New Pics for Loppem!

Because I’m tired, and it’s late, and I just don’t want to ruin the prettiness of these photos, this is all I’m going to say.

Becki

The Younger

Supermarket Checkout Line OR When Karma Kicks

As promised, here’s a few photos to start off the post.

Dejavu Handwarmers in Malabrigo Merino Worsted, colorway Violetas

Dejavu Handwarmers in Malabrigo Merino Worsted, colorway Dejavu

Now, on to the Karmic Kick.

About a month ago, I went out with some friends to a bar.  It’s the kind of campus bar that is sort of a bar/club hybrid, so there’s loud(er) music and dancing going on every floor of this place.  I had gotten all gussied up, short dress over tight jeans with a pair of adorable short leather high heel boots.  My hair was styled, make-up on– completely NOT my normal self.  I ended up dancing with this guy in our group, and when the night ended, he asked me for my phone number.  Now, I’m not sure if it was the booze, or the lack of oxygen in such a crowded place, but somewhere in my brain I decided that he wasn’t really my type.  I politely declined (at least, I hope I did it politely…) and left.

Fast forward to today.  I’m decked out in what is more typical to my daily life: jeans, hand knit socks, winter boots, an oversized grey knitted sweater, hair pulled back in a pony tail and my favorite White Sox cap on top.  Make-up?  What’s make-up?  I’m at the grocery store, just having packed my cart with a month’s worth of food and cat supplies, and I’m ready to check out.  I push my cart in line behind this guy, who has a few select items.  Bread, milk, eggs, lunch meat, microwavable dinners… typical fare for a college kid.  He’s tall, a little lanky, with reddish hair, and glasses that complete that dorky cuteness.  I thought I knew him from somewhere, and I was running through the people I have classes with in my head when I get this flash in my mind.  Me, dolled up with his arm around me. The words “Can I get your cell number?” ring in my ears, and I’m stunned.  Here I am, stuck in line at a register with a snail of a clerk running it, and the guy that I had so easily dismissed standing in front of me.

It’s an awkward 15 minutes, and I’m pretty sure despite the change in dress, he recognizes me.  We never say anything, and barely make eye contact with each other.  The whole time I’m mentally kicking myself for that casual dismissal.  I mean, this attractive guy asked me for my number, and I didn’t give it to him!

That is one Karmic kick in the ass.

Becki

The Younger

Celebrating 21 years of life (a year late)

Well, thanks Jessica for overcoming your stomach issues to down an Irish carbomb with me.

And thank you Jonah, Erin, Kristine, Josh, Jessica, Chris, Rachael, Isaac, Virginia, Steph, Alana, Candice, Dan, Matt, Ron, Nicole, Wendell, and of course the Irish guy named Martin from the bar— this was truly an epic birthday.

Just to sum up the night, my wonderful siblings threw a surprise party at the Forge in Blue Island (just south of Chicago) since I “wouldn’t let them” throw me one last year for my 21st. The night started with a brand new outfit (and ridiculously good-looking heels), a lot of awesome people, and free drinks for the birthday girl. Remember how I was calling in my marker for the Irish Carbomb with Jessica? Right. Well. 3 carbombs, 4 shots, and a never ending pint of Smithwick’s later….

…I was still standing?! Don’t know how that one happened, but lucky me I still remember the night (with a few fuzzy parts) and all of its epic glory.
{———@
Knit-wise:
Finished my pair of handwarmers, and after leaving one (accidentally) at the optometrist, made a sale on another pair for one of the clerks! I should have those finished by the end of the week, and that means some extra pocket cash.

I’ll have pictures of them up soon, as well as a link to the free pattern.

Becki
The Tiybfwe
(or Younger, if I were to hit the right keys on the keyboard)

Other Craftiness around the House

So lately I have been remiss in posting mainly because we are doing a bit of redecorating. In the last 2 weeks we have painted the Living Room and Library (the room some people may call a dining room), reorganized both rooms and reorganized the study (what we fondly call the Orange Room) as well. With that finished, I am now in the process of finding the perfect fabric to replace the awful standard blinds we have around the house with drapes. Finding this fabric has led to many trips to many different fabric stores, and actually discovering the perfect fabric has led to the realization that it is a bit out of my budget and has led to me to destash some of my beloved yarn on Ravelry to afford aforementioned fabric. Needless to say, knitting has gone to the wayside, and my main knitting project can’t be shown online anyway, so excuse the lack of photos this post! To make up for that, I am giving you all my recipe for Sweet Butternut Squash Soup. This soup is quite different from most of them I see online. I don’t use broth, I use tea and the resulting soup should almost be served for dessert!
Sweet Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
3 chai tea bags
5 c boiling water
1/2 c Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ea cloves and allspice
1/4 tsp. Red Pepper (optional if you like sweet and spicy together)
Roast the squash by preheating the oven to 350. Cut squash in half lengthwise.Remove seeds. Brush with olive oil and roast in oven for about 15 minutes or until skin peels away easily from the squash.
Steep tea bags in boiling water for about 5 minutes so the tea is strong but not bitter.
Add squash and all other ingredients to the tea. Simmer until squash is tender (about 1/2 hour or so). blend soup in blender or food processor in small amounts, or use a stick blender. Pour into bowls and enjoy! (I like to drizzle a little honey and and nutmeg on top as well). This is a fall and Winter favorite in my house. It goes excellently paired with Pumpkin Bread.
Jessica
The Elder
By the way Becki, Your on for that Irish Car Bomb on Saturday! Happy 22 to you!

