Preparing a move.

I don't think you can see a lot from that photo... I took it with the iPod and it doesn't have a great definition and the light is weird from this angle. This is what I see from the computer while typing this. Our living room looks like there was an explosion there... things are everywhere. Suitcases and boxes that are already packed fill the rooms and hallways.
Things that are on their way to be packed or donated or given away to friends are in piles all over the place. Things that we haven't got around yet, change places as we need to clear out furniture to be taken away.

It is hard to see your things go. That table or book shelf that have been with us since we started our life together... that chair we bought on special or a cute thing that we got at a fair... and so on.
I listed our furniture on Craigslist... we've sold a few things. Friends had also come and bought several things, some others have come and taken a lot of things, hangers, food, kitchen ware, etc.
We'll hope to have a few more friends over to take things with them. I'm making an appointment with the Salvation Army to come and pick up whatever is left at some point mid next week.

We bought a couple of suitcases from Good Will and non of our suitcases match and I don't recognize those that we bought... so I made suitcase tags! just to have something unifying and be able to recognize them all.

Just a few rounds of sc in 3 different yellows and a last round of red, then a chain. Made out of cotton, they came out great.

We are moving mainly with suitcases... and shipping some boxes of books and things, specially yarn and jewelry crafts.

I'm sad because yesterday we found out that my dearest friend from this place, the owner of the shop, won't be here when I leave. She's been out of town for the past week on a family emergency and it seems totally unlikely that she'll be able to come back before our leaving. It might be easier to not say goodbye... but I know it'll be hard on both of us.
Since she's away, I'm taking care of the shop today and tomorrow for a part of the day. I've never done it for more than half an hour on my own!
We are having a farewell party at the shop on Sunday... it'll be really hard without her there... but I'll be very happy of having all my friends there to say good bye. It'll be really special and I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

Finally, I finished a top last week. (well, 3 actually but haven't take a picture of all of them)
It's crochet... no pattern. although I hope to write it soon.

It's made with Shepherds wool. Such a nice yarn!!! perfect top for a cold spring day.

See you soon!
S.

Happy Valentine's day!!

In Mexico we call Valentine's: day of love and friendship...
I have an amazing hubby that loves me as I could never imagine, that fills me up, comforts me, push me and gives me courage to do whatever I want to try and supports me every step of the way making me feel very safe and loved.

I have an incredible family that never lets me alone and it's there with me at all moments.

And I have awesome friends that make my life happy and wonderful.... and crazy at some times...
They called yesterday, they want me to come to Aspen in 2 days, for a week!
Most of my friends from Mex are going and I had thought about going and then decided not to go for different reasons, but they called yesterday, offered a good plan, sounded excited and got me excited!! So it looks like I'm going!

I don't know if I'll be able to snowboard (I don't know skies) because my back has been hurting for the past 2 weeks and finally we went to the doctor on Tuesday and I have 2 muscles in my back strained and pulled... and it can be very painful. I'm resting and not doing anything strenous and taking some nice pills that take the pain away, so I don't think it'll be wise to sky.
But it'll be great to see them all, to know Aspen, to be with "family". I'm really excited.
Sad for leaving MG, as he can't come with me, but we'll both be fine.

I've been crocheting, knitting a lot. writting patterns, making samples for the shop. I have a pattern being tested at Ravelry... I love that site!
I'll tell you more about the pattern when it's ready, here's a photo!

See you soon!
S.

VKL Chicago!!! - My Review

Let me tell you... Vogue Knitting LIVE Chicago was amazing!!!!

I don't even know where to start... I still can't believe I had the opportunity to go. I enjoyed every second of it from the moment I made my reservation, the waiting, when we got there, EVERY SECOND of it while we were there and later, thinking about it and reviewing all I learned there.

I did my reservation back in June or July... I am super lucky to count with the amazing and unconditional support of my Mom because I know this was something expensive that we couldn't have afford at this moment...
From the beginning, it was a little bit overwhelming trying to choose which classes I wanted to take as there was sooooo many!!! I remember calling my mom about the amount of classes I should take and she said: take as many as you can and want, you don't know when you'll have this opportunity again.

For my luck, one of my friends wanted to take a class that started on Friday morning so I chose to ride with her on Thursday evening up to Chicago which is about 4-5 hours from us.

The day came and we drove up to a place -which name I've totally forgotten- that was about an hour of Chicago. We slept there in a very nice room that was the perfect start of our trip.

We had a nice dinner and then watch some TV and went to bed... the next morning we left before sunrise and got to Chicago close to 7am.

