A Little Yarn On The Side

You know, I feel less guilty about swearing when the project isn't a gift, which is kind of a good thing.  You know those little rings one puts laces through?  Well, I have a newly discovered respect for their existence now.  Especially the ones without little bits of the back broken off.  I marvel at those.  However, after a couple practices on extra fabric, redoing two of the eyelets, and completely wearing out my hand, 10 of the little monsters are now in the vest and ready for the sueded leather cording I found which I thought would look somewhat authentic but which sheds all over everything, especially a white dress underneath.  And now that it is finished in time.....it's really HOT to wear.  It's lined AND interfaced, so I might opt to not wear it after all.  I had a backup scarf plan lined up in case the eyelets didn't work out, and that would be much, much cooler.  We'll see.  When it's over 90 degrees, I'm all about ...

I admire people who live in really warm climates who still knit.  It's not even officially summer yet, and it's supposed to reach 94 degrees today,  That's too hot to work on sweaters--I don't care how many WIPs I have.  So, it's another pair of socks!  So, it's not even close to wool sock weather either, but at least they don't make my hands hot.  Hm, I bet ice cream wouldn't make my hands hot either......................

Next week, we'll be celebrating the 60th wedding anniversary of two of our very dearest friends.  Andy is making wooden wine goblets for them, and I just finished  My first attempt at a "braided" quilt!  I'm pleased with how it turned out, but it was a bit of a challenge.  Serves me right for not suing an actual pattern.  I (mostly) used some fat quarters I picked up on our trip to Victoria last year, which I think means I get to count it as planning ahead instead of "impulse buying."  We'll save that title for a few of my OTHER purchases. That makes project 63 for the year, which is ahead of schedule for 115 Finished Projects.  And one of the last projects with a real deadline, so maybe after finishing the costume I can pick a real stash-busting project.  Though, with the size of my fabric stash, that might take an entire new wardrobe..........:)

I have used some fabric!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shocking, I know--a post AND something actually finished!  I'm making this: for a potential Renaissance fair coming up, and since I knew I had 20+ yards of white fabric, it seemed a good pick.  A really good pick, since I think it will be too hot for anything except cotton.  The dress is done, and the vest is progressing!  The pattern suggested cotton as a potential lining, so I'm using the stash of white cotton for that as well.  Let's say I'm doing it because I thought it might be cooler and NOT because it means that I don't have to locate anything else in the great fabric abyss sewing room.  I'm now ready to sew the vest lining to the vest, so more than half finished.  Then we'll be learning how to attach eyelets.  I'm not sure what to think of a new technique that comes with its own pliers, but I have many scraps and will be doing several practice runs first. Not exactly clearing up shelf spac...

True -

I blame the recent lack of blogging on Real Life, which never seems to adequately understand the need for crafting.  BUT: 1.  The garden is almost completely in!  There are a few tomato plants that got a late start which I will still plant.  Thanks to global warming, we're getting EXTREME temperatures around here in the summer (having already reached 90 once in May, which is unheard of), so if the heat strikes tomatoes at the wrong time, they cease fruit production.  So I've been staggering my tomatoes in ago, so when we get 110+ degree temperatures this summer, some of them will hopefully keep going.  2.  The last of the sparkly yarn I ordered back in December has finally arrived: I'd finally given up and deleted it out of my Ravelry stash because in my experience, being on back-order for 5 months is generally a sign it's really never going to arrive.  But, it did!  And new yarn arrived in my house without me falling off my sheep!!!...

Yesterday I shipped this leftover yarn to its new home, so in my Raverly stash (which I sincerely hope FINALLY lists every bit of yarn lurking around here), I have 316 entries IN my stash, and 111 either used up, sold, or given away.  I wish I'd started keeping track the minute I joined Raverly, because there would be a lot more "used up" entries, but 111 is pretty exciting.  It would be even MORE exciting if the sewing room wasn't still overflowing.  The fact that I could have 20 yards of something lurking in my fabric stash was a pretty big shock--even for me.  What else could be lurking in here--50 yards of blue cotton? Fabric for 28 dresses?  Jimmy Hoffa?  I have kept a spreadsheet to try to keep track of fabric (and yarn to begin with), but obviously it hasn't worked that well.  Things that I use a lot and buy in big quantities--white, black, and red quilting cotton, felt--never get listed because I am always using them but often in small a...