Score!

So I was at the department store today picking up my Lancome free gift. At the counter I met a lovely woman doing the exact same thing. After we were done, we met again in the shoe department. There was a great sale and she was finding all kinds of cool shoes. As usual, I was not. I have a 5.5 medium foot and rarely do I find a pair that fits in ANY store. I mentioned my dilemma, and she told me that the local salvage center had just gotten a shipment in from Macy's and there were a bunch of shoes in my size. I was skeptical, but I decided to drive across town and check it out. Boy, am I glad I did!

I found 4, yes FOUR pairs of great shoes:

Michael Kors Pumps:



Merrell Loafers:


Naturalizer Mary Janes:



Cute Red Style & Co.:



I can't tell you which are my favorites because I LOVE them all so much. The Merrells feel like I'm walking on clouds and the Michael Kors are easy to walk in for the height. I love the Mary Janes and the red shoes are just so cute. I'm in shoe heaven! And each pair was 60% off the original price. I know it may seem tacky to talk price, but I got all 4 pairs for $139.00 US. I saw a pair of Merrells at the department store for $100.00. I got 4 pairs of shoes for just under what 1 pair would have cost in the department store. I'm just so happy.....

Happy Hallo-Wing!

(Title courtesy of #1)

I promised to make cookies for #1's school party and when my friend Freefader showed me this website, I had to give them a shot. The cookies are chocolate and it was my first time using royal icing. I used pasteurized egg whites so hopefully no 2nd graders will be getting salmonella. You have a belly ache, Little Timmy? It must be all the Halloween candy! Wasn't those cookies Ms. Zoysia gave you, was it?





These were fun to make, and the more I used the icing, the more I got the hang of it.

I'll probably edit this post later in the day when pumpkins are lit and boys are costumed, but till then, have a lovely day and a spooky evening!

Enjoy Every Sandwich

In regards to my last post: Whilst looking on Youtube for a Warren Zevon version of Poor, Poor Pitiful Me, I came across his last interview with Letterman, which really worked me over good, and got me to thinking about how precious everything we experience really is. So, while I do not have a great photo of a sandwich to show off, here's Letterman and Zevon both showing what they are made of. This is the first part of 4 available on Youtube, if you care to watch the whole thing.



And here's what kind of flower I am at this point in my life:

I am a Canna What Flower Are You?

So, I'm over this self pity and happy to be here. I've restarted the February Sweater and harvested my basil, zinnia, and marigold seeds. I hope everyone is having a lovely Autumn.

Smooches.

PS: It's completely ironic that cannas have always grossed me out. Their flowers turn to slime when they're done, but so be it!

Grumpification

I've been feeling pretty shitty lately. There's been family drama, Hank stress, and general dissatisfaction. Part of it is hormonal, too. You know. But even though I know all this will fade and pass, I'm wallowing in it right now.

Even knitting is grumping me out. I had gotten past the 3rd button hole on the February sweater and decided to count my stitches to see how much farther I had to go before the next step. I was over the stitch count I needed, but not over in a way that would suggest I had done too many increase rows. I started counting sections and it turns out one of the front sections was 9 stitches over. I'm not sure what I did, but I think it had to do with the button holes. So guess what I did. I ripped that sucker to within the original first 3 rows. There was no fudge room. It was 9 stitches. How disheartening. But I'm not one to accept a crappy result, especially when the yarn is so expensive. I'll just chalk it up to experience and remember to check my stitch count more often.

I don't feel like messing with it any more today. I'll come back to it when I'm feeling less pissy.

To add to my feeling of doom and gloom, I watched The Other Boleyn Girl several nights ago. I read the book quite some time ago and enjoyed it. I have always been intrigued with the story of Anne, Henry & Elizabeth. It's so tragic. For some reason, I always get caught up in the story and am a little surprised by the ending. Not like I didn't know it was coming, but surprised that it actually happened. I don't know how to explain it, but it breaks my heart every time. Anyway, probably not the best movie for someone wallowing in pseudo-depression.

Poor, Anne, poor Marie Antoinette, poor Marilyn.



EDIT: I've added pics of garlic rosemary salmon with roasted new potatoes & chocolate star cupcakes, cuz carbs always make me feel better.

Hank Woes

Can a dog attempt to off himself? Is life with us so bad? Here's how it went.

