Lookie What I Made

Off with the little ghouls and goblins to trick or treat!

Happy Halloween!

Posted by K.T. at 05:54 PM | Permalink | | Leave a comment

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Here is a picture of a small garden I made for the Toddler Playground at the Boys' school. Duncan's teacher was at a loss as to what to do to replace the overgrown strawberry patch in the playground. She asked for my help and in about an hour, we had it all done.

It was great fun as she gave me freedom to do whatever I wanted. I went to the nursery and came out a few minutes later with enough for a small (4x4) garden. I built it based on what I thought two and three year olds might like. It is based on texture- waxy, furry, spikey and smooth. It is really designed to be touched and, well, mauled.

Now, they have asked me to design small garden plots for the Pre-Schooler playground. I think they are the perfect projects. Big impact, little work and the kids get a garden. How great is that? Very fun.

Posted by K.T. at 05:16 PM | Permalink | | Leave a comment

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Some of my people have recently been in Amish country and brought me this. I had never seen one, but now that I know what it is and how to use it, I LOVE it. Basically, it is a tube of fabric filled with fragrant stuff: cloves, cinnamon, etc. That you use as a trivet to put your teapot or hot pan on. Then your whole kitchen smells autumnal and warm and cozy. Like I said, I love it.....but I have zero idea what it is called. Any ideas?

Plus, don't you love the fabric? It's like floral camo. Makes me happy.

If you know what this is called, lemme know. I am hoping it has some fancy name, but given that it is Amish, I'm thinking, not so much.

Posted by K.T. at 06:15 PM | Permalink | | Leave a comment

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The Hubbalicious and I have a deal. He wants to get me what I want and he despises shopping in stores. So instead of forcing him to slog through stores and pick SOMETHING that I might (or more likely might not) like we have developed a system. I find what I would like to receive as a gift for Xmas, Birthday or just because, send him a link or purchasing info, he buys, they gift wrap. (Thank God because when he wraps it loooks like the Unibomber did it.)

So we all know about my Magpie obsession. I found this on Ebay and told him I might like it as a gift. H-I-N-T! So, the sweeheart that he is, he ordered it. I saw a package waiting by the fence today and practically sprinted in the cold rain to pick it up. Then I saw the Customs Form with "Knitting Yarn" listed as the contents and I well, er I , er, ripped the bag open.

Honey, please forgive me.

Mmmmmm, mooooore maaaaaagpiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie.

Posted by K.T. at 09:43 AM | Permalink | | Leave a comment

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A couple (er, okay sev-er-al) years ago I made a quilt for Hubbalicious. Well it turned out to be a quilt top. There was muslin and there was batting and actually there was backing too. So it wasn't just a top, but not quite a quilt. More like a fabric sandwich- there was no binding on it. Hubbalicious loved the finished parts and has been very patient. But I know that it bugs him that it is incomplete. So I ripped off the backing- I wasn't crazy about the fabric and truly bought it because it was there, it was a stop gap measure. Note to self: buy it because you or the intended will love it, or at least really like it-not because it is there. True, finished is better than perfect but used is better than finished and shoved into a closet for all time.

So when the Hubbalicious was a little boy, he wanted to be an astronaut. He really, really wanted to be an astronaut. So as a special thing between us and a big "I'm sorry for being such a butt-head for taking years to finish this" I found this fabric at Cia's Palette. A word about this Cia's Pallette. I have ordered from them twice and received excellent customer service both times. They were out of stock on a pattern I ordered and they contacted me within an HOUR to tell me. the first order, they were a yard short on a fabric I ordered and they called me to tell me and ask what to do. Plus, they send a swatch of fabric with your order! Go see them, they are awesome and are all about customer service. I am a freak for great customer service. Cia's Pallette will get my business again!

Back to the quilt- This fabric for the backing is something I would have never bought for myself. But I did it for Hubbalicious. He loves it and got a huge chuckle out of it. And I like the thought of his sleeping and dreaming under the stars and planets. Maybe he will finally get to go to to outerspace, if only for a moment.

What we do for love continues to amaze me.

Posted by K.T. at 05:05 PM | Permalink | | Leave a comment

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Pictures of sewing trim onto kitchen valances are pretty boring in my book, so I rooted through the archives and found this picture of Mr. T & me from my college days. Hopefully this will bring a smile to your face and I have done my good deed for today.

