{Do You Ted?}

Ted.com may be one of my very favorite websites of all times, ever. In all of history.  It's an open source learning site chalk full of speakers on every inspiring, interesting, scientific, or humanitarian topic you could think of.  I can spend hours getting lost in 18 minute speeches.  It's a grand morning when that happens, let me tell you.

This morning I was browsing my regular blog roll and came across an old post from an Interior Designer that I enjoy, Colour Me Happy, that mentioned a Ted Talk from Eliazabeth Gilbert, writer of Eat, Pray, Love.  In this speech she talks about creativity in a way that I've never heard before and it almost brought me to tears.  Go listen to it so the rest of this post makes sense to you.

The reason I was almost in tears is directly related to a recent crash and burn I experienced, creatively speaking.  I spent almost one entire week earlier this summer sewing clothes.  I started with a pattern for a skirt, got stuck and moved on to a skirt with no pattern that wouldn't fit over my hips and then a dress that looked terrible followed by another skirt that I was SURE would work, and may still work some day when I lose 10 pounds.  Not one actual piece of clothing that I would be comfortable wearing and one huge pile of pieces of clothing shaped fabric to mock me was what I was left with for my efforts and enthusiasm.

At the end of this week I felt like a huge failure, and no matter what I tried I wasn't cut out for sewing. All my dreams of making my own wardrobe some day were down the drain and really, why try when I just spend all this time only to fail again and again? 

After listening to Elizabeth, I feel like if I just keep showing up at my sewing machine, and I keep doing my end of the deal, eventually it will click.  That's a better feeling than just defeat.

{Knitting Updates}

I've had a pretty busy first week at my internship, but I've managed to do quite a bit of knitting as well.  I finished a second From Norway with Love hat, this time a touch bigger so I could wear it!

Also, I've knit the first sock for The Store inside CFSotA.  Have I told you guys about that yet?  There's a new school of the arts around the corner from my house in this tiny town and inside there's a little art supply store that is carrying Unplanned Peacock yarn!!  I offered to knit a sock sample, and here's what I've come up with so far: one Nanner Sock by Wendy Johnson.

I think what I've decided to do is knit two ankle socks out of this 100g skein and then knit a pair of fingerless mitts just to show how far one skein can go instead of knitting one pair of VERY tall socks, ya know?  Is this a good idea or not so much?

And then yesterday I've also cast on for the Lace Saddle Tee out of Interweave Knits Summer 2010.

 

I'm knitting this one in pieces from the bottom up because I think the side seams will actually help support the 100% cotton and keep it from growing too much.  I think I've heard this somewhere... I think I'd rather be knitting it in the round up to the armpits to tell you the truth, but this also keeps too much knitting from sitting in my lap.  I'm knitting it from Estelle Young Touch, which is making a really pretty fabric.  I think I'm going to like this one! Not getting gauge (of course) but when I hold it up to myself it looks like it's going to fit okay, so I'll keep going and pray for the best. lol

I've also got a skirt mostly sewn together on my sewing table and a zipper to go in it, but no zipper foot.  I'm a crossroads here... do I pay for a zipper foot on my little Brother LX-3125 or do I hold out and wait until I upgrade (before the end of the year, I'm thinking) which will most definitely come with a zipper foot.  If I decide to wait, I'll just put elastic in the waist band of this one and keep my eye out for a used or refurbished sewing machine.  Ideas? Advice?

What are you guys up to this summer? :)

{Cute Sewing Caddy}

As soon as I stumbled across this tutorial here, I was scheming in my brain about which fabrics to use where.  I like the rustic feeling of mine compared to a little bit more refined look of the one in the tutorial.  Do you like the little piece of lace??  My favorite part! 

I love that the little trashcan is removable, and that it stays on my desk to keep all my sewing stuff handy.

She's so purdy!  This one was made a few days ago while the shawl was drying.  It went quick for sure!

{Dress Sewing: The New Frontier}

There are a ton of sewing blogs out there that inspire me , but there's a couple in particular that I adore.  Jessica from Green Apples has been amazing in helping me with the first baby steps and has some amazing posts for beginner sewists like myself explaining fabrics and advising some patterns and books for the very beginner. 

