Pictures

Well, I think all I did so far this weekend is some of Middle's knitting on one of those frames that makes a tube. I worked on it while we watched the old 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Go Giant Squid! Not sure if that hour or so counts or not.

Anyhow, here are pictures of the pj's and a work-in-progress of the birthday cross stitch. I'll be working on that shortly.

Margie

A Quiet Day

Well, not as much stitching as I was anticipating.

We did flu shots this morning, then play dates and before I knew it, it was lunchtime. I did manage two hours after lunch, and another 30 minutes this evening. I finished two of the three mice. A nice day off from school.

You know, it would make the project take even longer, but it would be cool to see a cross stitch done as time lapse, so you would see each stitch appear. That would be fun.

A rare slow weekend day tomorrow. That should be fun. Not sure what we'll be up to!

2.5 hours today, 56.5 hours total.

Margie

No, You're Awesome!

How long is the subway ride?

Our internet was out last night, so I couldn't post. I finished up the pj's. I think it was about 30 minutes, there was some pressing, some sewing, some buttonhole creation. 30 min. sounds about right.

Today I had an hour in the morning, an hour after lunch and an hour while the girls were at choir. I know there is still time to work tonight, but Darling is here and he's sad because The Boy's undefeated soccer team (of which he was coach until this month) suffered a 3-2 loss tonight in part because 4 boys who play offense were at a school dance. This team, which has had mostly the same players for three indoor seasons and two outdoor seasons, has only had two or three losses ever, so it's always rough when it happens.

No school tomorrow. Some playdates for the girls, flu shots in the morning (Shh! Don't tell them!) and that's about it. Should be a nice long day for me to work! Heh heh heh!

3.5 hours yesterday/today, 54 hours total.

Margie

My sister is awesome

This was day 2 of 'crocheting on the subway'. Yesterday the two women next to me kept watching me intently with spurts of talking to each other in an unknown language. This morning I had a lovely chat with the woman next to me, which ended with her telling me that I inspired her to pick up some needles of her own in the spirit of her grandmother. On the way home, no one would even sit next to me. Interesting! Crochet and psychology at once.

Well, clearly my amazing seester has pulled ahead, but not too much, as I've clocked 3 hours of my own today (all on the baby blanket).

47 hours for me!

Catherine

Another One Bites the Dust

Well... I can't rotate the picture to make it look like it should, but there is the quilt with the finished binding. I took a break from pajama-fest this morning to finish it up. The backing has cute bugs and frogs and creatures on it. It will be delivered to the baby (only 4 months old!) Friday. Yay!

I finished most of the pjs. Middle's arms are long, so I had to add a cuff (because I didn't measure her ahead of time) and I don't want to wake her up to determine the final length. She's wearing the pants right now. I finished Smallest's pants, except for the elastic and hem, and am mostly done with the top. Just the side seams, the hem and the buttonholes/buttons left. I think I can finish that in the morning. Good stuff. I'll take a picture of the girls ready for bed tomorrow.

After that, it's back to the birthday cross stitch. Perhaps I'll take a picture of that too, so I can actually show some progress. I have to finish it by the middle of March so there's enough time to get it framed before Middle's birthday in April.

6 hours today, 50.5 hours total.

(That was 1.5 hours this morning, 2.5 hours while Smallest had a playdate after school, and then two hours after bedtime)

Margie

Pajama Time!

(Philadelphia Chickens, anyone?)

Perhaps inspired by Catherine and the shark pjs, and in part because my girls are growing and need warm, but not super warm, pjs, I am also making sleeping apparel. Toasty flannel for both girls. I cut out Middle's tonight, in fits and starts, but at least it's done. I can cut out Smallest's tomorrow morning and then sew as much as I can before dance classes and soccer games in the afternoon/evening. Darling returns Wednesday evening, so the sewing machine must be put away before then. And I'll need to do a quick clean up too!

You know, I'm the one turning 40 this year, you would think I'd be the one thinking deep thoughts instead of the mere babe, Catherine. Perhaps I should have more lofty goals than trying not to lose my temper, or just getting through the day in the way I think I should. Actually, a friend of mine had a lovely post about resolutions, which I think applies in this case.

Anyhow, I have found that I watch less TV since starting TPP, which is a good think. I still read a bit before bed, so that's good too. I could probably get some audiobooks to listen to while I work, that could be fun.

