New Toy!!

At the beginning of the year I made a decision to do something about the extra weight I have gained over the past couple of years. I told myself that if I lost the 10 pounds I wanted to by my birthday, I was going to buy myself a nice new toy to make a project I saw in a magazine that made me drool.

Since I lost the weight, and last weekend was my birthday, I ordered my new toy and all the supplies for that drool worthy project. I was so pleasantly surprised yesterday when I got home from work to find that both orders had arrived.

Behold my new Boomerang Bead Loom. Isn't she lovely? It took me about an hour last night to warp the loom, and about another hour and a half to weave the first 2 rows of that project.



As you can see below, at 2 rows per hour and a half of work, this project is going to take me forever to complete. But complete it I will!!



Too bad my photography skills are so poor that you can't see the pattern emerging. Hopefully when more of it is complete I can get a better photo. Today I did another 3 rows. Woohoo!!



This afternoon was an extension to my birthday. Mom took me to lunch and we went shopping! We went to my favorite mexican restaurant, then hit the mall and wandered around the stores. The stop at Pier 1 was productive. I found a great terra cotta turtle for Paul to put on our back patio this summer. Mom and I both got a reed oil defuser to put in our bathrooms (she bought mine as my gift). I'm going to have to go back to stock up on this fragrance oil (fresh fig). I love it! Next we checked out a beauty supply store, and I scored one of my favorite Bliss body scrub/moisturizer sets. One I haven't seen in Sephora for quite awhile. Of course, since we were at the mall, I had to hit Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory to grab some more dark chocolate covered pretzels. Paul is in heaven now. I believe he likes those more than I do lol.

Even with the beading and shopping, I've not neglected my knitting and crocheting. The Merging Colors Bolero is coming along quite nicely. The body is complete, as well as the first sleeve. Tonight I should finish the second sleeve, and in a couple of days I should have the collar piece done. All that will be left then is the seaming and the weaving in of eleventy bazillion ends. This is knit using 3 strands of lace weight yarn held together. The shading is accomplished by changing 1 strand of the darkest color every 6 rows to the next lighter shade. I'd love to make a pullover using this technique one day.



Last Monday at a crochet group I go to, I finally pulled out the Yesterday Once More jacket again. After having to frog the entire thing since I apparently couldn't count on my starting chain, it took some time to face redoing the entire thing. It's well on it's way now. After this upcoming week's group meeting, the back should be complete, and I will again be back to where I was when I frogged it. I'd really like to get this complete so I can start on the skirt that goes with it.



The second of the Flying Carpet Socks is almost to the heel turn. I haven't knit on these much over the past week, and really should pick them up again. They are so close to being finished and it would be nice to knock another project off that endlessly long list of Shameful Projects I have.

Basket O Shame

I found a group on Ravelry that is right up my alley! The Basket O Shame KAL. Details, rules, etc. can be found Here.



My long shameful list:

Flying Carpet Socks
Mermaid Jacket
Merging Colors Bolero
Felted Pond Turtle
Sipalu Bag
Moorish Stripe Socks
Roped Shell
Mary Tudor Cardigan
Lace Knee Highs
Asymetrical Jacket
Ravenna Satchel 1
Ravenna Satchel 2 (yes, before I had finished the first I actually cast on for a second sigh)
Islander Pullover
Zarah Pullover
Bamboo Socks
Scheherazade Shawl

Some of these have been languishing for more than 2 years. Yikes!! This list does not contain any of the crochet projects I have sitting around either, as they do not count in this Along. Quite sad, and I'm suitably ashamed of myself.

I did some sewing this weekend. Finished up this wrap top, and started the pants that will go with it. I love how the top turned out, but if I never sew with sheer chiffon again, it will be too soon! A bit too fiddly for my tastes.



The pants aren't far enough along to show yet, but here's a photo of the pattern envelope. I chose a brown for the main color, and blue for the contrast.



Another finished project this weekend too! I finally did the finishing on the bellydance halter. Instead of the beads I was planning, I decided to go with the tassels that the pattern called for. This will be fun to wear to class.



My new main project (chosen with the cool spreadsheet yet again) is the Merging Colors Bolero I started in summer 2007. I got quite a bit knit on it today. A shame I put it away when I did. It's a really quick knit, and I could have been wearing it for 2 years!



Mermaid has gotten some attention too. Even though I am allowed to change my "secondary" projects when I get a new main one, I chose to continue working on the 2 I chose last time.






I really shouldn't have, since I haven't finished the Flying Carpet Socks I was allowed to cast on for finishing 2 projects in my WIP list, but I allowed myself to cast on a new project for finishing my 4th WIP. I purchased this yarn last weekend at Knitters' Mercantile's sale. It looks more blue in this picture to me than the beautiful purple it is. This will be the Silky Wool Vest from Boutique Knits. I fell in love with the pattern when I first saw it, and have been itching to make it ever since.



I think I'm going to need to add a new rule to my plan for this year. Until I finish the last newly cast on project, I won't be allowed to cast on another, even if I've finished enough WIPs. If I don't at least try to stick to this rule, I'll wind up with another long list of WIPs at the end of this year, even if it is half as long as last year's .

You win some, you lose some

I was in the mood to do some sewing this weekend, so pulled out a pattern and fabric I purchased in the fall and finally made the dress and jacket it was meant to be. Super simple pattern for both pieces. I'm thinking that I will make several of the dresses to go with the jacket, and may make another jacket in another color to coordinate with them too. I need to do a bit of work on the jacket. I need some bigger snaps where it attaches at the neckline. The ones I had just weren't strong enough for the weight of the jacket, even though the jacket is fairly lightweight.

I love the wide sleeves on the jacket. Very comfortable to wear. Got some nice comments on the outfit today at work.



The above would be my "win" ..... and below we have my "loss".

I had to completely frog the Yesterday Once More top yesterday. When I went to work on the right front, I realized that my starting chain wasn't for the size I needed :o( At least I haven't lost interest in the project. After seeing it almost complete, I want it even more than I did when I first saw the pattern. It worked up fairly quickly, so I'm hoping that I can have it back to the state it was in before its visit to the frog pond within a week or two.



I thought I was tired of garter stripes, but turns out they are great for movie knitting! I have just cast off for the first armhole on Mermaid 3. I adore this color combination and will get a lot of wear out of this fun colored jacket.



More sewing on the agenda for this week, along with some progress (finally) on the bellydance halter which is supposed to be my main project right now lol.