Sewing up a storm

The day job is done for the season and now I have a lot of time on my hands.  I've already done the whole cleaning & purging, which is easier done when nobody else is home; and I did my fair share of couch sitting.  It was during a cleaning/purging session in my sewing area, that inspired me to pull the sewing machine out again after a few years.  I was going though my fabrics and scraps deciding what I wanted to keep and what could be donated.  Originally I was going to donate all my juvenile prints to a local charity to make baby clothes, but after a day or two I started to think about it and decided that there was still enough there for me to do something with it.

That's when I made this cute little bubble dress.  It's 100% made from fabric and materials I already had.  It's 2T and listed in the shop for $30.  I can make this style from 2T to size 8.

The next project I did was this hobo style bag for my daughter.  I was looking online at fabric and ran across this Michael Miller print on eBay.  She fell in love with it.  This project was a little more involved, since I had to go buy supplies for it, but both of us are very happy with the results.  The straps are made from an old pair of jeans I had in my stash of up-cycled fabric.

Since I still had some of the fabric left from the bag, I thought I'd make her a matching fabric bracelet.  I let her pick out the strip she wanted and whipped this up in about 10 minutes.  Super simple project, especially since the batting and interfacing was already attached.  I just had to cut it to size and sew it together.

 And I still had enough left over to make this make-up bag.  Three projects from 1 yard of fabric.

This next one was a fun little project for an internet friend.  She posted on Facebook how she needed a super hero cape (and what mom doesn't)  for when she played dress up with her son.  The fleece blanket tied around her neck just wasn't cutting it.  She wanted pink & sparkly, so when I walked into the fabric store and found the sparkly organza on sale I knew it would be prefect for her.

And in between all this sewing I managed to finish a knitting project too.   This cowl is perfect for dressing up up an ordinarily outfit and keeping the winter chill out. It's listed in the shop for $43.00.

Peasant Loaf

We do a pot luck kind of Thanksgiving, and I'm always in charge of bringing the pies. A few years ago I discovered this wonderful bread recipe, and now I'm also responsible for bringing the bread.  With Thanksgiving just a week away, I'm busy baking.  I put together an apple pie earlier this week and froze it, I have 2 more to make and I'm on my second loaf of bread.

I wanted to share this recipe with you.  Although time consuming, it's very simple and makes a European peasant style loaf.  The best part is you can add ingredients to make just about any flavor and works well with white or wheat flour.  I could of let this loaf bake a little longer, but I like my crust a little lighter otherwise it tends to get hard.

Peasant Loaf     

Time: about 1 ½ hour plus 18 to 24 hours’ rising

Ingredients:

3 cups	Flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon	Instant yeast
1 ¼ teaspoon	Salt
1 ¼ cup	Water
	Cornmeal as needed

Directions:

1.  In large bowl combine flour,  yeast and salt.  Add water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Let dough rest 18 to 24 hours at room temperature

2.  Dough is ready when surface is dotted with bubbles.  Lightly flour a work surface and place and dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold over itself once or twice.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes.

3.  Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking gently and quickly shape dough into a ball.  Generously coat a cotton towel (not terrycloth) with cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more cornmeal.  Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 to 3 hours.

4.  At least ½ hour before dough is ready; heat oven to 450°.  Put a 6 to 8 quart covered pot (a covered casserole dish works well) in oven as it heats.   When it ready, carefully remove pot from oven.  Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into a pot, seam side up.  Shake pan once or twice to evenly distribute dough.  Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake until brown

Entrelac cowl

Remember when I asked what to do with with 250 yards of alpaca yarn?  Knit myself a entrelac cowl was the answer.  This was a great project because I not only learned a new technique I also got to knit with some luxury yarn and now I have a beautiful scarf to wear this winter.