Now I'll have to think about needing to have deep thoughts, but I can't really think about that while I'm working, unless it's mindless stuff. Otherwise I'll mess up.

1.5 hours today, 44.5 hours total. It's the Zombie Tortoise by a nose!

Margie

On the road again...

Well, I have had a really crazy week, including 4 hours driving through an ice storm last night, so it was nice to sit in my big comfy chair today and work on my baby blanket. I got in three hours, and also decided to make the blanket 43" instead of 48" (I'm at 22", and it seems about halfway done). So, I'm making good progress. I've also wrapped everything up so I can take it on the subway tomorrow - hopefully that will give a few people something to talk about.

I've been thinking a lot recently about big questions - where is my life going, what are my goals, etc. My deep thought for the day is that sometimes the hardest part about reaching your goals is setting them in the first place. It is fun to be working on all these projects instead of just letting everything sit around. I hope James likes his blanket.

44 hours for me.

Catherine

It's Awfully Quiet Over There

Where is Catherine?

Working away on the Birthday cross stitch. It's Beatrix Potter characters. I finished Benjamin Bunny tonight, started the second color on Squirrel Nutkin.

We also picked out a pattern and fabric for some pjs for Middle, to balance out the fabric we got last week (?) for some for Smallest. Darling returns Wednesday for a week, so perhaps best to get the sewing out of the way before he returns and get going on those tomorrow.

3 hours tonight, 43 hours total.

Here We Go

So...too small for The Boy, but surprisingly, just right for Smallest! She LOVES the sweater and will wear it often. Nice that I don't have to give it away. Not sure how that's a 24 month sized sweater. Darn that gauge! I did make the sleeves the right length, and the body is the right length, so who knows what the answer is. At any rate, it's done.

Now it's on to the birthday cross stitch in earnest. And finishing the quilt binding, darn it.

3.5 hours today, 40 hours total.

Margie

Finito!

I finished the Pitiful Sweater! I will post a picture tomorrow when I can take one of The Boy holding it, for size comparison. I wonder if Smallest can wear it. It's bigger than I think it should be. I never can get gauge. It does look much nicer than I expected. The redone sleeve helps a lot.

Three and a half hours knitting and sewing in loose ends, one hour cross stitching at choir, one more hour sewing all the seams, making 4 and a half all together for the day.

If I have a good day tomorrow, and can fend Catherine off over the weekend, things will be back under control!

Quick visit to the doctor tomorrow so I can figure out what to do about allergies to the horse barn that seem to be becoming more serious, and a question about a bump on my head. Play date for Marjorie (always good for a couple of hours!) and a Family Dance at school after dinner! We'll see how The Boy does with that.

4.5 hours today, 36.5 hours total. Plod, plod, plod!

Margie

The End is Near!

I finished the first sleeve again, have sewn the saddle shoulders to the front and back and am knitting the neck now. I have to use double pointed needles, and for a bit there, with all the loose bits from the four pieces being put together, there was a lot of trouble. I'm on my third or fourth go-round now, so the stitches are tighter and not falling off the needles as much. The neck is only about two inches long, so I'm planning to finish the neck and sew all the seams to finish the sweater tomorrow. Perhaps while Smallest is at school?

It occurred to me also that I need to finish up the binding for the quilt. Ever the procrastinator!

3.5 hours today, 32 hours total. Only 9 hours behind...

Margie

Zombie Tortoise?

Seems to me that zombies and tortoises have much in common. They're slow, but through steady progress attain their goal. Of course, tortoises don't usually go for brains, but it's generally the same.

I finished the second sleeve of the pitiful sweater (P.S.) and after looking at it, looking at the first sleeve, with the improper ribbing pattern, and both a wrong side and a right side on both sides, I unravelled it and started from about two inches in. I'm about an inch from re-making the saddle, so I've made good progress today. Perhaps tomorrow I will finish it? If I do, I'll pop in a picture.

Darling (no relation to the Dalmatian family, just my aged grandmother misspeaking) returns to Houston early, early tomorrow, so I will be able to unpack the sewing machine again. There are skirts and pajamas in the works, as well as that cross stitch to finish before Middle turns 9 in April.

Oh! The Boy lost a tooth tonight, a molar. Very cool. The opposite one is loose, and so are the two cuspids (bicuspids?) one forward of both. The orthodontist will be very happy with that!

