Been So Busy...

Sometimes it feels like you just can't keep up with everything life throws at ya!  I have been having one of those weeks, but I wanted to take a minute to write it all down and let it all go...

I have actually been really busy planning my son's birthday party as of late.  He is turning 9 on the 9th, so it is kind of a big deal, golden birthday and all.  He requested a Redwall theme (based on the book series).  So I have been planning a feast!  His invitations were sealed with wax,  I'm making medieval banners for the dining hall, and printed paper animal masks for his guests.  We will be having a quest, defeating Cluny the Scourge with paintballs, and watching an armored combat demo!  It should be a whole lot of fun.  I may be more excited than he is, I love party planning.

March is upon us!  As you may already know I have let my February Sweater rest and begun my March Sweater early.  I have almost completed the first prototype, and it is simple and very cute.  I went with a preppy unisex v-neck sweater vest, ooohhhh, that is a mouthful!  The first sample is bright red, but I want to go with a more muted color for the next one.  I used moss stitch for the front, and stockinette for the back, this is all about texture, so I am thinking a subtle green would be really nice.  Here is a funky picture to give you an idea what it is looking like so far.

I am also working on my loving, supportive wife role.  This is not something that comes easily to me.  It is in my nature to be very self-centered, so I need to consciously look at what my partner is doing, acknowledge the importance of it, and thank him for his efforts.  I remind myself that I am not entitled to be taken care of, I am lucky that he chooses to care for me.  Anyway, I try to come up with nice ways to say "thank you" in the rare moments my hubby is home to enjoy them.  Sunday I got to make him crepes filled with yummy, gooey, goodness.

I have been good about making it to water aerobics and Yoga this week, and I am enjoying the work.  It feels good to move my body, even if it still hurts most of the time.  I know it will get better, and I will hurt less once my body is stronger.  So on that note, back to reality, I need to do the dishes.

Happy Valentine's Day?

Well some people love this day, others hate it.  I am personally on the fence this year.  In general I revel in holidays, I enjoy making and giving gifts, I like to decorate, and I love to eat.  But this year St. Valentine just hasn't done it for me.  I am trying to get into the spirit before the munchkin returns from school, so hopefully there will be something fun for dinner, and maybe heart shaped, we shall see.  I think the problem is the head cold I am rockin' it is hard to feel full of love when you are really just full of snot!  I did manage a little token for the hubby.  Nothing says "romance" like chocolates and origami! 

(I would link you to the origami rose instructions, but the site was horrible and crashed at least 15 times while I was making the rose, I will not be recommending them)

Now on with the knitting progress report.  My February Sweater prototype (size Large) is almost done!  I need to add buttons and button holes and that is it, woohooo.  I plan to machine sew the holes so it should be really quick, but I haven't chosen buttons yet, so that could take a few days.  I always have a really hard time finding the right buttons.  I felted the sweater yesterday, and now I need to make some adjustments to the pattern to account for the insane amount it shrank vertically.  But I like it.  Tell me what you think.

Sneak Peek @ February Sweater

Well I have been working hard on my February sweater pattern.  I wanted something sweet and romantic, maybe even a little bit sappy in honor of St. Valentine's Day.  I came up with an idea for a cut-out back with a lace panel in a boxy, boyfriend sweatery cardigan with lots of buttons down the front.  I think I am on the right track, in my head... 

I had no trouble drawing up a design in the first couple of days this month, I had been thinking about it since mid-January.  I swatched up a cut-out heart and thought I had it under control, but the first prototype didn't go well.  I had some trouble with my ease, the first go was half way done when I realized it was a XXL, not a Large.  Lame... but my own fault, I should have seen it coming sooner, I planned for way too much ease.  I like a fitted sweater, but wanted to make this one roomy, I had trouble finding the balance between tent and boyfriend sweater, but I've think I got it right this time.  Here are a couple pictures of the body of the sweater.

I am working on sleeves now, and will be adding the edges and the back panel next week.  Can you see where I am heading?  I will likely tweak the center of the heart a little, I don't like the CO, it draws too much attention to itself.  I think it will be very cute once it is done.  Then I just have to figure out my notes so I can draft the pattern... easy peasy, right?

Back to Reality

Well for those of you residing in the lovely Pacific Northwest you know the sun has forsaken us yet again.  **SIGH**

I was so enjoying the beautiful sunny days we were having, my yard was starting to look like I actually live here again, it was nice.  I know what you are thinking, couldn't I just suck it up and go outside in the rain like the rest of the people?  Well the answer is, "No, I can't."  That's right I said it, I don't want to go outside in the rain!  So what the hell am i doing in Washington?  Oh, that's easy.  I like the rain from inside my house.  I like the rain on my windows, and my roof.  I like to lay in bed and listen to the rain, I like to sit in the cozy house and knit in the rain.  In fact I love the rain, as long as it is out there and I am in here.

