The Posts Are Appearing

I'm slowly getting all my posts recovered. I have completed through part of 2009... only three more years' worth to go. It's taking longer than I expected to go through every post to make sure the links and images still work. I still can't believe so much of my journal went poof. So glad I had a back-up!

CO: Strawberry Scarf and Navy Ribs

Once I completed Ross' grey ribbed socks I immediately began another pair in navy blue. I'll be working this pair toe-up. I want Ross to be able to choose which fit he prefers... toe-up or cuff-down.

Navy Ribs Toe

I also cast on another of the chevron scarves. I'm stash-busting some cashmere blend sock yarn that has given me numerous issues when I tried to make it into socks. It's working much better as a scarf. I decided to add a repeat to make a wider, shorter scarf. I just hope I have enough yarn to make it long enough.

Strawberry Chevron Scarf

FO: Gothic Ribs

Gothic Ribs

Pattern: Basic 2x2 Ribbed Toe-up

Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in Goth

Needles: Size 0 (2.00 mm) double-points

Made for: Myself

Notes: I love the fit of the toe-up with a flap heel! Somehow, knitting toe-up makes the project feel like it is moving along faster. Knitting with the Felici is a dream, too... it's so soft and it's fun getting to the next color. I look forward to using some more of the Felici in my stash.

FO: Grey Ribbed Socks

Ross' Grey Ribbed Socks

Pattern: Random ribbed cuff-down basic socks

Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll in Ash

Needles: Size 0 (2.00 mm) double-points

Made for: Ross

Notes: Another endless pair of giant ribbed socks for my dearest. They are obviously his favorite yet... he keeps wearing them!

Poof! Recovering...

I had a major issue with my blog. All of the posts pretty much just disappeared. I am slowly recovering them from a back-up, but I have to re-do all the pictures and videos to prevent broken links. I'll be publishing each entry as I update it, so you'll see the archives slowly expand back to what it was. It will probably take a few days... I've kept this journal since 2006!

Xander's Birthday Party

Birthday Boy!

Xander's first birthday party went very well. I was so stressed in the days beforehand... probably why I picked up the flu bug Mom and Grandma have been sick from. Not feeling well and Xander wreaking havoc made everything take twice as long as it should have, but everything was done in time for us to sit down and relax for a whole two hours before the party. I should have napped, but figured it would end up a short nap by the time I got to sleep, woke up, and got freshened up... it would just make me sleepier.

Birthday Banner

I went crazy with the decorations. I used every single balloon that we ordered... a total of almost 50! We also had a huge custom banner printed and it was hung so that it would be the first thing everyone saw when they walked in. His high chair and the big window behind it were also decked out with coordinating decor.

Balloon Bouquet

We had too much food, as always. Haha. We served chicken and dumplings (made a separate mushroom dumpling batch for Xander and I), a new barbecued beef recipe Ross tried, white and whole wheat buns, taco salad with tortilla chips, veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, celery, peppers, green onion) and dip, chips and dip, Doritos, cheese slices, cheese spread, summer sausage, crackers, peas and corn, salsa, coleslaw, tuna salad, soda, coffee, milk, beer, mixed drinks, juice, ice cream, and cake.

Birthday Cake

Xander's cake turned out okay. There was a lot of frustration and tears... I nearly tossed the whole thing in the road! Everyone said it looked great, but it was not at all how I pictured it. The idea to piece together the diamonds worked pretty well, but the unseasonably warm weather left the cake a bit melted. The base layer of icing started to come through between the diamonds. I also was shaky from lack of sleep and not feeling well, so the lines and dots came out very sloppy. I had people ask me to do cakes for them, but if I do I will need a lot more practice before I go "pro."

Opening Gifts

The toybox is overflowing and Xander's bank account has been plumped, too. He got...

• A firehouse tower and firetruck from Nana
• An umbrella stroller and books from Grandma Trinki
• Musical storybooks and college money from Grandma Kris
• A musical broom and college money from Grandpa Norm and Grandma Theresa
• A "first laptop" from Uncle Dennis, Aunt Jessie and Lincoln
• A Little people tractor from Uncle Larry, Aunt Desi and Austin
• A cute stuffed bunny and college money from Uncle Troy, Aunt Renae and Cody
• An adorable "Little Rebels" sporty jacket and pants set and college money from Uncle Bob, Aunt Dawn, Val, Kristi and Brian
• Three big boy shirts and a jingly toy from Shaun, Gretchen, Evie and Nate

Playing With Ribbon

The last of over-stuffed guests... goodie bags and doggie bags in hand... left some time after eight. It was three days before I had everything cleaned up. We still have a few leftovers. We definitely need to buy an actual toybox (currently using a sturdy basket) or get around to refinishing that chest Ross' mom gave us.

