Too busy for knitting.

I just hate saying that. In my mind I should never be too busy for knitting but I guess that is what happen to me these past few weeks. On top of everything, Nanny borrowed back HER sewing machine to make a skirt curtain (which I still can't wait to see), and I still haven't gotten it back. I can't wait to see the curtain. The miniscule amount of knitting that I have done has been for our super secret vandalism project, so I haven't been able to start on any of the cute projects I have planned for me or Elliot. Super failure for Mallory.

Meanwhile, in my world outside of crafting, you might remember me from my performance as Brady Barnes McDuffie's first bridesmaid in her May 8, 2010 wedding in Hamburg, Arkansas. I know I was quite the local celebrity in Monticello where I was staying, and pestering the Walmart staff there. 

This trip was certainly an adventure. On the way to Monticello, Eddie and I got lost just outside of Star City when our directions led us straight down a dirt road. I wish I would have had my camera to document the journey. A lot of jokes were made about the "Deliverance" of it all, especially when the guy with the flipper hand waved at us, but mostly I think it would have made a great entrance video for our submission application to the Amazing Race. The video would have been titled Amazing Race: Arkansas and would have shown how we eventually made our way to Monticello, found a liquor store within driving distance where we received our clue that led us to the crazy red neck who told us a dog killing story. If we were able to choke back the tears during the graphic reenactment and avoid the DWI on  the way back to the hotel, we were able to reach our NEXT Pit Stop, the Holiday Inn Express in Monticello. Thank God we made it through everything -- I'm still waiting for my million dollar prize. Although, I did win an amazing necklace from Brady that I can't wait to wear all the time. It is my initials on a fancy gold disc! Look for it in pretty much all my pictures to follow.

Before that, I went to Waco for Blaire's graduation and to Fort Worth for Grandpa's funeral. Both weekends were amazing and I loved spending time with everyone that I haven't seen in a long time. Eddie loved being introduced to my old friend, Chicken Express. Which reminds me, pink and green jello/cool-whip/pineapple salads are my new favorite 60's inspired dish. 

In between all of this, I have throughly enjoyed eating fast food and going to work during the week. I have NOT enjoyed the 5 extra pounds I have gained through it all [she says as a tear falls down her cheek and she takes a sip of her Shiner hefeweizen. Ahhhhh, Texas]

My computer and new printer has taken over my sewing machine table, effectively hindering my sewing and my own lack of time has taken over my desire to make hand made goods. More to come later, as the summer laziness takes over and my brain and knitting becomes my one and only desire. Sorry work.

Your very own Kappa Ka-Quilt

Chad Ocho-chino (Fox news style) is being all sessy on Dancing with the Stars, and I just outlined the ladder for all the pages in the 2010 FW Cats program, but I really wish I was working on finishing my first quilting endeavor - my Kappa t-shirt quilt.

For Christmas this past year, I asked Eddie's mom, Sarah to help me make a quilt out of all the Kappa t-shirts I will never wear again. So, a few weeks after Christmas, we went to Van Buren and got all the necessary fabric, quilting accessories and tools in order for me to get started on my first quilt. I already had the sewing machine as it was a gift from my grandmother, but Sarah bought me all the fabric, a few cutting patterns (I'm not sure if that is the right word for the clear acrylic squares that you use when quilting), and some backing to make the shirts a little sturdier.

The first lesson of quilting I learned is that your iron is your best friend. The second lesson I learned is that measuring even a fraction of an inch off can mess up your entire project. And the third, most important, lesson I learned is that sewing machines are bitches. Mine never wants to stay threaded, I'm always tangling the bobbin and I can't figure out what all these sewing machine terms mean. WTF does tension mean? Except for the fact that there is tension between me and my sewing machine, I can't really apply the term to the work I am doing. 

So I begin cutting up all my old Kappa shirts that I never want to wear again. Sleep on them, yes. Wear, no. I'm cutting them in 12.5 x 12.5 squares, so that once they are sewn into my quilt, they will be perfect one foot squares. I'm saving the front pieces of the shirts for a special quilt square where I will merge them all into one. I cut the backing into 12.5 x 12.5 squares also, and using my new best friend, Iron, I affixed them all together. 

I cut out stripping to go between the panels, and I cut those at a predetermined width (decided upon by the VB quilt shop) and at the 12.5" length like my squares. Once I have three squares sewn together with stripping in between them, I sewed a continuous strip across the top of all of them. Then I can start all over, creating a new row of 3. 

Overall, there will be 12 squares in my finished quilt -- 11 whole t-shirt squares, and one square with all the front pocket pieces sewn together. Check out my progress! 

As soon as I get my sewing machine back from Nanny (I surrendered it back to her so she could make a curtain for her kitchen window -- look for a post about that later) I plan on finishing it up so that Eddie's mom can take it to get quilted. I can't wait to use the finished product. At least then my expensive-ass t-shirts will get a little more use then they would in a drawer somewhere.

