The Sweatshop of Lovers Blog

I’m chilling out, recovering from 31 cent scoop night at Baskin Robbins (PT and I toured Logan Square, hitting up both within walking distance of my apartment), the tiger’s loss (though I will say they were down 7 runs and didn’t give up, and am as happy as I can be with an 8-6 loss), and finishing The History of Love this afternoon. As far as I’m concerned this book more than made up for our Playing With the Grown-Ups debacle of last month. More than anything I’m excited about what the Knitting Book Club has to say about it. Having read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close for our first month’s book, and Nicole and Jonathan being married and all, there are some obvious correlations that I’m anxious to talk about with other people who have read both books.

Extremely Loud aside, I loved The History of Love. I love how it unfolded, how the mystery was laid out before I even realized I was looking for a mystery. I loved Leo. I loved everything about him, everything he did, everything he said. I cared, which wouldn’t be a big point to make had I not just been coming off a book where I would rather have killed everyone than read another page about any character in it. I cared so much that I cried through the last 20 pages, and for 10 minutes after finishing it. And I’m sorry its over, and I’m sorry it is back at the library.

But enough! I’ve got to save some of this material for Monday.

The History of Love, and Lentil Soup

I cooked up some lentil soup when I got home from work this afternoon and ate it with a piece of homemade bread, while reading. Then I cleaned my bathroom and read more. Cleaned the kitchen and read more. Sipped tea and read more.

I did not work on my sock though! And I still haven’t finished my quilt.

Fresh Mango Oat Bowl

PT and I found mangoes 3 for $1 at this Hispanic grocery store over the weekend, so we chopped one up and threw it in our oats this morning. Delicious! Fresh mango is so versatile! Throw it in fish tacos=winner. Throw it in oats=winner. Throw it in a burrito=winner. Throw it on ice cream=winner! You just can’t lose.

Sauteed Veggie Sandwich with Rosemary Potatoes

Last night for dinner PT and I made seriously amazing rosemary potatoes. We sauteed up some onions, peppers, and carrots and threw it on some homemade bread with pepper jack cheese and, in my case, fake bacon.

But seriously I can’t look at this food right now. Despite the walking we had to do between Baskin Robins, I’m feeling a little rough right now. Apple Pie Ala Mode was the champion ice cream flavor, though, if you were wondering.

Side Note: I’m kind of obsessed with my blog stats so I check them all the time. It is fun for me to see what weirdos search in order for my blog to come up. Examples: ‘Sandra Bullock with Dildo’, ‘Using Light Sabor as Dildo’, and ‘Dildo Quilt’. I blame Brijeet.

Yesterday at this time I was sitting outside on the porch with a glass of iced tea, a burrito, and A History of Love.

Outdoor Burrito!

Today I’m inside huddled around a mug of hot tea, eating hot oatmeal and toast for lunch, and happy about the warmth from my laptop on my legs. Shesh.

I’m not discouraged, though. I know this is only temporary. And I’ve got work to do! I’ve got to finish patching up that quilt I was working on last week, and the sewing machine is not going to make it to the porch. I’ve got to blog! Catch up on some emailing! So really, I should be happy about 52 rainy degrees.

Mother’s Day is next weekend, and I’ve gotten a couple emails from students asking about Mother’s Day presents. For the most part they have been simple problems; questions about toys, about knitted flower patterns. Of course Lori has to throw me a curve ball with this shawl pattern. It is cute, isn’t it? But damn, it is a hard pattern to read and explain over email. I was getting so frustrated with it I pulled out some needles and tried it myself.

First 10 Rows

See those weird Xs?

8-St Cross Pattern

I can see once you get the hang of it this being easy and moving along, but I can’t lie. It took me three tries to work it out. As I was looking at the pattern and working on the shawl I was thinking I would give it to my mom for Mother’s Day or her birthday (on May 31st), but I don’t like how it is looking with this yarn, so I’m just going to pull it out. I’m glad I tried it, though! Hopefully these pictures and my trials and errors help Lori get this project done.

I, on the other hand, am still in the same place I was Sunday with my socks! I plan on taking in a couple baseball games this afternoon, though, so I’ll be able to turn that heel.

In the mean time, back to the sewing machine.

