So, my satellite tv crapped out on me on Jan. 23.

DirecTV could not fix it until Jan. 31. Yes. January 31st.

To help pass the time, my friend Steph loaned me Seasons 1 and 2 of LOST. I quickly watched and traded in Season 1 for Season 3, which I am now almost finished watching.

Even though the dish has been fixed for 4 days, I’m still watching.

I’ll be picking up Season 4 tomorrow.

How come nobody told me that there were HOT HOT HOT guys on this island, huh???????

It took me far far too long to get this done, but I’m so pleased with the final product that I’m quite happy I took my time and had multiple test knits.

As it turns out, I’ve wound up with 2 different versions of Bella’s Gauntlets/Mittens. A knit version (dark gray sample) and a felted version (light gray sample). The felted ones are so delightfully squishy and warm that I had a hard time getting them off my model’s hands!

Bella Gauntlets, felted version:

Bella Gauntlets, knit version:

You get both versions packaged together for $6.00, but the pattern is available for download only through Ravelry until I get a pattern page set up for it here.  I’ll update this post as soon as I figure that out!

ETA:  Pattern page is HERE.  Once you have purchased the pattern, the PDF will be emailed to you within 24 hours.

PLEASE, only use this option if you are NOT a Ravelry member. By ordering through Ravelry, you will be able to download the pattern immediately and store it in your library there.

I’ve even got a couple of other Twilight-inspired knits I’ve been working on that I’ll announce as they’re ready.  (a cowl that I just have to blog, it’s already finished and available on Ravelry, and a lacy scarf that’s just about dry)

But in the meantime, I’ve already got *another* pair of felted Bellas on the needles!  It’s such a fun knit, I can’t seem to stop myself. 

I’m calling this pair Blushing Bellas:

I fell in love with the mittens Bella wore in Twilight, and after a few failed attempts, I think I got them pretty darn close to perfect. Not to knock other patterns that have already been finished and released, but these mittens are the most like Bella’s that I’ve seen.

I should be done putting the pattern together this weekend, it’s already been test knit, *and* they’re being submitted for inclusion in a book of Twilight-inspired knitwear!

I made my own modification to the ribbing, and I really love the way it hugs the cables where they meet on the sides.  It’s the only deviation from the original that I can see.

(not the greatest picture of them, but it’s all I can find right now…)

Wait!  Here’s a better one:

I absolutely adore these mittens and they’re a super-quick knit, too!  A couple of good friends have already finished test knitting for me, and a couple more are still working on them, but I should be finished proofing and tech editing the pattern this weekend!  I’m so excited!

I’m also working on a version of Rosalie’s White Lace Scarf from Twilight that is coming out utterly divine!

Have you ever been to a juried craft show?

Perhaps I have been to them before and was unaware, but I had high expectations for the craft show I went to with Erin yesterday afternoon at Anna Maria College.  I figured that since the show was juried, there would be a great selection of different types of crafts and that it would be hand crafted lovelies at every corner.

Ummmmm…not so much.  Well, to be honest, most of the stuff really was nice, but there was LOTS of duplication and overlap on the represented crafts.  Many jewelry designers, several woodworkers, several candle makers, lots of quilting and sewn items, plenty of fleecy type things, some handcrafted dolls, hand painted glassware and finally, the fibery stuff.

Good Lord.  It’s no wonder that hand knit and crocheted items have such a huge stigma to overcome.  If all the muggles are seeing for handmade items is the stuff at craft fairs, well it’s just not fair.  I haven’t seen this much fun fur outside of the Lion Brand aisle at A.C. Moore.  Seriously.  It was on felted bags, scarves, hats, mittens, flip flops, slippers, and blankets.  Every time I came across (yet) another new table with FF, I died a little bit more inside.  Please don’t get me started on the squeaky acyric baby items.  They were almost enough to reduce me to tears.  These items made me particularly sad as the workmanship was lovely, but the yarn was beyond bearable to me.  I would never dream of swaddling a wee babe in that scratchy stuff when there are quality washable fibers available.  Oh!  And there was even a vendor selling those knitted yoke sweatshirts.  You know the ones…they cut the yoke off of a raglan crew neck sweatshirt and then knit a fair isle yoke to replace it…

Are you KIDDING me?

These are not the sweatshirts that were there, just a random internet picture.  The ones at the fair had fair-isle yokes knitted onto them.  Erin and I got a good charge out of these as we had just about died laughing when we spotted an ancient pattern for them several years ago on a weekend knitting retreat in Northern NH.

Like I said, there was some nice stuff, and I did buy some handmade car air fresheners along with some bubble gum scented hand sanitizer and a handmade kissing ball that is really so much nicer than others I have seen, so the day wasn’t a total loss.  It was just a bit disappointing as far as the representation the fiber world appears to be getting with the general masses.  It’s making my desire to do some craft shows all the more overwhelming, if you know what I mean!

We spent the rest of the day by having lunch at Moe’s (which of course included a pitcher of Moe-ritas) and a trip to The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley, finshing up with some ‘Bux lattes from the B&N cafe.  Overall, we had a fabulous afternoon together, thanks Erin!

My first foray into crock pot cooking:

Yum!

I had my doubts while it was cooking…First, I had to transfer it from Erin’s borrowed crock pot to my 6-quart roaster oven because the crock was so full I couldn’t even fit the potatoes in!  Second, I didn’t use the burgundy the recipe called for, I had a bottle of Lambrusco in the house already, so I used that (at least the recipe said that any red, fruity wine would do.  Lambrusco is certainly red, and it’s most definitely fruity!).  Third, the recipe was intended to be prepared in the oven.  Not a crock pot.  So I was really winging it…

The outcome?

Success! Totally awesome stew.  And that isn’t just because I made it.

The Recipe?  Kinda sorta the Hearty and Rich Beef Stew from the New England Soup Factory cookbook by Marjorie Druker (bastardized to be cooked in a crock pot).  I used tenderloin tips instead of stew meat (I had some that had been a free gift from Omaha Steaks with purchase) and regular Idaho potatoes instead of red bliss.  I also omitted the garlic (whoops!  I forgot it) and the final 2 cups of wine (it just would not fit in the cooker!)

So, we’ve now got enough beef stew for a few lunches and a couple of dinners.  It’ll definitely help in not eating out so often!

BTW: The N.E. Soup Factory is my fave place for luch throughout the fall and the winter.  When I finally leave my current job, I will miss this place more than I’ll be missing my job, that’s for sure!  The spicy chick pea and butternut squash soup is TO DIE FOR!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

My landlady took in a stray cat last month;

A couple of weeks ago they learned she was pregnant…she was promptly named Bristol by the landlady’s nephew;

On Wednesday the little bundles of fluff arrived:

Kittehs!

I’ll be trying to convince my mother that a third cat is a good idea…the black one, of course.

Hey there!  WELCOME!

This blog represents a fresh start for me.  I started blogging 4 years ago when I stumbled across the truly amazing community of knit bloggers that exists.  I’ve met lots of amazing people, made many wonderful new friends, and learned a million things as a result of this community.  My hobbies, and the friends I’ve made, make me happy, and I want the world to know that!

In spite of my happiness, over time I’ve realized that my old blog had been turning into an increasingly negative space, and while I do like to complain, it’s really not all that I do.  Other thoughts and interests were taking a back seat on the blog since I was feeling pressure to keep it focused on knitting and fiber.  I had also fallen out of love with the name I had chosen, AND, since I no longer wanted to be a knit-centric blogger, a complete blog change was the easiest way to handle things instead of just revamping the old one.

Thanks for stopping by!