Monday, March 20, 2006

Happy Spring!

It really does feel like spring here too with the sun out and a warm-ish 15 degrees Celsius. Lots of blossoms and flowers help the mood. I started my kumihimo braid for a swap that’s due soon. I was inspired by Spring so it’s a Cherry Blossom in pink, green, and variegated.



Sweet! While working the braid I realized that I was doing one of the cross moves using the wrong hands. This can cause the strands to not cross in the correct direction in some braids, but I’ve looked at it every which way and I’m pretty sure this is right. So why do the diagrams in 2 different books show it with the two hands opposite? It’s so much more symmetrical done this way. Might be “tradition” that’s the answer. Whatever. I’m doing it my way, like a good little rebel.

I’ve been super busy this last few days with family and friends, so I’m really getting behind in my blogging. I had a weavers guild meeting on Thursday, a luncheon with friends (from the guild) on Friday, a sewing show and a housewarming on Saturday, plus babysitting the grandkid, and last but not least I was so tired yesterday that I didn’t get much done except housework! Whew. My arms and neck are still sore from lugging around little ones on Saturday. Doesn’t matter how much exercise I do I can’t get my upper body strength up high enough so I don’t suffer after overdoing it just a bit. But I sure had fun with my nephew’s little 4-month-old baby girl and my sweet little toddler granddaughter! Even though she can finally walk, she didn’t like looking at nothing but a forest of grownup legs at the party! Her mom had to leave the party early and her dad was working, so we brought her home for her dad to collect later. It was nice to have her for an extended visit.

Before the party we (including my mother-in-law) went to a sewing show. It was ok but expensive to get in at $10 plus tax. At least the T-Man was free! (I guess they want to encourage hubbies to bring their wives.) I spent quite a bit of time looking at serger/overlock machines. I think this is the one I want. But I don’t want to get it from the shop that had the booth because it’s too far from my house. If I’m going to take the classes that come with the machine, I’m not going to truck all over the countryside. There are occasional disadvantages to not driving. There’s a shop within walking distance of me, but I don’t know what price they want for this same model. Maybe if I show them the sale brochure they’ll match it?

I also looked at a ton of different notions and gadgets while ignoring all the quilting and bear-making stuff. I got a couple of fat quarters of really gorgeous silk damask: one covered in dragonflies and one with dragons for $8 each. I could have bought a lot more but I controlled myself! I got some heavy interfacing stuff (like Timtex) and some non-skid backing for my Omni-grid rulers and a non-stick press sheet. I fell for some lovely rayon embroidery thread on cones for only $10 for 3. I got 6 because I couldn’t decide what colours to pick! Now I need to actually do something with this collection, right?

I also had a chance to try the Ninja Sock on the Ninja’s actual foot. I got the other toes right but the big toe needs to be partially frogged and the top re-done again. I’ll get this darn thing right if it kills somebody. (Preferably not me!) Once I get the pattern corrected though I can make any number of tabi socks without stress. This is what a sock looks like while I’m wrestling with the toes. Scary, huh? Like a porcupine. I was too lazy to use a thread to hold the extra stitches so I just used more needles.

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