Irish Carbombs and Knitting Drunk

(WARNING: I am a college student, and occasionally my posts will reflect that. Alcohol related posts especially.)

For the first time in 5 years, I went out on what you could call a blind date. Granted, it was more like a small group of friends hanging out at a bar, and it just so happened that two of those friends, one guy and one girl, were both single, and the other two are engaged… and trying to set the first two up…

Be that as it may, I really enjoyed myself, and was pleasantly surprised with the guy in question. For starters, my friend Laura (the engaged one), who I’ve only known for a few months, has already got my personality type pegged. I had my doubts when she told me she knew someone who I would get along with famously. I won’t doubt her again- we hit it off. It was the first meet, though, so don’t get too excited about “gory” details. Let’s just say I hope we see each other again soon!

Now Ryan (his name is Ryan, which in itself is amusing. You’ll see why in a minute) bought me a drink, and the only stout they had on tap was Guinness (as if I would settle for less). Ryan decides that it’s been far too long since he’s had an Irish Carbomb, and orders one. He downed it nicely, though I think if I had been less reserved in my drinking last night I could have given him a run for his money.

This reminded me of something my dear sister Jessica promised me, just about a year ago this weekend. I do recall, round about my 21st birthday, Jessica promised me that we would do an Irish Carbomb together. While we never really got the chance, I’d like to call out this marker and request that this Saturday, in honor of my 22nd, we grab that Guinness, drop in the Bailey’s/Jameson shot and chug the thing down!

Just so that I can tie all of this in with knitting somehow (since this is technically a knitting blog…technically) I’ve scheduled a short evening of debauchery for all my knitting pals on campus. We’re having a drunken knitting night on Saturday. Movies + Alcohol x Knitting = Hilarity & Great Stories. So look forward to pictures and stories from the first installment of Drunken Knitting Nights!

Becki
The Younger

PS- That funny bit about Ryan’s name…. This is the current pairings of my siblings and their significant others (sibling on left, significant other on right):
Jason & Erin
Jonah & Erin
Josh & Kristine
Jessica & Christopher
Rachael & Ryan
+ the possibility (I’m trying not to get ahead of myself here.)
Rebecca & Ryan

Yea. We seem to pair off nicely. Either it’s coincidence, or fate. We’ll see.

Stark Raven Mad

That’s about how I feel. I’ve been in a black mood lately, and for good reason, I suppose. It seems my life decided to take on wings of it’s own and fly off without me. Classes are zooming past, my knitting group on campus, The Knitting Illini, is skipping ahead of me, and I’ve got so many projects (both knitting and non-knitting) OTN, that I’m sure I must be stuck in some sort of time-delay, while the rest of the world is in fast forward!

I did manage to finish off two projects this week that gave my confidence a small boost, but the lack of buttons has me stumped again.

I’ve been working on Loppem since May, and finally cast off on Thursday. It’s blocked, and gorgeous, and…hanging in my closet, waiting for buttons. As with most of my works, I try to attach some anecdote to the piece, and this one has a chance encounter to go with it. I had stopped by Klose Knit (my LYS in Urbana) and was working at the yoke of Loppem, when another woman came in and sat next to me and pulled out her sweater. We exchanged pleasantries (her name is Tanya), and I asked what it was she was working on. It was a dark blue alpaca sweater, finished almost to the yoke of—you guessed it—Loppem. So we laughed, and sat critiquing the pattern and it’s errata, and wondered at the chances.

Loppem in Malabrigo Merino Worsted (Violetas)

The other finished project was a quick little cabled neckwarmer (also in Malabrigo, Dejavu colorway). I needed an instant gratification project, and there she was.

That’s about all I have time for. Back to trying to catch ahold of my life before it flies out of reach.

Becki
(The Younger)

Two Sisters and their Knits

When my sister and I started blogging together, it was sort of spur of the moment without a lot of forethought for the name we chose or how it would work out together. Two years later, the blogging together has been great, but the name we had just wasn’t clicking for us anymore. After some brainstorming, combining our love of knitting with other crafts or literature we love, the answer just knocked us on the head. Most important to the both of us is family. With our Irish heritage, Brigid, being the goddess of Hearth and Home (among other things), fit us perfectly, but even more than that, Brigid was the middle name of our beloved Gramere, who has been the inspiration for learning to knit, as well as being a teacher. The name represents us, our family, and the goddess in every woman. Knitting is our main craft, but between the two of us we also sew, make soap and candles, work with clay, write, draw, leatherwork, bead, cook, bake, can, and pretty much just love to create. There is a generation between the two of us, and yet, we have so much in common that the 10 years difference feels like day. And yet, we also have many different perspectives on things and love to discuss. I’m a mother of two wonderful monsters and she is a college student finishing up her degree. We hope you Enjoy our Adventures!

Brigids