4.5 hours today, 28.5 hours total.

Margie

Oww! My Behind!

It's getting kicked!

Well, I may not have 41 hours, but I did get to see Lyle Lovett in concert tonight, which was really wonderful! I've been a fan since I was in high school, so for at least 22 years. Great, great fun.

So, for the rest of the week, I will be working hard, and neglecting many other responsibilities. At least I went to the grocery today and got supplies for lunches this week.

I did work on the pitiful sweater for an hour. I'm working on the saddle of the sleeve now. Getting close to finishing. Yay!

1 hour, 24 hours total. Sigh.

No MLK day up here.

Margie

Lazy long weekend not so lazy...

Thanks to being in the states, I got the day off (MLK Jr. day). As an aside, I read somewhere in the last week that some schools in the US are more segregated than they have been since MLK's time. Sigh. 

Anyway, on to happier things... my baby blanket! It is coming along very nicely. I'm worried that it's going to be a cute array of different colors on one half and then I'm going run out of the cute different colors and it will be all the same colors on the other half. I'm also starting to worry that it looks like my kitchen rug. I worked on that for 6.5 hours.

I also have been piling up some clothes that need mending, so I fixed my sock and three shirts. As one of the shirts needed elastic and little sleeves for the elastic and everything, it took longer than expected. Overall, 2 hours. I've still got a shirt, skirt, and quilt to fix, and then a pile of socks with holes in them. Sigh again. Still, I'll take worn socks over racial inequality any day.

41 hours for me. Bwa ha ha ha...

Catherine

I Got Nuttin'

I worked on the Pitiful sweater for two hours.

I also hosted a party for Darling and The Boy's soccer team after their 8 am game Saturday. I recovered from the party, purchased a birthday present, forgot about Middle's dance class at 2, took Smallest to a birthday party, read Syren (a Septimus Heap book by Angie Sage!), picked up Smallest, prepared dinner, fed children, took Middle to see Fiddler On The Roof (wonderful!), slept and slept and slept Sunday morning, made breakfast, cleaned house, took Middle to her riding lesson, made dinner and put kiddos to bed.

I'm starting to think I need to come up with some weekend diversions for Catherine...

2 hours Sunday, 23 hours total. I need some big days this week.

Margie

Hare today, goon tomorrow?

With most of my friends out of town (random, or conspiring against me? Fortunately, I think the former), I had a nice lazy day watching football (you may remember, one of my favorite stitching entertainments) and working on this baby blanket. I got in 8 hours, and as a result am about 1/4 of the way done (I have intentions of getting to 4', and it's 11.5 inches now). It's pretty cute, and will indeed be a nice way to use up a lot of this yarn. I seem to be obsessed with stripes after finishing my scarf, but as long as I don't give many presents to the same person, it should be ok. I will still have to figure out what to do with all the pink yarn - maybe someone I know is having a baby girl?

Otherwise, it was a lovely day here - in the 40's, so I got to walk around without a hat and gloves. On a related note, I am super excited about soda with real sugar in it - I was already planning to buy some when I first found out about it, but I actually went out and got some in between the two playoffs. Yum! Corn syrup stinks.

I am partially delighted with how much progress I've made and partially totally bored with crocheting. I may crack open the scary trunk of fabric tomorrow and try to get started on my long-awaited quilt for a change of pace.

32.5 big hours for me.

Catherine

'Hare' I come!

Today I worked a bunch on the shark pajamas, and got as far as I can without being able to try them on the pajama recipient. That will probably be on Thursday, so hopefully I'll finish them on Friday. I get 4.5 hours for that.

Also, I looked to see what sewing project I could tackle next, but many of my patterns require interfacing (which I don't have) and I'm distracted by the large amount of yarn I have (see? Where did it all come from??). As a result, I've decided to make a baby blanket for a friend who gave birth on Dec 21. If I really plug away, perhaps I can get it done not too long after this cute little boy is 1 month old. Anyway, I clocked 4.75 hours for that. It is crochet instead of knitting, which I much prefer. 

Not much to say today, I guess. I'm up to 24.5 hours.

Catherine

The Pitiful Sweater

So first, I'm excited because I found the Ray Charles song that's sampled for Golddigger. Always fun to find random stuff.

Back to the sewing...

