Forest nymph crochet bikini top pattern

Here's my Forest nymph crochet bikini top pattern...


Materials: worsted weight yarn (wool or acrylic), 10 mm crochet hook, 5.5 mm crochet hook
Size: Small (Medium)

With 10 mm hook, chain 30(34), turn.
Dc in 4th ch from hook, *ch 1, skip 1 ch, dc in next ch* repeat across. Ch 4, turn.
Dc in first ch-1 space, *ch 1, dc in next ch-1 space* repeat across. Ch 4, turn.
You should have 12(14) ch-1 spaces.

To make the "cups":
Dc in first ch-1 space, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 space] 5(6) times. Ch 4, turn.
You have worked halfway across the row.
Dc2tog, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 space] 2(3) times, dc2tog. Ch4, turn.
Dc2tog, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 space] 0(1) time, dc2tog. Ch4, turn.
Small size: Dc2tog once.
Medium size: Dc2tog, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 space] once . Ch4, turn. Dc2tog once.
Switch to 5.5 mm hook. Chain 25(35) for neck tie. Cut yarn.

Attach yarn at edge of work for the second "cup". Ch 4, then work second cup as above.

Side ties and edging:
With 5.5 mm hook, ch 30(40). Switch to 10 mm hook and sl st in bottom right hand corner of the top. Ch2, *sl st in next ch-4 space, *ch 4*, repeat around, end ch 2, sl st in bottom left hand corner of the top. Switch to 5.5 mm hook and chain 30(40) for side tie. Cut yarn. Weave in ends.

Wear over a bikini top, halter, tank top or choli. Add leaves, vines, and flowers as desired.

If y'all make the pattern, please let me know how it goes! (i.e. did I omit something important?) I'd love to see your pics!

more bellydance crochet

I made more crochet accoutrements! My level III class performed asaya (cane) to Ya Shok by Hakim at the May hafla. The theme for the hafla was "forest nymphs and nature spirits". I was thinking green and brown and leafy and mossy and woody. Not especially feminine and bellydancey. Hrm.

There was some green acrylic yarn in the stash, so I whipped up a freeform crochet bikini top type thing, to be worn over a tank top or halter. The freeform ruffle looked leafy. I brought it to class and people liked it, so I made crochet tops for the class and a few headbands. (It helped that our teacher gave me some more yarn.) There was no way I could do them all freeform - it sounds silly, but it's harder to make it up as you go along than to work from a pattern.

(leaves and vines are optional)

The pattern will be in its own post. For something so easy to make, it sure was hard to write up the pattern! Actually, they weren't THAT easy to make - I gave myself RSI from practicing the cane choreography, zylls and crocheting! Too much wrist! :( But I was all healed up for the performance, thanks to ice and arnica and rest.

i'm alive!

Still alive and kicking.... I've just been really busy lately. Had two bellydance performances on Saturday: one in Burlington with the troupe and a class recital in Toronto at Funkabelly. Both went really well! Leleleleleleleleeeee! I had a lot of fun performing with the class at Funkabelly. More details to come...

centre pull ball.

how to make a center pull ball from knits with balls.

I've been tempted to buy a ball winder, even though I don't really need one since I don't often buy skeins of yarn and I'm OK with hand wound balls that roll around on the floor. (it's fun for the cats!) However, this method produces a nice yarn cake and it's DIY!

Found via Ravelry.

bellydance conference love.

The International Bellydance Conference of Canada was sooooo amazing! I had soooo much fun! It has renewed my love for the dance and I feel very inspired. Yesterday, at the closing party at Myth, I felt effervescent!

Here we are practicing before our performance on Thursday:

Amy Sigil of Unmata showing off her beautiful tattoo (she is super nice!):

The dance floor at Myth at the closing party:

Tito dancing on a dumbek:

And here is Tito, Yasmina Ramzy (artistic director of the conference), and Aida Nour:
The highlight of the weekend was watching Tito and Aida dance together!

I am only just starting to calm down from all the excitement. Everyone at the conference was friendly and the big name dancers were so gracious and gladly posed for photos. (most of my pics are on Facebook)

Now it's back to real life - laundry, cleaning and grocery shopping! Oh yes, and work tomorrow.

bellydance costumes.

I have been busy getting ready for my troupe's performance at the International Bellydance Conference of Canada. We have been rehearsing like mad (4 times in 5 days! do I have any sort of life outside of dance?!) and it's coming together nicely, but I'm still super nervous. This is only our second performance as a troupe, and it's a tough audience! These people know their bellydance! Eeeeek!!! We will be great. We will have fun. And we'll be wearing my handiwork....



I made some fringe tops and belts by crocheting a base of black worsted weight yarn and tying on various novelty yarns. My favourite colour combo is above. Here's the whole set:

The belts are the same colour combos, but the fringe pieces are all different lengths. I still have to make the orange & blue belts - that's my project for tonight. And it was requested that I make some sort of arm bands too.

It's so amazing that the troupe is going to be wearing my work!!! Although it is a little stressful to have to make the stuff on short notice, that is far outweighed by the awesomeness that we will be wearing costumes that I made, on stage, at the bellydance conference! Holy crap.