Off to pick up one small hollering boy from school and then take the other small hollering boy to the doctor. Then more sewing!

Posted by K.T. at 12:54 PM | Permalink | | Leave a comment

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Silly title for a pictureless post, no? Here is your blog snapshot of Saturday/Sunday. Every Saturday night Hubbalicious and I go out for date night. Rain or Shine, we have date night and really look forward to it during the week. Doesn't matter what we do or where we go- we just take about six hours and get out of the house together. Usually we go to the local pub and play cribbage, laugh and just be together.

Last night, in the middle of date night there was a work emergency for Hubbalicious. Much furious typing into the smartphone and much forehead smacking over the situation. I was absolutely fine with it, it is the nature of the beast and bound to happen every once in a while. The emergency carried on into today so I had to be on call. Usually Hubbalicious takes the boys out all day on Sunday and I get to do whatever I want. Love that. He is a mighty fine man and a great dad.

So, no knit-out today in DC. If you went, please post pictures! Next year.

And when Duncan woke up from his nap, he was howling from fever. It seems to be better now, thank you Motrin! But it is looking like no school for him tomorrow.

I did get a couple of hours to work on the Halloween decor. Very spooky and very cool. I love Halloween and intend to raise kids who love it too. And I had enough time to make some chicken and white bean chili. Yum!

Hopefully after the boys go to sleep, I can get some work done on the quilt. I am having a lot of fun doing it, but I think next time I need to use squares that are bigger than 3".

Also, last night was the party in Texas- I sure hope it went well, I haven't heard yet. Thank you to Emily for your offer! It was extremely sweet and appreciated.

Tomorrow, quilting, and picking some scarf patterns for gifts. Drat! I may have to go to the yarn store!

Posted by K.T. at 04:48 PM | Permalink

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You can have your Rhinebeck and your Ally Pally (ATU's account and pictures are awesome!) we have out Knit-Out and Crochet 2005 on the National Mall this Sunday.

Rain or shine, see you there!

Posted by K.T. at 10:13 AM | Permalink

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Cafe Du Monde opened today for the first time since Katrina. I found myself dancing in my kitchen with a smile in my heart while listing to the NPR story.

Duncan is doing much better at school. That is a photo of the two of us on his first day, last week. That expression is his "Say Cheese Face". While making the face he says "CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE". If you so much as pick up a camera, he makes the face.

Today I got there a bit early and saw his class on the playground lining up to go back to the classroom. I had never seen him stand in line before. So sweet, so simple. I, of course, burst into tears. I have turned into a total mush. Not bad, just a mush.

And I have been making stuff. New kitchen valances, new lampshades for the kitchen chandelier and a new slip cover for the side chair also, you guessed it, in the kitchen. The quilt is coming along nicely and I will post a photo tommorrow. And there has been much knitting and plotting for the Halloween decor.

So for this first time in 5 years I get a little bit of time to myself everyday. Everyday, people. A shower without helicopters and firetrucks and without small hollering boys. Time to use my sewing machine. Time to do nothing if I want, though at this point, I wouldn't dare. Before I had children I thought I was busy and had no time. Must have been the crack. Now, I know better and treasure every moment with the kids and without them.

Posted by K.T. at 05:19 PM | Permalink | | Leave a comment

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Yesterday was Duncan's very first day of school. Ever. We made a big deal out of it, Mom, Dad and big brother all took him into his classroom. He looked at me and waved, while saying "Bye, Mom-Mom!".

About 2 hours later the school called that Duncan was upset. He had been crying and picking up his back pack saying "Home, Home". Duncan has always been the most laid back child. So I was surprised to hear this. By the time I got there about 45 minutes later, he was sound asleep in a classroom full of toddlers. All the emotion has tuckered him out, my poor little Duncan. When I picked him up his eyes were RED and he was hoarse. Okay, so this was not just upset, this was a huge, huge event. For another kid, it might just be upset but I have never ever seen Duncan so thrashed by emotion.

