In case you are reading via Google Reader or another feed reader, please note that this blog has moved! I'm finally moving on up to Wordpress, to the site I started setting up... a few years ago. This site will redirect, but please update your feeds as well!
Find Handknit by Mikaiya at http://mikaiya.wordpress.com/.
Find the wedding blog (if you're interested) at its same old location, also on Wordpress at http://jorgegortex.wordpress.com/.
See you over there soon!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 03, 2009
The Cost of Quality
I've been thinking about quality and cost of clothing lately. I've never been much of a slave to fashion. Far from it- I really did wear prairie dresses to middle school. A lot. My mother made me matching bonnets but I believe (thank goodness) that I didn't actually wear those WITH the dresses to school.
Around when I realized that maybe prairie dresses weren't the "it" thing, even on drama kids, I discovered this one incredible top. It was a lightweight cardigan, very boxy in style, with amazing drape and hand. It buttoned in the front, and had tiny little pockets just right to hold a tissue and some bobby pins or little whatnots. It had a delicate texture to it, a printing of some kind, but was entirely cream in color. I think it must have been a cotton/linen blend. It went beautifully with my hippie skirts, most of which my mother sewed for me. Broomstick skirts, after all, are way cheaper to make than to buy. Did I mention this was all in the early to mid 90s? I picked up this amazing top, which I wore at least weekly from maybe 8th grade through the middle of high school, in the Northern Neck of Virginia when my mom and I visited my Aunt Barb. We went to this quaint little shop with lots of hippie style clothing- the sorts of clothing I associated at the time with my chorus teacher, Mrs. Kaz. Earth mother, very granola, typical attire for theater folks or New Englanders with an unusual sense of fashion. Funny how certain styles of clothing, voluptuous and flowing and in muted colors, can be so strictly drawn into a style of personality as well. I think they still sell all that stuff, the browns and beiges and unstructured linens, in the same shops where they sell those good old broomstick hippie skirts, and patchouli incense. My father loves patchouli, but I'm not sure I ever acquired a taste for the smell, though most of my clothes in middle school definitely smelled of it.
Where I'm going with this, and I am, really, going with this, is that that top got plum wore out. I wore it by itself, with jeans and those ever present skirts, and then as I grew older it became a cute little jacket over a green leotard with black slacks. Or over a black tank top and a black skirt. I did wear a lot of black, but that cream-colored top just went with everything. It was soft, comfortable, and just delicious in every way.
It also cost over a hundred dollars. That was an awfully big deal at the time- my mom bought it for me on the condition that I clean the bathroom my sister and I shared in our house in New Hampshire. And I did, for the year or so that we still lived there. Every week, I cleaned that bathroom with great care, because I valued the bargain, and I felt like that sweater top was worth every penny that she paid for it. I wore it not because of a value for money ratio, however, but because it really was amazingly made. The buttons never once came loose, the jacket stayed its pretty unstructured self as long as I had it. I did finally have to stop wearing it because years of wearing and washing finally broke it down, and it was getting a bit threadbare.
Now I still prefer clothes that are fairly inexpensive. A hundred bucks still is more than I am generally willing to spend on a top. But my first experience with true garment quality- a clothing item that is priced high, but incredibly well-made - was really beneficial. My love for all kinds of fiber has been instructional. I can tell when something is well-sewn, well-constructed, out of good quality materials. I can usually tell when something will last me an entire season, or better yet many many seasons. Sometimes I still misjudge, and sometimes you just need that color of the season in a cheap-o top that will self-destruct after a single summer.
But I've learned the more important lessons about the cost of quality being completely worth it. It's better to get the hundred dollar pants on sale for fifty, than the fifty dollar pants that aren't lined and have shoddy pockets. Undergarments in the right size are worth every single penny of their absurd costs, if it means you avoid back problems. And I may no longer be able to wear that one sweater jacket anymore, but it will always be there in the back of my mind when I knit my own sweaters and purchase ready-made, reminding me to factor in the completely worthwhile cost of quality.
Around when I realized that maybe prairie dresses weren't the "it" thing, even on drama kids, I discovered this one incredible top. It was a lightweight cardigan, very boxy in style, with amazing drape and hand. It buttoned in the front, and had tiny little pockets just right to hold a tissue and some bobby pins or little whatnots. It had a delicate texture to it, a printing of some kind, but was entirely cream in color. I think it must have been a cotton/linen blend. It went beautifully with my hippie skirts, most of which my mother sewed for me. Broomstick skirts, after all, are way cheaper to make than to buy. Did I mention this was all in the early to mid 90s? I picked up this amazing top, which I wore at least weekly from maybe 8th grade through the middle of high school, in the Northern Neck of Virginia when my mom and I visited my Aunt Barb. We went to this quaint little shop with lots of hippie style clothing- the sorts of clothing I associated at the time with my chorus teacher, Mrs. Kaz. Earth mother, very granola, typical attire for theater folks or New Englanders with an unusual sense of fashion. Funny how certain styles of clothing, voluptuous and flowing and in muted colors, can be so strictly drawn into a style of personality as well. I think they still sell all that stuff, the browns and beiges and unstructured linens, in the same shops where they sell those good old broomstick hippie skirts, and patchouli incense. My father loves patchouli, but I'm not sure I ever acquired a taste for the smell, though most of my clothes in middle school definitely smelled of it.
Where I'm going with this, and I am, really, going with this, is that that top got plum wore out. I wore it by itself, with jeans and those ever present skirts, and then as I grew older it became a cute little jacket over a green leotard with black slacks. Or over a black tank top and a black skirt. I did wear a lot of black, but that cream-colored top just went with everything. It was soft, comfortable, and just delicious in every way.
It also cost over a hundred dollars. That was an awfully big deal at the time- my mom bought it for me on the condition that I clean the bathroom my sister and I shared in our house in New Hampshire. And I did, for the year or so that we still lived there. Every week, I cleaned that bathroom with great care, because I valued the bargain, and I felt like that sweater top was worth every penny that she paid for it. I wore it not because of a value for money ratio, however, but because it really was amazingly made. The buttons never once came loose, the jacket stayed its pretty unstructured self as long as I had it. I did finally have to stop wearing it because years of wearing and washing finally broke it down, and it was getting a bit threadbare.
Now I still prefer clothes that are fairly inexpensive. A hundred bucks still is more than I am generally willing to spend on a top. But my first experience with true garment quality- a clothing item that is priced high, but incredibly well-made - was really beneficial. My love for all kinds of fiber has been instructional. I can tell when something is well-sewn, well-constructed, out of good quality materials. I can usually tell when something will last me an entire season, or better yet many many seasons. Sometimes I still misjudge, and sometimes you just need that color of the season in a cheap-o top that will self-destruct after a single summer.
But I've learned the more important lessons about the cost of quality being completely worth it. It's better to get the hundred dollar pants on sale for fifty, than the fifty dollar pants that aren't lined and have shoddy pockets. Undergarments in the right size are worth every single penny of their absurd costs, if it means you avoid back problems. And I may no longer be able to wear that one sweater jacket anymore, but it will always be there in the back of my mind when I knit my own sweaters and purchase ready-made, reminding me to factor in the completely worthwhile cost of quality.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Distractions
I had a lovely Saturday afternoon with two good old friends, who were kind enough to remind me that we hadn't hung out since the day after I got engaged. Tempus fugit indeed. They do live ALL the way in Maryland... but I know that's no excuse for hiding in DC and VA for as long as I have. I also heard from my college roommates this weekend, and hope to get together with them in September. I never understood how people could still enjoy friends and never see them- but now I know. Life is very random, and it really does get in the way. The people I see daily and weekly are the ones who are close by- which is sad, because the ones who are far away are no less loved. Geography just sucks when you work full-time and are planning a wedding, apparently. On the plus side, part of my absence from everyone's lives is going to culminate in seeing all my nearest and dearest on our wedding day- so hopefully they'll all forgive me my distance. I definitely need to plan more (small, non-momentous) parties next year.
I think we are at the point in wedding planning where for every item I check off on the to-do list, I have to add three. This is exceedingly unhelpful at feeling any sense of accomplishment. But so it goes.
Besides hanging out with one of my favorite couples, I was mostly relaxed this weekend. I didn't go to the gym (horrors!) because Gym Buddy was out of town. Instead I was half-lazy, half-productive. Saturday morning G and I ran a bunch of errands, getting some of those wedding to-do's out of the way and picking up some prescriptions and some gorgeous farm-fresh eggs and berries at the Farmer's Market in Courthouse. Sunday I made a frittata and ate some berries, and did the laundry while watching Mad Men and cooking up my lemon chicken and potatoes. Dinner was scrumptious, with a Virginia Chardonnay alongside, and then we watched a few episodes of True Blood while I continued knitting nonbloggable thing 2 (only 3 repeats to go!). I was really really hoping to finish thing 2 in August, even though I knew it would take four weeks and it's only been three since I cast on. I was delusional in thinking I could somehow knit 25% faster than before! It's frustrating, because I know the next few weeks are booked solid with activities. All I can do is keep knitting on my commute, and trying to sneak in rows wherever I can. Thing 3 will just have to wait a bit.
I think we are at the point in wedding planning where for every item I check off on the to-do list, I have to add three. This is exceedingly unhelpful at feeling any sense of accomplishment. But so it goes.
Besides hanging out with one of my favorite couples, I was mostly relaxed this weekend. I didn't go to the gym (horrors!) because Gym Buddy was out of town. Instead I was half-lazy, half-productive. Saturday morning G and I ran a bunch of errands, getting some of those wedding to-do's out of the way and picking up some prescriptions and some gorgeous farm-fresh eggs and berries at the Farmer's Market in Courthouse. Sunday I made a frittata and ate some berries, and did the laundry while watching Mad Men and cooking up my lemon chicken and potatoes. Dinner was scrumptious, with a Virginia Chardonnay alongside, and then we watched a few episodes of True Blood while I continued knitting nonbloggable thing 2 (only 3 repeats to go!). I was really really hoping to finish thing 2 in August, even though I knew it would take four weeks and it's only been three since I cast on. I was delusional in thinking I could somehow knit 25% faster than before! It's frustrating, because I know the next few weeks are booked solid with activities. All I can do is keep knitting on my commute, and trying to sneak in rows wherever I can. Thing 3 will just have to wait a bit.
Friday, August 28, 2009
A few things I've learned
I'm still no Martha Stewart. Though the closer I get to being married, the more I seem to be aiming for that kind of perfection. Perfection isn't the right word, of course- I'll never be perfect, and certainly never do it all and look good doing it. But I think I'm taking a particular brand of domesticity to heart. And the domesticity? Definitely I have more of a drive for it than ever before. I guess love and impending marriage can do that to a girl. For the record, none of it has improved my cleaning abilities, or my desire to do any cleaning. Too bad about that. So these are the things I've learned lately, in the domestic sphere. Very Martha Stewart. Maybe you know them already?
1: Baguettes can be sliced into chunks, or into little slices, and stuck in the freezer. They probably should be in foil to begin with, so they don't get freezer burned, but I just threw mine in a plastic ziplock. Pull out just what you need for dinner, wrap in foil, and stick in the back of a hot oven for maybe 20-30 minutes while dinner is cooking. They come out nicely toasted, warm, and incredibly delicious. Almost as good as fresh baked. I think I'll do this FOREVER now I know about it, because I used to waste a lot of baguettes because I know I shouldn't eat too much bread. Now I can buy one baguette, and enjoy it at least 3 times. This counts as a money saving tip, as well as a domestic cooking tip. After all, fresh hot bread makes everything better.
2: Another money and time saving tip that I probably knew about, but didn't bother with, was to immediately process grocery items as soon as I get home. Specifically, I like to buy multi-colored pepper packages at Costco (CHEAP!), and cut them up for use in chili, stews, frittatas, etc. I like a blend of every color, so I cut all the peppers up and blend them together. One package of Costco peppers fills 3 or 4 reusable plastic containers, which is probably a cup and a half or two cups of cut peppers in the end. Exactly the right amount for my favorite black bean chili, or I can take out just a little bit at a time for frittatas and omelettes. I toss the plastic containers in the freezer, a little freezer burn frankly doesn't seem to hurt them. And I don't bother defrosting- the peppers defrost and cook beautifully straight from frozen.
3: Toss leftover chicken carcasses (ie, from rotisserie chicken from the store), leftover veggie bits (celery stalks, carrots, etc), etc., into plastic baggies and shove in the freezer. On a quiet Sunday afternoon, make chicken stock. That's my plan for this weekend, in fact.
4. The very oldest recipes are often the best recipes. Plain old roast beef with carrots and potatoes, ziti casserole, and homemade lasagne with the long-simmering meat sauce are still three of my very favorite meals. And when you eat them, it's like childhood all over again. There are also days when all you can muster the strength to cook is Kraft Mac and Cheese. And that's a perfectly fine option.
5. The very newest blogosphere recipes can be just as fun, though. For example, after sampling Gym Buddy's AMAZING chocolate cookies from that infamous 24-hour recipe... well, let's just say I'm on the bandwagon. And speaking of cookies and baking? Bridesmaid J gave me the smartest tip. Spray pam on a 1/4 cup measuring cup, and use that to scoop up your batter for muffins or whatnot. So effective!
6. I take the idea of going green, at least making an effort, very seriously. And we're making some strides! I've switched to using bamboo utensils at work (cute little package, I can wash them in the restroom after each use, and no more take-out plastic forks). We started using fabric napkins at work, and the cheap ones from Target seem to be holding up just fine. I'd like to make fancy ones but... these will do for now! We also are using cheap-o Costco bar towels for almost everything we used to use paper towels for. Good for the environment, and frankly the house looks nicer without all that paper and trash.
Here's my black bean chili recipe. The general idea seems basic enough, but I did steal the gist of it from All Recipes. It's marked in my recipe box as "G loves!" and he definitely does. I like it best with a bit of shredded cheese and some sour cream, but the dish is vegan on its own. G likes to add some hot sauce, and I sometimes add a little bit myself. It's probably kid-friendly- definitely not too spicy without the added hot sauce. You can substitute almost anything of course- this is chili, not rocket science. The original recipe calls for a jalapeno pepper, but I've still never cooked with them, so I give that a miss.
George's Favorite Black Bean Chili
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1 yellow onion, diced fine
-one package mixed frozen peppers, OR 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
-1 small can sweet corn, drained
-6 plum tomatoes, diced OR 1 can diced no-sodium-added tomatoes. (I use the can, usually)
-1 tsp ground black pepper- cheap stuff is fine
-1 tsp ground cumin
-1 tbsp chili powder
-2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (you can substitute other beans as needed)
-1 can low-sodium chicken broth, or 1.5 cups homemade broth
-1 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for a few minutes, then add frozen or fresh bell peppers, tomatoes, and corn for 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
2. Season with black pepper, cumin and chili powder. Stir in the black beans, chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Simmer for at least ten minutes.
3. Serve hot by itself or over rice.
1: Baguettes can be sliced into chunks, or into little slices, and stuck in the freezer. They probably should be in foil to begin with, so they don't get freezer burned, but I just threw mine in a plastic ziplock. Pull out just what you need for dinner, wrap in foil, and stick in the back of a hot oven for maybe 20-30 minutes while dinner is cooking. They come out nicely toasted, warm, and incredibly delicious. Almost as good as fresh baked. I think I'll do this FOREVER now I know about it, because I used to waste a lot of baguettes because I know I shouldn't eat too much bread. Now I can buy one baguette, and enjoy it at least 3 times. This counts as a money saving tip, as well as a domestic cooking tip. After all, fresh hot bread makes everything better.
2: Another money and time saving tip that I probably knew about, but didn't bother with, was to immediately process grocery items as soon as I get home. Specifically, I like to buy multi-colored pepper packages at Costco (CHEAP!), and cut them up for use in chili, stews, frittatas, etc. I like a blend of every color, so I cut all the peppers up and blend them together. One package of Costco peppers fills 3 or 4 reusable plastic containers, which is probably a cup and a half or two cups of cut peppers in the end. Exactly the right amount for my favorite black bean chili, or I can take out just a little bit at a time for frittatas and omelettes. I toss the plastic containers in the freezer, a little freezer burn frankly doesn't seem to hurt them. And I don't bother defrosting- the peppers defrost and cook beautifully straight from frozen.
