little bit of crazy leaking out

Knitting FOs 2006:

• 22 dishcloths and a bunch of scrubbies
• 8 pairs of socks
• 4 hats
• 4 sweaters (1 baby, 1 vest) 
• 3 pairs of mittens/mitts
• 3 lace shawls
• 1 lace scarf
• 1 bag - knitting finished, need to sew lining

Not to shabby, if I do say so myself.  Even if you don’t count the dishcloths, I averaged 2 projects a month!

UFOs being carried into 2007:

• Bug’s sweater - just need to seam and do cuff ribbing
• Ed’s socks - second sock
• felted bag - needs to be re-wet and blocked
• Tomten for Dulaan Project
• bag - knitting finished, need to sew lining

I think that’s all of the FOs and UFOs. 

Now how about those knitting resolutions for 2006? 

Knit a sweater for me. - ummm, soon, very soon.

Work with a sock pattern until I can get it to fit my wide feet, high instep, and thick ankles. - this year for sure, I’m tired of making socks for everyone else.  Ok, I did make a pair of house socks, for me, but that doesn’t count.

Finish at least one project a month.  Close, very close. I missed November, but I averaged more than 2 a month for the year . . . so I’m gonna cheat and say - DONE.

Not buy more yarn. When I started buying yarn I intended to keep my stash to a specific size, I want it to get back down to that size again. I have enough projects waiting for me I should be able to get quite a bit accomplished before needing to purchase any more yarn. Let’s try for 6 months. - HA! Not even close!  Two local stores closed in March and that was the end of it for me.  I made it two months, maybe I’ll try for three months of no yarn buying through 2007.

Knit a shawl, or many shawls for holiday gifts next year if all goes well.  - Done. Done. Done. Two shawls for gifts this year, plus one for the Knitting Olympics. I love knitting lace.

Knitting resolutions for 2007:

Knit a sweater for me. - Have the yarn, have the pattern.

Work on knitting socks for me. - Have the yarn (see last paragraph in post), need to work on the pattern.

Practice “Yarn Restraint”.  Now, I’m not saying yarn diet, but restraint, all things in moderation.  Also, try to have three months, throughout the year, with no yarn purchases.

Finish my Dulaan Avalanch Yarn knitting.

My Fortune Cookie told me: You have forgotten something very, very important. Get a cookie from Miss Fortune

This was Hubby’s, it’s especially funny if you are a Monty Python fan . . .

My Fortune Cookie told me: Expect the Spanish Inquisition. Get a cookie from Miss Fortune

I remember getting my first Barbie. I had played with Barbies at friends’ homes, but those were their Barbies, not mine. It was my birthday, and she was a Malibu Barbie, a gift from my across the street neighbor, Lisa, along with an extra outfit and a shoe wardrobe. Not just one pair of shoes but a whole shoe wardrobe, my favorite were the knee high boots.

Over the years I accumulated several more Barbies and a Ken, stylish in his blue velvet jumpsuit, the Barbie Star Traveler Motorhome, and a townhouse, complete with furniture and elevator. The motor home was a gift but I bought the townhouse from a friend of mine who was moving, I think I paid $3 for it, maybe $5. I spent hours and hours with my friends, Vicki and Annie, playing Barbie.

I learned to sew on a small child’s chain stitch sewing machine, making my own Barbie clothes. Mostly they were halter style dresses, but mom would take me down to the fabric store and I would pick out a couple of fat quarters and go home and sew, sew, sew.

I also remember saving up my allowance so I could go up to Pay ‘n Save to pick out a new Barbie outfit. My friends and I would go through all the outfits on the peg over and over again until the perfect outfit was found, and purchased, and brought home to be tried on all of the Barbies in turn.

Many years ago I was working in an office where one of my co-workers sold Avon. On occasion Avon has ‘collectable’ Barbies in it’s catalog. I ended up buying two different ones, for no reason really except, perhaps, nostalgia. They sat in their boxes untouched for almost 10 years, until this week.