I know it will all work out. I know that for his first day, he did well. It seems that he would work, play and realize that I wasn't there and then begin to cry. And I have never dropped him off and left before, ever. So his teacher and I worked out a system that when she thinks he is about to hit the wall, she will call and I can come pick him up. I really appreciate her willingness to work through this with us. She even offered to come in and work with him on the weekend to get him through this. How cool is that?

So, I am Mom on call (a bit more than normal) for however long this takes. I was supposed to go to Texas next week to throw a Thanksgiving dinner for 200 soldiers who are deploying on or around Thanksgiving, one of whom is one of my favorite cousins. I really wanted to go. Not only to see my family- they are flying in from all over the country to put this thing on-but to get out of the house, if you know what I mean.. I know that by staying home, it will go perfectly for Duncan at school and if I went it would be a disaster.

Is there anybody out there in the Killeen, Belton, Temple, Fort Hood area who has a couple of hours next Saturday the 22nd of October to put up some decorations? Just asking as you never know what comes out of the blogosphere! Leave me a comment or mail me at kt AT theeislers DOT com

I am so dissappointed to not be able to go but I know it is the right choice. Sometimes the right choice is not the fun choice. My goal is to have my little boy love school and keeping him as comfortable in this transition will give us the best chance of success.

Thanks! KT

Posted by K.T. at 07:11 PM | Permalink | | Leave a comment

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Yesterday I finished the winter white scarf. This is Log Cabin Goodness. I L-O-V-E it. I am not going to block it, I adore the undulating shape too much. Really, this was such a fun and speedy knit- and the yarn showed off the pattern beautifully. The scarf is big, soft, squishy a simple knit. It was not boring at all, in a sitting I could get a repeat or two done.

It took 4 balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino SuperChunky in Color 16001. The pattern is from Harmony Stitch Guides #4 Pattern 1.14.

In a previous post I had complained that there were tie offs in 2 of the balls I used. Jane, of Yarnstorm fame, left a comment that the indutry standard was three-3- knots per ball. Wow! I had no idea. I guess I have been lucky as I rarely come across this. Or maybe I am just not knitting enough!

I tried to get Angus to actually wear this scarf, but he would have none of it. He did agree to hold it up, all the while asking me: "Are we done yet?"

Posted by K.T. at 07:01 AM | Permalink | | Leave a comment

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I having been on a bit if a fabric binge, ahem, as I showed you a small portion of last week.(Cia's Pallette and Hankcock's of Paducah arrive tomorrow) I hadn't a pattern in mind when I bought that fabric from here, so I began thumbing through some newly acquired, ahem, quilt books.

I picked a the Crosses Quilt from Quilt Road but I didn't like the randomness of the color placement. I also wasn't too fond of some of the fabrics for this quilt and I wanted some sort of color repeat. So I set out to chart a new color pattern, with the fabrics I had on hand. I tried to hand draw a giant graph as to better chart it out. Wrong. Between small hollering boys who wanted to use my crayons and a muttering at the computer husband and the garbage eating dog it was not happening.

Then my knitting, quilting and generally crafty friends- I found it!(Cue ephiphany music...) Praise God and pass the collection plate! I found this site.
Free, completely customizable GRAPH PAPER. Like twelve types, hex, trapeziod, regular. You can choose line weight and color and and and , oh it just gets me so excited. I know. It is graph paper. But come on folks, how cool is it that you can specify the size of the square, etc and in 2 seconds it is there for you. And it is free and you don't have to register and ooh the tumbling blocks graph paper makes me happy.

So, the muttering husband took the hollering boys out and I ignored Earl, the garbage eating dog long enough to rechart the pattern, which you see above. Wonky, yes. Effective, very. I already have all the squares cut, and I just need to pick a binding, backing and border. But tonight I am going to start sewing the squares after the boys are off to bed.

Posted by K.T. at 03:25 PM | Permalink | | Leave a comment

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I used to have such interesting standards (read: I was a total snob and idiot) about creativity. This is art, that is trash. What does it mean? How could they make that. Well, there is art and then there is craft. I spent years trying to change the way I painted or made sculpture, collage, or knit. Yes, I tried to be better at those things but I am talking about trying to change the style or essence of these things. I could no more change my painting style than I could change my eye color with the power of my mind. I truly think that everybody has their own creative style.

