New Things

Well, I've found the camera! Whoo hoo! Thought I'd add some photos of Christmas Decor... I've been on this "Less is more" thing lately, putting the breakables up high because of the little destroyer.  I found these teal and red balls at JoAnne's half off and thought that'd be perfect for my chandeliers... I like it, well, I like the little bird.  I also bought a Christmas papercrafting kit from K&G at JoAnne's and made some pretty little things from paper die-cuts, like the wreath on the mirror, below.

I thought last year, when I bought those candles on sale, I'd love them on the mantle.... but I'm ambivalent... I think I'd rather have a white illuminated paper village or something... white candles.  Something that does not include a fake greenery garland would be ideal.  The children wrapped the loooooong banister in red and green tinsel garland, which I hate, but they love!!!  And we bought a tree at a local farm, but have not bothered yet to put up lights... though we've made cookies and watched more than one Nutcracker performance!  Mostly I guess I want to feel the holiday magic again, the romance of twinkle lights, the flicker of fire.  I want read alouds and board games and lots of hot drinks.  I don't think the problem is really the decorations.  

Fall is the season for making clothes...

When it starts to get cooler, I come out of a summer hibernation... OK, I'm not really hibernating, but summer always makes me feel as though I'm going to die of exhaustion very, very soon. I think this is a thing... otherwise, why would there be a song called, "There Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Blues," or something.  Aaaanyway, moving rooms around to make a study for my older students to keep their schoolwork and sewing toddler free, I have been evaluating my fabric stash... which grows even faster than my yarn stash, because I'm always knitting, but sewing often takes a back seat, hence, giant, humongous fabric stash.  Actually I inherited some fabric from my husband's grandmother, who owned a fabric store at one time, was a home economics teacher, and was also a force of nature.  She made my wedding dress of beautiful shantung and Venetian lace and, I totally could have worn it inside out and it was perfectly fitted to me.  So, I've been sewing today, and last week, and I've been taking pictures, so here we go!

I think it's rather fetching!  My favorite blue, and a plaid skirt... I didn't match up the plaid at the side seams all that well, but I forgot to buy extra fabric so that I could do that, and I was cutting it awfully close to make my minimum skirt length.  Do you have an ideal skirt length?  Mine is at the narrowest part of my leg under my knee...  Anyway, I spent some extra time making this skirt nice inside, too.  I bound every exposed seam in bias tape and used a hem tape to maximize the length, though the pattern called for a narrow hem, this works beautifully, I think.

I love teal.

Hempathy Buttercup Top

Buttercup in Elisabeth Lavold Hempathy...

Size 4 circular needle

Cool and comfy, except for the plunging neckline, which requires a tank, which sort of ruins the sublime coolness... I'll make it again, and make the neck line a bit more discreet!  And this color, really any shade of blue green makes me feel happy... looks good with my hair, too!

Suggestions?

So, I've assembled what I have in the Living Room, and arranged the furniture, but I'm sort of stumped when it comes to curtains.  Any suggestions?  I have the orange fabric that was in the old living room... not enough for drapes, but I could make valances or pieced drapes combining the orange with another fabric... I prefer drapes to valances, but beggars can't be choosers.  I also ordered some fabric swatches from Fashion Fabrics Club:

I also am brainstorming on a visual barrier to place behind the orange couch and beside my desk area... I only have about 8-10 inches depth there... So, a skinny console table? short, wide bookshelf? a constructed planter?  or a screen of some sort?

and what to use for the visual barrier?  An aquarium? Lamps? Plants? Hanging bird cages?  I am completely open to interesting ideas for this challenge!  Help!

Moving Vignettes

This is the house, the day after we moved in... I started unpacking the kitchen right after I made the beds.

I think a cabinet that's white inside is wonderful!  Everything looks so clean and bright.  An old (as in long time) friend came to help organize things... she's good at it.  Plus she likes the kids, bonus!

And of course the Prairie Princess got busy dressing appropriately for her setting... perhaps she was between scenes and taking a break?

