OMG! an FO?

I finally finished the Learn to Cable Scarf from Lionbrand.com. I invested maybe 4 hours into it, so I'm really psyched that it looks sooooo good! It only took 1 and a 1/2 ball of Wool-ease Thick and Quick in "Pumpkin". The recipient is leaving for Iowa on the 20th so I finished this just in time. Cabling is my favorite (knitting) thing to do right now, so this was a blast to make! Next on my "to knit" list are cell phone cozies for Dave and I, out of "SporeZillA" from Hobbledehoy. I'd also like to get moving on socks for Dave before it gets cold. If anyone knows of a great 1/4 length pattern send it my way.

It's been unseasonably warm here in NJ, and I'm kind of afraid that we'll never have winter again. I've got all my sweaters and warm clothing out, only to look at them. BTW! Something decided to eat a hole in a cashmere sweater Dave bought me last year. I am soooo pissed! I've never seen moths in our house, I would be dead of a heart attack. After reading the new Knit.1, I'm assuming we have nasty lil' bugger called carpet beetles. Apparently, you can't see them, and the more precious the fiber the better. I have no idea how to fix the hole yet, maybe I'll learn how darn???

We had our small X-as party yesterday. It was fun and I didn't get too stressed out. I made a Spiral Ham for the first time. Has anyone else tried these??? You don't have to cut it at all and it was very yummy. I baked Snickerdoodles, sugar cookies, and Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffe cake (from the Amy Sedaris book). We exchanged gifts, and had some wine. Good Times! Hopefully I won't have to cook much, we have a lot of food left :-)

I'm going to go eat some leftovers and work in the rest of the ends on the scarf, G'night!

Currently Rockin':

Artist: Sufjan Stevens

Album: The Avalanche

Song: Chicago (Acoustic Version)

Merry (early) X-mas to ME (and the kitties)!!!

Yesterday, a yellow sticker on my door told me I had to go to the Post Office. Rafther than pondering the USPS secret motives, I rushed over today before work. There waiting for me was the large package the yellow sticker had told me about. Before going home we stopped to pick up lunch, the whole time I was wondering, what's in there? what is in that large package?

I tried to open it with my keys while Dave drove, but alas they were no sharp enight to break the official look priority mail seal. SO, unfortunately I had to wait another 15 minutes before I could see what exciting things were waiting for me.

I had Adrienne check out the box first, to make sure it was safe, you can never be too cautious these days. Once she gave me th O.K., we opened the box.

After hours of spleunking, we found some tresure.

Festive-ly wrapped treasure!

Adrienne and I proceeded with joy as we unwrapped these secret gifts from a special pal.

This is what we found:

A quite stellar hat for me, in my favorite color combo.

Some adorable handknit kitty dim sum for Adrienne and Jewel. I wish I could have gotten a video of them going crazy!

But, that is not all, Ladies and Gentleman!!!!

In addition to the hat and kitty toys, we also found a very fancy piece of yuletide ephemera, some beautiful brown green and orange beaded stitch markers and 2 skeins of Berocco Cotton Twist.

Everything was beautiful!!! I could not be more happy with the things I've recieved for my first swap. I'm very impressed that my sceret pal did enough research to find out my kitty's name and even understand my insane love for earflap hats. Thank you Secret Pal!

Dear Secret Pal, ...

Myspace Glitter Graphics

Your gift is on it's way....

record box fun :-)

Remember when I said I bought 20 records for $2??!! Well, I finally decided to put some to use. I already had everything I needed, so I didn't have to buy any supplies. I used the tutorial I found on DigsMagazine.com. I did, however, use clear scotch tape instead of packing tape and I Mod Podged the entire thing to keep the picture from cracking. I'm terrible at math, so Dave had to measure the second piece to make sure that they fit together. It came out pretty well! (Inside is the green balaclava from a few posts ago, I'm so proud of my fancy handmade gift!)

