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There was a time when it took less than an hour to make Lexi a pair of socks. Baby feet are that small.

Now she’s a big girl, and at the end of this summer she’ll be a whopping 5 years old.

Now it takes a dedicated evening to come up with almost a pair of plain jane socks with short row heels and toes; almost but not quite a pair. Pictured is where last night tapered off.

For her part Lexi takes these delays for finished socks in stride. She’s very analytical about it, pointing out that it takes much longer to make Josey socks because his feet are “very very huge.” (Which indeed, Josey does have gigantic feet for an eleven year old.)

We also managed to work a new camera into the budget. R.I.P. old camera, you served us well right up unto the middle.

Buying a new camera that was within the budget was a difficult task. First I had to get the husband into the store. This might have been easier had I not divulged the fact that it was to purchase a new piece of electronics. (Note to self: next time hint that they may have a sale on Star Wars items and start a rumor that they are giving away free cookies.)

Then I had to actually get him to compare cameras, we’d chosen another camera awhile back, made comparisons on function and agreed that it was indeed the best one. So I’ll admit that choosing another model (as in a model that we could afford right at that very moment) was probably a bit of a shock to his system. He kept saying “If we wait we can get this one for only $110 more.” and I kept saying “How long will that wait be?” and he kept shrugging, so I’d answer his shrug with “We need one to get us through that wait.” and then he’d repeat “If we wait we can get this one for only $110 more.”

Lather, rinse and repeat for the next 40 minutes.

Let us not forget that while I only want a camera to document every second of my adventures in motherhood and knitterly activities, the husband actually needs a camera in the course of his professional life (as in if he doesn’t have a camera he can’t send very important photos to his clients in order to be paid.)

Eventually this all lead to buying the camera that we could afford: Canon PowerShot A470. Which, as it turns out Matt is absolutely delighted with, and I’m not going to turn my nose up at the macro setting. As my friend Opal points out “It’s all about the macro.”

I love otedama, don’t ask me to do it, I’m just an admirer. I am about as coordinated as a drunken moose. But I can make the ojami just fine which does take a little coordination, but at least when it comes to avoiding needle pricks and sewing my own thumbs into the bag I can manage.

This is such a good craft for using up strips of scrap fabric. Each one is made of 4 pieces. For a western sized juggling bag, about 1.5 by 3 inches stitched with a scant 3/8 seam, and for otedama sized bags just slightly larger (the proportions should be length= width*2) about 2.75 inches wide to 5.5 inches long with a scant 3/8th inch seam.

Arrange the strips into a pin wheel, then sew the face of 4 strips so that they meet. Then sew the each strip down and around the corners (this is easier done than described) leaving one side of the opposite face open to fill with azuki beans, but not stuffing the beans, and then blind stitching the final seam closed. Otedama is played like jacks (at first) so too many beans makes it harder to manipulate the ojami.

Mine are made with batik dyed linen scraps (I didn’t sew the texture, the fabric came like that) left over from a fish shaped pillow that I made for a friend many years ago. The texture equaled fish scales to me, unfortunately it was one of those projects that worked much better in concept than execution but at least I had the gorgeous scraps to play with on a slow rainy Oregon day.

I’m having so much fun making vinyl bags for two very good reasons:

1. Doesn’t take long
2. No shopping for supplies

I made this one with the idea of a light duty tote, something that I take to the library on a rainy day and use to carry home a few paperbacks. I was stumped when it came to attaching the handles (cheapo vinyl tubing) to the body of the tote.

That’s when I resorted to sifting through the office supplies, and found the cherry paper clips.

Here’s a close up of how I wrapped the wire on the tubing and used the paper clip. When heated the coating of the wire bonds to the vinyl tubing. It’s better than using vinyl glue and unlike the glue, using heat won’t yellow the either vinyl.

ETA: Make your own tote!

Craft withdrawal symptoms may include:

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Loss of Bladder control
• Uncontrollable urge to clean and decorate

Okay, maybe we can skip loss of bladder control. I did dig out some of my vintage aprons and hang them on the wall, after cleaning the closet.

Tacking the aprons to the wall looked off. A little clothes-line and some old fashioned clothes pins fit the bill.

This is from a slightly different angle. So cheesy or cute? Or cheesy cute?

I think it needs something. I must have actually said “I think it needs something”out loud because the husband made this face and rolled his eyes. It does need something else though, doesn’t it?

I’m thinking more hats, or maybe a pair of garden gloves and a trowel.

For some reason (probably because I’m very awesome) someone has decided to add this blog to StumbleUpon, which completely freaked me out because the day before yesterday I had 14 hits. I figured the stats were wrong.

They weren’t.

I’ve been Stumbled.

Stumblers ROCK! (But you already knew that didn’t you?)

Post most horrifying to knitters

I start anthropomorphizing my cats

I have a little too much irish cream in my coffee and write about the things I’d really like to say at craft fairs

Matt surprised me by recanting his battery-less faith and acquiring batteries for the camera.

Which means I can show you this little bag that I was rambling on about last night.

I added the crochet top and yarn handles this morning (the fabric inside had to be stuffed in there otherwise it would have looked like yarn and a weird reflection in the pic.)

Lexi immediately said “Oh my new bag.” and made off with it. (She does this quite a bit with things that I make, that means she approves of the item and I have no hope of ever having it returned to me. Fortunately, Josey brought it back just long enough for me to take a photo.)

