A Restless Mind

This diaper bag is history.  It has had it in for me since the first freakin' stitch.  If I even managed to complete it, it would be so full of bad mojo it might curse the poor kid.  I may try again--after I exorcise the crochet hook.  I just don't see how one project could be so very bad.  I might have thrown it across the room in a fit of frustration but you can't make me confirm that.

This has been a terrible summer for crafting.  There has been a lot going on that has conspired to take time away from crafting.  As a result, it has been slow.  Very, very slow.  Everything is getting worked on but time has been limited.  There is the diaper bag.

It should probably be about double the height to allow for shrinkage when felted.  The kid is a month old.  So now I've missed his original due date.  New goal--before kindergarten.  Aim low, I always say.

And there is the sweater.  Maybe by Christmas.  The short sleeves should come in handy then.

1.  Craft on diaper bag.  I don't know how a beginner project can give someone such fits.  I mean I'm a reasonably intelligent individual, and I'm using internet and book resources to make sure I'm interpreting these directions correctly.  It isn't a matter of errata.  It's a matter of semantics.  When you use the phrase turning chain, I assume that means the work should be turned even if you don't spell that out.  Yet my stitch markers keep moving rather than staying in the corners which would imply I'm crocheting on a slant.  If the baby hadn't come early, I might feel more kindly about the amount of experimentation that is having to take place here.

2.  Catch up on house chores after working through last weekend.  I was behind, but now have the laundry done, house cleaned, and pantry stocked.

3. Make more bread.  Honey Wheat, my new favorite. 

4. Garden.  Pick and process green beans for 5 pints.  Pick zucchini weighing 3 lbs.  (It was hiding).  Discovered that my zucchini plants have beetle borers and will likely be dead within the week.  This happens to me every year and only to zucchini and squash plants.  Try eco-spray anyway.  Dig up garlic.  Got 14 inchelium reds and 25 chilian silvers.  I will not use the chilian silvers again.  The growing circumstances were ideal and those "bulbs" are barely the size of nickels.  The flavor is good but they just aren't big enough.

5.  Finish second panel on the sweater.  Until my needles come in from WEBS, I'm in a holding pattern on this one.Thankfully, I seem to be able to manage a beginner sweater pattern.  Apparently, stockinette I can do.

1. Wait to the last month of friend's pregnancy.  The any-minute-now aspect makes it all so much more enjoyable.
2. Make up a pattern.  Use another pattern for a basis.  Then do the math to enlarge the pattern and see how well you can wing it.
3. Crochet foundation chain.  Make sure it's twisted.  Ignore that and start anyway.  After 3 rounds when you've created an inspired spiral, rip back.  Grumble.  Start again.
4. Crochet foundation chain.  Make sure it's straight.  After 3 rounds note that what should be straight is starting to look like a C.  Rip back.  Let out exasperated sigh.  Start again.
5. Crochet foundation chain.  Make sure it's straight.  Measure for length.  Note that it is precisely 21" as desired.  Crochet 7 rounds to complete the bottom of the bag.  Remeasure.  Note that somehow 21" is over 25" and is way too big even after accounting for felting shrinkage.  Curse loudly.  Rip back. start again.
6. Crochet foundation chain.  Make sure it's straight.  Measure for length.  Now it is 17".  Crochet 7 rounds.  Remeasure.  Mysteriously still 17".  Reach a point of acceptance.  Prepare to start bag body.  Count stitches.  Even more mysteriously have decrease 7 stitches over the course of 7 rows.  Curse loudly and profusely.  Rip back.  Curse more.  Start again.
7. Crochet foundation chain.  Make sure it's straight.  Make it 20".  Say a prayer.  Commence 7 rounds.  Finish 7 rounds.  Refuse to count as I feel a wee bit unstable.  Put crochet away.  Promise to try again tomorrow.  Maybe.

Um.  There was this yarn.  I didn’t even have to purchase any.  And anyway, so, you might remember my preggers friend?  Well, her due date is drawing near and well, I had to start another craft project.  I suppose I should be ashamed of my rather wanton desire to hit upon as many crafting projects as possible, but I’m not.   It’s too much fun.  I’m closing in on the finish line for the 3 year epic horse cross stitch (which has been neglected in fits and starts) and I have another cross stitch just off the wings.  It’s like having a bunch of new clothes; suddenly having to face the closet in the morning is a shade less distressing because there is something in there that’s been worn less than 200 times.  By the end of the week who knows what will be in the work in progress pile!

