Holy Grocery Shopping!

Upon arriving back in Chicago from my week long Michigan hiatus, it appeared to me that I had bought out the entirety of West Michigan. PT and I buy all of our groceries at one time, having no car, but the state of our kitchen table yesterday was out of control.

$24 Microwave!

In addition to the beets I picked up Black Friday, I also snagged this handsome microwave that tells the time even when you use the timer! Holy technology!

$13 Sheets!

AND I got these flannel sheets for crazy cheap, too. Velma and Pudge Rodriguez approved and made it very hard to make the bed at the same time.

Banana Pepper, Caramelized Onion, and Pineapple Pizza

Sunday also reprized Pizza Sunday! Despite all the groceries we bought we are seriously lacking some fresh vegetables, so we had to dig around the pantry for pizza toppings.

Mark and PT are PUMPED

Mark and PT were in football/pizza heaven, with a Minnesota Vikings victory over the Bears and amazing, bacon topped pizzas.

Mark+Pudge=LOVE

Then Pudge snuggled up! Pudge is in love with Mark, who is a little allergic to kitty lovin’. So tragic!

Naturally as soon as I had a moment to let all that lack of sleeping and eating only pie catch up to me I was down for the count! My body rejected movement of any kind yesterday and I’m pretty sure I slept 18 of the last 24 hours. Just sitting up at my desk right now is taking a lot out of me! Coming back from that Eastern time zone is sure rough.

Target!

You know something is wrong when it is 12:30pm and you’ve been awake for 9 hours.

6AM!

Or something is amazingly RIGHT! I can’t really see the keyboard right now and I’ve lost track of how many cups of coffee I’ve had (Biggby!), but I totally snagged $1.50 towels, a $25 microwave, and $14 flannel sheets this morning.

Don’t judge. Black Friday is awesome. When I’m wearing my $4 tights I’ll be thinking of you sleeping, and me WINNING!

Meijer at 5AM

The only time I felt a little silly was when we got to Meijer and people are standing in line for TVs and PS3s and I make a beeline for…

Beets in Bulk!

I’m pretty sure I’m the only person to buy beets on Black Friday. My mom needs her beet risotto!

Once Thanksgiving hits the rest of 2009 is a wash. All I can think about is Santa and family and cookies and cuddling up in my house with my knitting needles while the snow falls outside. And parties!

The Sweatshop of Love’s Holiday Party is Sunday, December 20th at 7pm at Street Side in Logan Square.

Order some drinks, complain to fellow knitters about how your coworkers didn’t fully appreciate their Cabled Change Purses, get some knitting done, AND bring left over yarn to swap! That is right, our holiday party is going to be The Sweatshop of Love’s first ever Yarn Swap! So if you’ve got yarn you’ve lose interest in, entire skeins from finished projects, or yarn you tried and hated, bring it to the Holiday Party and trade it for something you love.

So mark your busy holiday calendars for The Sweatshop of Love’s Holiday Party, start collecting swappable yarn, and get ready to party!

There are only a few classes left on our 2009 schedule, but don’t miss out on these fun classes! Email me with questions and to sign up. And, as always, to see what I’ve got on my needles check out The Sweatshop of Lover’s Blog.

Don’t forget that I offer Class Vouchers you can give your friends and family as holiday gifts!

See you soon,

Allyson

Fall Classes:

Cabled Cowl

Cabled Cowl If you hate knitting scarves as much as I do, this season is for us because scarves are out, cowls are in! They are cute, easy, and knit up fast which make them even better. And cables fun them up even more! Big needles make them a breeze to knit in just a few hours. Tuesday December 1^st, 7-9pm. $25

Happy/Sad Poos

Knitted Happy/Sad Poos Have a friend with the sense of humor of a 12 year old boy? Then this is the perfect gift for her! Based on the amigurumi pattern, this knitted version is a perfect last minute gift. Class includes stuffing and the yarn to make the face. Wednesday December 2^nd, 7-9pm. $25

Group Class and Emergency Knitting Time! We’ve got a December full of Group Classes scheduled before Christmas to help you finish those last minute projects! Get help with pattern reading, learning new stitches, or use this time to make up a project class. Knitting or crocheting. $15

Thursday, December 3rd, 7-9pm

Tuesday, December 8th, 7-9pm

Thursday, December 10th, 7-9pm

Tuesday, December 15^th, 7-9pm

Wednesday, December 16^th, 7-9pm

Thursday, December 17^th, 7-9pm

Knitting Book Club Our next book club meet up is December 7th! We are reading Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting by Michael Perry. Sound good? Email me to get on our book club mailing list. 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!

