Who rocks at putting in zippers?

That would be me! And not just an zipper....an invisible zipper. In the 2 years that I've sewn, I've never sewn in a zipper. My mom's always done it for me. But I did my first one last night all on my own with two different sets of instructions sort of cobbled together. And it works! So that means my Hogwarts student uniform is one step closer to being done. Just need to sew down the yoke facing and hem it. Then I'll have something to wear to the book release in two weeks. I don't think I'm going to bother with the robe before Halloween. It's just going to be too darn hot and the people at the bookstore better appreciate that I'll be wearing a wool sweater.

On another good note, I measured the sleeves of Kyoto (again), and they're at 17 inches. Very good. Only three more inches to go and I might be able to bang those out at the sit and knit tonight. Speaking of that, I'd better go and get some sleep.

We're back in business...sort of

I couldn't stand not sewing tonight, so I went to Walmart and bought another copy of each of the patterns. Came home, cut out the skirt, got the pleats pressed into the front, and then discovered that I need fusible interfacing for the yoke of the skirt. Gah! So I could have finished the skirt tonight, but I refuse to make another Walmart run and besides, no one's in the fabric department there to help me. So I guess it's back to knitting for the night. See if I can get another couple of inches done on the Kyoto sleeves.

patterns gone missing

Not knitting patterns, thank goodness, but sewing patterns. I tend to go on a pattern buying binge whenever Joann's or Hancock's has a 99-cent or $1.99 pattern sale. So last summer on a whim, I bought a skirt pattern and a robe pattern that could be used to make a Harry Potter costume. I've got my fabric for both and was in a sewing mood tonight, so I decided to tackle the skirt. Fabric's out, ready for the pattern...no pattern. I've torn apart and reorganized my sewing room in the last half hour and still no pattern. I know that I've seen those two patterns in this room within the last couple of weeks. They're probably off together making little baby patterns and I'll find them approximately the week after Halloween. Stupid patterns.

ribbon x-back done!!!

...but sadly, no pictures. I'm going to wait for later in the week when I don't look like death warmed over to take them. Maybe I'll be able to get a little sun before then too so I don't blind everyone with my pasty whiteness. But it's done!! And now I have no excuse not to work on Kyoto, darnit!

I did start on the clapotis for my mom at the sit and knit Thursday, but that can wait, or be my back-up for when I get bored of miles of stockinette. I've still got 6 inches more to go on the sleeves at least. I was just congratulating myself the other day on how far I've come on them. I should never break out the measuring tape when I feel like I've accomplished something. Only 13 1/2". Lovely. So tonight is going to be devoted to Kyoto while I'm staying up all night and watching movies yet again.

Pictures later in the week.

sock pictures and an auction win!

Here are my promised sock pictures, taken about...oh...3 seconds after I finished them at work.



And my LYS was having a silent auction to get some of their samples out to loving homes, and I won this for $20! Not too shabby since it's out of some kind of Noro (can't remember which).


And here it is on me, but the pic's really dark. Stupid flash in the mirrors and all.

Too bad the weather here is in the mid to upper 90s until about November. I cranked my A/C just so I could wear it for a little while. Will definetely keep me warm this winter. And there are wonderful cables on the sweater, but the aren't showing up no matter how I take the picture. Grrr.

Socks are done!

I was very glad that it was a slow slow weekend at work. I will gladly take three nights of sheer boredom at work if it means that I get to finish my socks!! The stargazer lily socks out of Knitpicks' Sock Garden are finished. Wove in the final end about 4:30 this morning and promptly tore off my Crocs and boring white socks to put them on and model them for all my co-workers. Their response? "Weird." I'll post pictures on Thursday morning after I'm off work.

What's left? I'm still slogging away on the Kyoto sleeves and the ribbon x-back is coming along. I'll probably work on the x-back tonight and maybe the Kyoto while I watch Into the West that I taped over the weekend.

Guess that's it!

Boredom is over!!!

Singing went great on Sunday, the guy was nowhere to be seen, and I am back in the knitting groove!!

