Surviving Santa Fe

Potato & Pepper Taco with Mango

2011-01-15T20:36:00.002-07:00

You will need:

Potato
Red or Yellow Bell Pepper
Onion
Mango
Lettuce
Cheese (opt)
Salsa (opt)
Tortilla

Cube the potatoes and cut the Pepper, Onion and Mango. Saute together the potatoes, pepper and onion. Warm tortillas, then layer in this order: cheese, lettuce, sauteed mixture, mango and salsa. Season as needed.

Eat Seasonally

2010-10-22T10:00:00.001-06:00

Just found a great site called Eat the Seasons. It is updated every week and gives you the fruits, veggies, nuts and meats that are in season right now. They are a UK based site, but do also have listings for the Americas.

Eat the Seasons!

Shayna's Mango Salsa!

2010-08-28T20:03:00.000-06:00

Delicious on a hot summer day, especially in green chile season!

This will feed 3-4 people. Multiply as needed.

You will need:

One Large Ripe Mango
One-Two Ripe Tomatoes
One Large Green Chile (or jalapenos)
One Lime
About a teaspoon of finely chopped Cilantro or Parsley

A sharp knife, cutting board, a bowl and a spoon. Also a stove or at least some fire.

First roast the green chile over an open flame until the skin is blackened. Rinse off the skin, cut off the top and rinse out seeds. Dice the chile, tomatoes and mango into medium size pieces. Squirt with the juice of the lime and mix in the cilantro or parsley. Serve slightly chilled with favorite tortilla chips.

Sorry for the bad picture, I cannot find the battery charger for the Beast, so iPhone will do for now.

The Adventures of Ed Sison

2010-08-22T10:57:00.000-06:00

Their adventure over and their bellies full, VM, Artemio and Ed Sison settled down for the night. As he drifted off to sleep, Ed wondered what tomorrow would bring them.

The End?

The Adventures of Ed Sison

2010-08-21T10:55:00.000-06:00

They climbed into the monolith and discovered that Garlic was right! There was food and drink here aplenty. That night they celebrated long into the wee hours.

The Adventures of Ed Sison

2010-08-20T10:53:00.000-06:00

After searching the cave for a day, VM spots something in the distance. A white monolith, no THE monolith that Garlic spoke of!

The Adventures of Ed Sison

2010-08-19T10:47:00.002-06:00

Luckily the lasso reaches! The trio slowly crosses on the line and they are immediately faced with another challenge, a very large cave. VM pulls out his matches and makes a torch for himself and then the others. They then venture into the complete darkness in hopes that the Garlic's story is true and there food and drink somewhere in this.

The Adventures of Ed Sison

2010-08-18T10:44:00.000-06:00

He pulls out their rope and makes a lasso. "If only this will reach the other side, we won't have to waste time climbing."

The Adventures of Ed Sison

2010-08-17T10:42:00.000-06:00

Just as the Garlic said, at the beginning of the next day they came upon a vast chasm. It would be difficult to cross and take even longer to climb down and then up the other side. Artemio had an idea...

The Adventures of Ed Sison

2010-08-16T10:36:00.002-06:00

On the third day the trio came upon the strangest creature. The Onion was sitting on a ledge and crying his eyes out. VM thought maybe they could eat it, but Artemio was more cautious about this strange thing. They asked him what was wrong, but he just cried and cried. Soon another creature came up, the Garlic and he told them that the Onion always cried and there was no explanation. Garlic also directed them towards a place he once saw filled with food and drink, but it would be a few more days journey.

End of Part One, Intermission, Part Two

2010-08-15T10:32:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the intermission, Ed needed a break.

The Adventures of Ed Sison

2010-08-07T11:18:00.002-06:00

The following morning Ed, VM and Artemio began their journey to find something on which to survive. They walk on for many hours over many strange terrains.

The Adventures of Ed Sison

2010-08-06T11:13:00.002-06:00

The trip down was long and semi-treacherous. By the time they reached the bottom it was dusk so the trio decided to stay the night there and wait until morning to go on their quest for sustenance.