Pudge Rodriguez Loves Books

PT and I made it safely to Michigan yesterday during the most amazing game the Lions have played in … three years? Four? EVER? Even my mom got into it, losing radio coverage as time was expiring, moments before Matt Stafford threw his FIFTH touchdown of the game to win it!

Sorry.

Look at Pudge Rodriguez! She loves Coop, our book club book for December 7th. Can you believe I left her in Chicago?

I slept a ton yesterday and have finally recovered from the Yarn Crawl. And knit these!

Hand Warmers!

I bought some beautiful cashmere merino wool blend yarn on the Yarn Crawl Saturday specifically to whip these up as a birthday present for my friend Rachel. (Rachel doesn’t celebrate Christmas AND they are her birthday present, so the title of the post is completely off, but I wanted to keep the gift format. Silly? Oh yes.)

YO Lacy Diagnals

The pattern is CreativeYarn’s Diagonal Eyelet Hand Warmers. It was very easy to follow, clearly written, free, and they turned out super cute!

The Perfect Size

I made no modifications to the pattern other than I used size 7 needles. The Ravelry Project Page is here.

Buttons

I was on the fence about the buttons. Everyone is randomly adding buttons to things for no reason and I don’t know why. These buttons serve no purpose other than to CUTE!

Yeah... It's Cute

And they do cute. I get it! I’m ok with it! The gray and the pink are really cute together. I hope Rachel likes them!

Warm Hands

Does the lighting and background look familiar? That is right! I’m sitting in Biggby Coffee in Allendale, Michigan, using their free internet and sipping their Cinnamon-Toffee flavored coffee. When I finish up here I’m going to pick up my grandparents and head to Perkins for brunch. Then we are going to the mall! It’s a good old fashioned day off in West Michigan!

The Yarn Crawl could not have been any more fun!

Excited!

I was so excited this morning before leaving the house! Excited, and overdressed. It was so warm! By the end we were all carrying our jackets, and many many bags.

Waiting in Line at Nina

... the Very Long Line!

Tara and Ron Weasly Have a Moment in Knitting Workshop

Should Have Gotten Baskets at JoAnn!

Making Decisions!

Thank you so much to everyone who came out with us! And special thanks to the DIY Trunk Show for starting us off on the best foot possible, Nina and Knitting Workshop for hosting, and New Wave for feeding us.

I’ve got to pack! I’ve been concentrating so much on the Yarn Crawl that I haven’t even thought about how I’m leaving for Michigan tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow afternoon!

*yawn!* Maybe I’ll just take a little nap first. Y’all wore me out!

There has been an overwhelming response to

The Sweatshop of Love’s Yarn Crawl

and we couldn’t be more excited about it!

This Saturday, November 21st is going to be a blast! Keep your eyes peeled for Sweatshop shout outs today in

DailyCandy and on Chicago Tonight!

Can’t make it to the whole Crawl? You’ve got the schedule! Feel free to meet up with us at any point.

But if you are planning on Crawling with us to the end, I’ll see you outside the Pulaski Park Field House at 11am!

Yarn Crawl Schedule

10:00-11:00 – DIY Trunk Show
Pulaski Park Field House, 1419 W Blackhawk in Wicker Park

11:15-12:00 – nina: a well-knit shop
1655 W Division St in Wicker Park

12:30-1:15 – Knitting Workshop
2115 N Damen Ave in Bucktown

1:30-2:15 – JoAnn
2639 N Elston Ave in Logan Square

2:30+ – New Wave Coffee
3103 W Logan/2557 N Miwalukee in Logan Square

DIY Trunk Show – The DIY Trunk Show is a diverse gathering of creative talent to showcase, sell, and promote handmade arts, crafts, goods and endeavors of all kinds. Free admission! So support local handmade right when the Trunk Show opens!

We will be meeting outside the Fieldhouse at 11 to walk over to -

nina: a well-knit shop – nina is a contemporary knitting shop in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. The sleek, calm space has been described as a Zen temple to fiber. Beautiful yarns include angora, alpaca, silk, cashmere, cotton, bamboo, hemp, merino wool, and hand-dyed ribbon. Exquisite texture and colors, stylish pattern magazines and books, exotic wood needles – all are artfully arranged. The inviting atmosphere is sure to inspire your creativity.

Nina is offering a 10% discount on all yarn, a special sale section of products reduced to 50% off, and prizes for Crawl participants!

At noon we will board buses or hop on bikes over to -

Knitting Workshop – Knitting Workshop is an urban and sophisticated yarn shop located in Bucktown. With tons of yarn options and advice for any project, they have something to offer for both the new and experienced knitter.

