Learn from my big mistake...

So, I went back to Best Buy last night to pick up the data back up DVDs on my computer. After 3 hours of being there it now appears the hard drive is also fried along with the motherboard. They're sending the whole computer off to the geek hospital...and for a 'small fee' of $249 - $1000+ they'll also try to retrieve the information that I had failed to back up.

Please...if you guys have ANY kind of information on your computers that you don't have someplace else...stop what you're doing and back it up NOW! Oh, and they said last night that flash sticks can also fail and lose your information as well.

If they can't pull my information off at a cheaper price. I will have lost a whole lot of pictures..included tutorials I was about to post on line, which I can redo. But...pictures that were digitally emailed to me of my Grandparents..my kids as babies..etc..things from family members who have since passed away...and can't be redone. Add to that patterns in progress and other ideas that I've been working on..etc...

Lots of stuff can be redone. That's just a pain to have to go back and redo,...it's the stuff that I can't replace that had me in a big old funk last night.

Learn from my mistakes. Oh, and that means about 500 bookmarks not to mention patterns that I've paid for and downloaded, without printing or saving onto another disk..etc..all gone.

Go...save your stuff...Who knew that when we thought it was just an ac adapter/brick that needed replacing...that I'd lose about 8 years of work and family memories. And..just to show you how dumb I was...on the CF cards for my camera...I'd deleted all my knitting pictures off figuring I had them on my computer already and wanted to reuse the space. Nope..now they're all gone. What an idiot. So...here's your friendly public service announcement...go save your stuff onto a disk. If by some miracle they can pull my stuff off my computer and it's semi affordable...you can bet I'm going to save it not once now..but onto two sets of DVDs. Cuz this is just a big old pain in my backside.

We are temporarily....

mourning the loss of my motherboard....*sigh*...my computer decided to go on strike...and has now gone off to the geek squad hospital...be back as soon as possible! miss you all! What did Mike Myers use to say ? Talk amongst yourselves? Well...knit amongst yourselves please. We'll compare notes when I can download pictures once again..as life should be....oy!

How do you make your brother happy?

(Today's posting comes to you from way back on March 15 2008, while I was at home for Dad's surgery. I had misplaced the written recipe until this morning. My greatest apologies for having you wait ALL this time with your glass of milk ready to dunk in these cookies. Please for give me for this terrible delay. Oh, and if you click on the pictures, they'll get larger to make them easier to see.)

How do you make your brother happy? (And your Dad and your Mom...) Why you make him some Snickerdoodles, of course! And if you want any left over...you'll make a double batch, as I did here. (pictures will show double the written recipe amounts)

Preheat the oven to 400*F.

Gather your ingredients:
1C shortening (1/2 crisco, 1/2 margarine)
1 1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 C flour (unbleached)
2 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp of soda
1/4 tsp salt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 Tbls of sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

In a Mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, margarine (at room temperature) and crisco until smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs and mix in well.

In a separate bowl, combine your dry ingredients and whisk together to blend well. (flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, and salt.

Slowly combine the dry mixture into the creamed shortening and sugar mixture in small amounts at a time until they're all mixed in together.

In a 3rd, much smaller bowl (a cereal bowl will work well), mix your cinnamon and sugar. (You may want to make more than the 2 Tbls of sugar and 2 tsp of cinnamon amounts so you can have left overs to top your morning toast with.) Blend well.

Roll into balls the size of small walnuts (here I made them larger because I wanted to really made my brother happy, but the original recipe says to make them the smaller size), using your hands to make them round. Then roll them into the cinnamon/sugar mix and lay them on the ungreased cookie sheets about 2" apart from each other. While they are in the oven, they are going to spread a lot.

