new bunkie

I thought this got posted, but it's a figment of my imagination, aparently. A couple of Saturdays ago I spent the better part of the morning driving around the Greater Pittsburgh Area in pursuit of some orange star fabric. No luck. Standing in the Joann's in the South Hills, I thought to self, "You could drive to the North Hills... yeah, right, that's thirty miles away... or you could just call TOD on the first project, shelve it for the next baby, and start over again." I decided, very grumpily, to start over again, and shuffle through the stacks of material that I had just spent fifteen minutes combing for orange star material. Which, aparently, has ceased to exist, according to the Joann website. I found myself standing in front of an end cap with some convenient coordinating fat quarters, bolts of fabric, jelly rolls, and charm squares... which triggered a memory.

I can has interwebz? Plz?

Yes, yes and yes. Thank you iPod, for being charged, and whoever left an unsecured wireless network wandering around the Joann's. I could kiss you. My web surfing in the weeks before this outing brought me to Oh, Fransson!, which I had left open in my iPod's Safari browser, which in turn brought me to this charm squares baby blanket. And what was I standing in front of? An end cap with charm squares, so I reached out and grabbed Fabric Central's Sea Glass charm packet. The instructions said 38 squares, there were only 30 to a packet... Hmm.

 I had a bolt of fabric in my line of sight with humming birds and mod graphic flowers - Legacy Studio Fresh Fusion Large Spring Floral Cream # 2292415 [this picture really doesn't do it justice] with all the Sea Glass colors, plus a red and peachy orange. Red and Orange fat quarters! Done and Done! That'll be nice contrast to all the light blues and greens. Ooh! And a lovely middle range green with a subtle paisley so as not to look quite so stark! Sashing and binding! Done! YAY!

I was out of the store faster than you could say "modern baby blanket", the final cost of the project slashed by at least a third because - unbeknownst to me - some of the fabric was on sale, and the kind ladies in front of me in the check out line had a fist full of excess cupons they were kind enough to share.

...now if only I could get the quilt sandwich to not shift while I sew it together on my very obviously not meant for quilting Singer.

h00t

We have these owl canisters at work... well, we did. They're so darn cute, they've been flying off the shelves, uhm, no pun intended. See? Even you said, "Aww, hey that's--" Even if you stopped yourself. It's cute.

They come in two sizes, small (4" tall) and cute, and about large (~9" tall) and cute.  It's a canister because the head comes off... which sounds a little disgusting, but it's cute when left alone. Sitting on your counter top. Guarding your caffienated coffee beans....

You know what else is cute? This guy:

It's a Northern (as opposed to Southern) Saw-whet owl. They live in Pennsylvania... and most of the rest of North America. And yes, they are really tiny enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Screech owls are about this big. SO CUTE!!! You have to have special licences from the state and federal governments, and the bird has to be incapable of being reintroduced into the wild, and it's not like a dog you can just put on a leash and take for a walk... rambling, sorry. If I ever was in a place in life where I could do wild life rehab, and the opportunity arose that I could care long term for an owl such as thus, I would. Or something similarly small.

And if you haven't figured out where I'm going with this... well, anyway. My other Brilliant Idea goes something along this order:

yamaha FSX720SC

w00t ^-^

pack up your life in cardboard boxes

So the baby bunkie is stalled because I've either run out of one of the fabrics, or like a total fool, I packed that necessary bit away in a suitcase that is now sitting in storage. *headdesk* I'm likely on my way to pick up some more plastic storage bins, having no more cardboard boxes in the house and wanting to get a move on things. I hate moving. And further likely, I'll be moving twice in the next four months. I think I'd hate it less if I had less stuff. Most of it is art or craft related; acrylic paints, brushes, knitting needles, a portman of fabric, beads, wire... I haven't purchassed anything in the last three months, but somehow artstuff keeps finding me. And now I keep finding it, and discovering how disorganized I really am. I don't need an art bin, I need a freekin' tool chest. One of those big red ones you see rolling down a flight of stairs in a movie. Just for art supplies. I read about people who have art/craft command centers, based around a piece of furniture. I used to have one, in a Hoosier I was attempting to strip [So not worth it - built in the 30's of ash and poplar, not oak]. I was going to sell the Hoosier. Have since changed my mind; I don't know how I got along with out it's two overhead cubbies, the two shallow but long drawers under the enameled worksurface, the cavernous cabinet below. Le Sigh. And where the flour despenser would have been, it can hold not one but two sewing machines which can be hidden by a roll down.