The Adventures of Ed Sison

2010-08-05T11:05:00.001-06:00

On their way down, VM looses his grip and slips! Luckily Artemio was very close to him and was able to hook VM back onto the rope.

The Adventures of Ed Sison

2010-08-04T11:05:00.002-06:00

VM finds a long length of rope and they begin the long decent down to the ground level.

The Adventures of Ed Sison

2010-08-03T10:55:00.003-06:00

With the help of Artemio, Ed finds and releases VM, the best tracker this side of the Rio (if not a little crazy). Together once again the trio begins to look for away down from their former prison.

The Adventure Begins

2010-08-02T10:44:00.004-06:00

After being locked away in a strange prison for a year, suddenly the doors opened. Ed Sison, our hero, emerges into the light once more. He quickly uncovers his trusty sidekick Artemio.

The Escape of Ed

2010-07-24T16:57:00.004-06:00

Ed Sison is back! He and his friends escape storage and go on a quest. The adventure begins this August.

Now on Flickr

2010-07-05T11:57:00.003-06:00

So I went and got myself a flickr account, much to the push of Joey - my co-worker/employee. What I have added so far is mostly older stuff and series that I am still working on, like Abandon and ipseity. There are also some new ones like Bumble the Dunny. So enjoy the old work and await the new!
Even though I have been focusing on this the last week or two, I will still be adding new photos of the day here as well!

Photo of the Day

2010-06-27T12:04:00.001-06:00

A preview of things to come.

Photo of the Day

2010-06-17T10:33:00.000-06:00

Mandy's Custom Backpack

2010-05-29T16:14:00.003-06:00

Photo of the Day

2010-05-13T13:03:00.003-06:00

Some of my digital art from 2005

Photo of the Day

2010-05-12T13:24:00.002-06:00

Haven't been back to Briggs in a while, but I hear this building has since been torn down.

Photo of the Day

2010-05-09T23:48:00.002-06:00

Photo of the Day

2010-05-07T12:37:00.002-06:00

Photo of the Day

2010-05-05T11:54:00.002-06:00

Photo of the Day

2010-05-02T18:50:00.000-06:00

Photo of the Day

2010-05-01T23:56:00.001-06:00

Photo of the Day

2010-04-30T23:53:00.001-06:00

Old Chocolate Machine in Ghirardelli Square

Photo of the Day

2010-04-30T23:50:00.002-06:00

Photo of the Day

2010-04-29T19:20:00.002-06:00

Photo of the Day

2010-04-28T19:16:00.002-06:00

Photo of the Day

2010-04-22T16:13:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2010-04-19T11:21:00.002-06:00

Today is my mom's birthday. Tonight we are in San Francisco and will be seeing her favorite band, Echo and the Bunnymen play at the FILLMORE!
So Happy Birthday Mom/Mum/Mommy/

Photo of the Day

2010-04-18T11:18:00.000-06:00

Tank looking out the Window.

Photo of the Day

2010-04-16T11:15:00.000-06:00

Miss Mona looking for the lazer

Photo of the Day

2010-04-14T11:08:00.000-06:00

Where will Tony go?

2010-04-13T16:04:00.001-06:00

So Mr. Bourdain will be shooting an episode in Austin this summer. Of all the many places there are to eat in this fine city, which ones will he choose? The rumor is that the abundance of food carts will be the focus of the episode. While I love many of the carts around town, I would send him to more than just those. So Tony, here is my list for you.

1. El Azteca on East 7th
This restaurant opened in 1963 and has been family owned for three generations. They are still making the best TexMex in Texas. My family has been going here since the late seventies because they were the only good Mexican place serving vegetarian along side the old school classics. My dad goes there so often that he never needs a menu and they usually know exactly what he is going to get (the number seven). The number seven is a classic veggie combo plate with one bean taco, rice, beans, one cheese enchilada, guacamole and a tostada with queso. I often get the seven or seventeen (two enchiladas with rice and beans). They do serve free chips and homemade salsa once you sit down, which is amazing. The salsa is so good it has reduced my entire family to chili bliss giggles. This is the salsa that I always strive to copy when I make it at home. I know I was only raving about the veggie food here, but take my husband's word the meaty dishes are absolutely amazing as well. Just please, Tony if you come here don't film it because then it would change. I just want you to have the best, but lets keep it a bit of a secret still.