I'm not freaking out. No sirree.

OK maybe a little bit.

5 things that make me happy.

1. sunshine
2. a good yoga class
3. fringe
4. little blue flowers
5. watching sailboats on the lake
   

Inspired by My knitting has gone to the dogs.

condos through glass.


I took this photo through the window at Steam Whistle Brewing while I was waiting for T-man.

bat your eyelashes.

I have big news, important news, but not especially interesting news: I have been laid off by the Mothership. Not surprising, since I had applied for the voluntary layoff program, but the Mothership is cutting my whole department. The internet department. When they keep talking about how important the website is to the business. Anyway, I'm happy to be getting out of there with my severance package and moving on to bigger and better and more creative endeavours.

Enough of the work stuff.

Here's a new project I started and finished last weekend...

Sorry about the blurry photo and messy background. It is a crochet shrug out of eyelash yarn from the stash. I don't love it, but I think it will do for Funkabelly this Saturday - it has a bird theme and this seems sort of feathery. I've received some compliments on it from fellow Ravelers, which is very flattering. Thanks!

Pattern: I made it up as I went along
Yarn: Patons Cha Cha in black
Needle: 10 mm crochet hook

knit pics!

I promised to post on the weekend, and now it's Monday, but that's OK right? Better late than never.

I am on the gusset decreases. On Friday, after I added the post below, I picked up the gusset stitches fairly successfully, but on one sock the heel and gusset stitches were all together and on the other sock, half the gusset stitches were on the heel needle and the other half on the instep needle. Not a crisis - there were no lost stitches, the socks were not ruined, I didn't have to frog - but I decided to skip yoga class on Sunday morning and transfer the stitches so all gusset stitches were on the heel needle. Knitting trumps yoga. (and it was a pain in the arse to transfer the stitches! slip stitches to other needle, then move to spare needle, then back to first needle, oops I need to knit some of those stitches so move them back. yeesh)

Anyway, the socks are all sorted, they look good, I'm happy. Only the foot to go!

p.s. I have another gifty project on the go that I would love to post about, but I can't in case the recipient sees the blog. So go to Ravelry to check it out.

the gusset can be a real heel.

I have knit the heel flap and turned the heels on the Two Socks on Two Circulars. Turning the heels required some patience - first, I didn't realize that I had to do one sock at a time; second, I forgot that I had cast on fewer stitches and didn't adjust the pattern accordingly. There was a bit of tinking back and trying again before I got it.

Now I'm stuck at picking up the gusset stitches... last night I had no idea which needle to use to do this. Well, actually, the pattern does say to pick up the gusset stitches with needle 1 then transfer half the heel stitches to needle 2, but does that include the gusset? What about the other side of this sock? and the other sock? Wha? The pattern doesn't have a lot of instructions on two circ technique, so I turned to the Internet to find my answers: again, I should have been doing one sock at a time and now I might have to juggle the stitches on the two needles (or rather, 4 needles and 2 cables); I can keep the gusset stitches on the same needle as the heels; plus I saw some examples which makes it easier to visualize what it is I'm supposed to do.

Now to get knitting! Pics will be posted this weekend.

sockdarnit!

A bunch of my hand knit socks had holes in them, due to those pesky moths. After reading a bunch of posts on Ravelry about darning technique, I sat down with my needle and got to work.

Not great looking, but not too bad either. At least the yarn matches.

These socks were hiding in the stash pile, and had holes before I'd even worn them!! Luckily the holes were small and easy to fix.

This giant combination of holes intimidated me, though, and I haven't tried to tackle it yet.

It requires more than darning: cutting out the stitches and knitting a patch. I'm not ready for that quite yet.

turkish cast on.

I'm bookmarking this so that I can use it for my next pair of socks:

Turkish Cast On Tutorial from misocrafty.

Found via the Sock Knitters group on Ravelry.

good friday.


Some progress on the For the Love of Socks KAL: 2 socks on 2 circs. I think I'm the only person who started the KAL... oh well, it's slow going so I'm sure the others will catch up to me once they start! I've been sick and watching a lot of TV and thus getting some knitting done, although I feel pretty gross from all the bad TV!


I had ripped out my first attempt at these socks because they were too big. I made sure to line up the stripes properly this time, and cast on 56 stitches instead of 60. 52 would probably be better but I was afraid of them being too small. It will be interesting to see how the heel will go! (I haven't read ahead in the pattern. It will be a surprise!)

the front is done!

I have finished knitting the front of the knit.1 jumper. Yay! Next up is knitting the neck and armhole edging, and I am going to block the pieces before doing that. (which I will put off for several days because blocking sucks) Then seaming up and ta da! I will have a (hopefully) wearable FO.

getting close.


I am almost finished the front of the knit.1 jumper. Just a few more inches on the straps. Maybe I'll actually get to wear it this winter!

old FO's.

I was cleaning out my armoire the other day and decided to "free" some old sweaters (i.e. give to charity). These gems are my first knitted sweaters, from 2002-2003.


