summer beach wear – tank top & floppy hat!

June 16, 2016 by 7 Comments

Hello everyone!  Seems like it’s been a while, but I was on vacation in Pensacola, FL and didn’t do much at all (and it was so nice)!  There are a couple of FOs I have to share with you; first up are the Fun Shine Sun Hat (a paid crochet pattern that features a thin wire that runs through the last row of sc stitches to add some stability to the brim) & the Split Back Tank (a free knitting pattern that works up quick & is nice & breezy):

fun shine sun hat & split back tank

The Fun Shine Sun Hat won out over the Floppy Brimmed Victoria Hat, which I also made; the Victoria hat wouldn’t quite stay in the desired shape & was also thicker (read: warmer) because it uses 2 yarns at once so I tried the Fun Shine hat & loved it.  For the hat I used Lily Sugar & Cream Super Size in Ecru (worsted, 100% cotton); I haven’t measured how much yarn I used yet but it was a good bit since I added some rows (see here for the specific pattern mods I made).

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The Split Back Tank is the first knitted garment (not accessory) that I’ve ever completed, and I love it!  It works up big using fingering weight yarn (I used the suggested Lindy Chain from Knit Picks, a linen/cotton blend) and US 9 needles (5.5 mm), but it shrinks when you wash and dry it in the machine (which it’s supposed to do).  It’s worked flat since the back is split all the way up, and it’s connected/finished off with a row of sc around the arm holes & the neck; mine’s not the finest because I haven’t really practiced crocheting into the sides of curved knitted items and thus some holes appeared, lending a sloppy appearance when viewed close up.  It fits great though and is comfy, despite the rather rough feel of the linen while knitting.

I’ve still got plenty of WIPs but no significant progress has been made to warrant update photos; hopefully I’ll get busy this week (my brain still feels like it’s gone, in one way or another).

That’s all for today then, thanks for stopping by!  See you soon!

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mmmeeeeeeeehhhhhhh…

July 4, 2015 by 19 Comments

I’m sick.  I think it’s allergies.  My brain is all foggy from multiple medications.  I can’t muster up the energy to to serenely work on my Citrus blanket or my garter stitch blanket; all I can do is stare at them (and I wouldn’t want them to get covered in snot, anyway):

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I’m also staring at the TV while Chris plays a game, Kleenex in close reach:

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Might try to take a nap and sleep this off, but it’s kinda hard to fall asleep when your head feels like a mysteriously heavy balloon (super uncomfortable).

In other news, Chris, Mom and I are making progress with wedding plans.  It’s for realsies like 3 1/2 months away, so it’s way past time to get busy!

Also, coming up on Friday are our yearly staff evaluations at work, and I’m nervous.  The executive director of our organization is going to be there this year, and even though she’s super sweet, it’ll be a bit intimidating; I feel like I’ve worked hard this year and I want my boss and the executive director to think so, too.

As far as the summer goes, last week had temperature highs in the 100s, but this week it’s cooler — the highs are mid 90s.  Is that bad when mid 90s feel cool?  We’ve had lots of strong late afternoon/evening storms, too (typical for summers here):

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That’s out our front window.  My car says hi.

Well that’s all for today.  Hopefully I’ll get back to crafting when I’ve stopped being sick.  See you soon (and happy 4th of July)!

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row counter ring and a summer update

July 1, 2014 by 8 Comments

Have you seen the beautiful row counter rings handmade by Kristan MacIntyre?  I ordered one and received it in the mail yesterday:

row counter ring

How cool is that?  It’s made from sterling silver and can be made in your specific size.  Mine is the stamped version in size 5 but you can get the numbers hand engraved and you can also get rubies added.

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There’s a little notch that you can’t see in these pictures because the ring is rotated on my finger, but the notch indicates where you are, so you align your current numbers with it.  I like to keep that notch on the side of my finger so that I can see it really easily when I’m knitting/crocheting.

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Isn’t is pretty?  One of my favorite things about this ring is that it is an actual piece of jewelry, not just some brightly colored piece of plastic that you wouldn’t want to wear out in public.

Price range depends on whether you get the stamped or hand engraved version and whether or not you choose to get the rubies added.  You can head over to Kristan’s website here to view the options for yourself, and check out her other knitting related jewelry! She has some beautiful shawl pins, a really cool needle sizing pendant, and more! I’m eyeing that pendant…

So, for the summer update bit.  I’m happily enjoying this whole week off of work for the 4th of July holiday. I was getting a bit burned out at work, to tell the truth, so this was a great time for a little vacation! My boyfriend Chris is working all week, so we can’t actually go anywhere, but I don’t mind staying at home one bit. It’s great just spending time with him and the dog and doing lots of eating and sleeping and movie watching (and not much else)!

