A Little Yarn On The Side

So I'm thinking that a smart person might have decided to take it a bit easy if one was trying to get off pain pills.  MY approach, however, generated some pretty serious pain by evening, and of course by the time I was in pain AND tensed which generated even MORE pain, I ended up taking full drug doses last night and needing a rest today.  The GOOD news is that resting today gave me time to make two new ornaments today: and I think I'm smart enough to try half doses next time.  These are improvised ornaments with worsted weight acrylic yarns, so they're much bigger balls than the color-work ones, but I am very pleased with them.  They're both made with sparkly yarns and look very festive.  The acrylic isn't nearly as easy to work with as the wool fingering, but it's still fun and it didn't require using any charts.  ALWAYS a consideration when back on pain meds...........

The Christmas socks are done, and came very, VERY close to sending me back to mostly toe-up socks.  Out of a 100-gram ball with 458 yards of yarn, I finished with this: I have no idea what I actually would have done had they required any more yarn, since I don't have any more of this AND it's been discontinued, but I do love knitting on the edge.  Not that I'm not making a note in my project book to make the legs slightly shorter for this particular recipient.  Once is fine, but I don't want to press my luck too much.  I try to save THAT sort of behavior for lace. Lately I've been feeling nauseous almost constantly instead of just afternoons as I had been, so I have decided to try going off the pain pills entirely.  The spine specialist said to take them for 2 weeks after my back stopped hurting, but I don't think I'm going to get better if I can't exercise, and I can't exercise when I'm nauseous, so today is my first pill-free day in ...

We woke up to snow again today, but the sort that melts off quickly, and as it's the first sunny day in a bit, it actually feels a bit like spring.  So, I have finished the summer dress for Finishing Friday.  This gives me almost 18 yards of fabric used for the year so far, and I'd like to say that it makes a noticeable difference in my stash, but.........It does however make a noticeable addition to my wardrobe.  I wore the new dress last night, and I've worn the micro-suede pants and collarless shirt already.  The summer dress might be just a tad bit early, but it will be fun to have a new summer dress.  I haven't forgotten my ornament goal, and made 3 new ivory icicle ornaments today: Looks like there aren't going to be too many ivory ornaments either: though I have one spool left, so I think I can get 6 more.  I adore these icicle ornaments.  All 6 are very, very different, and if I could be persuaded to part with any, could make re...

One of my nieces has taken up knitting--mostly finger knitting as she's pretty young,  but she has a birthday coming up and we thought this: would be a good gift.  It's a cute little kit, but it only comes with 2 balls of yarn, which, for a relative of mine, will NEVER do.  I am sending all the remnants of novelty yarn I have, but decided to risk Joann Fabrics to get another ball of yarn for her, and s this is ALL the yarn I came home with!!!  I did buy some spring flowers to put in Andy's office, but that doesn't break my rules since that's household money rather than mine.  I even looked at fabric but didn't feel tempted!  Of course, that might have something to do with "looking at" meant "walking really quickly down the aisles and refusing to make eye contact with any fabric looking too tempting," but I judged the entire enterprise a HUGE success! I did have my one exception for the year: which sort of only vaguely counts anyway...

Last night I cut out the fabric for the summer dress AND a matching hat.  I haven't started sewing them yet, but as laying out the pattern and cutting it is my very least favorite part of sewing, I was rather amazed with myself.  I've already used up more fabric so far this year than I did during the entire year last year, and I think if I even sew a little bit most days, I really could use up a fair bit of fabric this year.  It might even be easy to move around in the sewing room by this time next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need to go lay down--I think the shock is too much for me right now...............

After much wrangling, trying every option I could think of, and ripping out more seams than an entire wardrobe would require, I finally finished the wrap skirt, and have officially used up another 5.875 yards of early fabric stash.  I was so mad at the skirt that I didn't think to get a picture of it (or the pants) before it went into the wash, but I did take a picture of the shirts, which, even after SAYING that the one with the collar would have short sleeves and the other would get the long sleeves, I managed to mix up.  Obviously, there might be a reason I usually knit at night instead of sew.  The mix up isn't tragic, so I decided to leave them.  As I really like the shirt pattern, there's a possibility I'll make more of them AND get them correct, so these are now known as "variations" rather than "stupid flippin' mistakes." Sometimes even hobbies need spin doctors. I still need to add the accent buttons to the collar (which ended up on...

A pox on all sewing pattern instruction writers!!!!!!!!!!!