Rice bags

Got a whole bunch of rice bags from friend with a restaurant. I’ve been wanting to start a making up some bags, wallets and coin purse. Have a few ideas. Now just to get set up and making.

Here's pic of the bags pre-construction.

Maybe this can turn into to something.

On my road to 15 less

Yesterday was the first day to lose the 15 lbs that I’ve trying to get rid of for years. This time I’m doing the logging in what I eat and exercise. I hope it works.

Went for a walk/run for an hour yesterday in the rain. Wasn’t that bad but had big chinese dinner to celebrate a friends birthday that probably negated that exercise. Tonight’s exercise will be ab stuff and light weights and tomorrow I’m walking to the post office at lunch to pick up some flat rate boxes. (40 minutes total)

I think (I know) I to start exercise much more. I wish I could delete (or at least reduce) my stupid long commute. It is very hard to schedule exercise around it. Too bad, I can’t exercise while I drive home. How bad could it be--I could join the rest of the jackass on the road not paying any attention.

I also got an app to log my food and exercise. I was alway interested in my intake. I think I do a lot of boredom eating (stupid mini candies). Especially at work--wish it could be more consistent in busy-ness. A lot of hurry up and wait.

I’ll keep posting as I hope this will play a part in my weight lost.

Schaefer Bean

was gift to a skater friend of mine that did my PHF drawing. It's a recycled yarn project--it was formally a hat (one of my favorites) that got beat up. Always loved the colors.

He's felted and needed a bit of patching up, that's the frankenstein scarring on him--kind of goes with the skating lifestyle and living in Hoboken, NJ.

Mr. Handmade

is my biggest fan of the things I make. Felicity hat (It was suppose to be my slouchy hat), Morningside neckwarmer and mittens. He is also wearing some hand knitted socks from my sister.

things I’ve been making

I’ve been making a lot things lately, but too lazy to post. Here’s the second installment of things I’ve been making.

Holiday Scrubbies

Pattern: Stitchy Scrubbies by Maya Mackowiak Elson
From: Crochet Today March/April 2009
Yarn: Peaches and Creme and Sugar and Creme

These were holiday gifts. It just made me smile when I finished the first one. I think, I made 9 of these and thought I was done. I think I’m making 2 more as a hostess gift for party tonight.

Cool Felicity

Pattern: Felicity by Wanett Clyde

From: Knitology

Yarn: Misti Alpaca Lace solids

I saw this hat and thought it was a cool looking hat that I could add to my wardrobe. Thought it would look nice in this yarn (frogged from 3x shrug). This is pre-washed and dried. The washing totally made the hat better. WG has now aquired the hat. This is sign that it looks cool.

TB’s gift

Pattern: Divine Hat by Rheatheylia

From: http://www.rheatheylia.com/

Yarn: Berocco Nuance

I got the yarn on sale @ Web. I love the gradient color. I thought a hat would look great in it. Then I found the pattern. Wow. This combination worked so well together. And the pattern, loved the way it started to grow into a hat. Once it was done, it just looked like TB. And that's how it became her gift.

My Alpaca Cowl

Pattern: Luxe Neck Warmer by Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark

From: Knit 2 Together

Yarn: Windy Farm Alpaca hand spun

Had some visitors from Thailand in on Thanksgiving weekend. Took them to the Lambertville Flea Market (this end up as 12 hour shopping day, those thai girls can shop). Windy Farm had a table and bought a skein of hand spun. Had just enough for the pattern. The picture doesn't do the piece justice. It looks great (especially after a wash) and feels good. Glad I bought the yarn. It will keep me warm during my long walk to my car. (I park far away to get some exercise during the day.)

“Noodle-eating” neck warmer

Pattern: Morningside Neckwarmer by Jared Flood

From: Classic Elite Yarn Web-letter

Yarn: Berocco Nuance

I really like this yarn because it so soft and warm. Perfect for a neckwarmer. Been wanting to make this pattern so “noodle-eating” gets a beautiful neckwarmer for his morning adventures into the wild woods. Need to wash and block but he should have in a couple of days. Maybe I can get a picture of him in it.

