I Was Knit Together In My Mother's Womb

A meme.

Outside my window...  there are four sedums that need to be put into a nice pot. Moses is rolling in the grass.

I am thinking... about the projects I have lined up, a list of supplies I need from Joann's, my next knitting class, cheeseburgers.

I am thankful for... my husband and family, my God and my church, the ability to find joy each day, the gift of serving others, fresh produce, sunshine on a weekend, singing. 

From the kitchen... freshly made black bean and corn salsa.

I am wearing... one of my new peasant tops...just made (Hot Patterns Vintage BoHo Deluxe Peasant Tops) and my favorite bracelets at the moment.

 

I am creating... a knitted yoke for a dress, a simple skirt made from  fabulous cotton.

I am going... to Home Depot with JR to get the fence materials for our project tomorrow morning.

I am reading... gardening and decorating magazines, "When I Don't Desire God" by John Piper.

I am hoping...  that  I can sew a few little baby projects this weekend from Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones.

I am hearing... Daily Audio Bible Podcast, a nest full of six finches that are in the fern on my front porch.

Around the house...I need to vacuum. I'm thinking of making new slipcovers for the living room sofa.

One of my favorite things... The movie "Man on Wire."  I've watched it twice in the past two weeks. Smoked Chicken Wings with spicy bourbon glaze from One-Eyed Jack's.

A few plans for the rest of the week... a graduation party, some fussing with the new baby nursery, a long weekend getaway with the sailboat and bikes.

Sunday, I rode the Predator.

  and  lived to tell about it. And I didn't pee my pants.  I also rode the new Moto Coaster, high five!)

We spent Father's Day with the kids at Darien Lake, mingling with the masses.  I'm not sure when I transitioned out of the "amusement park" demographic, but I feel like at some point, I got too old for all of this. 

I did my share of people-watching between trying to impress my grandsons on the thrill rides. 

There were many loud and very public conversations which revolved around the discipline of children.

What would someone actually do with a life-sized stuffed Spider Man after they spent $345 on the Ring Toss to win it and then carried it around on their hip (like an over-sized toddler) the rest of their day at Darien Lake? 

Don't grown women know that daisy dukes and halters are meant for the "not quite so mature" crowd? Actually, I probably wouldn't even like to see them even on the "not so mature" crowd. And, by the way, tattoos never look good on saggy boobs, ladies. Just my opinion. 

I saw a families that could have bought a week's worth of groceries for four with what they spent on  a bucket of cotton candy, a funnel cake, Dippin Dots and a corn dog.

But the good news is, I finished my pink sweater that day. I actually bound off the last stitch as we pulled into the driveway.

  Very loosely based on "Marilyn's Not so Shrunken Cardi, " . Knit with Debbie Bliss Cathay, just inches less than ten skeins worth.  My mods are:

( oh, Lordy, that is a hideous picture of me!)

I started with the pattern as written, until I reached the waist area. There, I inserted about 3’ of 1X1 ribbing.
The sleeves are elbow length, with about a 3” 1X1 ribbing to finish.

For the ruffle, I chose to knit it on instead of using Wendy’s crochet method. I simply picked up and knit about 3 stitches for every 4 down the front edge after finishing the button bands. I would say I went in about two rows in from the button band. After purling one row ( which was the back side of the ruffle) I knit into the front and back of each stitch. Purl back. Knit into the front and back of each stitch. Purl back. Bind off.

  

I'm pleased with my results and love my mods. Great little sweater!

So CLOSE to finishing my pink sweater! I am so excited to wear it that I already have all the ends woven in before the last sleeve is finished!

Of course, in the back of my mind is the constant refrain of that new dress design...the one with the knit yoke and fabric body? With the beading? I confess to obsessive thoughts about this dress.

  Finally, all the parts are coming together. I picked up a new book, French Girl Knits,     because it's so stinking inspiring,

and I found some ideas for that yoke. Maybe this?

  and the beads?

  I just know it's going to be fabulous.

JR arrived home yesterday to surprise me for lunch at work. He's been away for 2 1/2 weeks, and I didn't quite expect him that soon. It's like the sun, moon and starts are all aligned again for me. When he's home, it feels right. We're so happy to have celebrated one year cancer free, and it feels like now we're just getting over the shock of it all. I wonder where the last year went?

The other good thing is , he's my photographer. I have been sewing up a storm while he's been away and I have so many good things to show you. Next week.

Yesterday, at work,  we found this sign on the ladies' room stalls:

 

A. Please Flush

B. Make sure everything goes down.

Requested by Grossed-Out Co-Worker.

Like I don't have enough on my my mind. So all day, I had to interrupt those obsessive thoughts of my dress-to-be every time I went into the bathroom.