The pattern called for stockingette stitch, but I decided to do garter instead. It kinda looks like chain mail. I wore it a few times after I finished it, but it’s been at the bottom of the armoire for the past few years. The cat has been sleeping on it, and you can see in the photo where her nails have pulled the yarn.


Pattern: Quick Pullover Vest from Yarn Lover's Room
Yarn: Grey acrylic


This boxy beauty is another ugh. A co-worker gave me a copy of Interweave Knits for Christmas, which was a super awesome gift as I'd never seen the magazine before. Such stylish sweaters! Models that look like cool people! Unfortunately I didn't know anything about substituting yarns and used an acrylic boucle instead of the called-for cotton. Plus it was my first sweater so my knitting skill was not great.

This was never worn. The neckline is funny and one of the shoulder seams is puckered. The yarn does not frog easily (it was recycled from a previous project) so this is going to the give-away pile. Maybe someone less fortunate will wear it, or some poor soul will buy it to re-use the yarn.

Pattern: Straight Neck Pullover by Suss Cousins, from Interweave Knits Winter 02/03 (re-printed from Hollywood Knits)

cats and cards.

I don't have any knitting related content to share. Last night I worked a few rows on the 2 socks on 2 circs for the KAL, but it was literally 4-5 rows which doesn't look like much on 2.25 mm needles! My boss is away for the rest of the week so I hope to get some knitting done at work... shhhh don't tell.

Here is some filler content: photos of the cats and some envelopes I stamped for thank-you cards.

Oxo snoozing in his favourite spot on the couch.

Roxy in the same spot (the lamp is toasty warm).

Sharing the favourite spot. I would like to take a nap RIGHT NOW.

I'm very proud of these cards. They are simple but the stamps add a nice touch. (definitely nicer than my chicken scratch!) I chose different colours on the envelopes to match the cards, and the message inside the card was stamped as well. The stamps are from Michaels.

busy busy.

This week has been a whirlwind of activity. T-man has his first art show in the city at Steam Whistle Brewing, and he's been getting ready for the past few weeks. I took the day off work on Tuesday to help hang artwork, and it was a full day on my feet helping our neighbour TK who was doing most of the actual hanging. (I was holding the ladder - not very exciting but important.) I missed bellydancing class that day, but went to troupe practice from 8-10 pm. I couldn't skip it as we are performing on Saturday night! So Tuesday was a very long day.

The opening reception for the art show was on Wednesday night and I went there right after work. (I was actually glad to be at work all day where I could relax!) It was a lot of fun, there was good turn out, but it is exhausting talking to people. And trying to say hi to everyone I should say hi to while making my friends feel welcome and not walking away in the middle of a conversation. It's hard to manage! I'm not very good at mingling. LOL. Anyway, after the show we went for a drink with T-man's friends which was hilarious. These guys are crazy. By the time I went to bed it was 2 am and I still had to get up for work the next day. I'm too old for that! ha ha.

Thursday I was super tired and didn't go to the gym for my favourite class. :( I was afraid of tripping on the step, and that class is intense. I used my lunch break to knit instead. Right after work T-man and I went for dinner with his parents at Epicure (veggie burger yum yum) but I had to run out early to meet E. to rehearse for our upcoming performance. After we practiced, we went to the Second Cup to get some sweet treats, which was a GREAT idea, thanks E! T-man and I watched a movie (Sunshine) and then I went to bed. Exhausted. I should have gone to bed early instead of watching the movie. Whoops.

Tonight I am meeting E. for some costume stuff right after work, then hopefully picking up some new contact lenses, then hopefully eating a good meal and doing laundry and a pedicure! Maybe sit on the couch and work on my socks which I frogged and cast on again. (they were going to be too big.)

I am looking forward to next week when all the events are over and done with, and we can get back to real life. T-man has been working on the art show and I've been getting ready for the performance (rehearsing and last weekend I was shopping for costuming), so we haven't had a lot of time for regular stuff. We need to do a big grocery shopping trip! Laundry! Make some good food! Play with the cats!

sock kal started.


I have started my two socks on two circs for the For the Love of Socks knitalong. I ordered the yarn and needles from Red Bird Knits. Unfortunately, only one of the sets of circular needles was in stock, and I'm still waiting on the second set. I was eager to start the kal though, so I cast on with my new 2.25 mm bamboo needles and my old 2.5 mm metal ones. Who's going to notice a 0.25 mm difference? It was actually better to have two different needles because the first time casting on for two socks on two circs was a bit confusing. When the new needles arrive I will swap them in.

The yarn is Lang Super Soxx in a red multi. I tried to line up the stripes and took great care to cast on at the beginning of a white section... too bad the white section on one ball was half as long as the white section on the other ball! Grr. But I couldn't be bothered to redo it. Matching the stripes is not that important to me.

photo styling tips.

From Etsy: Give Props: How to Style Your Photos

Found via the Crochet Me blog.

the secret is out!


The super secret gifty project has been gifted! Little Maddie doesn't look too thrilled about it, in fact she looks a bit scared, but I think she was having a stare-down with the cat.


Overall, I am quite happy with this project. The stitch pattern is gorgeous and the yarn is very soft and knit up nicely. It washed up well too, which is important for baby items.


