A pair of beautiful dresses -- more importantly done! I think it took longer to get this post up than it did to get the dresses done! I finally finished them the weekend before I started my new job. Now armed with the threat of no more time I sat down at the machine and went to work. By Sunday eve I was bent over the dresses hand sewing the sleeve seams (the part where the satin is connected to the sheer), and hand hemming the skirts. The zippers came out, well...crooked, but that was to be expected, me being me and zippers being...hard. The sleeves were definitely the hardest, next was dealing with the sheer/satin combo for the bodice and upper sleeves then the skirt. The zipper is in a class all by itself -- mainly because I have a hard time no matter what, but also because of that sheer/satin double fabric thing going -- it was quite slippery. The girls are wearing their hair pulled back but down, not up in a bun, that should help cover things up. This weekend...a banner.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Dos Finito
A pair of beautiful dresses -- more importantly done! I think it took longer to get this post up than it did to get the dresses done! I finally finished them the weekend before I started my new job. Now armed with the threat of no more time I sat down at the machine and went to work. By Sunday eve I was bent over the dresses hand sewing the sleeve seams (the part where the satin is connected to the sheer), and hand hemming the skirts. The zippers came out, well...crooked, but that was to be expected, me being me and zippers being...hard. The sleeves were definitely the hardest, next was dealing with the sheer/satin combo for the bodice and upper sleeves then the skirt. The zipper is in a class all by itself -- mainly because I have a hard time no matter what, but also because of that sheer/satin double fabric thing going -- it was quite slippery. The girls are wearing their hair pulled back but down, not up in a bun, that should help cover things up. This weekend...a banner.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
9 weeks
9 weeks ago I was laid off from my job -- RiF'd to be exact. I wasn't completely blindsided by this. You really have to lookout and prepare for these things here in the Bay Area. It's a fact of life and nothing personal (although some days, it sure feels like it). I put my resume on several on-line jobsites, applied to many jobs on-line, answered e-mails, did phone interviews, attended one job faire, did one on-site interview and printed out 3 dozen resumes. Last Friday I got a job offer (insert happy dance here) and I start next week (stop dancing). My 2 month vacation is nearly up so I thought I take a moment and reflect on what I've accomplished these past 9 weeks. Below you will find my self-interrogation.
Q: Did you finish any knitting projects?
A: Yes, 2. Mavis and a pair of socks for Lindsey. I also finished 1 mitten and 1 sample sock (in a class at Stitches West -- that counts right?)
Q: Did you start any new projects?
A: Yes, I started the Vogue TF Shrug (several times), the Very Luminary Vest (Olympic Knitting project), the other mitten and another pair of socks. Oh and I started sewing 2 dresses.
Q: Did you finish the dresses?
A: Um, no.
Q: Did you spin or weave?
A: Nope.
Q: How about books, did you finish any during this time period?
A: Uh, I don't think so. Maybe, I don't know, exactly.
Q: Did you get a chance to organize the stash?
A: A little.
Q: After Stitches West (because we know you had a budget to adhere to there) did you buy any yarn?
A: Yes.
Q: You were on a yarn diet -- self-imposed. You were only suppose to buy yarn to complete a project. What did you purchase and why?
A: 10 balls Jojoland variegated soft muted rainbow fingering weight, which I missed at SW but found on eBay for almost 1/2 price (well at least my initial bid was 1/2); 3 balls Optimum dk from Elann, because it was pink and too cheap to pass up, currently slated for Faina's scarf; 2 sks Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb in Turquoise to see if it would work up better than the hot pink in my first pass at the Vogue TF Shrug; 3 balls of Crystal Palace Rave, because it was on sale; 2 balls of Xanadu Metallic, same sale; 2 balls of Art Yarns Broadway, sale; 2 sks of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Irving Park, not on sale but at the same store as the sale and I'd never seen this colorway before; 1 sk of Schaefer Yarns Patty in Renata Tebaldi, because it's a lucious silk boucle that matches a merino boucle that I thought I had at home; 8 balls Zitron Incanto in blue and 1 in a variegated blue/orange, also on sale, same day as the others; 2 sks Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb in China Blue because the turqoise wasn't working out; 1 sk each Noro Cash Iroha in black and brown in case the China Blue didn't work which I bought mail order and it hadn't come in yet plus I didn't have VTF with me at the time so I didn't know which would work out better; 3 sk Noro Cash Iroha in brown and 5 in black to complete the 2 sks bought previously because the China Blue worked out and now I can use the Cash Iroha in something else, but not just 1 in each color; 3 sks Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb in Pond Blue, Pale Pink and Grapevine, another sale; 3 sks Lorna's Laces Grace in Vera in case it worked better than the 3 sks of Black Purl originally purchased for VTF shrug, y'know since I changed the original colors and it was the only 3 there and they were also on sale; 4 balls Rowan Kidsilk Spray in Vino for my birthday, hah!; 1 sk Art Yarns Silk Rhapsody on sale; 4 sks Noro Kureyon in variegated black/brown because it went so well with the blank and brown Cash Iroha previously purchased also on sale; 1 ball each Louisa Harding Kimono ribbon, Fauve and Glisten on sale; 2 sks bulky alpaca and 1 sk silk boucle from Danette Taylor Designs (eBay) clearance; 2 sks Art Yarns Silk Mohair in baby pink to go with the Kidsilk spray in vino to complete a project; 8 balls RYC Silk Aran in Charmed, hey I was celebrating -- this was after I got the offer, okay? And besides...it was pink and on sale!
