'Tis a Gift to Be Simple

Simple gifts.

Oftentimes, it is the simple gifts I remember most.

The knitting magazine an anonymous coworker left on my desk.

The card in the mail thanking us for our hard work and dedication, letting us know we're appreciated in spite of what others may say. 

A cup of coffee on a dreary, slow Friday at work.

A helpful and encouraging friend during a major life transition. 

The plate of cookies and candle brought over by a neighbor to welcome us to the neighborhood. 

For some, this kind of simple gift giving comes naturally. For others, we have to work at it. Like me.

I love gift giving. I love going overboard, spending hours looking for that one, perfect gift. And in the process, something is lost. It can be easy to forget why we're giving the gifts, and instead focus on the gifts themselves. 

Christmas 2014 was a time for me to slow down and put the simple, hand-made, and thoughtful aspects back into my gift-giving. And you know what? I don't regret it one bit. It was relaxing and freeing. 

So this year, I'm challenging myself. To keep the mindset of simplicity in gift giving. There are lots of birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays coming up I this year. May we once again find joy in the simple gifts.

A Handmade Fall

Continuing in my quest to produce handmade gifts for my loved ones this fall and winter, I tried out a few new recipes this weekend. I hope others love these as much as I do!

Homemade, all-natural sugar scrubs! Two different recipes: vanilla chai and pumpkin spice. They both smell amazing, and my hands felt great after using a little bit while I filled the jars. 

This was also my first time using coconut oil. I'll admit, it intimidated me a bit, but the lady at our local health foods store was super helpful in making sure I bought the right kind for what I needed. My one little 7 ounce jar of oil was enough for both recipes! I was worried there wouldn't be enough, but it worked out perfectly. 

The vanilla chai recipe made 3 (4oz) jars of scrub, and the pumpkin spice recipe made 8 (4oz) jars. Some of these jars will be donated to the Harvest Festival at church, the rest will be given as gifts.

Kitchens and Christmas Plans

This weekend I've got a case of peaches to process. Two years ago when we bought these peaches, I only froze them. This year, I'm venturing into the canning world and making some crockpot peach butter. I've got a great family recipe that calls for peach butter, so I can't wait to try this out! Andrew's especially excited for this adventure, haha!

I'm also planning on making some of this year's Christmas presents over the weekend. Every year, I strive to give as many homemade gifts as possible, for a few reasons.

One, I believe that handmade gifts are even more special than store bought gifts. There is thought, planning, time, energy, and love that goes into handmade gifts. In a way, I think they're more expensive than even the most sought after gifts of the commercial season.

Two, I love using my gifts and talents to let others know I'm thinking about them. Sentimentality is a huge deal to me, even if it may not be to all the recipients.

Three, there's something so nice about seeing all my visions, plans, and hard work turn into something tangible and useful. I'm all about the useful Christmas gifts!

Can't wait to see how successful these items are! Should be a fun and busy weekend!

summer bounty

all from generous friends who shared the abundance of their summer gardens. yes, that is a sink full of green beans. good thing andrew likes green bean casserole!

Tomorrow's baking adventures

Tomorrow is Christmas baking day. I've got two gifts to bake, plus a recipe I'm intrigued to try myself...

Here's the plan (all courtesy of pinterest, of course!):

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Earl Grey Tea Cookies
Salted Chocolate Caramel Bark

Oh, delicious. Hopefully these will all turn out perfect the first time! But then again, it wouldn't be an adventure if they did...

I'll do my best to remember to photograph them and review them after Christmas!

my favorite time of year

Fall is officially here. My favorite time of year, and I'm so excited that the temperatures are cooperating today! Windows are open... decorations are up... I even made some muffins this morning to celebrate!

Fall is when I feel most creative with my crafting, decorating, cooking, and adventure planning. I've got some exciting FOs to share in the next few days, some things in the works, and my Christmas shopping is (almost) done -- thanks to the State Fair earlier this summer and the Sedalia Area Farmer's Market yesterday!

Tasty Thursday | Pizza Burger Pie

{Tasty Thursday | Pizza Burger Pie}

Recipes, Tips, and Inspiration from my kitchen to yours.

This was the result of a mistake. I had attempted to make homemade spaghetti sauce, but it didn't quite turn out how I hoped. Guess that's what I get for trying to make spaghetti sauce without a recipe . . . better luck next time!

