All hail the winner!

Which is you, in case that wasn't clear. I had excellent intentions this week, but didn't get any farther. And I don't have big plans for today, as I can't overcome a 9.5 hour deficit. I'll save up my sewing energy for tomorrow to get a good start on the next round!

I am very pleased you did as well as you did, so our fourth competition wasn't entirely pathetic. :D

Let me know what kind of salsa you want!
Catherine

More time...

Well, it turns out you can't write blog text on an iPhone.

We were up visiting my sister-in-law and her family after Christmas, which is always fun. Her house is the polar opposite of mine. She gets twitchy (by her own admission) if anything is left on counters or just around the house, so her house is always ready for a photo shoot for Good Housekeeping. Mine is not. Our house looks like three kids and a disorganized mom live in it, which we do.

Anyhow, we left on Tuesday to head off to see the Alamo because The Boy wanted to. Tuesday morning I was picking up all our things and noticed that the blanket adored by my niece was in bad shape. It's a crochet blanket and it was starting to unravel. It gets washed a lot by my S-I-L, so after looking at it, it seems to be on the verge of disintegration after only about 5 years.

It occurred to me that I could fix the big tear across the blanket pretty easily. I had brought crochet hooks with me on the off chance that I finished the sweater, so while it took longer than I thought, I corrected the tear and started on the big hole in the middle that my S-I-L had tried to sew up with thread.

Darling fussed at me because he was ready to go, so I didn't finish the big hole, but oh well.

In the car on the way to San Antonio, I got another 2 hours on the sweater in. I finished increasing the sleeves, so now I just have to get them to 8 inches long.

We went to the Alamo Wednesday morning, with all the Oklahoma State fans there for the bowl game. I think The Boy was expecting more, after learning about it in Texas History. After an hour or so, they were all ready to go. Darling had suggested that we go to Natural Bridge Caverns, but the kiddos were all so wiped out from the time with their cousins that they voted to go straight home. So another 2.5 hours in the car for me.

I have a meeting at the house with an organizer this morning. I am most excited. She's going to look around and see what she thinks we need to do, and then apparently there will be another meeting where she implements her plan. Sounds good to me.

5 hours for me, 14.5 hours total.

Hopefully Catherine has to work a lot today and tomorrow...

Margie

Baby it's cold outside!

I finally got home last night from an extensive trip to discover... it's suddenly very, very cold in my town! I do not approve. But, the snow is pretty.

I fortunately had a nice smooth plane flight, which gave me some time to work on my newest little creature. I think this one might be surprisingly normal, though we'll see. I think the person next to me (who was knitting, by the way) might have thought it was a sock, but it is not. That's the only hint I'll give you for now! I can also tell you that it was inspired by my Mom, and some cute magazines she had, though that's not much of a clue. Oh, and that it's crochet and not knitting, which is a welcome change of pace.

2.25 hours, 5 hours total for me. Watch out, seester!

Catherine

Every Little Bit Helps! 1 more hour.

Shhh!

1.5 hours on the white baby sweater. The sleeves are halfway there. Six days left, Catherine's returning from vacation soon, need to be stealthy about this one!

8.5 hours total

Margie

koalabra!

No, it is not my new magic word. It is my new name for the bizarre creature that I finally finished knitting on Saturday (1/3 zebra, 1/3 koala, 1/3 gym sock from the 80's). I thought about holding off posting for longer, as I am still not in a good place to get a picture of this crazy thing, but didn't want to hoard any longer.

Also, I have a short plane flight tomorrow morning and some yarn with me (though I may have left the knitting needles at a friends house, humph!), so hopefully I'll get in some more work. But what to make??

2 hours, 35 minutes.
Catherine

Update 11/24: Here are pictures!

Hoarding!

I finished the frontal in time. I have a picture, but I'm not where I can attach it at the moment. Alas.

I worked on it from about 1 pm until they kicked me out of the church at 7. There were breaks in there, so I'll say it was 5 hours of work.

So there is it. I went home for our Dad's birthday last weekend and didn't touch the sweater I brought along with me to do. Poor little neglected sweater. On the other hand, Catherine was there too, and I don't think she worked on her projects either. Phew!

5 hours Oct. 23, 7 hours total.

Margie

Work!

So...I broke out the sewing machine tonight to work on, of all things, a frontal for the altar at our church. For those not in the know, a frontal is a lovely cloth that covers the front of the altar. Sunday is Covenant Sunday for us, the day that everyone turns in their pledge cards so we can set the budget for 2011. I'm in charge. I asked the Creative Arts Guild at our church to help me and they turned me down, so I'm making the frontal.

It's going to be like a Martha Stewart ribbon billboard so that we can tuck note cards on the frontal. I finished the body tonight and need to put all the ribbons on tomorrow. It has to be finished by around 6 tomorrow so that the church can be all set for Sunday morning before Sunday morning starts. No pressure...

I'll take a picture when it's all set up in church. I think it will be verry nice.

Today at work, I got to babysit a photographer and his assistant. It made me tired, and not very appreciative of whiny grad students.

2 hrs. for me!

Margie

The end of an era

The good news since I've last posted is that it seems I have a new coworker. I don't want to jinx it, but the wheels are turning. What does that mean? I will get to go home at normal hours, and not have to work all weekend, every weekend. It's hard to imagine.

What does that mean for you, seester? You're in trouble. Less work + more football = a sewing extravaganza. :D

I'm also feeling extra happy with myself because I finally made some real traction on a project that's been on my desk for far too long. I've rewarded myself with a few minutes (45) of cutting squares, though I'm running out of white and I need to wash my new greens. Then I started sewing one up but I got bored. Isn't that fantastically exciting??

So, 1 hour, 35 minutes for me.

Catherine

In praise of pasta

Today I brought some work home, because I have so, so much to do. Instead I made lasagna and sewed up the last two quilt squares that I had cut last week (which took 35 minutes). Good for my sanity, not so good for the people who are waiting to hear from me. But look at this cutie square! And I've included some pins that got smushed, all in the name of quilting. They may be hard to see, but they're on the right.

I would also like to add that my mom's recipe for spinach lasagna is so awesome. You don't have to cook the noodles beforehand - you just throw everything in at once. And, it's spinach, so it's so good for you! And, the recipe uses cottage cheese, not ricotta, which to me makes all the difference. I have also discovered that if you just make regular noodles and sauce, and then throw in some cottage cheese, it's kind of like instant lasagna. That's my secret for the day.

