A little bit of finishing

Today I managed to finish one of Benny's legs for the mystery knit along.

I'm pretty excited because it involved some sock construction techniques that I had only done once before on the knitted lion. I do find it a bit strange that I've turned a heel twice now, yet have never done it on an actual sock. I'll just call it practice. Ahem, anyway it's not nearly as intimidating as I thought. As long as I trust the instruction it's like magic! I only ended up with one teeny hole. I think the second foot will go quicker and then I can move on to clues 3 and 4. With any luck I'll only finish a week or two late.

My other finished project this week was the tutu. As I promised on Wednesday, here is a picture.

It was so easy - the only sewing involved was sewing the elastic together. The tulle is just tied on. My niece (and sister) will love it!

For more finished objects check out Tami's Amis!

 

WIP Wednesday (aka I'm really behind)

It's time for another WIP Wednesday. I can't believe it's Wednesday again already. I'm still working on the mystery knit a long. Well it's not really a mystery anymore. The final clue was released this week. Unfortunately for me I'm only on clue 2 of 4.

This is Benny's leg (sort of). I still have a lot to knit on it plus I need to do the second one. So I've actually managed to get even farther behind. Oh well, I'm just going to keep plugging away. I should finish him in the next couple of weeks.

I did, however, make progress on another (non knitting) project. I'm making a tutu for my niece and her doll for her birthday. This weekend I finished hers so I just need to do the doll's. I'll try and post pictures this week.

I also managed to squeeze a small update to the look of my blog. I added social media icons. I found a great tutorial here. You can check them out in the upper right hand corner. I love them!

For other amazing WIPs check out Tami's Amis.

 

WIP Wednesday

It's Wednesday so it's time for another work in progress update. I'm still plugging away on the mystery knit a long. I did manage to get the body finished before clue number 2 was released, but now I've fallen so far behind. Last week was the week to knit the limbs and I just did not have the time to dedicate to the project.

As you can see there is only one arm there. I'm about 20 rows into the other arm, with the feet still left too. On top of that I still have the head to complete. I think part of the reason I got behind was I kept screwing up. First I joined backwards and when I went to fix it I twisted myself up so badly it wasn't worth tinking. The next time I managed to completely pull it off the needles when I was abou ten rows in. I really hope the third time is the charm so I can catch back up.

For other works in progress check out Tami's Amis.

 

Things I learned this weekend

• It is possible to live on the surface of the sun. Oh wait it's just Phoenix in June.

• Two year olds are very dramatic. This weekend J told me "Mommy, I'm melting"
• Never try out a new recipe for the first time the day before you would like to give the results to somebody, especially if it is a recipe from your own head and not something others have tried before.
• Related to that, never try a new recipe at midnight after everyone is asleep. It's a given the smoke alarm will go off.
• Marshmallows burn really quickly if you use the broil setting on the oven (we're talking less than 30 seconds)
• If you decide to make something different the next morning you will realize you are out of a key ingredient about halfway through the cooking process. This will also occur after your husband goes to the grocery store and asks if you need anything.
• If you tell your five year old before his first basketball game that his team name is the Tigers, he will growl at his opponents.

• Based on the amount of flopping and traveling that C committed in the game, he may have a future in the NBA. However if they consider things like passing, dribbling or shooting, then I would consider it a long shot.

 

Bruschetta for one

My basil, shockingly, has been growing well. Between the sickening heat and my typical black thumb I'm really shocked I'm still talking about it in June. I did think I was going to lose the plant in late May when we had a couple of 110 degree days. But a good watering and they sprang back to life. I totally recommend basil for newbie gardeners.

This, however, has left me with the problem of what to do with it. I went for the obvious recipe the first time picked some leaves and made pesto. This time I went for another obvious recipe and decided to make bruschetta. The only problem is I'm the only one in the family who likes tomatoes. Many recipes serve 4-8 people so I decided to wing it and come up with my own. The great thing about bruschetta is the flexibility of the recipe. Like basil? Add extra. A big garlic fan? Throw in an extra clove. Here's my version:

Serves 1 (or 2)

• 1 ripe tomato
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
• Squirt of lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Serve over toasted bread.

 

Linked to i heart Naptime and It's Overflowing

 

Another Mystery KAL

Last year I joined a mystery knit-a-long as part of the Knitted Toys group on Ravelry. It was my first KAL. I had a lot of fun (even if the monkey I made looks like it is trying to kiss someone!) so I joined the one they are having his year.

The first clue was released Monday but I haven't made much progress on it yet. Hopefully I have time for clue 1 this weekend before clue 2 comes out next week.

Unfortunately this means the socks are hibernating. I think with the exception of 2 pairs of straight 6s, I only have one pair of each size of needles. I'm sure as I get more practice, I'll end up with more needles. But for now the socks must wait!

For more Wednesday Works in progress, check out Tami's Amis.

 

FO Friday

It's Friday and it's time for a finished object. This week I finished up the lion I was working on. What a quick knit! It took me less than two weeks and that's pretty fast for me since I don't have a lot of time to devote to knitting.

There were parts of it that were a bit challenging. Originally when I sewed on the mane it looked less like a mane and more like a clown's collar. I was much happier when I redid it. This was also my first experience with short rows too. They weren't nearly as bad as I thought they would be. Plus I got to check something off my 2012 Resolutions list!

I gave this to a coworker for her daughter and she totally loved it!

For more finished objects check out Tami's Amis!