in a decent amount of time, but I’m positive many new projects will be started and finished before Thermal leaves the needles. In fact, I’ve received word that one of my family members is expecting a new baby (Not my immediate family! I don’t want to start rumors.), so I’m already thinking about what I’d like to knit/crochet for her. Anyway, I’m doing Thermal with size 3.0mm needles and Knit Picks Comfy Fingering yarn in “Lilac.” I chose to knit the 32” size because I’m crazy. I really want this sweater to be both form fitting and flattering, but my bust measurement changes so dramatically from month to month that selecting the right size is hit or miss for me. (I go between 34” and 37”...and I mostly miss.) I’m hoping I get gauge. I didn’t swatch, though, because that’s how I roll. :)

There’s really nothing else of interest to report. I’d like to finish up that sewing project I started. Weekends have been kind of busy around here, but I think this coming weekend will be pretty slow. If I’m not feeling too lazy, I might take a stab at finishing it. I'll probably have to re-iron everything. ::groan::

You Won't Believe It

…but I did it! The Gentleman’s Shooting Stockings with Fluted Pattern are finished!



They are a tad baggy on me, but I suspect they’ll tighten up when they accidentally go through the wash one of these days. Is it silly that I’m scared to use them? I spent so much time knitting them that I’m afraid I’ll wear a hole in them. I can already tell that felting will occur. Nonetheless, I love them. I can count my first attempt at adult socks as a success!

I need to amend my Works in Progress list a little bit. Obviously the Shooting Stockings have graduated. I frogged the WWII socks. (??!!) Apparently I still lack the ability to judge gauge, and as such they were coming out way too big. I’ll probably try them again sometime towards winter. Grandpop might get a hat instead. The Baker’s Kitchen dishcloth will be heading to the frog pond next time I dig it out. A couple of weeks ago I tried working on it, and progress didn’t go very well.

Works in Progress – Updated 7/6/2010

-Short Sleeved Cardigan
-Palindrome Scarf
-Houndstooth Scarf
-Owl Sweater (on hold until yarn is bought – Septemberish. Actually, I haven’t even started this project. It’s more like a planned project.)
-Lace Panelled Baby Blanket (on hold for next shower – whenever that is)
-Dalmatian Cross Stitch
-Ruffled Top

Oh? Did you see that I snuck in something at the bottom of the list? The pattern is here. It looks simple enough, and I’ve already cut out all of the pieces. I managed to do some damage with my handy dandy seam ripper, so I’ve been scared to continue working on it. I hope to finish the top this weekend. I should work on it tonight, but I’m much too exhausted to play with a machine that pokes stuff. Plus I have to make sure Xerxes isn’t in the immediate area while I’m sewing, and that’s no easy feat. He finds the pedal to the machine absolutely delightful and steps on it every chance he gets. Anyway, I’ve chosen a royal blue fabric for the chest band and straps and an Asian inspired blue bird print for the rest of the top. I think it has potential. Mine isn’t going to be as “billowy” as the sample. I’m going for a non-maternity look.

In other news, I visited the dog park with my posse last Sunday. Darby and Xerxes overdid themselves in swimming hole, so they slept pretty much straight through to this morning.


Darby injured herself doing who knows what. One of her foot pads is peeling. When I first saw the damage I was pretty upset, but it isn’t bleeding, and it doesn’t look infected, so I’m just going to let her take care of it. She’s really milking her situation, though. She now stops mid climb (stairs, hills, etc) and demands a boost.


The scenery was exceptionally nice during our visit. (The water was pretty muddy, but usually it isn't like that.) If you’re ever in the area, you should definitely go! The park is called Freedom Dog Park, and it’s located in Medford, NJ. It’s attached to a large people park, so you could make a day out of it!

Sewing

Last weekend I broke down and opened my sewing machine. I convinced myself that everything would be okay, and that nothing would get lost. It comes with a handy drawer for all of the miscellaneous pieces, so I don’t think anything too terrible will happen. Also included was a free subscription for Martha Stewart’s Living Magazine, although I’m pretty sure the offer has expired by now. I couldn’t find a date anywhere on the offer envelope, so I’m going to send for it anyway. I wonder what's in the magazine...

I got the machine last year for Christmas. It’s a Singer 2263 Simple. I’ll be the judge of just how simple it really is, though. I read through the entire manual, and I think I’ll be able to thread it successfully. Since I know next to nothing about sewing, I’m going to have to do some serious research regarding sewing stitches and techniques. And I should probably educate myself about textiles as well. P.S. – I’ve already started a “sewing” tub in my closet.

