So many hobbies!

Results of our craft weekend

My sisters and I went up to northern Michigan during the long 4th of July weekend.  My parents have a cottage up there.  The goal was to spend the weekend working on our various craft projects.  Most of my time I spent spinning up the first half of the gorgeous angora/Merino batt I've been working on.

After I finished the bobbin above, I made a pair of pillowcases.  This time I bought a flat sheet and cut it up for the body of the pillowcase:

Having slept on those pillowcases the last two nights, I've learned that I need to use a percale sheet for the body of the cases.  Just any white sheet from K-Mart will still wrinkle when slept on and percale sheets won't.

I also gave my crock pot a workout.  First I made chicken taco meat (1 1/2 lbs. of  chicken, 1 1/2 packets of taco seasoning, one jar of salsa - cook on low for 6-8 hrs. - shred with two forks).  Simple and really, really tasty.  It will be going into my rotation of recipes.  Then I tried a new recipe:  Monkey Bread in the crock pot.  You use refrigerator biscuits instead of making up a batch of bread.  It took longer than the recipe called for and I ended up turning it from low to high but they were good,  I'd try it again but the recipe will need some tweaking.  And finally, I tried another new recipe, making bread in the crock pot.  I didn't care for the taste of the bread - I'd use a different recipe - but cooking it in the crock pot worked pretty well.  If you try it, you'll probably have to tweak the recipe - mine was waaaayy too wet to form a loaf - but if you follow the directions for the cooking, you'll have a pretty decent loaf of bread.  Hey, Fun with Crockpots really is fun... and tasty.

I love productive weekends

I finally finished the tote bags I started a couple months ago.  The pattern is from Bijou Lovely and is the market tote pattern.  I finished this one on Saturday.

And this one I put together today.  I've been in need of some tote bags which gave me the perfect excuse to make some.  Always better than buying them ready made, especially when the pattern is free and the fabric is on sale.  I started another project today but it's a surprise for a friend so I have to keep it quiet.  As soon as it's gifted, I'll post about it.

This was a really good weekend.  There was crafting, movies on DVD, lunch out with friends and chocolate.  What could be better?

First quilt of 2013

I am amazed at how quickly I finished this quilt.  The back went together fast:

The back is fabulous fabric designed by Julie Paschkis called Catkin.  I fell in love with this fabric the first time I saw it and searched around until I found quantities I could purchase. 

I've got about a yard of this fabric left over and I may have to look for more.  Gorgeous!

The quilting was easy, simple and fast.  I had the entire thing stitched in one day.  The binding took two nights, mostly because I was playing Words with Friends with a friend of mine.  WwF is a huge time suck.  Tonight I ironed the binding and then stitched it down.  Now all it needs is a bath.

And now I'm between projects.  I much prefer being in the middle of a project.  I've been thinking of making a couple market/tote bags.  This is the pattern I've been looking at.  I've found myself in need of some tote bags lately and making my own seems like a good way to acquire them.  Besides, I need another project.

Happy New Year!

It was a wonderful holiday and time off from work.  My list of UFOs didn't go down by too much but I managed to complete the two biggest ones.  Or rather, the two I wanted to do the least because my current interests had moved from sewing to knitting and spinning.  The kid's quilt, blogged about here, is finally finished and it currently taking a ride in the dryer.

I love the look of the polka dot fabric I used for the binding. 

The second thing I wanted to finish but wasn't really interested in doing was the knitting bag I made for my friend Amy.  The deal was if she bought all the materials, I'd put the thing together.  Despite a couple a very annoying setbacks, I started and finished it today:

It turned out pretty well.  Naturally, I can see all the mistakes but probably no one else will.  I just hope Ames like it.

I spent the last week and a half without an alarm clock, sleeping until I woke up.  It was glorious!  Christmas was wonderful, with my entire family home for the first time in quite a few years.  There were 18 of us talking, laughing and filling up Mom and Dad's house.  It was great being surrounded by family.  I believe that it just isn't Christmas unless you get at least one book.  I got five!  It was a happy Christmas.

Back to work tomorrow.  It's going to be jarring to wake up to the alarm at 6:00 am and spend the day at work rather than with my cats.  Every time I sat down, I'd have a cat on my lap.  It's pretty great.

That Stinkin' Shawl

My sister just called to inform me that I'd managed to miss an entire row of yarnovers which meant my shawl had only three sections instead of the four it was supposed to have.  I have since frogged the entire thing and the shawl is in time out, at least until I can start again at lunch.  I haven't stopped laughing at what was a MAJOR mistake on my part, mostly because if I stop laughing, I'll have a temper tantrum and I haven't had one of those since I was four.

Success!

Much better!  I only had to rip out the handles twice to get it done.  Of course, I know the big mistake that's still there but by the time I'd noticed it, I was sick and tired of turning bags and linings inside out then right-side out then back again... so I left it and finished the bag.  I expect to make mistakes on my "prototype" so this doesn't bother me overly much.  Most people wouldn't notice anyway.  I'll likely make another, now that I know how.  I'm itching for another sewing project that won't take a long time (like a quilt would - I'm not quite up to that yet) so another knitting bag or maybe teaching myself to make on of those box bags would be fun.  I've been taking my needlepoint to work with me and a box bag would make that a little easier.  See, I have a container at home that I usually have my needlepoint in but it's a little too big and awkward to try and shove it in my work bag.  Right now I've got everything I need folded up in a big plastic bag.  A box bag would look better, not to mention, be fun to make.

