Gifts Are Made

I didn't do as much gift-making this year as I have in years past because, honestly, the Christmas spirit is missing around here. A bit of a story that leads into what I did make... The Thursday before Thanksgiving we got the news that Eric's best friend since middle school had died suddenly. It was quite a blow. His kids all came to spend time with their dad because they knew how upset he would be. He very much enjoyed the company, of course, and while they were here both girls asked if I would make them socks. I agreed to because they were so good with their dad when he needed them most. The yarn for Meg's socks was easy to decide on, thank goodness.

The yarn was a gift from a House Cup friend a few years ago - it was waiting in the stash for the right project. I love how it knit up! The colors are beautiful together. Erica's socks took a bit longer - nothing jumped out at me. I finally came across a skein that I'd dyed a while ago.

It took a bit longer to knit these, too, because I couldn't believe how nice the yarn looked. My final handmade gift is a bit different.

They will hold lip balms and are for my brother's girlfriend's daughters. I don't know the girls very well, unfortunately, but they are both very sweet. I hope their mom doesn't mind them having glossy lips! I finally got around to putting our tree up yesterday. I then discovered that the box of ornaments, a big Rubbermaid tub, had gotten a lot of water in it when the basement flooded. I spent the afternoon throwing away so many ruined decorations. Worse yet, my star has disappeared. I made it thirteen years ago when the kids and I began our life without their dad. It was beautiful - cardboard, glue, and all of the glitters that I'd collected when I worked at the craft store. I'm heartbroken that we don't have it any more. I don't even want to decorate the tree now - it's in the corner in all its prelit glory, naked. Come January or so I'll start collecting glitter again to make a new star. It won't be the same, of course, but maybe this time I'll go with a silver, iridescent, and soft blue color scheme. Okay, enough with the down stuff! I have socks to wrap in the shiny purple paper that I had to get. (All of our paper was destroyed, too, so I got new rolls last week.) Tomorrow is the last day of school before Christmas break. Know what that means? Sleeping in! And probably rereading The Blood of Olympus - I love Rick Riordan's books so much. Did you know that his next series is Norse gods and mythology? So excited! So, tell me about your holiday plans and favorite books and crafts and stuff. I'll be back soon!

An Early Gift

A couple of weeks ago I got an email from etsy showing things I might be interested in. I get them from ebay all the time but don't open them to avoid temptation, but I was curious. It contained something I was very interested in - a vintage Halston ultrasuede shirt dress in my size. I closed the screen and pouted because, well, I'm broke and shouldn't have looked in the first place. A few days later Kerry and I ware chatting about random things and I told him about the dress. He said I should order it and it would be his Christmas present to me. A relative had given me some money (not through Go Fund Me, that's for the kids), so I ordered it. It came Saturday. I opened it with careful excitement - this is the dress that Halston sold 60,000 of for around two hundred dollars in the early 70s. I couldn't wait to see what vintage high-end looked like!

It's beautiful. The color isn't something I would normally get, but it will go with everything. The ultrasuede fabric is dreamy - soft and smooth. It looks like this dress wasn't worn much - no areas that are aged-looking. The tag was unattached on one side, as the listing said, but that's okay and easily fixable.

I was eager to see what the inside of this baby looked like. Right away I saw that the buttons are the cheap plastic kind. Kind of surprising. They're backed, though, unlike something I'd get new. When I got to the seams, though, I wondered if perhaps I was duped.

It looks like something I would make. I know the ultrasuede doesn't fray, but I was expecting something more - and the obvious notches really made me think that this had been handmade by someone and a label sewn in - some older patterns sometimes included a label. But! I came across these tags

that confirmed to me that this is, in fact, a real Halston dress. According to the union tag it's from after 1974. I was about 5 when this dress was made! One of the things that I really like is the attached belt

that won't get lost...although I had thought of wearing the dress with a cardigan over it and using the belt around both. Oh, well. Why are there no pictures of me modeling it? Well, it's a bit snug. I had hoped to wear it to my court appointment on Wednesday, but now I'll work on wearing it on my birthday in three weeks. I'll just exercise a bit more and eat less homemade toffee (yum!). I will wear the heck out of this dress! I did a bit of looking around for fabric to make some more versions. Holy cow can it be expensive! I found some on that's affordable and comes in some great colors. Maybe with some birthday money I can order a few yards. I need to learn how to copy this dress, though. anyone want to come teach me? I think that, with this style and my wrap dress, I can party like it's 1975 every day! On a related note, I've watched American Hustle so many times just for the clothes. I don't even pay attention to the story. It's all about the dresses, baby! Have you seen it? Okay, that's all for today. I have some gift knitting to finish that I'll show you later this week - and court to psych myself up for. Wish me luck!