2. Torchy's Tacos in the South First Trailer Park
This place did not exist when I was here before, so I was surprised to find that there are five (maybe six by now) locations all over town. One bite and you will see why. The Fried Avocado taco is just too good for words. Slices of fresh avocado are battered and deep fried then topped with beans, lettuce, cheese and salsa. Despite the fried part, its not heavy or greasy at all. You can also make your own "breakfast" tacos in any combination. There is also a crazy taco of the month in which they really go all out (these are usually $4). My husband loves the green chili pork tacos. They use real New Mexican green chili (which is a big deal to us being from NM). The queso also has green chili in it and tastes just like Los Cuates in Albuquerque. At many of the locations not in the trailer park they also serve Boylens and Dublin Dr. Pepper in the soda fountain.
A plus of being in the tailer park is next door is Holy Cacao - little cake balls of heaven. My only complaint about Torchy's is that the price is higher than I am used to, but they use fresh ingredients and so delicious that I am willing to pay a few extra bucks for a taco.

3. Home Slice Pizza on South Congress
I'm not exactly a pizza snob, but I think this place is the best in town for slices or whole pies. The dough is simple, yet complex and delicious. The sauce is nice and flavourful without being overwhelming and in the way of the other components. My favorite is the Margarita, but their isn't a bad combination to be found here. Either sit in the original spot, out back or next door in the new "second" location. During peak times these guys throw a few hundred pies in a few hours, so calling your order in before you get there is not a bad idea. I also suggest hitting Home Slice after you hit the clubs because their hefty slices taste amazing with a Shiner or after you've been parting all night. Be sure to grab a pie to go for the morning after, as they are just as good cold and hung over as they were the night before.

4. Hut's on West Sixth
Hut's is an Austin tradition since 1939. These guys do not mess around with a good burger, be it buffalo, longhorn, veggie or even chicken breast. They are like a 1950's burger joint in style and this even carries over to the names of the burgers. I suggest the Alan Freed, Wolfman Jack, Arnolds Best or the Richie Valens. Grab a Malt or a beer as they both go well with the meal.

5. Changos on South Lamar
Changos is an amazing taco/burrito place. This is their south location and the only one I go to. The ingredients are simple, but amazing. They hand make their tortillas right in front of you (next to the registers) and they also make their own agua frescas (like juice, but not). We usually get the Del Jardin, Al Pastor or Burrito Maximo. Depending on who is on shift does kind of depend on how generous they are with your tortilla toppings, but its still tasty either way. And forget about the sodas and always get the frescas. Another plus is that it is not expensive at all. A couple bucks for a taco, five for the giant burrito (really it is two meals). Make sure you tip these guys, because they are working hard and making you delicious cheap food.

6. Enoteca/Vespio on South Congress
Here is my only shameless plug. Yes, my husband Jack works here, but get over it.
Before Jack worked here we went to Vespio and fell in love with the place. They have a garden out back and make most of their food from scratch and from local ingredients (there are exceptions and those are imported, usually, from Italy). It was also the place where we were formally engaged at. But then we moved away until six months ago and found that they opened a second restaurant next door called Enoteca. Both serve similar menus, but Enoteca is cheaper and also has a deli case so you can cook with some of their tastiness at home. I will admit that I have not been back to eat at Vespio, nor have I eaten in the physical dinning room of Enoteca, but I eat their food all the time. Jack brings me home pizzas, pastas, panini and different house made breads. If I had the money to throw around I would eat at both sides all the time. Here are the reasons you need to go here: they make almost everything fresh from scratch daily. This includes pizza dough, breads, pastas, sauces and mozzarella. Yes, they make cheese in house. Every week or so they also get in two whole pigs and whole ducks and butch them up themselves. They even cure some meats on site. At Enoteca/Vespio they are both Bloods and Crypts (anyone who has read Bourdain should understand) and are doing some of the best food in town.

