"There was nothing but pie. But there were all nine kinds of pie that Harold liked best. When Harold finished his picnic there was quite a lot left. He hated to see so much delicious pie go to waste. So Harold left a very hungry moose and a deserving porcupine to finish it up."
Harold and the Purple Crayon, Crockett Johnson, 1955.
I find I am always working on something. Little bits of time here and there and things get finished. The latest of my finished objects are the five potholders for the 2010 potholder swap.
I had fun making these. P helped; she advised me on when to change colors and which color to use. Here are the backs.
She likes to watch me crochet and wants to learn that next. I suggested that she finish the six stitch wide scarf she is knitting for her doll first.
So, we sit next to each other and make things. There is not much better than that.
I have started a file of her design ideas. Yesterday she designed hats.
Stripes, swirls, pompoms, braids, tassels, fringe, it's all there.
Yep, it's March. Longer days, lots of sun, and MUD.
The thawing out is always interesting. Today we had little rivers of water running down the back drive.
The trip to the chicken barn is not icy anymore but does require boots.
P and I actually went to the park this afternoon, something we hadn't done since early fall.
Yay! Spring is on the way!
What do you do when energized by the spring sun and warmer temperatures?
"A good detective is always in demand."
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories: The Hidden Staircase, Carolyn Keene, 1930.
My sewing room is directly under our bathroom reconstruction zone. Without a ceiling, plaster debris and sawdust often rain down onto my desk from the work area above. I have resorted to keeping my laptop closed most of the time and vacuuming my desk and the computer key board several times a day. It is difficult to work in this environment so I have been spending some time writing down a few knitting designs. I have several sock and hat designs swimming around in my head.
P has watched as I try to work the patterns out on graph paper. This is the first she has seen of graph paper. She was so intrigued that she wanted to try it herself and has designed her own sock.
She has moved on to planning out a few doll quilts and even a dress she wants me to make. It has pompoms on the bottom, sides, and even the sleeves!
My designs seem to take longer. I figure, knit, pull out, knit some more, make more notes... my mind races. While I am knitting on one idea my mind is working on another. I think I'll start knitting another sock tomorrow just to get the design out of my head so that I can knit on one or the other peacefully!
I 'll be sure to let you know when I have a pattern written out. In the mean time it's back to the drawing board for me.
This is how one of P's current favorite books begins. "It was a bright, sparkly morning,..."
This morning was a bright sparkly morning. No, we didn't wake up to green grass, pink trees, butterflies, robins, and happy dogs. But, the sun was shining brightly and we heard lots of birds when we went out.
Perhaps some of that bright feeling comes from seeing P's dress laid out with blocking pins!It was an Olympic event to get this knit in sixteen days! I still have some finishing work left but my goal was to complete the knitting.
YAY!
D is also home for spring break week.
What is adding some sparkle to your day?
"If you cannot be satisfied with what you have, you must learn to be satisfied with what you haven't."
Further Tales of Mr. Pengachoosa, Caroline Rush, 1967.
I enjoy finding evidence that P has been playing. Her creations are always happy.
We are having a snow day today! It is heavy wet snow- good for snowmen but heavy to shovel. I am sure I could use the exercise.
For now, we are having fun inside.
I just love the Fisher Price stuff.
Oh, and that girl in green reminds me, Happy Bench Monday!
That's all I have time for today. I must go knit.
Have a great day!
"That is one good thing about this world... there are always sure to be more springs."
Anne of Avonelea, Lucy Maud Montgomery, 1909.
Olympic knitting update - I finished knitting the yoke and am almost finished the second sleeve. Still left - knit the skirt, block, finish the back opening and neck edge, and smock the yolk.
This week I have learned that it is hard for me to work on just one project. Shiny things like new colorful yarn call to me.
Potholders are small. Just how much time can it take away from the Olympic knitting project?
You should also read about Stephanie's Olympic knitting project.
Fun stuff.
I love my new "big girl" camera and am having a lot of fun learning how to use it. There are some interesting photography projects and challenges on flickr. I do have to be careful when I look on flickr because the next thing you know I have forgotten about the cookies I was baking or that it is time to pick up M from school.
The 100 Possibilities Project really captivates me and encourages me to take pictures and try different things. The idea is to choose an everyday object and take 100 photographs of it. This large wooden spool is my object of choice. Sometimes I feel like I get a good photo and sometimes I don't.
Still, I try, and am learning things all the time.I'll be collecting my spool photos here on flickr.
Have a look at some of these photo collections. This brown bowl was the first one I saw. I like that the photographer, Artsy_T chose a very simple and earthy object. She has started a second project with a frame. Both sets are very creative and artistic. Another one of my favorite 100 Possibilities projects is Prometheus by Kadewegirl. I am amazed by the different views and slices of one statue.
I had a hard time choosing what object I would take 100 photographs of but settled on something small and portable that I had. I wanted it to be simple and adaptable to many settings.
