2012 FO Round-up

Tags

christmas, fo, ornaments, sewing, stash

I only finished 15 17 knitted, crocheted or sewn objects this year, and none of them sweaters!

I’m noticing that only two of them are for me (the binary cable hat and the tapestry cowl) and I can’t find one of those two (the hat). Darn. I think that’s because I knit two shawl/scarf things that ended up being for other people (lintilla and annis) even though I thought they were going to be for me. Also, I have several sweaters on the needles for myself but none of them are getting finished.

The last two items pictured never got shown off here. I made bird ornaments for my children’s teachers.

And a cute (if I must say so myself) gingerbread house ornament for a friend.

I really like they way they all turned out. I wish I had set aside more time in December for sewing ornaments. Next year! (Maybe.)

I attempted to calculate the yardage of yarn currently in my stash but my spreadsheet program and Google docs both refused to read the file that Ravelry exports. I’m going to say that’s the universe telling me that I don’t need to know. I’m actually glad because 2012 was supposed to be my year of not buying yarn except at Stitches and I know I didn’t stick to that. Also, I didn’t finish many projects and no sweaters so that means not a lot of yarn leaving. Let’s just agree that I probably have too much yarn and leave it at that.

NaBloPoMo round up

Tags

latkes

I missed four days this time around. Also, I talked a lot about not having anything to say. Sorry about that.

In knitting news, I’m up to round 58 out of 67 of the chart from hell. It’s 67 rounds of non-repeating colorwork with 110 sts per round. That is ridiculous. I am not sure why I even decided it was a good plan. Actually, I know why, the cowl is gorgeous when it’s done! I hope mine will be.

In Textiles news, my mom finished putting together both quilt tops and backs (thanks, Mom!) and the kids and I put the back, batting, and top together and they have worked on quilting both. They are, as usual, big into the beads for embellishment. They have one more week to work on them and then the quilts come home for me to pretend I’m going to bind them until a couple of weeks before the Arts Focus show. At least I know myself, right?

We got our Christmas tree today and then went off to the JCC for a latke cook-off. Gotta love a multi-cultural family, right? We didn’t stick around to see who won but in my mind there was one clear winner. Although, it’s hard to make a bad latke, I think. There are just less good ones.

See you next November! (Or before, I really do hope to keep up with regular posting but I know myself, as stated previously, and I’m not good at that.)

NaBloPoMo Day 25: sewing as fast as I can

Tags

arts focus, knitting, quilt, quilting, tapestry cowl, textiles

This is what I did today.

That is half of one of the two quilts I needed to put together for the kids to quilt on Thursday. I did manage to get all of the squares neatened up, ironed, and trimmed to the same size with a lot of help from my mom. She has also volunteered to finish putting them both together. Whew!

In knitting news, I am up to row 41 on the 67 row chart for that cowl. I’m actually enjoying working on it again! Also, I want to be able to wear it this winter. The real test will be if I hide it away again when it gets to the point where I have to kitchener all 110 stitches. Yikes. I will worry about that when the time comes, though.

NaBloPoMo Day 15: halfway!

I missed a day again. Sorry about that. I went clothes shopping at the mall near my parents’ house yesterday. I rarely shop for clothes from places other than the internet anymore so this is a significant event. I also came home with a pair of jeans that I think I love. They are Levi’s 512 bootcut or something. They were also on sale. Getting them, though, almost broke me. I went to TJ Maxx and then Ross before going to the mall and heading to Macy’s. The last time I went into Macy’s looking for Levi’s, it was in Sunnyvale and that Macy’s doesn’t have Levi’s in my size. I was glad the Macy’s near my mom did.

The reason I was able to shop yesterday was that my children were off from school for a staff development day and we went up to hang out with my parents. The two weeks with extra long weekends always make November feel very short, school-wise. This week is our last week before the one week break in Arts Focus. That means that I will have to collect the quilt squares from the children in the class this Thursday so I can put them together and they can quilt it for the last two weeks of the class. November is already half over. Time is flying by!

NaBloPoMo Day 2: fabric and chickens

Tags

chicken

Here is a photo of what I did for part of yesterday.

I was going to post it yesterday but I decided to hoard it until today so I could have a post for today. The fabrics pictured are what the kids in my Textiles class will be using this time to make two quilts. They’re all flannels because flannels were $2.99 a yard at JoAnn when I went to get supplies for the class. I think both combos (owls with diamonds, skulls with keys) are super super cute and am looking forward to how the squares turn out. Not pictured: the fleece I still have not cut out for pillows. Crud.

As it turns out, I didn’t need to save yesterday’s picture because today I went on a field trip with my younger son’s class to a local educational farm. It was pretty fun.

While I was trying to get the chicken through the doorway in a photograph, the one perched above it peeked down at me and I thought that made a nice photo instead. Chickens are entertaining.