November Update

Hi, everyone! It's gotten rather cold here lately. It's zapped all of my creative energy. I have a half-finished dress by the sewing machine and a nearly-finished shawl on my chair but mostly I sit and keep Joshua warm. He's not been feeling well and has become quite a heat-seeker. One of his favorite spots:

relaxing in a warm load of laundry. The times I've tried to knit he climbs on my lap and plops down on my project. It's nice to be wanted! I have set up a Go fund Me page here. If you know anyone who would be interested in helping, please pass it along. That's all for now. I'll be back soon!

Getting Witchy!

I have a finished project to share that I'm super excited about - and have many pictures of, so prepare yourselves. This is the Lestrange Cloak from the Unofficial Harry Potter Knits that came out last year. I've been working on it since May. It wasn't a difficult knit, but there was lots more to it than I thought. I used a cotton/nylon blend yarn that's been in my stash for a long time that's machine washable - but it left a layer of fuzz all over the dryer when I washed and dried it last night. Hopefully that won't happen again. Okay, on to the pictures!

I'm still trying to figure out my best smiling face. I look grouchy but, trust me, I'm not. I plan to make a magenta dress to wear under this, probably bias cut. A pair of Stevie Nicks boots would be great, too. What do you think?

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

Today is Khloe's birthday. Fourteen years ago she was in a huge hurry to get out and she hasn't slowed down since. When I asked if I could take her picture, she grabbed Joshua to pose with her.

Then she switched to something a little bit silly and much more true to her personality.

Zinnia Medallion

I recently finished this crochet project. The pattern is from the June 1949 issue of the Workbasket magazine. According to the pattern, the idea is to make a bunch of them to use as a table runner or bedspread.

I, however, am using it as part of a project from the Spring/Summer 1970 issue of McCall's Needlework and Craft magazine that I will share with you later - when it's finished. When I was cleaning after this latest basement flood I discovered that I have accumulated almost thirty skeins of fingering weight black acrylic yarn. I would have known this if it had all been in one place! The zinnia is made from some of that black yarn. I could, actually, make a bedspread with the stash I have...but I get a little bored making the same thing over and over again. You'll be seeing a lot of black projects, though! Yes, the doily is attached to a black embroidery hoop. It's not easy spray painting a hoop. My fingers were covered in paint from trying to hold it so all of the edges would get covered. I've started watching Farscape again, mostly because I love Zhaan so much.

She's a great character. She's very intelligent and spiritual and becomes the healer for everyone, including the ship, Moya. Her species is evolved from plants. It would be so cool to dress up as her for a sci-fi convention...if I could get the paint just right. Of course, I'm not nearly as peaceful as she is so I would break character quite often when dealing with long lines or missing ladies' rooms. That's all for today. Have a lovely Monday!

Wrapped in Pink

I finished another Simplicity 7705 this summer. I love this pattern. I still have some adjustments to make so it fits better but I'm not sure exactly what it needs to be perfect. Anyone want to come help? :) anyway, I had a bit of a hard time getting a picture that both showed the color of the dress and didn't wash me out. This dress is really pink. I've had this fabric for a long time - Kerry is 15 and I've had it longer than I've had him! I tried to match it to a pattern many, many times but subconsciously I was waiting for this one I guess. I had just enough yardage for the dress and pieced together lengths to make the extra long tie belt (inspired by the Halston documentary on Netflix that I can't get enough of). What do you think?

I thought I was smiling...maybe only my brain was! I'm really happy with this dress. It will be a bright pop of color this winter when the world is snowy and dreary.

Catching Up

I have a few finished projects to share with you today. First up is a great bag. The pattern is called the Professional Tote. I've had the pattern for a while now and finally decided to make it. All of the fabric and zippers came from my stash - all I had to buy was interfacing. I worked on it a little bit at a time so it was a long project to finish but I love it. Eric said it's the coolest thing I've made.

This is the front. It has a big pocket in between the straps - big enough for my Kindle. The side pockets are intended for water bottles. The slides keep the bottles from falling out.

