I'm a winner!

Holy crap on a stick! 

I won a drawing by mylilluna!  I get to pick out $25 of little pretties off her etsy.  I'm totally delighted!  I don't usually win things, so this is fantastic!  I of course want everything because I'm a little kid like that, so I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to choose.  I've been lusting over her rose earrings for ages ... squee!


*runs away to do homework*

life

So clearly life has thrown me way way off track.

There are family issues I won't go into.  But since late feburary:

I finished classes.  I did an internship that I'll call a success.  I'm moving.  School is starting soon.
... I did some crafting though.  The pj pants are mostly finished--need the man to try them on so I get the hem the right height.  Finished and started an Aeolian (which I'm calling BP, for reasons that will be clear when I get photos).  Worked on the skirt a bunch.

I don't have any pictures now, but I might later.  My camera is non-functional, so... 

For me, the year really starts when school starts.  So here's a revamp of the yearly goals:

1. eat at home regularly.  (this should be mostly easy)
2. get work done first, preferably all at school (this may be difficult)
3. still take time out for myself (this is incredibly difficult, if I'm feeling a crunch) ~ this would be making some interesting fun food or crafting, at least once a week
4.  stash bust.  I've got several different piles of stuff for projects, so no new projects until an old one is finished.  No new purchases until two old projects are finished.

Janome Pass It On contest. Part 1

The contest.  My pattern.

The background:  I technically know how to sew.  As in, I can thread my machine (a Janome Jem Gold, actually), wind bobbins and make it go.  I can almost make a straight line.  I know what a seam allowance is!  See, when we moved, I went from my "little kid's bed" (it must have been a short full, it was wider than a twin) to my "grown up bed" (a beautiful queen sized bed that I finally have in the new apartment).  And we decided I need an awesome quilt to go with it.  I was in middle school at the time.  So we started to collect fabrics, and my mom looked at patterns.  And some time during high school, my mother got me this traveling sewing machine, so I could work on my quilt, and could take the machine to college with me (and I did!).

My family has a long and proud tradition of unfinished projects.  My mom has various needlecraft things partially finished--lots of different kinds of embroidery, quilting and I don't know what else.  She did make my Halloween costumes for me as a kid, though.  My dad actually got the doll house for my sister put together.  It never got stairs, much less decorated.  The quilt is still not done.

Anyway, I need to actually be able to do something useful with my sewing machine, rather than just look at it.  And I decided that M needs new pj pants.  Pretty desperately.  Then I ran across the aforementioned contest.  So, not knowing any sewers locally (how would you find them anyway?) I went Rav, like any sane knitter would.  And on the Sew Obsessed group, I posted asking if anyone was interested in playing along.  Since I wasn't sure if this technically meets the rules, but I wanted to do it anyway, I figured it wasn't like I was loosing anything by getting someone to help me.  So Beeknitbee said she would help me.  It just so happens she is a phenomenal sewer. 

My Journey:
I washed the fabric.  It shrunk.  Beeknitbee said I should wash it again (this time guarding against fraying by stitching around the edges).  So I did.

 

waiting to be washed again

Then I traced out the pants.  This involved lots of fighting.  I remembered that the hu'band actually has a new pair of pants that fit him infinitely better, but they are made out of sweatshirt material.  And they have very strong elastic at the waistband.  They were rejected as a template, and I ended up having to use the flannel pants, and adjust their size.  

 

 I realized later that I took this picture before I straightened out the pants.  I was testing to see if they would be less finicky than the others.  They were much much better.

I added two inches to all the seams, except the hem.  There I added 8.  This seems like a lot, but the difference between the two pants is four inches.  Plus with the flannel shrinkage, I'm afraid of them continuing to shrink--clearly his UT pants have shrunk quite a bit.  It's not like I'm expecting him to grow any taller!  So, I'll hem them up four inches, and as they shrink, make them longer.  whee!

These are the Florida State pants.  It's a little bit wider than the half inch seam they suggest, but these pants don't like laying flat very much (which is why I rejected them as templates) and so it's not actually that much.

I do have better photo taking skills than this, it just made me laugh, it looking like a classic 'bad unit photo' (I'm an archaeologist, so instead of a skirt and sparkly toenails, normally you would see dirty boots, and a 1 x 1 meter square hole instead of a sewing project).  Anyway, proving to myself that the fabric is in fact long enough for the extra hemming.

Allergies are the devil

I was going to post sooner, I swear.  But massive allergies made me a useless person.  I don't have normal allergies, instead it all drains into my ears and makes me consistently dizzy.  When I'm like that, I can't think or concentrate.