All that's left on the quilt is to sew those loose bits of binding, and I've put that off a little bit. Did some work on the Birthday cross-stitch at the girls' choir last night, but then after bedtime, it was on to the pitiful toddler sweater.

That's Hagrid the cat there on the sweater. He thought it was lovely to sit on. He coordinates.

I should explain the use of pitiful. Our fabulous Grandmother, the knitting one, grew up in the South, where people say, "Bless her heart" to indicate that someone just hadn't quite accomplished something because of some reason that they were too genteel to mention. My Grandmother used to refer to those types of people as pitiful. She also said that my nails, which I chewed on frequently, were pitiful. Thus, it's a pitiful sweater.

I started this when we were living in Boston and my son was around two years old. He's 11 now. I did the front and then started on the back and realized that something was wrong because I was running out of yarn pretty quickly and there were still two sleeves to go. So I went back to the yarn shop (or should it be shoppe?) and they didn't have any more dark grey. So I got the light grey and decided to put it randomly in the sleeves so it looked like I did it on purpose, not out of desperation.

I worked on it steadily for quite a bit, and then stopped. When I picked it back up, I had started on a sleeve and apparently forgot about reading the directions because you can see the finished sleeve looks less "ribby" than the rest of the sweater (between those light grey bands). Whoops. Again, laziness interfered at that point and rather than take out several inches of knitting, I just left it. The other sleeve is better. It's a pitiful sweater. But the sleeve is going quickly and then I get to knit the neck - it's a turtle-necky sort of thing - and then I sew all the bits together and decide what to do with it.

Other happy iTunes news - Lyle Lovett released a new album on the 12th! Now I have to decide if I buy it online, or if I buy the disc. Hard to know. Darling and I are going to see him on the 18th. Should be great fun!

2 hours yesterday, 21 hours total

Margie

Just to Complicate Things

Well, I picked up the bias tape today. The fabric store up here that I frequent only carries bias tape in various shapes and widths. I'm used to seeing packages of bias tape labeled, "Quilt Binding". I need all the help I can get. As The Smallest One went with me, we also got some flannel to make some pajamas and a pattern for a dress to be named later.

I get the girls in bed and get to work. Sew the tape on the top, fold it over, decide to be speedy and not sew the back on by hand. I'm plugging away, almost finished with the third edge when sewing disaster strikes and my needle smacks into a pin just right and breaks the needle. I am lucky enough to have some extra needles, so I do get to finish the binding. Yay! There are some spots on the binding I'll have to touch up by hand, but it's in the wash right now (removing the marker from yesterday) and I'll have a fabulous picture tomorrow.

This morning I worked on my airport project some more while I waited for Husband's car to be cleaned. They were speedy and the car looks really great. It gets sent down to Houston tomorrow.

Thinking about Husband and our grandmother who was always knitting or doing needlepoint, towards the end of her life, she suffered from aphasia and when she met Dave she couldn't remember his name and just called him, "Darling", so perhaps I will refer to him that way here as well.

3 hours today, 19 hours total.

Margie

Tortise or the Hare?

Slow and steady, on I plod.

I finished the quilting today, but didn't have a chance to pick up the binding, so completion will have to wait until tomorrow. My fabric marking pen was drying up, so I used The Smallest One's washable Crayola markers instead to mark the diamonds. It went much better with lines to follow.

We managed to pull off an iChat with the boys in Houston. That was lots of fun. The Boy took some of the standardized tests today. He said they were pretty easy. Husband said the woman who is head of the Gifted and Talented office at the school, who had been rather unpleasant to me, was equally unpleasant to him. Other people waiting around to talk with this woman confirmed Husband's opinion that she's usually unpleasant, and even mildly evil. This woman needs a job that does not require her to interact with other people in a pleasant way.

Other than that, slow night here. A little cross stitch, put away the Christmas tree, good times.

2.5 hours today, 16 hours total.

Margie

Fun At the Airport

I took The Boy to the airport to day to fly to Houston to take some standardized tests so that he can apply to go to the smart kid program at our neighborhood middle school (Grade 6-8).

Although I couldn't take him through customs to the gate, they didn't take him to the plane until about 30 minutes before boarding, and since we had arrived at the airport three hours early to travel internationally, we had some time to kill. Even with snack purchase, suitcase rearranging to accommodate the new "no backpacks on international flights" rule, I still had an hour to work before he went to the gate.

