finally a FO

I'm so excited to have actually finished sewing something (and something for me too) for the first time in ages! I actually finished a week or so ago when my husband took our daughter off to visit his parents leaving me home alone for hours for probably the first time in 2 years (and this hot on the heels of me getting to go to the cinema by myself to see Mama Mia which felt wonderful).

The pattern is NewLook 6490. The fabric is some I found a while back at the thrift store (and I have quite a bit left over for another garment).

I made the shoulder straps much wider than the pattern (which suggests using 1/4-3/8" ribbon or lace) 'cause I like to wear a bra and not show too much of it off.

I'm not sure whether you can tell from the photo but the top part of the shirt is two overlapping sections, very handy for a nursing mama! The fit is a little weird to me because the top section ends way before my breasts actually do, but actually I think that works!

January Socks Begun

January sock (wip)
Originally uploaded by commonplaceiris.

This is the beginning of my January project for the 2008 Sock knit a long group at ravelry. It's my first new knitting project of 2008 - I cast on on 6th January for something to do in the car on the way to my in laws for family Christmas..
I'm making Diagonal Rib Socks by Ann Budd (link to project info at ravelry) from Interweave Knits, Winter 2004 (pdf download here).
I love this yarn (I have to go find the info on what it is as the label got separated from the yarn). I'm not sure how well the pattern reads but don't care too much to be honest as I just love looking at the yarn. It actually seems to look better to me the further on I get which is nice, long may it continue. I have been having a slight problem with forgetting which round I'm on half way through and finding I'm off but I'm fudging it and getting back on track!

Thrift Thursday

I haven't posted any of my thrifting finds for ages. I don't have photos of most of them. I've been mostly getting old bedsheets, some plain to use to try out patterns I'm not sure about and some more interesting ones to sew with too. Also scraps of fabric, books and even a few items of clothing for me and the rest of my household. Here's a picture of some thrift-store finds from mid-July that I didn't manage to actually blog about back then:
Some clothes for my daughter, and some fabric. The books were my favourite part -- I'm sure there's lots of useful info to be found in "How to Make Clothes Fit and Flatter", and "Fun with Scraps" looks as though it could really live up to its name. Hopefully I'll manage to spend some more time looking through them before too much longer.

And now to this week's finds. I went into the thrift store with my mum along which meant she could watch my daughter if I wanted to try on clothes. Consequently I came out with two pairs of trousers, very exciting! Also I've been wanting some shoes for a while: I need some to fill that period between sandal and snow boot weather; something to cover my feet and preferably that I can slip off and on easily for getting down on the floor with my daughter to play (and 'cause I prefer to go unshod whenever I can). I've been looking at Earth shoes online, and in the local shoe store but can't really afford to buy any just at the moment. However, I found these two pairs for just over ten dollars at the thrift store this week. Yay! They both seem barely worn, and seem to fit me nicely. Definitely belong on my 10Things list as the brown pair in particular are making me very happy (and unexpectedly so as I don't like not having a back to my shoes usually, and haven't worn much of any heel in ages).

Links for 2007-08-22 [del.icio.us]

• BBC NEWS | World | Europe | The secret history of the Nazi mascot
  
  Fascinating story of a Jewish boy who escaped into the forest when the rest of his town was massacred by the Nazis. After he was handed over to police a soldier helped him by introducing him to the other soldiers as a Russian orphan and he was adopted as a kind of mascot:
  
  "To this day, Alex Kurzem has no idea why Sergeant Jekabs Kulis took pity on him. Whatever his motives, it certainly helped that Alex had Aryan looks. And together, they kept the secret.
  
  "'Every moment I had to remind myself not to let my guard down, because if ever anyone found out, I was dead. I was scared of the Russians shooting me and the Germans discovering I was Jewish. I had no-one to turn to.'
  
  "Young Alex saw action on the Russian front, and was even used by the SS to lure Jewish people to their deaths."
• Neither Hip Nor Funky » Freezer Paper T-shirt Tutorial
  
  I've seen so many great freezer paper stenciled projects at flickr, and on various blogs, and would love to have a go myself sometime. This isn't the only tutorial out there, but it looks like a good one so keeping it handy for later.
  
