Finished Object Friday - Ravenclaw Beanie

Hello again!  Well it appears as though the world did not come to an end today.  Somewhere in Asia, it already December 22nd so I think we are good.  Anyway, even though my birthday is right around the Summer Solstice, the Winter Solstice is my favorite.  We are going through the shortest day of the year but tomorrow is a little bit longer, and the next day is longer.   How can you not be encouraged by a little more sunshine each day until June.

Anyway, I am dreadfully behind on Christmas.  Shopping is far from done, some baking is done, some decorating is done.  But all in all I have a busy couple of days ahead of me until Christmas and then it's off to Anaheim.

Well enough blather for one Friday, let's get down to yarn.

If you will remember, I made the Gryffindor Set for my Boss' daughter as a going away present for college.  Granted she was home on break when she got it but it was still warm out.  As a result, of my efforts I began to feel bad about not making anything for my Boss' son so when she approached him about it, he was super excited to get a Ravenclaw Beanie.

I love making hats because they are instant gratification when it comes to projects.  Round and round and some decreases and voila your done.  I am really pleased with this hat because it looks nice and masculine but is totally Harry Potter through and through.

Look ma!, a Ravenclaw!

While the move made the accessories in Blue and Grey, I chose to go book style and use a coppery/bronze color to accent the blue.  The picture is showing the color as more Royal but it's navy.

I already passes this along to my boss and he will get it on Christmas.  I hope he likes it!

There is a huge part of me that wants to whip up a Hufflepuff hat for myself.  I have enough Black and Gold. Keep your eyes peeled for another hat from this pattern.

Check out more Finished Objects at Tami's Amis!

<3 Heather

Now for the Details:

Ravelry Page - Hogwarts Beanie - Ravenclaw
Needles - Size 8/5.0 mm Circular Needles/Double Pointed Needles
Yarn - 
0.56 Skeins of Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in 848 - Navy
0.05 Skeins of Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in 175 - Jewel Gold
Duration - 15 hours of work
Pattern - House Hats from Charmed Knits

WIP Wednesday - An Oldie by a Goodie

Hello all,  this has been a busy week.  Now that the paper I was working on for my research project is complete and I got an A in the class.  Woot!

I am now focusing on Christmas.  I got the tree up at my parent's house and my apartment.  I have some presents bought but really need to get out and finish shopping.  Plus I have cookies to bake.  I am participating in my friend's cookie exchange and need to bake 5 dozen cookies by Thursday.  I have been cleaning up and baking commences tonight!  I am making Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodle Cookies.  I found the recipe on Pinterest and new I needed to make these for the exchange.

Otherwise, I am moving along toward Christmas but I had quite a scare yesterday.  I am traveling to Southern California for an  Alpha Phi Omega (my college service fraternity) Convention on December 26th.

Me at a Leadership Training in 2007 for APO

While I was thinking about it, I managed to dig out my flight confirmation to email to my dad so he knew when I was flying.  As soon as he got it, I got a call.  "Honey, do you know this says your departing on November 26th?"

It indeed said November.  I booked the flight in July and missed that I booked it for November instead of December.  So last evening, I was on the phone with United trying to get my flight re-booked.  I was originally told, that it was going to be a $500+ difference.  I cannot afford that.  I then talked to some people about it and called back.  By this time, I was near tears and a gentleman operator answered the phone.  I think he didn't want me to cry and worked with his supervisor to get my a flight that was only $77 dollars different.  This was reasonable and I am so thankful.  As a result, I was late for my haircut but at least I can get to Anaheim after Christmas.

So enough drama and onto the yarny goodness.

STV Spiffy Iffy Peresphone's Return! Socks

Let's turn some heels!

I finished all of my gift knitting so now I can pull out some things that have fallen into the WIP pit.  I picked up my socks that I started for Sock the Vote and got to work last night.  I had the heel flap done and turned the heel.  I have to shift stitches around all over the place but I am back on track.  I realized I miss read the gusset and have to jump down and remove some decreases but I love making the gusset so these should be done soon.

Well, that's it for this weekend, now onto the paper!

For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis and Frontier Dreams

<3 Heather

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Sometimes there are no words.  The shootings recently have sucked the life out of me.  I am....was excited about the Christmas season.  I don't remember much of last December and was really looking forward to a joyful season even without my mother.

But that changed on Friday.  As I watched the coverage unfold and the number of innocent defenseless children rise, my spirits waned.  I still want to have a good Christmas but I am praying for those families.  Praying for that community.

