Found Roots

At the beginning of the year I blogged about creating my own roots and that is finally starting to happen.

The hubby and I have found a house we would like to call home. We are under contract and if the next few weeks go smoothly we will be home owners by the end of May. For real and for true. If this works out that will be what I post about for some time and hopefully more crafty goodness.

My Flickr is filled with pics I should post about, but somehow I haven't managed to get the gumption to do so. My most recent finished project is the stroller blanket I knit for a dear friend's baby using the Mason Dixon Modern Log Cabin Blanket pattern.



She had a little girl at the end of February but my friend is not so excited about dousing her little girl in pink. The nursery decor is jungle/rainforest with the main colors are browns, light green and yellow. I choose to use Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton yarn in Pistachio, Macadamia, Pecan, Walnut and a little bit of Strawberry to give it a wee bit of girly-ness. The browns, green and cream match other things that were purchased for them and the organic yarn will please my eco-conscious friend. It is super soft and the only worry I have is that the yarn appears to be a bit linty so I am hoping a nice wash will help with that.

I greatly over estimated the amount of yarn I needed so I will probably make some coordinating accessories...hats, sweaters, booties, another blanket! ;)

Japanese Craft Book

This past weekend the hubby and I drove over to the Japanese market and bookstore in Edgewater, NJ. I had been their once before and the hubby had never been so it was a nice Sunday adventure.

From the market we picked up some edamame and shrimp shumai (yum!) and learned that in Bergen county you have to wait until 1pm to buy alcohol but there are no small appliance purchases allowed. Yup. A strange blue law. That aisle of the market was roped off with signs. Why I could not buy a rice cooker is beyond me!

From the bookstore I purchased a new Japanese sewing book. It is published by Ondori and the title is in Japanese but Google translate the title as "Hand out your grocery store is small cloth of (Japanese characters left untranslated )." Um, yeah. The ISBN number is 978-4-277-43117-0 in case you want to look for it.



Here are some pics of projects that I am considering...


The projects seem to focus on things for the home...of the organization variety. For some reason I am totally in love with the toilet paper wrap. I do not have a clothesline but when I someday do buy a house I want one just so I can make the clothespin holder. I could go on and on, but given the chance I would make it all!

Swap goddies finished!

I just sent off my swap partner's package in Craftster's Typography Swap this afternoon and I am anxious for her to receive so I can post pics and talk about the fun new techniques and materials I tried out and ended up turning out quite well.

All I can say is there was some sewing, stenciling, and other crafty goodness that resulted in projects inspired by my partner's font interests. I can not wait to share...and I hope that she likes her package!

A Very Nasty Flu...

This is not something I would wish on anyone. Not even someone who I was not fond of!

I have what my doctor called "a pretty classic case of the flu with the added bonus of a sinus cold." Great.

All I can say is this is the first day since Monday that I have felt somewhat like myself and even that is a stretch. I have had a fever (ranging from viscious to lo-grade) everyday since Tuesday that causes chills, hot flashes, aches and pains that will not go away, sniffles, cough, and general crappy feelings that are just plain miserable! I was out of school for a whole week. I actually wanted to go to school, but could not will my body to cooperate. It might not have been so bad if there was something to watch on TV during the day.

Ugh...here is to feeling human again soon!

A new year...in double digits!

Since my birthday is so close to New Year's I always use the 17 days in between to reflect and come up with resolutions, observations and plans for the new year.

This year I turned 33...not a terribly exciting number other than the double threes. I know I am closer to 35 which feels much more monumental. I did go to work this year (a break from tradition) but I have to say the birthday wishes and hugs I received from many students was well worth it!

So what do I hope for this year? Well, the eternal quest to be healthy is in my mind, but no major resolutions about that other than make good use of my gym membership since I am paying for it. I would also like to get healthy in prep for the next major step I would like to make which is expanding our family. The hubby and I have not yet made plans to start, but the thought is on my mind and I am certainly not getting younger. Getting healthy in preparation seems like a good idea anyway.

I also hope to take another leap in to "grown up" life...buying our first house. Hubby and I have rented for a long time. Now that I am gainfully employed we can seriously consider a more permanent housing plan. We took a drive around our area to see the neighborhoods of a few house we could be interested in seeing internally.

I think this year will be about creating roots of my own. I have always had the roots of my family and home town that are a part of me, but I feel the need to settle in and establish new roots now that I am embarking on a new career, past the one year mark living in a new state and feel the desire to have a child (which has never been a strong priority). I feel that creatively I have already made art making, knitting and now sewing a constant in my life, now for the rest.

It will be interesting to look back in 2009 to see what roots took hold in 2008. Hmmm....I think I can use this root idea in some art.

