Sweater Regeneration

I loved this pattern (Amy Herzog's "Jackaroo" on Knitty First Fall 2013). It is hard for me to find ready-to-wear sweaters that fit well, let alone knitting patterns that result in fitted garments, but this one, with all of the increases and decreases, and the super specific measurements, and multiplicity of size options, resulted in a perfect fit.

There are some things that I would like to fix. The pockets are slightly off-kilter, and the button band needs some kind of support to keep it from getting pulled out of shape. And, in the future, I need to learn a neater cast-on. This one looks rather sloppy.

The yarn came from an old sweater--I've never deconstructed a store bought sweater, and it was definitely an experience--a long, fuzzy experience.  The sweater itself was fine.  I bought it a few years ago, and I love the gray tweed with tiny flecks of pink, blue, and yellow.  The problem is that it is a turtleneck pullover, which means that I am constantly pulling it away from my throat as though it were a noose.  I used to be able to wear turtle necks, but then whatever curse affects most of the women in my family took over and I just can't handle them anymore.

So, a cardigan is a much better option.

Below is the original sweater.

I wound the yarn around my laundry drying rack, after measuring the circumference so that I could basically keep up with how many yards I was getting.  I was afraid it was going to be a close shave, but I ended up with quite a bit leftover

Below are the hanks the sweater yielded.

Overall, knitting the sweater wasn't hard--just lots of increases and decreases to get all that shaping.  Set-in sleeves, which weren't too hard.  The neatest thing I learned was mattress stitch.  It seems excessively geeky to get excited about sewing seams, but mattress stitch seems almost miraculous--just watch the video:

It's almost worth knitting sweaters just to sew up the seams!

Project Mania

Projects have recently taken over my life.  I think I am trying to do absolutely everything I have ever wanted to do before I have to start teaching again.  So, making things has been the name of the game during Nathan's nap-times.  The list is something like: one skirt, one baby toy, three wreaths, one loaf of Victorian Milk Bread, 10 half-pints of strawberry freezer jam, two dozen peanut butter sandwich cookies with marshmallow cream, and five pounds of potato salad.  I planted some lettuce, a tomato, and a squash plant.  Signed up for VBS (the missions rotation for the elementary kids).  Currently about to go out of town for Mother's Day.  Joined a church.  Yeah, so busy.

Sometimes, when I get craft projects in mind, I can't think about anything else.  I'm not interested in eating, bathing, or generally living, until I get it finished.  Add to that the stress and general discombobulation I feel when my house is out of order, which it inevitably is when I have a project going, particularly a sewing project, and I have a deep desire to fly through the process, just so I can then clean everything up!

Nathan has been busy too.  He has cut two teeth, learned to roll from his back to his stomach, and started sleeping through the nights most nights.  He is funny about rolling over--he can get onto his stomach, but can't roll back onto his back, and doesn't particularly like being on his stomach, so he rolls over and then fusses until we rescue him.  A turtle on its shell, but in reverse!  I love this boy!

The peanut butter cookies are very good (and happen to be gluten- and dairy-free).  I am taking them (along with an obscene amount of potato salad) to a cookout with my family on Mother's Day, and allowed Jordan and myself to sample only one each.  I am hoping the rest survive the trip!  We are planning to stay a few days, spend time with the family, and do some hiking (and Jordan plans for some climbing/bouldering, too).  Should be a nice adventure.

"They Grow Up So Fast" and Other Truths

A little over two months ago, I had a baby.  One thing I have discovered about being a parent is that all the platitudes and cliches are true.  Everyone always says, "they grow up so fast, enjoy them while they are young."  They say, "The days are long but the years are short."  They say, "It's the best thing you'll ever do; your life will never be the same."  When I heard those things as a non-parent, and even while pregnant, I would think, "Well, of course."  I could appreciate the idea that children grow up fast--my niece and nephew seem feet taller every time I see them.  So, really, I always understood that these things were true--obvious even--and couldn't understand why everyone felt the need to repeat them endlessly.  Now I get it.  Not only are they true, but they are now central facts about my life.  I have a son.  He is growing.  Too fast.