And this is what happens when I forget to take a picture before we eat...

Pizza Burger Pie
1/3 pound ground beef, browned and drained
2 pieces string cheese, cut into bite size pieces
1 package crescent rolls, divided
1/2 package pepperoni
1/2 jar spaghetti sauce
handful of mozarella cheese

Press half the crescent rolls into a single piece and put it in the bottom of the pan like a crust. Spread a thin layer of sauce over the crust, then cover with pepperonis. Next, add the cheese bites and ground beef. Pour the remaining sauce on top, then spread it to the edges. Press the other half of the crescent rolls together to form a top crust. Top with cheese, and bake according to the crescent roll package directions.

We had problems getting the top crust to bake all the way. It probably had something to do with our incredibly inefficient oven, but it could also be that we added the cheese before baking. I'd suggest trying to bake it without the cheese on top, then adding it for the last few minutes of baking.

Serve with a side salad and enjoy!

a few more finished objects

Here's a quick recap of a few more FOs I've completed this summer. :)

First up: Boxie Bag the Third. Same pattern as the other two, but this one is MINE. (I've now been asked to make two more of these for a friend. She says it looks professional and of selling quality. Yaaay! It's always lovely to receive compliments on your handiwork, isn't it? Makes me feel so accomplished and proud of what I can do.)

Awkward bag photo is awkward. I was trying to capture a photo of the lining.

I also made a small little gift for Brother-the-Younger's birthday this summer. A soap sack, which functions both to hold the soap bar and as a washcloth. Made from a cotton hemp blend, this should soften up with use and last for a while.

Pattern: His 'n' Hers Shower Soap Holders by Cathy Carron
from the book: 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders
Yarn: Lion Brand Martha Stewart Crafts Cotton Hemp (funny story, Mom and I found this yarn in the 90% off bins at Michael's, and paid for it with the parking lot change we found on the way in)
Ravelry Project Page

Some Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloths for a friend. Easy to make, and a great stash buster. I've got one of those huge cones of cotton to use up (but it's ok, because I bought it purposely for making dishcloths).

Pattern: Grandmother's Favorite
Yarn: Lily Sugar'n Cream Ombres and Prints, Potpourri Ombre colourway
Ravelry Project Page

The Resurrected Blue Canaletto Cowl. I started this project last year, it messed up, I placed it in time out, and pulled it out about a year later, completely starting over. It is a lovely cotton-rayon-linen-silk blend, and I love it. This will get lots of time in the wardrobe rotation this fall and next spring.

Pattern: Canaletto Cowl by Megan Goodacre
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Amalfi, Denim colorway
Ravelry Project Page

 And finally.... a work-in-progress photo for a now-finished-object. This cowl is going in the pile of goodies to donate to this fall's church auction. I still need to block it, but that sounds like a good weekend project to me.

Pattern: a most perfect and forever cowl
Yarn: Paton's Lace, Bonfire colorway
Ravelry Project Page

Welcoming my Niece...

My little niece (but really, she's not so little!) was born over a month ago. I'd been planning and crafting since we found out my sister-in-law was expecting, and I finally finished up the last few things and got it sent off recently.

I've been waiting to post pictures of her awesome presents until I was sure the box arrived, and now I finally can post them!

I'm convincing myself I didn't go overboard, but seriously, how can you pass up all the cute fabrics and patterns out there for babies? I just couldn't...

Baby Surprise Jacket! My knitting group did this as a knit-a-long this past winter, and I had knit this with the intent of sending it for my niece to wear and enjoy the first few months after she was born. Ten pound newborns don't exactly fit in typical newborn clothing, but I wanted to send it anyway as a keepsake. And honestly, those crayon buttons are just the cutest thing ever. :)

Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Ravelry Project Page here.
Yarn: Knit Picks Felici Sport Self Striping, Boutique colorway

Then, there was the fabric buying spree. The animal ABC print was turned into a baby blanket, and the others became burp cloths. All of them were lined with various pastel flannel for extra softness.

Here's the finished burp cloths. Each of the cotton fabrics is lined with one of three colors: pink, purple, and yellow. You can never have enough burp cloths.

