Picture Update

I got my Starbucks and thought I'd do an update in pictures as it seems like I haven't shown any in awhile.

Here's Sweetheart Vest, finished but not modeled. It's been cool enough to model it this weekend (after temps in the 80s the day before!) but it's the wrong season.

Swing Top - pre neck and armhole pickups and washing/blocking - the color is off - it's definitely more teal:

Tea Rose Halter - it's more violet than this. I have to make the straps and wash/block it, but here it is:

Lacy Little Top - had to put this on longer needles temporarily while I used its needles to start Mentionable. I haven't gotten really any more done on it, but now I can see it's going to fit well.

And Mentionable, which I started yesterday afternoon with the recommended yarn, the Yarn Botanika merino/tencel that had been waiting patiently for me in my stash for two years. I love working with this yarn! It's super soft because of the merino and sproingy because of the tencel. I tend to like any yarn mixed with tencel, but I really like merino mixed with it.

What else did I do project-wise yesterday? I made a muslin of the skirt from Sandra Betzina's Today's Fit Vogue 8204 pattern

and determined that "pattern does not work for me" in Patternreview lingo. I don't know why I didn't look at the finished measurements, but once I did I understood why the skirt didn't fit right at the hip and thigh. She sizes her patterns on a different measurement system than the other patterns with a lettering system -A through J. I was between a B and C based on my measurements, so I decided to go with the C as I could always cut it down. Size C was supposed to be for someone whose hip measurement was 38.5, which is a little bigger than me, but the Size B was for 36.5" hips, which is a little smaller than me. Well, the finished measurement on this skirt per the pattern (which was immediately apparent) was 37.5". AND the pattern is supposed to be designed for woven fabrics. How do you do 1" of negative ease on a woven fabric in a skirt?? It wasn't too bad at the actual hip but it was definitely not for anyone with any muscle tone in their legs. Also, it was too loose around the "tummy" area as I know she designs for someone with a bit of pooch in that area. My waist is not quite as small in proportion to my hip as some of the Big Four patterns would say it should be (1" off) but I don't have a "tummy" (as she puts it)- just a more athletic build/bigger rib cage/wider waist. So I'm glad I spent the hour to make the muslin instead of going full speed ahead with the garment.

Yesterday I went to the new salon and I was very impressed! I had taken whoever they gave me, as it's a new location and I hadn't been there before, so I had my first haircut with a guy. I wasn't against having my hair cut by a guy, I just never had run across that before. This one didn't fit the stereotype of a male hairstylist. He was no older than 22, I'd say, not flitting around the salon, kind of moody and serious, cutting my hair in "artiste" mode like creating a sculpture, stepping back to study it, no chit chat whatsoever. It was a bit hard not to laugh at all the seriousness, but I let him give me long layers which I hadn't had in a while (it was all one length) and it turned out really well. I guess all that attention to detail paid off. I really like the new colorist. She's young too, probably the same age, very light blonde hair, cute, with a few piercings and small tattoos. Everyone in that place was edgy yet gorgeous, so I felt like I was in good hands.

Anyway, the colorist lightened up the all over brown color to make it more neutral and gave me more noticeable blonde highlights. They also are one of the three salons in the area to carry my favorite Kerastase line now, so I will be going back. It's back in the price range of the place I was going for awhile that I ultimately ended up firing because of too many blah color services, but it's OK because I'm happy with the results and I feel like I'm getting a more up to date look. I'll have Jim take some pictures. I have the wedding shower for Jim's cousin Jane at 11:30 so maybe when I get ready for that, if I can blow dry the layers right.

Yesterday afternoon didn't go according to plan. It was supposed to be my cooking debut, but Jim got involved with a new house project that I ended up helping him with (a little) and time kind of got away from us being able to sit down with the recipe book and come up with a list of things to make. It was 5 pm before we knew it, and were both starving, so we just went to the local Pan-Asian place, Bok Choy. We agreed to start Monday and the tentative plan is that he's going to cook two days, I'm going to cook two days, and the rest can be out if we want. Friday night we had ended up going out for some Delaware oysters.

This non-cooking thing is a more firmly entrenched issue than I realized. Not to blame it all on him, but Jim either likes to eat a big breakfast (eggs, sausage, ham, etc.) or no breakfast at all, whereas I always eat breakfast every day, but just a yogurt and maybe some fruit or oatmeal or sometimes Special K or Wheaties. So then I'm hungry at lunchtime and I usually eat a salad with either shrimp or chicken on it, or a Lean Cuisine, or if he hasn't eaten breakfast that day, I'll go to a deli with him for lunch and eat a turkey sandwich or something like that. If he's only eaten (the crazy big) breakfast, then he won't eat lunch, but then he's starving at 5 pm when I usually leave work, and picks me up there (as we're sharing the car and live 5 minutes from my office) and then wants to eat anything that's not tacked down. It's hard to avoid this cycle. Not making excuses, but I need to realize that this is going to take time to change.

Anyway, the house project that started at about 2 pm yesterday was a redo of the laundry room and the creation of a new workshop for Jim in the basement. Right now, all of his tools and stuff have been sharing space with everything else in the garage, and he decided it would help clear out the garage if he could make a separate space for the tools. He probably does something with all of these tools at least once a day, and he probably has as big of a collection of them as I do sewing and knitting stuff. We had this huge countertop thing in our laundry room which made fitting the ironing board and just walking around a challenge, which he ripped out yesterday. We weren't using it and it was always covered with stuff (extra laundry soap, etc. etc. etc.) He took it out and we discovered we had an extra water hookup behind the back wall of the cabinet. This is going to be great, as we're going to put in a new utility sink where I can do my handwashing for my knits and other handwashables. I've been using our big tub in the bathroom, and that's been less than convenient, as I actually have to get into it with the knits, and the water is usually freezing so as to avoid felting, shrinking, etc.

