yes, i MADE that.

New Coat 2.0

2011-12-11T19:16:00.001-07:00

Oh wow, I love this coat.

Pattern: Simplicity 2508 ("Inspired by Project Runway"). View C (I think), collar C
Outer Fabric: Cotton corduroy. It's a bit stiff but so soft & cozy at the same time. It will relax with wear and I'm sure I'll be wearing this a lot this winter.
Lining fabric: I made my own quilted lining with a polyester lining fabric and a wool batting from the quilting store. I thought this would add enough warmth that I can wear the coat in the winter without adding too much extra bulk. I'm quite happy with it but haven't tested it in the real cold yet.
Mods: None that I can remember. Oh, I moved the back tab thing (name?) down about 2-3 inches and added about 3 inches to the sleeve length. I may have overcompensated on the sleeves but they're definitely nice & long now.

I'm really glad I made the other version first because that really made this version go much smoother. I started cutting the pieces last Sunday and finished sewing Saturday afternoon.

I haven't ever had a coat that has the closure off to the side but I really like the look. It's very warm with a double layer in the front. I made the welt pockets on seam again for this version. I tend to walk with my hands in my pockets so this style is more practical for me.

(I think i was just standing funny. I don't think the coat bunches up like that normally)

The only real "d'oh" moment I had was when I went to sew together the first pieces, after cutting all the outer fabric. I was being so careful with the pattern pieces to make sure they were all situated on the corduroy the same way so i wouldn't have the nap going different directions. I was pretty impressed with my efforts until I realized I had placed (and cut) them all so the nap was upside down. It's not something anyone would notice unless they were petting my arm (or other area which we are NOT encouraging), but I notice and it's definitely a "d'oh".

Now back to Christmas Present knitting and Christmas baking. I'd love to hear what other people are making for the holidays. I haven't fully decided on my baking list and I have to come up with gifts for another couple of people.

DPN Roll

2011-11-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago I wanted to make a pair of mittens so I had to go through my cup of unsorted (gasp) DPNs (double pointed needles for any non-knitters) to find the needles I needed. I thought "I really should make a needle holder for these" which is what I thought every single time I needed anything out of that cup.

So I finally just got off my butt and made one.

The outer fabric was leftover pieced scraps from a previous project and the inner fabrics were an assortment from stash.

I consulted a variety of tutorials but in the end just winged it based on the measurements of the outer fabric and the number of sets I had.

I feel so much better now, having all the DPNs in their homes, sorted and ready to be used.

Jacket

2011-11-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Another muslin that turned out wearable! And, oh boy did I ever learn a lot making this one.

I don't remember what put the idea in my head to make myself a winter coat but once it was there it wasn't budging. I searched online for coat patterns and came across Simplicity 2508 ("inspired by Project Runway"). I started to fixate on a mid-thigh length coat in corduroy, but I knew I'd be making a muslin first. I've never made anything this complicated before and there was no way I was going to risk ruining that much fabric.

The issues (or "interesting" complications) I had with this pattern were numerous and started from the moment I had the pattern envelope in my hand.

In order to make you feel like a "designer" the pattern envelope doesn't tell you how much fabric you need for each of the views. Instead it has the fabric requirement for each component of each view listed separately. Oh, and the pictures aren't labelled "A, B, C" etc but the parts listed under the fabric requirements are labelled this way, so there was a fair bit of "I think this is the right one..." going on. So, to my math-addled brain this was already a nightmare. For jacket with front "A" you need 1 7/8 yard. Then for collar A you need 3/8 yard. Then for the long sleeve you need 1 yard, the pockets are another 1/2 yard etc. Here, in the comfort of my home (with a calculator and spreadsheet) I can figure that out no problem. In the crowded fabric store when I was hungry it was like every horrible school nightmare you've ever had rolled into one.

In the end I just got what I thought was right and ignored the pattern envelope altogether. The fabric I used for the muslin was "unknown fiber" from the clearance section. There was only 3 1/2 meters left on the bolt so I was hoping I'd have enough for the jacket. After I laid everything out I ended up only needing about 2 1/2 meters.

The next issue was in the less than complete instructions. If I had ever made a tailored jacket before it wouldn't have been a problem at all, but there were a number of things I had to figure out for myself (thank you internet). One problem I had was especially stupid/hilarious and would have been avoided by a note in the instructions:

When I had everything cut out and was starting to sew the front & side front I was horrified to find that the front pieces were about an inch & a half shorter than the side front pieces! I have made this kind of weird mistake before when cutting out pieces but I had been so careful! I finished sewing the outer jacket and decided I needed to just cut the other pieces to match the mis-cut short front pieces.

(If you've ever made a coat before you're probably cringing)

It wasn't until I had the lining sewn into the coat that I realized that I hadn't made a mistake with cutting and the front pieces were supposed to be shorter to allow for the hem. Say it with me: "D'OH"

Okay, enough going on about it. On to the pictures!

Pattern: Simplicity 2508 ("Inspired by Project Runway")
Fabric: clearance section unknown fiber herringbone tweed
Mods: unintentionally shortened the length. Oops.

I forgot to add length to the sleeves so I won't be reaching for anything while wearing this jacket.

The fabric is a tweed herringbone but I'm not sure what the fiber content is. It's a bit thin so I wanted a warmer lining. I didn't want to spend too much (*cough* anything *cough*) on this beyond the $18 for the outer fabric (score!) so I made my own quilted lining using a sateen sheet & a flannel sheet. It worked out pretty well actually.

I think I should have moved this back tab (what is the name for this thing?) down about 2 inches at least. It lands in the middle of my back which is a bit odd.

In keeping with my cheap/thrifty/"I can just make that" ways I ended up making buttons using polymer clay. I really like how they turned out. I'm not completely sure the square buttons were the best choice though. They may end up getting swapped out if I get too frustrated with them.

All together I really am pleased with the jacket and I will be able to wear the muslin.

Tunic top

2011-11-13T15:53:00.001-07:00

I'm finally understanding the benefit of making a muslin when trying a new pattern. It helps me figure out what size to make, what changes to make to the pattern. It helps me catch issues or learn new techniques before cutting into the "real" fabric. If the muslin turns out to be wearable, well that's just gravy, as they say.

This top was technically a muslin in that I wasn't too attached to the fabric and I wasn't sure if this top would really work for me. When I bought the fabric a few years ago (? not sure when I obtained it) I really liked it and must have had some project in mind for it. Whatever that plan was the fabric sat un-cut for a couple of years. I couldn't ever find something I wanted to do with it.

(probably could have ironed before taking the pictures)

Pattern: Simplicity 2365 view A
Fabric: cotton stripe (unknown manufacturer)
Mods: none, technically. Originally I cut & sewed the long tunic length but, to be blunt, it looked like an old-timey nightshirt on me. I think it was the stripes. So I cut it off to shirt length and hemmed it and now I really like the shirt. It fits just right and is very comfortable.

This was my first time sewing pin tucks. I really like the subtle shaping and texture they give to the fabric. I wasn't sure how they would look with the stripe but I do like it. I feel kind of conspicuous in any pattern so I am open to opinion on the stripes. I don't wear stripes (or any pattern really) that often but this is growing on me.

I really do like when my muslin turns out to be wearable and I'll definitely be making another one (or more) of this top.

New Jeans

2011-10-01T17:35:00.000-06:00

I was on vacation this past week. It was kind of sudden so I decided to just do things I normally would be daydreaming about at work. I went to the Glenbow Museum (post for another day - the coolest exhibition of period costumes from movies!), had a massage, got my hair cut and visited fabric stores and yarn stores. It was a really nice break. I hardly touched my computer (a vacation in itself as my entire job is on the computer at work), watched TV, read and cleaned & organized things in my apartment.

The one thing I had planned to do but was dreading was going to the mall. I don't know if I'm missing some girly gene but I really don't like trying on clothes and I hate going to the mall if I really need to buy clothes. (Oddly I love people watching at the mall but only if I don't have to buy anything). So I put it off and ended up not going.

However... As I mentioned, I did go to the fabric store, where they sell fabric (you see where this is going, right?)(also the title of the post probably gives it away).

I used the pants pattern from Sew U with my alterations from the last pair I made. The original pattern is quite flared at the hem so I redrew the pattern to make more of a boot-cut. I forgot to make the changes to the waist area I had wanted to make after the last pair so they could fit a bit better in that area but I'm really happy with them.

I made inset pockets (not sure if that's the right term) and lined them with some blue plaid from stash. The original pattern only had patch pockets so I figured these out for the last pair I made. (not sure why they look black in the close ups but the denim is a really dark blue).

Much easier than trying on 20 pairs at the mall and finding nothing (or overpaying for something I don't really like that much)

The fabric is still a bit stiff and my hands were blue when I finished so I'll wash them another time before I wear them. The denim has 2% Spandex so they're very comfortable.

I bought some cotton canvas to make another pair of pants, but that can wait for another day. For now my knitting and the couch are calling my name. It's definitely fall now and I have a lot of wool to make my way through.

Crispy Microwave Potato Chips

2011-09-16T07:35:00.001-06:00

I'm a snacker. I snack. I snack too much, to be completely honest. My favorite snacks are salty: chips, popcorn, pretzels. This isn't good for many reasons, not least of which is the oil & other stuff in potato chips (snack of the champions).

I'm sure many of you have seen the recipe(s) for microwave potato chips. I've seen it a few different places over the past year or two. When I saw it the first time I was skeptical, but decided to give it a try. The recipe I followed was simple enough: slice the potato very thin (with a mandoline/slicer if possible), blot, spray with cooking spray or oil, arrange on a glass plate or on parchment paper, microwave for 3 minutes, turn the chips over & microwave again. It produced chips, but they were not quite "right" (to my discerning snack palate --ha!). They were crunchy but not crispy, you know? And sometimes they didn't cook evenly so there would be a limp bit in the middle of crunchy.

Fast forward to 2 days ago. I suddenly wanted to try making them again. I get these bizarre brain jumps in the middle of my work day and then spend the rest of the day mulling it over, problem solving or designing a plan while I work (and sometimes it leads me to wasting time online but we'll keep that our little secret). So Wednesday, I wanted to try microwave potato chips again, so I googled it because I couldn't remember all the instructions. This time I came across this plastic ring with slots cut into it. It was a microwave chip maker! This (of course) led me into a google sink hole where I spent (mumble) minutes looking for a place where I could get one in Canada.

Normally I have really excellent Google-Fu but this time I just couldn't find anywhere to get one locally (or on this side of the border). So I sadfaced and carried on with my work.

This is when the brain jump kicked in in earnest. Suddenly I realized I could hack the chip maker at home! Using recycled cardboard! (this is the point where anyone I've told about this starts laughing. So go ahead, I'll wait).

Of course, the minute I got home I had the scissors out and was constructing my chip maker. I tried a small batch, microwaved for 2 1/2 minutes, checked the chips, then another 2 1/2 minutes. When I took the chips out, they looked like "real" potato chips. I tested one and promptly wished someone was there with me so I could brag/gush about my experiment. The chip was crispy!!! Not crunchy, not slightly stiffened, crispy. Success!! I tweaked the process slightly (and made a second chip rack) and proceeded to make a fairly significant amount of chips in a short time. No oil! No additives! Just potatoes and salt.

Here's what I did. If you try this please let me know what you think! Or if you have any suggestions to improve it.

**Of course, please use caution when cutting the potatoes, when using the microwave etc. Don't walk away and leave it running for an hour or something. I think short bursts is probably the best way to go with timing the microwave.

Cut a kleenex box or other piece of cardboard to the size you want. I used the length of the box and the height and then cut down the bottom to match the height. It's approximately 9"x6". You may need to measure inside your microwave to see what will fit.

For the first rack I carefully measured 1/4" spacing and cut on the lines. My cutting was a touch wonky as you can see. The second one I just eyeballed and they both work just as good. One suggestion would be to not get too close to the long edge when cutting as this will make the slot too wide. I had potato slices fall out.

When you have your slits cut, cut away every other flap to create spaces for your potato slices.

I ended up adding a piece to each end on the bottom to hold the shape and to stabilize it. Depending on how well your piece stands on its own you may want to cut these as well.

Slice your potato as thin as possible. Blot on paper towels. I added salt before cooking--just sprinkled it on while they were blotting. Load your chip rack and carefully transfer to the microwave. (I had to reload at least 3 times out of the 6 or so batches I made)

After 5 minutes in total. Mmmm. Chips.

I found that some of them were quicker than others but the most it took was about 6 1/2 minutes. My microwave isn't the most powerful one around so you may have different results.

I'm not usually a fan of flavored chips (prefer plain) but I was thinking you could probably try those popcorn seasonings if you wanted to make flavored chips. Or just herbs or spices. I'd be interested in any seasoning ideas anyone has. I'm sure I'll be making the next batch tonight!

Hoodie!

2011-09-06T17:04:00.001-06:00

Just as I was astonished that I was able to make pants (PANTS!!!) earlier this summer, I am astonished I was able to successfully make a hoodie. Not just that I made a hoodie but that I immediately started planning the next hoodie I would make when I snipped the last thread on the first.

I used the pattern in Sew U Home Stretch and some heavier weight cotton knit. I thought it would take a long time to sew but, after I had the pattern pieces prepped it only took about 2 hours! I don't know why I thought it would take longer than that...

(my camera blew out most of the shots and no amount of trying to fix it seemed to really help. oops) The dark navy is one of my favorite neutrals. I love the fabric, it's the perfect weight for fall/spring and for in my office where the temperatures swing between Arctic and Equatorial at least twice an hour.

I made the size Large and it fits perfectly. I didn't have ribbing that matches the main fabric so I extended the pattern pieces to make a deep hem and cuff. All edges are serged (whee!!!) and I managed to successfully use a twin needle for finishing.

My one major d'oh appeared when I went to sew in the zipper. I somehow made one pocket a good half inch taller than the other. Oops!

Now, if you just take the evidence of this often neglected blog, I haven't been doing much making this summer. On the contrary, I just haven't been finishing much this summer. Making and finishing this hoodie in one afternoon has really kicked my "must finish stuff" drive into gear. Either that or I just need to start documenting my WIPs. I'll try to get on one of those soon.

Weekend Sewing: D'oh! Meh. WooHoo!

2011-07-17T20:22:00.000-06:00

This weekend I was sewing, as I often am, and had a project bomb, one that's wearable but uninspiring, and one that I'm really happy with.

D'OH

This is actually the second attempt to use this fabric. I salvaged enough from the first failure to cut the pieces for a button down shirt. I used the pattern from Sew U. I had success with it the first time I used it so I merrily was on my way cutting the pieces and getting ready to sew.

When I got to the collar stand I ran into a glitch. I don't know if I cut the body pieces too big or the collar & stand too small but either way, the collar stand & collar are at least 2 inches too small for the neck opening.

D'oh.

Oh, and did I mention I used every last square centimetre of the fabric for the pieces I cut out?

I think I can salvage it by completing the shirt without a collar. I'm thinking more like a U-neck and just hem the opening. (hem? that's not the right word for the neck opening) For the time being it's in time out. If I can't salvage it the fabric will be used for something else along the way. I really like the plaid.

Meh.

When I realized the first shirt was a d'oh I pulled out a light weight knit print I had found in the clearance section of Fabricland a few weeks ago. I decided to go with the t-shirt pattern I had success with earlier this summer and got going. It's wearable but there's something I'm not totally thrilled with.

I haven't finished the hem and I want to re-do the elastic in the sleeves. The fabric was really slippery for some reason and I found myself frustrated with it. It's a really nice weight though and I think I'll finish it up tonight or tomorrow.

WooHoo!

Another skirt! This is exactly what I pictured when I found this lightweight cotton in Fabricland a couple of months ago. It had this beautiful embroidered edge and I immediately saw a skirt.

I drafted a simple 4 panel skirt using math that even I can do. I've used this technique before to make a 6 panel skirt. Please to enjoy my fancy diagram created in my word program.

There are many tutorials online, some of them even have pictures AND descriptions and weren't created in a word program that has no business doing illustrations!

I lined the skirt with the un-embroidered half of the fabric width. The skirt was a bit thin and I didn't want to bother with a slip when I wear it.

I'm fairly proud of the zipper as it's enclosed between the skirt and lining. It's not terribly neatly sewn mind you, but it is enclosed between the skirt and lining and that is the accomplishment we are focusing on.

I still somehow managed to make the waist too big. I seem to do this with any skirt that doesn't have an elastic waist. Better than too small but it sits a bit too low. Overall I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

You may have noticed the sudden obsession with skirt making (I have another one I haven't shown you yet). My office-mate & I had challenged ourselves to wear a skirt at least once a week for the summer. It's a little out of the ordinary for me to wear skirts but I'm finding that I quite like them for work in the summer. I realize this is old news to most of you but I'm generally a jeans & t-shirt kinda girl.

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I have to travel for work this week. I normally don't leave my office but I need to go to Houston to train someone in our office there to do my job. Well, not my job but how to do the job that I do. You know what I'm trying to say. I'm glad for the change but a bit nervous about going. I'm pretty much a hermit lately and I'm always nervous meeting new people.

Also, I live in Calgary. It was 26 Celsius (79F) today and people were talking about how sweltering hot it is. I have lived in hot/humid before but to go from not-humid/barely-hot to really hot/extremely humid in one day will be... uh... challenging I'm sure. The hotel has a pool, where I hope to spend most of my time while not in the office. (Houston, you are welcome in advance for the visual of my awesome shorts-tan)

I'll only be there for 3 days so any amount of low-grade worrying is seriously unnecessary but there you have it. I won't be able to sew (obviously) so I'm planning to take a sock to knit. I'm travelling with a coworker and I'm sure she would be mortified if I had anything larger to work on. I expect I'll be reading a lot on the flight/trip also. Anyone have any good book recommendations? I've been on a spy-novel kind of kick but would be open to suggestions if you've read something really engrossing.

Wow, long post. Okay so hope you all had a great weekend. Oh, and thank you for your comments on the last couple of posts. (I haven't fully worked out how to reply to people yet and sometimes I can't find an email address when people comment from a different blogging platform.) It really is encouraging.

Swing Skirt

2011-07-10T19:35:00.001-06:00

I'm a little late on the Alabama Stitch Book bandwagon. This skirt was making the blog rounds a couple of years ago (I think) and I loved it then but didn't get the book until this spring. I love the style of Alabama Chanin's designs and this skirt is no exception.

The skirt (if you are unfamiliar with the project having just been introduced to the internet or something) is made by stencilling the design and then using reverse applique, entirely by hand. I was nervous about it. All that stitching was relaxing and quite satisfying, but what if it didn't fit! It took weeks -- mostly because I would work on it for a bit and then leave it for a few days.

I'm happy to say it fits perfectly. Imagine here my enormous sigh of relief when I tried it on last night!

I used fabric from 2 different jersey sheet sets (my go-to for inexpensive t-shirt material) and acrylic paint mixed with a fabric medium for the stencil. I may have over-done it with how much I stencilled. I like how it looked but it took a long time to stitch. Next time (oh yes, I'm planning another) I'll do much less stencilling.

At first I wasn't sure how I'd feel about hand-stitching the skirt together. It didn't seem very sturdy before I tried it. I was thinking I would use the serger to construct the skirt but in the end decided to hand-stitch it after all. It seemed right to complete it by hand after putting in all that time. I'm really surprised and pleased with how sturdy it feels.

The pattern calls for using fold-over elastic (FOE) for the waistband but I couldn't find any and was to impatient to order it. I ended up using a strip of matching jersey to make a waistband. I think I should have made the waistband an inch smaller but it will be fine for now. If it stretches out I think I can put in some elastic.

I played around with different stitches to attach the waistband. The last thing I wanted, after spending all this time making the skirt, was to have the waistband stitches snap when I wore it! I ended up going with this herringbone stitch I found online (I can't remember where, sorry). It is really stretchy and was relatively easy to stitch. I stitched the waistband to the skirt and then did another round of herringbone to tack the seam to the waistband.

This is easily the most comfortable piece of clothing I've ever made and the most time-consuming. I love how it's casual and special at the same time - if I may pat myself on the back a bit!

Vintage Leather Jacket Bag

2011-07-04T18:19:00.000-06:00

I keep forgetting to post projects I've completed in the last few months. I have another one for you today, one of my favorites.

I was rolling this idea in my mind for almost a year, since I made my first leather jacket bag. About a month ago it clicked in my brain and I stopped by Value Village on my way home from work. (Pro Tip: Pronounce Value Village with a bad French accent so you're fancy) I found the perfect 70's jacket and made my way home. And forgot to take a before picture, of course. d'oh.

I used the back of the jacket for the body of the bag. I ended up adding a band around the top to give the bag more depth.

The jacket had a band across the back at the waist and vertical seams along the whole length of the back. The waistband was exactly the width I wanted for the bottom and the vertical seams add detail to the bag.

It's nice and slouchy without being too floppy. If that makes any sense. I made the strap long so the bag can be worn cross body, which I love. I am far too clumsy to wear a bag on my shoulder while shopping for groceries. I end up knocking stuff off shelves or dropping my bag. You think I'm exaggerating but... yeah no, I'm that clumsy. Ask my office mate.

It's lined with some random stripey fabric from my stash. I used a magnetic snap to hold it closed and added some pockets for functionality. It has a great "Dad's old leather jacket" smell (and surprisingly no "gross Value Village" smell!) and has that creaky old leather jacket sound.

