I'm tired!

Saturday night 10:26 PM
I really don't feel like knitting my first priority socks, the blue Luci's Diamonds. They need to be finished before next Sunday, so I keep on knitting them. I think I'll feel better when I finish the leg. This is sock #2 after all. The leg is 3/4 done, so I'll be heel knitting tomorrow.

I put in a full day at work, as usual on Saturday. I work from 10:00 - 5:00 on Saturdays. The big project of the day is a ministerial robe. I've never made one before, but I have two samples. One is the correct size and one is the desired color. The body of the robe is done. It's white poly gabardine and somewhat translucent. I've underlined it with white lining. The robe is attached to the yoke. the next step is the sleeves. I'll get some photos Monday.

I haven't sewn the side seams yet. I have to check the sample robe to see if I sew them before or after putting in the sleeves. Before sewing the sleeves, I have to do the velvet bands. I have velveteen which needs to be sewn to a foundation of cotton duck. This gets sewn to the full outer sleeve before assembly. This will make more sense when I take pictures, but under the really full sleeve is a more normal one.

The lack of cotton duck required a frustrating trip to JoAnn's. I found the duck easily enough, but I was about 8th in line at the cutting counter. The checkout line was worse. They did have enough workers to clear the line quickly. Finally at the checkout and the register wouldn't take my tax exempt number. It seems that database was down. I finally had to pay the tax and get it refunded on next visit.

Finally, I could go home, walk the dog, and have a quick dinner of chili from the freezer (thawed earlier in the day). I love winter meals that make enough for at least one freezer meal. Tomorrow I'm making beef soup with lentils.

Another Christmas stocking

9:10 AM
It's that time again. Knit another stocking. This is #27 in a series. Great granddaughter Rayven Rose was born earlier this year and a request went out for a stocking. I wasn't sure I wanted to knit one, but the Ravelry SKA group had a stocking as one of the October choices and I said to myself, "Why Not"

I have charted an original design with a bird and a rose. (The girls get different designs, the boys get stripes of some sort.) I will start the cuff,because it will be good knitting while I get my hair cut and don't have my glasses on. It's plain knitting, round and round, it's even big yarn and needles.

I was hoping for a green stocking this time, but since the colors alternate within a family, and her mother's stocking is green, hers should be red. Yes, I have records of all the stockings. My notes have become better as I get older. I save the charts. I have photos of many stockings. The only one that got lost and needed replacing was the one I didn't have a picture or a chart for. I just had a note of what the picture had been.

I give stockings for Baptism gifts and when marriage adds to the family, I do the stocking in time to be hung for the holiday. Last year we had a wedding and my daughter wanted a stocking for her new husband (I wasn't sure).

Step 1: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 64 stitches. Working with white, join without twisting and knit 14 rows.

2:40 PM
Done! Working on step 2: K2tog, yo; repeat to end of round
Done! Knit 15 rounds. Working on it. I figure this will take about a week to make.

The cuff is lying on a quilted throw make by my quilter daughter.

I had a reading problem.

I have overcome it now, but I had a problem. I have been reading a series of books about ancient Rome by Colleen McCollough. There are six long books about Julius Caeser, his times and the people around him. This time through, I read the books in order. The first book is about his uncle Gaius Marius. The last book deals with Ceaser's death. The closer I got to the Ides of March, the less I wanted to read. You can't change history, but I didn't want Caeser to die. I finally got past that part and am finishing the book.

I sometimes find the same sort of problem in knitting or sewing. I really enjoy the journey and don't want it to end, so I work slower.

Sock progress
Blue socks - one finished, one restarted with the knit stitches in the rib twisted this time. The two socks are supposed to match. I've been playing with gusset decreases. I like these better now than I did when the sock came off the needles. Deadline: the end of the month.

Black socks
One finished. the second started. The deadline was in July. I'm going to finish the blue ones first. An IOU was given to be redeemed by the time the weather gets cold (soon approaching).

I actually made myself a blouse and wore it this week. It's an old Vogue pattern. Sewing for myself goes slowly. I don't have much time, and don't really NEED clothes, although new ones are always nice. Another piece of stash fabric used up. I didn't have enough length for long sleeves.

It's definely Fall

The leaves are changing and falling, as well as the acorns falling, although they've slowed down. The neglected garden has a few interesting plants, not what I chose, but interesting.

The soup pot is in use again. Today I made one of my favorites Pumpkin soup by LynnH. Pumpkin, applesauce and peanut butter. Quick and yummy.

