Mild, please!

I am sorry you got discouraged, but I am glad you didn't work too hard to try to catch up since it might have been frustrating for you. As you will see, I took it into my head that it would be nice to end on a round number, so I knit on the subway on the way to work, on the way home from work, and for the last many hours in front of one of my favorite dumb tv shows (and other assorted silliness). 5.25 hours total. I finished the 4th square (and did about 4 rows too many - I think I'm going to have to undo some) and am ~80% through with the 5th one. Phew!

I did have a couple of thoughts that are perhaps worth sharing. One is that I'm glad our numbers of hours overall were so close. I wasn't sure it would work out that way, and I think it would have been a lot less fun/motivating if one of us had been crushing the other. The second is that it's really been great starting this blog. Whenever I start to do something now that is totally mindless (mainly computer games!), I stop and think 'I could be doing something productive with my time, like sewing.' It's nice to feel like I'll be able to look back on this month/year/whatever and know that I did a lot of good things. The third is that we've put in a lot of hours. It's really neat to see how it all adds up, and makes me wonder about what else I could do if I dedicated so much time to one thing. You might think slogging through a PhD would have given me the same sense of satisfaction/confidence/not sure what the right word is, but there were a lot more external sources of motivation in that case. On a related note, one thing I've pondered doing (sometime in my life, as probably most people do) is writing a book, and it's fun to imagine how much progress I could make if I just stuck with it, as we have so far with the Project Project.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the next! Will I be more relaxed with a victory in the bag, or more competitive to keep my win streak going? It'll be fun to find out!

150 hours.

Catherine

I Give.

I realized as of about 5:30 this afternoon that there was no way I could catch up to you, oh Master of Free Time.

I shall simply have to begin plotting my revenge so that I can crush you in the next three months.

Let me know what temperature of salsa you wish for, and I'll get the order in. Sigh.

Enjoy your moment of triumph, for it will be your last!

Margie

Counting indeed!

Well, although two of the three kids seemed willing to sit around all day and let me stitch, the third was most unhappy with that plan, so we went to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid (very funny!), went by The Boy's future middle school to see if he was accepted into the smart kid program (he was), went by our old church for a visit, played on the playground there, and finally came home.

So with all the goings on, and with making dinner and trying to get kids to go to bed, my stopwatch says I have three hours for today. Feels like it should be more, but oh well. Tomorrow will need to be busy! Not sure if I can catch up in time. It's been a tricky couple of weeks.

3 hours today, 140 total.

Margie

- I think we tally time as of midnight tomorrow in our relative time zones (you Boston, me Houston), you can post after 12.

24 hours and counting...

Rain, rain, go away. Don't come back for a couple of weeks, or at least until it stops flooding. Today I was waiting for the T and a car splashed me with a HUGE puddle. It was like something out of a movie. If only a dog had come along and peed on me, I would have been all set. The good news is that I was coming out of choir, which was wonderful, and that soon I will have some salsa to cheer me up. Bwa ha ha!

Anyway, I did some knitting on the subway this evening before choir (35 minutes) and sewed my last 3 squares that I had cut out when I got home (40 minutes). I officially have a cramp in my foot from all the sewing, so I'm going to turn in.

144.75 hours for me!

Catherine

To dream the impossible dream...

Maybe you could catch me, if I stopped working. Bwa ha ha...

I went to a hockey game tonight. Bruins lost. But, still fun.

Otherwise, I sewed up 8 and a half squares, ran of out bobbin thread twice, ran out of normal thread once, broke two sewing machine needles, and destroyed several straight pins. After Wednesday I'm going to have to restock.

Also, I was thinking about the rules for Wednesday. Clearly we can only count the work we do until midnight local time. But when do we have to log it in? Also by midnight? Or do we get a few extra minutes? And will you call me to congratulate me on my win? Ok, I got a little big for my britches there...

143.5 hours.

Catherine

Closing In...

Success with needlepoint shops! Patient children, all went well.

4 hrs. today, 137 total.

Margie

I'm Leavin' On a Jet Plane

Palm Sunday at church, then packing and off to the airport! We're on Spring Break in Houston with Darling.

Two hours of stitching Sunday. I had to watch Fantastic Mr. Fox on the plane. It was cute, even if a departure from the most excellent book.

This morning I schlepped the kiddos around to needlepoint shops to get more yarn for the rug, and supplies for a little Easter cross stitch I picked up at some point that will be easy to work on while here. I have two other projects as well.