Meet Elijah. He's adorable, isn't he? I bought this yarn specifically for this pattern, and absolutely love the way it turned out! The pattern itself was pretty fiddly to knit, but you can't argue with the results!

Elijah by Ysolda Teague
Ravelry Project Page here.
Yarn: Bernat Baby Jacquards, Berries & Cream colorway

 And finally, a photo of all the goodies sent to E. I found a cute elephant outfit to coordinate with her new stuffed toy, and it should fit her all summer long. The cookie monster bib was too cute to pass up. But one of my favorite parts of the entire box is the book. During our annual Children's Literature Festival, I had the pleasure of hearing one of the book's authors speak. I had purchased a copy of the book, and after Marie Smith's talk, asked her to autograph the book for my niece. She was delighted to do so, and I hope E comes to love the book as she gets older.

Welcome to the world, E. Can't wait to finally meet you!

Still behind, but catching up

 A few quick photos of some crafty goodness that's been waiting to be shown off... I'm feeling very behind on all my crafting lately (and a few other aspects of life, as it always seems to be). Slowly, but surely, things keep chugging along and projects keep appearing off the needles and from the machine.

Hopefully by Easter I'll be all caught up... wait. That's only 6 weeks away!

A late Christmas present for brother-the-younger. Beer pajama pants! Perfect for the beer snob that he is. :) When I kept telling him that it was taking a while because I was making beer, I'm sure he thought I was kidding. How clever, right? The best part? They even have pockets! (I can't be the only one who gets ridiculously excited about pockets, can I?)

Pattern: Butterick 5572

A little Pinterest-inspired Valentine's decorating. Super simple and cheap! It's amazing how much lighter it is in our living room when I took down the curtains (even though they were sheer and pale yellow). I like having more light, but it really feels so bare... It did give me a good excuse to thoroughly dust the blinds though!

One of my favorite things to look for at the after-Christmas sales are red, gold, or silver ornaments. I use them throughout the year: Valentine's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, New Year's Eve... you name it, I use them. (I also tend to stockpile tissue paper, ribbon, Christmas cards, gift bags... lots of things that aren't necessarily Christmas-specific. Being thrifty and crafty makes me happy, can't you tell?!) The red shatter-proof ball ornaments I picked up last year on the after-Christmas clearance, and I found those heart ornaments in the clearance bins this year. As soon as I saw them (they're glittery, by the way!), I knew they would be perfect for a bit of Valentine's Day decorating, and I couldn't pass up the price. They're tied onto the tension rod with gold curling ribbon, doubled up for extra strength.

(Disclaimer: Yes, I fully admit I'm turning into my mother and hanging things like this in the windows. She loves hanging her snowflakes and beads during winter.....)

Multi-purpose ornaments! Capital!

More to come in the next few weeks!

- Mom's birthday present is currently blocking in the sink, and I just need to wrap up the other goodies I have for her (after taking pictures, of course!), then send them off in the post.

- D's birthday present arrived yesterday in the mail, in "unpolished form" as I told him. He  naïvely thought that it would take only a few minutes to polish it, but... it may be a few days before I can finish it up and gift it to him. 

- A few other projects I'm working on for friends that have no deadline.

- And of course, a few small baby items for my niece due in just a few short weeks... although I'm sure my sister-in-law's opinions differ on just how short these weeks are... :)

Here's to a continued flurry of crafty goodness in 2013!

Monday Moods

I'm in one of those moods today where I want to KNIT ALL THE THINGS!

This could be possible.... I have the day off work. But. Yes, there is always a but. I have chores to finish. Mostly putting away all the Christmas decorations (what? Our tree's still up... no big deal!), and straightening up, and cooking crockpot lasagna. Which means going to the store and buying frozen spinach. And finishing Brother-the-Younger's Christmas present, so I can finally put all the supplies away.... (of course, only to bring them back out in about a month to finish up some other presents!)

I always seem to do this to myself. Plan too much for any sane person to accomplish in one day, then bust my butt trying to get it all done anyway. And why be productive when I can have fun?

Happy Monday!

Saturday...

There are few things in life better than the smell of freshly baked bread. :)

In Which I Fail at Fondant... Mostly

{Tasty Thursday | Cupcakes!}

Recipes, Tips, and Inspiration from my kitchen to yours.

