Needling the Inventory

Last week, I sat down and did a needle inventory, which ended up taking several hours. In the process, I forced myself to deal with my UFOs, something I'm still grappling with. I darned a pair of socks for LB and  made myself frog several items, which felt great.

Pitched or frogged and re-integrated:

• Blue Whale by Steven West. I ran out of a OOAK yarn, found a solid to make it work, but with every stitch, I knew I wasn't happy. Yes, my gauge was off a bit, but I have serious doubts about whether this project was ever possible with the yardage recommended.
• cashemere hand-dyed. I was improvising a neckwarmer, set it aside and forgot what I was doing.
• charity hat, which sat out in the open too long. I stripped it off the needles and tossed the yarn. No creepy crawlies allowed!
• a ballet sweater in chenille. I ran out of yarn on the sleeves and need to do some re-thinking. There's enough for a sweater, but not a ballet sweater. 
• A giant yellow shawl in lumpy bumpy Pagewood. I had done this on 50s, knew I'd never wear it, and subsequently picked up a lime & purple yarn which will look great with it. 
• A mitten shaped like an alligator foot. Really? I threw away the finished one months ago for sitting out in the open too long.
• A tiny teddy bear. I picked up this kit during a visit to Iowa. What the hell do I need a tiny teddy for?
• A hemp tank. It wasn't working for me, then I thought I'd turn it into a tote. Now it's frogged and I'll probably make some dish cloths, towels, etc.

There's still a few more items to tally up, but in the name of accountability, here are the UFOs so far:

• a purple and green scarf out of alpaca lace. I've really lost interest, but am not far from finished. If I can find the pattern, I may make this a car project.
• sock yarn blankie, which is clicking along. I got some more nubbins from Ann today, a few from Rachel last week, and am feeling more energized.
• silk ribbon necktie. This yarn came to me from Dr. Knitter and I just got side tracked. It's a cute project and I have no excuse for setting aside. That said, I sort modified a pattern, so I don't know if I can remember where I was.
• Mardi Gras shrug in cotton. I am really close to being done on this one, but also haven't worked on it for ages. I know I bought the yarn 3 yarn crawls ago.
• Swan's Down Hood in white lace weight. I started this on a whim and decided there was a pattern error (it's a Civil War pattern). I will probably frog.
• Doug's mitts. A favor for a friend, which I've needed to finish for ages and ages (as in y.e.a.r.s.)
• a sock in Dyeabolical Bling. I only did the cuff and lost interest in the pattern. I am wanting to do some new things with pooling yarn. I will probably frog.
• shrug in Caliope. It's a boucle yarn and really hard to work with. That said, Rachel is dying ribbon and this closes with ribbon ties. That fact alone may be enough to make me restart.
• a sock flat. LB really likes long socks and hates when nubbins are left over. I decided to do this one toe-up, which practically made knee socks. One is done, but it looks like I added some increases in the calf, so I'll have a tough time figuring out what the hell I did.

Trust me, there's more to deal with, but I am feeling like the UFO pile is a little more under control.

Garden of Live Flowers Swap -- Incoming

I almost didn't sign up for this swap, but I'm really glad I did. The theme was Garden of Live Flowers/Looking-Glass Insects, which isn't one of my favorite sections of the Alice books. My partner did a wonderful job with it though.

First, she filled the box with flowers and attached some of those little bugs that blow up in a glass of water. For some reason, the very morning the package arrived, I had wished for some of these. Really.

Everything was wrapped in tissue paper in my favorite color combination, mardi gras, and look how many packages there are.

For knitterly goodness, there was a magnetic pattern board, which I've already put to use, flowered stitch markers, and ... HELLO!!!! ... Madelinetosh sock yarn. I'm totally open to suggestions on what to make with it, as I've been looking all day and am somewhat stumped. It's got lots of lovely olive shades in it. My partner had asked me to suggest a yarn, and I said to trust her instincts. Didn't she do great?

Then there were some other lovely goodies.

As far as handmades, there were four! First was a tote bag

a bread-and-butterfly scissors holder

a flowered pin cushion in Mardi Gras colors

and best of all, she designed this amazing tape measure cover. First, look at Tenniel's image of the snapdragonfly.

Now, check this out:

Sooooo cool!

Needle and Thread

Because I've had significant quantities of free time this summer, I have done a ton of sewing. In addition to what I mentioned before, I have also cranked out even more.