• Simple and Elegant dress
  
  A tutorial for making one of those dresses that's got lines of elastic running around the chest/bust, but using lengths of elastic rather than elastic thread which somehow seems more do-able.
• Techniques with Theresa - Seaming knitting - knitty.com
  
  Seaming is not my strong suit so I figure I can never have enough resources handy when I need them.
• Toddlers are capable of introspection :: UC Davis News & Information ::
  
  Scientists have demonstrated that dolphins, monkeys and even rats can engage in some form of "metacognition," or an awareness of their own thought processes. But developmental psychologists have assumed that human children do not develop this capability before about age 5. Lyons and Ghetti have toppled that assumption by teaching 3- and 4-year-olds to communicate their awareness of their thought processes using pictures rather than words. "We've shown that even very young children can think about their thinking," Ghetti said. "The reason we haven't appreciated it before now is that the studies that have been used to test for it have been too verbally demanding."
  
  This reminds me of reading (and listening to a show on Radio 4) about early childhood memories a while back -- experts say lasting memories aren't formed until a child is verbal and can describe them. However in a survey of people in the UK a huge number of people reported pre-verbal memories. I know people who have really early memories - strong visual images in particular. I suspect the experts don't know everything!
  

All the following links I found via CRAFT:

• » Blog Archive » Winding a skein into a centre-pull ball
  
• Bella Dia: Doodling with Embroidery
  
  I so need to give this a try. Seems as though I could make something pretty a bit at a time without thinking too much -- exactly the kind of crafty project I crave these days!
  
• Naptime Knits: froggy
  cute knit and felted frog pattern
  
• SockPixie: Jewel (Free Baby Hat Knitting Pattern)
  cute little hat with a border of mitred squares
  
• DIY Shrinky Dinks. » Curbly | DIY Design Community
  
• Bella Knitting: Duplicate Stitch Tutorial
  
• How to Make a Gathered Skirt with Knit Waistband
  
• U-handblog: Pricing your bags or other crafts to sell.
  
  I don't know that I'm likely to be in a place to try and make stuff to sell any time soon (or ever) but this seems like a useful reference point if you or I ever are contemplating such a thing.
  
• The Knitting Zone - Easy Sock Blockers / Stretchers
  
  

Links for 2007-07-20 & 21[del.icio.us]

joybucket: Peek-a-Boo Bunting Tutorial
found via Craftzine, a tutorial for a baby quilt that attaches to a stroller so the baby can't kick it off. Excellent idea!

Mandela turns 89 and launches 'a robust force for good' | Guardian Unlimited
Nelson Mandela marked his 89th birthday today with the launch of a group of world-renowned leaders who plan to use several Nobel peace prizes and "almost 1,000 years of collective experience" to tackle global crises that governments are unable or unwilling to confront."
Using their collective experience, their moral courage and their ability to rise above nation, race and creed, they can make our planet a more peaceful and equitable place to live," said the former South African president.

perfect pikelets ~ My Way or the Highway » Wear it. Eat it. Deny you are responsible.
Mmmm, pikelets.

By request. on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
A great knitted top (cardigan/jacket) seen at flickr. I think this would make a great garment for a nursing mother -- may need to make myself one!

Your Gamete, Myself - Egg Donation - Reproduction - In Vitro Fertilization - Infertility - Women - Peggy Orenstein - New York Times
An interesting look at the implications of egg donation.

Magazine Box Tutorial - a photoset on Flickr
found via Craft

Snicket Socks - MagKnits, your friendly online knitting magazine
"These socks were inspired by the dress Violet Baudelaire (Emily Browning) wears in the movie Lemony Snicket – A Series of Unfortunate Events. I wanted to translate the net-like sleeves into knitting.

BBC NEWS | From Our Own Correspondent | Losing the taste for China's delicacies

BBC NEWS | Health | Healthy weight link to longevity
"Keeping a healthy weight may help people live longer by limiting brain exposure to insulin, say US scientists."