3: Toss leftover chicken carcasses (ie, from rotisserie chicken from the store), leftover veggie bits (celery stalks, carrots, etc), etc., into plastic baggies and shove in the freezer. On a quiet Sunday afternoon, make chicken stock. That's my plan for this weekend, in fact.
4. The very oldest recipes are often the best recipes. Plain old roast beef with carrots and potatoes, ziti casserole, and homemade lasagne with the long-simmering meat sauce are still three of my very favorite meals. And when you eat them, it's like childhood all over again. There are also days when all you can muster the strength to cook is Kraft Mac and Cheese. And that's a perfectly fine option.
5. The very newest blogosphere recipes can be just as fun, though. For example, after sampling Gym Buddy's AMAZING chocolate cookies from that infamous 24-hour recipe... well, let's just say I'm on the bandwagon. And speaking of cookies and baking? Bridesmaid J gave me the smartest tip. Spray pam on a 1/4 cup measuring cup, and use that to scoop up your batter for muffins or whatnot. So effective!
6. I take the idea of going green, at least making an effort, very seriously. And we're making some strides! I've switched to using bamboo utensils at work (cute little package, I can wash them in the restroom after each use, and no more take-out plastic forks). We started using fabric napkins at work, and the cheap ones from Target seem to be holding up just fine. I'd like to make fancy ones but... these will do for now! We also are using cheap-o Costco bar towels for almost everything we used to use paper towels for. Good for the environment, and frankly the house looks nicer without all that paper and trash.
Here's my black bean chili recipe. The general idea seems basic enough, but I did steal the gist of it from All Recipes. It's marked in my recipe box as "G loves!" and he definitely does. I like it best with a bit of shredded cheese and some sour cream, but the dish is vegan on its own. G likes to add some hot sauce, and I sometimes add a little bit myself. It's probably kid-friendly- definitely not too spicy without the added hot sauce. You can substitute almost anything of course- this is chili, not rocket science. The original recipe calls for a jalapeno pepper, but I've still never cooked with them, so I give that a miss.
George's Favorite Black Bean Chili
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1 yellow onion, diced fine
-one package mixed frozen peppers, OR 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
-1 small can sweet corn, drained
-6 plum tomatoes, diced OR 1 can diced no-sodium-added tomatoes. (I use the can, usually)
-1 tsp ground black pepper- cheap stuff is fine
-1 tsp ground cumin
-1 tbsp chili powder
-2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (you can substitute other beans as needed)
-1 can low-sodium chicken broth, or 1.5 cups homemade broth
-1 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for a few minutes, then add frozen or fresh bell peppers, tomatoes, and corn for 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
2. Season with black pepper, cumin and chili powder. Stir in the black beans, chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Simmer for at least ten minutes.
3. Serve hot by itself or over rice.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Plum Cake
I made Smitten Kitchen's Dimpled Plum Cake recipe over the weekend. I used golden plums (orange? whatever they are), instead of the deep purpley gorgeous plums she used. I also used my KitchenAid for the very first time while mixing the dough. First, I have to mention my love for that appliance. The KitchenAid is the best thing ever. The dough came together, with zero effort on my part, in a beautiful harmony of flavors and ingredients and oh my goodness is it fast. Also? I found the whole thing delightfully easy to clean up afterwards. I can't believe I never used it before. It was a gift before I moved in with the fiance, and when I moved back it somehow ended up in our pantry in the basement. He brought it up for me to play with this weekend, and it is now installed in a corner of the kitchen counter, where it will stay in all its breast-cancer-pink glory until I die. Or at least until we remodel the kitchen.
I didn't take any photos of the finished cake. I wasn't sure it worked at first. I thought it seemed a bit undercooked, and it didn't really look like the picture from Smitten Kitchen. I thought I'd destroyed it by using the KitchenAid, instead of mixing with a hand blender. But two nights ago, we braved it. Tried the plum cake, with a little bit of whipped cream on top.
It's heaven. Make that recipe, now. It took me literally ten minutes to throw together (with the KitchenAid's mixing help), and only forty minutes or so to bake. Even using different plums, it is the most delectable sweet treat I've had in ages. It tastes of caramelized fruit, and summer. It tastes like George's love for me, and my love for him.
In other words, it came out differently than expected, but absolutely perfect in the end.
I didn't take any photos of the finished cake. I wasn't sure it worked at first. I thought it seemed a bit undercooked, and it didn't really look like the picture from Smitten Kitchen. I thought I'd destroyed it by using the KitchenAid, instead of mixing with a hand blender. But two nights ago, we braved it. Tried the plum cake, with a little bit of whipped cream on top.
It's heaven. Make that recipe, now. It took me literally ten minutes to throw together (with the KitchenAid's mixing help), and only forty minutes or so to bake. Even using different plums, it is the most delectable sweet treat I've had in ages. It tastes of caramelized fruit, and summer. It tastes like George's love for me, and my love for him.
In other words, it came out differently than expected, but absolutely perfect in the end.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Nonbloggable thing two
I'm about at that point where the second nonbloggable project is beginning to be both cool and a slog at the very same time. It's big enough now that I can truly admire my work, and to have some nice drape while I'm knitting. At the same time, I'm not quite halfway through the repeats, and I certainly have the stitch pattern memorized, and I'm pretty much done. Ready to move on with my life, and get on with other things. Oh well, nearly halfway done is definitely progress!
I have this desire to knit sweaters. Things that are cute. Things that are warm and cuddly and appropriate for my new/old office, where business casual is the order of the day. The job change is brilliant thus far, and I'm ecstatic to be back downtown again. There are some trade-offs, of course- my commute is longer, and if I oversleep and miss the 8:04am bus I end up not getting a seat on the train, not being able to knit, and generally being stuffed like a sardine for 45 minutes. Oh! And the commute bumps up to at least a full hour, instead of 45 minutes or so. But I'm not complaining exactly, because on the mornings when I do get up in time and make my early bus I have so much blissful knitting time. SEVEN rows of lace, at the very least, just in the morning commute. For some reason the evening commute isn't as productive, knit-wise, since I can't always get a seat or such perfect conditions in my favor. But I'm adjusting. And of course the evening commute is longer than it used to be, but since I now get on metro ahead of Metro Center (the main transfer point), the cars are blissfully uncrowded for a stop or two, so again... I am able to sit down, take a load off, and knit knit knit my way home.
Not only is the job enjoyable, my commute is actually a joy. I wish it weren't basically two hours of my day, but as long as I'm able to knit and read on the way, I can't really complain too much! In the end, that's how I'm so close to halfway done with nonbloggable thing two. I hope to finish it by the first of September (which would mean a total of about 3 weeks from start to end). And then I can block thing 1 and thing 2 simultaneously.
I went to the Mannings on Saturday last for their Annual Knit-In. It was good to check out the place, though it was a very quiet day- I'm not sure if it was entirely worth four hours of driving. The drive was pleasant, however, and I am glad I went for the first time. I also used my time productively, to plan out nonbloggable thing three- it's not an actual pattern, but a combination of stitch patterns from Nancy Bush's Estonian Lace book. I was very proud of myself for figuring out the math, all on my own with just my cell phone calculator for the trickier analysis. I can't wait to get to work on it- if nothing else, because it will be a NEW stitch pattern to memorize, and a much longer pattern repeat at that. Did I mention that I can't wait to knit sweaters? After all this lace, I'm thinking I'll do the February Lady Sweater out of my MDSW Tess Yarn, and then I'm turning my life over to Kauni:
It calls to me.
I have this desire to knit sweaters. Things that are cute. Things that are warm and cuddly and appropriate for my new/old office, where business casual is the order of the day. The job change is brilliant thus far, and I'm ecstatic to be back downtown again. There are some trade-offs, of course- my commute is longer, and if I oversleep and miss the 8:04am bus I end up not getting a seat on the train, not being able to knit, and generally being stuffed like a sardine for 45 minutes. Oh! And the commute bumps up to at least a full hour, instead of 45 minutes or so. But I'm not complaining exactly, because on the mornings when I do get up in time and make my early bus I have so much blissful knitting time. SEVEN rows of lace, at the very least, just in the morning commute. For some reason the evening commute isn't as productive, knit-wise, since I can't always get a seat or such perfect conditions in my favor. But I'm adjusting. And of course the evening commute is longer than it used to be, but since I now get on metro ahead of Metro Center (the main transfer point), the cars are blissfully uncrowded for a stop or two, so again... I am able to sit down, take a load off, and knit knit knit my way home.
Not only is the job enjoyable, my commute is actually a joy. I wish it weren't basically two hours of my day, but as long as I'm able to knit and read on the way, I can't really complain too much! In the end, that's how I'm so close to halfway done with nonbloggable thing two. I hope to finish it by the first of September (which would mean a total of about 3 weeks from start to end). And then I can block thing 1 and thing 2 simultaneously.
I went to the Mannings on Saturday last for their Annual Knit-In. It was good to check out the place, though it was a very quiet day- I'm not sure if it was entirely worth four hours of driving. The drive was pleasant, however, and I am glad I went for the first time. I also used my time productively, to plan out nonbloggable thing three- it's not an actual pattern, but a combination of stitch patterns from Nancy Bush's Estonian Lace book. I was very proud of myself for figuring out the math, all on my own with just my cell phone calculator for the trickier analysis. I can't wait to get to work on it- if nothing else, because it will be a NEW stitch pattern to memorize, and a much longer pattern repeat at that. Did I mention that I can't wait to knit sweaters? After all this lace, I'm thinking I'll do the February Lady Sweater out of my MDSW Tess Yarn, and then I'm turning my life over to Kauni:
It calls to me.
Monday, August 10, 2009
A case of the Mondays
I finished nonbloggable project one on Saturday, and immediately cast on for number two! So far it's going well, but I have this to note: bamboo needles and nupps are a horrible, horrible combination. So I went on an excursion to find Addi Turbo Lace needles, in a size 4 (I only own a 6). In retrospect, the 6 might have been better, but after finishing the edging and two repeats, it's far too late now!
I went to Knit Happens in Alexandria first, and found my needle there immediately. I investigated some yarn options, but didn't see anything necessary for now, so I headed out. I wandered up the main street, aiming for the new Fibre Space shop that was only a few blocks away. The heat did me in, however, and I went back to my car. Turns out I was only a block from the new store when I gave up, which was a bit sad. I parked (again), and was delighted with what I found. The shop, owned by the former Knit-a-Gogo people, was super cute and I loved the decor. I will definitely be stopping back there again! I succumbed to picking up some Louet Gems. If not to be used on a very near-to-come project, the Gems in fingering weight will make for beautiful stockings. I also got a ball of cotton chenille, because I made a washcloth for Sharyn once and would like one of my own!
Really, it was a delightful diversion. I hardly ever drive nowadays, and I enjoyed toodling down to Old Town Alexandria and wandering around. I even managed to find my "something blue" for the wedding. Most of all, I was shocked at myself for being true to my task- the needles were necessary, and the rest was very well-reasoned and inexpensive. And I got to thinking that I bought two skeins of laceweight for nonbloggable projects, and now this- but that's it since Sheep and Wool in May.
Have I turned over a new leaf? Am I no longer a crazy Stasher?
I spent an hour or two on Sunday tidying up the sewing room, and it definitely still looks like I have achieved SABLE status. Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy is mine. Once this wedding is over, I'm rededicating myself to knitting socks, I think- I really do have an awful lot of sock yarn, all over the place!
I went to Knit Happens in Alexandria first, and found my needle there immediately. I investigated some yarn options, but didn't see anything necessary for now, so I headed out. I wandered up the main street, aiming for the new Fibre Space shop that was only a few blocks away. The heat did me in, however, and I went back to my car. Turns out I was only a block from the new store when I gave up, which was a bit sad. I parked (again), and was delighted with what I found. The shop, owned by the former Knit-a-Gogo people, was super cute and I loved the decor. I will definitely be stopping back there again! I succumbed to picking up some Louet Gems. If not to be used on a very near-to-come project, the Gems in fingering weight will make for beautiful stockings. I also got a ball of cotton chenille, because I made a washcloth for Sharyn once and would like one of my own!
Really, it was a delightful diversion. I hardly ever drive nowadays, and I enjoyed toodling down to Old Town Alexandria and wandering around. I even managed to find my "something blue" for the wedding. Most of all, I was shocked at myself for being true to my task- the needles were necessary, and the rest was very well-reasoned and inexpensive. And I got to thinking that I bought two skeins of laceweight for nonbloggable projects, and now this- but that's it since Sheep and Wool in May.
Have I turned over a new leaf? Am I no longer a crazy Stasher?
I spent an hour or two on Sunday tidying up the sewing room, and it definitely still looks like I have achieved SABLE status. Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy is mine. Once this wedding is over, I'm rededicating myself to knitting socks, I think- I really do have an awful lot of sock yarn, all over the place!
Friday, August 07, 2009
Continuing Apace
The endlessness of our summer book club book finally behind me, I'm really enjoying this summer. I'm nearly finished with another Aubrey/Maturin book (best of the series, I think!). And I've finally started making a dent in the book on my bedside table- Mistress of the Art of Death. We selected it as our September book club book, so now I'm guaranteed to finally read it. I don't know why it's languished so long; even 20 pages in I am completely enthralled.
I'm still knitting nonbloggable knitting. I should finish the main section today at lunch, and when I get home and have access to another skein, I'll be able to cast on for the top edging. It's not terribly large or complicated, so I should be able to knit it and kitchener the two pieces together tomorrow. Which means I can cast on for another nonbloggable project! The excitement never ends.
This is, as yet, a delightfully unplanned weekend. G may go to a baseball game or go shoot photos someplace with a friend. I would like to hit up the farmer's market (either in nearby Courthouse, or possibly Eastern Market). I'll get to the gym with my gym buddy on Sunday morning. As for the rest? Just some baking and cooking, a lot of cleaning in the sewing room now that the wedding gown is gone, and of course knitting. I have the first two discs of Mad Men Season 2 to watch, and hope to get through them all while my fiance is out of the house.
All that should keep me busy, but I'm hoping to also do a little sunning on the porch outside our bedroom. I haven't made it out there yet, and it should be nice and hot and sunny this weekend. Perfect for finishing up my latest sea adventure, or getting more into the medieval mystery for book club. What a deliciously summery weekend I have ahead of me!
I'm still knitting nonbloggable knitting. I should finish the main section today at lunch, and when I get home and have access to another skein, I'll be able to cast on for the top edging. It's not terribly large or complicated, so I should be able to knit it and kitchener the two pieces together tomorrow. Which means I can cast on for another nonbloggable project! The excitement never ends.
This is, as yet, a delightfully unplanned weekend. G may go to a baseball game or go shoot photos someplace with a friend. I would like to hit up the farmer's market (either in nearby Courthouse, or possibly Eastern Market). I'll get to the gym with my gym buddy on Sunday morning. As for the rest? Just some baking and cooking, a lot of cleaning in the sewing room now that the wedding gown is gone, and of course knitting. I have the first two discs of Mad Men Season 2 to watch, and hope to get through them all while my fiance is out of the house.
All that should keep me busy, but I'm hoping to also do a little sunning on the porch outside our bedroom. I haven't made it out there yet, and it should be nice and hot and sunny this weekend. Perfect for finishing up my latest sea adventure, or getting more into the medieval mystery for book club. What a deliciously summery weekend I have ahead of me!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Nonbloggable Craft Blogging
First and foremost, I think the project I'm working on may not be bloggable. I don't think the intended really sees this blog... but I'd hate to be wrong! So it's up on Ravelry, for those in the know, and all I'll say here is progress sans pics. The progress, at least, is great! After some marathon knitting sessions (even if yesterday I was home sick but too sick to knit)... I'm done with 11 of the 14 pattern repeats. Less than 3 to go now, and then I just have one more pattern motif, and I get to make a small edging and kitchener the crap out of it. So fantastico! I don't think I'll make my goal finishing date of... tomorrow... but I might be able to finish it this weekend.
