A Little Yarn On The Side

and pickling and gardening and exercise and socializing which is why there hasn't been a lot of blogging.  It's so hot here that if I'm walking, I have to get up early to get my loop in--which it turns out is 4 miles rather than the 3.5 that I've been thinking for all these months, so I've not been slow and poky like I thought.  If I'm going to the pool, I go in the afternoon when it's crazy-hot because it's a perfect way too cool off, but that tends to mean I'm exhausted and ready to collapse by 4 every day.  If I could nap, I would have taken one every day this week.  As it is, I was only NOT in bed by 5 today by the great strength of willpower and the fact that with the windows open I didn't want the neighbors to see me in my jammies at 5:00 pm.  Like I'm probably NOT considered the crazy neighbor lady by everyone already--and they haven't even seen my stash!  Speaking of which, this is my new portable knitting project, and ...

It's been 21 months since I bought yarn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish that translated into a really noticeable dent in the stash, but last year's ornament challenge wasn't exactly a yardage burner, and I finished up my 27th ball of yarn for the year yesterday, but at least it hasn't grown in almost two years. 

Back in 2008 , I made Andy some summer clothes in dark blue--his favorite color.  Having obviously just developed a love-affair with decorative stitching, I decided that what he would really LOVE was white decorative stitching details: because what grown man, aside from Popeye and perhaps members of the Village People, wouldn't want to appear in public in a sailor suit?  Not even when I took this picture did I realize what a dippy outfit I had made for him.  To his credit, he has worn it around the house a lot , but not in public.  I don't blame him at all--but last week I decided that it was a shame to have gone to so much work for something that would get him beat up if he ever had to appear in public in, so I have finally ripped out all of the decorative stitching except for just the collar and bottom, which looks rather nice together.  Since it took some serious time and effort, I have counted this as one of my Finished Projects for the year, and Andy...

Thanks everyone for your kind words.  I am really pleased with the table runner, and there are no puckers on the back!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Inspired by this amazing FIRST in my quilting, I have started the next one: I didn't notice until uploading the picture that the right side was folded over, but the actual table runner has all the stripes in the same order.  I think I prefer the first version better, but as I already have enough strip blocks done for two table runners like this, I'll stick with this version for two and the next one will go back to the alternating yellow pattern.  I just love the colors, and one of the best ways to learn crafting for me is to make the same project over and over and get a little bit better each time.  While I got the first one quilted without puckers, I still had trouble with the binding, so I'm hoping that these will help me with that. Now if I could just get all of them done by the 31st........................:)

I have finished something!!!! Sorry, didn't mean to shock anyone. I know what a surprise a Finished Project is around here.......

......which is a new month, so I shouldn't be surprised that the newest ornament kit has arrived, though the fact that I received the shipping notification AND the ornaments on the same day was new.  The new kit will involve some gluing, though I just love how they look and really do want to make them.  I had put one set into my Summer Stash-Dash Basket, and decided it was time to start on them: Okay, start on the easiest one.  This kit actually has FIVE ornaments, so I won't feel quite as bad if I mess one up.  Actually, as long as I get to count it for a Finished Project, I might not feel too badly at all.  Being almost a month behind on projects is terrifically motivating.................

Seriously--it's been over a week since my last post--you would think I would have a finished object or two to show you, wouldn't you?  HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?????? First, I have washed, starched, and ironed the ribbon table runner, and I don't think it lays any flatter than before.  I will actually use it as I've gone to all this trouble, but I think we can scratch this off as a potential gift idea.  I try to avoid giving gifts that involved a whole lot of swearing--that just feels wrong. Speaking of swearing, the gauze pants are progressing.  In the future , I swear I will have the sense to alternate difficult, fussy projects with easy ones.  Going right from the ribbon to gauze was just insane, and Theo only agreed to hang out with me from the safety of the thread chest box:  I think you might be able to gauge the level of frustration by the progress on the sock, since you can't see that twitch above my left eye..... Andy went rafting wi...