In-progress

February Lady

Pattern: February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne

From: www.flintknits.com

Yarn: Cotton-Ease

I was hoping to get this done for a holiday gift for Joanne. She helps my parents out so much that I wanted to make her something. But I made a big counting mistake (see all the large paper clip to help me count), that I had to start all over and then I lost steam and other projects got pushed ahead. Now I’m hoping to get it done in April to delivery it in person. Wish me luck in counting because so far that the hardest thing to this pattern.

Noro fingerless

Pattern: Maine Morning Mitts by Clara Parkes

From: The Knitter’s Book of Yarn

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden

I have one side done. It’s looking good. Not sure if this is going to be a gift or for me. Project on hold to finish Baby Ribby blanket (see previous post: making stuff)

There's many things in the que: mittens for WG and Sam, Hemlock Ring blanket, Ivy scarf, Star Crossed Slouchy Beret, Athenian Scarf and the list goes on. I hope to get to all of these and more. But for now, that’s all folks.

My Arches link

As I promised a while ago, here's my link to my Arches National Park photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/princesshotflash/sets/72157621641383617/

Sorry I took so long I was editing the photo set and adding captions. I kind of stop at the Fiery Furnace hike as it was taking me too long. At the end of the set there are images from Dead Horse Point State Park (Thelma and Louise) and Canyonland NP. You need more than 3 days to do all of these parks. I was wiped out on the last day-1/2 day hike then waking into the very hot sun to see things in the other 2 parks. If you are going to Arches, the first thing you need to do is to go to the visitor's center and sign up for the fiery furnace hike. S10 per person. It is so worth it. You need to sign up in person. You can go with an outfitter but I'm sure it cost more. And one last thing, I don't recommend going in July, so HOT. Makes it very hard to do things. We did very early hikes and evening hikes and rested during the day with long lunches and naps. Here's a few pictures from the park.


Delicate Arch


Partition Arch


From the Fiery Furnace hike


Dead Horse Point


View from the Mesa Arch Canyonland NP

New Year's dinner

I made Kombu Maki for New Year's dinner. I felt a little lazy when it was time to start preparing, but I didn't want to start the new year out eating leftovers so I made it. Here some pictures of my meal.

Two of the main ingredients (sorry for the empty packages, decided after I started to start taking pictures):


Kanpyo is dried strips of squash. Not too easy to find in NJ. My mom usually send me it to me. It is sometimes use in a veggie sushi.


Kombu is the dried seaweed that is wrapped on the outside. Not as bad to find in NJ, but the stuff my mom send me from Hawaii is way better that what I find in NJ.

The rest of the ingredients are sliced pork (I used pork shoulder, need a little fat to give it taste and texture), gobo or burdock, shoyu, mirin and sugar.


This is one of the kombu maki. The slice pork and slice gobo is inside, wrapped with kombu and tied with kanpyo. A nice little seaweedy package.


Everything in the pot pre-adding the seasoning. Need to simmer in water for a bit to soften it up. Then add seasoning to taste. It was delicious as I remember. This is one of my favorite dishes.

Snowy day adventure

On the snowy new year's eve, I went on a mini adventure with almost famous mountainman into woods of Rutger Gardens.


Oremiah "noodle-eating" Johnson, my guide


The first thing he spots are animal tracks. Bear? he shout as he points in the prints.


The raging river that we had to cross.


My guide trained me look for sign of danger. Instead I looked for things to shoot with my iphone


Look! Tree. Oremiah explained. Does it have special healing powers? I asked. I don't know, just a tree.


More tracks in the snow, I think those are Oremiah footprints.


Another tree


Tree Grid

So here's my adventure on New Year's eve after the morning snow. WG got my iphone up and running (as many of you notice from FB posting) and I wanted to start taking pictures with it. If it clears anything up, WG has been quite interested in Jeremiah "liver-eating" Johnson since we came back from Yellowstone this summer.