Brown Cardigan

Here it is!!!  I really am proud of this!  Now I'm ready to start my Ravelympics2010 project tonight when the torch is lit... I know, it'll be late.  I took a nap!

I bought some new brown Mary Jane pumps to go with it!

Olympics Fever!!!

It's been snow, snow, and more snow around here!  It snowed so much it filled up the cattle guard and the cows thought they'd traipse right out of their field this morning to look for forage.  My neighbor's son called and gave us a heads up, so I thought I'd just roll out of bed, wash my face, get dressed, and see what's up out there... Or what's out up there... hard to say when I've just woken up.  Aaaaaanyway, I'm not packing... I'm procrastinating because I'm trying not to think about moving when the stupid Bank of America won't hurry up and tell us if we can have that house or not!  (Ranting... anger problems, apparently).

Instead of packing, I'm planning a unit study for the Winter 2010 Olympics.  It's fun!  I've found that my kids are rather weak in Geography and so the Olympics are a wonderful opportunity to get those world maps out and start learning about countries and where they are while we watch the competition!  Also, my oldest is studying Ancient Greece right now and so we're working in the Ancient Olympics, too.  Also, Canada, snow, and, if I can manage it, engineering a snow apparatus outside, while there's still snow to push around.  I think the Little Engineer will enjoy that.

We've really been inspired by the Olympic Motto and Creed.  I guess I'll just go ahead and post them ;)

Motto:  Citius, Altius, Fortius (Swifter, Higher, Stronger)

Creed:  The most significant thing in the Olympic games is not to win, but to take part.  Just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle.  The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.

Soooo, we've been setting ourselves some goals for this Olympic period, which is, as of now, 20 days.  I'm going to work on my abs... by working them out 4 times a week on our pull up bar.  Also, I'm going to try harder to work out, yoga or pilates, 4-5 days a week.  Aaaaand, I'm rereading Raising Godly Tomatoes

Finally, on my pursuit to challenge myself for this 20 days, I've decided to compete in the Ravelympics 2010, which is a competition on Ravelry, one of my favorite ever sites, where one can get almost anything a fiber freak like me needs for inspiration.

I am competing on the ClubFoot Ravelympics team in the Giant Slalom-ghan event... which means I'm going to try to crochet an afghan in 20 days... 20 days.  The rules say you can't start your project except for swatching before the Olympic flame is lit in Vancouver, and you have to finish your project before the flame is extinguished, 16 days later.  It's sort of a fun way to compete and make projects and enjoy the Olympics all at the same time!  Jeremy drove me to AC Moore yesterday to get more yarn for my brown sweater which is wet blocking right now in preparation for seaming and knitting neck ribbing and button bands.

While we were there, I spotted a sale on cheap o acrylic for an even cheaper price of 2 for $5... I thought about that and overcame my acrylic aversions when I realized the whole afghan would cost less than $30 to make and my kids will ensure that it needs to be washed repeatedly anyway, so acrylic would be a good idea.  So here's a sneak peek of the colors:

I'll be posting updates!!!  The Olympics starts in 3 days!  Are you getting swifter, higher, and stronger?

The Skirt, Episode Three

We're coming to the end of a Star Wars movie marathon here at Contentment.... to explain the title. I told you that I made another skirt and I wore it last week, and the sun came out, but the Hubs wasn't home to help take pics, sooooo.... I just took them myself. Sorry. Anyway, here's the skirt... OK, I know it's kind of juvenile, but I'm not really that grown up yet. I love it. I know you all will put up with my crazy fashion whims because you love me!

Plus it goes with my cool turquoise suede penny loafers.

Do you think I should put a penny in them? Let's see, when I used to wear them, the rule was a dimes go in black pairs and pennies in brown ones... so what do I put in a turquoise pair? Buttons?

Yeah, I know wearing brown tights with colored shoes is a bold fashion move... but, I was cold! I've been thinking of buying some white or natural colored wool tights and dyeing them to go with my outfits, but that idea may go the way of so many others I've had....

