Knitting & Crochet Blog Week - Day 2!

Woo!  I made it - 2 days in a row!

Okay, today is all about a project that represents your house mascot (see yesterday's post).  Not in the literal sense, though I'm sure I can find plenty of knit and/or crocheted monkeys, but more the spirit of the thing.  Monkeys are all about the challenge and learning.  So, what do I find challenging/what do I need to learn?  Lots of stuff.

Color work, of any kind really, but I really like these Kissing Koi Mitts.

Steeking - cutting one's work after it is complete is CRAZY, but still something I would like to try.  I think I'll stick to something small, like a Steeked Cup Cozy.

Double Knitting - I'd like to start with these Hogwarts House Scarf Bookmarks (Surprise - HP made this list!)

And someday, I really hope to make myself a lace weight sweater - I've got my eye on you Wisper Cardigan

But before all of that, I'll be tackling the Katharina shawl - knit and crochet, fully charted.

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week Day 1: Declare your house!

So, it's the 4th Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, organized by the lovely Eskimimi of eskimimimakes.com.  Each day is a different topic (check this out if you're a crafter who wants to join in the blogging fun).  You all know how great I am about blogging, but I'm really going to try and stick with it this week.

Today's topic: Declare Your House!  Think Harry Potter for yarn crafters (you know what I'm talking about HPKCHCers).

I'm a Monkey: Intelligent and with a fun loving side, Monkeys like to be challenged with every project presenting them with something new and interesting.

Here's the thing...I like to be prolific.  But the reality is, I'm a learner.  I always have been (sort of a Slytherin Hermione).  I enjoy the challenge of learning a new skill and it will keep me entertained until I before proficient.  Then it's time to move on to something else.

The House Cup has really been a great place to me because of this.  The lovely, wonderful crafters I've met there have pushed, pulled, and cheered me to new skills, yarns, and crafts.  I wouldn't be the yarn crafter I am today without them.

Here's a small selection of some of my more challenging projects:

There are a few more in the works, which will be shared in time.  Probably.  if I actually keep up with my blog...

Freezer Cleanout Week

On Sunday, I excitedly bought almond meal/flour to make macarons, my dad's favorite French cookie, knowing that I could make the sandwich part of the cookie week ahead of time and freeze them.  Then a few days before my parents arrive for Christmas, I could thaw the cookies and fill them.

Then I got home from the grocery store and inspected my freezer.  It was full.  Like, packed. (I'm sad I didn't take a "before" picture).  I decided I need to spend the week eating through all the food to make room to freeze baked goods.  It sounded like a perfectly reasonable plan.  Until I started doing it.

By popular demand, here is a sample of the meals thus far:
Pasta with marinara
Chili
Black bean, corn & barely soup with a side of broccoli
Chicken breast with mixed veggies
Bratwurst and broccoli
Suprise! Shepard's pie (I forgot it was back there)
Beef soup surprise (I really don't remember making this, but there it was, in a container in the back of
the freezer).

Beef Soup Surprise!

Still left to go:
2 chicken breasts
1.5 bags of mixed veggies (one mixed, one stir fry)
4 booze pouches
2 tubs cat food (those stay)
Many, many otter pops
1 breaded chicken breast
Coffee (which I don't drink and I can't honestly remember buying)
4 Pint glasses
2 emergency ice packs

WiPs and BiPs

I've been priding myself on the fact that I have so few partially finished yarny projects sitting around.  Then it was pointed out that, although my yarn WiP (Work in Progress) count is low, I have several other kids of half finished projects.  Additionally, during a cleaning of my room, I realized just how many books I was on the middle of reading.

I've decided that it's time to start being more project monogamous and book monogamous and get some of those things finished up.  To help me with this, I'll be using this space for my own accountability.  My goal is to update my progress quarterly with the number of WiPs and BiPs I currently have going.