I'm still working on the Quick Cabled Scarf, I got a little bored. There are only 4 repeats left, so I should finish it the next time I sit down with it. It's looking pretty good. I still have to finish up that embroidery and make one more gift.

Christmas shopping is just about done. I got Dave's last gifts today in Historic Smithville. There was a store that had just what I needed :-) I also stopped by Tomasello Winery and picked up a few bottles of Almonique for gifts and our X-mas Party. My mom had given us a bottle last year and I pretty much loved it.

Alright, I'm going to stop procratinating and get some things done.

Currently Rockin':

Artist: Sufjan Stevens

Album: Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State

Song: All Good Naysayers; Speak Up!

"MICHIGAN is the inaugural entry of THE 50 STATES, a cumulative recording project by Sufjan Stevens unparalleled in its panoramic enterprise: a record for each state! You think he's kidding, don't you?" -www.sufjan.com

The Mariners Revenge!

I started a Quick Cable scarf today, again using cheap-o Lion Brand Yarn. I'm not too snotty about what I'm using if it still yields a decent result. I saw the pattern in the back of Knit.1 and it's free on Lionbrand.com, if you sign up :-) I really like how exaggerated the cable looks in that super chunky yarn. On size 13 needles I'll be done in a day or so.




Oh! BTW, the pic was taken with my new phone <3333 I've got a Mint Choclate and I have to say, it's pretty adorable :-)

I've noticed some bloggers out there want to send SnAIL MaiL X-mas CarDs, so if any of you guys are intrested email me your address and we can also exchange some ephemera...

That's it for today!
<333 KnitXcorE

Cupcake!

I made a hat similar to this not too long ago, remember? Well, I gave it to someone I work with, and his fiance wore it to work. All the girls there went crazy for it!!!! Everyone at her store wants one... This one is named "Cupcake" because it reminds me of a cute choclate cupcake with pink icing. I may have just been kinda hungry. "Cupcake" was finished in about 2 1/2 hours. I used extremely cheap yarn (it felt funny in my hands), but none of them are willing to pay $30-35 for a hat made out out quality materials. So that's it, what do you guys think???

Currently Rockin':

Artist: Lady Sovereign

Album: Public Warning

Song: Random

It Ain't Easy Being Green!

I don't know if any of you have seen the new issue of Knit.1, inside is not only an awesome interview with Dr. Ruth by Vicki Howell, but probably one of the craziest patterns I've seen!!! I end up buying knitting magazines on my lunch break at work, and everyone is usually just as excited as me to see what's inside. So everyone is looking at the new Knit.1 and there it is, The Balaclava! An extremely utilitarian knit, with an almost absurd kitschness. One person, in particular, showed a lot of intrest in said pattern. What kind of person would I be if I didn't give him exactly what he wants for X-mas????

I had the entire weekend off, two balls of Cascade 220, and ABC Family showing a Harry Potter movie marathon. What did you think would happen? In addition to decorating our tree (complete with X-mas butterflies and alcoholic hot choclate), a Balaclava was born! I added the pom-pom and buttons from Hobbledehoy to cute it up a little bit :-)

Currently Rockin':

Artist: The Mountain GoatsAlbum: GhanaSong: Creature Song"The Mountain Goats is the name of prolific American singer-songwriter John Darnielle's long-running musical project. Darnielle began recording in 1991, and has become known for his highly literary lyrics and, until 2002, his lo-fi recording style. Currently, when the band plays live, it comprises John Darnielle and Peter Hughes, but Darnielle has worked with a number of other musicians when recording albums under The Mountain Goats name."- Wikipedia.com

Lazy Days...

Not much going on here, I finished my Winter Warm Exchange Pal's gift. I'm just waiting on one thing I ordered on Etsy.com and I can send it out. I'm really excited about my first swap! I hope he/she likes it :-) I can't wait to see what I get!!!!

