I know there has been woefully little knitting and sewing here in the past couple weeks. I'm sorry for that, it's just that I've truly been struggling with some seasonal...down-ness, I guess you could say. It's been hard to get motivated and my hands just haven't felt like picking up needles. It's odd, because at times there are so many things I want to knit I practically lose my mind and start ten things at once. But right now I've been pretty content to lounge on the sofa at night watching political coverage, sans knitting. I did start a wee pair of socks for Daughter last night at knitting guild, so maybe that will jerk me back into the swing of things.
And as for sewing, I've pulled myself together enough to sort all my garment fabrics and match them up with patterns. I have a bunch of things I want to whip up for the shop, and my thoughts are turning to Spring and Summer in a big way. Hopefully there will be some pretty things to share after this weekend.
Also, just because I feel like complaining, my serger and my oven are both dead. Dear George Bush, please expedite my 'economic stimulus' check because my home is falling apart. Thanks.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Thursday, February 07, 2008
mmmmm...viscoelastic
Ok, sorry about that post yesterday. Guess I was in a foul mood. Today is looking slightly better, anyway.
And now, I need some input! Even if you've never commented before, please oh please if you have any insight into what I am about to say, do leave me some words of wisdom.
Hubs and I are about to buy a new bed. It has taken me 5 loooooooooong years to finally convince my husband to do so, and we want to choose wisely. Our old mattress and box spring is absolutely trashed and desperately needs to go, and in its place we are considering one of those newfangled memory foam mattresses, with "viscoelastic memory foam." That's the one where you see the girl on the commercial jumping around in her nightie while a glass of wine sits undisturbed on the other side of the bed. People, I am that glass of wine, and my husband (who is almost twice my weight) rolls around all night. I bounce around like a freaking pinball when he tosses and turns and it is seriously impacting my sleep.
So we're looking at a queen size, 10" foam mattress and a platform bed. What I'd like to know is, do you have this kind of bed? Do you love it? Do you rue the day you bought the horrible thing? If you know anything about these beds, please share!
And now, I need some input! Even if you've never commented before, please oh please if you have any insight into what I am about to say, do leave me some words of wisdom.
Hubs and I are about to buy a new bed. It has taken me 5 loooooooooong years to finally convince my husband to do so, and we want to choose wisely. Our old mattress and box spring is absolutely trashed and desperately needs to go, and in its place we are considering one of those newfangled memory foam mattresses, with "viscoelastic memory foam." That's the one where you see the girl on the commercial jumping around in her nightie while a glass of wine sits undisturbed on the other side of the bed. People, I am that glass of wine, and my husband (who is almost twice my weight) rolls around all night. I bounce around like a freaking pinball when he tosses and turns and it is seriously impacting my sleep.
So we're looking at a queen size, 10" foam mattress and a platform bed. What I'd like to know is, do you have this kind of bed? Do you love it? Do you rue the day you bought the horrible thing? If you know anything about these beds, please share!
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
monotonous
The crushing weight of these cold, dark, gray, dreary days has effectively broken my spirit. I must say - again - I don't know if I can bear to live here for the rest of my life. Anyone who has visited and/or lived in Western New York knows we have a lot of really beautiful weather from, say, May through September. But the rest? Ay-yi-yi. It's bleak. I needs me some vitamin D.
Here's a question: what does it say about my skills as a mother when my kid is currently amassing every single toy in the current McD's happy meal set? We've got 3 FurReal Friends so far. And that's after I railed against crap food in this very space. Shameful. At least we ran into another mom/kid from playgroup so I don't feel too badly about it. I do feel kind of guilty about eating a double cheeseburger when literally every other person in the place was eating a filet-o-fish sandwich. It is Ash Wednesday and I'm a horrible, horrible Catholic. Although, hang on, does McD's really count as "meat?" Eew.
Between playgroup and McD's we stopped at Joann Fabrics. I needed sewing machine needles, so we got those, and then we wandered the aisles of fabric. The only teeny spark of inspiration I experienced was when I saw that Joann's is finally carrying some sweet print knits...not the thermal ones (don't like those) but the nice, soft 100% cotton interlock. I didn't buy any, though. Sheesh, you know you're down when wandering Joann's does nothing for you. All we bought was the needles and a bag of (overpriced) m&m's for Daughter, who stayed dry all night and asked to go potty at playgroup before doing a dribble first. (It's been a battle to get her to inform us.)
Guess I'll go clear the dirty dishes from the sink. Then stare into the freezer waiting for dinner to jump out at me. Then switch loads of laundry.
Oh, the monotony.
Here's a question: what does it say about my skills as a mother when my kid is currently amassing every single toy in the current McD's happy meal set? We've got 3 FurReal Friends so far. And that's after I railed against crap food in this very space. Shameful. At least we ran into another mom/kid from playgroup so I don't feel too badly about it. I do feel kind of guilty about eating a double cheeseburger when literally every other person in the place was eating a filet-o-fish sandwich. It is Ash Wednesday and I'm a horrible, horrible Catholic. Although, hang on, does McD's really count as "meat?" Eew.
Between playgroup and McD's we stopped at Joann Fabrics. I needed sewing machine needles, so we got those, and then we wandered the aisles of fabric. The only teeny spark of inspiration I experienced was when I saw that Joann's is finally carrying some sweet print knits...not the thermal ones (don't like those) but the nice, soft 100% cotton interlock. I didn't buy any, though. Sheesh, you know you're down when wandering Joann's does nothing for you. All we bought was the needles and a bag of (overpriced) m&m's for Daughter, who stayed dry all night and asked to go potty at playgroup before doing a dribble first. (It's been a battle to get her to inform us.)
Guess I'll go clear the dirty dishes from the sink. Then stare into the freezer waiting for dinner to jump out at me. Then switch loads of laundry.
Oh, the monotony.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
for sale
Did you see us on the news yesterday? I know the Today show had some video of Buffalo this morning - mega wind and snowstorm, which knocked out our cable modem. No internet for the entire day?!? You might as well say "no oxygen" because I seriously almost died. My husband found me at the end of the day in a withered heap next to my laptop, one finger repeatedly hitting "refresh" in the hope that google would appear.
So this is a slightly belated announcement.
For over 2 years now my good friend Karen and I have been discussing the idea of selling our handmade clothing online. Folks who see what I make for Daughter have been telling me to do this for a long time, and I guess it's finally gone to my head! We've decided to give it a go. Right now there are just a few things listed as we get going and figure it out, but there will be more coming soon. Nothing fancy, mind you, just the well-constructed, hard-wearing garments and accessories we make for our own children. I can personally vouch for the little dresses I am selling, as they are exactly the same as those I dress Daughter in. These jumpers hold up beautifully through wash after wash, wear after wear. They are always Daughter's first choice when she goes to her closet in the morning. I hope some of you out there will be interested in dressing your own wee ones in our creations!
Please visit us at our little shop - bon*bons: handcrafted delights!
(I'm gonna figure out how to link it in my sidebar any day now.)
So this is a slightly belated announcement.
For over 2 years now my good friend Karen and I have been discussing the idea of selling our handmade clothing online. Folks who see what I make for Daughter have been telling me to do this for a long time, and I guess it's finally gone to my head! We've decided to give it a go. Right now there are just a few things listed as we get going and figure it out, but there will be more coming soon. Nothing fancy, mind you, just the well-constructed, hard-wearing garments and accessories we make for our own children. I can personally vouch for the little dresses I am selling, as they are exactly the same as those I dress Daughter in. These jumpers hold up beautifully through wash after wash, wear after wear. They are always Daughter's first choice when she goes to her closet in the morning. I hope some of you out there will be interested in dressing your own wee ones in our creations!
Please visit us at our little shop - bon*bons: handcrafted delights!
(I'm gonna figure out how to link it in my sidebar any day now.)
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
a little confession
Is it just us, or do your children behave differently for you and your spouse? We have a bit of the "sweet for Daddy, holy terror for Mommy" going on here sometimes. Usually, probably because Daddy is around less and not the primary enforcer of rules, Daughter is generally more well-behaved for him.
But! Today I had an appointment and they both came with me, but when we found out I'd have to wait an extra 20-30 minutes for an additional test, I sent Hubs out with Daughter to get something to eat. She'd been angelic in the waiting room, so she earned herself a trip to Tim Horton's for a muffin and a milk. Off they went.
45 minutes later I walked out of the office to the car to find Daughter in her carseat with no jacket on and Hubs sitting there looking...let's say 'perturbed.'
Turns out all had gone well with the eating of the muffin and the drinking of the milk, and Daughter had even entertained all the old folks drinking coffee by dancing around to the overhead music, but when Hubs said it was time to put her coat on and go get Mommy, she began a series of high-pitched screams that just about broke the windows of the donut shop. This is Hubs' worst nightmare, so I can only imagine the scene as he threw her under one arm, grabbed her coat with the other, and removed her from the establishment (still screeching).
When I heard this story I gave Daughter what-for and told her there would be no videos or treats for the rest of the day, blah blah blah. But inside? Inside I was thinking, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
But! Today I had an appointment and they both came with me, but when we found out I'd have to wait an extra 20-30 minutes for an additional test, I sent Hubs out with Daughter to get something to eat. She'd been angelic in the waiting room, so she earned herself a trip to Tim Horton's for a muffin and a milk. Off they went.
45 minutes later I walked out of the office to the car to find Daughter in her carseat with no jacket on and Hubs sitting there looking...let's say 'perturbed.'
Turns out all had gone well with the eating of the muffin and the drinking of the milk, and Daughter had even entertained all the old folks drinking coffee by dancing around to the overhead music, but when Hubs said it was time to put her coat on and go get Mommy, she began a series of high-pitched screams that just about broke the windows of the donut shop. This is Hubs' worst nightmare, so I can only imagine the scene as he threw her under one arm, grabbed her coat with the other, and removed her from the establishment (still screeching).
When I heard this story I gave Daughter what-for and told her there would be no videos or treats for the rest of the day, blah blah blah. But inside? Inside I was thinking, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Monday, January 28, 2008
addicted
Just what I needed, something else to be hooked on. No, I'm not talking about a craft or a project. I'm talking about Jericho.
Have you seen this show? It is freaking awesome. Hubs got the whole first season and I was reluctant to watch...it didn't interest me when it premiered in 2006 and I wasn't into it now. A series about a town surviving a nuclear blast? Bleh. I don't know why, but that didn't do it for me. However, Hubs wanted to watch it and when he put on the first episode I was simply too lazy to get up off the couch and go do something else.
We watched the entire first season (22 episodes) in 3 nights. This is riveting television, people. Somewhat far-fetched in some ways, for which it gets blasted on various message boards, but it's television and it's entertainment. If "24" can get away with it for 6 seasons (or however many there are now) then Jericho should certainly get a chance.
The gist is sort of this: small town in Kansas witnesses but survives a nuclear blast. There are many of these blasts all over the country. No communications, no power, limited resources. It brings out the best and the worst in people, and we watch as the story broadens from one family to the entire USA. The viewer is kept in the dark a lot, along with the characters, so you actually care what is going to happen.
This show was cancelled at the end of spring '07, but a massive write-in campaign convinced CBS to order 7 additional episodes to wrap up the storyline. The first 3 were leaked so we've seen them and I can't figure out how on earth they're going to wrap it up in just 4 more. Luckily they were all completed before the writers strike, so at least we'll get to see them, starting next month.
I really have to recommend the show. With what looks like only 29 total episodes, it's not a huge commitment, and the storyline is deep and very interesting. Much better than the 'reality' schlock most channels are showing these days. Check it out.
If for no other reason, watch it for the scene where Skeet Ulrich gets out of the shower. Gratuitous? Oh yes. But you won't hear me complaining. If a wet, half-naked Skeet Ulrich doesn't get your motor running, I'm sorry, but you are dead inside. He's hawt. ROWR.
(Thanks to everyone who commented about preschool. More on that in the future, I am sure.)
Have you seen this show? It is freaking awesome. Hubs got the whole first season and I was reluctant to watch...it didn't interest me when it premiered in 2006 and I wasn't into it now. A series about a town surviving a nuclear blast? Bleh. I don't know why, but that didn't do it for me. However, Hubs wanted to watch it and when he put on the first episode I was simply too lazy to get up off the couch and go do something else.
We watched the entire first season (22 episodes) in 3 nights. This is riveting television, people. Somewhat far-fetched in some ways, for which it gets blasted on various message boards, but it's television and it's entertainment. If "24" can get away with it for 6 seasons (or however many there are now) then Jericho should certainly get a chance.
The gist is sort of this: small town in Kansas witnesses but survives a nuclear blast. There are many of these blasts all over the country. No communications, no power, limited resources. It brings out the best and the worst in people, and we watch as the story broadens from one family to the entire USA. The viewer is kept in the dark a lot, along with the characters, so you actually care what is going to happen.
This show was cancelled at the end of spring '07, but a massive write-in campaign convinced CBS to order 7 additional episodes to wrap up the storyline. The first 3 were leaked so we've seen them and I can't figure out how on earth they're going to wrap it up in just 4 more. Luckily they were all completed before the writers strike, so at least we'll get to see them, starting next month.
I really have to recommend the show. With what looks like only 29 total episodes, it's not a huge commitment, and the storyline is deep and very interesting. Much better than the 'reality' schlock most channels are showing these days. Check it out.