I won't tally today's hours yet. There's still time to sit and stitch and try to catch Catherine in the remaining two days...

2 hours Sunday, 133 total.

Margie

In it to win it

The deadline is getting close and I'm feeling the pressure! Today I cut up the last of my fabric squares, prepared a bunch of log cabins, and sewed up 4, putting the running total at 39 cabins. And I've got another 11 waiting to sew. Altogether 3.5 hours. Hopefully I can get 72 squares out of these fabrics (i.e., half) so that it's not too weird when I switch to the other fabrics (which I have yet to buy). But, I'm not sure if that's a realistic plan.

Anyway, I'm off to play for the night - I wonder what Margie is doing??

141 hours for me.

Catherine

Party time!

I'm going to a party tonight for my choir that requires 'creative cocktail attire'. So, I spent an hour putting this giant treble clef on a black dress I have. See?

137.5 for me!

Catherine

A 30,000 foot birthday

Well, I had a bit of work to do on the plane yesterday, so I only got in two hours of knitting. I'm hoping to do more today, but I figured I'd better not hoard yesterday's hours. :D 

One of the squares I made (on the flight out) is not a very good square - the beginning is too loose and I should have done another row or two before finishing it off. But it seemed square for that moment when I had to choose... grump. Will I put it in the middle and hope to hide it's inadequacies or put it on the edge so it won't disrupt the evenness of the others? A mystery.

136.5 hours for me.

Catherine

Happy Birthday, Catherine!

It's my little sister's birthday today! Yay!

I have finished the background of the needlepoint rug. Now I'm working the border and I have discovered that what I had believed to be an abundance of yarn is not.

So...lucky for me, I'm heading to Houston Sunday night where there happens to be a lovely needlepoint shop owned my a friend of mine where I can go and replenish the supply so I can finish this silly rug.

In the meantime, I can find something else to work on. Time is short and I'm behind (but not by much).

Tomorrow we're heading to Drumheller, Alberta so Middle can be awarded her first place prize in the dinosaur art competition. She took second place for Grade 2 last year, first place for Grade 3 this year. Not bad! We may send an entry up from the states next year!

I'll post the link when it's available.

2 hours for me today, 131 total.

Margie

Six Days!

Not a lot getting done here. I am getting close on the needlepoint, so perhaps I'll have some exciting news there soon.

Today was the last day of school before spring break. We're heading to Houston for a visit. We'll see if I can catch up to Catherine while on vacation. She has that return flight coming up (if she's not back already!).

1 hr, 45 min. today, 129 total.

Margie

Hoarding? Moi?

I've got three hours to report, for the whole week. We've had family in town, so lots going on and very little of it stitching. They leave tomorrow, so maybe I can catch up. Only 10 days left!

3 hours, 127.25 total

Margie

The longest day

Courtesy of a cross-continental plane flight, I worked on my knitting for 6 hours today. I finished a square that I was in the middle of, and am nearly finished with the next one too. It continues to amaze me that knitting needles are kosher carry on items.

Courtesy of the fact that I had to get up at 6 am (EST) to catch said flight, and have spent the last ~7 hours catching up with my best friend from college (and it's now 11 pm California time), I have nothing else to say before I fall aslee..... zzzzzz

134.5 hours.
Catherine

Hoarding, you're doing it right!

I worked a big 30 minutes last night. I meant to work more, and I also meant to blog, but instead I fell into a sickness-induced coma at 8pm. I slept 12 hours, so more lion around. :D

Now I'm headed to San Francisco for a conference and other silliness. I'm taking my knitting, but I fear that Margie will get way ahead of me...

128.5 hours for me.

Catherine

Just lion around

Mostly it has been quiet because I wasn't working, but today I hopped to it, and spent 5 hours, 40 minutes cutting out 14 squares and sewing up 11 of them. My current prediction is that I'm going to have enough fabric for half of the quilt, which then leads to the question of whether I should have the pieced side be split on both sides of the quilt, or just stick with my original/normal plan? It probably depends a lot on what fabric I find to finish this crazy thing, meaning, how much it matches (or doesn't) the fabric I'm already using. I also broke my sewing machine needle, but fortunately I had more.

