Catching up a bit

I'm in the mood for a bit of housekeeping, so I took a few pictures.

I worked on these entrelac socks on my many airplane and bus rides on vacation. I even took them out a few times on the subway. This was the perfect project to bring with me. Sock knitting will always remind me of Korea. They had many stores dedicated to fancy, cute socks. Since you have to take off your shoes a lot in Korea, you need nice socks.

I sewed this purse for my trip. I wanted a crossbody bag that would keep my hands free. I made a zippered interior pocket to protect my passport, money, and boarding passes. (I lose things easily and it was a relief to know that they were safe and sound.)

I got the fabric at Joann's with a 40% off coupon. I really loved the colors. I got more compliments on this bag than anything I've ever made.

I also put a pocket on the strap for my iPod or camera. It was really handy. The pleats on the outside were an accident. I cut the lining too small. I love the look of the gathering. I plan to make other bags with deliberate pleats.

Months ago, I joined the Phat Quarter ATC Swap. I got my package late because the artist lives in England. The card she sent me was funny, a little sad, and very pretty. I was really honored to receive this.

Her packaging was also a treat. She wrapped everything, including some vintage buttons on a handmade card, in sewing patterns. Then she tied it all together with floss and a big button. It was such a treat to open a package like that. I am really inspired by Megan to pay more attention to how I mail things. There is no reason to be plain and boring.

Staying Busy

I finished some knitting a while ago and forgot to post it. A friend sent me some ugly sock yarn that she didn't want. I didn't really like it, either. I knit it into some hand/wrist warmers and overdyed it teal blue. I love the finished hand warmers.

I'm working on another pill picture. I've already used over 50 yards of floss and it's less than half finished. I finally broke down and organized some of my threads. Organization isn't my strong suit, but I like having a palette. I also waste much less time detangling.


I've got a dozen needles threaded and waiting for me. These pills aren't going to sew themselves.

X is for...

I totally forgot to finish my ABC Along last year. Here is my X. I was proud of the X in my first name as a kid. I got teased a lot for having a boys' name, but somehow the X made up for it. A couple of years ago, I was at a party where everyone was picking out their stage names in case they ever became pr0n stars. Mine was Alexxxandra. My real name sounds more fake than any fake name I could invent. That still cracks me up.

Since a picture of Alexxx is frightening, here is an X I make every day.

I am working on Sgt. Husband's second sock. He gets leave 2/26 for 3 weeks. There is no point in explaining how excited I am since the English language only has a quarter of a million words.

I'm working on a scrap blanket. I have the loom put up until I can trust the dog not to chew on the wood. I am weaving it in two vertical pieces. The yarn is leftovers from everything and a skein of banana silk that I bought in a moment of yarn foolishness. I bought blanket binding to hide my edges. It might be pretty.

Wasting Time

I decided to frog some storebought sweaters to make dishcloths with my new loom. Considering how cheap and available cotton is, I am starting to think I am an idiot. I am making a silk purse into a sow's ear. Again.

Once upon a time, this shade of lettuce green was the most beautiful color in the universe. I couldn't get enough of it. I decorated my apartment with it. I bought every Martha Stewart K-Mart home decor item. It was shabby and chic.

Then I moved to Montana and went to work in the dark and drove home from work in the dark and stared at dirty snow and dead grass for far too long. I worked in a hospital with a dismal green morgue. My closet now is full of hot pink, orange, lime. My friend Angela calls me "Clown Hooker" for my color sense. I have been asked before if I am color blind.

Now that Sgt. Husband is overseas, I am drawn to a stormy, watery green/gray/blue that matches his patient eyes.

I decided to make my second stashbuster sock with a different stripe sequence. Working with four yarns for one row stripes was really irritating. From now on I limit myself to working with two balls of yarn at a time. The second sock uses the same stash yarns rolled into a ball and connected with Russian joins. I don't enjoy perfect symmetry as much as balance. Certain things strike me as right and visually interesting that a lot of people find ugly. I'm okay with that.

Anyway, I am a fan of color.

Goodbye, Debbie Downer

2009 represents hope and growth to me. It's kind of like when you're in bed with the flu for a week and you wake up one morning, not feeling 100%, not like you could run a marathon, but for the first time in a while you fee like you won't die, that you will recover and feel good and maybe even eat again.