I didn't take a picture of what the laundry room looked like before, but basically that gaping hole is where the counter top used to be. Excuse the unholy mess. There's no way to really crop out all that junk and still show the whole room.

A (nonstandard sized) ironing board was to the left of that counter, so it could be a challenge to squeeze in there if there was any laundry stacked up. We're going to get a new ironing board that can be hung on the wall and come down where the counter used to be, as it is exactly as long as a standard size ironing board.

Then I helped him move the counter in two huge pieces, down two flights of stairs to the basement. He had it strapped on this hand truck thing he has but I helped support it underneath as we went down each stair. He didn't ask me to help, as he never does, but I was afraid it was going to fall off of the cart and make a crater in the hardwood floor on the main floor.

This is the destination of the countertop thing - Jim made this little "room" in a section of the unfinished part of the basement with drywall on Friday (part of why I think he was so starving when he picked me up, as he had eaten breakfast, then hung drywall all day.)

That thing on the right is the side of our 2nd refrigerator/freezer (it is the one that was in the kitchen when we moved in that we replaced with a stainless one) which we will be using a lot more when we make things in bigger quantities to freeze, like soup. He makes more of stuff like chili now, but we just need to do that kind of thing more often.

Here's FatKat on top of another in-process project - replacement of half of the roof, with the skylights that were in that section, and the gutters. Sorry about the blurry picture - she looked like she was going to run away so I wanted to snap the picture quickly before she did.

Jim is kind of more the "general contractor" on this project, getting the materials and hiring the guys to do it, but still a lot of work. That should be done within the next month.

Now for something a little prettier after those construction pictures- my flowers are coming up on the walkway:

Apparently the rabbits didn't eat all my tulip bulbs, although they seemed to be making good work of it whenever I caught them:

If you made it through that marathon post, congratulations! I'm off to do my workout and get ready for the shower now. I hope it's not too torturous, but I'm ready for the worst.

Comments

[Heather]

Wow - you both have been very busy! I love the colorwork on the Sweetheart Vest! It turned out wonderful!

I'm excited to say, you've inspired me to take my (little) man on a cruise - we're off to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in August!!!

:O)

[Debby]

The Yarn Botanika looks so cool with the different colors in it. All your knits look great -- you must have made lots of progress Saturday.

Jim is amazing at all he knows how to do. I hope the project is successful for you and you get that wash basin for your knits. That would be so handy!

Hope the shower goes well. I'm not too fond of those myself.

[Jenny]

Whew! I need a nap after reading that one. ;) You have been busy!

[adrienne]

this has to be the longest post you have ever written! LOL All your projects are looking great! I'm sorry your pattern didn't work out for you but we know that happens sometimes! Glad the rabbits didn't eat your bulbs. My mom has a family of them tearing up her vegetable garden! LOL

[sheila]

Wowzer, projects galore... you have been on a roll. I was suppose to finish a knit project this weekend, but nada. I just luv home renos and look forward to the completed makeover. Your tulips and daffodils are pretty. Is it me, it seems my flowers are blooming late. The tulips finally came up, the mountain laurel is in full bloom and no daffodils yet...ummm strange.

[Stacey_CrimsonPurl]

Oh my goodness!! I am just in LUV with your Sweetheart vest! I also really like the decorative decreases around the V-neckline!

[Michelle]

Phew you had a busy weekend! I was just looking at my yarn/pattern for Mentionable, I want to start that soon to have for wear for the summer! Love the vest!

Ken and I started the remodel of our closet, we got the shelving done (I wanted wood/CA closet style) but we ended up getting wire but the are wider than what we had and are great! but we still have the laminate floor to put in, and that is sitting in my kitchen...

[Lara]

What a lot of work you have going on! I think that is great that Jim can do things like that.

Your knitting is all coming along great. I really love the look of the Sweetheart vest...can't wait to see it modeled!

[Heather R]

The sweetheart vest looks great! Wow, you've got a lot of WIPs right now. I'm in awe how you get all of your WIPs done and go to Grad School. Kudos girl. :)

[Monica]

Your sweetheart vest looks really cute! All the other knits look great too, very lacy this spring.

The construction projects look like fun too. I know I'm crazy, but I get really excited about home improvement projects.

I'm glad to rabbits didn't get all your tulips, they look beautiful!!

[Courtney]

Good luck with the cooking routine! Boyfriend and I find that it works best to have a little calendar hung on the fridge where we write in our menu that we plan to cook each night (of course we decide at the beginning of the week and then shop accordingly). It serves as a nice reminder to stay hungry for dinner. :)

I hope you guys find a routine that works for you!

[knittymuggins]

Wow, the knits look great! I remember you buying that Yarn Botanika for Mentionable ;) I have some of that languishing in my stash too and it's funny, but I've been thinking about working on it too lately!

Glad that at least some of your bulbs were spared by the bunnies! They look so cheerful :)

[stefaneener]

I've been so out of the loop, but you've been busy! Lovely knitting and the sewing is still very impressive. I'm also impressed by the cooking at home thing. I do it both out of necessity (eating out with four young kids isn't going to happen very often!) and because of health/environmental reasons. It can be enjoyable, but a weekly menu is key for me. Nice tulips, too. So lovely. Good luck on the renovations. Good to stop in!

[Kat]

Wow! You have really been busy. My fave pic in your whole post has got to be FatKat. I just miss having a cat in the house. We're so busy right now that adding one more thing to do would drive me crazy. But I just love cats!