She suggested a skirt like this one as my very first project:

 The fabrics are HERE and HERE from fabrics.com .  I have no idea if the main floral is the kind of "cotton Sateen" that Jessica was trying to encourage me to buy, or if the jersey is at all appropriate for the band at the bottom, so if you have a suggestion, please let me know!

Here are two other beginner dress pattern I bought at the same time:

because I happened to catch McCalls during their pattern sale and got ALL THREE for $12 including shipping! Yipee!!!  Next I'll be on the search for a great jersey print for the bottom on, and a luxurious jersey solid for the top convertible dress one.  I almost bought one of those convertible dresses on Etsy for almost $100, so I'm stoked now that I'm going to try to make it instead. :)

I'm scared of this whole dress sewing thing! I hope it turns out okay!

{ I Sewed A Tree Skirt!}

This afternoon, after a long day of shopping in the big city of Roanoke, Mr. Pie and I stopped at our favorite locally owned tree dealer to pick up our Christmas tree!  She's a beauty!

Oh my goodness! What's that wrapping delicately around the base of our tree? 

Well well well.  That's the new tree skirt I sewed ALL BY MYSELF!   Yep, you read that right!  Isn't that fabric to die for?    I absolutely adore it!  The tree skirt reversible too with a solid red linen texture fabric that's just as gorgeous!  Both fabrics were bought at Joann.com on Black Friday when they were 50% off, so with shipping two yards of each was $36.  Mr. Pie also bought me the pretty red thread and some new heavy-weight needles for my sewing machine.  I got to figure out how to install new needles! hehehe

I'll be the first to admit that it isn't perfect, but I love it.  This tree skirt is just the kind of project that I like - simple and beautiful.  Nothing fancy, just two doughnut shaped fabric sewed together with some ties to close it up.   This is also the first time I've had to sew circles!

What do you think?  Can you tell I'm happy as a clam and proud as a peach?? :)

{Some School Maddness, then Knitting. and sewing.}

I'm seriously seeing a pattern in the frequency of my blogging lately - mainly that I have been blogging once a week on a weekend day.  I'm not surprised because I know how stressed out I've been at school this week month. And really, it's been my knitting that I've sort of retreated in to.  Healthy or not so much?  I really don't know, but I'm glad I have it.   It's only two weeks until Thanksgiving break and then I get that whole week off of classes (but will have tons to do at home) and then I go back for a week and a half, and then it's FINALS!   It's so so weird how fast it's coming up.   I have so much to do next week and in to the weeks after, but at the same time it feels like this semester just started a few weeks ago.

Last week I kind of had a melt down, actually.  My classes are just getting so hard and I'm having a hard time spreading the hard ones out over the last three semesters I have until I graduate because of when the department offers the classes I need.  We're a small math department on a mostly residential campus and I'm an adult commuter student.   My advisor was trying to pressure me in to taking not only the 8 credits of math I don't have a choice about (if I want to graduate in 2012), but also another 2 credit elective course.  Ummm... No.  I think I mostly have that situation worked out after a LOT of meetings with deans and department heads.  I may have to go to another college to take an elective in order to graduate on time, but I'll be a much saner person for it. :)

I realize this blog is called "The Student Knitter" but I rarely talk about the student part.   I've been a strong student all my life and have always enjoyed school, so I guess no one thought to tell me that school was going to get really hard, even for me, and that I would begin questioning my ability to finish it altogether.   I also still have no idea what I think I want to do with my BA in Mathematics and another BA in Communication and Technology (business, basically).  Everyone I tell that to goes "huh. What a weird combination."  lol   If anyone has a job themselves, or knows someone who has a job that has these kinds of qualifications, I would love love love if you would leave me a comment or send me an email!

Skip to Here if you want to read about Knitting! hehe                                                                       
So, are you ready to see some knitting updates? hehe  As you can see by my side bar status thingy, I did decide to frog the pea coat I was working on.  I was just really mad at it. lol   I haven't decided what I'm going to do to replace it yet and since it's my last gift to finish before I need to send everything to Canada on December 1st I decided to start something for me!


I cast on the Holden Shawlette, which was published for free in September 2010 and already has 124 projects!  Mine doesn't look like much yet, just the stockinette body.  I'm doing it in this yarn: my Malabrigo Sock in my absolute favorite colour EVER.

(remember this mess? Never again Thanks to my friend Hope!! She sent me a swift as soon as she saw this pic!! Thank you so much!)

