February 15

Ok, so every day entries are probably not for me. Once a week does actually work much better and I should remember that. I am tempted to blame it on work, but I think it is actually that I don't sit at a computer for hours on end at work, and can't just jot things down on my lunch. basically, when I get home I find that I am better off if I can be present.

At any rate, I was not overly successful in last week's to do list, but I did manage to get some things done.

Perhaps most exciting is that I took a deep breath and laid out and cut the minion PJs.

I knew it was going to be short and a close one, but it turned out ok! I even had to trim the legs a bit (an inch, but still!).

I also got the One direction Pjs made, even though they are still awaiting hemming and the final say on if the elastic is right (I finally got smart and wrote down the measurements....)

I still have more to make. This week I put the butterflies and the dots on my to do list.

perhaps the most exciting though, is that when I took all these pictures on Saturday I was super close to finishing the second sleeve! And now, I have a few more rows until I bind off. Actually I thought I was ready to bind off, but it appears, I forgot a decrease row or something, so I need to do maybe 3 rows (I need to compare sleeves) and then bind off.

Hopefully, I can get the sweater sewed together and get the collar going this week!

List

Every Sunday I make a to do list for the week. On it I put all the "out of the ordinary" activities as well as things that need to get done sometime during the week. It sometimes depresses me how much is on there, because I know that the list represents extra stuff that gets added onto the already pretty full week. It does always give me great pleasure to cross things off.

Sometimes of course, I don't finish everything on the list. Sometimes it is because I can't, due to something beyond my control (Like the week I put "get girls set up with new dr" on the list and it ended up taking two weeks and 5 phone calls just to find out if they took our insurance.). Other times, I just run out of time (like last week's "get new drivers license" because I ran out of time until Friday and I don't know if you know this about Michigan, but it feels like no one actually works on Fridays making that a horrible day to try to accomplish anything).

Last week, I had a huge list and aside from not getting my license renewed, I only didn't do two other things! (A fact I find remarkable).

And it gives me hope for this week. I already have Monday through Wednesday pretty full and Friday is a day off school, and the list is probably just as long as last week.

On the list this week (aside from the boring): Make the One direction jammies and the minion jammies. And I'm off to a fairly good start, as I have the one Direction jammies cut out. I'm a little worried about the minions. I bought a piece of fabric that was just a little shorter than I usually buy. I'm hoping that I don't end up with high water pants, as I will try to shorten them in the cutting stage instead of the hemming stage. Sometimes when I worry about things, I put them off, as if somehow not trying is better than trying and failing.

I feel like I'm off to a great start, I have already done two things...

Feb 6 sleeve

Today was all about housework and errands and the second sleeve.

A photo posted by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Feb 6, 2016 at 7:32pm PST

Feb 5 picture post

Hoping to sort of catch up on all the stuff I neglected to do this week. So at lunch I did some knitting and finished the sleeve! And cast on for the second... (I find it better not to rest on your laurels). AND last night I got the penguin jammies hemmed. And so today I tool pictures AND downloaded them AND uploaded to flickr so I can share with you. Maybe.

(I very very much need to upgrade my browser. All kinds on stuff no longer works on it.)

So here is the lonely sleeve:

It looks so long and skinny. I think this weekend, I'll block the pieces I have so I can sew it up and see how it is looking size wise. Just in case I need to add a panel of something.

And then the two pairs of jammies that I have finished and have been worn

I think the scariest part of all of this--I'm pretty sure the polka dot ones would fit me. And maybe if she decides they are too short next winter--they will be mine.

Next up are the monkey jammies

My husband finds their lack of pants disturbing. Especially with the caption "monkey business." But I think they are adorable.

Honestly, the three pairs of jammies were on my "to do" list for the week, so I feel like I'm making steady progress as far as that goes. I guess I need to decide which pairs are next. I know Miss Polka dots would like her One Direction jammies, but since the fabric was kind of pricey I want to be sure she's happy with this pattern (as it is a different one--the one I always make for myself actually). I still have minions and butterflies too. Plus some to make for myself--as some of mine are looking worse for wear.

Feb 4 jammies

Just real quick because I was trying to finish the sleeve of the blue sweater instead of writing something. No pictures, same reason.

Sadly, sleeve isn't finished but last night I did finish the polka dot pjs and they got worn to bed! And tonight I told one girl that if she tried on the penguin jammies, I'd hem them and she could wear them tonight, so she took me up on that!

Tomorrow, I am hoping to have pictures and a finished sleeve.

Feb 3--monkey jammies

I should be sneaking in some knitting while I have a few moments because this has been just an incredibly busy week. One thing I am learning about myself is that I do much better at things when I can plan them. What that means is that it probably wasn't the brightest thing for me to undertake a job which tends to call me in at the last minute. Which happened Tuesday.

So Tuesday, when I came home I was exhausted (because the other thing is that a job like mine feels like your first day at work every day--you know how when you start a job and the first week is so exhausting and you've only just learned how to order paper clips?). I was so exhausted, I put on my jammies before my kids did. And I didn't sew, and I didn't even KNIT!

I did however, get irritated at the children fussing at me for daring to ask stupid questions like, "I'm getting takeout for us for dinner, where would you like me to get food from" and "what do you want from Subway?" while they did their math, and so escaped to the sewing room. And I sewed these together:

A photo posted by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Feb 3, 2016 at 4:17pm PST

I'm hoping to get some elastic measured and some PJs hemmed. But first, helping with said math homework!

Day 1 thing a dailies

So I joined thingadailies and this will be attempting to write something about something I have made (or accomplished towards making) every day in February.

Of course we start February with the busiest day I have had in a long time, with a full day of work plus two evening meetings. So not much is getting made today except goals!

Alrighty then--onward.
I am hoping to accomplish the following in the month of February:
Finish the blue sweater I started for one daughter
Start the cream sweater (pattern undecided) for the other daughter
Penguin pj pants
Dots pj pants (full disclosure these both are sewed and awaiting elastic and hems
One direction pj pants
sock monkey pj pants
At least one pair of pj pants for me (currently I have 4 flannels that I've picked out for ME including Star Wars with REY!!!!!)
mend rainbow socks
mend green socks
mend Felici striped socks

All I can say to that is Whew! Of course some of these are in progress. I have two pairs of PJ pants cut and sewed merely waiting for girls to consent to either let me measure them for elastic or try them on to be sure elastic isn't "pinchy." The sock monkey pants are cut out but not sewed. And I am working on the FIRST sleeve of the blue sweater.

But wait, you say, didn't you just make a bunch of pj pants like last fall or something? And indeed I did make a bunch in fall 2014. And since that time children have grown, and filled out. And one girl calls hers floods and the other complains that they are too tight. So there you go, new pants are needed. Last week I went and bought a bunch at 2.79 a yard, which is a great price and so because most were 2.79, I sprang for one pair of "licensed character" prints for each of them. So I have minions and one direction fabric, although the one direction is cotton rather than flannel. And really I need to turn it ALL into pj pants this month, but listing them all felt very ambitious.