On a Tuesday

I'm pretty sure that's the name of a friends former blog, "On a Tuesday" and when I say former blog I mean lets get into the waaaaaaay way back machine and hop back to the early part of this fine century.  Back to when twitter was still just little thing, Facebook was not cool and MySpace still was a thing people used.  Once again I don't have a lot on my plate and I wanted to get some of this back log out.  

Here are 4 of my quilt squares for my square a month sampler.  The 5th is TERRIBLE.  Its so bad I took it apart and put it back together and its still bad.  So I'm going to buy the fabric (or close enough) and make a new one.  I've learned that I have a special stitch on my machine which should help me make better squares.  But the truth is, I'm not a good quilter, and I'm okay with that.  

Made this scarf for my coworker, since he's fresh outta college.  He's a good kid. But mostly because he's running around in basically a wind breaker when its like 23 degrees.  Boys.  Now he can stay warmish and look awesome.    

Here let me take some notes at the morning meeting!

My dear friend Kathy sent me this lovely sock yarn from her quilt shop!  I don't know what I'm going to make with it yet, but she trusts me to come up with something fantastic.  

Edgar approves of my sonic screwdriver.  You'll see where this is going next month.  

See I'm getting better.  This one is a little more square, and I'm trying to be more patient.  It may or may not be working.  

EDGAR! stop being so damn cute little bird.  Seriously.  

Keep a look out for a post this week about knitting worsted weight shawls! 

Its Monday...

I know crazy right.  But hell there is nothing else to do around here.  I'd like to say that just sitting on my duff pulling a paycheck is nice, but its not.  I'd like to be up to something, doing something so I alternate between reading free papers on PLOSOne and blogging.  

For my birthday we went to see the Black Keys.  Its the second time we've seen them and they're great in concert.  You can tell they just love to do live shows.  The song are never the same as they're recorded and they have a great light show too.  St. Vincent opened for them, and she's pretty amazing too.  

Of course there was an encore.  The whole place lit up with cell phone flashlights in an amazing display.  It was really cool.  However nothing, nothing, nothing beats the encore from their El Camino tour where they played Everlasting Light with a massive mirror ball.  I was rewarded with what I think is there best live version song, Little Black Submarines. We heard it at the Fresno show and they played it for part of their encore.  Its spectacular.  

Seriously have you had these!  Birthday gift from a friend and more than delicious.  They are from the wonderful candy makers Olive and Sinclair out of the every more awesome Nashville.  They come in a shotgun box too.  

Edgar gives his beak of approval to a shell stitch scarf I made.  

We sometimes have crazy amazing sunsets.  It doesn't make up for the sad brown that is winter in Kansas.  

I've been working away on my sweater.  Which actually fits, as you can see from how fab my bum looks in it.  

Tracing the patterns for my first knit sewing project.  I bought the Sewing with Knits class from Craftsy.

BAM! An awesome wearable item.  

Its way comfy, and I plan on making more, maybe with pockets.  

We just keep having snow, like 3ish inches at a time.  

The Cider is slowing down, and should be ready to move to the next jug soon, like this week.  Then it hangs out there for a while until it can be bottled.  If this batch goes well I'll make a large batch.  Finding good cider in Leavenworth is hard.  

Quick post

So we're a good ways into the year.  January is behind us and we're well into February.  It zips by.  So this is mostly an update post (aren't they all).  I haven't bought any new clothes as per my resolution.  I've bought 2 pairs of pants, 2 dresses, 2 shirts and a jacket ALL FROM THRED UP!  I'm in love.  They're a great webpage.  Everything I've gotten has been fab.  One shirt and the jacket are for my Lady-Tenth Doctor outfit which I'll wear to Planet Comic Con next month with my friends.  But all the pieces came from the Salvation Army or Thred Up for like 20 bucks.  I did buy myself an amazing pair of boots (what new, claire, boots!)

I'll try to update more throughout the week.  Work is more than slow, and they haven't a clue how to effectively use people so I just sit at my desk for hours on end.  I do have an interview on Thursday, with a hospital so I'll let you know how that business goes.

Love ya
Claire

Superbowl-Superbowl-Superbowl!!!

Sunday-sunday-sunday!!!

I am huge Seahawks fan.  Not a bandwagon fan, but a long suffering Seattle sports fan.  Years of crap teams, years of almost selling, and years of never tasting victory.  More importantly that horrible superbowl we got shafted.  Last year was like a dream, a crazy making Payton Manning cry dream.  This year oh holy fucking-shit!  We're going again.  Too bad I'm in Exile and can't be there to send them off or welcome them back.  WE did both last year.  We stood on a foggy morning to send them off to the superbowl it was great

No more cared how cold it was we all just yelled and made friends.  It was fandom at its best.  No one was rude, and tons of people just hung around waiting and having a great time.  

Blitz was there, all the best fan groups and all the coolest tailgate trucks.

I took over the chalk board at work (which mega-bitch erased before the big game and I had to redraw).  

IT all led up to this.  Me up in Seattle at 6AM in the ice cold to see the parade.  Which was amazing. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MANY PEOPLE.  And once again, everyone nice and orderly.  Come on this is Seattle.  We stayed in the city all day, eating an early dinner at 13 Coins to top off a perfect Seattle event and drive down 99 and not I-5 back to the city of Destiny.  

This year, we've got snow and Kansas.  Lucky for us, we have an Adopted Seahawk (a guy in Hubs class who is a born again PNW'er) he'll join us for the awesome today.  