We got to the Hotel in time and were able to make the registration... they had baskets of yarn everywhere, I thought it was a nice touch!

We stayed at the Palmer House that was without a doubt the most luxurious (and expensive) hotel I've ever stayed in... The event was there and they had special rates for it because other wise...

 

 

We started right away with our classes... my friend went to "knitting with wire" and I went to "Math for knitters demystified" with Kristen Rengren. The class was fun, lots of math (of course) lots of numbers and I was very excited to understand better the math aspect of designing... it was awesome.

Then I ran to a lecture with Lily Chin in "Design Inspiration"... it was really an inspiration, and she was wearing a dress that, really, it was worth for me to go to VKL just to see that dress...

The photos don't do justice, but it was a double-color tunisian crochet tunic with "phony" cables that was simply amazing... I wish I could design like her....

Do you know Lily Chin is the fastest crocheter in the world??? (a little bit full of herself I must say) but an incredible designer, no doubt!
She can see this... (sorry for the crooked photo) the isles of a movie theatre

And get the inspiration to put this on a sweater...

It was mind blowing to see her design process...

Later I ran for something to eat and had a "Drawing for sweater designers" class with Deborah Newton... also amazing!!!
The swatches that incorporated all the elements of the sweater she was designing... big swatches, always blocked... the drawings, the finished item. Fantastic.

A little trip to the market place...

Dinner with the ladies out in a restaurant...

Next morning, Saturday, Breakfast early, shopping out with the girls...

I got two pairs of colored jeans and a cashmere sweater at TJ Maxx!

And a little fashion show of the late issue of Vogue Knitting...

It was very hard to take photos there... but I loved this dress:

Lunch and right in time for another great lecture, this time with Stephanie Pearl Mc-Phee "This is your brain on knitting".... W.O.W... SUPER interesting and fun!!!

Ran for my next class, "Pattern Writing Skills" with Kate Atherley... another great designer, tech editor, funny teacher... the class gave me lots of tips and knowledge about the basics of a pattern.
A little run to the Market place again... some shopping... :o)

4 of the ladies went back home that afternoon, so I had dinner with the other 2 and a husband that were still there with me... mmm! sushi for dinner.

Sunday morning... my last class.... "Custom Designing" with Josh Bennett... very funny, very illustrative, easy to create patterns... and every time you had a right answer he'd throw a ball of rowan yarn at you that you got to keep. I got 4!!

And finally, check out quickly and head back home to MG's arms...

Resuming, I realize that I know how to follow a pattern, but the writing involves a lot of things. That weekend I learned a lot about math, the drape of a fabric, swatches, blocking, sketching... designing in general.
I'm not totally sure I want to dive into being a designer for knitting and crochet, but I do know that whatever I design I want to do it the right way.
I can truly say that, even when this event didn't have any crochet classes, I learned so much and enjoyed so many things that it changed my knitting life... I think from now on it will be "before VKL... and after VKL"

See you soon!
S.

Seed Stitch Hat

This is a hat I had on the making for a long time. In the end I loved it and gave it as a farewell present to a dear friend that left town to go to Mexico to a new adventure in her life.

I started this as a trial for the "Tubular Cast-On" and then decided to work the body on Seed stitch, with a lovely and lucious merino wool yarn that I go in Mexico... it took forever because it was my side project for when I didn't want to work in any of my other projects, so I was working in it for a long time... any way... I love it, and if you want to see it in Ravelry, go here.

I don't like myself in hats, but I liked this photo of the back and my loose hair.
I don't like this one, of my side, but I guess we need to put it so you can see it.

But I do love the hat... the crown...

...the texture the seed stitch makes...

...and the buttons... I found the perfect pewter buttons with lovely snowflakes!!

See you soon!
S.

County Fair!!!

Summer came and went... We had the County Fair in town. It was the first time for us. I've heard of them and watch them on TV but never went before.
My friends at the shop encouraged me to enter my crocheted pieces. I did... here's what happened:::

MG took me to the Fair back in July so I could enter my pieces... that day, I had my dearest and best friends coming to visit us... they arrived at night. My twin friends whom I've known since we were 3 years old in kindergarden, and my loved and awsome uncle who is one of my closest friends...

So the following week, when the Fair was in it's full, we went to see the results...

I got ribbons in all my pieces!!!! ALL of them!!! I couldn't believe it!!! it was totally amazing and I was jumping and my face hurt from so much smiling!!
I got a first place and honor ribbon in my purple coat... And a first place ribbon on the yellow girl dress:

 

A first place on my knitted pink-magenta sweater that I think I never shower you because I can't find the post... I should write about it... is sooo pretty.