Oh! And the Anniversary Party is Saturday! Are you coming?

Summer came to Chicago this weekend and everyone was out celebrating!

Veggie Burger

PT and I started the celebration Friday by making these veggie burgers! They were the best veggie burgers I’ve ever eaten, much less made myself. I get the Self Magazine Recipe of the Week emails, and this was the first recipe I’ve ever tried. If this is any indication, I’ll be trying many more from now on!

PT Was Hungry!

PT loves meat and, as you can see, loved these burgers. He ate two, along with some more brussel sprouts and carrot fries! He was hungry. It was so warm we enjoyed our burgers on the porch, where we were pretty much all weekend.

A couple weeks ago we went to Letizia’s, sat outside, and ate delicious muffins and cups of tea. It cost like $9. We decided that we could replicate that same experience ourselves for a fraction of the price, so I went to Target, bought a huge muffin tin, and we have been making muffins for the weekends ever since. We call it Muffin Club.

Raspberry Muffins at Muffin Club

This week’s muffin? Raspberry, and it was delicious. We take our cups and our muffins and we walk around the neighborhood. It is glorious, especially on a weekend like this one.

Toe Up Sock Number 2

The nice weather and all the partying didn’t allow for much knitting time, however, so I didn’t get too far on my second sock.

My Porch

I didn’t need socks, though! Sitting on the porch this weekend, reading and listening to the tigers win was lovely. I’m sad it is over! Most of my life is a weekend these days, so this is the first Sunday night in a long time I’m sad to see this one go.

We sent it out with a bang, though:

Shrimp Stir Fry Over Brown Rice

PT is thinking about buying a condo, so while out looking around the neighborhood this afternoon we stumbled on a grocery store that had shrimp on sale for $3.99 a pound! So we got some and threw together this amazing shrimp stir fry with broccoli, green onion, green pepper, and carrots with teriyaki stir fry sauce and ginger, served over brown rice. It was out of control.

If the storms hold off tomorrow we will be running down to US Cellular for half price tickets! I’ll be bringing the sock. I want to get a couple pairs done before Sweater Club starts up again on May 28th! Even though I don’t plan on wearing socks again for a long time.

I ran inside for a few minutes on this beautiful day to share with you some very exciting Sweatshop updates!

First of all, last night was the last Thursday night Sweater Club! I can’t believe two months went by that fast. And neither could my students!

Brijeet's Sweater

Brijeet is  so close to being done with the body of her sweater! She is just finishing up the collar. It is looking amazing, as you can see. All she has to do is pick up a few stitches for the sleeves and she will have a great sweater to wear over her stripped long sleeve tshirt (we’ve been planning it for a while!)

Lori's HUGE Sweater

Lori picked a huge sweater; to the floor, hooded, cabled. She is still working on the first piece, but the thing is enormous! She is going to be working on it for a while still, and will probably be seeing cranberry in her sleep for as long as she lives, but that sweater is going to be beautiful when she is done!

Laura's Sweater

Laura is knitting a really cute short sleeve tunic sweater and is so close to being finished! Just a couple more tiny pieces and then putting it all together! I can’t wait to see this when it is done, either.

More sweater updates to come! Sunday’s class has a couple more weeks left.

Speaking of sweater updates, I wore my sweater dress to class last night! I had PT snap some pictures.

Fits Like A Glove!

I love the cowl neck on this! It is perfect. And I’m glad I didn’t get too anxious and stop the skirt length early. It is just long enough so I can bike in it!

Top

You can see in this one that the sleeves are a little big, but I’m not going to nit pick. I love the yoke design, too! The little holes along the seems. Sigh. Love.

Finished Sock!

I also finished my first toe up sock yesterday, but really, it pails in comparison to the sweater dress. I might have peeked as a knitter, now that I’m thinking about it. Will I even knit anything as great as that sweater? I’m glazing at it now, hung over the back of my chair, and I really think it is all downhill from here.

Yesterday I worked on patching up my mom’s quilt, though someone made that a little difficult.

