There are tractors working behind my fence. They are noisy and annoying. Our backyard backs up to what used to be railroad tracks. The tracks have been removed and the resulting trail covered with gravel. Sometimes we see people walking or running or riding bikes back there. The kids and I did a bit of all three evening before last.
Last week, there were surveyors back there one day. Yesterday, some trucks came and dropped large yellow pipes along the (former) tracks. Today, there are tractors and diggers. Noisy. Annoying. I have no idea what they're doing. I wonder if they notified people about it before we moved in. I should ask the neighbors.
We have a wooden platform in our back yard that looks like a half-built kids' playhouse. My kids like to climb up on it and see what is going on behind the fence. It's rainy today. (And NOISY. And ANNOYING.) So the kids have not gone out there.
Ugh.
Oh, I have a new digital camera. I love it! Except for one thing. It holds three pictures at a time. Three. I need to buy a memory card for it. :p Maybe I could then take pictures of the NOISY, ANNOYING TRACTORS!!!!!!!
(And my house.)
(And my knitting . . .)
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Habits of the Modern Stitcher
I haven't been stitching a lot lately, but unpacking my completed, framed pieces and finding homes for them in the new house has me thinking about it. So, here's a meme I found on V's blog.
Habits of the Modern Stitcher
1.How do you hold your fabric?
I stitch in-hand (no hoops or frames) so I just hold the fabric in my left hand, rolled up if it's a large piece.
2.Floss licker?
Sometimes
3.How do you thread your needle?
I pinch the end of the floss between the thumb and forefinger of my left hand and kind of squeeze it into the eye of the needle.
4.What needle do you like best?
For the fabrics I use most often, a 26.
5.Are you a needle loser?
No.
6.What fabric do you prefer to stitch on?
Linen, 32 ct or higher.
7.Bobbins or floss bags?
I use the DMC stitchbows.
8.Are you a scissors collector?
Not really. I have maybe three pairs of embroidery scissors and none are anything amazing.
9.Do you do your own framing, and if so, do you lace or pin?
Yes. I usually lace. I used to pin.
10.Are you a floss floozy?
What did you call me? :p I do have a lot of floss.
11.Silk?
Yes. But I have my preferences. A good cotton can have as much sheen and smoothness as a rough silk.
12.Railroader?
Not usually.
13.Are you a pattern or designer snob?
No. But I do have my preferences, of course.
14.Do you get antsy when you give someone a stitched gift?
Rarely. I only stitch for people who I know will love it.
15.Have you reached S.A.B.L.E.?
Does it really matter?
16.Do you wash your projects?
Yes.
Habits of the Modern Stitcher
1.How do you hold your fabric?
I stitch in-hand (no hoops or frames) so I just hold the fabric in my left hand, rolled up if it's a large piece.
2.Floss licker?
Sometimes
3.How do you thread your needle?
I pinch the end of the floss between the thumb and forefinger of my left hand and kind of squeeze it into the eye of the needle.
4.What needle do you like best?
For the fabrics I use most often, a 26.
5.Are you a needle loser?
No.
6.What fabric do you prefer to stitch on?
Linen, 32 ct or higher.
7.Bobbins or floss bags?
I use the DMC stitchbows.
8.Are you a scissors collector?
Not really. I have maybe three pairs of embroidery scissors and none are anything amazing.
9.Do you do your own framing, and if so, do you lace or pin?
Yes. I usually lace. I used to pin.
10.Are you a floss floozy?
What did you call me? :p I do have a lot of floss.
11.Silk?
Yes. But I have my preferences. A good cotton can have as much sheen and smoothness as a rough silk.
12.Railroader?
Not usually.
13.Are you a pattern or designer snob?
No. But I do have my preferences, of course.
14.Do you get antsy when you give someone a stitched gift?
Rarely. I only stitch for people who I know will love it.
15.Have you reached S.A.B.L.E.?
Does it really matter?
16.Do you wash your projects?
Yes.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Long time no see!
Organizing after a move is a lot of work! I'm up to my ears in it!
Yes, we moved! And there is now a contract on the old house. Cross your fingers that everything goes smoothly with that. It only took 4 days after we moved out to get a contract.
I've also been dealing with the fact that some of our furniture just doesn't fit right here. lol. We didn't move any of the stuff we didn't like. The old computer desk, an armoire from our room, some storage shelves in the basement. They're all being picked up by Amvets. But I have some nice oak bookshelves and they just don't fit anywhere upstairs! I managed to find a decent spot for them in the basement, but I think I'm going to need something else for upstairs, too. Also, our TV armoire ended up going to the basement rec room, so there's no TV in the living room. I thought I might like that, but now I realize I really would prefer to have a TV up here. I found a TV armoire on clearance at Domestications that is the right height. A little tricky because it needs to be short enough to go in front of a half wall by the stairs. And it was the mission style I like, in real wood. I got the shipping notice on it today. This way I can still close the armoire and pretend there's no TV when I don't want to see it.