Holiday Goodies

I must apologize...my time has been whisked away by Ravelry. The blogging has suffered, but the knitting has continued at a pretty good pace. I have also squeezed in a little holiday sewing.

First up, the sewing project for a good friend that is part of her Xmas gift. The whole package has a cupcake theme...a cupcake cookbook, a cupcake carrier and a handmade apron with coordinating towel. The apron was assembled using two linen kitchen towels I found at Target.



There were two other coordinating towels, but only one matched well and it will also go in the package.



And the knitting...






1. Fetching fingerless mitts (pattern on Knitty)
2. Neckwarmer for Dad (my own experimental pattern)
3. Danica Scarf (pattern on Knitty)
4. Le Slouch (pattern by Knit and Tonic)
5. The Unoriginal HAt (pattern by Yarn Harlot)

Has it really been six years?

I am still in shock that six years have slipped by since the tragedies of 9/11 occurred. It is as raw and shocking now as it was then. And I am fortunate in so many ways.

I was living in NYC and the people that I knew who were working at World Trade were still on their way to work when everything happened. I am most thankful that my best friend since kindergarten, who had worked in the Twin Towers for several years, had left the city to go to law school and was far away from the destruction. I am also thankful that the day before I was released from jury duty as the court house is a short walk away. I am sure I would have been fine, but I am grateful there was no reason for me to be anywhere close. I was home, just getting out of bed when the first plane hit. I looked out my window when I heard the news on the radio. At that time they were unsure what kind of plane had hit the first tower. I gravity of the situation had not hit until my husband (at that time we were only engaged) and I turned on the tv, where I stayed glued, un-showered, crying and stunned all day long.

My best friend called me at some point in the morning when she was finally able to get through (the phone lines were jammed with calls for hours) and just cried and asked me, "why?!? why would someone do this?!?" I had no answer then, and I had no answer today when discussing it with some of my 5th grade students.

Now that I am a teacher, I see students who were born AFTER 9/11...they do not know NYC before. They know what happened, but it is far into the past. It was actually watching children play that helped me process all that had happened and make me realize that life would go on. I can't recall if it was one or two days after, but I went for a walk just to get out of the house, away from the news reports and just try to do something normal.

Nothing was normal anymore really. I ended up in Washington Square Park near a playground. I sat for over an hour watching small children swing, go down the slide and most importantly...laugh. When I finally stood up, I had a feeling that if children can still laugh innocently, then perhaps things will be ok someday.

There was an email I wrote to friends and family in the days after, I can not locate it at the moment, but if I find it I will share it. I remember the community of sadness that I witnessed. Never before had I felt NYC to be so tightly linked. Those links have loosened in the years since. The feelings of shock and sadness are still there, just below the surface for me and many others. Even if we are living our lives as separate, there are still the emotional ties to that day that lonk all who remember.

Please remember...

What a week...

Actually it has been several since I last posted. I have been less focused on crafting and more focused on finding a job...and I have! Yeah!!!

After another rejection last week I hit an emotional rock-bottom with the whole not-finding-a-job issue. I have had several interviews over the summer and it was only rejection after rejection. A girl can only take so much! I took a break and scored two more interviews this week in NYC. The one I had yesterday in Brooklyn offered me the job on the spot. Yeah! The principal is very war and welcoming, the school is nice, the art room is amazing. The only down side is the commute to Brooklyn. However, the positive's more than make up for the long haul. And hey...I can use a good 30-40 minutes of commute to plan, write lessons or take care of personal interests like knitting, reading, etc.

Before I dashed out the door yesterday I worked on my next Sunday Collage Challenge from A Girl and Her Journal (as seen above). I am pretty pleased with how this turned out. The scan of my sketchbook page does not do the color justice at all...but you get the idea!

As I was working the phrase that I wrote on the bottom kept passing through my head. I am not super thrilled with how I wrote it, but it sums up the idea of life, rebirth, change and not waiting for change to happen that is swirling around my life these days.

See you in Springfield...

Hee hee!

I was fooling around on the web and found a site where you can "Simpsonize" yourself! I had to get my geek on and give it a try. Unlike the Avatar you can create on the Simpson's movie website on this site you upload a photo and customize the simpsonized version of yourself. This is a pretty decent likeness considering the new haircut don't you think?!?

Too funny!!!

(Now to go see the movie this weekend...)

Collage Challenge

One of the blogs I have started reading recently, A Girl and Her Journal, put together a Sunday Collage Challenge. For some reason I was compelled by the images to give it a go. My sketchbook has been sadly neglected this past month so it was nice to pull it out and work on something. Here is what I came up with using several of the images provided...



I have a feeling I will work on this a bit more. I really was possessed by the need to put these images together which is often how my works of art begin...with an obsession. To see a better image it is in my flickr.

Berry Big!

