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Grocery Shopping in Chicago

Grocery Shopping in Chicago. Market place bag in Purple. Available at designbcb

Grocery Shopping in Chicago. The Market Bag in Renegade

 

 

 

 

 

If you go grocery shopping in Chicago and you don’t bring your own bags, it will cost you $0.07 per bag. Now, that’s not a lot of money, depending on how many bags you will need. Three bags is my goal. A great deal depends on the checker. It can end up being almost a bag for each item.

I started bringing my own handmade bags. This saved money and allowed control over how the bags were filled. I have one firm sided back someone made for me and I have my market bag I knit myself.

I’ve nagged myself to get Farmer Market bags in the shop. It would make sense to have something that would get folks to the shop over the warmer months and also provide a service. I love using my bag so it would make sense that those who are far more eco-friendly than I could use them.

So, here they are. And there’s one in wine that’s complete and one in orange still on the needles. What can I say? They are a pretty quick knit and the pattern was fun to come up.

I’m using two different yarns for these bags. The always reliable, Lily Sugar and Cream and Village Yarn from Herrschners. I will do reviews on each of them at a later date. (You can find my yarn reviews here.)

If you want to purchase the bags ready to ship or made to order, check them out here. Did you get it? Check them out? Anyway…

You can also make them for yourself or for someone else. I have to admit, I think they make a great gift by itself or bundled. Make one and fill it with other eco-friendly items like paper goods, soaps, towels and give them to the student or first time homeowner. Get the pattern.

Fold them up and keep them tucked in your bag or glove box so they’re ready for grocery shopping in Chicago. It shouldn’t cost you extra because you have to make a quick trip for a few things. This way, you’re ready and saving the planet and some coin.

 

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The Claire Cowl – Free Pattern

I admit, I am late to hop on the Outlander train. Hadn’t heard about it; hadn’t seen it. The first thing that brought it to my attention was, of course, The Claire Cowl. Then all the different knit accessories.

Then the controversy. You know. The hullabaloo about whether the knits were authentic for the time. Imagine, there are people debating whether something is authentic in a show where the lead time travels across centuries. Oh, the irony.

In any case, this is a very simple but impacting knit for the beginner who wants to make garter stitch more interesting or the experienced knitter who wants to knock something fabulous out the park in short order.

I didn’t bother looking at the patterns because it is a pretty simple knit up. So I just made my own. It’s right here and you can download it free. Claire Cowl

If you aren’t able to download it. Here are the instructions:

The Claire Cowl

Yarn: Buttercream Luxe Craft Alpaca Solid
2 skeins in Night
Needles: Size 19 straights
Size L crochet hook to join ends

Cowl is worked with two strands of yarn held together

  1. Cast on 18-20 stitches
  2. Knit every row until desired length
  3. Cast off
  4. There are several says to join the ends of the scarf to form a cowl. You can take a tapestry needle and see the ends together.
  5. You can take a size L crochet hook, or whatever size you chose that will hold the yarn, and crochet the ends together through the front loops only.
  6. You can do a version of a 3 needle bind off by not casting off immediately. Instead, put the working needle through the first stitch in the needle and through the first stitch in the other end, knit them together, repeat with the next stitches and then bind off.
  7. After binding off, weave in ends.

It’s just that simple. You can modify it by using a single strand of chunky or super chunky – you will still get a stunning piece when you double it. You can make it longer or wider. Just add stitches and keep knitting.

 

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The Finish Line

 

I can see the finish line for the blanket. Which means I will continue until I reach the desired six feet mark or until it’s time to leave for the party. The first update, the blanket was in the infant stages. 

Remember this from last month? The time when the world was new and dreams were tangible? The good old days.

 

 

 

A few scant weeks later and here we are. As you can see, it takes up the space. It no longer fits on the small table but it was fun trying to get it to. But I know that doesn’t really give a good look to the stitches, though you can definitely see the texture. 

 

How about this one? I can’t believe how the light changes in the same room only a few feet apart. This is taken without the flash and the colors are not that bright.

But you can see it. It might seem like it’s big enough but it’s still too much of a rectangle. Needs to fill out a little more and it will be good to go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news, I have been using chunky yarn and made two cowls and have a third one on the hook.This is using the Buttercream Luxe Craft Alpaca. I have the idea of making a less chunky but still chunky version of this cowl using the Tea Cakes. This is using two strands of yarn. That makes it very chunky and cozy but also makes it very expensive.