I've quit the beaded gloves until December first (I needed to seperate from them for awhile, after our torrid love affair), I hope I have enough time to finish them before Christmas. HelloYarn's Besotted Scarf has been stealing most of my attention right now, I really love working on cables. You don't have to pay too much attention, but you still get to do something fun every couple of rows. I don't remember what yarn I'm using, someone gave it to me a few months ago. The Ol' Moderne Log Cabin Blanket is still hanging out OTN also, I haven't forgotten about it. It just kind of... found it's way to the bottom of the basket.

I'm already ready tired of X-mas shopping, I work in retail and I've had just about enough. Most of my shopping is now being done via Amazon.com. I have a majority of my shopping done now. I just have to dedicate some time to finish up some handmade gifts and figuring out which cookies to bake. I got a billion books and movies for my birthday last month that I haven't even begun to think about.

I'm going to go get started on a meatloaf, I have an awesome recipe somewhere. We're cutting back on carbs in Casa de KnitXcorE, and it's kind of hard for me not to make pasta or rice with every meal. I'm going to have to get creative. Has anyone had success with one of those spaghetti squashes????

Currently Rockin':

Artist: Sufjan StevensAlbum: A Sun CameSong: We are What You Say "Sufjan Stevens (born July 1, 1975) is an American musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Michigan. He is known for his lyrically focused and instrumentally rich songs that often relate to faith and family. He has enjoyed wide critical success in the United States. He is considered part of the folk revival in indie pop, but his influences are very broad. His music has been likened to electronica,[1] the jazz of Vince Guaraldi,[2] and the academic minimalism of Steve Reich.[3] Stevens has announced plans to make an album for each of the 50 U.S. states, having begun the series with the albums Michigan (2003) and Illinois (2005)." -Wikipedia.com

HaPPy ThanKsGiviNG!!!!

Sublime Stitching, Jenny Hart and Frozen Hot Choclate...

About a year ago, I bought Jenny Hart's Stitch-It Kit. There was a huge buzz about it on Craftster and in a few magazines I read (ReadyMade, Bust, Venus, et. al.). I whipped up a quick dishcloth with coffee cups and cakes on it, put the kit away and forgot it existed. Sometimes, I get craft burnout and just want to try something new for a little bit.



I collected dust until last week, when I got the first issue of Craft: transforming traditional crafts. First of all, this magazine rocked my socks. It had projects for everyone from beginners to crafty gods. I don't want to give anything away, because you should all buy it. I know $14.99 seems like serious cash for a magazine, but this is so much more than just a simple magazine. Anyway, there was an article about Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching. I'm sure you've all seen the embroidered portraits of Marianne Faithful and Dolly Parton. She's resposible for them. I couldn't stop thinking about that dusty kit, wayyyyy back on the bookshelf. Last night I pulled it out, dusted it off and immediately started a hanky sort of thing for a co-worker (she has a gross thing with clover on it that she uses to blow her nose... a lot!). She likes Day of the dead stuff and old tattoo flash, so this will be her gift :

I'm going to put a matching skull on the other side and a banner in the center that reads "The Red Death", as that is what she refers to herself as on occassion.
For my Birthday, I got a $10 gift certificate from Fred Flare. It was perfect timing because I had been eye-ing up Serendipity's Frozen Hot Choclate Gift Set. It was AMAZING! I am postive, however, that if I had been more creative in the kitchen, I would have come up with eventually. Basically, to make a frozen hot choclate, you put powdered hot choclate mix, milk, and ice into the blender in that order. And that's it!!!! Dave and I were crazy for it!!!!! TRY IT!!!

into the pond...

This is what's left of 4 hours of tiny needle knitting.... *sniffLE* Vintage Beaded gloves no more. I'll pick them back up in a few days. Thank you, anonymous, for pointing out that i missed those decreases.



I'd love to show you all what else I've been working on, but it's for Charles' Warm Winter Exchange . You should check out his shop, CooL Buddha Tonic, he's got some great hand dyes in beautiful colorways. I'll post pictures of my secret project as soon as my partner gets it.

I went thrifting today, and scored 20 records for $2. Everyone is getting record bowls and vinyl wrist cuffs for X-mas now :-) I also found a pretty awesome bag for $ .99!!!! Pretty great, eh?

