Goal Board in Under 30 Minutes

In an effort to combat pregnancy brain, I wanted to make myself a pretty wipe-off board that was easy to use.  I came up with the idea for a “today’s goal” board, because somedays, one goal is enough.  This project is seriously easy and fast.  It took me longer to pick out the supplies than to actually put it together.

(P.S. It’s also magnetic!)

Supplies:

• 12″ x 12″ frame
• 12″ x 12″ metal sheet (optional if you don’t want it to be magnetic)
• 12″ x 12″ dry erase sheet
• Stickers or vinyl letters of your choice

How to:

1. Remove all the glass and backing from the frame and set aside.  You will not need the glass, do with it as you wish.
2. Add your letters to the dry erase sheet and decorate to your liking.  I used clear quilting rulers as a guide for my lettering. Remember, your frame has a lip on it, so be sure to measure how far in it will extend (in my case, it was 1/4″) and account for that in your letter placement.
3. When you are done decorating the dry erase sheet, assemble your goal board in this order:
   1. Dry erase sheet
   2. Metal sheet
   3. Spacing or cardboard sheet (this should have come in the frame originally)
   4. Backing board
4. Stand back and admire your work.

Tips:

• My dry erase sheet was slightly larger than 12″ x 12″.  I used a paper trimmer to trim off the excess 1/8″ from two sides to make it fit properly.
• Make sure your backing sheet (with the stand or hanger) is facing the correct way up in relation to your dry erase board before securing all the tabs.
• Go easy on the decoration.  You still need room to write!

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WIP Wednesday

Poor neglected blog… How about some knitting?

I’m currently working on the Chevron Baby Blanket from the Purl Bee in Merino Sei out of the stash.  I got a bunch of this yarn at a Sidewalk Sale about two years ago and this will use up all but about three skeins of it.  It is incredibly squooshy and wonderful.  I’m a bit in love with it…

It feels very 70′s to me, but it is missing avocado green. Wonder what Liisa thinks…

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It’s All Square

In recent years, I’ve loosely participated in a crochet block of the month group on Ravelry. I’ve made a few squares here and there but never really finished all of them. This year, I picked some skeins of Plymouth Encore Worsted out of the stash and I’m doing my best to keep up.  Here are the squares I’ve finished so far.

January’s square is Maggie’s Square by Drew Emborsky.

Ravelry Project Notes

March’s square is SmoothFox’s Starburst Flower Square by Donna Mason-Svara.

Ravelry Project Notes

April’s Square is the Lace Petals Square by Chris Simon.

Ravelry Project Notes

(February’s square isn’t playing nice with my color scheme, so I’m looking for a replacement.  It’s a beautiful Pineapple Blossom square, but should really be done in a solid for the best effect.)

So far, I’m very pleased with how these are turning out.  They seem to be a perfect weekend afternoon project when all I want is a little mindless crochet, some instant gratification, and (usually) some SciFi on the tube.

I’m also playing catch-up with the 2010 squares in a softer palette, so you’ll get to see a different color scheme than the one pictured above.  You know I can’t do the same thing for a whole year…  More squares to come in the future if I don’t get distract… oh look!  Something shiny!

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Monday

I’m doing Monday right.

Pictured above is another baby shrug from Knitting Pure & Simple (#288, I believe) and a honey vanilla latte from Downtown Grounds (great local coffee shop). I’m trying to figure out this whole “taking a day off” thing. I think I’m off to a good start.

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Random Monday

1. Mind Bloom is a neat site promoting “life games”.  You add small, manageable goals and then get seeds for completing them.  Seeds let you buy more goals/challenges.  Pretty nifty tool.
2. I’m thinking of taking up yoga again (I’ve never *really* taken it up, but I did do it consistently for a few weeks a couple years ago).  The Chi Room offers drop-in lunch time yoga four days a week now for just $5/session.  The doc wants me to add more exercise in and suggested yoga.  It’s worth a shot, eh?  (Side note: Their site makes me sad.  I want to make it awesome.  Think they’d trade yoga classes for website work?)
3. My brain is practically exploding with ideas lately.  Hubby set us up a cheap whiteboard.  Take a roll of wrapping paper and tack it to the wall, white side out.  Add a sharpie or two and voila!  Instant whiteboard.  Bonus: It can be recycled when you’re done with it.  Cost = $0.
4. I had a bit of a falling down at the craft store and bought some Fimo clay.  I am soooo not artistic it’s laughable.  I made three beads and a flat flower to make into a fridge magnet.  I may suck at this, but I’m going to keep trying.