I am so not looking forward to Ross' 40th in February!

Cake Experiment: Final Attempt

Experiment Status- Mostly Successful

I decided to work on layers, fondant and decorating with the third (and probably final) practice cake.

I made a full batch of fondant this time, so that I would have enough to allow for rolling it out a little more thickly and I wouldn't be concerned about running short. The process of making the fondant went more smoothly now that I had a little experience. My only issue was being a little over generous with the confectioner's sugar on the counter... the dough got a bit tough this time.

Kneading the Dough

Dough Ball

The dyeing process was a little easier on my hands with the addition of dish washing gloves... no skin stained purple from the black dye. I do think the lack of contact with the heat from my hands helped to keep the dough from getting sticky as I worked with it. This time around, I used the lighter blue dye and just a hint of the black. The darker color is still off, but closer. The lighter color came even closer to the inspiration piece. I've been surprised by how little dye it actually takes to achieve rich color.

Light Dye

Dark Dye

I placed the cake layers in the freezer for several hours before icing them. That, combined with the advice on the Wilton cake leveler packaging, helped me to achieve a nice smooth base coat for the fondant. The cake looked good enough to eat already!

Icing in Progress

Icing Complete

Knowing that the diamond pattern is going to be my biggest challenge with the final cake, I opted to decorate this practice cake with a harlequin pattern. I used the icing spatula as a guide for cutting the squares that became the diamonds. Next time I'll use a proper ruler and a pizza cutter. In the practice cake I layered the lighter diamonds on top of the darker base. In the actual cake, I believe it will work best of I piece the diamonds together. It will allow me a little better control in keeping the diamond shapes even. I won't continue the diamonds on to the top of the final cake. Most of the top of the diamond layer will be covered by the top layer and I do not like how the diamonds had to be stretched to continue the pattern.

Solid Fondant

Adding the Diamonds

There will be dots on the top layer of the final cake and straight ribbons around the base of each layer. I decided to practice those techniques on this cake, too. It created a very fun pattern. All in all, I think the final result is a huge improvement over the first practice cake and could be considered a success.

The Final Result

Cake Experiment: Attempt Two

Experiment Status- OKAY

Sloppy Spiderweb

The second attempt at advanced cake decorating went a little better than the first. I would describe the results as "okay."

The cake itself proved to be the bigger issue on this go-round. For some reason my go-to recipe decided to be a stinker. Bits of the cake stuck in the pan. The length of time to cook seems a bit off. I've tried following the directions from the cake recipe and the directions for the six-inch pans and had different results every time.

The fondant was much easier to work with. I used the bit of light blue I had left from the first attempt. It has been stored in the refrigerator all this time. When I dusted the counter with confectioner's sugar, I was very generous. I also rolled it out using the 3/16" guide rather than the 1/16" guide. I also pre-cut the circle of fondant to size before transferring it to the cake. Had the cake itself come out as nicely as it did on the first attempt, the final results would have been near perfect.

I did a little practicing with the decorative frosting. It's been quite some time since I last used a piping bag, so it was a bit messy. It didn't help much that I had my little 11-month old "helper" hanging off of me as I worked.

The end result looks decent and was a huge leap forward fro the first result. The taste was very good. The fondant was thin enough and good-tasting enough that you hardly noticed it... no greasy, plastic flavor. The flavor of the chocolate icing base underneath stood out more, which is more than I could have asked for.

Cake Experiment: Attempt One

Experiment Status- FAIL

The Layers

The cake recipe itself turned out a bit dry compared to normal. It would have been okay if it didn't crumble at the slightest touch. I placed it in the freezer to firm it up for all of the handling that it would be getting, but the little cakes still crumbled significantly. Frosting the layers was a bit of a nightmare because of it. I just couldn't get a nice, smooth base for the fondant.

The Tinted Fondant

The fondant turned out pretty decently, but I will need to practice color combinations to get the shades of blue just right. I just have to get gloves or something to keep the dye off my hands, though. I turned them purple! I think the risk of wearing gloves for a few minutes is better than finding out what all this dye will do to them.

