Red is so hard to photograph, especially in my dark bedroom.

Once again, I use the Treasury for patterns. The sampler includes wool, silk, cotton, and some fun fur. Stash busting at its finest.

Miles and miles of stitches… enough to fit across my king-size bed.

Eventually, I became bored with stockinette, garter, and moss patterns so I opened up Barbara Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns to break up the monotony.

I was happy with the results. The only issue I had with this throw was running out of blue stash yarn before I got halfway up my bed but it is still snuggly on cold nights.

That’s a long time to let a blog go static.

I’m happy to say that knitting and sewing has not been static. Ok, the sewing has been a bit sluggish but I did manage to make one tote bag, and I’m almost done with the quilt I started eons ago. All I have to do it blind stitch the binding on, and it’s done. Maybe I will do that before the project reaches its 5th year.

I have knit lots of stuff too since I’ve been trying to reduce my stash. I love yarn but I don’t love storing it. I finished the socks too… just last month in fact. Last year, I knit several small throws. Pictures soon… maybe… my reliability factor is way down. Also, it has been really hot this year so yarn is not on my near and dear list. I might even throw in a picture of orange dudu since it came back to me after several years of wandering the globe (a very tiny portion of the globe).

I’ve looked over my blog’s stats and I’m amazed by how many people find it looking for Dinosaur Party ideas. Sheez! Now I wish I had blogged more about the preps for that party. And the 4-year old is an 8-year old… how did that happen?! I came out of limbo at some point last fall and whacked our jungle-ized (I made that word up just for this post) backyard. Then I invited a bunch of people and their parents over for Boy Wonder’s party. Actually, we had 3 parties for him in one weekend. It would have been 4 but Boy was completely pooped by Sunday, and couldn’t make it to his dinner-at-a-restaurant-celebration with the grandparents. We had fun but I’m afraid we set the wrong precedent for future celebrations. Boy has already started planning for his next weekend of chaos. Can we please go to Disney this year? It would be easier, and cheaper!

Hubby and I also put another wood floor down this year. I tried to do it myself again but I needed help this time. It’s awesome but it’s in my son’s room… I kick him out so I can do yoga on my beautiful floor. No, I don’t really kick him out… he let’s me use his room. I’m sure that won’t continue past a certain age but for now he’s very generous.

Current pet population: 2 cats, 2 dogs, 0 birds.

About those socks, I have a question for knitters (and anyone else with an opinion). How well do you have to know someone to give them hand knit socks for Christmas? Is it too intimate for an acquaintance? I wouldn’t give them to someone that doesn’t understand the time I’ve put in them, but is it ok to give them to someone you see regularly but don’t actually know well? Say, a teacher? or a pastor? or someone of that nature? I’m not sure of the gift giving etiquette here. What about a female versus a male acquaintance? Does it make any difference or am I over thinking the nature of gifts? Christmas is NEXT WEEK!!! (will I even have socks to give?!!)

From October08

I used templates for the Halloween garland from The Toymaker.

From October08

Orange fish?

From October08

Not fish. Someone is peeking out.

From October08

Many are peeking out.

From October08

Wide awake.

From October08

This is the nightmare that woke them.

I wanted to take one more picture of the eyes but my boy wouldn’t have it. The eyes are reverse appliqued onto a t-shirt. I shamelessly copied it from The Creative Kismet. I only have one– no! –two warnings: they are creepier in person, and don’t be surprised if your sensitive-skinned child rips it off faster than you can say seam ripper. Make a tee for yourself instead!

I have made a little progress on my quilt top using the rose fabric.

From October08

And I knit the Galway yarn till I ran out.

From October08

Then I felted the piece. You can see from the dog’s feet that it shrank quite a bit.

From October08

I washed the rectangle piece two times in hot water (with regular loads of laundry… trying to be moderately green). I am really pleased with the texture of the Galway felted yarn… so nice and nubbly, and not too frizzy.

Start with a pile of newspapers and pretty craft papers. I made a triangular template (not shown) to trace on the paper.

From October08

I used scissors to cut out the paper because I was too lazy to change the blade in the rotary cutters (I have blades for fabric and blades for paper)… a craft knife would work as well. Put the template on the fold of the newspaper to make a diamond shape when it’s unfolded. Cut out enough for your banner message (I used on diamond per letter).

From October08

At some point, change your mind about the design because you don’t have enough colorful paper to finish the project. Instead of using the colorful craft paper, use plain white paper instead. Use your template to cut out triangles (you don’t need diamonds for this step).

From October08

Glue the triangles to one half of your newspaper diamond.

From October08

Break out some colorful markers, and write your message in bold print.

From October08

Find some twine long enough for your message… attach it to the wall, or the curtain rods, or the roof… wherever you want that message to be displayed.  The folded diamond slips over the twine and hangs by itself.

From October08

Wait patiently for hours and hours for the recipient of your message to come home and read it… and be AMAZED you have that much time to make banners and homemade-out-of-this-world cupcakes (sorry, no pics of the cupcakes… but they were GOOD!).

From October08

I don’t have a picture to show but BC and I wrote birthday messages on extra triangles. We nudged the letters together to make room for them. I think that was a better idea than the original banner message. MrC plans to save his notes.

[This photo doesn't really show the colors very well. The rose fabric is pretty close but is prettier in person.  The solid fabric is a light yellow that coordinates with the background yellow of the rose fabric.]
I was looking for the “perfect” project for the rose fabric. It sat in the closet for a long time. I realized that there is no “perfect” project, and that any project was better than no project. I broke out my beginner quilting book and picked out a pattern.

There was one critical criteria for the pattern… I only had 1 yard of the rose fabric. I could have cut it up and used it in a scrap quilt but I really wanted to have something that showcased this fabric. I found a pattern, bought some coordinating fabric, and started chopping and sewing.

I didn’t get too far along before my back started screaming. I don’t have a very good set up for sewing. I sit at the dining room table on a dining room chair. The ergonomics are excruciating.

I tried adjusting the sewing machine height with yoga blocks.

It was better but my back still hurt.

After much research, I ended up putting the sewing machine back on the table. I put the yoga blocks under my feet and a lumber pillow behind me. Raising my feet and supporting my back was a 80% improvement. I think the final 20% will require tilting the sewing machine somehow and using an office chair. Also, better lighting would be lovely.

And, just in case you think I’ve forgotten how to knit, I started working on this:

I don’t know what “this” is going to end up being. Does anyone else ever knit for the sake of knitting? No pattern just knitting? I do have some ideas for it but it is definitely a “I love to knit for the sake of knitting” project.