I know, it’s not my usual sewing mantra, usually I manage to put so many straight pins in a project that I need to grab the wire cutters in order to extract a few when I’m finished.

But tonight I managed to sew a clear vinyl bag from some clear vinyl that was in the selvage bin at a deep discount because it was ruined.

“You can’t iron it!” The woman at the counter scolded, scolded, me as I scooped it up.

I figured the flat bits would be good enough for wallet windows and clear pockets so no big deal if I had to throw away the wrinkles.

So I cleaned up the sewing area and fickled around for a while trying to think of how I could mess it up again– and a tote sounded like a good quicky project. Then it occurred to me that I often iron things that I shouldn’t, so I cut off some of the vinyl, stuck it between two sheets of paper and ironed the snot out of it. It did grow somewhat, so I cut two pieces for the front and back of the tote to about the size I wanted, then ironed the snot out of those (between two sheets of paper) and lo–! Still a little wobbly but not nearly as bad as before.

Right on. Trim the vinyl back to the desired size.

Next thing I know I have the sewing machine ready with a roller foot and leather needle. Try a few different stitches on a scrap, decide I like one. I stick the pieces together, sew the seams, clip the gussets, sew the gussets– turn the thing inside out and..

Are you ready for this?

A tote bag. Constructed entirely without the assistance of pins; a fact that sort of freaks me out. It was so fast, nothing broke or died, and I didn’t even feel compelled to throw the sewing machine out the window.

P.S. No pictures because the husband has joined a cult that forsakes the convenience of  batteries for digital cameras. It’s rather upsetting.

My nephew requested not one, but two knit items. Requested.

That’s cool stuff right there, having a last minute knit request from a teenager. Of course we can’t do anything that isn’t video game related, he wants a hat and bag like Link’s from Legend of Zelda. I have the bag finished. The hat may have to wait until after Christmas, but I have the bag nearly finished (I just need to crochet the draw string to the appropriate length and run it through.)

I am so in love with this stitch pattern, the yarn I could live without, but the stitch pattern is yummy. Actually I shouldn’t disrespect the yarn, yes, it’s freakin’ Red Heart, but it’s not nearly as icky as I expected. And being plastic sometimes has its advantages, like the possibility probability that said teenager will probably want to throw it in the laundry every now and again.

Sorry for the poor quality of the picture, the brown yarn doesn’t lend itself to showing the stitch pattern in a photo.

I’m behind on my other holiday endeavors, usually I’d be done with cookies, but since I managed to contract the flu, I’m going to hold off on preparing baked good until I’m officially non-infectious.

Let me warn you that the images contained in this post might shock you. I’ve been there and seen it with my own eyes, I’ve stood in the dark shadow of the craft stash and felt it’s powerful beckoning first hand.

Let’s start with what can be seen from the doorway. There’s the sewing machine. Mom and I might not agree on much, but we do agree that an older machine is a precious workhorse that will never fail. Usually there’s a box of something on the chair and not much covering the surface of the sewing table, for some reason the situation was reversed this day.

Then there’s the other sewing desk. I think there’s another sewing machine in there. And usually it has a serger sitting on the top.

Oh yes. There’s the serger. It’s like Where’s Waldo but with craft supplies. Can you see the interfacing? Spot the ribbon? Which one?

Now at this point you might wonder if Mom actually uses all her craft supplies or does she just grow the stash? In truth, she’s a pretty dedicated crafter and during the slow times in her business she busies herself whittling down the stash and creating some really delightful stuff.

Lexi has been making everyone pony bead necklaces for a while now, so Matt bought her some smaller beads and I volunteered a ball point craft needle, and she’s been quite busy making elastic and plastic bead bracelets and necklaces. So far, I’m the only human that she’s deigned to provide with a necklace, vast majority of her employment is adorning her considerable herd of My Little Ponies.

Josey is also being very nice to me. I was treated to muffins earlier in the week, and found that the dishes had been washed. The crowning achievement was a room that stayed clean(ish) all week. That was nice.

Why all the niceness? I have no idea, I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Nothing is missing or broken, the house hasn’t burnt down and all their school work is done– they are just being spontaneously nice. I’m just going to appreciate it.

It’s the last week of my Business 105 course, all my courses are accelerated, so this week instead of the usual two assignments I have three. And it’s the Thursday before a weekend craft show, so of course I have three assignments in different stages of incompletion. I have until Saturday to turn them in, but I’d rather not push it until the eleventh hour.

I’ll be staying at my Mom’s over the weekend (since she’s also going to be at the craft fair.) I’m going to try to remember to bring the camera with me so I can document what we affectionately refer to as “Beanie Baby Hell” for your amusement. I’ve tried in the past to describe the 9 layers of Beanie Baby Hell to people but words fall short of the actual experience, inevitably people think I am exaggerating.

And if it doesn’t place my life in direct peril (it might) I’ll also snap some pics of the craft room of death. That room, as tempting and delightful as it’s contents might be, has tried to take lives in the past, including my own– maybe it actually has claimed lives and we just don’t know it yet, because the bodies are so cleverly concealed by bolts of fabric and boxes of notions like a plush cask of Monticello.
My theory is that the craft room operates much the same as a pitcher plant, promising the sweet nectar of endless crafting and leading it’s victims to inevitable destruction. What sinister secrets it hides behind a facade of innocent polar fleece and bolts of broadcloth have yet to be revealed.

Enough procrastinating for me. I’m off to finish my schoolwork so I can go outside and play.