If for no other reason, watch it for the scene where Skeet Ulrich gets out of the shower. Gratuitous? Oh yes. But you won't hear me complaining. If a wet, half-naked Skeet Ulrich doesn't get your motor running, I'm sorry, but you are dead inside. He's hawt. ROWR.
(Thanks to everyone who commented about preschool. More on that in the future, I am sure.)
Friday, January 25, 2008
newbie
Let's talk about preschool for a moment, yes?
Hubs and I have decided we are not going to send Daughter to a 3 year-old preschool program next fall. She will turn 3 in April and would certainly be mature enough to attend a preschool setting by September, but we straight up don't want to send her yet. It's my opinion that at 3 most children are still 'babies' in many ways and if possible they should remain home with mom (or dad). Obviously if both parents work outside the home and the child is in daycare of some kind, that's different. I'm just talking about people in my situation...stay-home moms.
At the risk of sounding braggy, I'm going to say that Daughter is really bright, quite precocious, and surprisingly social considering the lack of kids to play with in our neighborhood. She runs right into the room when we go to playgroup, shrugging off her coat and throwing down her mittens so she can join the kids already playing. She sits nicely at story time, cleans up after herself when we have snack (without being asked), and is almost always friendly and willing to share. At library story hour she's the only kid in the group who sits in her little chair and pays attention to the story, only speaking when the librarian addresses the kids/asks a question. She introduces herself to the other kids and answers adults when they speak to her. The librarian stopped me this morning to comment that "she's very bright...she's really doing quite well."
Yes, yes, of course I think she is amazing because she is my kid. I know how it sounds, and I apologize. I'm just trying to say that I don't think she NEEDS preschool right now. She's a really capable little kid and I like being around her. I set the bar high for her behavior (though I never expect her to do more than she is capable of at her age) and she rises to it. I look forward to another year together at home, doing our thing.
But that's another issue. Our "thing" is sometimes pretty lazy, and because we live in the boondocks & gas costs a fortune, we don't head out much. We aren't fortunate to have indoor playgrounds like some of you do. So we do playgroup (a bargain) and story hour (free), and this morning one of the story hour moms told me about a gymnastics place that has good tot classes plus free-play time several days a week (expensive classes, reasonable free-play charge) so we might try that. I'm also pondering swimming lessons.
The question is, how many things am I supposed to sign my 3 year-old up for? And should I be calling all the local preschools now, to observe classes and get Daughter on "the waiting list"? I overhear other moms talking about this stuff and I'm getting paranoid about it. I mean, what's wrong with letting your little one just play and learn at home until 4 years old? Am I really naive here?
I'd appreciate (gentle) feedback about this topic. This is my first time going through it and I'm concerned about doing too much or too little. How do/did you all handle these issues?
Hubs and I have decided we are not going to send Daughter to a 3 year-old preschool program next fall. She will turn 3 in April and would certainly be mature enough to attend a preschool setting by September, but we straight up don't want to send her yet. It's my opinion that at 3 most children are still 'babies' in many ways and if possible they should remain home with mom (or dad). Obviously if both parents work outside the home and the child is in daycare of some kind, that's different. I'm just talking about people in my situation...stay-home moms.
At the risk of sounding braggy, I'm going to say that Daughter is really bright, quite precocious, and surprisingly social considering the lack of kids to play with in our neighborhood. She runs right into the room when we go to playgroup, shrugging off her coat and throwing down her mittens so she can join the kids already playing. She sits nicely at story time, cleans up after herself when we have snack (without being asked), and is almost always friendly and willing to share. At library story hour she's the only kid in the group who sits in her little chair and pays attention to the story, only speaking when the librarian addresses the kids/asks a question. She introduces herself to the other kids and answers adults when they speak to her. The librarian stopped me this morning to comment that "she's very bright...she's really doing quite well."
Yes, yes, of course I think she is amazing because she is my kid. I know how it sounds, and I apologize. I'm just trying to say that I don't think she NEEDS preschool right now. She's a really capable little kid and I like being around her. I set the bar high for her behavior (though I never expect her to do more than she is capable of at her age) and she rises to it. I look forward to another year together at home, doing our thing.
But that's another issue. Our "thing" is sometimes pretty lazy, and because we live in the boondocks & gas costs a fortune, we don't head out much. We aren't fortunate to have indoor playgrounds like some of you do. So we do playgroup (a bargain) and story hour (free), and this morning one of the story hour moms told me about a gymnastics place that has good tot classes plus free-play time several days a week (expensive classes, reasonable free-play charge) so we might try that. I'm also pondering swimming lessons.
The question is, how many things am I supposed to sign my 3 year-old up for? And should I be calling all the local preschools now, to observe classes and get Daughter on "the waiting list"? I overhear other moms talking about this stuff and I'm getting paranoid about it. I mean, what's wrong with letting your little one just play and learn at home until 4 years old? Am I really naive here?
I'd appreciate (gentle) feedback about this topic. This is my first time going through it and I'm concerned about doing too much or too little. How do/did you all handle these issues?
Thursday, January 24, 2008
back in the saddle...ish
Ok, my sewing machine and I have mostly made up (though my serger is still giving me the finger) and I've been able to tackle some projects over the last couple of days. More on these in a few days, but here's a preview:
(Those loose threads are from machine-stitching the buttons. Pulling them through to the back will be my handwork for TV-time this weekend.)
And I've chosen a new sweater for Daughter. It's another Starmore (hey, you can't argue with perfection), but with only 3 charts to follow this time. I'm going to try it using the Joann's Sensations 100% wool I picked up for a song back in the fall.
I really wish I had more to say, but it's been a slow week. Playgroup yesterday, story hour tomorrow, my birthday on Saturday...that's about it. We all have colds. It's freezing and gray and bleak outside, and all the days kind of feel the same. You know how it goes.
(Those loose threads are from machine-stitching the buttons. Pulling them through to the back will be my handwork for TV-time this weekend.)
And I've chosen a new sweater for Daughter. It's another Starmore (hey, you can't argue with perfection), but with only 3 charts to follow this time. I'm going to try it using the Joann's Sensations 100% wool I picked up for a song back in the fall.
I really wish I had more to say, but it's been a slow week. Playgroup yesterday, story hour tomorrow, my birthday on Saturday...that's about it. We all have colds. It's freezing and gray and bleak outside, and all the days kind of feel the same. You know how it goes.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
grumpy
I know I've been absent. It's just I'm really dang grumpy right now and there's nothing much to say. It's freaking freezing cold here and no matter how high I turn the thermostat my family room will not rise above 63 degrees. On the flip side of that the upstairs of my house is a sauna in which I cannot sit for more than 5 minutes without opening a window. So figure that one out.
I tried sewing yesterday but I kept frigging it up, so nothing to show/say about that.
Daughter started both playgroup and story hour last week and I want to publicly thank the parents who brought their sick, hacking, coughing, runny-nosed kids to these activities because now we are sick too. Daughter has a full-on headcold, and I have a sore throat and general run-down feeling. Tomorrow is our day to bring snack to playgroup, so I somehow have to get us both bathed, dressed, bundled up and out the door to the grocery store because wouldn't you know it, I don't even have one unopened package of goldfish crackers or animal crackers or anything that we could bring. As it is already 10:30 a.m. don't ask me how we're going to accomplish all that before lunch and naptime.
See? Grumpy.
I tried sewing yesterday but I kept frigging it up, so nothing to show/say about that.
Daughter started both playgroup and story hour last week and I want to publicly thank the parents who brought their sick, hacking, coughing, runny-nosed kids to these activities because now we are sick too. Daughter has a full-on headcold, and I have a sore throat and general run-down feeling. Tomorrow is our day to bring snack to playgroup, so I somehow have to get us both bathed, dressed, bundled up and out the door to the grocery store because wouldn't you know it, I don't even have one unopened package of goldfish crackers or animal crackers or anything that we could bring. As it is already 10:30 a.m. don't ask me how we're going to accomplish all that before lunch and naptime.
See? Grumpy.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
f.o. - killeany
After one last late-night effort, I've finished Killeany.
Here it is in all it's unblocked glory. Uncropped photo, too, because I'm in a hurry today and just wanted to get this posted fast.
The deets: Killeany from....some Alice Starmore book. Possibly The Children's Collection, though don't quote me on that one. Look, I'll be honest here: our main downtown library branch has most of Alice Starmore's knitting books. Meaning, the whole library system has exactly ONE copy of each. If I were an unscrupulous loser thief I would rip out the security tags and STEAL THEM ALL because as most of you know, they go for hundreds of dollars on amazon and ebay. So I take them out, lose my mind over the awesomeness of the designs, and photocopy the ones I want. I don't even feel bad about it, because if A.S. or the publishing companies want my money (and I am definitely willing to pay for these designs) they should put all these books back into print. Jerks.
Oh, I'm sorry, I went off the rails there for a moment.
The point is, I'm not sure which book has this design.
Anyway, it's Killeany, and it's knit from about 7 skeins of Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in the asparagus colorway, though I think that color name is a misnomer. It's more of a bluey-green. Very pretty for my fair child. I used size 7 & 8 needles, and made the smallest size. It's actually quite big and boxy when I stretch it to size, but I'm tempted to leave it unblocked because Daughter is very petite and thin, so it may be less overpowering this way.
This is a great knit, though a slow one. I was way more of a tortoise than a hare with it, which I'm not used to. Feels like I've been knitting it since about last summer, though it was started in November. As usual, the design is wonderful and the instructions flawless. I do adore the perfection of the Starmore designs I've knit. (Not that my knitting is perfect...I'm talking about the designs themselves.)
Here's a closeup of the lovely cabling up the front. The back is identical. So complex-looking, no? It really wasn't hard, just a little tricksy following 6 different charts with differing row counts. I used a pencil and paper to keep track and it was no problem. Not for a beginner, but I definitely recommend it for an experienced knitter looking for a bit of a challenge. The last thing I'll say is that the design does seem a bit masculine to me. It's shown on a girl in the book, but for some reason I think it looks boyish. Hopefully the color feminizes it a little.
Oh, and the yarn? It came from my mystery benefactor, who sent me an anonymous gift certificate to Knitpicks last summer. After some sleuthing I think I may know who you are, and if you are reading this I thank you again, from the bottom of my heart.
And finally, happy birthday to my good friend Karen, who has a really thought-provoking post up today about re-entering the workforce after many years as a stay-home mom. Go wish her a wonderful birthday, won't you?
Here it is in all it's unblocked glory. Uncropped photo, too, because I'm in a hurry today and just wanted to get this posted fast.
The deets: Killeany from....some Alice Starmore book. Possibly The Children's Collection, though don't quote me on that one. Look, I'll be honest here: our main downtown library branch has most of Alice Starmore's knitting books. Meaning, the whole library system has exactly ONE copy of each. If I were an unscrupulous loser thief I would rip out the security tags and STEAL THEM ALL because as most of you know, they go for hundreds of dollars on amazon and ebay. So I take them out, lose my mind over the awesomeness of the designs, and photocopy the ones I want. I don't even feel bad about it, because if A.S. or the publishing companies want my money (and I am definitely willing to pay for these designs) they should put all these books back into print. Jerks.
Oh, I'm sorry, I went off the rails there for a moment.
The point is, I'm not sure which book has this design.
Anyway, it's Killeany, and it's knit from about 7 skeins of Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in the asparagus colorway, though I think that color name is a misnomer. It's more of a bluey-green. Very pretty for my fair child. I used size 7 & 8 needles, and made the smallest size. It's actually quite big and boxy when I stretch it to size, but I'm tempted to leave it unblocked because Daughter is very petite and thin, so it may be less overpowering this way.
This is a great knit, though a slow one. I was way more of a tortoise than a hare with it, which I'm not used to. Feels like I've been knitting it since about last summer, though it was started in November. As usual, the design is wonderful and the instructions flawless. I do adore the perfection of the Starmore designs I've knit. (Not that my knitting is perfect...I'm talking about the designs themselves.)
Here's a closeup of the lovely cabling up the front. The back is identical. So complex-looking, no? It really wasn't hard, just a little tricksy following 6 different charts with differing row counts. I used a pencil and paper to keep track and it was no problem. Not for a beginner, but I definitely recommend it for an experienced knitter looking for a bit of a challenge. The last thing I'll say is that the design does seem a bit masculine to me. It's shown on a girl in the book, but for some reason I think it looks boyish. Hopefully the color feminizes it a little.
Oh, and the yarn? It came from my mystery benefactor, who sent me an anonymous gift certificate to Knitpicks last summer. After some sleuthing I think I may know who you are, and if you are reading this I thank you again, from the bottom of my heart.
And finally, happy birthday to my good friend Karen, who has a really thought-provoking post up today about re-entering the workforce after many years as a stay-home mom. Go wish her a wonderful birthday, won't you?
Monday, January 14, 2008
itty bitty pretty
I'm not too foo-foo, as longtime readers here already know. I do like pretty things, but understated. I really love to be challenged in my hobbies, though, and I think with knitting and crochet that often means you're going to be heading in a fancy-ish direction. Lace, lots of cables, delicate things...and sometimes that's exactly what I need.
This is technically a Christmas ornament, but I think I like it as a tiny doily to go under one of my (very few) knick-knacks. It measures exactly 5" across after blocking, and is made with size 30 crochet thread and a size 10 steel hook. That's a hook so tiny that if I wasn't careful, I stuck it right through my fingertip while hooking the thread.
