crafty shtuff: brioche stitch

Having the month of January off from the spa has allowed me the time to sit on my new sofa and knit. Today I have tackled the brioche knit stitch with my favorite New Stitch A Day gent! I love this guy, he has the most soothing voice whilst explaining each step. I could listen to War & Peace all the way through if he read it to me, seriously.

Any Who.... The Brioche stitch has been all the rage with cowl's, scarves and hats from boutiques to Target this season. And why buy it when you can make it yourself, right?! If you've ever experienced the satisfaction of someone saying "You made that?! Wow!" then you get me. If not, too bad for you 'cuz it feels awesome!

I decided on a cowl as it will not be another scarf, I've knit a lot of those. Though one can never have too many scarves during a Northwest winter, I say. And Yes, I know that a cowl is just a scarf in the round. 

Totally digging the fluffiness of this stitch!

I'm using Burly Spun wool yarn in Tormented Teal. What a great color name. 

Rows & Rows of Tormented Teal Brioche, yum!

I never knit alone.... And quite often in my Jammies!

It was so much fun to knit I have already finished two!

Tormented Teal finished & buttoned

Black with a handmade star button from a local artist.

A special thanks to my models faux taxadermy 1 & 2! You both rocked the photo shoot.

allium free soup stock

With the coldest months here in the Northwest upon us there is nothing more satisfying as a bowl o' soup! But lingering in all soups is my allium nemeses, grrrrr! 

All soup stocks start with the "golden trio" of mirepoix: Celery, Carrots and Onion. Even meat stocks use this veggie combo. My chef friend Frenchie helped me out by suggesting to use turnips instead of the onions. I've never eaten a turnip in my life! I learned it is a bit like a spicy potato and I like it! I took his advice and got the ingredients for making my own stock to be able to create belly-ache free soups for myself. 

Did I mention I've never done this before? I followed a basic recipe from the cookbook The Homemade Pantry (I love this cookbook). 

Choppin'!

I added some ginger and tomatoes for extra flavor.

Simmering the allium free mirepoix, H2O, peppercorns, herbs & spices for hours. 

Lovely golden stock! You can even add the pre-cooked veggies to your soup.

My father had the great idea to use more ginger in my cooking. It was a good idea too! It gave my soup stock a lil' kick. I've also kicked it up more with a jalapeno as well.

I've used this new stock making knowledge to make many hearty soups. My father even liked my lentil ham soup I concocted! He is the pickiest eater I know.

moving mayhem continued... a place to myself

Those who know me have seen my track record of failed housemate situations. Well... here is another to add to the list!  I tried to be patient with another human beings crap so I could reduce my rent but there is a point when someones crap is not worth any dollar amount. So in December I asked him to find somewhere he and all of his crap would fit. It was a hassle, a headache, I'm now broke, but gosh darn it I'm SO much happier. 

When he moved out I was left with a wide open uncluttered space and no couch. oops! Lucky for me my friend Libby was looking to get rid of a futon. Even luckier, it was cute!

Doris likes it already!

Assembly commencing in comfort of slippers and sunshine.

Starting to resemble a piece o' furniture

I now have a proper living room, hooray!

I'm sure someday I will do something silly like fall in love and I will have to share a space, but until then...

Living alone is for me. Alone, if you don't count the cats that is.

kitty shenanigan's: oh Doris.....

My darling Doris is a smidgen daft and truly silly. She fills my days with WTF's and giggles. She makes me very happy & sometimes frustrated, as she is NO angel.  Luckily for her the laughs out weigh the hair pulling. So I've let her stay. 

Chillin' watching some Hulu on the computer

I caught her doing some knitting pattern reading the other night.

My bag!

Snug as a bug in a Rug

Shower time... I think she misses having a bathtub ledge to sit on. 

Another rough day I'm sure...

My favorite time of day with Doris is when we go to bed and read. She hops on the bed and snuggles into the crook of my elbow contently purring and sighing with every turned page of my book that jostles her coziness. 

sshhhhhhh..... silent sundays: frosted

pretty in pink

Not only is Pretty in Pink one of my all time favorite John Hugh's films but it seems to be a theme following me around lately. Everywhere I look I see pink!

Pink heart at the library.

My Pink striped popcorn bowl.

Pink elf hat project.

Pink dress on the cover of my current novel.

Neighbors Pink mailbox.

Pink prawns tell me what day it is.

Pink (hot pink) float tells me I'm home!

Pink rubbish bin keepin' it clean. Woot woot.

Pink gloves washing Pink kitchen necessities. Of course the wine glass is a necessity!

Pink (OK, magenta) knit purses I'm finishing.

As I finish this post I'm watching the contestants of The Biggest Loser wade through pink bubblegum pits during their challenge. 

crafty shtuff: big lacy scarf

Thursday's at 6pm I go to Island Wools for knit night with the girls (no gents yet). I admit I spend most of the time chatting and recounting where I'm at in my pattern due to the chatting & joking about balls. No knit night is complete without a few ball jokes! I digress... This week I finally learned what a yarn over (yo) is. I know, I know... It was so easy. This simple action of putting my working yarn over the right needle has opened doors to patterns I didn't think I could do as a novice knitter. Enter the Big Lace Scarf pattern from More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. 

Pattern, yarn, needles, & trusty sleeping sidekick.

Holy poodles! It looks like the picture!

It's DONE!!!! I did it!

Oh it's so cozy!

This scarf is in the 2-4 hour projects of the book. I think I was closer to the 4hr mark though I'm not sure since I don't knit in one sitting. I get easily distracted with FB games, cooking, and playing soccer with Mr. Rufus the neighbor's dog.

happy belated new year!

During an ichat on Thursday my darling friend Jen informed me I needed to update my blog. Thanks Jen... At least I know someone is reading it besides my mother. 

I had so many festive happenings that I had every intention of blogging about. Although I fear sounding like my mother, where did the time go?! Now here I sit with the calendar telling me it's the 12th of January 2013. WTF?! By the way it is a most fabulous new calendar I got for Christmas from my funny knitting guru Janet, Tasty Treats to Knit. 

By far the silliest calendar I've ever hung!

Most of the blogs I follow have done there new years "reso's" but I'm not. I plan to just keep on chugging along with my new year round island life whilst saving for, fingers crossed still, shoe school in London. I have lot's o' crafting, cooking, hiking, debt reducing, kitty mayhem, knitting and fabulous friends to keep my new year filled without making resolutions. 

I hope your 2013 is going swimmingly as well!