If you're looking to learn entrelac here's a free tutorial and pattern to get you started
Entrelac tutorial

Basic Entrelac Scarf

I knew there was a reason why I was hesitant to start my next sweater.  I couldn't put my finger on it for weeks, but finally figured it out last night.  My pattern was way off.  I entered the wrong bust size in my pattern software, and when I entered my hip measurement I had something that flared out at a very unusual angle and would of look something like a skin tight maternity sweater.  It would fit my hips, but I'd be damned if I could get it buttoned over my chest.  I'm so glad I finally figured it out, because I would hate to put in all that work and not have it fit.  I re-figured the pattern last night with the correct measurements, and I'm going with the slightly angled version.

What to do with 250 yrds of Alpaca yarn?

I'm still dealing with health issues.  I woke up Saturday morning covered in hives.  It was an allergic reaction to the antibiotic I was taking for the cellulitis, so back to the doctor I went.  I'm now on a different antibiotic, an allergy pill and steroid.  The hives are getting better and my leg is getting better so hopefully I'm coming to the end of this.  This has been a very long 2 weeks of what seems like constant doctor appointments.

Anyway, Sunday as I was running my daughter to a girl scout meeting, I ran across a local alpaca ranch that was having an open house.  I stopped in just to see what is was all about and picked up this beautiful skein of hand painted alpaca yarn.  I'm thinking of using it for a cowl, but haven't found a pattern yet.  I'd really love to do something entrelac, but I don't think I have enough.  Any suggestions?

I had no idea how dangerous dry skin could be...

Until I almost ended up in the hospital.

I've always had dry skin, I don't like the greasy feeling of lotion so I've just dealt with it the best I could.  This summer I developed a itchy patch on the bottom of my foot that I scratched until I built up a callous.  The  callous cracked open so I started to peel some of the dead skin off causing it to bleed.  I didn't think to much about it because this has happened before.  I put some antibiotic cream on it, covered it with a band aid and forgot about it.  Sure a sore on the bottom of my foot hurt to walk on, but I figured it was just the tender new skin being exposed that hurt.  It started to heal and I completely forgot about it.

Fast forward about a week later, I woke up one morning feeling fine. I had plans to meet a friend for lunch.  I took a shower and immediately after my shower I started to shiver.  I knew it was chilly in the house but I didn't think it was that cold, so I went to check the thermostat and it was 69 degrees.  Not excessively cold for our house, but yet I was freezing.  Still undressed, I curled up in my robe and a blanket hoping I would soon warm up enough to get dressed.  I laid there for 20 minutes, still shivering until I finally had to force myself to get dressed.  I dressed as quickly as I could between uncontrollable shivering and put on the warmest sweatshirt I could find but I was still cold, and I was suddenly feeling tired and nauseated.  I laid down on the couch with a blanket, hoping I'd start to feel better before I had to leave to meet my friend.  After about an hour I realized I wasn't going anywhere expect back to bed.  I canceled my lunch date, crawled in bed with several blankets, still chilled to the bone, and now feeling dizzy and nauseous.  I thought it was the flu.

My son, who was also home sick that day, woke up about 11 and I told him he had to help me. I had to get to the bathroom, but I couldn't get myself out of bed.  He helped me to the bathroom and back.  Feeling that I could pass out at any moment, I told him if that happened to call his dad/my husband.  He was very sweet, he took care of me the rest of the day, bringing me water and anything else I needed.  When my husband came home I was still very sick and once again couldn't get myself out of bed.  Some time during the day a pain had developed in my lower leg, it felt like a charlie horse, but I couldn't remember having one.

The next morning I was still sick so I stayed in bed, while everybody else went to work and school.  The pain in my leg had gotten worse to the point where I could barely stand on it.  My husband came home to check on me around 10 and I showed him my leg, which was red all the way from my foot to my knee, very hot (you could feel the difference between the skin temp above and below my knee) and very painful to the touch.  I called the doctor and they were able to get me in right away.