This side zipper pocket is supposed to be for passports when traveling. There's another big pocket behind it.

Here's half of the inside - it's divided in the center with a big zippered section.

Here's the other inside half. In addition to the center section there are four side pockets. I can take loads of stuff with me when I go anywhere. It's a great bag. All of the fabrics are cottons so it's washable. Now I just need a place to go! Here's the latest bracelet:

The base is denim from an old pair of Eric's jeans. I sewed a piece of lace on the back so the edges peek out. I love the combination of wood and shell buttons together. It fastens with a piece of velcro and is quite comfortable. You know I've had a bit of bad luck lately - Curtise said it sounds like a country song, and she's right. I asked my Ravenclaw friends what I should do and they suggested burning some sage. One of them, Lauren, even gifted me this beautiful shell and stand

to put the burning sage in. Hopefully I'll be able to clear these nasty vibes from me soon. Tomorrow I'll be taking some pictures of a dress I finished while computerless. Tonight, kitty permitting, I'll be cutting out a new dress to sew. Wearing something pretty always boosts my spirits and when it's made by me the boost is even more. So, back soon!

Just A Quickie

I didn't want to leave you all hanging - it's been a bit since my last post. I did get the new computer up and running but my data is still at the shop on my old machine. We had another stroke of bad luck - the basement flooded again and many of the plastic tubs were knocked over and popped open. I have lots of cleaning up to do again and lost more yarn. The sump pump died today - just in time for more rain this coming weekend. But! I will leave on a high note - a recently completed bit of knitting

I'll have more pictures of it and some other finished projects soon.

Urgh!

I finally was able to order a new computer and it will be here next week. Yay! Here's the part where the universe still sucks - as I was driving home with the kids Sunday evening (they spent the weekend with their dumbass dad) we had a tire blow out. We stood out in the heat and humidity trying to get the flat off (those lug nuts did not want to budge) until Eric came and put the spare on so we could get home. The kids learned to change a tire, though, and that people do ask if they can help if they see a car pulled over. More crappiness - their dad told them that we won't get any child support for a while so my tire won't get fixed and I won't be able to get my data transferred. Why no support? He hasn't been able to concentrate on work since his new wife left so instead of doing the job that the state knows about he's been playing gigs with his band and getting cash to live on. Pair that with me still not finding any work and, well, I'm in a very bad mood right now. My mom had surgery, again, on her hand. They replaced the knuckle at the base of her thumb with a plastic one. This is the second time - the first one got messed up. She's having a hard time with it and I can't help her out at all because I can't get there. If you could spare a healing energy vibe we would appreciate it. The kids are back in school. It's just me and the kitty all day again. He likes being able to sleep in peace and, honestly, so do I. Yep, I'm a napper! I'm trying to get the house back in order after our chaotic summer but I'm not in a hurry. I'm planning on doing some sewing, too, once i uncover the table. I have a big new container of buttons to sort through (there's a picture on my Instagram @MsBobbilicious) that has me wanting to make a shirtwaist dress or buttony skirt or something. I did make a bracelet out of some of the buttons and it looks cool. I'll instagram it today. As for new Doctor Who....wow. I am in love! Capaldi is brilliant. I can't wait to get my podcasts to see what they all think of him but I'm pretty sure they all love him, too. I'm not sure how I feel about the Chris Hardwick after-show. Maybe it needs a couple more episodes. Well, it's time to get these kids off to school. I'll be back! have a great day.