I really don't have much for you guys today, so here's a video :-)

Belle & Sebastian featuring the Maisonettes - Legal Man

Erase Errata?

So here I am, minding my own business... Making my way thru the extensive X-mas knitting list, and I wonder why the glove I'm currently making is enormous? I used sport weight yarn (Knitpicks Ambrosia) and size 1 needles, I cast on exactly 90 stitches. Why does said glove have an almost 10 inch circumference??? Who's hand is this big??? Where on earth would this be considered a women's small?




I calmed down and remembered that Midnight Purls once had shown me the errata page for MDK. I was so happy to remember something useful for once, and not just something stupid like,"Leonardo Dicaprio is a scorpio". Armed with my new knowledge, I immediately googled "handknit holidays errata", to find out that there is NOT an errata page for this book. After a trip though blogland, it seems many of you have had this exact problem. What do we do now? How can I make these gloves not look stupid?

In light of today's events, I'll leave you with a sweet video for an ironically named band "Erase Errata::



any suggestions or secret errata pages will be rewarded.... :-)

7 Songs...

I saw this on Lani's Blog, and had to steal it:

Here are the rules: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre. Whether or not they have words or even if they are any good but they must be songs you’re really enjoying right now! Post these instructions in your blog along with with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.

1. These Days - Nico
2. Drunk Kid Catholic - Bright Eyes
3. O Valencia - Decemberists
4. Bone Machine - Pixies
5. Jellybones - The Unicorns
6. The Price of Gas - Bloc Party
7. Misery is a Butterfly - Blonde Redhead

Now as per the rules, I'm supposed to tag 7 of you... I hate rules, do it if you want to :-)

Snowy Triangles...

I actually finished something!!!! Don't tell anyone it was on size 10.5 needles.... This scarf and pin are for a friends mom. It was just a quick knit to break up the monotony of the bigger, more involved projects I've been working on.

Pattern: Snowy Triangles and Pinwheel Flower from Handknit Holidays by Melanie Falick
Yarn: Paton's Nuance in Cedar Rose Colorway
Needles: Clover Takumi US Size 10.5
Time: Total of about 3 hours

I haven't used a "craft store" yarn in awhile, and it wasn't really that big of a deal. Yeah, it was cheap and about 80% acrylic but I'm happy with what came out of it. I really liked the metallic thread it was plied with and it was very soft.

HaPPy HaLLoWEEn!!!

YowZa! iT'S hALLOWEEN ALREADY!? The year just seems to be flying by. I had a pretty awful week around here, but I promise I'll be back to a regular schedule starting this week. It seems like I haven't really blogged or knitted much due to some family issues but, I've got to get back into the swing of things to get all that X-mas Knitting finished.

Last week, I was kinda down until I picked up Amy Sedaris's book on hospitality "I Like You". It's full of crazy ideas, and antecdotes about entertaining in modern life :-) If you've seen "Strangers With Candy" or "Reno 911", you've already got a pretty good idea of Sedaris's sardonic sense of humor. We've truly been having a good time playing with food and laughing at all of the lil' stories. If you haven't picked up this book, and you're tired of pretty pictures of complicated food made with tools you've never seen before, this is for you.

Some of the things we've played around with:






Yeah, so that's pretty much what I've been up to...

I was going to make a really elaborate Halloween post, and I started collecting cool patterns for you guys, but things didn't go my way. I lost the list in my computer and the script didn't work so, WYSIWYG...

Everyone have a safe and happy halloween!!! I get to hand out candy while I'm at work tomarrow... GooD TimeS!!!!

and now back to your regularly scheduled Knitxcore blogging!!!

Back by Popular Demand...

So, I have no FO's for you guys. But I do have about 90 different projects going. Stupid X-mas!!! Besides knitting my way to arthritis, I haven't been doing that much. Just working and what have you. I don't know how many of you are Project Runway Fans but, I'm really happy Jefferey won, I love his Cosa Nostra Collection, but something I could afford would be pretty great. He definitely worked the hardest, and that crap about the pleated shorts blew up in Laura's face because the leather pants he showed instead were AMAZING!!!