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I took an extra day off today. (4 day weekend! woo!) After a couple of errands I headed down to Fish Creek Park for a walk and to sit by the creek to read.

I love that Calgary has these places within the city where not only can you not see the city but you can't even hear any traffic or anything.

I didn't stay as long as I had planned, too much pollen & fluff from the trees. My allergies are bad this year and I was getting miserable. On my way walking back out to my car I nearly stepped on an 18" long garter snake (gah I just gave myself the willies thinking about it). I have a teeny tiny thing about snakes. I'm not scared of them but they just give me the creeps. This one was tiny and still icked me out. I'm sure I scared it more than it creeped me out though. I swear it jumped when it saw me. (which just gave me goosebumps in my hair) (I'm sure you're *surprised* there are no pictures of the snake).

Wow got myself off on a diversion there.

When I got home I had the best surprise though: One of my tomato plants has an actual real live tomato growing on it! woo! success (well, a harbinger of success).

Last year I only had 2 tomatoes on 2 plants all summer. My strawberries are actually producing this year too so I'm really looking forward to those as well.

Happy 4th of July to any Americans out there (and belated Happy Canada Day! to my fellow Canucks).

PANTS!!!

2011-06-28T20:05:00.000-06:00

I keep forgetting I have a new camera and consequently keep forgetting to post finished projects. D'oh. So, without further ado...

Oh, and, anyone visiting from a place where "pants" means something other than "trousers"... I'm referring to "trousers" here. Adjust your vocabulary accordingly for the duration. :)

PANTS!!! (the all-caps & triple exclamation mark is indicative of my excitement and disbelief over being able to make PANTS!!!)

First up:
I decided to be smart (*cough*for once*cough*) and made a muslin of the pattern before I cut into my "good" fabric. I had just enough of a light weight denim from a thrifted duvet cover to make a pair of pants from the Sew U book.

(I'm sure my neighbors wondered what I was doing standing in the shrub outside my apartment)

The original pattern had a quite wide flare at the bottom. I ended up taking them in 3 inches at the hem and angled up the leg. (my terminology here is noticeably lacking. What's the word for when you work the alteration into the original pattern line? brain empty)

I made the large size which fits me pretty much perfectly. The original pattern is a bit long from the waist to crotch but other than that they fit exactly how I wanted. I've worn these a few times and they haven't fallen apart nor have I felt like I was wearing "homemade" pants. (as opposed to "handmade" pants.)

On to the "good" fabric:

sorry for the wrinkly photo. I mean photo of wrinkly pants. This was after wearing them all day

Changes I made from my muslin:
-made the pants capri length ~~because I stupidly cut the fronts a full inch shorter than the backs~~ as a design choice. I gave them 2 1/2 inch cuffs which are tacked down at the seams.
-shortened the waist to crotch length by 1 inch
-changed the patch pockets to (again what's the word...?) inside pockets. These were an experiment as I didn't have a pattern for them. I'm happy with them but they aren't ideal. Lessons learned for next time

Overall I'm so excited about having made both of these pairs of PANTS!!! and I definitely will be making more. I really like this pattern but I'd be interested in any pattern suggestions if you have them.

Finally a success!

2011-06-14T19:29:00.000-06:00

My camera died a few weeks ago which is my latest excuse for the lapse in blogging... Finally got a new camera so I'll try get caught up and post stuff I've been making in the camera blackout.

I've been experimenting with making t-shirts ever since I got my new baby (serger) with varying success. They've technically been shirts and have fit mostly but nothing that I really wanted to wear. This past weekend I decided to try a different pattern. I picked up New Look 6807 and, with the help of a really rainy Saturday, I finally ended up with a shirt I wanted to wear.

Having not had great success to date I made a muslin using jersey from a t-shirt sheet. The pattern was easy to follow and I loved how it turned out.

(about an hour after taking this picture I ended up splashing cooking oil (cold) on the shirt! d'oh. I need to try to get it out with dish soap or something)

The pattern has a split & tie at the top of the back but I didn't want that so I cut the back on the fold (removing 5/8" from the pattern piece for the seam allowance). I loved how it fit and decided to try with my "real" fabric.

(more about the pants later)(I made PANTS!!!)(need to get better pictures of the PANTS!!!)(I think of them in all caps with 3 exclamation marks because I can't believe I made PANTS!!! that I can wear. You understand)

Overall I love this shirt. My only quibble is that the neck is pretty wide and the tops of the sleeves slide down on my shoulders a bit. I think for my next attempt I'll gather the entire top of the back instead of just the 2 small spots where the pattern outlined.

Ribbed open cardigan

2011-05-15T18:24:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited with how this turned out! It's the first item of clothing I've made with knits (ribbing actually) that I will wear.

(forgive the terrible quality of the photos. My camera has been on its last legs for a while.)

I altered the crew-neck t-shirt pattern from Sew U: The Home Stretch to copy a jersey cardigan I bought last winter.

It's not perfect, the sleeves are a bit too wide at the top and I'm not happy with my sewing in spots but BUT... it's a wearable garment. And it's almost exactly what I had pictured when I was working on it.

I serged the seams (love my new baby!) and sewed the hems with a double needle on my regular machine to mimic coverlock. (I think that's the right terminology) I found the ribbing harder to work with than I expected as it pulled out of shape in places when I was cutting but didn't realize until I went to sew it up. I managed to work it out but lesson learned there.

(the most accurate picture of the color)

I'm not a big fan of off white/white clothing for myself. I have a tendency to spill like a 2 year old with a plate of spaghetti. I am thinking about dyeing the cardigan but I'll see how I feel about it going forward. I have enough of this fabric left to make another one I think so maybe I'll dye the leftover instead.

Next up: the hoodie from Sew U and a pair of pants. I find it fascinating that the craft-center of my brain turns almost exclusively to sewing/fabric when spring comes around. Anyone else?

Wrist rest cover

2011-05-13T20:00:00.001-06:00

So... Every day at work I get annoyed at the vinyl covered wrist cushion I have on my keyboard tray. The vinyl cracked at one point and was scratching my wrist so I covered the spot with electrical tape. Then the electrical tape started annoying me as much as the crack in the vinyl and... You see where this is going.

(i also need to make a new ironing board cover it appears)

For weeks I wished I had a different cover on it. I finally had enough the other day and brought the wrist rests (hard to say) home.

Muuuuch better. The long rest is covered with scraps from a thrifted sheet so it's very smooth & soft to the touch. The mouse rest is covered with scraps from one of Amy Butler's (I think) prints -- I don't remember the line or anything. It was from a bag I made my friend (which, now that I think of it I'm not sure if I ever blogged - I'll have to see if I have any pictures).

Hope you all have a nice weekend. I think the spring/summer sewing bug has set in rather solidly so I imagine I'll end up sewing at least part of the time. Hopefully I'll have something to show for it at the end!

(nearly) Wordless Wednesday: Embroidery

2011-05-04T12:13:00.000-06:00

this is (obviously) not the wordless part.

I keep seeing "Wordless Wednesday" posts on blogs I read/stalk and I love them. This morning it occured to me this might be a good way for me to post when I have pictures but nothing much to say about them. (am brilliant, no?) I'll see how frequently this happens but I kind of like the idea.

okay, after this is the wordless part.

*********************************************

My new baby

2011-05-02T20:05:00.000-06:00

I took the day off today. I haven't had many extra days off over the past year so I wanted to make it worthwhile. So I slept in (slightly. woke up at 7:30 for no particular reason), cleaned out the closet of doom, cleaned up my patio area, went to vote and then did what I was really really excited about.

I went to the sewing machine store where I ended up talking to a really great salesperson who explained the machines (and didn't talk down to me! Refreshing! It's kind of sad that I've gotten so used to bad service, lack of interest, or condescension from sales people that I almost expect it. Is that just me?) It was so nice to talk to someone who knew what she was talking about and helped me figure out what I needed that fit my budget. Yay!

Meet my new baby:

I brought her home, set her up (by which I mean I took her out of the box and plugged her in. She was pre-threaded!) and started to serge a big pile of scraps - so much fun!

After about a half hour of scrap-serging I started thinking that I would like to try making a t-shirt. I pulled out Wendy Mullin's Sew U Home Stretch and started flipping through it. I thought maybe I should wait a bit until I feel more comfortable with the machine, but then I realized: I feel more comfortable than I expected already and what better way to learn to do something than by just doing it? (well, other than brain surgery or something like that).

So I dug out a t-shirt sheet I had in my stash (I've bought a few sets of t-shirt sheets when I find them on sale. The fabric is probably not the finest quality but it's a LOT of yardage for not a lot of cash). An hour and a half later (with pauses to get supper started) I had a very simple roll-edged t-shirt.

I'm not going to model it for you, it's not super flattering. But it does fit and it was excellent practice. I think I'll dye it and probably end up just wearing it around home or maybe as a sleep shirt.

The seams are so fascinating to me. I just cant get over how well this machine works. I kept thinking "is this really how easy it is? Am I really almost done making this?" Next time I'm going to attempt a more complicated construction with a hem & neck band.

Thank you ALL for your advice on the machine. I wrote a list of features based on your comments and brought it with me to the store. It made me feel just a little bit more prepared and I think helped make this such a positive buying experience for me. I chose the Janome for several reasons, not the least of which was the fact that it was about half the price of the cheapest Babylock (which was my original first choice).

Now I need to find good sources for knits. I can see myself making a lot of t-shirts in the future. I wear them a lot (every day) and would love to fine-tune and tweak the pattern I used. I don't know if there are any places locally where I could find good knits for not a lot of cash. Fabricland has some stock but it's never very appealing. Anyone local have any ideas? Or online (preferably Canadian so I don't have to deal with customs fees)?

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T17:32:00.000-06:00

I hope you're all having a nice Easter weekend. I had a good weekend in spite of a cold that I thought for sure I had avoided. It was really bad Friday but by Saturday it was just a cough and I was fine for Easter dinner with my brother, his wife & kids and his wife's family. I love those guys (all, the in-law & all) so it was a really nice day for me.

I made the little bunnies above for my nephews & niece. I found the pattern here (The printable pdf is for a pre-printed piece that you can iron onto fabric. I just used it for the pattern outline.) I used some fuzzy fleece from store-bought fleece blankets for the ones at the top.

I first had made two bunnies for my friend's daughters out of quilting cotton. I was going to do this for my nephews & niece but I didn't have any *ehem*manly*ehem* cotton to use for the boys' bunnies, hence the fuzzy fleece.

The bunnies (and the chocolate and other goodies) were a huge hit, and, best of all, were super simple to make. Just a small amount of fabric, some stuffing and about 20 minutes (trace, cut, sew, stuff, stitch up, done).

*****************************

Thanks for all the comments & great serger advice. I plan to start looking/testing this week and will definitely let you all know what I get and when.

Getting back up on the horse.

2011-04-17T20:58:00.001-06:00

Has it really been 4 months since I've posted? I thought it was only a couple. Hmm.

So... It's been a while. I've been composing blog posts in my head for weeks, well, probably for months actually, but just never posted. Some things happened and I kind of felt knocked around for a while and then it just got to be one of those things where the longer you don't do something the harder it is to just DO it. So here it is. Nothing spectacular, nothing earth shaking, just getting back up on the horse and diving in. Probably not while on the horse. (Although, remember that movie? About the diving horse? Did I dream that? Too lazy to IMDB right now.)

I'll do this in list form if that's okay with you. A lot of this is just rambling or life-catch-up. There will be pictures later on so you can skip ahead if you want.

1. Christmas was quiet and kind of strange this past year (yes I'm going back that far. Sorry). I didn't have any family nearby and The Boy was only here for a couple of days over Christmas. I've spent Christmases away from family before but that was when I was overseas. This was very strange for me. I was able to Skype with one brother & his family on Christmas Eve which was pretty much the highlight.

2. In January I had to have a "procedure" to try to find some answers for stomach pains & related issues I had all last winter (that would be 09/10. It took 10 months to get a specialist appointment and then another 3 months to get the appointment for the "procedure"). I call it a "procedure" because I didn't really want to think about what it really was. It wasn't anything serious and it wasn't that big a deal. They didn't find anything but the pain is nowhere near as bad as it had been so... I'll call that a win.

3. In February The Boy ended our 4+ year relationship. I tried to figure out a different way to write that but there it is. That's what happened. It wasn't a total surprise, if I'm being 100% honest but it wasn't what I wanted. There was no big fight or drama, nothing that would cause any hatred or anything. I'm okay (now) and strangely he meant it when he said he wants us to remain friends. I still see him every couple of weeks and we text/email a few times a week. So there's that.

(For anyone who's ever read this blog and thought I meant a son when I wrote "The Boy", sorry for the confusion. Definitely not my son. I don't have any kids (the Boy would add "that you know of" which has been his running joke with me for 6 years)(sigh). )

(I didn't set out to write a month-by-month account but I guess that's what I ended up doing)

4. I have been knitting/sewing/making stuff. I just haven't been taking many pictures. Let's blame the Northern Hemisphere/Winter for part of it, my dying camera for part of it and my lack of focus and near inability to actually finish anything for part of it.

BUT I did take a few pictures! And one of them is something that is finished! And I'll post them now! As a reward! for making it this far in this long boring post! Exclamation mark!

First: In progress knitting:

Pattern: Cerisara by Bonne Marie Burns
Yarn: Sirdar Breeze

We finally had some warm weather in March* and I got to wishing I had a light weight cotton cardigan for work. I have a couple of cotton cardigans that are in heavy worsted weight cotton blends but wanted something a bit lighter. Next thing I knew I had this downloaded and an actual swatch knitted. I know! a swatch! me!

I think I can probably have this finished by the time it warms up again. If it ever warms up again.**

Second: In progress Embroidery (gasp I know! Embroidery! Me!)

I'm just gonna take a minute to toot my own horn here***. I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever done any embroidery beyond a running stitch or something for a doll face. I've had these printed pillowcases in my "make this someday" pile for about a year (i think. a long time anyway) and kept imagining that one day I'd find the courage to try learning embroidery. Turns out the easiest way to learn it is to actually DO it (as opposed to leaving all the supplies in a box).

Thanks to numerous online sources and inspired by Wild Olive's focus on beginner embroidery right now, I was inspired this morning. I'm 99% sure I'm not doing it all correctly but, as I always tell new knitters, it's embroidery and I like it so it's right.

I have a lot more to do (and then a whole 2nd pillowcase) but I'm really enjoying it. Who knew embroidery was so relaxing?**** I had such a nice quiet morning just stitching away.

Third: Ruby Lou doll

Pattern: Ruby Lou from Sew Much Ado.
Materials: stash. All stash.

I love love love how this little doll turned out. I think there will be at least 2 more of these in my future and maybe more after that. The pattern is well done and the finished doll is just so cute. This little one hasn't made it to her new home yet but will shortly. I hope my niece likes her.

5. I heard on Friday that our bonuses for 2010 were approved (i won't get into that bit of stress*****). I have plans for most of the bonus to go into savings BUT I decided to treat myself to a serger. I've wanted one for years and just didn't feel like I could justify it. I know I would get lots of use from it though so it's time.

So I'd like to know from you, dear patient and wonderful reader (you look pretty today by the way), if you have a serger or any advice and/or recommendations. I don't know what I should be looking for or what I really would need or just like to have. I want to make t-shirts and stuff but I know there are many other uses beyond just sewing stretch material. I don't know for sure what my budget will be but I'll do some research and if you have recommendations it will help me narrow things down.

Whew! You made it! Congratulations. That was a long post full of random bits and pieces. I won't make any promises but I really do want to get into a habit of posting more regularly.

And now I think I need to test one of the cookies I made today. For safety reasons of course.

*the warm weather was really nice. I think it got up to 20C at one point.
**since the time of the warm weather we've had over 50cm of snow. That's 19 inches. I'm not exaggerating. We had 20+cm in 24 hours a few weekends ago and then another 22+/-cm on Wednesday. There have been numerous other days with accumulations over 10cm. I'm ready to move to a warmer/less snow-prone climate. Anyone need a housesitter/roommate in the deep south?
***"toot my own horn"? what am I, 80?
****who knew? uh, probably anyone who has ever tried it. Rosie Grier knew.
*****work will be 90% easier after Monday because Monday is Wen-Shu****** comes back from maternity leave day! Happy Dance! I baked these cookies to celebrate tomorrow
******Wen-Shu, you may recall, is my dear friend/office-mate/only-other-person-who-knows-how-to-do-my-job who was on maternity leave the past year. So for a year I have had no coverage, no consistent help when I was extremely busy, no one to cover so I could take a vacation... etc. You get the picture. So, I'm beyond excited that she'll be back tomorrow

"All you have to do is..."

2010-12-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

yarn ball wreath - nothing to do with this post but I made it a month ago, haven't shown you yet, and wanted a picture for this post

Last night while talking with The Boy I mentioned that I had one friend I wouldn't see until long after Christmas so there wasn't any great pressure to get her gift finished. In fact, I told him, I wasn't 100% sure what her gift would be. I was pretty sure I was going to make her socks (Skew from Knitty) but I might make her a scarf (Saroyan possibly) or maybe an apron or something for the kitchen.

The Boy, unfamiliar as he is with the brain of a knitter even after all these years, was astounded. "Is there ever going to be a year when you've completed your Christmas gifts more than 72 hours before Christmas?"

He then came up with a solution for this issue that, if I were to apply it (according to him) would solve all of my time troubles. I thought I would share it with you, dear crafting friends, so you too may ~~laugh yourself silly~~ benefit from his wise council.

Here it is. You ready?

"All you need to do is: make a list NOW for next Christmas and then all year long you can make the items on the list and ONLY the items on the list. So in June when you want to knit something different you can see you're not done the list so you just knit what's on the list instead."

(at this point I started to laugh, basking in his wisdom as I was)

"But," interjected I, "what if I come across something better suited for that person in between now and Christmas?"

The Boy's solution: "Put it on the next year's list. Sure you may end up making Spiderman footie pajamas for a 14 year old. 'Sorry nephew I wanted to put these on my list in 2011 but they got bumped to 2019" but you will be sticking to your list and you will be ahead for Christmases to come."

It was around this point that I began having trouble breathing I was laughing so hard and I discovered that the new yoga DVD I had been trying must be working on my abs more than I thought.

So, dear friends, there you have it. All of your Christmas time crunch troubles resolved thanks to the time management advice of The Boy.

Hope you are all enjoying the lead up to Christmas (if you celebrate it) and not stressing over any of your preparations.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Wool Plaid Purse

2010-11-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

I've had this idea for a new purse knocking around my head for a while now. This weekend I finally went to Value Village to get my "material" so I could go from this:

to this:

The coat seems to be from the 70s or so but I could be wrong on that. The label seemed really old anyway. Deconstructing the coat was really interesting, in the most dorky way possible. I'm pretty sure it was constructed by a tailor, not a sweatshop (or similar) as the details were really precise. The interfacing in the front and lapels was burlap and cotton and there was a lot of hand stitching tacking the interfacing in, or the overlap for the welts. The matching on the plaid was especially impressive. I didn't even notice it until I started cutting into the coat:

I actually felt a little bad taking it apart when I realized how well-made it was. Obviously I didn't feel bad enough to stop or change my plan but...

It's a basic tote type bag with a lining with pockets. I rounded the corners on the bottom and used a very short shoulder strap so it would slouch in the center when carried. The shoulder strap and tab closure are leftover leather from my purse I made from a leather coat. The tab closure has a magnetic snap to keep the bag from gaping open. I used a lightweight woven fusible interfacing on both the outer and lining fabrics which now I'm not sure I needed as it makes it a little stiff. I think it will hold up better this way in the long run though so I'm glad I used it.

The only thing I'm still not sure of is whether I should have inserted a gusset for the sides/bottom to give me more room. I think it probably looks more polished this way as I would (will) be likely to carry a bunch of stuff with me and would have done more so with more room in the bag.

In all I'm really happy with it. It's almost exactly what I had imagined. It was one of those mornings when I wake up with an idea and I don't stop until it's done. It's always nice when those ideas come on days when I actually can work on the idea!

Now back to Christmas gift knitting... What are you all (all y'all?) working on? I may need ideas and would love to hear what everyone else is making.

Classic Cardigan

2010-10-26T07:12:00.000-06:00

This post should come with a warning: Do not operate heavy machinery while viewing this post. Do not attempt complex calculations while viewing this post.

I've been mentally referring to this cardigan as the World's Most Boring Knit for some time now. Miles and miles and miles and miles and miles of stocking stitch knit in fingering (sock) weight yarn on US 5 needles. Good for TV watching, bad for attention holding.

But, alas, I present to you my new favorite knit. It's cozy, it's plain, it will go with pretty much everything... Which are pretty much my only criteria for any clothing I own. High fashion folks, High Fashion.

yarn Mill ends mystery yarn. It is very similar to Patons Kroy Socks and I think that's probably what it is but it was sold by the pound in unmarked bags which sounds far more sketchy and intriguing than it was.
pattern Classic Lines Cardigan from Knit Picks
mods Substituted sock weight yarn for double stranded lace weight; added ribbed button bands; tacked down steeked edges to create a facing

As boring as all the knitting was (and by boring I mean: easy, no-thinking knitting) once it was off the needles it got interesting.

