2011: The Speediest Year
December 30, 2011This year has really zoomed by. I guess that’s what happens when one ages, things go by faster. Wow that was quite a gold nugget right there! Silliness aside, it has been a busy year and I thought that I would continue in my new tradition of a list of things (see 2010′s post). Also note that the books/movies/tv aren’t necessarily things that came out in 2011, just things that I experienced during this year. So here it goes!
Books
Magical, poetic and visually stimulating book: The Night Circus
Best series to zip through while simultaneously chewing on your fingernails: The Hunger Games
Intriguing book on fundamentalism, charisma, murder and Utah [also inspired me to read other books on the FLDS]: Under the Banner of Heaven
Overly detailed yet addictive epic fantasy: Game of Thrones
Very fun mystery series with an energetic 11 year old named Flavia de Luce as self-appointed detective, beginning with Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Music
A.A. Bondy rocked it this year as I went to see him at my first concert in something like 3 years! It’s also interesting to note that somebody named Auguste is from Alabama
Drinks
Chris made a bunch of awesome beers this year and they keep getting better and better
Without a doubt the yummiest cocktails I’ve ever had were imbibed at Rum Club
Movies and TV
Fun and cute but overhyped: Midnight in Paris
Really, really silly show but fun because it’s set in Portland: Grimm
What-the-heck-where-they-thinking / Most infuriating show that I love to hate [Lemon's insanely bad accent among other things!] and “watch” while I’m sewing [also embarrassing that I'm admitting here that I even "watch" it]: Hart of Dixie
Excellent show about a testosterone fueled motorcycle club/gang busting guts and lovin’ sluts [also I knit really fast when I watch this b/c it's so intense]: Sons of Anarchy
Our ancestors were artists and they will make you cry: Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Things I Did
Started a clothing line: Rank & Title
Knit a sweater: Gimli
Sewed a few things [tank tops, knit dresses, leggings, dresses, shirts as well as clothing for R&T]
Knit a few things [sweaters (unfinished ones count), socks, hats]
Took a knitting machine class
Went to Mt. Hood for the first time
Wrote a lot of tutorials and blog posts for Colette Patterns and I learned so much doing them
Prettiest national park I visited this year even if it was the only one, but the worst food ever: Yellowstone National Park
Random
Excellent and fun makeup tutorials by British sisters: Pixiwoo
The best almond brittle with salted chocolate ganache ice cream in town: Salt & Straw
The world’s best sewing book (information, design, patterns you name it!): Colette Sewing Handbook
The End
Thank you for reading my silly list of the past year! I will be back next week with some posts as I’m going to try a bit harder to at least get one post in a week. Have a wonderful and safe New Year’s Eve!
Happy New Year to you! :)
-Caitlin
The Gimli Sweater
December 28, 2011
It is finished! I actually finished this at the beginning of the month but it’s been pretty busy around here and so I’m just getting to blog about it. I don’t know if I mentioned it before or not, but this is my first ever completed sweater! The pattern is from Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Around. Chris really likes it and it keeps him very warm.
I made it with his homebrewing in mind. He brews beer in the garage with the door open and last time he did so, it was 36 degrees all day! So he needs something to keep him warm while he’s out there for a whole afternoon.
The sweater is a little bit long so it doesn’t expose his back when he leans over, and the sleeves kind of grew… and grew… Elena showed me an easy way to make the sleeves shorter. I was going to try that but Chris says he likes rolling them up, so I’ll leave them long.
This was knit with one of my favorite all purpose yarns, Plymouth worsted. It knits up nicely and doesn’t pill very much at all. Last year, I made him a pair of mittens with it, and it’s the same yarn I used to make this cowl. This weekend I’ll take some photos in the shirt I made him for Christmas. I know, lucky Chris, right? Sweater and shirt handmade by yours truly, pretty nifty. Haha! Well it’s about time I made him a shirt because he picked out the fabric over a year ago. More on that later