I know some things about painted canvases (from visiting a needlepoint store a few blocks away). I had noticed the same thing - that the painting doesn't correspond to the squares. I asked the woman about it and she said that's what allows each one to be 'a unique work of art', because each person fills it in slightly differently. She also said that if you were very advanced, you might use totally different colors from the paint. Astounding! The other thing I realized during this trip is that the actual canvases seem ridiculously expensive to me. 

I also went to see the Lion King tonight. AMAZING. If I tried out for the show, I would be hoping to get cast as a giraffe.

128 hours for me.

Catherine

Pain-ted canvas

Okay, after working on this needlepoint on and off for five years now (almost) I have come to the conclusion that I don't like working on painted canvas. I'm happy to work from a chart, but there are just too many annoying things about the painted stuff.

First, sometimes it's hard to tell if a stitch is supposed to be one color or another because of how the paint was applied. Sloppy painting. Tsk tsk.

One of my biggest problems was that there were five colors of green painted on the canvas, and yet, they only gave me four colors of green yarn. Hmmm. That was really what held me up for so long. Trying to decide what color of green to make that fifth color.

Anyhow, I've finished all that green part now and I'm chugging along with the background. I may actually finish that part this weekend, then it's just the border around the edge. It's all pretty mindless and fun. Fill in the blank sewing.

Smallest is excited because she wants me to make her and Middle dresses for Easter. Since we'll be down in Houston for Easter, they can wear more summery clothes than they can up here. Always a treat.

It's awfully quiet over Catherine's way. Hope that means she's not working!

3 hours today, 124.25 total.

Margie

Ridonkulous?

So was the subway ride ridiculous or ridonkulous?

My Very Old Kitty, Fang, is responding well to her thyroid medication. I think she's actually starting to gain weight. This is a good thing.

The bad thing is that she likes to sleep on one of the heating vents, so in that particular room, cat hair has been blown all over everything. I wonder if she would tolerate a vacuuming? Seeing as how she runs out of the room even before they're turned on, probably not.

Anyhow, another stitching in bits and pieces day. Moved on to the dollhouse needlepoint, pictured above. I've got about half the background filled in now. Cool.

2.25 hours today, 121.25 hours total.

20 days to go...

Margie

A dessert mystery

Due to the most ridiculous train ride ever, I got in 20 minutes of knitting this morning. Then my coworkers and I went out with another coworker from New York for dinner. Good times all around. We shared something just called 'ABC'. It was dessert, and yet there was corn. 

122 hours, 20 minutes.

Catherine

Squared away

So today I sewed all the squares I had cut out, and I cut out/sewed some more; I'm up to 24 finished squares now. Assuming I stick with the original plan (of 144), I'm 1/6th of the way done. Yippee! I may or may not have enough fabric, so that will be interesting to find out. Anyway, that took 4 hours, 25 minutes. I also knit on the subway for 40 minutes today (I had an extra long trip while running an errand). I am definitely getting faster at both. Finally, I had chips and salsa for dinner, so a good day all around.

122 hours for me!

Catherine

The Day of Pointy Needles

I like the idea of knitting day. I'm surprised there isn't one yet.

I accomplished many things today, but nothing sewing related.

I did needlepoint for 45 minutes during Smallest's dance class yesterday (oops, hours hoarding) so I'll add that on and maybe tomorrow will be better.

.75 hours reported, 119 hours total.

Margie

Holy knitting, batman!

I forgot to tell you a funny story. I was on the subway, knitting, and this guy gets on at North Station and says "whoa, are you knitting??? Because this other woman on the train I was just on was knitting too. It's like National Knitting Day, or something." He was very impressed with my very basic little pink (at that time) rectangle, even though the other woman had apparently been knitting something that looked to him like it was going to be a giant lace curtain. 

Anyway, that was March 3rd. There seems to be a 'knit in public' week in June, and a National Knitting Day in the UK (at least in 2006), but is it possible that no one has claimed National Knitting Day in the US?!? I thus plant my flag - 3/3 is henceforth so titled. Sir, esquire, my ladyship (I figured some fancy lingo might help to make it more official).

I did just discover that National Quilting Day is coming up on March 20th. Too bad I'll be on the road, so no sewing machine handy. But wait! My knitting is for a knitting quilt. Happiness abounds.

All this silliness was really to say that I knit for 55 minutes today. I am too tired to knit for 5 more minutes, so I'll even things up tomorrow.

116 hours, 55 minutes for me.

Catherine

A quilting bee in my bonnet?

