By Necessity

It is a week past Thanksgiving, all the left-overs are gone and I bravely faced the scales the night before last. Normally I would have continued to ignore the silly thing until after the holidays, but I had a bit of a reality check Tuesday evening. When I tried to put on an outfit to go out with my husband, it was too small. This same outfit fit only two weeks ago. So I got on the scales to ascertain the damage.

I have blood sugar issues. With diabetes on both sides of the family, gestational diabetes diagnosed during my last pregnancy and other signs of a present problem, I really do know better than to eat sweets. But Kurt suggested cinnamon rolls for breakfast Thanksgiving morning and he asks for so little. So I made them. Homemade cinnamon rolls. In addition to homemade pies. And ice cream. Once it was in the house, I had no ability to resist. I can usually resist store bought stuff, but I am helpless in the presence of homemade treats.

All tap dancing aside, my little confrontation with my scales revealed a 15 pound weight gain in less than a week. Now I know most people simply cannot gain this much weight in so short of a time eating a normal holiday diet (i.e. I truly did not over eat, well not much, really). I am different. I really do gain weight like this when I eat sugar. It is real. It will come off over the next couple of months if I am very careful and if I am not careful, it will attach itself permanently. Of course Gregory turns 12 on Saturday and wants a chocolate, homemade cake. And then there is Christmas. And then Kurt and I both have birthdays in January. . .

I have a problem in the short term. I have no decent clothes to fit me at this weight. (I lost almost all of my clothes in the hurricane and then ended up pregnant a couple of months later. Literally 70% of the clothes hanging in my closet are maternity clothes. After my pregnancy I never quite lost all the weight I wanted and never bought clothes as a result.) Bottom line? I have to go to church this Sunday and literally have nothing to wear.



Yesterday I came to terms with my problem. Today, I cut out the fabric for four new skirts. I have some turtle neck shirts I can wear still and with some new skirts, I will be able to manage for awhile. As long as I do not repeat my Thanksgiving mistakes I will be okay.

I've been knitting for consolation. (You'd think I'd exercise, but instead I engage in more sedentary activity.) After my last sock issues, I thought I'd do some real basic socks for a break.



These are for a friend of my husband's. I won't finish them until I have my husband's feet for measuring. I also cast on another pair of socks to keep me from mindlessly allowing the others to grow beyond human dimensions.



I started some mittens for Christmas awhile back and haven't touched them since.



The patterns are different on front and back.



I had intended them for Christmas for my daughter. But after she threw all the hand knit woolens I made for her last year into the washer and dryer and after Gregory lost the hat and gloves I knit for him last year, I told my kids they would get no more hand made presents from me. Now I have to decide if I mean it.

In the meantime, the house is strewn with half done projects and I just got a call from the real estate company telling me someone wants to see our house on Monday. Uh-oh.

A New Dress for Gabrielle

I finally finished a new dress for Gabrielle. Originally I planned to give it to her for an Easter dress. Of course I never specified which Easter.



Gabrielle loves her new dress and couldn't wait to try it on. I wish she could have avoided laying it in a water puddle before getting it on, but that is my daughter.

I embroidered and pin-tucked the bodice and embroidered the upper sleeves on my Bernina. I "fancy" up plain fabric with my sewing machine rather than investing in expensive trims. My daughter loves fancy clothing, but often ruins them in her play. She ripped the only silk dress I ever made for her running around the church parking lot. Now I use less expensive plain polyester-cotton fabric for my rough and tumble girl.



Here is a view of the back. I'm so glad my daughter is slender because I started sewing this dress almost a year ago. I don't follow a pattern, but make it up as I go. Since the skirt is one of the last things I do, I added a couple of inches to the length before ripping it (rather than cutting - makes for a straighter skirt). Everything else fits fine. We are all re-reading the "Little House on the Prairie" books and Gabrielle thinks her new dress looks like a fancy prairie girl dress. She is quite content.

