Where did summer go?

I'll be the first to admit that I don't love summer. I really don't. It's too hot (and boy howdy was it hot this summer!), too sunny, too allergy-inducing, and just too icky. The one and only redeeming quality about summer is its relaxed energy. I work for the Purdue Libraries, and much of what we do revolves around the school year. We are busy from mid-August to early May, and we treasure those few months in between. We have time to work on projects--like repurposing a little-used basement office into a reservable group study space or weeding duplicate books that haven't been used in 10 years or sending older issues of journals to repository storage. We have time for training staff how to use new resources. We have time to take vacations.

But this summer went too fast. Between cramming in a last-minute family vacation in June, my daughter's enrollment in Summer PE in July, and marching band camp the first week of August, our summer was eaten up in a flash.

My daughter started high school and my son started his last year of elementary school last week. This week, all the Purdue students are back. Don't get me wrong! I love fall! I love the energy the returning students bring with them. The sense of possibilities and potential is almost palpable. I love that my kids are back in school, learning and spending time with their friends. It just seemed to get here much more quickly than I was expecting.

I had a list of big things I wanted to accomplish this summer that just didn't get done.

• Paint my kitchen cabinets
• Build a sectional daybed thing for the front room (I know this sounds weird, but trust me: it's going to be way cool)
• Learn how to use my knitting machine
• Paint the dining area (really just an extension of the kitchen)

I'm hoping all of those things will be done by Christmas, in addition to my list of fall projects. We'll see.

So, sayonara summer. I hope when you return in May your stay will be more pleasant.

Hello, fall! Even though you're here sooner than I expected, your cooler temps and wonderful smells will be a welcome change!

In closing, check out the adorableness we discovered in our front shrubs Friday afternoon:

Claire

This morning, I was surprised to find that Diana Gabaldon, the author of the amazing Outlander series of books, tweeted about MY Claire's Shawl!!!

Currently, the pattern can be purchased through the River Knits Yarns website. However, I'm hoping to have it available for sale through Ravelry very soon!

Ah! I'm so floored!

Crafty weekend fun

We had a good time at my house last weekend. All week, I had planned on taking the day Saturday to figure out my new-to-me knitting machine. I got it free from a lady who said, "I just want it out of my house." Okay. It's a Brother ElectroKnit KH-910. I'm very intimidated by this thing. It didn't have a manual, but I found one online.

Even so, I let the intimidation get the best of me. I told myself (and those around me) that the lack of sleep Thursday night was really affecting me on Saturday and my brain was too tired to learn something new. You see, my daughter and I went to the midnight premier of "The Dark Knight Rises." Learning something new just wasn't possible in my sleep-deprived state. In my heart, though, I know it was intimidation. I won't let the knitting machine get the best of me. As soon as Ravellenics (formerly Knitting Olympics) is over, it's going down! I'm going to conquer that thing!

My avoidance did have some productive results, though. I made a few draw-string project bags to go with my purse. Yes, I had some small drawstring project bags already, but they were quite small and didn't match my bag. So, I did some thinking and looking around at other project bags. I knew the bags I already had were great for socks or other very small projects. But for a shawl, scarf, or larger project, I needed something a little bigger. Maybe just taller. I also didn't like that I had to guess what was inside the bag, or open it first. An excellent solution can be found in Tom Bihn's Yarn Stuff Sack. Clear vinyl bottom? I can do that! At least, I think I can....I've never sewn with vinyl before. Let's try it out!

Look at that! I CAN sew with vinyl! So, I decided to try my luck with zippers too.

That's the Boxy Little Pouch from Three Bears. It measures about 5" x 3" x 3." Perfect for my little knitting implements--like scissors, stitch markers, tape measure, and sewing-up needles.And this method for sewing in a zipper is super easy!

I also cut out all the pieces for a fall version of my purse. I assembled most of the pieces, but realized I only had one magnetic snap. So, the lining and the outside are done, just waiting on the snap so I can put it all together. Maybe I'll have time one evening this week.

Then, last night, I whipped this together:

It's a little pouch for my earbuds. Tutorial available from Dog Under My Desk. Mine is far from perfect. Sewing a curve is tough. I need to practice.


Seriously? I never knew sewing was this fun! If you had told me six months ago that I would enjoy sewing, I'd have called you crazy. I blame Pinterest. And not in a bad way! It's just piqued my interest in things I probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.

Speaking of which, my daughter, Tori, who is 14 went into a Pinterest-induced cooking and crafting frenzy last weekend too! She made Chicken Taquitos (delicious!),Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls (potentially delicious with a few tweaks), Nutella Chip Cookies (om nom nom), and some string art for her bedroom wall (which I will have HER tell you about in a future post).

All in all, a very productive weekend at the Gill household!

Beginning tomorrow: Ravellenics (formerly Ravelympics or Knitting Olympics). I have my projects ready to cast on at 4pm EDT, at the moment Opening Ceremonies begin in London. Details tomorrow.

Baby, it's hot outside!