This leads me to the other thing I have discovered about parenting--for every emotion, there is an equal and opposite emotion.  I feel my entire experience has become a paradox.  On the one hand, I am delighted that Nathan is growing so well--and by well, I mean almost off the charts.  After each doctor's visit, I call my mom and crow about how much weight he has gained.  I spend his awake time each day helping him learn to hold his head up, smile, reach for things, and we proudly show off his progress to Daddy when he gets home.  On the other hand, this is all entirely devastating--how can he change so fast?  And why can't I drink in each feature of his little person quickly enough, before it's gone and transformed into something else that will be equally wonderful, but not the same?  I wasn't prepared for the confusion of emotion that comes with parenting, and I wasn't prepared for the intensity either.  His sweet, slow smiles bring tears to my eyes, and (again, the paradoxes), his cry, moments after I put him down thinking he was asleep, pierces me like a red hot poker of despair.

Our days are pretty quiet, red hot pokers not withstanding.  Feeding, changing, dressing, playing, reading, singing, and napping (if I'm lucky).  He loves music, so I sing to him constantly--"This is the Day" for when he wakes up, "Alleluia" when he is going to sleep, and "Arky, Arky" and "This Little Light of Mine" in between.  My favorite is "Give Me Oil in My Lamp"--he likes it, I think, because it is quick and has some high notes; I like it because it is a true prayer for me--I need all the oil in my lamp I can get!  For books, we are liking Dr. Seuss and The Poky Little Puppy and Little Blue Truck.

I have been doing some reading myself, since it's something I can manage to do while he is feeding--at first, it took him upwards of 40 minutes to eat and he ate every two hours, so I had to have something to do!  He's become much more efficient now, taking only about 20 minutes, but I still sneak in some reading.  Over the past year, I have been working through my bookshelf, committed to reading all the books I own but have never read before.  In the process, I have made some wonderful discoveries and can't understand how I never got around to some of these books before.  Ironically, three of the books I have read have had to do with the coming of age of boys: Lloyd Alexander's Taran, Wanderer, Forrest Carter's The Education of Little Tree, and the one I finished today, T.H. White's The Once and Future King.  All of them sad, in a way (I read Little Tree just after Nathan was born and wept hot tears onto the top of his head at the end), but all good.

Knitting, cooking, and cleaning (and laundering cloth diapers!) round out the rest of my activities.  The knitting project is a sweater I started at the end of my pregnancy, and is by far the most advanced thing I have ever tried, but it is coming along pretty nicely, with beautiful grey tweed yarn I salvaged from another sweater.  I have been making lots of dishes using rotisserie chicken.  I hate cooking chicken, so having that part already taken care of is wonderful, and it is so easy to shred the chicken and use it in chicken salad or casseroles or soup, like the one pictured above, a new favorite: Moroccan Chicken Stew with couscous and zucchini and sweet potatoes.  We have been eating it with pita bread torn into triangles, slathered with olive oil and salt and toasted--oh my goodness, so crisp and chewy at the same time.

The days are long (and wonderful and exhausting)--but, they are good days.

Simple Autumn Wreath

I don't know why I never made a wreath before--it was very simple!  

Grapevine wreaths can be found in many stores, including Wal-Mart.  I got this one many years ago, and cannot remember how much I paid for it, but I saw someone recently say that they found one for $3.  The fall mums were from Big Lots for $5, and the roses were from Wal-Mart for $0.97.  I looked high and low for a small chalkboard--I had seen a wreath featuring one on Pinterest and loved it.  There was not a single chalkboard of the right size to be had anywhere, so I decided to just paint it instead.

I started by clipping the flowers, leaving the stems pretty long.  Those things are surprisingly hard to cut, and took some twisting as well.  I then sorted the colors.

I arranged things on the wreath, making sure to leave enough room for the board.  My initial thought was to wire each of the flowers, but actually, I ended up just curving the stem a bit to match the curve of the wreath and threading them in.  If any felt a bit loose, I would then reinforce with the floral wire, but, for the most part, they seemed quite secure.  I began with the mums and then filled in with the roses.

To make my faux chalkboard, I measured a 1/2 inch border, and then blocked it with painters tape.