7. Threadgill's on Barton Springs
Austin is supposedly the music capital of the world. It definitely used to be, but there is argument now for if thats true still. Anyway, Threadgill's is almost a shrine to the old days of Austin music, mostly featuring the posters and pictures from the Armadillo World Headquarters, which used to be on the same block before they tore it down for the bank building next door to Threadgill's. The food here is southern soul food. They have all the classics and fair veggie list. And yes, mac n' cheese is a fucking vegetable. So give a finger to the bank and then go in, have a beer, some soul food and learn a little about why Austin is/was the music capital of the world.

Photo of the Day

2010-04-12T09:11:00.000-06:00

Photo of the Day

2010-04-10T11:04:00.001-06:00

Photo of the Day

2010-04-08T10:57:00.003-06:00

Photo of the Day

2010-04-07T01:12:00.000-06:00

Photo of the Day

2010-04-05T01:01:00.002-06:00

Photo of the Day

2010-03-22T22:36:00.002-06:00

South Congress with Skyline

Photo of the Day

2010-03-21T22:43:00.003-06:00

Awesome Color Bassist

Photo of the Day

2010-03-21T22:32:00.002-06:00

The ceiling at Homeslice Pizza

Jack's Amazing Dinner

2010-03-20T13:16:00.000-06:00

Jack made a really amazing meal the other night. Salad with candied walnuts, cranberries, pear, figs and a cranberry vin. And for the main course, Baked Pasta. It was delicious and again amazing!

Photo of the Day

2010-03-19T13:12:00.000-06:00

Nova tending to the garden.

Photo of the Day

2010-03-18T13:08:00.002-06:00

Parsley and Cauliflower

Photo of the Day

2010-03-16T12:41:00.000-06:00

Belated Snow Day Pictures. Nova, Rocket and my Dad. We took the dogs for a walk before I had to go into work. It was nice getting to play in the snow a bit.

Taco of the Day

2010-03-14T01:13:00.003-07:00

If you don't already know, tacos are my favorite food. Mostly because the combinations are endless and they are always so delicious. I make them at least a few times a week with whatever we have laying about. Or I go to Changos or Torchy's. Anyway here is my taco for today:

Flour tortilla, pan fried potatoes, green and yellow bell pepper, cheddar cheese, jalapenos and Cervantes Red Chili sauce.

Photo of the Day

2010-03-04T01:22:00.002-07:00

More like Win of the Day:

Black Bean Burgers: Part 4

2010-02-24T23:52:00.006-07:00

Black Bean Burgers

What you will need:

1 can Black

Beans

Bread Crumbs

2-3 Carrots

2-3 Celery Stalks

An Onion

One Egg

Cumin

Salt and Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Garlic

Preheat oven to 350F. Clean the carrots and celery and peel carrots. Chop both into medium

pieces. Chop onion, we used about a quarter cup, but you can use more or less depending on your onion preferences. In a Cuisineart or blender add the black beans, drained and rinsed, the carrots, celery, onion, egg, and spices. Mix for about 45 seconds. Slowly add breadcrumbs until the mixture is firm, but not dry or too runny. Make patties about 1/4" - 1/2" thick and place on a foiled 1/2 sheet pan (cookie sheet). Cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes on each side. Be careful not to burn them. If they are still too soft they can go longer than the 12 min depending

on your oven.