This is the year my husband comes home!

I'm branching out to other fiber arts. I'm going to learn to weave this year. I'm crocheting more than I used to. I even busted out the sewing machine last night.

I started a pair of socks for David while waiting in a long line at the Starbuck's drivethrough. (There is only one Starbucks in town--the line is always long.) I declared the socks my "waiting for coffee socks" and all progress so far has been in my car. Even though I'm not one to make resolutions, I need to cut back on fancy, sugary coffee, so I'm bringing the socks to my sofa perch to make some serious progress.

I promise progress and growth this year. Goodbye, Debbie Downer!

Late November

It tasted much better than it looked.

We gave thanks for tofu. It was great. Well, everything was great except the pumpkin pie that I inadvertently spiced with turmeric instead of nutmeg. It stunk like home-baked napalm. I still can't get that taste out of my head. We'll recreate the entire meal (maybe with apple crisp) for David someday when he's home.

I finished knitting the Liger. Since I used thrift store tapestry wool, I'm giving it a good soak before I stuff it. The first wash water smelled a little dusty and thriftstore-ish. The second wash smells like oranges and of lovely wool.

I'm trying to get into the holiday spirit. I wish there were some sort of defibrillator to jump start my enthusiasm. I did manage to buy an Easy Bake Oven and a cart full of art supplies. David is shipping the kids a Wii.

In other news, I've lost 30 lbs since David went to Korea. People are starting to ask me if I've lost weight. That is somewhat awesome.

Plugging Along

I'm working on some big projects. I've got some embroidery work going that is deeply meaningful and cathartic.

I am using leftover sock yarn for needlepoint canvas. The piece measures 8.5 inches by 7.5 inches, yet I've only used a tiny bit of sock leftovers.

I'm hoping that using scraps of the yarns that warm our feet will tie this piece of military wife therapy together.

I will post photos of the final vision when I finish.

I'm also finishing a quick pair of Endpaper Mitts. I am using even more sock yarn. My yarn stash may be whittled down a bit before I go to England.

Lazy Lace

The spontaneous lace scarf I made last week gave me a little boost. I actually used some laceweight yarn that had been languishing in my basement for a long time. I think I bought it right when Knit Picks came out with their alpaca laceweight heathers.

I started over on David's blanket. I cast on with size 11 needles and worsted weight cotton. (The man needs air when he sleeps. Imagine sleeping next to a heavily sweating golden bear.)

I cast on 6 stitches and knit six rows of garter stitch.

Then I started every following row with: knit 3, yarn over, knit to end of row. Whenever I get tired of garter stitch, I knit 3, yarn over, knit one, *yarn over knit two together* to yarnover from previous row and knit to end.

I don't plan the eyelet rows, I just let them happen.

The straight rows will be: knit 3, yarn over, knit two together, knit to end of row.

The decrease rows will be: knit 3, yarn over, knit two together, knit to last 5 stitches, slip slip knit, knit to end of row.

Easy as falling in love!

She's Ugly But I Love Her

I learned a few things after casting on for this blanket.

• I don't want to work on David's blanket because each stitch feels like a step towards losing him.
• My handspun yarn is the greatest thing in the world to work with.
• I love entrelac. I love it enough to knit a whole afghan with it.
• I can knit backwards, but I have to use the Combined Method.
• I love knitting backwards.
• Even the most complex knitting can become "space out" tv knitting if you do it long enough.
• I consider an entire blanket of my handspun yarns the greatest luxury, even if the colors are a little fugly together.
• I don't want David to go.
• We went to our Overseas Medical Clearance meeting this morning and I can go to England whenever I feel ready.
• I'm terrified to move with three kids overseas by myself
• I miss my old psychiatrist, even though I really like my new doctor.
• I don't want David to go.
• I don't want him to leave.

I lead a wild life

Isabel and I went to the laundromat to wash the camper bedding today.

I brought a little laceweight project with me. I've discovered that laceweight yarn looks amazing and lovely even when it's knit in the most simple pattern. I don't have the concentration for a complicated project right now, so I'm knitting a little no-pattern scarf.