It's been a busy few weeks, full of baking, cooking, and food! Here's some photos of this past week's cupcake adventure...

Earlier this week, we planned on having a baby shower for a friend of mine. Well, as things are wont to happen, our shower was postponed after I had made the cupcakes. I wasn't too upset about the sudden excess of cupcakes around my house, as the fondant just didn't turn out to my liking. I thought it dried out too fast, but was still too sticky. Oh well. This was also the first time I used self-rising flour, because I didn't have time to convert my recipe to regular flour and include the other baking ingredients. I'll admit, aside from how cute they turned out, the peppermint cream cheese frosting was probably my favorite part. :)

Here's the fondant mess I made... Never again.
I'm definitely not meant to be a professional cake decorator with this stuff.

Little fondant bluebirds... I was so excited that they actually looked like birds!

All put together and ready for taste-testing!

 Because there is no way I can eat 14 cupcakes by myself, I took these little bluebird creations to my knitting friends anyway. The rest of the cupcakes received a more festive makeover.

Now, I'm not normally one to celebrate seasons way ahead of time (and it's not even Advent yet!), but I am one to work with what I have. This is the result:

Thanks to Pinterest, I learned of this super easy way to package and transport cupcakes!

Christmas sprinkles to make the peppermint cream cheese more festive!!

Christmas-themed cello gift bags to wrap up the festive cupcakes.

I brought them to my Bible study Tuesday night and gave them out to everyone there. Now I only have a few cupcakes left in the fridge, and it's a much more manageable number to eat!

*****
Baby Shower Update: We did wind up holding the baby shower, but I had to miss it. Of course hubby decided to get sick right before, and I didn't want to risk transmitting The Plague. Pictures of our knitted creations coming soon!

*****
P.P.S. This is officially post #100! Let's all celebrate by eating a cupcake, k? :)

Applesauce, Apple Pie, and Cookies -- Oh My!

{Tasty Thursday | Fall Favorites}

Recipes, Tips, and Inspiration from my kitchen to yours.

It's been another busy week, and who doesn't find themselves busy this time of year? With Halloween over, costumes are going back into boxes, Thanksgiving plans are in the works, and for those of you truly committed people, Christmas gifts are being crafted and prepared. (I'm not quite there yet... I've got some ideas and some of the materials, but haven't found the time to start working on them yet.)

This past weekend found me busy in the kitchen preparing a variety of different things. Most of them went to our Chili and Soup Day either to serve or sell, but the kitchen certainly smelled heavenly!


I made my signature apple pie to serve with the Chili Day meal, although this time I decided to make it Caramel Apple. Yum!!

I also made some Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies and some Pumpkin Spice Cookies to sell at the Country Store.

From this....

And finally, I still had an abundance of leftover apples. Combined with my moderate Pinterest addiction, I decided to try out the recipe I found for Crock Pot Applesauce. It was easy, it smelled wonderful, and tastes just as good! I think next time I'll use a variety of apples, including some sweet ones. The ones I used this year were mostly seconds and bruised ones, still tasty, but not as sweet.

To this!

What are some of your favorite fall recipes? What have you been busy cooking and baking?

Early Breakfast Indulgences

{Tasty Thursday | Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts}

Recipes, Tips, and Inspiration from my kitchen to yours.

Every now and then, you just want to indulge in something deliciously sinful for breakfast. I came across these Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts via Pinterest and decided to save them for a special day. Well, my wonderful husband has started getting up super early (I'm talking like, 5 am early) on his day off to play basketball with some other guys in town, and more often than not, I'll get up and make breakfast those mornings. I know he appreciates it, and I'll be honest.... I enjoy the quiet of the early morning. :)

Anyway, next time I make these (and there will be a next time, no doubt about it), I'll actually make sure I have the homestyle biscuits in the fridge, not just the flaky layers kind. These turned out fine, but there was a definite difference. Oh well, live and learn.

Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts! They may not look the prettiest, but they sure tasted delicious!