WIPS (9):
New Apartment Afghan (crochet)
Venus Shawl (crochet)
Sunbonnet Sue Quilt repairs
Fishbowl Quilt - finish
Bug Jar Quilt - finish
Jenn & Russ' wedding cross stitch
Chris & Laura's wedding cross stitch
Mom's gift cross stitch
Slytherific flannel PJ Pants

BIP (10)s:
Basin & Range - John McPhee
The Ancestor's  Tale - Richard Dawkins
Harry Potter à L'école des Sourciers - JK Rowling
Death Comes to Pemberley - PD James
Pirouettes - Marcel Pagnol
HP Goblet of Fire - JK Rowling
Ten Ways to be Adored when Landing a Lord - Sarah MacLean
Breath of Magic - Teresa Medeiros
Lucky you - Carl Hiaasen
The Lost Continent - Bill Bryson

Sigh.  That hurts a little.  I solemnly swear I will not start any new books until I have finished at least 8 of those on my current list.  I would love to say the same is true of my WiPs, but we all know that would never work.  So, I'll just say that I will stick to Stringless Sunday and WiP Wednesday in a serious effort to decrease that list.

One Fish, Two Fish...

Hello, my name is Kati and I'm addicted to Sock Yarn.  Anyone who's seen my stash knows this to be true.  I can't help it.  It's pretty and squishy and there are so many things one can make with just one skein of it.  It's just so irresistible.

The problem?  I keep ending up with 3-5 grams left over from projects - not enough to make anything else, but too much to justify throwing it away.  So, I began my very own scrap project.  Sewers will be familiar with this concept (they're called quilts).  Even paper crafters know they have that one set of notecards that has cool shapes made of leftovers.

Thanks to Ravelry, I found this excellent pattern called a Recipe for Fish.  For those that are interested, I'm using size 4 needles.  For everyone else, what you need to know is each fish measures about 2.5" x 4.5".  After doing some Math (yay Math!), I figured that for a roughly queen sized afghan, I need 800 fish (they will be laid out 20 x 40 fish).  Yeah, that's a lot of fish.

Know what else?  That's a lot of scraps.  I want each fish to be unique, but even with my extensive collection of sock yarn, I don't have enough for 800 different fish.  So, I'm madly trading scraps with other yarnies.  I've even gone so far as to purchase mini skeins from indy dyers.

Here's the ultimate goal: make 1 fish a day (that's about 2.2 years of fish making) and then give myself 6 months to lay out the fish in the order/pattern I want them and seam them together.  To try and keep my spirits up, I'll be posting periodic updates on my progress.

Today, I have reached 100 fish!

Teeny Tiny Hearts

I made some teeny tiny crochet pieces to make into stitch markers for some friends and have gotten requests for the patterns.  This is the first in the series.  More will be coming later.

This is a pretty simple pattern, only 2 rounds of crochet.

Supplies:
Size 8 Perle Cotton Thread (about 2 yds per heart)
Size C (2.75mm) crochet hook
20mm Split Rings (these can be purchased in the jewelry finding area of your craft or bead store)

Abbreviations:
ch - chain
rd - round
sc - single crochet
hdc - half double crochet
dc - double crochet
sl - slip stitch


Pattern:
Ch 2.  Work Rd 1into 2nd ch from hook
Rd 1: 2 sc, hdc, 2 dc, hdc, 3 sc, dc, 3 sc, hdc, 2 dc, hdc, 2 sc, sl.  Join to first st of round.
Rd 2: ch 1, 2 sc, 2 hdc, 5 sc, hdc, 5 sc, 2 hdc,  2 sc, sl.  Join to first st of round.  Fasten off.
Slide split ring into top of 4th hdc of second rd.
Weave in ends.

An alternate option for adding the split ring:
Slide ring onto yarn before starting heart.  Work all of rd 1 and rd 2 up to 3rd hdc.  Slide split ring up next to the hook.  Work 4th hdc and rest of 2nd rd.

Sud de France, part 2 - Shopping

My second favorite thing to do in France is shop.  Partly, I love all the stuff I get to bring home, but I also just love the experience.  Sadly, I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I should have.  You'll have to take my descriptions at their word.

YARN

The Yarn Haul

For starters, let's talk about yarn (no surprise there).  Before getting to Montpellier, Mom and I researched yarn stores.  There were some she'd been to before and some were new to her; they were all new to me.