So.  What's on your agenda for the weekend?  I'll be visiting The Spinning Loft before it closes Saturday morning then getting Japanese for lunch.  After that there will be vacuuming and mopping, laundry and groceries, etc. and some sewing.  You know how I am if I don't have a project to work on.  I get itchy.

The bag turned on me!

And is now in time out!  I finished sewing the bag exterior and then the lining.  I pinned the bag handles to the front and back of the bag then sewed the lining to the exterior and turned the bag right side out.  What's missing?  The handles!  The darn things are on the inside between the exterior and the lining and I can't for the life of me figure out how to get them out.  I swear, I followed the directions exactly and... no handles!  The stupid zipper was easier!  I even read the directions to my seamstress sister and she couldn't figure out what happened.  I need to email the pattern to her tomorrow so she can read it and tell me how to fix the darn thing.  Gah!  I am seriously annoyed!  Stupid bag!

 

Update, 6:58 am:  I figured it out and fixed the problem.  The handles needed to be pinned upside down on the OUTSIDE of the bag - the exact opposite of what I did.  The directions assume you know this and don't specify where and how the handles get pinned.  If you don't think well in 3D, like me, this isn't obvious.  So my sister was right that I would figure it out while I was sleeping (well... while I was laying in bed not wanting to get up).  One of the handles shifted when I was sewing so I have to rip it out AGAIN, move it back into position and then sew it down AGAIN.  <sigh>

I'm home

Hi, guys.  Sorry I've been gone so much.  I blame my funk on the end of summer.  I don't do well when summer is over.

I had a great time at my sister's.  We watched movies, visited a quilt store, and crafted.  I started a knitting bag and sewed in my first zipper:

This is the front of the bag (actually this is the back according to the pattern but I like how it looks) and is actually 4 separate pieces.  The top with the zipper is the back piece and goes the full length.  Next down is the colored stripe across the whole piece; this is pocket A.  The triangle piece at the bottom is pocket B.  It's hard to see now but once I finish it this weekend, I'll post another picture.  Wait, go here and you can see a pic of a finished bag.

I brought 4 different projects to work on:  knitting, spindle spinning, embroidery and the knitting bag.  Okay, it was only for three days but I need choices!  All I ended up working on was the bag and the embroidery:

You may have to click on the picture to make it bigger.  This is what I did while watching movies.  All I have left to do is the roses.

One of the best things about my sister's place is the pets.  They have a cat named Tuxedo and frankly, Tuxie love me.  It might have something to do with the fact that whenever he wants me to, I pick him up and cuddle him.  He's a very nice boy.  This is Tuxie:

Isn't he handsome?  I don't know if you can tell, but I'm rather fond of Tuxie.  This is my niece's photo, BTW.  She's a wonderful photographer.

My long weekend was very relaxing and it was great to spend time with my sister and brother-in-law.  And, I learned how to sew in a zipper.  I was a bit nervous about that one.  How was your weekend?

My Christmas prep is complete

Yesterday was the big baking day, now done.  I don't know why, but somehow 3 batches of cookies takes me all flippin' day.  I finished at about 10:00 at night.  Granted, I ran errands in the morning and went out to dinner with friends but still, 10:00?  But, they're done and now I can relax.  Naturally, I forgot to take pictures.  Sorry.

Today I drove to my parents' place and we exchanged gifts.  I'll save the picture of my main gift, from both my sister and my grandparents, until later this week.  After lunch, my dad and I worked on the chair I'm caning:

Now that I'm working on the oblique weaving, you can really see the classic look of a caned seat appear.  The chair came home with me along with some cane so I'll be working on finishing up the weaving, probably next week.  I have no idea where I'm going to put it.

Also finished this weekend were the temporary replacement stockings.  It took me three stockings and advice from a friend to get the cuffs right.  But, they're done and initialed and ready for filling.

The rest of this week, until I leave on Friday, I'll be cleaning my neglected house and kitchen.  I've kind of let it go and it really needs cleaning.  Joy. 

Two weeks and counting

My presents are wrapped.  With the exception of some baking next Saturday, I am done with my Christmas preparations.  I haven't been ready this early for Christmas in years.  I have to say, it feels pretty good.  I even had time to do some sewing.  I made myself another pair of pillowcases:

They have a Christmas feel to them but not so much that I can't use them the rest of the year, too.  I'm tweaking the pattern as I go.  The piping I'm reducing to an inch and a half as opposed to the 2" piping you see above.  The smaller accent looks better.  I use Kona Muslin for the body of the case but I'm having a hard time finding it.  Joann no longer carries it and it's a little too expensive to buy it online and without a coupon.  I'm thinking buying a single flat sheet and then cutting it into the right size for the pillowcases would work better.   Now I just have to find a good source for flat sheets.

I also finally finished my house socks.  Cormo/silk handspun knitted on size 3 needles.  These will be nice and warm for the winter and my cold floors.  (Crap!  I just realized I didn't cast on for a new pair of socks.  I take the socks to work with me and knit during breaks and lunch.  The sock doesn't grow very quickly but it does grow.)

Does anyone know where I can find yellow Miso paste?  I don't know if Whole Foods was out or they just don't carry it but I'm craving Miso soup and I need yellow Miso for that.  Kroger doesn't carry it nor does Trader Joe's, as far as I can tell.  Mmm, Miso soup!  Oh, geez,I almost forgot, there's an Asian market just down the road.  They should carry it.  I hope.