Speaking of interesting, a customer called my dressmaking shop and asked if i could shrink a dress for her sister. It seems the sister had undergone weight loss surgery, loved the dress and couldn't wear it any more.

There's always a problem when shrinking dresses because you can't shrink the neckline. This dress was basically strapless, with a halter tie at the neck. The bodice was pieced and darted strangely, but I had enough fabric to work with and the design lent itself to downsizing.

I keep forgetting that I have an old camera at work, so no before picture. I removed the bodice from the skirt and took out 12 inches, some on either side of the front ruffle and the rest at the sides and back. The ruffle piece was kept ans is and regathered to fit the new size. Four inches were removed from the waist (she must still have a tummy).The skirt was shortened 4 inches from the top, so I had to move the pockets. I hope it fits, but it matches the measurements I was given.

I made some purple socks for granddaughter AE. She's a short adult with a size 2 shoe. She loves the socks. I love them too and want to sell the pattern, so only a sneak peek.


The white vest is quite old (1996), but I love it and wear it often. I designed it and dug it our of my archives to put for sale on Ravelry. A web site where I can sell patterns is still on my to do list. I called it ZigZag Vest. It knit from worsted weight cotton. I needed new photos for the pattern.

There are more grandchildren socks in the works. Black socks for a July birthday grandson. I sent an IOU in his card.

I also have a pair for a granddaughter with an Oct. birthday. I'll see her Nov. 1, so not much time. Knit faster! I dream about quitting work, but I own the business and I'd have to bring too much stuff home. I have no place here to put it right now. Guess I'll keep juggling sewing and knitting for a while longer.

More socks finished

I finished the yellow mystery socks this week. Looking for new backgrounds for photos, I tried the base of our birdbath, I'm not really happy with how it came out, but here it is.

Our local library started a knitting group. Big success. There were about 30 people there of all skill levels. Five of my friends came. We will talk up our guild and other fun things like Knitters Fantasy in April.

I'm back to catching up on birthday socks. I've got a good start on AE's purple socks. Her birthday was Sept. 15. I still have two pairs of grandson socks to do from July. One pair is started in black for CD. The other pair is waiting for October. Solid socks on Ravelry has picked blue for the month of October and SG is getting navy socks.

Not much knitting for Christmas. I had to restart MB's vest because I ran out of contrast yarn. The front is almost finished.

Work has picked up at the shop, so not much sewing for me, not that I was doing much anyway. I finished a pair of slacks recently, pull on with elastic waist. Boring and not entirely successful. I'm still playing with fit issues. Next up is a new blouse. Today I get to attach veils to combs, hem pants and a dress, and a couple of other things. Maybe I can get a little time on the blouse. It's cut out.

Signs of the season

The times, they are a-changing

These maple leaves were the first color I've seen, with this tree far ahead of the others in the neighborhood. I'M NOT READY!!

Dogwood trees show color and seeds. I don't remember seeing the seeds before. I don't often walk the dog past this tree, but remembered it from when it flowered.

The oak trees are bombing us with acorns. Squirrels are eating them like crazy. Cars run over them in the streets.

It's Goldenrod time. Luckily I'm not allergic. I was surprised to find these in a front yard, but I've seen other plants around too.

The Black Eyed Susans have been blooming for a while, but they also mean the end of summer.


We have Socks

I've been working on a pair of socks from a mystery pattern on the Crystal Palace blog. They are finally finished. The beads were an afterthought by the designer, so not in the pattern. I got a better picture when I finished the first sock.


The yarn is CPY Panda Wool. It's 51% Bamboo. 39% Wool. The color is Ultramarine, a blue green semi-solid. Teh pattern had 3 heel options, from plain to fancy. I usually wear heelless shoes, so I chose fancy. There were two instep options regarding where the "leaf" pattern is placed. I don't know if I wish I had placed it closer to the ankle.

Stealth project finished!

I mailed it yesterday. It joins the growing list of designs that I can't talk about.

I finished a set of dishcloths yesterday. I had been working on them at work while customers changed their clothes. I need something that doesn't require much thought and doesn't have much pattern to follow.

I'm reaching the toe of the first CPY mystery socks, the green one.

Last weekend we had another family party for Labor day and to say goodbye to a grandson who joined the Air Force. He's now in boot camp.

He built a "slip and slide" from 3 tarps and some duct tape. To make it slippery, they used up all their Mom's dish soap and most of a bottle of shampoo that she didn't like anyway. Big kids slid! The bag was supposed to make it more slippery.

Little kids slid. They even tried wrestling. It was good clean fun!