I flushed. I made sure everything went down. I walked out of the stall.

I went back to the stall. To check to see if I flushed and to make sure everything went down.

I went to the sink to wash my hands. I went back to the stall. To check to see if I flushed and to make sure everything went down.

Then I washed my hands. Again. And checked to make sure I turned off the light. SIx times.

My neighbor has a boa constrictor. That's right, I was cutting a nice bouquet of peonies the other day, and Lou sort of matter-of-factly dropped that little nugget of information.  He's a young guy, about to get married, and he's a bit of a comical young guy. We like him very much. It's like having one of the kids next door.

"So, Lou, are you serious?"

"Yeah, I use one of the bedrooms for him and for the Komodo Dragon."

"Seriously? They share a bedroom? Does your fiance know this?"

"Yup."

"Lou, would you promise me that I would be the first to know if your boa is missing? I don't want a surprise when I sit on the toilet some night, you know?

 

 

A few days ago, Lou came to the door... (He actually wanted to borrow a seed spreader)

Mr. Funny Guy Lou:  " I was wondering if you've seen a ten foot long snake around? He's missing."

"I haven't seen the snake, but have you seen my dog?  Oh, my word, Lou! Where's my dog???? Did your snake eat Moses???"

"Moses is missing? Oh, no!" Mr. Funny Guy Lou just didn't get my joke.

So, if I don't show up on my blog for say, oh, a week, can you check in with Niagara County Animal Control? Please?  And make sure all my sweaters get to a Good Home and not to the Good Will.

Don't you love surprises?  I got a special message on my cell phone from Jonathan, telling me there was a surprise waiting for me in my dining room when I got home from choir practice.

 

Well, it wasn't a coconut cream pie, but this little fella sure made my night.  I just get the biggest kick out of those boys...Master Toad-Catchers   and Love Bugs.

Meghan and I were talking the other day, just reflecting on being moms, really. I love her daily reflections on motherhood and the way she shares  the details of the boy's lives...in her very humorous and insightful way ( no one can make me laugh like my girls.)  She's a good mom...through some real challenges and adversity, she has always been committed to her boys.  She said, some days, she just looks at them and thinks "How did this happen? How did I get to be who I am and have such awesome kids?"

I smiled to myself...a big smile.  I said, "Meghan, I'm sitting here thinking the same thing. How did I get to be who I am and have such awesome kids?"

It will always be the surprise of my life, I guess.

Anna Maria Horner Fabric  and the Socialite Dress

  Please don't tell Anna Maria, but I have a secret crush on her. Well, on her fabrics, really.  Those fabrics transform a simple cotton sheath dress into a "Hey look at what I'm wearing" simple cotton sheath dress.

The pattern has very easy instructions, well written. I made the X-L, with no modifications. I'm thinking the next time, I may take it in a bit more through the waist and hips to give it more of a sheath shape.  I always have to play around with patterns to get the right fit between top and bottom. 

Interestingly enough, as I was preparing for my "photo shoot" (which, by the way, is done with a ten second timer when JR is away...I often wonder what the neighbors think) I put the dress on backwards. And you know what?  It works that way, too!  So, I have the option of wearing a V in the front OR in the back, and the scoop in the front OR in the back.  Isn't that clever?

I made this dress in half a day. About the same time it took my peonies to go from this:

  to this:

These are my favorite peonies, without a doubt. I could eat them they are so beautiful and delicious looking.

  

And is it any wonder I fell in love with that Anna Maria Horner fabric for my dress? 

What color flower would YOU wear?

The baby shower is over and the nursery is decorated! Do you hear a big sigh of relief?  Grandma, Aunt Karen, Meghan and I are resting comfortably now.

And the real waiting begins for that sweet baby girl.

 JR had to go away for a few weeks, so now I am actually  trying to  unwind and leisurely plan my next knitting and sewing projects. 

( I must confess, that in the rush of all that shower stuff, I actually got up early the morning of, checked my list and decided that I did have time that morning to make a dress for the day.)

 

Loosely based on  McCall's 5425.  Of course, I modified it. At 6:30 AM. The day of the shower.

I made it A-Line

I added a cross-grain hem edge and facing.

And I gave it  some under the bust gathering detail to give it a bit more shape.

 

It really turned out cute. I wore it with a little brown cropped cardigan and some great gold beads and bracelets. To Walmart....to run a few errands before going to the shower.

It was 53 degrees and windy that morning.  After Walmart, I went straight  home, and changed out of that just-made-linen-blend-adorable-little dress, and into something old and store bought. And warm.

It's just like me...I have an impulse,  I create , and then I can't wear it after the urgency of having to get it made.

