Next Week, To-Do List

I’ve got quite a lot to get finished next week. So, I thought I would make a To-Do List here and we can all see whether I can get it done in a week. hahahahaha

• Finish up design and pattern for magazine publication. Mostly finished at this point. Just need some trim and finishing, then the pattern, of course.
• Finalize patterns for two new designs for website, including two separate layouts, one for print and one for download.
• Finalize class preparations for May online Crochetville classes.
• Make video of fptr-sc, the stitch used in the Sweetheart Ripple Afghan. (This is really something that is dependent on whether Brianna is available for handling the video.)

Okay, that looks like everything that I would really like to get finished this week. Writing it down makes it look a lot less than I had in my head. Since it looks loads easier than I originally thought, maybe I can convince my brain that it’s easy and I’ll actually get it all finished in a week.

New Photo Shoot

As it turns out, I really needed to take some time off. I needed it very badly. When my mother was considering a visit to see me this week, I jumped at the opportunity. I hated to see her go this morning, though.

While she was here, she allowed me to photograph her in my new design.

Isn’t she lovely.

And, I also took the opportunity for my photo shoot with Brianna. These will be the photos I’ll use on the website. I had really thought I would have these ready this week. It looks like it will be next week since the body needed a rest.

Look What We Did Yesterday!

Do you think he was having fun?

Look Who’s #4 on Annie’s Attic!

While browsing today, I happened to notice that my Afghan Variegations book is in the #4 position of the top 20 crochet at Annie’s Attic! Yay!

These are temporary photos of the two designs I mentioned. Next week, I’ll be working toward getting the patterns available to you. They are both top-down styles with absolutely no seaming. This way, you can try them on as you go for the best fit. And, you can make them longer or shorter much more easily.

I’ll be doing a short photo shoot with Brianna next week (since she is rarely around during the weekend hahahahaha).

Working, Working, Working

I really thought that, with the completion of my book, I would have more time on my hands, at least for awhile. I thought things would get less hectic. But, I started writing down the things that I had to stop in order to write the book and it turned out to be quite a long list. So, immediately afterward, I got started and haven’t been able to stop since.

Granted, I did finally get some time to do a bit of overdue cleaning like clearing out Christian’s extraneous toys and hanging that rug on the wall. Oh, and the Lady Godiva herself asked what I used to hang it up there. I use Hercules Hooks to hang up everything.

I took on the challenge of designing some spring/summer garments in a top-down style. I haven’t done this before and I’m always looking for something different. The attraction with top-down designs is that they usually don’t have any seaming and you get to try them on as you go for a better fit. I can certainly see the attraction in that!

I started one of the designs on a Friday night and had it finished by Saturday night. I was so excited about it. It was in Brianna size which means that it didn’t take long to finish. But, one day to finish means that it was literally an entire day of crocheting. But, that’s how excited I was about it! Without missing a beat, I immediately grabbed more yarn and stitched up the 2X size. It’s quite an easy task to design clothing in Brianna size. But, I wanted to be absolutely certain that this style would size up properlly. It took some creative use of math, but, by Sunday night (Monday morning rather), I had the 2X size complete.

Still not missing a beat, I designed another top in Brianna size which I had finished by Wednesday. Yes, I took my time on that one! hahahaha

I had to stop this design fest to start another because there was a really large submission due by Friday. And, there were class proposals due by this Monday.

You see? The work just didn’t stop. It started getting even more fierce! Yikes!

The two tops will go up on my website in about a week or possibly two weeks. But, I’ll have photos for you as soon as I can get a breather and the weather is nice for photography. Soon! Very soon!

New Publication:Turning Stone Baby Hoodie

My Turning Stone Baby Hoodie design was just published on the Naturally Caron website on Friday.

I’m particularly proud of this design because it’s the first time I was able to get the hood to look exactly the way I wanted. I have tried three different styles of hood and finally got it right on the charming third time. This design is made from Naturally Caron Spa, a bamboo blend. It can be made with or without sleeves.