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Soft Serve – A $14 sweater

Meet the 2nd FO of 2011!  This sweater is a dream to make and looks pretty good, if I do say so myself.  It still needs blocking, but I wanted to get some pictures of it anyway.

The yarn is Plymouth Tweed, an aran weight wool.  I scored 11 skeins of this woolly goodness for just $2/skein at the 2008 Sidewalk Sale.  The sweater only took 7.  Seriously.  Under 800 yards for a crocheted sweater!  And I even added length to the sleeves and body.  (Full details of the sweater, with notes on my modifications, can be found on Ravelry here.)

The pattern is from Everyday Crochet by Doris Chan.  Special thanks to Liisa for turning me onto this book.  Doris’ method of top down, seamless construction is very fun and uses up less yarn than a normal crocheted sweater.  The shells make it go fast, so this lovely only took me three days.  No, really.  Three days!

A good blocking will open the shells up further and help the drape in the front. The wool is a little scratchier than some I’ve used, so it’s not a close-to-the-skin kind of sweater.  Although, I can definitely see this as a layering piece for  a cool spring/summer evening.

And I’d like to end this post with a Public Service Announcement.  If you ask your husband to take your sweater shots, you will inevitably get a picture like this.  I’ve come to accept that.

(At least the butt shot shoes off the edging detail nicely.  Yeah… That’s it…)

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Returning to the Mother Ship

Have you been breathlessly awaiting the UFO update?  Of course you have!  I am now under 30 WIPs/UFOs on the needles!  I am actively working on Fred the Owl (the Bramble Owl softie) and expect to have him done this week.

Here is the progress made on the Official List of Doom since April 29th.

Easy to Finish:

• Flore – Needs ends woven in and petals tacked down, plus a light blocking. Done!
• Shroomy and the Gnome – These are felted and just need to be sewn together (if I can find all the pieces).
• Granny Mitts – Missing buttons.
• Piggy and Chicken – Again, felted and just need to be put together.
• Ridged Bag – Needs handles and possibly a lining.
• Mitered Hanging Towel – Needs a button and ends woven in.
• Little Butterfly Top – Needs the straps sewn on.
• Brown Bag – Needs a lining and snaps (and maybe a handle).
• Pink & Black Felted Bag – Needs the handle put on and possibly a lining.

In the Middle/Active Projects:

• Simple Thing – Recently started and my active purse project.  No complaints. Done!
• Bramble Owl Softie (aka Fred) – His body is knit, I just have to do the wings, eyes, sew and stuff.
• Sweet Peas – The pod and one of the three peas are complete.  Now where did I put that project…? Done!
• Mystery Socks – These are ready for the boring foot knitting, that’s why they’re languishing.  I need to suck it up and finish them.
• Corde Market Bag – I was chugging along on this and got distracted.  It’s not far from completion and would be great for summer. Done!
• Crossover Top – This is fairly close to being finished and really just needs to be seamed up.  Whether or not I knit the pants to go with it is another story.

Long Term Commitment:

• Man’s Ribbed Cardigan (aka Sam’s Sweater) – The back is nearly complete, but this one is requires lots of knitting and I keep getting distracted.  (Sorry, honey!)
• Swirl Shawl – This one is a pleasant, ongoing project that I pick up in between other projects.  I’m in no hurry to finish it.
• Harvest Blanket – Another ongoing project that is in no hurry.  I need to get at least one of each block done in time for the fall schedule at the shop.
• Great American Afghan – This is a club at the shop that I was in and then got distracted.  I do plan to finish it, but it has no time line.

Stalled, In Time-Out, or Single Socks:

• Cabled Coat with Hood – Originally cast on as a gift for a friend who recently gave birth.  But I’m realizing now that it will be too big and too warm for late spring/summer baby.  I need to decide whether to rip it out and knit something in a size the baby can wear in the fall or make something different altogether.
• Colonnade – This is complete to the pattern requirements, but I wanted it larger and bought another skein.  Now I’m considering whether to end it where the pattern states or continue on.  I need to decide and finish it one way or the other. Done!
• Dangerous Dinosaur Sweater – The front is nearly done, but I ran into a snag and I can’t remember what it was.  Now I need to re-evaluate it and figure out where I was so I can finish it. Frogged.
• Calvin & Ripple Socks – Not even sure where these are.  They will most likely be frogged (if they haven’t been already).
• Ribbage Socks – A sock I was knitting out of boredom.  One is nearly complete but I’m just not that into sock knitting.  Not sure where this one will end up.
• Steggie – This one isn’t even cast on yet (other than the swatch).  I have all the yarn and I want to knit it for my darling nephew.  This will most likely end up as next year’s Christmas sweater.
• Mariposa – Finished through the first repeat and then I screwed up on the eyelet twist row.   Not sure if I’m going to finish it or rip it out and re-purpose the yarn.  I really don’t have any strong feels about it one way or the other.
• Todos Scarf – I got stopped in the first stages of this.  I want to finish it, but I’m not sure where I’m at in the pattern.  This one may rest a while longer.
• Finn Socks – A baby sock pattern I designed up when everyone was pregnant a couple years ago.  I’m not even sure where this project is.  I’m just listing it for good measure.
• A4A Sweater – Started out of scraps of Lion Brand Wool.  I just need to finish it.  (Are they even accepting sweaters anymore?)
• Cabled Coat – I may have already ripped this one.  If not, it needs to be ripped and the yarn re-purposed. The kid this was started for is way too big for it now.
• Raindrop Lace Socks – Single Sock Syndrome strikes again.  Do I knit the second sock or just call it good at one and let it go?
• Mixed Motif Cami – Not sure if I have any intention of finishing this.  It’s a pretty concept, but a little too finicky for me.  Most likely the unused yarn will go to something else and the finished piece will become artwork or something…

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All Taped Up

This past Sunday, Liisa and I decided to take an afternoon and tape each other up.  Her husband even made popcorn for us (he makes the *best* popcorn)!

Now, drag your mind out of the gutter and stay with me here.  We were making duct tape body doubles.  Why, you ask, why would we do this?  Well, first off, dress forms are expensive and we both have sweaters and such that need to be fitted.  And secondly, why the heck not?  It was lots of fun!

Liisa went first.

Then it was my turn!

Here are our completed doubles after they were cut off and reassembled.

They still need to be stuffed and have poles added, but I think they turned out great!  This was definitely a fun way to spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon.

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For the Little Chef

The countdown to Christmas continues with only one sewing day left!  I am on schedule to finish all gifts.  I would be more on schedule had I not run out of muslin yesterday.  But, I only have 3 wedges and a few seams and the bean bag chair is done.  In the meantime, I finished Tyler’s chef’s set to go with the kitchen Santa is bringing him.

The fabric is Debbie Mumm Three Blind Mice made with tutorials from Stardust Shoes (scroll down and look for links to both tutorials in the right side bar).

Apron

I zigzagged on the pocket to give it a more whimsical look (and to hide my crookedness a bit).  I also zigzagged around the outside edge to give it some continuity.

Pocket Detail

The only modification I made was to swap out the neck ties in favor of some adjustable hardware (courtesy of a dollar store dog collar).

Buckle Detail

I also made the chef’s hat, which I must admit is my favorite piece.

Chef’s Hat

I’m so pleased with these pieces I can hardly stand it.  And the thing that tickles me even more is that the fabric colors match the shopping cart I bought him!  One more gift to go and Christmas sewing is *done*!

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25lbs of Rice

That was one of my purchases today.  An industrial sized bag of white, long grain rice.  Why, you may ask, on earth would one need so much rice?  Well, I’m not going to be eating any of it (or at least not most of it).  I’m making these!

Rice foot-warming bags.  Yep, that’s right.  Like hot water bottles, only without the danger of leaking water all over your bed.  These are the brainchild of the brilliant Vanessa of V and Co.  You can find the link to this project here.

Still, 25lbs?  Yes.  The three pictured above are just some of the many I have planned (I’m already up to 6 completed).  The lovely barn print on the right is mine, the blue woven print is Sam’s, and the one on the left is destined for the company holiday bazaar.  I already have hints from several family members that these would be lovely to find under the tree.

These take longer to iron and cut out than they do to sew.  (For good measure, I also serged the inside to avoid fraying when washed.)  The inside is a muslin bag filled with rice (I use about 4 cups per bag, slightly more than recommended).  The covers can be out of whatever you want and come off for easy washing.  And they take less than a fat quarter’s worth of fabric!  Do you know how many fat quarters I have? (Don’t answer that.  If you’ve been counting them, you are a sick, sick person.)  These are fun, fast, and easy.  A great project when you want a little instant gratification sewing that’s hard to mess up.

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