Wow! What a week! Record breaking temps here in Indiana made it really miserable. I was so thankful to have air conditioning--at work, at home, in my car. Even so, that kind of heat sort of seeps into your soul and wipes out all motivation to do anything except sit. I guess that's why they're called the lazy days of summer.

While my week, as a whole, was pretty lazy, my weekend was filled with activity. But first, I need to rewind and tell you a little story.

As I stated in my previous post, we went to TNNA a couple of weeks ago. I believe I also expressed my disappointment in what we saw. That disappointment extended a little further than what I let on. Every time we go to TNNA, we see a bag that we fall in love with. For me, it's usually something new from Namaste, though I've crushed on many a knitting bag. And my closet shows it. I am to bags as many women are to shoes. I love them. This year, however, nothing really struck my fancy. It was kind of sad. As the weekend progressed, I resolved to design my own bag. The Perfect Bag (for me).

So, as the idea percolated in the back of my mind, I started putting together a list of all the things I feel like I need to carry with me. There were the obvious things: phone, wallet, sunglasses, keys. Then the things I can't live without: nail clippers and file, migraine meds, chapstick, a little mirror, mints, earbuds, thumb drive, etc., etc. Then the luxuries: iPad, Kindle, chargers for both, at least one knitting project.  Keep in mind, this is not a run-to-the-store bag. This is a bag I can carry every day to work, where I'm not always in my own office.

Once I had a pretty thorough list, it was time to measure and plan. I measured my stuff, but I also measured bags I already own that I knew were a good size for me. Then I drew some pictures of how it could all work together, did a lot of math, and cut pattern pieces out of newspaper. I spent most of the day Saturday sewing, and ended up with this fully reversible, perfect for me bag:

That's the front, with a pocket for my iPad and a pocket for my Kindle, with one strap to hold both closed.

Side view. See the elasticized pocket on the side? Well, there are 4 of those on the purse--one on each side, both outside and inside. Perfect for sunglasses, phone, keys and wallet. In this photo, you also get a better idea of what the iPad/Kindle pockets look like. 

This is the back. It has a nice, big, flat pocket--perfect for a magazine or files/papers for work.

 This is the inside. Lots of pockets and a big open space for knitting projects. One side has a row of 4 pockets, each about 4" wide. The other side has four 2" pockets and two 4" pockets. And, of course, the sides have those wonderful elasticized pockets.

And, finally, this is what it looks like reversed. I don't foresee myself carrying it this way very often, but it's nice to know I can if I want to.

Today is my first day carrying it, and so far, so good. It's not too heavy, and holds everything I need. Oh! I also sprayed it with Scotch Guard to help keep it clean. If I find that it really is the perfect bag, I might make one in a darker fabric for fall and winter.

And, really quick, I'm going to show you the knitting I cast on Sunday morning.

Not that you can tell yet, but the pattern is Jo's Pride by Sivia Harding. Yarn: Zauberball 1966Ombre. Beads: Japanese foil-lined glass 6/0 seed beads; black with silver foil (even though it looks gold in the photo).  My daughter, who is in love with all things Avengers, informed me that those are Loki colors, so I have to call it "Loki's Pride" instead of Jo's.

What projects have you been working on this summer?

Summer is definitely here!

We've had a whirlwind couple of weeks at our house. First, our spontaneous (for us) family road trip to Washington, DC the week of June 10. We visited various monuments/memorials,

















Smithsonian museums, including:

The Museum of American History (where Tori totally geeked out at seeing the batarang from the 2008 movie while wearing her Batman shirt!),

The Museum of American Art (where both the kids geeked out because of the Video Game As Art exhibit),

And, I think this one is from the Archives, but I'm not 100% sure..... Still, it's terrible, but it's such extreme propaganda that I couldn't help but laugh.

We rode the Metro a lot,

got rained on,

got sunburned, and even cried a little (both at Arlington National Cemetery, where I didn't take any photos). 

Tori and I visited a wonderful yarn shop in Alexandria, VA called Fibre Space, where I bought some amazing locally dyed yarn. 

On the way home, we spent a day at Cedar Point, riding roller coasters and getting more sunburned. Again, no pictures. This time we were too busy having fun.

All in all, it was an excellent week away. Just what we needed to completely wear ourselves out and feel like we needed a vacation from our vacation. I know you know what I'm talking about!

Then, after a few days of "normal" (whatever that is), I left town to attend TNNA with Elizabeth (who owns River Knits) and Heather (who is the other instructor at River Knits). This year was quite interesting. We didn't go last year, and the difference two years can make (and not make) is amazing. Every year when we go, we see exciting new yarns and patterns, and sometimes even innovative new products. This year was kind of disappointing. In addition to the fact that there wasn't much new stuff to report about, attendance was really low, there were way fewer vendor booths than in the past...... it was kind of sad. But, I think it speaks to the fact that yarn companies and publishers need to re-think their marketing and how to get their product seen by retailers. Clearly, they weren't attending the trade show. My husband says the same thing happened in the computer industry about 10 years ago. In the digital age, there's just not a lot of logic in the old trade show model.  Even with the tactile experience of touching yarns and trying them out, it HAS to be less expensive or at least cost the same for vendors to put together packages of samples to send to yarn shops than it does to go to the trade shows. There is one exception: the classes are amazing, and you can't replicate that experience online.