My other secret is that I may go to sleep, even before the football game ends. I'm tuckered out.

My secret for tomorrow also has to do with straight pins. It's quite an epiphany.

50 minutes for me!

Catherine

An homage to Hillary

Today's post is in honor of my friend who, because I had arranged to meet her for a morning run, got me up out of bed for what turned out to be a mostly productive day. I put away my laundry, cleaned my bathroom, went to the grocery and a sewing shop (more green fabric and some stuffing), and did some other things. I even sewed one of my quilt squares, which took 15 minutes.

I also have a new idea about how I'm going to motivate myself to sew every day. At the moment, I just have 'sewing' on my to-do list, which is an endless and vague thing, so I don't do anything. Instead, I should write 'sewing - 30 minutes'. And then that's a reasonable amount of time to spend. And, I imagine, once I get going, I might end up doing more than 30 minutes.

But for today, I'm exhausted. More soon!

0.25 hours.

Catherine

D'oh! That time already?

Well, with all that's been going on here, I haven't done a lick of work. Well, not true. I did knit two rows on the sweater sleeves a week ago, and I did knit a little more at the newly formed Crafty Girls' Night, but that's once a month.

So, I bow to my less-slacker sister for her motivation to beat me. Extra pitiful hours we racked up this time. Sigh. Not sure it's going to get better here.

Tell me your salsa preferences, oh quilty one!

Margie

sneak attack, part 2: swoop!

That is the sound (I hope) of me coming in and swooping salsa right out from under my sister's nose...

I had the most stupid day at work, so it was delightful to come home

and think about nothing more complicated than whether I had too much orange in my squares and whether the seam was right at 1/2 inch (to answer both questions, probably, and probably not. I'm a sloppy quilter). Anyway, I worked for 4 hours and 20 minutes, cutting a bunch of new squares and sewing 10. The exciting thing about that particular number of squares is that is means I am exactly halfway done; I've made 72 so far. See the pile on the right? I've got the fabric cut for another 3, so hopefully I'll keep some of this momentum and finish this before the end of the decade (or at least the next one!).

Ok, 13 hours, 20 minutes for me to close out our third competition! Lame, but a lot less lame than last week. What've you got, big sister?

Catherine

sneak attack, part 1

Today I am having a love-hate relationship with my quilt squares. They look so nice when they are finished, and they are strangely soothing to make, yet they are simultaneously SO BORING. Anyway, I cut a whole bunch of fabric strips, and then some shorter pieces for 7 different squares, and actually sewed up three. 3 hours, baby! I'm integrating the old and new fabrics at the moment, which is fun. The green colors don't go very well together but the oranges and yellows are nice. I can already tell that I probably don't have enough of the new fabric to finish the squares (unless I shrink the quilt), so I'll have to go through this again later on.

Anyway, enough rambling. I'm headed to bed. I may sew a couple of squares in the morning so there isn't so much to do tomorrow night. It's clear I'll be able to get into double digits, anyway. Phew!

9 hours in the bank; 24 hours left!

Catherine

yum!

I was on my way home on Sunday and I had a layover in Philly. When we were getting close to the airport, I was looking out the window and there were way too many trees turning colors.

One of my favorite things about fall is all the pumpkin-flavored things. It almost makes up for the fact that summer is over. Today my local bagel place had pumpkin muffins. I was so excited to order one that the woman next to me changed her order to get one as well. Who knew!? I should take my show on the road.

Ok, those are my random thoughts for today.

In regards to sewing, I was thinking that I just can't go out with only 5 hours. It's too embarrassing. So I'm going to make one last run for the money. Beware, seester! I spent one hour today cutting fabric strips for my quilt.

6 hours done, with 48 hours left on the clock...

Catherine

The Taste of Victory

The salsa finally arrived. Someone was a little slow in the purchase of the prize, but she's been a little busy at work so I'll cut her some slack. No mere Green Chile salsa for us. Nope, we got the Black Bean and Corn Salsa, Chipolte Salsa (both medium) and a mild Green Chile. Mmm. We've eaten all the Black Bean and Corn (not too spicy, but some heat there. Not as many beans or corn kernels as I was expecting) now we're on the Chipolte. More heat in that one, but yummy!
To answer the question of what they taste like, they taste like victory! (of course) I'll post pictures another time, when I'm on the computer with the pictures.

I have done very little work since the last post where I did anything. We've started school and I am overwhelmed with school supplies for middle school, the forms to fill out, the uncompleted putting away of stuff from the move and the explosion of school stuff in the house. Plus, I have a job now. Part time, but it eats the middle of my day. Sigh.

I did go to a friend's for a stitching night. I got there late, knit for half an hour, ducked out to meet with a friend (a former S&B buddy) and we both did some venting, then headed back for another 20 min. or so, then took Jack's old twin mattress to the home of a fellow stitcher and then off to bed!

I have noticed a tendency for Darling and I to watch TV after the small ones are tucked into bed, so perhaps I'll have to pull out the knitting then. It will be easier when the pool closes and we can't go do that on the weekends.

.75 hours for me, 12.25 hours total.

Margie

Down... set... knit!

So I was thinking recently about why I like to watch football so much (a preseason game was on tonight), because in fact I like baseball very much too. But, I never watch baseball at home. Then - lightbulb - I realized it's because I don't subscribe to fancy sports channels. Maybe I've said that before, but it really annoys me that baseball is so hard to come by.

Anyway, I spent an hour knitting and am getting close to having a new little friend. I finished the body and another little piece; now I just have one more piece and a tail to make, and then have to assemble them. I hope I have enough stuffing?!

I also discovered today that I have only had 5 days off this whole year, of which 3 were spent taking care of my poor sick aunt. Time to plan a vacation!! Where should I go?

5 hours, and still far behind...

Catherine

You knit 16 rows, what do you get?

It is the most gorgeous day in my town today. I ate dinner outside and everything! I wish it was like this every day, though a friend of mine who used to live in San Diego says it gets boring to have perfect weather all the time.

I just took a few minutes to work on my surprise creature. I knit 16 rows in 30 minutes, though in my defense I changed colors several times, which slowed things down. Anyway, I have some work to do before bed, so knitting is over for today.

4 hours for me!

Catherine

Aw, shucks.

