My Latest Projects
I have been working on a few things at a time lately…. but that is just me. I get antsy and have to change what I am working on. And then there is that problem of the stores not having the yarn I need! Here is one of those examples:
I am making another furry purse, but do you think I could find this Fun Fur in the Citrus color I need? I went to THREE (3) stores yesterday, and not one had the color (or the pink I want for a scarf I am making…)
I am also making a cool new pair of socks with Lion Brand Polarspun Yarn. I love this color (Mango Punch):
Sewing with Cats
Not to be outdone by Einstein in appreciation of crafty goodness, Clive decided to help me with my first major sewing project. I’m making what I thought was a relatively simple skirt from a Simplicity pattern and have had nothing but issues and dumb blonde moments from the start. Clive, seeing that as a definite brunette I am struggling with the blondeness, decided to come to my rescue.
His first attempt at helping me was to assist with laying the pattern pieces out properly. The fabric I bought is 60″ wide, which I thought would make it easier to lay out and then cut. Uh, no. The directions for the 60″ layout have involved multiple phone calls to my mother, a trip to the store on her part so she could look at the pattern (remember - she lives in ATLANTA), and several instances of folding everything up and hiding it in the armoire.
Clive pointed out that I should measure my fabric length and my pattern pieces to see if I could just use the more-logical and easier-to-follow layout for the 45″ fabric. He then pointed out that I should measure my pattern piece for the actual view I wanted instead of the longer view that I wasn’t trying to make. Hmph. Some cats think they’re SO smart.
Read more
With 3 You Get Wonton
I never thought I’d be knitting cat toys, but how can you resist? I had a ton of leftover Woolease yarn from Alex’s dog sweater two years ago and now it’s finally going to good use.
I made a wonton using the Knitty.com dim sum patterns and a mouse using the … pattern from somewhere I can’t remember right now. The mouse is not making an appearance because within two days it had been played with and drowned in a water bowl so many times that it wasn’t quite up to being camera-ready. The cats, particularly Einstein, love that blasted thing.
Einstein obviously loves the wonton, too. In fact, he’s the most excited of the three cats about these wool-blend catnip-flavored toys. He loves hunting them, tossing them around, and chasing them when we throw them. The cat might actually burn some calories this way!!
Finally finished!
I am so proud of myself … I’ve knit my first sweater!! Yesterday I finished the cardigan I found so long ago …
It was fairly easy to make and then sew all the pieces together. I did learn an important lesson: when you’re joining a sleeve to the body of the sweater you should look to make sure you have it the correct end up before joining it, finishing the sleeve seams, and then finishing the side seams on that side of the sweater. It doesn’t make you very happy when you have to go back and undo all of that sewing.
Front (top pic) and back (bottom pic).
All that’s left is to sew the button onto the left side and then try it on the kid! That hanger is a little big for the sweater and it’s making the arms stick out strangely. Well … I hope that’s what’s causing it!
Hairy Bag
I am officially an knitter!!
This is the outside of the bag I am making. Did all of this yesterday:
And here is the lining. There are some flaws, but this is my first official piece… and it is not going to be seen by anyone. So YAY ME!
Friday Night at the Whorehouse
Our first Friday night crop at the whorehouse, and it was a lot of fun! We added a new friend to our group, Heather. Here are a couple photos of us cropping:
Here is Robin…
…And Al, Erin, and Heather
Read more
Scrapping the Wedding
We went to Scrappy’s again last Friday night, and I did more work on my sister’s wedding album that I am making for myself. Here are some of the photos…
This is my mother and father at the house, before the wedding.
Learning to Knit
I saw a pattern the other day when Erin and I went shopping at Joann Fabrics, and in order for me to make it, I had to learn to knit. So I did!
Here is the cute little purse I have decided to make:
So I started to learn to knit with the Fun Fur… not very easy!
Since that was not the ideal way to learn to knit, I decided to go ahead and get the yarn for the lining. So far, so good. Somehow I ended up with 32 strands cast on, midway through, when I was supposed to only have 30. So I had to pull a few rows off and start again. So this is basically what I did yesterday:
Aren’t you proud of me? But honestly, I still think crocheting is a lot faster…
