K Belle baby cardigan and surprisingly good mystery yarn

I just finished this little cap sleeve cardigan for a former coworker of mine. She moved down to Louisiana so it's not like the baby needs to be warmed up in a long-sleeved wool sweater. I was glad to take a little break from tiny baby sleeves, though I picked a lace pattern and I had to rework it a lot!
The yarn was from a destash so it’s a mystery, but after doing a burn test and looking through many many pages of yarn on Ravelry I think it’s either Drops Cotton Viscose or GGH Mystik (though it’s variegated and I’ve pretty much only found solids).
Originally, before I found out that friend was pregnant, I was trying to make myself some kind of slinky summer tank top, though I really had no plan there and was considering buying more yarn hoping it would match in texture to finish out the garment. I was thinking some kind of colorblocking with the pink variegated in back and the front (which would require more shaping) in a solid- navy blue or soft green or shiny black, and I was even considering buying all those color choices because it's hard to complement a colorway without doing it in person. This Pink/peach/yellow I thought could easily look awkward next to plenty of colors.
of course, buying more stash wasn't helping my over all goal of knitting down the stash. I'm almost relieved I found another project, even if it meant cranking out another baby sweater- I had just done three in a row!!
I knit and ripped and knit and ripped SO MANY TIMES, so worried I'd overshoot and run out of yarn. I have a scale but it's a little vintage thing I got at an estate sale and although I'm totally charmed by its looks, it's analog and only really measures to 5 gram increments. The yarn frogged pretty smoothly, thank goodness,  and the blocking at the end smoothed things out a lot.
As I got to the center of the ball (I had bought it wound up in a tight ball, like I said, mystery destash) I had a sneaking suspicion it was wound around a cardboard tube and that there was even less than I expected. I rewound it around a giant bread tie (from who knows where. hoard your junk, people), and the leftover was ready to be included with the finished cardigan as a little extra sewing/repair yarn. Or an insert in the baby scrapbook. whatever!

The buttons on the back are just fun cause I had so many bright yellows from one of those mixed bag things and I don't know how to say no to a set. Hey, I've got  a stash of buttons to work through as well, ok?

Humerus Halloween Scrubs

Jillybean (not her real name) is a sewing friend. We didn't sew together, though. We actually used to work at a fabric shop, so wet bought a lot of fabric and didn't show each other much of it. Our recent exchange:
Me: I actually bought a fabric for a project and then made that fabric into that project, ON TIME
JB: wow. I've been sewing since I was nine and still haven't managed to do that.

The project in question?
A Halloween scrub top!
The hospital I work at recently changed their uniform code, and we've gone from "wearing whatever color scrubs you feel like, unless you need to wear the hospital issued, laundered in house surgical scrubs" to "specific colors depending on your position. Unless you need to wear the house laundered scrubs. Then you're still wearing those. Womp womp".
We're (so graciously) allowed a few scrub holidays- and the first one since the new uniform went into effect was Halloween!
Now I've realized I fibbed, though. I didn't buy this fabric specifically for a scrub top. It was MAYBE gonna be a scrub top but MAYBE a seasonal throw pillow but who COULD BE SURE because I just loved the Halloween themed puns happening- "do you find me HUMERUS?"

It's llamas. On pajamas.

One of my favoritesewing accomplishments, to date: LLAMA PAJAMAS

Bunny tryouts

Before going out of town, we asked someone to pet sit the buns. We'll be taking the big Hooch with us-he's got a buddy to catch up with!
Since she was coming by for a rundown of the rabbits, we figured we'd try them in there for a bit, just to see how they were getting accustomed to it!

Hutch under way!

We've started on our outdoor rabbit hutch a few weeks ago! We were planning on something raised up to help keep it aerated and away from Hooch the dog. We may enclose the bottom legs in wire to give them a bunny run, but they'll probably only be put down there with supervision- and/or when Hooch isn't out in the yard. I'm also considering a free standing run that'll sit in the shed when not in use. As the weather warms I'm looking forward to tending to the buns outside.

We could have bought something, but I couldn't find anything I was totally pleased with AND could be raised off the ground, while the husband wanted the challenge-and satisfaction- of building it himself. Don't look too closely, as we're both total beginners and it's a tad rickety- but I don't think the rabbits we will complain too much!

The best ever neck tie, or THE BEST EVER NECK TIE?

hooch is such a ladies' man.

Yes- look closely- yes, that IS  tie with silhouettes of naked ladies. YES IT IS.
Thrift stores are the best :D

Hatchbun.

For reference: a Prius C, the hatchback, will just fit three small animal Kong carriers.