Celtic Braid Socks: Tuulian omia juttuja:
Another sock pattern, this one with a nice celtic looking cable pattern

Black Dog Designs
A collection of knitting patterns from the blogger of the blog Black Dog Knits
. Quite a few I would like to try sometime, probably going to stick with the socks for now (and there are several sock patterns that caught my fancy there.

Shetland Lace Rib Sock Pattern: Stitches of Violet
And, yes, another knitting pattern for socks!

Links for 2007-07-19 [del.icio.us]

• No-Knead Bread - OregonLive.com
  I made some of the no-knead bread after it was in the NYTimes a while back and the second batch came out really nicely and I've been meaning to make more. It's a great way to make bread for someone like me who doesn't have much time to bake, but plenty of time to let things hang around to mature for a day! And I'm entering a bread baking phase at the moment.
• BBC NEWS | UK | Education | The dead parrot curriculum
• Guardian Unlimited | A precious provision
  "We were unlucky in the tragic hand dealt to our son, but blessed to have had British healthcare "
  This article resonated with me. It made me remember after my first daughter died at birth (I had a 40% placental abruption at 23 weeks) getting the hospital bill for the delivery and the autopsy and everything: Obviously those people who took care of us and our baby and were doing there jobs so well deserve to be paid, but (especially as someone who grew up in the UK and still hasn't got used to the way it works in the USA) it seems unthinkable that I should have to look at a bill for that when my baby just died. And thankfully we have good health insurance, but what if we didn't? In the midst of that experience or some other unexpected turn your life upside-down event I think people should be able to focus on the very real things happening in their lives and not have to worry about what their insurance will cover, and how to afford the rest. The money wasn't really a headache for us in our situation, but it could have been, and it certainly made me think.
  
• Knitty: Spring 2007 - Clessidra Stockings
  I think my mum would love these, she likes nice long socks. The question is should I just send her the link to the pattern or should I attempt to make her some for Christmas?
• Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less - New York Times
• Warming Report Warns of Increased Flooding - New York Times
• Dewey? At This Library With a Very Different Outlook, They Don’t - New York Times
• V-Neck Hippie Dress w/ 6 Strips - theElektron
  found via :Craft
• Top 7 Tutorials for Making Your Own Shopping Tote
  found via :Craft
• Tickle Turdle Wool Wrap Pattern
  I've been knitting wool soakers for my daughter since before she was actually here to wear them but I've never tried to crochet one. I'm definitely much more of a knitter, but I do crochet sometimes and I hear the crochet soakers make up faster and may be a bit denser too. (Of course I should also work on my ripple blanket again one of these days.)

Thrifting Thursday

I actually went to the thrift store yesterday after visiting the farmers market. I had thought I'd just run down to the market and home because the baby was due for a nap but she was not about to fall asleep (too much to look at I guess) so I also went to the pharmacy (insulin for husband), bakery (a treat for me, and a loaf of honey walnut bread), the thrift store and the co-op.

Daughter seems to have abandoned her usual napping the last couple of days. Don't know whether it's the developmental leaps she's working on, or some new teeth or just perversity of nature (entirely likely looking at her parents) but we're both exhausted by the end of the day. Speaking of which I should make this quick and close down the computer and the kitchen and get to bed so that I can get some sleep!

First though, here are my thrift store finds this week. The top two pieces of fabric are poly/cotton sheets. The bottom piece is some cotton, it's the sort of weight that makes me think of tea towels. I'm wondering whether to make an apron with it. Perhaps I could use some for a panel in a new mai tei. I think my daughter's favourite is the top fabric with the big flowers. She's always had a thing about floral prints come to think of it.

I haven't really looked at the book yet, the front caught my fancy, and it was only a dollar so I thought why not. I'm not really very good at coming up with coherent ideas about design so maybe it'll give me useful things to think about (if I ever have time to read it!).

