Life and Other Stories

Wow, March sure went fast. I think it's because the weather was insane and gave me a near-constant headache. So far, April isn't much better. I know it's been crazy everywhere, not just here. Eventually we'll all be wearing our fab warm weather duds...I hope! I've only finished two projects lately, a request from Kerry and a mesh shopping bag. Kerry texted me in February with a picture of a headband and asked if I could make one. The original was $230. Seriously. I found one on ebay for $30 and suggested it, but he said the magic words - "it wouldn't be a special as if you made it." So I charted it out, ordered the yarn, and got busy. It's super small gauge so the knitting took longer than I planned. I lined it with some fleece for extra warmth. It's not bad:

I did order the ebay one, too, so he has two headbands to keep his ears warm next winter. When he came over to get them, he put it on, slid it over his eyes, and slept for about four hours - he'd been out all night with his girlfriend and then worked all morning. He turned nineteen two weeks ago. Nineteen. He's still growing, too. I think he's about 6'3" or so and works out nearly every day. My big boy is a big boy. The grocery bag was a quick something to turn in for the House Cup:

It took a small amount of sock yarn, so I think I'll make a few more since I have plenty of leftover yarn. (Want one? Let me know!) I keep a bag in my purse and several in my car because I hate plastic ones. Today, though, I went to get a few things and gave the cashier my bag with the store loyalty card as usual. He rang up my things and I noticed that the sacker was putting my stuff in plastic. I asked about my bag and she said "no one told her to use it." Ugh. I said to put everything in it, which held up the people behind me which I hate doing. It wasn't my usual store, eigher, so I was already out of sorts. The kids at my store know to fill my fabric bags to the top. In girl child news, Khloe finally signed up for soccer. She's wanted to play for years and finally just did it. She's having a good time with it, but we discovered that she has exercise-induced asthma and carries an inhaler with her now. Some of her games have been cancelled because of the rain and snow and crappy conditions, but she's gotten some playing time in and, honestly, has been sleeping and eating a lot from the exercise. She also signed up as a contestant in the local Queen of Friendship pageant. My baby is a beauty queen! She knows she won't win (? you never know!) but wants the experience of speaking in front of people and facing her fears. For her talent, she's going to sing and is learning to play the ukulele. The pageant itself isn't until July, but the contestants have a bunch of activities around town that they help with. She's made some new friends already, too. I know I'll be a crying mess when she's onstage. Maybe I should stock up on xanax... That's about all for now. Have a great week, everyone. I'll be back soon!

Seasonally Inappropriate Knitting

I don't know about you, but I've had enough of winter and it's cold, cold wind. I hate being cold in my house because the furnace can't compete with the draft coming in the window. I hate having to wear layers and layers of clothes. I don't mind having Buffy snuggle up in my lap, though - she's such a sweetie and is warm and fuzzy and loving. I decided to make a couple of tops for spring, if it ever comes, while still procrastinating on the cables cardigan that would be better for the weather now. First is a top called Paloma from the book French Girl Knits. I've made this before, but it's rather quick and doesn't take much yarn. I had three skeins of sock yarn from a friend and it was just about enough - I had to use a bit of coordinating yarn for the bind-off and sleeve edges.

The other top was inspired by the yarn. I found this at Wal-mart when Khloe and I were finishing our holiday shopping. It was so pretty in the ball - all striped and calling to me. It's called Mandala by Lion Brand. This top took just one ball. I really like how it turned out.

I have found out that they make this in purples. Yay! I want to get maybe three balls to make a dress after I finish the couple projects going right now. I've wanted to knit a dress for a long time. It may even be this pattern. It was fairly easy to knit and would look nice with some length, I think. It has short sleeves, but I couldn't knit them and make the stripes work out, so my top is sleeveless, but maybe with more yarn the sleeves would work. I couldn't get a good picture of what the cats got for Christmas (after Christmas, but they don't mind). Last year we looked at cat trees at Pet Smart and they were so expensive! I love these kitties, but I can't really justify spending over two hundred dollars for a tree. One of my friends at work found one on Chewy.com for 40 dollars and showed me a picture. It was just what I wanted. I ordered one and Eric put it together while I was working. The cats were wary at first, but I sprinkled some catnip on the platforms and now they love it.

