i found a great recipe for salt dough the other day. last night, scout and i made a batch and had fun getting a little down and dirty with our craft supplies. she made a variety of pumpkins and ghost creatures using the salt dough and some acrylic paint.
just in time for halloween.
My life has been turned into a craft abyss. Obsession isn’t quite a strong enough word. I’ve continued to try and keep up with my little Swap-Bot swaps. This last little batch took a toll on me because it seemed that the deadlines were all around the same time – April 1. I am still working on a few items, both for those swaps and for my Mobile Swap. I have been a horrible pal, (I’d say usually I’m pretty good, but not this time). My mobile is well over a month over due. Partially because I’ve been a neurotic detail obsessed artist. And partially because there have been some more health issues that have been riddling my body, yet again.
There has been success though:
This is my finished apron, (at the time it wasn’t completely done, I hadn’t pressed it one last time), for the Flirty Apron and Acessory Swap. I used the pattern from Lotta Jandsotters Simple Sewing. This is the first actual sewing pattern, (you know, with an actual template), I’ve finished so I was really excited. The apron is completely reversible. The only modifications I made were to add pockets on each side. Here’s the other side:
I am really happy with the fabrics I chose. Very spring, very summer. And I think all in all it is a very stylish apron, (if I don’t say so myself). It’s on it’s way home Monday morning!
The mobile I can’t show you because I haven’t finished the embroidery, so check in again this week so to see my needle and thread attempts. (I can honestly say that I suck at hand embroidery. I am ok with cross stitch, but anything beyond those little x’s and I’m done!)
Luckily I’ve had more time to knit, and more motivation as well. My CPH is coming along nicely:
This is the back center cables of the CPH. I am happy to say that I’m pleased with the Cascade 220. Every time I’d touch it at the LYS it just didn’t feel soft to me. But I gave it a try and the yarn is going to make a very cozy cardigan. I’m about 1/3 into the left front right now. Some nights it can be a fast knit, others a very slow one. Part of the health problems is that I’m experiencing some arthritis. My father’s side of the family had a bad gene pool, seriously, and it’s starting to take a toll on me. Some days it isn’t so bad. Other days I wake up and my whole body hurts. I’ll be seeing yet another Dr. about it soon, but seriously?! I really don’t want to be going back to a series of Drs. – again.
I’ve had time to clean the carpets, (again), make carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, some sewing here and there, make some cards, work on my new crystal bracelet, (though now I’m designing it differently than the original concept I had), reading, (still reading, “Murder on the Orient Express”, I think that’s the last Agatha Christie on my list), a little bit of napping, and a little shopping. The first shopping trip was for the fabrics for my quilt class that starts at the end of the month. I wanted something a little shabby chic, lots of pinks and browns:
I’m not too certain abuot the two fabrics on the right, I really like the one farthest to the right but I think I might replace the other with a different pink and brown. That one seems to be too light in my opinion. But, it won’t look like this when it’s done. I am not sure of the pattern I am using, I just know it’s called “Sweet Dreams”. You’ll see me progress, or lack thereof, at the end of the month.
Another score? I signed up for Sundara’s Yarn Seasons Club. Now normally my somewhat level headed brain of mine would say, “That’s an awful lot of money for just a few skeins of yarn over the course of a year”. And do agree with that statement. All in all it will cost $306 for one year of her club. In return I will receive three skeins of sock yarn, 4 skeins of silky merino (aran and fingering), and 1 skein of laceweight. I won’t know the colors which in a way scares me. (I signed up for winter, so I’m hoping for greys, purples and blues.) Then again it excites me. I really can’t justify doing this, except that I’ve wanted to join the past two times and didn’t. And because Shawn has so graciously offered to pay the fees every month. (Can’t say no to the one you love you know?)
I couldn’t say no to this little gem either:
Not many of you know this, but before Shawn and I got pregnant, (well more me than him, LOL), he’d asked me to marry him. But then little Scout decided to join our family and our finances and energy went into her. Since then Shawn has asked me what kind of ring I wanted. Rather then tell him to shell out the $1,300 Tiffany’s ring I wanted, I asked him to make my ring. And he did. We went to the bead shop together and I picked up the crystals I wanted. He went and took the ring making class and this is what he came up with. I aboslutely ♥ it. So did one of the shop owners who so kindly offered to keep the ring in case I didn’t like it. (I did call her later to tell her that she was out of luck.) It means all the more to me because he made it. We have picked out our wedding bands and very soon you will all get to see pictures of our happy day.
So that’s what’s been going on here. I’m enjoying spring, though Jem’s break starts this week and we are at wits end on what to do besides the zoo. The weather warms up some days and on others like Wednesday it rains. (I don’t oppose the rain, it just makes spring break harder with an impatient 9 year old and his even more impatient 15 month old sister.)
By the way, Scout is talking. Her first sentence was, “Whadisit?” (Which really means “what is it”?) When she says this she will do one of two things: 1. She will raise her arm, smile and point to whatever it is or 2. She will try to take your shirt off and point to your belly button. If you are fast enough you won’t get a slimy baby finger in the hole. We haven’t been that fast.
Believe me, it was harsh but totally worth it. I have been quite productive lately. Especially late night. I cannot put the blame on any one person in this household. But she wears a diaper! It’s just too tempting for little hands when I break out the paper, glue, beads, wire, knitting needles, tape, scissors… And who can blame her? Crafting is fun. Though “fun” would not be how I’d describe last nights antics.
I started working on the Valentine’s for Jody’s party:
Side view:
And a close up:
Each one is slightly different than the next. All are made with papers by Daisy D’s. I am not completely done yet though. I plan on adding ric rac, lace, ribbon, buttons, and jewels.
I also had some time to do a little beading. I made myself a bracelet which I named “The Blues”:
It’s made with blue, grey and white freshwater baroque and button pearls.
I also finished the first of the Endpaper Mitts. They are a bit snug, but I’m hoping they will loosen up a bit once I soak them and block them. I also started “Hush” but to my dismay there is either a pattern error, or quite possible user error. I bought some pretty pearl colored beads for the sweater as well. Now if I could just figure out this once lace row. (I’m missing a decrease somehow.)
And some exciting news, (maybe exciting just for me)…I’ve decided to design my first pair of socks. I have already done both the swatch and pattern gauge. Now onto actually knitting them. Wish me luck.
iKnit.iPurl 