So in the realm of packing, we're down to the personal of personal effects, framed art, flotsam and jetsam and lots of clothing. Ugh. This too shall pass.

bunkie

I'm stalled on a current project. I don't know why it's not coming together the way it ought, but the baby will be here in less than a month, and I like to have these things done before the baby arrives. The good news about other stalled projects is that I still have time to complete them.

Thank God baby blankets are so small.

after[Christmas]math

Way after Christmas. 3rd week of Epiphany.

The knitting for the holiday was well recieved. The children loved their hats. The mitteners loved their mittens. And the scarves? "YOU MADE ME A SCARF!!! THAT IS TOO COOL!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!"

That response made my day. [!!!] those did, too. :)

 So now we're on the other side of Christmas, and I'm not going to attempt to knit a gift for anyone until at least April. Or something. I did get some beautiful hand dyed, alpaca/linen yarn for Christmas from Annadele Alpacas, with strictest instructions to knit something for myself with it. Though what I'm going to knit for myself remains a bit of a mystery. I'm content to finger the hanks and drown in the deep sea green varigations. This Christmas, the unplanned project was to make replacement stockings for the family. Whoops.



Dad's, Mom's, Brother's, Mine



And V's.

I really didn't want to do the stockings for everyone, excepting V, who didn't have one at all, and after that one arrived in the mail, mom thought it was fantastic - not to mention big-person-sized, thus much better for stuffing than our wussy child-sized ones- so she requested I make some more. So I did. After some coaxing. At least mom understood why I was dragging my feet. I was busy with work, but more than that, it was something I had been planning to do for the first Christmas with Mr. Zara. Not necessarily so that they matched or anything. Knowing full well that it wasn't going to be this year. I don't know why, but it had been a very emotionally difficult fall. We make plans and say, "When this happens, then___." And sometimes we end up having to wait for the "this" part.

I'm a very impatient person. Especially when waiting for an answer about something. Just tell me already! If it's 'yes', I'll wait secure in the knowledge that it is, in fact, going to happen. Even if it's a yes, eventually. If 'no', I will most happily move on with my life, and keep waiting until I sense the next "maybe yes?" moment.
Life, however, is not like this. Saint Nicholas, for example, he would chuckle, "God helps those who help themselves. Rouse yourself! Get out there and do something about it!". Nowhere in the Bible does it say anything about God helping those that help themselves. Giantfreekinlie.

it was my first one, it was too small. it didn't fit you at all.

but you wore it just the same. yes, it's knitting-in-time-for-Christmas. I'm actually sitting here and casting on as I type, which will make the journaling slow going... but I garnered insight into a particular knitting situation. Two kids, siblings. I was going to knit a fish and a cupcake, but then the heavenly choir sang and the coin dropped and I remembered... they both love cats. and would probably wear cat hats more readily than a cupcake or a fish. Duh Zara. Cat hats it is. way easier? mayhaps. we'll see.

I love Advent and Christmas. Really. (and yes, there's a but coming)

but.

let's leave but hanging in the air there. like the princess and the tiger, but has more than one ending.
I like to believe in benign endings.

scarf season

Yes, it's October, and that means it's scarf and sweater season. Sort of. I'm trying to get a jump on my Christmas presents this year, so I'm starting early - as if October is early - with my knitting. Idealy, I'll have two guys scarves, several pair of mittens, and two hats - a fish and a pink frosted cupcake. Ambitious? Maybe a little much. I have several quilts that need to be finished. A baby blanket by February, an aniversary throw by next November, another anniversary quilt by August in two years, and to top it off, quilt a throwish sized Window pane by Easter. And to complicate things, I started a stash buster. Which I prefer working on above all else due to it's ease of construction. And then Halloween is coming! Do I make the Regency dress, or do I hold off and pull from my closet and borrow from others for something else?

And I still need to apply for school. And find a more steady form of employment.


Scarves.
right.
I finished a corded cable scarf in Lion Brand's Wool Ease, Oxford Grey, for a guy in my small group who was very enthusiastic about scarf wearing in winter. I was working on it at a petit bon fire in his back yard, with intentions of giving it to someone else that I'm rather... uhm... More-Fond-Of. But I wasn't even sure if  More-Fond-Of would even wear a scarf. Or that I was happy with the pattern enough to give it to More-Fond-Of. So thrice-cord cabled scarf in Oxford Grey goes to small group fellow for Christmas. Which will probably work out, because I'm also not sure if I want to single out More-Fond-Of with this gift.