Then, I covered the board with black acrylic craft paint.  It took two layers to get it nice and opaque.

I had planned to create a stencil for the monogram by printing a letter on printer paper, and then cutting it out.  However, half way through this project, I remembered my printer wasn't working.  I took an hour break while doing far too much unproductive research and experimentation with downloading drivers and compatibility mode and so on.  I gave up and carefully free-handed the "W"  in pencil while looking at the font I liked from Word.  I then used the white craft paint to outline and then fill in the monogram.

I used floral wire to make a hanger on the back, securing it with super-glue, and then covering with tiny squares of painters tape for good measure.  I then attached it to the wreath with a bit more floral wire, giving it a bread-tie-twist to keep it secure.

Done!  I am displaying the wreath on a wreath stand my mom bought be from a gift shop in Meadows of Dan, Virginia.  No one uses our front door, and the side door, which everyone does use, would not be nice on a wreath (storm door would squish it).  I am happy with the arrangement, and I am already planning a new Christmas/winter wreath.

Wood-burning and Watercolors

And now, for something completely different....

I have had this box for years.  Many years.  I received it one Christmas when I also got a wood-burner.  Although, I used the wood-burner for several projects, but never got around to this.  Recently, I decided to give it a go.

To me, wood-burning (or "pyrography" if you will) is both fun and slightly terrifying.  You basically have a super-heated stylus that you use to draw on the piece of wood.  Occasionally, carbon builds up on the tip and emits some sparks.  For this project, I used a regular number 2 pencil to draw the design (inspired by a Tiffany window at the Met called "Dogwood").  Then, I went over it with the wood-burner.  

I used a regular colored pencil in white for some of the petals, but for the rest I used water color pencils.  I love these, and I think they worked out well for this project.  For the most part, I used them dry, then went over it with a wet brush, but for some of the more pigmented sections of the background, I used the pencil on sections that were fairly damp.  I touched up a few places with dry colored pencils at the end.  Although not perfect (the "frame" in particular got a bit messy in places), I am pretty pleased with this project, and plan to try a few more wood-burning/colored pencil projects.  So, what do I put in my fancy new box? 

Lipstick.

Baby Bright Afghan

Although this afghan began life as a different project, it became clear pretty quickly that it was just meant to be a baby blanket.  Although the pattern isn't difficult, it does eat up a lot of time--mostly because I agonized over each color combination for each block (I really didn't want any repeats).  I have seen a few afghans like this where the outer rounds are all the same color (or two colors) and I really like that look as well.  This is a great project for using up your loose ends; just don't give yourself a deadline for this or you might go crazy.

One innovation I introduced with this afghan is a slit in the middle (look at the pictures again, you'll see it!).  This feature was actually requested by my brother-in-law; they like to throw a blanket over the baby's carrier, but he says that it is hard to grip the handle through a blanket--so, voila!  Dad can grab the handle and baby stays warm.

The other neat thing I figured out while working on this was how to organize the rounds as I was working.  All the little bits had a tendency to disappear into my work basket, so I strung them onto one of the flexible cords that came with my interchangeable knitting needles and put the stoppers on the ends.  This way I could add and subtract without any problems.

Well, clearly there is now a knitting/crochet void in my life.  However, expect an update sometime soon featuring knitting with Cool Whip bowls.  Yes, I kid you not.  It is pretty awesome.  

DIY Heat Pack

I have been wanting to make this project for a while now after seeing similar things on Pinterest (check out this cute one).  I have migraines that make my neck and shoulders really tense and having a nice hot pack to drape around my neck would be fantastic.  Unfortunately, the only time I would think about making it was when I actually had a migraine, and that just isn't happening.  But, finally, this weekend, I pulled out the materials and set to work.  Here is what you need:

Materials:

• 1 standard size pillow case (makes six packs)
• Long grain rice and/or deer corn (each pack holds approx. 4 cups)
• Essential oil (I used a sinus blend containing eucalyptus, peppermint, and lavender) 
• thread

Tools:

• scissors (or rotary cutter and mat)
• sewing machine
• measuring cup with pour spout

I started by washing, drying, and ironing the pillow case, then cut it into the three strips.  I sewed up the open sides, but not the top (just turn inside out and sew a straight seam), giving me three long pouches.  I had originally planned to make just three packs this size, but realized they were excessively long.  So I cut them in half and sewed up open bottom seams.