Hank stays in the kitchen or outside, because he's just too crazy to let run around the house. We've been trying to acclimate him to the rest of the house, but it's slow going. He looses all sanity and runs amok. He's never alone in the kitchen very long, because, I spend most of my time in there.

About an hour ago, I was trying to get things ready for #1's soccer practice, so I was moving around the house looking for shin guards, soccer shorts, etc. I was in and out of the kitchen, and on one pass, I heard a hissing sound. I started looking around trying to find the source, and lo and behold, one of the knobs on the range had been turned. The spark that starts the burner hadn't been ignited, so the gas was just streaming out.

I quickly turned the knob to off, got Hank out of there and started the vent fan. I found a floor fan and pointed it out the door to ventilate the kitchen. Right now, I can't smell gas any longer and I've taken the knobs off the stove. I was completely freaked out. Thank God I didn't have a candle burning in the house. Not that I usually do, but sometime I get a wild hair.

What am I going to do with this lug of a dog? He's smart and funny, but he's out of his mind. I think he really wants to be an outside dog, with kitchen sleeping privileges, but I had imagined he'd be one of the family, watching TV at night with us, sleeping by the fireplace in the winter. Oh, well. I guess he's still a puppy and eventually he'll chill out, but for now, he's driving me to drink! (Not that I need a reason...I'm going out with the girls tonight for some knitting and wine._

Wish me luck with this incorrigible pup!

Fallish

Hello everyone! I have been a poor blogger indeed! But things have cooled off here in the muggy South, and I'm feeling like a little knitting. I started the February Lady Sweater, by Pamela Wynne using Cascade Venezia in a light blueish gray color. I completely love this yarn, and so far the pattern is going well. I haven't gotten past the yoke yet, and this is my first top down raglan, so we'll see. It's pretty easy going right now, mindless garter stitch, with increases every other row.


I did get some sewing done this summer. I made an apron, a dress, and 2 bags. Right now I only have a picture of one of the bags. It's a Simplicity pattern, and it was a lot of work for little pay off. It has a zipper and pockets around the bottom. It's kind of formless, and I think if I made it again, I'd purchase straps instead of sewing them. They are a little insubstantial.


Hank is getting big and sassy. Yesterday he graduated from his puppy training at Petsmart. He wouldn't wear the mortar board for a class picture, but he learned an awful lot. He can sit, stay, lay down, leave it, roll over, wait, shake, and he's getting better at loose leash walking. Now if he could only learn not to jump on and nip at the boys, we'd be all set. I've found if he has 2 very brisk walks a day, he's much less likely to jump all over people. Here he is right after our walk/run this morning. If we can trust the birthdate on the papers from the shelter, then yesterday he turned 5 months.


Last night around 1:30, I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep, so I started channel surfing. I came across The Spirit of the Beehive, a critically acclaimed Spanish movie from 1973. I was mesmerized by the 7 year old lead, Ana Torrent. Her performance was amazing and the movie was very good. It's subtitled, but even if you don't speak Spanish, or like to read subtitles, it's visually stunning. If any of you have seen it, I'd love to hear your response.

We're all back in school. #1 is doing great in all his subjects. He has quite the vocabulary and is a delightful conversationalist. #2 is doing great in his subjects as well, but he is rather shy and doesn't like to speak up in class. He has determined that he wants to be an artist when he grows up. He is visually talented and I try to encourage his creativity. My classes are going well. I'm enjoying teaching drawing. It's been several semesters since I've taught it, and I am trying to come up with new assignments and techniques. All in all, things are going well.

I hope everyone is doing well. I'm going to try to be more consistent with my posting and commenting. Trying to get back into the groove!

Gustav

3 years ago today, Katrina barreled into the gulf coast. If you don't live near a hurricane prone area, there is just no explaining how far reaching its effects were and still are. I knew it would be bad, but I had no idea how truly awful.

Now this new storm is headed for the Gulf Coast, and while nobody knows where it will make landfall, people on the coast and in New Orleans are gun shy. My town is 60 miles inland, with 1 major highway and 1 interstate that are evacuation routes. Already, the hotels are full, the grocery stores are selling out of crucial supplies, and gas prices jumped 30 cents in 24 hours. Luckily, I filled my tank on Monday night, before the prices soared, and got my shopping done on Wednesday, before people started going crazy. We're ready for this thing where ever it lands.