I have a few sewing projects lined up for this year. (What? Did you expect anything less of me?) There’s the quilt I’ve mentioned before, a (hopefully) simple dress, some doggie diapers, and a couple of purses. I’d like to try the doggie diapers first. I think they’ll be the easiest for me to accomplish. As it stands now, I’ll be buying the materials on Saturday in Vineland. I hope to find some hot pink fabric and maybe an animal print. Xerxes likes to be the center of attention, and I doubt he’ll experience any lack of it while strutting around in his hot pink wee-wee holder!

I already bought most of the required materials for the dress. I’ll be using a free pattern from BurdaStyle called Coffee Date Dress. (If you’d like to access the pattern, you’ll have to sign up for BurdaStyle. It’s free!) After a little bit of struggling and some deep thought, I finally printed out the pattern correctly. (100%, no scaling) Much to my dismay, a portion of the pattern lies outside of the printable area on the page, so I’ll have to measure and draw a little. Since the pattern doesn’t include the seam allowance, I’ll have to get myself a marking device while I’m out on Saturday. In addition, I need a zipper foot for my machine. In case you were curious, I picked a royal blue cotton fabric for the dress. At first I wanted a print, but then I decided I’d rather not have to worry about lining up everything and making sure the pieces are cut straight. If, by some miracle, I actually finish the dress and it’s wearable, I’d like to put a thick black ribbon around the waist for interest. I’m on the fence about the ruffle. Unfortunately, it’s walking that very fine line between looking stylish and looking like a waddle.

Last Sunday I spent some time looking up purse patterns. At some point I’d like to make a knit purse, but sewn purses seem so much faster. I chose two patterns that I think I can manage: the Buttercup Bag and the Phoebe Bag. Neither calls for more than a yard of fabric, so they should be pretty cheap to make. Plus, I’m in need of a cute little purse. Who isn’t?

And there you have it. I’ve officially entered yet another realm of the craft world. Goodness gracious.

Before I sign off, I have a bit of good news to share. I have been working on one of my works in progress, and I’m happy to report that I’ll be starting the heel of the second Shooting Stocking tonight. Maybe I’ll be finished with the pair this weekend!

Kiwi Jam

Last night I made a batch of kiwi jam. The process was much quicker this time. (I didn’t have to pit anything!) I sort of made up the recipe as I went, so I’ll share it here for anyone who is interested.

Supplies:

• 5 half pint canning jars with lids and rings
  
• Large pot for sterilizing/processing (the pot must be tall enough to cover the jars by an inch or more of water!)
  
• Saucepan
  
• Stirring Utensil
  
• Ladle
  
• Tongs (or whatever you want to use to handle the jars when hot)
  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mashed kiwis (about 7 whole kiwis)
  
• 4.5 cups of sugar*
  
• 1 box of Sure-Jell
  
• 2 tsp. Lemon Juice
  
• 1 tsp. butter or margarine to prevent foaming (optional)
  

Preparations:

The packaging around the canning jars should have instructions for sterilizing the jars. You can either follow those instructions or use my method:

1. Thoroughly clean your hands and all surfaces you will be using.

2. Set a freshly laundered towel on your countertop/table to protect it from the heat of the cooling jars.

3. Fill a large pot with water (enough to cover the jars by an inch or more) and turn on the heat.

4. Remove the lids and rings from the jars and set aside. (VERY IMPORTANT! If you leave the rings and lids on during sterilization, the jars will seal.)

5. Place the jars into the pot using tongs or whatever is most convenient for you.

6. Boil the jars for 10 minutes to ensure that anything lurking inside is dead.

7. Carefully remove jars from pot without touching the insides/rims and place them right side up on the towel.


Method for Jam:

Peel, rinse, and chop kiwis into small pieces. Lightly mash kiwis until they become a chunky, pulpy blend. Place mashed kiwis, lemon juice, Sure-Jell, and butter into saucepan. Turn on heat and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. (From now on, you’re going to have to keep stirring.) Add the sugar. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, and let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and ladle into jars.



Kiwi jam on the stovetop!

Processing:

1. Wipe down the rims of the jars with a clean, wet paper towel to ensure a tight seal.

2. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the rings “finger tip tight.”

3. Place the lidded jars into a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

4. Remove jars and allow them to cool.

5. Check to make sure your jars have sealed about an hour or so after they’ve left the boiling water bath. Usually you can hear them seal as they cool. Any unsealed jars must be put into the refrigerator immediately.



My kiwi jam!


*I know that it sounds like an awful lot of sugar, but if you mess with the amount of added sugar, the jam will not set. If you want to try making jam with less sugar, or a sugar substitute, you’ll have to get special pectin.