The yarn is wool but its sock yarn and non-felting. I ended up machine sewing my steeks out of fear that any crocheted steek wouldn't hold (it probably would have held but I was paranoid). I managed to sew the steeks without distorting the fabric which felt like a victory. I took several deep breaths, got out my sharp pointy scissors and cut the steek before I could chicken out. Now I was left with a ragged mess on the cut edges.

I picked up and knit 1x1 ribbed button bands (the pattern calls for a band that is knit in stocking stitch and folded back to form a facing. no buttons). I had planned to hand sew in a length of grosgrain ribbon to cover the cut edge. While I was trying to figure out the best way to do that I was frustrated that the cut edge kept rolling under and I couldn't get it to lay flat. Then I realized the rolled edge looked like a finished facing and... voila!

I tacked the steek to the cardigan to form a facing and it's perfect. It has a little bit of bulk but the knit fabric is fairly thin so it's not unwieldy. If the yarn was any heavier weight this likely wouldn't have worked. As it is, it provides stability at the button band edges.

After it was all knit and finished I started digging through my button jar. I put button holes fairly close down the front and ended up with 12 in total. I have in my possession approximately 7,000,000 buttons but I couldn't find 12 that fit the following criteria: match each other, match the sweater, right size. So, much to The Boy's amusement (he thinks the very existence of the button jar is ridiculous), I had to buy buttons for my cardigan.

The cardigan actually turned out a bit big in the arms and the neck band. It was liveable but I figured maybe a wash would help sort that out. The yarn also smelled REALLY strongly of wool and a slight chemical smell (even after 4+ months of knitting). I knew the yarn wouldn't felt so, gathering my bravery ~~(and stupidity)~~ I put the cardigan in a mesh laundry bag and (you may want to be sitting down for this) I threw it in the wash. Yes. In the washing MACHINE.

It came through the wash with no issues, the tacked down steeks held beautifully. It had grown in the wash so I (yes, you should stay sitting down for this) threw it in the dryer.

Sometimes bravery~~/stupidity~~ pays off. The sweater shrunk just a touch in the right spots. The facings and hems puffed up a bit which was odd but a quick blast of steam from the iron put them all back into shape. I can't believe that worked and I can't believe I even tried it. I don't think I'll do that again soon!

Chevron Cushion

2010-09-26T20:45:00.000-06:00

You know how sometimes you get the itch to make something and you keep thinking about it and mentally working on it until you just get it out of your system?

I've been obsessed with the chevron striped pillow that Dana at Made posted. I kept seeing it pop up on all the Craft link sites I follow.

The thing is, bold brightly colored striped home furnishings are really not me. That didn't make any difference, I just kept thinking about it.

I finally just broke down, dug out the striped fabric remnant I had from Ikea and gave it a go.

I was playing around with the strips and really liked how it looked with the dark/light bands offset. It's still not very "me" but I really like it.

I didn't have enough of the striped fabric to do both sides, so the back is a simple white cotton with overlapping edges (envelope style? brain not working). The cushion is 12"x17" (ish) and I made a little cushion to put inside.

At the moment it's on my couch where it clashes emphatically. But... I'm so glad I gave in and made it!

Birthday Play Mats

2010-09-25T13:55:00.001-06:00

Crafting for boys is always a bit tricky (as those of you who are parents of boys would know) so I was super excited to come across these play mats (and here) on Serving Pink Lemonade. My twin nephews turned 5 in August and I thought these would be perfect for them.

Now, if you've been around here a while you may know that I have a tendency to over think things and frequently end up doing things the hard way. This was one of those times.

I decided to make 3 mats for each of the boys: one town for driving cars, one landscape for playing with dinosaurs and one street scene for playing with Spider Man (one nephew is slightly obsessed with Spider Man).

I sketched my plans and quickly decided I wanted to make them 11" x 17" and foldable. I started out with felt but after many attempts I gave up. I kept envisioning painted fabric for the backgrounds. I had some heavy weight cotton canvas from an old couch cover that was perfect for this project.

After painting I added details to each with felt cutouts sewn to the painted canvas. I backed each one with some lightweight denim (forgot to take a picture of it). I made binding strips and sewed it on by machine (which took 5 or 6 false starts before I was happy with it)(oy).

I'm really happy with how they turned out. I found tubes of tiny dinosaurs, Hot Wheels cars & Spider Man figures that are all the perfect sizes (and they were all on sale for really cheap! score!) to go with the mats.

And, to further demonstrate how I can't ever just let enough be enough, I made a tote bag for each boy to carry the mats folded and all the cars, dinos & Spider Man(s).

They're made out of a lightweight denim (the same as the back of the mats) with webbing straps. I cut the boys' initials out of felt and just sewed it on to the bags before sewing.

The package is on the way to them now, but my nephews don't read my blog (that I know of) so it should be okay to post this. :)

I haven't been very good at keeping up around here lately. Thank you all for the kind comments and for reading even when I'm not very good at posting regularly! I have pictures from summer projects and will try to get caught up over the next week or so.

As for today, we're finally supposed to have some nice weather so I'm going to try to get out there. While the rest of the continent seemed to be going through the hottest summer in a long time, Alberta had a cool, rainy summer. I heard that we had less than 15 days above 25C all summer long (last year during the same time period we had 46 days above 25C). The coming week's forecast for 20C weather is making me happy, even with the trees turning colors already. I have fall knitting projects in the works which I'll try to get in progress shots of soon.

Altered Cardigan

2010-08-12T23:22:00.000-06:00

For a long time now I've been thinking about making a cardigan with crocheted button bands out of one (or more) of my long sleeved t-shirts that are a bit too tight (ehem). On the August long weekend I came across the stash of no-longer-optimal-fit t-shirts and decided to give it a try.

I used a v-neck shirt with 3/4 length sleeves that I really liked but was a bit too small (don't have ANY idea how that happened)(ehem). I measured and drew a line down the center of the shirt and cut. Then I folded over about 1/4 inch and stitched a line of straight stitches to tack the facing down. I stitched a line of blanket stitch down each edge to give me a foundation for the crochet bands. I used some crochet cotton I had (I lost the label) in a color that in some lights is an exact match for the shirt.

I worked 6 rows of single crochet and then a scalloped edge. The crochet curled on the corners so I did a line of single crochet across the tops & bottoms to help tame it a bit. I added a button (from the stash I found in my Mom's knitting bag) which fits perfectly in the space in the scallop edge.

I'm really happy with how it turned out. I have plans to do another one or two. I love that I am able to extend my wearable wardrobe by reusing items I thought were no longer wearable.

Predictably the day after I completed this cardigan, I saw a similar project on one of the craft blogs! Does that happen to other people or just me? I find it really interesting that so many people can come up with the same basic idea (or variations on the same idea) independent of each other.

Mom's Knitting Bag

2010-08-06T07:07:00.000-06:00

This past weekend I needed to find something in my closet where I keep mostly craft stuff (aka "The Closet of Doom" or "Don't open that door!"). I ended up hauling everything out because I couldn't find what I was looking for. This led to me finding stuff I had forgotten about which led to ... let's just say it's like when you click on a link that takes you to another link and that takes you to another link and 4 hours later you can't figure out what you've been doing or how you got there.

Anyway, this impromptu cleaning out session unearthed a pile of t-shirts that were not good enough to give to Salvation Army but not icky enough to throw away (who am I kidding? "throw away?" nothing gets thrown away. Hence the Closet of Doom). I sorted through them pulling out shirts for a blanket project I had started (more on this soon, it's almost done) and set aside a couple to try making cardigans, which is something I've always had in my head to try. (more on this one soon too. Forgot to take pictures).

Anyway (i do this alot. sidetrack myself and then need to bring myself back around)... After all that, I needed a tiny crochet hook for the cardigan making. I knew there had been a set of teeny tiny steel hooks in my Mom's knitting bag so I had to go off on another search through the closet, the bag was in there but it hadn't turned up on the first go around. I eventually found the bag and the second I opened it... I burst into tears.

These are the knitting needles and crochet hooks I learned on. It was like a Mom museum exhibit, complete with the last thing she was knitting before she started deteriorating. I had myself a good cry and decided to document the contents. I want to try to find the pattern she was using for the baby sweater. I'm not sure if I have the yarn she was using (it's probably in the closet of doom) but I'll give it a shot.

Most of the knitting needles are in the old Canadian sizing (British? My stitch dictionary lists the sizes as "Canadian" meh, who knows). The huge needle at the top was for "Condo Knitting" which was apparently the rage at some point in time. (too lazy to google at the moment)

I learned to crochet with the colorful plastic hooks. The tiny ones were my Granny's I think. The wooden crochet hook was made by my Mom's Dad.

I'm pretty sure this teeny tiny hook would pierce skin. I kind of think I know that from experience...

8 red buttons, only 2 of which match. I think the pink buttons were intended for the project she was knitting. I have no explanation for the bag of eyes. I think she was making crocheted "worm" bookmarks or something. Maybe that's it.

Baby sweater WIP. I think this was probably intended for one of my 3 year old nieces when they were babies. It made Mom really sad and frustrated when she couldn't concentrate on knitting or crochet anymore. I would really like to finish this sweater for her if I can find the pattern & yarn.

Reverse Applique Bag

2010-07-16T08:10:00.000-06:00

I've been seeing these beautiful reverse applique items all over blog-land for a couple of years now and have been fascinated by them. I've always wanted to try the technique but have never felt very confident with my hand-stitching abilities.

Then I saw this tutorial by Beki at Artsy-Crafty Babe and was hooked. I thought about it all day at work yesterday. (I'm sure my employer appreciates that).

When I came home, I looked for the freezer paper I knew I had bought a couple of years ago. It wasn't where I thought it was, but a yardstick I had "lost" over a year ago was there. I have a corner in my apartment that I refer to as the "Bermuda Corner". I have lost more items in that corner in the years I've lived here than I can count. I live alone. How can these things keep going missing??

I eventually located the freezer paper (in a closet. who put that there?) and then couldn't find the t-shirts I had started cutting up for another project (that I haven't ever mentioned. I'm an excellent craft blogger, aren't I? yeeshk). This led to a complete overhaul of my sewing shelves to find the fabric (on the bottom) but now that area is tidy, so yay, bonus!

My paints were where I thought they were and the textile medium was exactly where I thought it was (because it had never been in the Bermuda Corner. Obvs.) so I got going on stenciling a simple design on my fabric. I decided to do a small bag (about 3" x 6" complete) so if my mad hand stitching skillz failed me it wouldn't be too big a write-off.

You know how you get a project idea in your head and you have to start it RIGHT THAT SECOND or you won't be able to concentrate on anything else? (Yeah, I know you do. That's why we all get along so well.) So I painted my design and then my brain went "Oh, wait. Paints are wet. This has to dry before any stitching can be done." and then my brain said "Huh? wait? no one said anything about waiting." and pouted for a while.

I used my hairdryer. I'm not ashamed to admit that.

Eventually it was dry and I got going on stitching. I'm not very good at even stitches by hand so it's very very very "homemade" as opposed to "charmingly handmade" but I am very happy with my first attempt at this process. (and I used the word "very" 5 times in that sentence so I'm sure my writing award is on its way, no?) I decided to complete the bag by hand, just to see if I could do it. I did a "charmingly handmade" (ha) wonky blanket stitch up both sides and turned the top edges under with a straight stitch to leave a casing for a draw string if I decide I want one.

I will definitely be attempting more of this technique. I love the finished look, and who would have guessed at the colors I pulled out for this practice bag? (ha. ehem). For now this is holding my sunglasses in my bag but I think it might end up seeing use as a sock-in-progress bag.

Nature/Nurture

2010-07-14T07:39:00.000-06:00

This morning as I was watering my plants I saw something in one of the pots.

What is that? Is that a...?

I think it IS a...

MUSHROOM. In my lily plant!

It's kind of cute though. I might leave it for a while. Until it grows big and not cute. Not sure how nature made it into my nurtured plant soil but...

True Confessions time: I hate hate hate mushrooms in/on/as food. I will politely eat them if they are in sauce or in something and it would be rude to pick them out but I have to tell my brain they are something else while eating them. Oddly, I think toadstools & mushrooms are quite pretty when in the wild. (note: a plant in a pot in my living room does not constitute "the wild")

To cleanse the visual palate, as it were: a picture of real nature, where it belongs.

The Sunday of the Canada Day Weekend (Canada Day would be July 1, for any non-Canadians) The Boy, his parents, his nephew & I went into Kananaskis in search of a suitable fishing spot. We had light rain/drizzle the entire day and eventually settled in at this lake that I forgot the name of and wow I'm so good at nature/travel blogging.

Thank you everyone who commented on the Bandana (banana?) Quilt! When I made it I was thinking "oh that's a bit Stampede-y" but then just went on with my life. Then about 1 minute after posting I realized how well timed that was, as we are in the middle of Stampede right now! Yee Haw. Bandana Quilt!

Bandana Quilt

2010-07-12T21:37:00.000-06:00

Everytime I type "Bandana" I see "Banana" even though I'm the one who typed it. So I keep seeing the caption as "Banana Quilt" and then I go to fix it and oh it's not wrong... aaaaand this is a little glimpse into the fun fun mind of Lori...

For a long time I wanted to try making a quilt using bandanas for the top. I kept putting it off but it was always in the back of my mind. When I finally got around to it, I ended up changing my plan quite a bit, using white cotton for sashing - my original plan was for the whole top to be bandanas. Mostly this was because I couldn't find as many different colors as I wanted while staying within a color palette that I liked. Now that it's done, I am quite happy with it.

This is the biggest quilt I've ever made. It's bi-i-i-ig. Queen size (pictured on a double bed). To make the quilt sandwich I had to move all the furniture to the sides and out of the main area of my very small living room. It's backed with a cotton sheet from Ikea which is a little boring, but my goal with the quilt was ~~cheap~~ thrifty quilting so I couldn't justify buying yardage for a queen sized quilt back.

If you look at the picture at the top you can see the quilting started getting a little (a lot) wonky on me. This is due to the fact that I was machine quilting a queen sized quilt on a 40 year old sewing machine on a table that is 3 feet by 2 feet. (that's the reason I'm sticking with and I can't hear you lalalala)

I love the binding. I used scraps from the western shirt I made last June. I had just enough to bind the quilt, which made me so very happy.

Predictably, finishing this quilt has just made me want to make more. I think I need a bigger table first. Or a bigger apartment.

Altered Flip Flops

2010-06-20T20:58:00.000-06:00

I have a few finished projects to post so I'll be spacing them out a bit. That way maybe i'll actually post more frequently!

Last weekend was The Boy's birthday. It was finally sunny and warm so we headed out to the Farmer's market in Millarville and then out to Kananaskis to hang out by the Highwood River for the afternoon.

It was such a great day just hanging out, reading, watching The Dog dig up rocks in the river and "accidentally" get into the current and drift down stream. He would happily have stayed in the river as far as it would take him but we didn't think that was such a good idea.

The next day was just as beautiful so I spent most of it sitting out on my little patio reading and enjoying the sun. I decided to work on something I could do outside so I pulled out the $4 flip flops I had picked up and some scraps of fabric and made these:

(Please to ignore the freaky looking feet)

The tutorial came from Alisa Burke. Mine didn't turn out as cool and random looking as the ones in the tutorial but I like them none the less. I think there will be more of these in my future.

So, that was last Sunday. We had a week of heavy rain and cool temps and then a sunny warm weekend again. I love when that happens. I finally got my plants and planted them (tomatoes, lettuce, peppers and some flowers -- i need to find some herbs and onions yet), so it is now officially Summer for me. (I guess since tomorrow is officially Summer on the calendar it's not just for me... hmm.)

I'll be back in a day or two with another finished project. oooh Anticipation!

Recycled Denim Quilt Top

2010-05-26T20:45:00.000-06:00

The Boy (who, for those of you who don't know me, is not my son) gave me a stack of old jeans that he was going to give to Salvation Army. He thought I might want to make something out of them. He knows me pretty well by now...

As soon as I saw them I pictured a quilt top made from the jeans. At first I had planned to just cut large pieces and sew them together. As I kept looking at the pile I decided to try a more traditional pieced quilt top. I knew I wanted each block to be oversized, so I started cutting 4 1/2 inch wide strips and began piecing them in a Log Cabin block.

I love how it turned out. It's both exactly what I was hoping for and way better than I had expected. I love how each pair of jeans contributed a different shade.

Now I need to work on my arm strength so I can finish it. This thing is H-E-A-V-Y! The finished quilt top is 80" x 80". I'm planning to make a quilt sandwich with a flannel sheet and a plain cotton backing. I think I'll end up tying it rather than attempting to machine quilt it. (see earlier comment re: weight of quilt and lack of arm strength)

Of course I have a The Boy comment about this project. When I was working on the blocks I had a stack of them on my sewing table. I pointed them out to the Boy and told him that's what became of the stack of jeans he had given me. He looked at them and said "Oh cool. What are you making? A dress?"

(he wasn't serious)(I hope)(the image of a majorly patchworked denim dress nearly did me in and I couldn't breathe for a while from the laughing)

Oh! Hi!

2010-05-12T22:08:00.000-06:00

So you know how sometimes you have something you're working on and you can't seem to get a good picture of it and then you finish and you think you should post it on your blog and then you forget and then 2 months go by and you still haven't posted and you're pretty sure that anyone who may have once read your blog is now long gone? No? Just me?

I'm going to just jump in here. No real reason I haven't posted... just... you know.

I finally got around to finishing the hexagon afghan I started, um, a year ago... I made the mistake of telling the Boy it was for him which led to weeks, well, really: months of him asking me "is my blanket done?" "are you working on my blanket?" "what's that you're knitting? is that my blanket?"

I'm really happy with how it turned out, and the Boy is too. I used up a lot (A LOT) of acrylic scraps. I forgot to count the hexs at the end but it's about 5' x 6' so... a lot.

When I finished I threw it in the wash since it had been sitting around for a year. It was then I found out that a few of the hexs were not acrylic but were in fact random wool that had snuck in. They felted.

Oh well. It adds "textural interest"... ehem.

I also finished another longtime WIP: The Leftover Blanket! This one is more than 2 years old. It's approximately 45" x 55" but I plan on trying to block it a bit bigger. Eventually. To be honest this one is less "Finished" and more "I'm never going to get the will power to make it any bigger than it is so I'm calling it done". The final round was on the needles for months.

It's a great lap blanket size and I can curl up under it when I'm truly curled up. It's all sock yarn so it's mostly wool and very warm. I'm really happy with the final look and I'm VERY happy to call this one done. Whew.

I have a funny email to share with you before I go. The Boy sent me this Monday morning. I was laughing so hard reading it I had tears in my eyes. He suggested I share it with my "Knitter friends"... silly the Boy! I was planning to all along!

From: The Boy
Sent: May 10, 2010 10:40 AM
To: Lori
Subject:

So you left your knitting in my house, no big deal I finished it off for you. Did a quick online seminar on how to knit. It’s quite easy, don’t know why it takes you so long to make this stuff. ANYWAY I didn’t have time to make the sweater with ‘arms’ or a ‘neck’ so I just kept on making the tube part…so it’s less like a sweater and more like a tube…like a tube top. Then I didn’t know how to finish, so I just cut the rope and grabbed the stapler and hammered 6-8 staples into the end so that it would not come apart when you wash it..then again I would not wash it. Oh I ran out of whatever that lousy color was that you were using, because you didn’t provide me with enough wool, so I found some other stuff (I think it said wool but it could have been bailing twine for all I could tell) and kept going. I think the colors match quite well, but that’s for you to decide. I again, didn’t know how to end one color and begin another so I just crazy glued the two together. No big deal but again, I would not wash it.

Anyway you’re welcome, and if I ever hear you complain about how long it’s taking to make something, I’ll know that you’re lying so don’t try to pull that crap on me.

Baby gifts

2010-03-19T06:51:00.000-06:00

I can finally show off what I made while I was on my mini-vacation. Woo! It was hard b/c the person I wanted to tell was the person it was for and I had to wait. (Why am I still being vague?) My friend Wen Shu is expecting her second girl. We were planning a surprise baby shower for her and her husband (he works with me too) at work so I had to keep quiet until then.

I bought 10 fat quarters in bright "girl" colors and cut 20 squares (don't remember the size). Then I cut and pieced the nine-patch squares using the idea of the "crazy nine-patch" (google produces many many results) but with my cuts not on an angle. I spent way more time than was probably necessary trying to ensure that no row had two of the same square but now that I look at the picture above I can see that I missed a pair. d'oh.

Sashing was from a white cotton sheet (from Ikea: cheap sheet, soft cotton); backing & binding were from a stash of girlie fabrics I acquired for cheap a few years ago. They all washed up really soft and cuddly.

I'm not one for "girlie" colors but I love this little quilt. It washed up nice and crinkly and soft. It was a big hit with Wen Shu and her husband.

But... the real crowd pleasers were to come:

Pattern: Cloth Shoe Pattern from Stardust Shoes. (look around her blog while you're there. Fun tutorials!) The pattern was straight forward and I love the finished shoes. I need to work on my patience for small project sewing however. Clumsiness and small pieces: not a great combo.

When I finished these I sent a pic to my friend out in BC with the subject: "The Most Ridiculously Cute Baby Shoes Ever".