Lately, as I make my way through the second round of Holidays without my mom, I could feel her presence. Just an inner strength that wrapped around me like a hug that made everything okay.  On Friday, that presence left.  Knowing my mom, that she went where she was needed and is comforting those children in the afterlife.  She would be there with a smile and a hug to whomever would need it.

Oh boy do I miss her.  This entire weekend, I just wanted a hug.

As I listened to the children's choir sing Silent Night on SNL on Saturday.  I truly hope and pray for  heavenly peace for those children and teachers.

<3 Heather

Finished Object Friday - Owl Mitts

I can scarcely believe that I finished that paper on time.  I worked through the afternoon to about 8 PM to get that thing done.  In fact, I am still tired.

Anyway, in going with the procrastination theme from Wednesday the finished object in today's post was finished under the wire as well.

Every year myself and 4 other friends participate in a Secret Santa exchange.  A friend's husband has a program and he runs it each year so we don't have to draw from a hat (like we did when we started).  This year my recipient was Ashley.  She has great taste and likes cool jewelry and loves to craft.  I checked out her pinterest board and was inspired by the owls she had posted.

So I decided to make her mitts.  I used two patterns to create the design.  I made mitts for a modified version of the House Mittens from Charmed Knits and included an Owl Cable that was designed in the Owl Cup Cozy.

One is done!

So I cast on with plenty of time and got the first one done by the end of November.  I put it aside to get the Star Trek Cup Cozies done for my Nerd Wars Swap.  After the cozies were done, I had good intentions to get the next mitt started but I procrastinated and cast on the Wednesday before our exchange on Saturday 12/7/2012.  I got half way done by Thursday but didn't feel like knitting on Friday.  I made sure I got up Saturday to finish it but time kept ticking and I was almost done.  I finally cast off but had 8 ends to weave and eyes to apply.

So, I took to the back seat of the car and on the way to the exchange with Becky, I finished the Mitts.  And took pictures in the moving car.

Why yes this is taken in the car!

Check out more Finished Objects at Tami's Amis!

<3 Heather

Ravelry Project Page

Pattern - House Mittens and Owl Cable Knit Coffee Cozy
Needles - Size 5/3.75 mm Double Pointed Needles
Yarn - FiberNymph Dye Works in the Cosy Base

Color - Purple Pandemic
Duration - 2 Weeks
Size - Medium

WIP Wednesday - Procrastination

Hello all, I admit to being a bit rushed today due to finishing my research paper for my class.  While I did set the final due date for the class, I shouldn't request an extension right? Yesterday was productive but I had hoped to finish the whole thing.  Anyway I have the intro, background, and methodology done so now to just write the results....that I need to complete. Sigh.

ETA: at 7:45 PM it is done and submitted!  Happy Day!

Anyway, I should have worked on it most of the weekend but surprise I procrastinated.  Check out what I got accomplished instead of my paper. : /

Hue Shift Afghan

Well, I got as may ends weaved in as I could and then I started the peach and pink square.  There isn't too much to see but I am glad to have gotten those ends weaved in.

Ravenclaw Beanie

We have stripes!

This has been such an easy and mindless knit that I really have gotten pretty far on it.  I have a few rows left then I can start the decreases.  Does anyone else find hat decreases fun?  I think because your nearing the end and it's a visible change after the rows of stockinette.

Well, that's it for this weekend, now onto the paper!

For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis and Frontier Dreams


<3 Heather

WIP Wednesday - One Hundred

Welcome to my 100th post!  Can you believe that I have posted here 100 times?  I really can't but then again, this year has passed by so quickly.  I am not going to do anything special with this post but I do plan on celebrating my Blogiversary on January 6th!  So stay tuned for awesome celebratory games and prizes!

In other news, I went to the auto body shop to get the damage appraised from my accident and they were able to clean it and buff it so that I may not need to get it fixed.  Still deciding of course but it's nice to have options.

My paper is still sitting in draft form but I have to get a move on and finish it this week and weekend.  I even took off of work on the 11th to make sure I have ample time to finish it before I submit it on 12/12.  Ah the joys of Grad School.  

So now onto the yarny goodness.  

Hue Shift Afghan

It's very pink right now.

I have been busy weaving in ends on this project.  I had some holiday knitting and so this one is on the back burner until that's done.  I hope to get the rest of the holiday projects done this week (you know while I am procrastinating on my paper) and then get back to this.

Ooh Shapely Boyfriend

Special thanks to Samie for taking the picture!