Here is Buffy in her new spot - right on top where she can oversee her kingdom. She loves being at face-level with us. Joshua is very healthy right now and races up and down like crazy. It gives him plenty of exercise but makes him eat like a horse. He's healthy, though, and that's all that matters after how sick he has been. You may have seen on instagram that we got a new washer and dryer. Our old ones were over fourteen years old and were starting to not work very well. The spin cycle made the washer sound like it was going to explode! We went to Menard's last Sunday and Eric let me choose which set we should get. It will take us a little while to get used to them, of course. I feel like such a grown-up for being excited about appliances. I didn't make any resolutions this year. I've made a list of things I want to make, but we all know that my attention span is like that of a hyperactive toddler with a sugar buzz. Most of the list is stuff that didn't get finished last year. We'll see how that goes. I'll share what I make, of course. I just need to clean out my sewing room and decide what to make first. Have a great week, guys. I hope lots of good things happen to you! See you soon.

Fast, Cheap, and Easy

Not me - this sweater I recently finished. The pattern is $5 in Paris, a free one that I've made before. I've been working on a cabled cardigan and it was annoying me, so I decided to make something simple and familiar. The yarn is Simply Soft. I think it cost maybe six dollars total. I still have enough of both colors for another project when I find one. So, what do you think?

I've taken a few days off to clean the house and do some baking. You can tell from the mess behind me that the cleaning isn't going well - I'm obsessed with Stranger Things and don't want to do much else but watch it over and over. I did bake some cookies, though, for Khloe and her friends to decorate after school. I'm going to try to persuade them to unwrap some chocolate kisses for peanut butter cookies. Recently I watched some makeup videos on You Tube. Apparently I do it all wrong! One girl talked about blending her eyeshadow for 40 minutes. My whole face takes less than 10 - I have better things to do. I still do mine how I learned when I was young, when disco was everywhere and color was in. I like it. I don't want over-painted eye brows and tons of contour and fake lashes (can't get them to work, honestly!). I've never wanted a "natural" look. I guess it's dependant on when you were young and what you latched on to. Well, I should go do something responsible. The laundry still doesn't wash itself. Darn it. I'll see you all later!

Finally A Weasley

As a Harry Potter lover, I've long wanted the knitwear from the movies, especially one of the sweaters that Molly makes the kids each year for Christmas. In January I decided on a yarn and started one and finally finished it last week.

I'm so happy with how it turned out - oversized and snuggly. The yarn is a wool blend and will be nice and warm this winter. The pattern wasn't hard, it was just a lot of flat stockinette stitch which bores be, so I put it aside a lot for more interesting things.

The pattern is from the book Charmed Knits. It's all items from or inspired by the movies. I've had it for nearly ten years and this is the first thing I've made from it. It won't be the last, though.

Next up, though, is a cabled cardigan. The pattern was gifted to me several years ago and I've finally decided on the perfect yarn. I'm making some baby hats for charity, too, and have an expecting coworker who I want to make something for. That's all for today. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Socks With Stories

I haven't gotten any better with my time management - maybe when school starts back up I'll be able to make a schedule that will stick. I have made a few things to show you, but today I just have a couple of pair of socks that I've knit over the past few weeks. Sock story number one: a couple of months ago one of my Ravenclaw friends asked us in the group if we'd like some sock yarn as she was destashing. I said sure because I always have room for a couple of skeins and I knit a lot of socks. About three days later I was watching Ghostbusters (the new one - I love Holtzman and Patty so much) and enjoying a day off when I heard a thud on the porch. When I opened the door, I saw a giant box and wondered what Eric had ordered and if I had maybe bought something and didn't remember. Well, it was addressed to me and when I opened it, it was full of sock yarn. Full. Thirty-four skeins. I was floored. I couldn't stop looking at all of the beautiful colors and squishing it all. One skein didn't have a label, so I caked it up and picked a pattern and this is them:

The pattern is called Double Agent and was inspired by Snape, but the colors are so bright that the stitches don't show. They're so bright and cheerful! I have a nice-sized ball left to make a little something else or maybe a pair of footies. Sock story number two takes us a bit further back. Several years ago, when Khloe was about eight or nine, I gave her a big skein of plain yarn to dye up. She had a great time picking colors and made a very springy and light colorway. I had already made socks for my mom from it and the giant cake has been staring at me, waiting for more attention. Well, I got it out and started knitting, planning to overdye the socks when I was done because green and orange are not my colors in any way. I rewatched a documentary called Paris Is Burning while knitting one afternoon - it's about the drag balls in New York in the 80s and the birth of voguing and interviews many different people. I've watched it several times because it's so interesting to me and especially now knowing that RuPaul and his best friend Michelle were a part of that scene but not in the movie. As I was watching, it came to the part where we, the viewer, meet a young girl named Venus who is so tiny and sweet but tough and has huge dreams of getting married and having a family. It hit me that the yarn was the same colors as what Venus wears, so I decided to leave them green as a tribute to her tragic story - spoiler, she was murdered.

I didn't capture the greenness very well in the picture. It's more of a fresh leaf kind of color. The pattern is called Fawkes, more Harry Potter inspiration. The designer faked her own death to get out of some obligations and caused quite a stir in the knitting community a few years ago. I don't know if her actions ever caught up with her. Finally, a kitten update. We determined that her birthday is in the first week of July, so she's one now and has gotten huge.

She's a very healthy eater and loves stealing Joshua's food. I kind of have to prepare myself when I want to pick her up since she weighs at least twelve pounds now. She still has her sweet face, though. Eric recently got a smart phone and it's full of pictures of Buffy which Khloe and I think is hilarious. That's all for today. Have a great week and I'll see you again soon.

A Bit Of Crochet

My grandma taught me to crochet when I was young, but I didn't do anything with it. Many years later a woman at work was working on an afghan and everything came back to me. I began getting magazines at the store when they were available - back in the early 90s the magazine sections were seriously lacking in the creative arts area. Fast forward a bit to 2005. The winter issue of a magazine called Crochet Fantasy had an article called Modular Madness.

The pictures really got my attention - the models looked so cool and 70s. The article was interesting and really got me when the author said that the book, Modular Crochet, was available sometimes on ebay for over a hundred dollars. I had to see it. My library got it for me through an inter-library loan and, well, I fell in love with it...so much so that I photocopied every page and put it in a binder to look at all the time. I made five sweaters from the instructions in the book and eventually found a copy on Amazon for thirty dollars. Now I have my binder copy and an actual hardcover copy that both get pored over regularly. Where am I going with this? Well, last summer I got a kit with a pattern for an oversized pullover and yarn from an online shop. I started to work on it and wasn't feeling it. The yarn was nice and the stitch pattern was cool, but the top wasn't working for me. It clicked in my brain to open my book and make a modular vest. Perfect! It worked up fast was fun to make. The yarn is a blend of alpaca and acrylic, so it's very light but warm and keeps my middle warm.

I still have some of the yarn left. It may become a hat or scarf or something...or it may rest in my stash until the perfect project comes along. Kezzie asked to see the boot cuffs. I've worn them all several times, so they're a bit stretched.

