Almost Gone

Christmas was lovely at the Brandel homestead. There were plenty of goodies, a delicious meal, lots of laughs, and handknits for all. Almost. Mother's mittens didn't quite make it to the finish line, but I gave them to her today and she was thrilled. They are the same pattern I used for Jonathan and Andrew's mittens.

It is almost difficult to believe that this year is nearly over. In just a few days, we will flip the calendars over to January, drink a few glasses of cider, share some memories and poof! the next thing we know, it's 2013 and that really boggles my mind.

I Should Be Knitting

I'm sitting here on our little sofa before leaving for service. The tree has the lights hanging and will be decorated this afternoon, the presents (mostly) are wrapped and under the tree, and I have read through the latest posting on the Yarn Harlot's blog. This will be a good day. There will be tree-trimming, baking, a trip to the Grotto this evening, and of course tea and knitting. I should be knitting right now. There is a pair of socks that need finishing. Two pairs actually, but let's not think about the numbers here...

May you all be well and blessed this Sunday afternoon.

Happy Birthday :)

On Sunday, my eldest brother Jonathan, will be heading up to Seattle, Washington to celebrate his birthday. I promised him (several months ago...) that I would knit him up a pair of finger-less gloves. I found this little number:

Mitt Envy is the name of the pattern.
Soles and More is the name of the yarn

I placed the finished result over a pair of inexpensive commercial black gloves and just cut the tips off. They should keep him nice and cozy during his trip up north. I have made several pairs of these and as I'm typing, my fingers are freezing. Time to make myself a pair...

Jonathan, on the off chance you just might have taken an interest in my knitting life and you are reading this blog, I love you and hope you have a lovely trip.

Later

Earlier I posted about a certain shawl that I really wanted to finish. However, the mistakes made were really messing the whole thing up and so, of course, it was (once again) ripped out and rolled back into a neat little ball. I was quite irritated that once again this damn pattern had kicked my butt and then the phone rang.

My mother phoned in an absolute panic inquiring of the whereabouts of my brother. When she had sort of calmed down I learned that there had been a shooting at the local mall and she was worried that he might be there doing his Christmas shopping. After a few minutes of phone calls and texts it was discovered that my brother was safe at home.

The knitting problems were very quickly reduced to the size of peas as I silently sent a prayer of thanks that my family was safe. This traumatic event that left three people dead (including the gunman) and others wounded and terrified reminded me (however painfully) that sometimes, my perspective needs a little adjusting to the world around me.

I will still knit, but as I watch the news reports, my prayers will be going out to the families and friends for those that were lost, wounded, or were simply a witness to what happened.

Does This Every Happen to You?

Today has been a good day. The dishes are washing, the laundary is done, dinner is semi-planned, and now it's time to knit. I have been working on this beautiful shawl pattern in a beautiful yarn and quite frankly, am very anxious to finish it. It has not been a difficult pattern, just a difficult knitter. I have tried this pattern many times before without success and I want very badly to create the final product. It has been ripped back, tinked, cursed out, cried over and re-knit so many times, it's a wonder the yarn is still workable.

My desire to finish the shawl without it looking like a total piece of crap is right up there with wanting to learn how to make a decent tuna casserole that won't make somebody sick. I really want it.

So, here I sit. Knitting, crying, and tinking becuase quite frankly, I have no idea how it's going to look when it's done. Things have been fudged a little to (hopefully) cover up the mistake that I know is hidden there (and I know that I am the only one that knows of it's existence), but still, it's frustrating. More so, it's frustrating that I'm crying over something that to the average, non-knitting souls would seem quite ridiculous. They are simply a group of people that will never be able to fully understand the perils of being a knitter.

On a lighter note, and possibly to make myself feel like I'm not at a total loss, there is a package under the tree that looks (and feels*) a lot like new yarn. I hope so...

*It is not considered snooping under the tree if one just so happens to be watering the conifer and just so happens to gently nudge a certain package with her hand while closely examining the wrapping paper to see that the husband did a proper job of covering all holes with tape. For the record, he did.

Amazing

Every now and then, someone incredibly special comes into our lives and maybe, just maybe, we fall in love. Alex and I became friends in highschool, dated for a few years, and have just recently celebrated our first wedding anniversary. He is such an amazing man. Last night he came home from work with a big smile on his face and I found out that really, he was just excited that we would be having the next day (today) off from work.