I started a sewing project, also not bloggable. I think that's going to be the trend until the wedding. Does it count as starting it if all I did was trace the pattern pieces onto newsprint and cut them out? Again, I was home sick, but too sick for anything particularly brain heavy. Tracing and cutting was fine, but I fear I was in no mood for cutting out fabric. The pattern is looking fairly simple, however- I'm wondering if it wouldn't be wise to rotary cut most of the pieces, as well. That would probably ensure the most perfect pieces, but would defeat most of my effort at copying them yesterday. Is it more important to have a better finished product, or to kick it old-school with my hand scissors? I suppose I'll decide based on whether I can find my rotary cutter and mat or not. They're in the craft room.
Aaaaah, the craft room. My little hidey-hole of fantasticness. Except right now it isn't. My wedding gown is sprawled all over the sofa, because there's no more room for it in the guest room closet now we have a long-term house guest. Happy to have the house guest, of course! But I'll be even happier when I drop the dress off at the alterations lady's home next Wednesday- hurray for getting it out of my hair.
In addition to the wedding gown, which is frankly enormous, there's also a drying rack full of sweaty gym clothes (again, an item that used to be relegated to the guest room that has been relocated for the time being). And then there's the tub of cross stitch items that I pulled out when I was thinking about cross-stitching the table numbers to look just like these on Snippet and Ink. I still am contemplating it, but in the meantime maybe I should put the bin away?
And I really want to work on my Storm at Sea quilt, because I am not going to be able to attend the quilt retreat this year, so I have to make my own quilting time. But I can't work on it because in the move from my apartment to the house, I apparently split the quilt in progress into at least three different places- and I can't find all the pieces!!
I apparently need to tidy up the craft room and reclaim my space, while I have it. If I don't keep it tidy, my machines and I might get relegated to the attic. It's finished, yes... but I need a/c in this nearly-August DC heat! As soon as the gown is gone in a week, I'm reclaiming my space and getting it into useable shape. In the meantime, I can knit like the wind on the sofa downstairs and crank out this first nonbloggable knitted item in order to start on number two.
I like bloggable craft blogging much better than this text stuff above. Here's an artsy fiance-taken photo from the 4th of July, in true knitting Mikaiya-style. Since this shell is for selfish little ole' me, it's bloggable!
I started a sewing project, also not bloggable. I think that's going to be the trend until the wedding. Does it count as starting it if all I did was trace the pattern pieces onto newsprint and cut them out? Again, I was home sick, but too sick for anything particularly brain heavy. Tracing and cutting was fine, but I fear I was in no mood for cutting out fabric. The pattern is looking fairly simple, however- I'm wondering if it wouldn't be wise to rotary cut most of the pieces, as well. That would probably ensure the most perfect pieces, but would defeat most of my effort at copying them yesterday. Is it more important to have a better finished product, or to kick it old-school with my hand scissors? I suppose I'll decide based on whether I can find my rotary cutter and mat or not. They're in the craft room.
Aaaaah, the craft room. My little hidey-hole of fantasticness. Except right now it isn't. My wedding gown is sprawled all over the sofa, because there's no more room for it in the guest room closet now we have a long-term house guest. Happy to have the house guest, of course! But I'll be even happier when I drop the dress off at the alterations lady's home next Wednesday- hurray for getting it out of my hair.
In addition to the wedding gown, which is frankly enormous, there's also a drying rack full of sweaty gym clothes (again, an item that used to be relegated to the guest room that has been relocated for the time being). And then there's the tub of cross stitch items that I pulled out when I was thinking about cross-stitching the table numbers to look just like these on Snippet and Ink. I still am contemplating it, but in the meantime maybe I should put the bin away?
And I really want to work on my Storm at Sea quilt, because I am not going to be able to attend the quilt retreat this year, so I have to make my own quilting time. But I can't work on it because in the move from my apartment to the house, I apparently split the quilt in progress into at least three different places- and I can't find all the pieces!!
I apparently need to tidy up the craft room and reclaim my space, while I have it. If I don't keep it tidy, my machines and I might get relegated to the attic. It's finished, yes... but I need a/c in this nearly-August DC heat! As soon as the gown is gone in a week, I'm reclaiming my space and getting it into useable shape. In the meantime, I can knit like the wind on the sofa downstairs and crank out this first nonbloggable knitted item in order to start on number two.
I like bloggable craft blogging much better than this text stuff above. Here's an artsy fiance-taken photo from the 4th of July, in true knitting Mikaiya-style. Since this shell is for selfish little ole' me, it's bloggable!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Photo-Enabled FO
I said I finished the Hemlock Ring Blanket. Still not blocked- because you can see it's already in use!
I am working away on the Lilac Leaf shawl, as well:
It's going beautifully.
Today has been a serious chore sort of day. A pretty great weight workout and a jog with two of my buddies to start off the day. Hit up Target to fill a prescription and such, loads and loads of laundry. I cooked a surprisingly yummy black bean chili, while doing a whole bunch of baking, and I finally cut out my veil.
I can't wait until the muffins cool- a chocolate banana muffin sounds like the perfect snack before bed! G is out of the house for the evening, a very rare treat, and I'm enjoying catching up on So You Think You Can Dance and now, after finally finishing my baking and chores, it's definitely time for some Lilac Leaf.
I am working away on the Lilac Leaf shawl, as well:
It's going beautifully.
Today has been a serious chore sort of day. A pretty great weight workout and a jog with two of my buddies to start off the day. Hit up Target to fill a prescription and such, loads and loads of laundry. I cooked a surprisingly yummy black bean chili, while doing a whole bunch of baking, and I finally cut out my veil.
I can't wait until the muffins cool- a chocolate banana muffin sounds like the perfect snack before bed! G is out of the house for the evening, a very rare treat, and I'm enjoying catching up on So You Think You Can Dance and now, after finally finishing my baking and chores, it's definitely time for some Lilac Leaf.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
On Nupps
Everyone keeps complaining about the nupps. "Oh they're hard" "Oh they're strange" "Oh you say them nupp like soup, not like sup".
Blah blah blah. I did the first row of nupps in the Lilac Leaf shawl and was unimpressed. Yes, you have to be a bit loosey-goosey when doing the nupp, or make 7 in one stitch, but it's hardly rocket science. I had no trouble doing the knit-seven-together on the wrong side row, and continued on my merry way.
But I have learned to respect the nupp. Public service announcement: Don't nupp on the bus or metro.
I'm just saying.
Blah blah blah. I did the first row of nupps in the Lilac Leaf shawl and was unimpressed. Yes, you have to be a bit loosey-goosey when doing the nupp, or make 7 in one stitch, but it's hardly rocket science. I had no trouble doing the knit-seven-together on the wrong side row, and continued on my merry way.
But I have learned to respect the nupp. Public service announcement: Don't nupp on the bus or metro.
I'm just saying.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Hemlock Ring Blanket
My camera has been sitting upstairs, but all the knitting is going on downstairs. I have a few finished objects I need to photograph- including the one from last night!
I finished my Hemlock Ring Blanket. Took just about a month (if I am figuring correctly). The bind-off took three entire evenings of Tour de France coverage- in fact, I was a bit perturbed to realize if I had just crocheted it instead of knitting it, I could have saved half the time. Oh well. I think it turned out beautifully. It's incredibly soft and warm, and I love the Cascade Eco Wool. It's amazingly cuddly, and when I draped it over G once I finished the bind off, I had trouble getting it back to weave in the ends.
It still needs a serious blocking, but I pronounce the blanket functionally complete. It matches our sofas quite well, and it was a perfect gift for my fiance. He is not much for wearing knitwear, doesn't do hats or mittens or scarves, and doesn't want hand-knit socks. So finally I found a project that he would enjoy snuggling with, and I get to feel like a real knitter. The best moment was his look of surprise that it really is soft and warm, and in his words "smells like sheep." I told him that he better not break up with me now, though.
Do you think the sweater curse is in effect when you're getting married in four months? Holy crap. We really are coming up on just four months. Maybe I should have started the blanket a bit later- but it's so nice to have that yarn out of my stash, and in cozy blanket-form in our living room.
Of course as soon as I finished it, I popped upstairs to get a few things. Size 6 Addi Turbo lace needles (yes, they're tarnished, from that old batch of needles that apparently all turned gold... but I've decided I don't know that I care). Two skeins of an alpaca-wool blend laceweight. And the Estonian Lace book by Nancy Bush. Any guesses what I'm working on? I finished the first row of the first lace pattern before bed.
G asked why I had to continue to knit so obsessively right after finishing a project. For one... well... because that's what I do. But it's also because of another superstition. You have to cast on for a new project as soon as you finish one, to avoid bad luck! I'm not sure the superstition really applies to me- I always have a half dozen things on the needles. But no matter. The WIP pile has shrunk recently- I frogged a whole bunch of projects a few weeks ago to reclaim the yarn for new and more suitable purposes. There are still plenty of things sitting in my craft room upstairs, waiting to be knitted- it's just not their time.
I finished my Hemlock Ring Blanket. Took just about a month (if I am figuring correctly). The bind-off took three entire evenings of Tour de France coverage- in fact, I was a bit perturbed to realize if I had just crocheted it instead of knitting it, I could have saved half the time. Oh well. I think it turned out beautifully. It's incredibly soft and warm, and I love the Cascade Eco Wool. It's amazingly cuddly, and when I draped it over G once I finished the bind off, I had trouble getting it back to weave in the ends.
It still needs a serious blocking, but I pronounce the blanket functionally complete. It matches our sofas quite well, and it was a perfect gift for my fiance. He is not much for wearing knitwear, doesn't do hats or mittens or scarves, and doesn't want hand-knit socks. So finally I found a project that he would enjoy snuggling with, and I get to feel like a real knitter. The best moment was his look of surprise that it really is soft and warm, and in his words "smells like sheep." I told him that he better not break up with me now, though.
Do you think the sweater curse is in effect when you're getting married in four months? Holy crap. We really are coming up on just four months. Maybe I should have started the blanket a bit later- but it's so nice to have that yarn out of my stash, and in cozy blanket-form in our living room.
Of course as soon as I finished it, I popped upstairs to get a few things. Size 6 Addi Turbo lace needles (yes, they're tarnished, from that old batch of needles that apparently all turned gold... but I've decided I don't know that I care). Two skeins of an alpaca-wool blend laceweight. And the Estonian Lace book by Nancy Bush. Any guesses what I'm working on? I finished the first row of the first lace pattern before bed.
G asked why I had to continue to knit so obsessively right after finishing a project. For one... well... because that's what I do. But it's also because of another superstition. You have to cast on for a new project as soon as you finish one, to avoid bad luck! I'm not sure the superstition really applies to me- I always have a half dozen things on the needles. But no matter. The WIP pile has shrunk recently- I frogged a whole bunch of projects a few weeks ago to reclaim the yarn for new and more suitable purposes. There are still plenty of things sitting in my craft room upstairs, waiting to be knitted- it's just not their time.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Tour de ... Fleece?
It's been crazy fun times around the C-K household lately. For one, we had a parental visit over the Fourth of July. It was fantastic to see my parents, and to get to share the holiday with them and my fiance. We had a pretty great spot to see the fireworks, out in a field near the Iwo Jima Memorial. We had some good food, some good times, and my mother and I analyzed the wedding gown situation.
The gown is too small. Seriously. It isn't my fault, though- although it is correctly sized in the waist and hips and such, it is a good inch smaller in the bust than the manufacturer size states. No wonder it won't zip up! After some serious freaking (would Mom make me a gown? Should we go to Goodwill? Should I sell it and buy another dress??)... we decided that it will all be ok. I called the woman doing my alterations, and she was unconcerned. We can either turn the gown into a corset back, which is what I really wanted from the beginning... or we can otherwise fix the issue. So hurray! I have a dress that will fit me by November! Without starvation, because I refuse to starve myself to fit into a wedding gown when I ordered it the right size. Now if only I had realized the issue was with it, and not me, I could have exchanged it for a properly fitting dress a month ago. Too late now.
Ahem. Other than that drama, and the excitement of our tasting at the hotel to pick out food for the wedding... it was a great Independence Day.
Now, back to your regularly scheduled craft content. As you may be aware, I spent the duration of the Giro d'Italia boning up on my cycling knowledge by watching two hours of bike race coverage. Every night. That was just early prep for the MAIN event in our summer activities: the Tour de France. It started July 4 (Independence! Let's celebrate with European bike racing!). Luckily for me, I enjoy watching the Tour, and I love spending so much time hanging out with my G and exclaiming over the falls and the gorgeous scenery. So far the Tour has taken our intrepid riders through Monaco (been there, loved it), Provence (lived there, loved it), and the insane TTT (Team Time Trial) through Montpellier (visited my friend there, loved it). It's like an en-cycle-pedia of my memories of France! And I've had the perfect project to work on while I watch the cyclists speed through Southern France. I am on the bind-off of the Hemlock Ring Blanket, after these few evenings of Tour coverage. They are not kidding when they say that binding off this thing takes time- after two nights, I'm still only 1/3 done. I figure by the time I finish my blanket, Lance will be back in the Maillot Jaune. After last night, he was practically there!
Never fear, however... I have plenty more to knit once my blanket is complete. For one, I am on the third ball of yarn for my Svale cotton shell. There is a slim possibility I could finish it in time to wear it this summer. I also have these crackpot ideas of doing some wedding-related knitting. We'll see how that goes.
In addition to the usual knitting, I've been stuck in my summer reading due to our book club selection. We are reading Katharine Graham's Personal History over the summer for our August meeting, and the book is equally interesting and enormous. My shoulder hurts from carrying the darn thing in my bookbag between work and home every day! I am about 1/3 of the way through, and am hoping to finish it up quickly, so I can get back on track with some lighter summer reading. Both in the figurative and the literal sense- my shoulder could do with carrying some graphic novels or young adult fiction!
The gown is too small. Seriously. It isn't my fault, though- although it is correctly sized in the waist and hips and such, it is a good inch smaller in the bust than the manufacturer size states. No wonder it won't zip up! After some serious freaking (would Mom make me a gown? Should we go to Goodwill? Should I sell it and buy another dress??)... we decided that it will all be ok. I called the woman doing my alterations, and she was unconcerned. We can either turn the gown into a corset back, which is what I really wanted from the beginning... or we can otherwise fix the issue. So hurray! I have a dress that will fit me by November! Without starvation, because I refuse to starve myself to fit into a wedding gown when I ordered it the right size. Now if only I had realized the issue was with it, and not me, I could have exchanged it for a properly fitting dress a month ago. Too late now.
Ahem. Other than that drama, and the excitement of our tasting at the hotel to pick out food for the wedding... it was a great Independence Day.
Now, back to your regularly scheduled craft content. As you may be aware, I spent the duration of the Giro d'Italia boning up on my cycling knowledge by watching two hours of bike race coverage. Every night. That was just early prep for the MAIN event in our summer activities: the Tour de France. It started July 4 (Independence! Let's celebrate with European bike racing!). Luckily for me, I enjoy watching the Tour, and I love spending so much time hanging out with my G and exclaiming over the falls and the gorgeous scenery. So far the Tour has taken our intrepid riders through Monaco (been there, loved it), Provence (lived there, loved it), and the insane TTT (Team Time Trial) through Montpellier (visited my friend there, loved it). It's like an en-cycle-pedia of my memories of France! And I've had the perfect project to work on while I watch the cyclists speed through Southern France. I am on the bind-off of the Hemlock Ring Blanket, after these few evenings of Tour coverage. They are not kidding when they say that binding off this thing takes time- after two nights, I'm still only 1/3 done. I figure by the time I finish my blanket, Lance will be back in the Maillot Jaune. After last night, he was practically there!
Never fear, however... I have plenty more to knit once my blanket is complete. For one, I am on the third ball of yarn for my Svale cotton shell. There is a slim possibility I could finish it in time to wear it this summer. I also have these crackpot ideas of doing some wedding-related knitting. We'll see how that goes.