My only complaint is that I didn't make it to the right dimensions. It is quite wide, and stretches width-wise. After I'd knit about 8 inches, I considered frogging it and casting on with fewer stitches, but didn't because it had taken me a long time to knit that much. I couldn't imagine starting over! But it would have worked out better in the end. As I was getting close to finishing it (waaaaay past the deadline of Maddie's birth in October), the blanket seemed huge but still not square and I thought it would go on forever. At some point I had to make the call to cast off.

As a bonus, I knit faster now that I've done this blanket.

Details:
Pattern: Elegantly Simple Baby Blanket by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer
Yarn: Bernat Satin Solids in Banana, about 5.5 skeins
Started: September 2007
Finished: February 2008

party inspiration.

I randomly found this post on the Snapdragons blog (isn't that what the internet is all about?) and it has inspired me to host a meze party. Wouldn't that be a perfect get-together for the bellydance girls? Or for my non-dancing friends, as I had been considering having a party at which I would perform for them - nothing outrageous, just one or two songs, it would be good practice for me - and this menu would fit the theme very nicely.

I would omit the meat dishes, of course, and probably scale down the number of dishes so that I didn't go crazy trying to prepare everything. But can I just say - YUM!

Snapdragons: Meze party how-to
More photos found here: Meze, the morning after

jury frivolity - finished!


I finally got around to sewing up the Frivol (Ravelry link) hat, which I knit while on jury duty in mid-January. To be honest, I thought it would be too small and that's why I was putting off finishing it. If it's not sewn up, no one will know that it's too small! I used the same logic with the Lululemon pants that I got for Christmas - they looked too small, so I put off trying them on because then I would have to return them. Turns out they fit perfectly and I love them. Same with the Frivol hat - it fits T-man just fine! Now I have to make one for myself...

Pattern: The Frivol Hat by Debi Tuttle
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Linen
Needles: 4 mm

I also did the finishing on the secret gifty project (weaving in the ends). It just needs washing and blocking, but the true challenge will be making a date with the recipient to actually hand it over! We've had some scheduling issues these past few months.

sock kal starts on monday.

Two posts in one day? Hell yeah. It's feast or famine with my blogging.

I am sooooo excited to be start my first knitalong with the For the Love of Socks yahoo group. We are knitting 2 socks at once on 2 circular needles. No more second sock syndrome! (if only they were toe-up... next time) I took the opportunity to do a little online shopping, since I don't have two matching sets of circs, and bought a few skeins of sock yarn too. Nothing crazy. It was my first online shopping experience and it sure was easy! And not as guilt-inducing as shopping in person. Weird, non? I love browsing and fondling the yarn in shops, but the purchasing part can be stressful. Maybe because it's so hard to decide what to buy! Anyway, I am looking forward to receiving my package in the mail.

let it snow.

It has snowed a lot here in the past week. Usually it melts before we get the next dumping! I have to admit that I like the snow... sure, it's a pain trying to get to work, but I don't drive so I don't care if the roads are bad. The streetcar zooms along on its track. My main annoyance is all the "condo people" that don't dress properly for the weather (heels? hello?? have you looked outside?!) and then crowd on the streetcar instead of walking 2 blocks to the subway station. They usually block the doors to get out too. Grrr.

Yesterday I walked to and from dance class and troupe practice. I really hustled to troupe practice, since two other troupers were going to take TTC and we were having a little race (in my mind, anyway ha ha). One other girl ended up walking too, and we beat the TTC rider by a good 5-10 minutes. Trudging through the snow was a real workout, and there were some icky moments when the wind was blowing right in my face. But mostly I felt great! The snow was so beautifully white and fluffy and I felt alive.

T-man let Roxy outside on the deck last night while I was getting ready for bed. She is such a snow cat! She was chasing snowflakes and not bothered at all by the cold and wet. There is a reason for all that fur.

TGIF.

Sorry about the lack of posts this week! I haven't been all that busy. Just uninspired, I guess. The lack of caffeine is to blame! There have been some rough days this week, but I'm feeling pretty good today. Lively and awake.

OK, so the only item that I can cross off my list from last weekend:

• Stash organizing - put aside yarn to be donated, rip out unfinished projects, etc. Also photograph and document for Ravelry.

Pretty sad! I went shopping for fruits and vegetables in Kensington Market, but I didn't wash and prep them, and that was the whole point. Alas.

Here is a picture of the living in the midst of the stash organization. It was a mess, and truth be told, it's not totally cleaned up yet. cringe

There were a few unfinished projects in the stash pile. One crochet purse that is done except for attaching the handles, and the handles are ready to be attached. I found one finished wine cozy and one that needs embellishment. All the parts for a Pasha the Penguin.

It was fun to photograph and document everything. Not sure if all of my yarn counts as "stash" since there are lots of little bits of things. I put aside some of the bits and bobs to donate, and I'm already working on a few charity projects.