So, he made plans; we would be getting our tree and then we would eat someplace special (I made him keep that a secret, because he had some surprises in mind), and then later, we would come home and decorate together. That was the plan.

I seem to have some yucky stomach bug and the pains are most uncomfortable. We postponed our lunch and Alex put up the tree and did the laundary for me. When he came home from doing the laundary, he brought me green and red Jell-O and informed me that it was both "Weight Watcher approved and sugar free". He's so wonderful and an amazing provider. I may need to make another pair of socks for him just to show my deep gratitude...

In other news, I have pictures of Saroyan. I'm very pleased with how it turned out and I'm very much looking forward to gifting it this Christmas.

Another One Down

I have finished Saroyan and it is lovely. I will post pictures after I have washed and blocked it. This project started out as yarn gifted to me last Christmas by Alex but it took me several attempts at other projects until I decided that it was meant to be stitched up into something simple yet elegant. This lovely little goody will go to a friend as her Christmas gift. The yarn is Shimmer by Red Heart in the color Royal.. I haven't shared the best news yet- there is still enough yarn to make myself something. I'm just not sure what that will be yet...

Such a Waste

Some companies are nice enough to show that they appreciate their employees. There are even some that go so far as to bestow gifts such as food items.  This is my first year working at The Springs and I have discovered that they give each employee one Costco pie (their choice of apple or pumpkin). I do love pumpkin so that is what is now sitting in the refrigerator. There are only two of us and until tonight, there has only been 1/4 eaten. I got the pie last week and there is no way it's going to get finished before spoilage sets in.

So, when I came home tonight from work my dinner was another quarter of the pie with whipped cream piled high. They are really big pies so this was a giant piece. I just couldn't stand to see such a delightful goody go to waste. But, I still couldn't finish. 

This makes me think of knitting. I purchase the materials for a project that maybe is too much, but I don't care, because I just know that it's going to be a treat to stitch up. I then become overwhelmed with the whole shebang but still press forward because it's so good. I keep going until I'm sick and just can't finish.

The nice thing about knitting is that I can just rip out the yarn and start something less overwhelming. Eating doesn't work that way. I'm still left feeling guilty and having just gained a few more ounces...

The Morning After

Yesterday my family celebrated what we are thankful for in a very simple and quiet manner.

We made a trip to the grocery store to get ourselves some coffee (it was going to be a long day, and we needed fuel...) and lunch. Our family has had a lovely time the last couple of days. Andrew (my youngest brother) is home from Seattle until Sunday, and we have been catching up on his life. The rest of the family arrived a little later. 

Cousin Jeanne brought her famous snickerdoodles (and old family recipe), Grandma brought an applesauce mixed with quince (very yummy) and my mother baked the turkey and made the sweet potatoes.

It was terrific. When supper was through and we had finished dessert, we played a board game and had such a great time visiting. Here's a few pictures. 

This really has nothing to do with anything- but I got hungry before supper and this was how the banana peeled...see the heart?

This is the applesauce Grandmas brought.

And here's Grandma :)

One of my favorite things about family gatherings (especially at the holidays), is the sharing of old family recipes, memories, love, and enjoying each other's company. I'm looking forward to having children someday to pass down our past traditions and creating new ones. 

The one thing about Thanksgiving? Christmas is only one month away, and when I break that down into days (32) and weeks (about 4 1/2), I get a little twitchy; the knitting isn't quite done yet...

Give Thanks

Good morning my dear knitting friends. In just a few days many of us will be celebrating Thanksgiving. Traditionally that means snarfing down as much turkey, sweet potatoes, gravy and pie as one's belly will allow. If you are the type to indulge in such a display of gluttony as mentioned above, I do encourage you to just take a moment and remember to give thanks for what you have; great food aside.

Here's my list of what I am thankful for. These are just a few things, but they are the most important to me.

Thankful For:

1. A loving God that continually forgives, loves, and shows his grace to us

2. An incredible husband who loves me and my quirks (and accepts the knitting stash)

3. Family and friends that are so supportive and encouraging

4. Knitting

Whatever you do this Thursday and wherever you go, may you be well and be blessed. Safe travels and Happy Thanksgiving.

