2010 February 03 | Suzanne Earley

So know that we’ve gotten the toilet story out of the way (and yes, I completely resisted the urge to make bathroom jokes and puns when I told the story)…I thought it might be nice to have some actual FIBER content on my blog….so…a round up of a few things I’ve been messing with when I get a chance…

First, remember these Dresden Plates that I was gifted?

Well, I actually knew almost right away at least part of what I was goign to do with them, and I got started on the hand applique (since the edges are already turned and basted, I decided I HAD to do the work by hand…):

Yup, I pulled out some of my ubiquitous black and white polka dot fabric. I don’t know for sure how big the blocks are going to end up, or how I’m going to set them, but this is a start.

In knitting news, I’m still working on my scarf, but haven’t gotten much further because I got distracted. See, I keep getting attracted to BIG projects — it happens with every craft I take on, when I cross-stitched I was into the Paula Vaughan mega pieces that took months and months and millions of stitches. The same has been true with knitting: afghans, sweaters, stuff that takes AGES to knit. SO I went looking for something that would be much quicker, and I started making a cupcake:

Only, it turns out I made a really stupid decision, and then did a really crappy job. See, the pattern calls for US 6, but I didn’t have a needle gauge that I could find, so I grabbed some DPNs, and compared them with a needle that had the number 6 on it. I thought the DPNs looked to be close in size, so…worked for me. I cast on and did the fiddly bits of the base, and kept working. Then, I did find a knitting gauge and discovered that what I was knitting with were US 10s. (That 6 on the needle? Meant 6mm, not US6. US6 is actually 4.5mm). I wasn’t really worried about the gauge per se, but I tell you what: my cupcake looks ridiculous in real life. The ridiculous is also due, in part, to the fact that I have some really loose stitches, and the column of stitches where they switch from one DPN to another is really loose. I haven’t decided if I’m going to even try to finish it, but I have cast on another one on US6 DPNs. Maybe I’ll like it better. Or not.

If you want to try to make one of your own, the pattern is by Spud and Chloe: Cupcake Pincushion

Speaking of knitted things that take a long time to finish:

I started knitting this bag 2(?) years ago when Lynn came to Overland Park, KS to help me out when I taught at MQS. I made her go to a knitting shop and we both got yarn to make these bags. (I taught her how to knit, only I actually taught her wrong.) The yarn is Noro Kureyon, and is much prettier in real life. This bag has been sitting on my bed side table fully knit for months. All that it needed was the handled attached to the other side, the thread ends buried and then thrown into the washer to felt it.

A week or so ago, I threw it at my Mom and she kindly did all of that for me, including burying the thread ends, and now I’m just waiting for it to dry. I think I’m going to line it, and need to decide on a closure of some sort. How is your bag, Lynn? Need to throw it my Mom, too?

I was mostly laughing on Monday. Truly, if I cried over everything stupid thing I did, I’d be a snotty mess most of the time.

I was wearing a sweatshirt with a front pouch, and that’s where the phone was at the time of the incident. I leaned over to flush, and out it slid… It’s gone but not forgotten, because the toilet is draining, but definitely not flushing properly. I’m going next door when I need the facilities, and while I did leave a message for my landlord, I haven’t heard back from him yet. (Is it wrong that I’m glad it happened here at the shop, and not at home where it would be Mark’s problem?)

Right away Monday afternoon, I wandered down to the hardware store, that doubles as our wireless store, and cringed in anticipation of how much this fiasco was going to cost me.

See, the phone was nearly new. Like…November new. I wasn’t eligible for a new cheap phone, this WAS my new phone. (Because I had dropped the last one and it wouldn’t stop buzzing…)

Turns out that sometimes I get lucky, though, and did NOT have to pay retail. The cell company has a 30 day return policy, and they just happened to have the above phone (which is identical to the one that got flushed…) in stock as a returned item. And, as it turns out, it hadn’t ever actually been programmed, so…it’s like I got a brand-new phone for only $40. (Full retail was…$160…)

You can be darned sure that I will be extremely careful with my phone around toilets for awhile.

And thanks for laughing at me, I’m glad I could provide some entertainment in your day…