Pondering Christmas

I finally got the care package of warmth off to my brother in Germany. I'm so glad I finished. He tells me the weather has not been too cold yet so perhaps I am in time. Now it is time for me to start thinking about Christmas knitting.

I loved the patterned watch cap I made my brother David so much that I immediately cast on another one in pink and white for Gabrielle for Christmas.



Christmas knitting is so challenging because the kids are always around. Gregory has asked no less than 3 times what I am working on and I have dissembled. Gabrielle has not inquired so far.

I'm still working on my two MS4 stoles. The first one is for me and I finished through clue 5 before the KAL ended. I have one clue to do and then the grafting. The stole has been sitting idle since I found out about the grafting. However, the second stole is supposed to be a gift and so I have taken it from clue 2 to almost the end of clue 4.



Once I have both stoles to the same place, I will tackle clue 6 and the grafting. I am not looking forward to that day. (Week? Month?)

I finally pulled the first skein of yarn made from the mystery fiber gifted to me by Denise last year off my spinning wheel.



I love this yarn. It is Navajo plied and was both spun and plied on my Wyatt Pegasus wheel. I still have another bobbin full of singles to ply.

After I finish my mystery fiber, I think I may spin the Romney Michael and I dyed when Kurt moved to Foley. I love the way it turned out.



I still don't know what I can do with a pound of this, but I would like to make something for me since these are some of my favorite colors.

The kids finally re-skeined their yarn and they both have fabulous skeins from our dyeing day. Who knew you could get such nice colors from food coloring.



They want to make socks, but their sock knitting is going slow. Sock knitting wasn't as easy as they thought it would be. They are still knitting their flat, garter stitch pieces and I am glad they are still interested in knitting. I suppose one is never too young to start a knitting stash.

After church last week, I brought home some more of the material Mark scored from the closing factory where he works.



I gave everyone a chance to get what they wanted and then grabbed the remaining pink fabric. Now my fabric stash is larger than the storage facilities I have for it. I guess we'll have to move.

I'm thinking I'll do some sewing for Christmas. The only problem with sewing is that it is even more obvious than knitting. Gregory wants a vest for dressier occasions (like Christmas) and I was thinking I'd like to make them brother, sister, brother outfits for Christmas. I just can't figure out how to do stealthy sewing though. But Christmas is coming and I really need to get a plan together for it.

Time to Pick Up the Pace

It has been said the time it takes to complete a project will expand to fit the time allotted for it. Around here it seems, projects just expand and multiply. All of a sudden I find myself busy. Really busy. Again.

I signed up for the Mystery Stole 4 KAL. Since I convinced a couple beginning knitters to sign up as well, I feel I need to work on the project myself. That is the only way I will know enough to help someone else if need be. I cast on and worked my foundation rows on Saturday and started knitting the stole Sunday evening.



I really like the pattern so far and hope it will remain intricate. We are going to be knitting 2 sides exactly the same and joining them together in the middle. I've been knitting 2 socks at the same time on 2 sets of circular needles for some time now and decided to do the same for the 2 stole ends (though I only need one set of circular needles). If I can keep my yarn from becoming hopelessly tangled, it will be nice to finish both sides at the same time.

Before starting the MS4, I finished up the heart socks I started last year and then ripped out and started again a few weeks ago.



I like the socks. The yarn however, remained a problem throughout the knitting. I found it broken every few yards throughout the skein and so both socks have multiple joins. I really hope the socks don't disintegrate in my drawer, or worse, on my feet one day. I've never seen yarn so bad before and really don't have a clue what could have happened.

In the meantime, my brother David started his 3rd semester in bible college. Last semester he studied in Israel. This semester he is in Germany. It turns out Germany is cold. Very cold. He will be riding a bicycle the mile to school and back every day this semester. Not only is David 20 years younger than me making him young indeed to my mind, but he is from southern Nevada where it doesn't get cold. At least not cold like Germany. Apparently, it is already getting cold in Germany. And it rains a great deal. Of course the combination of young and from the south has me convinced my brother cannot be properly prepared for the German weather.