But then I made the next ones and was to revise that title:

(all together now: awwwwwwwww!!!!)
Pattern: Saartje's Bootees (link to pdf)
Yarn: Sock weight leftovers from various projects.
Mods: I stitched the strap ends to the shoe rather than have buttons and button loops.

I know people don't like the seaming on this one but I found the seaming to be really quick (it's a tiny shoe). I love the finished result. So much so that I made another pair:

They won't fit baby for very long I'm sure but they sure are adorable.

Today is Wen Shu's last day at work before maternity leave. She and I work very closely and I will really miss her. We have gotten to be work-sisters and she is a very dear friend. I can't wait to meet her new little one though!

What I Did on My Mini-Vacation

2010-03-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been a little stressful at work so I decided to take a couple of days off. My friend/office-mate is going on maternity leave starting March 19. As there are only 2 people who know how to do our job (Wen-Shu and me) it will be a little difficult for me to take a real vacation over the next year so my plan is to take mini-vacations which should give me a break without making it too difficult at work.

Anyway... in photo essay form: here is how I spent my extended weekend/mini-vacation:

-experiment in faux batik dyeing. I first saw this idea on the Craftzine blog last week and obsessed about trying it all week. It works well, but I don't know how practical it would be for a large piece of fabric. (Instructions found here: http://thatartistwoman.blogspot.com/2008/07/kid-friendly-batik.html) I used a scrap of white cotton and some Rit dye. It washed out a lot (somehow I don't have a pic of the finished product).

-baked bread. Over the past year or so I have been discovering how much I enjoy baking bread. I inherited my Mom's Bosch Universal Machine (not sure if that's the proper name for it). For the last 15 years or so Mom always made her own bread and we all were the happy recipients of it. Since we cleaned out Mom's house in August, her Bosch machine has been in regular use as has her bread recipe.

-sewing a secret project for my friend Wen-Shu's baby. She occasionally visits here (GET BACK TO WORK WEN-SHU!!!)(hahahaha) so I'll only give you a glimpse of the secret. This sewing gave me such a feeling of accomplishment and stress relief, this alone was a vacation for my brain.

(full project details & pictures to come when the gift has been given)

-more baking. Onion studded hamburger buns this time. I used this recipe from Coconut & Lime. These buns are so delicious and sturdy without being tough. I made pulled pork in the slow cooker today (but forgot to take a picture) and these were perfect for pulled pork sandwiches.

I feel sad that my mini-vacation is over now but I am so glad I decided to take the time off. I needed a break. I needed to just sew and bake and read and... breathe. Here's hoping I can continue to breathe when I get back to work.

Closing Ceremonies

2010-02-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

Wow, that went by way too fast! I did intend to post more during the Olympics but... I didn't. Things got in the way, which also explains why I didn't achieve my Olympic knitting goal either. I had my final project for my class, which I probably put a bit more into than was necessary but it was successful all in all. The Boy moved into his new house (and expected me to help. the nerve.)(haha)... and I got caught up in it all. I didn't get much knitting done the whole first week of the olympics.

I did finish one pair, one and 3/4 socks.

Pair #1

(also: no batteries for my camera so all photos are phone pictures... sorry)

Pattern: Skew from Knitty
Yarn: Jawoll Silk from Lang yarns
Mods: none. I love these socks. The whole time I was knitting the first one I kept trying to figure out how on earth the designer would even have thought of the process. The construction is so unique and, really, crazy. But good-crazy, you know? The socks fit great and the knitting wasn't difficult--just needed to pay attention now and then.

(you would not believe the contortions necessary to take a picture of the back of one's own foot with a camera phone)

Pair #2

Pattern: None: Basic top down ribbed sock
Yarn: Patons Kroy Sock
There is only one completed... um... not sure what to say about that. I started this one so I could have something mindless to knit while watching exciting Olympic events so I didn't have to worry about missing something on my Skew Socks.

Pair #3

Yarn: Knit Picks sock blank dyed during opening ceremonies. The red is a much deeper red than shown in this picture.
Pattern: Basic toe-up foot, the heel from the Glacier Lake Toe Up Sock, and a alternating rib (8 rounds k2, p2 and 8 rounds p2, k2)

There is a lot of yarn in the sock blanks! I'm going to keep knitting these to see how tall the sock ends up. I probably could have gotten 2 whole pairs from one sock blank.

So, I didn't meet my Knitting Olympic goals, but I think that is how these Olympics were for many athletes from around the world. You train and prepare and visualize your goal and still you can have a crash or the next skier is just that much faster or you end up having no time to knit for 5 days straight. For example.

I don't usually think or write too much about what it means to be Canadian. I appreciate my country and feel proud of my heritage and our history. I feel possessive of Canadian achievements or famous Canadians, like most of my countrymen do.

I have had times in the past when I burst into tears at our national anthem: when I was living overseas, or when I had just come home from living overseas, but this Winter Olympics I have been so overcome by National Pride it has been almost embarrassing. I'm Canadian. We don't do that! But something about this Olympics has brought out a sense of pride in most Canadians I think and we are finally being vocal about it. We tend to be too concerned about being offensive or being too big-headed. We tend to not even think of it as "Patriotism" but really it is.

But at this time, I think we can stand proud of what Vancouver accomplished and what Canadian athletes accomplished. And it was capped off with a nail-biter of a win in the hockey game this afternoon. And, we, as a nation, jumped up and down and screamed (and took to the streets, and honked our horns, and waved our flags) and enjoyed National Pride.

And we can wave our flag and enjoy the moment.

(Yes I took a picture of my TV.)

On one last Patriotic note please enjoy this video. My sister in law sent me the link just as the game was about to start this afternoon. This is quite old but it amuses me everytime I watch it.

Opening Ceremonies & Day 2

2010-02-13T21:12:00.001-07:00

Before I get into the Opening Ceremonies I'll show you a pair of socks that inspired the challenge of the Knitting Olympic Challenge that I've set myself.

Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks FX. I don't remember the colorway but the socks are the same colorway and I thought they were the same dyelot but the 2nd one is much more saturated than the first.
Pattern: 2x2 Garter Rib (rd 1: knit; rd 2: k2, p2)
Oops moment: I knit the leg a bit longer than I normally do for socks and ended up having to finish the toes for both socks with leftover sock yarn. It's not very noticeable and, frankly, I don't really care... haha

I cast on the first sock at least 4 months ago. I knit most of the leg and then the sock lived in my bag where it stayed unless I was waiting somewhere and bored. I finally finished the first sock at Christmas and then the second sock took until yesterday afternoon. Hence the challenge: Finish at least 3 pairs of socks during the Olympics.

Note: this isn't the extent of the sock yarn in my stash. I may have a problem

Now to the Olympics:
As I mentioned I decided to go with the socks. I swatched for the sweater but realized I didn't have enough yarn, especially since I would want to add length in the body.

Just in time for the Olympics, Knitty published their Knitty Surprises, one of which was the Skew sock. I pulled a skein of Lang JaWoll Silk in Canadian-y colors from the stash and cast on. This sock is so interesting already. I can't wait to see how the heel is done...

During the Parade of Nations I dyed a Knit Picks sock blank to be knit later in the Olympics. At one point it looked like the set of Dexter.

The dye job didn't turn out exactly like I was picturing it but I wasn't really being as careful as i should have been.

Gotta go. Moguls are on. Knit on Knitters! Go Canada Go!

ETA: I think I figured out/remembered how to do the Ravelympics thing. Create your project and then tag it with the little "r" in the multi-colored circle. Then it will ask you what Ravelympics tags you want added. I think you have to sign up for the team you want to be in (For example, I'm on Team Canada) but I think that's all there is to it. We'll see when it's over.

8 hours and counting

2010-02-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

It's almost here! I'm so excited. I have the CTV Olympic App on my phone and I've bookmarked the page on my work computer so I can follow events during the day... All that is left is to finalize my Knitting Olympics/Ravelympics project(s). It's not as exciting or suspenseful as the speculation over who will be the final torchbearer but I will keep it secret until tonight.

My goal is to post (fairly) regularly during the Olympics. We'll see how well that works, with helping the Boy move and all. If you are participating in either/both Olympic Knitting events let us know in the comments, I'd love to add you to my Google Reader feed so I can follow along with your progress too.

Let the Games (almost) Begin!

Better late than never?

2010-02-08T22:36:00.000-07:00

So you know how sometimes you start on a pair of socks and then you finish the first one and then you set it aside and don't cast on for the second one for over a year? Yeah... me neither.

I finally finished my Spiral Boot Socks... Ravelry tells me I cast on for these September 2008... That is a looooong time ago.

They're not quite knee highs, but I wouldn't have had enough yarn to make knee highs anyway, so I'm happy with them the way they are. The 2 skeins were not quite the same shade which is odd but not unwearable.

Also odd but not unwearable is the fact that I followed the directions for the toe for the 2nd sock but apparently not for the first one. The first sock is a little bit shorter in the length of the foot than the 2nd.

I can't seem to get a decent picture of the actual color of the socks. It's a rich kettle dyed brown that I love.

Pattern: Spiral Boot Socks by Veronik Avery in Interweave Knits Summer 2007 (Ravelry link)
Yarn: Knit Picks Essentials Kettle Dyed in Oak
Mods: nothing intentional... One sock is shorter in the foot than the other. Oops.

********************************************************************************************

So, this coming Friday there's a little sporting competition happening in my country. In Vancouver, BC to be exact. You may have heard something about it. They call it the Olympics.

I'm such a dork. I could not be more excited about the Olympics! I plan to be glued to my TV for as much of the coverage as I can. I love (watching) winter sports and to have this huge event so close to home is really exciting for me and the whole country.

I had planned to do the Ravelympics this year but I'm not sure if I have to sign up for an event in advance or... ? I signed up for team Canada but do I need to declare an event? I don't know why this is so confusing to me! Are any of you doing the Ravelympics? How about the Knitting Olympics over at the Yarn Harlot's site? I did that challenge in 2006 and really enjoyed it. Maybe I should just do that. Why am I rambling so?

So this brings me to my next question: What Should I Knit for Ravelympics and/or Knitting Olympics? My first instinct is to knit socks. I seem to have developed a hole in one sock of each pair of my knit socks (not all of them, just the older pairs). I don't understand why it's in the same place for each pair but for each pair it's only one sock. I don't always wear the same sock on the same foot. How can that be?

I think I've begun to ramble. Knitting Olympics/Ravelympics: So I have all this sock yarn and a need for socks. I have a tendency to put off finishing socks or use them just as "travel knitting" or "in my bag in case I have to wait" knitting. I need socks, I like socks and I want to have more socks. It would be a challenge for me to finish not one but several pairs of socks during the Olympics. They would be on the plain side but that suits me fine.

(It should be noted that The Boy is moving house right smack in the middle of the Olympics and, barring some sort of broken limb or severe illness I can't imagine ~~how I can get out of helping~~ that I won't be helping him for at least part of the time, which will limit my knitting time AND my watching the actual Olympics time. Sob.)

A second idea I've been knocking around is a sweater. A cardigan to be precise. I'm torn between a true challenge like knitting the Tangled Yoke Cardigan (IWK Fall 2007 Rav link) or a plain round yoke stashbuster cardigan with some sport weight mystery yarn and the odds and ends of sock yarn I have... But I kind of think that a whole sweater in small gauge would be setting myself up for a lot of crying. But then again, if it's the only thing I'm working on? who knows.

Rambling again. A more reasonable idea is the Snowdrift Cardigan by Michele Rose Orne (from Inspired to Knit--Rav Link) which is at a larger gauge and would be much more manageable. It too would be a stashbuster and I think I would get a lot of use out of it. And, who doesn't love those Cabled cuffs? Come ON!

So... If you've made it this far, thank you... and please speak up. Are you participating? In which challenge (or both)? In which event(s)? Any thoughts on what you think I should knit?

New Cardigan

2010-01-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to taking pictures of my new cardigan last weekend... and then didn't get around to posting them until today. Eep.

Pattern: Icelandic Star - Interweave Knits Winter 2009
Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers for the main color and scraps from stash for contrast colors
Mods: Knit in the round & steeked. Made the body & sleeves a little longer than written and didn't do the embroidered stars.

I love this sweater. LOVE. I've worn it so many times already since finishing on January 7. I will probably make another one sometime in the future. The fit is perfect and... well, I love it.

**********

In other news: I finally got off my butt and signed up for a Continuing Ed class at Mount Royal University. I'm taking a certificate in Residential Decorating, which I've been thinking about taking for about 4 years and just haven't done it. I started January 15 and the first course, an overview introduction, is blended with most of the coursework done online with 3 in-class dates. I'm really excited about it, even though it may never lead to a high-paying career, it is something I've always been interested in and it's challenging. I just handed in an assignment that had me draft floor plan and elevations for a room-- i had forgotten how much I enjoyed doing stuff like that!

If nothing else it's good for me to push myself outside my normal routine and I will learn some technical skills to back up my creative interests. And maybe I'll be able to re-do my living room in the process.

Whew. 2009 is over.

2010-01-01T18:56:00.000-07:00

I think the year was messing with me yesterday. Just to make me grateful it was ending.

I woke up late; it was -22C in the morning; I was very busy at work on what was supposed to be a half day. A crisis with a customer came up at 11:45am and I stayed to see it through to ensure the customer was okay so I didn't leave until 1pm. I had intended to stop at Ikea and then go pick up some groceries but when I got to Deerfoot Trail (a freeway/highway running through the city) it was completely backed up. When I finally got to Ikea there was not a parking spot to be found so I just carried on to the grocery store, which was equally busy. I found what I needed, finally got through the check out lanes and hit more backed up traffic. When I finally got home I started to make dinner (I had planned to make butter chicken, rice & garlic naan for new year's eve dinner). I had no trouble with the butter chicken until I pulled out the jar of minced garlic I had picked up and thought it smelled a little strange so I used the fresh garlic and press instead. Then the dough for the naan was a disaster for some reason (I suspect it had to do with my impatience or something) and had to completely restart it. Again I pulled out the jar of minced garlic and couldn't figure out what smelled so off about it. I was about to use it anyway, being lazy/impatient and wanting to avoid using the press again when I looked more closely at the label. It was minced GINGER.

The good news was that dinner was so so good. Canada won an amazingly exciting world Jr's game against the US (Sorry American friends) and then Calgary beat Edmonton (sorry Edmontonian friends) and then the Comedy Network was showing every episode of Corner Gas back to back. You may need to just trust me on how awesome that all was. It wasn't a traditionally exciting New Year's Eve but we enjoyed it.

I also finished the Boy's new toque last night, making it an FO for New Year's!

Pattern: Doubled Chullo by Kenny Chua from Interweave Holiday Knits 2009. The Boy picked this one out and asked for it specifically. What's a knitter to do?
Yarn: All colors are Galway Highland Heathers. I picked these up in Jasper last weekend. The Boy picked out the colors (they matched the magazine picture pretty closely). I always forget how much I love this yarn.
Mods: I did a round of single crochet for the edging rather than the pick up/bind off specified in the magazine.

He really likes it, which is always good. I plan to use the pattern to make one for myself. I love how it's constructed and the double layer is really nice and warm.

To be honest, this was the 2nd one I knit. I had started one in the size I needed (or thought I needed) and ignored the part of me that was trying to tell me it was too big.

After I decided to frog I checked my gauge and it was spot on. I'm not sure what happened. What matters, I guess, is that I learned something (one would think) and that he was happy. See?

Happy New Year everyone!

Brea Bag

2009-12-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today when I was in the grocery store I picked up some of that Arm & Hammer carpet deodorizer, the stuff you sprinkle on and vacuum up. I sprinkled it around in my living room (where the carpet is surely older than I am! yay Rental carpets!) and was instantly overpowered by the scent. I was completely unprepared for how overwhelming it is in the time between sprinkling it on and vacuuming it up! Then when I went to vacuum it up i got halfway done the living room when the vacuum started to make a funny noise and there was a whiff of rubber smoke, which really added to the overall scent I had going. So I unplugged the vacuum and turned it over to find a whole wig's worth of hair clogging up the roller bar. (Sorry, you weren't eating were you?) So I finally got the vacuum fixed and got it all vacuumed up but now I forgot what I was going to tell you. I'm sure I had a really funny story or something but... gone.

So I'll just show you my Brea Bag instead.

Pattern: Brea Bag (free pattern link)
Yarn: Mystery chunky weight yarn bought in a mill ends bag years ago.
Mods: Knit with size 8 needles; subbed chunky weight for 2 strands worsted weight

I knit a little flap and used a magnetic snap for a closure instead of a button and loop.

Lined with some random cotton from stash. I sewed a patch pocket on the lining for my cell phone.

I cut 1/4 inch strips from the leftovers of my leather bag project and braided a 5 strand braid for the strap. I folded a rectangle of the same leather around a metal ring and sewed that over each braid end. Then I hand stitched the strap loops on the purse itself and voila!

The only thing I'm not 100% happy with is that the strap is about 4" longer than it needed to be. It's in that awkward length where it's not a long strap but it's not short enough to really just tuck under your arm either. Oh well. In all, I'm really happy with it.

Christmas

2009-12-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

First off: (belated) Merry Christmas! (also belated: Happy Hanukkah! or any other winter celebration I may be forgetting) I hope you all had a great Holiday time however you celebrated.

The Boy decided I needed to get away from here with it being my first Christmas without Mom and took me to Jasper for Christmas. It was so beautiful there and a really nice get away. It didn't feel like Christmas, but it felt Christmasy, if that makes any sense. We had a very fahncy (read: small portions/confusing construction) Christmas Eve dinner at one of the restaurants at Jasper Park Lodge and then a less fahncy (but larger portioned/better tasting if I'm being honest) Christmas dinner at our hotel on Christmas day but no real turkey/mashed potatoes/gravy/fixings dinner. I think that's what makes it feel like Christmas for me. That and the million (well, 9) nieces & nephews opening gifts and playing. And the baking. And the leftovers. mmmm leftovers.

Athabasca Falls

We drove around, did a bit of wandering in the shops and just were lazy most of the time. Christmas Eve day we rented slip-on crampons (just mini-ones not the big ice climbing ones) and did the Maligne Canyon Ice Walk which was so amazing. I was very grateful for the crampons. The Dog wasn't as impressed with the ice as we were. He was so relieved to get back on snow that he rolled around for about 5 minutes once we left the ice.

Maligne Canyon Ice Walk

Maligne Canyon Riverbed

I even got to visit a great yarn/quilting store in Jasper: Stychen Tyme. I saw it listed in an information book we picked up and jokingly told the Boy about it. Next thing I knew we were looking for it (his suggestion!). I bought yarn for a toque for him (his ulterior motive probably). (I'll show you that another day soon).

In all it was a really nice, relaxing time. I miss seeing my family but it didn't feel like Christmas so it wasn't really that sad for me which was kind of a relief. I'm planning to do a turkey dinner this coming weekend just to get my fix. I'm mostly looking forward to the leftovers.

Selfish Knitting for the Holidays

2009-12-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Marie I have cast on and completed the first side of a Brea Bag (pattern link).

This is like (almost) instant cable gratification. I'm using a chunky/bulky weight mystery yarn I got in a mill ends bag at Walmart years ago. I love how the cables and moss stitch are popping in it.

Knitting feels really really really good after all that crochet!

Breathing a little easier...

2009-12-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the encouragement! I was really glad that I had the forethought to wash the blankets beforehand. I would have been even more upset if this had happened after they had gotten home!

I'm done repairing the squares with pink centers and the rest of the squares seem secure, but I'm a little hesitant about them. I'll send a repair kit with leftovers of the yarn and a needle with my sister in law, just in case.

I have a few other gifts to make but I won't see those friends until after Christmas, so I'm breathing a little easier right now. I plan to work on projects for me this next week. That's my Christmas gift to me. Knitting time.

The sound of one heart breaking...

2009-12-17T23:18:00.002-07:00

I finished the third afghan last night. This evening I threw all three in the wash to soften them up a bit. When I pulled them out of the dryer I was happy with how soft and cozy they are.

And then I saw this:

and my heart nearly stopped.

I used the "magic circle" method of starting each square. It held really well for all of the squares except the ones that were started with the pink yarn. It's shiny and slippery and ... all 40 squares that were started with this yarn have come apart at the center. I have started repairing them by running a piece of yarn through with a blunt needle and knotting it really tightly but it's taking a long time. I have repaired 8 or 9 of them in the last hour...

I see my niece and nephews tomorrow.

I might not see them again before Christmas.

This is the only present I have for my niece.

I have to be at work tomorrow.

I want to cry a little.. :(

I'm exhausted and going to bed now and will just have to find the time to fix it and get it to her before they leave the city on Sunday.

Looking ahead

2009-12-09T09:34:00.002-07:00

The end of afghan #2 is in sight. I need to focus on afghan #3 for Logan... but...

I'm really really really looking forward to doing something else. I just read a blog post by Kate Davis of needled about cables and history. It got me itching to knit something cabled and woolen. It got me thinking about all of the awesome yarn my friend brought me from Ireland...

So, dear reader friends, any suggestions? I have 600 grams (i think, if I recall correctly) each of a light grey and a dark grey. I don't think I'd have enough to do an entirely cabled sweater or cardigan but I would love something with some cables. I'm open to suggestions. I'm leaning towards a cardigan just because I would get more use out of one what with overheated offices etc.

For now, I'll keep plugging away on the afghans but looking ahead to that wool...

Oh! Hi There!

2009-12-07T19:58:00.003-07:00

So... how are you?