I found the pattern in this book, Romantic Crochet. It's a Better Homes & Gardens book, available super cheap at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. If you are someone who likes thread crochet it's a nice addition to your crafty library. There are projects using all weights of crochet cotton, many Victorian-inspired, and of all sizes. Also included are several very pretty worsted and sport weight afghans (which I would love to make if we could possibly store any more blankets in this house), and some children's items but they're a little...80s, if you know what I mean. They could still be nice if the maker updated the colors a bit (what was with the peach & green in the 80s?).
I have my eye on some lovely tablecloth edgings and pillowcase edgings made with size 40 thread and a size 11 or 12 hook, but I can't find thread that fine in the craft stores. I guess I'll have to order it online. Anyway, lots of lovely gift ideas if you're a homemade gift maker.
Ah, it's a dark gray day and the snow is falling. I'm off to unload the dishwasher for the seven-thousandth time and get some chili started for dinner. Hope you're all keeping warm wherever you are!
This is technically a Christmas ornament, but I think I like it as a tiny doily to go under one of my (very few) knick-knacks. It measures exactly 5" across after blocking, and is made with size 30 crochet thread and a size 10 steel hook. That's a hook so tiny that if I wasn't careful, I stuck it right through my fingertip while hooking the thread.
I found the pattern in this book, Romantic Crochet. It's a Better Homes & Gardens book, available super cheap at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. If you are someone who likes thread crochet it's a nice addition to your crafty library. There are projects using all weights of crochet cotton, many Victorian-inspired, and of all sizes. Also included are several very pretty worsted and sport weight afghans (which I would love to make if we could possibly store any more blankets in this house), and some children's items but they're a little...80s, if you know what I mean. They could still be nice if the maker updated the colors a bit (what was with the peach & green in the 80s?).
I have my eye on some lovely tablecloth edgings and pillowcase edgings made with size 40 thread and a size 11 or 12 hook, but I can't find thread that fine in the craft stores. I guess I'll have to order it online. Anyway, lots of lovely gift ideas if you're a homemade gift maker.
Ah, it's a dark gray day and the snow is falling. I'm off to unload the dishwasher for the seven-thousandth time and get some chili started for dinner. Hope you're all keeping warm wherever you are!
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
stormy weather...and a tutorial
People, I am so tired today. We had an incredible storm last night that woke me, terrified, at about 4 a.m. Hubs told me today that winds reached 65 mph (in nearby Rochester they had gusts of 74 mph), and our bedroom is on the outside wall with the wind blowing directly at that side of the house. It was either raining or hailing or both, and I was quite literally afraid something was going to happen to the house. I ran to check on Daughter, my heart pounding, and found her to be sound asleep. But I was good and wide awake by then. Thunder and lightning continued for some time, and I was too tense to get back to sleep. I finally did, but it was a lousy night. Hubs had much the same experience, so I don't think we said more than 10 words to each other this morning. Mostly grunts. Sooooo tired. I haven't been outside to check the yard yet as the wind is still howling. Plus it's cold again...no more 60 degree days. Boo.
But I have a little something for you.
Nothing is in a very good state to be photographed and blogged, so I'll do a quick mock french seam tutorial, ok? Maybe it will help someone with their sewing. Here's how it's done.
First, press the seam open as usual. I am showing a sleeve here, obviously, and I am using a sleeve press inside. It's a great tool and I highly recommend it if you sew a lot of garments.
Next, fold both halves of the seam allowance toward the center and press. These are 5/8" seam allowances, and my sewing books say to trim them down first, but I don't bother. It's easier to do it with a bit more fabric and you have less chance of scorching your fingers.
Fold both sides toward the middle and pin.
Stitch down the middle, removing pins as you sew. You'll be stitching parallel to the original seam. This process will catch the raw edges inside and make a nice finished edge.
Here's the finished seam. The original sleeve seam is the top line of stitching, and the mock french seam is the bottom line of stitching. Now this can be pressed to one side and you proceed with the garment's construction as usual.
It's a nice method and looks a bit neater than a serged seam if anyone catches a glimpse of the inside (though I still definitely use my serger a lot).
But I have a little something for you.
Nothing is in a very good state to be photographed and blogged, so I'll do a quick mock french seam tutorial, ok? Maybe it will help someone with their sewing. Here's how it's done.
First, press the seam open as usual. I am showing a sleeve here, obviously, and I am using a sleeve press inside. It's a great tool and I highly recommend it if you sew a lot of garments.
Next, fold both halves of the seam allowance toward the center and press. These are 5/8" seam allowances, and my sewing books say to trim them down first, but I don't bother. It's easier to do it with a bit more fabric and you have less chance of scorching your fingers.
Fold both sides toward the middle and pin.
Stitch down the middle, removing pins as you sew. You'll be stitching parallel to the original seam. This process will catch the raw edges inside and make a nice finished edge.
Here's the finished seam. The original sleeve seam is the top line of stitching, and the mock french seam is the bottom line of stitching. Now this can be pressed to one side and you proceed with the garment's construction as usual.
It's a nice method and looks a bit neater than a serged seam if anyone catches a glimpse of the inside (though I still definitely use my serger a lot).
Monday, January 07, 2008
lazy weekend
I have to confess that when I was in high school I found AP Government to be just about the worst form of torture in the universe. I hated it, couldn't care less how the government works, didn't want to read about it or write about it or take tests on it. (My husband, on the other hand, was a political science major in college.)
But now I am a big ol' grownup home-owning, tax-paying, fuel-using, grocery-buying, child-rearing citizen. And I kind of care about what is going on in the government. Rest assured I'm not going to go into my politics on the blog...that's just asking for trouble...but I will tell you this: Hubs and I pretty much hunkered down on the couches this weekend and watched CNN nonstop. I am VERY interested in and fascinated by the 2008 election, as are many of you, I'm sure. So this weekend we spent an awful lot of time watching the news, building block towers with Daughter and 'eating' all the 'foods' she made for us in her play kitchen.
Oh, and knitting! Of course, there was knitting. I knit pretty fast when I'm wound up, and the debates and commentary got me good and wound. I may have shouted at the t.v. once or twice. Ahem.
Anyway, here is an almost-finished sweater I've been working on for Daughter. Truthfully, she is outgrowing almost all her sweaters - they are getting too short and her wrists are sticking out. So she does actually need some new ones, yay! This is Killeany, in pieces:
It's an Alice Starmore design, but I'm sorry I can't remember which book it's from at the moment. I'm making the size 3-4, which is 23-24 inches across the chest. I think I started it back in November, but between the complexity of the design and the holiday season it's been a slow knit.
All that's left to do is finish the second sleeve saddle, seam it up, and knit the collar. I've never made a sweater with saddles (which are those strips coming out of the top of the sleeves, for the non-knitters reading this), so I'm not sure if it would be better to lightly block the pieces before seaming or not. Anyone have experience with this? I want the saddle to fit the shoulders properly.
The yarn is Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Asparagus. I'll give full project details when the sweater is finished, and hopefully get some shots of it on the child. Though it is a very unseasonable 55-60 degrees here just now, so it may be awhile before she wears it!
Now, the sweater was just worked on here and there, but I really did whip this up over just the last 3 days or so:
This is the first of two socks using Knitpicks Felici sock yarn, one of their newer lines. I must say I LOVE the feel of this yarn. It's soft and springy, a lot like Regia, but softer in my opinion. I was a little bummed out by the striping at first - it's a bit wider than I expected - but overall I'm pleased. Here's hoping the second one comes out looking like the first. I'll be casting on during naptime...while I watch some more CNN.
But now I am a big ol' grownup home-owning, tax-paying, fuel-using, grocery-buying, child-rearing citizen. And I kind of care about what is going on in the government. Rest assured I'm not going to go into my politics on the blog...that's just asking for trouble...but I will tell you this: Hubs and I pretty much hunkered down on the couches this weekend and watched CNN nonstop. I am VERY interested in and fascinated by the 2008 election, as are many of you, I'm sure. So this weekend we spent an awful lot of time watching the news, building block towers with Daughter and 'eating' all the 'foods' she made for us in her play kitchen.
Oh, and knitting! Of course, there was knitting. I knit pretty fast when I'm wound up, and the debates and commentary got me good and wound. I may have shouted at the t.v. once or twice. Ahem.
Anyway, here is an almost-finished sweater I've been working on for Daughter. Truthfully, she is outgrowing almost all her sweaters - they are getting too short and her wrists are sticking out. So she does actually need some new ones, yay! This is Killeany, in pieces:
It's an Alice Starmore design, but I'm sorry I can't remember which book it's from at the moment. I'm making the size 3-4, which is 23-24 inches across the chest. I think I started it back in November, but between the complexity of the design and the holiday season it's been a slow knit.
All that's left to do is finish the second sleeve saddle, seam it up, and knit the collar. I've never made a sweater with saddles (which are those strips coming out of the top of the sleeves, for the non-knitters reading this), so I'm not sure if it would be better to lightly block the pieces before seaming or not. Anyone have experience with this? I want the saddle to fit the shoulders properly.
The yarn is Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Asparagus. I'll give full project details when the sweater is finished, and hopefully get some shots of it on the child. Though it is a very unseasonable 55-60 degrees here just now, so it may be awhile before she wears it!
Now, the sweater was just worked on here and there, but I really did whip this up over just the last 3 days or so:
This is the first of two socks using Knitpicks Felici sock yarn, one of their newer lines. I must say I LOVE the feel of this yarn. It's soft and springy, a lot like Regia, but softer in my opinion. I was a little bummed out by the striping at first - it's a bit wider than I expected - but overall I'm pleased. Here's hoping the second one comes out looking like the first. I'll be casting on during naptime...while I watch some more CNN.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Christmas dress
I remembered to get Daughter's Christmas dress out of the closet before she fell asleep today, so voila:
How new and exciting! Har har, yes, this is the same jumper I always make. But here's the thing: I wasn't planning on making a Christmas dress because Daughter already has a plentiful wardrobe of lovely garments, and she isn't growing anywhere near as fast as she was, so I had no need to make something. Then Hubs started giving me a hard time about it and implying that it's possible this lack of a new Christmas dress means I don't love her enough or something (it was late, the logic was fuzzy, I don't know). We're talking less than a week till Christmas and now I have to prove my love for my child by whipping up something appropriate for holiday wear?!? Nevermind the fact that I swore off sewing any more garments for her before the new year.
So since I really had to bust a move, it was back to an old standby pattern. I'm pleased with how sweet it came out, except in my rush to finish I cut it with the nap going in the wrong direction on this lovely corduroy. Doh!
The great thing about making the same simple pattern eleventy-billion times is that you get a lot of opportunities to improve on it.
I did two new things with this dress. First, I sewed mock french seams on both side seams. A mock french seam is really, really easy to do and a fabulous alternative to finishing the raw edges with a serger or a zig-zag stitch, especially on a curved seam (which this is). I could show how it's done next week if anyone is interested, but the technique can be found in any basic sewing book*.
And here I chose to bind the raw edge of the facing with bias tape. This was actually somewhat due to laziness, because my serger is put away and I didn't feel like getting it out for one garment. Also, I don't have black thread for it and I don't like how white thread looks on these dark fabrics.
So that's that. There was a Christmas dress after all. Of course we never got around to taking our traditional "Daughter in front of the tree" photo...that tradition made it 2 years before dying. Hopefully we can get it going again next year!
Also, please give me a golf clap 'cause I finally got onto Flickr AND I figured out how to get the photos from there to the blog. This is a big achievement for me, due to my technological backwardness. Now I can get all the old project photos up there and my computer can stop gasping and choking on the gazillion image files I've been storing. Yay me!
*At this time I must evangelize about owning a good, basic sewing instruction book. I have two; one is by Better Homes & Gardens, one is Vogue. They're essentially the same, but I've found them both to be useful for different things. If you do not own a good, basic sewing instruction book, take that Barnes & Noble or Amazon gift card you got for Christmas and go buy one right now. Shockingly, I have found mine on the bargain shelves at B&N [I think I paid $7.99 for the Vogue one], which is criminal because I think they should be displayed on a pedestal with several spotlights, though the low price tag does mean everyone can own one. It will change your life, I promise!
How new and exciting! Har har, yes, this is the same jumper I always make. But here's the thing: I wasn't planning on making a Christmas dress because Daughter already has a plentiful wardrobe of lovely garments, and she isn't growing anywhere near as fast as she was, so I had no need to make something. Then Hubs started giving me a hard time about it and implying that it's possible this lack of a new Christmas dress means I don't love her enough or something (it was late, the logic was fuzzy, I don't know). We're talking less than a week till Christmas and now I have to prove my love for my child by whipping up something appropriate for holiday wear?!? Nevermind the fact that I swore off sewing any more garments for her before the new year.So since I really had to bust a move, it was back to an old standby pattern. I'm pleased with how sweet it came out, except in my rush to finish I cut it with the nap going in the wrong direction on this lovely corduroy. Doh!
The great thing about making the same simple pattern eleventy-billion times is that you get a lot of opportunities to improve on it.
I did two new things with this dress. First, I sewed mock french seams on both side seams. A mock french seam is really, really easy to do and a fabulous alternative to finishing the raw edges with a serger or a zig-zag stitch, especially on a curved seam (which this is). I could show how it's done next week if anyone is interested, but the technique can be found in any basic sewing book*.