Suggested Toppings

Lettuce

Tomato

Provolone or Cheddar Cheese

Guacamole

Green Chili

Dijon Mustard

Pickles

or anything else you would eat on any other kind of burger

Okra and Broccoli: Parts 2 & 3

2010-02-22T11:38:00.004-07:00

Part 2 and 3: Sauteed Okra and Broccoli

Sauteed Crispy Okra

You will need:

Fresh or Frozen Okra cut into pieces

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Put a medium sauté pan on medium heat for a minute. Pour in a

few teaspoons of oil and let it warm up. If you have frozen okra, make sure it has thawed before

putting it in the skillet or the oil will splatter. Add in the okra and let it cook until crispy. Make sure to toss every few minutes to make sure you get an even cook over all the okra. Sprinkle

salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Be sure not to add too much oil even if you think you will need more. The okra should have enough liquid in them to aid in the cooking process. You should notice at some point that they look kind of slimy when cooking. This is the liquid I mentioned earlier, it will cook off and if it doesn't there was too much oil added at the beginning.

Sauteed Broccoli with Garlic

You will need:

Broccoli florets

One or two cloves of garlic, minced

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

In a medium saute pan, which will still be warm if you used it for the okra, add a few teaspoons of oil. Add florets and lightly toss. They should not get crispy like the okra, but just cooked enough so they aren't crunchy. Toss the garlic in right before they are done and take off heat when the garlic is golden. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Sweet and Sour Spinach Salad: Part 1

2010-02-21T00:34:00.001-07:00

Part One: Sweet and Sour Spinach Salad

Ingredients

Spinach (about a handful per person)

1/2 c. Quinoa, cooked and drained

1-2 sweet Oranges depending on size

Handful Sliced Almonds

Raisins or Dried Cranberries

Balsamic Vinegar

Orange Juice

Sugar (optional)

Start by cooking the Quinoa. Put one cup of water to boil and add the Quinoa in when it begins to boil. Set it to Med-Low heat while

you prepare other ingredients. Next rinse the spinach and set it aside. Peel the orange(s) and pull them into segments. Cut the segments into nice bite size pieces if they are too big.

Check on the Quinoa, which should be close to done. When the white center dot is gone they are finished. (this makes more sense once you've cooked quinoa).

Now mix up the dressing. In a small bowl mix together 2 parts Balsamic Vinegar to 1 part Orange Juice. Add a teaspoon of sugar if needed, but the dressing should be tart not sweet as the oranges and raisins will help balance out the flavor.

Once the Quinoa is done rinse it in cold water to stop it from cooking any further

then drain all water using a strainer or cheese cloth. In a serving bowl toss the spinach, oranges, quinoa,

almonds and raisins altogether. Plate up each serving and drizzle with the dressing. The finished outcome should look something

like this:

You can substitute the almonds for walnuts or pecans. In summer the raisins can be substituted for any fresh berries that are sweet.

Four Parts to a Perfect Meal

2010-02-20T00:48:00.000-07:00

There are many perfect meals, here is just one tasty option. Lots of greens, protein and some fruit. Pretty balanced as well as delicious. Here we have a Black Bean Burger, Sweet and Sour Spinach Salad and Sauteed Crispy Okra and Sauteed Broccoli with Garlic. I will be posting how to make all of it in parts.

Note on recipes: I believe that exact recipes are for baking, but for cooking recipes are more loose and I almost never measure anything out.

Pasta

2010-02-19T00:30:00.000-07:00

The other night after work I whipped up a super delicious meal. Pasta with sauce, peppers and sun dried tomatoes topped with some cheese.

Pizza!

2010-02-16T00:29:00.003-07:00

Jack just learned how to properly make pizza at his new job. He was also allowed to bring some extra dough home to really show off to everyone. We made three pizzas and watched the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver games.

Starting to work the dough.

Tossing #1

Tossing #2

MMM thin crust.

Here is the end result of #1. It is topped with my own red sauce, mozzarella and parm, green and yellow peppers, green chili, black olives, pinons, pineapple and sun dried tomatoes.

I failed to get pictures of the other two. One was just cheese and the other was artichoke, mushroom, and peppers. But they were all delicious and among the best pizza we've ever had. Can't wait to make more.

