The right buttons?

Top-down Raglan (used pattern adjustments from sixoneseven blog)

Size: Newborn

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino

Ribbon: by Stampin Up

Happy to say I finished this latest number is less than a week. However, I am still unable to find the right buttons. They must be unisex and can not be too heavy . . . so my favorite Danforth pewter are out. Any ideas?

Slow improvements

Slowly we are making our way to completing those summer home improvement projects. I finished the trim in the living room this weekend. Joel got the porch primed and we started painting. Unfortunately the weather has intervened with that today but it looks great so far.When we first bought this house I really wished the porch was bigger . . but now that I am painting it. . .I am really glad that it doesn't wrap around the house. Painting it yourself can really change your perspective. Barley isn't much help with painting but she is great at scraping . . . .

And now that the living room trim is complete. . .the next project is the kitchen. The wallpaper is so not me. I have picked out a nice mustard seed yellow to replace this. . .

and for now I am painting the cabinets a cream color until we can save enough money to replace them all. I might change the hardware to a polished nickel too. At least that will give them a face lift.

We are suppose to buy a new stove next month (I have been holding out until the tax holiday - which is the 22nd for purchases under $2000). But now the refrigerator is giving us a hard time so we might be replacing that instead. We shall see. .it is kind of on life support right now and things are not looking good :( Either way one by one. . .they will all be replaced to stainless steel to someday go with the cherry cabinet plans I have.

On the knitting front. I am almost finished with the top down raglan that I started last week. . .very quick and mindless. I just need to find buttons, block it, and take photos. I also started a seed stitch hoodie out of superwash cascade 220. . need to take some photos of that also. Love the color! Well off to have lunch, clean up, then work for a little while. ttfn

I'm Back!

for real this time. I have been slacking for several reasons. . .studying. . .sewing. . . .painting. . .but mostly just being lazy and not wanting to be on the computer.

I am really going to try to post something once a week. How else to people know I am alive. . .they never see me :)

So here it is Rita-roo. . .a post . . . and a completed project. I started the sweet pea right before I left for a short vacation in Maine. It is out of Queensland Bebe Cotton/Soy. Great yarn . . very soft and fabulous to work with. I would use it again for sure.

I did make some additional changes this time. I added an eyelet row and threaded some green ribbon to give it unique touch. I really wanted that pea pod look for my little sweet pea to be some day.

and a matching hat of course:)

ooooh maybe tomorrow I will post the Green Mountain Fiber Event photos from today. . .very exciting. . spinning. . dyeing yarn. . .lots of cool things.

ttfn

New Hobbies

With all of the hobbies and responsibilities I currently have. . .why add another?

Well. . . I have wanted to sew for a while now. Purchasing a machine has really been the only thing standing in my way. Do I make the initial investment or borrow one? Or get a used one? I was also really scared because I know how I can get sucked in so fast!

I have so much yarn that I could literally not leave my house for an entire year and still not open the last bin.

This is getting a little over whelming . . .not to mention ridiculous . . . so I have made a promise to myself to take one sewing project at a time. . . .not to mention a yarn diet.

With that agreement in my head I went to Williston last Saturday for my regulation exam (CPA) . . .after 3 hours of mental strain plus being finger printed and monitored like I was a criminal! Seriously people. . .so not worth the effort to cheat. . .just learn the material! I drove over to Strawberry & Rhubarb to pick up my new Bernina sewing machine.

Great shop, the owner is fabulous and the store is very inspiring! Very big on my list . . .if I don't want to buy everything. . .then something is wrong. . .very wrong. I basically wanted everything!

Project #1 - Pillows for the couch

Joel has been complaining for months about couch pillow. . .this is mostly because I threw out the pillows we had at the apartment before we moved. They were way past their expiration date!

So with that in mind I purchased some Moda fabric - called "twiggy" (so us) and some chocolate brown fabric for the back.

and I spent all day Sunday creating these

Project #2 - Baby Quilt

Here is the pattern. . . .but I am using the "twiggy" collection. This is free on http://www.modabakeshop.com/ really great site with some very useful tips.

I ordered a Jelly Roll from fat quarter shop online which will give me enough to do the squares plus I have all the left over from the pillows. This is going to be so cute! I can't wait.