I just cast on for More-Fond-Of, also a cabled creation, but with more of an aran bent. It's comprised of sand tracks, which I'm hoping will look more like a braided cord of three strands, and a Tree of Life in the middle. Which I also hope turns out. At least as being obvious what it is. I don't remember the name of the color. It's a heathered denim sort of blue 100% merino wool made by Patton's. I'm hoping the dye lot still exists, because if the Oxford Grey is any indication, I'm going to need a second skein. In any event, I'm cautiously optimistic about this project. And if it turns out that More-Fond-Of isn't a scarf wearing kind of person, I do know several other people that would love a hand knit, 100% merino wool scarf.

And on a side note, I started the binding on the Ocean Waves. One short side is done o_0. Three to go. I keep telling myself how worth it the project will be when [finally] finished.

a life in miniature

Because this is the kind of absolute geek I am.

The image on the right is the not-exactly-finished version of the final product, which is on the right. The zipper(yes, recycled from a shot pair of blue jeans) is flamingly obvious, unlike what I suspect is a hidden zipper on the origional uniforms. The emblem on the uniform was crafted out of sculpy... this before I got a hold of the Hallmark relased the ship insignias, perfect size for these girls. The lady on the left, a blatant reference to Kathryn Janeway, is the historical and soon to be retired Felicity Merriman, and the little black toes peeking out from the pant hems are her colonial buckle shoes. After all, no self respecting captain would show up on her bridge in a pair of black socks and mary janes. With any luck, I will be able to find or craft a pair of black boots to complete the ensemble, and I'll be sure to order some extras and complete uniforms for the other departments. I did find what were labled as go-go boots on  doll clothier's website, which would serve to outfit someone of Kirk's era, but I would have to do a little more research on that dress before I made one.

BUT WAIT! I hear you say. You- no, not you, so stop worrying. The other one, the even geekier than I am Star Trek fan over there. You say I can't stop with Janeway? What about Dr. Crusher? What about Counselor Troi, Kira Nerys, Be'Elanna Torres, Jadzia Dax, Seven of Nine---?

Ugh. My brain hurts. I could fill the shoes of four of those characters. And for some of them there is the issue of prostetics, and how I would pull the look off without the doll needing major facial reconstruction. I've got my hands full of Colonial, Regency, Civil war, Victorian and '40's era attire patterns. And a pile of Black Watch plaid waiting to be turned into a miniature kilt. I've got the white West Highland terrier... now where am I going to find a tiny set of gillies, a glengary and... bagpipes?

new babies

Am not having one. Now that's out of the way.

I might be the slowest person to admit it, but I'm pretty girly. See most of my wardrobe is pink, I can bake better than Betty Crocker - from scratch, no less - and I love dolls. And doll houses. And all the silly little tinsy tiny things you put in them. So when I saw an American -->  Girl of Today at a church sale, I couldn't pass her up. Even missing her shoes. And especially at - no, I can't tell you how much I paid for her. It was highway robbery. 

How many of these girls do I have, you ask? She makes number six, after Kailey, Molly, Felicity, Kirsten and Samantha. I got started young, what can I say. What could be better?Well, her clothes, for one thing. Mattel, seriously.

Her pants fall off when she is sitting, and that tee shirt covers nothing. Okay, so some things could be better.

Haha.

And then, to make things even better, an awesome woman I know told me about this website, where another wonderful woman (I am guessing) scanned for what must have been days to make available these wonderful and out of print patterns for the historic American Girl characters, who seem to be dropping like flies. So I did what any other self respecting and thrifty seamstress would do... I downloaded those as fast as I could and made a dress and pinafore for my new girl.

(Worst picture in the world, I know. Camera is fussy). You can't tell from the photo, but the dress is a white background with little violet buds surrounded by even smaller violet polka dots. In case you were wondering, this is Kirsten's birthday dress* and pinafore, which I will be remaking in the appropriate pink check, as soon as I find it.

My new doll, like my car, is nameless. She doesn't have the looks to be Lizzy Bennett or Jane Eyre. Maybe Lexie [Alexandria] MacDonald. Perhaps Meg Murry. In which case, this little girl will need a pair of tortoise shell glasses. In any case, she serves as the perfect model for the clothes I'm making from the aforementioned patterns.

Oh, I forgot Bitty Baby. When the camera isn't acting out.

*If you're interested in making these dresses, and never have before, watch out for the back closures. My grandmother made a trousseau for Samantha, and had to make the first dress she attempted twice, because the dress wouldn't close in the back, it didn't come close. I had to make a placket for the back of this dress because it too would not close in the back, even when I followed the Velcro placement directions.