Yarn Mafia Oak Hill

2010-02-12T19:08:00.001-07:00

Photo 2
Originally uploaded by SGCBright

Committed

2010-02-11T20:40:00.004-07:00

I have committed myself to both the Ravelympics and the Knitting Olympics this year. I am going to make:

Nessie from Amigurumi Knits

Octopus also from Amigurumi Knits

and the grand finale, Warm Up Socks from The Joy of Socks.

Hopefully I can get these all done by time the flame goes out. Actual project photos to follow soon!

Photo of the Day

2010-01-30T20:24:00.003-07:00

Photos of the Day

2010-01-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

Jack made delicious bombay aloo curry the other night. We used less onion and no turmeric, but it was still just as good. We made rice and my dad bought naan at whole foods. Enjoy the food porn.

Black Bean Burgers

2010-01-27T21:29:00.003-07:00

Tonight Jack, Mandy and I made Black Bean Burgers from scratch. We got the recipe from a magazine that Mandy's mom had. They turned out to be quite tasty. The recipe was good, but we had to add more bread crumbs because it was too wet.

Mandy's set up waiting for the burger.

My burger with melted pepper jack and olives.

The full set up.

Jack's burgers with swiss cheese.

Sure they look good, but how do they taste?

The first bite and.....

She approves!!

Photo of the Day

2010-01-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

Mom harvesting Mustard Greens.

Photo of the Day

2010-01-25T11:46:00.001-07:00

BROCCOLI!!!!!

Sims 3: Denied

2010-01-20T11:31:00.001-07:00

baa ram ewe

2009-12-31T16:48:00.003-07:00

baa ram ewe is a wool shop in Headingly Leeds UK. My mom went there a few weeks ago while on the Bunnymen tour and got me some lovely British wools!

Jamison's Shetland Worsted

from Scotland

Sheep Shop Wensleydale Longwool DK

From Yorkshire

British Breeds Blue Face Leicester DK

Also from Yorkshire

The middle yarn (the wensleydale) is from a really cool sheep. That looks like this:

Not sure what the destinies are for any of these yet but I have some ideas for one of them so far. More to come I'm sure.

(for anyone wondering, yes, the name of the store is from babe)

The Meaning of Christmas

2009-12-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." - Linus Van Pelt

Xmas Lights Day 10

2009-12-23T11:07:00.001-07:00

In Memory of the Trail of Lights:

1965-2009

You will be greatly missed by all who knew you.

The Zilker Tree still stands though:

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

Much pleasure dost thou bring me!

For every year the Christmas tree,

Brings to us all both joy and glee.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

Much pleasure dost thou bring me!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

Thy candles shine out brightly!

Each bough doth hold its tiny light,

That makes each toy to sparkle bright.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

Thy candles shine out brightly!

Xmas Lights Day 9

2009-12-22T11:06:00.003-07:00

The Lights have been postponed for this:

Kate and Wes

Married Dec. 21, 2009

in Luckenbach, TX

Xmas Lights Day 8

2009-12-21T11:03:00.001-07:00

Xmas Lights Day 7

2009-12-20T12:15:00.001-07:00

New Favorite Toy

2009-12-19T20:19:00.003-07:00

Ok, its actually two toys, but they go together quite well.

A Royal ball winder and a Reeling Machine (swift).

Xmas Lights Day 6

2009-12-19T00:09:00.001-07:00

Xmas Lights Day 5

2009-12-18T12:00:00.001-07:00

One of these snowmen is drunk. Lets see if we can figure out which one:

Xmas Lights Day 4

2009-12-17T12:03:00.001-07:00

Circle C Ranch Lights

Xmas Lights Day 3

2009-12-16T23:46:00.002-07:00

This street has almost every house lit up. Definitely worth going over if you are into lights and in south Austin.

Xmas Lights Day 2

2009-12-15T23:38:00.003-07:00

These are lights in western oaks.

this one won best children's theme.

and some nice abstract lights as we drove by.

Xmas Lights Day 1

2009-12-14T19:08:00.003-07:00

Today we put up lights. For the next week I will be posting xmas light pictures from all over the 'hood.