So yeah.  I'm chugging away on that and pondering Niece #3's Christmas gifts!  This year is going to be very lean so I'm sure I'll have to knit something, but what? Or maybe I'll quilt for her? Dunno yet, but it needs to be done in the next three weeks ! lol

I also did a bit of sewing last night.  It was kind of an whirlwind of little threads and machine whorls:

It's a pillow! Kind of lumpy and poorly photographed, but made out of the fabrics leftovers from my quilt and a recycled sweater.  The lumps will work themself out with wear, right?  This was my first time working with a knit fabric (what a pain!) and also my first applique project, and the first pillow I've ever made. LOL  I like it, I think.  It looks amateurish, but I learned a lot (like buy pillow forms, not just stuffing!)    I also tried to do a bit of a cording around the outside and you can see how that worked out for me too. hehehe It disappears in to the corners instead of going around them.    I'm not sure if it'll stay at my house or go off with the Quilt as an xmas gift.  We'll see. hehe :)

Was the pillow worth reading through all the blather at the top?  How are you guys going on your Christmas gifting lists? :)

{The To Do List Is Going Down!!}

I knocked two more items off the list yesterday!!

The Paper Dolls Sweater was cast off yesterday and I grafted the underarms and did a lot of weaving in ends.

 Paper Dolls by Kate Davies

I'm not sure I'm 100% okay with it.  I like the colours I chose and the pattern is an easy one to follow, for sure.  It didn't stop me from screwing up the decreases on the neck. lol  I tried to do continental for the knitting and my usual English for the purling and consequently, my tension in the yoke wasn't very even.  Also, I'm pretty sure it's not going to fit it's intended recipient.  We'll know for sure when I go home for my visit.  If it doesn't, there's another little girl who will be happy to get it for Christmas, I'm sure. :)

And of course the bag pieces that I cut out when I made the first bag.  I knew I would make two so I just cut out twice the fabric pieces.  Then they sat.  Silly right?  So last night I just did it.

 I wanted the second version to be the more sophisticated older sister of the first trial bag, and there were definitely some mistakes that I didn't want to repeat.  The bulky seams for instance. But then I made some new mistakes (of course!).  I tried to avoid turning under seams and creating extra bulk that way, but I ended up with a mess on the inside of the bag.

This one is lined too, where the first one wasn't, so I guess it's a trade off.  It looks nice from the outside, though. :)

So, the list, yet again.

1. Accounting Class
2. Icarus Shawl
3. Zen Cable Socks
4. My First Quilt - Top is done! (can I cross this one off if my part is done?)
5. Paper Dolls Sweater
6. Mary Poppins Scarf -I just need to mail this one!
7. Wrap Skirt Experiment- ugh.  I see giving up in my future here. lol
8. Blue and Yellow Bag
9. Modern Log Cabin Blanket
10. Hey Teach

{Anothe WIP Complete!}

To follow up my spectacular Saturday of sewing, I put the border on my quilt top on Sunday.  I love the sage green colour that we picked!

This baby measure 46 x 76 inches and I only have to cut the fabric for the backing before I can send it off to the lady who is going to quilt the top for me.

(That's Mr. Pie's Feet! tee-hee)

Here's the backing fabric, which will also be the binding.

It's going to cost a little bit for the machine quilting and the batting, so this may have to wait for a little bit before it gets done.  I think I just want a normal meander pattern because it's kind of organic looking.  What do you think?

So my WIP list is shrinking!

1. Accounting Class  - Done! Took the final on Friday!
2. Icarus Shawl
3. Zen Cable Socks
4. My First Quilt - Top is done!
5. Paper Dolls Sweater - Blocking as we speak!
6. Mary Poppins Scarf
7. Wrap Skirt Experiement
8. Blue and Yellow Bag - gonna work on this one as soon as I get up from this blog post.
9. Modern Log Cabin Blanket
10. Hey Teach

{Slightly Obsessive Sewing}

I'm sometimes a tad obsessive when I get an idea in my head.  Not only can I not wait to get started, I will NOT wait to be finished.  If things don't go the way I suspected, I have a tendency to just muddle through until it's complete and I'm completely drained of all mental and physical energy.  I forgo all kinda of human necessities in the search for an end product, such as: eating, peeing, drinking, and chocolate.