Haha! I bought a car a few weeks ago, and while it won't likely fit Hooch, our big Mastiff, with any comfort, it's a bunny-sized car. Here they are on the way back from the vet after being spayed and neutered (we have two females and a male). They were pretty popular at the vet's office! So far the females seem to coexist peacefully but the male is still fairly aggressive. We're working on his manners around the gentle fluffy girl and the constantly-terrified brown girl. We're in the process of building them a sizeable outdoor hutch, and the male has a separating wall- it's removable, though, in case things change.

Photogenic phluff.

I meant to take pictures of all the three of the buns, but I forgot after Fluffybutt- she's just the most photogenic!

Thiiiiiis close.

My late MIL, who started this piece, must have miscounted in a few spots, because the "frame" is off. She stitched six too many red rows, and filled them in by just adding more rows of red, three on each side of the design.
She was an uneven three off on the columns, which might be WHY she put it down and never finished it. But I digress.
These extra six rows-coupled with the really thick, almost double sided way she made her stiches-made me a little nervous there was only about two strands of red left. One "badge" and one cross were completed with this red, so I figured it was important to keep those consistent with both sides of the pattern.
After filling in the added-on rows, I just had the cross left... I was so close...

And I ran out with, what, five stiches left? Not even five whole stiches. Five half stiches.
This isn't knitting. There's no gauge swatch to unravel, no tinking back and knitting tighter or decreasing sooner or pretending you totally meant to make it a 3/4 sleeve sweater, not a full length.

There is only madness and trying to match to a new skein.

Line by line.

I gridded the project roughly with black floss. In counted cross stitch, I minimize the counting!
However, I kept piercing through the floss. It didn't bother me to have to move the floss out of the way, but piercing through out would make it a bear to remove.
Off we went to the local sporting and outdoor goods store. I picked out some fishing line- it was the most fluorescent pink-orange and flexible like normal thread. Some kind of "bonded braid" used in ice fishing. Splurged a little because I liked the texture and color.
Oh, me.
Of course it was a terrible choice. It STAINED.
Seriously! A plastic fishing line! I had pulled out my first line a few times when I noticed bright neon pink-orange pin pricks on my white Aida. WHAAAAAT??
After a small and rather understandable freak out, I pulled out an unused Aida-banded hand towel, ran the offending thread through it a few times until it left marks, then left it to soak. I think it came out... But the hand towel is pale yellow, and ended up being soaked multiple times, then dunked in diluted bleach, then washed in the machine twice... because it had some dark mystery stains which, hmph, have NOT come out all the way.
I've decided to live with the faint remaining stains-after all, it's a towel, it's no good to me if it never gets used.
I couldn't live with the neon pinpricks in my white Aida heirloom, though, so off to another store for bright red stiff plastic monofilament. It works. No stain, easy to stitch around, very cheap ($4 for 1000 yards vs $8.50 for 50 yards of staining), but, as predicted, it's annoying to work with.
This isn't the project for "traditional Celtic with pops of neon", but I've still got the bonded line- I haven't written off that idea.

Coming along.

Admittedly I'm quite a bit further than this but pictures and posting have a bit of a lag time.
I'm filling in the gold bars of the knotwork with just half cross stiches for now... to give me an outline to fill in, then I'll go back and finish the gold. It's the easiest color in the pattern to follow, hopefully it means fewer miscounts.

This project, precious and frustrating... I suppose that's true of a lot of family members, right? Fitting :)

A stitch at a time

I inherited a huge* amount of cross stitch stuff from Alex's mom. I'm hoping to finish and frame any of the things she started and send out pieces to the family.
Unfortunately, it was unexpected and I have pretty much no notes, so a lot of it is quite confusing.
I have threads of all sorts, with various labels. I have half finished pieces with no floss, pattern, or purpose.
But I'm still looking forward to it all! I've even put aside the socks I was knitting (though I still carry them everywhere to sneak a few stiches here and there- I don't like to transport embroidery).
The first thing I picked out... well to be honest the first thing I picked up just needed me to finish the last lines- but not being able to pick a color, I set it back down.
The second choice seemed a good choice: I had the pattern, what looked like the original thread, and she had started much of it.

I spent about an hour untangling that original thread, and it didn't even match up- the front illustration is very blue, but it's all greens. One very thick skein of green doesn't seem to have a place in this, and I can't tell if it's variegated or if it's sun bleached!
Of course, as soon as I was a few stiches in, I notice that there's so many errors- it's one of those Celtic knotwork things with a big thick border... so the miscounts aren't easy to fudge. When everything is symmetrical with big lines, I can't just stretch the pattern out here and there.
It's been great fun so far, though. Nice for sitting inside in these cold days in front of the big screen :)

*seriously huge to me. I thought it was a small box so I set aside things I'd like or friends might. The rest went to charity. I think there was two unfinished items. Some hours later we found a large Rubbermaid bin, a medium bin, a handful of small boxes, and bags of needlepoint stuff. Much of it was given away to stitch-happy friends and family.

