Ideally I like to have the Christmas crafting done by Halloween.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
It hasn't happened since the Goob was born (the year the Goob was born, the last of the Christmas presents was finished and gifted in February - my best worst), so I'm not shocked to see it hasn't happened again this year. But I did start counting days and projects and all that jazz, and here's where things stand.
I would like to get all the crafting done by December 15, which would then give me time to bake like a loon (see the last couple years' entries in December if you haven't witnessed the insanity before) and enjoy the actual trip to Ohio to visit the family. And that still gives me ten days to spaz out before things are well and truly LATE.
Things that have got to get done, as of today:
- The shawl for my mother-in-law.
- The sweater for my father-in-law.
- The three woven scarves for assorted people. (I'm thinking of this as one project.)
- The ten yards of now-ugly green fabric for my sister-in-law.
- A felted bag (this is a maybe). I give my sister-in-law a goodie bag every year, full of chocolate and bath salts and jewelry and other little goodies. It'd be nice if she could actually re-use the bag.
The stages of completion, as of today, and what the plan is:
- The shawl has about 60 rounds left to knit. I have figured out I have forty-two days until December 15, so I need to knit about a round and a half per day and no problems. I'm going to aim for two rounds a day. This is doable, and even gives me time left over to work on other stuff.
- The sweater is 1/3 done - it's seamless and I've got the body to the arm pits. I'd like to do the sleeves this week (another 1/3) and the chest/upper torso next week (last 1/3). Finishing is VERY minimal (did that on purpose), so when the knitting's done, it's DONE. This is also doable.
- The scarves are gonna be the spaz-out project 'cause I have to spin the yarn before I weave the damn things. I'm finishing up the test-spinning today and getting serious about real spinning, hopefully again today. I'll warp all three scarves at once, weave all three straight through, hem and wash. Doable, but I need to get off my ass and get to work. Now.
- The ten yards of ugly green fabric can be finished in a weekend, I just need to make up my mind what I'm doing with it. Also doable.
- The felted bag is kinda nuts, but I'm thinking I can work on it while the in-laws are visiting for Thanksgiving, and it's a small one, I could reasonably expect to knit it in a few days. So, it's possible.
Not time to panic, then. But I need to get moving. Those of you out there who enjoy watching me totally spaz out over deadlines, I fear you may get some entertainment this year.
So. HELP!! Anyone got any suggestions for something small and vaguely tasteful to batik onto that green fabric? Anyone? HELP!
This morning the Goob hauled her box across the house from one side to the other, and plopped it in front of the TV so she could sit in it and watch. Since I know you guys live for Goob photos, especially Goob-in-box photos, I snapped a shot.
She smiled like I asked, but refused to look away from the toons. Typical.
I am getting the Etsy shop organized, yet again. It's getting tricky 'cause I'm not just selling yarn any more. I've got fiber and other stuff. But I've got a Knitty article coming out December first (or so they tell me) and the only reason I wrote the damn thing was to get international advertising for the shop. Seems to me I should have something to sell, in that case. I'd like to get it re-opened early, so I could give you guys first crack at the loot. (Think Christmas presents.) Starting mid December, I'll be shipping daily for the whole gift thing. Yay. Whee. I hate the post office.
Oh, and someone just left me a love note about my Vogue Knitting review, and my rudeness about Nanette Lepore. Apparently she's a REAL fashion designer, and I must shop at KMart to not recognize the high fashion inherent in this:
...yes. Obviously, the problem must lie entirely with ME. Tell you what, chickie, when Nieman Marcus and Liberty of London and Harrod's start selling halter dresses knit with alpaca at three stitches to the inch, full of holes you can see your underwear through, you just let me know.
ETA: See above, where it says SELLING these monstrosities? Yes. Don't send me a link to a site where they're in stock. I don't care. NO ONE WOULD BUY THEM. I don't care who is stocking them.
10 comments:
Hmm, that poor model has no boobs. Maybe that's why they chose her, so her nips wouldn't stick out of the holes in the dress?
Suddenly the Goob looks like a kid rather than a baby. Scary.
Great plan. Here's hoping it's successful. I'd batik fronds in various shades of green and blue-green on the ugly green fabric.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for pointing out what's been bothering me for ages: I thought I was just missing out on some mysterious advanced technique that would eliminate see-through fabric. Ha!
Now I feel better about doubting the total cheater methods of certain patterns where they make pseudo-business-suits and gowns using *huge* bulky yarn with a giant gauge, resulting in the not-surprising amount of gap-osis.
Oh and can I just say, the combination of the rhinestone brooch miraculously suspended on the huge-knit 'gown' was what capped it off for me. Yeah. I'm with you. All the way. No, no, no!
Well, if they lined it...? Wouldn't a sensible person line something like this? Besides the undesirable see-thru effect, wearing it for a little while would stretch it out of shape in distressing ways without a lining, no? Unless the wearer managed to remain in one position & never sit down.
How about her monogram for the batik. Then she could make up a Vera Bradley type bag that also has a bit of some other designer flare, but I live in a town that has so many ripoffs of that designer, I don't remember who the real one is.
I love the title of that particular photo.
(And look: another weird verification "word", suprogie. Sounds Polish. And edible.)
How about William Morris type flowers? in yellow ish and darker green?
And if that's high fashion, I'm so glad I don't follow fashion. Looks like... well. The "bra" bit looks wrinkled, the dress bit looks like it only fits a coat hanger... not a real person. (not reading the review until my copy arrives, I like to read along with the magazine...)
Small and tasteful? How about simple squares in a random fifties-retro scatter? The fronds idea is very nice, too.
Best of luck with the gifting plans. Buy that warp yarn! Medium grey or maybe black.
Dude, I think it's hilarious that somebody is actually arguing with you about your review of Vogue Knitting.
About the shipping, you probably already know about this, but just in case: if you use the USPS, you can use PayPal's shipping feature to print your own labels at home (first class and above for domestic; priority and above for international), then request a carrier pickup if it's more than a mailbox worth, and never have to go to the post office! It doesn't cost any extra, and delivery confirmation is included in the price, unlike at the post office. (I think they also do UPS.) I can't stand going to the post office, and who has time anyway?
I'm a big fan of that little symbol on 'Charmed' for the batik... don't know if it's tasteful, but I always thought it was cool.
I just started working on random projects a couple of months ago--I've got most of them 1/2 done, so I could have gifts for Christmas--go me! YOur list scares me. Seriously--I couldn't do it.
Dude--that halter dress was truly awful, and the tendency to show our underwear in public is WAY overrated-- you go gettem!
someone took the time to complain about your VK review? Clearly someone with NO sense of humor!
I got a real word for my verification -- "binge!" does this ever happen to anyone else?
and yah, Goober looks like a kid, not a baby!
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