This idea I had floating around my head for a little while started after I saw a totally covetable needles case designed to hold your interchangeable knitting needles along with all your other goodies at Erin.Lane Bags and More on Etsy.  They are in such beautiful fabrics and you can just tell they're beautifully made.  Unfortunately, the price is also beautiful at $95.00.

I knew I didn't need quite that much space, as I don't crochet much or use double pointed needles, but I loved the space for my Harmony needles and all the paraphernalia one needs while traveling.  I knew I had fabric that would work, I just needed some interlining which I happened to grab at Walmart.  So when inspiration struck me at 2:00 this afternoon, the obsession began.

To start out I listed everything that I wanted to be able to hold in my pouch and what kind of storage it wanted.  I sketched a little, then made a mock pouch out of Newspaper (Thanks Mr. Pie for the idea!) in order to test out all the sizes and shapes to see if I'd be happy. 

Turned out it actually had to be a lot smaller than I thought I needed it to be. Score!

I cut out all those tiny pieces, sewed and sewed and cursed and picked out seams, and then sewed some more. I probably cursed again after that.  Now, at just about 10 o'clock, I have a finished project to show you!

In the end, I'm really happy with it and it's going to be super practical.  I'm proud of the fact that I saw something I liked and figured out how it was put together and then just did it.  Quite fearlessly I might add.  It is certainly FAR from perfect, though.  There are strings everywhere, places where the top binding stitching missed a layer or two, and you'd be hard pressed to find a single straight seam. 

Since these photos were taken just before dark you don't see the button I've added with an elastic band that closes around the button to secure everything.  I also added some velcro to the little pocket inside because when I was sewing on the button the entire contents fell out. lol

Tonight was also my first time using fusible interlining! Or any interlining for that matter! I think I'm in love. :) Maybe, if I ever try again, I'll learn from my mistakes.  But it's gonna be a while before I touch the sewing machine again.

{ALL the Current Works In Progress... }

So I think I've figured out why the posting here has been lighter as of late.  First off let me tell you this: it's not from lack of time.  Heaven knows that with summer here, no job, and just the one class I have nothing but time on my hands.  I've been keeping pretty regimented about going to the gym every day, and with changing and commute time that's usually takes about two hours.  Then the class usually takes up 4 hours or so during the day, usually in spurts... but it's like the stress of the dang class is worse than the actual work.  It's a LOT to learn in such a short amount of time and if I don't "get" the material right away, I get frustrated and walk away and I procrastinate going back. 

This seems to lead to startitis.  During this procrastination period I don't really do much of anything of use. Because doing something of use means I'm NOT doing the school work I should be doing. lol Sitting having a cup of coffee and blog surfing... well... that's just "Taking a break." For two hours. lol  I know it makes no sense.  So today I am listing all my works in progress as a way of making me face up to them all!  I think they are stressing me out as much as the class is!  I hate having so much unfinished laying around me. 

So, on my list of WIP's I'm going to put my Accounting Class as #1.

1) Accounting Class.  I have two more weeks to finish 4 chapters of material, including discussion questions, online long answers, and then the quiz for each.  The third week will be the week before I leave on vacation and it will be for preparing for the Final Exam.

2) Icarus Shawl

Three. Rows. Left.  Then cast off, then blocking.  I can not TELL you how excited I am.

2) Zen Cabled Sock (modeled after the Zen Mock Cable Sock)

I haven't done anything more on these since you saw them last, but I did manage to split apart the yarn roughly in half.  I don't *think* these will end up being a Christmas present, unless I can think of someone who wants some crazy hand knit socks.  These may languish for a while until then.

3) My First Quilt

I'm getting antsy on this one because I want to see it done, dammit!  Those are all the strips piled together as you saw before and then the pile of the other scrap fabric.  I have a bunch of odds and ends in that grey/green you see on top which I may try to piece together to make a small border.  It's more canvasy though ... can you use canvas?  I want to make some fun blocks for the backing out of the fabric that's left.  I need to get some solid colour fabrics for at least one more border and the backing, then I found a lady who will machine quilt the top for me for 1 cent per square inch!  Can't beat that.  I'm not ready to tackle the free-motion quilting thing yet.  I still haven't figured out how to change the foot on my machine! lol

4) Paper Dolls Sweater

I cast this one on during the doctor's visit last week. Remember I bitched about mentioned the i-cord cast on? hehe  It's moving along fairly well in the size 2 version, which I hope will be big enough come Christmas time for the little girl I have in mind for it.

