Seedless Cowl

Philanthropy is defined both as an act of giving and as a love of humankind.

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I was asked to make a scarf for a United Way silent auction. This is always a compliment to me as I always make things to give away as gifts or wear myself... I would never assume someone would want to pay money for my handmade creations. Lets hope I am wrong!

Please meet my newest creation... the Seedless Cowl.

supplies:
bulky yarn of your choice
size 19 US bamboo needles
darning needle
2-3 large buttons

pattern:
Row 1 - k1p1* repeat until end
Row 2 - p1k1* repeat until end

CO 22 stitches (using long tailed CO method)
follow pattern until desired length (I went through 3 balls of yarn)
bind off
tuck in ends
sew on 2-3 buttons of your choice
feel philanthropic!

Here are more photos of the Seedless Cowl for your reference:

I love seed stitch! I find it to be very modern due to the angular pattern but still cozy and classic.

Notice: this is a free pattern and it is for personal use only. you are not permitted to sell the pattern or anything resulting from the pattern.

Productive on a Saturday

This weekend involves working out, organizing, and cleaning. It may also be our last weekend before there is snow on the ground. You know what that means? I should probably get outside for a bit and enjoy the brisk air.

Anyone up for joining me? My other workout plans include Force class on Saturday and hot yoga on Sunday! After you join me for some exercise you can help me inventory my pantry and freezers! That sounds like an excellent idea.

Eye spy

I received the latest J Crew catalog in the mail this week. I did a quick flip through it and THIS BAG was calling my name. Wow! I love this bag. The color is amazing, the structure is great for traveling, and the compartments will hold everything I need.

the Biennial Stachel by J Crew

Why does it have to be so expensive? I am still trying to not buy any new winter clothes... but does a purse count? I don't think so!

As promised

For those of your who love mountains, national parks, and small amounts of snow... this is for  you. Yes, I know who you are and that you have been waiting all week to see these photos. Here is a glimpse (ok maybe slightly more than a glimpse...) of our trip to Banff last weekend.

 wine and candy!

 

I LOVE the Christmas Store!

 and The Bay! I am tempted to buy the popcorn just for the beautiful tin

 Did you know Beaver Tails is back? This was a staple growing up after a day of skiing at Lake Louise

 let it snow! let it snow! let it snow!

 The Beibs?!?

 B waiting patiently at The Fudgery... while getting stared at by a bear...

  loved the wallpaper at The Fox

 as predicted, less than 1cm of snow overnight

 our view in the morning, I love the mountains

the heated pool at The Fox, its an underground cave

a final goodbye

We are not sure when we will make it to Banff again so it was nice to make a weekend trip.

Not a Misstaake

On Sunday morning, prior to leaving Banff, we went to Melissa's Misstake for breakfast. Even though they were busy the service was very quick! I had the eggs benedict with a side of hashbrowns

The holandaise was buttery, the english muffin was fresh, and the Canadian bacon was perfectly cooked.  What more could I ask for?

B had the big breakfast with sausage, bacon, toast, eggs, hashbrowns and pancakes. He said the pancakes were his fave and did enjoy his whole meal

Here's a sneak peek of our Banff photos:

Yes, it snowed while we were there. B was delighted but we all agreed that we do not need snow in Edmonton until December. Tomorrow I will show you more...

Eddie burger

This past weekend in Banff we went to Eddie Burger. The place is tiny but an amazing concept. The burgers are all very original and they even do a make your own burger and various sandwiches. The food was absolutely delicious... so I will show you what I ate:

 watch for the little sign or you will miss it!

 wall graffiti

deep fried pickles... everyone ate these but me

the Alberta bison burger with sweet potato fries

a close up of my personalized burger: bison patty, whole wheat bun, lettuce, sauteed mushrooms, bacon (given to B prior to eating), and gorgonzola!

the cute billfold

I would go back to Eddie Burger again and highly recommend it to others. B loved it as they were playing college football (LSU to be exact) until the Saturday afternoon hockey games started. He'll take 20 minutes of college football whenever possible. I wonder what the PB&J burger tastes like?

A date... or two

Thursday of last week was full of dates with B. I would have posted about it sooner but we were away for the weekend (more about this tomorrow)! Thursday morning my winter tires were being put on my car so we went for a breakfast date at Starbucks while we waited. We enjoyed breakfast sandwiches and tea.

I loved the vegetable sandwich with cheddar and egg.

Thursday evening we had free tickets to the Oilers game. For dinner we stopped at Sugarbowl for some delicious eats. B had beer and soup and we shared hummus & pita and a lamb burger with sweet potato fries.

If you are ever in Edmonton near the university, I highly recommend Sugarbowl. We have also enjoyed breakfast here... along with their delicious cinnamon buns!

The hockey game was excellent. The team played well even though they still lost. I got to see Hallsy, Neug, and Ebs play so that was the excitement of my night! Here are some of my fave shots from the game:

 too many men on the ice?  kidding! this was during warm up

 self portrait... missed B

can you see E & T across the arena?

the kid line!

I love date night! And date morning! I can't wait for our next date.

For the weekend

Two things to try this weekend:
1. drink more water, specifically...

2. bundle up, get outside, and get some exercise... wherever you may be!

Poodle love

Did  you know I had a 90lb standard poodle growing up? His name was Jocko. Here is a photo of us eating lunch

Kidding! But he looked just like this... and was always sitting next to the table waiting for food to fall. Recently, I saw a photo on Rose a la Mode of a Poodle sweater from Forever 21.

Yup, a poodle sweater might be a great fall investment. Then again, I said I was not buying any new clothes for fall or winter. Hmmm. To buy or not to buy?

Organized is my middle name

I have started to think about the design of our Christmas cards this year. I love including a photo of us as well as a short but simple message. Here are two ideas I found on Pinterest:

I love both! I still have about a month to choose the design... only because I am being organized!

A sneak peek

I mentioned that I am knitting a scarf for a United Way auction. Those people that know me "in real life" know that I like chunky wool, simple patterns, and large bamboo needles.

Here is a sneak peek of my creation:

Yes, it is navy so I can channel my inner Kate Middleton as I knit... and I had lots of this yarn in my basket. It will have buttons when it is complete. I am not sure if I want to use brown buttons for a more muted look or cream buttons for more contrast.

FYI - did you know you can take knitting needles on an airplane as long as the yarn is present? Yup. I like to knit when we travel to keep my hands busy... aka less snacking. I always take bamboo needles as they also do not show up as big pointy objects on the scanner!

How was your weekend?

Mine was good, thanks for asking. Here is a summary of our weekend:
worked out x3... my lats and triceps are still killing me, that means I worked hard!
went on a date to the new Crate & Barrel store!
worked on our to-do list
worked on my knitting project for the United Way auction
made and ate some good food, such as:

 fish tacos with roasted broccoli

 Mediterranean black bean meatballs from the Peas and Thank You cookbook

 friday night's leftovers with salad and mashed sweet potatoes

 Chinese food from The Boss... amazing!

 roasted mushrooms

shrimp and mushroom risotto

I had full intentions of making Tortilla and Black Bean Pie but on Friday afternoon, a friend emailed us a coupon for $10 off at Billingsgate! Dinner plans changed very quick when we knew could get a deal on seafood!

Did you notice my photos became much less grainy half way through the weekend? My camera fixed itself! I was so excited as I did not want to spend money on a new camera right now. That definitely made my weekend.

Finally, my wedding band and engagement band are getting saudered together tomorrow... I feel slightly naked without them!