A few years ago, I treated myself to 101 One-Yard Wonders, sight unseen and ended up being slightly disappointed. Too many baby things (like 25% of the book) and things I would never use. This summer, I decided to try to get my money's worth out of it.


First up, one dress/nightgown. The pattern was for a shortie nightgown, but I had 1.5 yards of this mermaid fabric I'd bought years ago. I lengthened the skirt until all the fabric was used up and ended up with a mini-dress, which I wore to a mermaid-themed party. Double-stick tape was employed. Since then, it's made a great nightgown.

I also fussy-cut the bodice. This placement doesn't just happen, you know. Lengthening the a-line skirt  also widened the hem, so it required a bit more bias tape than the original, and I also didn't follow the book's bias tape instructions to zigzag stitch, which were probably geared to the newbie sewer.

Next, my neighbors had a baby and I made a quick, flannel swing coat for him from the same book.

My aunt had given me the fabric when I was down in Florida and I thought it would make a cute jacket for a camping family.

There are only a handful of other things in the book I want to make, perhaps some bags. That said, if anyone wants to buy me the next edition in the series, I wouldn't say no, partly because I suspect it may have some good tips for working with knits. Knits scare me.


My favorite project were some curtains for my sewing room. I raided my stash of vintage hankies to make three cafe curtains, in Mardi Gras colors since I store my beads year round on heavy closet rods above two of the windows.

For the tab tops, I used some fabric I had intended for an apron ... about 9 years ago.

One of the previous tenants had painted all the woodwork black, which the then-landlord tried to fix by painting it white. I made a brief stab at seeing if it was possible to peel it off, then gave up. Someday.

I didn't follow a pattern for the curtains, just measured the windows and made them 1.5 times wider. The actual measurement makes for a skimpy curtain, I feel. Two times the width is more traditional, but I worried that the actual hankies wouldn't show up. I used masking tape to mark the finished size on my sewing table, then laid out the hankies until I liked what I saw. I filled in a few gaps with some satin ribbon and overlapped elsewhere. Instead of a straight stich, I used the zigzag stitch. I didn't want the bulk of seams showing through.


Before I start crafting each day, I have been setting my timer for 10 minutes and work at tidying up or ironing. At the end of the day, I tidy up as well. Little by little, my sewing room has become just the sweetest little nest, especially with the new curtains.

Mardi Gras Swap -- Outgoing

My Mardi Gras spoilee waited to open her package until her own had shipped out, so it took a bit. Here's what I sent:

I sort of went with a cooking theme, so I sent some plates, bowl, and platter.


I got 12 cloth cocktail napkins, a wine glass charm, some teas, and a few pamphlets on Mardi Gras cookery and festivities from early St. Louis history. I even threw in some treats for her pup.


I also sent a bit of Mardi Gras bling.


For yarniness, she said she liked drawstring bags, so I sent this one as well as 3 different Mardi Gras stitch markers.


Finally, for the yarn bit, I sent a skein of Dyeabolical cotton warp. For the crafty bit, I made three things (well, 5 really): three dishcloths in purple, green, and gold, two having masks on them; a Mardi Gras barrette/brooch/clip; a Mardi Gras business card holder; and a silk lariat-type necklace I designed.


With the end of Mardi Gras comes the start of Lent, which is somewhat a time of reflection and seems somber at first. We hit up a fish fry at a Hispanic church this first Friday of Lent and it wasn't somber at all: tamale carts, teeny-tiny dancers in colorful skirts, and even a mariachi band. Hooray for Lent!

Mardi Gras 1-2-3

I should totally be grading all day today. I got about 15 done Wednesday, about 7 done yesterday, and only 6 this morning. These numbers aren't anywhere near to my goal, which was to have been done yesterday. Why? I could blame it on the five house guests, or on blogging, but the truth is that one bad sentence wrecks any grading momentum I may have established.

For example, did you know that Shakespeare wrote in Victorian English? Or that Romeo and Juliet was written over 500 years ago?

Anyhoo.

In the midst of incoming and outgoing Mardi Gras swap packages, I got an unexpected bonus package from my best friend from college.

Years ago, I had asked her to make me some Mardi Gras tags. She sent some beautiful ones, which I hang up every year. Somehow though, they didn't feel Mardi Gras enough for her, since she had improvised the designs.

All these years, she has been on a quest for the perfect Mardi Gras stamp set, which she finally found.

Look how beautiful!


There were three tags (yes, I know I only took a close-up of two)


plus a bookmark and blank note card.


She even included a journal, a fan, and some delicious comestibles, which the house guests promptly ate.


