Grandmother, What Great Teeth You Have...

Project: Ella's Red Riding Hood

Pattern:Little Red by Erika Flory

Craft: Knitting

Size: 2
Started: February 20, 2010
Finished: February 27, 2010

When I found this cute knitting pattern for the "Little Red Cape" , I knew I had to make it. It only took a couple of days of knitting, but then several more before I made the frog closure, sewed it on, and blocked it. I didn't like the idea of a metal clasp on a two year old, thus I came up with the idea of making my own "frog" as an alternate closure.

What I didn't think of before I knitted it was how SCARY the Little Red Riding Hood story would be for a two year old. Should I look for a sanitized version of the story for toddlers? Part of me thinks no, go with the traditional version where the little girl is devoured by the wolf dressed as her grandmother. Part of me wants to spare my grand daughter that image that she might relate to her own grandmother.

PS MY DD and her boyfriend were just here. I asked them about the little red riding hood story and NEITHER of them knew there was a version where LLRH was eaten by the wolf and didn't survive. I found this version of the story I think I will get my granddaughter....the wolf eats LLRH but a woodsman cuts open the wolf and saves her....still pretty violent, but a happier ending.

Tea Anyone?

Just listed in the Etsy shop, three of my new tea wallets. Carry your tea bags around in style, neat and clean in your backpack, purse, or pocket.

Time to brew a cup of tea, get under a blanket and watch the Olympics...

Oh, the Places I've Been

Handmade by Sandi set out two questions for the Etsybloggers team carnival:
#1 what's the best vacation you ever had OR
#2 of all the places in the world, where would you like to go and why?

I've visited some great vacation spots in my life. Over the years, I've had many trips to Canada, been to Hawaii three times, and ventured to Alaska once. (the Alaska trip ended up being the vacation I'd most like to forget.) In my younger days, as part of my undergraduate Stanford experience, I spent 6 months in England and Europe and a couple of months in Japan. But I don't think of these as qualifying as vacations since I was living and studying in another country. These trips, great as they were, have spoiled me a bit for the usual vacation trip. I just can't imagine a two week vacation to Europe or Asia, rushing from one place to another to try to "see it all".

That being said, I think I'd have to say my trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, then visit my place in southern Arizona, returning via Moab and Arches National Park is right up there as far as vacations go. At this point in my life, my idea of a great vacation includes time to really relax and someone to travel with that I am truly comfortable with.

By the Seat of My Pants

I didn't realize how uncomfortable my previous desk/computer chair was until I got this one home and assembled. It feels so much better and I think it is rather handsome too.

What's On My Needles: Five UFOs

I was at the LYS (local yarn store) earlier today. I decided to block my Ursa sweater there since it is so much easier with their set up. Several women were sitting around discussing their projects and knitting and we got to talking about what we have on the needles or in process. Everyone had multiple projects going at once and I had among the fewest, which are in date order from the earliest cast on to the most recent from front to back of the photo:

• The sock yarn blanket I started November 2 which I pick up now and then

• Umberta, the sweater for my daughter that I started on Christmas Day, finished knitting on January 22 and still need to sew together in Cascade 220 super wash
  

• A cabled neck warmer that is about 1/2 completed in Reynolds Blizzard
  

• Ursa, the Berroco Ultra alpaca sweater for myself that I was blocking earlier today started on February 9
  

• Little Red, a cute Little Red Riding Hood for my grand daughter that I started yesterday.

I think that's it...not too bad really. I always find it interesting that any new project is always more interesting than one I have been working on for a while. Do you feel that way too?

Contemplating Knit Surgery

I guess it's not as daunting as knee surgery, but I'm worrying over whether to proceed, having never knit/sweater surgery before.

I'm knitting the Ursa sweater in Berroco Ultra Alpaca in a deep brown I love the yarn and the design but don't like the 4 rows of ribbing at the bottom of the back and fronts I completed. The pattern calls for 4 rows, but I think it should have been at least 8. I can tell it is going to roll up and bother me. Of course, I didn't figure this out before knitting the back and fronts, that would have been a good time to know.

So, I've read about knit surgery where you cut and unravel, then start knitting from the bottom of the sweater (this was knit bottom up) but it's a scary thought cutting into my knitting and I don't know how it will work with ribbing. I understand it works well with stockinette stitch. Anyways, I'm thinking I'll cut all the ribbing off, then start by knitting a few rows of stockinette, then the 8 rows of ribbing. Knitters, I could use advice and help if you have any!

Happy Valentine's Day--from Idaho

Happy Valentine's Day--from Idaho
Originally uploaded by HMOriginals

One potato, two potato, three potato, four
Wishing you a Happy Valentine's and much more

Caturday-Cat in a Basket

Isn't she gorgeous?

Valentine's Memories

Red Alpaca Neck Warmer by HomeMadeOriginals

I have two favorite memories about Valentine's Day I wanted to share.
First one: I was in 1st grade and we had just moved from Canada to California. As I recall, Valentine's Day was my first day in my new school. Each student had brought little Valentines for every other student in the class and each one had a decorated box that the Valentines were to be deposited in. The teacher instructed each student to pick one valentine from their box and give it to me. I went home happy but with Valentines addressed to Susan, Claudia, David, and a number of other names.

Second one: My Dad always got my sister and I gifts for Valentine's Day. He was great a picking out gifts.. usually something that everyone wanted. One year we both got Hula Hoops and other year it was Silly Putty.

Yarn Feast Aftermath

I bought a pretty overwhelming amount of new yarn and had no place to put it...so it prompted a major clean out of my work area to make space. today. Now I can see all my yarn (well, most anyway) on the shelves above my computer. This is the cleanest this area has been in months, well maybe years! Here's a closeup of the new arrangement. Click on the photos if you want an even closer look.

Yarn Feast, Yarn Diet

Yarn Feast
Originally uploaded by HMOriginals

I went a little crazy with yarn purchases in early February Not ocunting four or so skeins I picked up locally and which aren't pictured here, I bought:
22 skeins of Patons Wool in 12 shades
1 skein of Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky in a lovely camel
1 skein of Tahki Bunny in a lovely green
8 skeins of Reynolds Bilzzard (my fave for neck warmers) in 6 colors
12 skeins each of Cleckheaton Country Silk 8 ply in chocolate brown and white
a bag (10 skeins) of Wisdom Poems
All were at great sale prices as low as $3 per skein. How could I pass them up?
if you go to my Flickr page linked to the photo, you can see an "annotated version" with notes about the yarns.
Now, I definitely need to go on a yarn diet for a few months.

Valentine Love

I just finished these little Valentine/Love note cards. They're listed in my little Etsy Shop if you want to take a look and I'll have them for sale locally at the Lovin' Local event:
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Lovin' Local

Shop for the perfect gift while you support local artists and the local economy at the Pocatello Co-Op's annual Valentine's market.

11 a.m. to 4 pm.
Sunday, February 7, 2010

A portion of all the proceeds will benefit the Pocatello Co-Op
815 South First Avenue
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