After spending most of the morning in the doctor's office, having my blood drawn, and an ultrasound of my leg to rule out a blood clot; she concluded that it was cellulitis.  A staph infection of the deeper layers of skin, that if left untreated can spread to the blood causing blood poisoning and death.  Since it had spread to my whole lower leg and I was as sick as I was, this was serious.  She said we could do one of two things, she could put me on an antibiotic and I'd have to come back in 24 hours or she could send me to the hospital.  I really wanted to stay out of the hospital, so we choose to come back in 24 hours hoping that there was some improvement.

The next morning we when back to the doctor.  I had my blood drawn again and my white blood cell count had gone down a little so we knew the antibiotic was working.  She suggested that I have some penicillin injections to help boost the oral antibiotics.  I had 2 injections before we left and I had to come back the following day for another 2 injections.  She told me to stay in bed as much as possible  with my leg elevated over the weekend, and to go right to the ER if things got worse.  After going back in for the last 2 injections, I stayed in bed most of the weekend.  By Sunday afternoon, I was feeling strong enough to venture into the living room for a little while.

Yesterday morning I had to go back to the doctor.  My leg although still sore looks quite a bit better.  The redness had gone down to about mid-calf, but it's no longer hot so we know that the infection is going away.  I still have to watch it though to make sure it things don't make a turn for the worse, and it all started because the dry skin on my foot cracked open.  This was a hard lesson to learn;  but I've learned the importance of taking care of my skin and protecting any opening on my skin from now on.

Learning Entrelac

For a long time I've drooled over entrelac patterns, but thought they were beyond me.  Basically you knit a series of triangles and squares and they all fit together to form your project.  When I first saw this, I thought each square was knit individually and then seamed together.  I loved the look but it wasn't something I wanted to take on because I hate seaming.  When I found out it was just picking up stitches I thought I can do that, but it still took me years to even try it.

I'm knitting dish clothes for a girl scout fundraiser and using this as an opportunity to learn new skills and try out the patterns I've been wanting to try for a long time.  Turns out entrelac isn't as hard as I thought it was, just takes some getting used to.

Garter stitch entrelac dishcloth

Going green in more ways than one...

And I'm not talking about the color.

It wasn't my intention to go green with this sweater, but it just kind of happened that way.  The yarn is from Corney Goodness, a Minnesota company, specializing in hand dyed corn fiber yarn.  If you're not familiar with corn fiber yarns, it has the look and feel of cotton, but it's lighter weight, making it a perfect choice for summer knits.  The button, although it looks like wood is made from recycled plastic.

When I was planing this sweater I really had no idea what I wanted other than a circurlar yoke with one button and a wide neckline.  Using a very basic pattern I cast on and started knitting while I browsed though other patterns looking for inspiration.  I was about half way done with the body of the sweater when I finally found my pattern.  I decided to do Women's Eloise Eyelet Cardi with some mods. I had already started knitting in the round, so I didn't have to sew the seams, and needing a slightly larger size and I figured the eyelet yoke would be very easy to modify to my size.

There's only a few things I would change if I were to knit this again.  I thought I wanted 3/4 sleeves because I'm constantly pushing my sleeve up to my elbows, but I think they look a little odd, and I think I could of made the sleeves a little wider,  they're not uncomfortable they're just a little closer fitting than what I'm used to. For the most part I'd say this was a success, and I can't wait to wear it to an upcoming art festival and Hubby's class reunion, both coming up the end of September.

Up next: Fundraiser Knitting

The redesigned Alison Tank Top

After months of saying I was going to redesign this tank top so my daughter would wear it, I finally got around to doing it.  Originally, it had a low back and long skinny straps.  She refused to wear it because,  the long straps made the front neckline fall lower than she was comfortable with.  I tore it apart, added a few inches onto the back and gave it kind of racer back shaping.  She's much more comfortable wearing it now, although she'll always wear it layered over something.

In other projects.  My sweater is moving along.  I have one sleeve finished and started the other one last night.  My hope is to have the second sleeve done and both attached by the weekend, so I can start working on the yoke, which I'm sure will go fast.  I'm going to an art fair the end of September and I want to wear it then.