Here is the knitting progress thus far. This is the yoke of the dress. It is knit in knit 2 purl 2 rib and uses a lot of yarn. This part will be smocked after the dress is finished. I have had to pull out some sections and reknit them so that they will fit. The arm hole for this size was very small compared to the chest measurement. I think I've got it right now. I will now have to adjust the sleeves to fit the larger arm holes. That could be tricky. The sleeves and skirt are knit in a lace pattern.
With a knit 2, purl 2 knit pattern there is lots of time for the mind to wander. I have been thinking of crocheting some old fashioned pot holders. And then, what do you know, but there is a pot holder swap starting on Ravelry. I had to join.
I got some pretty cotton yarns and my little helper volunteered to wind them. She loves to use the swift and ball winder. How could I refuse?
These little yarn cakes are now patiently waiting for the Olympic knitting finish line celebration.
It doesn't matter at all if my home's big or small,
If it's brown or yellow or white,
It doesn't matter at all if it's narrow or tall,
Or if it is pretty or bright.
It doesn't matter at all if my home's on a hill,
Or down by the deep blue sea-
As long as it's filled with people I love,
And people who also love me.
My Home, Renee Bartkowski, 1971.
Surely you all must be excited about the OLYMPICS! All I can say is "the cast on is TONIGHT!"
I love Derya Davenport's knitting version of the 1939 British propaganda poster Keep Calm and Carry On.
P and I have been keeping calm while darning socks. She told me yesterday that she has been wanting to learn how to darn socks. So, last night she learned. She was thrilled to be able to fix one of dad's socks. She has her own darning egg so we can both work on socks at the same time.
We should have the pile finished before the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.
We FINALLY had some fresh snow! There was even enough for schools to be canceled yesterday. Yay! We knew there would be no school before we went to bed so we slept in and then played. P and I made snow angels and lots of mitten shaped holes in the snow. She wanted to take a walk but high stepping in the snow was harder than she thought it would be. We did explore the garden space. Look at those old sunflowers.
I finished another project yesterday too. P chose a beautiful rhinestone jewel for the front of the doll sweater.
There is a larger rhinestone button on the back. She thinks it is very beautiful.
Now, I think I may be ready for some Olympic knitting. We cast on tomorrow night.
Yesterday evening we had a fairy sighting. P said the wings didn't help her gofaster or help her fly. But, she said, they did make her smile.
They made me smile too.
P's doll has a new dress.
I finished this last night and am pleased that the dress fit the doll perfectly when worked straight from the pattern directions. P wanted sleeves that went all the way to the wrist so I just made them a little longer.
The pattern is F in the picture below. I used the self patterning sock yarn instead of knitting a two color design. P is thrilled. She has put in an order for a pink version of dress E, a pair of underpants like those on the line, some socks, and a snowsuit.
We shall see.
I am off to spin some more yarn to make sleeves for the cable doll sweater I am knitting.
"I like stripes on zebras,Flowers on rugs,Polka-dots on lady bugs,Marble full of wiggly streaks,Speckled stones you find in creeks,Insides of shells, all wavy-pearly,The way the sky looks very early."
Colors Are Nice, Adelaide Holl, 1979.
I may have mentioned earlier that I often have multiple projects going. It is so true. These are all knitting projects that I have been working on in just the last couple of days.
Clockwise from the upper left:
1. the sleeve for another doll sweater like this - being the third sweater knit from this pattern I stalled after knitting the body and starting the sweater. Really not much knitting to do but I was a little tired of the design.
2. a block for the barn raising afghan shown here. I found the bag of blocks and left over sock yarns when I cleaned in the sewing room and started working on these again.
3. The hem of a doll dress from a pattern in this book. I am letting the self striping, fair isle print of the yarn do the knit pattern here. I got the yarn at the thrift store (see yesterday's post). 234 stitches with a provisional cast on picot hem. Very tedious I really thought this would be a quick knit. After I finish cursing this hem row I think things will speed along.
4. Plain crew sock for D. This is the project I keep in my purse for whenever I have a spare minute to knit.
5. The swatch for the dress I'll be knitting during the olympics - the pattern picture is here.
Oh, and I just remembered the hat that I'm designing. I had a pattern worked out for the top down but am thinking about rewriting it from the bottom up.
Don't think this is all that I have on the needles though. I have some almost forgotten projects buried deep under piles of other stuff.
Remember this ? Well, I actually frogged it a few days ago. I am going to come up with a better pattern for this yarn, the gauge was just not working out and this? That Christmas tree in the background was from December 2008!! I may end up taking this one out too. I am learning that when a knitting project stalls this long that there is a reason.
I am focusing on knitting these days because my sewing room is open to the construction area upstairs and I don't want to get out fabrics and scraps and have them get dusty. My knitting projects are quite a bit easier to keep contained. Well, one at a time, they are. If I keep starting more they will be just as cluttery as a scrap quilt in progress.
There is never a dull moment around here.
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