Christmas Presents

Long overdue, below are the Christmas projects from this year and the prior year.

Christmas Sweater Ornament for Jim's mother. I used some Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock weight yarn in turquoise and if I remember correctly, size 1 needles. It took about four to five hours but turned out great. My only regret is not embroidering the year on it.  

(Right) Polar bear ornament for Jim. Needle felted.

Needle felted bunny which was picked up at Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival in the fall.

Needle felted chipmunk. 

Welldigger Knitted Hat using Yak yarn

Cozy Ribbed Knitted Hat using Yak yarn

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!! This year has been great so far. It started quite well while attending a Gogol Bordello concert with my sweetheart and ringing in the new year with more confetti than expected. They put on a heck of a show and know how to rock out with bottles of wine in their hand. For those that might not know of them, they are a gypsy punk band and unlike anything you have ever heard. Definitely check them out if you can.

This year is going to be amazing! As I am finishing up accomplishing several goals I set for myself last year, I am very excited for what I have earned. I have focused on knitting a lot more and incorporating it into my busy schedule which has made me feel great about feeding my creative side. I have also set the date for getting married this year and am going in heavy with planning and getting everything organized. 

Many that know me would think that I would have everything planned by now and would know exactly what I wanted but in fact, I don't. Come to think of it, I actually prefer it this way. Everything is a fresh decision and I know I can put my heart into everything I want to get done. I have already taken care of the invitations with my Gocco printer which was quite the task. At first, the machine did not cooperate and it was a challenge to make a master. After that, I had to make sure that I aligned the paper correctly and pressed each invitation evenly. In the end, they turned out pretty good. I also made RSVP postcards and hand sealed each one with hot wax. 

More knitting projects to come along with holiday gifts that I have made.

Lace, Lace, LACE

I am so excited to announce that I have reached the ankle of my new black lace socks from Knit Picks. I was able to score these in one of their clearance sales for a great price which included three socks patterns along with the yarn needed. This pattern is called Ternion Knee High Socks. I have reached a point in the pattern during one of my jury duty days where I am absolutely confused. I have checked a few forums but no one seems to be confused so I am taking the strategy to let the project rest so that I can come back to it with a fresh mind later. Wish me luck!

For the time being, I have started a new project for the wedding next year. I will be knitting the Matrimonio Bolero with a little something blue.The yarn I have selected is Shibui Cima laceweight. I am very excited to work on this especially as I keep up with Homeland and Alias this fall.

I am also very happy to announce that I finally got the opportunity to go back to Colombia within this past month. It was wonderful to get to visit family after over a decade of not visiting. Also, my heart almost exploded with joy when I stumbled upon the Botero museum, ate delicious food, saw heavenly mountaintops that reached up to the heavens and was able to lay down in a hammock and simply read a book. I cannot wait to go back and see even more.

I am also very excited to say that I was able to go to my first Mets game ever which was also my first baseball game as well. It was so much fun and am frankly a little sad that I have waited so long. Now that there is a Shake Shack in the stadium, it's over. Their 'shroom burgers are to die for.

First Quilt Project

Below is the quilt I have been working on for a few weeks now. This quilt project has been a slow process due to it being the first project for the sewing machine I bought myself a while back ago. I have been able to get a hold of it for the most part now that there isn't anymore thread getting stuck in the machine resulting in the sewing machine eating my fabric. 

Next step is to purchase more white fabric for the side edging so that I can complete the top. From there I will move on to sewing the batting and back fabric as well which will let me move onto the final step of the border fabric. I'm very excited to see it all come together. Once I complete this one, I will take on a much more challenging project.

Make Good Art

Make Good Art is a great video that made me stop and think about how my creative juices flow best when I'm in a good environment. Why is that? Why do I fall into ruts where I do not feel like picking up a pair of knitting needs or even a pencil. That has not been the case lately, though. I recently joined 3rd Ward in Brooklyn and took an Introduction to Upholstery class. Our instructor Colleen was very friendly, informative and helpful. I look forward to joining the intermediate class when it starts up in the summer.

While my cousin, Carolina was visiting New York City for the first time and made a special request of me. She asked that I bake her a birthday cake. This was going to be interesting since she is from Colombia and finds most of our cakes to be unusual. What did I make her? A New York Style Cheesecake, of course! Do you think that I would have it any other way for her first time visiting the US, nonetheless, NYC. Shame on you if you thought otherwise. It was amazing and made my mouth water.

For my next project, I decided to take on a new skill. Although it is not that new but rather I wish to develop my sewing skill. My first quilt is in the making. Since I have never made one in my life, it will be a simple square swatch blanket. Sound easy? It could be but it has not been the case for me. I worry so much that the sewing machine will eat my fabric and never manage to work again. Every stitch makes me a nervous wreck. Also, I missed the small sentence that informs me that I needed to turn my fat quarters into squares so I am currently needing to undo all my work on virtually the first step. I am currently only touching this project once a month so it might be a while before you hear from me again on this one. I am determined to conquer it though.

Also, I wanted to share a hilarious picture of me meeting Junot Diaz at the Strand Bookstore during one of his conversations. I cannot remember what we were talking about but I find the facial expressions to be quite humorous. He was such an interesting personality and understand his books so much better now. If you haven't read one of his novels, I definitely recommend you download it onto your Kindle app asap.

Lastly, I want to congratulate Jim for finishing his thesis and successfully defending his it. I know it has been a challenge for him but nothing he couldn't conquer. I am so proud of him. He now has his Masters in English. 

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

This year Jim and I decided to make our Valentine's Day gift to each other together. After a bit of thinking, we decided on a bird feeder which was a lot of fun to figure out all the plans, measurements and angles. We were a great team while working on it together.

Jim in fact did a lot of the work. He insists that we worked on it together and I adore him for it. We drew up the plans together and figured out a lot of the measurements before hand. I did get to play with the heavy machinery but only with his guidance to make sure I didn't chop off any limbs. It was truly a fun experience with him. I'm glad we worked on our gift together because after all, that's what Valentine's Day is about.

Above is the finished result of our bird feeder. We still have to sand it down, paint, add a wooden dowel for the birds to stand on and attach it to a post. I cannot wait to wake up with a cup of coffee and watch the New England birds visit our bird feeder.

Wintry New York City

 Yesterday afternoon I was walking past Central Park when I was heading to FAO Schwartz and the Apple store and came upon a beautiful scene. The fog was hanging over Central Park after the blizzard had coated the park with it's powdery substance. I had to stop for a moment and admire it so I figured I'd share it with the world. I love small moments like these in New York City.

This past weekend I cast on my new knitting project. I decided to knit up the Aspen Neck Cowl which I found on Ravelry. It's a simple knit which I want right now and hopefully I can enjoy it before the winter melts away in a few months.