And speaking of home, I have some flowers on my front stoop now that my parents got for me:

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Aren’t they pretty?  That last one is actually a citronella plant to keep mosquitos away (after all we do live in a very humid climate and our location is right by a river). There’s actually a 4th plant, too, but it’s looking very sad. I think it got too much sun so I moved it to the shade, but it might be too late. Well, with my horrible gardening skills, I’m actually pretty pleased that only one plant is looking bad and not more!

You can see our dog Zero in the second picture there, looking across the road at our neighbors’ dog and wanting to play.  Poor Zero — I haven’t been able to walk her as much lately because it’s been so hot!  I don’t want her little paws to burn on the pavement and she starts panting so quickly, so we just go early in the morning on days I have off.  This week should be good for her!

Well, I guess that’s all for now.  I’m off to go eat dinner with my parents and my aunt, who is visiting from Arkansas.  Hopefully I’ll post a crafty update with some knitting or crocheting soon — I HAVE been working on things… a bit…  🙂  Anyway, thanks for stopping by!

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4 squares

June 6, 2014 by 6 Comments

That Granny Square app by Simply Crochet mentioned in my last post has put out 4 more squares since last I posted. Here are my versions:

simply crochet square 3

simply crochet square 4

simply crochet square 5

simply crochet square 6

They are fun to make, especially since each one is different, and it’s giving me something to do in between bigger crochet projects. I am actually knitting a blanket right now — photos of that are coming soon — but the crochet front has been pretty quiet.

A lot has been happening in my life lately (both good and bad) but the short version is that I’m enjoying my job despite some drama with coworkers, my boyfriend and I are doing well despite a bit of a rocky patch we’ve just gotten through, and I’m making new friends despite my tendencies to be shy and quiet.

It’s also getting pretty hot here in Columbia SC — it’s already been upwards of 90 degrees F (over 32 C). What have you been doing to stay cool so far this summer? I need some fresh ideas; I’ll try anything to keep sweat from showing through my clothes (gross, perhaps, but that’s what happens to everyone here). And do you even find it possible to wear any crocheted or knitted items past March? I just can’t do it… Sitting in my cool house with my knitting on my lap as I work on it is almost too hot!

Has anyone seen the new Disney movie “Maleficent?” I saw it the other day in theaters and I really liked it because, for one thing, it gave much more depth to the characters from the animated version of “Sleeping Beauty.” I won’t give away more but if you liked the original I’d recommend seeing this new version of the story!

I guess that’s everything for now. Hopefully you’ll visit again soon, and thanks for stopping by!

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my temp job on a food truck

June 28, 2013 by 5 Comments

A few posts ago I mentioned that I’ve started working on an as-needed basis on a food truck called The Herban Legend, and I wanted to share a bit about it with you.  It’s so fun, and I wish I could just keep doing that for a while (but I need a job that will have more hours and thus, more money).  I’m actually really proud of the business, the chef I work with (my chef boyfriend’s head chef’s girlfriend… so many chefs!), and myself — I’m learning quickly and doing my best!  Here are some pictures:

the herban legend

 

You order at the window, and inside there’s a fryer, a flat top grill, some warmers, a refrigerator for the fresh ingredients, a freezer, a cooler for the drinks, a sink, and the little area in front of the window that has a table/cutting board.  That’s a lot in such a small space!  I stand at the window and take orders using both regular paper tickets and an iPad app that’s like a cash register.  The chef’s phone has an attachment that works with the same register app, and it lets you swipe credit/debit cards.  Pretty cool, right?  I also season the fries, put things in the little baskets and paper bags, and call out the names of the customers to give them their orders.  I’m learning what goes into each dish, so maybe I’ll be able to construct them myself sometimes when we get really busy!

The menu is designed with a few staple items and some specials that can change from day to day, depending on what ingredients are available and what new ideas the chefs have.  Here’s what we were serving on Wednesday:

the herban legend menu

 

I’ve tried almost everything and it’s all amazing!  The Parmesan truffle fries are especially great — they’re tossed with Parmesan, truffle oil, and a salt blend:

the herban legend parmesan truffle fries

 

There are always some left over at the end of the day, so I get to eat them along with a free meal of my choice!  It’s really a great job, I just wish I could work more days/hours!

Just wanted to share this with you.  I know it’s not crochet/knitting related but it’s something I’m really excited about, and I don’t go off-topic too often, right? 🙂

Anyway, thanks for stopping by!  Back to the CAL tomorrow — it’s gonna be a great installment!

Filed Under: other hobbies Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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