Photo of the Day

2009-11-16T14:18:00.003-07:00

Oxford Mitts

2009-11-09T23:17:00.001-07:00

I designed these for my Dad to wear in England this winter. They are quick to knit up and don’t use up a lot of yarn. The K3, P1 rib makes the design a bit more ‘manly.’ The mitts will fit most adult hands, for example they fit me (women’s small) and my husband (men’s large.) For a tighter fit do one or two repeats less and for a looser fit add a repeat or two.

Materials

1 Skein Cascade 220 in black

4 US 8/5mm dpns

2 stitch markers

Crochet hook or embroidery needle

Gauge

16 stitches x 28 rows = 4 inches

Pattern

Cast on 36 stitches and divide evenly on 3 needles (12 stitches each).

Round 1: *Knit 3, Purl 1* repeat until end. Join in the round, being careful not to twist!

Repeat the Knit 3, Purl 1 pattern until the mitt measures four inches from the cast on edge.

Thumb Gusset

Row 1: Knit 3, Place marker, M1, Place marker, Purl 1, *Knit 3, Purl 1* repeat until end.

Row 2: Knit 3, Slip marker, M1, Knit 1, M1, Slip marker, Purl 1, *Knit 3, Purl 1* repeat until end.

Row 3: Knit 3, Slip marker, Knit 3, Slip marker, Purl 1, *Knit 3, Purl 1* repeat until end.

Row 4: Knit 3, Slip marker, M1, Knit across, M1, Slip marker, Purl 1, *Knit 3, Purl 1* repeat until end.

Row 5: Knit 3, Slip marker, Knit all stitches between marker, Slip marker, Purl 1, *Knit 3, Purl 1* repeat until end.

Repeat Rows 4 and 5 until there are 15 stitches between the markers, ending with a knit across all stitches row.

Next row: K3,

Remove marker, Loosely bind off 15 stitches, Remover marker, Purl 1, *Knit 3, Purl 1* repeat until end. For the following row you will knit across the gap of the thumb in pattern.

Continue in the original Knit 3, Purl 1 pattern until the whole mitt measures 7 inches from the cast on edge.

Bind off all stitches loosely in pattern.

Repeat for the second Mitt.

A Little Twist Wrist-warmers

2009-11-05T13:07:00.002-07:00

On Monday I went yarn shopping with Mandy and Jack. At the Knitting Nest I found this wonderful yarn called O-Wool Balance. It is a 50/50 blend of organic cotton and wool. I immediately knew I wanted to make wrist-warmers and once we got home I went on Ravelry to find the perfect pattern. The next evening while watching the last two shows of Being Human I cast on A Little Twist by Wendi Dunlap. Four hours later the first one was finished. I knit the second on Wednesday afternoon so by nightfall I was playing Left 4 Dead with my new wrist-warmers. They are warm, but not too hot to wear in Texas and they are quite soft for how stiff the cotton part is. In other words, I love them!

Mandy's Panda Hat

2009-11-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

My best friend Mandy loves Pandas. Her nickname is even Panda. A few years ago she asked me to help her make a panda hat. We went out and bought the yarn and then I moved away before we ever got around to making it. When I moved back recently, she found the yarn and we finally got to work. After we both knit on the hat for about a week and a half it was finally finished. We decided on a roll brim, but a K2, P2 rib would also look just as good on this cute little hat.

Materials

1 Skien Yarn Bee Boucle Traditions Brushed - Ivory

1 Skien Yarn Bee Cameo Bulky - Black (technically you only need a few yards of this so scrap would do if you have it)

1 Circular US 10/6mm needle

Set of 5 US 10/6mm dpns

Crochet Hook or Embroidery Needle

Gauge

Approx. 16 stitches = 4 inches

Head Circumference = 23.5 inches

The Hat

Cast on 80 stitches, knit one row and join in the round being very careful not to twist.

For the rolled brim: all you do now is knit every stitch round and around until the hat length (including the rolled brim, not from cast on edge) is equal to the length of your hand (or the recipients hand).