Here's what I needed:

• 1 can of Pillsbury Homestyle biscuits (really, any kind of canned biscuits will do, but try to avoid the flaky layer ones)
• Vegetable oil to fill about 1/2 inch of your pan
• Cinnamon & Sugar
• Melted butter (optional- I omitted it, since the cinnamon sugar sticks just fine to the doughnuts right out of the oil)

Here's what I did:

1. Cut a hole in the middle of each biscuit. (I used a shot glass, since I didn't have a biscuit cutter on hand.)
2. Heat oil on medium heat, but not too hot.
3. Place doughnuts in oil, cooking until golden brown. You'll see little bubbles start to form around the edges in the oil, that's good and means they're cooking right.
4. Flip doughnuts when sufficiently brown on one side. (I also fried mine on the sides just a little bit since I didn't have quite enough oil left in the pan at the end.)
5. Remove doughnuts from the oil, place on a paper towel-covered plate, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on both sides.
6. ENJOY!

Not bad for an early, early breakfast, eh? What are your favorite breakfast indulgences?

Tasty Thursday: All Spiced Up

{Tasty Thursday | Chai Brownies}

Recipes, Tips, and Inspiration from my kitchen to yours.

Don't these just look delicious? Guess what? They are! And they're super easy to make!

This is my newest twist on brownies, and D has declared them a winner! I'm always looking to spice things up a bit, and the chocolate in these brownies balances nicely with some chai tea flavor. I cheated and used a box brownie mix and a scoop of Tastefully Simple's Oh My! Chai drink mix (one scoop of the mix is roughly 3 Tablespoons). They would be just as good with some homemade chai mix instead, like Taste of Home's Spiced Chai Mix. You can play around with the spices and add or subtract depending on your personal preferences, and use the mix for a steaming mug of chai tea later.

For extra gooey brownies, I added a handful of chocolate chips. Yum!

These brownies are the perfect fall twist on an always-welcome dessert! What other ways do you like to spice up your brownies?

Tasty Thursday: Apple and Black Raspberry Chipotle Pork Loin

I've been enjoying one of my last weeks remaining in the summer by staying busy in the kitchen! We've successfully eaten most of the leftovers in the fridge, and I was really hungry for a new, home-cooked meal. I decided to take a look in the freezer and fridge and this is the result!

{Apple and Black Raspberry Chipotle Pork Loin}

Doesn't that look delicious? It was!

This was actually a really simple recipe to put together, and only used a few ingredients!

- Pork Loin {I bought mine as a huge 12-pound loin, or some weight similar to that, because it was on a really good deal at Woods. I then cut it up into smaller approx. 2 pound portions. This made it: easier to fit in the freezer, quicker to unthaw, and more practical for dinner time.}
- Salt and pepper
- 1 small Gala apple
- Fischer & Wieser Four Star Black Raspberry Chipotle Sauce {Seriously. This stuff is DELICIOUS. I'm sure their other sauces, jams, and jellies are just as tasty!}

1. Salt and pepper pork loin and place in crockpot.

2. Cut up apple and put on top of pork loin.

3. Pour sauce over top. How much is up to you. I used enough to cover the bottom, but not so much to make it really soupy.

4. Turn crock pot on LOW and cook for 6-8 hours.

5. Serve and enjoy! I drizzled on a little more sauce from the bottle, and served ours with rice, mixed vegetables, and salad. YUM!

 

Muffins and Musings

I debated saving this culinary adventure for a Tasty Thursday post, but as I followed a recipe and I'm impatient, they're going to tempt you today instead.

Yesterday I woke up and found myself in a baking mood. I hadn't baked muffins in a while, and this delicious recipe is in one of my favorite muffin books. Way back in the college days (Haha! Like it was really that long ago?), my friends and I liked to walk down to Borders and discovered it on one of our excursions.

Cinnamon and Walnut muffins, anyone? I enjoyed one this morning with my coffee (in my favorite mug, of course!), and they're definitely a keeper! Next time though, I think I'll add a little more cinnamon. ;)

I don't have much else to discuss, although I am working on a few gifts for some friends and should hopefully have those finished within the next few days.

Also, there's something about 4-part harmony that makes me really happy. I've been listening to quite a bit of Lutheran Public Radio lately, and it's been nice to have so much church music running through my head. I've even been able to recognize a few artists without looking! Downside: how much it makes me nostalgic for college and our wonderful music program, singing in the chapel choir, and going to chapel (especially on festival days... so much musical gloriousness). Upside: makes me eager for Christmas and listening to Lessons and Carols again!

