A sewing FO

While knitting has not been so productive.......sewing has seen at least one successful FO.....

Vintage inspired skull motif apron........

And don't forget the matching miniature dish soap apron......

Love!!! making aprons for folks who I know will enjoy them......and when I can find fabric that fits their persona.......

Did you notice I wrote "successful" sewing project......I'm currently in battle with some vinyl coated fabric......I'm attempting to make the reusable sandwich bag pattern from Sewing Green. Super easy pattern that will help my quest to avoid using plastic baggies......but that vinyl cloth is a bitch to work with.........I'll let ya know if I can conquer this sewing hill......

Where has my knitting mojo gone?

I just haven't been knitting that much lately........and it's making me sad!  I want to knit, but haven't wanted to cast on any new projects until I get some lingering projects off the needles........this idea SUCKS! 

I'm not digging my current projects and find I just don't want to knit on them.........Seriously, why did I think I wanted to knit a lace and 3x3 ribbed summer top, out of fingering weight splitty cotton yarn???  Orangina....I'm talking to you!  This thing just won't grow.  

And....Twist, your cables have burned me out for a while.....

Socks......you're fine, but I leave you for work knitting......

Looks like there's only one thing to do............start a cast on frenzy to fuel my mojo......

Liesl pictures.....

I just realized I never posted finished pictures of Liesl.  I had intended on taking pictures of her while in action at a wedding I was at last weekend. I indeed wore her in the cooler Northern California weather, but apparently had camnesia.  

So here she is in my usual FO photo spot.....the bathroom mirror. 

those spots are on the mirror, not my shirt.....gotta clean that mirror more often

Pattern: Liesl by Ysolda Teague

Needles: Knit Picks Options US#8 32 inch circ

Yarn:  Rowan Summer Tweed in sage green

Modifications: I did the short sleeve, 3 button version, but it ended up too tight around the boobage, so I went with the one vintage button closure option.  I think I like this look even better than the 3 buttons. Since it's lace, you can't even see the other 2 button holes I made. 

There was some crazy business in picking up and knitting the sleeves.  Thanks to Ravelry, I was able to read a ton of other knitters problems/solutions for this and I didn't have too much trouble continuing in pattern for the sleeves.  My severe blocking, however, did shift the pattern a bit, but I don't think it's too obvious. 

Comments:  I did the size 38, despite my size 41 bust.....I made this decision due to the fact all my sweaters tend to come out too big, as I knit very lose when I get going. Also, since it's cotton and lace, I figured it would grow a lot. Well, it didn't grow and was right on gauge, so it was a little snugly around the girls.  I wet blocked the heck out of it and it turned out that I could do a single button closure and it fits perfectly.  I love the color! This yarn, despite being cotton, was super easy to work with and did not hurt my hands like other cottons.  I would certainly knit with it again.  

This is a super fun, easy pattern and I highly recommend it. I love a pattern with a few variations....feels like I'm getting more than my money's worth.  I'm thinking of doing the cap sleeve shorter version in red. 

It's the perfect cooler weather cardigan.....I'm thinking beach cardigan all the way here!!

  

Liesl done

Liesl is done and taking a dip in the pool of the spare bathroom sink.....

I don't even care about the flub I made....she looks great.  Might be a tad too small around the boobage (dang the girls sometimes!) , but even so she's PRETTY and GREEN! 

Here's to hoping she's blocked out and dried by this weekend....I got a wedding to go to that she would look lovely at!!!  

DOH!

There I was......finished with the body of Liesl.....just starting on the first sleeve.  I read all the posts on Ravelry forum about how the sleeves are a bitch to line up in pattern....I figured out how to alleviate the problem.....I knit the first round of the first sleeve, then the first yarn over row.....

Then the realization ....... I completely omitted the garter ridge row on the body!......I was purling where I should have been knitting......so my feather and fan doesn't have the little ridge you see in the photo on the pattern (go here to see what I'm talking about)......DOH!!  

Well, I figure no biggy and I'm for sure NOT going to reknit the entire body. I can totally live with the flat pattern. I'll just mimic the mistake in the sleeves and call it a "modification"......Say La Vee

Where has the time gone?

It's been ages since I've posted last.....Where has the time gone?  

It seems Facebook has been taking all most my bloggy time, since I and spew out my thoughts and post pictures all willy nilly. But, I do like this little blog for the creative stuff, so I will vow to keep it up. 

There has been some knitting going on, but it seems to be slow going and really no finished items since Felicity.  It's not that I don't want to knit....it's that time seems to be being sucked away by other things. This is something I dearly want to change in the upcoming weeks. 

I did finish a sewing project tonight.  A housewarming gift for a co-worker......

My signature housewarming/hostess gift seems to have become a handmade apron.  Everyone seems to dig them, and I LOVE making them. 

gotta love dingle berries!!

Oh, I almost forgot. There was one little knitted FO this past week

Thong speedo! 

I was bantering on Facebook with a friend who jokingly asked me to knit him a salmon colored speedo........so I did.  I'm going to give it to his wife and she swears she will make him post pictures, even if she has to get him slobbery drunk to do it!  

You can find out the specs here (ravelry link)

There are a couple of projects fast approaching finishing.....so hopefully it won't be so long between posts. 

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Last fall, this went up a mere 2 blocks from my house.......

WOOHOO!!  I LOVE fresh, local strawberries and we have an awesomely long berry season around here. 

With this place so close, there will be fresh berries all the time. 

YUM!