I cast on 37 stitches with a size 8 needle, worked in garter stitch for a while, then did a row of eyelets when I felt like it. There is no consistency in the placement of the eyelet rows. I'm too lazy to count sometimes.

Circuit Training for Fiber Arts

I've been making progress. I am trying to manage my time. I knit to relax and I stitch to be inspired. I have projects all over the place. Sometimes I work on five different items in one day. I sit down and pick up the project that is calling to me at the time.

That's why it takes me so long to finish something.






I'm starting a new series of embroidery projects. The entire set is dedicated to my life as a military wife. I'm pretty stoked about it. My sketch book is filling up so fast...

Not that bad

My wisdom teeth are gone. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It sucked, but the prescription for Vicodin helped me rip out the entire leg of the "Lizard Ridge" sock I knit for David. The short rows made the sock fit his extra wide foot great, but it was slouchy in the ankles, something I can tolerate but David never could.

I'm going to reknit the leg with shorter "bubbles" and bands of ribbing in between.

I can still hear the bone cracking/snapping noise of getting my teeth extracted. Nitrous oxide didn't make me forget that. Ew.

F is for...

...fuzzy, as in mohair, llama, merino, and silk--all in one sweater. I'm 99.85% finished with it. I'll post when I can wear it without exposing myself in a completely obscene manner. (I must have accidently knit a nursing mother version of the sweater that I didn't know about.)

...and fatigues--my husband's uniform. I never saw David in uniform until we had been engaged for a while. I've always known him as a casual "redneck" kind of man. I've never been one to drool over men in uniform, but I have to say that the man looks good in a blouse. (Fatigue over shirts are called blouses, even when a man is wearing them.)

Better heel pictures

I was impressed with the toe up heels on my last pair of socks. I used the "Catch me if you can" sock pattern from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders. I eliminated the dorky ruffle and used a few plain rib stitches for the body so I could get familiar with Knit Picks sock yarns.

I love being able to do a toe up sock with the stability and reinforcement of a cuff down heel. I highly recommend the pattern.

My entrelac socks didn't work out with the Felici sock yarn I was using. I'm going to start over with something thicker and less delicate. The pattern called for Cascade Fixation, but David hates cotton socks, so I'm going to try Risata. I'll use Eunny Jang's toe up Entrelac Sock pattern from Interweave Spring 2007 to keep the gauge right.

Instead, I'm using a modified version of the Lizard Ridge stripes for this sock. It's really fun and funky. The stripe length for Felici is just about perfect for what I'm doing. I'm working over 72 stitches (David size) and each "bubble" is over 18 stitches.

Appointments and Disappointments

David is out of town attending his brother's funeral. My brother-in-law had cancer several times and it is a relief to the whole family that he is at peace. I just wish there was something I could do to make my sweet husband feel better. I lost a brother this year, too, but every loss is unique in its pain. I can't imagine what David is going through right now, all I can do is listen and knit.

I'm working on David's blanket, as much as I hate to think about actually finishing it and sending it to Korea with him. This one is 100% cotton and knit at a loose gauge. The ball band recommended a 6, so I went with a 10, creating a meshy, net-like fabric. My husband's core body temperature when he sleeps is 999.6. I think that's in Kelvin.

This morning he admitted that he can't sleep without me. (Once you've slept with a giant, flopping trout who snores, steals your blankets, and elbows you in the face--you really can't sleep alone again.)

I've also cast on for some entrelac socks David wanted. I'm much more excited about knitting these than a garter stitch blanket. I'm also embroidering some secret stuff for him that I won't post yet because he actually reads this blog a few times a year.

David has been nagging me for over a year to get my wisdom teeth pulled, so I'm doing it. I fear/hate this more than anything. Seriously, I'd rather get another cervical biopsy. I'm also getting my first dental cavity filled. (I have to brag that I'm 33 years old and this is my first cavity.)

When I told my husband I was doing this, it actually cheered him up a little. (We are very mean to each other when we're physically sick--that's just how we are. I'd think he didn't love me if my oral surgery didn't make him chipper.)

I'm also getting my eyes checked, my asthma monitored, and I'm hiring a new therapist. I've been on the phone with insurance companies and medical receptionists so much lately that I put my phone away hot and sweaty every day. I'm trying trying to get all of my medical care turned over to civilians--it's so much easier. Wish me luck.