Knitting While Intoxicated: June 2006

Flower Hat

Several months ago I submitted a pattern for a new Lion Brand Yarn book. When I didn't hear anything, I figured it hadn't been accepted. A few days ago this showed up on my doorstep

At first I was a bit worried that I had ordered it late one night after a few too many glasses of wine, but since I check my bank account regularly to account for such deeds, I was pretty confident I hadn't, although a bit puzzled until I actually opened the box. So, guess it was accepted. Now I actually have to make the pattern.

Here is the hat in progress (I have an aversion to acronyms and abbreviations)

There will be matching slippers as well, but I am having a problem with guage, the first one was tiny, the second two big. Am hoping the third will be just right.

I don't really care for the colors. When I was choosing them online, the yarn looked more varigated and more muted, it's a bit bright for me in real life. I doubt I would choose this project myself based on the colors, but then I rarely make something in the recommended yarn/colors anyway.

Me or You?

A number of crafty bloggers have written about the frustration of trying to balance creativity with mothering. I've felt the same sort of frustration--I am beginning to think the perfect weekend would be one where rest of the family would go somewhere while I stayed at home with the sewing machine for hours of uninterrupted crafting. But something that also frustrates me is balancing making something that I choose, versus something my daughter wants. Last Saturday I bought supplies for carving my own stamps and was eager to try them out after dinner. My daughter had been quietly looking through my Japanese books, and decided she really, really needed a stuffed hampster. Now, I do feel it's okay to take time for myself, and I do make quite a few things for the girls, but I did feel both annoyed at the idea of taking time away from something I really wanted, and a bit guilty that I wasn't instantly ready to make a toy for my daughter. I do feel proud of the things that I make for them, and I am happy that they enjoy my labors, but sometimes I do need some time for myself, making something I want to make. By the way, I did make her the hampster and had time left over to carve a few stamps.

So, a project for myself. A large messenger bag from a piece of floral fabric I bought from the thrift store. I generally don't care for splashy florals, but I really like this one. It's lined with a light green and white print--I can't remember the term for a print that shows a country scene.

I am not sure if I want to put something on the flap, I was thinking some sort of embroidered patch, but not sure what.

Poo and Pee

Inspired by Molly Chicken I tried stamping some muslin. These were done with a handcarved rubber stamp and fabric paint. I am still having problems with carving details--her's are much more precise. I also wonder if she is using fabic ink rather than paint.

Monkeys

Geckos

Kappas

I also stamped some baby onesies

I think these Happy Poo and Pee characters are really funny, Brian is a bit doubtful. This was done with a freezer paper stencil and fabric paint.

More smocks

I am not sure if I prefer to call these smocks, pinafores or aprons. I like the word pinafore, but to me that conjures up a fancier image, something dainty and lacy. I think maybe smock is the best choice. At any rate, here are a few more smocks for my Etsy shop.

This is the detail on some halter tops I made for the girls, they both wanted snakes.
Ivy got a boa

and Miranda wanted a rattlesnake (this picture is a bit blurry)

I am pleased with both. The stitches are messy from a technical standpoint, but I like the effect. I am starting to learn how to manipulate the design a bit by building stitches on top of each other and it's turning out better than I expected, embroidery has never been a favorite of mine but I am enjoying it more.

Columbus Zoo

We drove down to Columbus today to visit the zoo. Miranda was particularly excited because they have a cougar there and she was finally going to get to see one up close. It's a great zoo--they don't have as many animals as our zoo here in Cleveland, but the exhibits are larger and the animals have more room to move around, as well as more natural looking settings. We walked around for five hours and were well worn out by the end. There was still time to stop at Japanese Bookstore I had heard about, New Japan

It was actually a gift shop, with books, stationary and other items. I felt the Sanrio stuff was pretty basic, mostly the sort of Hello Kitty items I could find in Cleveland, none of the less common characters. They had a few San-X characters, but no Nyan NyanKo, to Miranda's disappointment. And even worse, neither this store nor the Japanese grocery next to it had Konpeito, which the girls have been dying to try after seeing the Hamtaro episode about Diamonds of Sugar. I may just have to order some online. I had also hoped to maybe find issues of Cotton and Paint after coveting the copies I have seen others display online--no such luck. But they did carry used books as well as new ones, I got some children's books including an AIUEO book, and six crafting books, all about making baby/toddler clothes.I bought 11 books for a grand total of 20.00.

I had planned to sell a couple of them--do I really need more craft books? But as I look through them, each one has things I like and I can't decide which one to give up. Maybe I will wait a bit and look through them again. I am really happy with the books I found, but not sure it would be worth making the 2 hour trip again just to check out the store for anything new. They also carry Kumon work books which I find can be helpful for my own Japanese studies if I use the ones for young students, as well as kanji workbooks which previously I had been ordering from Japan off of Jbox.com. I could probably find some other things to do, and I am sort of owed a day out, as Brian is taking a business trip to Toronto in August and I will be home with the girls for a week.

Ivy woke up with a cough, so I am sitting up with her while she watches Dora the Explorer. I haven't been able to decide on a domain name, so all my old pictures are still down but I can post a few new things through Flickr.

Embroidered baby shoes