Some of the models are pointing it right at us, and some of them are predicting it will head towards Texas. It doesn't really matter to those of us who experienced Katrina. We aren't taking any chances. I have plenty of water, dried goods, batteries, toilet paper, and wine. If needs be, we'll cruise north on Monday, but I'm hoping we won't have to.

Finally, A Meme After My Own Heart

Food Meme

Food meme from Auntie Bubbo.

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you've eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

As the formatting shortcuts don't seem to work in Explorer, I'll just "yes or no" OK?

The VGT Omnivore's Vegetarian's Hundred:

1. Venison yes
2. Nettle tea no
3. Huevos rancheros no
4. Steak tartare no
5. Crocodile (does alligator count?)
6. Black pudding no
7. Cheese fondue yes
8. Carp no
9. Borscht no
10. Baba ghanoush yes
11. Calamari yes
12. Pho What?
13. PB&J sandwich yes
14. Aloo gobi no
15. Hot dog from a street cart yes
16. Epoisses cheese no
17. Black truffle chopped up in things. I wish!
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes yes
19. Steamed pork buns not to my knowledge
20. Pistachio ice cream yes
21. Heirloom tomatoes yes
22. Fresh wild berries yes
23. Foie gras maybe
24. Rice and beans yes
25. Brawn, or head cheese no
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper Probably a never
27. Dulce de leche no
28. Oysters yes
29. Baklava yes
30. Bagna cauda yes
31. Wasabi peas yes
32. Clam chowder yes
33. Salted lassi and sweet lassi no
34. Sauerkraut yes
35. Root beer float yes
36. Cognac yes
37. Clotted cream tea no
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O Probably never
39. Gumbo yes
40. Oxtail yes
41. Curried goat no
42. Whole insects Ick! I'd have to be really hungry
43. Phaal curry yes
44. Goat's milk yes
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more Probably, I don't remember
46. Fugu no
47. Chicken tikka masala no
48. Eel yes
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut yes
50. Sea urchin yes
51. Prickly pear yes
52. Umeboshi fruit no
53. Abalone yes
54. Paneer no
55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal I can honestly say I don't think I've ever eaten a Big Mac sandwich
56. Spaetzle yes
57. Dirty gin martini yes
58. Beer above 8% ABV yes
59. Poutine no
60. Carob chips no
61. S'mores yes
62. Sweetbreads no
63. Kaolin the clay/mineral in Kaopectate? It's in all fast food shakes, so yes
64. Currywurst no
65. Durian fruit no
66. Frogs' legs yes
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake Beignets at the Cafe' Dumonde NOLA YES
68. Haggis no
69. Fried plantain yes
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette why are these in the same line? Andouillette Yes, Chittlins, no
71. Gazpacho yes
72. Caviar and blini Caviar, yes, blini, no
73. Louche absinthe no
74. Gjetost, or brunost cheese no
75. Roadkill no
76. Baijiu wine no
77. Hostess Fruit Pie (made with lard) yes
78. Snail yes
79. Lapsang souchong tea yes
80. Bellini yes
81. Tom yum soup no
82. Eggs Benedict yes
83. Pocky no
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant not a tasting menu, but have eaten at a 3SMR
85. Kobe beef no
86. Hare yes to rabbit
87. Goulash yes
88. Flowers nasturtium, violets, rose petals yes
89. Horse Gotta say Never
90. Criollo chocolate no
91. Spam yes
92. Soft shell crab yes
93. Rose harissa hot sauce no
94. Catfish yes
95. Mole poblano no
96. Bagel and lox yes
97. Lobster Thermidor no
98. Polenta yes
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee yes
100. Snake yes

So now you know it, I'll eat just about anything. Most of the no's are cuz I haven't had a chance yet. And I'm not proud of all the yesses either. Really, a Hostess Fruit Pie? I ought to be ashamed!

Conference Bike

Man, I really would love to take a spin on one of these!

Wedding Gifts

Two posts in one summer! Whoa, somebody hold me back!

Really, the dog has taken up so much of my time and energy, I just let a bunch of stuff slide. But, I have to stay up late tonight, and thought it was a perfect time to write. No doggie whining, no kids asking for something to eat-drink-do. No Mr. Z sitting me down with a list of things he wants me to do. Just me and my keyboard.

