TNT?

This was my clothesline on Thursday afternoon

the first day this year nice enough to peg the laundry out

I did a load of just my work skirts

I think you've seen most of these - all from KS 3337

from left to right:

daisy skirt; orange {red} NY; Fall 2007 Retreat;

black & white print; age is over-rated; embroidered cotton; and

the original AB version

Addictive

This is what's left of a bag of Almond Joy Pieces

They are dangerously addictive

Luckily - I had help eating them

If you like coconut - go get some

Yummmm!

Numbers Game

Chan started it yesterday by discussing how she was a hostage to numbers. Well - I guess technically that's not true, she didn't start it. Back in March my doctor suggested (quite strongly) that I work on losing an extra 20# that I've been carrying. Then Angie (who has always had such a healthy body image) joined weight watchers. And before you know it - I'm obsessed. Numbers - they are all important and mean something, right? What's the temperature? What size do you wear? How much do you make? How many stitches are in each row of that shawl? What size shoe do you wear? How many stairs can I climb? How many calories? etc., So - do you obsess over any of those numbers? I do, but I try not to on the blog. But trust me - Chan gets an earful through gmail chat regularly.

Sun Bird

The Princess is home for a visit. Every once in a while I still sign up to test knit something lovely through Ravelry. This time, it was a beautiful shawl called Sun Bird. I still had some of the lime green cashwool left from the last shawl I test knit - which also went to the Princess but she managed to snag that one on a piece of jewelry (most likely) and break one of the fine threads.

Today - she took a ferry and went on an adventure. I thought it would be a great chance to get some finished object photos of this shawl.

I didn't measure it or take pre-blocking photos, but this sucker grew - a lot. Almost doubled in size.

However, bunched around her neck like this is how she'll most often wear it. Waste of all those beautiful stitches if they aren't going to show.

Busy, But Unproductive Weekend

Saturday saw me up at the crack of dawn - just like it was any other workday. JB and I harnessed up the house ponies (Beau & Lucy) and went for a quick walk to the latte stand. Then we both headed out in different directions. I had a date with Costco. Got everything on my list and was home clearing out back episodes of Army Wives from the dvr. I love that show but sometimes. . . . . after that, I finished the last 2 knit row and the bind off on the shawl I was working on. Took me more than an hour to bind that sucker off! It looked tiny just off the needles - but it blocked out to a lovely size. The Princess is taking it on an adventure and for some glamour shots today, so maybe a finished object soon.

After that I ripped the two offending panels out of the Mexico Skirt but that's as far as I got.

Sunday had us picking The Princess up at the airport and then we took JB to a beer fest for father's day. We BBQ with friends afterwards, had strawberry shortcake and played games.

it was a good weekend - but now all my "domestic chores" are still waiting to be done.

Can a Girl Get a Break?

So, I've been really frustrated with my inability to make wearable garments that don't scream - made by loving hands at home - lately. Needing a mark in the win column I decided to grab my Mexico fabric and whip out my all time favorite kwik sew 3337. I have made this skirt a million times. It just fits and always looks good - funky yes, but that's usually the look I'm after.

Can you see it? Can you see what I did? Not a win!

This skirt is made from 3 pieces - each cut once from a double layer of fabric. I cut the front on the fold taking some of the fullness out.

In my "I know what I'm doing" mode I cut one front, 2 backs, and 4 side panels. I then serged all the seams - this fabric ravels! inserted the invisible zipper in the back seam and sewed all the seams together. And then I looked at it - and thought I just f*ed this up. But then I looked again, and I thought it's not too big, I can still make it work. Um - not so much. Apparently, I'm not as big as I think I am. So - this weekend the plan is to remove the 2 extra side panels and finish the baby up.

Now that I'm thinking about it - I can't remember if I left scraps around for the waistband.

They Should Come With a Warning Label

My friends say that they do - but I think I missed it.

See - 2 weeks ago when we got home from work, Dudley was having trouble breathing and he didn't eat his dinner.  See - Dudley is a food hound and has never missed a meal in his life.  We ended up taking him to the er and were told that he had lymphoma.  It was very sad - at the time the e-vet didn't know how much time we had left with him. 

We chose to put him on mega doses of prednisone and pain pills.
He wasn't doing very well with the pain pills, so with our vet's blessing we took him off he pain pills.  He's doing much, much better.  He's eating and barking again.  He's getting up and down the stairs by himself and he's tolerating the meds well. 

We've increased his kibble and decreased the pred just a tiny bit.  We don't know how much longer we have with him - but we are loving him every single minute that we have.  To those who know - thank you so much for all the well wishes and the asks of how he's doing - I really appreciate your support and concern.