It is always fun to visit my seester, and to help out where I can. And, I am sad that I don't get to see my nephew and nieces more often, since (cliche warning) they grow up so fast! Actually, I really entertained myself by telling Smallest that she was smaller than the last time I saw her (she was definitely not), which caused much indignation. Hee hee!

Last night as I was falling asleep I was thinking about what knit creature I might make next, and I thought I would make a mouse. But then I knit some blue triangles for ears, and they ended up looking more like a tiny, tiny bikini, and it was very distracting. So, I decided to make something different instead. I worked for 2 hours, and in fact made excellent progress - another 2 or 3 hours ought to do it! You'll have to wait until it's finished to see what it is.

And yes, salsa is on the way. I think looking at all those yummy salsa options has helped rekindle my competitive spirit...

3.5 hours for me.

Catherine

What a Fabulous Sister!

As Catherine mentioned, she was down visiting us for a week recently. She was kind enough to help me unpack boxes at night, remove tape from our five foot tall pile of boxes so we could recycle them, collect all the packing paper and stash it in my car, along with more boxes, AND play with my kiddos while I ran errands! And to top it all off, she was the parent-in-absentia while I went to the Diocesan Stewardship Conference and Darling was in Bangkok, or Dubai, or somewhere like that. She is wonderful.

We did no sewing. I did loan her a very cute book about knit animals.

School starts in ten days. I cannot wait. Of course, my sewing time will be severely curtailed because I have agreed to engage in gainful employment. Fortunately, it's only part time, but I suspect my stitching time will still suffer.

The job is at Rice University. I have entered into the Land of Administration. I am the...BRC Community Development Specialist/Science Communication Liaison. BRC stands for BioScience Research Consortium. I think my job is to make the scientists play nicely with each other, and to tell everyone about how nice they are.

So no hours for me. I hear salsa is on the way. I've found some delicious chips to eat it with, but will have to acquire more chips when the salsa gets here because Darling and Middle also discovered the chips and they are disappearing fast!

Margie

A seamstress surfaces...

I'm not sure if it was the cool air today, or the preseason football, or my recent trip to visit my sewing sister, but I finally thought I'd check in on my projects. It turns out I had two sets of pieces for quilt squares STILL sitting on my desk, so I put them together. I used to be much faster, but somehow I forgot how to make them so I sewed them in the wrong direction, and then got confused and took them apart and put them back together again a few times. Somehow they still ended up backwards, but I don't think you can really tell. Perhaps it can be a puzzle for anyone who wants to try to find them in the complete quilt...

So, 50 minutes on that; 1:30 total. Eep! That's not very much for being ~6 weeks into this contest.

Catherine

Lovely Auntie

Our Lovely Auntie, daughter of the Knitting Grandmother (and needlepointing too), died on Sunday. She had been diagnosed with ALS a bit more than a year ago (I think) and the disease progressed more rapidly than we expected. We are all sad. We named middle after Grandmother and Auntie, so it is sad to have only Middle left now.

Life goes on though, and mostly it's been nice remembering visits with her over time.

We were in Oregon last week on vacation with Darling's family, even though Darling had a business deal come up that prevented him from being with us much of the time. I did get some work done while I was there, but still have many inches to go.

I'm trying to buy a different car as well. The old Mazda is just too tired and sad. While I would love to get one just like it, I think we will end up with a Toyota Sienna and that will be just fine. The current difficulty is that they want me to have a Texas driver's license (not sure if that's a requirement, or a want) but to do that, I need my passport (check!) and my social security card (where'd it go!). So looks like I'll need to get a replacement SS card, then off to the TX DPS. Hopefully the car people will sell me the car anyhow.

I'm off to North Carolina this weekend to say goodbye to Auntie along with Catherine and our parents. Our brother can't make it. I'm not sure if any other cousins will come. There will be another one in Memphis in a couple of weeks.

Darling will stay here to pick up Middle from Choir Camp and have a generally fabulous time.

I think that's about all I know.

3.5 hours on vacation, 11.5 hours total.

Margie

Not To Rub It In...

I've been waiting to use this since perhaps February, and since I didn't win the first time around, now's my chance!

No stitching lately. Lots of boxes. There was some knitting on Monday, but I didn't keep good track, so I'll ignore it for now.

Margie

Le Tour!

Ohh-hough-hough!

The Tour is underway! A perfect stitching opportunity coming up. What a great couple of weeks we have here - World Cup and Tour De France. Fun!

Middle had to see the doctor for a minor problem yesterday, so we called up our pediatrician from before we moved and learned that if you're absent for three years, they kick you out of the practice. They're taking new patients in August, so until then, no old pediatrician. We went to the minor emergency clinic instead. I was expecting a major wait, as we had a really minor problem, just needed a prescription, so I took the knitting. As a lovely surprise, the whole thing only took an hour, start to finish!

So, one hour of knitting, 8 hours total.

Margie

Football and Knitting

Well, I know Catherine said she was fond of crocheting while watching football, so I have found that I am fond of knitting while watching the other kind of football. I worked yesterday while watching Brazil lose (!!) to the Netherlands, and then when the Uraguayan (sp) striker, Suarez, blocked a shot in goal with his hands, earning a red card, but saving the game. Wow! Cheating pays off...

I finished the back of the baby sweater and started in on the sleeves. Somewhere I read a little trick that I used with mittens and found it worked well. You cast on both pieces on the same needle using different balls of yard, and then you work them both at the same time. It increases your odds of having them be the same, and you finish them both at the same time. No finishing one, only to have to repeat the same thing. I find it helps a lot.

We have a non-rainy day today in Houston. I am surprised, and excited! Hurricane Alex has been spreading joy for the last couple of days here. Because of the lack of outside time, we went to see The Last Airbender last night. I should probably comment on that some other time.

7 hours yesterday (ah, to be unemployed on a rainy day with soccer on!), 7 hours total.

Margie

Soooo-wee!

It's a wild and crazy Friday night! I have been knitting and sewing just a bit, and finished the pig. See? Now I have to figure out who is deserving of this pink masterpiece. 

Anyway, I'm determined not to be as pathetic this go-round as the last. So, 40 minutes to kick things off!

Catherine

Hello Houston!

Just one quick post.

I started shaping the baby sweater back at the airport yesterday while waiting for our delayed flight. After Smallest and I watched How To Train Your Dragon on the flight, I worked a bit more and then we landed.