Knitting has been slow compared to past summers. I was working on Mr. Z's 2nd sock when I realized my sister's wedding was 2 weeks away, and I had promised a hand knit gift. I had planned on making an afghan, but it's been so blasted hot here, that the thought of knitting a large wool rectangle (even in air conditioning) was not motivating. I talked to my other sister, and she thought that linen hand towels were just the thing. Sister B (the one getting married) likes to pamper her skin.


I placed an order from Elann for 3 colors of Linus, 1 ball of Coto Canapone in natural, and 1 skein of Camila in chamois. I made 3 hand towels of the Linus (100% linen), each measuring approximately 10 x 22". I couldn't find a pattern I liked so I picked 3 stitch patterns from Claire Crompton's The Knitter's Bible and added a garter border around.

This was the first time I ever worked with linen and I was surprised by the yarn. I don't know what more expensive linen is like, but this stuff shed terribly. I was working in a cloud of lint the whole time. It was really bugging me, getting in my eyes, nose and mouth and all over my clothes. But boy does it block up beautifully and quickly. I wet blocked all the hand towels and when I took them up, they were crisp and lovely. Makes me want to work with linen again, but maybe a better quality.

The first one is the Dainty Chevron Pattern in Pecan:


This one is King Charles Brocade in Bamboo


And here is Crest of the Wave in Cream. This one is my least favorite. It think it looks a little sloppy, even though I tried to knit it and block it well. I'm thinking I might just give her the 2 others. Don't know yet.


I made a spa cloth with the Coto Canapone (approximately 50/50 cotton/hemp). The pattern is Bark Sedge Stitch Wash Cloth from Lion Brand. It's free on their website, but ya gotta register. Loved the pattern, loved the yarn. It was nice to whip something out in crochet after all the knitting I've done over the years. I almost forgot that I knew how to crochet.


Now I'm working on one more cloth. Probably a wash/spa cloth, but I'll wait and see how big it gets. The yarn is Camila (50/50 cotton linen) and the pattern is Basket Rib Hand Towel by Traci Heiner. It's a simple little pattern that has 4 different rows. Not too challenging, but something good to work on while you're talking to friends or watching TV.


So basically, I've been knitting wedding gifts, training my dog, shopping for school stuff (oh, BTW, that is the suckiest thing ever, ever! 15 glue sticks for 1 child in 1st grade, FIFTEEN!!!!? Mr. Z says they're probably putting up wall paper. And there's more where that came from, but, you know, I'm not gonna drag my bitchy irritation into this post--OOPS--too late!) cooking and friending. Here's some lovely bruschetta we made for our overnight guests last weekend:



Happy End of Summer Y'all! 10 more days till the boys go back to school!

Dog Days

Seems like summertime is slowing down my blogging. The boys finally finished baseball and I thought I would have a bit of a break. Catch up on my knitting, reading, writing, sleep late a few days,

But then something happened:

Hank.

Hank's 2 1/2 month old cur/retriever/lab???? mix pound puppy. He will probably get large and he's full of energy. Nippy energy that is. I have gone at this dog as I go at all my projects, full speed ahead. I've read books, watched videos, researched online and consulted various other Puppymamas. I'm trying to raise a gentle happy dog who will enjoy being part of this family. It takes up most of my free time.



After 2 weeks of home life here are Hank's accomplishments:

Mostly he poops and pees outside.
He's leash trained.
He's crate trained.
He sits to be fed, go in/out the door, and on command in general.
He waits when commanded.
He's learning stay.
He's trying really hard to curb his biting instinct, but sometimes #2 (perhaps I should rename him Puppybait) is just too much for him.
#2 is trying as well, but his instincts to move quickly, make squeaky noises and to raise his voice with Hank, are pretty deep seeded.
#1 and Hank have learned to coexist peacefully:



Hank's really growing well and is quite handsome. We get lots of questions about his breed. Usually I just say mutt or pound pup, but yesterday Mr. Z and I were talking about it, and decided we ought to make up a breed to tell people, just for fun. Like, Zoysia Hound, or something. Just a thought.



When Hank is outside sniffing around the yard, I sit in the shade and knit. I've been working on a pair of socks for Mr. Z for SOOO LONGGG! They should be finished by now, but they're not. I finally finished sock 1 and am on sock 2 now. The main yarn is Mountain Colors Bearfoot, a lovely superwash/mohair/nylon blend. It comes in 350 yd hanks and it's been so long since I've made Mr. Z socks, I couldn't remember if that would be enough, so I made the heels and toes out of the Froehlich Wolle Camel I bought in Boston. It's a pretty close match for the golds in the Bearfoot, and there's plenty to spare for my own pair of socks.