And here I chose to bind the raw edge of the facing with bias tape. This was actually somewhat due to laziness, because my serger is put away and I didn't feel like getting it out for one garment. Also, I don't have black thread for it and I don't like how white thread looks on these dark fabrics.
So that's that. There was a Christmas dress after all. Of course we never got around to taking our traditional "Daughter in front of the tree" photo...that tradition made it 2 years before dying. Hopefully we can get it going again next year!
Also, please give me a golf clap 'cause I finally got onto Flickr AND I figured out how to get the photos from there to the blog. This is a big achievement for me, due to my technological backwardness. Now I can get all the old project photos up there and my computer can stop gasping and choking on the gazillion image files I've been storing. Yay me!
*At this time I must evangelize about owning a good, basic sewing instruction book. I have two; one is by Better Homes & Gardens, one is Vogue. They're essentially the same, but I've found them both to be useful for different things. If you do not own a good, basic sewing instruction book, take that Barnes & Noble or Amazon gift card you got for Christmas and go buy one right now. Shockingly, I have found mine on the bargain shelves at B&N [I think I paid $7.99 for the Vogue one], which is criminal because I think they should be displayed on a pedestal with several spotlights, though the low price tag does mean everyone can own one. It will change your life, I promise!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
merry christmas to me
I'd intended to share Daughter's Christmas dress today, but whoops, I forgot to grab it out of her closet before naptime. Perhaps tomorrow.
Instead, I'll share what I found under the tree on Christmas morning! I'll set this up by saying two things:
1) I dream of rolling around in huge piles of yarn. My husband thinks that's really weird, but bless his heart, he indulges me.
2) I consider myself to be very "analog" and I fight technology every step of the way. Don't ask me why - I can't explain it. That said, here's what I got for Christmas:
Two sock samplers from Knitpicks (enough yarn in each to make 6 pairs of socks) plus a skein of undyed sock yarn...and an Ipod Nano! (Second generation so no video, according to my husband...this is the first thing everyone has asked me).
I never would have asked for an Ipod...listening to music in a portable way left me behind loooooooong ago. I had a portable CD player once, and I used my regular AM/FM/tape walkman up until just a couple of years ago. Plus I'm mostly home taking care of my kid, so I don't even have that many opportunities to listen to music that isn't Raffi or Sesame Street or whatever. Since I am kind of technologically backward, it has taken me many days to figure out how the thing works. Which is sad, since I am approximately the very last person in America to get one (I am well aware that there are 5 year-olds bopping around listening to their Hannah Montana tunes on an Ipod). Seriously, even my mom had one before I did (but she doesn't know how to use it at all, so I don't think that counts). So it is very cool of my husband to goose me into using modern technology, and I'm reluctantly coming around. I think I like it.
If you need me, I'll be knitting socks galore and listening to some mid-90s alternative.
Instead, I'll share what I found under the tree on Christmas morning! I'll set this up by saying two things:
1) I dream of rolling around in huge piles of yarn. My husband thinks that's really weird, but bless his heart, he indulges me.
2) I consider myself to be very "analog" and I fight technology every step of the way. Don't ask me why - I can't explain it. That said, here's what I got for Christmas:
Two sock samplers from Knitpicks (enough yarn in each to make 6 pairs of socks) plus a skein of undyed sock yarn...and an Ipod Nano! (Second generation so no video, according to my husband...this is the first thing everyone has asked me).
I never would have asked for an Ipod...listening to music in a portable way left me behind loooooooong ago. I had a portable CD player once, and I used my regular AM/FM/tape walkman up until just a couple of years ago. Plus I'm mostly home taking care of my kid, so I don't even have that many opportunities to listen to music that isn't Raffi or Sesame Street or whatever. Since I am kind of technologically backward, it has taken me many days to figure out how the thing works. Which is sad, since I am approximately the very last person in America to get one (I am well aware that there are 5 year-olds bopping around listening to their Hannah Montana tunes on an Ipod). Seriously, even my mom had one before I did (but she doesn't know how to use it at all, so I don't think that counts). So it is very cool of my husband to goose me into using modern technology, and I'm reluctantly coming around. I think I like it.
If you need me, I'll be knitting socks galore and listening to some mid-90s alternative.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
you haven't heard from me in a month and I'm showing you my bathroom...nice!
HELLO!!! Happy New Year! I'm back, peeps, and changes are afoot around here.
I've got lots going on and many things to share, but first things first. Hubs and I spent a very romantic New Year's Eve (from 9 a.m. until about 2 a.m. New Year's Day) giving our first floor bathroom a cosmetic face-lift. I know that may not be what you had in mind for my first post back here, but it is certainly foremost in my mind as we've been working on finishing touches all morning.
Quick background: our house is old (1945) and non-traditional in design (either a lake cottage or tiny postwar G.I. bill house that has been expanded several times). We do not have a 'master suite' nor even a 'master bedroom,' so there is certainly not a 'master bath.' Our house has 2 bedrooms on the first floor; we sleep in one, Daughter has the other. There are 1.5 bathrooms. Our full bath is the first floor bath, and is located at the opposite end of the house from the bedrooms, behind the family room and off the back hallway as you head for the back door. Because it is the first floor bath, whenever anyone comes over they see it (if they need to, uh, go).
Now, we forgot to take a 'before' shot because we had a lot to do and were anxious to get started, but suffice it to say the bathroom was a dingy old mess. The walls were a neutral cream. The floor is off-white linoleum with a taupe design. The shower bar was discolored and had been painted around so many times the ends were all crusty. The trim looked as though it had only been primed with white, but never actually painted. The toilet seat was oak and the hinges totally pitted and corroded. The cabinets were oak but chipped up, worn, and nasty, with pitted, corroded gold-look knobs/pulls that had cracked porcelain inserts. The oak medicine cabinet was HUGE and had semi-functional mirrored doors that drove us nuts as they never stayed closed properly. The t.p. holder and single towel bar were installed improperly and had also been painted around many times so there was crusty paint around the dirty porcelain brackets. The radiator cover was rusty and had several layers of chipped paint. And finally, the ceiling light fixture/fan looked like it was from the middle ages - filthy discolored/yellowed plastic with a bare bulb in the center, because the cover for the light was long gone (we never had it...gone before we bought the house).
Dudes, to sum up, it was a horrible bathroom. It was a large part of the reason I never, ever invite anyone to my house. I was so embarrassed by it, I cringed when even my own family members visited and used it. So last week I asked Hubs if we could, as sort of a holiday gift to ourselves, cosmetically re-do the bathroom. Obviously, if we could afford it, I would love to just gut the room, but that is not possible. Also, the main parts of the room are quite functional, so there's no real need to replace them.
We set a sort-of budget of about $200, based on some research and preliminary shopping, and ended up just slightly over that.
Prepare yourselves...the color is slightly shocking.
Valspar paint in Heirloom Red, satin finish. This paint must be used with a tinted primer, which I insisted on. (Hubs thought we'd be fine without...ha. No way.) The trim and cabinet front are also Valspar paint, in Quail Egg, semi-gloss finish. New, properly mounted 24" chrome towel bars (one single and one double) are Inspirations by Moen (as is all the new hardware). Sorry about that glare on the wall - it's from:
The new light fixture, with a new beveled-edge 30"x24" mirror mounted beneath. All the white woodwork is painted in the Quail Egg paint. The cabinet door has its shiny chrome knob in place, but the drawer pulls came with screws that were too short for the thickness of our drawer faces, so a trip to the hardware store is imminent to purchase longer screws. Special bonus: picture includes me, with ratty hair and glasses and an old sweatshirt. Mmmmmmm. Hott!
Wow, sassy new toilet seat! I can't tell you how much I hated that old oak one with the rotten hinges. Ugh. Also, new chrome t.p. holder to match the towel bars. Shiny! Things still needing to be done: replace random purple wastebasket (college leftover), and repair toilet bolt...that one is just sitting there, as it broke right off when Hubs tried to tighten them down. Ummm, scary, as that means the commode is not moored properly on one side.
And here we have my beloved Nautica plaid shower curtain, a wedding gift and the inspiration for the red paint in the first place. I really like how it sort of brings the room down a bit in feel - the red and chrome are a tad formal, but the plaid is fun. Hubs demanded a new, curved shower curtain rod, and I have to say he was right on the money with that. If you feel cramped in your tub when taking a shower (if you don't your husband probably does), I highly recommend one of these curved rods. You gain a crazy amount of space in your shower. It's a small investment ($40) for some serious comfort. This rod is also the Inspirations line - all the hardware mounts match.
All materials are from Lowe's. I'm very, very pleased with how this project came out, and am no longer embarrassed by my bathroom. Want to come over?
Two points: I don't like the Valspar paint. It seems to be the Lowe's
in-house brand, but I prefer the consistency of Glidden, which we usually buy from Home Depot. Lowe's had everything else we needed, though, so we went with their paint. I won't do that again. I found it to be gloppy and drippy. Your mileage may vary. Also, a totally amazing product that I used to remove the one-half inch thick strip of caulk from around the vanity (yes, why remove the old caulk when you can just keep piling it on?!?): Painter's Pal by Goo Gone. Sorry, that listing is for a case of the stuff...I found single bottles at my local hardware store. It is the best stuff for removing just about everything, though I used it primarily for caulk and paint spills.
So that's that! One project (mostly) done. Only eleventy-billion to go.
Oh, and I hope you all had a lovely holiday season. We certainly did, and I'll be revisiting it here in coming days.
It's good to be back.
I've got lots going on and many things to share, but first things first. Hubs and I spent a very romantic New Year's Eve (from 9 a.m. until about 2 a.m. New Year's Day) giving our first floor bathroom a cosmetic face-lift. I know that may not be what you had in mind for my first post back here, but it is certainly foremost in my mind as we've been working on finishing touches all morning.
Quick background: our house is old (1945) and non-traditional in design (either a lake cottage or tiny postwar G.I. bill house that has been expanded several times). We do not have a 'master suite' nor even a 'master bedroom,' so there is certainly not a 'master bath.' Our house has 2 bedrooms on the first floor; we sleep in one, Daughter has the other. There are 1.5 bathrooms. Our full bath is the first floor bath, and is located at the opposite end of the house from the bedrooms, behind the family room and off the back hallway as you head for the back door. Because it is the first floor bath, whenever anyone comes over they see it (if they need to, uh, go).
Now, we forgot to take a 'before' shot because we had a lot to do and were anxious to get started, but suffice it to say the bathroom was a dingy old mess. The walls were a neutral cream. The floor is off-white linoleum with a taupe design. The shower bar was discolored and had been painted around so many times the ends were all crusty. The trim looked as though it had only been primed with white, but never actually painted. The toilet seat was oak and the hinges totally pitted and corroded. The cabinets were oak but chipped up, worn, and nasty, with pitted, corroded gold-look knobs/pulls that had cracked porcelain inserts. The oak medicine cabinet was HUGE and had semi-functional mirrored doors that drove us nuts as they never stayed closed properly. The t.p. holder and single towel bar were installed improperly and had also been painted around many times so there was crusty paint around the dirty porcelain brackets. The radiator cover was rusty and had several layers of chipped paint. And finally, the ceiling light fixture/fan looked like it was from the middle ages - filthy discolored/yellowed plastic with a bare bulb in the center, because the cover for the light was long gone (we never had it...gone before we bought the house).
Dudes, to sum up, it was a horrible bathroom. It was a large part of the reason I never, ever invite anyone to my house. I was so embarrassed by it, I cringed when even my own family members visited and used it. So last week I asked Hubs if we could, as sort of a holiday gift to ourselves, cosmetically re-do the bathroom. Obviously, if we could afford it, I would love to just gut the room, but that is not possible. Also, the main parts of the room are quite functional, so there's no real need to replace them.
We set a sort-of budget of about $200, based on some research and preliminary shopping, and ended up just slightly over that.
Prepare yourselves...the color is slightly shocking.
Valspar paint in Heirloom Red, satin finish. This paint must be used with a tinted primer, which I insisted on. (Hubs thought we'd be fine without...ha. No way.) The trim and cabinet front are also Valspar paint, in Quail Egg, semi-gloss finish. New, properly mounted 24" chrome towel bars (one single and one double) are Inspirations by Moen (as is all the new hardware). Sorry about that glare on the wall - it's from:
The new light fixture, with a new beveled-edge 30"x24" mirror mounted beneath. All the white woodwork is painted in the Quail Egg paint. The cabinet door has its shiny chrome knob in place, but the drawer pulls came with screws that were too short for the thickness of our drawer faces, so a trip to the hardware store is imminent to purchase longer screws. Special bonus: picture includes me, with ratty hair and glasses and an old sweatshirt. Mmmmmmm. Hott!
Wow, sassy new toilet seat! I can't tell you how much I hated that old oak one with the rotten hinges. Ugh. Also, new chrome t.p. holder to match the towel bars. Shiny! Things still needing to be done: replace random purple wastebasket (college leftover), and repair toilet bolt...that one is just sitting there, as it broke right off when Hubs tried to tighten them down. Ummm, scary, as that means the commode is not moored properly on one side.
And here we have my beloved Nautica plaid shower curtain, a wedding gift and the inspiration for the red paint in the first place. I really like how it sort of brings the room down a bit in feel - the red and chrome are a tad formal, but the plaid is fun. Hubs demanded a new, curved shower curtain rod, and I have to say he was right on the money with that. If you feel cramped in your tub when taking a shower (if you don't your husband probably does), I highly recommend one of these curved rods. You gain a crazy amount of space in your shower. It's a small investment ($40) for some serious comfort. This rod is also the Inspirations line - all the hardware mounts match.