So we're here now. We're staying in Dave's bachelor pad for the long weekend and then we'll get our stuff on Tuesday. Not the beautiful sunny weather I was expecting due to the remnants of the hurricane I expect. Swimming will come later.

The cats are happy to be here, back with their people and in a non-empty house.

Mostly I'm just tired. It was a long couple of days.

2 hours Wednesday, 43 hours total (I think that's right, not checking my tally).

Margie

Whoosh...

That's the sound of the last couple of days going by. Today's the day we leave Calgary.

Much to do, but I wanted to add a post today before the mass chaos of pre-airport time.

Sorry you're working so hard, Catherine.

1.5 hours Monday (and what a lovely 1.5 hours it was too!), 41 hours total. I'll try to post again tonight, or early tomorrow with airplane time results.

Margie

I give.

Somehow I am working harder at work than I've worked since I started there. I am exhausted. And still jet-lagged from Korea, so I'm headed to bed even though it's only 9 o'clock. But, I think you should make it to 40 hours between now and tomorrow, so this isn't such a hugely embarrassing episode for both of us.

Let me know what kind of salsa you want!

Catherine

A Wild Saturday Night!

Fun times here, migrating around Calgary saying good bye to friends.

Knit on the sweater for an hour Saturday night. Almost to the point where I start shaping the body.

Margie

1 hour Saturday (limited computer access, thus the late posting). 39.5 hours total.

Margie

Italy, Slovakia and Tires

While waiting at the Fine Establishment that is Canadian tires for them to change my winter tires (separated = garbage) to my all-weathers (low tread = garbage, but still on the car) I got to knit on the sweater and watch the last 20 minutes of the Italy vs. Slovakia game in the World Cup. Wow! It was fantastic! Very cool. Of course, it sucks if you're an Italy fan...

1 hour Thursday (sorry, hoarding?) 38.5 hours total.

Margie

Boxes, boxes...

Just a short post as the packers are working away.

An hour and a half for me last night working on the baby sweater. Already got some time in today while waiting for my summer tires to be put on the car. Will tally that later.

1.5 hours Wednesday, 37.5 hours total.

Margie

And this little piggie went wee wee wee...

... all the 24 hours it took to get home. 

I didn't get as much time to knit as I was hoping. But, I did get a good start (3.5 hours) on my second entry into the knit creature category, which will be a little pig. And I did entertain my neighbor on the plane. Anyway, here's the tail for you to admire. The face is currently in pieces on my counter. I'm sorry I didn't blog about it on Monday, but I am just starting to feel not insane from the time change.

32 hours for me! Watch out, seester!

Catherine

Behold! The Pink Skirt!

There it is...the skirt of pinkness!

While I was sewing on the ruffle, I discovered several things.

First, you know how often when you baste for ruffles, the directions tell you to baste two rows? One row always seems to be where you actually sew the ruffle to the other piece, so the basting is a big pain to take out, and there are always folds and smushy parts and it's all just a pain. Well, tonight I cheated and moved the lower row down a bit and it all was so much easier! Breakin' the law, breakin' the law!

Second, (this is a roundabout point) I have been asked to be chair of the stewardship committee at our former and future church. I dig stewardship. I was co-chair at our church here in Calgary and I got to give a very short sermon this past fall. It was about why I give money to the church. One of the reasons is because it brings me joy to do so. So I was thinking about why I make clothes for my children. We have plenty of money, I could go spend $65 on a skirt like this at some spiffy store. I make them, ruffles and all, because of the look on their faces when they put it on for the first time. For when Smallest will put on that skirt and twirl and twirl. I do it because it brings me joy.

And that's stewardship too!

Now it's on to the x-stitch Santas and the baby sweater!

2.25 hours today, 36 hours total.

Margie

The Gauntlet, It is Thrown!

I had some cute things from a store to send to Catherine, but she's been out of town. I wanted to know when she would be back so it would be safe for the package of cute things to arrive so I emailed her asking when she would be back. She responded by saying she would return on Monday and that she planned on knitting during her whole overseas flight so that she could regain the lead.

Time to get to work!

I knit for 30 min. last night on the back of the white baby sweater, started before the grey baby sweater, but now intended for the pregnant owner of the barn where Middle rides horses and breaks bones. The picture is up there at the top, although I wanted it to go right here.

Then, I snuck a look at Middle's knitting this afternoon while she was playing with a friend. Yikes! I'm sure my knitting looked like that at one point - I definitely remember phantom stitch increases, but wow! It took me 15 minutes to get that all straightened out. I supervised her when she was knitting this evening. Not the most attentive knitter, but she likes it and she's having fun, so I'm not going to point most of the problems.

Tonight, because we're moving in two weeks, I decided it was time to hem the curtains that I made for Middle's room about two years ago. I had grand plans to sew a deep pink grosgrain ribbon around the bottom and middle edge of the curtain, but the nearest Fabricland was lacking in the ribbon department. So I chose a light pink and decided to use it to fold over the edge. It worked rather well. That white stuff you see on the curtain is the blackout liner because the sun doesn't go down until after 10 here in the summer.

I worked on the pink skirt too and realized I could take one block of fabric out of the ruffle. Although it's a pain, I greatly dislike making ruffles, so I'm taking out the extra block. I'm planning to finish it tomorrow because the packers will take my sewing machine away next week, and I don't want to have to finish this in Houston.

1.75 hours today, 33.75 hours total. Catherine, bring it on!

Margie

Fount of Knowledge

This evening, while we weren't eating dinner because we all at ice cream at 4:30 in the afternoon, Middle was frustrated with her latest craft idea, and was rapidly becoming Bored.

I suggested I teach her how to knit. She cheered right up. She chose a color of yarn, we found the needles I had made with her brother when I taught him how to knit (when he was 5, not sure what he remembers) and off we went.

I was really impressed with how quickly she picked it up! She did great. She did a couple of rows and then started to have had enough, so I told her she was welcome to put it down for a while and work on it later.

On her way to bed tonight, she asked me if she could finish it in the morning. I told her I didn't know how long it would take her to finish it, but she could certainly work on it once she was ready for school.

I cast on for the back of the white baby sweater. That's a nice portable project, so I can work on it after the moving van goes, but I need to finish up the pink skirt before the end of the week. The packers come next Monday. Yikes!