Not only have I found unusually large strawberries lately, but there have been big things going on here.

First being that I have been staying on task with a new eating plan to help me loose weight and lower my blood pressure (thus more fruit, albeit big fruit!) and combined with my fitness bootcamp things are going well!

Next on the list is big changes in hair! I have been growing out my locks for the last two years in order to donate my hair to Locks of Love. I was inspired by my Dad and my sister who came up with the idea. A few weeks ago I got 11" of donatable hair cut off and I am sure another inch or two lost in styling. Here are some before and after shots...






The crazy part of the hair cut was the wavy/curly action that happened once so much hair was cut off! I have always had straight hair that had fullness but not like this! Even when I had it short before this it would not take curl to save my life! Even perms barely worked. Crazy!!!

And the sewing is coming along well (the last big thing to report). I finished a reversible apron, a drawstring skirt, and a bag for a swap (which I will post after it has been received).




I love my skirt...especially the polka dot ribbon drawstring. How cute is that. I have another skirt or two I want to sew up, another bag and who knows what else! I heard that Rag Shop is going out of business so I am going to see if there is anything left at my local store. We shall see!

Keeping Cool...

This weekend I went home to visit with my parents for Father's Day and see my 4 yr. old niece's first dance recital. I can't even begin to describe how cute (and hysterical) it was to see all of the little wee dancers perform for an audience of hundreds. Maximum cuteness factor!

Speaking of cute...my Dad acquired this cute little blue fan at a yard sale of people he knew growing up. He got a cowboy hat and they threw in the little fan. It works, but Dad had no interest in it. Me...love it! It does not oscillate or have multiple speeds, but it is a small fan that is perfect to have blowing on you while you are sewing, blogging, and that sort of thing. I want to see if I can take it apart to clean and oil it. It is a tad loud.


I just love the shape and more importantly the color of this little guy. It is inspiring a theme for my art & craft studio I hope to create someday. This fan coordinates nicely with the amazing stapler I got from my aunt's house after she passed away earlier this year which is from the same era. I thought I had already written about it, but apparently not. It is a sweet little red Swingline complete with original refill staples for 29 cents!





I figure the robin's egg blue and the rich red would be a great combo with perhaps antique white for my studio decor. I almost wish I had not made the sewing machine cover because I could have made a nice one using these colors. Perhaps later when I actually have a studio I will revisit the idea.

I still need to photograph my skirt and apron I finished...perhaps tomorrow.

Oooooh! Ahhhhh! Gee it is so nice!

This is what I was able to pick up today at a Japanese bookstore I happened upon during a trip out with a friend today. I had gone with her to this Asian supermarket/food court to find out what she consumed last week to bring on an allergic reaction. Also in the same plaza was the bookstore.

Recognizing the chance to pick up a copy of a Japanese craft magazine I had been reading about I had to stop in and see what I could find. Yes indeed I did find one copy of Cotton & Paint there were a few others that looked like crochet magazines, but this made my day!

I have drooled over it a bit, but have decided to savor it a bit before I jump in and try to make something. There were definitely a few that looked promising!

Makin' Stuff

As I mentioned before I finished the sewing machine cover and organizer pocket...they are working well so far. I just wish my sewing space was not the dining room table but that is a problem to solve another day.

Here is the gratuitous pics of my handiwork...the fabric ended up looking a little more country than is usually my style, but I love the color combo of the fabrics overall. I have a few more fat quarters I bought just in case so there may be more use in the future.


My favorite part...the handle. I made a stinkin' handle. Crazy! (Yes I am a little excited by all the new things I am learning)


The handy little organizer I made in the same fabric is the most useful. The padding makes a nice temporary pin cushion too. I do not quite have enough accessories/tools to fill the pockets but I love having a space to put anything I need right there while I am sewing.


Yesterday I also crafted a tasty dish to take to a roof garden party at a friend's apartment in NYC. This apartment would be my dream home if I was still in NYC. It was spacious, nicely decorated, and the roof garden was wonderful. But back to the food!

I started with some lovely tomatoes...


Cut them up into bit-size chunks, added some chopped cucumber and some Good Seasons Italian dressing and that is it. A simple, yummy summer time side dish. The longer it marinates the more the flavors blend and in my opinion the best way to eat it is at room temperature. Chilled in the fridge means alot of the flavor gets muted. After all there is nothing tastier than a sun-warmed tomato!



YUM!

Misson (almost) impossible...

Yesterday I embarked on mission to find two fabric stores that, according to interweb resources, were in relative close proximity to my house. Either they are in a new place, no longer exist or mapquest and google maps have led me astray.

Now, I do have a mediocre Rag Shop within easy driving distance and a relatively far away JoAnn's Fabric. I have already made one trip to the Rag Shop and was not impressed. So today I was determined by yesterday's mission impossible to find this far off JoAnn's and procure fabric!

