What I've been up to

Well this has quite the week.

I'm sure you've probably heard someone say this this week--or perhaps you said it yourself.

Monday the 7th--which feels like a REALLY long time ago, I went to a meeting/baby shower. It was to be a book shower, but you know--I can't resist knitting for a baby. So I threw in a sweater and a hat with my board book contribution.

Baby sweater and hat #gifts

A photo posted by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Nov 6, 2016 at 5:22pm PST

I had such fun knitting these. The hat is just a basic hat--figured up from the Handy book of patterns by Ann Budd and the sweater is a Kimono baby sweater from Mason Dixon knitting.

Then, I admit that the US election did not go exactly how I thought it would, and I'm realizing that I probably live in my own bubble which would seem weird given I live in an area where the democrats don't usually even run anyone. But there it is.

At any rate, I barely had time to process that when I got word that a former co-worker and knitting friend had passed away from complications of brain cancer. She was an extremely special person. Even saying that feels like an understatement. You know that one friend or relative you have who everyone turns to for advice and help and hugs? That friend or relative who you'll go months without seeing (except on facebook) and they'll ask after some concern you posted or talked about? Sally was that person and more. I feel like our community has a Sally shaped hole in it, and it will take a while to stitch up.

I confess, I started this sock simply so I'd have something to knit at the visitation. I do need some new socks though.

Tiny start to a #sock

A photo posted by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Nov 14, 2016 at 4:36pm PST

I wrote the above a few days ago, but didn't have time to finish, because the week suddenly got even longer. However, work progresses on the sock, but I'm starting to worry that it is turning out to be too big for my stupidly narrow feet. It's like al of a sudden I can't make socks that actually fit my feet. Because yes, I did finally finish the second baseball sock, but am too tired of that yarn to rip back the first too small sock and re-knit it. So basically I have one sock that fits. Well lesson learned, I'm going to knit another inch or two on the current sock and try it on (toe up for the win) and if my suspicions are correct I am ripping IMMEDIATELY.

Meanwhile, in an effort to DO something, anything really to mitigate the feeling of helplessness I feel, I decided that I could actually do something small for someone who is collecting all the smalls and turning them into a big. Carry the Future, which is a great non-profit organization attempting to provide baby carriers to refugees in Greece is having a blanket drive. They are asking for blanket donations, both twin sized and baby sized to help a group of refugees in Jordan stay warm this winter. Blankets I can do. Baby sized ones in particular. So I started this:

Just a little something I started today.

A photo posted by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Nov 15, 2016 at 4:37pm PST

It is entirely scraps from the PJ pants of the last few years. And it turns out I'm probably going to miss their November 30 deadline. BUT, I saw an article the other day that said an organization here in Michigan was looking for blanket donations too in order to assist refugees settled in Michigan. Evidently, if you come from a warmer climate Michigan winters (even the mild one we are currently experiencing) make you wish for many many blankets to snuggle under. In some ways that's even better. I'll get to give a happy baby sized blanket to someone who is just getting to America and let them know that not everyone hates them. Better yet, I think I probably have enough scraps to make a few more. And I get that same satisfaction I always get with the thrum and hum of the sewing machine.

December goals

I had thoughts about doing daily entries in December as part of the Holidailies tradition. And I started to think about the crafting I want and need to get done this month. I got as far as making a list:

6 pairs of PJ pants (2 for the girls, one for me, one for my husband)
Barbie clothes I have promised the girls--which includes a pants suit and two dresses. (And hey I got one made!)
all the treats for teachers: marshmallows, salted caramel, spiced pecans, possibly hard candy
A scarf my Mother in law hinted she'd like for a gift
And the sweater that goes with this swatch

A photo posted by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Nov 28, 2015 at 4:46pm PST

It seems like there was something else because my list felt super long, but maybe because I have condensed it here (Like 6 pairs of flannel pants did not get written as: Make panda pants, make matching plaid pants, make penguin pants, make dot pants and make monkey pants).

