Who actually finishes things?

Not me, I tell you. I had to throw in the towel on the chair makeover since despite the new fabric being exactly the same shape as the old, it would not go on the chair nicely. It is now sitting next to my computer desk, tempting my rabbit to eat it and me to hide it somewhere until I give up my original idea (a painted woods scene with windows to little dioramas inside the chair) and just get the thing recovered so I can sit in it.

In the meantime, I started yet another knitting project I may never finish, and bought 3 antique sewing machines. A mystery 50's? Home Mark, a Minnisota Model A and a Singer Model 27. The Minnisota will hopefully be going to a friend of mine, once it's decrusted and if I can find shuttles for it and figure out how it's supposed to come out of its cabinet. The Home Mark may become a jig saw, and the Model 27 will be left as a treadle and be used for things my fancy new Kenmore can't handle. All of them need a serious clean and major wood repair, but I'm looking forward to that.

Craftster Challenge #28, Days 1 and 2

This month's challenge is to recraft an old chair. Now, one thing I am not lacking is old chairs, especially since standard precedure in my area is to leave things by the curb, and someone will take them home. The only thing that keeps me from bringing everything I see home is that I drive a small sedan, though I did comtemplate strapping a glorious bright orange 70's recliner to my roof. Sadly, I did not have anything to strap it with.

To the point, my chosen chair for this project was found by one of my former roommates about a year ago, and she let me have it when we all moved out.

It was a little dirty, missing part of leg, and had a few small tears, but otherwise wasn't in bad shape, which is good news. The bones are great, and I don't have to redo the padding.

After about 5 hours of work, I had the back off. Someone was liberal with the staples.

I'm also happy to report, there was only one minor injury (screwdriver and staple to the thumb), which is healing nicely and I didn't bleed on the chair.

On Day 2, after 4 more hours of work, the whole chair was naked.

Excessive stapling? No...

Some of the staples and the evil metal teeth that amazining, I did not injur myself on.

I'm not dead.

Really. A lot of stressful things happened over the last few months, but craftiness continues.

Picking up where I left off, I nixed the Baby Surprise (to be completed at some point for a stuffed animal to wear) in favor of Baby It's Cold Outside from CrochetMe. This pattern is lovely. It was quick, easy, and the one-piece construction made it easy to carry around and finish. Instead of buttons (choking!) I used short pieces of ribbon for the closure.

Then, this

did this.

Yes, that was a sweater. I eventually salvaged the yarn (made easier with the ball winder Brandon got me!) and got nearly to the shoulders, but it's very unflattering. I'm thinking of frogging back and adding a couple more inches to the ribbing. This of course, to be done at some undefined point in the future.

Just in time for finals, the Great Ice Storm of 07 arrived, and I managed to take a good picture in the one moment of sun.

Over winter break I got Estelle all cleaned and oiled and after a bit of a rough start, she stopped throwing her drive band and I spun my first real skein. It's about 40 yards, bulky, mill end wool.

Singles

Plied on a very fully bobbin

Modeled by Estelle

Detail

I also made this shadow box as a gift for one of my roommates who loves peacocks.

Dogmar seemed to like staying toasty in a sweater, so I made her a coat, complete with sleeves I drafted myself.

Then, I got a bunny for my birthday! His name is Bigwig, and he certainly lives up to his namesake, hopping right up to Dogmar like "Yeah, eat me. I dare you." He is a Dutch/Lionhead cross, and I'm hoping to collect his long fur over time.

You can just make it out in this picture, but his eyes are marbled brown and blue. Red eye is from the flash though.

I made a foray into the world of pet treats and made my fur babies presents for Valentine's Day. Chicken-flavored for Dogmar, and banana & cilantro for Bigwig. These took ages and ages to cut out, which is why I have to post a picture.

In May, Brandon and I moved in together and I made a flowerbed in our little backyard. Now I just have to keep it from being taken over by the violets, which are running wild.

I get my own craft room at our place, and I've got to say, now that my yarn stash is all in one place, it seems so small. Clearly I need more.

The other day I finished my dinosaur dress. It still needs a final press, but here it is on Heidi anyway. I think it turned out rather well, especially since I took out about 4 inches in the waistband and the blue knit was much heavier than the dinosaur knit.

Sweater Woes

Damn you, Zimmermann! Would it have killed you to give finished sizes for your patterns?

Two weeks ago I started Baby Surprise Jacket #1. I got a little past the end of the decreases so I could estimate the finished chest, and it looked way too big. I checked my gauge, and it had grown in my switch from straights to circs. Well, poo. Normally this would not be an issue with baby things, but as they live in Texas, there's a very small window for jackets. So I frogged and went down a needle size, and for once in my life I got the gauge of 6 sts/in, which makes "a fine present for a newborn, and will grow with the baby" spot on. Still very concerned about the size, I found a handy little sheet that gave all the measurements for baby and toddler clothing. It said newborn to 3 months was a 16" chest. Okay then. Since then I've been knitting between classes and in those strange hours when it's too late to go to bed, but there's still time before I have to get ready. (Lately I have been primarily fueled by Red Bull, Snickers, and Famous Amos cookies.) As of this morning I'm up to picking up stitches and working the button band. The chest measurement comes out to 15". A tad small, but it's quite stretchy so I'll be ok.

