Swanee River

So I'm back to "Bird of Love." It's so much easier now that I've finished the white parts. The stitching was picky in those places. I couldn't do the quick down-up movement, you know, when you slip the needle into the fabric and right out the top again in one move. I had to actually pull the whole thread through the fabric down and through the fabric up. That was really slow. Also, the filet cross-stitch looks good with only a half-cross, so that's what I'm trying. You can see it in the swirly wave things at the bottom. If I like it, this little sweetheart will get done soon. We'll see.

Also, the Black Orchid socks have had some progress: one down, one left to go. So now I can say that I am knitting socks, not just a sock. Yay. I have 'em on size 0 needles (that's kinda like a long toothpick to the non-knitters out there). This way the socks should last a good long time. Tighter knit=thicker fabric=holes take longer to develop=less crying when I have to toss 'em.

Pictures or it's not Done

The Viper Pilot socks (Callsign Required) have jumped back into normal space. I remembered wrong and thought there was an error in my knitting. I must have spent an hour looking at the pattern and the socks trying to find the problem. I even tinked (that's k-n-i-t backwards) out three rows looking for the error. The error was there was no error. And the past me left no notes for the future (now present) me. (Actually now past, too.) I found my spot and got to work. The heel is now completed--although the pattern is a little vague on the heel flap--and I'm on to the foot. That means this project is 30% done.

• 10% cuff,


• 10% leg,


• 10% heel & gusset,


• 10% foot,


• 10% toe and weaving in ends.

Yeah, I know that's only 50%: there's a whole 'nuther sock to do. It was started in April of 2010 and seemed really hard. Now it's just paying attention.
These French Press slippers got done last year. I dove into my button stash to find a fun way to complete 'em. Yep, I know they don't match. I'm happy. I did the finishing touches back in November but POIND. (Pictures or it's not done.) Now it's done.
In a Garden got framed up and I'm very pleased with how it came out.

Now that it's framed it counts as done. I guess that's FOIND.

2011, All wrapped up

I read once that setting unattainable goals help you to stretch your limits. Hence 2011: The Madness. Mostly, I've been working my hinder-ender off. This job takes most of the creative time. That's not a bad thing: I've used my calligraphy skills to fashion signs for the chess case, my sewing skills to repair and replace game components, and my knitting to, well, keep me warm. Here, now removed from the side-bar, is a recap of

2011: The Madness

Socks: Make 12 pairs (5 down) Not bad, in my opinion. The last pair got finished on Christmas day!

Baby Booties: Make 6 pairs (1 down) 'Nuff said.
Sweater: Make 1 for me. Yeah, that's still in the dream stage.
Gloves: Make 3 pairs (see above)
Hats: Make 1 (done!) VICTORY!
Charity: Make 2 projects (1 down) 1>0 (that's not an emoticon: it's a mathematical expression)
New Baby Coming: make something (sorry, kid)
Non-charity quilts: Complete 6 --zilch (sewing machine mostly used to convert ugly boy uniform shirts into pretty girl uniform shirts so I don't look like a shlub at work)
Charity tops: Make 12 (3 down--there may have been more)
Morsbags: Make 30 + Zipper bags: Make 30 (grouped here to make it look like less)
Bonus: 1 apron (WOOT!)
Cross-stitch projects: Complete 6 (2 down) Well, that's somethin'
"Involved" beadwork: Complete 1 + Earrings: Make 20 pairs for sale No beads, no how.
S&SF/Asimov mags: read 12 (6.5 down--halfway there!) .5 refers to the one I lost in Costco halfway through. Meh.
Non-fiction Books: read 4 (2 down) Really? Just 2? Just checked. Yup. 2.
Classic Literature: read 4 (done)
Other Books: read 12 (done! +2)

So if we break all this down into what's really been completed:

• FIVE pairs of socks



• ONE pair baby booties



• ONE hat



• ONE charity bear



• THREE charity quilt tops, maybe more



• TWO cross-stitch projects



• 26.5 books and magazines read

So really, all this AND a thirty-hour job AND a home AND a teenager getting ready to graduate from high school: not bad. I'd be willing to bet that none of my co-workers at the game store made five pairs of socks last year. So there.