Dark Anniversary

It's been about a year since I fell into this very deep depression. I've had a very hard time but it's getting a bit better. I'm working hard to get to the other side of this. I spend every day pep-talking myself, reminding myself of what I want to accomplish and what I have to live for. My good days are starting to outnumber my bad days finally. I found out, dramatically, that the people who I thought cared about me really didn't and that was a very hard blow. This period of not having my own computer and having no regular income are not helping - I can't take any online classes or keep up with the things that interest me and distract my brain from the negative thoughts. (I thought I had support with that, too, but no one seems to give a crap.) The kids and kitty have been quite helpful - they make me laugh nearly every day. Kerry has asked me to practice his football routes so I'm spending plenty of time outside getting fresh air and sunshine...although thunder cut our practice short yesterday. I'm not very good at passing a football but Kerry doesn't seem to mind. I just finished watching Freaks and Geeks on Netflix. It's one of the short-lived but brilliant shows that fans love so much. I loved it. Each of the characters is unique and fleshed-out and they all have realistic relationships with each other. It doesn't hurt that John Francis Daly, who plays Lance Sweets on Bones, is one of the main characters as a young teen and is so adorable. I can relate to the people in this show - I hung out with the burnouts in school and I've had a life-long desire to play Dungeons and Dragons. When I compare it to 90210, which Khloe just watched all of, I can't even believe that they're both about high schoolers. I guess viewers would rather have week after week of back-stabbing and screaming than realistic situations. The new season of Doctor Who starts really soon. I'm so excited! Every time the commercial is on my heart beats a little bit faster. Peter Capaldi is going to be amazing - he's so good in everything I've seen him in. There's a dinosaur in the commercial - I love dinosaurs! I like Clara as a companion, especially after the anniversary episode. I wish I could listen to all of the podcasts right now. I've missed six or seven episodes of each of the weekly ones. I'll bet that several of them have dissected the ad and have lots to say about every image. So, for now, I'd better get going. I've got some mom stuff to do and Candy Crush Saga to play.

Waiting Is Hard!

My computer is completely dead - the motherboard is fried. My brother is giving me his old one when he's finished transferring his stuff to his laptop, but I will still have to get my things moved to it, so I don't know when I will have a working machine again. Boo. Since I'm not spending my time online I've been getting lots of stuff done. My spinning wheel has been getting lots of action and the yarn I spun is really good - the best I've done. I spent a few days dyeing some fiber and it turned out really cool. I've been knitting more for the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup than I have in a really long time. Before the computer crash I had loaded my ipod with lots of podcasts, some of them new to me. I'm glad I did, too. One of them will be deleted - halfway through the first episode I listened to they got too annoying and, really, if you work with yarn at all you should know what "ombre" is and that it's different than "hombre" and "umber". Most of them are great, though, and when I get back on ITunes I'll have loads of new episodes to listen to. Sorry no pictures again. Hopefully soon I'll be able to show all of the things I've been making. Until then, have a great weekend!

Technical Difficulties!

My computer is having some issues right now- it won't turn on. Once I figure out how to fix it or post pictures from my iPod I have some finished projects to share. Until then, well, it will only be text from Khloe's tablet. Thanks for your patience!

Summertime Knits

The weather is finally warming up here. I actually got to spend some time starting my tan. Two of my latest knitting projects are perfect for summer. The first is a shawl called Japanese Garden Shawl. It was designed by Wendy Johnson and was a fundraiser for aid to Japan when it was devastated by the hurricane and tsunami a few years ago. It was gifted to me and sat in my queue, waiting for the right yarn. I was surprised to find that the right yarn was some bamboo that I'd spun at nearly the time that the pattern came out.

The yarn is a bit thick in some spots and too thin in others - bamboo is tough to spin - but I'm really pleased with the finished shawl. The bamboo is light and cool to the touch and the lace pattern is beautiful and simple at the same time. The other project has been waiting to be made for years. The pattern, Montego Bay, was in Interweave Knits and I loved it. I bought the yarn, Sea Silk, for the pattern - the first time I've bought the specified yarn. Well, it sat until a couple of weeks ago. I decided that I must now have my scarf. It was a super fast knit and looks so cool. >br/ >

The yarn is made from a blend of silk and seaweed. It's so soft and smooth and shines like you wouldn't believe. I've worn it around town and it's light and airy and makes me feel glamorous. I'll be making a few more of these - I have another skein of this yarn in a black/brown colorway and a couple of other yarns that will look great. Lately I've been watching a lot of documentaries on Netflix. I really enjoyed one called Ultrasuede about the designer Halston. I love the clothes in it, especially the early ones. I've been browsing etsy and ebay for patterns but they're kind of expensive. It made a little sad though. When I was little my aunt Carolyn used to wear Halston perfume. I loved her so much - she was beautiful and glamorous and made me feel special. I've missed her over the years - she and my uncle divorced so I didn't know how to get in touch with her. I hope she's well. Okay, that's all for now. Maybe soon I'll have a sewing project to share - if the darn hem doesn't kill me!

My Latest Projects

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted anything. Sorry about that! My allergies and a black mood have been kicking my butt - not to mention track meets for my girl and lifting weights with my boy. I realized that I hadn't shared my finished beaded stole with you! It was started in January and went on hold for a bit in February when the crochet hook went through my finger (my finger still hurts, too, because the hook grazed my knuckle) but I finished it on time to get my Astronomy OWL for the House Cup. As I was knitting I realized that the pink yarn wasn't working for me so I overdyed it and it's perfect now. What do you think?