Christmas Skirt

I did some major sewing before the holidays and just haven't had time to photograph all of the garments. Here is another skirt I made for me from fine wale corduroy... I made another one, too exactly the same except for the fabric, perhaps I'll have Hubs take a picture the next time I wear it! I wish I could photograph myself, somehow!

In sewing fitted garments, I've taken to cutting and basting the lining before I cut the main fabric to sort of make a muslin to see if the garment fits... I've noticed that most of the things I made according to my measurements are much too big... or perhaps I like things with less ease than they designed them for.... who knows, but anyway, this helps me get the fit I like without wasting fabric or taking too much time. For those of you who sew... if I tend to fit a smaller size in one pattern manufacturer, will I wear that size for all manufacturers? I don't think you can see it in the pic, but there is a little touch of turquoise in the leaves that makes me happy when I look at my skirt! Look, that's the Little Engineer's phonics book, too.

Isn't it funny how when we make clothes for ourselves, the details really make so much difference! I love to put in a pretty, contrasting lining to just give me a little lift of color that brightens my day! On the grey wool skirt I made, I put in a sky blue lining and it makes me soooo happy!

Knitting Post, so if you're not a fiber or color addict, you may want to catch the next post!

Well, knitting is continuing, though I've packed up the sewing equipment, and even most of the yarn... though I did keep out some projects to keep me busy between packing, cooking, laundry, and school. I have been garden planning, too, but I really can't do much till we're in the new house, except do a little mail ordering. Party month is coming... February is coming and there will be gifts to order and wrap and days of fun to declare. My head is full of thankfulness for God's Grace and provision and blessings, none of which I deserve, and all of which seem completely unearned, or even the opposite of what I should have. Also swimming around in my head is decorating ideas for our new home. That's my favorite part of moving: the anticipation of nesting. I keep having to remind myself that we need to just get the basics unpacked and then get the garden planted and a fence built to house Fang the beef steer more permanently than our back yard fence.

So, as this is a knitting post, on to the works in progress:

Another cushion cover, in a honeycomb pattern, with colorwork. Leftover Knit Picks Shine Sport from my babydoll tunic. This will be a rather large throw cushion, to coordinate with the Williamsburg cushion and the green cushion already made.

Beautiful, beautiful variegated Socks that Rock in the Crabby Mc Happypants colorway... a pair of lace stockings, or at least knee socks! Usually, I do not like lace in variegated yarn... but, I want a pair of lace socks, long ones, so.... there you go!

A stole... Eunny Jang's Print o' the Wave, practically free Knit Picks kettle dyed Shadow in Pacific colorway (a shade of turquoise green or blue that I'm quite fond of). I'm rather excited about this project, as it's my first real lace weight pattern to work, and it's working up very quickly. It's a simple, short pattern repeat, with all purl rows on the wrong side, so it's a good first lace shawl pattern, I think.... not to mention a good gift idea, for someone who might love beautiful, delicate handwork.

And finally, a cardigan to go with one of my winter skirts. I have a very pretty tan wool skirt, bias cut, A-line... with orange and chocolate and cream, and I've been looking for years for a suitable cardigan for it... I'm attempting to make one, finally. Mother Daughter Knits Grey Cardigan is the pattern. Lion Brand Fisherman's wool in brown... smells very nicely of lanolin.

New Year, New Skirt

I've caved... I used to think I hated grey on me... that it didn't match my colors... but I've found that I've changed my mind. I love grey now. I love it as a contrast to my colors, and it really does set a good red orange off perfectly... anyway... I found a beautiful warm medium weight wool at JoAnne's and bought it with a coupon to make Butterick 5249, et voila!

It was, by far, the most complicated skirt pattern I've ever attempted. I'm a little nervous about making fitted, zip-up skirts because of my apple body shape issues, but this turned out fine, I think! See how nice it looks with my orange purse! Hmmm... not exactly a fashion model, but...

More Laundry!

Is it just too weird that I get such a kick out of my laundry? Of course, these are all socks I've knitted, too, and all my favorite colors as well, so no wonder it hit my eye... but still, it's a little kooky.