We had a blizzard this past Friday. A real, honest to goodness, blustery blowing wind blizzard. It was awesome. And a bit scary. There are meter deep banks on streets all over the place. Some of the communities on the edge of the city have so much hard packed snow on the street that buses are snowed in and can't move. Following the blizzard our temperatures dropped so now it's wool season. Whee!

I've been working on afghans for my nephews & niece in Houston. I made afghans for the other nieces & nephews for Christmas 5 years ago so I figured the newer ones needed afghans too. I don't often crochet but I've been on a crochet kick the past few weeks while working on these blankets.

First up: If you knew my nephew Nicholas, you would not be surprised by my choice here.

If you ever want to hear a really in depth analysis of Spiderman, taking into account aspects of Black Spiderman (Venom?) and all the ramifications of the changes in Spiderman, good vs. evil, ask my 4 year old nephew about Spiderman. Or just wait 5 minutes and something that is happening around him will bring Spiderman to his mind and he'll talk about it. We were joking that he can bring any topic back to Spiderman. I said that when he's defending his Doctoral dissertation he'll end up working Spiderman in there somehow.

(and if you think i used the word "Spiderman" too many times just now, that's a small small example of what it's like to talk to Nicholas)

Pattern: Superhero Dreamcatcher Afghan by AngelCrafts. Nice, simple pattern that works into a really interesting afghan.
Yarn: Loops & Threads Impeccable from Michaels (a nice, fairly inexpensive acrylic)
Mods: I left off the last band of blue as it was already 5' in diameter. And I wanted to die. I think I figured that I had over 600 stitches per round at the point where I stopped.

For my niece, Kaylee, I'm working on a granny square afghan in what I hope are sufficiently girly colors. She's a bit of a princess... haha

Pattern for the square: Summer Garden Granny Square from Attic24
Yarns: Purple: Bernat Berella "4"; Pink: Red Heart Soft Touch; Green & White are both Loops & Threads Impeccable.

My plan is for 121 squares to be laid out in an "Around the World" type pattern. I'm about 2/3 done. Woo.

I need to get working on an afghan for my other nephew (the boys are twins), Logan who is a BIG fan of Disney's Cars... I see charted picture crochet in my future and I'm a little scared of it.

I got a bit sidetracked by these on the weekend while it was snowing for real:

I've since made 6 more and hung them by threads in the hallway window in my office at work. (what's that you say? Did you just cough-speak "dork" at me? really? hmm).

Pattern: White Hooky Snowflakes also from Attic24.
Yarn: um... some acrylic I found lying around here.
I stretched them slightly and pinned them, then sprayed with spray starch. I then removed the pins and covered them with a cloth before pressing with a warm (not hot) iron to give them some shape and make them a bit stiff. It worked really well.

I need to get back to Kaylee's afghan. Surprisingly it's not crocheting itself!

Leather Purse

2009-11-14T19:28:00.003-07:00

This past summer I got it in my head (as I tend to do) to try to make a purse out of a thrifted leather jacket. I didn't ever do anything about it (find a thrifted jacket for starters...) but the idea kept popping into my head. A few weeks ago I stumbled across Philigry's tutorial and I knew what I would be doing that weekend.

Value Village had a lot of leather jackets and coats but the prices were really high for a lot of them ($50 for a jacket at Value Village?). I was looking for a great battered brown jacket but couldn't find what I wanted for under $40. I ended up getting a beautifully soft black leather jacket with no shaping which would provide me with a lot of leather for $15.

Using Philigry's tutorial as my guide I cut my jacket (cut the lining out) and used the front pockets as exterior pockets for my bag. I made a very basic tote style bag. I cut handles and sewed them with raw edges exposed and attached them with rectangular metal rings. I lined the bag with some cotton from stash and included basic patch pockets in the inside.

In this picture you can see the rivets I tried to use for the straps. I could not get them to work properly. Well, they work in that they hold and I can't get them off but they wouldn't go on straight and really don't look very good. (in the pictures they look okay but up close they're really bashed in) I'm calling this an experiment (if anyone were to ask).

I used a leather needle that I bought at Fabricland and had no problems with sewing the bag on my mom's machine. The only issues I had were with the leather sticking to my sewing machine a bit. I have an idea for a cheap/easy fix for that which I'll try out with some of the leftover scraps.

Next up: a wallet with some of the scraps. And then the search for a brown leather jacket... :)

How do you solve a problem like...

2009-11-09T18:38:00.002-07:00

my Deep V Argyle Vest?

As I was knitting it I kept thinking that I should have done more arm decreases than called for. I didn't. Why? Why didn't I? The vest looks very line-backer-y in the shoulders and gapes at the underarm. Also, I needed to block it more aggressively. I think if the lower body is a bit more roomy it'll sit better at the arms.

Sigh. I haven't had this much disappointment in a project i was really excited about for a long time. I'm steam blocking it to see if it makes any difference. I'm thinking I should undo a few rounds of the arm bands and maybe decrease a bit before binding off.

Any thoughts? Advice? For now this is my feeling about it:

Sigh.

*************************

On the plus side I was super happy with the steeking. I was nervous about it but it went really well.

Pre-cut

And, after a really deep breath and some hesitation...

No matter how much I know that it's okay cutting my knitting will NEVER feel right...

Readjusting

2009-10-31T10:29:00.002-06:00

I've been back from my trip to Houston for 5 days now and I feel like it was weeks ago that I was there. I love my family and was so excited to spend time with them. The kids are hilarious always and there was never a dull moment.

Now I'm back here and fighting to get over my souvenir from the trip: One of my nephews came down with some sort of flu on our second day there and he generously shared with us. Fever? Check. Cough that rips your lungs out? Check. Runny nose? Check. Fatigue, loss of appetite, aching all over? Check Check Check. Whee. Having to take half a sick day on your first day back from vacation is really awesome.

This morning I'm sitting in bed with my computer, knitting and coffee and just taking it easy. I need to start finishing some stuff around here (start finishing? excellent grammar lady). So, this weekend my goal is to work on just one (or two in the case of this morning) projects: My deep V argyle vest that I started a month ago (or more... I don't think I wrote down when I started) and for my bed knitting this morning: the second Not-cranberry biscotti sock. I'm recording these here in an attempt to hold me accountable somewhat. Let's see how that works out for me...

Now I need to get up and get some bread started. (Getting the bread started is a desire not a need but in order to do it I need to get up... oy enough with the over explaining.)

I have to say though, I wish I were here:

These pics are from my favorite day in Houston when we went to Galveston. I don't know what it is about beaches but it's like my entire body relaxes when I get to a beach. The sand, the water, I don't know what it is but my ideal vacation will always involve a beach.

It was really windy that day and the beach was pretty much deserted, since it was mid-October I guess. For us Canadians it was summer temperatures (around 27 Celsius! woo!) and we had a blast playing in the waves. Well, until two of us got stung by jellyfish. You'll be shocked to hear that one of them was me. Yes, accident prone me got stung by a jellyfish on vacation. Unprecedented.

(Also, I may or may not have bashed my upper lip somehow in the pool and had a swollen, scraped lip for several days).

In all, I managed to get a tan due to all the time spent in the pool/at the beach (yay! tan in October!!) and I had a ton of time with my family and got to see some of Houston and area. In all a very successful vacation.

Mustachioed Women

2009-10-30T22:01:00.005-06:00

You know how sometimes when you're at work you start drifting and the next thing you know you're discussing the merits of a felt mustache and beard with your coworker? No? Hmm.

A few weeks ago I saw a felt mustache/beard on Craftzine Blog and showed it to my office-mate, Wen Shu. We thought they looked fun and decided to make some to wear at work for Halloween. I ended up making mustaches only but the idea was definitely inspired by the ones on Craft.

(Why, Hello double chin, nice to see you)

We felt silly of course but had a great time wearing them, pretending to be terribly stuffy important businessmen

(how cute is Wen Shu? Seriously)

or trying to twirl the ends like a villain.

One of the guys came in and once he had stopped laughing called me Lanny McDonald which was so fitting we couldn't think of anything else...

If you too would like a really quick disguise or have always wanted to look like Lanny (or an old timey villain) here's how I made them:

~~Lanny McDonald~~Old Timey Mustache
Materials:
1 piece of craft felt 9" x 12"
20" ribbon or yarn for ear loops
needle
thread to match felt
scissors
Mustache template:
(click on the pic and then download the large 1024x873 size to print)

Choose a mustache and cut 2 from your felt. Cut your ribbon or yarn in half so you have two 10" lengths. Fold each in half and place on the bottom piece of your mustache. Cover with the top mustache piece and pin together. Hand sew or machine sew the 2 pieces together being careful to secure the ear loops but not to get them caught. Wear with pride.

Please don't make these to sell, but feel free to make them for yourself or your friends, random strangers on the bus or coworkers. Or anyone else who needs one. Just don't sell them or the template.

Monkeys!

2009-10-14T21:51:00.002-06:00

This time Saturday evening I'll be in Houston on my first real vacation in a really long time. My brother and his family moved to Houston this spring and I'm so excited to go visit them. I miss my nephews & niece (and my brother & sister-in-law of course) and I'm really looking forward to going to visit and relax.

Now, those of you with kids are probably thinking "Relax? Who are you kidding? 2 four year olds & a two and a half year old? Relax??" but right now it sounds very relaxing to me. I won't need to be on a computer 8 hours a day and I won't need to answer calls from angry or cranky or just unreasonable people. I won't need to solve problems or investigate issues. All I need to do is play and swim and hang out. I can't wait. I love those little monkeys.

Speaking of monkeys, I made these for the monkeys I'm going to visit.

I used a few different tutorials I found online and I love how they turned out. I'm still thinking about whether they need clothing or accessories. I'm thinking about superhero capes for the boys and a skirt for the girl. I'll see how much time I have tomorrow.

I love these faces.

I'm really excited about our trip. If anyone is from Houston or knows any really fun things we might want to see while we're there I'd love some suggestions. For now I have to think about packing. First things first: knitting. I can knit on the plane right? I haven't flown internationally since 2002... Maybe step one should be the FAA rules...

Short Sleeved Wrap Cardigan

2009-10-12T13:24:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I made a Thanksgiving dinner for the Boy and me yesterday, which I've never done by myself before. I roasted a turkey breast rather than attempting an actual turkey, dressing made in the crockpot, mashed potatoes, gravy & pumpkin pie. So good but not quite the same. I don't know if I'll ever be able to master my Mom's turkey dinner. I thought of her often as I was getting stuff ready for the dinner.

Moving on...

As I mentioned a few weeks ago I finished the main knitting on my Wrap Cardigan and had started the collar. I ended up needing to order an extra skein to finish the collar. The color is a match but it ended up just slightly darker/more saturated than what I had knit the rest of the sweater with. It's not very noticeable so I'm calling it good.

I really like it. It's a perfect layering piece for the office. I had planned to include button holes when knitting the collar but in the end I decided not to. It's quite wearable the way it is but I do wish I had included them for the option.

Specs:
Pattern: Ariosa Wrap Cardigan (free pattern available from Classic Elite Yarns)
Yarn: Custom Woolen Mills Mule Spinner 2-Ply. I ended up using about 3 1/2 skeins (around 800 yards).
Mods: The pattern is written for a chunky yarn but I wanted to use this worsted weight yarn. I knit a size larger than what I needed (in order to avoid having to do math) which worked out perfect.

Oh what a gift!

2009-10-06T20:40:00.003-06:00

My very good friend Julie went to Ireland in August. Now, being slightly fiber obsessed, my first thought was "Oh! Wool!" I didn't say anything about Irish wool, because I thought that was a bit of a big imposition. Fast forward to her trip. I was supposed to water her plants and check on her place. It turned out that the key I had for her place was old (she had changed the locks last year and I didn't realize it and we didn't think to check. d'oh). So I wasn't able to take care of her house for her. Imagine my chagrin then when she arrived home and told me she had something for me (after taking in stride the news that I hadn't been able to take care of her amazing plants).

Imagine my SHEER JOY when a couple of weeks after she returned home she presented me with this:

There are 600 grams each of a dark grey and a light grey Aran weight Jacob. It's wonderfully wooly and so gorgeous. I need to find something to make with it. I don't know the yardage, but I have a feeling there's more than enough for a sweater.

Any suggestions?

(I have FOs to show-gasp-but I'll post those over the next few days. I have a splitting headache and the computer isn't helping.)
(Why the headache you ~~didn't~~ ask? I know a lot of people call themselves clumsy. Not to be a one-upper, but I think I'm the queen of clutz. I tripped over something in my apartment Sunday night in the dark and fell, bruising my hip and landing on my head (I didn't have time to brace myself or anything). I actually "saw stars" (a flash of light). It was one of my finer moments. So for the last 2 days I've been trying to take it easy and not feel too much like an idiot. )

So close! (Also: New Sock!)

2009-09-15T17:25:00.003-06:00

I've been working on the Ariosa Wrap Cardi (free from Classic Elite yarns web letter available here) and I knew I would be cutting it close with my yarn. I'm using a worsted weight (did my patented ~~lazy~~ easy resizing method of just casting on the size larger to make up for the difference in gauge. It works!) yarn from Custom Woolen MIlls here in Alberta.

I knit the sleeves yesterday while semi-lying in bed and because ~~I'm lazy~~ ~~I'm impatient~~ I wasn't sure how long I would have water due to a posted warning about a water outage, I did a steam block. I sewed it together (it fits! woo!) and started on the collar. I was hoping I could squeak by with the amount of yarn I had left but no... I'm about half way done the collar.

So today (while on my way home to spend the afternoon on the couch due to the ongoing battle with whatever this is that's making me sick) I stopped by Gina Brown's, hoping they might have a skein. They didn't but Diana (the owner) took down the color information and said she'd see if she could get me a skein with her next order. I love that store!

And, because I was there and it's completely impossible to NOT buy yarn when one goes into a yarn store (in spite of all promises to myself) I picked up 3 skeins of sock yarn to start the Cranberry Biscotti socks. I'm not knitting them in cranberry-ish colors but I think that's okay. (A "shout out" (I'm way too white and old to use that. sorry) to Marie-Jolie from Permission to Unwind for pointing out this awesome pattern!)

The colors aren't quite true in that picture. I need to learn how to adjust my camera better.

Oh! Funny story! While I was in Gina Brown's waiting for a customer to finish up at the counter, a man in a dress shirt and tie burst into the store. While that sounds very dramatic and like an exaggeration, it really is what he did. Everyone in the store turned to look at him, as he planted his feet and said, rather loudly, "I need help! Can someone help me?" We all were frozen. I was wondering what sort of emergency he was having. He didn't seem panicked, but he was rather urgent and insistent. I thought maybe he had locked his keys in his car or something.

"I need sock yarn." We all just blinked at him. He pushed in front of me to the counter as the woman ahead of me in line finished and told Diana he needed help. "I need yarn. For Socks. Any kind. Just, for socks." An employee came and led him away trying to determine what exactly he needed and I heard him saying it was for his mother. Lucky her. But oh how funny for the rest of us.

Diana looked at me with a "did that just happen" expression and said "That was... like if one of us were to go barging into a tire store and just shouted that we needed a tire!"

Completely made my day. Well, that and the new sock-in-progress. And the nap. I need to get rid of this ever-present headache and sinus pain and stomach ache. ugh. Back to the couch for me.

New Socks! New Scarf/Shawl! Hooray!

2009-09-13T20:02:00.002-06:00

I managed to remain upright long enough on Thursday evening to finish the toe on my sock (whew) so I finally have them complete.

Pattern: I used the pattern for Padded Footlets from Interweave Knits Summer 2005 but made them regular socks (skipped the padded part)
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential Kettle Dyed. I LOVE this yarn. I bought a sampler sometime last year and I love love love this yarn.

************

A couple of weekends ago I finished a shawl I had been knitting. I plan to use it as a scarf this winter. I like the idea of wearing the point in front and wrapping the ends around. It seems like it would provide good coverage for the opening in my jacket. Don't know why I didn't think of this before!

Pattern: LaLa's Simple shawl (Ravelry link with free download here)
Yarn: Arucania Ranco Multy. I picked this yarn up over a year ago intending to make socks but I loved the colors so much I didn't want to make something that would hide in shoes. I tried a kajillion (i'm awesome at math) different patterns/ideas before settling on this shawl. It really was simple to complete and I love the finished project.

Size: Blocked to 25" from center to point and 65" tip to tip. Before blocking it was a bit firm and not really something I wanted next to my neck. I was a little worried that I had made a mistake with this one but it blocked out nice and drapey and just wooly enough to feel substantial without feeling bulky.

**************

I don't know what this flu or whatever I have is but it's making me feel wiped out. It hasn't turned into a full-on cold but my sinuses are affected and my throat. I couldn't take any time off last week because my coworker (the only other person who could cover for me) was on vacation. I spent the majority of the weekend on my couch, about half of that time lying down wishing I could just pass out for a while. Not good. I wish it would just go away or turn into a respectable cold/flu. This half-assed make you feel like crap but don't actually appear sick thing is soooo annoying. Plus we had summer weather this weekend and I couldn't enjoy it at all. (/whine)

**************

In spite of the summer weather I'm really feeling like fall is here. My internal season clock switched and now it's all wool all the time. I'm working on a short sleeved cardigan (pics to come soon) that I hope will work for layering in the office, a cardigan in a great loden green wool I've had forever, and a stranded wool jacket/cardigan. We'll see how closely I can stick to my plans*.

*note: stated plans do not take into account socks in progress or other various projects strewn about in various states of completion.

Just finish already!

2009-09-10T20:14:00.000-06:00

Today i decided that i need to finish some of the knit projects that are half done before i do anything else. I get bored and leave them and start something new, which is probably not shocking or news to most of the crafting world. I'm not feeling any of my current projects so I figure I need to force myself to finish something, anything to kick start my desire to do the rest of them.

I went home for lunch today and on the way decided I would start with a pair of socks that I had started in March and had never finished. I knew i had gotten the leg of the 2nd sock done and then just left it. I looked for the socks.

I'm not just done the leg of the 2nd sock... I'm about 6 rounds away from starting the toe! Why I didn't finish the 2nd sock I will never know...

So tonight I'm finishing the 2nd sock. I'm hanging out on the couch, watching football, trying to maintain my denial that I'm coming down with a flu (hopefully not THE FLU haha) I'm just about to start the toe so I will be able to cross these off the mental list tonight. Yay!

3 Tiered Skirt

2009-09-02T22:48:00.002-06:00

I've been working on another post but just can't seem to get it going in the right direction. In the meantime I realized I hadn't ever posted about this skirt. I made this a few weekends ago by consulting numerous tutorials online (which I didn't seem to bookmark. I found them by googling "3 tiered skirt tutorial")

I bought this fabric at Fabricland a few months ago. The fabric is a lightweight cotton and it had this great embroidered edge all along one side, I was intending to make a dress or something but couldn't ever settle on an idea. A few weekends ago I saw a girl in a cute 3 tiered skirt and remembered that I had wanted to make one. 4 hours later:

It's a little more cutesy than I usually would wear but I really do like it. I wore it today since it was 29C/84F and my office is generally about seventyhundred degrees if it's sunny. There's lots more that I've been doing. I just need to get back in the habit of documenting it.

Moving on: Craft Therapy.

2009-09-02T10:19:00.004-06:00

I think I've written before about crafting as a therapeutic measure. When I feel really overwhelmed or stressed focusing on a task that I know I can do or that challenges me seems to give my brain a break and I come away from it feeling refreshed. I know this is not an earth shattering discovery, but I've been thinking about this idea a lot lately.

The weekend clearing out my mom's house was very difficult, as you can imagine. My brother and his wife had pre-sorted a lot of the items so it was just a matter of going through, picking out things to save and deciding what could go to the Salvation Army or what was trash. Being a sentimental pack rat I didn't want to let go of a lot of it. I had given The Boy one task before we went: if he saw me getting bogged down sorting through something he was to get me back on task or make me move on to something else. He did his job well and we got everything done in a day and a half. To say we were exhausted would be extreme understatement.

When I got back to Calgary I was wrung out. I couldn't focus and didn't know what to do. I kept crying and felt unable to process anything. I decided to set up Mom's sewing machine that I brought back with me and play with it.

Using Mom's Singer, which is nearly as old as I am, brought back a flood of happy memories and made me feel so connected to her. I was worried that I would feel maudlin or uncomfortable having her things in my house but I'm so pleased that instead I just feel this happy connection to my Mom and all of my memories of her.

I took her for a test drive last week and made myself a new wallet. I'm not 100% happy with how it turned out (it's a touch too wide and I want a different kind of closure...) but I'm happy that the machine, with its quirks, works.

I used a piece of the strip patchwork I made for the potholders i made a while ago.

I used a tutorial (which I can't find at the moment) for the card section and I added another layer for bills.

This long weekend I started a quilt top using some of my mom's shirts. I won't have enough for a whole top. I plan to use solid cotton squares to make up the rest.

This, too, has been therapeutic, and I'm looking forward to the comfort of a quilt so infused with memories of my Mom. I think she'd approve.

Comfort Food

2009-08-21T21:58:00.002-06:00

Over the last few weeks I've been catching myself mentally filing things away for the next time I talk to my Mom. (Just typing that is making me tear up a bit. I'm sorry.) I think I've done this for years and just didn't really notice it until now, when I can't tell her the funny thing I saw, or how weird the weather is, or what I just finished making. I still keep thinking it though, mentally filing things and then I have a start and remember and it's hard all over again.

