Knitting. Yes, I still do it.

"A mostly knitting blog" my ass, huh? I don't think I've blogged about knitting in forever!

Next weekend is the Upper Valley Fiber Festival!!! yippee! I would say I feel like I haven't bought any yarn in forever, except that I did just grab another skein of Wollemeise from someone who was destashing it! I couldn't help myself - I can't wait till it gets here! But seriously, I've been getting much more discriminating about the yarn I bring in - it's like it finally sunk in that I really have enough and that justifying something just because I could make a great hat or pair of mittens with is, and therefore wouldn't need a lot of it, just doesn't work on me anymore - I have lots of yarn already that will make great hats and mittens. I've fooled myself with that line one too many times! Anyway, I do plan to buy yarn at the UVFF because there are always so many local vendor and you just can't get that stuff anywhere else. I looked at my stash listing on Ravelry and did a search for "uvff" because I was trying to remember what I got last year - big surprise - I hadn't used any of it yet! I decided that I needed to feel like I'd used something before I go again and I've had my mind on both the shetland triangle and some hand dyed yellow sock yarn I got from a local vendor (Amazing Grace Farms) - perfect match! The yellow is a little semi solid which is perfect for this pattern. I'm kind of gaga over shawlettes lately. yeah, i'm aware that it's all bandwagon-y and I'm ok with that. So here's what I've got so far -

4 repeats, and I have to do 8 before the border. How do you give a percent complete number for a shawl? I mean I can hardly say I'm 50% finished just because of the number of repeats - I mean repeat 7 is way different than repeat 2 in terms of size! anyway, this is one of those patterns that you just don't ever want to end. I'm loving it. I can definitely see more of these in the future. Oh, I just finished another shawl! I started one before I left for Phoenix because I wanted something that I didn't have to think about too much - I just used a basic triangular shawl pattern then did some lattice sections whenever I felt like it. I totally ran out of yarn half way through the cast off row though! I found some other sock yarn that's close enough and I don't think anyone will know. I'm pretty much loving it. It's kind of impossible to see the great colors though with this lack-of-lighting picture

Oh, it's Rio de la Plata sock yarn, which I believe I also got some someone's destash and it's great stuff - despite the fact that it's variegated! So there! I'm knitting! (oh, there's also a green cotton cardigan that should totally be done right now, but I'm all caught up in that shetland triangle, so it isn't - I'll fill you in on that one later!)

Happy Mother's day to my mom!

My mom is, hands down, my biggest fan when it comes to stuff I make - she's always encouraging (she bought me my loom) and never criticizes or nitpicks (even though I always nitpick my own stuff and can't seem to keep my mouth shut about little flaws when I give her something.) My grandma was an amazing seamstress (she made Barbie clothing with finished seams and smocking and hand sewn hems - I can barely get myself to zig zag the raw edges on the inside of a person-sized skirt!) and my mom always says "oh, you're just like your grandma!" - and my mom doesn't just say crap to make you feel good, if she says it, she means it, even though I think it's a ridiculous comparison! Even though I've never seen my mom sew without cussing and getting mad about something not working right, she taught me a lot about sewing and always let me make mistakes when I was learning - then taught me the valuable lesson of seam ripping! My grandma always wanted to do the difficult stuff when we make things together, so that I didn't screw it up, and I guess I learned something from both sides. I'm eternally grateful to my mom for everything she's ever taught me and everything she's ever done for me!

I decided to make her a set of placemats for mother's day. In my mind, a "set" meant 4, but then later I wondered what exactly she'd do with 4 placemats since the people at her table are either her and my dad, or the whole giant family! I changed my definition of "set" to 2 and it's a good thing because I just got them finished! It's also a very good thing I'm going to visit her tomorrow instead of today (initially she asked if I could come Saturday then changed her mind - whew!) I think they turned out great - even if the color scheme is totally not "me". I think she'll love them. I even made the binding myself!

I LOVE YOU MOTHER!

the names we give clothing

The last week of this month I'm going to be in Arizona for work (at a resort(!) which looks awsome, but which I'm not going to ever see because we're totally booked from 7am-9:30 at night either in meetings, or "breakout sessions" or in dinner/networking (which to me is just forced mingling and after ALL day, I tend to just want a little time to myself with my knitting needles and no need to be "on", but that's the deal.)) Anyway, the point is that is says we should wear "resort casual" clothing, and gave the example of shorts and tennis shoes being fine during the day. In my mind, shorts and tennis shoes are going to be paired with some kind of golf shirt or polo shirt (those might be the same thing) and I just don't do that look. I don't own a pair of shorts. I think "resort casual" says I get to wear a summery dress with a cardigan and flats! So I'm making this dress - I'm making the one on the upper right (the black one), but with straps like the one on the bottom because I want to wear a bra.

Granted, I'll never wear it without something like a cardigan thrown over it, so whether or not my bra straps show is probably moot, but I guess it's the principle of the thing. And note the fact that it has pockets, which I LOVE! I'm making it from a fabric which apparently is nearly impossible to photograph - here's a bigger piece of it.

Anyway, it's flowy and drapy and I think i'll be just great! I found the fabric in my stash, which is also great because, like with a yarn stash, it feels great to make use of something you bought with no real plan! I'm back to my old Kenmore machine and I just have a total newfound love for it! I don't think I'll replace it for a while. Oh, and another thing that makes sewing great is this little wrist pincushion that my friend Catherine made for me.