Hope to have some progress soon! ttfn

Post tax season has arrived!!!!!

I am free at last! . . . .and don't know what to do first. Oh my goodness! There is so much to get caught up on that I don't know where to start. eeek!

I also have my exam next Saturday so I am studying but at the same time trying to give myself a little break. A change in attitude has really helped there. . .instead of getting frustrated when I can't remember everything. . . I am instead opening my mind to try and embrace the information that hasn't stuck. It seems to be helping.

It will be what it will be. . .I can't force it. I have at least taken on some more complex clients at work which has really sharpened my skills. . .I need to do it hands on to get it to sink in or it doesn't mean anything.

Reading:

Finished the twilight series. . . . .what a great series and a fabulous love story. I still liked the 1st book the best but I was glad to see the ending in the 4th and to finally figure out some lingering questions I had about how things worked. The author did do it in a very tasteful manner for those who get all bashful at the idea. Me. . I am very open about everything so it would take a lot to make me blush.

Got the movie too. . the actor who plays Edward Cullen. . .can you say yum? ah. . .more details please!

Knitting projects:





Finished the sweet pea for my cousin . . it was so cute. .I hated to part with it but i can make another one.

I also started the Monkey sock since I am teaching a class starting May 1st at Green Mountain Fibers. . .only one is done since I will be knitting the other for the class itself. This is out of jitterbug. . .this yarn is amazing. . . .done on size 1 1/2 dpn. . 2's are a little too big for me and 1's are too small so 1 1/2 are just right.

It was a blast. . so easy!

I will also be teaching 3 other sock classes during the summer out of the sock innovation book.(which is fabulous . . so run out and get a copy . . . but if you take the classes at GMF you get a discount. . .check the website http://www.greenmountainfibers.com/ details to be posted soon.)

Sweater project. . .must have one of those going in the back ground. I started Vaila out of Malabrigo . . .which is like knitting butter. . but unfortunately pills when you just look at it.

Doesn't it look yummy!

I also gave myself a much needed reward this year. Instead of going away after tax season like we always do. . .mostly because there is so much to do with the house and I have an exam coming up. . .instead I purchased something I have been drooling over FOREVER!

Now is isn't the exact model I wanted but it is a very solid foundation for sure.

oh ya! I have wanted a sewing machine for a long long time. A good one. . .not one of those machines with plastic parts. . .no. . . a REAL sewing machine. My goal is to make some pillows for the living room, a baby quilt, and maybe some curtains this summer. Yes I said baby quilt. . but I am not pregnant . . .yet. We will start trying this fall. Yes, I am a planner . . it is what keeps me sane.

ttfn -off to study. . .

Katie's Socks and Sweet Pea

Not much to talk about. I pretty much do tax returns in my sleep at this point. Only 4 more weeks. . then life can go back to normal. . .thank goodness. . .I am so exhausted!

I did finish Katie's birthday socks! Which came out fabulous! . . .and I just could not wait until April 7th to give them to her . . .so I did!

And they were so much fun that I started a pair in green for Me! Only one skein is needed too! Woohoo!

I also started the Sweet Pea for my cousin who's baby shower is at the end of this month. . .so I have a few more Sunday's to get this done. But I love it! I so want one for my baby. . .my hypothetical one that is. I got the idea off from the sixoneseven blog because the original pattern. . .not so cute. But look how it is turning out. . . .

some little brown booties and a hat. . . its just too cute!

A smidge of progress

A smidge of progress but not much. I have been in the full force blur of tax season along with having several audits going on at the same time. By Sunday, my one and only day off . . .I am lucky to know who I am let alone follow a pattern.

I did get a nice break two nights this week when Julie came to visit. I really wish I could have taken a day off to spend with her but I just can't this time of year. . . it is impossible. It was so good to laugh. . .we knitted and laughed for two evenings which helped to lift my spirits to get through the next 6 weeks. I didn't make it to the gym at all this week but hey. . .laughter is good for the heart too.

I was able to complete one of the socks which does have a April deadline since it is a birthday gift. The pattern is free online:

http://bellaknitting.typepad.com/bella_knitting/2007/09/synesthesia-soc.html

Hopefully I can finish it with one skein of jitterbug but it made me nervous and I bought another just incase. Will let you know.