I associate food with memories of my Mom. I think that's not uncommon. I made Rhubarb Crisp the other day and had happy thoughts of Mom making it. I made pickled carrots and again thought of Mom.

On Sunday my younger brother called to tell me that they had a buyer for Mom's house. This wasn't a shock, it's been on the market for a few months, but as I processed the thoughts I had a sudden overwhelming craving for one of my favorites from my Mom's repertoire. Zucchini Quiche. I don't know where the recipe originated, but it was a favorite for the whole family.

When I worked at an international boarding school in Germany cooking was a big part of my job. My mom made a recipe book for me with all of my favorites and some other recipes she thought I might enjoy. I have used this book for over 15 years now (you can see the stains) and now it's even more of a treasure for me. Written in her proper longhand, a writing style I was never able to master, it's a tangible and practical connection to my Mom. (here come the tears again. sorry)

Tomorrow I will be heading to Saskatchewan, to the town where I grew up, to help my older brother sort through the house. I don't know what awaits me but I'm terrified of it none the less. I've been avoiding this trip for months now. I don't know how to decide what parts of my Mom's belongings are treasures and what parts are to be given away. Or worse, thrown away.

I know it needs to be done and I know there are things of my Mom's that she wanted each of us to have and those things will be more tangible connections to her. I just might need to make another Zucchini Quiche when I come back though.

Mom's Zucchini Quiche
(clarification or things she left out because she figured I had seen her make it enough times in italics)

3 cups grated zucchini
1 cup biscuit mix Bisquick or similar
1 small onion chopped fine
4 eggs beaten
1 tsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup oil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients together with electric mixer or by hand

Bake in two 10" or one 12" pie pan (I used two 9" pie pans because I didn't have 10") at 350F for 30 - 40 min. Let stand 5 min. before cutting. Also good cold (or reheated for leftovers)

(The biscuit mix will form the crust)

Perseverance Pays Off or How I Learned My Lesson. Finally.

2009-08-20T22:37:00.005-06:00

I nearly gave up on this one. I was *this* close to frogging it in disgust.

You see, I knit a gauge swatch, something I rarely ever do. Even rarer: I washed and blocked the swatch and my gauge was spot on. I happily cast on for Sahara in the corresponding size and knit away.

I tried it on a couple of times and thought it was a little snug but managed to convince myself to keep going. I finished the body and cast off but I wasn't fully happy with my bind off. It was too inelastic. But I still managed to convince myself that it would be okay.

Then I tried it on. Reality hit. It was WAY too small. Embarrassingly too small. I wanted to rip it out right then and there but put it aside in time out instead.

One day last week I came across my gauge swatch and picked it up. And realized that it was far more drapey than the body of my Sahara. Hmm... I decided to wash and block the body without finishing the sleeves or neck to see if it made any difference in the fit. Whadya know? It fit!

I'm brilliant like that.

I re-knit the bottom lace rib and did a tubular bind off, then did the neck finishing and sleeves and, voila! Like that it went from terrible disappointment to one of my favorite knits.

Pattern: Sahara by Wendy Bernard. I knit the short sleeve option.
Yarn: Patons Silk Bamboo
Mods: none. Amazingly. Well, other than yarn substitution.

Wrap cardigan

2009-08-16T18:11:00.003-06:00

I have a bad habit of leaving things too long and then I don't know where to begin. This is nowhere more pronounced than in keeping in touch with friends. I think "Oh I'll call/write/IM tomorrow" or whatever and then I don't and then by the time it's really gone too long I don't know where to begin. That's where I'm at now with this blog. I keep thinking "Oh I'll post this tomorrow" but then tomorrow turns out busier or greyer or whatever and I don't post. Then weeks go by, I have unposted projects that I would really love to share with you all and I can't figure out where to begin.

So I'll just show you what I did yesterday and we'll start from there. How's that?

I keep seeing these wrap cardigans which are basically a large rectangle with sleeves. I love the way they look, so cozy and so simple. I've wanted to knit one for a while but I knew I would end up petering out on it before I finished. That's just the way things are right now (the gasps of shock are noted but come on, who are we kidding?).

Friday evening I went to see Julie & Julia with my friend Julie (who did not get in for free despite having her name in the title. What is with THAT?) (also: have you seen it? I LOVED it! and I was so hungry after. And I want to find Julia Child's book. And I want to cook in France)... Where was I? Oh yeah. At the movie I saw a woman wearing this beautiful wrap cardigan like the ones I've been contemplating only hers was in a jersey knit fabric. My brain filed that image away until I was trying to sleep Friday night. So when I woke up Saturday I decided to wing it and make one out of a t-shirt sheet I had from a couple of summers ago when I made some shirts out of the set.

(this blog post is not being very well written. I apologize. If I had a red pen I would be marking it up for a re-do but it's been so long since i posted I'm going to just power through.)(and no more parentheticals. i hope).

Okay. So I consulted a few knit patterns for wrap cardigans to figure out measurements, did some futzing about with it and ended up just cutting.

In the pictures it looks kind of sloppy but I think it's not so bad in real life.

(My camera thinks my hair is red. It's not)

The only sewing was the sleeve seams and attaching the sleeves to the holes. I cut arm holes about 8 1/2" each side of the center mark and just sewed my sleeve tubes into them. I'm not 100% happy with this part but considering the complete lack of pattern drafting skills, and also the wing-it way I went about the process I'm pretty sure it turned out all right.

The sheet I used was a light green but I wanted something that would go with more of my wardrobe (who am I kidding: my t-shirts) so I dyed it black. It turned out a dark grey and I'm pretty happy with that. The edges are left unfinished since the jersey knit just rolls.

And... in case anyone wants to try it for themselves, here are the dimensions for what I did...

Absence is supposed to make the heart fonder, right?

2009-07-31T11:02:00.002-06:00

So, do you love me?

I keep thinking "Oh I should do a post about this" or "that" or "that other thing" or "this one time..." and then don't and then forget what this, that or the other were about and then weeks go by and a weird mossy growth forms on my blog and I have to clean it off each and every time I come here to post something and each time I grumble and think "why didn't I just do this sooner" and then I forget again what I came to post about, much like today.

What did I want to post about?

A list of possibilities:
-The Sahara that I almost finished and will now need to frog
-The overwhelming amount of items sent in to Craft Hope and how reading about it caused me to cry at work
-How I really want to try embroidery and whether that is just one more nail in the "what are you, 80?" coffin
-How this weekend will be a long weekend for no reason other than that Alberta wanted one and what Alberta wants, Alberta gets. It is called "Civic Holiday" on the calendar (sometimes called "Heritage Day" but I think "Civic Holiday" has a nice holiday vibe)(ha)
-about last weekend's trip to a "lake" where I was surprised to realize that "lake" doesn't always indicate "beach" and sometimes "beach" doesn't indicate "beach for more than 2 people at a time"

uh... maybe that was it.

I'll be back (honest) with actual posts and pictures and everything. honest.

Practical Sewing (?)

2009-07-19T21:18:00.003-06:00

You know how you see something or need something and you think "Oh, I can make that" and you do and then your friends and loved ones look at you like you're crazy because, "you know you can just buy that, don't you?" And you look at them like they're crazy because: why would you buy it when you have all the stuff to make it yourself? (alternately, just "why would you buy it when you could make it?")

I'm pretty sure I'll hear that about my weekend sewing:

Friday evening my bedroom door kept slamming shut due to all the windows being open in hopes of a cross breeze. It was driving me crazy. So... I thought "I remember seeing a cute sewn/quilted doorstop on Sew Mama Sew a while ago. I should make that." It did occur to me at one point that I could just set something, anything in front of the door but... why?

Pattern: Nine Patch Doorstop by Elizabeth Green of Oh, Fransson! (pdf found on her post here)
Fabric: stash scraps in my favorite colors.
I filled it with some rice that was in my cupboard for a long time (like 2+ years long). It's good and heavy and it holds my door and if when I walk straight into it or kick it toe first it will be nice and soft on my foot which should mitigate some of the damage.*

Saturday, I finally got so annoyed and, frankly, disgusted by the ugly, worn out pot holders I had (and had been meaning to replace for a year or more) that I decided to do something about it. I pulled out a bunch of scraps, cut them to 2 inch wide strips and started stitching them end to end. Once they were all joined in a big long strip, I joined the 2 ends and stitched up one long side. I found this idea at Happythings. I love how it looks as it's all sewed up (sewn up?).

I layered the top then a layer of cotton flannel, a layer of cotton batting, then another layer of flannel and the plain cotton back. I machine quilted in straight lines, cut two 9" squares and bound them like a quilt. I forgot to allow for a loop so the loops were added later.

I'm not sure if you can figure out what my favorite color(s) may be... haha

Other practical sewing of late that I haven't blogged:

Recycling tote bag:
I have a bad habit of letting my cardboard recycling pile up. I live in an apartment building so I don't get a cool blue bin for city pickup and have to take my recycling to the drop off points (sympathetic "aww" can be inserted here)(I know! my life is HARD!) I always seem to end up struggling to find plastic bags or boxes to cart the fairly large amount of cardboard every 6 months or so (i know, if I didn't let it pile up this wouldn't be a problem, but like THAT's gonna happen).

So, once again, necessity won out and I sewed a solution:

Fabric is from Ikea. I made a simple tote bag about 22" deep and 30 inches wide. I made the straps wide enough to be comfortable and long enough that I can sling the bag over my shoulder when I eventually do remember to take my recycling to the drop off.

I think that's everything. I'm sure there will be more to come!

*You know how people say they are clumsy and then other people protest that, no, they are more clumsy? Well, at the risk of being a one-upper, I'm clumsier than those people all combined. I have broken, nearly broken, jammed out of shape almost every toe more than once. It's gotten so common for me to walk into stuff I sometimes don't even notice. I had a swollen, sore toe last week and couldn't figure out what I had done this time to hurt it. I hit my fingers on things because I don't know how long my arms are; I hit my knees on desks; crank my head on the door frame of my car... You get the picture.

Craft Hope Baby Quilt

2009-07-15T21:34:00.002-06:00

I love how this quilt turned out.

I used fusible cotton batting and I love it! I always have trouble with basting (pins or thread) and the fusible batting took away the need for basting. The quilting is less than perfect but I think it looks pretty good considering. I know that i need to start saving up for a better sewing machine. The opening on mine isn't very wide so quilting any size quilt is a challenge.

I backed it with some cotton I got on sale at Walmart a few years ago and bound with cotton from stash. I'm really happy with how it washed and dried. It's got that great slightly crinkly look. I'll get it in the mail tomorrow.

I'm also sending a blanket I wove a while ago for a friend's baby but ended up not sending. I like it and hope it's acceptable for the project.

This project made me think of all the really amazing ways that crafters online join together to do good in this world. We hear of a need or a hurt and we reach for our yarn, needles, fabric stash and thread, searching for ways to provide a small measure of comfort with our craft. We inspire one another and challenge and teach and raise one another up to do more good.

It's pretty amazing and I'm really glad to be a small part of this community.

What Summer Tastes Like

2009-07-12T20:21:00.002-06:00

Rhubarb Cobbler with fresh homemade vanilla ice cream.

I was inspired (made to drool, really) by this post) at Balkan Style. I had some slightly freezer-burnt rhubarb from my Mom's freezer. Coincidentally the recipe specifically mentioned freezer-burnt rhubarb as a good choice for the fruit in the cobbler. And let me tell you, it was.

Yes I have a problem.

2009-07-11T17:13:00.003-06:00

Today I decided to sort through (some) of my projects on needles and decide what will be finished and what will be frogged. (some of) the items in the "to finish" queue, in no particular order:

Sock #2 of the pair. The first has been completed since March/April. I don't know why this second one has sat for so long. I knit the heel flap today (WOO). Also, the color in this photo is not accurate but my camera decided it was a fiery red rather than a deep red.

Scarf knit with some yarn I don't remember buying but I love the look and feel. I've started and frogged too many projects with this yarn and it WILL be knit and it will be something I love and use. It will. No pattern, just starting from a center point and knitting up in a shallow triangle with an openwork pattern I found somewhere. (these notes are super informative, huh?)

Again with the camera not seeing these tones properly. This is some handspun I finished last week. It had taken forever (measured in months) to spin because the roving was slightly matted from when I dyed it and I was frustrated by it. The color is actually more purpley. (Shut up spell check, that is so a word). Pattern is Lavalette from Through the Loops.

Sahara in Patons Bamboo Silk (or Silk Bamboo?). LOVE this yarn but growing bored with it. I seem to recall the same problem with my first Sahara... Must finish before end of summer as this will be sleeveless or with small cap sleeves.

Apres-Surf Hoodie in handspun. I'm knitting it in the round and will likely omit the hood. And when I say "I'm knitting it" I mean "I was knitting it although I haven't touched it other than for this photoshoot in over 3 months". ehem

So, of course there are other knitting projects that I haven't unearthed yet which should be finished, but my goal was to complete these projects before starting any new knitting projects. I say "was" because (and here is where the title comes into play) 2 hours after setting myself this goal I cast on a new project:

Although in my defense, it is a baby blanket for Craft Hope and it was because the blanket I wove turned out so horribly wonky as to be unusable and...

yes, I know, I have a problem.

Baby quilt top

2009-07-09T19:12:00.004-06:00

Have you heard of Craft Hope? It's a project designed to share crafted gifts with those less fortunate around the world. I heard about it through Eren's blog This Vintage Chica. I didn't get it together in time to get a doll made for Project #2, but the stories of what has been made is so great.

Project #3 is blankies, beanies and booties for orphanages in India. I immediately began planning at least one woven blanket and one quilted blanket.

I'm always pretty bad at in progress photos, but I want to show off the quilt top I finished last night.

I found the herringbone directions somewhere on line (can't remember where or find the link) and used up a bunch of scraps from various niece sewing projects. It's 31" x 32" and turned out just how I was hoping. I'm not sure if I should use batting or maybe just a layer of cotton flannel to quilt it. I'll decide soon and try quilting it on my machine. I figure it's small enough that I can manage it in my small sewing space.

Anyone else taking part? What are you making if you are? If you're not, I encourage you to take a look and consider keeping it in mind. The deadline for this project is July 25th so there's not much time left.

Yee Ha!!

2009-06-28T21:46:00.003-06:00

I've lived in Calgary on and off for almost 20 years (wow, that long...) and in all that time I have never had any Stampede clothes. If you've never been to Calgary during the Calgary Stampede, this doesn't sound that amazing. But, during the 10 days of Stampede it's like a western wear store exploded with all the contents sticking willy-nilly to anyone within the city limits.

Well, thanks to Sew U by Wendy Malin, I now have a "Western" shirt!

I'm ridiculously proud of myself for this shirt. I've never sewed a collared shirt before and I think it turned out great (aside from a minor glitch with the collar stand, which was my own fault). The pattern is great and the instructions and all the information in the book were very helpful. There are so many little things with patterns that I was never really sure of, and this book really helped me with explanations.

This is also the first time that I've attempted a garment with a plaid. I am amazed at how well it turned out.

Some of my stitching lines wouldn't win me any ribbons at the craft fair, but mostly I'm very pleased.

It fit me perfectly as written. The sleeves are the right length (a first for me) and the shoulders are the right width. I should have added an extra inch or inch and a half to the length, as it was just the right length without hem. I decided to use bias binding for the hem in order to preserve the length. It's a bit bulkier than a nice hem would have been but I don't plan to wear it tucked in so I think it's workable. I got pearl snaps at Fabricland and love the way they look (plus I wasn't looking forward to all those buttonholes... eep).

I think I'll be using this shirt pattern again (and again and again). But for now, I have something to wear for Stampede stuff. I'm sure this shirt will get lots of wear.

I have other sewing to show from last weekend. I just was so excited about this one I had to show it off first.

OH! And in other news: I finished my 30 Day Challenge on EA Sports Active! It took me 32 days due to a sprained ankle from a hike but I did it. I"m pretty excited about that. I've never really stuck with any exercise program before so this is a first. I plan to do the Intermediate level next.

Altered & Dyed

2009-06-17T19:49:00.003-06:00

I had this white, long-sleeved, gauzy top hanging in my closet for a couple of years now. It was a gift from a friend but I was always afraid that I would destroy it within minutes of putting it on. White clothing seems to attract any food or drink I may be in the vicinity of.

It was really pretty but, like I said, me+white=not a good idea.

I had seen a few shirt remakes around the blogiverse lately (but I don't remember where) and suddenly had the urge to alter this shirt.

I chopped off the sleeves, hemmed them, removed the ties and dyed it.

I wish I had another one. I love this shirt.

Now I'm looking at my closet and wondering what else I might have that could benefit from a pair of scissors and a little dye...

Superhero strength

2009-06-09T14:31:00.004-06:00

I bought and started the EA Sports Active for Wii about 14 days ago (actually, exactly 14 days ago). I meant to post about it when I started it but I was scared I would wuss out and quit right away and that would have been embarassing. Also, it made me nearly weep the first day and that too was embarassing. Now it's just funny.

I've never really done any strength training or consistent exercise (other than the year where I was pretty faithful with my stationary cycle) so I wasn't sure how I would do with this. I'm doing the 30 day challenge (today was day 14) and I can't believe I haven't quit. I'm doing the easy setting, so really, that would have been embarassing if I had quit. But even on the easy setting, my legs were cramping and I yelled at the TV when it made me do another set of "inline skating" towards the end of workout #1.

I'm pleased (and slightly ridiculously proud) to report that I'm actually looking forward to the workouts now and I feel stronger in my legs and arms. I didn't feel like I was going to die from lack of oxygen in the running (in place) portions today and my recovery time afterwards is pretty quick. Who knew that consistent exercise would yield results? huh. Strange.

My goal is mostly to build a habit of exercise with any weight loss and muscle tone being side benefits. (Yeah that totally sounds like a lie. I want to lose weight. I also want to get rid of the flabby jiggly arms I noticed the last time I saw a picture of my back/arms. My friend Sheri calls them the "Double Bye Bye" arms.) Mostly though I'm just pleased that I'm starting to notice the benefits (and that I no longer am in pain when i try to use my thigh muscles for strenuous activities like sitting or standing).

I'm pretty sure everyone who knows me is getting sick of me talking about this. I've turned into some crazy EA Sports Active Evangelist. I think it's mostly just me being amazed that I can do this. Yes, I know, I'm on the Easy level. But this level is a lot harder than the "sitting on my couch with my knitting" level I was on before.

Dr. Doolittle lives in my neighborhood.

2009-06-05T14:45:00.009-06:00

The following is the incredible (and incredibly well illustrated) account of events that occured at or around noon (MST) today.

I was driving back to work from lunch and this truck was ahead of me at a stop light. I was trying to figure out what the box was on the back. It had portholes along the length and a locked door.

Suddenly this dog popped his head out. Oh! Cool. A box for a dog.

And then, I saw something that kind of freaked me out. The dog started to pull his head back in and at the same time …

A two headed dog!!!

Then the light turned green

And the first head was almost all the way inside.

And they drove away.

The end.

PS clearly I have missed my calling as a computer graphic artist.

Local/Tourist

2009-05-31T18:40:00.003-06:00

Yesterday the Boy needed to deliver some equipment to a customer in Lake Louise so the Dog and I went along for the ride. I don't get out to the mountains often enough! It's been years since I was in Lake Louise and I don't think I've ever been there in the Spring or Summer.

It was alternately sunny and cloudy with a pretty steady strong wind. There was a lot of ice on the lake still, and the shoreline had big chunks of crystal looking ice. The tourists were all so charmed by the sound the ice made on the rocks, which we found kind of funny. I tried to get in a group picture but it was taking them SO LONG to set up that we just kept going.

I never cease to be amazed by the color of the lake.

Or the view.

The Dog was dying to go in the water. He's a black Lab and water is his Favorite. Thing. Ever!!! (if you don't count STICKS!! or ROCKS!! or WHAT'S THAT OVER THERE???!!!)

Eventually the Boy gave in and let the Dog go swim. He swam like he was training for the Olympics, chugging away until he ran into ice. I can't imagine how cold that water must have been. Passersby were amused or shocked or probably slightly horrified.

The Dog would finally get out, shake off, run ahead a bit and dive right back in.

Seriously, the color of the water is astounding. If it weren't for the ice in the top of this picture, wouldn't you think it was in the Caribbean or something?

We went as far as the beach at the end, where the Dog entertained one and all with his swimming and his stick slaughtering.

I really need to be a tourist in my own area more often. It really is amazing.

When we were back at the truck and were getting ready to leave a rental car burned into the lot and parked. A young guy in sunglasses, cap on crooked, saggy butt jeans and a hoodie got out and made a big show of stretching and sighing as though to indicate what an ordeal he'd been through. He was a ways away from us but we were the only people in the parking lot so I told the Boy that I was just waiting for him to decide he needed to tell us something. He had that look.

Sure enough, he started towards us. We tried not to laugh as he came over and asked if we were from around there. We said yeah, sort of. So he asked, "Is there a lake somewhere around here?" I bit back my "Um, yes, LAKE Louise? Did you see the signs on your way to the LAKE louise parking area?" The Boy said "Yes" and pointed through the trees. "It's about 200 yards that way."