Looking forward to the For the Love of Socks knitalong that is due to start on Monday! My first KAL. The theme is 2 socks on 2 circs, but I might try 2 socks on Magic Loop, otherwise I'll have to buy some new circs. (which wouldn't be so bad, I kinda want to do that anyway!)

to do this weekend.

Crafty...

• Finishing - sew up jury Frivoli hat, weave in ends on the gifty project, weave in ends on the work socks
• Darn the heel of my first toe-up socks (I think a moth got to them - found the hole the first day I wore them! grr.)
• Stash organizing - put aside yarn to be donated, rip out unfinished projects, etc. Also photograph and document for Ravelry.

Other stuff...

• manicure and pedicure
• buy lots of fruits and veggies and prep them all in the fridge (after dance class on Sat.)
  

I got my hair cut yesterday, and my stylist told me that after he goes grocery shopping, he immediately washes the fruit and cuts up the veggies so that everything is ready to eat. Eureka! That makes it so much easer to grab a snack. I already know that prepping food in advance saves so much time, but when do I find the time to prep it? Hopefully this will become a new habit.

knitting pics!

Work socks

Pattern: Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Sock Pattern
Yarn: Patons Kroy socks in Norfolk Blue and Krazy Stripes
Needles: 3 mm dpns
Started: December 26, 2007
Completed: January 25, 2008

I still need to weave in all those ends... can I still call it a FO?

knit.1 jumper

This photo is terrible - it doesn't reflect the true colour of the yarn, which is a mottled olive-y green, which I quite like. This looks like barf. You can see the pooling in the yarn, WTF?! Hopefully it's not too noticeable when I wear it.

The pattern is from knit.1 magazine Summer 07. Yarn is Lionbrand Homespun in Mediterranean. I knit most of it in the car on the way to Grand Rapids, MI on Saturday. Yay for road trip knitting!

withdrawl.

I moved on to the next phase of caffeine reduction today, and boy do I feel it. I mixed my coffee half and half with decaf and I have a caffeine withdrawl headache. Ugh.

first FO of 2008.

The work socks are done! I finished knitting them today at lunch. I still have to weave in all of those ends (ugh) and block them... one sock looks quite a bit larger than the other! Hopefully it all comes out in the wash, so to speak. Pics to come.

De-stashing news: I don't have a huge stash, but I do have a lot of acrylic yarn. It's not good stuff, and I don't really want it around but didn't know what to do with it. Thanks to Ravelry, I have some options for de-stashing, in a charitable fashion! The CAMH is looking for yarn donations for their craft group, and a woman in Nunavut put out a call for baby hats and blankets for her local hospital. I look forward to sorting through my yarn bins and bags and letting some stuff go. Unfortunately it will be next week, as I'm going to Michigan this weekend for a family function. I hope to get a lot of knitting done on the 6-hour drive, if I don't get carsick. :)

updates.

• I was not selected to be a juror. My panel was called for two cases, but my name did not come up for either of them. Phew!
  
• The Jury Frivolity hat is knitted - I just about finished it while at the courthouse and knit the last two rows at home. Now I just have to sew it up... that may take a while. :)
• Work socks will see some action today. I brought them to the office to knit on lunch break.
• The secret gifty project has been cast off!!! (but I haven't cut the yarn yet)
• I cast on the knit.1 tunic first mentioned here. My gauge is off so cross your fingers.
• Caffeine cutback is coming along. I'm going VERY slowly. First I just cut back to one cup of coffee in the morning. I did that for about a week and a half. Now I'm starting to mix decaf into my coffee grounds, about one third decaf, two thirds regular. The first day was OK, but subsequent days have found me a bit sluggish. (I'm on day four.) I would like to use a grain coffee substitute as suggested here but haven't been to a store that carries it yet.
  
• I bought a new bellydancing costume yesterday! It's an Indian-style skirt and halter top, so not a "real" costume, but I think it will do nicely for the performing opportunities that may be coming up this summer. Something casual but still shiny and festive.
  

jury frivolity.


Not a great photo, but here is my jury duty Frivoli hat for T-man. (If it fits. I didn't swatch.) Note the plastic needles. The court clerk asked me how I got my knitting past security! Oh honey, ask and ye shall receive! (information, that is) Knitting in public is a great conversation starter... although most of the time I just want to knit and not talk about it, I try to be a good craft ambassador.

Pattern: The Frivol Hat by Debi Tuttle
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Linen
Needles: 4 mm

cheating on the work socks.


I have been working on the work socks not at work. I took them home and have been knitting the second sock while relaxing on the couch. Yes, it's cheating, but I didn't have time to knit them at work! The second sock would never be finished! So now there is some progress.

special assignment.

I am doing my civic duty and attending jury duty, or rather jury selection. I wasn't selected today and thus spent most of the day sitting in a large room with many other bored people. To be repeated tomorrow. And perhaps every day this week.

My coworker warned me that there would be many hours of waiting around, so I brought a book to read: The Thrive Diet.

I finished it.

I even read the appendices and resources section! (I was desperate.)

Tomorrow I will bring a book and some knitting. I checked with Security and metal needles are a no-no, but plastic are OK. He wasn't sure about wooden needles, and started to get a little weirded out by my questions at that point. LOL. I will need to start a new project, maybe a hat (pdf) for T-man.

ravel away!