Needless to say, I have started knitting the contents of a care package for David. My plan is to make as much as possible in the month of September and then send it off in October in time for the really cold weather.



I started working on a watch cap for David yesterday while we drove back and forth to Fairhope. I'd like to finish this one, a size large, and then make another in the next size up, just in case. If possible, I'd like to knit a pair of fingerless gloves too. Of course since I have been trying to justify starting up another weaving project despite our impending move, I figure I must weave a scarf for my brother too. And I found the perfect pattern since my brother is attending the Calvary Chapel Bible College. It is a modified twill pattern available for free at Heritage Yarns called "Calvary." I love it! I'm hoping to do my figuring in the next day or two and then wind my warp.

And speaking about weaving, while I have been plotting and planning all the new weaving projects I am going to do now that I've gotten started, look at what turned up in the mail a couple of days ago.



A couple of beautiful skeins of Serenity yarn hand painted in the Gulf Breeze Sunrise colorway! It is so beautiful! I've set the yarn on a table in the living room where I can gaze at it for inspiration. Honestly, I don't know how I'm going to manage all of the housekeeping required by the fact our house is up for sale with so much beauty before me.

I'm still spinning on occasion, though not as much as I had been. Right now I am working on the prettiest fiber.



I'm thinking this would make some great socks. I just LOVE these colors! This lovely fiber arrived mysteriously in the mail about a year ago from Denise, one of my Christian Artisan friends. I think she dyed this fiber herself. Very impressive.

I am not the only creative one in my family. Gregory has been back to his weaving and Gabrielle has learned to sew. With a little guidance from me, Gabrielle made her first skirt.



She really did a great job. Gabrielle had been hand sewing for awhile and doing a good job. So we started talking about a sewing machine. Gabrielle had some money saved and we put in the money we had set aside for her Christmas present and the Lord provided a GREAT deal on a used Bernina.



Within a couple of days Gabrielle mastered the use of her sewing machine. A little over a week ago we stumbled upon a 75% off sale on fabric at our local Wal-Mart (they will no longer be carrying fabric). Gabrielle stocked up on fabric. She bought enough to make at least 7 skirts and other things for only $15. What a blessing! I've promised to help walk her through her first few projects. It would be great if Gabrielle could eventually help make her own clothes.

This morning, I found a lovely surprise from Theresa.



I've not done one of these before and it was very difficult to narrow down my choice to 4 of all my favorites. But first, here are the rules:

1. Post this award on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. Nominate at least 4 other bloggers, and add their links as well.
4. leave a comment at the new recipients' blogs, so they can pass it on.

I decided to choose blogs from among my favorites that are newer or outside of the mainline knitting and spinning circles. Here is my list in no particular order:

1. Ginny's Blog
2. Margaret's Blog
3. Loztnausten
4. Tabitha's Blog

I hope others will discover these blogs and enjoy them as I do.

Spinning and Waiting

Spinning gives peace and relaxation. Everyone says so. So while I am waiting for our house to sell, I figure spinning will help.



I resumed spinning some fiber I received in a Christian Artisans exchange long ago. I spun one bobbin of "frog hair" and never spun the second. It has been a couple of years so the time has come. This seems like a nice, long term project and I don't know how long this waiting for the house to sell phase of my life might last.

And when I say waiting for the house to sell, I mean waiting for the telephone to ring with news that someone wants to LOOK at my house. The housing market is slow right now. Really slow. We're going to need a miracle.

Speaking of miracles, I got my Wyatt Pegasus miracle. Apparently, Federal Express destroyed the mailing tube containing the parts to my spinning wheel. They eventually found the contents of the box and taped them into the remaining part of the mailing tube and forwarded it to me. The box was a wreck, but Mr. Wyatt knows how to pack and the parts survived. My Pegasus is up and spinning once again.