Rolling the fondant was difficult. Despite generous amounts of confectioners' sugar, it stuck to the counter and rolling pin. When I transferred it to the cake, it ripped. I think I will have to roll it out just a little bit thicker. I will also try adding more confectioner's sugar to the dough. Maybe chilling it longer would have helped?

 A Mess

The icing under the fondant started to melt from the weird humidity and the fondant sagged along with it. The more I worked at trying to fix it all... the worse it started to look. I wanted to cry! In the picture, you can see the chocolate icing starting to puddle from under the top layer and the spots where the fondant started to crack as it sagged. The black dye from the upper layer got all over everything. I got fingerprints all over my blue layer and there are spots of deep purple on the kitchen counter.

A Bigger Mess

In the midst of it all, Xander was screaming bloody murder. I had asked Ross to take care of him while I figured out the cakes, but he was too caught up in his game to change a diaper and feed him lunch. The frustration of the cake combined with Ross not truly helping with Xander and the stye in my eye hurting every time I blinked got me very frustrated... so I took it out on the cake. It's still edible. I just sort of "cut" it up into bite-sized pieces. Hehe.

For the record, Ross did come upstairs shortly after the cake smashing. He fed and changed Xander. He cleaned up and hand-washed all the dirty dishes. He put away the clean dishes from the dishwasher. He's also volunteered to deal with all of Xander's needs until bedtime and to cook our supper. I made dessert... it turned out smashingly. LOL

But There's Cake!

Today, well technically yesterday, was such a long day.

We were up again last night and into the morning with Xander. He woke up screaming and scratching furiously. We couldn't get him calmed down until we took him out into the living room to play with his toys. Ross and I are both starting to wonder if he's experiencing nightmares. I only wish I knew what he would be so frightened of and how to ease it. The poor kid doesn't need nightmares on top of the pain he's already in.

It was nearly 7:00am before I got him back down to sleep. Ross had gone to bed around 2:00am, so when he woke as I was coming to bed, I told him to take the monitor and let me sleep. Go figure... Xander ended up sleeping until two hours after I woke up at 10:30am!

Ross had his D&D game today, so it was just Xander and I for most of the day. I tried to keep Xander awake to shift him back to his usual schedule, but he crashed at about 6:30pm. Frankly, I was relieved. He'd been a total bear for most of the time after Ross left. I was just settling in for some knitting, after tidying the living room and kitchen, when he woke up. He only had half an hour of sleep. His mood wasn't any better after his nap... until I whipped up a couple of French fries to share with him. Apparently the mounds of food he had eaten all day were not the right foods. *sigh* He played relatively quietly until Ross got home.

After dealing with a surprise blow-out diaper moments after Ross got home (Welcome home, dear. Hehe.), I put Ross in charge of Xander. I scrubbed up and tackled the first round of test cakes. Tonight was just the baking step. I'm using my tried and true chocolate cake recipe from the side of the Hershey cocoa tin, but I had to test out cooking times for various sizes of pans. I usually bake in nine inch rounds, but I'll also be adding six in rounds and mini bundts to the roster... and I wasn't sure how long they all would need to cook. Looks like the six inch rounds take five minutes less time than the nine inch and the mini bundts I'm using for the smash cake take five minutes less than the six inch. That should be simple to remember.

I'm looking forward to practicing with fondant and decorating tomorrow. I'll try to take lots of pictures to share.

Cake Supplies

Cake Decorating Supplies

If I'm ever any good at it, let it be known that today was the day I became a cake decorator. Haha. Ross and I went and gathered all the little things I'll need to make Xander's cake for his first birthday party. For some strange reason I felt the need to tackle the challenge rather than paying someone else to make a cute cake. It was probably because I wanted something very specific (like my favorite chocolate cake recipe) and the cost could get ridiculous for something that I could do myself. At least this way I'll have the basics on hand for other events.

Party Theme

We are going with a "Lil' Rebel" theme. I want to mimic the look of the decorations. The plan is to have the top layer in black with white dots. The lower level will be the harlequin design in two shades of blue. The candle that came with the party kit looks like the pattern on the bottom. I haven't decided if I'll pipe in a line to cover the seam between layers or use a ribbon... most likely piping in a clean blue line like on the plate. I'm hoping I can find a way to mimic the wings and add Xander's name but that is probably out of my skill set for now.

CO: Gothic Ribs

The Toe

Casting on a pair of socks for myself in Knit Picks' Felici. I usually like the purl section to be smaller than the knit sections, but I don't like how the folded over part looks. So, I've decided to do a basic 2x2 ribbing on this sock.

