A Little Yarn On The Side

Probably quite a shock around here, huh? So, since I have taken a break from Cold Sheeping, I have been thinking about what I would buy before climbing back onto the sheep for 2015.  I want some new wool colors for the color work ornaments,   especially some greens and metallics if I can find them.  Then, of course, I started browsing lace yarn--of which I need nothing and have room for even less--then started checking out sock yarn.  Some plain colors in sock yarn and maybe some self-patterning is a possibility, but of course I started moving from "some" to a whole bunch--rationalizing that it would be my next project for gifts. Ever had one of those moments when your rationalizations to do something sort of stupid sound a bit familiar?  Sort of deja dumb?  In 2011 in a self-pity-wallow yarn purchase, I had bought 8 or 9 balls of dk-weight mohair, planning to make mohair hats for all my friends for Christmas.  3 years later, there is one hat...

One of the reasons for my scary fabric stash is the presence of local fabric stores.  Until Joann Fabrics closed two stores to open one "super" store here, it was my favorite.  The "super" store model is short for "super-long-waits" stores, and they actually knew they were going to be so understaffed and have such long lines at the cutting counter (in a FABRIC store) that they put in a ticket system with a loudspeaker prior to opening.  So, I had switched allegiance to the little, floundering Hancock Fabric store struggling along.  They have smaller selection in cotton, but more apparel fabrics.  So, all was good until Hancock put in a new "upselling" policy.  Now when you get fabric cut--which, you know, means you're buying something from them--you get treated to some product being relentlessly pushed on you.  Lately it's been quilt basting spray, but there's been a magnetic pin thing, scissors, and all sorts of stuff that one genera...

Nothing like a looming deadline to make a crafter totally irrational. This week I went to a surprise birthday party for a friend who just turned 60.  As she loves leaves, I thought this would be the perfect time to make the leaf table runner pattern that I bought in Canada: because everything looks simple when you're an irrational person.  By the morning of the party, I wasn't even close .  So, I scrounged out the last pre-made canvas bag in my stash and embroidered a bag with her name and a really nice tree on it, cutting it SO close to the deadline that I didn't even get a picture of it before dashing off to the party.  Good to see those old college study habits have stuck with me so long. Last weekend I did get a Santa bag done, which I'm pleased with.  I'll send it off early so Kellan's parents can use it for the Santa gifts.  So sometimes I'm on top of things. I had run to the fabric store to pick up more fall fabric for the table runner...

Whew!  September was fun, busy, and FAST.  And oddly enough, included 20 finished projects!  I think the big change is that now--after 3 years--I can finally sit long enough to actually sew something.  And maybe a wee bit of desperation might be thrown in there as well.  At any rate, I even remembered to do my month-end tally: Yards of fabric used: 9.867 Yards of yarn used (or given away):  3458 skeins of yarn used (or given away): 16 Projects finished:  20 Okay, giving away yarn helped a bit on that one, but oddly, so did buying yarn.  I have been cold sheeping for so long that I think it finally became a little de-motivating.  I didn't want to use up my yarn because I wasn't going to buy more.  Now I'm knitting like crazy, because while I'm trying not to buy yarn, I could .  So maybe a little vacation from my sheep wouldn't hurt.............

It's been sort of a wild few days around here.  Wednesday was a good friend's birthday, and she and her sister (whose birthday was last month) were going to be here on Thursday, and I was so pleased with the ukulele pillow AND both of them also play the ukulele, so I decided they each needed a pillow, and was working madly to get them done for Thursday.  My embroidery software gives me the option to import text files from my computer, but it doesn't guarantee that they will work well.  In fact,  while I was able to struggle through to get the text to come out on the first pillow, it ate a hole in the second one: I knew this text had been a HUGE pain on the very first pillow, but I liked how it looked well enough to try to baby it through two more designs.  I am SO sorry to see the end of this particular fabric.  I think it was something cheap I bought when I first started sewing, but it's been great to work with for bags and pillows, and was a perfe...

Yesterday I had a really bad cough and my lungs were so congested that they hurt, so I had a Knitting Day.  While I can't recommend the circumstances, I did get the chemo cap done.  I hate to admit how much of a boost the new yarn has given me because I'd still like to earn that 2-year badge, but having some quick projects has been nice.  In fact, I forgot to photograph this one.  It was kind of fun, and part of me kept thinking, wow, I could make great Christmas tree garlands out of this stuff, but I'm going to leave well enough alone.  The shelves make things easier to access but in some ways reduced the amount of space in the sewing room, so the big push is still to use up stuff, not add stuff.  I'm still thinking of getting back on the sheep on January 1 to try for the 2-year badge, but this time I'm really going to think it over between now and then, and add a bit of yarn for small projects.  I'll be climbing onto the fabric wagon as well, ...

I had an actual Finishing Friday this week!  I crafted almost all day and finished something!!!!!  They still need to be washed to get rid of the stabilizer, but the stockings are DONE!  Considering that the cuff is made of a stretchy velour I bought last year, I'm very proud that I was able to finish them in spite of the craziness of a stretchy, rolling plush fabric.  I am thinking about using the velour for the edging on the matching tree skirt as well, but I've set that aside for a bit to give myself a chance to recover from this part. That took most of the day, but I did get fabric prepped to start playing with this  The background fabric is deep stash and I think is from my old house, so 8 years.  I saw a ribbon table runner on Pinterest for Halloween, and that gave me the idea for a fall ribbon runner.  The original pinner didn't have batting or a backing and just stuck ribbon down with fusible webbing, but I've never had good luck wit...