A Little Yarn On The Side

 Having reached 99 projects with just under 2 months to go, last night seemed like the perfect time to start a really time-consuming project, so I have started a new set of Christmas pillowcases--for next year, obviously.  I'm stupidly optimistic, but not completely insane.  There is still this  which is progressing, but since most of it is outlining, it gets a bit boring.  Today I got to the sewing room early, but not as early as some, and for a while, we were doing fine.  When I cut out the fabric for the two ribbon bags, I actually cut enough fabric for FOUR, but thought the other two pieces could become table runners.  Starting with the green organza, I got quite a bit done and stopped to decide if maybe I should just leave it as it is.  Theo votes yes, though his taste is often as questionable as his views on "helping:" So I think the white ribbon is out.  And someone is sulking now that what's left of the...

Meet finished project number 99: which is my new favorite project.  THIS time I used organza ribbon for the first stripes, then it made sense to tie it in on the handles as well. I promise this one really is going into the gift bin, honest.  Even if it WOULD make a wonderful project bag for knitting...........

.....but self-patterning sock yarn could be the candy sprinkles on top. So, as soon as the second pair of socks was finished,  there I was, casting on for the final pair. Apparently I've missed self-patterning yarn in stockinette more than I thought I had.  And this has certainly solved my guilt problems over the new sock yarn, as this will be the end of the impulse yarn I grabbed at Joanns.  Or, at least, for now.....

Has anyone else noticed a disturbing scramble-to-make-a-gift-at-the-last-minute trend on this blog this year?  Or, probably more likely, every single year?  I swear that I DO make things ahead of time, but it seems like they're never quite right for the person or the occasion or whatever.  So, the other day I got an idea for a bag that would still be cute without having to be personalized at the last minute.  After making the fall ribbon table runner, I wanted to play around with ribbons more and luckily--prepare yourselves for a shock--already have a decent stash of ribbon.  Astounding, I know.  I struggled a bit with the table runner because I was trying to attach ribbon to a cotton fabric with batting and backing, and it was a challenge to keep it straight.  So I decided to try a heavier fabric, so in my trip to the Ontario Joann fabrics I picked up some bottom-weight fabric. Color selection in the nonstretch ones was rather limited, so white wo...

Wow.  It's Monday again.  I swear that was not a full week.  Or maybe it was a bit too full--depending on how one wants to look at it. A few weeks ago I had twisted wrong and popped my hip out of place.  The probable good news is that because I work the muscles quite a bit, it took a fair bit to get my hip out of place this time.  The definite bad news is that I still managed it AND it hurt like crazy.  I was able to get it back in, but that hurt as well, and in spite of getting back on the medications for inflammation and pain, I still managed to wind up some of the problem muscle spots again.  I had several really bad days, started to get better, and then had physical therapy on Thursday.  The good news is that while the bad spots had gotten tight, they hadn't truly knotted again, which is terrific progress.  The bad news is that it still really hurts whether the muscles are "just tight" or "knotted,"  and physical therapy left me fl...

It might surprise you to learn that I have a rather large number of projects in progress.  Of course, only if you haven't seen my sewing room or followed this blog for more than a day or ever MET me , but still there IS a remote chance you could be surprised. Sometimes a project gets set aside because I have found something more interesting to work on. Sometimes one gets set aside because I am about to send it through the food processor if I have to be around it for even another second.   And sometimes it's because I have reached a part of the project which intimidates me. Which is where our story begins today. Back in 2010 , I started working on a mitten garland for winter/Christmas.  It's actually been a fun project because craft felt is wildly inexpensive, so it was the perfect time to play around with techniques and ideas.  I learned to gimp, tried using decorative thread in the bobbin , played with decorative stitching , and have pretty much just had a grea...

.....(otherwise known as 2009), there was a crafter who thought up a lovely project while on pain pills --not the pain pills for her back which make her nauseous and cause stomach ulcers, but the heavy-duty pain pills the medical community gives one after surgery because making a patient sick, groggy, stupid, and incredibly sleepy reduces the chances of the patient ripping out stitches.  This crafter started a pieced tablecloth that would require 180 quilt blocks without checking to make sure that she had enough fabric for all 180 quilt blocks.  This cannot be blamed on the pain pills because she would have made that mistake without any drugs, but perhaps the idea of 180 blocks might have given her pause.  However, stupid ideas do not even slow our heroine down at the best of times.  While on medication, they seem positively wonderful.  And that is how our heroine ended up with a well-aged set of quilt blocks waiting to be something other than a magnet for c...