Writing a book

I'm starting a new project, but not a knitty one.  I'm writing a book, or at least trying to.  I've made several trips to my home town this summer; my parents still live there.  Due to road constitution I've had to take a different route though the back roads and farm country and I've been hit with a very severe case of nostalgia. As I drove though the farm country that I couldn't wait to get away from as a kid, I've come to realize just how much I miss it.  My book will be memories of growing up in rural Wisconsin, with my own experiences and some of my Dad's stories that he's shared about his childhood.  I have a feeling his will be more entertaining than mine.

I'm having a problem though.  When I sit down to write, I have a memory in mind that I want to write about, but the words just don't flow.  I can see it in my head like I'm watching an old home movie, but I can't describe it.  Then when I'm in bed and I think about what I want to write, the story just flows beautifully and I think I have to remember this, but it's gone by morning.  I'm a much better writer in my sleep.

Current projects

Even though I've been busy working this summer, I've found some time to sneak in some knitting.  I'm working on a lightweight cardigan for myself, but it will probably be next spring before I get to wear it.  It's been very slow going. It's a bottom up, in the round sweater, that I started in May.  I'm a few inches from being able to divide the front and back for the sleeves.  I wasn't exactly sure where I was going with it when I started, but I've decided now that I'm going to do a plus size version of Women's Eloise Eyelet Cardi

 

I'm also reworking a tank top I made for my daughter.  She didn't like the straps or the back.  I ripped it out yesterday and reworked the back so it has more of racer back shape.  I need to finish the front and straps in the next couple days so she will actually wear it.

Finding happiness on top a tractor

My husband along with his 3 brothers and mother own and run a sod and landscaping supply company.  In the 15 years that we've been married, I wanted every little to do with the family business.  I had my own job and my own life and I didn't want to feel tied to the farm 9 months a year.  But that all changed this spring, when I lost the job that I absolutely loved working as an Education Assistant at a local elementary school.

Due to some changes in the family business, they had an opening for me, if I wanted it, mowing the sod fields.  I really didn't know if I wanted to take the job or not, because I knew I had to work even when it was hot and I don't do hot, I knew it was going to be long days (10 hours), and I had never driven a tractor before.  I reluctantly  took the job, saying that I'd give it a try for the summer as long as I could start looking for another job after the the kids went back to school in the fall.

Here we are it's the beginning of August and the unthinkable has happened.  I realized yesterday as I sat in my tractor in 90 degree weather, that I really do like this job.  I don't feel the heat to much as long as there's a breeze.  I like that despite the noise of the tractor, it's peaceful, I know that sounds weird but it is. I like that I get to see wild life that I normally wouldn't.  Yesterday a bald eagle was roused out of some near by trees and swooped down in front of the tractor, I'd never seen one so close.  It made me wish I had my camera.  I also get to see some wonderful sunsets. Every day I'm in awe of how beautiful the farm really is, and I never noticed before.

Me and my tractor

Finished Sweater!

Took a little longer than expected, but I finished my sweater  I started this project with some trepidation.  Although I've knitted several sweaters before, this was only my second attempt at making one for myself. I was worried it wouldn't fit, that I'd run out of yarn, that I wouldn't like it, or that I'd really mess something up.  But I have to say although there are a few elements in the sweater that I should of done different, I'm very pleased with the end result.

Knitting this sweater was definitely a learning experience, and I learned a lot.  I learned how to take measurements properly, how to knit set-in sleeve from the top down.  I learned that my perception of my size is larger than it should be (I could of gone done a size) and that I could probably benefit from some shaping for a better fit.  But most importantly I've learned how to re-size a pattern to fit my needs.  No more pattern lust!

