New York, New York

One day I will move there. I'm definitely going back over the summer to do some fabric shopping. But I just can't figure out why I keep coming back feeling a bit depressed. Maybe it's because I'm also really tired.
I am also almost done with the Ribbon X-Back tank. How exciting!

The newly painted dining room

My project for the weekend. I finished up the trim work today. I wasn't sure about the colors and the sponging when the room was still taped up but now...it's perfect. Not quite the yellow lined green (or was it green lined yellow) bead effect I was going for but this is good. And see, doesn't the table and chairs just look perfect in there? Now, imagine that white vase on the table with a couple of more sunflowers in it and some bells of ireland (tall green things) and maybe a couple of fern spkies. Isn't it pretty? And now I need to figure out the colors with which to reupholster the chairs, and to make a table runner with... It never ends.

Another weekend, another project

Patty and Gabe came over today to help me with the dining room. It's now painted and sponged. I need to do the trim tomorrow. Looking pretty good. There will be pictures later.
I went to 7 corners today where there's a Joann's, Michaels and G Street Fabric. I never made it to G Street since I'd already spent my money at Joann's and Michaels. I found a container for the daisy topiary and I found an 8 lb box of Sculpey. Whoo hoo! So I went ahead and got the rest of the stuff for making the topiary. The structure should be put together by tomorrow. Then I start working the diasies in. Should be go pretty quickly then.
Have a hard time knitting and beading with my wrists feeling strained so the Bells of Ireland are coming along slowly but I'm determined to finish the first stalk. I want a Bells of Ireland and Sunflower arrangement in the dining room.

Updating the to do and wish lists...

I hate repetitive stress syndrome or whatever it's called. Need my little brace thingy again. I think cozy is causing my left wrist to act up...gotta take it easy on the knitting and beading.
I was at Upscale Resale on Saturday and found the perfect dining room table and chairs. I gave myself 24 hours and went back and bought it. It's being delivered tomorrow afternoon. It has inspired me to paint the dining room this weekend. Benjamin Moore Lime green below the chair railing and something like Benjamin Moore Butter above the chair railing and then I'm sponging in a gold on top of the butter.

My current list of works in process looks like this:

• continue with Cozy - my fingers hurt from this sometimes...but I'm on skein 4 of 8 on this.
• foxglove
• bells of ireland
• dew drop branches
• sunflowers - eventually Reshma's bday present for the year
• Dutch Iris - really need to finish this off.
• ribbon tank that I started 2 years ago
• ribbon tank using Crystal Palace summer net yarn that I was making a tube top with...didn't fit so I took it apart.

Wish list of stuff I want to start looks like this:

• daisy topiary - need to figure out what kind of base I want to do
• water lily
• cymbidium orchids and votive candle decorations.
• some beaded earrings
• various knitting projects

At least this will keep me busy and I have most of the materials already so I don't have to buy much.

Yay! Tulips!

Tulips are done! And today I have to part with them. Calculated out to be about 28 hours of work.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

So, I had bought some Crystal Palace Summer Net yarn to make a tube top. I made the tube top and I don't like how it fits, how I have a hard time to put it on or take it off. I need to learn how to make a bound off edge of ribbing more stretchy. So instead, I'm going to take it apart and try this.

Me in the mirror with rosebud. I really need to find someone else to take a picture. 

Another year of tulipmania

As you can see, they're getting there. Half are planted and the rest of the parts are all done, lacing included and just need to be assembled and planted. Yay! The two standing straight up are garnet and the bent tulip is my favorite jet lined ruby.
Rosebud was also finished completely today. I wore her to work and to the Arlington Stitch n' Bitch. Everyone oohed and ahhed. They also liked the sleeve alteration. I'll hopefully have a picture in the morning. Need more light.

The wishlist keeps growing!

So, I realized that my friend has a little baby girl I can make clothes for...that's a scary thought. And I found more clothes that I want to knit. There's a cute little chevron tank in the current issue of Rebecca. I was watching Knitty Gritty on DIY network and saw a cute little sweater to make. So much! So much! I've started planting tulips (beaded of course)...oh, how the weekend needs to be longer. I drove down to Charlottesville yesterday to visit Studio Baboo and see their new space...and also get another spinner.
Important lesson! Never pack your spinner in your checked luggage. I don't know what they did but somehow, the brass rod on my favorite spinner was bent. ARG!!!
Today, I came home and found that my washer was having some issues...like it doesn't know when to stop adding water. I need to call Mr. Repairman.
To do list:

• finish off neck of Rosebud and take a picture
• continue with Cozy - my fingers hurt from this sometimes...but I'm on skein 4 of 8 on this.
• tulips....almost done. time for planting!
• foxglove
• bells of ireland
• dew drop branches
• sunflowers - eventually Reshma's bday present for the year
• Dutch Iris - really need to finish this off.

One sleeve down!

Sewed on 1 sleeve of Rosebud tonight. The other is still pinned to the futon. I'll finish her before the week is through. Yay! I tried her on and I love the material! I'm also glad that I changed the sleeves a bit and used a lace pattern at the end rather than a regular stockinette stitch.

Progress!

I am blocking Rosebud. Maybe tomorrow, I will be able to sew the sleeves on and be done! Whee! Tulips are getting there as well.
Current List of things to do...

• Finish Rosebud
• Continue working on Cozy
• Tulips for Jim
• Bells of Ireland
• Dew dropped branches
• Daisy topiary
• sunflower
• foxglove
• Dutch Iris
• I still need to dump some orchid potting mix into the dancing ladies...but this is low on the priority list

I still feel like I'm missing something. There's also a couple of other knitting projects that I've begun but haven't quite finished and those are also low on the priority list.

Home...for a weekend

I was supposed to be in Philadelphia doing the Broad Street Run...but with last week's fever, a lot of people would've yelled at me if I had gone. So instead, I was home...where I proceeded to stay up half the night reading the Shop on Blossom Street and A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber. Fictional stories centering around knitting and a yarn store. I definitely could've used more sleep this weekend.
My laptop is on the fritz. The socket where I plug in the adapter doesn't seem to be working anymore so there's no power and the battery can't charge. My adapter is also half broken and if you twist it just right, you get sparks. It's a bit of a fire hazard. So now I've got a cat5 cable running from the upstairs to downstairs...I got a wireless card for this computer but I need to set it up. Silly me for wanting to actually lock down my wireless network...I think that's where the trouble started with trying to set this up.
More progress on the tulips for Jim, and Paula's shawl, and even on Rosebud. I finally sewed up Rosebud's shoulder seems and started really shaping the sleeve cap - it's really off right now. I tried on the body and ooohhhhhhh, it feels so nice, I may have to make a plain tank top version!