Enjoy!

A New Wall

About two years’ ago, I purchased a large 8-foot rug for Brianna’s room. Covering the walls does a lot to make a room look nice. Ever since I put the rug up, I’ve been looking for a rug to put in the living room. I finally found one in January. But, as you know, I was swamped with projects and a book to write. The poor rug sat there next to the wall all this time. Christian became quite fond of it, in fact.

Tonight, Brianna and I put it up together. It took both of us. I have absolutely no idea how I got the first rug on Brianna’s wall by myself, though. It must have been sheer mother’s will to surprise her daughter before she got home from school.

Here, you have a rare glimpse inside my home. hahahaha

Toy Reduction and Back to Work

Now that the book is finished, there are many things I needed to do.  I have a lot of designs on the drawing board. And, I was truly itching to get started on them. This need was so great that, on Friday evening, I started a new design immediately. And, by Saturday evening, the Brianna size was complete. Without even losing a beat, I started working on the 2X size.

Now, I don’t normally stitch up the other sizes. I will extrapolate from the first size to determine the remainder. But, this design was so exciting for me that I immediately picked up some other yarn in comparable size to get to work. The 2X size (although I still need to add neckline and armhole trim) was finished, I kid you not, by Sunday night. Actually, that was really early Monday morning. Two entire garments done in three days.

The design is so uniquely constructed that I really wanted to make sure that it would size up well to the larger sizes. I found some gorgeous sportweight yarn from Yarntopia Treasures in a bamboo cotton blend. The colorway I have for this is called Thailand, a navy, bright yellow and green combination. Absolutely gorgeous. I have used just over 900 yards for the 2X! The design is absolutely wonderful and I’m thrilled that it works so well and can be completed so quickly.

Unfortunately, I needed to be up early on Monday. So, quite strangely, I stayed up the entire night without sleeping at all. And, that’s when I began the second design. I had an appointment at 11:00am on Monday and without sleeping at all that day, I went out. Once I came back, although very tired, I continued working on the second design, finally dropping off to sleep at 9:30pm. That is the very first time I’ve ever done that. But, I guess the excitement got to me. That second design model was finished yesterday evening. A whirlwind designing frenzy that lasted about 4-1/2 days. Whew!

I’ll show you photos as soon as I can. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to get everything finished by next week sometime.

Other than my to-do list for work, I also had a lot of things I wanted to do around the home and this has now begun as well.

This morning, after making some delicious oatmeal with apples and washing a sinkful of dishes, I declared it The Great Toy Reduction of 2009. Brianna and I brought all of Christian’s toys into the kitchen. Every one of them. Then, the sorting and organizing began. Three huge garbage bags of toys later, we have a bit of organization to the chaos that is a small child’s toys.

It really needed to be done. And, it always has to be done quickly and with a lot of distraction for Christian. It’s shocking how many toys a child can accumulate in a year. And, so many of them were broken. There’s nothing worse than Christian bringing me a toy to “fix” when it’s beyond fixing.

I’m so happy to have that knocked off my home to-do list. All of his toys are neatly organized in the kitchen now. I’ve tried several different places for his toys. And, last night, when I asked Brianna what she thought about us putting the toys in the kitchen, she said “well, it will look less like a day care in the living room.” hahahahaha Why don’t you tell me how you really feel, Brianna.

Oh, I’m Sorry. Did I Wake You?

If I woke you up at about 2:30 am this morning with whoops and hollers, I’m terribly sorry. But, well, I finished writing my book at that time and I was so amazingly thrilled that I didn’t take into consideration the fact that you were probably sleeping.

Fiber Gathering: The Blog Book Tour

Fiber Gathering: Knit, Crochet, Spin, and Dye More than 20 Projects Inspired by America’s Festivals

This is really the very first time I have ever participated in a blog book tour. It’s a fun concept. Several blog writers get together and write about different aspects of a book. And, you can browse the list of links to see what others have to say. Definitely fun! And, here I am, ready to write about this extraordinary book, the brainchild of Joanne Seiff.