I just got invited to join Ravelry! Yay! I only signed up for the waiting list a few days ago. Oh, I will be spending sooo much time online....

Username: lanicraft

flog for tuesday.

input:
breakfast - coffee only, since I was running late
snack - two energy balls
lunch - leftover curry veg and rice
dinner - cold perogies (leftover from Sunday night)
Updated to add: the rest of the Haagen Dazs and some tortilla chips before bed

output:
walked to work
bellydance class 6-7:15 pm
troupe practice 8-10 pm

I'm cutting back on coffee... today I had 1.5 cups at home and didn't take my travel mug to work. Not sure that I want to totally quit, because I really like drinking coffee! But I'm going to cut back for a few days and then try to give it up altogether for a few weeks. I know, I don't sound very confident. It's to protect my ego if I fail. :)

This article started me thinking about it, particularly this part:

I also feel that caffeine blocks too much of my intuition and creativity. I miss subtle sensory input, and my thinking becomes too linear.

I am a very linear thinker. It's not a bad thing, but I would like to expand my creative side. Also, I want to see if there will be a change in my energy levels throughout the day. I'm so tired in the evenings. If there is something to do (like troupe rehearsal), I have energy for it, but otherwise I tend to to nap on the couch. That time could be spent knitting or reading or cleaning or ....

I'll keep you updated on my progress!

flog for monday.

input:
breakfast - wholewheat english muffin with Earth Balance, coffee
snack - two energy balls
lunch - perogies and cabbage rolls, leftovers from Uke X-mas dinner last night
snack - apple
dinner -two different kinds of curry vegetables served over rice

output:
1 pm - yoga class
walked home from work

sock kal #2.

I've just joined the Sock It To 'Em Knitalong

Woo hoo! Bring on the socks! (uh, no progress to report on the work socks)

flog for friday.

input:
breakfast - banana & strawberry smoothie with soy milk and hemp protein
snack - a donut and an energy ball
lunch - veggie dog and miso soup
snack - chips and dip
dinner - spaghettini with tomato sauce and homemade pizza (T-man made dinner while I napped on the couch!)
dessert - Haagen Dazs Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream

output:
walked home from work

A co-worker brought donuts to the office today... I don't even really like donuts, but I have no willpower!! To further prove the point, I was planning to cut up some carrot sticks when I got home from work, since I'd been looking at those raw food blogs, but what did I have instead? Chips and dip. Ugh. And then tons of cheese on the pizza, and more dairy for dessert.

30-day raw food diet trial.

For reading later...

Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog
The Skinny on January

work sock update.

I cast on for the work sock mate and knit the first stripe, but that's it so far. The idea is to knit it only while at work (it is a "work" sock, after all) but I haven't had time until today. Hmmm. Perhaps I got too excited by the fast progress on the first sock! The second one may take a while to finish....

flog for thursday.

input:
breakfast - granola with soy milk, coffee
snack - date and nut energy ball
lunch - leftover frittata on toast
snack - chips and dip (bad!)
dinner - veggie dog, followed by ice cream for dessert (extra bad!) (but the ice cream is sooooo tasty!)

output:
cardio interval class at 12 pm

T-man and I went grocery shopping at the big grocery store, and again the organic produce selection was slim. Why do they package each organic red pepper in a plastic bag?? That's just ridiculous! Does it "add value" to have vegetables packaged in bags? Grrrr. Anyway, my plan was to buy lots of veggies and fruit but we ended up with tons of carbs: fresh pasta, dried pasta, bread, hot dog buns, rice... We had so many options for dinner that we couldn't decide what to make - T-man had leftovers and I had a veggie dog. Actually he had a veggie dog later on too. Classy.

I want to make carrot soup this weekend (or tonight, but I think we're having nachos for dinner). The cold weather is causing soup cravings.

flog for wednesday.

input:
breakfast - granola with rice milk, coffee
morning snack - dried apricots
lunch - falafels and tabouli (hello garlic breath!)
pre-dinner snack - hummus and pita (more garlic breath!)
dinner - frittata with peppers, spinach, pesto, asparagus & cheese, with toast

output:
walked to & from work, in -20 degree weather! (with wind chill)
I meant to go to the gym but I was confused what day it was... will go today for sure

sock kal.

I have recently joined the For_The_Love_Of_Socks yahoo group. Welcome to any members that have found their way here!

Looking forward to the first sock knitalong - the question is, do I knit the beginner or experienced pattern?

I think I will take the challenge and go for the experienced option. Wish me luck!

pics!

The progression of work sock #1....

December 27 - after the first day

December 28 - after the second day

December 31 - after the third day - finished!

Hanging in front of the computer as I update the blog

Back at home and bound off... but look at all those ends!

Pattern: Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Sock Pattern
Yarn: Patons Kroy socks in Norfolk Blue and Krazy Stripes
Needles: 3 mm dpns

sock notes.

A few notes for myself so that the 2nd sock matches the 1st. I might forget what I did!