This week Bug received a Barbie for Hanukkah. Um, she was what I like to refer to as a ‘Streetwalker Barbie’. I guess she would have been okay (not great, just okay) if bug were a few years older, maybe. Bug was THRILLED with the Barbie and the outfits that came along with her. I was less than thrilled, and I felt like a hypocrite. The aunt she received the doll from is the same person whose daughter we used to buy Barbies for almost every year. Now, the dolls we bought were usually the Holiday Barbie for that year or one of the Disney character dolls, not the new Barbies that have been created to compete with the evil Bratz dolls.

I told Bug I would have to think about whether or not she could keep the Barbie, there were tears. Again I felt like a hypocrite, I had played with Barbie, I had gifted Barbies to others. After chatting with a dear friend I made the decision to let her trade the Barbie she had gotten for one of my ‘collector’ Barbies (Spring Tea Time Barbie) and we would exchange the items she had gotten for other more ‘appropriate’ Barbie items. This was deemed acceptable by Bug.

We spent three hours shopping for Barbie! Holey Carp! Three hours! I have to say, Barbie is not what she used to be. We did come home with a second doll and one outfit, then the next day another outfit and a set with pajamas, nightgown and robe. Bug was in heaven. “Look at the shoes, mama!” She loves the shoes.

Did you know that there are now two different Barbie bodies? Well there are. The first is the ‘old body’, the classic Barbie from the 70s and 80s; then there is the ‘new body’, she is less busty and has a smaller ribcage. The picture shows the difference between the classic body on the left and the new body on the right.  The mannequin came with one of the new outfits and shows the shape of the new body.  The new body does not twist at the waist and has a very different leg joint.

 

This means that the new body clothes won’t fit the old body dolls, and they still sell dolls that have the old style body. I never thought Barbie would have issues in the fitting room, but like the rest of us, she does.  One of the new outfits was a pajamas, pants and a simple top, the top didn’t fit but the pants did. What’s a crafty mom to do? She knits up a little tank top . . .

and a dress . . .

Both of these are from a set of free patterns I found on-line, here, and were made with a small amount of Baby Ull.  I blocked the skirt on a styrofoam cone.  If/when I make the dress again I’ll add a couple of stitches to the bodice, as this one is a bit snug.  Oh, and I added a couple of short rows to the tank top.

We also picked up a couple of sewing patterns, so I get to sew for Barbie, too.  Oh joy, oh rapture, oh heavenly bliss.

The storm came and went and we survived. The wind howled, the trees bowed, and the power flickered, but no full blown outages. My parents lost power in the city, but here in the ‘burbs we were fine. Hubby’s mom had a tree fall on her house, up on the island, but all things considered, the damage was minor and she is fine.

Do any of the locals remember that  commercial from the 80s?  It was for KIRO news with Harry Wapler singing weather songs, “Singing in the Rain’ in the shower and such.

We are supposed to get winds upto 65mph tonight.  We’re prepared for the power to go out; crank flashlights, crank emergency radio with AM/FM/TV/weather.  The candles are ready.  I went to the store to pick up some no cook foods, and now all we can do is wait.

We’re watching the Seahawks game until the power goes, then we’ll listen on the radio.  Just hoping all this rain and wind doesn’t knock one of those leaning trees over, and into the house. 

At VY&T on Saturday it was pointed out to me, more than once, by more than one person, that it had been a while since I had updated my blog.  Comments about “the green socks still being there” and hints about possibily posting abounded.  So, with out further ado, more green socks!

pattern:  my own, k3p3 rib, K5p1 leg, dutch heel, standard toe
yarn:  Kroy Sox
needles:  Crystal Palace US2.5
cast on:  October 30th (ish)  cast off: Dec 2nd

I’ve been doing some spinning too. Yes, I have fallen to the dark side.  On Thursday I spun up the remaining roving from my class, then on Friday I wacked together a lazy kate so I could do some plying.

I am actually quite pleased with my first finished yarn. 

 

 . . . and another FO!

pattern:  Spinner’s Shawl by Evelyn Clark
yarn:  Silky Wool
needles:  Clover Bamboo US8
cast on:  Dec 2nd  cast off: Dec 10th
notes:  Love this pattern, though it did turn out larger than I had planned.  The border is quite wide, which I chose to have amnesia about while knitting.  The cast off is great, nice and stretchy!

Since I had spun up all the roving I had, I picked up some more on Saturday.  Practice, practice, practice!  What holiday knitting?!