I Lied

I lied - apparently I have sewn with wool before. But only this once. And seriously I should totally get JB to take photos before we leave the house - I don't look quite so chunky at the beginning of the day. Anyway - this was the first (and so far only) time I have sewn with wool. I made this skirt when the "studio" was still in the formal living room and the computer was in the basement - so The Princess must have still been in high school - and she's 24 now - so at least 6 years ago. I never wore it when I first made it because it isn't lined, it was itchy, and I lost enough weight that it didn't fit. So, I moved it down to the relocated studio where it lived in a basket waiting to be altered. Well one thing I don't do is alter. Apparently - I do let my weight fluctuate enough that it fit fairly well this past Winter. If I'm going to keep it around, I need to figure out how to add a lining. The pattern was made with pattern master boutique - which I never got really good at and this probably the only thing ever made with the program. The skirt is princess seamed front and back with a center back zip. What you can't see from these photos is the wool is a taupe and ivory herringbone and I alternated each panel so it chevrons at the seams. The fabric was bought from Marsha back when Textile Studios was selling fabric in Seattle. Also - each seam - has an inverted pleat. This skirt really moves when I do. However - it also seems to stretch during the day - that's another point in linings favor, right?

Broccoli Woccoli

We grew broccoli this year. First time ever! Apparently it really loved the very wet Spring that Seattle experienced. However, it's a touchy veggie. One day it had a lovely tight crown and the next - little yellow flowers. Being the heathen that I am - I still chopped it down, pulled the little yellow flowers off, sauteed it with garlic on night and roasted it the next. It was tasty.

The Musical One

Is 26 today.

How can that be?

I remember when she was born - and it wasn't that long ago!

Happy Birthday.

Red Dogs

Our dear friend Fudge is having a parade today. Everyone was asked to wear red. Here's our unofficial parade:

Dudley Dog

Abigail Jane Beauregard James Lucy Lou Now - go check out the official parade over at The Portuguese Water Blog

Bags Anyone?

I managed to make it to the studio this past weekend and finished a couple of bags.

The bags are reversible and they are actually big enough to hold two yarns cakes and your notions, along with a wallet, keys and sunglasses.

I know this because I carried a bag just like this on our cruise - how long ago was that? I still have and use that bag all the time. On the top bag, I had the [not so] brilliant thought that if I bound the edges that it would make the finishing quicker and add another opportunity to tie two fabrics together that sorta match, but need - something. Like the green floral and the blue dots. They actually match really well, but the binding didn't work out so well - I can't finish the ends very well. However, you have a couple of ways to drag this little bag around, loop the short strap over the long one and slip on your wrist. Slip your needle through the long strap, then loop the straps, slip over your wrist and walk and knit :) Or just hang the long strap off your wrist and walk around knitting. It's all good.

Gift of Friendship

My friend NicHole (spelled like that because I always forget the H - sorry Nic), had a little contest on her blog. See she reviews books and products all the time - crafting and dog related. Well she had two volumes of Vogue Knitting's Stitchionary 5 to give away. Fortunately for me, the winner left no way to contact her and never responded to the winning post. So, since I had volunteered to take the book off Nic's hands she sent it to me as a little surprise. And quite the surprise it was. See, when JB brought the mail in - rather than put it in the kitchen, he put it by my knitting spot on the couch! Immediately I started thumbing through it. I found a very pretty stitch pattern. In fact it was so pretty, I ripped back my recently started Friendship socks to incorporate the lovely lace design - which in all honesty will get lost in the busy yarn but will keep my mind and hands occupied so it's all good. The yarn? Yarn Love's elizabeth bennet, and the colorway is called Friendship. The yarn was a gift from Camilla and all along I figured it would be socks for JB - but no, it's mine. It got caked up and placed into a brown bag for my personal sock club and Channon picked it for the June sock club. So now, three very dear friends have had a hand in the making of these socks and they shall be mine! Thank you Nichole for the book. I shall enjoy it immensely!

Thankfully

*a husband who loves me all the time

* friends who love, support and encourage me - even when I feel unworthy

*a healthy body that is making it easier all the time to climb the 25 flights!

*fur kids - mine and my friends - they always make me smile

*the knowledge, skills and desire to craft and create

Is It Even Possible?

Okay - so no two ways about it - I'm a triangle, pear, whatever you want to call it. Yes, I have wide shoulders and they help balance the hips a bit, but the truth is, I'm bottom heavy. Not only do I have hips, but I have a tushy too! So here's the question. I desperately want a pencil skirt. I don't know why. I can't even begin to explain it. But I do. But maybe it isn't a great silhouette for me. Actually, truth be told, I do know why. It "feels" like a far more professional look and that's what I'd like to have a look that feels more professional. Am I over thinking it? Does it really matter if I'm not interviewing for a new job? Talk to me girls, because the recent failures are enough to make me list my machine and sewing stash on ebay. The last several garments I have made don't fit well. The houndstooth skirt up to? It's okay. Granted the photos were taken at the end of the day, but still - it could be better. There is too much room in the waist and even through the hips. The border print dress is enough too big through the bust to be uncomfortable. Truthfully, I probably won't wear it again - such a waist - it's so cute! Even the bra I made doesn't fit right! Seriously - talk to me - don't hold anything back. I'm a big girl - tell me if I should just give up on the idea of having a straight/pencil skirt in my wardrobe and continue making Kwik Sew 3337 as it obviously fits. FYI - there is nothing to show for the weekend because Saturday's attempt at a straight skirt muslin didn't fit and my fitting books don't tell me how to fix it. Still more of those same dimples that the houndstooth had right above the thighs. ARG!!