Sometimes I wish I could just slow down. I always have a plan in my head, and projects lined up, and something to do while I'm just supposed to be, say,  sitting around on the deck doing nothing. I wish I could feel the sunshine on me  and not have the shadow of a magazine or knitting or sewing cast  upon some part of my body, messing up my tan. I wish I didn't have to always run errands at lunchtime. Or eat in the car. I wish I could finish my pink sweater.

But there's always something. My latest crush?

 

Wait til you see what this is going to be!

 

Lots of home and garden prepping is being done for the summer ahead. There is always that one day when the weather is perfect and we know without a doubt that there is no chance of a cold snap. That's the day I feel the urgency to shift my focus from inside to outside.  We do have a few goals set for this summer before any significant planting is done....and JR will not let me waver from the "Big Picture."  The backyard tree is down, to make room for the new patio. There will be a new fence and gate, and the house needs to be painted. I have to tell you this has been hard for me.

If you've been reading awhile, you know what beautiful gardens I left behind at the old house, and the fact that I'm starting at square one at this home is exciting, but hard. It means I can't have the pretty stuff until all the foundations for the new garden are in place.

 I am a details person, and I want to get to the details.The year we moved in, we were able to complete the front of the house, which was nice, and I do get to have containers....so I really shouldn't be complaining, right?

JR and I took a little tour of our front gardens a few days ago. He taught me how to see the details through my camera. Small garden, notice the small details. This is what I noticed as the sun was leaving us for the day:

     

Thank you for the lesson, JR. In trying to imagine what my gardens will be someday, I might have never noticed what they are right now.

Whoever thought of combining knitting and sewing is pure genius. And the Cape May bag is just the right amount of each, for a pretty quick project.

 

Of course, I can never leave well-enough alone, and I did make several modifications to this pattern.

1. Bag body:  12 - 5" charm squares instead of 9. I used Amy Butler Daisy Chain which I got on Ebay....already cut into the 5" squares.  After assembling the bag and lining, I gathered the top edge to fit the knit band. I like the effect rather than just a straight flat tote. After gathering the top edge, I sewed on a binding to finish it off before attaching the knit band.

2. Bag bottom:  a couple of simple pleats to create a flat bottom.

 

3. Straps:  I made two instead of one.

Make this bag! It just brings a smile to your face.

On Saturday, I tried on a dress that I wanted in the worst way...but it was $100. It was also a combination of knitting and sewing. And as I do these days, I think to myself, "I can make this. I know I can."

It looked sort of like this:

   (yes, I sketched this on the sermon notes....I had it on my mind...couldn't stop thinking about it and had to get it on paper.)

It has a black knitted (or crocheted ) yoke band with some chunkier beads knitted into it. The dress portion was an underlining of back jersey, with a black and yellow floral print crinkle chiffon overlay. It was floaty and feminine and sooooo pretty. Now I have to make it.  Any ideas for how to knit that yoke?

My plate is so full. And on top ofthat I've been served up seconds and thirds! Dang...it's that time of year, whether you have kids around or not, it seems like we go in twenty seven different directions, doesn't it?

In the next week or so, we have a wedding. So of course, Lynne had to make herself a dress. ( I'm such an over achiever). I'll show you the pictures when it's done....after working on literally a seam at a time some days, I feel like it's been taking forever. It's  a maxi length, every woman's dream dress, right?   So that's the dress project.

And we have taken on the task of decorating the new baby nursery...

 

This is the quilt I made for Baby Girl...I haven't made a quilt in years!  Katie found a crib bumper at Target, made from the hot pink fleur-de-leis fabric that you see. There was also a crib sheet available, so I cut up the crib sheet and  used it in the quilt and crib skirt to coordinate everything.  I'm super excited to finish the other parts of the decor and put it all together for Kate and Ray.  It's going to be so cute! The baby shower is a week from Sunday, and the goal is to have it all done by then.

Oh, and did I mention baby shower? We're throwing a baby shower?

And a Memorial Day picnic???

Wouldn't you know that in the middle of all of this, I decided that I needed to start a new knitting project.  Well, knitting-slash-sewing project.

 

For the life of me, I can't tell you how many times I've ripped out that knitted band. Like it's the first time I've knitted from a chart, for pete's sake. I think it's taken me a week of knitting to finish a 3" band for the top of the Cape May bag. Like I need another bag! During the busiest two weeks of my life!  But, there is hope on the horizon. Time.  Because now that

Joan is the Celebrity Apprentice, and

JT is the Survivor, and

Kris Allen is the new American Idol ,and 

Pam and Jim are going to have a baby, and

Mike, Susan and MJ are safe,

and Jack Bauer has once again thwarted terrorism,

I will have time! The precious gift of time!