crafty

I wore holes clean through the heels of my lovely SmartWool knee highs. Too sad to let them go, I crafted the legs and insteps into fingerless gloves and the toes into cat toys. Olive approves:

kitty as pillow is always the solution

Maybe I just shouldn't knit for myself.

All of my recent knitting projects have been fairly risky in terms of color choice and construction style, and the risks have paid off beautifully. Until now. I bought some gorgeous celery colored Cascade Magnum with the intention of knitting something for myself. I scoured Ravelry for the perfect pattern, struggled through the slightly vague UK instructions and bound off what promised to be a cozy, chunky bolero. What I ended up with was more akin to a grade school loop weave pot holder with arm holes. Sweet P said, "Well, that's hideous" and i hung it on the back of a chair. It even makes the chair look fat and cheap. I'm not sure any amount of blocking is going to save this hot mess.

Hence the kitty pillow.

Think I'll frog it and start over on something else. I think I'd better knit a project for someone else first.

olive is helpful

this is how we spend our mornings

The mic on my iPad isn't working so you'll have to provide your own sound track. I scanned down my legs, not for scandalous reasons, but to show that her tail is all tucked in. Lily is such a funny little ball of fat and fur. She insists on sitting in your lap and being pet. She follows you around the house and yells at you for not providing a lap to be pet in. She cries like a hound dog when Sweet P leaves the house.

In other news, based on many conversations like the one below, I am back on the no sugar, dairy or gluten diet. Albeit slowly. I haven't gone cold turkey yet since we still have the offending food stuffs in our kitchen and I loathe wasting food.

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Eryn: I am sooooo with you in this boat. A few years back I saw an acupuncturist and it actually helped. That and he recommended an "allergy season diet" - which helped even more. No wheat, dairy or sugar from first symptoms till first frost. It makes me cry every time I see a pancake - but much less sneezing is worth it.

Emily: I've been thinking that. Ugh. It was an awful night last night. 2 benedryl didn't make a dent, slept sitting up, sneezed every 10 seconds until I passed out. I think I'd better seriously consider the allergy sea on diet. It's made a big difference, eh?

Eryn: Night and day. Went from practically mainlining Allegra 180 PLUS Singulair and still being sneezy and miserable for 3 months to only taking the singulair on particularly bad days.

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In other, other news as a part of my campaign to remain artistically courageous I'm working through the Linklater book with a friend. He drew some particularly funny "how I see my voice now" and "how I want to see my voice" pictures while gently faux weeping. If nothing else it will be fun.

Sweet P and I continue to talk next steps and alternately experience the future as insurmountable and wide open. Luckily we're able to trade off being the ballast while the other flails. God bless my perfect partner.

giraffes

havin' a giraffe, originally uploaded by jamesgalpin.


Inspired by Riley [and because I'm tired of hearing myself complain about the life ruling pain in my back (which was not improved by the massage today)]* I will now list things that make me happy today:

• Sweet P -- always. 
• Giraffes -- obviously.
• Sunny sun sunshine -- break the sky, sun! Get the winter out of my bones!
• Quilting -- okay, I admit it. I spent time online working with a Bernina comparison chart to figure out what new walking foot I should look for so my quilting won't get bunchy. I'm a seamstress now. Okay, fine.
• Tiger Balm patches -- THAT'S ABOUT MY BACK, BUT IT'S POSITIVE!
• Lily the sweet stupid fat cat -- she laid on the massage table with me very quietly and sweetly.

Alright. The pain in my back is telling me I need to switch from cold to heat now. Where's that kitty when I need her?

*Apparently that sentence required brackets, parenthesis and an asterisk. 

in my crafting world

Jenny the-wig-run-room-kitty-loving-quilt-maker and I are making a baby quilt for some mutual friends. Behold the cool and warm complimentary fabrics that will become zig-zags. 

Ooo... zig-zag.

I love these ladies. 

Also, I've been embroidering the center panel of my sister's wedding shawl. I had a small introduction to embroidering back when we were making the Master Butchers quilt, but it has now become a full on obsession. I am also a little obsessed with these crewel kits that Purl sells -- embroidery with YARN?!?!? WHAT?!?!?

This is Lily. She's not a craft. She's just super cute. Look how she's resting her little cheek on the foot of my dulcimer stand. Also, that's my dulcimer. Note the cardinal shaped sound holes.