FO: Tiger Socks

Completed Tiger Socks

Pattern: Basic toe-up size 8.5 woman's sock formula from the Sock Wizard program


Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Hand-Painted in Tiger


Needles: Size 0 (2.0 mm) circular


Ravelry: Tiger Socks project page


Made for: Me


Notes: I wish I had done the ribbing over the top of the sock too. The fit is good, but I am increasing by four stitches for my next pair for an even better fit.

FO: Packer Backer Baby Sweater

Packer Backer Baby Sweater

Between temper tantrums, dirty diapers and a cranky husband, I managed to complete Xander's Packer sweater. I used KnitPicks Shine Worsted in White, Dandelion and Arbor (discontinued) and the Candlestick pattern.. I love how soft the yarn is... it has an almost silky feel to it. I'm not very thrilled with the collar. It came out a bit boat-neck for my tastes. When I do the pattern again, I intend to make decreases to create a more snug collar. For this one, I'm going to try a bit of elastic to pull it in just a bit.

I can't wait to give it to him for his first birthday! He won't remember getting it, but this is the age when he won't mind getting it. Haha.

Raglan Sweater for Xander

More of the the same old crap lately. Xander has been cranky beyond belief and I can't find a reason. At times I think it's teething or a tummy ache or the itchy skin or all of the above, but nothing I do seems to make a difference. If we're out in public or around others he is a perfect child, but get home to just Ross and I and all Hell breaks loose!

Torso and One Sleeve

At least I'm sneaking in some knitting time... usually at the expense of my sleep schedule. I'm working on a Packer-theme sweater as a birthday gift for Xander. It's hard to believe that he'll be a year in less than three months! It is my first time doing a real raglan sweater. I have only made two sweaters before this and they were both basic baby cardigans.

Unlike the sample project, I'm doing the stripe detail on both sleeves. I'm a tad obsessive about symmetry. The collar will be green like the bulk of the sleeves. I love this type of folded hem on garments, because it's so clean and neat. I'm enjoying working in the round because it reduces a chunk of seaming. I hate seams!

At this point in the project I can already say that I will very likely use the same pattern many times. The three-month size will make a cute quick knit as a gifts for my new niece and nephew... both scheduled to arrive in November if their moms' uteri cooperate. :p

Finally Some Sleep... and FOs

It has been very stressful and hectic around home lately... yet at the same time it feels as though we're not doing anything. Not sure how that's possible!

Peek-A-Boo

Xander has finally started to sleep through the night, but at the sacrifice of anything remotely resembling a nap during the day. That wouldn't be so much of a problem, but he has also gotten even more dependent on my presence and more in need of constant interaction. Ross can't even take him for an hour or so most days because Xander cries non-stop until I come back. It has made daily chores and studying really difficult. At least he's often okay with me just sitting near him as I knit, so I am still getting some done there. Actually, I'm getting more done than ever!

Ribs and Spines Socks

First, I finished off a pair of uniquely ribbed socks, of my own design, for myself. It is a rib pattern with a "spine" of twisted stitches between every other set of purls. The yarn is a color of Gloss from KnitPicks... it's no longer available. Originally, Ross picked it out for a pair of his socks but changed his mind when he saw the color in person. I have plans to write up the pattern once I make a pair in a more pleasing color.

Starghan Version Two

I also made a "starghan" for Nevaeh out of some acrylic I found in my stash. I don't even remember buying the stuff! There were no labels on the skeins either, so I have no yarn info. Despite how it looks in the picture, the color is more of a dusty rose and a lavender. Nevaeh loved it. Mackenzie also loved it, so I somehow ended up commissioned to make three more starghans... pink and lime for Mackeanzie, pastel pink and yellow for Leila, and colors to be determined for Angel's upcoming baby.

Natural Dishcloth

I also completed yet another dishcloth. It is now among Mom's ever-growing collection. It was in the Chocolate Ombre colorway from Lily Sugar'n Cream.

Pineapple Doily

For Mother's Day, I made Mom a doily. She is constantly asking me for doilies. I had this one nearly completed when she made a comment about desperately needing a rectangular doily for her living room coffee table. *sigh* I didn't have time to make one before Mother's Day, but I did promise to make one in the near future.