 

I’ve also started using Ice Yarns Glitz! It’s taken a while to get there but it’s on the needles and the work has progressed a far cry from what you see here. 

I’ve also started doing some embellishments but haven’t done any photos but they are coming. I did say I was ready to start doing the 2020 stuff, right?

I still have two more things to start. I pulled some cotton yarn to start my market bag – one of two market bags; one knit, one crochet. And then I need to start the fingerless gloves.

Did I mention we also just purchased a condo? Nope, not busy over here. Not at all.The finish line seems to have moved.

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Happy New Year

Don’t judge me. It took me a minute to remember I haven’t yet posted this year. I was doing the last few orders and the final was shipped off a few days ago and now I am free…

…to start working on 2020 items. I did take a few hours off and played some Candy Crush Soda but then it was back to work. Though there are no deadlines so the work is a little more relaxed.

I have three items on needles or hooks – not counting the afghan I need to finish for Mr. Honey’s family gathering next Sunday. It is a crap shoot to see how finished it gets. I measured it yesterday and it was a little over 2 feet long. I’m headed for 6 feet. It’s 3 rows to the inch. 

Let’s do the math, shall we?

It’s 31 inches as of this morning. We want to get to 60. 60-31=29. 3 rows to the inch. 29×3=87 rows. 9 days. 87/9=9.666. I think the 666 is significant. 

This seems doable. I will show you the process I am making in another post. When I have the camera upstairs. But 9 rows of 171 stitches could be manageable. Someone wake me up from this dream.

It should also come to no surprise that I changed the pattern. The intention to do the fast and easy blanket was real. But you all know I am a chronic changer. But hey, it’s still an afghan and it’s still being crocheted, so that’s something. I did think about how to create knit stitches but time didn’t allow it.

I will be more than happy to post my version right here on the blog when it is done.You really should have known I would change it. I mean, it’s a baby blanket and I just told you I have 170+ stitches to a row. Do you think that would have been my only change? It’s like you don’t know me at all.

As I was saying, I have three things currently going and two more items that will probably get their start today. I have a Claire Outlander cowl started (it’s way too basic to even call it a pattern but I will also post how I did it and you won’t have to buy it.) I also have another cowl and then some embellishments – currently hearts. The first of the fingerless mitts will be started and the first of the market bags.

I have my first orders of 2020. I kicked one off pretty quickly and the other was a pattern. I’m excited for the new patterns coming. Of the five items that are going on, only the embellishments are the only things I’m not doing from scratch. There are other things I want to do that I will use a pattern (as far as my condition allows.)

All in all, the beginning of the year looks really hopeful and creative. So Happy New Year!

Looking forward to it. I don’t do resolutions. Do you?

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New Year’s Eve

Sometimes stash diving is a good thing. I have almost three skeins of this Caron Big Cake in Pistachio Macron and was wondering what to do with it. I’ve made a long scarf with it and that’s about it. 

I started the family afghan for the giveaway but I wasn’t liking how it was looking. I was using a solid color and I thought it would look better in a stripe or a variegated yarn. I was thinking of buying some when I realized I had to have something in the stash. I saw it when I was looking for something else. Perfect.

 

There should be enough to make a nice sized blanket. Each cake has 600+ yards and I have two and a half. It might make it to lapghan size; which is fine.

My December yarn haul is almost complete. I am contemplating some cakes from Paintbox because they sent a nice 20% off coupon and I can get a nice 5 ball sample for less than $25. So tempting. I know I don’t need it…but still.

We’re headed out to the movies for our annual New Year’s Eve celebration. See a movie that starts in the old year and ends in the new. I have a dozen orders to get out. And some new ideas I want to get to.

Hope this new year is all you need it to be!

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It Is Finished

For a moment I didn’t know what I was going to do with myself. It is finished. We were out last night on our date night. Which was later than usual because Mr. Honey volunteers the second Thursday of each month and we eat afterwards. I told him I didn’t know what to do with my mornings when I remembered his family get together is in January. For the past five years, I’ve made an afghan to give away. Everyone’s name goes into some kind of receptacle and one name gets pulled out. You can’t win it two years in a row.

I have not yet started the afghan – I usually have one lying around but not this year. So, one will have to be made fresh. I was fretting about which blanket to make when my Google feed showed a really lovely one. Which I did not bother to look at right at that moment. I would have to scour Google to find it and I did on the YouTube. It’s here in case you want to know what it is. It’s a simple two row repeat. Which means I only made minor adjustments. I just don’t know how to leave well enough alone.

