Rainy Fridays were meant for crafting...(wistful sigh)

The rain is doing its best to do away with the snow. We no longer have any directly behind our place, although down the ravine a ways I can still see a fair bit. It reminds me of the mounds that live in ice rink parking lots. I can also see spring greens poking out of my neighbour's garden (crocuses I think). So spring is almost here! Speaking of growing things, my cattleya orchid is in bloom again - the buds were just starting to show when I bought it and now a few are fully flowers. It's weird, though, that they don't seem to have any scent yet (the first flowers had a vanilla scent). Maybe there just aren't enough in bloom? Or maybe it is my sinuses :) Also, the species orchid I got is growing like mad. Every time I look at it (a few times a day) there is more growth. Pretty crazy. Apparently it liked it when H dumped it out on the floor. I'll try to start taking pics...

I finished sewing all the rings onto the shade. It is now on hold as my directions say to staple the fabric to the wood and then mount but I want to do a velcro install so I can wash it. So I'm going to look at the ones at the in-laws place to see how they're done. Ray wants to check, too, since I asked him to do the actual install.

I started frogging Creeper. I decided that since I was ripping out anyway, I'd rather rip out a little more and make it right. I have one seam left to undo, then I can figure out where I want to restart from. I found the arms a little long - I think it would look cuter at a 3/4 sleeve (I actually think it's supposed to be that way, it's just too big on me) so I'd like to get rid of a few stitches in width and add the rows I lost in the arms, and see if I can add another inch or so of length. The pattern shows it worn with a ribbon around the waist, but mine really just barely falls below the waist so this wouldn't be an option. But it makes me think that it is meant to fit a little bit longer. So I guess I have some work ahead of me, but it shouldn't be too bad. Ripping the seams is a real pain though. Glad I'm almost done.

I ordered the pattern for the snugs boots to make for H. Someone on Ravelry made them out of Patons wool, which I was glad to see. I'd rather use cheap since he'll outgrow them so fast, and I should have access to a good wide range of colour options with the Patons. I've also been searching Ravelry for a sweater pattern to use up the lovely Riata by Brooks Farms I bought at SAFF. Unfortunately, I only bought 2 skeins, which really limits my options. I found a cute jacket made with 2 skeins of Riata, but the pattern is in Jackets for Work and Play or something like that and all the other patterns are SOOOO not me. $17 plus shipping, plus it isn't in stock, plus only having one pattern I like.....There are a couple of sweaters in Heartfelt - The Dark House Collection (Kim Hargreaves) that I like that I should have enough Riata for, plus I like most of the patterns in the book. So I thought I'd just get that book instead BUT it is $30 and there seem to be few US retailers that have it available and no Canadian ones. Still a possibility. But I kept searching. I think I might use the Bianca sweater pattern in one of my Interweave Knits. It got great reviews on Ravelry, I like the FOs, I already have the pattern....I just hope I have enough yarn. I find the sleeves a bit wide and froo for me, so I may be able to adjust there to save yarn. I think I need to seriously think twice about buying yarn without a pattern first as this is a difficult process. I guess I could also just buy more yarn to make sure, but that gets costly with the yarns I covet.

We're going to the grand opening of a hospice today, then to the inlaws for dinner, so there will be no more crafting, at least until late. Sad as the rain makes me want to make things (and bake things - cinnamon buns.....) We're headed to the farm after a memorial service tomorrow, so maybe I can get a little done up there.

The flu caught up with us

I thought we had escaped the winter with just a couple colds, but the flu managed to find us. It knocked us out for upwards of a week! I got it last Saturday and was useless Sunday. H suffered on and off for a couple days before really getting it, and we ended up in emerg all night Tuesday. Since I got zero sleep that night and H only got a couple of hours, it took us several days to recover - at which point Ray got the flu. Plus H has been suffering very badly from teething (I noticed his molars poking through while at the hospital). It has been a touch week and a half. Hopefully we're through it, I think we're just down to some teething pain. Knock on wood...

I have managed to get a few things done, despite the sickies in the house. I finished Creeper BUT I think I need to do some fiddling. I accidentally omitted two rows from the sleeve when I did the back, and figured it would be okay and so mimicked on the front. But the sweater is just a touch short and the sleeves a bit snug at the bottoms. I've been trying to fix it by blocking, which may be enough, but I'm debating ripping out to the sleeves. Shouldn't take long to finish if I do, and I have lots of yarn. Either way, I plan to frog the neckband and redo it as I forgot to pull out an extra row of stitches when I picked them up (you can tell I haven't finished many garments!). So it is sitting on the table, waiting for me to decide what to do.

I've also made progress on the shade. It is all sewn up and I'm working on attaching rings. I felt a little overwhelmed last night when I realized I had to sew 50. 50. Eeek. I'm feeling overwhelmed again just thinking about it! But it'll happen.