It's only slightly lighter in real life. I've worn it several times because I'm so happy with it. I've been making bracelets, too. I love bracelets - they're probably my favorite jewelry. Sadly I never got any friendship bracelets - they started being popular when I got out of that age group. Here's what I've done so far:

This one is fairly easy. I got the idea from Pinterest - a zipper edged with lace. I added a thin row of glitter because I like glitter (and have lots of it in the craft stash). It's fastened with a lobster claw clasp that hooks onto the zipper pull.

The bottom one is also easy - a zipper with the tape cut off. It's the same clasp as the above one. Both of these still zip, too, so a smaller wrist could unzip it a bit to make it fit. The top one is some of my favorite buttons - gorgeous shells that are pretty weighty and beautiful. The full bracelet looks like this:

It was pretty simple to thread some thin cotton through the holes. I got the idea from a blog but didn't add anything else because I wanted to show the buttons. I couldn't capture the colors, though - pink, violet, gray, white shimmering together. You can imagine, though, if you've seen abalone shells. They're very similar. I experimented with some flowers:

because all of the craft sites and blogs have amazing zipper flowers and I love them. The bigger one has a pin back on it so I can put it on a hatband or jacket. The smaller one has an alligator clip so it can go in my hair. I will be making more of these - they're not too tricky and I have a bunch of zippers from an auction haul last spring. One of the boards I follow on Pinterest is all zippers so expect more "toothy" things from me! One of Khloe's friends had a baby last Friday. Yes, she's too young, but it's not my place to be judgy. Sunshine (her real name) is a sweet girl so I made a pair of socks for the little guy:

I wanted to make some purple ones but, darn it, I couldn't find my little ball of purple sock yarn. (I know it's here somewhere!) We'll be going to visit them in a few days - we don't want to be rude and come over right away while she's still settling into motherhood. We got her a set of supplies, too - lotion, soap, powder - and if I can I'll pick up a pack of diapers because the little ones go through them like crazy. Finally, my mom got Khloe and me a rubber band loom. I'm still figuring it out but before long you'll be seeing lots of creations from it. I know they're for little kids but I think the rubber band bracelets are really neat and I know that people have been making all kinds of other things with them. (I love looms of all sorts. I have several hand-sized weaving looms and a beading loom. I'm aching for a bigger loom to make scarves and stoles but it will have to wait for a bit longer.) Okay, that's all for now. I have another button bracelet to finish and some sewing to work on - and loads of other works in progress. See you all soon!

While I'm Creating

I've been bitten by a creative bug lately - all of the craft sites and Pinterest are bombarding me with inspiration. Unfortunately, I have the attention span of a toddler right now so my house is covered with half-done projects. So while I'm finishing I'll share a picture of some sweet sleeping babies:

Weekend of Shows

I usually don't get out much beyond the grocery store (starving teens eat so darn much), but this past weekend was a whirlwind of activity. On Saturday, the Prairie fiber Arts Guild held a yarn and fiber show in Chillicothe, the town where my parents live. Eric made sure I had enough gas in my car for the hour drive, and Kerry and I hit the highway. I dropped him off with Grandpa and Mom and I checked out the show. It was small but really nice. I forgot to take pictures, darn it, but we met loads of vendors (one who made amazing Fimo buttons and I didn't get a card darn it) and met a baby ram. I picked up a few things:

some lovely silky merino from Spry Whimsy Fiber Arts

a gorgeous purply BFL braid from Leading Men Fiber Arts

and a super cool fossil pendant from a man named Phil Krumholz - his card says Art to Wear but he doesn't have a website sadly, his jewelry was gorgeous.
Sunday brought the rock and mineral show here in my town. It's held every year but this was our first time going. I took Khloe and one of her friends and we had a ball looking at all of the pretties. We picked up a few treasures:

Khloe got a geode, a slice of stained glass-like stone, and a piece of chalcopyrite from Mexico.