All materials are from Lowe's. I'm very, very pleased with how this project came out, and am no longer embarrassed by my bathroom. Want to come over?
Two points: I don't like the Valspar paint. It seems to be the Lowe's
in-house brand, but I prefer the consistency of Glidden, which we usually buy from Home Depot. Lowe's had everything else we needed, though, so we went with their paint. I won't do that again. I found it to be gloppy and drippy. Your mileage may vary. Also, a totally amazing product that I used to remove the one-half inch thick strip of caulk from around the vanity (yes, why remove the old caulk when you can just keep piling it on?!?): Painter's Pal by Goo Gone. Sorry, that listing is for a case of the stuff...I found single bottles at my local hardware store. It is the best stuff for removing just about everything, though I used it primarily for caulk and paint spills.So that's that! One project (mostly) done. Only eleventy-billion to go.
Oh, and I hope you all had a lovely holiday season. We certainly did, and I'll be revisiting it here in coming days.
It's good to be back.
Monday, December 03, 2007
waffle
As with all good things, once I declared the end of the blog I immediately missed it and backpedaled in my mind. I've been thinking about it all week and here is the problem with ending a blog: that's a LOT of your life to just delete. It isn't like a paper journal where you can just shelve it and let it gather dust until you want to read or use it again.
I just got tired of taking and editing photos of my stuff (started to feel more like work than fun) and for whatever reason I was feeling very, very awkward about the content dealing with my pregnancy and loss. Every time I thought about it I felt very naked, indeed.
But jeez, when I think of deleting it all, I feel sad! I guess I want to be a part of this community more than I realized. Plus, every single day of the past week I've found myself doing/making something and composing a post in my mind to go along with it. I have quilt blocks and ornaments and cookies and a decorated tree to share...and I guess I forgot that since I don't do a ton of socializing in 'real life' the internet is where I go to share this stuff with my friends.
So is it ok if, rather than ending it now, I just declare an extended break, say until the new year? I'll take this month to rejuvenate myself and figure out what I want to do. Maybe I can learn some web design stuff so I can make this page look more interesting - for me and for you. Perhaps I can finally search out a good place in my house to take natural light photos of my projects, rather than just throwing them on my dining room table and then trying to adjust the lighting in my very elementary photo-editing program.
I guess what I'm saying is, rather than ditching the blog, I'd like a chance to make it better instead. Yes? No?
I just got tired of taking and editing photos of my stuff (started to feel more like work than fun) and for whatever reason I was feeling very, very awkward about the content dealing with my pregnancy and loss. Every time I thought about it I felt very naked, indeed.
But jeez, when I think of deleting it all, I feel sad! I guess I want to be a part of this community more than I realized. Plus, every single day of the past week I've found myself doing/making something and composing a post in my mind to go along with it. I have quilt blocks and ornaments and cookies and a decorated tree to share...and I guess I forgot that since I don't do a ton of socializing in 'real life' the internet is where I go to share this stuff with my friends.
So is it ok if, rather than ending it now, I just declare an extended break, say until the new year? I'll take this month to rejuvenate myself and figure out what I want to do. Maybe I can learn some web design stuff so I can make this page look more interesting - for me and for you. Perhaps I can finally search out a good place in my house to take natural light photos of my projects, rather than just throwing them on my dining room table and then trying to adjust the lighting in my very elementary photo-editing program.
I guess what I'm saying is, rather than ditching the blog, I'd like a chance to make it better instead. Yes? No?
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
fin
I think the time has come to put the blog out to pasture.
I realized after Thanksgiving weekend that all I think to do here is complain - case in point, our Thanksgiving weekend was kind of a miserable experience and it's all I could think of to write about on Sunday, yesterday, and today. And who wants to visit a blog that's just a bunch of whining about stuff? No thanks.
This blog and the internet community have been a great thing in my life for the past 2 years. All of the kind words and thoughts you all shared when my life was capsizing helped right the ship and send me on my way...more than once, I might add.
I know there are a couple of you who will say, "no! don't go!" and to you I say thanks, I am completely flattered. But you know who you are and we have a relationship outside this forum, which I intend to keep up. I will visit your blogs for as long as you care to write them, and I will email and IM as per usual. There are some who will say, "I understand, do what you need to" and to you I say thanks, also, for getting it. And anyone else will say, "who cares?" and delete me from their blogrolls. That's fine, too.
I'm sorry if this seems sudden, but it is not sudden for me. I've been thinking it through for awhile now, and it's just not working for me anymore.
Thank you for hanging with me through 382 posts! I may come back under another name at another time. We'll see what feels right. I'll leave this up for a bit before I zap it out of existence, leaving it in the google cache forever.
I realized after Thanksgiving weekend that all I think to do here is complain - case in point, our Thanksgiving weekend was kind of a miserable experience and it's all I could think of to write about on Sunday, yesterday, and today. And who wants to visit a blog that's just a bunch of whining about stuff? No thanks.
This blog and the internet community have been a great thing in my life for the past 2 years. All of the kind words and thoughts you all shared when my life was capsizing helped right the ship and send me on my way...more than once, I might add.
I know there are a couple of you who will say, "no! don't go!" and to you I say thanks, I am completely flattered. But you know who you are and we have a relationship outside this forum, which I intend to keep up. I will visit your blogs for as long as you care to write them, and I will email and IM as per usual. There are some who will say, "I understand, do what you need to" and to you I say thanks, also, for getting it. And anyone else will say, "who cares?" and delete me from their blogrolls. That's fine, too.
I'm sorry if this seems sudden, but it is not sudden for me. I've been thinking it through for awhile now, and it's just not working for me anymore.
Thank you for hanging with me through 382 posts! I may come back under another name at another time. We'll see what feels right. I'll leave this up for a bit before I zap it out of existence, leaving it in the google cache forever.
Monday, November 19, 2007
teaser
Just popping in to report that housing construction continues apace:
Five houses are completed for my new bedquilt. This pattern is fun and highly challenging until you figure out the proper way to place all the roof pieces. Or maybe I'm just dumb. But I finally got the hang of marking and pinning properly, and now one of these houses is my reward during naptime if all my chores get done. I'm just using whatever stash calicoes float my boat, with a background of 200-count muslin in ivory.
And this is most of one sleeve of Daughter's next sweater. Anyone recognize the pattern? Hint: it's a Starmore design. I love it and I've only made one big screw-up on it so far - last night I unraveled about 17 rows of one cable to correct a twist that was going the wrong way. Why can you never spot those mistakes until you've knit on for several inches?!? Anyway, you can see toward the top left in the photo where the stitches look lumpy and sloppy. I'm hoping that will work itself flat in the blocking and wearing of the sweater.
This sweater, along with some socks, mittens, and hats for my little family, will be accompanying me on a long, long drive for the holiday. I just dragged a suitcase down from storage and it's aired out now, so time to start packing for the 3 of us.
Many Thanksgiving blessings to you and yours. If you are traveling, be safe. If you see a red minivan hauling down I-90 West towards Illinois with a crazed knitter in the passenger seat, wave to me!
Five houses are completed for my new bedquilt. This pattern is fun and highly challenging until you figure out the proper way to place all the roof pieces. Or maybe I'm just dumb. But I finally got the hang of marking and pinning properly, and now one of these houses is my reward during naptime if all my chores get done. I'm just using whatever stash calicoes float my boat, with a background of 200-count muslin in ivory.
And this is most of one sleeve of Daughter's next sweater. Anyone recognize the pattern? Hint: it's a Starmore design. I love it and I've only made one big screw-up on it so far - last night I unraveled about 17 rows of one cable to correct a twist that was going the wrong way. Why can you never spot those mistakes until you've knit on for several inches?!? Anyway, you can see toward the top left in the photo where the stitches look lumpy and sloppy. I'm hoping that will work itself flat in the blocking and wearing of the sweater.
This sweater, along with some socks, mittens, and hats for my little family, will be accompanying me on a long, long drive for the holiday. I just dragged a suitcase down from storage and it's aired out now, so time to start packing for the 3 of us.
Many Thanksgiving blessings to you and yours. If you are traveling, be safe. If you see a red minivan hauling down I-90 West towards Illinois with a crazed knitter in the passenger seat, wave to me!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
a sweater and a schoolhouse
Hey! I missed my two-year blogiversary at the beginning of the month. Oh well, that shows you how much I'm into blogging these days. Bleh. I'm turning into one of those people who irk me...the once-a-week posters. Yikes!
Thing is, not too much has been going on. Daughter is at an age where she can do so much, but she wants me with her. She has so few playmates that I have to fill in and color/play blocks/eat pretend food/etc. and that barely leaves me time to cook and clean and do a few things for myself. Also, I really don't want to talk much about Daughter anymore, because she is getting older and deserves privacy. I personally don't agree with sharing every aspect of a child's life on the world wide web. I mean, think about that. I don't really want anyone with a computer and an internet connection reading about my child and her bowel habits and whatnot. Though I will brag for a moment that Daughter can write most of the alphabet. And no, we did not make her start writing letters, she tried on her own and then asked us to show her. Good heavens, I love that child. I'm so glad she loves to learn new things!
And I could tell you how I almost had a throwdown with one of the moms at Daughter's playgroup this morning over the appropriateness of video games for toddlers (her: they're cool! me: you're high!) but you don't need to read me being all opinionated yet again.
Moving on, I have been making some stuff:
Sweater for Daughter. Because I still haven't found a good worsted-weight cardigan pattern that has lots of cables in a 2-3 year size, I was forced to semi-design one.
This is the Knitting Pure and Simple neckdown cardigan in a 2-4 year size. I modified the heck out of it, though. First, I knit it down a needle size. I can't do worsted weight on size 9 needles...it looks like crap. This is using size 8 needles and I am happy.
Next, I chose 3 cables from a book o' knitting patterns. The front, seen above, sports a simple 6-row cable twist going in opposite directions.
The back is kind of yucky. I asked Hubs to choose a cable and he chose this. It's ok, but I miscalculated its width and ended up with it sort of kissing the rest of the sweater body. It would look a lot better if there were stitches separating it from the body. Woops. That's why I tried this little experiment using Wool-Ease I got on clearance for $1.19 a skein.
I chose a third cable to go down the middle of the sleeve. I like this - it reminds me of pretzels. Mmmm.....pretzels. I shoved my sleeve press inside so the cables would open up for the photo, which is why it looks funky at the bottom.
The other mod I tend to do with these KP&S patterns is to change the ribbing to seed stitch. I just like the look and I prefer the edgings hang straight rather than pull in.
Now I have only 2 projects on needles. WEIRD. There's a shawl and a pair of socks. Everything else has been finished or ripped. I've finally reached a place in my knitting where I give myself permission to rip something if it's boring me to tears. I used to try forcing myself to finish stuff that I was hating, and it made me unhappy. Life's too short. Knitting is supposed to be fun.
In the vacuum left by the lack of knitting projects, I've rediscovered my yen for piecing quilts. We desperately need a new bedcover of some sort. Right now we are sleeping under a $25 clearance WalMart comforter that I picked up in an emergency 2 years ago, after our much nicer comforter was stolen from the laundromat. (That was annoying, though I quickly decided that someone wouldn't likely steal a comforter for fun - whoever took it must have needed a warm blanket.) Anyway, it's ugly and plain and some of the stitching has started popping out from use and repeated washings. So I'm going to try to make a new quilt. I say I'll try because I'm awfully good at starting things with good intentions. Finishing, though...not my forte. But I will try, and the pattern I want to do is this one:
I desperately love schoolhouse quilts. This is such a classic block, made all old-school with templates and everything. I can't believe how many of these were made in the old days, because the bias seams are enough to make you nuts, but I made this block today in about an hour (by machine) and it's not too bad if you take your time.
The quilt I want to make has lots of schoolhouses and they are interspersed with birds made from the drunkard's path pattern. Those almost have to be pieced by hand because of the curved seams, which might make good TV-watching work. I'll try one and see how it goes...if it's terrible I'll eliminate the birds and just make the schools. If I can get the whole top done I hope to have it professionally machine quilted. That's expensive, but I have a friend who does it and I'm hoping she'll give me a discount!
We're going away for Thanksgiving this year. Crazy! We never go anywhere! But little sis is hosting, so away we will go. I don't know how much I'll be around between now and then...I might use this as a break to get over my blogging ennui. I'll see how it goes.
Thing is, not too much has been going on. Daughter is at an age where she can do so much, but she wants me with her. She has so few playmates that I have to fill in and color/play blocks/eat pretend food/etc. and that barely leaves me time to cook and clean and do a few things for myself. Also, I really don't want to talk much about Daughter anymore, because she is getting older and deserves privacy. I personally don't agree with sharing every aspect of a child's life on the world wide web. I mean, think about that. I don't really want anyone with a computer and an internet connection reading about my child and her bowel habits and whatnot. Though I will brag for a moment that Daughter can write most of the alphabet. And no, we did not make her start writing letters, she tried on her own and then asked us to show her. Good heavens, I love that child. I'm so glad she loves to learn new things!
And I could tell you how I almost had a throwdown with one of the moms at Daughter's playgroup this morning over the appropriateness of video games for toddlers (her: they're cool! me: you're high!) but you don't need to read me being all opinionated yet again.