I am hoping to post at least one photo every day. That way if I run out of stuff to say I, as I may have done last year, I can just show you pictures! We’ll see how that goes.

some gift crafting

The sweater I’m knitting for Christine is close to being done but she is leaving on Sunday so I might still have to mail it to her. That seems likely. Sorry, Christine! At least you’ll have a package waiting for you at your new house.

I did finish this for her, twice.

I made it twice because it was too long the first time. I took off two of the blue beads which I made into a pendant, unpictured.

The story behind the bracelet is this: I went to a going away dinner for her and another friend of hers brought those beads and each person said a blessing or a prayer over one of the beads and then I put it together into a bracelet. My blessing for her is that she find a parenting community as supportive and welcoming to her as she has been for me in my parenting journey. I am a better parent for having had her in my life.

It was another dear friend’s birthday this week so I made her something too.

Rachel’s husband is Swedish and she has a photograph of her daughter dressed as a Tomteoboarn (little people of the woods?) I couldn’t find any descriptions of them in english, but this blog post in Swedish has a photo of them. I thought the little mushroom girl was very similar. I gave it to Rachel today and she liked it and mentioned maybe turning it into a pin.

That pattern came from the Felties book that Kristi gave me for Christmas. So much cute stuff in there. Stefan wanted a mushroom girl too. He wants one of everything I make.

reporting back and itching

Tags

aidez, allerigies, slinky ribs

The felt heart/valentine project went well. The kids seemed to like it and I realized afterwards that it taught them a useful skill: how to sew on a button! Go figure.

In knitting news, I am starting to think that I am allergic to something in Berroco Remix. I’m not sure what or even how that is possible but I made myself a cowl with it and I’ve been knitting my Aidez fairly faithfully and my neck and chest are super itchy. It seems unlikely to me since there is no animal fiber or any fiber that I haven’t used before but I can’t deny how itchy I am. Last time I ignored being this itchy I ended up needing steroids and regular nebulizer treatments to be able to breathe. Not good.

I’m going to take a little break from Aidez, I guess. Maybe I can finish my slinky ribs in time for Stitches instead.

what I did for four hours today

Tags

arts focus

I cut out these….

The end result is supposed to look approximately like this…

I’m not sure it actually took me four hours. I started around 10 and ended around 2 when it was time to run to JoAnn before going to school to set up for Arts Focus. It felt like more time than necessary cutting out pieces of felt. I hope the kids enjoy making their “fabric valentines” since that’s what I’ve decided to tell them they are.

the rest of the handmade goodies

Tags

finished object, knitting pictures, sewing pictures, socks

Now that everything has been given away I can show you the rest of what I made!

My mom requested fingerless mitts after seeing mine on Thanksgiving. So she got a pair.

On Hannukah I found out that the socks I had given to my dad a couple of years ago were too snug around. They were colorwork so I guess I didn’t account for the loss of stretch. Oops. So he got a new pair of socks from Berroco Comfort Sock. That yarn is so soft. I am going to need to get more to make myself some socks.

The same year I gave my dad the (too small) socks, I gave my aunt a pair also. She lost one in the laundromat. She always wears sneakers so I decided I could cheat slightly and make her socks out of DK weight cotton/acrylic yarn. They felt soft and cozy when I tried them on. I hope she loves them! (She didn’t try them right there so I didn’t get to find out.)

She also got one of the matroyshka doll ornaments that I made. I gave two of these to Rachel and Shauna and kept one for myself. I think the one I made for my aunt is not pictured here but you get the idea, right?

Last night, in honor of being finished with all of my crafting for other people, I decided to cast on a new sweater for myself that I’ve been wanting to make. I am starting with the sleeves so I was doing magic loop on my Signature Needle Arts circular needles. Today in the car, I discovered something tragic.

So sad! I’m going to write to them and see if they can put my tips on a new cord or something and then never EVER use them for magic loop again.

merry merry!

Tags

christmas, felt, finished object, sewing pictures

I just spent the last two hours or so building this.

How fun is that? It also opens up.

Really, it was Stefan’s Christmas present. Really.

Speaking of Stefan, here are he and Niels “modeling” their PJ pants. They are understandably distracted by their toys. Cute pants, though, huh? I just bought the T-shirts at Target to go with.

I also made them a pair of the felt bird ornaments, by request. Niels got the green with the red wing and Stefan red with green. Stefan said, “THANKS!” when I gave it to him. So, yay.

Last but not least is the gingerbread house that Erik helped them build. I buy the same kit from Trader Joe’s every year with the sugar people. The kids haven’t gotten bored of it yet.

I will have more finished objects ready for the world to see after we visit my parents and aunt today. I hope you’re enjoying your Christmas and/or final Saturday of 2010!