A Lot to Say

This is going to be quite the post.  I’ve done a lot in the last few days and have lots to say.  I’ve been taking lots of pretty fall pictures on my walks to and from picking the older one up. 

  I really love digital (free), rechargeable (free) and the macro setting all rolled into one.  

 

 

Look at all those beautiful colors!  Orange, and red, and green…Oh My!  I love when there are all the different colors to look at, the contrasts are amazing!  I have more, but I think I will pepper them into future posts instead of all at once.  Especially since I have more pictures to post in this entry, I don’t want to overload anyone. 

I actually finished the older one’s Halloween costume.  There wasn’t all that much to do, I just had to make a skirt.

Why does satin photograph like plastic?  That underskirt looks better suited to being a diaper cover than a flow-ey skirt.  Here’s a close-up of the pattern on the tulle: 

 Since this is supposed to be a blog for business, I suppose I should actually post something business related: 

That’s right!  It’s those longies!  Now they need to be dyed.  I wish I knew if low-immersion dying would be effective on the wool.  Otherwise I think I am just going to dip-dye them.  The waist tie is going to be twisted-rope with a hand-painted yarn in whatever color I end-up using.  I would like to low-immersion dye them a bright blue and deep red, but if I can’t do that, it’s going to be dip-dyed red.  I am also going to make a matching hat.  I have this great hat pattern that I have decided to offer up for sale too.  They’re so cute, I bet you can’t wait until I have a photograph for you, huh?  Uh oh, I have another idea.  Now I don’t know what to do!  We’ll see.I promised that after the longies were off the needles were off the needles I would share what else I have on the needles: 

 It’s a cotton washcloth called Smocked Cloth.  I love it and I love the colorway.  It’s Sugar N Cream Partytime and it’s doing some very neat things.  This one is for me, but I also have a washcloth with an apple on it that I am trying to chart out for the older one’s teachers’ Christmas presents. I have gone back to this chart so many times it’s not funny.  I have the written pattern, but the work even rows are the right side, and the pattern rows are the wrong side, then trying to add in the monograms so they are the right direction and the right stitch has got me all turned around.  I think I got it, but I doubt I will ever chart a wrong-side pattern again.  Along with the monogrammed washcloth, I am doing a soapsack and some bath fizzy and a candle.  It’s going to be a cute little bath basket.  If I were working full-time this year, I would do them for everyone, since each basket will cost me around $5.

 I am also doing the infamous Clapotis.  That’s what I decided to do for my dress for Williamsburg in December.  I’m doing it in black wool, it’s going to be so warm and so pretty!  And it’s so mind-numbingly easy! 

There’s not much else to say, The Purple/White hasn’t been touched in days and she’s mad at me for that, but it’s like 70 degress here anyway.

I am the BOSS of My Knitting!

I finished the Maroon/Cream Sweater last night! 

Just because the rest of you do such great artsy shots of your knitting: 

And a gratuitous picture of it on the recipient:

Almost done with those damned longies, I hope to finish them today, but my mom is coming for an overnight so I might not have the time.  I wonder, could I low-imersion dye them?  Hmmm… will have to go inquire around about that. 

I cast on for the sleeves for the Purple/White Sweater, realized the math wouldn’t work with the ribbing pattern, fixed it, didn’t get to start knitting it and then hubby pushed it off the couch and it lost a few stictches.  Ahh well, at least it wasn’t actual knitting. 

 Alright, off to iron the fabrics for Myriam’s Halloween costume and to finish those longies, and to get some cleaning done.  Uh, how many hours in a day are there?

Sweaters Hate Me

I just wanted to note quickly that the Maroon/Cream Ski sweater will never be done!  I am on attempt #4 for a neck.  It either comes out too small, too big, or too fancy.  The babe is down for a nap (please stay that way!) and I am hoping that by the time she wakes, I will have it figured and done!  HARRUMPH!

And the Purple/White ski sweater you ask?  It’s up to the armpits and it’s time to knit me up some sleeves!  No, I don’t knit them at the same time, they’re a reward for finishing the body, something small and simple and quick!

That’s about it.   I have a couple of things on the needles I’m not ready to talk about yet and a couple of things planned.  Stay tuned for the surprises coming up!  Probably once the maroon is done and I’m on the yoke of the purple.

DONATE BLOOD!!!!!!!!!

  Martha is having a donate blood contest.  Follow the links to read the details, but even if you aren’t a knitter and therefore aren’t interested in the contest, GO DONATE!

This Isn’t Knitting ;)

But it’s still a craft in my book.  Sometimes I go on these cooking binges.  I’ll find something great and make it every day for a week.  This is this week’s:    Sopapillas  They are scrumptious.  Especially hot.  And so frakkin’ easy it’s not funny.  Now, I just need to find out what the law is here regarding oven hood venting.  Ours doesn’t vent anywhere.  It’s one of those built-in microwave/oven vent combos.  You know, normally you open the cabinet over the microwave and there is a tube going through for the vent?  You open ours and no vent.  I can’t believe that this is legal and plan to find out.  Plus, sopapillas are quite the smoky endeavor when you don’t own a deep fryer.

On a funnier note, this week’s cooking mishap:    Do you see what’s wrong with my pinto beans?  I let them soak too long and now they are growing.  Silly me.

Only small bits of knitting this week, I had hoped to be done with the longies tomorrow, but I’m sick and Gabriella tried to eat them so they need to dry off, AGAIN!  I’m just getting a row in here and there on the purple/white sweater.  I have already decided on my next 2 personal projects:  another sweater for Gabriella, this time with corrugated ribbing, because that’s a new technique to me and looks like fun, and I picked this, for myself.  I don’t often knit for myself at all, so I thought it was time to do something for me.  I’m going to Williamsburg for vacation in December and I think we are going to have a few nice dinners and the only dress I have that I can nurse in is a halter so I need something to go over it.  Although a shawl would make more sense, I’m having some shape issues since the baby, and this will work with the dress to accentuate what I do have.  Hmmm…. this is something to think about.

 I really need to pick up Myriam’s costume, there isn’t much to do, but at this point I see myself sewing at midnight Sunday night.