Getting-Back-Into-The-Swing-Of-Things Meme

So sorry for the lag between posts. Sometimes it is hard for me to get inspired to post. To get myself jump started, here's a cute meme I've been seeing around.

Use the first letter of your name to find a word for each of the following:

Your Name - Amy
Four letter word - Ache
Boy name - Alan
Girl name - Angela
Occupation - Attorney
Color - Aqua
Beverage - A&W
Something found in a bathroom - Advil
A Place - Alabama
Reason for being late - Asleep
Food - Apple
Something you shout - Aha!

On the crafting front, I've been fairly busy since my last post. I knitted a scarf for my brother for Christmas, but since I barely got it done in time, I didn't get a lot of good pictures. I'll try to post the one I have later.

This past week I've been sewing, and made a cute top for myself. Pics to come.

On the personal front, my sister and I are working on losing weight together. She is in Sacramento, CA, and I am in IL, so we decided to be email accountability partners. I've lost 10 pounds in 4 weeks! I'm really pleased with my progress. Sis has done well, too. It helps so much to know that someone is waiting to hear my progress at the end of the week.

In the past, I've lost weight occasionally by using a Richard Simmon's Food Mover. As long as I actively close those windows daily, I do alright. But I've never done very well adding exercise consistently. This time, the accountability is making a difference! My sis is more committed to exercise than I ever have been in the past, and she is inspiring me to keep at it, too. I have several Leslie Sansone walking videos, and I'm alternating between those, with the goal of walking at least 3 times/week. I really enjoy walking in my living room with Leslie!

So between Richard, Leslie, and my sister, I WILL get back to a healthier weight this year! I'll keep you updated on my progress!

Things That Make Me Go Hmmm....

A few things that have intrigued, confused, or otherwise stymied me lately.



I signed up online for a couple of digital converter coupons (yes, I know, my family is a relic, a hold-out in this technological world by not having cable or satellite TV). Anyway, they had one of those "type the words you see in the box" security dealies. My words were, and I kid you not, surviving lace.

Is this some sort of reminder to get me knitting some lace soon? Hmmmm.....




The other day I was driving on a fairly busy country road, when I crested a hill and came upon a rabbit running in my lane. As I approached, I saw the poor thing veering from side to side. It didn't know where to go, and neither did I. I really didn't want to hit it, but there are a lot of wildlife in this area, so I've had to train myself to not swerve too much in situations like this. You could kill yourself trying to avoid an animal, and that's no good either. It was taking up my whole lane with its zigzagging, but I knew I couldn't swerve into the other lane, so I just went on straight, hoping to miss it. Well, apparently, I did, because I looked in the rear view mirror, and saw the rabbit. Still running. Still zigzagging wildly down the middle of the lane. Still looking frantic and confused. Long after I passed, and with no other vehicles approaching. For all I knew, it had been doing this long before I came near.

What in the world was it doing? Maybe it had rabies? Maybe it was training to compete in the pavement slalom event at the Rabbit Olympics?




Last week, as I was getting ready for bed, my sleeping 10-year-old son yelled out from his bed, "I AM monkey! Well, OK then!

A Pincushion Just for Me!

The pincushion swap is progressing nicely. First, let's talk about what I am sending.

Last time I posted, I showed the flower pincushion that I had nearly done. I think I said I was keeping it for myself and pursuing Plan B for the swap.

Well..... Plan B turned out pretty pathetic. I used a pattern, but still it turned out badly. It was made of diamonds, and the points came together poorly on the bottom side. My whip-stitching looked terrible. I was never happy with how the colors looked together. I'll spare you pictures. I was planning to take it apart and put it out of its misery, but son #2 claimed it as a little tiny pillow. To each his own, I suppose.

In the meantime, I've changed my mind about the flower cushion. It has really grown on me. True, it isn't exactly perfect, but it still is very pretty. So I'm planning to send it after all!

In addition, I made my swap-pal a little bottlecap pincushion to wear on her finger. I just finished it this morning, and it turned out so cute! Here are the instructions I used (scroll down).

Pictures soon!

Now, let's see what came in the mail for me today!

This stunning felted wool pincushion came from Blissful. I apologize for my less-than-stellar photography, because this is truly is a work of art (she has some much better pictures of it on her blog you can see by scrolling down a few posts). Those pins have little colored hearts on the top! And I can't wait to use the Mission Falls 1824 Cotton yarn she included.

Thanks, Blissful!

Pincushion in Progress

I've done it again. I've gone and joined another swap*. This time it's a sewing swap, on a Ravelry group, and we're exchanging pincushions!

The person I'm sewing for prefers funky to traditional, and loves bright colors. So I found the brightest fabrics in my stash, and started out. I've been dying to try this flower pincushion pattern, so this is what I have so far:



To my surprise, this doesn't look all that bright. I guess using realistic colors makes it seem less edgy. Honest, these fabrics just screamed "Hey, look at me!" when I originally laid them out.