I had brought the needlepoint doll house run to work on, but when I pulled it out...no needle! Argh. I had tucked in a small cross stitch on our trip to Montreal, so I started a previously unstarted project. Oh well. After he left for the gate, I had to wait until the flight actually took off an hour later before I could leave, so another hour to work.

I had planned to do the diamond quilting tonight, but decided it was more important to clean the messy kitchen. Quilting can wait until tomorrow, tonight the dishes win.

The coyotes are howling outside. They must have caught a chihuahua for dinner.

2 hours tonight, 13.5 total. Only two behind Catherine...

Margie

Shark attack!

Well, I had a busy weekend too, so I only got in 45 minutes to finish my scarf. See? It's 98" long, so once the weather gets warmer, I can use it to climb out of burning buildings or in a big game of tug of war.

Tonight I started my next project, which is the shark pajamas. These are for a friend of mine who is too tall to fit into most regular clothes, so in fact he has NEVER owned pajama pants. I think this is a travesty. I would be in pajamas 90% of the time if I could get away with it. Anyway, I promised my friend these pajamas for Christmas last year, by which I mean 2008. High time for some pants.

I made the stupid mistake when we were picking out the hilarious shark fabric (again, in 2008) to forget that he is freakishly tall, and so didn't buy enough of that fabric. A subsequent trip to the same store turned up empty. But, finally I have figured out what to do - I'm going to put red fabric at the top and bottom so it will look like the sharks got 'im. Hee hee!

Tonight I cut out all the pieces I'll need (1.5 hours). Tomorrow (or maybe Wednesday) I'll start sewing. Another thing I need to think about, as this is a pretty easy pattern, is what I'll do next. I have a giant pile of yarn on my floor and many people I know are having babies, so this may be a match made in heaven...

Total so far: 15.25 hours. 

Catherine

Ruh-Roh Raggy!

So much for the insurmountable lead!

I realized that I forgot to include an hour of cross stitch while the girls were at choir rehearsal (Calgary Children's Choir - such nice people!), so that's one more there. Plus another hour and a half tonight making the quilt sandwich and speeding through the quilting. I have decided that it's about speed and not precision. Precision is for I'm not sure who... I used to worry about that, but not lately. Now I just need to get it done.

I've decided to sew around the big squares and then make diamonds inside the middle square. It will all make more sense when I finish and post a picture. I had to cut out a template to trace the diamonds because I eyeballed the first one and it's not so perfect. So much for speed. I decided not to mark the quilt tonight because I remember something about fabric markers evaporating with time, and I don't want to have to do this again tomorrow. I also need some quilt binding tape as I'm not inclined to make my own. Perhaps I can pick that up in the morning.

Our first daddy-less weekend went well. Very busy, so no chance to catch up on Catherine. The Boy's soccer team won their match, it was a good game (mostly because we won). Middle One went to dance, and today had her first riding lesson since she broke her arm riding in October. She's nervous about cantering, but seemed to be fine with riding in general. The Smallest One had a birthday party and lots of playing with friends. They're all tired, and yet the Big Ones are awake upstairs as I write. Sigh.

So, for the tally, 2.5 hours to add, 11.5 hours total. We'll see how the week goes!

Margie

Boom.

6 hours. How do you like me now?? 

Scarf is nearly done. I have cast it off, cut it off, and now am just tucking in the yarn tails. I am going to wear it tomorrow to celebrate, and will post a picture too.

Working on these kinds of projects, and this one in particular, remind me of our grandmother (our dad's mom). She always had needlepoint or cross-stitch, or knitting in her lap. She knit my teddy bear a sweater (see?). I can't even begin to imagine how many things she must have made in her life.

One of the reasons I've particularly been thinking about her while I work on this scarf is that her favorite comment about something was that it was 'pitiful.' My scarf is pretty pitiful, but I am starting to really like it. And, by the way, I was dropping stitches by doing two at once, once I figured out what I was doing.

My running total: 13 hours. So much for your insurmountable lead...

Catherine

No Longer Topless!

So here's the quilt top. I've since added lovely green strips along the sides and it looks quite nice.

The squares with the blue center, white middle and red outside are the ones I fixed. The white was yellow before. They look much better as white, at least I think so.