5) Mary Poppins' Scarf

This is for Chris's niece's Halloween costume.  It's done, I just need to weave in the ends and get it in the mail to my sister-in-law!

7) Wrap Skirt Experiment

So after trying to find a pattern for a wrap skirt that would work with this fabric, I just took the plunge and starting cutting.  I've got the bias tape around the top pinned in and ready to sew, and I have that cute eyelet lace ready to become a small frill at the bottom. I have no idea if it's going to work and/or be wearable in the end.  We'll see.

8) (this is getting depressing. lol) Blue and Yellow Bag

Pieces are all cut, just need to be sewn.  Not sure I even remember how I did the first one. lol

9) Modern Log Cabin Blanket

I've been working on this one since New Years Day folks.  It's terrible! lol  Yet again the colours are totally off.  My friend Hope can attest, it's actually a pretty shade of dark purple, taupe, light purple and white.   I need to pay a little more attention to this one if I want it to be a Christmas gift too.

10)  Hey Teach Cardigan  (seriously??? 10???)

Does anyone even remember this one? I had to dig it out.  This is the entire back, I have both arms done and JUST need to do the fronts. Seriously.

So that's it I think.  I dug WAY in to the corners to get some of these out to put them on the list.  I would love to finish them all before School starts back in on September 1st.   Hopefully I'll have some FOs to show you soon!!

{Inspiration Fast and Furious}

I've been half-assing it on my blog lately and I apologize! It's just that inspiration to do creative things has been taking me fast and furious and I'm barely able to keep up!   I didn't even draw names for my 100 Follower Giveaway on the 4th like I said I would!  Just to make this totally and completely fair, if this whole giveaway thing is news to you...

Enter my Giveaway for a Niddy Noddy made by me by clicking

HERE and leaving a comment!

I've been very distracted.  There's a totally new, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants sewing venture that's in the works right now.  I cast on a new sweater this morning and I've been seriously researching ANOTHER new crafty obsession that may come to fruition.

But then there's these bags! The reversible one I showed you yesterday came together in about two days and then this one I'm about to show you was conceived, planned, cut and sewn all in one day.

This bag reminds me of my sister.  Yellow is her favorite colour and I believe that blue like this is second on her list.  It's a fun and energetic bag, like my sister, but still totally functional, like what she needs with two kids and a baby.  The pleating was the new skill that I tried out with this one and they totally worked. I adore it!  It's not 100% perfect though, as I did make a pretty critical error right at the end.  It's also not lined, but the fabric is the same canvasy type that I used in the last bag that's heavy enough to stand alone.  I made the handles longer and wider and I'm much happier with them than I am with the last ones.

The inside:

I have the contents of my next Christmas sweater projects in here for the photo.  I totally didn't carry it to the doctor's office or anything.  Muwahahaha.  If Meli likes this bag I have enough fabric to make her another one.  And this time I'd probably set in the handles before the very last step so I don't have to fight with the bag and the sewing machine to sew over the gigantic side seams.

I'm going to pick a commenter with Random.org Thursday

morning!  Sorry for the wait, guys!

{Sewing Excursions}

I think of my current sewing projects as more of an excursion or a journey because I don't really seem to know what my destination is when I start.  Just like how I once chose knitting projects that had one skill that I wanted to learn, I'm challenging myself with sewing projects that have one element I haven't done yet.

Today that one element was a box bottom for a bag - I just think they are so much more practical than a bag with pointy corners.  I used a bag I saw online as an inspiration, plus some heavy printed canvas material that was in my (very tiny) fabric stash, and then just started cutting!  I had to finally find a you tube video to show me where to sew to form the boxy corners. hehe

And here's my finished object!

It's a reversible bag!   There are about a million things I'd change when I do my next one.  I'd make the whole thing shorter and then make wider bottom, I'd make longer and wider handles, and I'd sew the pockets on BEFORE sewing the bag together. lol  And oh yeah, I'm still working on the whole "sewing straight" thing. Pfft.