Also from the thrift store -- a grey silk skirt marked down to $2:25! I think maybe someone washed it and it shrank a little since the lining is longer than the skirt, but that's easy enough to fix and it fits me. No picture though because the room with the full length mirror is where my daughter naps currently, and it's proving hard to get a picture of myself when she's not napping.

I'll leave you with a picture of the pretty chives and mint "fresh from the farmers market." See the icon? It's from A Veggie Venture blog -- the idea is "to encourage all of us to seek out fresh produce from our hometown farmers markets". What a nice idea. Click on the icon to go straight to the post about Blush the Sweet Tomato which I came to via Everybody Likes Sandwiches who designed it.

The lady gave me the chives for free because she was so pleased I wanted them -- apparently not many people had been buying them and they're so pretty even if you don't know how to use them for food! I chopped some up and put them in with the pasta sauce at dinner, but I'm enjoying having them around for decoration and scent too as I catch the mint wafting by me. Now if I could just remember why I was looking for mint at the farmers market... I also got a big bunch of rhubarb (more on rhubarb another time) and some mesclun greens that we had for dinner tonight in another incarnation of that warm salad I made the other day.

Some finished objects

Today's been pretty hectic (I may report on that later) but it's been a while since I posted and I have some photos of finished objects and the baby seems to have gone to sleep (at least for the time being) so quickly...

I made muffins! I'd had this as a to-do in the back of my mind since I saw these raspberry muffins at Posy Gets Cozy the other week. Then I had one of those bananas that's only fit for baking taking up space on the counter (as often happens since I started buying lots of bananas as the baby fast-food of choice to have on hand). Perfect, banana muffins. The recipe (from the Bread Bible) is officially for banana nut muffins (and I did put some walnuts in) but I like chocolate with my banana baked goods. I made them for dessert, but have been warming up the rest at breakfast time and got a nice picture (on my new thrifted plates) in the morning sun. (Morning on the kitchen windowsill is the best opportunity for sunlit photos inside our house).

I actually completed and gifted the pointy kitty and matching dress that I mentioned (and gave a taste of) in a previous post. I'm quite proud of the dress actually, I did the facing properly, and mastered buttonholes on the machine and everything! I'm too lazy to go upstairs and check which pattern this is, perhaps I'll come back and rectify that later. I tried taking pictures of the dress a couple of times and none of the photos came out great, such is life. And then I realised after giving the gift bag that I didn't actually take a picture of the kitty with head attached to body. Luckily I had my camera there though so I made sure to take a few while the kitty was not being clutched tightly (I think she liked it). My daughter was a little sad to see the kitty go I think so maybe I will make her a stuffed toy for her birthday (I can't believe how quickly it's coming up!).

The bunny's still not done however. Since it's been a while since that birthday, and the little girl is expecting a sibling soon I think I'm going to make something for the new baby and save the bunny to give as a big sister gift when the baby comes (and we'll be saying special prayers for them because I hear they just lost a good friend who died in childbirth which is devastating at any time but when you have a baby on the way yourself, oh my).

(On a ligher note) I got some more sewing time this weekend. I finished a pair of trousers for myself (no picture). I cut the fabric in England at Christmas (when I thought I would have time to make stuff because my mum and Matt would be able to watch the baby... somehow it didn't quite work out that way, it never does), sewed several months ago and finally hemmed last Friday. I think they're tencel, but whatever the fabric is it hangs nicely and is cool and they fit pretty nicely and I feel good in them. I also almost have a new skirt for myself finished -- just need to finish the waistband, and I think it's just too long so I'm going to have to go back and turn the hem up some. What I did finish though was another pinafore for my daughter. I had this fabric that was a thrift store find which I thought would be a good candidate for a dress for Pentecost. I was going to try a different pattern but the fabric used to be a curtain and it was hard to find enough unfaded (or consistently faded) for the other things I tried so I went for the pinafore again. (It doesn't hurt that the pinafore is quick and easy to make of course.) I forgot to sew the lower set of ties in when I put the red binding on (oops) but managed to sneak in some ribbon. I'm pretty pleased with the outcome, and she happened to have a pair of pants that bring out the red to make it extra suitable for church on Pentecost!