Sewing projects.

Projects I made from patterns I actually paid for? Never! I know, I'm slipping.



I'm calling this the "Zebra Beach Bag" because I can't think of anything better to call it. It's got clear vinyl pockets and a neat polyester lining with black and white hibiscus and hurricane plants. I also made a clear vinyl zip pouch for essentials. It's made to coordinate with my dress for the zillion weddings I'll be attending this summmer. Thankfully, they're all with different sides of the family or different groups of friends, so I'm in the clear. Maybe a picture of the ensemble to follow.



This is my take on the Bullseye cushion from Denyse Schmid's Quilting book. She used more solids, but this was conceived as a (very minimal) stash-buster, so I used what I had. I'm happy with it, and it whipped up in about 6 hours, so maybe I'll make it a twin.

Island Wedding

Last weekend, we went to a wedding on Martha's Vineyard. It was at the Edgartown lighthouse; the weather was perfect! Somebody had the great idea to hand out parasols, so I didn't even get burned. They invited a lot of people but it didn't get too stuffy. No assigned tables, no ushers, no flower girls, no ring-bearers, no garters, no bouquets: it was great.

It was nice to see Jaime (an old Transit friend). She got married back in May but I skipped the wedding. I was only "sorta" invited, I had to work earlier that day (a Saturday!), and the next day was my birthday party. Jamie likes her husband Anthony, they talk nerdy while we girls giggle.

Jamie and I left before everyone else. We were tired from getting up so early. It was good that we did, because we got to stop off at Jim and Claire's. They were having a graduation party for their son Nate. We got to hear all about his canoe trip with Jordan into the wilds of Maine. We stayed until about 9, then Jon followed us back and stayed over. On Sunday we stayed inside and hid from the heat.

My cat eats barf

Since Cat's been on new insulin, I've started thinking more carefully about his diet. In an attempt to cut out grains, I'm giving a raw bones and meat diet a try. I was a little discouraged to see all the grinding and cutting involved with most recipes. (Even though I have a Kitchen-aid mixer, I don't have the grinder attachment) However, I had a flash of brilliance: call up Whole Foods and see if they'll grind up a whole chicken for me, bones, organs, and all. No prob, they said. In went a chicken and out came a little wrapped package. I also picked up some supplements to help meet a carnivore's particular needs.

Once home, I mixed the chicken with a can of salmon, some raw egg yolk and cooked egg white, B vitamins, taurine, vitamin E, and fish oil. The whole sloppy mess was divided into quarter cup servings and frozen. Gato loved the first batch, it must remind him of little squeaky prey animals.

Hopefully, it will help to bring his sugar down.

A nice picture

This is me contemplating the French King bridge:


Jamie took it, I think it's quite lovely.

A swift and a Ball Winder

I ordered a nice cherry wood swift and a ball winder because Janice gave me all this:

30 skeins of yarn, none of it in balls. But it's all beautiful! The blue stuff, Classic Elite "Miracle" is destined for the Grecian Plait sweater from Knitty. The red/blackish stuff is a discontinued Berocco "Chai." It's a strange one indeed, but almost half merino, so it's nice and soft. I think it's destined for some sort of bateau-neck sleeveless shell, but I'll have to bodge up a pattern. I can't wait, I'm sure.

Cat

Well, Cat's sick again. Despite 14 units of Humulin twice a day, his sugar's still above 500. We'll probably be switching him to something else, but it's going to be expensive. A vial of Humulin N costs about 30 dollars, a vial of Glargine insulin costs 70, and PZI feline insulin costs 90. He may end up taking far less than he is now, but there's no guarantee that the cost to treat him won't triple. On top of that, I'm worried that the vet will give me a crappy price.

On the other hand, what can I do about it? Let's cheer up! Here's an action shot of cat. Notice the lightning strike!

Surprise!

More avoidance of incomplete projects....

But here's the famous "Baby Surprise" Jacket by the indescribably fantastic Elizabeth Zimmermann.


I made this in three tonal pink colors of Tahki Cotton Classic. I wimped out and made the hat in stockinette stitch because I was too lazy to do it in garter stitch in the round or to knit it flat and then seam it. As a consolation, I made some adorable flowers. They're made by k2tog, over and over again.

I'm quite pleased with the overall look, but I went batty sewing in ends. Hopefully, the little gal will enjoy it. I want to make a wooly version for a baby boy due in September. It should be adorable!

Project Purge

I know that I need to decrease the number of projects I'm working on at any one time. To encourage myself, I'm posting two more completed whimsies before I speak of the incomplete stuff. I hope that this will help me move on. I know that it probably won't. As my brother would say: "meh"

1: Sophie Bag


Like the original, it's made out of Cascade 220. I've since fulled it, but after using it I decided that I want it to be stiffer. I think it's pretty cute!

2. Graphica Doily


Made of some freaky 100% cotton German sock yarn with an indecipherable label, it represents my first attempt at crochet. If you look closely, you can see the loop that the Northampton Wools lady made, it's much smaller.

I'm plesed with this purgative effort. If I'm still in a confessional mood, I'll reveal how much yarn I've recently acquired... my only consolation is that it was reeeelly cheap. Though I'm feeling less sure, it sure feels like a dirty secret.

A recent success

This is one of my most recent completed projects. Pink Art Yarns' supermerino socks, with the heel and toe in contrasting purple. It's what is becoming my standard sock pattern: full ribbed cuff, slip-stitch heel flap with short-row heel, and paired decrease toe. Since merino is soft, I reinforced the toe and heel with some monofilament nylon.

Soon, I'll be putting up a bunch of unfinished projects, mostly to motivate me to finish them. I'll also detail my recent yarn binge (very thrifty, though greatly excessive) and plans for it all.

Once again, the myth that I have any privacy is shattered

I've known that students are nosy for exactly as long as I've been teaching. I found it out within the first few minutes. Today, however, any illusion that the 25-mile distance between my apartment and my school would isolate me from my students' invasive curiosity was utterly obliterated. I guess it was my own fault, I told them the name of the town that I live in; actually within a few miles of quite a few of them.

What I didn't realize, however, is that they know my car. Not just what kind of car I drive, but my car. All of them. They watch for the "I ❤ Penguins" bumper sticker. What's worse, they've actually seen me on the drive in. This is what makes me a little concerned. I've never seen them! I'm usually so subdued in the morning that I avoid those embarassing driving habits, like inspecting your teeth in the mirror or rocking out to the radio. However, the knowledge that I'm being watched makes me a shade paranoid.

Not that the posession of this knowledge allows me to do anything about it. All I'm left to do is persist, and hope they don't secretly watch me spill half a cup of tea down the front of my shirt.