Yay for Mardi Gras lagniappes!

Mardi Gras Swap -- Incoming

I've been having voice issues, literal and metaphorical, of late. Having done some damage at a rock star gig on Thursday, and experiencing real moments of terror that I could not afford whatever surgery it was that Adele got, I spent yesterday resting my vocal chords in preparation for another rock star gig tonight. So, don't talk to me, okay? Not until I cash the check anyway.

This would all be easier if I didn't love cheese so much.

Yesterday, when I was resting my voice, my Mardi Gras swap package arrived from Maine. Why Maine? Because this year, not a single member of our swap lives in New Orleans. Three are ex-pats who have been exiled to MA, ME, and KS, while I only went to New Orleans once when I was a young teen. I am pretty sure we rode a trolley, but I mostly remember that our campground was a parking lot next to a train tracks. Really.

My neighbors are expecting a baby, so all week I have been getting delivery of packages for them, but this time it was for me! All me! Mine! When I picked up the box and shook it (because I couldn’t help myself) I heard a jingling noise that I am sure drove the mail carriers crazy.

When I opened the box, I actually got totally distracted by this beautiful mask pattern and nearly forgot to open the rest. I can’t wait to try this out. I think my crochet skills are up for it. If not, I have just joined a new crochet group and I know I can get help if I get stuck.


There were delicious things to eat, including a custom-made, salt-free Cajun spice blend. Just that morning, I had eaten a huge batch of popcorn seasoned with the creole seasoning I got in the last MG swap, or I would have whipped up some popcorn right away. Steu and I have been eating a ton of popcorn lately, so the seasoning will come in handy. There was also a wonderful chocolate snowman made of some very high quality chocolate. I know it’s high quality because I have already bitten his hat off.


There was a book on the history of MG, which LB immediately absconded with. I roped him into taking some photos of my swap box and then he just disappeared with the book.


For fibery goodness, there was a beautiful skein of handspun from Sunwest Yarn and a selection of fun cocktail stitch markers. I know this yarn will bloom just beautifully and am plotting what to make with it. I have a really nice purple alpaca in mind and am envisioning a cowl of my own design.


Best of all, there were two (not one, but two!) different knitted gifties. And technically, since one was for my hands and one was for my feet, that made FOUR knitted gifties. First were these gorgeous mitts from an alpaca blend. Look at the beautiful fleur-de-lis buttons! In the last week or so, I mislaid last year’s Mardi Gras mitts, so these are really coming in handy already.


Finally, I discovered the source of all the jingling: fuzzy Mardi Gras slippers! I love them and wore them most of the day. I keep taking tiny, mincing steps just to make them jingle more. They're back on my feet this morning as I type (although I did hand carry them out of the bedroom so as not to wake LB).


Thank you Tracie! LB, Steu, and I are having a wonderful Mardi Gras thanks to you!


_____________

As for the metaphorical voice issues, I have been working on that too. I've been helped by some kindred spirits. I've been practicing, and I'm nearly ready to speak up.

Yarn and Stuff

I spent the weekend making sortie cap after sortie cap (no pix yet). I knitted four in fact, including fringe. I only stopped because it's crazy to make so many sortie caps when I have no customers lined up for them.

Last week, I went to a neighborhood crochet group, partly to work on my crochet skills and more as a way of forcing myself to interact with other human beings. I made two crocheted flowers out of Mardi Gras yarn and started in on a hairpin lace boa, also in Mardi Gras yarn.

A few years ago, the lovely Tammy and Fiona had given me this gorgeous, core-spun camel, which they said they "just knew had to come home" with me.


I hoarded it for ages, since there were only 60 yards, then decided it would work in the boa, which has 5 different yarns held together. It is working beautifully, but I ran out of one of the others. Sigh.

Winter Madness Swap -- Incoming

I had a long meeting today with a friend who is interested in becoming a Civil War seamstress. She has a long history as a professional theater costumer and designer of ice skating costumes. Her unemployment checks, however, are about to run out.

Oh, but there are so many potential errors when learning to do Civil War sewing. We had a nice chat though and I let her look at some books, patterns, and the originals in my collection. In return, she's going to help me make my own pleating board, which I've wanted for ages and not been able to afford.

In relatively old news, my Winter Madness swap package arrived the second week in January, only one month late! I had actually given up. I don't blame my swap partner; I think it was the German mail system or US customs.

Anyhoo, it was a lovely package.