Now, open your Mom's kitchen drawerl that's stuffed with 1/2 the dishcloths and things you've knit for her kitchen use over time and get out your Mom's 'Felted Oven Mitts' that you've knit up from Bev Galeskas' "Felted Knits" book (see? a knitting connection after all! and yes, I still need to make myself a pair...) put the cookie sheets into the oven and bake for 8-10 mins for the smaller size, 10-12 mins for the larger size, until lightly brown but still soft. Cookies will puff up and then flatten out.

Let cookies cool for 10 mins on the sheet before transferring them to cooling racks. If you've made the smaller size, you should have 5 dozen cookies. About 2 dozen size for the larger size.

Now, if you have a brother like mine, you'll want to hide most of the cookies out of sight so your parents (who you really made these cookies for), will know where they are and have some left after your brother comes breezing through their kitchen - always dipping his hand into the cookie jar! And if you want to make your Dad happy, bring him a couple to have while he's still a 'guest' of his local hopstial so he can have something that tastes really good! And let him know what's waiting for his homecoming, if your brother doesn't get to them first. (after 12 weeks in the hosptial, he might think about that...)

And as a final touch, if you want to surprise your Mother (since you are using her kitchen, after all) you'll clean up and put away the dishes, and leave no tell tale signs that you were even in her kitchen: something you never quite managed to do when you were 10 years old and baking in her kitchen way back then. Trust me, you'll shock her (might be a good idea to have her sit down first)! (sorry Mom for all those years of messing up your kitchen when I was back in school).

Boys in Blue Kitchen Hanging Hand Towel

Boys in Blue Kitchen Hanging Hand Towel
©Cathy Waldie, July 18, 2008

Please respect the copyright of the pattern and the fact that this is a trade-marked logo. Absolutely NO money for any reason can be made or traded for any part of this pattern or the products made from this pattern. This pattern and these pictures are presented free to the knitting public and is to remain so for your personal knitting use only. If you knit this pattern, use your own pictures to showcase in your knitting archives. You may link to this web site, but you may not post this pattern on any other web site. This disclaimer must remain attached to the pattern.

(US) 7 (4.5mm) needles
100% cotton, worsted weight
Gauge: 16 stitches and 27 rows = 4 inches in Knitted design
Size: 17" x 14"

[ ] border stitches
( ) repeat directions inside parentheses x number of times
x = times
K = Knit
P = Purl
C/O = Cast on
B/O = Bind off
Sts = stitches
K 1 tbl = Knit One Through the back Loop
Tog = together
Kfb = Knit into the front and back of the stitch
Sl 1 = Slip 1 stitch

C/O 59 sts
1-6) K across, slipping the first stitch of the row
7 and all odd rows) K across, slipping the first stitch of row
8) [Sl 1, K2, P2 (K1 tbl P2) x 17] [K3]
10) [Sl 1, K2, P2 (K1 tbl P2) x 17] [K3]
12) [Sl 1, K2, P2 (K1 tbl P2) x 17] [K3]
14) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P35 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
16) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P9, K9, P2, K9, P6 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
18) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P9, K9, P2, K9, P6 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
20) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P9, K9, P2, K9, P6 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
22) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P11, K5, P6, K5, P8 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
24) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P12, K5, P4, K5, P9 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
26) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P12, K5, P4, K5, P9 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
28) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P12, K5, P4, K5, P9 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
30) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P6, K23, P6 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
32) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P6, K23, P6 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
34) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P6, K23, P6 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
36) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P8, K4, P1, K4, P4, K4, P1, K3, P6 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
38) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P8, K4, P2, K4, P2, K4, P2, K3, P6 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
40) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P8, K4, P2, K4, P2, K4, P2, K3, P6 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
42) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P8, K4, P3, K3, P2, K3, P12 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
44) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P8, K4, P3, K8, P12 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
46) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P8, K4, P4, K6, P13 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
48) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P8, K4, P4, K6, P13 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
50) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P8, K4, P5, K4, P14 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
52) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P8, K4, P5, K4, P14 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
54) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P8, K4, P23 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
56) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P8, K4, P23 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
58) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P8, K4, P23 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
60) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P8, K4, P23 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
62) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P8, K4, P23 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
64) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P6, K8, P21 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
66) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P6, K8, P21 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
68) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P6, K8, P21 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
70) [Sl 1, K2, (P2, K1 tbl) x 3] P35 [(K1 tbl, P2) x3, K3]
72) [Sl 1, K2, P2 (K1 tbl P2) x 17] [K3]
74) [Sl 1, K2, P2 (K1 tbl P2) x 17] [K3]
76) [Sl 1, K2, P2 (K1 tbl P2) x 17] [K3]
77-80) K across, slipping the first stitch of the row