I wanted to work on something different from the garter stitches of the blanket so I pulled out my sweater.  I pulled the stitches off for the arms and cast on for under the arms.  I may have cast on a few to many (okay 50 but who's counting) so I am working on decreasing those to a more manageable amount. 

But I am so excited about this project.  It's nice to be able to put it on as I go and it's no longer an orange blob on my couch for pictures.

Ravenclaw Beanie

Next hat is in lighter colors!

So after I made all of the Gryffindor winter knits for my boss' daugher, I felt a little bad about not making something for her son.  So, he decided he wanted a Ravenclaw hat and I may make a set of wristlets too if I have enough yarn. 

I love this pattern as it's a no brainer.  Cast on, work the ribbing, work in stockinette until it's 5 inches then do decreases.  Easy peasy!  But navy is just as hard on the eyes at night as black so there is some challenge there.  

I am more of a book purist and chose the accent color to be a bronze yarn versus the grey used in the movies.  Hope he like it!

Sweet Azalea Blanket

It's so soft and squishy!

I wanted to show all of you the progress on my crochet shawl.  I know most of the pictures just have the swatch I did but I have been doing a row here or there when the mood strikes.  Isn't the yarn just gorgeous?

Well, that's about it for this week.  I need to get a move on with the Owl Fingerless Mittens as the gift exchange is on Saturday!  Go Go Gadget knitting needles!  

For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis and Frontier Dreams   

<3 Heather

A funny thing happened on the way to bake cookies...

Hello All!  I  meant to post this yesterday but time got away from me.   I had a very interesting weekend and I need to share with you because scarcely believe what happened either.

All ready for the post office!

Saturday, started bright and early.  I had rented a moving van to take my old Mattress and Box Spring to my parent's house.  This set was a full and I had purchased a queen sized sometime this summer so the old set just hung out in my bedroom.  Really attractive I know.  So with the help from Becky, we loaded the van and took it home.  Now I no longer have to sleep on a lumpy twin on the weekends!

Later on in the day, I sent my parcel to my Nerd Wars Swap recipient.  I was so pleased that I had a ton of stash to make everything that the budget was spent on goodies!

After that, I went to dinner with my dad and this is where the weekend gets exciting.  During dinner, I get a few texts from my Best Friend Jenn.  She was having boy drama and I asked if she wanted to come over and make cookies with me. I use a recipe from PeppermintPlum's Blog.  The cookies are basic sugar cookies but they need sour cream to make them soft and fluffy like Lofthouse Cookies.  Yummy.

Anyway, we need sour cream so after I left dinner I stopped at the store to get the sour cream.  I bought the container and got back in my car and.....

backed into another car.  My first accident after 10 years of driving.  I really had no clue what happened at first. I was moving pretty slow but my back bumper is all scrapped up and the other drivers car was equally scrapped.  So we exchanged information and shaken, I went home.

I told my dad and then called my insurance company to submit the claim.  In the mean time Jenn came over.  I had no desire to bake at that point and neither did she.

We talked about her boyfriend problems include the new guy she met the night before.  She told him through text that we were baking and he asked for a picture.  At this point, we had no intention of baking so I did what any friend would do and threw flour at her to show that "She had been baking" and stood her next to the stand mixer with a spatula.

And we are stirring the fake batter!

So then he asks what the cookies are and when she mentioned sugar cookies (with sour cream.  We cannot forget the accident inducing sour cream) he asks what shapes we are using to cut them out.  Which means we need to create another picture.

Nothing to see here just some supplies for cookie making

So snowmen and tree were the shape of the day!  Then while they texting back and forth, Jenn and I were worried that he would want to see the final product.  Since there were no cookies to falsify, I googled and took a picture of a picture on my tablet.

Why yes we made thee....

The trick was to find the cookies that really did look home made and the lighting that was closer to something that could be obtained with a phone camera.

Really, we had a great conversation while figuring out these pictures and I felt like I was 16 again.  As much as relationships can be challenging, exciting or heartbreaking.  I am so lucky to have such a great friend in Jenn.  I hope that we are still doing goofy things like this when we are old and senile, because then we will have a better excuse for why we do this crazy stuff.

<3 Heather

2012 - November Recap

November has been a good month.  It was hard at the beginning but for once I didn't feel like it just flew by at light speed.

I am so proud of my work on various project and really have had good holidays so far. I can't wait to share more baking with all of you and just take a bunch of pictures of all of the festive activities through Christmas   Plus I have a trip to Anaheim to look forward to at the end of December!

<3 Heather