1 hour today, 32 hours total.

Margie

Darn Internet!

I just wrote a lively post, only to have the old Mac go offline when I was trying to post it, so it's gone. No time to recreate it now.

1.25 hours for me Friday, 31 hours total.

Fleshing Out

Well, I chose not to watch the show with the Fabulous Fitness Trainer last night. I knew I would get hooked and have to watch the whole season, so I skipped it.

I finished Santa's body last night. His arm and head and feet are left, so perhaps I am halfway? It is a rather simple cross stitch. I will try to get a picture of it today.

I am wondering if the baby blanket is all pink, or if it has a white border, because in the picture, it looks like it has a white border?

One hour for me, 29.75 total.

Margie

Cleaning up...

I have had the ingredients for 4 quilt squares on my desk for an eternity. The last time I worked on them was apparently April 18th. Eep! So, I spent a few minutes (30 to be exact) sewing 2 of them up.

I also watched this show where Fabulous Fitness Trainer goes to Very Fat People's house and does her best to fix them in 5 days. One thing that she was talking about with Youngest and Least Fat girl was about making the choice between failure and success, and about how you can get in these habits of thinking that failure (i.e., not even trying) is the better option because you don't have deal with the sadness of trying to be successful and failing. Then you can end up sabotaging yourself so you don't even have to think about trying in the first place. I need to think about this, at the very least in how it applies to a certain dress that I have yet to make...

28.5 hours for me.

Catherine

Darn you!

You get -2 points for hoarding. I had delusions of gaining an 
insurmountable lead, which you have crushed. Waah waaaaaaaah...

Anyway, I really finished the presents. Here they are! Aren't they so so so cute? One picture is the whole blanket, which has little pom-poms. Then the little bunny has a pom-pom tail to match, which maybe you can't see in the photo. It's got a bit of stuffing in it's body; nothing in the ears. I am very pleased.

Now I have to decide what to work on next. Perhaps back to 

the quilt squares? Perhaps I'll tackle the dress? I also need to set up some projects that can go on this big trip with me, as I leave in less than a week. Eep!!

1.5 hours for me; 28 hours total.

Catherine

Really 31 Days?

I was talking with Darling about the blog, and how the end of June was the next time point. I realized that we have both been big slackers this time around! By this point in the first quarter, we were already at 100 hours and now we're pokin' along with 25. Hopefully it's one of those ebb and flow things and after I beat Catherine this time, the work will move more easily again. Maybe it's sewing constipation.

Anyhow, I have to confess to weekend hoarding. I've almost finished Santa's body, which is nice. Still no progress on the pink skirt.

3.75 hours over the weekend. 28.75 hours total. 30 days left in Calgary.

Margie

A salsa deficiency

Well, today I finished the last of the three jars of precious, precious salsa. Now my appetite for winning is on the rise. Bwa ha ha!

I finished my little creature today and it is super cute! I am very pleased. I also worked on the final details of the quilt and made some progress, to the tune of 1 hour, 25 minutes overall. I think I can finish tomorrow and will show them all off at once. :D

26.5 hours for me!

Catherine

No More Excuses

Well, TV season has ended. No more junky shows to fill up my DVR to be watched later. No more excuses not to be working away on my projects. Rats.

I did work last night, formerly reserved for Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and Vampire Diaries (and Fringe?), on the Santa cross stitch, so that was good. I'll do some more work on it today. Maybe finish up that pink skirt for Smallest too.

The magic of the DVR is that I could tape all those shows and watch them throughout the week. I don't even know what night Fringe is/was on, it just shows up and I watch it. Of course, I'm way behind on Fringe because Darling and I like to watch it together, but he's in Houston. When he does come up for visits, we never seem to have the time to sit and watch hours of TV, so I've decided to watch them and fill him in later. Maybe we'll watch the season finale (parts I and II) the next time he's here.

Anyhow, need to do more stitching.

1 hour, 30 minutes Thursday, 25 hours total. I shall regain my lead!

Margie

... with big, pointy teeth!

One of the fun things about having extra time to work on the baby blanket is that I also wanted to make a little friend to go with the blanket. Hee hee! I'm hoping it won't be as confusing as the lamb/bunny/tooth I made for my sister's children.

Here are the parts, including some in progress. What do you think it will be, boys and girls?

25 hours, 5 minutes for me.

Catherine

Misery loves company

Well, I did not finish the baby blanket in time for the shower. I knit like a crazy person this morning (actually, I just tried to knit like a fast person, but now I'm laughing because I'm imagining what a crazy person would look like knitting. Perhaps like the crazy hyena in Lion King?) and I sewed the squares together, but I didn't finish the ninth one. So, I put the 8 into a bag and took it up to the shower, and told the mom-to-be that it was a work in progress. Happily, it turns out that the grandmom-to-be also was making something, and also hadn't finished. Everyone else had lovely presents, but all purchased things. So, it was fine. The mom-to-be was particularly cute about it - she said, 'that's ok. The baby is a work in progress too.' I told her I thought I would finish first. :D

And, I am close! I came home and worked on it some more, and finished the 9th square and sewed it in. I've decided to put a little pattern on and edge the blanket with a darker pink color. I am also making a little creature to go along with the blanket, which I am excited about. Hopefully I'll wrap everything up tomorrow, but for now, all I can say is that I've got 5 hours, 15 minutes to add.

24 hours total! I move into a very slim lead.

Catherine 

The 9th square!!

I finished the 8th one, even though it tried to thwart me by looking like I had dropped a loop. And I sewed a whole bunch of the pieces together, so now I have three strips of blanket. Somehow that makes me think of pigs in a blanket, even though that makes no sense. Now I'm on to the last last square!! I've got about an inch done, as you can see, and about 58 hours to finish. That would be lots of time, if not for work and a birthday party and an adventure race and the sleeping and more sleeping... speaking of which, I'm off to bed.

2 hours today; 18.75 total.

Catherine

Work schmurk

I had the best laid plans to bring a bunch of work home tonight, which I did, but the actual *doing* of the work didn't go as well. In part because I AM RUNNING OUT OF TIME to make this baby blanket! Augh.

So, I spent 1.5 hours knitting. I've gotten to the end of the 8th square but I am too tired to cast it off. Tomorrow. I've also decided that I am going to use the same pink color to sew the squares together because if I used a different color, I would feel the need to outline the whole blanket with that color, and I really don't know if I have time. Auuuuuugh...