Knitting Workshop is offering a 10% discount on all yarn, free patterns perfect for holiday present knitters, and they will be raffling off a Knit Kit, a fun knitting tool case!

At 1:15 we are going to start walking over to -

JoAnn – There are lots of projects out there that you don’t need nice yarn for. Like cat toys! And mittens for your brother that you know he is just going to lose. Or maybe you need zippers for your cabled change purses! JoAnn is the place for all your odds and ends.

Then, if your legs can make it, at 2:15 we are going to head to our last destination -

New Wave Coffee – We burned off enough calories during this Crawl to treat ourselves to a cupcake and a coffee! Relax, show off what you picked up on the Crawl, and get started on your next project!

If you’ve got questions let me know, otherwise I look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

I remember seeing Casper when I was 11 and thinking Devon Sawa, Casper when Casper turns into a boy at the end to kiss Christina Ricci, was so cute. My crush on Devon Sawa lasted threw Now and Then and Wild America right up until I was 14 and saw SLC Punk, which was scary for a 14 year old to see, and Devon Sawa looked like this:

... Devon?

Crush over.

When I was 7 I had a super crush on Jonathan Taylor Thomas, naturally.

Jonathan Dream Boat!

But he stopped growing right after Tom and Huck (miss you, Brad Renfro), so crush over at 12.

Then there was Joseph.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

I was 9 when Angels in the Outfield came out and he couldn’t have been cuter. I mean, now I watch that movie and he just looks like a baby, but back in 1995 I was in love.

3rd Rock from the Sun

And yeah, he had that long hair in 3rd Rock from the Sun, but that was hot then! But all cuteness-doubt was erased by 10 Things I Hate About You.

'There's a Dick on my Face, Isn't There?'

To be fair, you are never going to be the cutest boy if you are in a movie with Heath Ledger. And not serenading anyone on the bleachers during soccer practice didn’t help the cause, either.

But clearly he learned that if you are going to get a girl’s attention you have to star in a movie with a cute GIRL, not a cuter boy.

Joseph and Zooey

I recently saw (500) Days of Summer (twice) and realized that I’ve loved Joseph Gordon-Levitt for 16 years; easily longer than I’ve loved any other boy.

Doesn’t it renew your faith in monogamy? Sure, I’ve been cheating on him for the past 10 years, but it’s possible!

And it looks like he likes hand knits.

Simple Block Scarf Perfect for a Beginner!

2009 is winding down. I’m having a hard time wrapping my brain around it! To help you get those presents knit, The Sweatshop has schedule three more Emergency Knitting Classes in December. That is six total classes to get you knitting time, answer any questions you have, help you pick materials for last minute projects, and get those presents finished in time for your holiday festivities.

And remember you can give Sweatshop classes as gifts, too! My brain is working on some really fun classes for next season, and with a Sweatshop Class Voucher you can make sure your friends and family don’t miss out! Click here for details.

AND don’t forget about The Sweatshop of Love’s Yarn Crawl this Saturday, November 21st!

Email me with questions and to sign up for any and all of these great classes. And, as always, to see what I’ve got on my needles check out The Sweatshop of Lover’s Blog.

See you soon,

Allyson

Fall Classes:

Cabled Cowl

Cabled Cowl If you hate knitting scarves as much as I do, this season is for us because scarves are out, cowls are in! They are cute, easy, and knit up fast which make them even better. And cables fun them up even more! Big needles make them a breeze to knit in just a few hours. Tuesday December 1^st, 7-9pm. $25

Poo Ornaments

Knitted Happy/Sad Poos Have a friend with the sense of humor of a 12 year old boy? Then this is the perfect gift for her! Based on the amigurumi pattern, this knitted version is a perfect last minute gift. Class includes stuffing and the yarn to make the face. Wednesday December 2^nd, 7-9pm. $25

Group Class and Emergency Knitting Time! We’ve got a December full of Group Classes scheduled before Christmas to help you finish those last minute projects! Get help with pattern reading, learning new stitches, or use this time to make up a project class. Knitting or crocheting. $15

Tuesday, November 17^th, 7-9pm

Thursday, December 3rd, 7-9pm

Tuesday, December 8th, 7-9pm

Thursday, December 10th, 7-9pm

Tuesday, December 15^th, 7-9pm

Wednesday, December 16^th, 7-9pm

Thursday, December 17^th, 7-9pm

Knitting Book Club Our next book club meet up is December 7th! We are reading Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting by Michael Perry. Sound good? Email me to get on our book club mailing list. 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!

So everything was going swimmingly. Saturday morning I was on fire! Went to the gym, did my running around, and was working on my granny squares when I needed more yarn. I’ve got piles of yarn all over the place, and whenever I look for yarn it ends up all over the floor. I bent down to pick up a skein that had rolled under my futon when SMACK!