In addition to the usual knitting, I've been stuck in my summer reading due to our book club selection. We are reading Katharine Graham's Personal History over the summer for our August meeting, and the book is equally interesting and enormous. My shoulder hurts from carrying the darn thing in my bookbag between work and home every day! I am about 1/3 of the way through, and am hoping to finish it up quickly, so I can get back on track with some lighter summer reading. Both in the figurative and the literal sense- my shoulder could do with carrying some graphic novels or young adult fiction!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Shenanigans
It's been a lot of chores and such this weekend. Yardwork (oh the horrors! we're homeowners!) and I even washed my car. Note to self: pull out the step ladder, so you can actually reach the top of the roof. Also? Avoid getting another million scratches and dents. Sigh. My car is looking every bit of her six-plus years. I picked up a few dings myself, trying to clear out some ivy from the azalea bushes. I'm glad we're getting married in November- I think I'm less likely to cut open my legs and forehead raking leaves than doing summertime chores. I even started up my first container herb garden and tomato plant this weekend, and have high hopes for my very first "garden." Next year I'm taking over a lot more land and trying a full-on vegetable garden. I have a lot of reading and research to do first, though!
Since I was out playing with the hose to clean my car, George pulled out his long reclining beach chair, and I scrubbed it to high heaven. It's now perched on the roof of our walled-in porch (i.e, outside the bedroom door), and I am excited to get out and sun myself a little bit. I only do it in the name of preserving my skin from horrible sunburns. I used to go out and "tan" for twenty or thirty minutes a day when I lived in Aix. My skin was a gorgeous slightly darker shade of pale as a result, and I didn't burn the whole summer after I got home. Works like magic!
What else did I do... five gazillion loads of laundry... a long night chatting with my two favorite men, since Dad was up for a quick trip on Friday... good times. I still didn't cut out my veil, or my other sewing projects. But I am about half-done with my Hemlock Ring blanket (one enormous skein of Cascade Eco Wool to go!). I am well up to waist-level on the summer shell I'm knitting. And I finished two Sookie Stackhouse books. I also cooked a fair bit, in my ongoing quest to save money and feed us well and healthily. I think we're over zucchini and corn at the moment, however, thanks to our Washington Green Grocer box every Friday. We are eating gorgeous fresh produce all the time, now, and I've discovered some new fruit loves. G and I also made it over to the Courthouse farmer's market on Saturday, something I haven't done since I moved out of the neighborhood. I ended up with a lovely sterling silver chai necklace, and some fresh berries and locally-made ricotta for a delicious treat on Sunday. Also? Farm-fresh eggs. Boy oh boy do I want some urban chickens of my own. I could make frittatas daily!
I declare success on my weekend shenanigans. And this is a very short week! Thursday I'm taking the day off, and my folks will be coming back into town to attend a tasting at our wedding venue, and to enjoy the Fourth of July festivities here in the Capitol. Friday is the official holiday, so that makes this a super short work week! I can't wait to enjoy some serious knitting and crafting time, in between the fireworks and festivities.
Since I was out playing with the hose to clean my car, George pulled out his long reclining beach chair, and I scrubbed it to high heaven. It's now perched on the roof of our walled-in porch (i.e, outside the bedroom door), and I am excited to get out and sun myself a little bit. I only do it in the name of preserving my skin from horrible sunburns. I used to go out and "tan" for twenty or thirty minutes a day when I lived in Aix. My skin was a gorgeous slightly darker shade of pale as a result, and I didn't burn the whole summer after I got home. Works like magic!
What else did I do... five gazillion loads of laundry... a long night chatting with my two favorite men, since Dad was up for a quick trip on Friday... good times. I still didn't cut out my veil, or my other sewing projects. But I am about half-done with my Hemlock Ring blanket (one enormous skein of Cascade Eco Wool to go!). I am well up to waist-level on the summer shell I'm knitting. And I finished two Sookie Stackhouse books. I also cooked a fair bit, in my ongoing quest to save money and feed us well and healthily. I think we're over zucchini and corn at the moment, however, thanks to our Washington Green Grocer box every Friday. We are eating gorgeous fresh produce all the time, now, and I've discovered some new fruit loves. G and I also made it over to the Courthouse farmer's market on Saturday, something I haven't done since I moved out of the neighborhood. I ended up with a lovely sterling silver chai necklace, and some fresh berries and locally-made ricotta for a delicious treat on Sunday. Also? Farm-fresh eggs. Boy oh boy do I want some urban chickens of my own. I could make frittatas daily!
I declare success on my weekend shenanigans. And this is a very short week! Thursday I'm taking the day off, and my folks will be coming back into town to attend a tasting at our wedding venue, and to enjoy the Fourth of July festivities here in the Capitol. Friday is the official holiday, so that makes this a super short work week! I can't wait to enjoy some serious knitting and crafting time, in between the fireworks and festivities.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Pendulum Swings
I haven't been knitting as much in the last year as I did in the years before. Since dating my honey, my crafting time has decreased. It's not exactly his fault, mind you- mostly it's because I actually get to bed at a reasonable hour now, so I no longer knit every night ::cough between 11pm and 2am::. He knew he was marrying a crafter, and he is pretty darn supportive. I have a craft room, and he'll even watch dancing shows with me on the television while I knit. But I've cut down on the amount of crafting at home, and my commute is just so much shorter than it was a few years ago that overall I have just been... anxious. Missing it. Wishing I could knit more. Regretting that I didn't feel like I had the time to swatch and start new projects, so I just kept going with big long-term ones that wouldn't require the initial start-up concentration, and wouldn't require me being alone to begin them.
So I thought maybe I'd take back a little time for myself. And I have. I cast on for the Hemlock Ring blanket, which is just a breeze to knit, and a total delight on big big needles. I'm using the Eco Wool, and am astonished by how soft the fiber is, and how beautifully it's knitting up. I also spent a lot of time swatching for a little knit top in one of the RYC 4plys (cotton, I think)... and just couldn't get the pattern to work right. So I switched over to swatching for a cotton Dalegarn tunic, in their Svale yarn, which is luckily going much better. I've finished the ribbing and am a good ways into the first pattern repeat. And as splitty as I'm finding the Svale yarn (4 ply cotton again, though at larger gauge), I'm so delighted by the raspberry color that I'm able to forgive it. And my mood? So much better. I'm no longer constantly worried about the wedding. I have had pleasant wedding dreams, instead of nightmares. I am still freaked about costs and details, but generally feeling like we're doing good, and that the world is good, and darn if I'm not happy to be knitting more again. And I've nearly finished the ironing of all the fabric for my next project, which is a bonus- I am probably the slowest iron-er in the world, so I'm glad that my pile is finally decreasing enough that I can actually cut out the patterns!
It's not a perfect world- by focusing more on sewing, and knitting, and spending time on the sofa or upstairs in my craft room, I have let things go around the house. Haven't pulled my weight enough during the week, especially on the nights I have picked going to the gym over cooking a real meal, or when I chose to watch So You Think You Can Dance while casting on over bothering to vacuum or do the laundry. I didn't need to be sitting around watching TV and scrutinizing the Hemlock Ring directions. But in a way? I did need to do that. I need to feel the wool pass through my fingers. I need to try new things, and get out of this project monogamy, in order to feel creatively sated and calmed.
But what I also need to do is learn a little moderation. I need to remember that we share a household, and share the responsibilities. Sometimes I need to knit that one row before I go upstairs and make the bed. But my life is better when I do that one row. I just need to remember to put the knitting down after a bit. It will still be there when the immediate task is complete, and the room is tidied. And then the reward is greater- I can sink back into the sofa without guilt, and my favorite person might even sit down next to me and enjoy the peace and gentle rythym of my clicking needles with me. I never have been good at moderating my pendulum swings. I spend an entire day cleaning the windows, or an entire day watching Battlestar Gallactica on DVD while working on a baby blanket. I go to the gym with great frequency, and run often, or I forget about my need for fitness entirely and go a week without even lifting weights. Finding a middle ground has never been my strong suit- it is appropriate that as a Libra I always seek balance, but have a hard time determining where that balance is. So that's my goal for the near future. I won't let the pendulum swing back to a world where I don't knit enough for my mental well-being. But neither can I ignore the very real domestic world I live in. Knitting more lately gives me the optimism to think doing both is a real possibility, so I'm going to take my enthusiasm and run with it! Conveniently I have an external motivating factor- another parental visit in a few weeks. I'd like to be able to show Mom some movement on the DIY projects for the wedding, as well as showing her that we can maintain a perfectly lovely and (tidy enough) home.
I'm curious to hear from my fellow crafters. How do you maintain balance between your chores and your desires? How do you remind yourself to stop with the one, to pursue the other?
So I thought maybe I'd take back a little time for myself. And I have. I cast on for the Hemlock Ring blanket, which is just a breeze to knit, and a total delight on big big needles. I'm using the Eco Wool, and am astonished by how soft the fiber is, and how beautifully it's knitting up. I also spent a lot of time swatching for a little knit top in one of the RYC 4plys (cotton, I think)... and just couldn't get the pattern to work right. So I switched over to swatching for a cotton Dalegarn tunic, in their Svale yarn, which is luckily going much better. I've finished the ribbing and am a good ways into the first pattern repeat. And as splitty as I'm finding the Svale yarn (4 ply cotton again, though at larger gauge), I'm so delighted by the raspberry color that I'm able to forgive it. And my mood? So much better. I'm no longer constantly worried about the wedding. I have had pleasant wedding dreams, instead of nightmares. I am still freaked about costs and details, but generally feeling like we're doing good, and that the world is good, and darn if I'm not happy to be knitting more again. And I've nearly finished the ironing of all the fabric for my next project, which is a bonus- I am probably the slowest iron-er in the world, so I'm glad that my pile is finally decreasing enough that I can actually cut out the patterns!
It's not a perfect world- by focusing more on sewing, and knitting, and spending time on the sofa or upstairs in my craft room, I have let things go around the house. Haven't pulled my weight enough during the week, especially on the nights I have picked going to the gym over cooking a real meal, or when I chose to watch So You Think You Can Dance while casting on over bothering to vacuum or do the laundry. I didn't need to be sitting around watching TV and scrutinizing the Hemlock Ring directions. But in a way? I did need to do that. I need to feel the wool pass through my fingers. I need to try new things, and get out of this project monogamy, in order to feel creatively sated and calmed.
But what I also need to do is learn a little moderation. I need to remember that we share a household, and share the responsibilities. Sometimes I need to knit that one row before I go upstairs and make the bed. But my life is better when I do that one row. I just need to remember to put the knitting down after a bit. It will still be there when the immediate task is complete, and the room is tidied. And then the reward is greater- I can sink back into the sofa without guilt, and my favorite person might even sit down next to me and enjoy the peace and gentle rythym of my clicking needles with me. I never have been good at moderating my pendulum swings. I spend an entire day cleaning the windows, or an entire day watching Battlestar Gallactica on DVD while working on a baby blanket. I go to the gym with great frequency, and run often, or I forget about my need for fitness entirely and go a week without even lifting weights. Finding a middle ground has never been my strong suit- it is appropriate that as a Libra I always seek balance, but have a hard time determining where that balance is. So that's my goal for the near future. I won't let the pendulum swing back to a world where I don't knit enough for my mental well-being. But neither can I ignore the very real domestic world I live in. Knitting more lately gives me the optimism to think doing both is a real possibility, so I'm going to take my enthusiasm and run with it! Conveniently I have an external motivating factor- another parental visit in a few weeks. I'd like to be able to show Mom some movement on the DIY projects for the wedding, as well as showing her that we can maintain a perfectly lovely and (tidy enough) home.
I'm curious to hear from my fellow crafters. How do you maintain balance between your chores and your desires? How do you remind yourself to stop with the one, to pursue the other?
Monday, June 08, 2009
Cranky vs. Quilt
Everyone's been a bit cranky around here lately. Going to bed early, sleeping late, but not sleeping. I think we figured out the reason though- it's rough living in the almost suburbs! A huge pothole on the other side of the street in front of our house has been causing cars to bottom out and fwap their way past, making incredibly loud (louder than average) street noise all day, every day. So it makes sense that it's been waking us up all night! They finally came and patched up the hole, so I am very hopeful for a sound sleep tonight.
The yummy crockpot chili that was all ready for eating when I got home from work has also helped my attitude. I need more long-cooking recipes, however... I am always gone 10-10.5 hours, so recipes that are done in 8 end up burning up a bit no matter how much extra fluid I add. The hunt for VERY long cooking recipes is on!
Now, the quilt show. I picked up a really cute kit to make a baby blanket out of flannel, with a super-soft backing. It even comes with the embroidery thread to knot it (as opposed to quilting it). Woo! I spent the last few evenings ironing fabric, and am so ready to get cracking on all these projects. Here's some of the inspiration I found at the quilt show, to boost me on in my quest for productivity in the sewing room. Amanda loves the modern circles, but I was drawn to the 30s prints and to the mariner's compass quilts. Among others!
I love the quilting on that one. So much to aspire to! But I'll tell you a secret... my points line up SO much better than so much of what I saw on Sunday. Shh... If only I could hand quilt, and not just piece like a pro!
The yummy crockpot chili that was all ready for eating when I got home from work has also helped my attitude. I need more long-cooking recipes, however... I am always gone 10-10.5 hours, so recipes that are done in 8 end up burning up a bit no matter how much extra fluid I add. The hunt for VERY long cooking recipes is on!
Now, the quilt show. I picked up a really cute kit to make a baby blanket out of flannel, with a super-soft backing. It even comes with the embroidery thread to knot it (as opposed to quilting it). Woo! I spent the last few evenings ironing fabric, and am so ready to get cracking on all these projects. Here's some of the inspiration I found at the quilt show, to boost me on in my quest for productivity in the sewing room. Amanda loves the modern circles, but I was drawn to the 30s prints and to the mariner's compass quilts. Among others!
I love the quilting on that one. So much to aspire to! But I'll tell you a secret... my points line up SO much better than so much of what I saw on Sunday. Shh... If only I could hand quilt, and not just piece like a pro!
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Weekend update: Project Nest
Firstly, I got a package in the mail. My giveaway win from Pink Sky Studio came in! It's so cute- I am now ready to make a little teapot tea towel with her sweet little embroidery pattern. Oh interwebs, how kind you can be!
I also have been getting busy on the sewing front. My machines are HOME though I still haven't plugged them in. Baby steps. I did wash all of my gorgeous Heather Ross fabrics, and they're in the dryer now. I started ironing everything for my next big project, the super secret gifts I am making for my bridesmaids. No photos on the blog, methinks, but I am very excited to get going on them! And I went to JoAnn's today to pick up a few patterns. And fabric. G came with me, and we selected two really lovely home dec fabrics to use in Project Nest! Now I've cleaned up most of the windows, it's time to hang some curtains. Although there are curtains in the guest room, courtesy of one of George's former renters, and some in the master bedroom... the rest of the house has bare windows. I picked up a nice burgundy silk (ok, a polyester silk look-alike, but it's washable). That will look really swank in our dining room, when we take down the paper over the chair rail and paint the top part of the wall silver. The bottom is currently a nice colonial blue, but instead of keeping the blue we might change up the look and go with a steel blue or even a real gray- I think with the deep curtains it will look very modern in there, and I am sure will give us great pleasure on the rare nights we don't just eat in the living room!
I also picked out a cutesy big plaid in cream, two shades of sage green, and shades of deep pink for my craft room. I could repaint the room cream again, or I could go with the very pale sage. Either way, all the colors look very nice with my deep gray sofa (and I can make rose-colored pillows to match!).
We had a pretty big yard sale today. Massive amounts of our duplicate belongings, extraneous kitchenware, and lots of other things are all gone- some sold, the rest donated to Goodwill. We feel so much lighter, and the basement and garage are suddenly much more navigable.
As if all that were not enough excitement for the day, I made a delicious chicken, cauliflower, and potato curry... and finished Clapotis. My third, but who's counting? It's delightful, and I think I will not block it, to keep it's subtle drape. My resident photographer has promised me some photos tomorrow, once he returns from a birthday party and I come back from the Quilters Unlimited quilt show at the Dulles Expo Center. So exciting!