So that's how my summer is going: boys, a puppy and socks to be made. My house smells like dog, and I feel like I have another toddler around. He's pretty cute, though.

Surprises, Ravelry Meet Up, and Ongoing Projects

I'm slowly catching up with all that I need to do. My internets were on the blink over the weekend, so I fell a little behind, but I'm going to get it all done eventually.

First thing I'd like to show you is something I've been hiding for several months. It has to do with babies.

NO! Not any of mine. I'm done with that, thank you. But Sharon isn't. She's just a couple of months away from welcoming her new little baby girl into the world. Del and several other lovely ladies came up with the idea of an online baby shower, and I helped. I made the Rowan Elly jacket for the new baby using the Manos Silk Blend Sharon helped me pick out at Purl Soho.


For Monkey, I made Kimberly Chapman's Knitted Banana. Get it? Monkey/Banana? I used assorted acrylic worsted for this. It's really cute, and I have a couple of my own monkeys who want one.


Sharon was really surprised. It was hard to keep the secret, but so very worth it in the end. If you'd like to check out the Fiber Baby Blog, just click here.

Last weekend, a bunch of Mississippi Knitters, many of whom met through Ravelry, came down to my neck of the woods to visit a LYS, The Yarn Basket. I met them at the shop and led them to a nice restaurant for a late lunch. It was fun to meet everyone and to put faces to the Ravatars.

First we have Teresa in orange, the owner of The Yarn Basket, Petal, MS, and Chanda in green.


Next we have some Mississippi knitters doing what we do when we get to a yarn store:




And finally, we all went to a downtown restaurant, Brownstone's and had lovely Cajun food.



Yay! It was a blast! Now when I go to Jackson, I'll know some knitters. It's like being in a club or something. Ravelry is so great.

I guess many of you know I teach college art classes, and last semester I taught 2 sections of Design 2. It's basically color theory and application. The application part involved cutting colored paper and pasting it into designs that fit a certain set of requirements. I have also mentioned somewhere in this blog that I got facinated with felting sweaters I purchased from the Salvation Army. I kinda went crazy with it for several weeks, buying the sweaters, felting them, then cutting them up. I didn't have any project in mind, but I knew I had something I could work with.

Then it occurred to me, that I could blend several interests together using this one medium. I love teaching, am fiber obsessed, am interested in traditionally female art forms, and love the idea of collaboration. I devised a group project that involved all these interests as well as recycling of material.

First I cut as many 9 inch squares as I could get out of the various sweaters. I saved all the scraps. Late in the semester, I assigned my students a project where they had to make a 9 inch square design based on the colors of felt I had available. They cut and pinned their designs onto the 9 inch squares and put them in baggies. Now all I have to do is hand applique' all the designs, then sew them together somehow, and put a backing on. A breeze, I tell you...yeah, right! I know it's a lot of work, but I have been thinking about this and I simply have to do it. It's gonna take a while, as there are around 40 squares and even though I told the students to keep them simple, some of them have a different idea of what simple means.

But there were some lovely designs. Here are 2 that I particularly like. Please excuse the fact that they are still in the baggies.




I'll keep you all posted on the progress the felt quilt as it moves along.

Boston

In my last post I mentioned a trip and now I'm gonna tell you all about it. Boston was great. Mr. Z had a business trip he had to make, and it just so happens his grandmother and several aunts and uncles live in the area. So we decided it would be a good thing to take the kids out of school the week before the LAST week of school to visit their GG, Great Aunts and Great Uncles, and various cousins however many times removed.

First we stayed in Boston for a few days and saw some sights. There were swan boats, Paul Revere's house, the Science Museum and some really awesome cemetaries.

Here are they boys on a Swan Boat


And here they are messing with electricity at the Science Museum


#'s 1 & 2 were all business. If they were walking on the Freedom Trail, they were really ON the Trail, mowing down any stationery tourists in their way.


I really liked this tombstone. While the motif is similar to most of the others, it was more intense.