No happy medium

Well I was hoping to get this sweater done before the weather got to warm, but spring came early and I'm still working.  We had record temps the last couple days; almost 80 degrees.  That's unusual for March in Minnesota.  Being that it's so warn, it's getting really hard to concentrate on knitting a winter sweater.  But I'm doing the best I can.  If I could just get the darn sleeves right.  I've knit one sleeve so far and ripped it out twice.  The first time the cuff was to wide, the second time the whole sleeve was to tight.  I've redone the math and hopefully the 3rd times the charm.  Keeping fingers crossed.  Once I get the sleeves perfected, then I have to rip out the hood, but I think I know what the problem is there.  At this rate, maybe I'll have it done before next fall.

Summer knits

I'm still working on my sweater, but summer will be here before we know it and I hope to have my current project done before then.  In the meantime, I'm planning my summer knits.  I have the Alison tank that I've realized the upper torso needs to be ripped out and reworked.  The armhole shaping and the back aren't quite right, it should be a simple fix.

 I've also been eyeing up this asymmetric vest from Drops.  I haven't decided what yarn I'll use yet, but I'm planning on going to the Shepherd's Harvest Festival this spring so maybe I'll find some yarn there

No Knitting Day

I've been on spring break this week and I've been obsessionally knitting; hoping I'd get my sweater done by the time break is over.  I really wanted to wear it to work next week.  But all this knitting is straining my eyes, my arms hurt, and I'm getting so tired I'm making stupid mistakes.  Last night I had to frog about 7 inches on the hood because I was decreasing, making it slant inwards rather than increasing and make it slant out.  So today I'm declaring a no knitting day.  I need the break and I also need to get some other things done that I've been ignoring all week.

Drum roll please

IT FITS!  All my modifications worked.  I still have to do the hood and sleeves yet.  I'm going today to pick out buttons.  I'm thinking either something with a celtic knot or maybe some oblong wood buttons.  The cabling is gorgeous, despite the mistakes, and I think unless you really look close nobody will notice.  I can't wait to finish and show it off.

It never fails...

If there's one thing I've learned in my years of knitting, it's that no project will be completed without some problem; and usually it's something really stupid on my part.  I guess I should've realized I was about due on this project.  I almost had the body of the sweater done and ready to attach the shoulders, when I realized my mistake.  I made one armhole wider than the other, throwing off the front widths.  On one side I had a normal armhole opening and on the other I had an opening big enough to put an elephant leg though.  It actually extended a quarter of the way across my chest, leaving a very narrow band of fabric in the front.

How did this happen?  How could I not see it until now?  Well, on the one side I accidentally bound off twice as many stitches for the underarm than I was suppose to, and I guess I just wasn't paying attention to the difference as I knit.  Looking at the photo I can totally see it now.

So what kind of stupid mistakes have you done in your knitting that took you awhile to realize?

I'm getting excited

I tried it on the best I could and looks like it's going to fit!  I was worried it was going to be to big, but when I measured it last night it's only about a half inch wider than the original pattern.  Looking at it on the table, it still looks huge, but I think I need to come to terms with what size I really am.  I'm up to the armhole shaping and will try it on again when I attach the shoulders together.  I'll post a picture of myself wearing it when I know for sure it will fit.  I'm hoping to have it done in the next month or so, so I can wear it at least once this winter yet.

Sweater update

I've been working on my sweater since Feb 4th.  I'm 10 inches in and now I'm nervous.  I took it off the needles last night to try it on and it looked humungous.  I tried it on the best I could and it seems ok, but when I compared it to another sweater I own, it's about 8 inches to wide and about 2 inches wider than the original pattern.  I know I redesigned to be a little wider than the original pattern, so I'm forging ahead with it and hoping it will all be ok in the end.  I'll know if it fits better once I get up to the armhole shapeing and chest.  If it ends up to big I'll have no choice but to rip it out, start over and follow the pattern.  Already I seeing things I should've done differently.  Like the button bands.  I thought to save time, I'd knit the button bands with the sweater (I really hate picking up stitches) but I don't think that's going to work so well.

