Mini-goals

I set myself some mini-goals this past weekend. How did I do?

1. The Laptop Bag: qualified success. I took out the part I had twisted when I stitched the top on, but when I got to the end, it was still twisted. Nothing I did seemed to untwist it. So I figured it will be felted, who'll notice? I was right about that, but the felting process didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped. I think I over-felted it. The strap didn't felt evenly so parts are skinnier than others. (I'm hoping some steam might fix that.) And, even though I used all the same kind of yarn, the burgundy stripes didn't felt At All. It's wool. Real 100%--not superwash--wool. Aye caramba. Right now it's sadly misshapen, but I forced a couple of cutting boards and a hundredweight of plastic bags into it, so maybe things will work out. Oh, and the best part is our laptop doesn't fit in it. With any luck, it will work as a large purse. Now to get a zipper.
2. Christmas wreath: it's a start. I wanted to make a wreath that consisted of gluing a bunch of small wrapped boxes to a form. So I searched my house for small boxes. I mostly used drug boxes: Immodium, Tylenol Flu, Qvar (prescription), an ob box and a soap box. I think there's one gift box on the whole thing. I know where my glue gun is (in the box marked tools in the craft room) but the glue sticks were nowhere to be found. I glued the first layer on with Thick Designer Tacky glue, but it lacks integrity. I managed to squeeze enough glue out of the gun to glue on the second layer. Much more integrity. So far, it's pretty cute. I'm going to have to get the dude to go to AC Moore three weeks before Christmas and find mini glue sticks for a low temp gun. Yeah, right.
3. Christmas Cards: not bad. I crawled around my craft room, and managed to put together 15 cards that the dude thinks are "quite modern." I have to make about 100 cards, and it's been slow going, so I'm going to cheat. I have some leftover cards from previous years, that I've decided to use--just have to guess who got what in the past! I found some elements for another card that just need to be stuck together. Finally, I have an idea for a quick but elegant card. This is going pretty well.

I also worked a bit on the Ancien Marquoir, but I am going to have to think about Christmas gifts. I'm not sure what I have and what I still need to get. Right on top of things as usual...

We're Popular. We're Really Popular.

Check it out! The Independent News, an alternative paper in Pensacola, FL that has an "audience that is more educated, affluent and active than the norm" puts cross stitch at #5 in their "Hot List."

5. 'SUBVERSIVE CROSS STITCH' Kate Hudson and her knitting needles are so last year. The next cool thing to come out of the uncool world of arts and crafts is cross stitching—only this time it's thanks to a book, not a celebrity endorser. But be warned: Julie Jackson's "Subversive Cross Stitch" ain't your grandmother's style.

In laptop bag news, I finished knitting the top and started to sew it on. When I started sewing on the second side, I realized the top was twisted. It is really hard to take back stitch out of knitting, especially since I can't tell the knitting from the sewing...

I. Cannot. Believe.

I picked up Sissy's laptop bag last night. I have 29 rows (ten stitches) left to stitch. Then I have to sew this last section onto the bag and I can wash it. I could finish this tonight. I can't believe it! After this, no more knitted gifts for family. This is too much stress.

I finished the "True Love Order" ornament on the bus yesterday. So I took out the sheep chair project and continued to fill in the background. How do those needlepointers who just fill in the background do it? This project might kill me.

Well, of course, I couldn't stick with it too much, so I went through my WIPs looking for something bus-worthy. I pulled out some Prairie Schooler ornaments (Two-By-Two II). I had initially sent this out as a round robin, but only got three back. I decided to work on these for a bit.

And that started me thinking that one person has had three of my round robins since last October when she was supposed to send them back. I sent her a SASE so she could return them and she said she never received it. (The US Postal service is not this bad people. And she has a PO Box.) I don't know, should I try again to get them back? I don't want to give up hope... Am I somehow related to Anne Frank?

Round Up/May Goals

Well last month I said that I would work on something different every day of the month, upon completion of my sister's laptop bag. Yeah, well, there was no completion of the lap top bag, though I did go great guns for a little while...up until the time I realized I had no idea how long I was supposed to make the second strap. I emailed my friend amy! and she tried to interpret the pattern as I had written it out (well, I copied the section for the straps word-for-word). She ended up buying the book, not before she marvelled at how poorly the pattern was written. So it's not just me! I now have to rip out about 100 rows of one side of the strap. Grrr. Then I just have to make the closure. Seam it. Felt. Sew in a zipper. Attach the handle. Done. I.am.so.close...

What I did work on last month instead, you know in addition to house stuff and the party, was the Ewe and Eye and Friends pattern of a sheep on a chair. I almost finished that too. I am just filling in the chair. Bo-ring. I also started a Mill Hill Santa ornament and a perforated paper ornament for my nephew. I've been alternating those projects on my commute. I pulled out the MLI Enchanted Alphabet for the trip up to NH this weekend. I've almost finished the "W" but I had to take out the "H" someone else stitched. She had either stitched a cross over three or over one thread and she screwed up that section.

May Goals
1. Take all the boxes from the craft room, put them in the basement, and vacuum so my mother in law has a place to sleep tomorrow night!
2. Finish the damn bag.
3. Ten hours on Enchanted Alphabet
4. Ten hours on Toy Gatherer
5. Complete Mill Hill Santa
6. Complete nephew's ornament
7. Start You Are My Sunshine for anniversary present.

Finished the Stripes!

I have completed knitting the front and back of Sissy's laptop bag. Last night, the house was so cold, I knit with the fabric laid out over my legs. That is going to be one really warm laptop!

This morning on the train, I finished the Pins and Needles Needlebook. I took this smalls class from Lauren Sauer in 1995. Now, it's done. Done is good.

Pictures soon.

Grrr

Last night I sat down and put about 10 rows into the laptop bag before I realized I was reading the wrong pattern! I had to take out the whole back of the bag.

I hate how most knitting patterns are written. It's like they're too lazy to make each pattern individually. Instead, they put changes in parentheses at the end of each step. I'm working on the laptop bag which is much like the messenger bag from Stitch n' Bitch Nation. Except that one's nothing like the other! For one you cast on ten for the bottom, the other 30. The one with ten knits up to a long strip. The one with thirty is a square. The only thing that's similar is that they are both striped. With two different striping patterns. See what I mean? I've xeroxed the pattern, and I'm crossing out that which does not apply. But I'm still shaking my fist at the pattern writers.

I promise on Monday to have photos of my Christmas card prototypes. I'll probably do 4 different types so I don't get bored. I'm going to try to have all the pieces prepped by then because I want to bring some of our shit my craft supplies back to the storage unit to make moving easier.

Thanks for your well-wishes for the house that we are buying. I'm right to be worried. The dude's English bank is giving us a hard time about transferring some funds to our American bank. They want him to go into his local branch. Like he can pop 'round tomorrow. I thought we were living in a global economy.