I knocked my head hard on the arm of my futon like a dummy. I stood up, shocked, kind of laughed to myself, then burst into tears. It hurt! But I shook it off and kept working. I got a headache, then my neck started hurting, and I got really tired. PT had a cold all week so I just thought I was getting a cold, so I canceled my party plans for Saturday night and went to bed, never thinking I might have concussed myself on my futon! I woke up Sunday morning with a headache. I went to wash my face before Holiday Present Prep class and looked at myself in the mirror for the first time since Saturday and I have a huge bump and bruise on my forehead! It all comes together. I’m not getting sick – I just smacked the crap out of my head!

Luckily I didn’t put it together Saturday or I probably would have made myself crazy thinking I had a concussion. But I’m alive and this morning my head is feeling good. Still bruised up! But feeling good.

I did find the canola oil in the fridge this morning, however, so there might be some permanent damage.

Granny Squares!

Despite my stupidity, I did manage to click almost everything off my list! I didn’t tackle the sewing pile because sitting up hurt for most of the weekend, and I didn’t do too much reading because that hurt, too.

But I did make 36 freaking granny squares!

One!

Two!

Three!

And made three pairs of granny square slippers!

It’s really too bad that I’m refusing to make another granny square for as long as I live, because I would like a pair of these for myself. They are so ridiculous and so ugly-amazing that they are kind of hard to resist! The best part is that I got to use up left over skeins from projects I never got to, or yarn I bought on sale with nothing in mind for it.

One!

Two!

Three!

These were a lot of fun to make. And the instructions from The Purl Bee couldn’t be any clearer. The woman takes a picture of every aspect of putting each granny square together. It was so helpful! I don’t know if it was the head injury or if it was just hard, but even after making six slippers I couldn’t put them together for memory.

Trio of Granny Square Slippers

Three lucky people on my Christmas list, including my Sweatshop Secret Santa recipient, will be getting a pair of these.

PT is flying back to Chicago at this very moment! Leave it to me to almost kill myself the first weekend I’m alone in months and months.

PT unexpectedly left town last night for the weekend (nothing bad! He just got an unexpected vacation from work) leaving Velma, Pudge Rodreguez, and I to our own devices. In my case, ‘devices’ means being ridiculously productive.

I’m usually really productive; when you are a one woman show you have no choice. What you don’t do just doesn’t get done. But when you live with someone there is more downtime:  Discussing potential Saturday afternoon activities. Taking long lunches. Snuggling.

Wine Cozy

So now that PT is out of town it’s like I’m on speed. He left last night and I’ve already  done a lot of reading, finished this wine cozy for PT’s mom’s Christmas present, and crocheted 8.25 granny squares.

Granny!

I forgot how fun it is to make granny squares! It has been so long that I had to look up instructions to remind myself.

I’ll be making a lot of granny squares today for an undisclosed project. I’ll tell you soon.

I got up this morning at 6:30, played with the kitties, cleaned up a little, made some tea, and am now trying to organize my weekend. MY weekend.

I’m a relationship kinda girl. I’ve been in one pretty nonstop since I was 17. I’ve had a live in boyfriend pretty nonstop since I was 21. I love it, it is how I am. Even when I say to myself after a break up, ‘Allyson, chill for a while and be single,’ that resolve never lasts long.

So, I appreciate this time. This fake single time. I know he is out there, surely sleeping at this time, in the little bed in the upstairs of his mom’s house in Minnesota, but here I am with a nice long to-do list full of crafty and Sweatshop-related things and two entire days to myself.

Sewing Pile

-A Crafty and Sweatshop-Related To-Do List-

Three Granny Square Projects (36 granny squares!)

Write a newsletter for Monday

Go to the gym

Go to Target

Pre-write some blogs

Tackle sewing pile

Finally make message board

Read more

-Maybe-

Get started on Turtle Shell Legwarmers <- oh yes I did

It’s kind of like writers who think they need to be drunk and miserable to write, or artists who think they need to be depressed to paint. Do I get more done when I’m single? Yes. But luckily I’m smart enough to recognize the fact that I like having a boyfriend. I’m happier when I’ve got someone who is ridiculously supportive of all the silliness. The piles of yarn everywhere. The long gchat explanations of what a swift is. The long blog entries full of pros and cons about our relationship (sorry, PT!).

That to-do list isn’t going to finish itself! I love when I look at the clock in the morning, think about everything I’ve already accomplished, and think, ‘And I’ve still got 13 1/2 hours until I’m meeting Rachel for a drink!’ I can get a lot accomplished in 13 1/2 hours.