AfricanKelli

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Remember this sweater my grandmother gave me back in May? After knitting for some 70 years, she retired her needles and gave me her stash. Within the bags and bags of yarn and the such, I found a sweater in pieces, nearly complete. I’m not sure why she never finished it, but she remembered she started it in 1980. She also mentioned that she’d love to finish it “one day.”

I put it on my list of Christmas projects and what do you know, but I actually finished this sucker! In all fairness (or as they are now saying on NPR in every other story — “In full disclosure…”), my mom helped me quite a bit. I couldn’t figure out how to cast on for the turtle neck and join the front and back sections of the sweater. She got it started, and I finished it.

Granted, one shoulder is totally wonky, but it works. I’m giving it to her tomorrow and I’ll be sure to take photos. I am not sure why I am so proud of this project, but I really cannot wait to give it to her. Isn’t it ugly? And the yarn? Acrylic and totally scratchy. Regardless, I know I’m going to make my British knitting grannie happy. And itchy.

~K

I think thanks to my regular posting, and frequent commenting on other’s blogs, I have a growing readership. I find myself regularly answering the same questions in email from y’all, and without a set blog bio, I thought I’d clarify a few things. {By the way, thanks for the comments! It is such fun to read what you think about this craziness.}

1. I am not African. Let’s just get that one out there right now. Africankelli is not even my nickname, although more than once in the last few years I’ve been introduced as, “Kelli. You know. Africankelli.”
After college, I joined the Peace Corps and lived briefly in Cameroon — central Africa. Once my collegiate email address expired, I needed something catchy. I was headed to Africa and viola — the moniker was created. My mom’s wise comment was, “Well, there’s only one Africankelli.” As far as I know, she’s right. Today, I work in health and get to travel to Africa about once a year.

2. I have grown up and lived in Arizona nearly all of my life. I have also lived in Torreon, Mexico. I speak Spanish and a wee bit of African French.

3. One day, I’ll be a published author. Until then, I spend a lot of my free time sending out literary agent queries for the novel I’ve finished and the novel I am working on.

4. “How do you do so much?” This question makes me blush and gag. I’m not super-human, I’m a super-dork. I keep my camera on hand and am obsessed with documentation. I photograph just about every art, gardening and kitchen project. You’d be surprised how much of it doesn’t end up on my blog.

5. I’d rather give a gift than receive one any day of the week.

6. I don’t have cable TV. I would rather spend money on films. I’d watch a foreign or independent movie any day of the week.

7. My parents and my brother are some of my best friends. We speak daily, especially now that they aren’t living in Arizona. To some, that is weird. To us, it is normal. My brother asked me the other day if I think it is strange we say, “I love you!” before we say goodbye with each call. I don’t .

8. I love gossip magazines, but hate that I love them.

9. I started sewing, knitting and becoming domestic in March 2005 after joining the first Backtack. I was fresh out of grad school and had some time on my hands. My wise mama seized the opportunity to woo me to her world of craft. It worked.
So, when you ask if I am an experienced sewer or why I don’t have an Etsy shop, I scratch my bashful head and thank God my photos don’t show the details. {By the way, there are certainly days I wish I had spent all that grad school money on culinary or art school.}

10. I’m known for telling terribly childish jokes.

11. I drink about a gallon of water a day.

12. I think one day I’ll be a politician. If not in the government, than I’ll certainly be the mayor of my household.

13. I love blogging about what is good in my life. There is plenty going on behind the scenes you don’t want to hear about. Believe it or not, I’m not a resident of Pleasantville.

~K

With a pointsetta swing bag sewn for a bit of holiday sass…

And ribbon recipe cards stamped…

I moved on to covering journals for the writers in my life using Alex’s tutorial… {Her work is stunning.}

And decided everyone needs a set of penguin thank you notes this time of year too.

After a flurry of sewing, stamping and wrapping, I decided if there is ever a time for a carb-loaded soup — it’s now. Pull out your spoons!

Kelli’s Veggie Minestrone
Ingredients:

1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 box of rigatoni
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of white potatoes
1 can of mixed vegetables
6 carrots, sliced in rounds
4 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)
1 can of stewed tomatoes
pepper, oregano and salt to taste

Directions:
Brown onions and garlic in olive oil for 8-10 minutes in a large soup pot. Add carrots for an additional 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, canned vegetables of choice and let simmer for 30-40 minutes on low heat. Add pasta for an additional 10 minutes. Add spices. Serve with a dash of parmesan cheese, large glass of wine and a 45-minute nap.
Enjoy!

A jolly weekend to y’all,
Kelli

I bought myself a nice Christmas gift last week, and I’m not going to lie. I cry a little tear each time I have to take these boots off, I’m so in love. I’m a closeted shoe-aholic. There is nothing like a sassy new pair on my feet to make me smile and skip through the day.

If you are looking to add a skip to your day, consider the following:
~ Need something to get you in the holiday crafting mood? For truly impressive sewing and fabric selection, check out Not Quite Vintage’s flickr account. Ay! Such lovely projects.

~ Need a kick in the apron to get you in the kitchen, baking for all those parties this weekend? Smitten Kitchen is such fun to read and her photography makes my stomach growl with envy.

~Trying to figure out what to wear to those parties? How about a FedEx rush delivery for this with this and a little bling. Yep, these would get you pulled under the mistletoe in a hurry.

And if you are staying home this weekend to finish your wrapping and the such, throw in a good movie, pour some Baileys into that coffee and whip up some lingerie bags for your girlfriends.

The latest installment in the adventathon. Here are a few other ideas.

These are essentially giant wristlets, minus the strap. I give them in pairs — one for clean, one for those to be washed. They are great for those in your life who travel regularly and cringe at the thought of airport security folks digging through their luggage. A friend of mine gave me a set when we traveled to the Philippines several years ago. I use them all the time!

Three cheers for practical gifts,
Kelli, the booted blogger

Last night while wrapping gifts, I realized that I’m flying to Texas next week for Christmas. Yay! I am really looking forward to playing with the family dog, taking long walks with my mom, lounging on the couch and watching movies with my dad, people watching at the mall with my brother. You get the idea. I go into holiday mode where all pants have an elastic waist (or are yoga pants and hang precariously close to Plumberville), all sunrises are happily missed for hours of extra sleep, all meals are consumed with loved ones and my normal diligent routine isn’t just put aside. It’s run over by reindeer, trampled and forgotten in the front yard like a heap of dirty snow no one wants to shovel.
As my friend Homer J. Simpson would say, “WOO HOO!”

Between now and then? Well, that’s another story. Like many of you, the next week will be a test of strength. How much eggnog can I consume? To how many holiday parties can I wear the same generously stretchy black dress? How many empty boxes can I stack in my studio, waiting to be refilled and sent full of homemade goodies?

I haven’t knit many Christmas gifts this year, mainly because they are so incredibly time consuming. I can sew like Speedy Gonzalez, but my knitting is on par with Eeyore. These hats have been sent off. I wanted to doll up the green one a bit, so I added the fabric flower and hand-stitched it on a pin so it can be removed if the recipient isn’t as fond of it as I am.

This week, I’m trying to finish up this sweater. I’m so darned close, but I very well may be found in an exhausted heap of purl one, knit one ribbing — my knitting Lex Luther. I’ve got 4.5 more inches of ribbing before the turtleneck is complete. Maybe I should be drinking Red Bull instead of red wine when working on this…

~K