At any rate, after I looked at my list and all the other stuff that has to happen this month (some increased work responsibilities, plus all the present gathering/wrapping/decorating), I just decided that taking on a daily project would perhaps make me crazy. So instead I'll do what I've been doing--fitting in projects where I can, doing little bits here and there and reporting here as often as I have a spare minute. Maybe I'll even get my act together and do some pictures.

halloween!

I've been meaning to write for a while, but this time of year is really busy and October 1st I had this panic of thinking that Halloween was just at the end of this month and my progress on the costumes has been abysmal. Although I'm not sure getting distracted by thinking the kitchen floor needs mopping every time I got to cut out pattern pieces helps much.

I did finish the socks though--which means that before they were in school a month, I had made each of them a new pair of socks.


I did a toe up pattern, just a plain vanilla sock and made them pretty short. I used only one skein of Lorna's laces Shepherd sock and probably could have gone another inch or two longer. Of course finishing the socks meant that I had no travel knitting during a week when I needed about 4 hours of travel knitting, so I grabbed what was leftover from my hand dyed sock yarn and started some toe up socks for me. I have no idea if I'll get an actual PAIR of socks out of what I have left, but I'm pretty sure I'm ok with that, as it is helping me focus on the scarf or shawl I think I'd like to make out of my Ireland yarn.


And I'm really trying hard not to panic at the thought that Christmas knitting should start soon. I don't know the 2nd grade teacher as well as I'd like, and this year there is an aide int he classroom and she's the same aide I knit a scarf for when the ladies were in kindergarten.
The scarf I knit for the aide

Anyway, back to Halloween, because deep breathing and thinking of one thing at a time helps. I did get the frog costume cut out (double layer fleece UGH) and mostly sewn together before I realized that the size I made was WAY too big. So big it nearly fit me. So the frog costume will have one more seam in it an was called for because I decided the only way to make a fleece jumpsuit short enough (the crotch was at her knees!) was to take out nearly 4 inches in the middle. For all that fuss though, fleece jumpsuit costumes must be the absolute easiest things to sew as fleece doesn't really fray and jumpsuits have only one real tricky part--the zippers.

Today's task is to finish cutting out the colonial girl's dress. Made tricky by 1) wanting to get it right and 2)my wrist hurting again. The wrist problem though has been diagnosed as tendonitis and is being treated. It doesn't interfere with the knitting, but the cutting motion is really hard on it, so I have been cutting in shifts so I don't hurt it again.

So in summary: panic, panic, socks, decisions to be made and ouch.

why I love socks

I had been working hard on my shrug. It does seem to go very very slow for some reason. But I felt like I was starting to make some progress:


But a closer look reveals some ripping in my future:


So I started a sock:


Since taking this picture, I finished this sock and started sock number 2. This is for my daughter that loves pink. I have yarn for socks for my daughter that loves purple.

my aching wrist

finished my socks, and while I don't have a picture of them, trust me, they are fun fun fun. And in September when the weather cools and I feel like wearing ANY socks again, I'll have to model them.
I;ve started in on my next project, which is a shrug that I've modeled on a sweater from Interweave knits. Details later mainly because I don't have them at hand--except to know that I'm using Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino and US size 3 needles mainly because of the color the baby cashmerino came in--it is a dead ringer for the purple in my dress.

I'm excited about it, and working through the technical issues I'm encountering--like for example, the original pattern calls for a hemmed edge, which I've never done, but I couldn't figure it out from the instructions, so I had to do it differently following instructions from my very handy Knitter's book of Finishing techniques. And so far so good--I'm only on step 4 of 5 steps. What's bothering me, quite literally is my wrist.

A few years ago, I had this weird thing that when I was knitting (or more when I was sewing up) my pinkie and ring finger would go numb. After many tests later, it was determined that I "wrenched" my elbow picking up one of my "babies" who were 3 or 4 and weighed in the neighborhood of 35-40 pounds. After I stopped lifting them and slept for 6 months with a hand brace on, I gradually got better. This is different.