On one final note, I wanted to recommend a little local establishment. Instead of cooking the curry last night, G picked me up from the metro and we went to Yorktown Bistro, here in Arlington and not far from the house. It's very open inside, with nice enough decor, and the cuisine is fairly traditional Italian. Oh oh so delicious! My chicken parm was one of the best I've had, and G enjoyed his three cheese ravioli. The homemade tiramisu was stellar, and we were particularly entranced by their specials on wine bottles. All in all? The perfect date night. They do takeout and rent out space, as well... we might have more decisions to make than we originally thought, when it comes time to plan our rehearsal dinner!
I also have been getting busy on the sewing front. My machines are HOME though I still haven't plugged them in. Baby steps. I did wash all of my gorgeous Heather Ross fabrics, and they're in the dryer now. I started ironing everything for my next big project, the super secret gifts I am making for my bridesmaids. No photos on the blog, methinks, but I am very excited to get going on them! And I went to JoAnn's today to pick up a few patterns. And fabric. G came with me, and we selected two really lovely home dec fabrics to use in Project Nest! Now I've cleaned up most of the windows, it's time to hang some curtains. Although there are curtains in the guest room, courtesy of one of George's former renters, and some in the master bedroom... the rest of the house has bare windows. I picked up a nice burgundy silk (ok, a polyester silk look-alike, but it's washable). That will look really swank in our dining room, when we take down the paper over the chair rail and paint the top part of the wall silver. The bottom is currently a nice colonial blue, but instead of keeping the blue we might change up the look and go with a steel blue or even a real gray- I think with the deep curtains it will look very modern in there, and I am sure will give us great pleasure on the rare nights we don't just eat in the living room!
I also picked out a cutesy big plaid in cream, two shades of sage green, and shades of deep pink for my craft room. I could repaint the room cream again, or I could go with the very pale sage. Either way, all the colors look very nice with my deep gray sofa (and I can make rose-colored pillows to match!).
We had a pretty big yard sale today. Massive amounts of our duplicate belongings, extraneous kitchenware, and lots of other things are all gone- some sold, the rest donated to Goodwill. We feel so much lighter, and the basement and garage are suddenly much more navigable.
As if all that were not enough excitement for the day, I made a delicious chicken, cauliflower, and potato curry... and finished Clapotis. My third, but who's counting? It's delightful, and I think I will not block it, to keep it's subtle drape. My resident photographer has promised me some photos tomorrow, once he returns from a birthday party and I come back from the Quilters Unlimited quilt show at the Dulles Expo Center. So exciting!
On one final note, I wanted to recommend a little local establishment. Instead of cooking the curry last night, G picked me up from the metro and we went to Yorktown Bistro, here in Arlington and not far from the house. It's very open inside, with nice enough decor, and the cuisine is fairly traditional Italian. Oh oh so delicious! My chicken parm was one of the best I've had, and G enjoyed his three cheese ravioli. The homemade tiramisu was stellar, and we were particularly entranced by their specials on wine bottles. All in all? The perfect date night. They do takeout and rent out space, as well... we might have more decisions to make than we originally thought, when it comes time to plan our rehearsal dinner!
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Sew Mama Sew sewing machine meme: Redux
Sew Mama Sew is hosting Sewing Machine Month in June. I thought it might be fun to participate in their sewing machine meme. Of course, I have two machines... so this is post two of two!
What brand and model do you have? Singer Rocketeer (501A or 503... I should look that up)
How long have you had it? This was my first machine- my aunt Barbara gave it to me upon graduation from college. Spring 2003! I took it with me to Indiana.
How much does that machine cost (approximately)? Again, it was a gift. You can find them on eBay and Craigslist in the 200-300 dollar range, sometimes much cheaper.
What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? I used the Rocketeer for eeeeverything when I first got it. Home dec, bags, hemming, piecing, clothing, you name it. It's greatest glory was when I decided to cosplay at Otakon one year, and spent a good part of a summer sewing EVERY DAY on my costume. It was my first time dealing with all sorts of crazy fabrics (sateen? gauze? tulle? none of them could take down my Rocketeer). Have I mentioned that when I get going on a sewing project, I go crazy?
How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? See above. When in a serious sewing mood, I can sew 10-12 hours a day. But then I go back to ignoring my machine for 8 months. Unpredictable is my middle name. I should change the needles more though, the more I think about it!
Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? I love my Rocketeer. Like my Athena, she goes by her model name. She's futuristic, but very much situated in the past. What a workhorse.
What features does your machine have that work well for you? She isn't snazzy like my (comparatively) new Athena. But she has some verve! The Rocketeer will handle ANY fabric. And when I say any, I mean bring on the denim and sailcloth. She handles it like a charm. Just try that with most modern machines- 4 layers of denim and you'll be breaking a needle every seam. With my baby Rocketeer? Like butter. Slow-moving but definitely smooth butter.
Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? For some reason my Rocketeer hates to go more than half an hour without just chopping up some thread. Despite endless playing with the tension, it just snips right through it for no apparent reason and I end up having to rethread the needle. Argh.
Do you have a great story to share about your machine? This machine just gets it done- no buzzers and whistles, but a solid machine. I can oil it myself, and it doesn't break down as horrifically as my Athena.
Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? Absolutely. It's a fanastic first machine, and solid enough to handle any basic project. It would be perfect for a beginner sewer, without being complicated.
What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? Same as in my last post. Think about your purpose. Do you want to sew crazy heavy weight fabric? Get a machine that is NOT electronic. Spare yourself some pain, and stick with an oldie-but-goodie like my Rocketeer. Aiming for a machine that has fancy stitch patterns and runs quietly? Pick a different model.
Do you have a dream machine? I actually don't just want a Bernina. I want a serger, too. George would love that- I'd be able to mend his old tee shirts speedily! But I don't need one yet, so it's still just a dream machine for now.
So there you have it- my two Singer ladies, my sewing room dream team. I picked both of them up from the repair shop and can't wait to try them out. This was an awfully expensive servicing, due to the Athena being a lot more broken than I thought. But with new gears and a few other parts, hopefully she'll be sewing like new. I guess I've learned my lesson- I can take care of the Rocketeer ok on my own, but I really need to get the Athena in for servicing more regularly!
What brand and model do you have? Singer Rocketeer (501A or 503... I should look that up)
How long have you had it? This was my first machine- my aunt Barbara gave it to me upon graduation from college. Spring 2003! I took it with me to Indiana.
How much does that machine cost (approximately)? Again, it was a gift. You can find them on eBay and Craigslist in the 200-300 dollar range, sometimes much cheaper.
What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? I used the Rocketeer for eeeeverything when I first got it. Home dec, bags, hemming, piecing, clothing, you name it. It's greatest glory was when I decided to cosplay at Otakon one year, and spent a good part of a summer sewing EVERY DAY on my costume. It was my first time dealing with all sorts of crazy fabrics (sateen? gauze? tulle? none of them could take down my Rocketeer). Have I mentioned that when I get going on a sewing project, I go crazy?
How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? See above. When in a serious sewing mood, I can sew 10-12 hours a day. But then I go back to ignoring my machine for 8 months. Unpredictable is my middle name. I should change the needles more though, the more I think about it!
Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? I love my Rocketeer. Like my Athena, she goes by her model name. She's futuristic, but very much situated in the past. What a workhorse.
What features does your machine have that work well for you? She isn't snazzy like my (comparatively) new Athena. But she has some verve! The Rocketeer will handle ANY fabric. And when I say any, I mean bring on the denim and sailcloth. She handles it like a charm. Just try that with most modern machines- 4 layers of denim and you'll be breaking a needle every seam. With my baby Rocketeer? Like butter. Slow-moving but definitely smooth butter.
Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? For some reason my Rocketeer hates to go more than half an hour without just chopping up some thread. Despite endless playing with the tension, it just snips right through it for no apparent reason and I end up having to rethread the needle. Argh.
Do you have a great story to share about your machine? This machine just gets it done- no buzzers and whistles, but a solid machine. I can oil it myself, and it doesn't break down as horrifically as my Athena.
Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? Absolutely. It's a fanastic first machine, and solid enough to handle any basic project. It would be perfect for a beginner sewer, without being complicated.
What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? Same as in my last post. Think about your purpose. Do you want to sew crazy heavy weight fabric? Get a machine that is NOT electronic. Spare yourself some pain, and stick with an oldie-but-goodie like my Rocketeer. Aiming for a machine that has fancy stitch patterns and runs quietly? Pick a different model.
Do you have a dream machine? I actually don't just want a Bernina. I want a serger, too. George would love that- I'd be able to mend his old tee shirts speedily! But I don't need one yet, so it's still just a dream machine for now.
So there you have it- my two Singer ladies, my sewing room dream team. I picked both of them up from the repair shop and can't wait to try them out. This was an awfully expensive servicing, due to the Athena being a lot more broken than I thought. But with new gears and a few other parts, hopefully she'll be sewing like new. I guess I've learned my lesson- I can take care of the Rocketeer ok on my own, but I really need to get the Athena in for servicing more regularly!
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Sew Mama Sewing Machine Meme
Sew Mama Sew is hosting Sewing Machine Month in June. I thought it might be fun to participate in their sewing machine meme. Of course, I have two machines... so this is post one of two!
What brand and model do you have? Singer Athena 2000
How long have you had it? Since I moved back from Indiana and into my second apartment, I believe- summer of 2005.
How much does that machine cost (approximately)? A quick google search didn't give me any idea. My mother purchased it in the mid-70s, but it was gifted to me.
What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? My Athena is my main garment sewing machine, and my quilting machine now that I quilt. I've made clothes for myself on it, and bags, etc.
How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? Lately, I don't sew at all! This is because my Athena stopped working properly last fall. I would say in heavy sewing periods (for example, at the end of last summer), I sew for many (many many) hours over the weekend and a few during the week. When I'm not in the middle of obsessing over a project, I sew very infrequently.
Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? I call her Athena, for obvious reasons, or my little Sewing Goddess. I do love her, but I am not as comfortable with her as I am with my other machine. I just need more time getting to know her.
What features does your machine have that work well for you? My mother often remarks that she regrets ever giving me this machine- it has the best button-holer of all of our collective sewing machines.
Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? OH the curses I have lashed out since it broke down last fall. It turns out that it needed some serious repairs (I suspected it, but was afraid to give in and bring it in for repair). Apparently it had some broken parts, and I'm in for a $180 bill very shortly. Sigh.
Do you have a great story to share about your machine? Well, this is my mother's old machine, the one she used to make all the crazy matching shorts and hawaiian shirts for my sister and me in our childhood. The Disney World outfits we had in NEON green were pretty awesome. In an 80s-tastic way. We always wore whatever Mom made for us, and we sure were easy to spot.
Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? I do recommend it! It's electronic, but still basic enough to handle anything. I love older machines, and again... it's got the button-holer of doom.
What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? I think you should gauge how you are going to use the machine as the most important factor. For me, I wanted to be able to sew apparel, and to do basic fixes on ready-to-wear (the Athena also is very good at hemming). I wouldn't have chosen it for a quilting machine, but it does a fine job at that, as well.
Do you have a dream machine? I want a Bernina. I am completely in love with my aunt's Bernina. It sews like a dream, and I can only imagine how awesome it would be for free-motion machine quilting. Someday I'll get one of my own!
What brand and model do you have? Singer Athena 2000
How long have you had it? Since I moved back from Indiana and into my second apartment, I believe- summer of 2005.
How much does that machine cost (approximately)? A quick google search didn't give me any idea. My mother purchased it in the mid-70s, but it was gifted to me.
What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? My Athena is my main garment sewing machine, and my quilting machine now that I quilt. I've made clothes for myself on it, and bags, etc.
How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? Lately, I don't sew at all! This is because my Athena stopped working properly last fall. I would say in heavy sewing periods (for example, at the end of last summer), I sew for many (many many) hours over the weekend and a few during the week. When I'm not in the middle of obsessing over a project, I sew very infrequently.
Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? I call her Athena, for obvious reasons, or my little Sewing Goddess. I do love her, but I am not as comfortable with her as I am with my other machine. I just need more time getting to know her.
What features does your machine have that work well for you? My mother often remarks that she regrets ever giving me this machine- it has the best button-holer of all of our collective sewing machines.
Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? OH the curses I have lashed out since it broke down last fall. It turns out that it needed some serious repairs (I suspected it, but was afraid to give in and bring it in for repair). Apparently it had some broken parts, and I'm in for a $180 bill very shortly. Sigh.
Do you have a great story to share about your machine? Well, this is my mother's old machine, the one she used to make all the crazy matching shorts and hawaiian shirts for my sister and me in our childhood. The Disney World outfits we had in NEON green were pretty awesome. In an 80s-tastic way. We always wore whatever Mom made for us, and we sure were easy to spot.
Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? I do recommend it! It's electronic, but still basic enough to handle anything. I love older machines, and again... it's got the button-holer of doom.
What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? I think you should gauge how you are going to use the machine as the most important factor. For me, I wanted to be able to sew apparel, and to do basic fixes on ready-to-wear (the Athena also is very good at hemming). I wouldn't have chosen it for a quilting machine, but it does a fine job at that, as well.
Do you have a dream machine? I want a Bernina. I am completely in love with my aunt's Bernina. It sews like a dream, and I can only imagine how awesome it would be for free-motion machine quilting. Someday I'll get one of my own!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Summer Sewing
My fiance is a doll. Case in point? He's taking in my two sewing machines for repair today, so I can get going on summer sewing.
Both the Athena and my Rocketeer gave up the dust while I was working on my Storm at Sea. So it's not done. And I would REALLY love to bring that bad boy to my quilting retreat in September as a finished top, not in pieces!
I also have some very important projects to work on this summer. I have three gorgeous gifts to make for some very special ladies. And yesterday I received the most amazing fabric in the mail. I may be 28 years old (I'm going to keep saying that, because I keep forgetting and thinking I'm 29 already)... but I can still wear unicorns if I want to. This fabric is from Heather Ross's "Far Far Away" collection. I also bought some of her Mendocino fabric (with mermaids! and kelp!). The Far Far Away fabrics are doubleweight gauze, while the Mendocino are a standard quilting cotton. Don't know how I'll use all of them yet, but the unicorns on the blush background are going to become something like this:
Photo (and tutorial) courtesy of Sew Mama Sew.
Both the Athena and my Rocketeer gave up the dust while I was working on my Storm at Sea. So it's not done. And I would REALLY love to bring that bad boy to my quilting retreat in September as a finished top, not in pieces!
I also have some very important projects to work on this summer. I have three gorgeous gifts to make for some very special ladies. And yesterday I received the most amazing fabric in the mail. I may be 28 years old (I'm going to keep saying that, because I keep forgetting and thinking I'm 29 already)... but I can still wear unicorns if I want to. This fabric is from Heather Ross's "Far Far Away" collection. I also bought some of her Mendocino fabric (with mermaids! and kelp!). The Far Far Away fabrics are doubleweight gauze, while the Mendocino are a standard quilting cotton. Don't know how I'll use all of them yet, but the unicorns on the blush background are going to become something like this:
Photo (and tutorial) courtesy of Sew Mama Sew.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Memorial Day Weekend
I blog a lot more when I have time off work. I guess that's an obvious correlation. This was a really delicious 3-day weekend- much deserved, I think! There was a bit of relaxing, a bit of cleaning, and a bit of fun. So pretty much perfect. I didn't accomplish everything I aimed to, but isn't that usually the way?
Stitch 'n Pitch was nice... but I never found my ladies from Silver Spring! I did wave to my former roommie, who I saw briefly from afar, but I never located anyone else from Maryland. I did however sit only a couple rows in front of the Arlington group (and with my gym buddy, who I met through that knitting group). They're nice, those NoVa people, but I was sad not to find everyone else. We were also next to a family that was not my cup of tea. They weren't rude, exactly, but just not very good seating companions. They weren't super into the game, they weren't interested in knitting, so really- why were they there? No matter.