So we get an update by pictures:  the crocheted frisbee.  This has been put on hold.  The lovely folks at Rav have helped me sort out what happened, though, and so as soon as I get some other projects done, I'm going to go back to this one.

I'm working on other things, they just don't have pictures right now.

I also made key lime cookies for the Super Bowl.  They are by Martha Stewart, in her Baking Handbook.  Yes, I love Martha, and I don't care.  These were sublime.  Though, um, apparently if you have heart burn you shouldn't eat too many in one sitting.  I may or may not have eaten six or seven in a row (which seems to constitute 'too many').

 

The one thing I did 'wrong' was that I didn't have confectioners sugar, so I used regular sugar for the glaze.  This gave the glaze a really interesting texture. I figured it would do something like that, but I didn't really care. Next time I make these, I plan on using confectioners, but I'm hoping I can remember about the cool texture of the regular sugar glaze, and find a good application.  I'm thinking it might be neat on cupcakes.

Birthday present!

So clearly I just need to combine the two blogs.  I'm not really sure what I'm accomplishing by keeping them separate. 

Anyway, I realized that I forgot to mention that for my birthday I got a totally kick-bum present from Shannan.  Shanan?  Shanannannanan....  Clearly words aren't functioning for me today.  I'd just go with Shanita, but I'm pretty sure that I run into the 'n' problem there too.  ANYWAY...

Acorn bag of adorableness.  I would Rav-link it so you could see the actual bag in all it's glory, but I'm pretty sure that's not yet a feature to allow non-Ravelers (or Ravelites, as I like to call them, us?, in my head) to see pages.

...that is all

No it's not: SHANNON!  *sigh* better...

So much belated updateness

Photo updates.

Husband's glove.  One day I will get back to working on itl

 

My two random side projects:

the practice doily:

This guy is crazy stiff.  I ironed it out, and it could stand up on its own.  Ridiculous, but would be really good for snowflakes.  It's too bad that I don't know what brand it is (it was a present from a friend's mom who didn't want it anymore)

My skirt:

 

Which pretty much looks like a pile of nothing.  That's more than half complete.  It's going to be really short.  I hope I have enough yarn to lengthen it a little it, and that the lace will stretch after I block it.  That's how lace works, right?  I think that was after I had to tink the row where I accidentally moved on to the next section--where I had to double the number of stitches.  Curses. 

And finally, my present to myself.  It was on sale!  AND I even came home and asked the husband about it (he's my sugar daddy, as he's the one with a 'real job').  That's pretty much all my 'fun money' for the month though.  I'm really excited.  It may be more fun to craft than it is to do archaeology (don't tell anyone I said that!).

Nothing clever to say

So, I've seen tatted jewelry before.  A lot of that is hit or miss.  Some of it can be glorious, but it can be rancidly kitschy, too.  (and I like kitschy)

But the first time I saw knitted/crocheted wire, my mind immediately jumped to tatting.  I didn't know how to shuttle tat, but it would be easy to do it with a needle.  That was a couple of years ago, and since I never really got into wire (well, until recently--I may or may not have spent an hour of what should have been study time downloading free patterns from beadwork's website) it's never been more than a fleeting fancy.


BUT SOMEONE FINALLY DID IT! 

.... yes, I am excited enough about it to type in all caps.  I would get copper wire to practice in first.  I'm on a freezing spend, and I don't have the car today, otherwise I would be at the craft store right now.

updates

I'm giving up on the one tatted doily for now--okay, well, pausing.  This is what it looked like, just prior to me finishing it.  I've decided that the border I originally had planned won't work the way I put the picots in--I should have just done in the center of each chain, rather than two.  Theoretically, I could move the picots (yes, I'm like that); however, I may have found a border that I like just as much, if not more.  I just need to get it from the library.

(The picture is less than ideal, but I'm just happy it's in focus)

I went to my friend's birthday party this weekend.  I made her stitch markers!  They're a lot of fun to make.  No pictures of those.  I've decided I have a lot of respect for the folks who make them for pay.  They're a lot of work, and unless I got a lot faster, they're not worth it.  But I'm proud of what I made for her.

Also, because I can, I'll post my little christmas tree.  I'm proud of it.  I got a little strand of lights for it and everything!  It is very tiny.  And very bright.

note to self

I have the hardest time keeping track of books that interest me.