Let your freak flag fly in Fayetteville

Did I know how today was going to turn out when I woke up this morning? No, and let me tell you why I love that.

I grappled with the option of going out or staying in last night. Of late, it would be pretty typical of me to stay in, grab some knitting and plant on the couch for the rest of the night. But I went out, hung out with a drunk friend and had some pretty eye-opening conversations. So I woke up this morning with big plans to clean and lay low for the entire day, but my best-laid plans went by the wayside and I ended up enjoying all Fayetteville has to offer.

The Farmer's Market started on the square today, so me and the dog baby headed downtown to check out what they had to offer. Suzie apparently did not feel like being an a$$ hole like she usually is, and was super friendly, precious and well-behaved. So much so that I was able to take her to lunch with me, and she sat next to me and shared an order of French fries.

Then I went to the baseball game and watched the Razor-bats (as I cleverly coined today) beat the Kentucky Wildcats (maybe??) 10 to 1. Or at least I think that was the final score, I had a few beers in the sun, and we all know what that does to the memory. Now I get to go hang out with some friends I haven't seen in forever.

What a beautiful day! These days are the reason I live in Fayetteville, and furthermore, are the reason I still love living here. Good people, good food, good baseball and precious pups. I really couldn't ask for more.

CURRENT KNITTING: I started working on the smocking part of my new sun dress. It doesn't look good. 321 cast on stitches and one row of shoddy ribbing after a glass of wine really makes me disappointed about the start I got on the dress. My bible, the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework advises to knit one 3x1 ribbed piece twice the desired width of the complete project. So, without knowing the elasticity of a finished piece of smocking, I measured an already smocked sun dress and based my measurements off of that. So after I did all the math, casted on, and knit that difficult first row, I figured out it was FUBAR-ed and I set it down and went out. We'll repair that later.

I finished a hat for baby Ellie, who I get to see this upcoming weekend. It looks a lot like her hat that I made for her when she was born, in that it is knit in garter stitch with the same line of yarn in a different color. Only this time it isn't going to have a flower on the side. This time, I am including a felt cut out of something, and I am affixing it with embroidery thread and probably some fusing backing.

I am concerned that the hat itself is too short for her noggin, it looks like it might be, and I have no idea how big babies' heads are. Hell, the last hat I made for her I measured on a decorative gourd. I need to borrow someone's baby for measurement, anyone know a 3 month old baby willing to be my guinea pig? You will get to see a photo of the finished product on Ellie. Hopefully she will have a few chances to wear the hat before she outgrows it. I know there isn't really much need for a baby beanie in the California sun.

Stealth

What a busy week I have been having! I have been anything but stealth. I've had plans every night this week, which is extremely different than my "one social event per month" calendar I am used to. Tuesday night's stitch and bitch was exceptionally remarkable. I took my big girl knitting project, the sock, and I hope that impressed a few people. It is working up very quickly, and I need to go ahead and finish it while I am still motivated to make its mate. Check it!

I had to go to stitch and bitch by myself since I know a whole bunch of flaky knitters who didn't want to go, but it is so easy to make friends there, that it didn't really matter. So I got there, pulled out my sock, grabbed a glass of wine and everything fell into place. I hung out with some other girls who are planning on going to Wakarusa (which I bought my parking pass for yesterday...finally) and we did some amazing brainstorming of knitted things that would be useful at a giant hippie music festival. We went through projects like water bottle slings, summer scarves, koozies and landed on knitting ourselves a smocked dress to wear.

Loosely based on a baby's smocked dress in Kristin's Aware Knits book, we are going to knit a smocked banded top, and then the plan is to pick up stitches along the bottom and knit the rest of it to a desired length. We will have to come up with some way to include straps, but as I develop this semi-homemade pattern, I will post some photos or sketches. Look for the completed project next summer (realistically).

My favorite development at stitch and bitch this week was a new project reveal - a stealthly project which I am not at liberty to discuss. I will just post this photo and let you draw your own conclusions.

Hip to be squares

Seriously. I have to get rid of all of this yarn that Eddie's mom gave me. Why oh why did I take so much of it? Sure I could donate it, and I probably will end up doing that at some point, but until then I have big plans for this yarn. My plans involve 100+ squares of mismatched goodness, and a neutral gray border that will hold them all together. Yes, it will be the love child of a knitted afghan and a quilt, and it will be made with all kinds of love by yours truly.

Each square is made to accommodate a 19 sts. = 5.5" gauge and they are knit to be approximately 5.5" high. Not all of them are exact, however, and if there is one thing I have learned from my very limited quilting experience, it is that being off by even a fraction of an inch can throw off your whole project. This will surely come back to exact quilting/knitting revenge on me when I put it all together but I will cross that bridge when I get there -- if ever.