You can imagine how much I get done (she says sarcastically).  But for the record, I did make it to water aerobics this morning. Yay me!  Now back to the blanket, and the couch, and the knitting... my feet are cold.

Goodbye January

Well, it is the last day of January.  I am excited to begin a new month of my sweater challenge, and I am glad I made it to the end of the January Sweater today.  I have a few last minute changes I will be adding to the pattern tonight.  Little things, like the buttons seemed too small at 5/8" so I think I will list 7/8" as an option, and I think 6-7 buttons may be a better choice than 5.  But all in all, I am very happy with my pattern and my three samples.  I do regret getting behind on sample number three, the size small, because I lost my model yesterday and didn't complete the sweater until this evening, but c'est la vie.  It is done and I've learned a lot.

I want to thank my gorgeous friend Joell for posing for these lovely pics of my sample the other day.  I am so lucky to know such beautiful and generous people! 


The sweater knits up beautifully in a size small, medium, or large.  Sadly my mannequin can't vamp, but here is a photo of the small sample.  I am still looking for more test knitters, so let me know if you would like to make this free pattern.

Now on to February!  I am thinking hearts and lace...

Was It Worth It?

Today I hurt, a lot.  I had one of my manic days yesterday and moved all of my living room, dining room and office furniture around.  I needed to vacuum, and do the laundry, then suddenly- moving day!  I hate it when I do this because I always get hurt, which is inevitable when you move your antique roll top desk by yourself, but I do it anyway.  The morning after I am wondering if it was worth it.  Now I just  want new furniture.

Correspondence Corner

Office Space

I need (okay want vary badly) a new dining table, I have for years.  My husband and I were given a "lovely" antique table.  It is one of the ugliest tables known to man and I hate it passionately.  My husband spent week lovingly refinishing the top, I still hate it.  The table is not only ugly, but very inconvenient.  It doesn't fit in my space, you run into it with your thighs and/or knees when you sit down,  and it is on casters- so half the time my kids are pushing it around while you try to eat!  Did I mention I hate it?  I finally found the perfect replacement, it is from Ikea, but I still like it.

Bjursta

I want two of these, I want to place them side by side in front of my pew, yeah, did I mention I have an antique pew.  They are skinny and perfect for the space.  I will have just the right space for family dinners and the ability to expand to seat 12.  Ooooh as we speak, er type, the hubby just said, "you should get those, I like them."  Sweet!   How I love that man, and not just for the money... no really.


I also want a chair for this little corner.  I need a nice comfy one that is good for reading and knitting.  See the heater vent?  This is a really warm little corner that would be perfect on cold days, if it just had a place to sit!  Any suggestions?  I am thinking club chair, if I can thrift something cute, but I would settle for an Ikea chair if I am going by there anyway.  Oooh, and maybe a new rug to compliment my insanely ugly vintage sofa too.  Such a slippery slope.

Blog Hop...

Hmmmm, I have never heard of such a thing, but it is clever.  I like clever things, and I like making new friends so I will play too.

The January Sweater Reads a Book

The January Sweater Likes the Classics...

Snow Day!

I knew it, no school today, it is officially a snow day here in Everett, WA.  I was awakened at 5:45 am to the automated phone call alerting me to the fact that I could sleep in, oh wait they woke me up. **sigh**  But being the sleep hungry girl I am I managed to go back to sleep after only an hour of staring at the ceiling.

Fast forward to 8:45 am when my panic stricken child comes bolting into the room with a look of utter horror on his little face.  He thought he missed the bus and it was the end of the world.  Luckily those four little words (it's a snow day) reassured him and bought me another 30 minutes in bed while my husband brewed the coffee.  Beautiful.  Just in case you think I am lucky to sleep so late I should mention I didn't get to bed until 2 am, so I am very happy with my interrupted 8 hours.

It is still snowing steadily.  We are looking forward to building a snowman if it ever let's up.  I thought we should buy a snow shovel the other day, but then I forgot when we went to Lowe's.  I guess we will have to make due with the tools on hand.  I am thinking there could be some frost bitten fingers by the time Frosty is born.  Oh well, live and learn, this is only my second winter living in snow country.  At least we bought an ice scraper this year.

I started back to work on my January Sweater yesterday.  The changes I made in my pattern are looking good, and I am double checking the grading for size medium as I go.  I went with a nice golden yellow, I think this one will be for me.  I still need test knitters so I have joined a local group on Ravelry.  Hopefully I will be able to find some willing knitter's in my area so I can see the results in person.  If you want to get a cute (free) pattern feel free to comment here or over @ Ravelry I would love to know you!

Time Management?