Not only did I find it but I spent two, maybe three hours wandering the aisles dreaming of future projects and seeking a few things to take home. I bought patterns for a skirt and a sewing machine cover & other sewing organizer type stuff and of course the fabric and supplies to complete these projects. I am pretty psyched! Granted this was not the mother of all JoAnn's (probably no where close) but it was a relatively easy drive and they had decent fabric. No complaints so far.

I did manage to bang out the sewing machine cover and a nifty little pocket organizer that the sits under my machine. They were pretty easy, although not exactly beginner projects with all of the padded interfacing, pockets, etc. Me...start with an easy pattern...nah! Even with knitting I jumped right into a sweater because knitting a garter stitch scarf was killing me. Actually that is not completely true...I did finish a ribbed scarf before I finished a sweater, but both were started around the time I abandoned my starter scarf I was taught to knit on.

Anywhoo...the sewing machine cover is a bit large and the pocket organizer is pretty good. I will take pics tomorrow. Not terrible for a beginner. I am just glad that the JoAnn's is decent and not a million miles away like it originally looked to be. How is it possible that the one on Staten Island is closer...maybe if I was a bird.

Green Gables in Blue

Pattern: Green Gables by Zephyr Style
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Columbine Blossom


Hooray!

Another finished object to report...my Green Gables is done. I finished the sleeves and wove in my ends this morning. Since I worked around the house today I did not get to wear it out and about, but you know the next time I have to go any where it is the focal point of my outfit for that day!

More sewing!

I love sewing! Yes, indeed, I am slowly starting to obsess about what I could sew next. This could be very dangerous.

When I made my first trip to the Rag Shop (the only place close that sells fabric and it is not all that great mind you) I picked up a few fat quarters to experiment with and I knew one of the things I wanted to make was an "on the go" knitting pouch. I wasn't entirely sure how to go about making it nor did I find a pattern at the Rag Shop that would work.

I then remembered a knitting blog I read posted a tutorial several months ago. After finally figuring out which blog it was I used Yarnmonster's fabulous tutorial to create a pouch for my knitting!


It is even reversible!


I even figured out how to make a drawstring since I did not have any ribbon to use as recommended! Go me!!! Here is my knitting pouch in action...


And yes, that is my Green Gable in hand...or my blue gable. It is coming along nicely as you can see...

It won't be long before I can count this is a finished object, just as soon as I get the body length to my specs. I will try it on again soon to be sure I like the length since the sizing is pretty good.

An Afternoon Well Spent

This afternoon I got acquainted with my new sewing machine. I have had her since Christmas (a gift from my Mom) and have not had anytime to learn her particulars. She is a White W450 and works quite nicely. I fell like she should have a name and I can not get "Daisy" out of my head.

I haven't sewn anything on a sewing machine since high school...perhaps jr high. I got out my manual, my sewing machine and some fabric remnants I got at the Rag Shop the other day and got myself sewing. I practiced on some large index cards to get a feel for how the stitch length and different stitches work and then on to a mini-project!

Using this tutorial on Craftster I made myself an ipod cozy. It was re-sewn once or twice but that is all part of the learning curve!



Things I learned today:

1. Keep your manuals in places you will find them. (With your craft books is a good place)
2. Buy a pair of good scissors and a nice seam ripper.
3. Always read and re-read your instructions...be it for treading your sewing machine or a pattern.
4. Have fun!

A complete pair...

Yes indeed...I finally finished my first pair of hand-knit socks. I am so excited!

These are the socks I mentioned that I started in this post using a skein of Cherry Tree Hill Superwash Merino in the "Foxy Lady: colorway. For a first pair they went pretty smoothly. They might be a tad big but I love them just the same. And now for more gratuitous sock-oggling!




There was a nice little ball of my Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn left. Hmmm...what to do with this little bit. I am not sure exactly how much I have left. This means I may need to get a nice little scale for such approximating. Oh how the knitting wish list grows (mental note: add swift and winder along with a scale, lots more sock yarn, etc.)!

Upon finishing my socks I picked up my green gable sweater that is still on the needles. I got to to try on point in the pattern and it fits soo much better this time around. Hooray! Finally...geez. I seem to have bizarro gauge issues with this sweater.

I am still trying to figure out what my Rowan Calmer wants to be since I have abandoned the Tempting II pattern. I was hoping that once I finish green gables this would be what I work with next but I have yet to make up my mind. It may want to be one of these...





Since I have yet to make up my mind I decided I will definitely be making a Picovoli out of some Lion Brand Microspun I picked up the other day in black. I have yet to use this yarn for anything, but it feels really soft, a similar guage to Cathay and umm cheap. Stay tuned!