16 hours, 45 minutes for me.

Catherine

A pink of my own

Well, I'm about halfway through the 8th square, and about to start on the third-to-last skein of pink yarn. I probably need to finish this square today/tomorrow, and do the 9th square during the rest of the week, so I can assemble them on Saturday. Yikes! I am running out of time.

I have also had the idea to use this weird pink fabric that I have (kind of a mesh, and very bright color. What was I thinking when I bought it??) as the glue that holds the squares together. I'm not sure how that would actually work, but the idea of mixing the yarn and fabric is appealing.  

I also was thinking recently about this funny creature that I made for my sister's children some time ago, which was supposed to be a bunny or lamb or something, but when they received it they unanimously thought was a tooth. Maybe it would be cute to make another unidentified soft object to go with the quilt? It would be a nice change from knitting, anyway.

2 hours today, 15 hours 15 minutes so far.

Catherine

Bye-bye mistake!

Yesterday at morning choir practice before the Big Concert last night, while the girls were practicing their part, I finished un-sewing the mistake. Then I started re-sewing and made another mistake. I caught this one quickly, so I'm back on track and almost finished with the re-sewing part.

The Concert was great! Singing the Requiem was lots and lots of fun. Makes me think I might join our church choir when we move back to Houston...

1 hour Saturday, 23.5 hours total.

Margie

A mistake of my own

Well, I've recently realized the baby shower (for which I am preparing the knitted quilt) is only 8 days away. That definitely helps with the motivation!

I got through square 7, though after I had bound it off and cut the yarn I realized I probably should have done another 1-3 rows to make it a nice square. What can you do. Now I'm an inch into square 8, with one more square to go plus sewing them all together. Eep!

Now I'm off to enjoy the nice weather.

2 hours, 40 min today; 13 hours 15 min so far.

Catherine

Pink, pink, pink.

I have a mistake in my cross stitch. I wanted to ignore it and just do the piece with the mistake in there, but it's going to mess lots of other things up, so I will have to undo and redo. As then President of Rice said at my matriculation ceremony, "building, unbuilding and rebuilding."

So rather than undo the stitching, today I worked on the other fat quarter skirt that I had planned to make for Smallest. There are eight different fabrics and they're all pink. Pink! Smallest is a girly girl, no doubt about it. I am not into pink. Not even as I get older.

In the instructions, it talks about different sizes of fat quarters that you can have - 20 inches x 18 inches, or 20 inches x 20 inches. My quarters are 10 inches x 23 inches. Maybe it's a Canadian fat quarter. Who knows. At any rate, the pattern calls for four fabrics for the skirt and five for the ruffle. I have eight, but as they're half the size called for, that's the same as four. I realized that I left some of the fabric out of the ruffle, but it's huge already and putting another 40 inches on doesn't appeal to me. Smallest will never know. Ruffles are a pain.

If I get on it, I can finish it tomorrow, just in time for the return of the nice weather.

The Boy had a soccer game tonight. It was their first game without two long time teammates. The team played great and the boys had a super time. I hope it will be a good season. The two missing teammates moved up a level to play with the bigger kids on a bigger field.

Other random non-sewing stuff... I bought some cat treats to give to Fang, my Very Old Cat. At first, I wouldn't let the kids give them to her at will because I didn't want her to get fat. Then I stopped and reconsidered. I actually do want her to get fat because she's very underweight. So the kids have a great time giving her treats. I've also told them to put the treats in her food bowl because she'll eat more food after she eats the treat. She's pitiful.

2 hours today, 22.5 hours total

Double digits

Not much to say, except that I did get another chance to flex my knitting muscles, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. I'm about halfway done with square #7. Should I use the same color to sew the squares together or a different one?

10 hours, 35 minutes for me. At some point I'll get back to even numbers...

Catherine

Speed demon

Margie's post made me think about the time I thought I had ADD. It turns out, I was just in graduate school, and also trying to plan a wedding. That's too much for anyone. 

It's funny - I also like planning things and imagining how fabulous they're going to be, and buy lots of supplies, but then don't finish. I think the slow step for me, though, is even just starting. For example, I have had this fabric out on my ironing board for at least a week, and got the interfacing, and have read the instructions, and it all seems very straightforward. So what's the deal? I don't know.

Interestingly (to me, at least), I may have the same problem with running. I have a big mental block to just putting the first few steps together, and the first mile or two is always fairly miserable, but then as I get closer to the end, I speed up. SPR (who knows a thing or two about running) thinks this is quite unusual, but to me it makes perfect sense: When I can really appreciate how far I have left to go, I can do a better job of figuring out how much energy I have and parcel it out accordingly. Also, at some point I'm just ready to be done, so I speed up even more. 

Hopefully that will be the same for my knitting project, as the baby shower (where I intend to give this as a present) is only 2 weeks away! I worked for an hour and 45 minutes so far this morning, and may have another stab at it after breakfast. I finished square #6, and started #7, so I may be down to the last three.

9 hours, 20 minutes for me.

Catherine

Ha ha!

I finished the checkerboards! I had grand plans for putting on ties or something to close them with, and perhaps I will do that, but at this point, I'm calling it good and moving on. The smaller one with blue squares is for my big brother and the black and white one is for The Boy. I may crochet little checkers for my brother as well, but that's something for another time.

I did better today with staying off the computer and away from the TV. It was also choir night, but I'm singing with them, so I didn't get to do any stitching during practice. Only one more choir rehearsal for the girls, then the concert and the year end dinner and that's it. May 16th is the end of Calgary Children's Choir for the girls.

I was asking the Manager about nice things to do for the Director and I started to say we wanted to do something nice because we were leaving and I couldn't say it without crying. Here comes the sucky part of moving. 54 days left in Calgary.

1 hour today, 20.5 hours total.

Margie

Attack of the ADDs!

Before I start, here is the finished Teddy Bear Wreath. I need to do something with it to make it into a Christmas ornament, but that will come later. I will pay someone to do that for me.

I was diagnosed with ADD (inattentive type) when I was 30. It made so much of my childhood and the struggles I had in college all make sense. It was great to know. One of the hallmarks of ADD is that I love, love, love to start new projects but I HATE to finish things. It's all about stimulation and excitement and starting something new is always better than finishing something old. Deadlines can make things exciting, as can silly contests with your sister.