Our visitor said "Oh thanks. I thought it must be but the last people I asked said it was a long ways away." He started to turn away and then turned back to tell us his tale. Again I bit back my sarcasm as he told us "I'm from Toronto. I was supposed to come out here next month with my girlfriend but we had a pretty serious fight so I hopped in my car (indicating the rental) and drove out here. That was a really long drive."

I couldn't help myself. "You drove across the country just to see Lake Louise?" It didn't seem to faze him and he continued "Well, this was really the only thing I really wanted to see."

He gave us a couple more minutes of his sob story and then wandered off to see the Lake.

After he left we started laughing. The Boy indicated his car and said "Well, ya know, those Chev Cobalts have excellent gas mileage." We kept laughing. I said "But when did Budget Rent-A-Car in Toronto start handing out Alberta license plates?" More laughter.

The whole way back to Calgary we kept randomly saying "I had a really big fight with my girlfriend so I hopped in my car and drove out here." and then dissolving into laughter. I think the next time I'm a tourist (in my own backyard or elsewhere) I'll find random people and over-share some really personal sob-story with them. Should be fun!

Round Yoke Cardigan

2009-05-28T22:27:00.003-06:00

I completed this a while ago but just didn't get it posted.. That seems to be a theeme lately.

Pattern: "Jacket with Raglan Sleeve and Pattern on Yoke" from Drops Design/Garnstudio
Yarn: Lionbrand Cotton-Ease in Charcoal (although, i worked with it for about 3 weeks thinking it was navy before I read the label and realized it was Charcoal... It's navy to me)
Mods: I completed the cardigan but didn’t like how wide the neck was so I ripped back about 15 rows and changed the decreases so that I ended up with about 20 stitches less before doing the neck and binding off. I finished the button holes with a round of blanket stitch as they were stretching out too much to be practical.

I LOVE this cardigan. I wish I could wear it every day. It's cozy and the fit is perfect.

Buttercup

2009-05-23T10:22:00.003-06:00

I keep forgetting to post this! I love this top. I think this is my favorite knit item ever. The love is a combination of the yarn and the pattern. It's lightweight, it fits, it's just right. It took me 2 weeks, start to finish. Somehow I managed to remain focussed with this project and didn't work on much else while I was knitting it. I don't think I've ever completed a garment on US 4 needles before, so this was quite a victory for me.

Pattern: Buttercup by Heidi Kirrmaier (Ravelry link only. Sorry for any non-ravelers.)
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy. I bought the yarn before I saw the pattern. I can count on one hand the number of times I've knit something in the yarn called for in a pattern, and this one was a success.
Mods: The neck as written was a lot more open and square. It looked lovely and really suited the shape of the finished garment.

(original neckline as written. pre-blocking)
The neckline was lower and wider than I generally find comfortable and would have been awkward with a tank or camisole underneath. In this picture I'm trying to hold still so it doesn't slide down. I think the fault here was with my gauge on the top (back and forth) section of the top. I should have done the join (lace section) sooner and continued from there.

No matter. After I completed and tried it on I decided to undo my bind off and do some short rows to make the neck slightly more U shaped and to raise the neckline a bit. I put the stitches back on the needle and marked the spot where the shoulder was on each side and where the corner of the neckline would be (where the vertical met the lace). I knit on the front stitches only (i.e. not the shoulder or back of the neck) and worked short rows down the front, working across the front neck each time:

Row 1: Knit to marked stitch (shoulder), wrap & turn.
Row 2: *Knit to marked corner stitch, work double decrease (in this case it was slip 2 as if to knit, knit one, pass slipped stitches over)* 2x (both corners), knit to marked shoulder stitch, wrap & turn.
Row 3: Knit to 6 stitches before previous wrapped stitch, wrap & turn.
Row 4: repeat corner decreases as row 2, knit to 6 stitches before previous wrapped stitch, wrap & turn.

I did about 5 or 6 wrapped stitches on each side, then knit one round plain, picking up wrapped stitches as I went. Then bound off all stitches, blocked and wore with pride.

I'm a little worried about the neck stretching out with wear and drooping. I am thinking about sewing in some grosgrain ribbon or twill tape along the inside of the shoulder and back neck line. I think this would help. Has anyone ever tried this? Is it feasible?

This week I suddenly got the finishing bug and I have another FO to show you! I'll post tomorrow... oooh the suspense.

A riveting post about plants with a surprise ending!

2009-05-17T21:50:00.004-06:00

We had really nice warm weather the last 2 days. I picked up some bedding plants for my non-garden garden. I love having lettuce and tomatoes and herbs and a few flowers too.

I spent time today outside with my knitting, enjoying the plants

and my beautiful view:

I have tomatoes and peppers in pots. I planted lettuce and onions in a planter that is attached to the building.

The biggest tomato plant already has a tomato starting on it.

Ahhh... spring. Warm Sunday afternoon to sit outside. We have a long weekend this weekend, so I have a whole extra day to enjoy my little non-garden. Until... (cue foreboding music)

Wait... Are you KIDDING ME??? (That's 12 celsius btw which isn't that cool, but it's getting colder fast)

Snow. On May 18th. Snow. So call me paranoid if you will, but...

I brought my portable garden inside for the night. It would be just my luck to lose everything the night after I planted it all... My sister-in-law is driving from Okotoks (just south of Calgary) to Houston, TX this weekend (with her 3 toddlers... brave, brave woman) to meet up with my brother. He accepted a new position with his company down there and so they're moving. (I'm really really sad about that but i will studiously ignore it right now for fear of turning maudlin.... hey look! something shiny!!). I'm pretty sure this forecast would make them laugh hysterically right now.

If you made it this far, congratulations! There is no prize, I just think it's nice to be congratulated from time to time. Tomorrow I should have pictures of an actual, real, live finished knit! Imagine that! AND, maybe, some in progress pics as well. It's just so exciting. :D

Rabbit Go to Sleep

2009-05-12T15:24:00.003-06:00

My coworker Wen-shu took this video of her daughter putting the bunny, er, pardon me RABBIT (she's particular about the name) to sleep.

(embedded with permission)

Baby Binky Bunny

2009-05-06T18:41:00.002-06:00

This little cutie is a birthday gift for my coworker's daughter.

The pattern is by the talented Larissa from her Etsy shop, mmmcrafts. The pattern is really well designed and easy to follow. It was so much fun making this little bunny and binky.

All materials were from stash: cottons for the bunny & blankie, acrylic yarn for the tail, polyfill stuffing. I'm really happy with how the bunny turned out. I'm even happy with the embroidery for the face! I've never really done any embroidery before. It took a couple of tries to get it right but I think it turned out well.

Shh... baby's sleeping.

Quick Question

2009-05-03T20:07:00.002-06:00

My girly-girl niece turns 10 this coming week. I've been trying to think of something I could make her, but handmade gifts aren't always the most well received with 10 year olds so I asked her mom what she would like. Her mom, my sister-in-law, mulled it over and told me that the thing my niece would like the most would be a dress. (or dresses).

I said, all excited-the way I get... you probably do this too when you can sense an opportunity to make something for someone who would actually like something you made, "maybe I could make her a sundress or two?"

My sister-in-law then said the words that brought joy to my heart: "Oh that would be great! And maybe a matching bag!"

Sigh.

So fellow crafters, aunties, moms... I need suggestions for a simple (or not) sundress pattern for a 10 year old girlie girl (that I can make without having a fitting with the recipient...). For a fall-back, if I can't find anything else, I was thinking of a simple sundress with the elastic gathers for the bodice, but I would be very open to any suggestions.

I have some girlie-girl fabrics that I had purchased last spring (or the one before, I can't remember) with the intention of making dresses for my nieces. I went a tad overboard with the purchasing and I have a lot leftover. I have a few of my mom's sewing patterns here for dresses she made me and my sister when we were small. I'll have a look through those too. I wish I had all of them here...

I'm quite excited! I hope this works out... :D

I just flu in and boy are my arms... I can't even finish that

2009-05-01T09:44:00.002-06:00

I'm on day 3 home from work with the flu. Not the dreaded potential pandemic flu, just a regular flu. Except now I think it's turning into a sinus infection. Or ear infection. Or maybe my head is currently upside down in a bucket of water and I am not fully aware of that fact.

Either way, I feel lousy. I'm dizzy, my head is stuffed up and feels like it will explode soon and my ears feel like they are full of water. I'm a joy to be around currently.

I started making these little hexagons last Saturday after I cleaned up my living room and came across a stash of acrylic yarn scraps that I had been hoping would assemble themselves into an afghan. Time and pressure of the weight of the mountain of crap in my living room didn't seem to be doing anything to produce said afghan so I put the bag aside thinking I would hide it somewhere else. As I moved it I started imagining a 2 color "granny"-esque crocheted hexagon. I tried it out and liked it.

Now I can't stop.

I have about 55 completed hexagons and a pile of centers waiting to go. I've been really hung up with my knitting projects and can't seem to finish anything, so these are a very satisfying diversion. I can finish one in about 5 minutes so it feels like I'm accomplishing something. And I can put them down whenever I need to sleep.

So for today, I'm holed up in bed with my laptop and my crochet, trying to convince myself to go to the walk-in clinic and wait for 3 hours to see a doctor who will probably tell me that it's nothing and to get some rest. That should be fun.

Breathing again.

2009-04-21T16:23:00.005-06:00

For the first time in what seems like months, my coworker W-S and I are laughing this afternoon. It feels good. We sort of have a reputation in the office for being loud and laughing a lot. I don't think I laughed much in the weeks before Easter. (I still am finding it difficult to say the words "Mom died". even just typing that now made me tear up a bit). It's good, now, to be getting back to life a little. The feeling of face relaxing after a good belly laugh is refreshing.

I want to thank you all, readers and passers-by. Thank you for your encouragement and condolences and virtual far away hugs and care. I appreciated and appreciate the concern and the feeling of community.

The past week and a half, and even longer as we realized Mom was indeed deteriorating, have been especially difficult. But I'm also realizing now how much pain and discomfort and robbing of her SELF my Mom was spared. It was really hard to see her struggle to speak at times or to feel like she was putting people out when they helped her or even when the nurses did their jobs as regarded her. I would give anything for more time with Mom, but, I can now see that she was spared greater pain and indignity and for that I feel gratitude and some relief.

But I miss her so much. There are so many conversations we should have still had or continued. So many visits and things I should have learned from her.

The week of the funeral was difficult as you would expect. But the people of the small town where Mom lived (where I grew up) were good to us, bringing food and just letting us know they will miss my Mom. At least 3 different women told me that they had lost their best friend in my Mom. I think that's as great a testiment to how she lived as anything.

I lost mine too I think.

The picture at the top is a heavy green glass bowl that belonged to Mom. I don't know exactly where it came from but I suspect it was a wedding present. For some reason I have loved this bowl ever since I was small. We haven't done anything to sort through the house yet but I brought this bowl home with me. It reminds me of Mom but doesn't make me sad. I needed it.

I'm having trouble concentrating on any one project right now, which I suspect is a combination of stress/grief/spring but I just received the Prince Charming blanket from the Western Canadian Oddball Baby Blanket group. I need to pick up some yarn and pick a stitch pattern and then I'm looking forward to comfort knitting, both for myself and for the eventual recipient of this blanket.

Thank you again.

Away

2009-04-11T17:12:00.002-06:00

I'll be away for a while, not that I was so regular a blogger before.

We lost my Mom this morning. She battled long and hard against this beast, this cancer, but in the end she slipped away quietly in her sleep.

I was able to be with her yesterday and I know she knew I was there, but she wasn't able to speak. My brother and his wife and kids were there as was my sister and my oldest nephew. We all believe that Mom was holding on until we got there and once she saw us all she was able to rest.

I'll be in Saskatchewan this week. The funeral will be Thursday. Thank you all for praying for my Mom. She knew and she was grateful.

Holding on

2009-04-07T21:46:00.003-06:00

I want to write about what I've been making, but the thing is, I can't seem to concentrate on any one thing long enough to do anything. I worked on my quilt a bit on Friday (the craft craving day) but since then have been bouncing from project to project.

My mom has been deteriorating over the last month. I was home with her two weekends ago. She was noticeably weaker and was having a lot of trouble with speaking again. Since I was there she has been getting worse and is now in hospital. I'll be honest. It doesn't look good. I'm having trouble thinking about the situation and at the same time I can't stop thinking about it.

My mom has always been so strong. She beat breast cancer. In the fall of 2007 she beat the tumors in her lungs and made it through chemo again. She came back from the brain tumors in December and made it through radiation. But this time it is looking like she's not winning. I can't deal with that.

There is nothing I can do but pray and be here for my siblings. I'll be going to visit her this coming weekend. We don't know how many more chances we'll have. I don't do well with the unknown. With waiting for the inevitable when there is no timeline. I can't think about what she is going through and what is still to come. I hope and pray with every fiber of my being that I'll look back on this post in a couple of months and laugh about my fear with my mom. But I fear that I won't get that chance.

So, once again, I'm asking, begging for your prayers.

While I was home Mom mentioned several times that she wished she had something to put at my Dad's grave for Easter. It's a little thing but today I decided to try to make a wreath to put on the stand we have out there. I bought a grapevine wreath and some artificial flowers and came up with this:

I was planning to fill the whole thing, I have more flowers, but I kind of like it the way it is.

I wound some ribbon around to see how it looks. I'm not sure. Thoughts?

It won't last indefinitely out there but I wanted to do something for Mom and for my Dad and... I just needed to do something. It's not enough, but this is how I cope. You understand.

Craft Craving

2009-04-03T13:29:00.004-06:00

Today I want to leave work and go home and sew. Either by machine or by hand (the quilting on my quilt... or the hexagons that i started in the summer...). Do you ever get craft cravings like that? I get an idea and that's all I want to do. It takes over and won't be settled until I sit down and do that craft. Right now it's sewing. Tomorrow it might be spinning or weaving or knitting or building a canoe out of the tree outside my window.

If only I could indulge my cravings while earning a living (or indulge my cravings at my current job without losing my ability to earn a living...)...

Sigh.

I hope to have some pictures to post over the weekend. There's a bit of spinning. And i have a great idea for something I want to sew.

If only I could get home and do those things now. Sigh.

Craft Therapy

2009-03-23T21:55:00.003-06:00

Ever had a hard day where nothing seemed to go right and you just feel off? I had one today. I feel wrung out and like I want to call in "exhausted" to work tomorrow. So this evening I'm knitting and watching hockey. My wool doesn't argue with me, nor does it vocalize dissent or question my decisions (although sometimes I question my decisions regarding the wool) so it's good therapy for a day like today.

Also good therapy is revisiting my weekend's accomplishments.

Friday evening/Saturday morning:

4oz Sheep Shed brown mix mill ends. I don't know the exact wool blend. I'm really loving this wool. It spun so smoothly and has a really pleasing wooly feel without being overly scratchy. The first strip I pulled from the bag was exactly 4 oz. I had read here and there that sometimes the strips were quite short, so that was a nice surprise. I bought 2 lbs of the brown mix and 2 lbs of the black/grey mix... I'm planning good things for both. I think the brown mix will make a really nice jacket for me. As will the grey....

On-going:

My quilt. I've decided to hand quilt the cross-ways sashings and will work out some handquilting for the blocks. I'm using embroidery floss (which just happens to be exactly the color of the sashings! score!) and taking fairly big stitches, as far as quilting goes. I'm really loving the look of it and it's going fairly quickly, but I'm just enjoying the task and not rushing it.

Saturday:

Margaret Bag (tutorial found on the linked page) from Oh, Fransson!
Fabric: linen panel from Ikea and lined with some cotton from stash
I love this bag. I didn't read the dimensions on the bag before I started so I was a bit surprised at the finished size, but after using it today for work I realize how much I love it. My coworker tried to steal it. (no she didn't, but she really liked it so I watched her really closely all day)(haha)(Hi Wen Shu!)

I would love to make another in a more spring/summery fabric. The pattern/tutorial is very well written and easy to follow and the bag looks so much more tailored than other bags I've made without patterns/tutorials... I assume that is less my skill level and more the pattern, so thanks to Elizabeth for that!

And now, I plan to put down the back of my Hex Jacket (Oh yeah, i need to blog that) and lie down and watch Jack Bauer get out of and then into more trouble. I feel better now, having worked through some therapy, sigh.

I'm totally not blogging from work I don't know what you're talking about.

2009-03-20T16:17:00.003-06:00

today is too quiet at work. but don't tell my boss that.

Exhibit 1: MSN conversation with my friend Sheri:
Lori says:
i'm about 3 seconds away from breaking out my knitting
Lori says:
i have ntohing to do
Lori says:
and my parcel (more fiber!!) is at the post office!!!
Lori says:
and it's super warm in here
Sheri says:
oh fun
Sheri says:
something to do this weekend
Lori says:
yeah so now i have to decide between going outside in the warm-ish air OR finishing my blanket OR finishing my sweater OR spinning like a maniac.
Lori says:
my life is hard
Lori says:
I didn't even put on that list "clean" or "eat" or "sleep"

I think I need to go home now... Anyone have any fun plans for the weekend?

Reconstruction Weekend

2009-03-17T12:42:00.002-06:00

It's Tuesday already, isn't it? wow. How did that happen? This past weekend unintentionally ended up being a recycle/reconstruct weekend for me and time just sort of flew by.

Saturday

I had big plans of cleaning/organizing on Saturday but those plans went out the window when I came across a 100% wool sweater that was in the pile of clothing The Boy gave me for crafting/recycling.

I love the color and feel of the wool and knew I wanted to make something with it. I started to take it apart and realized that it was machine knit (but with good seams! yay!) from 2 strands of wool.

Now, here is where the "you WHAT?" questions would start from any non-Knitters/non-Crafters... but you won't do that, will you?

So, I didn't want to knit a whole sweater with 2 strands held together, so I decided to try spinning the 2 together, not plying exactly, more just creating a sort of melded yarn single.

This "single" was looking a touch fine for what I wanted, so I also tried plying my "single" back on itself. Now it was too thick.

So, I did what any reasonable Crafter/Knitter/Spinner would do when faced with a men's large 100% wool sweater knit with 2 strands of yarn held together.

I separated the 2 strands and then wound them on my ball winder and then chain (navajo?) plied them to make a 3 ply yarn that turned out to be JUST RIGHT. (about 180 yds/2 1/2 oz)

Much like Goldilocks.

Honestly, it didn't take nearly as long as it sounds like it would. (Although, also honestly, I have only done one sleeve's worth.) I love the feel of the finished yarn. I need to swatch it to be sure but I think it will end up being the perfect yarn. I want to knit the Tangled Yoke Cardigan from Interweave Knits and I think this will end up being just right for it. I hope. cross fingers/knock on wood/etc.

Sunday

After brunch out with The Boy I came home and was compelled* to start working on a quilt I've had in mind since I first got the bag of clothes from The Boy. I had seen a quilt in a movie that looked like it was made with large sections of mens dress shirts and knew that was what i wanted to do with the shirts in the bag of clothing.

I first deconstructed each of the shirts (3 mens large 100% cotton shirts) and ironed them, squaring the ends and cutting them into the right widths.

I then cut strips from a 100% cotton sheet I had leftover from my duvet cover. I pieced the shirts and strips and cut those strips into 5 foot lengths. Then I sewed the strips together and voila!

It's about 5 feet wide and just over 5 1/2 feet long. Perfect for napping or curling up on the couch.

Now i just need to quilt it. I got impatient yesterday and decided to sew it together so that it's got finished edges already (i.e. not bound... i can't think of the term for what I mean!!) I plan to machine quilt along the long lines and, if i'm patient enough, do some quilting in the blocks as well.

I wonder if anyone would be suspicious if I called in "sick" this afternoon?? not that I would... or would I?

*seriously, COMPELLED. I started pulling the shirts out while I still had my jacket on. I started on this project at 12 noon and, with a brief break for supper, worked until 8 or so in the evening. I kept thinking "just this little bit more" and next thing I knew it was evening. I can't be the only one who ever does this, right?

***ETA: Now I'm thinking about the quilt and seriously considering tying it instead of machine quilting. The material for the "batting" is not very lofty, so I would probably not get the super cool quilting that I love so much, plus it would be faster. But I do so love the graphic look of straight quilting lines... Oh I'm so terrible with decisions!! Any advice? Any strong opinions??

Lentil Soup

2009-03-08T13:29:00.006-06:00

... in which I pretend to be a Foodie

The conditions were perfect: We had a big dump of snow over night and it's cold (-15C/5F at 1:30 pm) so I wanted some warming soup, but I didn't have any soup in the apartment. I've been meaning to write down my recipe for Lentil Soup for my friend Sheri. The light was perfect in my kitchen... and I have a new camera (yippee) and wanted to play. So, my apologies, this one's picture heavy.

I don't remember where exactly I got the recipe, I couldn't find it in my cookbooks today when I was looking, so I just winged it. The quantities may need to be adjusted to suit your personal preferences.

Bring 2 Cups red Lentils, water & chicken broth to a boil.

Coarsely chop 1 small-medium onion.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive (or vegetable/canola) oil in a skillet. Sautee onion & garlic and add spices.

Add curry powder, corriander, cumin, crushed red pepper, garam masala (if available).

Cook spices, onions and garlic for 5 minutes.