A first place and honor on my Eva's Shawl...

And a second place (ggrrr) on my crocheted sea... I knew it was going to be bad because I didn't wove all my ends in... well... next time!

AND last!!!! I got a first place, and a SECOND RESERVE CHAMPION on the green vest!

You see, after all that I realized that everyone that enters whatever pretty much gets a ribbon... 1st, 2nd or 3rd... and it's mostly a "grade" on your work and how good was in detail, manufacture, quality, etc... and not so much against others. Still it was pretty exciting!!!

But the last one, the Second Reserve Champion was a real 2nd place withing the whole category. So I was deffinitely happy for that.

Later, we went to explore the fair:::

You can see how happy my friends make me!!!!
And dear MG decided to take the day off and was with us all day walking and seeing animals and eating delicious food fair....

P.E.R.F.E.C.T!!!

Very proud of myself, until next time!
S.

A day in the lake...

Hello!
We've had several activities later... which I'm grateful for and I really enjoy.

Last week we had an outing in the middle of the week with MG's coworkers and boss.

We went to the lake for the day and rented a boat and went out and about, enjoyed the wind while the boat was running and lots of swimming when we decided to stop and throw the anchor.

It was a 2 level boat with a little ladder to take you up and a slide to the water. And we had a tube too... that MG and I enjoyed a lot!

I spent a little too much time upstairs and my back and thights are still suffering the effects of a (pretty bad) sunburn. MG has taken great care of me applying generous quantities of Aloe and lotion. I spent a couple of rough nights because the sting and pain would awake me every time I moved... So I'm never understimating the need for sunblock again... (I did have put some earlier, everywhere else but in my back and thights... oh well)

They even brought a griller and we had a totally delicious meat, sausages and corn...

Everything was cooked perfectly and had been marinated since the night before, so it was tender and juicy and just heavenly!!

As soon as it came out of the griller, it was passed to MG who would chop it for everyone else to enjoy...

it was amazing... and it was one of the hottest days so far, and we were around 104F that day! So I drank tons of water and gatorade, and more swiming was in order...

So here's a very happy couple whishing you all a very happy 4th of July!!!

See you soon!
S.

Christmas eve...

How's everyone's Christmas going on???
I hope you are having a wonderful day.... we are used to have the "big" celebration on Christmas eve, more than on Christmas day.
So yesterday night we had a big dinner and a few friends over...
MG finished his work early on Friday so we started our cooking... we like the idea of a big dinner, and by big I mean with multiple dishes so even when it had been just the 2 of us, we've had the big dinner... so I was glad to have friends over to help with the food. :o)

Yesterday morning we went to see Annie to the downtown theatre with the local theatre company... it was incredible and magical play that I enjoy tons... MG had never see it before and had a great time too.
Then a little stop at the Yarn shop to say hello, Merry Christmas catch up about the last day things and off back home to finish with the cooking and cleaning...

We did a very good job with the cooking-preparing whatever and cleaning/washing immediatly afterwards, so by the time we finished the cooking the kitchen was actually all tidy and neat just waiting for the final heating of the food and the arrival of our guests.

You see, I was very excited about having this little party because it was not only our first Christmas together and with more people, but really it was the first time we had people over for dinner, our first "entreteinment party" since we got married and live together.
I've had friends over before, but more in the middle of the day, maybe an ocassional lunch, but not really a dinner. And I was SO excited!!!!

We had 3 people over. 2 of my yarn friends and the husband of one of them.
The food was amazing...
For apetizers we had some cheeses and cold meats with fresh bread...

 

And then the dinner... buffet kind so every one could get whatever they wanted as many times as they wanted.

Stuffed mushrooms with cheese and the same insides of the mushrooms...

breaded and cheesed shrimps...

4 cheese ravioli with marinara cream sause...

and turkey!!!

We did the turkey injecting both white and red wine in it the day before... then covering it inside and out with a lemon-honey-onion-garlic mixture... and stuffed with minced meat with apple, bacon and raisins.

 

Here's already carved and with the stuffing next to it.

We did the turkey injecting both white and red wine in it the day before... then covering it inside and out with a lemon-honey-onion-garlic mixture... and stuffed with minced meat with apple, bacon and raisins.

Everything was delicious! our guests enjoyed it and served several times :o)

And for dessert we had baklava and salted caramel toffee bars that one of my friends brought...
And kamelado, which I made. I don't have a picture of it, but I'll post a recipe soon... it's delicious!!!

Then we had presents... that's for another post...
How was your Christmas????
Did you get any presents???

See you soon!
S.