My favorite thing that I did though was the hand embroidery on the white pocket that mimics the leaf detail (top image). It's a nice size for carrying books or magazines for maybe a small overnight bag or beach bag. The thing I like about the reversible bag is that there is always one pocket inside and one pocket outside!

I've already finished a second bag in the same fabrics too, just a totally different shape.  I'll show you that one tomorrow!

{Another Bag and some Progress Shots}

I thought you might be interested to know where the beautiful embroidered lady from yesterday ended up:

She's on the pocket of my next market bag!  I sold the first of my bags today at the Farmer's Market.  Or more accurately, my friend Robin sold it out of her booth for me! She said she's excited to have something else to have for her customers.  How cool is that??  I hope this little girl goes to a good home!  I love that this bag has a pocket for coupons or your cell while you're shopping.

But dudes.  These handles are a B**** to sew. lol  I'm going to have to find another method soon!! They take me longer to do than the whole rest of the dang bag!  That just ain't right. lol

And an update on the Icarus Shawl I've been knitting as a Christmas Gift for a lovely lady whom I'm fairly sure doesn't read the blog. hehe

I am loving LOVING this colour way.  There's going to be something for me in this yarn in the near future!! The camera makes it look slightly pinker than it is.  The true colour is more of a rust.  LOVE it.

{A Few FO's and a Gift!}

So I teased you the other day about my spinning and Alpaca experiences, but then didn't post yesterday. Sorry! The story goes that I met a nice lady named Robin at the Farmer's Market a few weeks ago and Mr. Pie saw on her card that she also raises Alpacas.  When we asked her about she said they had JUST be sheared and she had garbage bags full of fleece to go through.  Well, as you can image the light in my eyes lit up like it was Christmas and I gasped and asked, in a tiny voice, "Can I come help you wash and card and stuff?"  She laughed and was more than happy to oblige! 

Finally yesterday I went to visit Market Basket Produce (her farm) about 40 minutes from me.  I didn't bring my camera because I didn't want to seem like a weirdo! LOL They were pretty darn cute though, all skinny and hairless. hehehe  We laid out a whole alpaca fleece on the floor and walked on it with our bare feet! MAN is that stuff soft!!  Robin showed me how to wash, pick out guard hairs and other garbage, and then we hung them to dry.  THEN she got out her spinning wheel to show me what she was working on!

She's a beginning spinner, but let me played on her spinning wheel!  It was a newer model and it has two feet pedals.  It was those pedals that kept getting me, I would accidentally spin the wheel backwards -  Not helpful at all. hehehe  Before leaving she sent me home with a little gift!

I've been pondering a little spindle for some time now but  I really don't know if I have time to pick up another new craft! LOL  I'm on the lookout now for some inexpensive (but easy to spin) fibre so I can see if I like it. :D

Other than that excitement, I've been doing lots of healthy things, like cooking and working out.  I'm kind of on a mission at the moment to trim up and drop a few el bee's while I'm at it.  Mr. Pie and I are counting calories and writing down everything we eat.  Today is just over one week since we started and I've dropped about 3.5 pounds, so I guess it's working. :)

And of course, I've been crafting.  I've been doing a few small projects since I cast off my cardigan.  Here's a couple of bags that I'll bring to the craft show.  The first is knitted in some of the yarn that Jenny sent me called Viking Milk and Honey.  It's 70% cotton and 30% milk fiber.  How cool is that?  I love that it's the colour of eggplant, spinach and mustard.  Yum!  There are some super long colour repeats  which works great on this bag! I have another skein for a second one like this.

Cotton Lacy Grocery Bag 

This second one is one I whipped up out of some burlap I had with straps made of the left over green canvas from my outdoor spices hanger thingy.  The stencil on the front is one I cut for my t-shirt. Cute, right? I think this is as simple as it gets.  One long piece of burlap folded in half and stitch up both sides, I didn't even use a seam allowance on the side or anything, it's just the raw edge 'cause I think it looks neato.  I did make the straps pretty long, which I hope will help the person carrying it. 

 Random Burlap Bag

And there ya go!  I've been keeping busy even though I'm not in school, as you can tell.  Now, I think I'll begin knitting Christmas presents.  If anyone in my family wants to place an order, now's the time! :P

{Embroidery? Really?}

I've been plugging along obsessively on my Ambrosia Cardigan since I last posted.  Once I put it on and saw that it fit and looked good, it was like a fire was lit under my butt and it's all I can think about doing! I've cast off the bottom and done one sleeve, so today will be the other sleeve and the neck band.  I'm also going to sew some gross grain ribbon in under the cabling where I'll have to sew in some hooks.  I think it will help me to avoid any pulling and gapping once I'm wearing it.  YAY! Almost done!!