Shawn found this while he was cleaning the upstairs.

I found this at Webs (yarn.com) maybe two years ago and since Shawn is a big Linux (computer language/software) whose mascot is Tux the penguin, I bought it with the thought that it would make a quick, cute project for some point in time.  Well, that time was today, except it was not quick.  Part of it was probably the fact that I had lost the original felting needle.  I replaced it with a lace weight crochet hook.  Another difficult aspect was that there was at least 5 times as much wool as called for in the directions.  And it took about 6 hours, which just seemed too long for this little thing.

My friend Leigh is having a baby.  So our work threw her a shower.  In her honor, I made a diaper cake.  

I was so pleased with the way it turned out.  Here are a few more...

For a while, the girls at work and I were making one of these a month.  They have all since moved on to other accounting opportunities and it had been a long time since I had made one.  I would suggest not going with size 1 diapers.  My friend Mary did steer me clear of the newborns, but in the future, I'd definitely go some size 3 or 4s for the bottom layer.   It takes a lot of size one diapers and the cake doesn't grow very fast.  I had to recruit Shawn to help in the end (I needed a few extra hands to hold things in place while I wrapped).  Yep, he helps makes diaper cakes.  I married a very tolerant man.  : )

Goal: Exercise Daily.

Status:  Done!  I’m doing pretty good with this one, but busy season is wearing me down and the next few weeks is usually the point at which I quit.  To make it stick this time, I’ll have to really be vigilant about those sneaky voices in my head that try to convince me to stay in bed. 

Goal: Read 1 book.

Status:  Done, barely.  I was about halfway done with In Defense of Food this weekend, so I buckled down and finished it.

Goal: Plant onions, peas, broccoli, and strawberries.

Status:  Onions, peas and broccoli are in the ground.  The strawberries haven’t shipped yet so this one carries over to April. 

Goal:  Weed flower beds.

Status: 1/4 done.  I have worked sporadically in the flower beds this month.  We’ve had a lot of rainy weekends and on the good weekends, well, there is only so much energy to go around.  Garden stuff won.

Goal:  Put down fresh mulch.

Status:  Not done.  Since the weeding has to come first, this isn’t a shocker.

Goal: Start melons, pumpkins, and watermelon.

Status:  Not done.  I decided to move this one forward a couple of weeks b/c my usual weekend to put the garden in has been taken over by another responsibility.  

Goal:  Work on the diaper bag.

Status:  I’ve only gotten as far as figuring out the math to alter the pattern so as to have a bag that will be big enough and the 1st row of stitching.  But I’m counting this goal as met.

1.  Plowed the garden and planted 4 rows of peas and 40 onion plants.  What I'm going to do with 40 onions, I have not a clue.   I'm pretty sure some will die and that none will grow to the promised 4 inches in diameter. 

2.  I had planned to do a series of raised beds in the back yard, but apparently Shawn and I were on something last fall when we calculated the price.  From $100 to $700.  I think we may have missed a decimal--or 10.  So instead it will be just another garden plot in the backyard.  I'd skip it all together but have already ordered plants. 

3.  Repotted the remaining seedlings.  Moved the broccoli outside to begin hardening off.  Hopefully, I won't forget about it and let it die from lack of water.

4. Decided that this weekend would be a great weekend to throw in another weight workout.  Combined with my yard work weekend warrioring, I can hardly move.

5.  Some minute progress has been made on the Arabian, but not enough to dignify it with a picture.  Progress will soon halt all together since I have to switch focus and work on the baby gift.  During busy season, there is no such thing as craft multi-tasking.

Sunset on Friday.

Where the pets spent the weekend.

Beef Pot Pie served over biscuits--perfect for a snowy Friday evening.  No recipe just winged it based off my chicken pot pie recipe, and it turned out pretty good. 

Sunday  morning, we had waffles topped with cooked cinnamon apples and for Shawn's (seen at right) bacon.  Salty and sweet!

 Remember orphan #1?  This is where I am today.

This is where I left off last summer.