P.S.- don't forget the knitting. If you will be spending the holiday with difficult relatives this will help you keep from saying something you may (or may not) regret later.

P.P.S- Have a piece of pie for me. I've consumed far to many holiday goodies lately, and really should limit my intake...

P.P.P.S- Scratch that. I want my pie.

Cheers!

Yesterrday

Every now and then I have a day off when I don't do anything but relax and have fun. A day when I don't have to worry about the laundry because it's all caught up, and I actually know what I'm cooking for supper. Yesterday was one of those days. I spent the day with my mother-in-law. We went to a holiday bazaar and then home to bake cheesecakes and stuffed mushrooms.  After that, we went out and saw a play. One of the local highschools was putting on a musical of The Secret Garden. Later I made bean soup and took a hot shower. A good day indeed. The Christmas knits are coming along. There is only another month to finish...

Good Morning

Good morning my friends! I hope you are all enjoying this truly beautiful morning (if you are living in the Portland-Metro area anyway). It is sunny and unusually warm for a November day in the Northwest. I have just taken out a pan of freshly baked Banana-Oat Muffins. They are delicious and you can find the recipe here: http://travisjessjones.blogspot.com/2012/03/banana-oatmeal-muffins.html

My morning mug of tea is Wild Raspberry-Hibiscus and is just wonderful. I'll be knitting soon but I wanted to pop on here first to post some pictures from the last few weeks.

My mother-in-law, Julie and I baked homemade cinnamon rolls. They were delicious and were the perfect treat to kick off the holiday season.

This is my Godfather Butch. He has his heart set on getting himself a cowboy hat but has yet to convince anyone that he doesn't look a bit goofy in one...

This is Mike. He's one of the therapy dogs at work. The residents love him! 

These are the muffins. I plan to take them to work tonight to share.

I saved one for me first.

I hope that you all have a terrific day. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Whether you celebrate it or not, may you all be well, blessed and thankful for what you have.

Cheers!

Four More Years

Good morning knitters. It's a beautiful day- the sun is shining, the birds are singing, squirrels are scampering about...despite these things, however, I woke up a little cranky. Last night, President Barack Obama was reelected to serve four more years. While I am not a fan of him or his administration, I have decided to hunker down and ride this out. So, knitting in hand and a hot cup of tea by my side (I have found this is a good solution to many problems...), I will wait. Four more years. Imaging all the lovely projects I could start...

Have You Voted?

Good morning my knitting friends! I do hope you all remembered to set back your clocks one hour last night. This coming Tuesday (November 6th) is a very important day. This is the day when the US finds out who their leader will be for the next four years. To be quite honest, I really am not into politics- the bickering, slandering, and promises to do the impossible just annoy me. However, I do believe voting is important. So, I hope that regardless of what party you affiliate yourself and whether you agree with the issues that have been presented and discussed these last several months, I do encourage you to please vote.

Whether you believe your vote will matter or make much difference, it is important. Just promise that if the candidate you are rooting for does not win you will not succumb to a plot of anarchy. Sit quietly and knit a few rows and think about all the things you will do when you become one of the world's most important leaders and have all those responsibilities to handle.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween my spooky knitters. I'm sure that tonight, many of you are planning to stay at home where it's nice and cozy while you knit on something fabulous. Or perhaps you will succumb to popular convention and go trick-or-treating. I do wish you all a happy day/night in whatever you choose to do. Stay warm and be safe. I'll post more on my projects later.

Slowly Oh So Slowly

Good morning my knitting friends! I've been away for a few days; not doing anything too special, just working on the Christmas knits and puttering about. I have finished one half of my younger brother's gift (I feel comfortable posting this because my brother, Andrew, is very un-interested in anything related to wool...)

I have a small handful of people left to knit for. There are a few non-Christmas gifts that need finishing too, but those will come in time. I'm the type of knitter that must have more than one, but no less than twelve projects going at once. It keeps things interesting that way.

I've been making homemade bread- really yummy!

We picked out our pumpkins (mine is the smaller of the two)

I think here, we may have had a disagreement over something, possibly the knitting. 

Then we started carving

Then we showed off our carved jack-o-lanterns :)

I also made these for my mother- White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies (her favorite)

This may be why I don't get as much knitting done as I want to; I'm always baking something...the option to clone myself would be a tremendous help, but there are a good number of people out there that share the opinion that the world just isn't ready for another me....