Today I sewed up the 5 squares I had cut out on Saturday, and then got 6 new squares ready for tomorrow. I also had to cut up some new strips of material, as my stock was getting low. Disturbingly, I've also got a faint itch of worry that I won't have enough fabric to make the whole quilt. But, I will save that to worry about another day.

I also got in some knitting on the subway today (and a few minutes yesterday - sorry to hoard, but I didn't get home until 12:30 and there was no chance I was going to log on to record 37 minutes), with the result that I finished my first knit square. It's not really worth a picture - just a pink square, 11" x 11" (although yes, I am really pleased that it is a square and not a rectangle). So, the big decision - should I make more squares this size, or smaller, or a different color, or what? I have a plan in mind, but we'll see if I have enough yarn to make it work.

Anyway, nothing too exciting, but 4 hours to add to the total. So I'm at 116. Still behind. Yikes!

Catherine

Strip joint

Whoa! Suddenly I am way behind. Fortunately I've been knitting and sewing squares, so I have 5 hours of my own to report. I would have done more, but it was sooooooo beautiful out today, I had to go outside and enjoy it.

I also cut many, many strips of fabric (see?), so now the square assembly should go more quickly. I sewed 4 squares and got the fabric ready for 5 more. Phew, this is going to take a long time. In good news, this blog is really good motivation to work on these things. I am excited to have a lovely quilt sooner rather than later.

112 hours for me.

Catherine

Math error

The hazards of doing math late at night...

I forgot to carry a two, so my hours yesterday are really 7.25.

7.25, total, 118.25 total.

Margie

Beatrix Potter, I Drink Your Milkshake!

I finished the cross stitch. I have triumphed over the little bunnies and woodland animals.

This is all due to the fact that the kids had no school today. The Boy had a friend over, Middle went over to a friend's house, and Smallest amused herself with computer games and junky Barbie versions of classic tales.

Oh! I take it back. I have to sew on the little rings under the numbers that you tie the candy onto for proper counting down. I will have to go pick some up tomorrow for sure! At least I'm done with all the little animals!

5.25 hours today, 116.25 hours total.

Margie

Onward Ho!

The shadows planty things are done! It's on to the outlining. Perhaps it will be faster than I think. I started on Jemimia Puddle Duck and after only 20 minutes or so, I'm nearly finished with her.

No school tomorrow, so perhaps I can crank on the stitching. (If I can find a way to entertain Smallest)

Had a good time at the music store today. Like being in a chocolate shop, but nothing in there is unhealthy. Picked up the latest Lyle Lovett. The best album I've heard from him in a while - none of the songs sound like other songs on other albums.

2.5 hours today, 111 hours total.

Danger Kids!

This morning, Middle slipped on the top step of our stairs and slid sideways about halfway down. She's OK, but her shoulder is a little sore. Then, after school, Smallest slipped on an open drain cover thing and soaked her leg and boot. After dinner, while eating brownies, The Boy lost a tooth! An eventful day for all the kiddos.

I've almost finished the shadows!

No 2 am for me. Bleagh!

2.5 hours for me today, 108.5 hours total.

Margie

Programmed out

Well, the choir program is done, and I got to sleep much earlier than expected last night. Only 2 am! And I'm due downtown at 7:30 am tomorrow. So, it's off to bed for me.

Just wanted to report that I got in an hour of knitting on the subway and at other odd moments today.

107 for me.

Catherine

Keeping Up

Well, another bits and pieces day, but I did finish the grass and bench on the bottom of the picture, so now it's on to the shadows and then the outlining. I still need to finish in about two weeks so the pressure is on!

4.5 hours Monday, 106 for me too! We're tied!

Margie

Foot cramp explained...

Earlier today I was walking around town and thinking, 'gosh, my foot is a little sore. I hope I haven't been running too much on the foot I broke in December. I'll have to take it easy.' However, after ~1.5 hours on the sewing machine, I think I've discovered the source of the problem...

Anyway, I made another 4 squares today (see?), and have cut out the pieces for a 5th but I'm tired. I pondered the overall pattern and decided the first one is too colorful - pink is out. So, I'll use that to make something else (does anyone need a potholder?). I drew a little pattern of all the blocks and I need 18 squares that look like petals (in white - you can see two of them in the picture). They are fun! I am also getting faster at this pattern, so hopefully all the squares won't take this long.

With 35 minutes of knitting on the subway, I've got 4 hours on the night. 106!

Catherine