I collect books, like other people collect yarn.  I love my university's library.  If it weren't for big libraries like that... well, let's just say that I would be superbroke.  This applies not only to pattern books, but to any kind of books.  I'm still vaguely distressed I never got up to #100 in the babysitter's club (though I'll bet it's up to a bajillion by now--and by the time they came out 100, I was way WAY too old).  Most people have SABLE?  I've got AABLE - articles acquired beyond life expectancy.  I've got, right now, 649 articles in my dissertation folder.  If it weren't for computers--I don't think I'd have room for that much paper.  That's 1.3 gigs of pdf's my friends.

On that note, I think that if I had any book on sock knitting, I would want The Official Toe-up Sock Book.  Since I like to play fast and loose with my patterns, things I can try on as I go are good.  To the trend, I also want Custom Knits.  I have far more patterns that I will ever knit (already!) and Ravelry makes that even worse.  And I of course gravitate to the lacy, complex, fine knitting.  But those would be useful things to add to my somewhat accelectic collection, I think.

Tummy woes

So, I made the garlic soup last night.  It was glorious, though not as pretty as Smitten Kitten's.

M thought it was far too garlicy, which is sad.  I did, more or less, follow the instructions.  I may have added a cup of cream instead of a half.  AND, I used the last of the goose stock (instead of chicken).  Sad, but tastey.  Can't wait for more goose next year--too bad it's so expensive.  I was afraid that the goose would be overpowering (it was a little) but the garlic builds up as you eat it.  The end result was a thick soup that was almost a fondue--I ate three bowls and half a loaf of bread.  This would be great as an appetizer to a steak or similar meal, I think.

I kind of stink.

The one weird thing is that it seemed to have irritated the back of my throat.  I'm not sure if I had a dry throat or what--my nose has been really dry from all the cold, maybe my sinuses are messed up.  I hope to all goodness I'm not developing a garlic allergy.  My--digestive system, shall we say--is somewhat sensitive, and seems to be acting up today.  I'm not sure if it was the less than healthy food I've been eating for dinner (possibly combined with the high fiber lunches I've been having to kind of stave that off) or what.  I'm afraid that it may have been irritated by the garlic, if it was irritating my throat.  In other words, if you're on a bland diet--I don't think this counts.

Crafty goodness

So, I should really post pictures.  And one day I will have the time to include links.

I may be making my own pattern, based on Knitty's broad street mittens.  I'm sure similar items exist out there, but I haven't seen it, so except for the mitten outline, I'm pretty much making it up as I go.  We shall see.  Once I get past the thumb gusset, I will post pictures.

In other news, I need piggy stitch markers.  I can't go out tonight, but maybe tomorrow...

New Year's Resolutions

This is highly unusual for me. First to post to my blog, like any other fool who got one and yet never did anything with it. Second to post something of a relatively personal nature. Third to actually do serious New Year Resolutions. Such is life.

I'm going to attempt to record my efforts here, which will hopefully lead to more knitterly posts. Part of the resolutions? No, but what I hope to part of a larger more positive turn around in my life.

So the resolutions themselves:
1 - Craft more. Specifically, knit one large project, and improve my crochet and tatting skills. Sewing is on the horizon. Theoretically, if I am to hold myself responsible via the blog, I will post them here.

2 - Exercise twice a week. Not because I am fat in the traditional sense (no matter how little that means) but because I am patently unhealthy. Can't walk up a flight of stairs without being winded--that's bad. Twice a week is not so much, and while I hope to improve upon that, I think that I can at the very least keep myself to twice a week.

3 - One new recipe a week; one repeat a month. Too much from my head, not enough tried and true. Repeats lead to additions to the repertoire, always good.

4 - Be more organized. This means planning meals, and keeping better track of my life.

Towards those goals:
I exercized today! Quite proud of myself, using our little apartment gym. Was on the eliptical for about 25 minutes. My heart rate was about 160 (not that I really know what that means). Burned 200 calories exactly. I hit the endorphins around minute 10.

Husband and I had the first of what should turn out to be weekly 'family planning' meetings. Right now we're attempting to cook out of the freezer. He is actually making sausagey stuff tomorrow, quite exciting. I'll be making soup from a recipe, as well as shrimp kabobs I make up (this was also supposed to be from a recipe, but I can't find anything I like). We may be going out of town Friday, so nothing planned for then or the weekend.

I'm hoping to post the shrimp thing so I can remember it. I think I shall marinate, then put a rub on, so I can have spices, but not worry about dripping in the oven. Only problem will be possibly them drying out; however, I don't really find shrimp to be well suited to the grill in any case.