A Little Yarn On The Side

While there are really only 52 weeks in a year, it is starting to feel like there are 115 Me Made Mondays.  It wasn't too bad in the spring and winter, but summer is only really getting going and it's already difficult.  It has a lot to do with my personality.  Generally, I start thinking about what I'm going to wear just about the time I have gotten out of the shower and am realizing that naked is probably NOT the theme to go with for the day.  But I have a dinner to go to tonight after work, so all weekend I've been trying to think of what to wear that is both appropriate for work and dressy enough for the dinner, and what possible me-made item could work with such a scenario.  I'm thinking this: which is easily my favorite shawl (meaning I've actually worn it).  I finished this back in 2003, and I think it's the second shawl I made.  The pattern is Lotus Blossom Lace , and the great thing about this shawl is that the construction makes it easy to ...

Originally, I was going to stick to Me Made Monday and wear the pink sewing jacket I made years ago from this, but even inside with the air conditioning going, it was too hot.  Today, however, will only be in the 80s, so I decided it could be Me Made Tuesday and I'm wearing  which is the second-oldest sweater I have, but as I only fixed it a few years ago so that the neckline was wearable, it looks new still.  Honestly, I love this sweater, and for making it in high school, aside from not weaving in any ends, I did a pretty decent job on it.  Hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend.  I didn't spend as much time sewing as I thought I would, but we did a LOT of walking, got some flowers planted, I got some financial stuff taken care of, read a lot, stretched a lot, and relaxed.  I even made a bowl, using the leftover fabric from the wine-themed spicy-spiral runner I made for us, and I love how it turned out.  I'm not sure if anyone can tel...

Thursday was crazy busy at the store, but theoretically this is our slow season, so the stores are closed for both Saturday AND Monday for the 4th of July holiday.  Since Friday is my usual day off, that means this is a 4-day weekend for me.  YAY!!!!!!!  And do I need it.  I went back to work on such short notice that everything has been really rushed, and my back and hip are exhausted.  Thursday my hip had managed to irritate the sciatic nerve, which is hasn't done before, so I spent the day trying to deal with sciatica.  While it doesn't hurt as much as my long-standing hip issues, that does really, really hurt and it was really difficult to drive home.  I've made an appointment to see my physical therapist again, but it will be two weeks.  In the meantime, stretching and walking are helping it, but I'm still sore.  However, I have finished what I think is one of my longest-planned projects.  I've had "map fabric jacket" on my proje...

Yesterday was my 183rd day without buying fabric, making me halfway to a year since it's a leap year.  And I'm 16 days away from my one-year cold sheeping badge. Then again, when I break down and upgrade Jeeves, that will pretty much take care of my personal allowance for the foreseeable future.......

Today I'm going to figure out a way to wear this, which is a scarf from back when I first bought my serger (2008? 2007?).  I know I've actually never worn it, because while I love the idea of scarves, I always lose my nerve to wear them.  In my mind, there's always a chance that someone will tell me that I'm wearing it wrong (and since that is EXACTLY the sort of thing my sister has always enjoyed doing, that isn't as crazy as it sounds).  But I'm going to wear it ANYWAY.  Because that's part of what I'm trying to do with Me Made Monday.  I think the real key to scarves and shawls is just to wear them with confidence, no matter HOW you've put them on, because in reality no one else knows how to wear them either. 

We went for a 2 1/2 mile walk this morning, and after having to rest for a bit, I hit the sewing room!!! This is some of the oldest fabric in my stash, and it's almost a jacket!  Maybe in the morning I can do a couple buttonholes or pin the sleeves on before going to work.  You know, in case I need a jacket soon in our upcoming 100-degree heatwave.......

By now, I'm probably on every yarn and fabric mailing list in the country, but Denver Fabrics is my current favorite.  Their emails are addressed, "Dear Fabric Enthusiast."  Now doesn't that sound better than "Crazy Fabric-Obsessed Hoarder?"