I somehow managed to make one of the cabled ones longer than the other. It doesn't show when it's in my boot, though, so I'm not going to remake it. The blue yarn is from New Zealand. Several years ago I sent some Easter egg dye to a woman who wanted to use it to dye yarn with her daughter. She sent the yarn as a thank-you gift. It's beautiful. I have a bit left that I had to hide from a certain kitten who thinks it's a toy. I have plans to make more, but right now I'm struggling through a pair of socks for Khloe to give to a friend. I did make some hats for the march last weekend. The yarn store in Peoria was collecting them to hand out, so I took them in. I saw a picture of someone wearing one of my hats. It made me really happy. I'm not going to get any more political than that. Well, I'd better get back to that sock. It was supposed to be for Christmas. Oops.

Following The Muse

It's been a little while since I've shared any finished makes. I've been busy making more things! In April, I finished knitting a retro-inspired top called St. Moritz from a book called Knitting It Old School that I've had for a couple of years. I love how the top turned out, except the yarn is too rough to wear next to my skin. It felt fine while I worked with it and the swatch didn't feel bad - and I've used this yarn before in another color and it's great. I guess this bright magenta just wanted to be rough!

I also finally made a kimono-style jacket. The fabric has been in my stash for decades...and I kind of hate being old enough to say that! But the kimono turned out great. I used a "pattern" from pinterest and every bit of my piece of fabric. I made a sash, too, but forgot to take it out for a picture.

I also recently finished crocheting a drapey vest, also with deep stash. The yarn is from Goodwill, bought when the boy child was a new baby. A local yarn distributor had donated their whole supply. The labels are all in Greek, but I think this yarn is cotton with some nylon for the silvery strands.

I've been distracted, though, by my bead stash. Every time I start to work on something the beads grab my attention. I've found that they're a great way for me to refocus my thoughts when I get really upset (often, as it turns out, in my life). I just turn on some music and start stringing. Time flies by and I'm much calmer. I've finished these necklaces so far in the past four weeks or so:

The one on the left is an experiment - I strung about six feet of seed beads on some silk yarn (thread weight) and held it with a second strand of the silk to crochet a chain. Then I chained that chain with a bigger hook and tied it into a circle. It's really light for how chunky it is. I started it as a ind of prototype for an idea that's been haunting me. Since it turned out so cool my bigger project has been green-lighted. Last week was the anniversary of Marilyn's birthday - she would have been 90 years old. I'm working on a project to celebrate her life - and not just the glamorous movie star part. It's also from stash materials. Since she grew up in the Depression I'm sure she would appreciate and understand why. I've also had Theda Bara on my mind. I recently saw A Fool There Was, I think the only movie she made that still fully exists. It has stuck in my mind for both the beautiful clothes and the content. We still have movies about "bad" women who ruin the men who fall for them. Some things just don't change, do they? Eric borrowed the first season of Game of Thrones from a friend and we've watched about half of it. It's not doing much for me. I know it's hugely popular. I'm not seeing why. I don't like shows that take several episodes to a full season to get "interesting" - I want to like at least one character right away. I also don't care for "bad people are bad, good people are stupid" kinds of stories. I do quite like a new show called Houdini and Doyle that's on Fox. It's a police procedural, like so many shows, but it's main characters are Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle. I couldn't resist! The main police officer is a beautiful woman who reminds me of Hermione in her logical approach to things. The costumes are gorgeous. It's nice to enjoy a show after so many have crapped out on me. Of course, we're now into the summer television season, so I should maybe look for new stuff. I'm enjoying old movies so much, though, that I forget! I did recently watch The Great Gatsby. Kerry had told me that it's his favorite, so I had to check it out. I love the book and have read it several times (but couldn't find it for him to read, darn it!). It's a beautiful movie. I think it really captured the feeling of the book with the opulence next to the desolation in such a small area. I'd love to find an autographed copy of the DVD for Kerry for Christmas. Maybe I'll be able to save up enough in six months! Okay, I'd better get going. I have work to finish before the lure of the bead stash grabs me again. What will I do when the well runs dry? Oh, I'll think about that another time. See y'all later!