Rainbow Ribs

Gretchen finally got her rainbow socks! I have only been promising her a pair for... oh... about four years now. She wanted rainbow socks and her feet are large, so I had to find the right yarn and be ready to tackle never-ending ribs. I decided to mix it up and finally learn to do toe-up. I think the results were quite beautiful. The yarn is KnitPicks Felici in Rainbow.

Knight and Sport's Socks

With all of those projects done, I started two new ones. Ross is getting another pair of his never-ending ribbed socks. This time I am making a dark grey pair and I have some yarn in navy waiting for another pair. I also decided to take Cody's constant requests for pink socks seriously... he's only been asking me every time he sees me for the past two years or so! Cody wears the same size as Ross, so I decided to break up the monotony by working his toe-up. I am already on the gusset of both their socks, so I thought it would be fun to take a picture of the two as one sock.

Well, I will try to set aside some of my knitting time to write more often again. I'm sure Xander can't object to the laptop any more than the knitting projects. He needs me to rescue him from Daddy now... or so he makes it sound from all the screaming. I shall return soon...

FO: Chevron Jewel Scarf

Chevron Jewel Scarf

Pattern: Chevron Scarf from Molecular Knitting


Yarn: Knit Picks Chroma in Roller Skate


Needles: Size 4 (3.5 mm) circular


Ravelry: Chevron Jewel project page


Made for: Still not sure. I have a lot of people begging for it. I’m rather in love with it, so if I do end up giving it away I will have to make another for myself.


Notes: I will definitely use this pattern again. It was easy to memorize and fit well into my current “knit on the fly” lifestyle. I never know when the baby will wake from his nap and I have to set my knitting aside in the middle of a row. It could easily be adapted to different yarn weights and colors… making scarves appropriate for a variety of situations. It has also inspired me to work on a scarf design of my own. I have some more Chroma in my stash that is begging to be a scarf now.

Chevron Jewel Scarf & Podster Gloves

Chevron Jewel Begun

I have a bunch of projects on the needle at the moment, but this scarf has got to be my favorite of the bunch. I was up working on it by cell phone light in the middle of the night. It’s a simple chevron pattern available from Brenda over at Molecular Knitting. I had the pattern memorized before the end of the first row. Highly recommended! The yarn is the new Knit Picks Chroma in Roller Skate. I’m already dreaming up variations and wondering what yarn to try next.

Mom's Podster

I’m also working on convertible gloves… Podster by Knitting To Stay Sane. The pattern is available as a free download on Ravelry. I’ve only made fingerless gloves before, so I was nervous about tackling this new challenge, but the pattern is written beautifully and makes the process simple. The blue-green pair for Mom is another colorway from the Chroma line.

My Podster

The pink and black pair are for myself using some SockPixie Tencel that’s been hiding in my stash for a few years now. I will probably grab more Chroma in Roller Skate to make a pair of these to go with the lovely scarf… possibly modifying it to incorporate the chevrons.

Psycho-Nesting!

I have been hard at work all day preparing for tomorrow's baby shower. Combine nesting with a party where many of the guests have not yet seen our house and you get the psycho-nester. I've been scrubbing, wiping, vacuuming, organizing, sewing and painting. I am so going to need a week-long nap when this shower is over!

I managed to get both the dresser and the curtain projects completed...

Much-Improved Dresser

Minty Curtains

Shower Invites

I really need to get to work on addressing the invitations for the baby shower. We intended to send them out early (party is in July), so that we catch people before they make other plans for the prime July weekends. I just haven't had any motivation! I look at the stack of invites that know I need to get it done... but then I find yet another way to procrastinate. You know, like writing a journal post about it!

The invites did turn out quite well, if I do say so myself. Angel sent me some sample invitations that she found and liked. There were a few that we agreed on. We started talking over how much information had to go into the invites. We both liked the invitations that had ultrasound pictures and we thought the mini-newspaper was clever. Suddenly, I was struck with inspiration. Combine all the elements and make an actual newspaper!

Front page news announced the baby and the baby's sex with a nice ultrasound picture. The second page was an "ad" for our baby shower, a Dear Baby (Abby) column, and a classified section (where I listed registries and other important info). The third page was a crossword puzzle, a word search and a scrambler. This page is serving as our door prize entry... bring it to the party completed and get into the drawing. The last page was a Top Ten list of baby songs, a recipe for babies and comics. The few invites that have already been handed out are getting rave reviews. In fact, one of Ross' friends said he couldn't give it to his wife because she'll be upset that ours is so elaborate compared to hers!