The Winter Madness idea is to send everything necessary to make a project from the spoilee's wish list, plus any extra goodies that won't blow the budget. She included a little bit of all the things that I like. First, she figured out I liked Hello kitty , so there was a Hello kitty Advent calendar (who knew there were such wonders in the world?) and a very sturdy Hello kitty project bag, complete with cell phone charm.


Inside were all sorts of delicious goodies and holiday treats: paper napkins with knitting images (I used some of these for a knitting social I hosted the next week), cookie cutters and a potholder, delicious homemade marzipan with nougat, incredibly fresh mini stollen, a yummy chocolate cube (which I was apparently supposed to swirl in hot milk to make hot chocolate. I don't know German, so I just ate it), and a Santa duck.


Finally, she included not just the materials to make one project, but two! On my birthday, she had gifted me with the pattern for a Holly and Ivy scarf. Her kit included the yarn and beads in traditional red and green, but also a gorgeous purple yarn complete with green and gold beads so that I could make the scarf in Mardi Gras colors. Plus, there were three mini skeins for my sock yarn blankie and also a tape measure.

Yay!

Sock Monkey Swap -- Incoming

I got an amazing sock monkey swap package. I needed a little something to restore my faith in swapping.

There were lots of brown paper packages,


delicious chocolate,


tons of stitch markers,


tons of yarn (seriously, five skeins! wow!)


a pattern from my wish list and notions,


a project bag (which I have put over a jar and am using to hold Tunisian hooks) and some mitts.


Look how gorgeous these mitts are. I have long, slim hands and these mitts fit perfectly. I've been wearing them indoors regularly and don't even have to take them off to knit, that's how well they fit.


Finally, there was also a Mardi Gras-themed sock monkey. We've named him Mardi G. Monkey. Steuben grabbed him by the head and tried to run off with him, but I was able to rescue little Mardi.



That night, I used the needles, stitch markers and a skein of the yarn to cast on these Turkish Bed Socks.


Yay!

I love when swappers really pay attention to the small details and are able to work it into the swap. Yay!

Washington

Last Saturday, I had a rock star gig out in Washington, MO. We stopped by Bah Yarns where I got a skein of Mardi Gras-ish yarn and yet another set of Hiya Hiya Puppy Snips.


The yarn is more grey, lime, and tan, but all together it reads as a dilute purple, green, and gold.

I went junking and got another celluloid box. At some point, probably in the '70s, someone stuck a gilded cherub transfer on it. I was able to flake it off in less than 30 seconds, but some fading shows. I am hoping the color will eventually even out, and it already has quite a bit already.


I also was able to get an FO photo of the Iris Mystery Shawl. I've been getting tons of compliments every time I wear it.

Odd Fellows

Today, I made a stab at finding an 1851 Odd Fellows cemetery I'd recently heard about. No luck. I think it's somewhere between the levee and the river, and I cannot believe it has withstood all the floods. I will try again in three weeks. I'm intrigued.

My WIP list ... actually, I'm not sure where I am on my WIP list. I started and finished (minus the buttons) an item for my swap partner, but it's disappeared from my knitting bag, which means I have left it at my LYS or it is blowing down some street in south city.

I have made great progress on Matthew's Ondas scarf and will probably finish it tonight while I listen to Act II of Romeo and Juliet.

I knitted about 6 feet of a bright yellow wrap on size 50 needles. Definitely not on the WIP list. I'm done with the knitting part, and it's draining in the sink even as I type. A yarn rep gave me the yarn, and damn if it isn't bright, bright yellow. Lord knows what it will do to my skin tone. It would look gorgeous on someone with a much darker complexion than mine. That said, I kept it, knitted with it, and plan on needlefelting some flowers to it. It's totally a process knit.

Hey Look! Pictures!

Hi.

My name is 7letterDeborah, and I am a stitch-marker addict.

In the drawer next to my chair, I have fifty-one stitch markers dangling from two kilt pins. One of those kilt pins contains nineteen Mardi Gras stitch markers alone. The number fifty-one doesn't count the stitch markers currently on projects or in various notions bags (probably a dozen markers or more), nor does it count the baggies of duplicates (Mardi Gras, Hello Kitty, Day of the Dead, mood beads) to give away.

In fact, I need another kilt pin or three, since nothing makes this addict happier than sorting and categorizing.

The way I knit my socks requires at least three stitch markers, and coordinating my stitch markers to my project makes me happy.

So when I went to knit the ghostie socks . . .

I, of course, had just the perfect marker.

Or three.