At any rate, I have found myself struggling in the last week or so to do any work whatsoever. I made myself do some work tonight and that was helpful. I've been watching too much TV and playing on the computer too much. Bad habits. It's probably also the dread of moving and not wanting to go, so if I just don't do anything, I won't have to move, right?

So there we go. I did some work on these quilted checkerboards I had started for my son and my brother. Perhaps I can do some more work tomorrow after Smallest is home from school. Probably need a grocery run while she's in school.

45 min. today, 19.5 hours total

Margie

A collage of sewing and gluttony

Busy body

I have to confess to more minor hoarding - I did 45 minutes of work yesterday but ran out the door before I could blog. That was 25 minutes of knitting and 20 minutes of getting patterns out and ready, and ironing fabric for dress #1. Very exciting! I meant to do more today but instead caught up on some very overdue work. So, probably for the best.

7 hours, 35 minutes.

Catherine

If I can make it there...

Well, I have been hoarding slightly, but I apologize. I went to NYC this past weekend and spent an hour knitting on the bus on the way down. I learned that planes are much more appropriate places to knit. The bus was very wobbly, as any clever person probably could have guessed.

In other news, I finally made it to the local/downtown fabric store, and got fabric to make more quilt squares and the mysterious interfacing. The people at the store were really helpful (and complimented the quilt squares I had brought in to check colors of the new fabric! Yay), and while the store was much smaller than the one I normally go to, it was also entirely focused on fabric and sewing notions, rather than random baskets and other crafty things. So probably about the same selection of fabric. I got there 30 minutes before closing today, so I'll have to go back and explore more leisurely some other time.

Now that I'm stocked up again, watch out!

6 hours, 50 minutes for me.

Catherine

Reality Sets In

The other day some people came by to see if they wanted to rent our house after we left. As I worked to pick things up around the house, I realized that I have a lot of hobby-related stuff. Lots of fabic, yarn, lots of random bits of things that I may or may not need. We've been looking for houses to rent in Houston and many of the ones we've been looking at were not built recently and don't have a lot of closet space. Even in a new house, we probably won't have all the storage space that we do in this house. I have a whole closet, that could fit all the kids' basement toys, full of my stuff. I don't want to move it all back to Houston.

Yesterday I decided to tackle the closet. Lucky for me, there's a group up here, Grandmothers to Grandmothers, that will take large remnants of fabric and do useful things with them. Out went the little scraps of things - the bits left over from making baby clothes, dresses for me, dresses for the girls, costumes and such - and I saved only the bits that I thought I could use in quilts in the future.

I have the fabric to make Catherine's quilt, and a pine tree block quilt for me, and that was saved as well. I saved my yard, but have resolved to use it for something soon. I also rediscovered the quilt tops I salvaged from cleaning out my mother-in-law's house (she was a hoarder) and there's one, with extra blocks in a tin, that Smallest loves and wants on her bed. Shouldn't be hard to finish that up.

I went from three full 3 ft. shelves to one cardboard box from Office Depot, one black garbage bag and three tall stacks of good remnants to give away. It was nice to look at something and say, "Nope, I'm never going to do anything with that" and get rid of it. Ahhh.

I went back and took a quick look through my projects as well and decided to do some of the quick sewing things. There are two checkerboards that I started (one with checkerboard fabric!), Middle's costume to fix for her dance recital, some long overdue mending, and some other bits here and there. I think I can finish a good portion this weekend. That would be cool.

Plus, Catherine's in NYC this weekend, so I can increase my commanding lead!

30 min. Thursday, 2.5 hours Friday, 18.75 total.

Margie

From the artiste!

I have not done any sewing today, but I did get the nomenclature cleared up by my mom, and she did tell me that interfacing is really required. So, to the store... 

Instead, I have been playing with Shrinky-Dinks, and am exceedingly pleased with the results. Please enjoy! I've included a pen for reference. 

Hee hee!!

Catherine

Official Rug Picture

Ta-Da! There it is, the happy needlepoint rug. All finished, with nice, uneven fringe and everything.

I realized that I should post a picture of the teddy bear wreath as well. I finished that over spring break. Tomorrow I will do it.

I have been working on another cross stitch (not on the official list). It's a Santa that pairs with a Santa I finished a while back and is now a pillow. When this one is finished, it will become a pillow too and they can hang out together at Christmas.

I am having great fun learning Mozart's Requiem. I find myself walking around singing the bits I can remember. Only a month until the concert.

Happy that the knit shawl was well received, and is useful. Useful is good! I just discovered that the woman who owns the barn where Middle has riding lessons is pregnant, so if I can finish the other little baby sweater that was intended for The Boy, perhaps she can use it for her little one.

The time for our move is fast approaching. Hard to believe it will be May soon, and before we know it, June will be over! I don't want to leave Calgary!

2.25 hours collected, 15.75 total.

Margie

Paring down my squares...

I've had these quilt square pieces sitting on my desk for nearly 2 weeks now, so I tackled a few tonight, for a grand total of 1 hour 20 minutes. 

I also got out all this fabric that I want to make fabulous clothes with, and was just gearing up to make a shirt out of this cute blue bandanna-ish fabric when I realized that I'd bought the length of fabric that corresponded to a different particular piece in the same pattern group, so I am missing 1.5 yards of fabric. So stupid... I also need to refresh my sewing vocabulary - there's a 'glossary' section on the pattern that makes my head spin a bit. I may have to call my mom, the clothes champion, and get her to explain it all. This is one of the many times that it's frustrating to live 2004 (to be exact) miles away from my family.

5 hours, 50 minutes for me.

Catherine

Back in the saddle again...

Well, after a long hiatus in which I did some of the work I actually get paid for, and did my taxes, and generally mucked around, I am glad to have something to post.

First up: pictures of the fabulous shawl! I've included a shot of the beautiful yarn in the closeup, and how nicely it wraps around me in the second. I actually had a most frustrating week at work because our office is never the right temperature, so this is a wonderful gift. Thanks, Margie!

On my own stuff: today I wanted to do something mindless while I caught up on my silly TV shows, so I started my next knitting square, and got about halfway done. 2 hours for that.

In other fun news, the interwebs tell me that there is a great fabric store not far from me, so I hope to check that out soon (to get interfacing for a dress and new fabric for my quilt squares, as well as restocking sewing machine needles and some other stuff). Also, I'm going to join a local car share place here soon, so that will help me get to the fabric store I already know about (which is good but far, far away).