Moving on, I have been making some stuff:
Sweater for Daughter. Because I still haven't found a good worsted-weight cardigan pattern that has lots of cables in a 2-3 year size, I was forced to semi-design one.
This is the Knitting Pure and Simple neckdown cardigan in a 2-4 year size. I modified the heck out of it, though. First, I knit it down a needle size. I can't do worsted weight on size 9 needles...it looks like crap. This is using size 8 needles and I am happy.
Next, I chose 3 cables from a book o' knitting patterns. The front, seen above, sports a simple 6-row cable twist going in opposite directions.
The back is kind of yucky. I asked Hubs to choose a cable and he chose this. It's ok, but I miscalculated its width and ended up with it sort of kissing the rest of the sweater body. It would look a lot better if there were stitches separating it from the body. Woops. That's why I tried this little experiment using Wool-Ease I got on clearance for $1.19 a skein.
I chose a third cable to go down the middle of the sleeve. I like this - it reminds me of pretzels. Mmmm.....pretzels. I shoved my sleeve press inside so the cables would open up for the photo, which is why it looks funky at the bottom.
The other mod I tend to do with these KP&S patterns is to change the ribbing to seed stitch. I just like the look and I prefer the edgings hang straight rather than pull in.
Now I have only 2 projects on needles. WEIRD. There's a shawl and a pair of socks. Everything else has been finished or ripped. I've finally reached a place in my knitting where I give myself permission to rip something if it's boring me to tears. I used to try forcing myself to finish stuff that I was hating, and it made me unhappy. Life's too short. Knitting is supposed to be fun.
In the vacuum left by the lack of knitting projects, I've rediscovered my yen for piecing quilts. We desperately need a new bedcover of some sort. Right now we are sleeping under a $25 clearance WalMart comforter that I picked up in an emergency 2 years ago, after our much nicer comforter was stolen from the laundromat. (That was annoying, though I quickly decided that someone wouldn't likely steal a comforter for fun - whoever took it must have needed a warm blanket.) Anyway, it's ugly and plain and some of the stitching has started popping out from use and repeated washings. So I'm going to try to make a new quilt. I say I'll try because I'm awfully good at starting things with good intentions. Finishing, though...not my forte. But I will try, and the pattern I want to do is this one:
I desperately love schoolhouse quilts. This is such a classic block, made all old-school with templates and everything. I can't believe how many of these were made in the old days, because the bias seams are enough to make you nuts, but I made this block today in about an hour (by machine) and it's not too bad if you take your time.
The quilt I want to make has lots of schoolhouses and they are interspersed with birds made from the drunkard's path pattern. Those almost have to be pieced by hand because of the curved seams, which might make good TV-watching work. I'll try one and see how it goes...if it's terrible I'll eliminate the birds and just make the schools. If I can get the whole top done I hope to have it professionally machine quilted. That's expensive, but I have a friend who does it and I'm hoping she'll give me a discount!
We're going away for Thanksgiving this year. Crazy! We never go anywhere! But little sis is hosting, so away we will go. I don't know how much I'll be around between now and then...I might use this as a break to get over my blogging ennui. I'll see how it goes.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
makin'
Hello, hello...I'm here, just not very interested in blogging these days. Also, I'm in the beginning stages of caffeine weaning, which sucks out loud and leaves me with very low energy. It's all I can do to shower, do laundry, and prepare meals just now. I love you, coffee. I'll miss you. Mwah!
In the burst of late-night energy I experience 'round about 9:30 pm, I've been working on some winter necessities:
Clockwise from upper left:
Basic hat for Daughter in wool-ease...some sort of heathered rose colorway.
Cable hat with tassels for moi, knitted using Lion Brand Fisherman Wool that I dyed myself using Rit. The pattern is from Inspired Cable Knits, and I'm happy to report it was a well-written pattern and easy to execute. Can't wait to try more from this gorgeous book.
Mittens for Daughter knit from some leftover Baby Ull in a pretty purple. I used a vintage pattern and they came out cute, but a bit snug due to my super-tight knitting. Whoops. Oh well, they fit for now.
And one of my favorite projects of all time - wee knee socks of my own design (if you can really call it a design), knitted from Naturespun Fingering in the ash colorway. These were knitted on size 1 needles at a gauge of 10 stitches/inch. I did a bunch of measuring and hoped for the best, and these fit Daughter's little legs and feet perfectly. I'm quite pleased with how they came out!
I've also done some sewing. First up, I finally used up these dang yo-yos that I started making in, like, 2003:
Last year I intended to make a garland from these for Christmas, but I ran out of time. They went back into their box until a few weeks ago when I got a wild hair to finish stuff (again). Turns out I had 107 of these babies, so I put 100 of them together in a 10X10 mat for my dining room table. It makes me happy. Daughter is using the remaining 7 as "cookies" in her play. So it was a win-win.
And for today's final f.o., I finished this little quilt last night:
This is my own "design" in that I didn't follow anyone else's written instructions. Just a basic grid-o-squares. The squares are 2" finished size, and the whole thing is roughly 30" X 30". I intended this as a decorative covering on the wall where our ugly gray circuit panel is in the hallway off the family room. Unfortunately I mis-measured and that section of wall is just about exactly 30", so I'm not sure it will work out. Too bad, I guess I'll just have to make another wee quilt!
And speaking of quilts, I just checked out a slew of great quilting books from the library - books I've never seen before, filled with classic quilt designs. I've already picked out around 15-20 that I have to make right now. Yeah, right. Let's see if I can make one. Heck, let's see if I can finish a few more languishing projects, eh?
In the burst of late-night energy I experience 'round about 9:30 pm, I've been working on some winter necessities:
Clockwise from upper left:
Basic hat for Daughter in wool-ease...some sort of heathered rose colorway.
Cable hat with tassels for moi, knitted using Lion Brand Fisherman Wool that I dyed myself using Rit. The pattern is from Inspired Cable Knits, and I'm happy to report it was a well-written pattern and easy to execute. Can't wait to try more from this gorgeous book.
Mittens for Daughter knit from some leftover Baby Ull in a pretty purple. I used a vintage pattern and they came out cute, but a bit snug due to my super-tight knitting. Whoops. Oh well, they fit for now.
And one of my favorite projects of all time - wee knee socks of my own design (if you can really call it a design), knitted from Naturespun Fingering in the ash colorway. These were knitted on size 1 needles at a gauge of 10 stitches/inch. I did a bunch of measuring and hoped for the best, and these fit Daughter's little legs and feet perfectly. I'm quite pleased with how they came out!
I've also done some sewing. First up, I finally used up these dang yo-yos that I started making in, like, 2003:
Last year I intended to make a garland from these for Christmas, but I ran out of time. They went back into their box until a few weeks ago when I got a wild hair to finish stuff (again). Turns out I had 107 of these babies, so I put 100 of them together in a 10X10 mat for my dining room table. It makes me happy. Daughter is using the remaining 7 as "cookies" in her play. So it was a win-win.
And for today's final f.o., I finished this little quilt last night:
This is my own "design" in that I didn't follow anyone else's written instructions. Just a basic grid-o-squares. The squares are 2" finished size, and the whole thing is roughly 30" X 30". I intended this as a decorative covering on the wall where our ugly gray circuit panel is in the hallway off the family room. Unfortunately I mis-measured and that section of wall is just about exactly 30", so I'm not sure it will work out. Too bad, I guess I'll just have to make another wee quilt!
And speaking of quilts, I just checked out a slew of great quilting books from the library - books I've never seen before, filled with classic quilt designs. I've already picked out around 15-20 that I have to make right now. Yeah, right. Let's see if I can make one. Heck, let's see if I can finish a few more languishing projects, eh?
Monday, October 29, 2007
thank you
Thank you all so, so much for your kind words of understanding and encouragement.
I've discussed it thoroughly with Hubs, and it looks like we will wait another month to...you know...go for it. Yes, there is a chance it will take more than one cycle, but history sort of says otherwise, so I don't think we want to start actively trying right now. I understand those of you who said I have a right to be selfish and do whatever I feel is right for my family, and believe me, I gave that more than a little consideration. The thing is, other than my husband and daughter, my two younger sisters mean more to me than anyone. I just can't, in good conscience, risk ruining my sister's big day. Nor do I want to miss it because I'm in the hospital. She's the middle child, folks. The poor girl never seems to get the spotlight, and she surely deserves all eyes on her for her wedding day.
This is so draining. Thank you for being my sounding board. More to come, I'm sure.
I've discussed it thoroughly with Hubs, and it looks like we will wait another month to...you know...go for it. Yes, there is a chance it will take more than one cycle, but history sort of says otherwise, so I don't think we want to start actively trying right now. I understand those of you who said I have a right to be selfish and do whatever I feel is right for my family, and believe me, I gave that more than a little consideration. The thing is, other than my husband and daughter, my two younger sisters mean more to me than anyone. I just can't, in good conscience, risk ruining my sister's big day. Nor do I want to miss it because I'm in the hospital. She's the middle child, folks. The poor girl never seems to get the spotlight, and she surely deserves all eyes on her for her wedding day.
This is so draining. Thank you for being my sounding board. More to come, I'm sure.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
woe is me
I've been struggling with the decision about whether or not to discuss pregnancy issues on the blog. I'm pretty sure - like 99.9% sure - that I am NOT in fact pregnant right now, so this is not me trying to be coy. I'm just not sure how much to say or not say. Should I just go about my life and announce it when I'm about to give birth? Should I drag you all through the sludge from conception through morning sickness and boob pain and misery on up to the big day? Does anyone besides me even care? (That is a joke, of course - I know some of you care very much, and I appreciate that.)
I guess I'm going to talk about it a little right now, because the thing bothering me today is not something my husband will really 'get.'
I have finally reached a point in my feelings about carrying another child where excitement has conquered abject terror. We've set things in motion, which for now just means I'm no longer ingesting artificial hormones at the same time every day. We've waited the required month for my cycle to 'reset' itself (I am expecting my, uh, 'monthly visitor' any day now), and dudes, I'm ready to go. Let's do this thing! Yeah! Babytime!
The problem is, if we go for it now, according to the online due date calculator I consulted, I would be having a baby on or about August 2, 2008.
The exact same day my sister has chosen for her wedding.
I realize waiting another month is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it has me feeling pretty dejected right now. If we wait until December, I would be 8 months pregnant at the wedding, which I really don't mind. But it would mean an extra month of being pregnant at the hottest time of year in Buffalo. A bit annoying. And my children will be one more month apart in age. And it would likely affect the school year calendar cutoff date. DON'T roll your eyes! These are things I think about! If anything remotely positive came out of losing our child last year, it was the opportunity to PLAN the next one. And now my plan feels foiled.
This is probably just my hormones talking.
I don't know.
I guess I'm going to talk about it a little right now, because the thing bothering me today is not something my husband will really 'get.'
I have finally reached a point in my feelings about carrying another child where excitement has conquered abject terror. We've set things in motion, which for now just means I'm no longer ingesting artificial hormones at the same time every day. We've waited the required month for my cycle to 'reset' itself (I am expecting my, uh, 'monthly visitor' any day now), and dudes, I'm ready to go. Let's do this thing! Yeah! Babytime!
The problem is, if we go for it now, according to the online due date calculator I consulted, I would be having a baby on or about August 2, 2008.
The exact same day my sister has chosen for her wedding.
I realize waiting another month is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it has me feeling pretty dejected right now. If we wait until December, I would be 8 months pregnant at the wedding, which I really don't mind. But it would mean an extra month of being pregnant at the hottest time of year in Buffalo. A bit annoying. And my children will be one more month apart in age. And it would likely affect the school year calendar cutoff date. DON'T roll your eyes! These are things I think about! If anything remotely positive came out of losing our child last year, it was the opportunity to PLAN the next one. And now my plan feels foiled.
This is probably just my hormones talking.
I don't know.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
FO: twirly dress v2.0
I made another Sew Baby Twirly Dress for Daughter, and this one came out awesome:
I had way less trouble with this second version. I was waffling on this pattern after my first attempt, but now I am fully in love with it. This is another size 2, with a 6-gore skirt. The fabric is 100% polyester knit, billed as 'bathrobe fabric' on the bolt. It is SO soft and velour-like that I broke my own rule about dressing my kid in natural fibers. And frankly, the poly behaved a lot better than the 100% cotton I used last time. My twin needle worked way better also. This has been washed and worn several times and is holding up incredibly well. I see many more of these dresses in Daughter's future!
And now, a question for the knitters: can anyone point me in the direction of a pattern for a worsted-weight cable-knit cardigan for toddlers? I'm looking for size 2-4 range (I will make it a bit big if necessary so Daughter can wear it a long time). Alice Starmore has some nice cable-knit pullovers, and I actually have one set to go, but I'd like a nice, heavy cardigan for Daughter to wear this fall and winter. All I can find are patterns for dk/sport or lighter, or enormous sizes that Daughter won't wear till she's in 4th grade. Help! Anyone?
If I can't find one I will be forced to take the Knitting Pure and Simple cardigan pattern and re-design it full of cables, which I am NOT good at, and it won't be fun. :(
I had way less trouble with this second version. I was waffling on this pattern after my first attempt, but now I am fully in love with it. This is another size 2, with a 6-gore skirt. The fabric is 100% polyester knit, billed as 'bathrobe fabric' on the bolt. It is SO soft and velour-like that I broke my own rule about dressing my kid in natural fibers. And frankly, the poly behaved a lot better than the 100% cotton I used last time. My twin needle worked way better also. This has been washed and worn several times and is holding up incredibly well. I see many more of these dresses in Daughter's future!