On another note, I learned last night that drinking and knitting don't mix to well.  I accidentally dumped my drink in my knitting basket. Luckily nothing was damaged to bad and I didn't get any on the yarn. This is the second time I've done it.  Guess I'll have to be the designated knitter from now on.  Only water for me.

Waiting not so patiently

I ordered the yarn for my sweater last Friday.  I've been sitting on my hands all week to keep them from starting a new project before I can start my sweater.  I've been obsessing all week about the design, playing with the length, size, and gauge in my knitting software.  I've made so many changes that it won't turn out to be the same sweater as the original pattern.  I'm itching to get started, so how can I possibly go to work today when my yarn will be delivered sometime today?  Maybe I should call in with the knitty flu.  Somehow I don't think they'll believe me.

Knitting something just for me

So I'm looking though my closet and I think to myself,  "I really need to go shopping."  I have 1 sweater, 2 fleece sweatshirts, and bunch of Hubby's old flannel shirts that I wear over t-shirts.  My job doesn't require me to dress up, but they also don't share my appreciation of Hubby's hand-me down flannels.  So rather than go shopping, I decided to put my knitting skills to work and actually make something for myself.  Which is almost unheard of; other than small projects.

I've been avoiding knitting for myself for a couple reasons.  Number one, well lets face it, I'm a big gal and finding patterns that fit and I actually like can be a little difficult.  I know there's all kind of pattern books dedicated to the plus sized knitter, but that leads me to the second part of the of the problem; I have a very hard time envisioning myself in the finished sweater.  What if I spend all that time working on it and I hate it when it's done?  Or worse, I love it, but it doesn't fit?

I've been eyeing up this sweater for a couple years, but didn't have the nerve to cast on, because the cables were over my head at the time.  Having recently gained more confidence in my cabling skills, I felt now was the time to tackle it.

Late last week the pre-project planning started.  I had Hubby take my measurements, I picked out the yarn, and since I won't follow a pattern to the letter, started to make modifications.  I want to change the cabling to a slightly different Celtic cable, I want buttons instead of a zipper, and I want it a little longer.  But I got ahead of myself and ordered the yarn before I was done with my modification, and now I'm scared.  I'm scared I didn't order enough yarn, I'm scared Hubby didn't make the right measurements.  And I'm scared the whole thing will turn into a giant mess.  Will this be a success or another disappointment?  The only way to find out, will be to knit the sweater.

Post project blues

Does this happen to anybody else?  You spent a good month or so on a project, you're happy that it's finally done; and then you spend the next couple days felling a little lost because you don't have a project to work on.  That's what I'm feeling right now.  I want to start something but haven't found the right pattern yet.  I'm kind of at a loss as to what I want to do.  I thought about doing some experimenting, but I know I don't have enough yarn, unless I want to make something out of scraps.  That could be interesting or it could turn out very ugly considering the colors I have left over.  Maybe it's time for a visit to the yarn shop for some inspiration.

Alison Tank Top

Here's the Alison Tank Top!  Turned out really cute.  I had a little trouble with the arm hole shaping and had to rip it back a couple inches, but other that that it went pretty smooth.  Would've had Alison model it, but she was busy tonight.  We'll have to get some pics this spring when we can take some outside shots.

Alison Tank-top

I'm really excited about this project, because for once something I designed from scratch is working out almost as I envisioned.  Usually my gauge is off or my measurements so the finished project is funky.

This one started the same way.  I did some fuzzy math and came up with way to many cast on stitches.  I was planning on this tank top having an hourglass shape, but after spending weeks knitting the lace part, I realized the hourglass wasn't going to work unless I wanted it to be a minidress.  Rather than rip it out, I decided to let it work to my advantige and let it be more of a baby doll tank.  Loose in the torso and tighter around the bust.  I had to do a little increasing for the bust because of the gauge difference.  As I knitted, I was worried that I had increased to much, but I had her try it on tonight and it fits perfectly.  Just another inch or 2 and I can start shaping the underarms and neckline.  Can't wait to see the finished project!