Plus, I'm not too excited about how the flower petals turned out. There are a couple of overlaps that aren't supposed to be there, and one has a pucker in it. And look at that center "circle." Hardly a circle, to be truthful.

I think I'll call this a learning experience, and keep it for myself. I think it will be really cute, just not quite as perfect as I'd like for giving away. Tomorrow I will buy some fiberfill stuffing (can't believe I'm out???), and hopefully get it finished soon, but I think it will be mine, all mine.

Now I need a Plan B. I think I'll still use the same fabrics, and add in some pinks I have, as well. Not sure what pattern I'll use yet. Something which has a lot of colors on top, if I can find it. I think my best bet to really make these fabrics pop is to put them all together, maybe in a way that I would normally think clashes.


* Only one swap this time. I think.

We Are Siamese If You Pleee-ease!

Found recently in a nest box:



I guess there's a first time for everything!

Cotton Overload!

Let's look at some other cotton projects I've done lately!

Here's a 4-Corners Dishcloth, made in a yellow colorway that gave me lots of joy!

This calls for an invisible cast-on, then when you are done, you remove the cast-on and graft the live stitches together. Unfortunately, I wasn't at home when I started this, so instead of waiting until I had access to the cast-on instructions, I just used my regular default long-tail. When I was done knitting, I just sewed the seam. Which, of course, looks really rotten. I'm planning another one soon, and have printed off the invisible cast-on and grafting instructions already, so I can do the next one right!

Next is the Swiffer Re-Usable Cloth I made for a Ravelympics project.

This knit up surprisingly fast, considering it is mostly done in seed stitch, which I usually detest. As you can see in the second picture, it is a bit shorter than my Swiffer. When I mopped with it, the rubber sticking out the ends kind of dragged on the floor. I've started another one of these, and made the body a few stitches longer, in hopes it will fit better. I also substituted the stitch pattern from the Chinese Waves dishcloth. Like seed stitch, it has lots of little nubbies to scrub with, but should work up faster than seed stitch.

I am very pleased with the general design of these. They have bobbles to push into the zig-zaggy holes where you would normally tuck in the corners of the cloth. Clever!

Here's the second Ravelympics project, the Mother Illusion Cloth, by Dawn Huddlestone. First, let's look at it straight on. OK, striped cloth. Whatever.

Now look at it from an angle.

Can you see it, can you, can you???

Ah, the magic of illusion knitting! This is my first illusion attempt, and I have to admit it's pretty cool. Even my husband was impressed. The colors are actually quite a bit deeper than shown in the photo. The green is definitely a dark hunter shade, and the blue is closer to royal. I substituted garter stitch for the ribbing the pattern calls for.

Here a Dishcloth, There a Dishcloth, Everywhere a Dishcloth....

OK, fasten your seatbelts and get ready for some dishcloth action! Whatever that is, lol.

In the Christian Knitter and Crocheters Group on Ravelry, we've just concluded a Secret Prayer Dishcloth Swap. I was assigned to make dishcloths for Barb, who had just recently moved to Alaska.

First I made a Knitted Lacy Round Dishcloth, in red and white to match her kitchen. I think I've already showed this one on the blog.



Next, I made the Garterlac Dishcloth. I did this one in turquoise, which she listed as being a favorite color. Wow, what a fun pattern! I really enjoyed this one, and I love the way the variegated yarn worked in the little diamonds.


Here's all of what I sent to her. Along with the 2 cloths, I included a few goodies: 2 travel size bottles of neat-smelling shower gel, some pink variegated dishcloth yarn (another of her favorite colors), some peach hard candies, and a pad of sticky notes with a "B" on them.


If I had been using my head, I would have been sure to finish a little early and get this in the mail a week or so before the deadline, since it would have to travel all the way from Illinois to Alaska. But I didn't. I sent it a day after the official mailing day, and was told at the post office that it should take one week. Ha! It took about three! Poor Barb was wondering what was up, and I was sweating it out here in IL, wondering if I should cast on for replacement cloths. But they finally arrived. Whew!

Strangely, about a week after I sent them, I got a package in the mail with an Alaska return address. Hmmm. It was full of dishcloths and goodies from Barb! What a surprise that Barb drew my name, and we were knitting for each other! I don't think the swap was intended to work that way, but it sure turned out cool!

Here's what she sent: 2 gorgeous dishcloths in a blue variegated colorway that matches my kitchen perfectly, and some wonderful-looking hot chocolate and tea, both made in Alaska. Thanks, Barb!



When choosing patterns for the swap, I found so many neat dishcloth patterns I wanted to try. So this has started me on a bit of a dishcloth trend. Plus, I chose to make some dishcloths and Swiffer Covers for the Home Stuff Hammerthrow in the Ravelympics, so I've really been in the cotton lately! Next post will show more of these projects.