Experimenting With Shrinking

It's been awhile! Sorry about that. I've been slowly working in my new craft room, fixing it up and arranging everything. It's a work in progress and probably won't be perfect for a long time. I don't even have all of my stuff in there! I've discovered that I have more supplies than I thought. One of my favorite parts so far is my display of pretty little purses:

They're all thrifted by my mom from when she volunteered at the charity shop. A couple of them still had their retail price tags - a hundred bucks. I should just start using the bigger ones daily because they're fun. Right now I'm enjoying how they decorate the corner. I've seen a ton of tutorials for using plastic containers as shrink plastic but, since I don't buy things from the bakery or deli department, never had a chance to try it. Last week, though, I got some monkey bread for Khloe and her friend and noticed that it was the right kind...so I had to try it! I cut the pieces apart and traced a couple of images from coloring books. I watched them as they shrank in the oven - easily amused, I am. Check out the results:

Look at how little they got! The original dragon picture is about 3" by 5" and the original butterfly is about 2 1/2" long. I think I'll glue some pin backs on them and wear them as brooches - maybe add a bit of glitter or something, too. I have tons of ideas now and want to scour the internet for clip art to trace. This is one of those times when I wish I could draw, let me tell ya! I need to find the rest of our markers, too. I know there's about a zillion around here somewhere. I have a big stole that I finished, too -

It's cotton yarn, very light, and the finished stole is about seven feet long (about 2 1/2 meters). It will be nice to have this summer for dramatic tossing over my shoulders and such. It was really hard to get a picture of. Since it's pink and purple it matches nearly everything I wear. In Joshua news, whatever was making him sickly is gone. He's super cat-like now, bouncing around and playing constantly and eating like a little horse. He's trying to make up for being sick for a year and a half by being extra crazy whenever possible. I'm so happy that he's better. We thought, more than once, that he wouldn't make it. Now the girl child is trying to talk me into getting a little dog because obviously Joshua needs a playmate. That's all for today. I'll be back with more goodies and experiments soon.

Getting Ready For Chills

I decided to get a jump on my Christmas knitting since I only have two gifts to make. One is done. The other is stalled out because it's for someone who doesn't like me. I'm knitting it as a sign of affection for someone else...and I'm really having a tough time finishing it. Instead I've made a couple of things for myself. The first was inspired initially by this project on the Up Sew blog. I selected this scarf labeled cashmere but cost five dollars so it's mystery fabric - but it's soft and warm and I love the wine color. I had the buttons sewn on but the fabric is too delicate and loose for button holes without stabilizer, which I don't have. So I took the buttons off and just sewed the ends up. It turned out pretty cool.

I still want to make one with buttons to make it like the inspiration project, though. Good thing my scarf collection is big! I just need to stop at the fabric store next week after court if I'm in a good enough mood, of course. The second one is a similar style - big rectangle sewn on the ends. I used some yarn that's been in my stash for around ten years. I'm glad I found a project for it finally. As I was knitting I thought of ways to add different stitch patterns to change it up, but the plain knitting was perfect for watching television.

I may make a couple more of these, too. I have other yarns that would be good for something this simple. I suppose I should finish this gift, though. After I finish the Patti Smith - inspired project that I've been working on...and find a sewing project to restart my mojo...and maybe knit a sweater vest to satisfy the strange urge I've been having...

Finished Sweater!

I finally have something to share - I finished a little cardi that I'd started a couple of years ago. At the time I couldn't decide on buttons so I put it away and just pulled it back out. Originally I was going to take it apart because I've gained a few (or several) pounds, but I tried it on and it fit so I finished it.