First, it’s sized for a baby blanket and I want something bigger.So I increased the chain. Second, I am almost always wary of just jumping into pattern rows so I like to make a base row. So while the pattern says one thing, I made a  row of single crochet just to make myself feel better. The row also serves another purpose. I am using one skein of Caron One Pound Century in Golden Yellow. I remember when I bought it years ago. I got two of them. I know where one is. I don’t think I have the other one. I have approx. 800 yards to make this work. The base row is so I don’t have to make the larger edge she worked into her blanket. One row of single crochet, then sc in the first and last two stitches, should give me enough of an edge.

It is not lost on me that I am doing a somewhat mindless crochet project, albeit an important one, right after doing a sweater that caused ingrown hairs in my brain. My breathing is somewhat normal. Though I am using a Tunisian afghan crochet hook to make it. Hey, it was was the only one available. Heaven forbid I go downstairs, get a hook and come back up.

I am expecting a new laptop to arrive today. I had to order a new one because the b on this one takes forever to type. It is worn out. In fact, I have a line of b’s sitting here in a row and I go get one when I need one so I can rock the flow. It didn’t occur to me to just make a few then copy and paste as needed. Then again, if FedEx holds true, this is the only time today I will need to worry about it. Though I will hold on to them because this can be the backup laptop and I will need them.

bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb bbbbbbb BBBBBBBBBBBB Might as well leave them here. Just in case.

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There Are No Words

There are no words. Actually, that’s not true. There are plenty of words. They just aren’t good words. They are words that start with WTF? We said those words over and over Friday when we went to look at houses.

Yes, Mr. Honey and I are moving. Kinda. We have to move because it’s better for my legs to not have to constantly go up and down stairs. So after, heaven knows how long of getting him for real on board with us having to leave the only neighborhood he’s lived in his entire life, we went to look at houses.

We had a fairly decent price point in mind and I think folks are generally optimistic about what their money can buy them. Our agent lined up three houses that cost several hundreds of thousands of dollars. They were fairly close to where we are now because someone wants to stay in the neighborhood. That’s not gonna happen.

I can’t even describe which one was worse. Uneven floors, the house in disrepair except for a new room – usually a kitchen -which, I suppose was to distract you from the huge slant of the rest of the house. The last house fooled us because the outside looked lovely and the photos showed a light and airy interior with space. Our house is small; these places were supposed to be bigger. They weren’t. And of course, the place in the house where I thought I would have my yarn room/office was way smaller than what I have now. Deal breaker.

In the end, revamped the plan. We are looking for a condo on an interim basis because we really do have to get me in a place easier to move around.We will be on the hunt for a condo but I am better prepared for disappointment of photos to reality. The only word that matters is ‘Eureka!’

I came back home needing to knit something to remind myself there is something reliable out there. Knitting can crush you but it never disappoints.

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It Tried to Kill Me

The EDS is so called because it is Elizabeth’s Daughter’s Sweater. I could have named it Hope’s sweater but I didn’t know her daughter’s name when I started it so EDS it was. It is now EDS meaning Evil Demon Seed because the sweater mocks me, it laughs at me. It tried to kill me.

I know this to be true. I was at that point where you just want the project to be over. Knitters know this phenomenon. It happens all the time. But the morning I went to start to turtleneck on this sweater. The last major part: the shoulders and arms were seamed and all that was left was the sides. I went to start the turtleneck and felt a little nostalgic. It was going to be over in a matter of stitches.

I should have known then I was in for trouble. It was Thanksgiving morning. We were going over to the same place we have gone for the last three years and love to go. It was my birthday – maybe that’s why I was feeling happy and wistful when I picked up the sweater and started picking up the stitches to make the turtleneck.

The pattern said turn the sweater inside out and pick up 100 stitches around the neck – it was way more specific about that but that’s what I saw when I read it…so. I picked up the stitches and started working in the pattern and it took a row to realize it wasn’t going to work. It didn’t line up. Had to rip it out. EDS 1 – Me 0.

Recast on the stitches and started again. Took a few rows before I realized I made a mistake. The sweater was turned inside out but the stitches were picked up as if I was working the  right side. I was doing knit 3, purl 2. But it’s a turtleneck. The collar will fold over. I have to knit the opposite. I have to Purl 3, knit 2. EDS 2 – Me 0

For some strange reason, I didn’t want to P3, K2. I wanted to K3, P2. So I turned the sweater right side out and started to pick up stitches from the private side. The time I allotted to work on the sweater had run out. I went to put it back into the bag and I thought the bag was light. I started to panic. I had lost the back to the sweater. I know I had it out but I always thought I put it back. I frantically looked around for it and started calling myself an idiot for having misplaced it.