I took a class called "Fake your way to Fair Isle." We dyed knitted blanks using Greener Shades Dyes. It was so fun, there aren't even words!

Undyed blank:

Dyed Blank:

After steaming:

Another set, after steaming (I'm using these together for Fair Isle Mittens):

And what trip to Columbus, OH would be complete without a visit to Schmidt's?!?!?!

And now, we're all caught up! That's what I've been doing the last two weeks. I can't wait to do more dyeing. I've purchased dyes, and Elizabeth has ordered me a knitting machine so I can make tons of blanks and dye my little heart out. I can't wait! I'm sure you'll get to see lots of pics of that in the future.

What have you been up to this summer?

Vacation Knitting and my Craft Cart

I know I'm not alone in planning specially vacation knitting. Many bloggers talk about packing their knitting, and then seeing if there's room for anything else. :) I'm not quite that bad, but when I'm staring down a road trip with hubby and the kids, you can bet I'm thinking about all that uninterrupted knitting time in the car. You see, I'm blessed with kids who travel well and a husband who prefers to drive....one reason for that could be that I'm an impatient lead-foot, but I digress. So, here we are. It's summer, and I find myself once again evaluating my Ravelry Queue and Favorites to find just the right thing(s) to knit while we travel. Which raises the question: What makes perfect vacation knitting?

For me, it has to be simple enough that I can look away regularly without losing my place. It also has to be complex enough to hold my interest for hours at a time. Past vacation projects: Morganite shawl, various moebius scarves, socks, Clockwork, Catkin... you get the idea. I seem to really like shawls and scarves for travel knitting. But not super-lacy, complicated shawls and scarves. I stick to the basics. Nothing finer than fingering weight--the bumps in the road make laceweight too difficult to handle--and garter or stockinette stitch with a little shaping thrown in for interest. This year, I think I want to knit a sweater. I've done a ton of shawls lately, and I'm ready for something different. I picked up 4 skeins of Briar Rose Glory Days at the Fiber Event in April, and it's calling to me. It hasn't told me what it wants to be yet, but it's definitely calling to me. Stay tuned.

In other news, last week I took Wednesday off, and I used the afternoon to assemble a Craft Cart. I had an idea of what I wanted, but tried to keep an open mind as my son and I wandered through two Goodwill Stores and the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Nothing was quite what I wanted, though. Sigh. Off to Target to get a few groceries before going home....and then I found it. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it would sure work.

Room Essentials 3-Tier Wire Shelving plus the set of casters (sold separately). I also stopped at the hardware store and picked up some S-hooks and carabiners for hanging things from the wire shelves. What it holds: Both sewing machines (which are both hand-me-downs, and the only reason I keep them both is because my daughter likes to sew when I do), laminator, box of scrapbook papers, sewing supplies, boxes of fabric, trims, thread, craft paints, brushes, a couple of canvases, and on the very top is a paper cutter, a bolt of fabric and some fusible interfacing that I don't want to fold.  And the best part? It fits in the closet, under the games and beside the vacuum and carpet shampooer! (Yes, it's an insanely deep closet.) I do have to pull it out to get the vacuum and/or shampooer out, but that's okay!

Now, all I have to do is pull it out when I want to use it, and push it right back in when I'm done. This is going to go a long way toward keep my crafting messes under control. It will also make it more likely that I'll work on projects now that everything is in one place and easy to get to.

How do you store or organize your hobby/crafting supplies?

Busy weekend!

Had a great weekend! Spent the day Saturday painting over the blue wall in the front room. Kicking myself because I forgot to take a "before" picture. I loved the blue once upon a time. But it's been about 4 or 5 years of blue. Time for a change!

I took this picture with my phone, not the "good" camera. So, it's a little fuzzy, and not great. But, you can see the green, which I love. Did you know green is my favorite?

I also made curtains for the same room the windows are directly across from the green wall.

I cannot wait to get rid of that blue futon! But, that's a project for another day. Still, I love the curtains. Here's a closeup of the fabric:

I have enough to make some pillows....maybe even enough to make a pouf or maybe this one or this or even this!

While I had the sewing machine out, I decided to tackle a project I'd been mulling over in my mind for a while. I saw this really awesome magazine organizer on the Container Store website.

Cool, right? And, really, at less than $15, totally worth it! However, I don't have a Container Store nearby, and I didn't need the little pen pocket, and the grommet hanger wouldn't really work where I wanted to use it. So, I decided to engineer my own.

I had some 6-packs of fat quarters I picked up on clearance at JoAnn Fabrics a few weeks ago, so I used those to create the pockets, which are sewn to a base of remnants from the tablecloth I used to make my curtains. Here it is, filled with my knitting magazines:

It's just what I had envisioned. And way cuter than the one from the Container Store, right?

Tomorrow, I'll tell you all about the crafting cart I put together on Wednesday of last week. It's made my life so much easier! And it's helped keep the house tidy.

What did you do this weekend?