I present unto to you... a bunny!

I forgot to mention we've inherited three bunnies! This one is the fluffiest one!
They survived a trip of several states, bouncing around in a crowded pickup truck (which kept their water bottles dribbling), sharing house and hotel room with curious dogs... tomorrow they go to the bunny vet and we start building then a hutch. They'll get a few weeks to heal as needed, introductions start, and hopefully they can all be housed together in the hutch.
Bunnies!

First finished project of the new year

I'm actually in the middle of two other projects, but when something caught Alex's eye, we bought crochet hooks online and headed to Joann's the next day! When we were there, we decided to pick up the yarn for the Jayne hat I've been promising Alex. I wanted to make it out of quality wool, but the selection at my small Joann meant we settled for acrylic. It didn't take long at all, though the giant pom pom I made has already been ripped apart by Mishka the dog!

ONE JOB.

Come on, stitch holder. You have ONE JOB.

TO HOLD MY STICHES.

CRAFT FAIL

I've made hand cut chenille before.

I think?

I remember a piece made with layers and layers of recycled t-shirts, which I had meant to make into a throw pillow but it was so stiff it became a bath rug. It had a great texture!
That didn't fray,  obviously, it was jersey knits.
I was trying to make a piece to put on the back of a cute taggie blanket for my friend's on-the-way baby, just for some cool texture,  but taking it out of the wash, this chenille doesn't work out at all. Admittedly it still feels kinda neat, but I was going for the orderly fuzz of clipped chenille, not this linty thready Jackson Pollock mess.
I was worried this wouldn't work because my flannel was pre washed, but I think it was more important that I didn't see and cut the channels on the bias- I'm confident that would result in much much less loose-thread-vomit than what you see here.
I used up all my large flannel scraps,  though,  so I'm thinking of alternatives. Joann's has recently gotten Minky (called "soft and comfy") in prints, and I also have small bits of interesting fabrics in my stash- no decisions yet.

A nerd house with a bird house

Looking for a quick project,  I pulled some hand towels or if the linen closet and gussied one up. I would have made two, but I decided the other towel was written down enough that it wasn't really deserving as it wouldn't last much longer.
My machine is still skipping stitches here and there but overall I think this will hold up okay! It was scrap fabric and a towel that I probably got at Goodwill anyways.
The fabric is a scrap of Star Wars quilting cotton that I had made pajama pants out of! Is it ok to match your house on this level?  :D

New phone: new posts?

Got me a fancy new phone and hoping it will make updating much easier! My poor long suffering laptop crawls along nowadays and the battery can't be trusted.

The Blogger app could hardly be trusted still the last time I was using it on my phone.  It seems the app will still only allow one picture per post. Lame,  but I talk too much anyways and maybe this way I'll have to make lots of posts!
In knitting news, I finished my "Zombie BBQ" socks (that was the name of the colorway) and the idea I had to rib the instep actually seems to be working pretty well! It's helping to keep the socks on my feet and not slip around in my shoes. I haven't worn them enough to see if they'll stretch out, though. I kind of want to reserve them until I can enter them in the fair next year,  but I don't think I can hold out that long,  and I think they'll look awkward unless displayed on blockers.
Fittingly,  I started these socks on a trip to Montana and I finished them on another trip there! It only took... oh,  half a year.
I'll add a link to the Ravelry page soon.

Follow up to sewing plan!

Yesterday I posted all my sewing projects with deadlines for the next month or so. I realized I wanted to add something, which unfortunately is going to be pretty quick with the deadline, but should be pretty straightforward. I have these large foam blocks and water resistant PUL material I originally bought to make floor cushions. I no longer have the floor space or living room set up for floor cushions, but I've got the blocks. They might work as headrest/spacers for my bed- I do a lot of reading sitting up in bed, and the mattress pushes against the outlet that the bedside lamps are plugged into, causing them to flicker.
I might want to add a zipper for the PUL casing, which is the only part of this sewing plan I think I'll find challenging- partly because I don't have long enough zippers in my stash!

Decisions...

Future pajamas?

I'm in love with the breakfast diner print myself, but how many pajama pants does one person need, really?
I already have TWO food themed flannel pairs- a candy cane print from Old Navy and a self-sewn sushi print-fabric from Jo Ann, and it's adorable. The making up was an adventure, and a post of it's own!