The sellers here took all the curtains the week before we closed on the house. Honestly, I didn't make a big deal about it because I was planning change them. The living room curtains had jungle animals on them. :p They took the rods, too, which is fine because they weren't to my taste. All the bedrooms have blinds, but we've been living without window coverings over the patio door and the living room window. That window is almost 10 feet wide! I had been having a hard time finding a curtain rod that would be long enough. Well, I was at Super Target over the weekend and they had a nice hefty rubbed bronze one long enough. And it was on clearance! $24 for a nice curtain rod. I ordered some drapes from JCPenney.com, on sale, and used a coupon code. I ordered Monday, they came Wednesday morning! I need to buy the rings now. All told, it's going to be less than $200 to have this window treatment done and it will look so nice. I also ordered a patio panel from Domestications for the patio door. After I have it up, I'll have to decide if I want some kind of tailored valance over the top of it. No ruffles!
I have a goal to have no boxes in the living room by Saturday. But, I just tracked my new TV armoire and it should be here tomorrow. :p I'd better get back to work.
Yes, we moved! And there is now a contract on the old house. Cross your fingers that everything goes smoothly with that. It only took 4 days after we moved out to get a contract.
I've also been dealing with the fact that some of our furniture just doesn't fit right here. lol. We didn't move any of the stuff we didn't like. The old computer desk, an armoire from our room, some storage shelves in the basement. They're all being picked up by Amvets. But I have some nice oak bookshelves and they just don't fit anywhere upstairs! I managed to find a decent spot for them in the basement, but I think I'm going to need something else for upstairs, too. Also, our TV armoire ended up going to the basement rec room, so there's no TV in the living room. I thought I might like that, but now I realize I really would prefer to have a TV up here. I found a TV armoire on clearance at Domestications that is the right height. A little tricky because it needs to be short enough to go in front of a half wall by the stairs. And it was the mission style I like, in real wood. I got the shipping notice on it today. This way I can still close the armoire and pretend there's no TV when I don't want to see it.
The sellers here took all the curtains the week before we closed on the house. Honestly, I didn't make a big deal about it because I was planning change them. The living room curtains had jungle animals on them. :p They took the rods, too, which is fine because they weren't to my taste. All the bedrooms have blinds, but we've been living without window coverings over the patio door and the living room window. That window is almost 10 feet wide! I had been having a hard time finding a curtain rod that would be long enough. Well, I was at Super Target over the weekend and they had a nice hefty rubbed bronze one long enough. And it was on clearance! $24 for a nice curtain rod. I ordered some drapes from JCPenney.com, on sale, and used a coupon code. I ordered Monday, they came Wednesday morning! I need to buy the rings now. All told, it's going to be less than $200 to have this window treatment done and it will look so nice. I also ordered a patio panel from Domestications for the patio door. After I have it up, I'll have to decide if I want some kind of tailored valance over the top of it. No ruffles!
I have a goal to have no boxes in the living room by Saturday. But, I just tracked my new TV armoire and it should be here tomorrow. :p I'd better get back to work.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Yummy!
| The Recipe For Lara |
 3 parts Originality 2 parts Desire 1 part Glamour Splash of Tolerance Chug! |
I thought this was cute. I love that my recipe gets to be chugged.
Knitting and spinning continue apace. I've decided to stitch a mystery sampler from Papillon Creations. It looks like a nice, small, fun piece to do.
The hubby is doing well at his new job. It offers many great benefits (besides the higher paycheck.) It has been nice having him home in the evenings. I was feeling sorry for myself yesterday, and when the major activity of the day was done, I just wanted to curl up on the couch and watch Ugly Betty (and maybe some Celebrity Rehab. Shhhh.) He took it upon himself to make a list and go to the grocery store all on his own. And the stuff he bought actually makes sense. He didn't come home with 18 bags of chips and a candy bar. He actually bought milk and bread and lunch meat and cereal for the kids. Shocking! Then, he made the kids help put it away.
Then, he accidentally turned on the wrong burner on the stove and exploded my new casserole dish, which was holding the cooling brownies my oldest daughter cooked while he was gone. I can still smell the lingering odor of brownies afire.
But he put it out and cleaned it up and apologized. Nobody's perfect. Certainly not me.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Spinning Wheel!
Over the weekend, I finally found time to put together my spinning wheel. I love it! All the kids have taken turns treadling.
It's a Fricke S-160-DT.
