We are so ready for spring around here. Yesterday a big plowish truck (a scraper maybe? all those truck books I've read and yet absorbed nothing) spent over an hour breaking up a glacier that moved in across the street and, while Olivia napped, Liam and I watched all the drama and soaked up some sun. It was great entertainment, although I do wonder why the ice couldn't be trusted to melt all by itself.
In the realm of knitting, Clapotis number two is coming along. It would be farther along if I didn't keep making stupid mistakes that require ripping out multiple rows. Fortunately I haven't reached the part where stitches are dropped because I'm not sure if it's even possible to rip then. So there's not much to show, really, but here's a picture anyway.
The Koigu on 8s (5mm) is drapey and lacy and it turns out the black does have little ripples of gray running through it. Unfortunately this particular bit of knitting also has large ripples of unevenness because Olivia has gotten a hold of if a few times. She's been teaching herself to knit by weaving the needles in and out and around and through whenever I'm distracted. At one point I did give her some crappy yarn and some "icks" but the icks became swords and the yarn a spider web (Liam helped) so I gathered them up and put them away for another time. I'm hoping I can ease the wonkiness out tomorrow or I might need to rip again.
But I must confess I've been feeling drawn to another genre of craftiness lately (in addition to, NOT in place of). Over the last few months these have somehow accumulated:
I honestly haven't sewn a stitch for quite a while, mostly because of a lack of space; it's just no fun to sew on our home's lone dining table with two small sets of fingers prying into my workspace and pushing buttons. And then I have to put it all away before dinner time. However, the new house has a spot for a sewing table, so I do have hope for the future. I know how to sew basic stuff, so I'll start off small, but I have ginormous plans. Slipcovers and curtains and roman blinds. Toys and bags and little kid clothes. And then there's cute appliques on kids' t-shirts. And even, someday, quilts. That Kaffe Fassett book is spectacular (of course); just look at this one made from mens' dress shirts:
I'm guessing it's a lot harder to sew a mitered square than to knit one. Sooooo, I'm not really sure I have it in me to make one, but I sure as hell* would like to own one. I've been checking out sewing blogs as well, and finding all kinds of covetous projects. For example, check out this beautiful doll quilt made by Samantha for a swap. As in to give away. I want me one of those too.
Ahh well...I must say goodbye so long to those lovely books because soon they will be packed away to be moved. Let's hope they get some heavy use once we are resettled.
In the meantime, Olivia has made two unfortunate discoveries: how to get out of her crib and how to use a doorknob. Bedtime is now a ridiculously long process: we put her down; she gathers up baby dolls, pig, soothers, purse, and books and tosses them to the floor (oh yeah, she sleeps with all that stuff); she jumps down with a thud and gathers up all and sundry again; she appears at the top of the stairs to chat; we put her down again; she gets up. Repeat all of the above for a couple of hours. This means she is very tired and extra willful but is mostly willful about something I am more than happy to let her have her way in: outfits.
That right there's a dress over a tutu, which is in turn worn over perfectly good pants and a shirt. Later she added a cape.
*A strange expression, is it not, for someone who does not believe in hell?
The Sublime Stitching book is awesome!! I had never embroidered before (but had x-stitched about 15 years ago) and have already embroidered a lovely tea towel and have 2 cushion covers planned.
Also how can you go wrong with Amy Butler - I don't have any of her books, but I do have a couple of her bag patterns and often drool over many others.
Posted by: Lyndsey-Jane | February 21, 2008 at 05:03 AM
Love the grey in the black for the koigu. I am weakening on the clapotis out of koigu.
Sewing? Have fun. :) That Fassett quilt is way cool.
We are very, very jealous of your scraper. If they don't come by and just leave ice to melt on its own, the streets turn to a giant slush fest for a couple weeks and you can't walk on them. I wish our crews did that, you know, in April when things start to melt. :)
Posted by: Holly Jo | February 21, 2008 at 09:27 AM
Oh, you do need a change. Or a few. Spring will come, really. O will sleep -- but not soon, or easily -- and you will sew yourself crazy. A friend was moaning at a quilt show about having no time to quilt and one of the older women there said, "Honey, we didn't do this with little ones around either."
I try to comfort myself with that.
And then you can tell me how to get Thing 4 to sleep when she weans. Ha ha ha ha ha. . . ha.
Posted by: stefaneener | February 21, 2008 at 09:39 AM
Sewing time, and a room to do it in- hooray!!! I'm so excited for you, and flattered to be linked. You and I seem in sync with our clapotis-knitting, too...
Posted by: samantha | February 21, 2008 at 01:27 PM
Ooh, pretty clapotis. I'm weakening--I might end up knitting one after all.
Isn't it a pain when the kids start getting independent? ;)
Posted by: Jody | February 21, 2008 at 07:38 PM