ROLL TIDE!

I love sharing the tradition of Alabama football with the people I love. This year I'll be watching the Iron Bowl with Jose's whole family, which is really exciting. And scary. I'm kindof a serious watcher, but they've all been warned.

Speaking of the people I love - I wanted to share some pics of my little Bama muffins. They don't look like this anymore, but they are still seriously cute, and very into cheering for the Tide.

intro to sewing/those colors look good on you

My friend Karen came over last week to teach me how to use my sewing machine, and I have to say, she's a GREAT teacher! She explained everything really thoroughly and let me try things out for myself, and made sure to correct me when I was doing something crazy. She also taught me a major rule of sewing: never sew if you are tired and/or angry. I think that applies to knitting as well, but I learned (and continue to learn) that the hard way.

I bought some fabric this weekend to make the pups a series of kerchiefs...and clearly the first one on the list was the Steelers fabric. I was definitely waaaay tired, but I decided to sew them anyway. True to her advice, I had a few threading hiccups and being tired only made troubleshooting *that* much worse. Alas, the kerchiefs are finished and being worn as we speak.

It is RIDICULOUSLY hard to get both dogs in the same photo. I managed one shot before Puggie bolted, and Berger had his eyes closed. Geez. Jose does the same thing.


Puggie up-close. She's not as fond of kerchiefs as Berger is, but she tolerates them. And I'm sure they will grow on her.


Oh, Berg. Ever handsome, ever adorable. Ever hanging out in the kitchen, waiting for food to fall from the counter.

Philly superstitions

While in Philly, one of my locally-based colleagues shared a bit of local lore about the Comcast Center - Philadelphia's tallest building. Philadelphia's City Hall is topped with a statue of William Penn with his hat held high in the air. For a long time, that statue made this building the tallest in Philly. In fact, legend has it that there was a gentleman's agreement not to build any structure in the city taller than Penn's hat (548 ft). Well, the Comcast building (974 ft) easily exceeded - and almost doubled - City Hall. Someone noticed that none of the local teams had won a championship since the Comcast building had been erected, so a small William Penn statue was placed at the top of the tower - lo and behold, the Phillies won the next World Series.

We stopped into the center for a bit before dinner and in addition to the photo above, I got a few more shots of the building's amazing features.

There are continuous digital shows on the wall behind reception...

And walker "statues" on the beams overhead. A little creepy, but also cool...

And very nice greenery outside. I do love an urban garden...

I know not if the story was true, and if it is, whether it was a coincidence or an actual broken curse. I do know that the building is intriguing and worth a look if you're in Philly.

On this day...

Two years ago on this very day, I checked off a bucket list item by going to the Super Bowl. Super Bowl XLIII. It was one of the top 5 days of my whole life.

Ode to the Nephew

This is my nephew. There are no words for how much I love this kid. He's clever, he's hilarious...it's pretty much non-stop hilarity when he's around. He took up a love for the Steelers that Jose and I have strongly encouraged. His ninth birthday was last week, so I took to the NFL.com custom shop to find the right gift. I hope it turns out to be the shirt he sees the Steelers win Super Bowl XLV in! Side note: he has emailed me at least 3 times per day, each day this week asking for us to take him to the Super Bowl. I wish, kid. I WISH!

HERE WE GO, STEELERS!!!

You may remember that I made some bibs recently. One of those bibs was gold with a black button and I told Tina that it was baby Q's gameday bib. Today, she wore the bib as a cape. In honor of the Steeler's entry to Super Bowl XLV, I give you...SUPER STEELERS BABY!!

Roll Tide, Happy New Year!

Remember when I posted about my Crimson Pride yarn projects? Well I finished the scarf and decided to make a hat with the leftovers. I actually finished them both over Thanksgiving weekend, but I just settled on a button for the hat.

In honor of the complete beatdown that 'Bama put on Michigan State today, I present my completed Crimson Pride scarf and hat! Hooray for a 10-win season! ROLL TIDE!!

Crimson Pride

I grew up in a household that recognized college football as the single most important entity known to the world. And the University of Alabama was the most important piece within that entity. So with that in mind, coupled with the fact that the U of A is now my Alma Mater, I'm a pretty hardcore fan. That's why, when I found out that Serendipity Needleworks in Tuscaloosa, AL was having Lorna's Laces custom dyed in lots called "Crimson Pride", I knew I had to have some. Well, I knew I had to have some more. My friend Melissa gave me my first skein and I made a hat. I was so thrilled that I called and ordered two more skeins for a scarf. Then, on my next visit to Tuscaloosa, I bought two skeins in sock weight. The projects are both on the needles and have been stalled for a bit, but in honor of today's Iron Bowl, I thought they should both be featured. And probably finished. Soon.

both projects...



















a close-up of the scarf, knitted in the Easy Drop Stitch pattern...















the sock. an incredibly boring pattern, which is why it is stalled...















ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!