Did you catch it? Took me another minute before I did. I heard the sweater laugh at me and that’s when I knew it tried to kill me. I put it away to let it think itself victorious. EDS 3: Me 0

When I came back to it. I picked it up. Lined up the picked up stitches and started to work and it seems to be cooperating.. I had to get some more yarn from the original pieces but I think I will be able to finish it without have to touch that last skein. Of course, now that I said that, I bet this will get interesting. Keep good thoughts.

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Brain Burp

The first photo taken in the studio. Not so bad considering it was early evening and the outside was a lot darker than it looked.

This just might work. I should know soon because the EDS is almost done. Though we were working to do each other in for a moment.

The EDS had a little laugh at my expense. Made me wonder if we the friends I thought we were coming to be. Now, I am beginning to think it wants to be done as much as I want it to be done.

Here’s what happened. I got to the shaping part and had to write out the instructions because it was one of those: do this for the next two rows twice and then do it once for four more times and then do this kind of thing and at the end, you should have 20 stitches on both sides – because you’re using two different balls of yarn to shape the shoulders.and doing the neck shaping at the same time. So, I charted it out so I could tick off the stitches. And I counted and sure enough, if I did just what it said, I would have 20 stitches. 

I went about my business and when I was done, I thought I would count and admire my magic. Not only did I have more than 20 stitches, I had more stitches on one side than I did on the other.

Because, I somehow had a brain burp and didn’t realize I would have to do that entire decrease thing on both sides. I would have to perform each step twice. So, I had to do recalculation with where I was and proceed. The bottom line is the decreases are done. There are the requisite 20 stitches on each side. I lined up the front with the back and the arm stitches, shoulder stitches and the length of both pieces all line up. I have to do one row straight and then bind off.

I read ahead (won’t fool me again) and saw the turtleneck instructions – which I ain’t gonna follow. At least not completely. There’s a section where you knit, do a turning row, knit some more and then stitch the last row of the neck to the first part.. I’m gonna leave the turtleneck free so it can be turned either way, making the sweater reversible. There’s no inside or outside. 

I am cautiously optimistic – another brain burp notwithstanding. 

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Soon and Very Soon

You see this? This is my new photography studio. I have cleared the space in the yarn room directly behind this desk and I can actually see outside in the backyard. Let’s not talk about the last time I could see the view unobstructed – or the last time I could see the view at all.

It looks a little dark but that’s because I took the photo later in the afternoon. This morning, sunlight is pouring through it and I already have the thought of there the white boards are going. One to act as a background and the other to reflect the light unto the heads or torsos. It works well in my head but when it comes to execution, well, let’s just hope for the best.

I am making these plans to give the weather angels something to laugh at. Last winter Chicago found itself in a polar vortex that made Frosty stay by the fireplace with a warm mug of ale. Taking photos out in real temperatures of minus insert double digit here was not fun and was dangerous. This year, there is the studio. Winter has already showed its head here. It snowed and was really cold on Halloween. There’s been a little snow since then but not much but this is me preparing. Which sent the eternal weather office into smirks. We will probably have a warm winter. Ha, little angels. I can deal with that, too. Maybe I shouldn’t mock weather angels. Maybe they will bring a weather so fierce, ice will freeze up the windows blocking my light and making it necessary for me to try work outdoors. Did I just give them ideas? Better quit while I’m behind ahead.

In other news, the EDS and I are making friends. I am in the final shaping stage. that part of the sweater where you need two balls of yarn to do the decreases. I can see the end of the instructions and they are a few rows away. Knit math has reared its head and I did a count of stitches and found I was off first by a lot then by a little. So I continued on and count again and found I am off by one stitch somewhere. This is what I get for following the instructions. Not I get to improvise to bring it all back into balance. So, like usual, I’m not following the pattern to the letter. This is how it works.

There;s another page of the pattern after this one. The finishing page. Can’t wait to see what I ignore about that one. It will be something. There will be no choice. I haven’t followed it at points all the way through. The finishing will have to be adjusted just on odds. Soon and very soon. This is the exciting part. The still here but moving on part. I’ve chosen the pattern for the afghans I want to do. Both of them will be the same. One will be a solid color and the other will be variegated yarn. The story about how I got to that pattern is kinda cute. In a typical way for me kind of cute. Tell ya later.