I got a little stone egg for my collection

and some little purple polished stones that may become pendants with some knotting or wire wrapping. There was a "fossil dig" for kids that was boxes of pebbles full of polished stones and shark teeth. Each of the girls picked out something. I would have chosen one of the very large teeth if I could have - they were neat.
I was pretty worn out from all of that socializing but it was great. I also learned something, especially at the fiber show. One of the vendors was selling handmade jewelry - pretty stuff. It was all the kinds of things I've made over the years. I looked at her prices and it hit me - not everyone can make things. I have a rather easy time figuring things out and tend to undervalue it as a skill. I need to appreciate my talents more and not consider myself "less than" someone who can sing or who has amazing people skills. I tell my kids that everyone is special and has their own special skills. It's time to listen to myself.

Dolly Clackett Dress

I have another new dress to share! It's for the Dolly Clackett sewalong Roisin makes beautiful dresses and the sewalong is to celebrate her upcoming wedding by making dresses in her style. This is from Mc'Call's 6859, a vintage pattern from 1963. I really like how it turned out. It looks a little wrinkly in the picture because Khloe was in a hurry to get done - it got rather chilly while we were out. It fits great and I got several compliments while we were out.

The fabric is from Wal-Mart. It's a light weight cotton. I lined the top with fabric that I cut off of a too-long slip. It was the first time I lined something that didn't call for it and I did pretty good. It has a zipper up the back and I used the instructions on the zipper package to sew a lapped zip instead of my usual visible style. That's all for today. I have another dress about half done and will be sharing it soon.

My Dress Is Finished!

I'm so excited - I've finally finished sewing my vintage Simplicity 7705! I wore it all day yesterday. Khloe styled it with the scarf and shoes because I didn't have quite enough fabric for the tie belt. Want to see?

I love this dress. I spent some time on fabric.com and found at least a dozen fabrics I want to use for more versions. It fits well and my family all thought it looks good - even with the flashes of cleavage. I know there's a post somewhere in the blogisphere about preventing wrap gapes, but I can't find it and, really, a flash of boob never hurt anyone, right? I'll fix it eventually. Khloe thinks I should shorten it a bit. What do you think? I can't decide. She also thinks that boots don't go with dresses, silly girl! This is my first project for the Vintage Pattern Pledge. It's been fun seeing what people are making. There's even another black wrap 7705! Next week is spring break for the kids so I should have another new dress to share. Yay for no alarm clock! I'm sure the cat will make sure that I don't sleep too late - he likes to be fed pretty early or he thinks he's starving. Poor spoiled baby. Okay, that's all for today! Have a wonderful weekend!

A Leaf on the Wind

I've finished knitting my Maple Leaf. It wasn't a difficult pattern - mostly stockinette. I did have a bit of a problem shaping it right so it's not exactly like the pattern picture. In fact, both Kerry and Eric think it looks like a big pot leaf. Silly boys!

It's hanging from my ceiling because I couldn't find a good place to lay it out without the help of a certain little furry friend. Wearing it may be a challenge. It will be warm, though, since it's alpaca. I was hit by a blow yesterday. I love plants. I have lots of them around the house - it drives everyone else crazy. Most of them have been with me for a long time. One of my favorites is a dwarf banana tree. I bought her when she was about three inches tall about eleven years ago. She grew to six feet tall and loaded with lush leaves - she was magnificent. She died yesterday. I had her out on the porch all last summer and she loved it. When I brought her in for the winter she wilted. Her last leaf broke yesterday afternoon. I'm crushed. It's probably silly to be upset about a plant, but I can't help it. I wish I had a picture to share. Maybe one of these days I'll find another one and can start again. Today, though, I'm looking at the empty space and missing her. The title of today's post comes from Firefly. It's a great show. I've watched it several times. I recently started watching Farscape. It's gorgeous. Discovering treasures is one reason why I love Netflix.

Tee Shirt Recon

Not long ago my son came home with a big rip in his shirt - he said he caught it on someone's locker. I kept thinking about how to fix it but nothing came to mind. Last week an idea hit - I could make a project bag! A few swipes with my rotary cutter and a run through the sewing machine and I had this:

It's big enough to hold a good-sized knitting or crochet project. I made a second one out of my oldest and most favorite Marilyn tee but the cat wouldn't get out of the way long enough for me to take a picture. I'm always glad to have places to hold my projects. Speaking of the cat, he and I had a bit of an accident the other day. He was trying to go somewhere he shouldn't. I started to shoo him and wound up with a size 13 steel crochet hook through my finger. It really freaked me and Khloe out. Thankfully it didn't bleed! Kerry called Eric's mom to take me to the emergency room to get it removed. It's my pinkie, so I won't be working with yarn for a few days because I use that finger for tensioning. Right now, two days later, I have a hole in my finger and lots of bruising and swelling. Kerry told me that he thought I was crying because of the ice dancing on television until he looked down. I missed the last three performances, darn it. I learned my lesson, though - use the water sprayer to shoo the cat, not my hand! And no, I didn't take pictures. It was too icky. Yes, the cat felt bad. He's been rather nice to me, not doing his usual biting as affection. That's all for today! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Being Bright