Begin decreases for the Towel Top

81) Sl 1, K7, *(Sl 1, K2tog, PSSO), K7* 4 times, end, (Sl 1, K2tog, PSSO) K8. (49 sts.)
82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92) Knit (slipping the first stitch)
83) Sl 1, K6, *(Sl 1, K2tog, PSSO), K5* 4 times, last 10 sts: Sl 1, K2tog, PSSO), K7 (39 sts.)
85) Sl 1, K5, *(Sl 1, K2tog, PSSO), K3* 4 times, last 9 sts: (SL1 K2tog, PSSO), K6. (29 sts.)
87) Sl 1, K4, *(Sl 1, K2tog, PSSO), K1* 4 times, last 8 sts: (Sl 1, K2 tog, PSSO), K5. (19 sts)
89) Sl 1, K2, (K2tog) 3 times, K1, (K2tog) 3 times, K3 (13 sts.)
91) (K2tog) 3 times, K1, (K2tog) 3 times. (7 sts.)

Tab Section of Towel Top

93) Knit, slipping the first stitch
94) Sl 1, K1, P3, K2.
95-109) repeat rows 93 and 94 of the tab section.
110) Knit, slipping the first stitch
111) Sl 1, K1, P3, K2
112-127) repeat rows 110 and 111 of the tab section
128) Sl 1, K1, Bind off center 3 sts, K to end (4 sts) (creates buttonhole)
129) Sl 1, Kfb next st, Kfb next st, K1 (6 sts)
130) K2 tog, K2tog, K2tog (3 sts)
131) Knit 1, K2tog, pass first stitch over. Pull tail through last stitch. Weave in ends, wet/spray/steam block. Sew button into center stitches on tab decrease row #91.

Boys in Blue Dishcloth

Boys in Blue Dishcloth

©Cathy Waldie, July 18, 2008

Please respect the copyright of the pattern and the fact that this is a trade-marked logo. Absolutely NO money for any reason can be made or traded for any part of this pattern or the products made from this pattern. This pattern and these pictures are presented free to the knitting public and is to remain so for your personal knitting use only. If you knit this pattern, use your own pictures to showcase in your knitting archives. You may link to this web site, but you may not post this pattern on any other web site. This disclaimer must remain attached to the pattern.


(US) 7 (4.5mm) needles
100% cotton, worsted weight

Gauge: 16 sts/27 rows=4"/10cm in knitting pattern

Finished size: 8.5" x 9"

[ ] border stitches
K= Knit
P= Purl
C/O=Cast on
B/O=Bind off
Sts=stitches

C/O 39 sts

1-7) K across

8) [K4] P31 [K4]

9 and all odd rows) K across

10) [K4] P7, K9, P2, K9, P4 [K4]

12) [K4] P7, K9, P2, K9, P4 [K4]

14) [K4] P7, K9, P2, K9, P4 [K4]

16) [K4] P9,K5, P6, K5, P6 [K4]

18) [K4] P9,K5, P6, K5, P6 [K4]

20) [K4] P10, K5, P4, K5, P7 [K4]

22) [K4] P10, K5, P4, K5, P7 [K4]

24) [K4] P4, K23, P4 [K4]

26) [K4] P4, K23, P4 [K4]

28) [K4] P4, K23, P4 [K4]

30) [K4] P6, K4, P1, K4, P4, K4, P1, K3, P4 [K4]

