Monday, December 21, 2009

making stuffs

It's been a month since my last post, partly because of laziness to post, another part due to guests at the house and the last part of me making stuff. I surprise myself of how many things I've finished in the past couple months. Here's the what I've been up to.

M's bag turn into scarf

m's bag into scarf
Started off life as a wedding bag, but I made too many mistakes to finish in time. So instead I turn it into a drop stitch scarf http://christine.typepad.com/knitting/easy-drop-stitch-scarf-pa.html. It's made out of mulberry silk, it has the perfect amount of sheen to make it an elegant scarf.

Pink Scaruffle

pink ruffle scarf
Someone gave me a lot of this pink mohair stuff (too fuzzy and pink for me). I finally decide to make make something out of it. The first thing I made was a gathered scarf that I gave a to friend who sister loves pink (picture to come). But I still had 1 more skein left and that when the scaruffle from The Knitter's Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes was born. Not sure who will get it--I have a few pinkys that may love it.

Flower power

flowerPower triplet

I found several flower patterns that I wanted to try. I making pins out them for gift this holiday season. Flower patterns from: Top Left: Tahiti-Style Photo Frames, Knit 2 Together by Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark; Top Left: Top Left: Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller; bottom: http://littlegreen.typepad.com/romansock/2009/04/mollie-flowers-the-tutorial.html

Baby Ribby's blanket

ribby baby blanket

Sorry for the bad picture. This will be my vacation project. Momma Ribby asked me to make her baby blanket in her colors. I love the look of the mitered square blanket in Mason-Dixon Knitting by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne and always wanted to make it. I got to okay on the pattern, found some yarn with the colors and off I go. I goal is to finish up the square by the end of my vacation and start stitch up the blanket in Jan. Wish me luck.

I think I'll stop here. I have more stuff to show.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

My walking path

Been back to longish walks the past 2 weeks. The weather has been cooperating, in fact, it's been a bit warm for my taste. 10 miles the first week and 8 miles last week, hope I can keep it up for a while.

Here's some pics of the path that we walk on. It's D&R canal path. It's great, there are so many birds to see. I think I saw a blue heron on the way back from my 10 mile. Anyway, I thought I'd share the beautiful day we had. The light was beautiful.


path from bound brook

walking to Bound Brook


path from new brunswick

walking back to Piscataway

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Some Recent Baby Gifts

I haven't really been a slug these past few months. I've been . . . crazy busy at work, having too many visitors at home (cleaning and washing), dealing with my skinny old cat (cleaning and washing) and making gifts (the only fun thing). Yes, I've started on my holiday gifts. I guess I should complain that Starbucks are already using the holiday cups.


Anyway, here are some baby gifts I've made. Not the best pics, from my phone, kind of last minute. Right before I wrap the gift. I need to get my own camera or work on setting up better shots.

Teal pom-pom hat for Anders. I love pom-poms, make anything fun.


TealPomPom


Round Baby blanket in green, white and blue colorway with picot edging. I know really crazy point of view. I was trying to get the whole thing in.

RoundBabyBlanket


Close-up of center of blanket

RBBlanket_close


Picot edging in dark blue colorway

RBB_edging

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Flea Market Pattern book

I got this knitting pattern book at the beginning of the summer ($1) and just got around to scanning the pages. Then they sat around in my transfer folder for a couple of weeks as I forgot I that I did it.

Anyway, wanted to show off my find and it has all these great cardigans to make. Don't know when I'll end up making them but I hope I can get at least on made for spring. They are so great.


Here's the book:

2tone

a cute 2-tone sweater

dolman

a dolman sleeve--this is the one I'm thinking of making

ribbedShrug

this ribbed shrug looks so great but will it make me look fat?

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

It's been a while . . .

I guess I got busy, no really, I was just lazy to post something new. I burnt myself out editing the vacation pictures (this is why I want my own camera). I just took a bunch of really crappy pictures (from my cell phone) of some baby gifts I just made that I need to put up on flickr and ravelry, I have to still edit my arches pictures to post the link and M/T wedding pictures. Oh well. . . . I guess I have something to do tomorrow.

I need to get inspired somehow. This change of life crap is really getting the best of me. Feeling old and tired (really tired), my only inspiration is how I can get more sleep. My new idea is to get one of those mini trampolines to work out on; Not so expensive ($200), hopefully doesn't take too much space (along with my dressform, computer and small tv) and I will (hoping, so I can cancel my stupid gym membership) enjoy it to use it at least 3x a week.

There is something that I'm looking forward to: making a baby blanket for someone at work. Once we buy the yarn, I can start knitting. I think I'm going to make the Mitered Square Blanket from Mason-Dixon Knitting. I love the look of the blanket and this give me a goal to make it. If it comes out great, maybe I'll make one for myself (my list is getting so long).