I also managed to get a haircut, too. We have a beauty school in town and cuts are cheap. I spent two hours getting shampooed, cut, and styled. The student was a bit confused about layering long hair, so the instructor showed her what to do - so I helped her learn something new. She then straightened it so I could see how it looks. Khloe really liked the straight hair and offered her flat iron for my use. Eric, however, prefers the curls. I do, too. I am aware that I don't take good pictures. It's strange trying to take pictures with the timer, running back and forth to reset it. I'm still working on posing, too. So for your viewing pleasure, here's a picture of Joshua sharing a pillow with Khloe:

Socks For My Boy

I told Kerry that he should be wearing his wool socks to keep his feet warm. He replied that he couldn't find them - not surprising since his room is a disaster. He requested a new pair in Dallas Cowboys colors. He's a good boy for me, so I got out the dyes and had some fun.

I'm not sure how one of the gray stripes turned out a bit wider, but he doesn't care. He put them on right away and is excited to wear them.

Now if he would only wear a heavier coat...

Planning Projects

Hi again! As I type the temperature outside is 1F. The wind chill is around -20F. School was cancelled all over the area because of the cold, and not just in Illinois. It's crazy cold in a big chunk of the country today. If it affects you I hope you're bundled up!
I have big plans for projects this year. I'm continuing last year's plan to knit up some of my big shawl patterns. I'm also knitting a lot of socks because I love my socks...and a couple of my favorite pairs are wearing holes in the heels. I'm going to try a sweater or two, too. I have some purple yarn that really wants to be a cabled cardigan.

One of the podcasts I listen to is having a hat knitalong this year. I think hats would be a good way to use up some of my single skeins of yarn and will come in quite handy on these winter days. I've been considering keeping a box to put finished things in that I can gift to people - I do know a couple of young men who might like wool hats and mittens.
During one of my sleepless nights I realized that I have a nice assortment of shirtwaist dress patterns - ranging from the 40s to the 70s.

I'd like to make a few of them up this year. I've made the oldest one before and wear it fairly often, so another one would get used. I think it would be fun to have a similar dress from different decades. I think I have one from the 80s, too, somewhere in my pattern collection...one of the blogs I read regularly said something about an Eighties Sewalong. I wonder if she's still planning it. I have a few different wrap dress patterns, too, that will be in consideration to be made. If only the fabric fairy would leave me a present!
I'm going to keep making things from my "Project Ideas" Pinterest board as well. Recently I asked some people if they make the things they pin and they all said no. Do you guys make the things you find on Pinterest?
My final plan for this year is to get Joshua healthy. He's still not well. Eric thinks I should talk to a different vet for a second opinion. I just know that it makes me sad that the poor kitty doesn't want to play like he used to and only has energy to walk from one napping place to another. He's far too young to be a lazy cat.

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!

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?

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!

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.

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!

Buttons!

While I was on hiatus I spent a great deal of time sorting out my button collection. I have loads of buttons - old, new, gifted, purchased...all are beautiful and wonderful. When I see a button jar at a thrift shop or yard sale I just have to have it. I love looking at them and imagining what the previous owner was going to use them for or how old they are. I have some that were my grandmother's and I try to imagine what she had in mind for them. Some of them are new and are from Joanne Fabrics or Wal Mart that I got because I had a project that didn't work out or they were cheap and cute. My button collection makes me very happy and keeps my imagination going. Here's what I've been doing with them:

I'm still sorting out some of them and haven't made jars for the metal ones. I have a jar for the leather ones that's not in the picture. So, what have I made with buttons lately? These!

These are the Forbidden Forest mitts from the Unofficial Harry Potter Knits book. It's a fast and easy pattern. I used some yarn from Storied Yarns called Irial. I don't remember what book the character came from that inspired the colorway, but I think it looks good with the pattern - and it gave me an opportunity to use some of my gray buttons. Later today I'll be adding more patterns to my pinterest board. I've hit a snag, though. The 80s are considered vintage. I'm not ready to classify my teenage years in the same range as my mother's, you know? I do have some 80s patterns that I don't have pictures of...but I'll get it done. Did you know that early 90s is also vintage? Seriously. (Don't get me started on the grunge comeback. Ugh.)