I spent a bit of time this weekend tidying my craft room. OH happy day! It still isn't done (or really even close), but I can see the sofa, and the floor, and things are cleared up enough that I can actually watch TV and knit in here again. And, more importantly, my laptop finally has a home besides the coffee table in the living room. My productivity has already increased. Even though there's a lot left to do (first of all- painting!) I thought you might like some in-progress photos. Voila, my room, unveiled!
View as you walk in (the tv is to the right of the desk, and both machines are currently hiding under the machine cover)
The far wall (including the Rocketeer sewing table)
The near wall (same old wall of yarn, also next to the door that leads up to the attic)
Last night I cooked up a delicious chicken and rice from the New Best Recipe cookbook. The title is a bit far-fetched- really? THE best recipe? But so far, it's been true. I have that book from the library, and two of their smaller ones (30 minute meals and light recipes), and the half dozen or so recipes I've tried have all been stellar. They go into a great deal of explanation for every recipe- what they tried and didn't like, the best little tricks and techniques to use, and so forth. So far I am a huge fan, and I can't wait to cook more of their recipes. We invited G's father over for dinner, and he enjoyed it all as well. I count my lucky stars all the time that I have such a pleasant future father-in-law- he always loves my cooking, and I love having another person there to join us.
Today I took on some serious cleaning chores- I cleaned the blinds in almost all the rooms and cleaned the interior windows and the doors- I didn't get on a ladder and clean the windows outside, but I figure I'd done enough spring cleaning for the day. I tried the 30 Day Shred again, still on level 1, and it was significantly less awful this time. In part this was because I used G's 2.5 pound weights for some moves (instead of his 4 pound dumbbells). Baby steps! After a shower, we headed over to G's friends place for some much needed time with their kids, and a delicious dinner. Very nice way to ease back into the work week.
In other home improvements, G hung up my pot rack and it looks delightful! I suddenly have so much more space in the kitchen, and I am so glad he put it up this weekend. They say you have to "nest" to make a new home your own, and I tend to agree with conventional wisdom. Every window I clean, and every little decorating task we complete, I feel more comfortable here.
Back to watching the Giro d'Italia and working on Clapotis(our nightly passion for weeks, thanks to G's cycling addiction).
Stitch 'n Pitch was nice... but I never found my ladies from Silver Spring! I did wave to my former roommie, who I saw briefly from afar, but I never located anyone else from Maryland. I did however sit only a couple rows in front of the Arlington group (and with my gym buddy, who I met through that knitting group). They're nice, those NoVa people, but I was sad not to find everyone else. We were also next to a family that was not my cup of tea. They weren't rude, exactly, but just not very good seating companions. They weren't super into the game, they weren't interested in knitting, so really- why were they there? No matter.
I spent a bit of time this weekend tidying my craft room. OH happy day! It still isn't done (or really even close), but I can see the sofa, and the floor, and things are cleared up enough that I can actually watch TV and knit in here again. And, more importantly, my laptop finally has a home besides the coffee table in the living room. My productivity has already increased. Even though there's a lot left to do (first of all- painting!) I thought you might like some in-progress photos. Voila, my room, unveiled!
View as you walk in (the tv is to the right of the desk, and both machines are currently hiding under the machine cover)
The far wall (including the Rocketeer sewing table)
The near wall (same old wall of yarn, also next to the door that leads up to the attic)
Last night I cooked up a delicious chicken and rice from the New Best Recipe cookbook. The title is a bit far-fetched- really? THE best recipe? But so far, it's been true. I have that book from the library, and two of their smaller ones (30 minute meals and light recipes), and the half dozen or so recipes I've tried have all been stellar. They go into a great deal of explanation for every recipe- what they tried and didn't like, the best little tricks and techniques to use, and so forth. So far I am a huge fan, and I can't wait to cook more of their recipes. We invited G's father over for dinner, and he enjoyed it all as well. I count my lucky stars all the time that I have such a pleasant future father-in-law- he always loves my cooking, and I love having another person there to join us.
Today I took on some serious cleaning chores- I cleaned the blinds in almost all the rooms and cleaned the interior windows and the doors- I didn't get on a ladder and clean the windows outside, but I figure I'd done enough spring cleaning for the day. I tried the 30 Day Shred again, still on level 1, and it was significantly less awful this time. In part this was because I used G's 2.5 pound weights for some moves (instead of his 4 pound dumbbells). Baby steps! After a shower, we headed over to G's friends place for some much needed time with their kids, and a delicious dinner. Very nice way to ease back into the work week.
In other home improvements, G hung up my pot rack and it looks delightful! I suddenly have so much more space in the kitchen, and I am so glad he put it up this weekend. They say you have to "nest" to make a new home your own, and I tend to agree with conventional wisdom. Every window I clean, and every little decorating task we complete, I feel more comfortable here.
Back to watching the Giro d'Italia and working on Clapotis(our nightly passion for weeks, thanks to G's cycling addiction).
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Ups and Downs
Yesterday was awesome. A mysterious package... no idea what it could be... and it turned out to be my wedding gown! But I had evening plans, and G was around, so I couldn't open it and play with it until today.
So today was great. G was going on a trip with some buddies, so I made us a hearty breakfast of eggs and toast and turkey bacon. I went to the gym with my gym buddy, and got in a solid workout. And tonight is Stitch 'n Pitch- I am so excited! I don't even know what projects to bring- my clapotis is half-done already, so I have this irrational fear that I'll finish it and need another project. Unlikely, but it's always good to be prepared!
I was supposed to spend my afternoon cleaning up the craft room, but I didn't. I tried on my wedding gown. And here's the big downer of the day- it is too small. Not a TON too small, but the damn thing definitely won't zip up all the way. My resultant profanity was immoderate and colorful.
Now, I know I've gained some weight lately. It's not pleasant, but it's true. I've been cooking healthier, and exercising, but not enough. When I moved out here closer to the suburbs, I cut out most of my walking commute. And I knew that this was a possibility with ordering the dress EXACTLY to fit, instead of going up a size- I was afraid to go up, since it would then assuredly need alterations all around, instead of just a quick hem. And now I'm in the minor predicament of altering myself to fit the dress, or the dress to fit me.
My first fitting isn't until the beginning of August. I just bought a bike. I upped my gym membership so I can go to the gym in Gallery Place, near Farragut West, or in Georgetown (they have better classes than my home location, near my old apartment). I can walk home from the metro, which would mean a solid half hour of brisk walking 5 days a week. I started doing the 30 Day Shred, and will keep it up. G and I are biking once a week so far, and surely will do it more now that I remember how to ride. He is very encouraging, and wants to get more fit as well. And I'm trying to figure out HOW on EARTH I can get up 45 minutes or an hour earlier, which would be all I'd need to get in a quick run before showering and work in the morning.
What I'm saying is... it's on. I will lose the 3-4 pounds I put on since buying the damn gown. I will hopefully lose more, since I should be more like 20 pounds lighter overall for my BMI. And I am going to do my damnedest to drop the weight before August- I want that zipper to FLY up my back at my first fitting. I know the tailor has to hem it- I'd like her to have to take in the sucker, too!
I'll keep you posted.
So today was great. G was going on a trip with some buddies, so I made us a hearty breakfast of eggs and toast and turkey bacon. I went to the gym with my gym buddy, and got in a solid workout. And tonight is Stitch 'n Pitch- I am so excited! I don't even know what projects to bring- my clapotis is half-done already, so I have this irrational fear that I'll finish it and need another project. Unlikely, but it's always good to be prepared!
I was supposed to spend my afternoon cleaning up the craft room, but I didn't. I tried on my wedding gown. And here's the big downer of the day- it is too small. Not a TON too small, but the damn thing definitely won't zip up all the way. My resultant profanity was immoderate and colorful.
Now, I know I've gained some weight lately. It's not pleasant, but it's true. I've been cooking healthier, and exercising, but not enough. When I moved out here closer to the suburbs, I cut out most of my walking commute. And I knew that this was a possibility with ordering the dress EXACTLY to fit, instead of going up a size- I was afraid to go up, since it would then assuredly need alterations all around, instead of just a quick hem. And now I'm in the minor predicament of altering myself to fit the dress, or the dress to fit me.
My first fitting isn't until the beginning of August. I just bought a bike. I upped my gym membership so I can go to the gym in Gallery Place, near Farragut West, or in Georgetown (they have better classes than my home location, near my old apartment). I can walk home from the metro, which would mean a solid half hour of brisk walking 5 days a week. I started doing the 30 Day Shred, and will keep it up. G and I are biking once a week so far, and surely will do it more now that I remember how to ride. He is very encouraging, and wants to get more fit as well. And I'm trying to figure out HOW on EARTH I can get up 45 minutes or an hour earlier, which would be all I'd need to get in a quick run before showering and work in the morning.
What I'm saying is... it's on. I will lose the 3-4 pounds I put on since buying the damn gown. I will hopefully lose more, since I should be more like 20 pounds lighter overall for my BMI. And I am going to do my damnedest to drop the weight before August- I want that zipper to FLY up my back at my first fitting. I know the tailor has to hem it- I'd like her to have to take in the sucker, too!
I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Home sick
Sometimes being a little bit sick is the best possible thing. I was feeling really rough this morning- bad enough that I overcame my usual guilt about staying home and called in sick. I really hardly ever call in sick- I feel like the threshold for feeling bad is pretty high to keep me away from the office, unless I'm actually contagious.
But by mid-afternoon, my stomach was roiling less, the headache was reduced, and I no longer felt tied to the sofa. I also ran out of American Idol and Dancing with the Stars on our DVR. I even finished the 11th repeat of that darn baby blanket. So I did the logical next thing- started cleaning. I vacuumed, did some windows (since it's the perfect dreary sunless day for it), and did some serious cleaning on the door from the kitchen to the back porch. I am not used to living in a real home- there are just so many things to deal with. In my past apartments, cleaning wasn't that big a deal- you can't have that many windows in an efficiency! Now... it doesn't seem to matter how much I do, it's still not enough. At least after my few hours of cleaning, I'm feeling like now I've made an effort to spring clean, and I can get back to knitting without guilt.
Still on the increases for Clapotis. Well into the last repeat of the baby blanket. 3 loads of laundry done. I'm thinking this is one very successful sick day- and I'm glad I feel better so I can get back to work tomorrow!
But by mid-afternoon, my stomach was roiling less, the headache was reduced, and I no longer felt tied to the sofa. I also ran out of American Idol and Dancing with the Stars on our DVR. I even finished the 11th repeat of that darn baby blanket. So I did the logical next thing- started cleaning. I vacuumed, did some windows (since it's the perfect dreary sunless day for it), and did some serious cleaning on the door from the kitchen to the back porch. I am not used to living in a real home- there are just so many things to deal with. In my past apartments, cleaning wasn't that big a deal- you can't have that many windows in an efficiency! Now... it doesn't seem to matter how much I do, it's still not enough. At least after my few hours of cleaning, I'm feeling like now I've made an effort to spring clean, and I can get back to knitting without guilt.
Still on the increases for Clapotis. Well into the last repeat of the baby blanket. 3 loads of laundry done. I'm thinking this is one very successful sick day- and I'm glad I feel better so I can get back to work tomorrow!
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival
I thought about not going to MSWF this year. "I'm planning a wedding!" I argued. "I have things to do that weekend!" I contended. "I don't need any more yarn, holy crapamoley have you looked at my hideously messy extremely creative craft room!" I exclaimed.
Yeah, of course I went to Sheep and Wool. I didn't even stick to my budget (although I stayed fairly close to the budget I would have set myself, had I really bothered to set a budget). I took some terrible photos of my new acquisitions, which my photographer in residence has nixed. Apparently my practice of tossing yarn on the floor with reckless abandon worked better when the carpeting was beige. Now that I live in home with green carpets in the living room, apparently I should care about this and do something to improve my yarn photography. A pale sheet, for example, would be effective.
Obviously, I was far too excited about WINDING a ball of gorgeous yarn and CASTING ON for a (third) Clapotis to bother with finding a light-colored sheet. But I have been knitting with some Brooks Farm yarn since the Amazing Race last night, and I am in heaven.
The heavenly feeling is largely related to this Clapotis not being an enormous and annoying and why-isn't-it-completed baby blanket. I am at 10.5 repeats out of the suggested 14. It's pretty enormous. I'm thinking 12 repeats may just be the end of it, for me. I did knit the whole way to and from the festival- thanks to my wonderful friend offering to drive.
MSWF is a lot more entertaining to attend with another fiber addict who has totally different coloring from me, but similar tastes in knitting projects. We never had to fight about yarn, since we always were going for different colors. Except for the gorgeous handpainted lace weight, for which I gave in and became a total copycat. I hope we at least pick different scarf patterns for it!
In the end, I walked away with another bunch of Tess Yarn- worsted purple, destined to become a February Lady Sweater. Tess's new Baby Bunny, in Hot Pink!, which I think would be cute for a baby sweater, or maybe even socks. The aforementioned vari-colored lace yarn for a decorative scarf. Two skeins of a mottled green from Brooks Farm for my Clapotis (to replace the hot pink one I made in grad school- it's time to move on). And I found four skeins of a beautiful red laceweight, because I can never have enough laceweight. Or red.
Not a bad haul. And I enjoyed seeing the different breeds of sheep. Definitely a good weekend! Now... back to the increase rows of that Clapotis, before I give in and work on the baby blanket of doom.
Yeah, of course I went to Sheep and Wool. I didn't even stick to my budget (although I stayed fairly close to the budget I would have set myself, had I really bothered to set a budget). I took some terrible photos of my new acquisitions, which my photographer in residence has nixed. Apparently my practice of tossing yarn on the floor with reckless abandon worked better when the carpeting was beige. Now that I live in home with green carpets in the living room, apparently I should care about this and do something to improve my yarn photography. A pale sheet, for example, would be effective.
Obviously, I was far too excited about WINDING a ball of gorgeous yarn and CASTING ON for a (third) Clapotis to bother with finding a light-colored sheet. But I have been knitting with some Brooks Farm yarn since the Amazing Race last night, and I am in heaven.
The heavenly feeling is largely related to this Clapotis not being an enormous and annoying and why-isn't-it-completed baby blanket. I am at 10.5 repeats out of the suggested 14. It's pretty enormous. I'm thinking 12 repeats may just be the end of it, for me. I did knit the whole way to and from the festival- thanks to my wonderful friend offering to drive.
MSWF is a lot more entertaining to attend with another fiber addict who has totally different coloring from me, but similar tastes in knitting projects. We never had to fight about yarn, since we always were going for different colors. Except for the gorgeous handpainted lace weight, for which I gave in and became a total copycat. I hope we at least pick different scarf patterns for it!
In the end, I walked away with another bunch of Tess Yarn- worsted purple, destined to become a February Lady Sweater. Tess's new Baby Bunny, in Hot Pink!, which I think would be cute for a baby sweater, or maybe even socks. The aforementioned vari-colored lace yarn for a decorative scarf. Two skeins of a mottled green from Brooks Farm for my Clapotis (to replace the hot pink one I made in grad school- it's time to move on). And I found four skeins of a beautiful red laceweight, because I can never have enough laceweight. Or red.
Not a bad haul. And I enjoyed seeing the different breeds of sheep. Definitely a good weekend! Now... back to the increase rows of that Clapotis, before I give in and work on the baby blanket of doom.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Hanami in its Natural Habitat
Two more photos from this long and delightful weekend before I head to bed. While we were at the blossoms, G took some pretty amazing photos. He was even kind enough to take some photos of my Hanami shawl in its natural habitat- the cherry blossoms! Last year it was about 35 degrees at the Tidal Basin- even with the wind, it was easily 30 degrees warmer on Saturday.
And they posted our race times. 35'57"!!!! That's a huge improvement over my last time (37'38"). I ran the first mile handily, kept up the pace a bit into the next mile, but walked on the bridge a few times, on either side of the halfway mark. Hopefully the next time I race, I'll be running non-stop the whole way. But what a great improvement! I'm inspired to get back out on the roads and train.