So, during one of my short "gosh my hands hurt" breaks from the cardigan, while I was surfing around on knitting blogs, I found this TOTALLY AWESOME site here:  Urban Threads.com and now I'm kind of obsessed with trying out my luck on some hand embroidery!!  And, I have just the project for it.

Inspired by some other blog that I saw a LONG time ago, I've been keeping my eye open for a canvas shoe organizer to hang on our shed to plant herbs in.  I never did find one, and decided once I got my sewing machine that I should try my hand at making one!  So, after $7 in canvasy outdoor fabric from Wally World, and a $3 dowel rod, I had this:

Cute, right?  The lines aren't straight of course, but that doesn't matter! hehe What DOES matter is that I want to embroider the names of the herbs on each pocket!!

The problem? I can't find embroidery supplies ANYwhere.  I'm an hour from a Michaels, and Walmart doesn't carry those supplies anymore.  I went to find somewhere to buy online, but couldn't find anywhere that didn't charge ridiculous shipping.  Plus, I kinda don't know what I need, so I wanted to be able to ask someone.   So, instead I'm going to ask you guys!!  You're all so smart! :D

What kind of needle and floss would I buy for this heavy canvas material to be able to do this?  And I THINK I need a loop of some kind, don't I?  But will it work on these pockets?  What do I need in order to transfer on to the material??   And finally (maybe most importantly) do you know an online source that charges reasonable shipping rates? 


OH and... don't feel rushed or anything? But Urban Threads is having a giveaway that ends Juen 6th.  I need to submit photos of my project for a chance to win one of 200 random $10 gift certificates. *sigh* A girl can dream. :) hehe

Thanks guys!!

{Updates Continued}

I'm loving the fact that school is out! I think I'm finally starting to believe that I don't have homework to do. hehe  I've been a busy girl, despite a horrific head cold.  I'm whiny, still in my pajamas, but doin' stuff!

Look what I can do!

So, apart from the fact that I'm a dufus who doesn't know how to attach purse handles the right way (what a rookie mistake! LOL that'll get ripped out tomorrow)  look what I did!  This is my first attempt at a bag of any kind and I'm pretty darn proud of myself.  It's fully lined and I've added that pocket to the outside and a pocket on the inside.  I even lined the outside pocket! Also, check out the pretty red trim around the top!  It makes me smile. :D

 

 I think the inside pocket needs a button, so I'm going to add one.  I made the pocket a little wide to be practical, it kind of flops open, ya know?   Maybe one of my buttons made of antler? That would be way cool.  What do you think??  I love that my machine has a cool 4-step auto button holer AND buttoner!

Popeye Update

I think the vaccinations plus the worm medicine have messed with his tummy a bit.  He's been sleeping a lot today and is still nibbling slowly on his dinner from last night.  Is this normal, guys?

Popeye on the New Ottoman

Knit Picks Order

Yep, I got my Knit Picks yesterday! MAN I love seeing that box on the front porch!  Some of what I got wasn't terribly interesting: their purple plastic stitch markers, a couple of cable needles and a longer wire for my needles, BUT! Some of what I got was WAY cool!

 CotLin in Whisper(grey) and Cashew (tan)

These will be for some fun dish clothes to take with me to the craft show.  The one for May was canceled because the organizers realized they had planned for Memorial Day Weekend (which I thought that was the point? hehe)  so I'll be at the one in June.  This is good, I have more time to make stuff.

Shine Sport in Cream

Some kind of baby item, maybe? Or perhaps slippers? I haven't decided.  This stuff is super soft!

Crayon in Light Blue and Flamingo

These will be baby items too, I think.  Maybe little tiny hats, like the kind you put on babies in the hospital to tell whether they're a boy or girl? hehe  SUPER soft and 100% cotton - I love it!

I also got one new book from them yesterday and three for my birthday! WAHOO!  I'll write reviews tomorrow. :) Have a nice evening everyone!  I have to go blow my nose now.... hehehe