And now, a question for the knitters: can anyone point me in the direction of a pattern for a worsted-weight cable-knit cardigan for toddlers? I'm looking for size 2-4 range (I will make it a bit big if necessary so Daughter can wear it a long time). Alice Starmore has some nice cable-knit pullovers, and I actually have one set to go, but I'd like a nice, heavy cardigan for Daughter to wear this fall and winter. All I can find are patterns for dk/sport or lighter, or enormous sizes that Daughter won't wear till she's in 4th grade. Help! Anyone?
If I can't find one I will be forced to take the Knitting Pure and Simple cardigan pattern and re-design it full of cables, which I am NOT good at, and it won't be fun. :(
Monday, October 22, 2007
prepping for the baby boom
I have been shopping here and there, picking up the last of Daughter's winter necessities. Today was boots, because even though it is a very unseasonable and record-breaking 76 degrees outside, this is Buffalo and it could snow any minute. Last year I bought her boots at WalMart because they were actually some of the nicer boots I saw for the money I was willing to pay. We went back today and we got exactly the same ones, but of course in a bigger size and this time we got pink instead of purple. Awesome, done with that chore!
Anyway, I always peruse the craft section at WalMart because there are hidden treasures to be found. Today it was super clearance baby yarn.
What we got today is on the right. Eight skeins of cream "Bernat Baby" and one skein of baby blue (that was all they had). These were marked $1.50, but I have learned to check that with one of those self-scanner things. Guess what? They were really $1.00 each. A BUCK! I think this yarn is what used to be called "Bernat Lollipop" and it must not be selling or something, because WalMart is unloading their stock. So I grabbed all the cream ones because cream is unisex and I have eleventy-billion vintage baby patterns that call for fingering weight yarn. Yes, it is 100% acrylic, but let me tell you my feelings on baby knits: first of all, acrylic can go in the washer and dryer and it comes out just fine. Secondly, I have been a new mom, and I have experienced the "holy crap, where did I leave [insert lost object here]" phenomenon, and how much worse would you feel losing a baby knit that cost $50 to make than one costing $8 or so? And finally, acrylic is actually really, really soft and nice against baby skin. So I use it.
On the left in the above photo is another clearance score, this time from Joann Fabrics. I was meandering around there during some very precious and rare free time (mom had Daughter, thank you mom!), and saw a huge bin of "Sensations Bellezza Collection Tesoro" yarn marked $1.57 per ball. This stuff is worsted weight 100% wool and buttery soft. It originally sold for $5 per ball and I would use my coupons to buy one or two balls at a time to make baby hats for Daughter. It is some of the softest yarn I have ever experienced, and a well-kept secret as I never really see anyone blogging about projects knitted with it. I scooped up every off-white ball I could find and came away with 11. I giggle with glee when I think of this yarn - enough for a large, heavily cabled sweater for Daughter - stashed in my craft cupboard.
Why all these baby yarn purchases? Check this out:
My hairdresser, who is the daughter of my former boss at the sewing store, is getting married in February and whoops! She just discovered she is pregnant. Of course I must make her something.
Hubs' close friend from high school is planning to marry his longtime girlfriend sometime next Spring, and the girlfriend told me last night that she hopes to have a baby by Christmas '08.
Hubs' brother, who just got married 2 weeks ago, just informed us that they will be trying to get pregnant within a year.
My sister just got engaged on Saturday, will be getting married next Summer, and as she is 29 and her fiance is 36, they will not be waiting terribly long to start their family.
And finally, Hubs and I are - gulp - trying again. For us, that typically means 'quit using birth control and ponder for half a second having another baby...WHAM! Pregnant!' So stay tuned on that one, friends.
So yeah, a veritable baby boom over the next few years! And if I do conceive, I am anticipating morning sickness (aka all-day sickness), so that cuts out several months of quality knitting time. And once another baby comes, there goes the rest of my time, like, forever and ever. So I better bust a move on these baby knits while I can!
Anyway, I always peruse the craft section at WalMart because there are hidden treasures to be found. Today it was super clearance baby yarn.
What we got today is on the right. Eight skeins of cream "Bernat Baby" and one skein of baby blue (that was all they had). These were marked $1.50, but I have learned to check that with one of those self-scanner things. Guess what? They were really $1.00 each. A BUCK! I think this yarn is what used to be called "Bernat Lollipop" and it must not be selling or something, because WalMart is unloading their stock. So I grabbed all the cream ones because cream is unisex and I have eleventy-billion vintage baby patterns that call for fingering weight yarn. Yes, it is 100% acrylic, but let me tell you my feelings on baby knits: first of all, acrylic can go in the washer and dryer and it comes out just fine. Secondly, I have been a new mom, and I have experienced the "holy crap, where did I leave [insert lost object here]" phenomenon, and how much worse would you feel losing a baby knit that cost $50 to make than one costing $8 or so? And finally, acrylic is actually really, really soft and nice against baby skin. So I use it.
On the left in the above photo is another clearance score, this time from Joann Fabrics. I was meandering around there during some very precious and rare free time (mom had Daughter, thank you mom!), and saw a huge bin of "Sensations Bellezza Collection Tesoro" yarn marked $1.57 per ball. This stuff is worsted weight 100% wool and buttery soft. It originally sold for $5 per ball and I would use my coupons to buy one or two balls at a time to make baby hats for Daughter. It is some of the softest yarn I have ever experienced, and a well-kept secret as I never really see anyone blogging about projects knitted with it. I scooped up every off-white ball I could find and came away with 11. I giggle with glee when I think of this yarn - enough for a large, heavily cabled sweater for Daughter - stashed in my craft cupboard.
Why all these baby yarn purchases? Check this out:
My hairdresser, who is the daughter of my former boss at the sewing store, is getting married in February and whoops! She just discovered she is pregnant. Of course I must make her something.
Hubs' close friend from high school is planning to marry his longtime girlfriend sometime next Spring, and the girlfriend told me last night that she hopes to have a baby by Christmas '08.
Hubs' brother, who just got married 2 weeks ago, just informed us that they will be trying to get pregnant within a year.
My sister just got engaged on Saturday, will be getting married next Summer, and as she is 29 and her fiance is 36, they will not be waiting terribly long to start their family.
And finally, Hubs and I are - gulp - trying again. For us, that typically means 'quit using birth control and ponder for half a second having another baby...WHAM! Pregnant!' So stay tuned on that one, friends.
So yeah, a veritable baby boom over the next few years! And if I do conceive, I am anticipating morning sickness (aka all-day sickness), so that cuts out several months of quality knitting time. And once another baby comes, there goes the rest of my time, like, forever and ever. So I better bust a move on these baby knits while I can!
Friday, October 19, 2007
bleh
I am having one of "those" weeks. Just lots of stuff happening around me but none of it directly concerning me, so it's like I'm standing still in the middle of a maelstrom.
I have complained here about my in-laws, which I probably should not but come on, a girl's gotta vent. Well, my father-in-law suffered a small stroke on Monday (he seems ok though) and has pneumonia which has led to sepsis. Hubs has been doing his best all week to shuttle his mom back and forth to the hospital (she does not drive much more than 3-4 miles from her home in any direction) while still going to work and trying to spend time with me and Daughter. They make it difficult. Wednesday night his mother started a fight on the way home that led to her screaming and swearing at him and now we're not speaking to them...again. It is all so stupid. We have no idea if his dad is even still in the hospital or what. They are 60 and 55 and just about unable to care for themselves anymore. What are we to do?!?
Daughter and I have been butting heads all week. It's getting old.
I feel terribly unmotivated today. It's dark. It's dreary. I've been halfheartedly scrounging around for a fall scented candle to light to cheer me up, but I can't find one. I'd go to the craft store and procure one, but getting my kid to go potty, put her shoes on, and get out to the car is way hard these days.
I barely feel like moving from the couch. Bleeeeeeeehhhh.
Hopefully I will rejuvenate this weekend and be back with something fun on Monday.
I have complained here about my in-laws, which I probably should not but come on, a girl's gotta vent. Well, my father-in-law suffered a small stroke on Monday (he seems ok though) and has pneumonia which has led to sepsis. Hubs has been doing his best all week to shuttle his mom back and forth to the hospital (she does not drive much more than 3-4 miles from her home in any direction) while still going to work and trying to spend time with me and Daughter. They make it difficult. Wednesday night his mother started a fight on the way home that led to her screaming and swearing at him and now we're not speaking to them...again. It is all so stupid. We have no idea if his dad is even still in the hospital or what. They are 60 and 55 and just about unable to care for themselves anymore. What are we to do?!?
Daughter and I have been butting heads all week. It's getting old.
I feel terribly unmotivated today. It's dark. It's dreary. I've been halfheartedly scrounging around for a fall scented candle to light to cheer me up, but I can't find one. I'd go to the craft store and procure one, but getting my kid to go potty, put her shoes on, and get out to the car is way hard these days.
I barely feel like moving from the couch. Bleeeeeeeehhhh.
Hopefully I will rejuvenate this weekend and be back with something fun on Monday.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
attitude
The setting: I am eating cereal at the kitchen table. Daughter is meandering around the kitchen, making demands.
Daughter: Mommy! I want to watch Dragon Tales! Put it on!
Me: Sweetie, I am finishing my cereal. I will put the TV on when I am done with my breakfast.
D: Mommy! Dragon Tales! PLEASE!
M: Honey, it's not even time for Dragon Tales yet. Please let me finish my cereal now.
D: WAAAAAAAH! Dragon Tales right now mumble cry mumble cry...
M: Honey, it's just not time yet. A few more minutes. Please stop crying now.
D (walking away toward family room): oKAY Mommy.
(pause)
D: WhatEVER.
Daughter: Mommy! I want to watch Dragon Tales! Put it on!
Me: Sweetie, I am finishing my cereal. I will put the TV on when I am done with my breakfast.
D: Mommy! Dragon Tales! PLEASE!
M: Honey, it's not even time for Dragon Tales yet. Please let me finish my cereal now.
D: WAAAAAAAH! Dragon Tales right now mumble cry mumble cry...
M: Honey, it's just not time yet. A few more minutes. Please stop crying now.
D (walking away toward family room): oKAY Mommy.
(pause)
D: WhatEVER.
Monday, October 15, 2007
monday monday
Ok, I took out the controversial parts of my post from last week. It was starting to turn into a discussion of what should or should not be worn to church and that was totally not my point at all, so I removed those things. Those who read it know what I said, those who come to it later won't understand the comments already in place but I don't care...I'm not interested in igniting a firestorm of religious issues on my little craft blog!
This was a totally stressful weekend - but in a good way. My two younger sisters came to town to attend a dinner in honor of my dad, and one brought her mucho serious boyfriend with her. Now, in my younger days I bought such a parade of losers through my parents' door it's not even funny. When I brought Hubs home for the first time it wasn't any big deal...just another dude to meet. (Luckily he turned out to be a winner!) But my sister has never once brought anyone home. She was never the type to waste her time, so she has waited pretty patiently to meet a great guy, and it seems she finally has. This was stressful for them, I'm sure, but for us also, because we wanted to make a good impression on him and make him feel welcome in our family, since it looks like things are heading in that direction. My little sis! Probably gettin' hitched! Yikes! I can't take it!
Then last night was Hubs' company award banquet and dinner. I can't say too much about what he does because it would easily give away the company he works for, but suffice it to say many, many young people work for the organization - teens and early 20s make up a large chunk of the employee base - so it was an interesting evening of being one of the "old" people in the room. This is the first one I've attended in the 4 years Hubs has worked for the company, and wouldn't you know it, this is the one all the other department wives skipped. So it was all these guys from the IT department and me. Mmmmmmkay! Fun! Luckily I have at least briefly met all these guys before so I was able to chat with them, and they were all very nice to lay off the work talk and include me in the conversation.
Exhausting, though! Long weekend. Lots going on.
Because the banquet went so late last night we left Daughter with my parents, so I have today to do whatever I want. I slept in till 11:00 (!!!) and now it's just so quiet. I think I'll take myself out for coffee and perhaps browse the craft stores. I haven't had a whole day off since Daughter was born. This is gonna be nice!
This was a totally stressful weekend - but in a good way. My two younger sisters came to town to attend a dinner in honor of my dad, and one brought her mucho serious boyfriend with her. Now, in my younger days I bought such a parade of losers through my parents' door it's not even funny. When I brought Hubs home for the first time it wasn't any big deal...just another dude to meet. (Luckily he turned out to be a winner!) But my sister has never once brought anyone home. She was never the type to waste her time, so she has waited pretty patiently to meet a great guy, and it seems she finally has. This was stressful for them, I'm sure, but for us also, because we wanted to make a good impression on him and make him feel welcome in our family, since it looks like things are heading in that direction. My little sis! Probably gettin' hitched! Yikes! I can't take it!
Then last night was Hubs' company award banquet and dinner. I can't say too much about what he does because it would easily give away the company he works for, but suffice it to say many, many young people work for the organization - teens and early 20s make up a large chunk of the employee base - so it was an interesting evening of being one of the "old" people in the room. This is the first one I've attended in the 4 years Hubs has worked for the company, and wouldn't you know it, this is the one all the other department wives skipped. So it was all these guys from the IT department and me. Mmmmmmkay! Fun! Luckily I have at least briefly met all these guys before so I was able to chat with them, and they were all very nice to lay off the work talk and include me in the conversation.