On Thursday, we went to The Pier @ Caesars because Michael Kors was there opening his new shop and we were hoping to meet him. Unfortunately we just missed him :-) The shop was beautiful, even though we couldn't get in, we dreamed from outside. I did a tiny bit of pre-shopping for X-mas, and got the sweetest boots @ Steve Madden (I know I'm usually a pretty DIY, but I can't make shoes :-)

As for knitting, this is my *new* list of WIP's:

-Black Rayne's Kitty discloth
-HelloYarn's Besotted scarf
-Moderne Log Cabin Blanket From MDK
-Interweave's Mitered Square Rug
-Vintage Beaded Gloves from Handknit Holidays
-Knuck's from Knitty
-My So-Called Scarf Snowy Triangles Scarf

So, right now, I should probably clean up the house so I can knit for the rest of the day :-)

Tuesday, I'm going to see Tilly and the Wall again... In honor of the most amazing band ever, I'll leave you with a video from Bottoms of Barrels:

Bad Education

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Real Men Knit!

Sleep-in Sundays...

I have absolutely nothing to do today!!! It's amazing :-) I'll probably do some reading ( I've been reading How to Breathe Under Water), and knit a dishcloth. I really need to catch up on that KAL! Speaking of reading, I got Issue #5 of Croq the other day. There's a great article about why buying local always trumps organic. I never really thought about it, buying organic things most of the time wasn't really helping the enviroment as much I had previously thought. It makes sense to me now, that if an apple grown in washington state has to be sent by plane or truck to new jersey the amount of pollution and waste of gas outweighs any good that you think you're doing! Also, you always pay more for organic produce, when in fact most small farmers have much more stringent processes than the organic acts that most commercial farms stick to. I, for one, will be trying to make a conscious effort to buy more local produce.

I bought this amazingly cool yarn from Hobbledehoy's Etsy shop today. I've had it bookmarked for sometime and finally gave in to temptation. Her description: ""Sporezilla" is one of my wackiest yarns. It is a blend of recycled wools plied with puffball pom pom novelty thread. This yarn totals 65 yards in length, and would be plenty for a light crochet or knit hat or very unique fingerless gloves." I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it, so if any of you have a fun idea, please share :-)


I'm going to make Baked Rigatoni in Bechamel Sauce from Everyday Italian (I have terrible cookbook fetish, but we'll save that for another day), tonight for dinner. It's been awhile since I've made a nice meal for Dave and I. We're always on the go, so I never really get the chance to cook anything that actually tastes good. So, I better get moving...

C is for Cookie...

On my days off, I get really bored. Living in the middle of suburbia and not driving doesn't help. My situation has offered me many opportunities, strangely enough. I've learned to knit, sew, decopauge, and many other things I never thought I would EVER do. Including baking these delicious snickerdoodles :-)

I got the recipe from Nigella Lawson's "How To Be A Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking", and it's one of my favorites. Other amazing recipes include; Jam Doughnut Muffins, Snickers and Peanut Butter Muffins, and Sugar cookies. I used to be a GIANT klutz in the kitchen, but I'm slowly learning :-)

I'm Plastic!

What kind of knitting needles are you?

You are plastic.Futuristic, milky, and silky, you are willing to go where no crafter has gone before. You can do just about anything, with strength agility, and pretty colors to boot! While you are good at slipping and sliding out of sticky situations, remember to stay where and when you are needed. Don't overdo it on star gazing when there's earthbound knitting to be done!
Take this quiz!








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Whaddya Think?

With a little help from this thread on Craftster.org, and Vickie Howell's show Knitty Gritty, I started making some sweeet earflap hats! Putting together a few patterns that I've liked in the past and my new found knowledge led me to this:

So... WHADDYA THINK????

(Excuse the picture of me, I woke up and immediately finished the hat)