Sew I See!

Hey, if anyone's interested, Hobby Lobby has a special deal going just for today and tomorrow (November 28th and 29th).  Free shipping on all orders, with no minimum purchase necessary.  (Some items don't qualify, but I imagine those are few and far between.) There's also a "40% off one item" coupon available this week, and you can use it in conjunction with the free shipping (on eligible items-- basically, anything that's not already on sale/clearance this week).   Seems like a good deal to me!  :o)

Ok, so I've mentioned before that I use Ravelry.  It really is an amazing resource for anyone who knits or crochets (or spins or weaves).  For a long time, I used it mainly as a record for my projects and a handy place to research/find patterns and information about different yarns. Lately, I've been using the forums a lot, too.  There are groups for practically anything you can think of-- styles of knitting/crochet, authors/books, TV shows, bands, breeds of dogs, states/countries, political affiliations, every hobby under the sun, pattern designers, yarn companies, etc.  I enjoy reading the forums when I'm eating a meal alone or just unwinding for a few minutes during the day.  Occasionally I'll even post a reply or two.  After a while, you start to recognize faces avatars, even across multiple boards.  (Some of these people must be wasting spending even more time on the forums than I do! (g))  Sometimes I get curious after reading what som...

Augh! Where does the time go?  It's already Thanksgiving (and then Black Friday) this week!  Monday is my husband's birthday ( already?! )... and then the month of December will be whisking by, with all its gatherings and obligations. How does this happen every year?  I love the holidays in theory , but gosh, they have a way of sneaking up on me every single year .  I never seem to be prepared in advance, even when I started making gifts back in January! That said, I don't actually have many gifts left to make (if only I could say the same about my gift- shopping , which I haven't even begun).  There are three or four that need some finishing... A few more that need washing and photographing (which I've been putting off because I want to make sure they'll smell fresh when they're opened and not like they've been stuffed in a drawer or closet for half a year)... Then there's a bigger sewing project that is not even halfway done.  (Fortunately, i...

Yep, I gave in to temptation last week (so the wet sheep smell is long gone (g)) and treated myself to some yarn-dyeing!  (After a draining, depressing Tuesday, I needed some fun.) I started with a skein of Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool in "Natural".  I know that this yarn isn't considered of the highest quality by many, but it has its good points.  It's readily available in even big-box craft stores (where you can use a coupon to get it at an affordable price).  The yardage is fantastic-- 465 yards of worsted weight per skein.  And it's 100% wool, which is perfect for playing around with dye.  It's not superwash (which means you can't just toss it it the washing machine-- hand washing is a must), but that makes it good for felting, if you've ever wanted to try that.  It's not the softest yarn ever and may be a little scratchy against the most sensitive skin, but for something like hats or outerwear, I think it's just fine.  So, with such...

When I last wrote, I had two secret projects in progress.  Now they're both done.  Well, all done but one tiny finishing touch... and the washing, which I plan to do closer to Christmas. It feels good to have those off my plate!  ...But now I'm working on a new set of secret projects!  So... (Secret projects.  So dull to blog about.  Even duller to read about, I'm sure.  Sorry!) - - - - - - - I decided to knit a hat using some of that wool yarn I dyed however-long-ago-it-was.   I'd been wanting to do that for a while, but I was hesitant to start.  It had been a while since I knit my first hat, so I needed to refresh myself on the magic loop method... (I've never used dpn and don't even own a set.)  Once I got started, it came back to me pretty fast.  All but two aspects. First, ladders.  I was having trouble with laddering at the place where I joined the cast-on stitches.  I must've cast on, joined, desp...