- cast on 24 stitches (total circumference is 48 sts.)
- after the short-row toe is complete, knit one row in navy before starting the stripes
- 6 rows per stripe
- heel: knit 3 rows in navy, work short-row heel, knit another 3 rows in navy before striping
- cuff: knit one row in navy, work k2p2 for 12 rows
- bind off using EZ stretchy sewn cast-off

photos?

The photos are on their way. I had a very busy weekend with J&A's wedding and related events, including a visit to the mall (during Boxing week!) to find dress pants for T-man and heels for me.

I didn't make a ton of progress on the work sock on Friday but I *may* get it finished today! And then I can post the entire photo series tonight, instead of partying for New Year's Eve. (not really joking about that either)

stretchy cast off.

I'm posting this so that I can refer to it later... found at Weebleknits. (it was the 2nd result in my Google search)

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Sewn Cast off from Knitting Without Tears

Break yarn, leaving a tail about 4 times as long as the circumference of the sock. Thread a tapestry needle.

* sew forward (right to left) through two stitches as if to purl, leave the stitches on. Sew backward (left to right) through one stitch as if to knit and remove the stitch.
Repeat from * until you run out of stitches. Work in tail on the inside of the sock and trim any excess.

Denise's variation for circular knitting (from http://www.socknitters.com):
For the very first stitch only, after you go backwards through it, do not remove it, instead move it to be the last stitch on the final needle. It will then become the final stitch to be cast off. This gives a neater finish to the end of the round.

Via Weebleknits: Stretchy Bind Offs

work socks.

Unfortunately for me, I had to work this week (not the 25th and 26th, but the other days) and there is not much to do. But I have to be there just in case. My manager knows there is nothing to do, so I don't have to pretend to be busy.

Enter the portable knitting project. The secret gifty project is now too big to carry around, so I started a pair of socks: striped toe-up on 3mm dpns using Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Sock pattern. I knit the short-row toe at home on Wednesday night, and finished the foot and heel at work yesterday. Yay! I'm cruising along. Maybe I'll finish an entire sock in 3 days - then another 3 months to knit the mate. ha ha.

Imagine if I could knit at work every day? Not all day long, just a few rows in between other tasks. That would be great!

Stay tuned for pics!

post-christmas blues.

Ah, Christmas. So much stress and anticipation and then.... well.... bah humbug.

This year my family decided not to exchange presents and to bring food instead. It's a great idea - we can avoid the shopping craziness and take some of the cooking load off of my mom. No one knows what to buy each other anyway. However, it didn't turn out quite as I envisioned. I'm not all about the presents, but opening them gives us something to do. And the other people in my family don't looooooove food the way I love food. So dinner was OK. Kind of like a normal dinner. No one was excited about the fancy desserts from Dufflet, except for me and T-man. (and I forgot the leftovers at my parents' house - must pick those up! They won't eat the delicious little cakes and tarts. Oh they are so delicious!)

One thing I don't like about my parents' new house is that the Christmas tree is in the dining room, not the sitting room. So after we eat, we go to the "great room" to chill but there's no tree. There may have been some decorations up, but I can't really remember.

Sorry to whine! I have even more complaints but decided not to share them all. :) I just wanted the holiday to feel special, and it didn't. :(

And I missed watching White Christmas! I love that movie!!

fry up hat and bag.


I have found the pattern for the elegant and classic Fry Up Hat and Bag, otherwise known as English Breakfast Egg & Chips. I had bookmarked a copy of the pattern but that site is gone... I was very sad. Not sure why, as it's not something I'm particularly interested in knitting, although I think it's freakin' hilarious.

The site has several patterns for other knitted foods too.

Via Kristen's comment on this post at Slowknitter.

flog for tuesday.

input:
breakfast - toast and coffee
snack - half a croissant, mini bagel with cream cheese, fruit salad, and mini bran muffin from building's holiday breakfast
lunch - leftover risotto
dinner - falafel
snack - potato chips after rehearsal

output:
walked to and from work
weight class at 12 pm
troupe rehearsal 8-10 pm

flog for monday.

input:
breakfast - smoothie with banana, blueberries, soy milk and hemp protein
snack - almonds
lunch - risotto with butternut squash and peas (last night's dinner)
snack (at work) - an orange
snack (at home) - rest of the smoothie and a handful of potato chips
dinner - spinach patty sandwich with cheese, Vegenaise, relish and mustard. And more potato chips.

output:
walked to work - in the crazy snow!
yoga class at 1 pm
private session with Roula at 6 pm

love it.

101 Handmade Gift Ideas
101 gift ideas that you can easily and inexpensively make yourself

sri.

Some links for future reading. I need to get on the investment train. I even have a financial planner lined up!

Socially Responsible Investing: Part 1 (Money and Values)
Socially Responsible Investing, Part 2: Some SRI Options (Money and Values)

a coupla food pics.

This is my lunch from November 28.

Dal and steamed broccoli from December 3. Before.

And after. Yes, that's T-man throwin' horns in the background.

flog for thursday.


input:
breakfast - toast with almond butter
snack - almonds
lunch - navy bean and vegetable soup with pasta (farfalline - so cute)
snack - salsa and leftover tempeh & black bean burrito filling with Charras
dinner - more soup, but added pine nuts and parmesan

output:
step & scupt class at 12pm
walked to and from work

where are the pics?