Next step is making the delicious quilt sandwich. For baby quilts, I prefer using flannel instead of batting. It's got a little less stiffness than the cotton batting and I feel like it's a little sturdier and easier to wash after babies drool or throw up on it. That's what babies do, so there should be no hesitation in throwing it in the washing machine and dryer. I'm a low-maintenance kind of gal.

I lost some time tonight because I had to clear out the furnace room in the basement. We're getting new furnaces tomorrow and the room had to be clear so they could make their own mess in there. It's really a big closet, with a beer fridge. Plus, Catherine called to vent, so I vented back to her about annoying Gifted and Talented directors from a Houston school that shall go nameless. I feel better now. Of course, she might just have called to prevent me from working, because she didn't work on her project today...

As I write, Annie Lennox's "Little Bird" just came on. I used to really like that song, but now I always think of Demi Moore dancing to it in "Striptease". Bummer.

I've been contemplating how to celebrate Elvis and my Aunt Ann's birthday tomorrow. Something excessive and yet also very controlled would probably be appropriate.

Two hours for me today, 9 total. I'm working on my insurmountable lead!

Margie

Quilts are no match for Dirty Dishes!

To answer Catherine, how did I total up 4 hours yesterday? I worked 30 minutes before picking up The Smallest One from Kindergarten, then another 1:30 while she watched High School Musical (I watched the opening and final songs with her) and then 2 after the Big Kids went up to bed. Way to go me.

Of course, that means I had to do all the things I put off last night today, so not another big day for me. I did decide that laziness was no excuse and fixed the color mistake in the squares. Not surprisingly, it made a huge difference in the appearance of the quilt. I pieced the rows tonight after bedtime and dishes and actually rather like the quilt. Perhaps I should stop talkin' smack about the Log Cabin block.

A thought for Catherine - when you say you're dropping stitches to make the scarf narrower, are you actually binding one off, or are you knitting two together? Binding off will make a hole in your scarf (if it's in the middle) while knitting two together will not. Something I've been thinking about.

The whole Project Project has been made easier by my husband being out of town, which means I can leave the sewing machine out on the dining room table. I'll have to clean up when he comes home and either lug everything out and put it all away every time, or switch to a different project for a bit.

I'm trying to think of something witty to write, but I'm tired, so I give up for the night. One hour for me today. Total = 7.

Margie

What I learned a day later

First of all, let me clock in another two hours on this pink scarf. I did convince myself to make it as long as I originally meant, and still only have 157 rows to go. Yippee! Now the big question I have to ponder is whether on not to put fringe on it. Ah, the big mysteries of life...

What I was thinking about is that it took me two hours to do 37 rows, which is really only 18.5 laps.* So what I learned is that I am a much faster swimmer than knitter, cause I just swam 16 laps in 20 minutes on Monday (and I thought that was slow!).

Maybe I'm thinking about knitting as doing laps because the winter olympics are coming up (even though swimming isn't in the winter olympics). It could also be related to the seemingly new and definitely annoying habit of college football commentators to discuss football as if it was baseball: 'look at that line drive!' 'what a strike!', etc. Are they somehow unaware of what sport they're watching? It is bizarre. Aside from this weirdness, I like having sports on while I'm working on my projects, because it's like listening to the radio until a big play happens, and then you hear them get all excited and so you know to watch the replay. I should really subscribe to a sports channel.

I'm going to start taking my knitting on the subway so I can get in more minutes. How did you work for 4 hours yesterday, Margie??

Catherine

* I did also tuck some loose ends away, which is simultaneously fun/mysterious and shockingly boring/repetitive, so it wasn't the full two hours knitting.

Will You Respect Me In the Morning?

Well...I snuck in some time today while The Smallest one was at school, and then more time while she was watching High School Musical after kindergarten (only a half day up here in the frozen North). With the time after kids are in bed, my tally for the day comes in at 4 hours! Boo-yah!

Since Catherine had a snappy picture of her scarf, I have included a picture of the quilt squares, all completed and ready to be assembled at the next opportunity. After putting them all together, I realized that when I changed the colors used in the original, I should have thought more about how the new colors would all work together. They're not bad together, but they're not as harmonious as I would like. I did also make a mistake interpreting the colors. The original has a light pink and a medium pink which are almost impossible to differentiate on the guide. I think the blue, red and yellow square should have white instead of yellow. Oh well. I'm too lazy to fix it.