I also got my Ravelry page all done up with photos and projects and my stash. I still have a few recently completed projects to add, and I want to get my needles in. It appears to be a really great tool, both for organizing my chaos and for deciding on whether or not to do a project. Now if only someone can invent a tool for my fabric stash, too....This past week 4 yards of navy Windbloc arrived, and I've ordered some lightweight navy wool jersey, and I still have the unbleached 100% wool to work with, plus the rest of my stash.....But all that is for fall, really, so hopefully when I finish the shade I'll make a nice spring/summer tote :)

Why you shouldn't drink and craft

Not that I'm a big drinker. Quite the contrary, really. But I can't necessarily handle my liquor well, especially when I'm tired. So the other night, after having a glass of wine with dinner, I was feeling a little flushed and very sleepy but, due to the early hour, decided I wanted to get some work done on the roman shade. I got the primary trim sewed and started pinning the secondary, when I noticed for some reason that one of my rows of stitching on the primary trim looked wonky. It was as though my tension was off, but I hadn't changed it from the other three rows. Despite my tiredness, I looked in my sewing books but all they told me was to set my tension based on a scrap of the fabric I planned to use - not much help, since I'd already sewn three perfect rows! The seam appeared to hold well, and tired and frustrated I eventually just decided to ignore it (a decision I'm sure will haunt me later when I stare at that seam, but anyway) and move on the secondary trim. I assumed an issue with the bobbin was at fault (I was near the end of the bobbin and did eventually end up getting both ends of the bobbin thread caught). My secondary trim seams look fine, so I think all is well. Then I got ready to attach the lining to the face fabric, which is when I realized that I had been tired the night I was cutting fabric and, after using the face fabric as a template for the lining, had forgotten to trim down the lining, so my lining was now 2+ inches wider than the face. Grrrr. At that point, I called it quits for the night. But since then, I have attached the two pieces and they look pretty good. I am a bit confused about the bottom, as I opted to not have a skirt and so I thought I just needed a 1 1/2" seam allowance, but after cutting it that way as per the instructions, I wasn't sure if I could correctly follow the instructions to make a rod pocket (since I had neglected to realize I even needed a rod, this rod pocket thing surprised me a little). So I just modified the directions a little and made my own rod pocket. I did sew one seam all the way across the shade, and now I'm not sure that I wouldn't have preferred to have just sewn it the length of the lining. I thought at first that would look funny, but after completing the vertical seams only as far down as the horizontal seam, I think it would have looked better the other way. Live and learn, I guess, plus the seams aren't that noticeable. Anyway, I am now at the point of trimming the top edge to length, but I want to double (triple!) check the finished window height and little man is sleeping so that is out.

I am about half-way through the sleeves on Creeper, which is very inspiring for me! I may yet get to wear this sweater this winter - just realized that it is the 22nd, so I guess I mean this spring. It is looking very cute, I am hopeful it will look hip rather than dowdy when worn. I recently made a lovely vest from some leftover ultra-bulky yarn I bought off a friend. The vest is from Classic Knits by Erika Knight. I think the yarn is Horstia, plus another ultra-thick one I bought to supplement as there wasn't enough for a project. The vest looked gorgeous on the model, but my version looked pretty ridiculous, especially when I put it on. I don't know if it was just the stripes (the Horstia was deep eggplant, the supplement was camel) or the slightly different gauge, but I think that regardless it was just too chunky for me to pull off. It overwhelmed me. So while there was much satisfaction from the quick knit, I learned that I can't actually pull off a very chunky knit (at least in a sweater). The Rowan Plaid I'm using for Creeper is chunky, but I'm thinking that it is fine enough that it suits me. Otherwise, I may have to abandon anything heavier than worsted for sweaters. I can't even think about how long it'll take me to get a project done at that rate!

Not a good nap day

Today nap somehow got pushed all the way to 1pm. We were out getting groceries and H looked very tired but as always, he got energized once we were in the house. So I fed him lunch and figured we'd go around 12:30. But he was just raring to go and didn't seem interested until around 1pm. I'm not sure I should follow his lead, I think I should probably just pick a time and enforce it. He has no idea when to nap, since it varies from 10:30 to 1pm from day to day! Anyway, he went down alright but only slept for an hour. Baffling. He woke up all happy and then immediately melted down again. I actually put him back in the crib and sang to him to see if he'd go. He calmed, but sleep was out. Then he was just in a crank all afternoon until his Daddy got home. And no time for a catnap, since it was so late. Boo. We really need to get this one nap thing working - or even just a good 2-nap system going!