Hubby has meetings tonight, which means I'm so cooking tilapia for supper! :)


{The cookbook, for anyone interested: 1 Mix, 100 Muffins by Susanna Tee.}

Welcoming Guests in Style

Some of my favorite college memories come from touring with my university's Wind Symphony all over the country {and internationally! China 2009, whoo!}. We had two tours each year, a long weekend in the fall and our 10 day Spring Break, visiting Lutheran congregations and schools, sharing our music and faith with those in attendance at our concerts each night. {Of course, we had some free time as well...}

Each night after a concert, we stayed with host families from the congregation we visited, spent time getting to know them, and relished a few hours of sleep in a bed substantially more comfortable than a bus seat. One young couple we stayed with junior year truly understood what it was like to live on a bus for 10 days with 60 other college students, and provided us a useful little basket in our room full of toiletries we may have forgotten or already used up. It was one of the most thoughtful gifts I could have received, and I loved that she went the extra mile in making our stay pleasant. :)

This past weekend, my best friend M came to visit {of course, for the State Fair. I'm going to pretend she came to see me, too}. In the same vein as our lovely host mom years ago, I provided her with a little welcome gift and toiletry basket.

Except mine..... came in a margarita glass. How fun is that?!

Items I included:

- shampoo and conditioner

- lotion

- deodorant

- toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, and some gum {Trident sample from my dentist's office}

- comb

- TRUFFLES.

So many of these items I got as samples from various organizations, or my mother-in-law {who happens to work in a dental office and loves sharing the free goodies with us}.

You could also include soap, tampons or other feminine hygiene products, shaving cream, aspirin, bath pouf, or anything else someone may forget to pack. It depends on your guest -- you know them, so it's easy to personalize it.

I also included a little bath set for her to take home and a handwritten note designed to sound like a hotel welcome card. The best part? The first words out of her mouth upon seeing her margarita: "Bleez! It's just like on tour!" :)

What are your favorite ways to welcome your out-of-town guests?

Lately...

Lately, we've been enduring drought and ridiculously hot weather. I've been hiding inside as much as possible, but still enjoying life. 

Here's some photos of what I've been up to lately:

I finished the towel and dishcloths for the auction basket I put together. I think it turned out really cute, and the pattern was oh, so easy. [The basket included this hand towel, two dishcloths, a pot scrubby, pan scraper, two bottles of hand soap, some recipe cards, a wooden spoon, and spatulas.] Of course, I forgot to take a picture of the baskets once I had put them all together! [I also donated a tea basket, including a mug, tea caddy, and sampling of different teas.] Definitely planning on making more of these towels -- these make great gifts and don't take too long to knit.

A dear sister in Christ and I celebrated our birthdays (hers is only a few days after mine) with our college girlfriends. We enjoyed dinner at a winery, complete with fabulous company, delicious wine and food, and free birthday dessert!

  

We "kidnapped" the seniors in our youth group as a last farewell before college starts this fall. After visiting the Science Center, we made a quick stop by the Seminary before dinner at Seamus McDaniel's. What a fun day in St. Louis!

     In the kitchen: We had a few cooler days this past week, and I really wanted pizza but was looking for something a bit healthier and cheaper than purchasing it from a pizza chain. Behold: homemade pizza, complete with bacon, pepperoni, peppers, onion, and yummy cheese. Of course it was accompanied by a quality Lutheran beverage, in the form of Sam Adams' East-West Kölsch.

Tonight, I needed a little extra freezer space from my recent stock-up of meat, and had some mashed bananas in the freezer that needed to be used up. Chocolate chip banana bread smells so good, and I love this recipe I got out of my favorite church cookbook! North Dakotans definitely know how to cook!

On the needles: My Wisteria Lace Shawl (this year's Ravellenic Games project) has been progressing fairly well. I've only had to fix a few mistakes so far, but I'm further behind than I had hoped by this point. My goal for tonight is to finish Chart A. [We're ignoring the fact that the goal has remained the same for a few days now...]

D's Vest has been my go-to knitting for Knit Nights lately. 17 inches of stockinette is pretty hard to mess up, and as with most Knit Nights, we enjoy knitting almost as much as talking. :) At this pace, his vest may actually be completed by the time cooler weather finally arrives.