Pudge Rodriguez, Terror Kitty

She sat right there anytime I set the quilt to sew. It was cute right up until I wanted to kill her. And still, cute enough for me to take a picture of her being bad. She also likes to pull the pins out and play with them, so there are pins all over the floor. I keep yelling at her, ‘you are going to kill yourself!’, but she doesn’t seem to care. I started yelling, ‘I’m going to step on one of those and kill you myself!’, but she doesn’t care about that, either.

Tonight PT and I are making mushroom burgers, carrot fries, and brussel sprouts for the games. That is baseball food, right? We had a trial brussel sprout run the other day with our special tuna helper.

PT's Sprouts and My Tuna Special

They were so good! Baked in the oven and crispy and salty! I’ve only ever had them soaked in butter, so this was a nice change. I’m anxious for PT to get over here so we can get started on dinner!

There are also a couple new additions to the Allyson household…

More Babies!

I finally got a chance to get another shelf for more plants! This one is in the bedroom so we will see how much light it gets in there. I planted some basil, dill, parsley, and cilantro. They all call for direct sunlight so who knows? But I surely like playing. And I put the shelf up all by myself!

Ok I’ve got to get back outside before it turns cold again!

While my sweater dress is drying/blocking…

Sweater Dress in Perfect Sweater Dress Form

And while dispensing sound advice:

Me: did Sarah call you last night?

MS: nope. I’m not that surprised. I’ve decided to embrace rejection and the absurdity of dating.

Me: Awww

MS: but I think I’m just going to send her a text message for myself really. Something like

Me: don’t do it!

MS: it’s ok if you’re not interested, I thought there might be something there. I’m just a fan of old-fashioned clarification.

Me: don’t do it!

MS: why not?

Me: let it go.

MS: you don’t think she’d reply to a text like that?

Me: hell no dude! I wouldn’t. Dude. Seriously. Don’t do it.

While working on my socks…

Turned the Heel!

And while dreaming of the french toast PT and I made Sunday for dinner:

Cinnamon French Toast with Raspberries and Hash Browns

I got to thinking that I needed to repair my quilt.

Kitty Quilt in Shambles

My mom made me this quilt when I was in middle school, and I still use it. I love it! You can see at the top where it has been repaired before, and you can see where it needs repairing again.

Sad Kitty

That kitty is nearly completely ripped off! So I called my mom and got a quick quilt patching lesson. I have never quilted before, but my mom is amazing and has made every blanket in my house. I counted five in total, including this one that my mom made for an exboyfriend:

The Second Quilt My Mom Ever Made

Luckily she snagged it after they broke up. My parents have been married for 26 years, so this quilt is pretty old. Ironically, I’m going to patch this one up and send it over to PT’s house! I hope it isn’t cursed.

Sad Quilt

You can see exactly which fabrics didn’t age well. Entire sections of this enormous quilt are disinigrated and in need of some serious help.

It is kind of funny that my mom made this quilt for her exboyfriend, then gave it to me and I’m patching it up and, well, not exactly giving it to PT but lending it to him. Worse case senario, PT and I break up and I’m giving this quilt to the daughter I have with the next boy I date, so this is a win win.

(Side Note: Mama PT is coming to town and demanding that PT get a new blanket for his bed before she stays there. I can’t blame her! That thing is gross, but I demanded he buy sheets, so I already exasted all demanding in the bed clothes area. Instead of him buying some stupid store bought blanket I’ll hate he can just take this one, making Mama PT AND me happy. Well, hopefully.)

Wish me luck! I don’t think it is possible for me to make them any worse, so I’m not too worried about it.

I am worried, however, about MS.

MS: she set up a date for Sunday and then didn’t answer. I feel like I’m entitled to an explanation.

Me: no you aren’t! she blew you off and that happened and she is flakey and move on. it sucks, but it happens and you shouldn’t do anything about it. If she can just ignore your call she can ignore your text and probably will, and then you are right where you are now anyway

MS: sure but if she doesn’t reply to a well thought out text, then I really won’t want anything to do with her.

Me: she didn’t CALL YOU BACK after you had set up a date. Red flag! You shouldn’t want anything to do with her now.

MS: I shouldn’t but does it really matter? can you tell me if you think the text message itself is dumb? It seems like its exactly what I want to say

Me: That’s not the point! The point is YOU SHOULDN’T SEND IT

MS: I get your point, I just don’t know if I’m going to not text her.