And since no one has bothered to look at our house so far, I went ahead and moved my Pegasus right into the middle of my living room where I can spin on it daily. When a buyer comes around, I might move it back to its place in the dining room. It depends on how long it takes for a buyer to come around. The way things appear, I might be too old to move it then. But then, the Lord is in control and Jesus has impeccable timing. That has been a recurrent theme in my bible study lately. It must be a lesson I need to learn. Waiting is not one of my strong qualities, unless we are talking about the kind of waiting one does in front of a microwave. And even that can be too slow for me most of the time. . .

I finished the silk I was spinning on my Journey Wheel.



I love Silk Worker silk. I got the urge to try some Navajo plying again. It started badly, but ended up better than normal in the long run. I usually over ply using this method. This time the skein looks good. Well, after I got rid of the first couple yards it does.

I have actually been knitting. On the same pair of socks I started back in December or there-about.



I don't know why some projects languish. These are a gift so enough said. I'm hoping to get them finished soon. At least before 2008 ends.

Lately I have been an equal opportunity procrastinator. I started an Easter dress for Gabrielle a couple weeks before Easter. It is still not finished.



I actually worked on it yesterday though. I got the sleeves done. All I have left is the skirt and the zipper. (I like zippers, even on heirloom dresses. They are so much easier to use.) Gabrielle probably won't like this style of dress too much longer so I need to get it done before she outgrows the idea. I'm just not sure what I want to do with the skirt. Gabrielle said to make it plain and be done already, but I'm thinking of scalloped puffing and a ruffle. And some embroidery. What to do, what to do. . .

After letting the garden go to weeds while I did the pre-market house cleaning, I finally got back into the garden to deal with weeds. I also picked some pink eye purple hull peas.



I love these things. I'm experimenting with drying the peas this year so I can store them in my pantry rather than my freezer. I need to store what I can in the pantry so I have room for the turkeys rapidly growing in our second coop.

Since things are going a bit slow on the house sale end of things, I got some chipped and shredded brush from the power company and am going to till that into my garden soil to improve it. And I am thinking about planting a Fall garden if I am still here. I just love fresh produce too much to wait until after we move, especially if this is going to take awhile.

Sew and Sew

The sewing bug hit me again a few weeks ago. I made Gabrielle a couple of new skirts for church.



This is one of them. I keep forgetting to take pictures of the other one.

Some of the girls and fathers from church also attended the father-daughter Valentine's Day Dance at Calvary Chapel Gulf Breeze.



I made Gabrielle a new dress for the occasion.



My friend Irene made her daughter a new dress as well. Gabrielle's friend had a pretty dress to wear, but Irene and I thought it would be nice if she had a new handmade one so I made the maroon colored dress for her.



Irene had the brilliant idea of making the fathers ties to match their daughter's dresses.



The coordinating clothes were a big hit all the way around.



Everyone met at the house of Irene's mother in law so we could take pictures by the lake. (Their house is my dream house presently. It is the coolest underground house and overlooks this gazebo and lake.) I really need to work on lighting when it comes to taking pictures.

Michael watched me sew for several days and thought he would join in the fun. I got up at one point so Michael jumped into my seat at the table and pretended to finish pinning the ruffle to the dress.



Michael is a character! In the picture he is wearing the latest jumpsuit I sewed for him. I still have one more cut out. If I am going to sew it, I should hurry up. Winter doesn't last too long around here!

Michael's favorite movie currently is Cars. He got it for Christmas. One day I found him acting out the opening race scene to the movie.



He started by setting up an accident strewn path. He sets one car upside down. As his car, the Lightening McQueen car, races through the accident strewn track, he jumps on the wheels of the upside down car and over the wrecked vehicles on the track all the while hanging his tongue out of his mouth.



Too funny! Television definitely has an impact on kids' behavior.

Of course I've done some knitting lately. I knit a pair of socks for a man at church that broke his ankle. Naturally, I forgot to take a picture. I also started knitting another pair of socks, but frogged them last night. No picture. Then there is my Mom's sweater. One of these days I need to get a picture of that too.