It started a few weeks ago, by feeling that I'd slept wrong on my hand an that my wrist needed to pop. Like you'd pop your knuckles. Except it won't. Steadily it has gotten worse. Nothing seems to make it better--I've even had days when (gasp) I haven't knitted anything. In fact on vacation, I went days without knitting and all the while that pain was still there. I should also note that it does not hurt to knit, but it does to scrub sinks. It does not hurt to sew up, although writing anything longer than my name is painful. Yoga has been excruciating at times. Mornings are worse than evenings. The hand brace does not seem to make a difference one way or another. And tomorrow, I'll be having it checked out. I'm hoping that it doesn't take weeks of (painful) tests to decide that I'm doing something stupid like lifting a 35 pound child regularly and calling her a baby (and scaring the doctor who wanted to know how old my "baby" was). I'm also hoping that I don't get the kibosh on knitting.

pickle

Well I went and did it, I found myself a plan for this next baby quilt. I love this plan. I am totally into this plan. Sadly this plan involves at least a 1/2 yard of this fabric.

I have a fat quarter, for those of you not in quilter jargon, this means I have half of a half yard. It is a Laurel Burch, from her "flying colors collection" and it is discontinued. I was thinking that if I found any of the colorways, I'd replace the turquoise.
I have been to the local quilt store. I've called the big one in the next town over. I even called one "up north." I think the store I used to go to in Port Huron might be a good lead since I've seen very discontinued fabrics there but I didn't want to call them, that seems desperate. Not that calling my mother in law who is visiting Shipshewana and demanding she scour Yoder's department store and Lolly's isn't desperate. Or hitting ebay and discovering that I can get a yard (although not turquioise) for a minimum bid of 10.95 plus shipping. If I win that is.

I think I just need a new plan. I think it might be time to let go of this idea. Which is really too bad, I did so like those butterflies.

Halloween (almost ready)

Saturday morning I seriously thought the opening line for this was going to be: All the costumes are done and are excellent.

Instead I find myself with this horrid fact, the purple princess costume is nearly done, needing only a final check of the hem (long enough without being too long) and a crown, but the Glenda costume continues to plague me.
Glenda it seems is a snug fitting costume, the size 6 barely fitting my size 6 child. If that were not all, she claims the sleeves "hurt". So now Glenda needs to have the sleeve seams ripped out, sewn back in with less seam allowance and then have bias tape sewn over where the netting and fabric meet--because this I think is the main cause for the "hurt". But my Glenda daughter has a lot more in the way of "sensory issues" than her purple sister. Oh and yes, I still need to put all the appliques on Glenda too--Although I did a test and feel like I could safely glue the stars onto the netting with my hot glue gun (i.e. it didn't melt my swatch). And then I guess there is a crown for that too.
I didn't want to put up pictures until halloween, but on "fitting day" I took a few pictures:



I am having trouble deciding what to do about posting their pictures here, I generally make their pictures friends/family only on flickr (follow the link on a picture and add me as a contact!--If I recognize you I'll add you in the friend category). But after all the talk about the costumes, I feel like I need to post the finished things here. I'll figure something out.

On the knitting front, I'm having a massive case of starteritis, as cold weather is upon us here in Michigan, and I feel the deep need to be warm. I have plans for felted slippers and a sweater, not to mention that someone should slap me for thinking this, but I'd like to knit the kindergarten teacher and her aide a scarf or hat or both for Christmas. Anybody out there have any ideas for good head/shoulder covering type stuff that will look nice but not set me back more than $20 per gift?

another week

Seriously, after Halloween is over, I promise I'll update more often than once a week. I may even start before that, who knows though, just get through this week has been my mantra for about a month now. My life has just been so crazy busy lately, but after next Saturday it should ease up some.

I did finish something (sort of). I finished one of the purple striped socks I was working on for me.

When it is not on my foot, it looks really weird--and you can kind of tell from the picture that it is a little snug. I din't want to give up the stripey though. I have enough yarn left over on each skein to make some shorter socks and I'll most likely do that with a few more stitches or something. Maybe bigger needles, I don't know... I love the stripe. I've cast on sock number 2 and am almost past the toe.

I still have done nothing on my lace scarf (kindergarten knitting) but am seriously thinking about what it might need-- right now I'm leaning towards slightly larger needles. I'll get back to that as soon as I finish... The costumes!