Right now, I'm inspired to go to bed. 10pm isn't that early on race day.
And they posted our race times. 35'57"!!!! That's a huge improvement over my last time (37'38"). I ran the first mile handily, kept up the pace a bit into the next mile, but walked on the bridge a few times, on either side of the halfway mark. Hopefully the next time I race, I'll be running non-stop the whole way. But what a great improvement! I'm inspired to get back out on the roads and train.
Right now, I'm inspired to go to bed. 10pm isn't that early on race day.
Incredible Weekend
This has been the most amazing weekend I can remember. Quick recap first, then full-blown. With photos, from me and G!
Friday: Caps game
Saturday: Cherry blossom viewing, yoga by the Tidal Basin, brunch in Georgetown
Sunday: Ran my second 5k, the Cherry Blossom 5k Run/Walk. Also? Finished a sweater!
The Caps game was great- and of course I brought that ever-present baby blanket with me. Got at least 5-6 rows done, and the game was enjoyable. Though they were not playing their best... boo.
Saturday was just tons of fun. G and I headed out to get our race packets for Sunday with our friend Kevin. I realized if I went to get the packet I might miss the free yoga class by the Tidal Basin, at the Cherry Blossom Festival stage (in front of the monument!), so I went straight there. Gorgeous morning, but tons of wind. It was my first time doing yoga outside, and it was definitely a yoga adventure! George took some great photos during our class, and my friend Manda was also there and joined up afterwards for some creative photo-taking around the FDR memorial and the blossoms.
We went out for an amazing brunch at Mie N Yu in Georgetown, which was a ton of fun- but no photos up from that yet. Lovely decor... and yummy.
Then finally- today I went out with some folks from my company and G and a bunch of our buddies to the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler and 5k Run/Walk. Guess which I did. But I smashed my personal record for a 5k, and loved every minute of it!
After the race I did some chores around the house- not only is Passover coming, I have a parental visit coming up! But I still managed to finish my sweater while we watched our first Blu-Ray disc, Let the Right One In. Horror movie... sort of. Definitely interesting. The sweater is plain ole great! I definitely need to block it- but it's wearable!
Friday: Caps game
Saturday: Cherry blossom viewing, yoga by the Tidal Basin, brunch in Georgetown
Sunday: Ran my second 5k, the Cherry Blossom 5k Run/Walk. Also? Finished a sweater!
The Caps game was great- and of course I brought that ever-present baby blanket with me. Got at least 5-6 rows done, and the game was enjoyable. Though they were not playing their best... boo.
Saturday was just tons of fun. G and I headed out to get our race packets for Sunday with our friend Kevin. I realized if I went to get the packet I might miss the free yoga class by the Tidal Basin, at the Cherry Blossom Festival stage (in front of the monument!), so I went straight there. Gorgeous morning, but tons of wind. It was my first time doing yoga outside, and it was definitely a yoga adventure! George took some great photos during our class, and my friend Manda was also there and joined up afterwards for some creative photo-taking around the FDR memorial and the blossoms.
We went out for an amazing brunch at Mie N Yu in Georgetown, which was a ton of fun- but no photos up from that yet. Lovely decor... and yummy.
Then finally- today I went out with some folks from my company and G and a bunch of our buddies to the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler and 5k Run/Walk. Guess which I did. But I smashed my personal record for a 5k, and loved every minute of it!
After the race I did some chores around the house- not only is Passover coming, I have a parental visit coming up! But I still managed to finish my sweater while we watched our first Blu-Ray disc, Let the Right One In. Horror movie... sort of. Definitely interesting. The sweater is plain ole great! I definitely need to block it- but it's wearable!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Crafty Ponderings
I've been better about updating the wedding blog- and let's be real, that's where most of my energy is centered lately. But I've been crafting a fair bit these past few weeks since the move, as well.
Progress is slow and steady on the baby blanket. I've finished 6.5 repeats, and more importantly I finally am at the point where I don't need the pattern at all. I have finally memorized all six different stitch patterns, and their repeat lengths, and can knit blissfully away on the metro and around the house without relying on the pattern! I am almost done with the second ball of yarn, and it's getting big enough that I have to stuff it in my backpack or a separate bag now, in order to knit during my commute. The baby is due in late May. If I were trying to knit a full 14 repeats, I'd be worried! But this blanket is already coming out so large that I think I'm over half done already. As long as I fit in some serious knitting time over the next few weeks, I should be able to gift it well in advance of the baby's arrival.
In between working on the blanket, I have been remembering that crazy challenge I signed up for, pre-engagement. I (in my infinite wisdom) thought it would be cool to sign up for the sweater-a-month challenge that flew around Ravelry after the Ravelympics and National Knit a Sweater month in November. Why I thought I could knit twelve sweaters in a year, when I average one or two, is pure delusion. But the least I could do is try and at least knit on a single sweater! Like ... maybe the one I started during NaKniSweMo (November). I was already working on the sleeves, two at a time, at the end of November. So I picked it up again, and am now... still not done with the sleeves. In my defense, I really am working on the sleeve caps! I thought I would be able to finish them this weekend, and possibly even start seaming it together, but my optimism was (as always) misplaced. My major work stoppage this weekend was really the fault of the move. It took me some serious searching to find the last ball of yarn for the sweater- it was separated from the project at some point, and was mixing it up with my wool blend yarns in my shelving unit. Living the high life, I tell you! Now that it's been reunited with the rest of the balls of yarn, in sweater form, I am hoping that I may finally get the darn thing done and sewn together by next week.
Of course, now it's April. It's unlikely it will be cold enough for me to wear the sweater more than once or twice before next fall. But hey- knitters are not about instant gratification! It's all about the sweater you'll be able to wear next year. Or you know, possibly the year after that. Once this great big green thing is done, though, all the next half-finished sweaters on my list are summer-weight. I might even finish one before the wedding, and they're forced into November retirement.
But I doubt it.
Progress is slow and steady on the baby blanket. I've finished 6.5 repeats, and more importantly I finally am at the point where I don't need the pattern at all. I have finally memorized all six different stitch patterns, and their repeat lengths, and can knit blissfully away on the metro and around the house without relying on the pattern! I am almost done with the second ball of yarn, and it's getting big enough that I have to stuff it in my backpack or a separate bag now, in order to knit during my commute. The baby is due in late May. If I were trying to knit a full 14 repeats, I'd be worried! But this blanket is already coming out so large that I think I'm over half done already. As long as I fit in some serious knitting time over the next few weeks, I should be able to gift it well in advance of the baby's arrival.
In between working on the blanket, I have been remembering that crazy challenge I signed up for, pre-engagement. I (in my infinite wisdom) thought it would be cool to sign up for the sweater-a-month challenge that flew around Ravelry after the Ravelympics and National Knit a Sweater month in November. Why I thought I could knit twelve sweaters in a year, when I average one or two, is pure delusion. But the least I could do is try and at least knit on a single sweater! Like ... maybe the one I started during NaKniSweMo (November). I was already working on the sleeves, two at a time, at the end of November. So I picked it up again, and am now... still not done with the sleeves. In my defense, I really am working on the sleeve caps! I thought I would be able to finish them this weekend, and possibly even start seaming it together, but my optimism was (as always) misplaced. My major work stoppage this weekend was really the fault of the move. It took me some serious searching to find the last ball of yarn for the sweater- it was separated from the project at some point, and was mixing it up with my wool blend yarns in my shelving unit. Living the high life, I tell you! Now that it's been reunited with the rest of the balls of yarn, in sweater form, I am hoping that I may finally get the darn thing done and sewn together by next week.
Of course, now it's April. It's unlikely it will be cold enough for me to wear the sweater more than once or twice before next fall. But hey- knitters are not about instant gratification! It's all about the sweater you'll be able to wear next year. Or you know, possibly the year after that. Once this great big green thing is done, though, all the next half-finished sweaters on my list are summer-weight. I might even finish one before the wedding, and they're forced into November retirement.
But I doubt it.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Endpaper Mitts, v2
I finally finished my second pair of Endpaper Mitts on Sunday. They were nearly finished for at least a month- sometimes my finishing skills are lacking in timeliness. At least the quality is good when I get around to it! My live-in-photographer took the photos, and can I just say it's fantastic to have someone around to take daylight shots? What a sweetheart.
It would figure I would finally finish these, a holiday and birthday gift, only once the weather has turned and it's 70 degrees out. Details. What you can barely see in these photos? Tee shirt and shorts!! Hurray for spring.
It would figure I would finally finish these, a holiday and birthday gift, only once the weather has turned and it's 70 degrees out. Details. What you can barely see in these photos? Tee shirt and shorts!! Hurray for spring.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
The biggest perk
The biggest perk of moving in with the love of my life is that I am going to have a sewing room again!
Well, ok. The biggest perk is probably having him around all the time, and getting to snuggle on the sofa in the evening, and having more than one bathroom in the house for the first time in years (we have FOUR!). But besides that, the best of all is having a sewing room.
I have had a room of my own for crafting a few times since moving out of my parents (where I did not have my own craft room, but Mom sure did- and she shared). In Bloomington I had a second bedroom, which was used as both a study for writing during the semester, and a craft room when school was out of session. I made my cosplay costume there, sewing into the wee hours of my summer vacation. I had a sewing machine, my Rocketeer, and we purred through school breaks with internet radio blasting from my desktop computer and my crappy computer speakers.
When I moved back to Maryland, I had a two bedroom apartment in Rockville. And again, it was a combined study/craft room. But for some reason I didn't sew much in that apartment. I had an incredibly long commute, and hardly any money to waste, so I cooked dinner and ate while watching a movie most nights. I did knit quite a bit throughout that time period. And I was heavily in the throes of my World of Warcraft addiction then, so I was in the second bedroom all the time on weekends and late at night, but I was mostly playing on the computer. It wasn't a fully functional craft room, I suppose.
Once I had a roommate again, I lost my "free" second bedroom, and had to go back to crafting in a smaller space. I did have my sewing machine set up in our large living room area, near the kitchen table, and I sewed a few gifts there. But again, I was mostly knitting on the sofa while watching tv and videos. You don't need nearly as much space for knitting as you do for sewing and paper crafts. And then of course I moved to Arlington... to an efficiency apartment. It's a bit entertaining to me that I got much more into quilting ONLY after I lived in a teensy space where in order to quilt I had to clear away the kitchen table- and then I had to put it away again in order to cook dinner!
Now, finally, I have the best of all worlds. I live in a house, with the sweetest man I know. We have FOUR BATHROOMS- seriously people, that's amazing. And the biggest perk is definitely having a room to craft. I can't wait to get it set up and take some photos, to show off the new space. My furniture is moving in next Sunday! In the meantime, I've been spending loads of time thinking about how to organize my space. I need to fit a sofa, my computer desk (to be used as a sewing machine desk, actually), my large cube storage-bookcase thing, and a few more bookcases. I also have a bunch of plastic bins and other random things that need to fit in somehow. It's not a tiny room, but that's a lot! I've been checking out a bunch of blogs to get ideas on how to make the space most effective, and most inspiring for my various crafts. I have hardly any fabric stash yet, but I foresee that will change as I continue on the quilting path. And I still have more yarn than Stitch DC Georgetown. Hmm. Here's some of the inspiration I've been finding!
Well, ok. The biggest perk is probably having him around all the time, and getting to snuggle on the sofa in the evening, and having more than one bathroom in the house for the first time in years (we have FOUR!). But besides that, the best of all is having a sewing room.
I have had a room of my own for crafting a few times since moving out of my parents (where I did not have my own craft room, but Mom sure did- and she shared). In Bloomington I had a second bedroom, which was used as both a study for writing during the semester, and a craft room when school was out of session. I made my cosplay costume there, sewing into the wee hours of my summer vacation. I had a sewing machine, my Rocketeer, and we purred through school breaks with internet radio blasting from my desktop computer and my crappy computer speakers.
When I moved back to Maryland, I had a two bedroom apartment in Rockville. And again, it was a combined study/craft room. But for some reason I didn't sew much in that apartment. I had an incredibly long commute, and hardly any money to waste, so I cooked dinner and ate while watching a movie most nights. I did knit quite a bit throughout that time period. And I was heavily in the throes of my World of Warcraft addiction then, so I was in the second bedroom all the time on weekends and late at night, but I was mostly playing on the computer. It wasn't a fully functional craft room, I suppose.
Once I had a roommate again, I lost my "free" second bedroom, and had to go back to crafting in a smaller space. I did have my sewing machine set up in our large living room area, near the kitchen table, and I sewed a few gifts there. But again, I was mostly knitting on the sofa while watching tv and videos. You don't need nearly as much space for knitting as you do for sewing and paper crafts. And then of course I moved to Arlington... to an efficiency apartment. It's a bit entertaining to me that I got much more into quilting ONLY after I lived in a teensy space where in order to quilt I had to clear away the kitchen table- and then I had to put it away again in order to cook dinner!
Now, finally, I have the best of all worlds. I live in a house, with the sweetest man I know. We have FOUR BATHROOMS- seriously people, that's amazing. And the biggest perk is definitely having a room to craft. I can't wait to get it set up and take some photos, to show off the new space. My furniture is moving in next Sunday! In the meantime, I've been spending loads of time thinking about how to organize my space. I need to fit a sofa, my computer desk (to be used as a sewing machine desk, actually), my large cube storage-bookcase thing, and a few more bookcases. I also have a bunch of plastic bins and other random things that need to fit in somehow. It's not a tiny room, but that's a lot! I've been checking out a bunch of blogs to get ideas on how to make the space most effective, and most inspiring for my various crafts. I have hardly any fabric stash yet, but I foresee that will change as I continue on the quilting path. And I still have more yarn than Stitch DC Georgetown. Hmm. Here's some of the inspiration I've been finding!
Friday, March 06, 2009
Craft's March is Make Do and Mend Month
Craft Magazine, or rather Craft Online (since magazine is now defunct, sadly), is doing a theme for March. Make Do and Mend Month! This recession is surely affecting us all. I am not quite ready to re-sign for another 3 months (or 6, or 9) of the Wardrobe Refashion challenge. For one, there's that minor point that I just bought a wedding gown, which doesn't fit in with the refashion-nothing-new ethic. And for another, half my clothes don't fit and the other half are getting worn to shreds. So I think I need some lee-way to buy a few more suits and things.
On the other hand, my mending pile just keeps growing and growing. There's the suit that needs a button on the pants, and is otherwise completely wearable. Another suit that needs the pants re-lined- though the jacket may be worn enough that it's time to just heave it, I have a hard time giving up my favorite well-fitting suit! A pair of pants I bought that had a terribly done hem which came out, completely, the very first time I wore them. A piece of the hem thread came undone and was literally pulled out from under me in an elevator door, as the elevator went downstairs so did the thread!
So this month sounds like a lovely time to catch up on these things, and get my sewing pile down a little while actually increasing my wardrobe. My handknit socks are all still in fine condition, but it's a good month to read up on darning and get a darning egg, too.
I have plenty of fabric to be sewing skirts and easy tops, and I have patterns for some really adorable little projects. Plus the Storm at Sea quilt that I desperately want to finish so I can display it in my brand new sewing room. As both of my machines (still) need servicing, in the meantime I'm going to get out those hand sewing needles and fix some hems. Sew some buttons. You know- make do and mend.
On the other hand, my mending pile just keeps growing and growing. There's the suit that needs a button on the pants, and is otherwise completely wearable. Another suit that needs the pants re-lined- though the jacket may be worn enough that it's time to just heave it, I have a hard time giving up my favorite well-fitting suit! A pair of pants I bought that had a terribly done hem which came out, completely, the very first time I wore them. A piece of the hem thread came undone and was literally pulled out from under me in an elevator door, as the elevator went downstairs so did the thread!
So this month sounds like a lovely time to catch up on these things, and get my sewing pile down a little while actually increasing my wardrobe. My handknit socks are all still in fine condition, but it's a good month to read up on darning and get a darning egg, too.