There's only one problem with being in the knitting groove. I constantly want to start new projects and keep coming up with crazy ideas that yes, in fact, I could get a fisherman's sweater knitted for my dad for Christmas along with the Clapotis and French Market Bag for my mom. Along with the 80 bazillion other things that I have in the works already.

This is what happens when I have too much time to think. I will cite my Civil War dress as an example. I came up with that brilliant idea while I was sitting at a Pioneer research station counting corn (don't ask, it was the most boring job in the world, but it paid well before I was gainfully employed). When I've got too much time on my hands, I just get these crazy ideas, run with them, and only think of the consequences later. However, I've realized the error of my ways and was smart enough not to buy any yarn to make said sweater for Dad....yet!

Speaking of yarn shopping, my mom and I are planning a week to week and a half long getaway to go yarn shopping in July. We're leaving my dog with Dad and are planning on hitting yarn shops in Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas. So now I'm trying to come up with projects to buy yarn for. I can just buy yarn without a clear purpose for it in mind. When I do that, I end up with a lot of sock yarn.

So far on my list is Cleeves (started out completely disliking this pattern, but it's grown on me) and a Harry Potter scarf (PoA/GoF style). We're going to be hitting Brown Sheep so I'm hoping that they'll have the colors I need in Nature Spun and Lamb's Pride Bulky. And if I see anywhere that has the Black Pearl colorway of Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb, then I'll just have to get that to make myself another Clapotis.

Any other suggestions? I'm open to pretty much anything and this is a major stash enhancing expedition, but I want to have projects in mind when I buy something. Mom's already given me a list of about 30 stores we could possibly hit so I'm sure that I'll be able to find something to go for any project.

very very bored

Have I mentioned that I'm bored? I know that I complain about work, but when I've got 4 days off in a row, I just don't know what to do with myself. I was bored enough this morning to cast on for my ribbon x-back tank. I got maybe 3 inches in watching Prisoner of Azkaban. Now I just don't want to knit anymore (at the moment). I'm bored of my socks, the stockinette of the Kyoto sleeves is driving me slowly insane, I can't knit more than 6 rows on my afghan without wanting to chuck it out the window, and I've just had enough of the ribbon x-back at the moment. I'd love to start something else, but I know if I do, I'll just get sick of that in about 10 minutes.

I'm even bored of reading right now. I've got three new books sitting and staring at me and I have no desire to read them.

And my dog is being incredibly bratty for some unknown reason. I just might have to go grocery shopping to break this little slump I'm in, but I don't really need anything besides milk and maybe a pint of Ben and Jerry's Dublin Mudslide. Ok...maybe I'm just hoping the ice cream will break me out of my slump.

Part of this all might be that I am really scared about singing in church on Sunday. I've sung in choir here, but this will be my first time singing a solo at my new church. I had decided to do a solo in June because I thought that the guy I'm interested in (who happens to be a music teacher) was going to be out of the state for the whole month of June...at least that's what he told me. Then last Sunday when my parents were here, there he was doing the readings at church and I was hit by a wave of panic. On top of the music teacher thing, he's got a wonderful voice, but no pressure. Gah!!! Why is life so complicated sometimes!!

pictures!

First off, a pic of me actually wearing the sandals my wonderful SP sent me.


Next the Clapotis that I made out of Noro Silk Garden.
Front


and back.


And finally, the obligatory puppy picture. It's hard to believe that Miss Phoebe is almost a year old!

still no pictures

I promise that I'll have some after this weekend. My parents are coming so I'll be able to model my clapotis instead of draping it over a chair and trying to keep the pup away from it long enough to get a picture.

Speaking of the pup, she was so good overnight and just sat in my lap for most of two hours while I was turning the heel of my sock and watching Sense and Sensability. Excellent movie. Netflix is my friend.

Still working away on Kyoto. Really need to get back to that. The sleeves are about 7" right now and I'm dispairing of them ever being done. The stockinette is enough to drive me insane.

Plus I desperately want to knit my swatch for my x-back tank. And Mom finally found the pattern for the shaping of my aran monster sweater that I haven't touched in two years. Gah! Too much to knit and not enough hours in the day or night!!!