Glenda: I did most of the appliques, in that you needed to fuse interfaceing to sequin fabric, cut them out then glue sequins along the outside. The pattern calls for: one flower, two butterflies (one in each of two sizes), and 14 stars. The stars are supposed to be "randomly placed on the overskirt" but I used tulle with glitter and designs on them, so I made the executive decision that she only needed 7 stars (I didn't buy enough sequin trim). Sunday when I was away from my machine and had some time on my hands (ahem) I managed to get everythign done. So really they just need to be tacked on the dress. Go me! because it took almost two hours. I do still need to sew (or glue) them on the actual costume.

Purple princess: I started this and got as far as the collar this week before I was stymied by the instruction to "understitch as far as possible." I googled understitching, thought I had the answer (from here by the way) and went downstairs to the machine and stared at it for a while. Eventually I did print out the page, and next time I deal with the sewing room(probably right after posting this), I'll take that with me. It looks really cool and is really starting to look like an actual lcostume, that might actually get done! I am encouraged that the zipper addition (on tap for possibly later this week) will go smoothly too.

In which I whine

I've been thinking about this post for a few days now. How especially to make it sound really non-whiney.
See, I finished the socks:

So both girls have a pair.

And I started my lace project for when I have free lace knitting time. And I wanted to start a sweater, that I could work on while I watched interesting tv. I was reading a forum or something where someone was dying to make Oblique but had yarn too thin. Well, I should never have clicked through the link because then I had the very same problem. I'd love to knit this, but I just can NOT get gauge. I'm at 3.5 inches for 17 stitches--when I need to be at 4. And NOTHING I have looked at so far is suitable. The yarn is a DK and I'd like to make a cardigan in something a little more complex than simple stockinette. Ravelry says there are over 500 items that fit this criteria. When I limit it to patterns in my library it suggests a sweater from A gathering of Lace that calls for size 3 needles (and is not clear on what I should be testing my gauge). And I think might be a little out of the league of tv watching.

But I should not be knitting at all because there are a mere 47 days until halloween (and I'm guessing costumes might be needed before that too).

However, I spent an hour today in frustration trying to piece in some curves on Glenda's dress. The most frustrating part--there seem to be no reason for the curves. I could have easily made a pattern out of the pieces I cut--gluing them the way they are supposed to go and then using that for a pattern. Right now my MIL is setting in the curves as I was told that if I cried over the costume, we were going to buy costumes next year. Have I mentioned that the only year I ever bought a costume for the girls was their first halloween when I was not sleepign more than 4 hours at a time and could barely write my name, much less find a pattern. Too bad too, because baby costumes are terribly cute.

stress relief

I knit, a lot. In fact at the book club, there were three people who professed to be knitters (one I knew from having taken a how to knit sock class with her), but I was the only one knitting. I knit nearly every night after my girls are asleep, and sometimes I even get in a bit while I watch tv with them. I do this to get rid of the tension that builds up every day. The click click click of the needles, the row upon row of stitches soothes me.

Except for the big stress.
No, for the big stress (death, illness, hard decisions) I need sewing. The wiggita wiggita of the machine as it stitches along is the only thing for a big crisis. When my grandmother was very ill and my mother was calling every day to tell me if grandma had made it through the night, I sewed. I quilted a large quilt for the guest room bed and I worked on a baby quilt for my cousin. I cried over both of these quilts, as the machine chugged along. I swore when needles broke, when thread tangled and when I put together the pieces wrong. But mostly I let my brain take in the rhythmic ka-chunking that seems to help me achieve a sense of peace.

I have no large sewing projects looming, no baby quilts to make, no unfinished objects demanding my attention. But I have the sort of big stress that requires sewing right now. My answer is this: Last fall, I was given 2 large boxes of fabric, pulled from an aunt's stash. In those boxes, were enough "milk paint" colored fabric to make quite a splendid quilt using color gradations. All of it had never been washed. I usually prewash all my fabric, but first I like to serge the edges to keep the fraying to a minimum. The serger wiggita wiggitas with the best of them. So, this is my plan--serge the fabrics until the stress melts away. Then start planning something wonderful.