After Boston business was completed, we went to Nahant, where the paternal relatives live. We stayed with them and went to the supercool pebbly beach nearby. There were great skipping rocks, and sea glass and all kinds of other beach debris.

Nahant Rocks


Beach Pebbles


We made a day trip to visit the maternal relatives in Plympton. The boys loved Great Aunt H and Great Uncle D. Aunt H had chickens for them to feed and frogs and tadpoles.

Feeding the Chickens


Both boys ended up waist deep in frog swamps with nets. All frogs captured were released no worse for the wear.

Aunt H is holding the creature, cuz I really had no such inclination.


We also visited the Frank Gehry Building on MIT Campus. It's totally nuts:



When faced with so much reflective surface, the only thing to do is take a picture of yourself

And of course I must speak of food and yarn. We ate very well in Boston, and photographed several meals, but my favorite was the Eggs Benedict a Charley's on Newberry Street. If you're ever in Boston and looking for a reasonably priced, kid friendly restaurant, with a great wine list, this place has it all.



While on Newberry Street, I found Newberry Yarn, a little LYS. The boys were patient enough for me to choose this yarn (did I mention that while Mr. Z was in meetings, it was just me & the boys in Beantown?) Froehlich Wolle Camel. 70% merino, 30% Camel. I got 2 skeins at 200 meters per. I am going to make myself a special pair of socks. I've never seen this stuff before, so I don't know anything about it. It's Swiss, and was pretty cheap, around $7.00 per. I'm just excited I finally get to try out some camel.



That's enough for now. I'm just trying to catch up and lay it out there for you.

Kool Aid Dyeing

This spring was busier than I can remember. I travelled a lot and the boys' sports seemed to take up much more time than before. School is finally out for me and I have a week before the boys are set free. Perfect time to try something I've been wanting to do for a while. So I jumped on the Kool Aid Wagon.

The yarn is Knit Picks Bare Superwash Merino DK. The flavors are grape, black cherry, fruit punch and orange. I basically followed the Knitty instructions for Kool Aid dyeing. First a soaking bath for the yarn, then highly concentrated drink mix/water mixture applied to the hank using cheapo mustard and ketchup dispensers.

I'm pretty pleased with the results, but they aren't perfect. The grape wasn't as strong as the other colors and kinda looks washed out. Also, there are places in all the colors that didn't get saturated with dye. You can see the whitish spots here and there.



This picture shows how I wanted the whole hank to look:



And here's another close up of the colors. It's a little blurry, but the colors seem the truest in this one:


I think I'm going to reapply the dye tomorrow to saturate the weak spots. I am trying to decide whether I want to reapply each color as before, or over-dye the whole thing with pink lemonade. It's light enough that it wouldn't cover the other colors, and it's a hue that would blend will them all. I'll sleep on that one.

This was a great learning experience for me. I was surprised that the excess water that flowed from the hank was CLEAR. Then it occurred to me that the yarn absorbs the dye like a magnet. I know that sounds obvious, but my water was crystal clear.

There are lots of better blogs out there about this process. Sorry I'm giving such an abbreviated account, but I've got all kinds of things going on right now, and I'm trying to catch up. I just wanted to show you what I've done. I've got other posts for the near future. A recent trip to Boston, a meeting of a bunch of MS Ravelers, several FO's and WIP's. I hope you'll come back and check things out soon. I will try not to let so much time pass before I write again.

Something New

Guess what I got?

One of these:


I've never been very good at sewing. Every time I tried it, I felt like I was being tied up and put in a cage. It just drove me crazy. Actually, my lack of sewing ability is what led to crocheting/knitting. My gramma tried to teach me to sew, but my ineptitude drove even that patient saint to swear, so she introduced me to yarn and hook.

Well, I was cruising blogs and saw this on cosmicpluto. I was smitten, and decided to try something besides straight seams. I made a couple of versions of the shirt, this being the more successful of the two:


Simplicity 3835, shirt


And I tried a dress version as well. I opted to use the shirt top (elastic) instead of the dress top. It turned out OK, but looks a little like a mui-mui. I think if I shorten it a little (or a lot) it will look less frumpy.


Simplicity 3835 dress with shirt top


Here's what the fabric looks like close up:


I also made a skirt. The pattern is Simplicity 7655. It turned out pretty cute, and was easy as pie. I've got a few other sewing projects going as well. Maybe this will be the thing for summer. Give knitting a much needed break.