I have a greater respect for the Log Cabin block as a result of this exercise. There's the aforementioned color selection, and I think I've become a better quilter. I take my time and check to make sure things are square before I proceed, which I don't always do. I have to be more careful with my seam allowances, and all those other quilty things. So, while I hope to never make this block again (after I make the twin to this quilt), it has been a learning experience. Thus, Log Cabin block, I give you credit for not being a mindless bit of sewing.

6 big fat hours for me.

Margie

Just like Gilligan...

... I completed a three-hour tour of knitting tonight. Pink Scarf will surrender to my domination sooooooon!

Here's what I can't figure out. I keep dropping stitches to make it smaller, but it's not getting any smaller. I will have to get more serious about this soon if I'm going to hope to match the early part of the scarf. Then again, one good thing about my being a bad knitter is that the whole thing is already so ridiculous that it won't look perfect no matter how hard I try. It will still be stripey and hopefully keep me warm, which is really the point.

As a side note, I spent the first ~28 years of my life disliking pink, but in recent years I have started to find it quite nice. What's that about?

Catherine

What I Learned Today

Can you smell it? Victory will soon be mine! I have two hours of work completed, let the anticipation of salsa begin!

In all truth, I did actually work for two hours after herding the kiddos to bed tonight. I had previously cut the fabric for some baby quilts and started to piece them. It's the old standby Log Cabin block. There are twenty blocks in the quilt and I have completed six now. I have four more that are almost done, so I'm almost a third of the way done. Once I get all the blocks done, I still have to sew them all together to make the top, then quilt and bind it, thus only being a third done instead of half.

Tonight, I learned that I don't like piecing the Log Cabin block. It's annoying to have to sew the little piece to the big piece, then press and cut (perhaps I will try cutting without the pressing). It's a shame that I cut the fabric for two of these before piecing one, because now I'm pretty much stuck making two of them, which I won't really enjoy very much. At least they will be completed and I will never have to make a Log Cabin block again.

If you're working on your own Procrastinated Project, feel free to comment and let us know if you're making headway! We all need encouragement.

Margie

This is an ugly scarf.

Well, the threat of public humiliation seems to be working. I not only dug out my sad little pink scarf (see? Sad.) from under other rolls of yarn, but worked on it for 2 hours!*



When I first started this in the fall of 2007, I had visions of a very long scarf. Then last winter, I just wanted to finish it, so I would get to wear it while it was still cold out. Maybe TPP** will inspire me to make it as long as I originally wanted.

Maybe next time I'll tell you more about what a bad knitter I am. As a preview, I had to look up instructions on the internet to get going tonight, cause I didn't remember how to do it. These videos (for knit and purl) were nicely done.

Catherine

* I should add - the first 45 minutes, I was trying to drop stitches but just made a giant GIANT mess. Then about 5 minutes were spent pulling out lines. Then the last ~hour was productive. But I'm counting it all.

** That's The Project Project. I just made that up right now. Aren't I clever??

Ladies, start your sewing machines!

It is true, I promised my sister a quilt at some graduation. I think it might have been from college first, then it was for finishing grad school, then perhaps a wedding present. I really need to start it! (and then finish).

There are sweaters I started for my son when we lived in Boston, in 1999, but if I finish it, I can give it away and that will be good. Baby quilts, cross stitch projects, needlepoint projects, all sorts of things. I used to have a group of friends that met to work on projects (Stitch and Bitch), but as we all became busy with kids and life and moved around, the group dwindled and died.

So, time to get serious. We are moving in six months and I want to have as many things finished as I can, so I don't have to move as much stuff! Soon to come, The List.

Margie

Blogs away!

This is a blog to help my sister and I get some momentum going on our various sewing projects that we generally ignore. For example, she promised me a quilt when I graduated from something (in 2003). I promised one of my best friends a little sampler when her child was born (the child is now 4). Clearly we need help.

So, here are the ground rules, as currently defined:
- We each keep a record of time worked on different projects, and post updates/finished pictures as appropriate.
- Each month we tally up the time worked.
- Every 3 months, the person who has invested the most time gets 3 jars of Roberto's salsa, the best salsa in the world (see link).
- There may be a bonus for actually finishing a project? To be decided.
- Shopping for materials doesn't count towards the time, or washing fabric, but pretty much everything else.

Our projects are listed on the right, so you can see what we're up to.

And now, the gloves are off! Or the thimbles are on? Sew, sew, sew!

Catherine