A Very Happy Birthday

Today, I finished the sweater. For the first one, I'm very proud of how it turned out. Alex is very happy :)

This is what the sweater looked like last night- one sleeve left and the collar

I'm pretty sure that he's looking around to make sure that there isn't anyone watching...

Doesn't he look so dreamy? 

I would like to note that I already have the next sweater pattern picked out: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/february-lady-sweater

And the yarn: http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Swish_DK_Yarn__D5420168.html (The color I'm going to use is "Rouge")

Interestingly, my birthday is in February. I promised Alex I wouldn't buy any more yarn until January. That means that at 12:01am January 1, 2013 I will hit the "send" button and place a small crater dent in the checking account. I'm lobbying for a new set of needles from Knit-Picks too, but I better not get my hopes to high...

Good Morning Thursday

Tomorrow is Alex's birthday and the sweater is still in progress. The second sleeve needs shaping and then the collar. I'm going to try really hard to finish it today. It may or may not get washed first, but we'll see. I'm feeling ambitious today...There is pumpkin bread in the oven, plain bread rising, fresh-picked dahlias from a local farmer's market brightening up our little abode, and the sun is shining through the front window.

I should be knitting right now, but it's been a while since I've posted anything and I was starting to miss it. Last Sunday, my brother's girlfriend and I spent some time bonding. We spent the afternoon as mall rats and stopped by her apartment for a tour. It's cute- decked out in all things hockey. Three was also this little sentiment left by my brother:

They are an adorable couple :)

Stews and Sweaters

I made stew today. Delicious, beef stew with chunky vegetables, herbs and spices. I put everything in the crockpot this afternoon and when I got home this evening, I was greeted with the wonderful aroma of a meal that did not take hours of work to prepare. I have included the recipe here just in case any of you out there would like to try it out. The lovely thing about the crockpot? There's more time to knit...

Beef Stew

*For my vegetarian buddies out there, this recipe can very easily be changed to leave out the beef and use vegetable broth instead.

-2lbs pre-cubed stew meat (really, any meat you want to use would work, although it may affect the cooking times slightly)

-2 med/large potatoes (I think I picked up Russet, but red or Yukon golds are also wonderful)

-1/2 pkg. baby carrots

-1 bunch celery

-1 med/large yellow onion

-1 can diced tomatoes (no added salt)

-5 large mushrooms (I used white mushrooms)

-2 or 3 pieces of garlic

-1 small can of tomato paste

-black pepper and sea salt to taste

-rosemary, thyme, paprika, parsley (I used about 1/2 tsp of all except the paprika, that was closer to about a tablespoon)

-4 cups of low-sodium beef broth

Prepare: chop the vegetables and garlic (I like chunky stews, so I left them sort of big). Layer all the ingredients in order they are listed into the crockpot, starting with the meat on the bottom. Mix the broth, tomato paste, spices, herbs, and garlic together and pour over the other ingredients.

Cook the stew for 8-9 hours on low. Enjoy!




I was grocery shopping yesterday and there was a big truck unloading big pallets of pumpkins. Oh I love October. It's officially pumpkin season!

They had these gigantic pumpkins too. The price by the way is per gourd, not per pound. A wee bit out of my price range. Also, I don't have a cart large enough to walk the beast home in...

I'm working on Alex's sweater now. Pictures will follow soon, but here's a preview there is one sleeve and the collar left to finish.... :)

These are old photos, the one sleeve is done now....

Beautiful

There are many a reason I love and adore my husband, but at the top of the list is how genuine and honest he is. He can tell me with a straight face that my new jeans do not at all make my butt look big and mean every word. He can swallow down my tuna casserole and give me suggestions on how to make it better without making me cry. And, he can tell me that I look beautiful when I haven't shaved my legs in two weeks, my hair is a mess and all I'm wearing is a bathrobe, and I know that I am the only woman in the world for him.

For the last several days I have had to wear a gauze pad under my nose to keep from bleeding all over the place. As I was getting dressed this morning, (my legs unshaven and hair a mess), Alex wrapped his arms around my waist, looked into my eyes and said, "I know you don't feel beautiful now, but you are." That made my day. I love you Sunshine!