It isn’t exactly warm today in Chicago, but we keep getting little tastes of it! With the warmer weather comes new knitting opportunities. The beginner crafter might automatically think about hats and scarves when she thinks about knitting, but we know better. The Sweatshop is getting the season started off right with a variety of project classes that will have you styled now, not waiting until October to show off your handmade goods. The Knitting With Fabric Workshop mixes up materials and shows you how to make a cute market bag, perfect for the upcoming farmers markets! The Bead Bracelet is casual and pretty year around. And nope! I haven’t given up on Entrelac! Another Entrelac Workshop AND Entrelac Sock Class is scheduled.

May is a great month to be a beginner, too! I’ve got beginner crochet and beginner knitting classes scheduled, as well as a pattern reading class.

I hope to see everyone at The Sweatshop of Love’s Anniversary Party and Book Swap on Saturday, May 2^nd from 2-5pm at (or hopefully outside of) New Wave! The Sweatshop is turning three and to celebrate I’m hosting a free crafting extravaganza. It is the least I can do to thank each and every one of you for taking an interest in The Sweatshop and being so supportive of this one woman operation. Please email me to sign up!

Have you found us on Twitter yet? http://twitter.com/sweatshopoflove

See the full Sweatshop Class Schedule here.

Knitting with Fabric Workshop

Knitting with yarn getting old? Find a new way to use your huge stash of fabric at the Knitting with Fabric Workshop! You will need size 15 16 inch circular needles but I will supply the fabric. Chose to knit a potholder in class or get a great start on a fabric knit purse. Saturday May 9^th, 1-4pm. $40

Bead Bracelet/Entrelac Socks

We are multi tasking! One night, two classes!

Bead Bracelet: With knitting needles the size of sewing needles, tiny beads and embroidery floss we will make little cute bracelets! It sounds insane and will look even crazier, but you will love this beaded cuff and your new size 00 needles. Check out a picture here.

Entrelac Socks: Not only is this sock entrelac but it is toe up, so if you have never knit a toe up sock this is a great place to try. If you don’t know how to entrelac sign up for my Entrelac Workshop Sunday May 3^rd from 1-4pm.

Sign up for one and get a sneak peak with the other! Both classes are two parts: Tuesdays May 12^th and 19^th from 7-9pm. $40

Pattern Reading How-To

Have you been looking at patterns and feeling like they must be written in a different language? This class will help you sort it all out, from the yarn type to the gauge. Learn to read and knit a chart pattern, too! Thursday May 21^st, 7-9pm. $20

Beginner Crochet

Want to learn to crochet? This is a great opportunity to learn the basics of crocheting! In this class we will learn to make a chain, single, half double, double, and treble crochet stitches, and how to crochet in the round. Tuesday May 5^th, 7-9pm. $25

Beginner Knitting

Did you get on this mailing list in the hopes that eventually you will have the time to learn? Sign up for this beginner knitting class and learn how to cast on, bind off, and knit and purl. Thursday May 7^th, 7-9pm. $25

Entrelac Workshop

It looks ridiculously complicated! And when you read the instructions your head explodes. This three hour workshop will take you through entrelac step by step, from the beginning row of triangles through each row of rectangles. Entrelac makes great scarves, shawls, sweaters, and socks! It is one of my favorite knitting techniques and I can’t wait to teach it! Bring mid-sized needles (6-10) and scrap yarn. Sunday, May 3^rd from 1-4pm. $30

Sweater Club

Don’t think you can’t knit and wear a sweater this summer! There are plenty of pretty knitted top patterns out there just waiting to be discovered. Sweater Club is winding down, but I’m already anxious to get this class up and running again! Sweater Club restarts Thursday, May 28^th and/or Sunday May 31^st and goes until July 16^th and/or July 19^th. One class per week for 8 weeks is $75, two classes per week for 8 weeks is $120. Email me for more information and to sign up.

Group Class

Come get help starting a project, finishing a project, picking a project or learning something new! $15

Thursday May 14^th, 7-9pm

Wednesday May 20^th, 7-9pm

Knitting Book Club

Our third book is The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, and I can’t wait to meet on Monday, May 4^th to talk about it! If you are interested in joining us send me an email. Please don’t come with knitting questions as I won’t be teaching anything (so the book club can be free of course), just come to knit and chat about our book!