For a ribbed brim: K2, P2 rib for 1.5 - 2 inches. Then knit all stitches until the full piece from cast on edge is equal to the length of your hand (or the recipients hand).

The Crown

Switch from the circular needle to the dpns, 20 stitches per needle. Place markers in the middle of each needle so that each section has 10 stitches.

Row 1: *Knit 8, K2tog* repeat to end of round (72 stitches)

Row 2: Knit all stitches

Row 3: *Knit 7, K2tog* repeat to end of round (64 stitches)

Row 4: Knit all stitches

Row 5: *Knit 6, K2tog* repeat to end of round (56 stitches)

Row 6: Knit all stitches

Row 7: *Knit 5, K2tog* repeat to end of round (48 stitches)

Row 8: Knit all stitches

Row 9: *Knit 4, K2tog* repeat to end of round (40 stitches)

Row 10: Knit all stitches

Row 11: *Knit 3, K2tog* repeat to end of round (32 stitches)

Row 12: Knit all stitches

Row 13: *Knit 2, K2tog* repeat to end of round (24 stitches)

Row 14: Knit all stitches

Row 15: *Knit 1, K2tog* repeat to end of round (16 stitches)

Row 16: Knit all stitches

Row 17: *K2tog* repeat to end of round (8 stitches)

Snip yarn leaving a decent tail. Thread the tail through the remaining stitches, making a small circle. Weave in all ends.

The Ears

Pick up and knit 11 stitches, 2 inches from the crown of hat. Knit every stitch fro five rows. For the next 8 rows, knit across until 3 stitches remain, k2tog, knit 1. When only three stitches remain bind off. The ears may seem pointy, but when you weave in the ends they will become rounded. Repeat for the second ear.

Halloween

2009-10-31T13:51:00.000-06:00

For this years Halloween we actually dressed up. Mandy came over for dinner and to help pass out candy.

Mandy as the queen of hearts. Her makeup was amazing!

Jack as a hunter from Left 4 Dead.

Me as Zoey from Left 4 Dead.

And the zombie survivors kit. Pills, flashlight, double pistols, and a handmade first aid pack to hold everything in. The pack has an adjustable back strap, a top zipper into the large compartment and a front zipper into the front pocket. It is very durable and would last through any zombie apocalypse. This was the most complicated bag I've ever made and I think it turned out quite well!

Photo of the Day

2009-10-25T12:03:00.003-06:00

Photo of the Day

2009-10-20T22:18:00.003-06:00

Click on photo to enlarge.

Photo of the Day

2009-10-15T00:10:00.003-06:00

Peanut Butter Cookies!

All warm from the oven.

And with delicious Blue Bell Ice Cream.

Happy Anniversary!

2009-10-12T09:11:00.003-06:00

Can't believe its already been a year!

Pictured below: Mandy, Angela, Kate, Me, Jack, Anton, Rob and Finn

Win of the Day

2009-10-06T23:52:00.001-06:00

From failblog.org

Photo of the Day

2009-09-29T09:55:00.002-06:00

Photo of the Day

2009-09-28T21:35:00.002-06:00

Tortellinis

2009-09-26T21:27:00.000-06:00

Jack made spinach and cheese tortellini for dinner tonight. I made my basic tomato sauce to go with it. Very delicious!

Photo of the Day

2009-09-25T21:25:00.000-06:00

Photo of the Day

2009-09-12T19:45:00.002-06:00

Photo of the Day

2009-09-11T19:43:00.000-06:00

Zozobra

2009-09-10T20:08:00.001-06:00

Some older Zozobra pictures. Burn HIM!!!!

Happy Fiesta!

Photo of the Day

2009-09-10T19:29:00.002-06:00

Photo of the Day

2009-09-09T18:00:00.002-06:00

Nova meets Squirrel.

Anton turns 21

2009-09-06T17:56:00.000-06:00

So we made Sopapillas for stuffing.

And by we I mean my Mom and Jack.