My appologies if I've mentioned it before, but it's so darn cute and totally handy! and a handy thing , when you're sitting on the floor, arms and legs going every which way, twister-style, trying to cut out pattern pieces, is a very good thing to have!

Ooh - today I also cast off side #2 of my mom's requested ponchette!

They're blocking and hopefully I can seam it up and take it to her tomorrow, which is my brother's birthday dinner at my parent's house - so how handy would that be? I suppose I could also take my SIL the baby quilt and it could just be presents all around! I can't even remember when she's due - I'm a horrible sister in law, I guess. But this IS baby #5 and I know, I know, they're all special, but it's just much less of a production now, I suppose. Anyway, the point of all this was that I'm almost done with that darn poncho and I kind of hope my mom has some overpowering AC in her office, because otherwise a wool poncho isn't terribly useful this time of year! she did say that she wants to wear it at work when she's chilly, so I think it'll be ok!

Look who's come home!

Or rather, look who taught me the value of cleaning up the stuff I have hanging in bags on the back of my dining room chair? Yeah! my Noro shawl!

I saw a bag hanging on my chair just a minute ago and thought "what's in that?" - it's pretty bad when something has been there so long it doesn't even look out of place anymore! ugh, i'm terrible. but yippe - no more tears over lost things!

One day when things were going crappily at work, I soothed my nerves by buying a stack of Kaffe Fassette fabric - I got a pack of 4" squares and a pack of 6" squares (both in the same color family - like 6 or 8 different prints of reds and fushcias.) Last weekend I started playing around with some quilt squares and after poring over one of the Fassett quilting books I checked out of the library, I sewed some together to make simple half squares. I also added in some fabric from a shirt I had, and loved, that ripped (which I realized when I was wearing it! real classy!) I put them together without a real plan as to what they'd be and then decided the piece wanted to be a pillow. I spotted some black and white gingham in my fabric stash (yes, that's why it pays to have stash fabric, and I'll never feel bad about it!) and decided it looked smashing against the florals.

I put some muslin on as a backing and quilted it up - with my old faithful Kenmore (I sent that Singer back!) and it was FANTASTIC! no fighting with it, no glitches! sure, there was no handy switch to drop the feed dogs - I had to use the little plastic plate that fits over them - very analog, but it WORKED! I took a picture of the quilting on the back side because I think it shows that I had a good time doing it (unlike the quilting on the baby blanket, which was full of anger and foul language. no baby deserves that! even though they do a lot of screaming themselves, but I digress.)

Then I thought, for the crowning glory, it needed some peacock blue pom pom trim!

I sewed it up today and I think it may well be the best pillow in the world. maybe the universe. I'm that happy with it!

More makin'

This weekend we got a new computer, so while the fella was setting everything up, I made this little makeup pouch. I have a meeting in Arizona next month and I decided that would be enough justification to make a little bag - I'll need a toiletry bag, right? I used the little owl fat quarters that billy got me for christmas - they're double sided japanese fabric, so one side has owls on it and the other looks like sashiko.

It surely is easier to quilt something this size, rather than blanket sized! Oh, on the subject of sewing, I called JoAnns about my machine and they're going to email me a shipping sticker so I can send it back without having to pay shipping, and, if I understood the customer service lady correctly, I'm getting a credit card refund even though the website said that if it's an opened item you have to take an online credit. I just assumed I'd have to try another machine, but it kind of looks like I may not! If I get another, I'm definitely shopping somewhere that I can put my hands on the machine - although honestly, I'm not even sure that I totally want a new one now. I dunno.

That honeymoon sure ended quick!

(yes, I'm aware that the title should actually read "ended quickly" because an adverb modifies a verb, but it just didn't have the same feel, ok?)

I finished the quilt today! But I used my old sewing machine to do it. The new Singer and I are not speaking. In fact, I think the Singer might be moving out, but we aren't sure yet. That damn thing has been nothing but a problem - the tension is totally out of whack and I've done everything I can think of to fix it, but nothing is working. It's under warranty, but that means I have to drive it to Columbus (which I think is the closest place) or I can send it back to JoAnn's for a credit and get another machine. I'm not sure what to do. Anyway, here's the quilt!

It certainly won't win any state fairs (or county fairs, for that matter) but I'm still really happy with it! The final measurements are about 39"x56". It's pretty jacked up in places, like this:

but oh well. it's never going to be on antiques roadshow garnering praise of workmanship. i can live with that. I'm going to wash it now and hope like all getout that none of the fabrics bleed!

It must be my birthday!

not really, but it's a good Family Guy line, and it's how I felt this week because I got myself this!

A new sewing machine! JoAnn's had a great deal on sewing machines (free shipping on top of sale prices for all machines!) and I decided that I deserved to know the bliss of drop in bobins and electronics - all the stuff that's totally basic on machines these days! I've been using a Kenmore that I got back in either high school or college - I can't even remember! I have the original that I bought back then, and also my grandpa's that my mom bought him because we liked ours so much. They're still fine machines, but mine needed to be repaired (it decided suddenly to only sew backwards!) and I decided that maybe just getting a new one was the way to go! Of course I'll keep the old ones as backups, but this one is so cool! Look at all these nifty stitches it does!

And it can sew with or without the foot control - just pushing the button for starting and stopping is way less difficult than I thought it'd be. I also got a set of presser feet designed just for quilting - it has like 9 different feet - including a walking foot, which was the one I totally wanted. Sorry if you don't care about sewing, but I'm excited as all get out!