Well, it has been a beautiful snow filled weekend here in my neck of the woods.  I love the looks of joy on my boys' faces as they chuck snowballs at each other, and at the dog.  This is one of the giant dog's favorite things in the whole wide world, because he can try to catch and eat them.  For some reason he thinks snow is delicious and he spends snowy days chomping on piles of fresh snow.  I wonder if he ever gets a brain freeze.

Here we are on Monday and my house is a wreck, my dishes are dirty, and there isn't a clean towel in sight.  Where did the time go?  I always say I need to work on my time management, I even have a monthly chore chart on my fridge, but I can't seem to get a handle on things.  To make things worse this is a 3-day weekend, so I have company today, and knowing our school district tomorrow will be a snow day, and I will still have company.  But I am going to whip this house into shape around the feet of my child if it kills me (or more likely him) in the process.  And yes, I see the irony of blogging about it first instead of just doing it, but I had other, more important things to talk about too.

I took a break from my sweater project this weekend.  I have made good progress on the pattern writing and started the grading so I wanted to get on with another project I have been meaning to undertake.   The folks over at Storey Publishing are have solicited one skein lace projects for an upcoming book, and I wanted to get something in to them before the due date.  If you are interested in pattern design check out the link Storey's One Skein Lace .  I decided to design a purse knit with super bulky yarn.  My sample is very cute, and it knits up in a hurry so it would make a great last minute present.  Here is a teaser pic, but I am going to hold on to the rest for my Ravelry, perhaps they will be my first free download over there...

Now it must be time to clean!

My January Sweater

I have completed the first January sweater.  I didn't block it yet, so I suppose it isn't technically complete, but it is really close.  I am still waiting for my book to arrive so I can get the promised tricks that make blocking worth it.  I am really lazy about finishing projects so I never block them, but I am going to start. 

It is freezing today, literally, there is ice in all the outdoor water bowls.  Don't worry my dog likes to eat the ice so he won't go thirsty.  But I digress, the cold made it hard to get any decent pictures of the sweater.  I was impatient and my feet were freezing!  So here are some crappy pictures instead. Yay!

 

Now I need to type up the pattern and make two more samples.  I have one minor change to make in the cable pattern, but other than that it is all pretty good.  I like it.  If this were actually my size I would keep it.  I will photograph the next size down when I complete it, that one will be mine.  I need to decide on a color...  Maybe red, I don't have a red cardigan.  

Please let me know what you think about the sweater, or what color I need, or cold feet, whatever.  And remember this is my first attempt at writing a sweater pattern, so be gentle with me.

Finally!

I have been making beautiful new things, and then leaving them to languish in obscurity because I lack the drive to finish and photograph them.  Pathetic, I know.  But today was the official re-opening of my Etsy shop, so I had to get it together and start posting some of these new items. 

It didn't hurt that the sun came out so I could snap a couple decent shots outdoors.

It is amazing how much a little sunshine helps get the juices going.  I am terrible about getting up in the morning.  I will literally get my son out the door to school and climb back under the covers until 10 or 11 o'clock if I can get away with it.  When the sun doesn't come out, which happens fairly regularly here in the Pacific Northwest I am even worse.  I have been known to stay in my PJs all damn day when it rains.  I need an early morning hobby to motivate me.  What do you do to get yourself motivated in the morning?

365, 52, 12, hmmmmm...

It is the beginning of a new year and many of us are considering some sort of daily, weekly, or monthly project.  I have been trying to decide on something that isn't insane, which is hard for me, since I tend toward the crazy.  I am pretty sure I want a knit/crochet project.  Obviously a 365 wouldn't work well, I knit a lot, but a project a day would be impossible since I do not use a knitting machine, and I do not make small projects.  That leaves me a choice between a 52 weeks project, or a 12 months project... tough choice.

A 52 sweater project is really tempting, but as I said I am trying to steer away from insane, and this is borderline.  I know I could complete a sweater every week, but I may not be able to get anything else done, and my family might suffer.  Not to mention the expense of the yarn involved in this one, oh wait, I mentioned it.  I could easily do a 12 sweater project, but that doesn't seem inspiring enough to keep me interested. 

The sweater I am currently working on is my own design, and I want to do more of that in the future.  If I am going to design some sweaters I need to learn how to grade a pattern and get myself some test knitters.  If I do 12 months of sweater design I will force myself to get those two things done.  It sounds logical, right?  So that is the project: 12 months of sweaters, designed by me, graded to at least S, M, and L, and test knit if possible (I will be flexible on this part since I can't control anybody else).

My sweater for January is a 3/4 sleeve cropped cardigan with cables down the front.  I am half way through the pattern, knitting as I go.  Today I will complete the ribbed hem and neckline, then it is on to the sleeves.  Wish me luck, and let me know if you want to test knit anything!