32) [K4] P6, K4, P2, K4 P2, K4, P2, K3, P4 [K4]

34) [K4] P6, K4, P2, K4 P2, K4, P2, K3, P4 [K4]

36) [K4] P6, K4, P3, K3, P2, K3, P10 [K4]

38) [K4] P6, K4, P3, K8, P10 [K4]

40) [K4] P6, K4, P4, K6, P11 [K4]

42) [K4] P6, K4, P4, K6, P11 [K4]

44) [K4] P6, K4, P5, K4, P12 [K4]

46) [K4] P6, K4, P5, K4, P12 [K4]

48) [K4] P6, K4, P21 [K4]

50) [K4] P6, K4, P21 [K4]

52) [K4] P6, K4, P21 [K4]

54) [K4] P6, K4, P21 [K4]

56) [K4] P6, K4, P21 [K4]

58) [K4] P4 K8, P19 [K4]

60) [K4] P4 K8, P19 [K4]

62) [K4] P4 K8, P19 [K4]

64) [K4] P31 [K4]

65-70) K across

71) B/O in P

Purl through the back loop tutorial

Here's a new tutorial for you. "Wink, Wink" you're going to need it in the next day, or so..if I have my cards right for you all. Here's your 'hint'....In honor of my son....Go Dodgers!

Purl through the back loop (P tbl)

1) Bring your live end of your working yarn forward of your knitting between your two needles as if you are ready to purl.

2) Every stitch has a front and a back loop to it. For this stitch, you're going to use the BACK loop today. Insert your right hand needle into the BACK loop of your stitch from the BACK towards the FRONT of your knitting. This will put a twist into your stitch and helps the stitch to 'pop' out in your picture.

3) Using your live yarn, bring the yarn around that stitch as if you're purling that stitch: wind it between the two needles, counter-clockwise, towards the front of your work.

4) Holding onto your working yarn, bring the needle down...

5) ...and slide the stitch off your left needle, completing your purl stitch.

6) You have now made a purl stitch through your back loop rather than the 'normal/traditional' way of purling through the front loop of your stitch

7) Return your working yarn to the back of your knitting to knit the next stitch.

You will need this knowledge to make one of the next three patterns due up here shortly!

Woops!

Guess what is finished, but is too small for all my hair? Since I won't cut my hair, as much as my mother would love it...Guess I'll have to knit up another one! AWWWW shucks! What a shame! ha ha ha.... Norwegian Star Cap from Hat's On! book, size medium. Size 4 and 6 (4.00mm) needles with Ella Rae Classic Navy and White. I'll do the next one with Cascade 220 in the same colors but the larger size.

Guess what skein had a knot in it..and apparently two different dye lots were put together? Dang it....but it still fits the bill when your niece writes you an email asking....Aunt Cathy...I wish you'd make me something pink and purple. Stockinette Watch Cap from Hat's On! book, (US) 6 (4.0mm) needles, 110 stitches cast on, Plymouth Encore Colorspun worsted yarn.

Hip #2 is about to be replaced..so this little Giraffe is heading off to Ann Arbor for a little Get well quick pick me up. You can find the pattern here: http://lcsstamp.typepad.com/cottoncrafter/2008/06/giraffe-dishcloth.html . I used Yarn Bee's I Love this Cotton! in buttercup with size 7 (4.5mm) needles. And I substitued garter stitch for the borders.

Another Flaunt Your Colors Scarf is in the works..this is an 'interesting' set of colors for me to knit up...it's for the 'rival' high school that is across town from my old high school. Since they've switched my high school back to a Junior High School this is where she now has to be bussed to. Gotta say...proof that I love this kid to knit all those rounds in those colors! Never say never people! It always comes back to you some how. Lion Brand Wool-ease in Purple and Buttercup (but I wish it were in Red and White! har har har)...

Time to run to the post office. There's a lot of knitting to be mailed!