Getting back up on the horse.

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

Recycled Denim Quilt Top

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)

The sound of one heart breaking...

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.

Just finish already!

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!

I'b sick. sniff.

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.

(almost) FO: Duvet Cover

I finished the top for my duvet cover this evening! Yay!



I'm really happy with it. It does further the color-blocked issue, but I'm okay with that.

I had some challenges with laying out the blocks

I don't have a lot of floor space and had to move some furniture around just to lay it out.

I also don't have a very big table (my sewing machine is on a desk-sized table)

so I ended up sitting on the top while pinning the rows of blocks to sew.

I would have a completed duvet cover, but the sheet that I planned to use for the back turned out to be exactly 4 inches too narrow... :( Oh well. This gives me some time to decide whether or not I should back the top and do some simple quilting for stability before I sew on the duvet cover backing. I'm still undecided on that one...

******

We're in the middle of the Victoria Day long weekend, and the weather has been amazing! Yay! It's finally spring. I spent the day yesterday with the Boy, doing some running around and took his dog to the park so he (the dog, not the Boy) could go for a swim in the river.

Late last night, I was dreaming that someone was telling me to answer the phone. I kept telling them it was nothing, but they were insisting that my phone was ringing and I should answer it. I woke up and my phone was ringing. At 2:45 am.

Now, I don't know about you, but my first thought when the phone rings that late is that there is something extremely serious going on that someone would have to call me that late.

I bolted from bed without thinking and got to the phone just as it stopped ringing. It was the Boy. The hell? He didn't leave a message and I went back to bed to try to get back to sleep. I was a bit annoyed, I couldn't figure out why he called and he didn't leave a message. I had just fallen back asleep when the phone rang again!! This time I answered it and there was no one there.

Apparently I called him back and left a message asking what was going on and why he was calling me. He saw that I had called in the middle of the night and did some investigating: He had forgotten to lock the keypad and had laid the phone on the floor to charge. The dog, sleeping nearby, had hit redial. Twice. Yay. Late night calls from the dog...