“Perfect for the armchair traveler and fiber enthusiast alike, Fiber Gathering lets you bring America’s most celebrated festivals into your heart and home–and inspires you to create clothing, art, and meaning from these time-honored crafts.”

When Joanne first wrote to me about contributing to her book, I was positively thrilled! It was our first communication. She had visited my website and wanted to know if I would be willing to contribute a men’s design to the book. When I found out some of the details of the book, I couldn’t possibly say no.

Fiber Gathering. The name itself says a lot. You already know that you’re going to be assaulted with what we all know and love. Fiber. Of all sorts. The kind of fiber that gets spun into yarn. And, you know how much we love yarn! This book brings together and reviews different festivals across our country. I’ve never been to one of these festivals and I really wish that I could. But, the book brings the festivals to me, right in my living room. Unfortunately, it makes me want to go to one even more. But, that will have to wait at least until Christian gets a little bit older.

When I finally got the book in my hands, I realized that it was exactly what I thought it would be. My friends, it’s a coffee table book. And, not just any coffee table book. It’s a YARN coffee table book.

Let me just tell you what you’ll find in this book, even before we get to the patterns. Did I mention yarn? Oh, my! Everywhere, as far as the eye can see. Page after page of yummy goodness. The photo that first caught my eye was from the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival. There are what appears to be at least 10 huge, huge bags of hand-dyed unspun fiber. HUGE! Absolutely beautiful.

I love the photo of all the people at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. Signs on buildings that remind me of going to carnivals when I was much younger. Signs that read “Cotton Candy”, “Hot & Cold Drinks”, “Popcorn”. Oh, the fun! The signs that read “Lamb Sausage”, “Lamb Gyros” and “Lemonade.” Even though I have never been to a festival like this, I can already feel the spirit because, like I said, it brings me back to those happy memories filled with excitement as a child. I can feel the spirit of a festival based on these childhood memories. Childhood memories to carnivals with all the lights and the fast-moving rides. Now, I can bring all the excitement and fun into my adult world of fiber!

Aside from the many lovely patterns in the book, there are some tutorials that are especially interesting.

• How to Wash Fleece: A General Guide
• Spinning for Speed
• Learning to Hand Dye Multicolored Yarn
• Inexpensive Tools for Spinning: A Drop Spindle
• Preparing for and Helping at a Sheep Shearing

Isn’t that fantastic? If it’s Fiber, it’s in the book. This is just the most fascinating book I own. I am awed and inspired by the amount of information Joanne has pulled together.

But, now, we’ll get to the patterns. And, thanks to the beauty that is Ravelry, you can jump right over to the book page and peruse the different designs at your leisure.

My design is a Men’s Mock Cable Sweater. But, as you will quickly see, this sweater is not just for men! Except for the ribbing in the hem, wrist and neck, this design is completely in crochet. I used a lovely alpaca/wool blend called Alpaca Elegance from Green Mountain Spinnery. There are six sizes provided, to fit chest measurements of 36-56″. More information about this design can be found earlier in my blog here.

And, now, here’s the list for your 10-day trek through Fiber Gathering. Please be sure to return to Joanne’s site for your chance at winning some lovely yarn!

31 March, Joanne Seiff, author, Yarn Spinner

1 April, Kim Guzman, designer, WIPs ‘N Chains

2 April, Rosemary Hill, designer, Rosemary-go-round

3 April, Donna Druchunas, tech editor extraordinaire!, Donna Druchunas’ Blog

4 April, Cathy Adair-Clark, designer, Catena Expressions

5 April, Terri Shea, designer, Spinning Wheel

6 April, Chrissy Gardiner, designer, Knittin’ Mom

7 April, Jeff marcus, photographer, Yarn Spinner (guest)

8 April, JoLene treace, designer, JoLene Treace Unraveled

9 April, Cindy Moore, designer, Fitter Knitter

Enjoy!