Little Stitches

I've been working on these little elves. On Sunday night, Abby stitched the lines on the girl's tights. She said she wanted to help me out while I was cleaning the kitchen.

The little stitches she made are uneven and nubby, but I don't have the heart to undo them. They are too sweet.

Work Basket

Today we're waiting for a big winter storm to arrive. I've done my grocery shopping and have cleaned my house. I'm working (although not very hard) on the laundry. Later this afternoon I'll make a few batches of pie crust for the pies I'm making tomorrow.

But in the meantime, I'm spending most of my day on the couch with my work basket. There's just something about being curled up on the couch with something to embroider while the wind howls outside. Although, in a perfect world I'd be watching a Christmas or BBC movie instead of Baby Einstein for the twentieth time.

Knitted Mittens

I couldn't figure out how to model these mittens while taking a picture of them, so here they are on the carpet. (I've spared you the strange snapshot I took in the mirror).

These mittens are cool because the cuff extends almost halfway up my arms--I can see myself wearing these while driving around in the cold weather. They kind of remind me of oven mitts too--maybe I'll wear them when I bake some pies next week. But then I wouldn't want any pumpkin filling smeared on them. Never mind.

The pattern I used can be found here. (Although I made these because I like cables, not vampires.)

I don't really consider myself a knitter. I take up knitting every now and then, but not enough to have any sort of expertise. So please pardon some of the funky stitches in the cuff ribbing.

I guess I just like the process of knitting in the round. The other night we listened to a game on the radio (because we're old-fashioned and don't have cable and so therefore don't have sports channels) and as I worked on these mittens, I felt like we were in the 1940s. I can't wait to knit some socks in front of a winter fire while my husband whittles a piece of wood and pops popcorn in a kettle.

Just kidding, we're not that old-fashioned.

Turkey Posies

Thanksgiving often gets overlooked in my sewing plans. The minute I'm done sewing Halloween costumes, I start to think about what Christmas stuff I want to make. And then I always get chided by my younger sister for overlooking her favorite holiday. So these turkey posies are in honor of her.

I kind of made them up as I went along, using the petal pattern from my Halloween posies. The pink one is a hair clip, and the other two are pins to either pin on a bag, a denim jacket, or the corner of the tablecloth you plan on tucking into your shirt for Thanksgiving dinner.

I can't decide if they're kind of cute or kind of hokey. You know when you get an idea in your head and it seems like a good one, but then when you actually make it, you can't help but wonder if it's stupid or not? That's kind of how I feel about these turkey posies. Oh well. At least they were fun to make.

If you too feel that Thanksgiving doesn't get the respect it deserves in the holiday season. you might appreciate this.

Christmas Is Coming . . .

Okay, so enough of the plaid already. But I had to use up the last bit to make a jumper for Julie. I used this pattern for both the jumper and the shirt. The shirt was really easy, the jumper not so much (that dang lining). I bought the tights and shoes at a local doll shop, and now Julie has a really cute outfit.

I'm saving this ensemble though for a Christmas present for Abby. I'd love to have a few more outfits made by then, so Julie has more to wear than her bell bottoms. I'm thinking of a denim dress next trimmed with red rick rack to go with the red tights and brown boots I saw at the doll shop.

It's a good thing Abby doesn't read this blog.

*Update: I just went to the fabric store and saw that there are actual tools for turning out fabric and lining. Oh. I didn't know that, but I bought one.

Mad For Plaid

Another ruffled plaid skirt--this one is for Abby. Not as many ruffles as mine, but I only had so much fabric left over.

I realize that I haven't sewn much for Abby. Besides the yearly Halloween costume and occasional dress, I've always thought she grew too fast to invest much time in making a lot of clothing for her. But I made this skirt in just one afternoon and it dawned on me how easy and doable sewing projects can be when they're on a smaller scale.

And she likes this skirt a lot. Almost as much as the rice krispie treat she put in her mouth right before I took her picture.

Winter Saloon Skirt

Last week while I was browsing through one of my favorite sites, I came across this skirt. You know that feeling that hits you when you see something you love? It's so immediate--and it always reveals your true taste: what you like and what you're drawn to. For me, this skirt had two things that I've always loved--plaid and ruffles. (If you peek into my closet, you will find a few ruffled plaid things.)

And since I was lucky enough to have the exact fabric and the exact amount of yardage needed, I jumped right in.

I didn't want my skirt to be as full, and dropped yoke seams don't look good on me, so I used a straight skirt pattern I had, but added both length and width to the bottom. I used a "serger" stitch on my sewing machine to finish the edges of the ruffles. It took forever to feed the ruffles through my machine using that stitch, but I really like the end results. And it's always tricky to match plaid at the side seams, but I just took my time and tried to be careful--you know, act like a responsible seamstress.

But really, I finished this skirt in two days and I must say I love it. It swishes when I walk and feels heavy and warm like a blanket. A perfect skirt for winter. I considered calling it "The Winter Bustle Skirt" but "Winter Saloon Skirt" sounds more interesting. And it's perfect for an impromptu can-can. Not that I know, I'm just saying.

A Bit About Knitting

Here's the truth about my relationship with knitting: knitting draws me in with its appeal, then either bores me to sleep or provokes me into a fight about how expensive it can be. I always leave knitting feeling exasperated, defeated, and determined to leave for good.

But then it calls me and says sorry. And I always go back.

But each time I return to knitting, I learn a lesson or two:

#1--Don't make sweaters. Unless the sweater is intended for a baby, then just don't do it. You will need way too much yarn that will cost way too much money, because . . .

#2--You shouldn't use acrylic yarn. I know it's less expensive, but it's awful.

#3--Don't knit your sister a beanie hat for Christmas. She'll hate it, but she'll feel like she has to like it. It's awkward for everyone.

#4--Don't knit scarves. They're too long and boring. Knitting them will make you fall asleep. Just go buy a cute one at Target.

#5--Please don't attempt Irish Aran knitting or Fair Isle knitting or anything that resembles a Norwegian design until you are more experienced. Please.

#6--Do knit small things like mittens or socks. Because knitting mittens and socks don't require that much yarn, and you get to use double pointed needles. And using double pointed needles makes you feel special because the method is so old and tricky. You are accomplishing something your great-great-great-grandmother could probably do, but your next door neighbor probably can't.

So these are the lessons I've learned, and yes, they are personal. There are lots of people who knit lovely sweaters and scarves and Fair Isle cardigans, but I am not one of them. Not yet. So for now I'll stick to what natural fiber yarn I can afford and knit mittens and socks.

And knitting and I will love each other until the next fight . . .