Well off to post those crappy pictures. I just wanted some proof that I haven't been a
totally slug these past few months. Oh I forgot to mention, I did drive 1000 miles in 3 day with my mom as the navigator and dad sleeping in the back. Just visualize that and you will understand.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Miss Hot Flash's fan

So I finally got a fan for my side of the bed. It's the tower type, that's pretty quiet. CnP was not happy about. Why? I don't know. She has been alway skiddish, so I guess it's scary. Tough! I'm hot and tired of sleep on the floor with a sleeping bag mat. It's fan on for me!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Arches

As I promised here's my link for my Grand Teton pictures.

Back to my vacation preview, next to Arches National Park in South East Utah.

Day 5
A driving day, I'm secretly hoping that we reach Arches before the visitors center closes. I want to get on the Fiery Furnace Hike for Friday (our last day). No pressure, I don't want to us drive like a crazy people to get there and it's all booked up.

We kind of drove in a diagonal line through Utah. The drive was quite beautiful, saw some fun looking state parks. No time to stop. It was pretty much small town all the way until we hit this town called Bear Lake. Actually, I really didn't know it was called, I had to look it up on the map as I was writing this. It had enormous mansions everywhere you looked, with multiple car garages and recreation vechicles (giant speed boats everywhere. It was such a surprise to see. We stop at the rest stop at the edge of town and I asked the person there about the town. It was a resort town, a lot of folks from Salt Lake. If this is any sign, people in Salt Lake must loaded.

Then off we go. We kind of make a decision not to stop for lunch. We had a bag of goodies in the car and we ate what we had. We end up stopping in Helper and Green--caffeine and bathroom break. Not bad for all day drive. We got to the visitor center at 5:30 and hour to spare and got the last 2 tickets for the fiery furnace hike on Friday. Here's a picture of me at the visitor center.

IMG_1701


I wasn't finished but I must have pressed the "publish post" button. Day 6 to be continued later.



blinkers

When I started the blog, I thought I would write about being hot, my horrible commute and all the stuff I've making. Well, overall, my horrible commute has gotten a lot better since (sad to say) the economy has gotten bad. I don't think as many people are commuting work as before so I don't get stuck in 2.5 hour commute several times a week.

So anyway, as I was driving to work today, I came up with a little topic for discussion. BLINKERS AND WHY WE HAVE THEM. According to much of the drivers on the road with me this morning they are not necessary because I can mind read when they will be cutting off. I wish there was another part to mind read that I could send messages to these people. Oh the joy of commuting to work.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Grand Tetons

My vacation pictures are all uploaded to flickr acct. Now I just have to edit the massive amount of pictures that WG took.

Here's link to my yellowstone pictures

I'll put up my link to the Grand Teton pictures with my Arches preview.

Back to the vacation preview. I've been trying to post this but it is taking me so long. I'm trying to remember what we did and where we went. I know, I know, I should have done this sooner.


Day 3
After Old Faithful, we started south to our next hotel in Alpine, WY (south of Grand Tetons NP). There was a lot of road work being done in both parks, so it took us a while to get to out or in to the Parks. But the closer we got to GT NP, the more we could see the beautiful mountains. We had to make a pit stop.

Colter Bay Village was our first stop in GT NP to get a map and ask if there was a better viewing spot to take some picture. Well, we sure got one. The range pointed us to a picnic/beach area off one of the parking lots. And there they were, SO BEAUTIFUL! Even with clouds rolling in.


view from the swimming area



I was laying on the pebbly shore (no sand) while WG was taking his pictures. The rocks were warm by the sun and it was perfect for a short little cat nap.


We tried to hit as many spots on the way through the park since we really didn't have that much time there. Most of it, were beautiful mountain views--we couldn't get enough of them.

Finally, we got to the hotel. On their website, it said the hotel was close to the park (or we thought it was). Maybe it is to people in WY it is because everything is so far apart. Oh well, the room was big and quiet and they had a great restaurant at the hotel, that served the most delicious ribeye steak. I guess it makes up for the long drive.


Day 4
Our full day in Grand Tetons. I'm trying to keep these description short but it's not that easy when you have jam-packed days. Our first stop was to the Chapel of the Transfiguration and Menor's Ferry. The chapel was a tiny building position perfectly with the mountains behind it. Inside, behind the alter was a picture window that you could see the mountains. This sure would make it easy to sit and listen to a service. Here's a picture of the chapel and the mountains.

Chapel of the Transfiguration


Most of the hike are quite long but we were able to squeeze a hike to Inspiration Point. We took the ferry across Jenny Lake, then upward to Inspiration Point. Here's a picture of me (in my silly hat) going up.