Stir in onions, garlic and spices. Cook for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup milk or light cream, stirring to combine. Let it cool for a bit, even though you'll be soooo hungry after smelling it cooking...

The Recipe:

Lentil Soup
Combine in a large pot:
2 cups Red Lentils
4 cups water
4 cups chicken broth (or 4 cups water & 4 tsp chicken broth powder)
1/2 tsp cumin
Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Turn heat to low/medium-low as soon as it reaches a boil.

In a skillet heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable oil). Add:
1 small/medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp corriander
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala (I have it on hand so I threw it in today. I have made the soup without also)
1/2 tsp salt
Cook for 5 minutes then add to soup pot, stirring to combine.
Cook for 30-45 minutes over medium low heat. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup milk or light cream, stirring to combine.
Enjoy!

This was fun! I'm no Melanie but I can see why people get excited about taking pictures of food! I do have knitting and other things to share... Now that we've had the time change I'll be able to take pictures when I get home from work from time to time. So... I'll post knitting/spinning/weaving updates soon.

"So whatcha doin'?"

2009-03-01T20:39:00.003-07:00

Anytime the Boy calls he asks me "So whatcha doin'?" Inevitably I'm knitting, spinning, weaving or sewing. When he called this afternoon and asked this, I was cutting scrap fabric for a quilt top. He asked "Are you ever not working on something crafty? Don't you ever just not do anything?" I had to think about that one. I can't think of the last time I wasn't making something. Sometimes while watching TV I'll put my knitting down for a while but never for long.

So today I finished this:

eta: oops! forgot the details:
Pattern: Irish Moss Toque (Ravelry link here)
Yarn: Mystery wool (similar to Patons Classic Wool) from Walmart ($4.99/lb bag! woo!)
Mods: -I knit 2 1/2 inches with a finer wool in the same color for a liner to cover my ears on the inside. I knit a turning round with my main wool and then started the cable pattern. I tacked this liner down after it was complete.
-my gauge was off so I started my decreases for the top 1/2 way through the 2nd repeat of the chart - the pattern called for starting after the 2nd repeat. Actually, i didn't discover that my gauge was off until I had completed the 2nd repeat of the chart. I told the Boy "I should have checked my gauge!" to which he replied "Of course! Why didn't you check your gauge? You should know better! I always check my gauge" and so on. I let him go on for a while before I finally asked him "do you even know what that means?" Which, of course, he did not. I called him a dumbass and proceeded to rip out 10 rounds of cables. Fun.

And I cut all of these:

and started sewing this:

So, a fairly typical day. You? What do you do with your "free" time? Do you or can you just "not do anything"? (yeah that question is terrible grammatically speaking but you get the drift)

Putting on my Jessica Fletcher Glasses

2009-02-24T13:53:00.004-07:00

At work I often end up doing detective work to try to figure out what happened with a customer's account. My company moved its Admin operations to Calgary 1 1/2 years ago and none of the Admin staff made the move from Vancouver (we were all new hires in Calgary), so we don't have the historical knowledge that we would have had. I often say I need my own detective show as I successfully spelunk the files for the one piece of information needed to make sense of a problem.

Last week, my friend Sheri needed me to help her sort out a particularly gnarled problem. I said "Let me just put on my Jessica Fletcher glasses and I'll take a look." I have no idea where that came from, but it seemed to stick.

So today, to make Sheri laugh, I changed my profile pic on MSN.

Sheri says:
haha that's hilarious
Sheri says:
you are hott
Lori says:
i love the look on her face
Lori says:
i mean: my face
Sheri says:
very what is it inquisitive
Lori says:
haha
Lori says:
the slight "oh, there you are, what IS that thing sticking out of your back? is that a dagger? Well, who put THAT there?" look
Sheri says:
haha yes that's it

Clearly I am veryvery busy and important at my job... ehem.

It's just a movie... It's Just a movie!

2009-02-22T17:18:00.003-07:00

Late Breaking* Oscar winning** movie news***: I don't know if you're aware of this, but the original Jaws is a scary scary movie****. I've seen it before but it's been years and years. I'm watching it on TV today and, even though I know what is coming up next and even though I live in a land-locked province, all I can think right now is "I am NEVER EVER going in the water again. Ever."

To distract us from this scary scary movie:

I spun this last week. 2 ply, about a sport weight but I don't know the yardage (forgot to count it). I love ~~my new camera~~The Boy's camera. The shot above would not have been possible with my camera.

I have a new 3 ply that I spun this weekend but The Boy forgot to leave me the charger for ~~my new camera~~ his camera and sadly, he is in Vegas this weekend so I have no charger, therefore no awesome camera, therefore no new shots of the pretty 3 ply yarn. I hope you'll survive the anticipation.

Tonight I plan to watch the Oscars, something I rarely do (I usually just catch bits and pieces throughout the evening). We'll see how long I last before I go nuts. I just turned on the E! red carpet coverage (Jaws is over. WHEW), which I've never watched before, it's kind of interesting in a way. I haven't seen any truly crazy dresses yet but I hope there will be something insane soon!

*Yes, I'm aware it came out in 1975
**Film Editing, Original Score & Sound. Duh dum. Duh dum. Duh dum. (shivers down spine)
***Fine, it's not "news" per se, but I had forgotten and I have nothing else "new" to report
****I don't get scared watching movies very often, but when you're watching a movie you've seen before, that is part of the cultural lexicon, that you KNOW THE ENDING to, that you know what the scary thing is and you STILL cover your eyes, jump up on the couch, say "OH NO OH NO OH NO" as the music (Duh dum. Duh dum. Duh dum) starts... yeah. Scary. Plus: 70's fashions.

Diamond Lattice Stole

2009-02-17T20:15:00.002-07:00

Finally

According to my notes on this project on Ravelry, I started in May 2008. The knitting wasn't difficult and I was loving the fabric it was producing, I just kept getting bored/distracted while working on it. I finally decided to just finish already on Sunday and here she is.

Pattern: Based on the Diamond Lattice lace chart from the Drawstring Chemise in the Spring 2008 Interweave Knits.
Yarn: My handspun, Seascape. Approximately 550 yards. I used all but about a yard of it. The yarn is about a fingering weight and is so soft and ... sigh. I love it.
Measurement: 18" x 72"

I can use it as a stole for all the super dressy events I attend, but I'll most likely use it more as a scarf.

(I just realized these aren't the most in-focus pictures. I need to figure out the self-timer on ~~my new camera~~ The Boy's camera)

It's light and fluffy and warm and cozy all at once. It's a welcome burst of color in a dreary February in Calgary.

Did I mention I love it?

One more for good measure:

I'm so very glad I finally finished this knit. I wish it hadn't taken me so long. Sigh. Did I mention I love it?

Corduroy Bag

2009-02-15T15:23:00.002-07:00

The Boy is away this weekend, so no Valentine's Day outings for me. I don't mind, I'm not much of a Valentine's person anyway. Plus, he left me his digital SLR to play with, so I've been having fun. And, I've been sewing.

A couple of weeks ago The Boy was cleaning out clothes he no longer wears and brought me some items he thought I might want for crafting. Nice to see he's learning... As soon as I saw the pair of wide-wale corduroys I knew they were meant to be a new bag.

I made a simple bag with lining.

I used magnetic snaps, which was a new thing for me.

I had this idea a while ago to use belts for straps on a purse so I figured I would use them on this bag.

I'm fairly happy with it, except I need to figure out if I want to try to secure the bag to the belts in order to stop the scrunching. I stitched through sides with the holes in the belt but the other sides are not secured. Not sure yet if I should try to do something on those sides also.

I may have gone a little picture happy... expect more posts soon. Exciting, huh? I may just "accidentally" "forget" to give the camera back.

Sahara. Finally.

2009-02-04T21:15:00.002-07:00

My project notes on Ravelry indicate a start date in May 2008 for this one. That can't be right. Or maybe it is. It was a long time. But, she's finally done and I love her.

Pattern: Sahara by Wendy Bernard (Knit & Tonic).
Yarn: Butterfly Super 10. My scale shows that it was exactly 1 pound, which would make it about 996 yards in total.
Mods: Knit on US 8/5mm needles (pattern calls for US 6); 3/4 length sleeves - changed the frequency of sleeve decreases to accommodate; added length in the body; knit the XS size sleeve due to my larger row gauge.

I love this sweater. It fits perfectly and is very comfortable. I foresee more of these in my future.

Just not right now.

This one was languishing in my WIPs bin for a long time with one complete sleeve and one 1/3 done sleeve. Why would I do that you ask? Well, I had already knit 2 sleeves-- one following the pattern exactly and one when I realized that my row gauge was very different from that specified and it would make for a better fit if I followed the directions for the XS sleeve rather. By the time the 2nd sleeve was done I was no longer feeling the love for the sleeves. So it sat. And sat. Then last weekend I decided to just finish it already. So I picked it up and quickly blew through sleeve #3. And promptly realized I wasn't following the notes I had written for myself and ended up having to frog 40 rounds of sleeve. And so, this one sweater ended up with me knitting almost 4 complete sleeves.

She's lucky she fit so well or she may have become a really pretty colored rag.

(I know, I shouldn't blame the knit item for the problems but who am I going to blame? Myself?? haha)

I'b sick. sniff.

2009-01-20T12:15:00.003-07:00

There's a mutant death cold/flu going around my office and I managed to come down with it Sunday. I've been holed up on my couch covered in a cozy felted blanket (I'll keep the one with the blues, mostly by default. Wouldn't want to gift an infected blanket... ) watching TV and knitting.

Yesterday I finished a pair of socks for my friend Cobi

Pattern: Go With The Flow socks from Interweave Knits Summer 2005
Yarn: Estelle Cadenza in orange

This pattern knit up very quickly. Or maybe it was just that I managed to avoid distraction (mostly) while knitting them. They're a touch small on me, Cobi's feet are shorter than mine. I hope they fit. The pooling worked itself in spirals on the first sock and in bigger splotches on the second. It would have been cool if the pooling worked out the same on both but I can deal.

Today I'm working on my mittens and watching the Inauguration and speech and hoopla. What a great moment in history. I know I'm not American, but it really does feel hopeful.

We're in a Chinook right now, but it's supposed to be -12 C by the weekend. I hope to have new mittens by then. I think I can do it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need more juice and a nap.

Recycled Sweater Blankets

2009-01-18T19:47:00.002-07:00

Years ago, before this blog, before I knew about Craftster, before it ever occurred to me to take pictures of things i made, I got this idea for a blanket made from squares of felted sweaters. Now, of course, this type of project is all over the internet. At the time, however, I don't know where I got the idea. I don't have a picture of that blanket, it was a Christmas gift for my friend Cobi and she loved it. I always meant to make one for my friend Julie, but never got around to it.

So I finally decided to make one for her and dug out the leftover squares from Cobi's blanket. I added more felted sweaters to make up enough for the blanket. I zig-zagged the squares into strips and the strips into the blanket like I had with Cobi's blanket. But after I was done I realized there were many many many spots where there were gaps in the sewn strips...

I set it aside, frustrated, and decided to try again. So I gathered more wool sweaters and made a second blanket, figuring I would keep the original one for myself since it wasn't good enough to give away. While I was making the second blanket I realized that I could sew over the original seams and get the gaps taken care of. I don't know why that didn't occur to me before...

So now I have a dilemma: Which one do I give Julie and which one do I get to keep?

Blanket #1:

Blanket #2:

I think I may ask Julie to pick the one she wants. Is that tacky? or brilliant?

Quiet Sunday

2009-01-04T19:12:00.003-07:00

It's been a nice quiet weekend. Well, other than the near heart attack watching the Canada/Russia semifinal game in the World Jr.'s yesterday. That involved a lot of yelling at the TV and jumping/cowering on the couch (reciprocal scoring throughout the game, Canada down by 1 with under a minute left in the 3rd period, Canada scoring with 5 seconds left, overtime and a shootout. It was a doozy)... Where was I? Oh yeah, a quiet weekend.

Today I took down my teeny tiny very fake Christmas tree and noticed that my Christmas Cactus had a big bloom on it that was being hidden by the tree.

After I had the tree and ornaments packed away I decided I wasn't ready to relinquish the tiny LED lights yet, so I put them in a jar. I really like how it looks and I may keep it like this for a while.

The rest of the day was spent watching Wild Card football games and knitting a new pair of mittens (well, the first of the mittens).

This is something I've wanted to do for a long time (since 2006 according to this blog). I charted the pattern from a pair of authentic Norwegian mittens loaned to me by my "aunt" (my dad's cousin's wife) whose aunt knitted them for my aunt's father in Norway in 1949 (I posted a pic of the originals here in Dec. 2006).

The background yarn was spun by me about a year ago (and I just realized I didn't ever post it here, bad blogger)

The colorway is "Snow Squall", which seems very appropriate for mittens. It's a wonderful wooly Icelandic wool from Spunky Eclectic FOTM. I navajo plied it so it has long color runs. The contrast color is SandnesGarn Tove, also very very wooly. My mom would go squirrelly just thinking about these mittens.

Of course, now that I'm getting to these new mittens the weather will start to improve... Sigh. Oh well, I'm not going to turn down a chinook at this stage in winter. It's been too cold (and snowy) for a month now. I'm ready for some Calgary warm weather.

New Year Plan

2009-01-02T21:45:00.004-07:00

I'm not good at making or keeping resolutions. (well, more the keeping part). So I thought I'd think a bit about what I'm thankful/grateful for and what I'd like to do better in the future.

I'm Thankful/Grateful and Happy:
-that we have my Mom with us and she seems to be getting better. Her memory and speech functions are improving steadily and she is in good spirits. I love my Mom and I'm so happy that she is fighting this latest battle bravely.
-for my family. I love my sister and brothers and in-laws and all of their many many many kids (I have 9 nieces and nephews).
-for my creativity. I rarely am bored as I'm constantly making something or planning something to make. Some people in my life find this humorous but they almost always enjoy the results of this creativity.
-for my job. This one isn't always easy to remember, as my job isn't very exciting nor does it make me a rich woman, but it is a steady income and I'm good at my work. A sub-point here is that I'm happy for my coworkers. I have been pleasantly surprised over the last year to realize that I am friends with many of my coworkers and am on very good terms with the rest of them.
-for the country I live in. It's not perfect and everyone has their own view on how it should run, but by and large we are a peaceable sort and as a whole we have a concern for the world at large and try to do good in it.
-for the Boy. Without being sappy or sentimental. I'm thankful for the way he makes me laugh and the way I can make him laugh. For the ridiculous arguments we have on a nearly daily basis. A boy who isn't scared to argue with me is a valuable thing indeed.
-for getting through the past year without serious illness or injury (that is not to say with no illness or injury... There was the lung infection, scalding my hand, mono, the Death Flu of 08...)
-for my eye sight!!! I almost forgot this one! My eye surgery was a success and the recovery was relatively short. (I was telling my friend Sheri today that I sometimes forget that I used to wear glasses!)

In the future (starting this year) I'd like to do better at:
-exercising and sticking with it.
-eating healthier/not eating junk.
-finishing things I start. Sure I'm creative but my brain has a tendency to skip from project to project and not finish things.
-keeping in touch with people I care about. This includes people I have lost touch with from my past and who I would love to reconnect with.
-not letting frustration get the best of me. I don't deal well with frustration, especially when the ability to change or correct the situation is out of my control. I need to breathe, be calm and just relax.
-getting out of my apartment more. I'm a hermit. There, I've said it. I have my yarn and fabric and computer and TV and Wii and... I need to get out more... which leads me to
-doing things that scare me. I'm shy (people who know me from situations where I was comfortable don't believe this but it's true). I let myself talk myself out of going into situations where I won't know anyone or where I'll be out of my comfort zone.
-being more presentable. I tend to wear the same things over and over and don't really care that much about what it looks like. Comfort is key. I also have a tendency to not bother with getting hair cuts until the situation is dire. I would like to at least appear like I have access to a brush and know the name of the stylist who cut my hair.
-not buying more yarn just because a project popped into my head. I do not want to buy any yarn until I reduce the current size of the stash by 1/3. Reducing can take the form of using it or selling/gifting it. (This will necessitate cataloguing the yarn, which I started to do before my spreadsheet disappeared. argh)
-keeping up with my blog
-following up on comments from kind readers
-remembering to be happy for all the items (and more) in the first list.

I think that's a good start for now...
Happy New Year everyone.

Final FOs of 2008

2009-01-01T19:25:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year everyone!

I finally got around to taking pictures of the last few FOs of the year. In order of completion they are:

1. Cabled Purse

Pattern: Cobbled together from several different free patterns online
Yarn: Some chunky grey yarn of uncertain fiber content (mill ends purchased in bulk at Walmart)

2. Mom's February Lady Sweater

Pattern: February Lady
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease
Mom loved it! It fits perfectly and she was really happy with it. As was I. I finished it the evening before we drove out to Saskatchewan, cutting it close but it was done!

3. Knitting/Tote Bag for Wen-Shu (My co-worker who just learned to knit)

No pattern, figured it out from scratch using a basic square bottomed bag.
Fabric: cottons from stash

4. Raisin yarn (for Wen-Shu to ~~enable~~ encourage her in her knitting)

Fiber from Spunky Eclectic. I lost the tag (again) and can't remember the breed. Weight is about a worsted and it's around 140 yards.

an aside: You remember when I showed you Wen-Shu's first knitting efforts? She is progressing so fast! I taught her to purl just before Christmas and over the break she figured out ribbing and made her daughter a toque without a pattern! It's like having a kindred spirit in the office and so much fun to see all of her progress. She said she was going to try to figure out colorwork over the weekend too!

Back to the list:

5. Slouchy Devra hat

Pattern: Devra 2 from pieKnits
Yarn: Paton's Shetland Chunky from stash

This was such a quick knit! I cast on in the evening on December 23 and finished in the truck on the way to Saskatchewan for Christmas (having someone else drive on that 5 hour drive=awesome!)

6. Quickie Scarf

Basic 1x1 knit
Yarn: my handspun... the softest squooshiest yarn I've ever produced... :D

And finally (drumroll please...)
7. The Boy's Argyle Toque

Pattern: I was inspired by Angela Sixian Wu's Mini-Argyle Beret (ravelry link here). I came up with a new chart to fit the sizing I needed.
Yarn: Estelle Cadenza (beige background)
Sandnes Garn Lanett (orange)
Sandnes Garn Sisu (blue)

The toque is reversible, and matches a jacket he has (I hope). He had requested a toque to match and I know the orange is perfect. I just hope it's okay. He's away this week, so I'll find out how he likes it next week.

I spent today taking pictures and starting to catalogue my yarn stash. I had a whole spreadsheet full and took pictures to go along with it. I just opened the spreadsheet to check on a name for the toque above and the whole thing was gone. GAHHH!!! A whole day's worth of effort gone. Well, I have the pictures but without the info on the yarn I'll have to start from scratch. I was planning to start the (really really really really) long process of putting it all up on Ravelry. sigh.

Etiquette question:

2008-12-30T12:57:00.002-07:00

also: Hi! I have Christmas to post about and knitting to show... later. Probably on New Year's Day when I'll be home in the daylight to take pictures.

So I have an etiquette question for you fellow knitters/crafters. If you are knitting in public (or in your office) and someone comes up to ask what you are making and you answer them but then they GRAB what you are making WHILE you are currently knitting (without asking, by the way) is it considered rude to stab them in the hand with your knitting needles (after you finish the row)?

Strictly hypothetical of course*

Also if the grabber is a non-knitter/crafter who tells you how to do things craft-wise are you within your rights to follow the stabbing up with some sort of kick?

*Okay fine, it's not hypothetical. but I didn't stab anyone so I think I deserve points for that.

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas

2008-12-21T16:23:00.002-07:00

I don't bake that often, but the smell of baking cookies & buns is one of my favorite things about Christmas. I decided to take on the baking task this year, since Mom isn't doing any this year.

Gingersnaps (recipe from here). mmmmm. That is all I have to say about that. mmmmmm.

If the Gingersnaps earn an "mmmmmmm" then these earn an "mmmmmmm" with an added Homeresque drooling sound on the end.
Mom's Magic Cookie Bars. No idea where the recipe comes from but Mom made these every Christmas for as long as I can remember. These are addictive and good and..... Suffice to say I immediately put them in the freezer out of temptation's way as soon as they were cooled and cut.

It's not all sweet baking around here, I made these at Mom's request:

The recipe was called "Mini Frittatas" and I've been making them for a few years. I don't remember where I got the recipe or even when I came across it. The recipe calls for them to be baked sans tart shells in mini muffin cups. At some point along the years I started using the tart shells (unsweetened... one year I accidentally got sweetened tart shells... not good) and I like them this way a lot.

More Spiced Candied Pecans. I must have left something out when making these because they taste different than the first time around. However, they are still really good and they still need to be hidden away or there won't be any left and I will be unable to attend Christmas due to eating too many pecans.

Finally, my biggest accomplishment: Buns. My mom is an expert bun maker. I grew up watching her make them every couple of weeks and she had this unreal way of pinching off dough and squeezing it through her hand and, poof, there's a perfectly formed bun. I can't do that. But I am pretty happy with these. I've never been particularly fond of working with yeast dough (sticky, frustrating, etc) but I'm getting the hang of these (I made some last weekend as a test).

The hard part now is not eating them...

I think I'm done now, but we don't leave until Wednesday so there may still be another batch of something to come... Or maybe I should just do some knitting...