Classes are held at New Wave Café at 3103 W Logan Blvd/2557 N Milwaukee Ave. It is bright and warm and has lots of tables for us to spread out on. It is right off the Logan Square blue line stop and there is plenty of street parking on the square.

Email me with questions, to sign up for classes or to set up a one on one class!

What do you do with 70 sunny degrees and a Friday afternoon? PT and I thought Lincoln Park Zoo, and were not alone. There were maybe 4 children per person running around screaming, all holding bags of Doritos. We had no children and no Doritos, so we were feeling very left out.

Alpacas

PT and I like to joke about how some day in the future we will be farmers. We went around the zoo collecting animals for our imaginary farm. I, of course, grabbed these two pretty Alpacas. They will be not only good for yarn making, of course, but appear good for snuggling.

Flamingos

I also want Flamingos, which will serve no practical purpose, I just want them.

Very Loud Tiger

This tiger was so loud! I kept trying to make jokes about how it was hungry for some mariners, but it never worked out. He isn’t coming to the farm.

Happy, Despite Lack of Doritos

We both hadn’t been to Lincoln Park Zoo in a couple years and had a great time! We spent the whole afternoon outside, and were so happy to be able to do it.

Shrimp Pasta

We came home and made the most amazing shrimp pasta! We sauteed up some garlic in oil and butter, added the sun dried tomatoes, shrimp and broccoli and tossed all that with the whole wheat pasta and parmesan cheese. Out of control! SO good.

Saturday PT and I spent the whole day outside, walking around to local businesses and leaving Sweatshop flyers before lunching at Handlebar, one of our favorite restaurants. We ran home, made some kebabs and plantains, and biked over to a friend’s house for a bbq.

Grilled Plantains

These turned out so great! I just made a foil pouch, sliced up a couple plantains, threw in a couple globs of butter, sprinkled some salt and pepper and they turned out so well! Soft and sweet and charred in some spots. I’m going to have to buy some and bring them to Michigan when I go in May so the family can try them out. I know they will love them! We don’t see plantains around those parts.

A couple oat combo examples:

Oats, milk, cinnamon cereal, raisins, and raspberries

Oats, milk, canned pumpkin, and Kashi cereal

Today for lunch PT and I perfected the quesadillas I made for myself on Thursday of last week.

Goat Cheese, Tomato, and Spinach Quesadillas, Take Two

Much better this time! We threw in the spinach when the onions were caramelized for a few minutes, just to wilt the spinach a little. These quesadillas weren’t soggy in the least. PT even made guacamole, so we had both guacamole and salsa to dip them.

Now I’m just chilling, watching the Tigers game. It is rainy; the excuse I need to stay inside and get some work done. Must block the sweater dress! Must tidy apartment! Must knit my new sock!

Pre-Blocked Sweater Dress

Holy shit! I haven’t blocked it, but I will this afternoon. I should have blocked it yesterday when it was warm and sunny and it could just chill in the sun and come out the perfect size. It is basically the perfect size now. The sleeves are a little big; I’m hoping that after blocking it they will go down a little. I’m going to block them longer so that they skinny up.

Top Close Up

I’ve got my dress form as close as possible to my own measurements right now, and the shoulders look good, the boobs look good, the front stripe of ribbing looks good. Basically, I’m in love.

Sweater Dress

I just keep staring at it. It doesn’t even look hand knit. I’m kind of in shock right now!

Ok I’ll block it and then post pictures of me wearing it. I’ll stop gushing.

Break Sock

In the mean time I’m decompressing with some basic toe up socks. I found this kind of ridiculous pattern for toe up socks that so far is more silly and unnecessarily mathematical than I’d like to be dealing with. But, it is certainly nice to be just knitting and not k1p1 ribbing. And toe up socks are fun! I’m converting. Of course, I haven’t gotten to the heel yet.

I’ve been talking a big game about finishing my sweater dress by tonight’s Sweater Club, and I probably could have done it if not for the prep I had to do for Saturday’s Entrelac Workshop.

Entrelac Workshop Swatch

Saturday we will be doing this! I had to write the pattern and actually knit this swatch. But I’m so close!