Recovery

Today I had a very common operation performed; my adenoids were removed from my nose. They have been quite swollen for a long time and I had finally had enough. Now, I have two weeks off from work to recover and you know what that means- knit, knit, knit.

The sweater is looking great- the bottom ribbing is coming along well and I'm hoping to possibly start the sleeves tomorrow. We shall see- they have me on a delightful little pain pill that may yield some interesting results. Perhaps I should consider working on something where a bit of mangling could be fairly easily disguised, like my brother's birthday scarf (October 9)...

Because of where the surgery was done, everything from the chin up hurts; something akin to sticking my head in a vice and swallowing razor blades....Now, pardon me, it's time for another (ick) pill. I should note that there are a few things in this world that I truly dislike: shots and taking medicine are two of them.

Good night dear knitting buddies. I'll keep you all posted on the sweater :)

Sweater Pattern

A fellow knitter was kind enough to mention that I did not give the pattern for the sweater I'm making for Alex. Here you go :)

It's a free Ravelry.com download.

http://www.abc-knitting-patterns.com/1174.html

The First Day

I realize that according to the calendar, the first day of Fall has already arrived, but I just don't quite feel it entirely yet. The mornings and evenings are certainly cooler, and the pumpkins and seasonal squash are all over the farmers markets, and the leaves are starting to turn, but there is something that just seems to be missing. It's been lovely  having all this gorgeous sunshine into October, because I know that eventually, we will be spending the next 6 months (at least) with gray skies and rain boots. Not that I don't love the sunshine, but it's sort of difficult to hunker down with a bowl of homemade soup and some tea when it's still 72-degrees outside....

At any rate, welcome October. I love this month. Everything is starting to change and the colors of the trees are so inspiring that I could see myself wrapped in something cozy and knitted that reflect the shades of red, orange, gold and bronze that surround me. Maybe if I buy some wool in this sort of colorway and start knitting something, Fall will come a little sooner...Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go find the checkbook.

Oh Happy Day!

This is indeed a very exciting day in my little world- today, we got connected to the Internet. This means no more having to try to hack into borrow the neighbor's Wi-Fi. They just left a few minutes ago. The Comcast guy was quite nice, and he shares the same name as my grandfather, so surely he's an honest guy, right? At any rate, thank you William. Now I can blog more regularly and look up new patterns and recipes and oh! The possibilities are endless. I should knit him a pair socks....

Speaking of knittting (what else?)- I have started the bottom ribbing of Alex's sweater and the sleeves are next. There are 17 days left. His birthday is actually on the 19th of October but I am allowing a couple of extra days to make sure there is time to properly wash, block, and adore the gift before wrapping it....

A Good Thing

Yesterday I had the opportunity to walk with thousands of people to support continuing research for Alzheimers. I am a caregiver for The Springs at Clackamas Woods and was proud to walk with our team of staff and residents. It was amazing. The Alzheimers Foundation of America provides this definition of the disease: "a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain's nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes."

It is heartbreaking to watch a loved one lose their life to Alzheimers. It is not something that is currently curable, but can be managed with patience, love and dignity. I work in the memory care section of our facility and it is one of the most rewarding things I have had the pleasure to be a part of.

Here are some pictures :)

There were people walking for loved ones, or favorite residents they care for

I lost both my grandparents to the disease- I walked for them

This was our team name

Many a sign was carried to show support

The residents that have been affected by Alzheimers and cannot walk were along the side of the track cheering us on

Gabby is our photographer :)

The finishing line was amazing- I had goosebumps the whole walk from the love and support

Of course I knitted on the bus to and from...

This is only part of our team...

I so want to do this again!

Stripes!

Good morning my friends! Yesterday was another fun adventure with Barbara. We had lunch at a cute little Mexican resteruant and of course, I had the sweater with me.  

I knit in the car. The idea was to start and finish the collar so it wouldn't need to be done when the entire sweater was done.

I knit at the resteruant while we waited for our food.  After finishing the collar, I realized that there was no way it was going to fit over a grown man's noggin and ripped it out. The chips and salsa calmed me some as I had this revelation...

And now, we have stripes!

It's a bit difficult to see in the pictures, but the first part of the stripe patterns is a slightly darker shade of green than the main color of the body. I'm very happy with how it's turning out so far. The projects I'm neglecting to work on this one are not too thrilled, but nobody asked them...