brilliant ideas

So, I got this brilliant idea.

You can pause now and laugh if you want.

I started a toe up basic sock from Modesock and then saw neldoreth and could not decide if I should rip that sock out and start over using that pattern (since it is a top down instead of toe up pattern). And then I thought--why can't I just work this pattern from the toe up. I figured the order of the chart and started in. And...

It just didn't look right. And then I turned it inside out and there was the pattern--sort of:

Sorry for the bad pictures, I took them on the ipad before I ripped them out and just started a plain toe up sock.

It looks so pretty, but so plain. Sigh. Anyway, I'd be father along, but here is where I admit a failing. I want to do a specific heel that is in Socks from the Toe up and it includes wrap and turns. I never mastered the wrap and turn. In fact, the last socks I did with this heel, I had to look up how to do wrap and turn, and I suspect I did it wrong. And now, I have to look it up again. I will though. It is just that my knitting time is also my relaxing time and this isn't meshing. Perhaps some night when the children silently drift off to sleep.

In the mean time, I also finished a sewing project.

All because I started a de-cluttering project where I get rid of (at least) two things every day. I have been working on my sewing room and as I have been going along, putting things away, getting rid of things to make room etc, I kept tripping over this more than half completed project, and the other day I decided that if I finished it, I could put the pattern away in the newly cleared out pattern drawer. And I could throw away the scraps. and so, I finished my Ipad carry case.

Details, can be found in this entry. I had to re-do the flap, and found it easier to sew the button on before I had the whole thing together. I think if I make one for a gift, I may use a different type of closure, as I am not a fan of velcro.

I love it and so now am thinking about carrying my ipad everywhere.

Gray sweater

The girls are at daycamp this week and I've never felt so productive or so worn out as I have this week. Today for example, I pitted 4 quarts of sour cherries and made jam (1 batch) and froze the rest. Sour cherries make excellent cherry crisp, and there is nothing better in my mind than having warm cherry crisp in the middle of a cold winter.

There must be something in the preparations for a cold winter, because today is the second installment of "kid sweaters I've finished when it got really hot."

This one is again made from Knit Picks Brava Worsted and again on US size 6 and 7 needles. The pattern is central park hoodie. This is the third I have made. Because sizing runs small (you didn't want to button it did you?) I made her a small women's.

I love how it turned out.

I only missed one cable, but it is hidden by the hood.

She does love it. When they get cold in the mornings (because after a week of upper 90s, 72 feels chilly) they both run for their sweaters. I also have tons of pictures of her posing it it, mostly in her nightgown, so I'll spare you all that.

And because we love a good button photo:

procrastinate

I am the biggest procrastinator.

I usually put off things though for specific reasons. Well one reason really: I don't want to do it.

So it probably comes as no surprise that the one thing holding me back on the purple sweater was the button holes. It wasn't that I didn't understand how to do them. I watched this video:

It was just that I was going to have to swatch to be sure that the size I made fit the buttons. And you know what? I didn't want to do that.

I mean I really did not want to do that.

I'm not sure why--after I finally decided that if it was going to be done in a quiet house while I was awake and alert, it needed to be done today --it went easy.

Seriously easy. Like less than 1/2 hour easy. The panda buttons will work with a 3 stitch version, the smaller buttons probably would work with a yarnover, but to keep consistent, we'll do a two stitch buttonhole.

Now to actually do it.

button button who has the button

On Saturday, I hauled both girls off to Joann Fabrics because our local store was having a Memorial Day sale and buttons were 50% off. I love it when sales correspond with my needs and I get a good bargain.

We ended up spending $11 and getting buttons for the purple sweater, the grey sweater AND my poor black calorimetry. So yep, three projects and the buttons would have been $22. Now everyone knows why I was so excited by this sale.

What does $11 (or $22) buy you?

These are for the purple sweater. I'm going to have to do some swatching to be sure I get the buttonholes right--since we have two different sizes. I kind of wish she'd have picked just one kind.

She's my panda queen so this was not unexpected.

The grey sweater is getting these

Which I was surprised at, but they look nice with the grey.

And my poor neglected Calorimetry gets a sparkly button, that hated the camera.

Now I guess I don't have any excuses for not finishing and better get knitting. (and sewing).