Q: Are we done with the yarn diet?
A: We are so done. In my defense, I would like to point out that during this time 4 yarn shops were having their "Spring Sale", and I only went to 3.
Q: Last question: Did you get to do anything that you wouldn't normally do if you were working?
A: Yes! I sat and knit in a couple yarn shops during what would normally be working hours. Oh, and I went shopping at the Outlets in Gilroy during the week without the kids. It was the most productive shopping I had done in years.
[Update: I did finish a book during this time it was Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella and I also made some more stitch markers pictured below. Is it Spring yet?]
Q: Did you finish any knitting projects?
A: Yes, 2. Mavis and a pair of socks for Lindsey. I also finished 1 mitten and 1 sample sock (in a class at Stitches West -- that counts right?)
Q: Did you start any new projects?
A: Yes, I started the Vogue TF Shrug (several times), the Very Luminary Vest (Olympic Knitting project), the other mitten and another pair of socks. Oh and I started sewing 2 dresses.
Q: Did you finish the dresses?
A: Um, no.
Q: Did you spin or weave?
A: Nope.
Q: How about books, did you finish any during this time period?
A: Uh, I don't think so. Maybe, I don't know, exactly.
Q: Did you get a chance to organize the stash?
A: A little.
Q: After Stitches West (because we know you had a budget to adhere to there) did you buy any yarn?
A: Yes.
Q: You were on a yarn diet -- self-imposed. You were only suppose to buy yarn to complete a project. What did you purchase and why?
A: 10 balls Jojoland variegated soft muted rainbow fingering weight, which I missed at SW but found on eBay for almost 1/2 price (well at least my initial bid was 1/2); 3 balls Optimum dk from Elann, because it was pink and too cheap to pass up, currently slated for Faina's scarf; 2 sks Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb in Turquoise to see if it would work up better than the hot pink in my first pass at the Vogue TF Shrug; 3 balls of Crystal Palace Rave, because it was on sale; 2 balls of Xanadu Metallic, same sale; 2 balls of Art Yarns Broadway, sale; 2 sks of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Irving Park, not on sale but at the same store as the sale and I'd never seen this colorway before; 1 sk of Schaefer Yarns Patty in Renata Tebaldi, because it's a lucious silk boucle that matches a merino boucle that I thought I had at home; 8 balls Zitron Incanto in blue and 1 in a variegated blue/orange, also on sale, same day as the others; 2 sks Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb in China Blue because the turqoise wasn't working out; 1 sk each Noro Cash Iroha in black and brown in case the China Blue didn't work which I bought mail order and it hadn't come in yet plus I didn't have VTF with me at the time so I didn't know which would work out better; 3 sk Noro Cash Iroha in brown and 5 in black to complete the 2 sks bought previously because the China Blue worked out and now I can use the Cash Iroha in something else, but not just 1 in each color; 3 sks Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb in Pond Blue, Pale Pink and Grapevine, another sale; 3 sks Lorna's Laces Grace in Vera in case it worked better than the 3 sks of Black Purl originally purchased for VTF shrug, y'know since I changed the original colors and it was the only 3 there and they were also on sale; 4 balls Rowan Kidsilk Spray in Vino for my birthday, hah!; 1 sk Art Yarns Silk Rhapsody on sale; 4 sks Noro Kureyon in variegated black/brown because it went so well with the blank and brown Cash Iroha previously purchased also on sale; 1 ball each Louisa Harding Kimono ribbon, Fauve and Glisten on sale; 2 sks bulky alpaca and 1 sk silk boucle from Danette Taylor Designs (eBay) clearance; 2 sks Art Yarns Silk Mohair in baby pink to go with the Kidsilk spray in vino to complete a project; 8 balls RYC Silk Aran in Charmed, hey I was celebrating -- this was after I got the offer, okay? And besides...it was pink and on sale!
Q: Are we done with the yarn diet?
A: We are so done. In my defense, I would like to point out that during this time 4 yarn shops were having their "Spring Sale", and I only went to 3.
Q: Last question: Did you get to do anything that you wouldn't normally do if you were working?
A: Yes! I sat and knit in a couple yarn shops during what would normally be working hours. Oh, and I went shopping at the Outlets in Gilroy during the week without the kids. It was the most productive shopping I had done in years.
[Update: I did finish a book during this time it was Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella and I also made some more stitch markers pictured below. Is it Spring yet?]
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