Exhausting, though! Long weekend. Lots going on.
Because the banquet went so late last night we left Daughter with my parents, so I have today to do whatever I want. I slept in till 11:00 (!!!) and now it's just so quiet. I think I'll take myself out for coffee and perhaps browse the craft stores. I haven't had a whole day off since Daughter was born. This is gonna be nice!
Friday, October 12, 2007
a finished garment
Dress coat, Simplicity 4712, size 2.
Melton 100% wool, coat-weight, from fabric.com.
4 gold anchor buttons, from Joann Fabrics. Black velvet ribbon trim (found at AC Moore) on the pockets and sleeves.
Collar could still use some attitude adjustment from my steam iron. Tag says 'handmade by Katherine.'
I am very pleased with this little coat. Daughter looks darling in it, and I plan to knit up black mittens and a little black hat to go with it. The pattern includes a beret, and I have enough wool, but I really want something to cover her ears, and I fear the wool would be itchy on her forehead.
The only real problem is that I made the 2 because these patterns always come out so huge, and it just fits. I don't know if she will get a whole winter's worth of use out of it. Should have made the size 3, darn it. I'll make a note on the pattern so that next winter, when I go to make a bigger one, I will make the 4.
Wool is really easy to sew, but really challenging to cut and the seam allowances are super bulky. Nothing insurmountable, but with that pleat in the back plus the collar I had 6 layers going on by the time I stitched the facing down. Yikes! I had to really wrestle the facings into place and stitch them firmly to the seam allowances on the inside to keep them from rolling out. But I highly recommend the pattern. Very well written and very easy construction.
There's more, more, more...but I have to go clean my house. We have a black-tie thingy tomorrow night honoring my dad and my aunt is coming to stay with Daughter. Therefore I must scrub my house to avoid potential embarrassment. Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
bothered
It is chilly today, hurrah! I can't believe I am saying that, but the extended heat and humidity through the beginning of October were totally wearing me down. Plus, cold weather means warm clothes which means Daughter can finally start wearing all of the fall and winter garments I've been making for her.
Last night I actually spent time in front of her closet, planning what cute thing she could wear to playgroup today. I know, that's so lame. But she is small and still suggestible (most of the time) and darn it, I'm going to dress her in sweet girl outfits until she won't let me anymore.
Today she wore her Thanksgiving jumper from last year. You can see it here. Notice how it's below her knees in that picture? *Sigh.* Now it barely covers her bottom. She also wore Secret Garden, which finally fits her 1.5 years after I finished it. Combined with pigtails and cute brown/ivory herringbone tights, the outfit was really cute. She got lots of compliments from the teacher and the moms in our playgroup, and then someone asked me where the sweater came from. I said that I knit it, and people, believe me, I am the most self-deprecating person you'll meet (in real life...I know I sometimes brag here but that's different, you know?). So I definitely didn't say it in a braggy way, but it's a small classroom and most of the moms heard the conversation.
A few minutes later, the teacher asked about the jumper. Specifically, she asked, "is that from this year?" And internally I did some serious cabbage-patching because YEE-HAW! My goal in life is to make clothes that look OTR, and she thought it was from one of the baby store fall collections! However, externally I just smiled and answered that I made the dress. Demurely, I assure you.
And here we come to the point of this post, which is the offense I take at some peoples' reactions to handmade stuff. Specifically, to handmade stuff that's made relatively well. I work really, really hard to make nice things for Daughter, and I am very, very flattered when someone compliments me on them. I never, never, never tell anyone that I made something unless they ask where it came from, and I always downplay it. That's because it's my hobby, and I do it for fun, not for compliments.
The thing is, one of the moms, when I said I made the dress too, made that noise people make that sounds sort of disgusted, sort of annoyed, sort of mean. That phlegmy, throaty "ech." Then she launched into a diatribe about her sister-in-law and how "Martha" she is because she can make anything and she's "so crafty."
Why do people do this?
I'll tell you what, one reason I like the internet/blog craft community is because of the unwavering support all of us give one another in our undertakings. No one in this arena says "ech" when they see someone's creation. I got thinking seriously about this after reading Jane's post today regarding reactions to her book about the domestic arts. They are arts, and just because you don't necessarily participate in all of them doesn't mean you have to react badly to people who do. So you buy all your kid's clothes at Gymboree, or Old Navy, or the Gap, or Target. So your hobby is baking, or reading, or gardening and not knitting or sewing. Doesn't mean my hobby is any less meaningful.
I don't know, it just bugs me.
Last night I actually spent time in front of her closet, planning what cute thing she could wear to playgroup today. I know, that's so lame. But she is small and still suggestible (most of the time) and darn it, I'm going to dress her in sweet girl outfits until she won't let me anymore.
Today she wore her Thanksgiving jumper from last year. You can see it here. Notice how it's below her knees in that picture? *Sigh.* Now it barely covers her bottom. She also wore Secret Garden, which finally fits her 1.5 years after I finished it. Combined with pigtails and cute brown/ivory herringbone tights, the outfit was really cute. She got lots of compliments from the teacher and the moms in our playgroup, and then someone asked me where the sweater came from. I said that I knit it, and people, believe me, I am the most self-deprecating person you'll meet (in real life...I know I sometimes brag here but that's different, you know?). So I definitely didn't say it in a braggy way, but it's a small classroom and most of the moms heard the conversation.
A few minutes later, the teacher asked about the jumper. Specifically, she asked, "is that from this year?" And internally I did some serious cabbage-patching because YEE-HAW! My goal in life is to make clothes that look OTR, and she thought it was from one of the baby store fall collections! However, externally I just smiled and answered that I made the dress. Demurely, I assure you.
And here we come to the point of this post, which is the offense I take at some peoples' reactions to handmade stuff. Specifically, to handmade stuff that's made relatively well. I work really, really hard to make nice things for Daughter, and I am very, very flattered when someone compliments me on them. I never, never, never tell anyone that I made something unless they ask where it came from, and I always downplay it. That's because it's my hobby, and I do it for fun, not for compliments.
The thing is, one of the moms, when I said I made the dress too, made that noise people make that sounds sort of disgusted, sort of annoyed, sort of mean. That phlegmy, throaty "ech." Then she launched into a diatribe about her sister-in-law and how "Martha" she is because she can make anything and she's "so crafty."
Why do people do this?
I'll tell you what, one reason I like the internet/blog craft community is because of the unwavering support all of us give one another in our undertakings. No one in this arena says "ech" when they see someone's creation. I got thinking seriously about this after reading Jane's post today regarding reactions to her book about the domestic arts. They are arts, and just because you don't necessarily participate in all of them doesn't mean you have to react badly to people who do. So you buy all your kid's clothes at Gymboree, or Old Navy, or the Gap, or Target. So your hobby is baking, or reading, or gardening and not knitting or sewing. Doesn't mean my hobby is any less meaningful.
I don't know, it just bugs me.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
a gal's gotta accessorize
On a scale of 1 to 10, how sick is it that when I spied these knee socks on the rack, I immediately started planning homemade dresses and sweaters to go with them for Daughter?
Cuteness!
WalMart, believe it or not. $1.97 for two pair. We got a two-pack of plain white cable knit ones too, but they are already in the washing machine for immediate wear. Sa-weet!
(They also have some very nice knee and over-the-knee socks for mamas...I got some of those too!)
Cuteness!
WalMart, believe it or not. $1.97 for two pair. We got a two-pack of plain white cable knit ones too, but they are already in the washing machine for immediate wear. Sa-weet!
(They also have some very nice knee and over-the-knee socks for mamas...I got some of those too!)
Monday, October 08, 2007
she's ready for her spa day
Well, today should be the last of the freakishly hot fall weather. It was in the 80s today but should be only 40s-50s by the weekend. Huzzah! I'm looking forward to it, but be forewarned...I'll be here complaining about the cold soon enough. Bah!
I stitched through the sweat today to produce the second of four garments I've got cut out for Daughter (but didn't get a photo of it yet). The weekend wasn't as productive as I'd hoped due to a combination of heat/humidity, headcold, and general outside work to prep the house and yard for the coming seasons, so I only got one thing sewn up:
Daughter now has a bathrobe! This is a very old Simplicity pattern that I got from Karen, who is so amazingly awesome at finding vintage stuff I swear I am going to make her my personal shopper. (What do you think, Karen? You keep me supplied with amazing sewing/knitting stuff, and I will keep you in handmade socks. Deal?)
I ordered this double-sided minky fabric last month from Fabric.com, and people, I am asking you right now to please, please strike me down if I ever so much as suggest that I will make another garment using this stuff. It is brutal to work with. I am used to nice, smooth wovens and I think I will stick with them in the future. The minky makes a lovely finished garment, but I would be extremely embarrassed if anyone actually overheard all the swears I muttered while working with it. Perhaps if it wasn't double-sided it would have been easier.
Anyway, the collar came out kind of funky - it is supposed to lay flat - and the bulkiness of the minky was very challenging. But overall I am pleased, and Daughter is over the moon. She now has a robe to wear after her "nice, warm tubby" just like Mommy. In fact, it's 80 degrees and she won't take the silly thing off!
I have one tip for working with this stuff. I had to make 3 buttonholes and was stymied by that. How do you mark on double-sided minky?!? Well, I mostly winged it on the sleeve darts, but I needed the buttonholes to be correct. So I drew them correctly spaced on some tissue stabilizer stuff I have (no label so I don't know exactly what it is), then pinned the stabilizer to the robe placket. I was able to stitch the buttonholes through the tissue and then tear it away and voila! Perfect buttonholes. I repeated that with the 3 buttons and stitched them down by machine too. That was the easiest part of the project by far!
So that's done, and there's a dress to show when I get around to taking a photo of it. Actually, it's in the "needs hand-finishing" pile awaiting a hook & eye closure and it needs the facings tacked down, so hopefully I'll get to that soon. Then it's on to the wool dress coat with velvet ribbon trim...ooh la la! Can't wait!
I stitched through the sweat today to produce the second of four garments I've got cut out for Daughter (but didn't get a photo of it yet). The weekend wasn't as productive as I'd hoped due to a combination of heat/humidity, headcold, and general outside work to prep the house and yard for the coming seasons, so I only got one thing sewn up:
Daughter now has a bathrobe! This is a very old Simplicity pattern that I got from Karen, who is so amazingly awesome at finding vintage stuff I swear I am going to make her my personal shopper. (What do you think, Karen? You keep me supplied with amazing sewing/knitting stuff, and I will keep you in handmade socks. Deal?)
I ordered this double-sided minky fabric last month from Fabric.com, and people, I am asking you right now to please, please strike me down if I ever so much as suggest that I will make another garment using this stuff. It is brutal to work with. I am used to nice, smooth wovens and I think I will stick with them in the future. The minky makes a lovely finished garment, but I would be extremely embarrassed if anyone actually overheard all the swears I muttered while working with it. Perhaps if it wasn't double-sided it would have been easier.
Anyway, the collar came out kind of funky - it is supposed to lay flat - and the bulkiness of the minky was very challenging. But overall I am pleased, and Daughter is over the moon. She now has a robe to wear after her "nice, warm tubby" just like Mommy. In fact, it's 80 degrees and she won't take the silly thing off!
I have one tip for working with this stuff. I had to make 3 buttonholes and was stymied by that. How do you mark on double-sided minky?!? Well, I mostly winged it on the sleeve darts, but I needed the buttonholes to be correct. So I drew them correctly spaced on some tissue stabilizer stuff I have (no label so I don't know exactly what it is), then pinned the stabilizer to the robe placket. I was able to stitch the buttonholes through the tissue and then tear it away and voila! Perfect buttonholes. I repeated that with the 3 buttons and stitched them down by machine too. That was the easiest part of the project by far!
So that's done, and there's a dress to show when I get around to taking a photo of it. Actually, it's in the "needs hand-finishing" pile awaiting a hook & eye closure and it needs the facings tacked down, so hopefully I'll get to that soon. Then it's on to the wool dress coat with velvet ribbon trim...ooh la la! Can't wait!
Friday, October 05, 2007
sick
Ugh. I am sick. I have a headcold, which would be swell if the weather was cool and rainy, as it should be on October 5. When I said I wasn't ready for autumn, I didn't mean it should be record-breakingly hot well into October (92 degrees today! 92!). Enough already, I want tea and chicken soup, not shorts and sweat.
I'm hoping to clear the sewing queue this weekend...I cut out a twirly dress, a minky robe, and a wool coat for Daughter today, and I have a corduroy dress cut and ready to stitch as well. So my hands are shot and my Ginghers are smokin', but everything I've had planned to sew for fall is ready and waiting. Just have to slam some DayQuil and rev up my Bernina. And try not to drip snots on everything. Ew!
Have a good weekend, all. Hopefully I'll be here on Monday with a clear head and some finished garments to share.
I'm hoping to clear the sewing queue this weekend...I cut out a twirly dress, a minky robe, and a wool coat for Daughter today, and I have a corduroy dress cut and ready to stitch as well. So my hands are shot and my Ginghers are smokin', but everything I've had planned to sew for fall is ready and waiting. Just have to slam some DayQuil and rev up my Bernina. And try not to drip snots on everything. Ew!
Have a good weekend, all. Hopefully I'll be here on Monday with a clear head and some finished garments to share.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