I have plenty of fabric to be sewing skirts and easy tops, and I have patterns for some really adorable little projects. Plus the Storm at Sea quilt that I desperately want to finish so I can display it in my brand new sewing room. As both of my machines (still) need servicing, in the meantime I'm going to get out those hand sewing needles and fix some hems. Sew some buttons. You know- make do and mend.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Caps for the Win
As usual, I scored tickets to the Caps game through my lovely company. And as usual, I brought some knitting for the occasion.
You can see I am zooming along on one of my upcoming baby gifts- at the game I had completed two diamonds, but I'm actually done with three already.
I came down to Raleigh this weekend for a visit with the parents. We fit in a bit of crafting, and are going through my mom's old quilting magazines to pull out neat patterns. And I have been knitting. But the real purpose of the visit was wedding dress shopping- and we were all done in 2.5 hours of shopping! Easy peasy. I won't blog about the dress, since I'm enough of a traditionalist that I don't want G to see it or really know what it's like. But I can tell you about my veil process soon! I purchased a pattern already (Vogue patterns on super sale at JoAnn's... mm...) and I have delicate tulle in ivory to match the dress. Oops, now I guess you know I'm not wearing white. Not that this should be a surprise to anyone- I'm pasty. Pasty people do not look good in brilliant white gowns. Now that I know what the dress is, however, I can finally think about a wedding shawl. Do I want to knit a wedding shawl? Would I wear it with the dress style I chose? Would it look silly with a veil, or should I use it as a veil?
If we have a final date, and a booked venue for the wedding, maybe then I can think about these things. In the meantime, I need to get cracking on that baby gift. Only three months before the little one is due!
You can see I am zooming along on one of my upcoming baby gifts- at the game I had completed two diamonds, but I'm actually done with three already.
I came down to Raleigh this weekend for a visit with the parents. We fit in a bit of crafting, and are going through my mom's old quilting magazines to pull out neat patterns. And I have been knitting. But the real purpose of the visit was wedding dress shopping- and we were all done in 2.5 hours of shopping! Easy peasy. I won't blog about the dress, since I'm enough of a traditionalist that I don't want G to see it or really know what it's like. But I can tell you about my veil process soon! I purchased a pattern already (Vogue patterns on super sale at JoAnn's... mm...) and I have delicate tulle in ivory to match the dress. Oops, now I guess you know I'm not wearing white. Not that this should be a surprise to anyone- I'm pasty. Pasty people do not look good in brilliant white gowns. Now that I know what the dress is, however, I can finally think about a wedding shawl. Do I want to knit a wedding shawl? Would I wear it with the dress style I chose? Would it look silly with a veil, or should I use it as a veil?
If we have a final date, and a booked venue for the wedding, maybe then I can think about these things. In the meantime, I need to get cracking on that baby gift. Only three months before the little one is due!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Inaugural Vacation
I am thoroughly enjoying my four day weekend thus far. I watched the HBO streaming video of the inaugural concert yesterday- from the comfort of a cozy couch, as opposed to the sub-freezing temps on the Mall. Gym buddy and knitting friend Manda was going to head out there- wonder if she did, and if it was wonderful in person! I teared up a bit at a few points. I am not as patriotic as my kid sister, currently deployed with the Air Force, but I am certainly a patriotic girl.
I spent my viewing time knitting productively, too. I finished the first Endpaper Mitt for my coworker. Disregard the ends which I haven't woven in, yet- the concert ended on time:
I also have been moving along with the cashmere lace stole. I still haven't added the third ball of yarn, but that should be soon. It's getting so long it's hard to photograph! Here it is with my foot for reference:
And with a slipper instead:
I spent my viewing time knitting productively, too. I finished the first Endpaper Mitt for my coworker. Disregard the ends which I haven't woven in, yet- the concert ended on time:
I also have been moving along with the cashmere lace stole. I still haven't added the third ball of yarn, but that should be soon. It's getting so long it's hard to photograph! Here it is with my foot for reference:
And with a slipper instead:
Thursday, January 08, 2009
New beginnings
So I haven't been upkeeping the blog very well the last few weeks. In part, it's because I had a pretty exciting end to 2008. I've been dating this really cute and super nice guy for a while now, and on New Year's Eve he asked me to marry him. I think I can get a pass on the knit blogging because I've been too giddy with laughing and drinking champagne and generally doing nothing but work and kissing ever since.
A week later, I'm only just coming back down to reality. I don't think I've knit a stitch since December. So it's definitely time to get back to work. I have a date with a friend of mine to quilt on Sunday (which means I need to find my Storm at Sea quilt and get it ready). And I am definitely ready to get back to some knitting. I have a belated holiday/birthday gift to work on, I signed up for the crazy 12-sweater challenge... and of course I need to fit in wedding planning and moving and all the incredibly exciting couple stuff, too, in between craft projects. Heck, I'm hoping to DIY a fair bit of this wedding- which is still crafty, but in a whole new way for me.
G started a blog for us on New Year's Day, so we can kick 2009 off right and document this whole crazy wedding experience. You're welcome to check it out- I figure maybe this way I can keep the strictly wedding stuff off of Handknit by Mikaiya, and reserve this blog for my knitting and craft obsession. But I bet they both bleed into each other a fair bit. How could they not- one of the first discussions regarding living together was how I'm going to fit all of my yarn and sewing machines and craft supplies into our home! At least I found the right man. He doesn't mind the fact that I'm going to have yarn in the coffee table for the rest of our lives, and potentially dangerous knitting needles all around the house. What a darling.
A week later, I'm only just coming back down to reality. I don't think I've knit a stitch since December. So it's definitely time to get back to work. I have a date with a friend of mine to quilt on Sunday (which means I need to find my Storm at Sea quilt and get it ready). And I am definitely ready to get back to some knitting. I have a belated holiday/birthday gift to work on, I signed up for the crazy 12-sweater challenge... and of course I need to fit in wedding planning and moving and all the incredibly exciting couple stuff, too, in between craft projects. Heck, I'm hoping to DIY a fair bit of this wedding- which is still crafty, but in a whole new way for me.
G started a blog for us on New Year's Day, so we can kick 2009 off right and document this whole crazy wedding experience. You're welcome to check it out- I figure maybe this way I can keep the strictly wedding stuff off of Handknit by Mikaiya, and reserve this blog for my knitting and craft obsession. But I bet they both bleed into each other a fair bit. How could they not- one of the first discussions regarding living together was how I'm going to fit all of my yarn and sewing machines and craft supplies into our home! At least I found the right man. He doesn't mind the fact that I'm going to have yarn in the coffee table for the rest of our lives, and potentially dangerous knitting needles all around the house. What a darling.
Reading 2008 Recap
I knit pretty voraciously. All the time. But I am still a reader first and foremost. 2008 was not a particularly strong year for my reading habit- in the end I only finished 56 books. And a fair number of them (as usual) were comics and graphic novels. But I also tried to explore new genres this year. I was introduced to some new sci fi authors (Richard K. Morgan and Cory Doctorow). I finally read The Moonstone, which has been on my shelf since middle school at the latest. I finally plogged through Middlesex, which gets so very much better in the second half.I discovered a love for China, a thing for bad addictive vampire fiction, and generally this was a great year for entertaining and thoughtful reads. I also vowed to get a bit more nonfiction on the list... which was successful only in comparison to last year. Maybe 2009 will bring me more nonfiction joys.
I'm not sure which were my favorite books of the year. Good Omens was probably the funniest. The Stephanie Meyer books were the most addictive. World War Z and my first Anita Blake novels kept me up the latest on work nights. Promethea was the most mind-numbingly brilliant comic I read, but I have a special place in my heart for Scott Pilgrim and the Fables. There's only one book I actually detested - Bullies, Tyrants, and Impossible People. So there you go.
Full list appears below!
2008 Full Reading List
1. Bryan Lee O'Malley - Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 2: Scott Pilgrim Versus the World (1/2/2008)
2. Bryan Lee O'Malley - Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 3: Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness (1/3/2008)
3. Bryan Lee O'Malley - Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together (January 2008)
4. Jim Collins - Good to Great (1/30/2008)
5. L. M. Montgomery - Rilla of Ingleside (1/31/2008)
6. Linda Medley - Castle Waiting (2/4/2008)
7. Brian K. Vaughan - Y: The Last Man Vol 1: Unmanned (2/2008)
8. Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - Good Omens (3/2008)
9. John Berendt - The City of Falling Angels (3/2008)
10. Jeffrey Eugenides - Middlesex (4/2008)
11. Sara Gruen - Water for Elephants (4/2008)
12. Patrick M. Lencioni - The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (4/2008)
13. Isa Chandra Moskowitz - Veganomicon (5/2008)
14. Wilkie Collins - The Moonstone (5/2008)
15. Ronald M. Shapiro and Mark A. Jankowski - Bullies, Tyrants, and Impossible People (5/2008)
16. Lisa See - Peony in Love (6/2008)
17. Richard K. Morgan - Altered Carbon (6/2008)
18. Marjane Satrapi - Persepolis - The Story of a Childhood (6/15/2008)
19. Cynthia Ozick - The Shawl (6/15/2008)
20. Charles Stross - Singularity Sky (6/15/2008)
21. Brian K. Vaughan - Y: The Last Man Vol 2: Cycles (6/2008)
22. David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day (6/22/2008)
23. Lisa See - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (6/23/2008)
24. Pearl Buck - The Good Earth (6/27/2008)
25. Marjane Satrapi - Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return (6/29/2008)
26. Mark Dunn - Ella Minnow Pea (6/29/2008)
27. Bill Willingham - Fables Vol 10 - The Good Prince (7/2/2008)
28. Brian K. Vaughan - Y: The Last Man Vol 3: One Small Step (7/7/2008)
29. Brian K. Vaughan - Y: The Last Man Vol 4: Safeword (7/13/2008)
30. Michael Chabon - The Yiddish Policemen's Union (7/13/2008)
31. Gilbert Hernandez - Heartbreak Soup (7/14/2008)
32. Deborah Madison - Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmer's Markets (7/19/2008)
33. Max Brooks - World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (7/19/2008)
34. Brian K. Vaughan - Y: The Last Man Vol 5: Ring of Truth (7/21/2008)
35. Brian K. Vaughan - Runaways, Vol. 1 (7/26/2008)
36. Laurell K. Hamilton - Guilty Pleasures (8/6/2008)
37. Stephanie Meyer - Twilight (8/9/2008)
38. Stephanie Meyer - New Moon (8/10/2008)
39. Scott Westerfield - Uglies (8/12/2008)
40. Cory Doctorow - Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (8/15/2008)
41. Laurell K. Hamilton - The Laughing Corpse (8/2008)
42. Markus Zusak - The Book Thief (8/26/2008)
43. Scott Westerfield - Pretties (9/1/2008)
44. Laurie Perry - Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair: The True-Life Misadventures of a 30-Something Who Learned to Knit After He Split (9/1/2008)
45. Rebecca Alpert - Whose Torah?: A Concise Guide to Progressive Judaism (9/2008)
46. Angie Sage - Magyk - Septimus Heap, Book 1 (9/23/2008)
47. Scott Westerfield - Specials (10/2008)
48. Eion Colfer - Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox (10/8/2008)
49. Zadie Smith - On Beauty (11/2/2008)
50. Alan Moore - Promethea: Book One (11/7/2008)
51. Alan Moore - Promethea: Book Two (11/17/2008)
52. Alan Moore - Promethea: Book Three (11/19/2008)
53. Mike Mignola - Hellboy Vol. 1: Seed of Destruction (11/29/2008)
54. Brian K. Vaughan - Y: The Last Man Vol 6. Girl on Girl (11/29/2008)
55. Stephanie Meyer - Eclipse (12/4/2008)
56. Christopher Buckley - Boomsday (12/7/2008)
I'm not sure which were my favorite books of the year. Good Omens was probably the funniest. The Stephanie Meyer books were the most addictive. World War Z and my first Anita Blake novels kept me up the latest on work nights. Promethea was the most mind-numbingly brilliant comic I read, but I have a special place in my heart for Scott Pilgrim and the Fables. There's only one book I actually detested - Bullies, Tyrants, and Impossible People. So there you go.
Full list appears below!
2008 Full Reading List
1. Bryan Lee O'Malley - Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 2: Scott Pilgrim Versus the World (1/2/2008)
2. Bryan Lee O'Malley - Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 3: Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness (1/3/2008)
3. Bryan Lee O'Malley - Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together (January 2008)
4. Jim Collins - Good to Great (1/30/2008)
5. L. M. Montgomery - Rilla of Ingleside (1/31/2008)
6. Linda Medley - Castle Waiting (2/4/2008)
7. Brian K. Vaughan - Y: The Last Man Vol 1: Unmanned (2/2008)
8. Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - Good Omens (3/2008)
9. John Berendt - The City of Falling Angels (3/2008)
10. Jeffrey Eugenides - Middlesex (4/2008)
11. Sara Gruen - Water for Elephants (4/2008)
12. Patrick M. Lencioni - The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (4/2008)
13. Isa Chandra Moskowitz - Veganomicon (5/2008)
14. Wilkie Collins - The Moonstone (5/2008)
15. Ronald M. Shapiro and Mark A. Jankowski - Bullies, Tyrants, and Impossible People (5/2008)
16. Lisa See - Peony in Love (6/2008)
17. Richard K. Morgan - Altered Carbon (6/2008)
18. Marjane Satrapi - Persepolis - The Story of a Childhood (6/15/2008)
19. Cynthia Ozick - The Shawl (6/15/2008)
20. Charles Stross - Singularity Sky (6/15/2008)
21. Brian K. Vaughan - Y: The Last Man Vol 2: Cycles (6/2008)
22. David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day (6/22/2008)
23. Lisa See - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (6/23/2008)
24. Pearl Buck - The Good Earth (6/27/2008)
25. Marjane Satrapi - Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return (6/29/2008)
26. Mark Dunn - Ella Minnow Pea (6/29/2008)
27. Bill Willingham - Fables Vol 10 - The Good Prince (7/2/2008)
28. Brian K. Vaughan - Y: The Last Man Vol 3: One Small Step (7/7/2008)
29. Brian K. Vaughan - Y: The Last Man Vol 4: Safeword (7/13/2008)
30. Michael Chabon - The Yiddish Policemen's Union (7/13/2008)
31. Gilbert Hernandez - Heartbreak Soup (7/14/2008)
32. Deborah Madison - Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmer's Markets (7/19/2008)
33. Max Brooks - World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (7/19/2008)
34. Brian K. Vaughan - Y: The Last Man Vol 5: Ring of Truth (7/21/2008)
35. Brian K. Vaughan - Runaways, Vol. 1 (7/26/2008)
36. Laurell K. Hamilton - Guilty Pleasures (8/6/2008)
37. Stephanie Meyer - Twilight (8/9/2008)
38. Stephanie Meyer - New Moon (8/10/2008)
39. Scott Westerfield - Uglies (8/12/2008)
40. Cory Doctorow - Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (8/15/2008)
41. Laurell K. Hamilton - The Laughing Corpse (8/2008)
42. Markus Zusak - The Book Thief (8/26/2008)
43. Scott Westerfield - Pretties (9/1/2008)
44. Laurie Perry - Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair: The True-Life Misadventures of a 30-Something Who Learned to Knit After He Split (9/1/2008)
45. Rebecca Alpert - Whose Torah?: A Concise Guide to Progressive Judaism (9/2008)
46. Angie Sage - Magyk - Septimus Heap, Book 1 (9/23/2008)
47. Scott Westerfield - Specials (10/2008)
48. Eion Colfer - Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox (10/8/2008)
49. Zadie Smith - On Beauty (11/2/2008)
50. Alan Moore - Promethea: Book One (11/7/2008)
51. Alan Moore - Promethea: Book Two (11/17/2008)
52. Alan Moore - Promethea: Book Three (11/19/2008)
53. Mike Mignola - Hellboy Vol. 1: Seed of Destruction (11/29/2008)
54. Brian K. Vaughan - Y: The Last Man Vol 6. Girl on Girl (11/29/2008)
55. Stephanie Meyer - Eclipse (12/4/2008)
56. Christopher Buckley - Boomsday (12/7/2008)
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