TWO More Inches!

Between this morning and this afternoon I totally could have finished it! But I am excited about the Entrelac Workshop on Saturday so that will have to be my consolation prize. And no, I’m not going to try to wear the entrelac swatch to class tonight. If I were walking, maybe, but I’m biking and that would just be too pornographic for a Thursday night.

The weather is perfect for a stroll in a swatch! It is also perfect for my baby plants.

Hidden Garden

I’ve got pots of little babies! The tiny pots are all pansies, there is an avocado pit there from my mom that STILL hasn’t done anything and I think it is dead. At this point, though, I’m pot committed to this stupid pit so it isn’t going anywhere, no matter how dead it probably is.

The big pot on the right is the catnip and that is doing very well. Next over is the spearmint which really just has that one huge stem. Next over is the chamomile that is all stalled at about half an inch stems. In the jar are tomato plants for my Topsy Turvy! I can’t believe they are doing so well in an old olive jar. Not pictured is a pot that is supposed to be peppermint but is  actually a pot of dirt that I’m about to give up on. Stupid peppermint.

Terror Kitty Proof

This is how I save my plants from Pudge and Velma, who would instantly eat/dig up every pot. I installed this shelf across the window! I want 5 more.

Hidden Garden Part 2

As it is I have to put the overflow on the top shelf of a nearby bookcase chocked full of my inventory. That is more tomatoes, another avocado pit, and some cosmos that were doing amazing before I drown them.

I’ve been boring with the food this week! I’ve been eating a lot of oat creations because they are delicious, healthy, and quick. I had to make quick lunches this week with the afternoon Tigers Sox series and my lack of wireless internet. It is dangerous to be running back and forth between burners and my computer in the bedroom.

Today, though, I made Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Quesadillas.

Quesadilla Lunch!

They look pretty close to how they are supposed to look! I used regular taco shells because that is what I had on hand. They were good! In the future I will just throw the spinach in with the onions for the last couple seconds of onion cook time, and only warm it because the spinach got a little slimy and there is nothing worse than slimy vegetables.

I better pick out something to wear to Sweater Club tonight. Sad face! Someday soon I will update this blog and the entire post will be pictures of me in my sweater dress. No words, just sweater dress. It is coming.

You know when you are really young and you don’t know anything but what your parents let you know? Like, when they give you chocolate milk that is actually half white milk and half chocolate milk, and you think it is great because you have never had straight up chocolate milk. Then you go to your friend’s house and her mom gives you real straight from the carton chocolate milk and you freak the fuck out because it is the most amazing thing you have ever tasted.

I thought shrimp pizza was chocolate milk until I had real chocolate milk.

Banana Pepper, Sun Dried Tomato, Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Three Cheeses Pizza

The feta was out of control. The sun dried tomatoes were perfect. I will never have fresh onion on a pizza ever again, having caramelized them for this pizza. Having had corn meal in a pizza crust at a dinner party last week, we threw in some corn meal and it was out of control. And this pizza sauce was the best pizza sauce I’ve ever made, with fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. I didn’t know this pizza existed in the world when I declared shrimp pizza the best pizza ever. I retract that statement.

I’m glad we made the best pizza ever because PT really needed it.

Rough Day in Baseball Land

We went to the Twins Sox game this afternoon and the Twins got it handed to them. If any boy needed a delicious pizza, it was PT.

My 8 Year Old Boy

The Tigers, on the other hand, came back to win in the bottom of the 8th inning from a 4 run deficit. My 8 year old boy totally called that comeback! I did not need a pizza. I still ate it, though.

Glorious Fish Tacos

I needed the best fish tacos PT ever made. Fresh mango!

PT's Easter Present, and Velma

I did not need half of this Reester Bunny.

B(kinda)LT

I did need this fake bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado sandwich.

Pudge Rodriguez

Pudge disagreed.

On the eve of a home stand against the Sox, full of the best pizza I’ve ever eaten (not to mention some cookies and cream ice cream), sitting in bed watching Celebrity Apprentice, life is good. My sweater dress is a sleeve and about 3 inches in length away from being finished! Pudge Rodriguez is digging through the trash and ripping up tissues, and I’d like to shake her until she goes to sleep, but you can’t have everything.