In non-football related fun......

The beer was done (we think) See that nice layer of floculation from the yeast falling out of fermentation.  Hellz ya! Sorry I love yeast.  

We bottled.  Micro-skills (no not small skills, microbiology skills) Its handy to have a microbiologist who brews stuff for a living inhouse.  I handled this part of the game.

Red caps of course (field artillery) 

My current reading material. Its super well written, and its very informative. 

Pre-cheese

Gelled Curd

CHEESE!

I made cheese, in fact I made Mozzarella.  I got liquid animal rennet and followed the instructions online.  It work nearly perfectly.  The trick I found was using the wooden cutting board to my advantage and letting it soak up the extra whey.  It was also super yum.  

More stuff

I got this great cart at Ikea for my sewing stuff

Put my antique trunk in my office

MADE BEER! (we can drink it on the 31st)

Took this great picture of my antique microscope

I'm finally able to display the great microscope that Hub got me for my birthday like 2 years ago.

I framed some stuff

The SNOW STORM, that wasn't

It did get bitterly cold (thats without the windchill)

Five Mile Creek froze almost solid.

One more thing I forgot to add to my New Years resolutions, was to try to keep organized.  Try to find at least as many old things I don't need or do not bring me joy and send them off to Goodwill as I bring new items into the house.  I've been busy purging stuff which is no longer useful to me.  I think my office is done.  Next up the guest room.  I have so far not purchased any new clothes.  I did pick up 2 pairs of pants from ThreadUp they'll be here this week.  

Back Log

Hey hey hey!

I've got lots of pictures to show you, of lots of stuff.

Fall arrived, and was lovely.  My Mom came for a visit for Halloween and we ran amuck around Kansas City.  We visited all the hot spots, like Crown Plaza and saw the new Hall's.  We had sooooo many tricker treaters that we had to turn off the light.  Next year, more candy!

I became an accidental hipster.  The warehouse is a shitshow of dirt and things that what to ruin my clothes so I got an old flannel at Goodwill, which has a handy pocket for pens (which lady jeans do not make space for) and keeps me looking clean afterward.  I wear my blue knit beret to keep my hair out of my face.  Add in my hipster bearded (its f'ing cold here and its a seasonal thing not completely a fashion statement) warehouse manager and BOOOM we're the coolest warehouse in town.  Maybe I can convince him to grow his hair out and go for the man-bun! HAHAHA, or not.  

I finished my Pendulum shawl which I modified because I didn't have enough yarn.  This was a quick mindless knit which burned up two balls of old yarn.  I'm almost through my stash.  I'm very proud of myself.  I have two sweaters worth left and they have patterns.  I have a handful of sock balls, which might be given away.  Two pair mittens to knit, a few shawls worth and I'll be at a level which makes me feel I can buy some yarn again.  

I started this great sweater.  Its coming along fantastically.  I'm almost to the sleeves now.  Andi is a fantastic pattern writer.  She understands shape so well and I also made some bold sizing decisions myself.  I have a 17inch back but a 40 inch bust line.  This means when I knit 40 inch sizes I have HUGE arm holes and saggy sweaters.  I plan to only ever knit 34" sweater sizes from now on and add some stitches to the bust if I need them.  I'm a cardigan knitter so I'm mostly good.  

I met this fellow on a walk and I though he was too cute pass up.  He even mugged for this picture.  Turning and looking the whole time I shot photos of him.  

Then Christmas came! I got a Lego Advent Calendar this year.  While I'm not an advent person its the perfect birthday count down clock.  And LEGOS! A whole box of little lego fun.  It was fantastic too, Luke and little cannons that fire legos bricks, a speeder and a xmas droid.  

My favorite holiday wreath I got years ago at Target.  

Ornament 1, from Target with a little bird.

Ornament 2, a porcialan feather from KC's own Hammermill Press.  Can you see the bird theme we've got.  

My Felt Advent Calendar

Finally our tree.  Which was dry and sad but we made it pretty.  I miss you great northwest and your lovely xmas trees so full of live and beauty.  Here its just 1 kind of tree and they kinda suck.  But we power trough.  

So I've got more pics of more stuff.  Stay tuned for Beer making, Cheese! and the hard freeze.  

Love ya all!

New Years!

Its 2015, just like that.  BOOM.  So now what do we do. Keep writing 2014 on everything, make some cheesy resolutions, curl up and cry.

I'm not going to post any pictures today, because my phone and computer aren't exactly speaking to each other and uploading photos IS A HUGE PAIN IN THE ASS.  Seriously.  HUGE.  Using my big camera isn't any better.

I will make some cheesy new years resolutions.

• To not buy any new clothes for 3 months.  Undies, bras, workout clothes, socks, and shoes are not part of this rule. I will make or buy them used.  
• I frame or purchase more ART.  I think the best way to spend my money is on things that make me happy. 
• I build my home lab.  I don't get to do science at work any more because I work for some serious nutters but I can create my own at home "yeast ranch" as the home brewers call it.  Its just a lab to me.  
• Make cheese- real aged hard cheese.
• Finish knitting from my stash.  I want to be done with it and start buying new yarn.  Its an all hands on deck effort, this is the last year of it.  
• Workout harder. Since we moved I've been a lazy bones, but now we have a home gym and I have no more excuses.  

There we go.  And the final one, to blog more PROMISE.