4.5 hours for me!

Catherine

More Fringe

Didn't accomplish anything over the weekend, but I did get about 3/4 of the remaining fringe finished while Smallest was at dance class. I meant to finish it up when I got home, but that just didn't happen. Oh well.

45 minutes for me Monday, 13.5 total.

Margie

Fringe

Not the creepy TV show, but the edge of the rug.

I noticed that the rugs my grandmother made for my dollhouse had fringe, so I'm putting it on the new rug. It also looks like they glued the canvas to the back of the rug, so hopefully that will work. I'm worried about the canvas unravelling, but I'll just have to be brave. I've already cut some corners off.

Tomorrow is Middle's 9th birthday. How is that possible? At any rate, we're having her friend party tonight, a sleepover with two lovely girls. Should be fun, with late night giggles to boot! The Boy has arranged to sleep over at his friend's house across the street. Too many girls in the house for his liking. One day...

Given the nature of late night supervision looming this evening, I should be able to finish the fringe and glue the back tonight, so I can post pictures.

Catherine received her present - a lovely shawl of varigated reddish-brown bouclé yarn - to keep her warm at work. She'll post a picture of it some day :) After tucking in the ends, I have about 8 inches of leftover yarn. It turned out well.

Smallest is sad, our Very Old Cat just scratched her. I could hear the cat making more and more unhappy meows and Smallest has yet to believe that the VOC might not want to be bothered. Off to tend the wounded.

45 minutes Friday, 12.75 hours total.

Margie

All Hail the Conquering Hero!

After nearly five years, I finished the dollhouse needlepoint rug!

I would post a picture, but I decided to block it before taking a picture so it will all pretty and square. Needlepoint has a tendency to get a little wonky and this one was no exception. So, it's damp and pinned to a cork board, being forced into submission. Bondage for the needlepoint?

So...what's next? I should probably finish the tree skirt, since I started that a month or so ago. Perhaps the baby sweater, with samplings of the checkerboard and labyrinth cross stitch. I think I have the front and back of the sweater done, so once I figure out which needles I was using (always write down in the pattern what size needles you're actually using!) it's just the sleeves to do. Shouldn't take too long, right? Famous last words.

We had a lovely surprise here today. A blizzard! Not a ton of snow, but it was blowing hard. The car was coated with ice when we got back from choir. I would say that perhaps this is the last one of spring, but I know that's not true. I just hope it melts so I don't have to shovel the driveway.

Big choir excitement! The older choir groups are singing Mozart's Requim and the parents are invited to sing too. It has been great fun. I am excited as I haven't been in a choir since 6th grade. The concert is May 15th. I hope I can learn it all by then.

It is tempting to skip the projects on my official list and work on some of the others sitting around (it's true, I didn't list EVERY project I have), but the point is to get the oldest things finished, so I should stick to the plan. After seeing how much I finished in the first quarter, I think I'll do well in this next quarter as well.

2.5 hours today, 12 hours total.

Margie

Returnin' On A Jet Plane

Well, the Horde is back in Calgary. A lovely, uneventful trip back. Always a good thing.

I feel crummy today, not sure if it's the lingering effects of evil Houston tree pollen, or just something I got on the plane. Hopefully it will pass soon.

No school today, nice to have a day for all to recover. Taking The Boy to the orthodontist as soon as he brushes his teeth.

2.5 hours Monday, 9.5 hours total.

Margie

Taco night!

Margie's logic is impeccable. I will aim for 2 hours a day, but am pretty psyched just to have done a little bit today. I cut out a bunch of squares (for an hour and 5 minutes), and now I REALLY need some new fabric. I also thought I'd get started on my next knitting square, and so spent 25 minutes putting that together, and then - about 5 rows in - realized I made a mistake, and spent 13 seconds tearing it apart. I'm still counting it, though. Grump.

I also got cheap tacos with my friends, one of whom is recently back from London. Thank goodness! I missed her.

2.5 hours for me.

Catherine

Full of Naturely Fun

We had a lovely Easter here. The Bunny found the kids down here, so there were eggs and candy and chocolate bunnies to be had. We got to see many of our old friends at church this morning, and had a lovely walk at the Houston Arboretum where Smallest said it was "very naturely".

I finished the purple band around the rug while watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and the white while we watched Fantastic Mr. Fox with Darling. I had started on the purple earlier today, and now I only have the blue remaining! Very exciting. If I refrain from watching movies on the plane, perhaps I can finish.

Lunch tomorrow with a fabulous friend, and then off to the airport in the afternoon. I'll have to remember to save enough American cash to pay for snacks and diversions at the airport.

2.5 hours today, 7 hours total.

Margie

The Law of Averages

I was thinking about Catherine's 150 hours. If you figure there were approximately 90 days in the quarter (I know, we could actually calculate it), but if one worked only two hours a day, then that would end up as 180 hours, which would crush Catherine!

So that's the plan, if I can just average two hours a day, I'll win!

One hour Friday, not sure how I'll get the time in this weekend, but there's always the airport and plane flight on Monday.

1 hour Friday, 4.5 hours total.

Margie

Starting Over

So, for April Fool's Day we all goofed around doing not too much and in the afternoon, while the kids watched TV and played on Middle's iPod I got to stitch.

I'm working the border on the needlepoint rug, which takes longer than I expected. There are 8 bands around and I've finished four, started on the 5th. I plan to finish this before we leave Houston on Monday, but then again, I just may not.

I did finish the Christmas Wreath cross stitch that I started back in January at a car wash, so that was cool. When we get home, I'll post a picture of it.

Looking forward to the next quarter here. Of course, now we're getting into outdoor soccer season, which both The Boy and Smallest are playing, the upcoming end of Choir in May, dance recital in June, with lots of rehearsals and such, the end of school in June, lots going on.

3.5 hours Wednesday (no foolin'), 3.5 hours total.

Margie

Knit 2, purl 0

That pesky long square has been nagging at me, but I couldn't fix it until I finished the 5th square (to free up the needles, you know). So, I did both. I also finished the second skein of yarn, and in going to get the next one realized I still have 4 more (just of this pink color)!! Augh!!!

I think my yarn box is secretly growing new yarn. 

1 hour.

Catherine

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