And a box of fiber, waiting to be spun!
I haven't yet gotten fiber and wheel together, but I have read my book and just need to find a little time to focus and try it out. I'm so excited!
(Sorry for the blurry pictures!)
It's a Fricke S-160-DT.
And a box of fiber, waiting to be spun!
I haven't yet gotten fiber and wheel together, but I have read my book and just need to find a little time to focus and try it out. I'm so excited!
(Sorry for the blurry pictures!)
Monday, January 14, 2008
Four finished or frogged.
Over the weekend I finished or frogged four projects. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! By the time the Christmas knitting was done, I was feeling used up and a little overwhelmed by projects. I had a wicked case of startitis brewing, too. All of my projects seemed to require too much of me. I started knitting the Celtic Tote from the Winter 2007 Issue of Interweave Knits. I started a star shaped baby blanket. I wanted to start a sweater for me and a sweater for the husband, and almost anything where I could get yarn and needles to connect. Startitis! Too many projects!
But look! Finished Celtic Tote.
Finished star baby blanket! (I keep typing that start baby blanket, like an instruction. :p)
And finished Ninja Turtles! (Okay, they need eyes, but I need to buy matching black buttons, apparently. He's playing with them eyeless.)
They go with Michelangelo from Christmas.
I also frogged (rip it, rip it) the Mystery Stole III. I decided I didn't like it enough, with wing, without wing, symmetrical or not, to finish it. My trusty ballwinder aided greatly in the unraveling process. Beads went flying, cats went chasing, laceweight went winding. One more project taken care of.
Do you feel overwhelmed with projects? Do you have four you could finish or frog? Let me know about it. (Any kind of project can be frogged. If you decide it's not worth it, clean it up, cross it off the list and move on.)
Tomorrow, my spinning wheel!
But look! Finished Celtic Tote.
Finished star baby blanket! (I keep typing that start baby blanket, like an instruction. :p)
And finished Ninja Turtles! (Okay, they need eyes, but I need to buy matching black buttons, apparently. He's playing with them eyeless.)
They go with Michelangelo from Christmas.
I also frogged (rip it, rip it) the Mystery Stole III. I decided I didn't like it enough, with wing, without wing, symmetrical or not, to finish it. My trusty ballwinder aided greatly in the unraveling process. Beads went flying, cats went chasing, laceweight went winding. One more project taken care of.
Do you feel overwhelmed with projects? Do you have four you could finish or frog? Let me know about it. (Any kind of project can be frogged. If you decide it's not worth it, clean it up, cross it off the list and move on.)
Tomorrow, my spinning wheel!
Monday, January 07, 2008
Happy St. Distaff's Day
Distaff Day
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaDistaff Day, also called Rock Day, is 7 January, the day after the feast of the epiphany. It is also known as Saint Distaff's Day, since it was not really a holiday at all. In many European cultural traditions, women resumed their household work after the twelve days of Christmas. The distaff, or rock, used in spinning was the medieval symbol of women's work. Often the men and women would play pranks on each other during this day, as was written by Robert Herrick in his poem "Saint Distaffs day, or the Morrow After Twelfth Day" which appears in his Hesperides.
Some modern craft groups have taken up the celebration of Distaff day as part of their new year celebrations.
Saint Distaffs Day, or the Morrow after Twelfth Day
by Robert Herrick
Partly worke and partly play
Ye must on S. Distaffs day:
From the Plough soone free your teame;
Then come home and fother them.
If the Maides a spinning goe,
Burne the flax, and fire the tow:
Scorch their plackets, but beware
That ye singe no maiden-haire.
Bring in pailes of water then,
Let the Maides bewash the men.
Give S. Distaffe all the right,
Then bid Christmas sport good-night;
And next morrow, every one
To his owne vocation.
Yes, I have become a spinner. And what better day to talk about it than Distaff Day? The historical first day back to work after the twelve days of Christmas are up and people typically wanted to goof off half the day? Sounds normal to me. The picture up above is my spindle and my first two little hanks of yarn. They weigh the same, but the blue one has almost four times the yardage. I certainly managed to spin it thinner than the first, huh?
My spinning wheel should arrive tomorrow. It's sitting in the UPS warehouse in town waiting to go on the truck. I wish I could just wave my spindle and shout, "Accio Wheel!" Alas, I will have to wait.
Here's a picture of my sewing machine. Isn't it cute? My daughter, M, has been wanting to sew things. As a reward for finishing all her schoolwork for the day, she gets to sew. Unfortunately, with all this having the house on the market stuff, my sewing machine has sat unused for much longer than it ever has before. It needs oil, and I'm out. A trip to the fabric store is in order sometime this week.
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