Balance

I think there is a fine line between super mom and crazy. I often feel like I am toeing that line and loosing my balance more than I care to admit. I can ignore chores like no other, but thanks to a very helpful husband we still manage to have clean clothes and dishes. This team work really helps me keep my cool. Nights he works late only make me appreciate it more. Having to cook dinner, entertain the child, do dishes, bath for the child, and the bedtime process all on my own could really wear a woman down pretty quickly.

I have a confession. Those of you who know me shouldn't be surprised by this. I am selfish. And have gotten more so in the past year. Let me explain. I have always taken time to knit, and to get together with my knitting friends. It is very satisfying hobby for me and time away from the child is priceless. However, since April I have been running around 3 times a week. I started with the Couch to 5k program, and once I completed it I kept up with the habit. Long enough to consider myself a runner, and stash running shorts into my vacation suitcase.

I never thought I could run and enjoy it. But something about turning 30, and being a mother made me look more closely at my health and habits. I want to be a good example for my daughter, and being active is one thing I would like her to learn from me. The time was right, and I was up for the challenge. Having friends with a similar goal made the process that much easier. Thanks for your motivation ladies!

When you are not chasing down toddlers, scrubbing toilets, or working towards a deadline for work, or trying to keep up with your wife duties (wink), what do you do for you??? My friend DrBabyMamaDrama is having a Choose You giveaway- go learn more about it and tell her what you do to help maintain balance in your life to enter!

Jacket in Progress

Well, there it is. In all of its giant yellow flowery glory. It is sunny, which is what I had wanted. It seemed shockingly so when it was coming together, but I pressed on. It was exciting to try on and I have to admit I think it is pretty much what I envisioned. EJ thinks that it is beautiful. Knowing her current sense of style, this doesn't really give me much confidence in my own taste.

The pattern has been pretty easy to follow so far, for someone who falls into a category between beginner and intermediate seamstress. I have been stumped along the way... like why the front and sides are not the same length. But I figured it out after some thinking and trust in the instructions.

I had some dark green lining, but I think I need something lighter. Back to the fabric store. I just wish I could have a natural fiber lining, that was still slippery enough to act as a lining. The poly linings are kinda meh. Any suggestions to alternatives that are readily available? And while I am asking questions... honest opinions on the bold fabric? hehehe

Peep show

I have been sewing! Just had to get rid of my husband for the weekend to find the time.

Close up of the one pocket welt, and front and side panels of my new jacket.

Scarves!

I just love the trend of layering scarves over an outfit. I had been working on my first knit shawl for way too long... almost a year I think, but I am so happy to have it finished!

It is the Fountain Pen Shawl from an Interweave Knits magazine from 2009. I didn't make it as large as the pattern suggested, because I wanted to wear it as a scarf and not a shawl. It was a lot of fun to watch it change after blocking it!

And speaking of scarves, my friend and fellow blogger is offering a give away on a beautiful scarf! Check out her blog and take a look around! She is a fun girl with a lot of creativity for party planning and putting together outfits!

2,3,4?

Gauge, is a great mystery at times. This yarn has given me a great many problems along the way with gauge. But this time, I feel like I won. Even if I ended up with a size 4, and a size 2 daughter. She should grow. Right?

It all started with a sweater, for me.

a sweater that was never more than a too-small sleeve thanks to too tight knitting and a dislike of the pattern.

Then came a little dress.

And after a first attempt being too small, and a second attempt being too big I threw in the towel.

Finally I decided to revisit this yarn one last time. One more pattern. Again, two attempts...

And finally. A success. That is not to say I finally found the perfect pattern with the proper gauge to execute perfectly. Oh no. My gauge was way off, and this yarn didn't want to be knit any tighter. Knit on size 5's and with the size 2 directions I ended up with a sweater much closer to the size 4 sweater. So I knit using the size 4 length instructions. So I don't know if it is a size 2, 3 or 4. But I do know it fits her now. And that is enough.

But what do I do with the rest of this yarn!?!?!

Third time...

is a charm!

2010 Salvation Army Fabric Sale

Thanks to some very good friends, I was made aware of a fabric sale that the Salvation Army does every year. I was unable to go last year. My friends reminded me I had cracked a tooth and was desperate to see a dentist. Yuck! But this year my teeth were in tact and I was ready to go! It was great fun! And I think we all left with a bag full of possibilities!
First stop was the notions table, specifically the button boxes.

Lots of yellow, and those big buttons might just work on my jacket project! Total cost- $3.
I then started to wander up and down the rows of tables stacked with fabric. Everything was organized by type and my bag got heavy quickly.

Navy flowered poly blend, some blue lining, gray suiting material, wool houndstooth plaid, gray wool, blue/white seersucker stripe, flowered cream home decor fabric, and finally some Waverly home dec print (which I thought of using to recover a small chair I have... but there might be enough to recover my dining room chairs which seems like a good use of the fabric!!) Total yardage- 19.5 cost- $27.75
Lastly I took some time to look through a few boxes of patterns. They were only a quarter... so why not?

They only charged me for two of them. I pointed out there was one more in the bag and the lady let it go. Cost-$.50.
All and all I had a great time with friends. Spent the morning elbow to elbow with complete strangers digging through piles of fabric. Only cost me $31.25, and who knows what all of these goodies will end up becoming in the coming year!