IMG_1627

We really didn't plan our time in Grand Teton well. We should have packed a lunch to eat when we got to Inspiration Point but we didn't. We instead ate at Signal Mountain Lodge, sat on the deck with the view of mountains and the lake. Here's a picture from inside of the Signal Mountain Lodge restaurant. Pretty nice.

IMG_1641

Signal Mountain road was close, so off we went to Cunningham Cabin. This is where one of the homesteaders lived. The view was amazing but very remote, even now. While we were there, 2 bisons trotted by to the parking lot. They seemed to be in such a hurry. I don't know where they were running to.

IMG_1659

The mountains view from the Cunningham Cabin

IMG_1660

One of the bison trotting towards the parking lot.

We decided to make our way back to the hotel as we had a full day drive tomorrow. We made a couple of stop on the back to Alpine. We stop at the National Museum of Wildlife Art. It is a beautiful place with incredible pieces. They must have incredible benefactors.

The next stop was Dairy Queen to have our first blizzard with butterfingers. Even the counter boy laughed at me when I told him I never had one.

After that we stop by the town square of Jackson. WG went out to get a few pictures of the square and the antler arches.

IMG_1672

One of the statues outside of the National Museum of Wildlife Art

IMG_1679

One of the antler arches in Jackson

One more preview to come of Arches. Hope you like it.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

preview of my vacation pictures

I'm sitting here on a beautiful day, uploading my vacation pictures. I found a faster way to get these upload instead of my pokey computer. I'm using WG's PC and it's like lightening compared to my slow little MAC (need to upgrade--maybe next year). But I want to give everyone a preview of a few of my favorite pictures and places we visited.

Day 1
After driving up from Salt Lake airport, we enter Yellowstone around 4:30pm, drove north towards Mammoth Hot Springs. This is from the upper terrace @ MHS as we made our way down the broadwalks. Lots of bubbling pools, steam, limestone deposits and dead trees made the landscape have a great eerie look (would have been better without the beautiful blue skies)

pools and steam

Day 2
Up at the crack of dawn, we are off and running in the park by 7:30. Today's adventures takes us through canyon country, lake country and Cody (Buffalo Bill) then back in early evening with the hopes to see animals, animals and more animals. A full day of driving and seeing so many beautiful spots, made it very hard to choose a picture for this day. But a picked one from Artist Point, of the falls.

IMG_1241

Day 3

A half day in Yellowstone, then long drive down to Grand Teton NP. It was geyser country today with Old Faithful topping it off. I started feeling ill at Grand Prismatic Spring, chills, cramps and a bad stomachache. WG was a little oblivious to me being sick as he was taking hundreds of pictures. I waited paitently on bench, listening in to all the tidbits of what to see. Bison and bear prints around the spring. Anyway, I made it through with out any incidents--the wait at toilets was a little rough. We went to have lunch near Old Faithful, picked the perfect out-of-crazy-crowd cafeteria--very clean and new. Then we made our way to the visitor's center to see when the next time for Old Faithful to erupt. Our wait was about 1/2 hour. WG found us a place in shade next to a very tall family--everyone in the fall was so tall. They must have thought I was an oopalumpa (sp?). To commemorate my eventful time at Grand Prismatic Spring, here's a picture of it with the bison foot prints.

IMG_1463

Then we were off to Grand Teton. I have to stop now. The Closer is on and I want to watch. I'll try and write more tomorrow.

Monday, July 13, 2009

my poor neglected garden

As I mention in a previous post, I haven't been paying too much attention to my plants this year. But despite that fact, I think they are all doing pretty well. Here's some pictures:

my chili pepper plant

chilli plant

many little chilis have been popping up. not sure when they will be ready. So far they look too small to harvest.


zucchini plant

zucchini

Like my chili plant there are many flowers and hope to see some baby zucchini soon. Once we have had too much, it will become zucchini bread.



new grass

new grass

From several years of neglect (allergies for both WG and me) before we got our landscaper guy, our grass go a bit weedy. WG decided we should do something about it. So late spring, with the help of our painter/all-around handy guy, we put in some new grass with the patch grass seed stuff. That's the stuff with the ground up paper and fertilizer with the seeds. It was much more of a ordeal that WG thought. Luckily, painter guy had the forethought to get a rototiller to dig up all the junkie grass, 2 1/2 days later with had most of our back yard and part of front tilled up and spread with pulpy grass seed stuff. With the luck of the very wet June, the grass is doing great. Here's a picture of our back yard in all of it's green glory.