Despite the nap woes, I have accomplished a few things. I got the front of Creeper going, actually finished the ribbing and and about 10 rows up the increases. Maybe she'll be done this year after all (but not before all the snow melts, I'm sure...). Yesterday evening and some of today I got caught up on Flickr updates. I created a new folder of bird photos to hold all the ducks and swans we've been identifying - now I just need to get a better lens so I can get some great closeups! I also got the side and bottom seams of the shade pressed and the primary trim pinned, so hopefully I can get sewing on that tomorrow.

Oh, and I did get the cookies made last night. My tummy has been very happy today :)

Busy weekend - but lots accomplished

First off, I got the back of Creeper completed. I'm pretty happy with it, very pleased to get something wrapped up (even if I still have the other half plus all the finishing to do). Anyway, here it is.

I had to modify the pattern a bit. I used US 10 1/2 needles for the ribbing, which the pattern called for, but I didn't realize how different they were from the metric "equivalent", which is what the pattern was actually written for (being Rowan). I originally did as the pattern said, but when I got the ribbing done I realized that it was just going to be too small. It seemed that it would fit my waist, but only fully fully stretched. So I added two stitches to the CO and changed to a more flexible CO technique, then just eliminated the increases from the first increase row. All in all, a very easy modification but I think it'll make a big difference.

When I was out shopping Friday, I came across a nice wood wagon so I bought it for H. It was such a beautiful day, I was hoping for similar wonderful weather over the weekend and hoped to use it. Ray assembled it on Saturday and we went for a walk to the marina. We saw lots of familiar ducks and swans but we also saw a long-tailed duck and the migrating tundra swans. Very cool. We went for another walk today and spent a couple hours at the marina watching the birds. We're getting better at identification. Today we found greater scaups for the first time.
Before the walk, I sewed H a pair of gaiters out of a pair of Ray's old socks (the heels were worn through).
Very simple, I may add some hooks to the front and back to keep them down (I debated elastic but figured they'd just roll up). But still okay, I think, and a great reuse project. We put them on when H woke up and he loved them - pranced around the house in them! Then we put his rainboots on for the first time, and he was even happier.


I did get photos taken for the headings in H's book, and finished picking my faves out of the 0-3 month phase. There is still a lot of pruning to go, I probably still have a 200 photo album, a little much really.
I think that's about it for my project progress. The house is a bit of a disaster so I should probably commit to cleaning rather than project-ing. That said, I got my 100% wool from CoveredCaboose on Friday and am eager to start playing with it....And I discovered my brown sugar is going hard so I think I had better make some cookies :)

Off to a good start

As soon as I posted yesterday I realized that I had forgotten about two ongoing projects, making a baby book of H's first year and making a picture book for him to enjoy now. I'm planning to let Apple do the work on the baby book (at least the actual production bit) but the picture book will be the old way. I plan to have photos developed, then mount them to card and laminate the pages, putting the pages in a binder so I can add more as needed. I have this great idea to use H's alphabet blocks to spell out section headers - I should go do that while I think of it! I need the daylight I think.

Anyway, I got the fabric and trimmings cut for the roman shade (with much husband help!). I find it ridiculously hard to make a proper rectangle out of fabric, despite my mathematical background. I realized after the fact I should have first cut the blackout material, as it has no stretch, and then used it as a template for the twill shade fabric. Then I would have had one less edge to draw (and make crooked). Oh well. Live and learn. I also got several rows knitted on Creeper. It is looking good, I think. I'm currently decreasing for the shoulder/neck area. Just a few more rows, really, and I'll be done the whole back (including the arms as it is a Dolman-style sweater). Very exciting. Still doubt it'll be done for this winter, though :)

Begin the beguine - and the begin

So many projects, so little time. It seems that no matter how busy I am, I can't help but take on new projects. Projects that I have no time for. Hence this blog. The ultimate project. A project to log and track and (hopefully) organize my projects. Somewhere for me to list all of my ongoing projects to try to motivate me to finish some of them. Somewhere to list all my ideas for projects, perhaps so that someone with more time on their hands can tackle them (live vicariously through the projects of others, that's what I always say!). So here we go. The project that will be the home of all my projects.

What am I working on now? That is a good place to start...

• knitting a pair of baby undies from a Debbie Bliss book (my love/hate relationship with Debbie Bliss will be saved for another day)
• knitting Creeper sweater (by Emily Blunt) from Rowan mag 332
• making a roman shade (my first drapery project) for little man's room
• making cloth diapers (three pockets cut out and a tote full of fabric for more dipes)
• finishing the table cloth
• working on the 2-1 nap transition, teaching signs (and hopefully words), and doing potty awareness with little man
  
• organizing the house
• house hunting

I have a feeling there are many more projects on the go but these are the most obvious to me right now. Since I have a moment, I'm going to knit. Plus I'm hungry.