One my mom had been to before was Phildar.  It was interesting.  It's a clothing store that also carries it's own brand of yarn.  The front of the shop, and the display windows, are all clothing but if you keep walking towards the back, there are shelves full of yarn.  They had kits and patterns and bulk bags.  I didn't end up buying anything there, but it was certainly an interesting way to shop.

Next up was La Mercerie.  Perhaps this is the place to mention all these shops are in Old Town Montpellier.  That means they're in buildings that are up to 600 years old.  The shop fronts are tiny and I am contantly amazed at the amount of products (and people!) they can fit in such a small space.  this particular shop carries yarn and a whole array or "craft" supplies - buttons, embroidery supplies, and even fabric.  It was such a fun place to look around.  And they were having an excellent sale on some super-wash, lace weight merino, so I had to buy 12 skeins.  I've started a sweater with the red I got and I will finish it...some day.

Then it was on to Avant Aprés. This is a newer store.  It's very cute and near a beautiful church.  It carries a variety of yarn, fabric, ribbon, and beads.  I really enjoyed shopping there and picked up some great yarn.

Trumpe L'oiel painted on a building across form the church next to Avant Aprés

We also hit up Anne Ouverages.  It was closer to what I think of a yarn store, but still pretty small.  There was a large selection of fibers and weights and the people who worked there were all very helpful.

Lastly, we hit up the Katia store.  This shop sells only Katia yarns, but what a selection!  And they had paper yarn.  Let me say that again: Paper Yarn.  I couldn't pass it up, though I really should have.  I wasn't thinking clearly.  Paper yarn doesn't smoosh, so I had to take an extra carry on just to get it home (lesson learned).

Aigues Mortes

Circular Tower along the wall at Aigues Mortes

Aigues Mortes is on my family's favorite places to go.  It's a medieval walled city with a sea salt harvesting operation outside the city.  Though we usually drive, it turns out there is a bus that runs between Montpellier and Aigues Mortes for only €1.50.  We decided Mom and I would take the early bus and do some shopping and have lunch and Dad would take the later bus join us for a trip around the wall and maybe dinner, then we would all take the last bus back to Montpellier.

It was an excellent plan.  Except that, apparently, my timetable reading skills are lacking.  First, Mom and I tried it on Tuesday.  But it turns out, there's no early bus on Tuesdays, so we decided to try it again on Wednesday.  We got to Aigues Mortes and it was gray and raining.  AND there was some sort of festival going on.  Most of the restaurants and shops were closed.  We still managed to pick up the few things we wanted, soap and candy, but it didn't take us very long.  We found a place to sit and knit while waiting for my dad.

Eventually we walked out to the bus stop, which was conveniently located near the city's Boule court.  We watched the old guys (and some young ones, too) play boule.  But the time for Dad's bus came and went with no sign of either the bus or Dad.  Turns out, there's no late bus on Wednesday.

Old guys playing Boules, minus pastise

Mom and I, all shopped out from the few shops that were open, waited for the last bus to head back to Montpellier, where we met with Dad and he regaled us with his story of taking the bus as far as it would go and being surprised that it didn't go all the way to Aigues Mortes and then riding back to Montpellier.

There were a few good things about the trip.  We got to watch some Boules, we bought some soap and candy, and learned more about the bus system in Hèrault than we ever wanted to know

Aix-en-Provence

Side street in Aix en Provence

What crafty girl can go to France and not come hope with fabric?  Mom and I made the trek to Aix-en-Provence by train to hit a shop that Mom has been to before.  It was AMAZING.  Floor to ceiling shelves full of fabric!  I even got some hand painted sheep fabric to make myself some project bags for my yarn.

My goal is to eventually make a quilt in red and yellow Provençal themed fabrics for my guest/craft room.

French fabrics!

Paper Goods

I also have a love of several paper goods that I can only get in France - a certain kind of folder and gird-style notebooks.  We ran all over Montpellier looking for them and no luck.  But what I did find was the first 2 Harry Potter books in French.  Mom and Dad will have to continue going to France until I have all 7 books in French.  And then they'll have to start collecting the British versions for me.