I filled three of the bags with rice.  It is a bit tricky getting the rice into the opening, but using a measuring cup with a spout and going slowly helps.  After pouring in about half of the rice, I added 2-3 drops of the essential oil and shook it a bit to disperse.  Be careful not to over-fill the pouch: otherwise it won't drape nicely.

For the other three bags I used shelled corn (also called deer corn).  In theory, the corn holds the heat longer than the rice, but I think both work just fine.  I found the corn at Tractor Supply Company.  I added essential oil to these as well.

Once the pouches were full, I turned the open edges inward about half an inch (almost like make a reverse cuff).  I ironed a crease in, and then sewed a straight line across.  I know I could have made a prettier finish on these, but it was quick and functional.

I ended up with six of these, and we tried out a rice pack and a corn pack, putting them in the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds with half a cup of water for safety.  They felt fantastic and smelled amazing.  While I am not looking forward to my next migraine, at least now I will have something soothing to put on my neck.  I think these would also work great for lower back, knees, or anything really.  And, they would make a great gift!

Thinking Pink: A Few Things for the Niece

My sister is expecting a baby girl in the middle of March.  We had a shower for her last weekend, which was lovely and sweet and all kinds of pink.  I completed the booties and bonnet just in time.  The patterns were actually easy and quick--knitting for babies is so rewarding.  The bonnet is an old-fashioned pattern using the feather and fan stitch that makes that pretty ripple, and the booties were made using this pattern, which features the ringlet stitch.  I think that next time I will use a smaller needle on the booties.  I also have pictures of the afghan I made, which I will be posting soon.

Can't wait to see little Sara Joan wearing her new things!

Black Mountain Duet

 I made this simple scarflet/hat combo several months ago, but just now got around to posting it.  I liked the concept quite a bit--a rectangle with buttons to work as a neck-warmer, but it also has a ribbon drawstring that can transform it into a hat (here is the pattern on Knitty).  I really like the colors too, those muddy purple blues.  The yarn is an alpaca wool and acrylic blend, though.  I had read somewhere that alpaca would not itch like regular wool.  Maybe it's just me, but I think this is terribly itchy.  Oh well, this was destined to become a gift anyway, for someone with far less finicky skin.

And in other news: I am currently reading John Le Carre's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (I haven't seen the film yet) and Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence.  And, since Jordan is reading it now, I am also sneakily re-reading The Hunger Games whenever he puts the book down.

I have plans that involve scissors and potentially a good deal of regret.  First, I have a long coat that I think would work better as a shorter coat, so I am thinking of altering it myself.  Second, I haven't been able to get a hold of my hair dresser in over a week, so I am planning to trim it up myself--I think Jordan should be able to manage a straight line across the back, and I can do the layers in the front.  I've been cutting his hair for a few years now, so I think it shouldn't be too hard to do my own.  And anyway, it'll grow.  I just don't have time to track down a new hair dresser, especially since we are going to be moving in a few months and I would have to start the process all over again.

Various and Sundry

 Easter dress shrug.  A bit small, but pretty.

 I really liked the design.  I thought it would be tricky, but it was actually the easiest lace pattern I have tried thus far.  I couldn't decide if the pattern looked like flames, trees, leaves, or peacock feathers.

 A bit of embroidery.  This was for my committee chair--the poppy motif seemed to suit her.

 I wasn't too sure about the frame at first--I was afraid it was a bit frilly, French country.  But I like it.  I took the glass out so it wouldn't smoosh the embroidery.

Flowers for Momma and my mother-in-law for Mother's Day.  Flower arranging is a lot harder than it looks!  Especially if you do something silly, like try to use a planter with a drainage hole as a vase.  As it turns out, I couldn't just tape it up and expect it to stay water-tight.  So I ended up using the ubiquitous Mason jar as the actual vase and packing plastic grocery bags around it to keep it from bumping the ceramic planter.  Classy, right?  Anyway, the flowers were pretty, coral and yellow striped tulips and light orange roses.