See, I need approximately 143 squares (depending on how off I am on my measurements, I may have to cram a few small squares in there to make everything fit), and right now I have 23. For those of you following along, I am 15 percent of the way complete...with the squares. That isn't including the border I plan on picking up all the way around it. It is okay though, I don't plan on finishing the blanket any time soon, and it is the perfect project for bar knitting since everything is done in straight garter stitch.

I will post more photos of my stack o'squares as it grows larger, and of course, when the time comes some photos of me putting it together and picking up the border. Until then, challenge your math skills and your patience by starting a scrap blanket of your own. I know that in the end it will be worth it, if not for me then for someone in my family at Christmas ("Of course the blanket was expensive! No, I didn't use the yarn I would have otherwise donated. Yes, you are welcome.") This is all assuming it is done in nine months.

Meanwhile, over on the sock front. I have managed to turn the heel quite nicely on the striped sock, and I am pleased with the progress I have on this "show and tell" piece for knitting club this week. There is nothing like a cozy wool striped sock as the weather starts to change from 12" of snow to blue skies and sunshine! In fact, that's almost what the color pattern reminds me of. These socks will forever be known as "groundhog socks" marking the transition from the icy blues, to the green and orange colors of the spring. Had the winter weather not lasted until the first day of spring, I never would have had the drive to knit some cozy socks. Thanks Puxatawny Phil!

Ideal knitting destinations

UPDATE: It is no longer raining in Fayetteville. It is beautiful and sunny. I wrote this 3 days ago.

So it is still raining in Fayetteville, and after the foot of snow we got on Monday melted (yes, I know it is March), and the three inches of rain we are getting today, I will have to be careful not to get whisked away in the raging river that is flowing outside of my apartment. And though I would like to be at home knitting or napping the day away, there is something peaceful about being at work when the weather is gloomy, knowing that at least I am not wasting a sunny day trapped behind a computer screen.

If today was a Saturday, and I didn't have to work, and I didn't have any other social commitments, I would likely spend the day knitting or doing some sort of craft. Preferably with a drink. So, since I have long finished my work tasks for today, I think I will let my mind slip off into another knitting daydream and visit all of my favorite places to knit and craft.

Right now I should be on my couch, covered in a blanket with my puppy by my side, working on the striped socks. There would likely be a crime show on TV because Law & Order's Dick Wolf made a deal with Cox Communications that a variation of the show must be on at least one channel every hour of every day, and sometimes two channels, especially on holidays.

I could also spend the afternoon anywhere on Dickson Street knitting in a bar. Few things are more hypnotic than straight knitting after several cocktails, plus it is a great conversation starter for meeting other lushes who are spending their early afternoons drinking and not working. Yep, I'm going to be one of those old ladies who sits around sipping wine and crafting hundreds upon thousands of knitted teddy bears for no one. I should just schedule a standing date in 2050 for Hoarders and the 1-800-Got-Junk crew of hotties to show up at my house and free me from my prison of hand made caca. With new 3-D TV, that episode should be really frightening. (Genius Idea: Flat knitted "hoarder" cat to lay around the house, it serves no purpose, but will be made of fun fur and an old button for the eye).

If it wasn't raining and there was a baseball game in town, it might be nice to knit in the outfield of Baum Stadium before the game starts. Knitting outside anywhere is usually very pleasant, but it is nice to have the baseball game going on as a distraction. Oh yeah, don't forget the kettle corns, and the occasional terrifying visit from Ribby the Razorback and the RBI skanks.

Knitting is inherently relaxing so pairing it with a place I love makes it even better. Toss a drink and some good friends in the mix and you have an afternoon well spent, plus you have a hand made garment, as a souvenir. How and where would you spend an ideal afternoon crafting?

Socks

Check your clocks, it’s time to make socks! Not time for frocks, or time for smocks ‘cause the time to make socks is the time that rocks!

I broke into my stash of free yarn from Sarah (thanks again!) to start these cool self-striping socks. Following a pattern in a book I have had since I was young, I cast on 48 stitches using sock weight yarn, and using 2x2 ribbing I started forming the leg part of the sock. Instead of getting a nice wide opening to accommodate my whole giant foot and ankle, I have a small opening fit for golf club, more specifically, a putter. Realistically, I think the width will work fine in the end, especially with the stretchy ribbing, but right now it looks a little blood-flow-blocking tight.

Rest assured, you’ll look like a fox in these cozy striped socks. Or you could put them in a box, secure it with some locks, and take them down the block to your small-footed friend Dave.

Hopefully my socks will also help me gain some street-cred at the next Stitch & Bitch. OK, I know I am a dork.

The next project I am going to start is for my precious niece Elliot. She needs a new knitted garment from her Auntie Jo Jo to model on the baby circuit in Southern California. The front-running project is this sun dress/tank top from Lion Brand, sans the flowers. Those look dumb. I will probably pick up some cute buttons and put them along the chest part.