Wrong.
In tiny print over to the side of the clothing measurement chart, it says that these are the body measurements, not the finished garment. It should be 18-20" around. This sweater isn't going to stretch that much. Now, normally I would just frog the thing again and knit like mad, but they are for twins, and I haven't even started the second one yet. The babies are due November 1, and I'd really like to have them done by this Saturday as I will be in Texas then.

Argsjlgdhalgsdfhsdfj!

Maybe I'll just start the second one on the larger needles and see how it compares. Stupid me, I didn't write down the measurement I got the first time.

I've also got to go to the bank, class, and work (I got a job as a seamstress) today, and write a film analysis paper. Joy.

Screw what I said before about grown-up winter accessories.

'Cause I really, really need to knit this. And the good news it will be from the stash! In acrylic, true, but I don't think I could stand wool on my face. I have to finish my Cherie Amour and two EZ Baby Surprise Jackets first though. As it is still hitting 80 degrees here, that is perfectly fine with me.

End Hiatus

I didn't really do much over the summer. Most of my days I got up, showered, and remained in front of the TV and watched X-Play until dinner. Yeah. In my defense, I really needed a break after last semester, and they don't have G4 in Oklahoma, so I was trying to get my fix. That also led to an epic hunt for We heart Katamari, but alas, it is not to be found. I did manage to get some crafting done though. I got the top of my toad quilt cut out and ironed, and made a Styracosaurus quilted postcard for a contest at my mom's favorite quilt store. My mom got 2nd place for her cute cricket one. The first place winner was a paper-pieced iris in some pretty ugly fabrics. I was not impressed at all. No pictures of the quilty stuff though.

Very very belated pics of what I sent for the I heart the Library Swap on Craftster:

Luna Moth Shawl in LB Microspun. A bit of a hellish knit. I'd never done lace before and something went HORRIBLY wrong in the last repeat and it took me days to fix it. Neat construction though.


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Fiver (from Watership Down) stuffie. From a very old pattern.

Simple book tote made with some really awesome fabric I got on clearance at Joann's. I'm also very proud of my seams.

Things completed since August:

Socks! I whipped out the first one early in the summer, but then fell into the second sock slump. I don't think I'll make another pair for awhile. Regia 4 color Bamboo. They feel yummy.

Quickie stencil. Technically 3 layers, but it's so simple it really doesn't count. It's from this video for Bright Eyes' "Soul Singer in a Session Band." I wanted to do the doves in bombs across the chest, but I figured that would be better done with screenprinting and it looked funky on my boobs.

Mr. Fred Jones the sock monkey, after the Ben Fold Five songs. He ended up looking less sad than I hoped. But that is monkeys for you.

Cat warming gifts for my best friend. Kitty sling lined with soft fur, some felted toys with jingle bells and catnip, and a silly card.

The sling modeled with the help of my Nabaztag/tag, WinnifredPHastings, or Winnie for short.

Progress on my Cherie Amour from Knitty. The yarn is Moda Dea Tweedle Dee in Cinnamon Twist, and I love the colors. They're a bit richer than in the picture. I wasn't too sure at first, but my mom thought it would be pretty and she was right.

And finally, the most exciting craft find of my life! Meet Estelle, my antique spinning wheel. I got her at an old farmhouse turned antique store behind my grandparents' house in Waukesha, Wisconsin. We had her Fed-Exed to Dallas, and it was a little scary. The box looked like it'd been through hell and back. Amazingly, Estelle was still in one piece. I think anyway. The wheel isn't sitting just right, but since I can't have her until Christmas I haven't been able to figure out why. Expect to hear lots and lots about our spinning adventures together next year.

I really love the footman. She's had some love.

Attack of the Socks

I have been crafting, I promise you. My swap package has not arrived in Canada yet, so no pictures. Rogue is thisclose to blocking, but my fingers, along with the rest of my body, seem to have crapped out on me during the re-shaping of a sleeve cap. I can't sleep properly when Brandon is so far away. He's also leaving for Germany on Thursday, so I'm sure that won't help. It's hard to get serious crafting done when you are constantly exhausted.

I do however, have enough energy to dream about future projects. The summer Knitty went up today, and there are 4 sock patterns. The last 3 issues have also had 4 sock patterns, and last summer's issue had 7. As it was an extremities issue, socks are to be expected, but a think socks being a third of the issue is a bit much. I suppose I can't really talk as I have yet to knit socks (I have crocheted them, and knit little sock-let things to protect my feet from the wrath of flip flop straps), but to me it seems as if they are not all that difficult, and I don't think swapping out one lace pattern with another warrants a spot in one of the most popular knitting magazines/ websites. I've had it with socks and ridiculously stupid things like wings and wigs.

Is it just me, or does the whole crafting world seem to be going downhill?