If you live anywhere east of the Rocky Mountains you're probably snowed in. I tried to take pictures of all of the snow we've gotten - and we got even more last night - but my poor camera didn't like it. I've taken a cue from my favorite bloggers and decided to cheer myself up with color.

I ran my errands in hot pink and a long skirt (leggings and socks underneath, it's too cold not to!) with my black and white fur on top, not fully zipped to share my brightness. I even got complimented at the grocery store! That always makes my day. Today the kids are home, again, because of the weather. I hope they keep the cat busy because I want to sew and don't need his help. Cutting out a pattern? I'll lay right here in the middle. What happens if I put a paw here on the sewing machine? Hey, you're looking away so I'm going to play with this spool of thread/button/fabric marker. Oh, you're knitting now? I'll bite the yarn while it's moving. All of you cat owners know what I mean. At least he's cute.

Advice, Please!

I love this dress. I made a muslin and it fits almost perfectly - even with my lowish waist. The problem? I don't know what kind of fabric would be best. Any suggestions or advice? The envelope lists so many choices, both silky and not. While I'm trying to figure it out, I'm working on a couple of things. Khloe actually wants me to sew something! I can't believe it. I want to hurry and get it done before she changes her mind - you know how teens can be.

Finally for today, did you see Bruno Mars during the halftime show last night? Isn't he gorgeous? I could watch him all day.

Back soon with some finished projects. Stay warm, loves!

By Request

Every October we have what is called, by some, the Scenic Drive. It's when every small town in several counties fills with vendors and one can find food, antiques, crafts - all sorts of things. One vendor, somewhere, sells handknit earwarmers. I've seen a few on people - they're a dull brown color and scratchy wool but are rather popular for some reason - I can't imagine that they're very warm, though, because the stitches are very open and loose. My sister-in-law asked recently if I knew how to make them because she'd like some colorful ones to wear while running. Sure, I said, I'll see what I can do.

Turns out they're incredibly easy to make - a beginner could knit one in a day. The flowers are crochet. They're just a big spiral, very easy. I didn't sew them to the headband, though. They're attached to alligator clips so she can switch them around or replace them with other flowers. The black one is Khloe's. It's huge because it's a bulky yarn. I made a flower to match but it turned out to be as big as her head - far too huge! According to the weather reports, we're going to have more lovely snow and cold. These should help keep my SIL warm while she's out. Me? I'm staying in with a movie!

Planning My Year

In January, bloggers everywhere recall the past year and decide on goals for the new one. My favorite is Jessica's plan to wear more purple. What can I say? I think everyone should wear more of my favorite color - seeing it all over would make me very happy. I don't want to think about last year. It sucked. Besides my bout with depression, we lost some loved ones and it hit us hard. I'm focusing on looking ahead. When I started knitting I was entranced with gorgeous lace shawls. I bought several patterns and some skeins of laceweight yarn and quickly realized that my skills were lacking. Instead, I knit several fingering weight shawlettes that I never wear and decided to not knit any more accessories that will sit. Well, my attempts at sweaters haven't been great and it's starting to affect my mojo. When I was going through patterns, looking for something to knit for my OWL, I came across all of my wonderful shawl patterns and decided that it's time. Look at these:

These are a few of the patterns that have been waiting in a folder. I've gathered the yarn

and have started a couple

The pink is beaded and will be a stole, and the purple will be a giant maple leaf. Really. It's the result of peer pressure from my Ravenclaws - too many posts about colors and yarn ideas and I caved. It will be fun to wear a big leaf! I've been working on sewing, too. I have so many great patterns that I want to wear. By the end of summer I'll have a great wardrobe and will make sure to take loads of pictures so you all can see. It's been extremely cold for most of the country so far this year. Please stay warm and safe and make sure your loved ones are safe, too. Sub-zero wind chills aren't to be taken lightly. Bundle up if you have to go out! I'll see you again soon!