our back yard

got the pattern

I got the pattern (adjusted) and will go out to Joann's (the closest fabric store to my office) tomorrow to buy some fabric to make a test run. Let's see if I can sew up a new wardrobe for myself.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

update on pattern adjustment

My sister, the alteration goddess, has finished major surgery on one of the flea market patterns. I should receive it in the mail shortly. Then we'll see if it worked. Cross your fingers for me. I'll post a picture as soon as I sew it up.

some summer baking

I do love summer baking with all the fruits in season. Here's a few (not so great pictures, need to work on this) of a blueberry coffee cake and an apricot cherry crumb. The coffee cake is great, simple and delicous. The crumb needs a some ice cream to go with, not as sweet as I wanted it to be. I think the apricot need to be super ripe.

my garden and yard has been doing well on it's own amazingly. My zucchini plant is doing well, a lot of flowers. Waiting for the first harvest, then I'll try and do something with the flowers. My chili pepper plant is also doing good. WG will be happy with the results. But with all that said the weeds have won, with all the rain we have gotten. I just don't have the energy after work to weed a little. Oh well, at least it green. Speaking of green, the new grass that we put in at the beginning of summer is looking good. I guess the rain did come in handy.

Here's the pictures of the dessert.

Blueberry Coffee Cake







I should have mixed some flour with the blueberry before I folded them in so they wouldn't sink to the bottom. Next time.


Apricot Cherry Crumb







I have to remember to get extremely ripe apricots next year. But I don't think it's too bad to eat it with some vanilla ice cream. Ice cream makes everything better.

Vacation pictures to come. WG just loaded up the removal HD with all the pictures of the vacation. Coming soon.

Monday, July 6, 2009

pattern adjustment

Guess who was so disappointed when she found out how hard it would be to adjust the her flea market patterns. ME! I'm so sad!

It will be a major reconstruction to the pattern I brought to Sac with me, that I had to leave it with my sister. She knows really how to do it as opposed to me that read something on internet.

I guess it's the gym for me. Here I thought I would be sewing up a storm this summer, having all these cute pieces (that fit) to wear. Oh well, it really suck to get old.

ps: are you surprise that i posted twice in a day. I guess I'm a bit jetlag and I'm sitting a WG's laptop and posting away while he sleep.

Back from vacation

Just got back from vacation--yellowstone, grand teton and arches. 3 national parks in a 8 days in 2 states. Yes we are gluttons for punishment. Driving, driving and more driving. We're exhausted. Hope to upload the pictures sometime soon but remember it almost took a year to the great wild west pics.

Will be having a busy few months starting in Aug. 3 sets of visitors in 3 months. At least my house will be clean during that time.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Back from CA

Just got back CA, in and out in 5 days for my niece's graduation (I'm old) and family visit.

PHF and LTB
I'm the munchkin auntie on the right (old and short)

LTB after the ceremonies
Happy Graduate

Friday, May 22, 2009

Baby hats x 2

I went crazy with the baby hats for a shower this past Thursday. I wanted to make something not typical pastel-ly baby, with a fun icord knot on the top. So I decided to go to the yarn store (instead of the craft store) and get some yarn in great colors.

The person I was making it for looks so good in color that thought of course her baby would too. Here's the 2 hats in some fabulous colors.


Bunny hat
Knitted in Berroco Comfort, pattern from Peargirl Knits

Lucia_bunny


stripey hat
Knitted in Berroco Comfort, I kind of made up the pattern

Lucia_stripe

a year late can't be too bad

I know, I know. I should have done this at least 10 months ago but I didn't. And now that I have the time, I've decided to post the rest of my Wild, Wild West pictures.

So I posted images from Sacramento and Zion National Park. Here's the rest of the trip. I hate to admit that I still have to develop some pictures from a disposable camera. Our camera broke on the 1st day at Grand Canyon. So I can't say it's all the pictures but most of them.

Tahoe

Tahoe_09

The mountains still had snow, it was definitely colder than Sacramento.


Tahoe_04

An island in Lake Tahoe. The color of the water was beautiful

On the road to the pass

Driving out of Tahoe to go over one of the pass to Nevada


Death Valley

DeathValley

Driving into Death Valley NP

scotty's castle 5

Scotty's Castle at Death Valley NP


scotty's castle 7

Mom and me at Scotty's Castle


death valley 3

Wildlife



Vegas

vegas 1

hours for driving to vegas and a picture of my round face


hoover dam 1

instead of gambling, we went to the Hoover Dam



Route 66

Route 66 2

Hackberry General Store


Route 66 3

WG posing with a wooden indian


Route 66 4

Dad and a new friend


Route 66 1

Mom and Dad playing tourist



Grand Canyon

grand canyon 2

Me on the edge


grand canyon 1

Grand Canyon



That's all folks!