I have a ton of photos to post, but I haven't been on the computer much at home, so I haven't downloaded them from the camera. One day I'll post a whole slew of pics and it will be glorious.

flog for tuesday.

input:
breakfast - cereal with soy milk, coffee
snack - carrot cake cupcake (not homemade - someone brought them into work)
lunch - leftover burrito: tempeh & black bean taco scramble topped with chopped onions and peppers, wrapped in a flour tortilla
snack - pretzel with mustard (thanks MP), banana
dinner - apple and a tofurkey sandwich

output:
weight class at 12 pm
bellydance class at 6 pm
troupe practice 8-10 pm

flog for friday.

input:
brekkie - coffee and cereal with soy milk (yes, a decent breakfast!)
snack - some goodies from the United Way bake sale
lunch - fajita leftovers from Wednesday night
snack - ummm 2 Timbits that Rr. brought into work
dinner - veggie stir-fry with tofu, served over noodles

output:
rest day! I'm sore from yesterday's workout and generally tired.

flog for thursday.

input:
breakfast - coffee, miso soup
snack - almonds
lunch - dal and perogies. A weird combination but it was OK.
snack - peanuts, potato chips later on
dinner - spinach patty sandwich on a cheese bun with lettuce, Veganaise, mustard and relish

output:
step & scupt class at 12 pm

I think I'm getting a cold, so I've been eating Vitamin C tablets like crazy. It helps that they taste yummy. Germs, go away!

T-man and I went grocery shopping after work and got a LOT of stuff. It was expensive. Mostly good food but the organic produce selection was slim. Remember when the big stores had lots of beautiful organic veggies? As if they bought up all the best-looking stuff and left the rest for the smaller stores? That's not the case anymore. I will be buying my produce at the lovely and friendly Food 4 Life in Kensington Market. Which is where I should be going anyway. (and I usually go there for produce, they have a great local selection!)

re-look at the re-focus.

Back in October I listed a few good habits that I wanted to re-establish when I returned to my office job and regular schedule. I still feel rather disorganized, so it's time to review those goals and remind myself of them.

1. Food - my eating schedule is better than it was, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. I haven't been planning meals for the week. I still come home from work and scarf down whatever I can get my hands on. (see Monday: dill pickle chips and a cornbread muffin)

To do: 1) Pick a day to sit down and plan 3-4 dinners for the coming week. Preferably on a day when I can go grocery shopping. 2) Make some healthy snacks and/or have smoothie ingredients on hand (fruit, rice milk, juice).

2. Yoga - I've been going to lunchtime yoga (45 min.) but it's rather unsatisfying after the intense 1.25 hour classes at Core Studio. I've only made it to one or two classes at Core in the past month. Going to classes at Core is a lower priority right now, since I'm busy with other activities in the evenings now that it's the holiday season. However, it would be beneficial to work on a small daily home practice.

To do: sneak in a few half sun salutations in the morning, before my brain starts saying "hurry up and get ready for work."

3. Housekeeping - No improvement. The place is a mess.

To do: spend 15 minutes a day cleaning up one room in the house, right after getting home from work or dance class. Only 15 minutes. And rotate rooms, e.g. Monday I sweep the kitchen floor, Tuesday I dust the living room, Wednesday quick-clean the bathroom. Baby steps.

4. Dance practice - this is one thing I have been doing, although I haven't been especially organized about it. Unfortunately, it feels like I've been spending a lot of time going to classes and events and practicing and it's taking away from other areas.

To do: right now, keep the status quo. The previous items take priority.

5. Other stuff - I've been knitting lots, since I have a deadline for the secret project. (which is coming along nicely!) There is never enough time/energy for the crafty stuff, but it's a lower priority.

To do (in general): stop napping on the couch. Not sure how I will manage this, because sometimes I'm just so tired. More caffeine? Sugar? Less of those? I think I need to go to bed earlier. I don't think I'm low on iron or anything because I'm fine when I have to go out, but when I'm at home for the night I want to rest. With my eyes closed. LOL.

flog for tuesday.

input:
breakfast - coffee and a Kick Butt Amped Energy Ball
snack - almonds
lunch - leftover dal and rice
snack - two 2-bite brownies
dinner - more dal and rice

output:
bodysculpt class at lunch (weights)
bellydancing class at 6 pm
shimmied it up at FunkaBelly from 8-11 pm

flog for monday.

input:
brekkie - coffee (and some dill pickle chips, but we won't talk about that)
snack - almonds
lunch - perogies with salsa
snack - potato chips and a cornbread muffin
dinner - red lentil dal with steamed broccoli and brown basmati rice

output:
walked halfway to work
yoga class at 1 pm
walked home from work

I got on the streetcar this morning because I was running a bit late and the sidewalks were icy (and therefore I wouldn't be able to hustle to get to work on time), but the streetcar was a short turn and there was a HUGE lineup of people waiting to transfer. So I decided to walk the rest of the way.