Penmanship is a good example of what I am talking about. Each person has their own personal handwriting, and you can make it neater, but I say it is nearly impossible to change it. It is yours.

I mean I make stuff to express myself, so why would I work so hard to change what that expression is. I would see something somebody made and be jealous that they had done it and I hadn't. What I didn't realize is that I could never had made that particular that. Someone else made it and even if I did my best to duplicate it, more than likely it would look like I did it. I used to hate that, I used to not understand that this is the gift of creativity. Yours is yours and mine is mine. Seeing this, I am freed up. Somehow in my mind it had been a competition against the maker of the cool object. Now, it is a drive to just do the best I can and learn something new with each project I undertake. A competition to best myself every time I see a chance.

Now, looking back the competing with another person (oh, and, this was a completely internal competition- the others had no idea) about creativity seems so very counterproductive, like wasted time. And like with so many things, I see it was necessary to get to where I am now about creativity and things that I make. I see creativity everywhere and might not love it all but I really strive to appreciate it all. And I am having a lot more fun making stuff. Sure, sometimes the process drives me crazy but at the end of the day I am so happy to have something that is all mine.

*********

Oh and the painting is one I made about 3 years ago, it is 4x6 ft. This is a great example of my having fun, experimenting. I am completely fascinated with anatomy and gesture.

Posted by K.T. at 09:55 AM | Permalink | | Leave a comment

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October is my favorite month. Halloween is my most creative and most favorite time of year. The crows have moved into the house and soon the Goblins and Witches will appear.

Autumn is barely on the radar here but no matter, it is time to get ready for Pumpkins, Chill and of course Sweaters.

But first I have to check the house for Ghouls and Ghosts.

*****

On a knitting note: You know what really scrapes my plate? When you pay $16 for a ball of SuperChunky Cashmerino (If your initials are D.B., listen up!)and there is a broken strand of yarn that has been tied off. I have worked through 3 balls of the stuff and 2 of the 3 have had tie offs. This is just Bad Form and really is aggravating. I am happy to pay for well made yarn and well balled yarns, but this does not get my vote. I mean, if you want me to pay your prices, can't you at least treat me nicely?

Posted by K.T. at 05:58 PM | Permalink | | Leave a comment

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&otWe are feeling kinda Kaffe over here at LWIM. Maybe we are just multi-Fassetted. (Groan. Sorry, couldn't help it.)

Look at these beautiful Kaffe Fasset fabrics. I ordered them from Glorious Color on Friday and they arrived today. Fantastic. Now I just have to wait a few days till Duncan goes off to school and I will have 4 hours a day to make something with this fabric.

And really what could be better than these:

*******

Thanks to all who have been leaving comments (Hi Mom!), I really appreciate it and it just plain makes me happy.

Oh, and Kay, steal the scarf and let me know how yours turns out.

Posted by K.T. at 01:59 PM | Permalink | | Leave a comment

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While away this summer I did some stash enhancement. It was the willy nilly kind, no pattern in mind kind. The candy store version that I feel pretty fortunate to do every once in a while. It was a frenzy, who the hell am I kidding? It was wonderful and embarrassing and I felt like I needed a Zantac afterward. I mean, really. I need more yarn without a purpose in mind like I need a hole in the head.

So I had been hearing for a long time about the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino-Super Bulky-Extra Crunchy-Now with More!- Yarn. I resisted. I wasn't willing to spring for a yarn with "Cash" in the name with a mere 12% "Cash". I wanted more "Cash" (and who doesn't?) Especially with the yardage/price ratio. Long story short- I caved and bought 5 balls of it. In a Winter white color. I mean if we are going on a bit of a frenzy, there should be no practicality involved right? Right.

Then next step was what to make? If I were truly impractical I would have made a garment for one of the small hollering boys. Or a pair of underwear for the dog. I cast on for a scarf- totally ignoring gauge and got about 3 inches into it and it looked like crud. Riiiiiiiip. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. With all the craziness of this household (it gets less crazy a week from Tuesday! Yippee!) knitting, never mind completing a complex project is out of the question right now. So I broke out my Harmony Stitch Guides and just thumbed through. I wanted fun, easy and something that would lie flat. I picked a simple but interesting knit and purl pattern and cast on for a single repeat. Pattern 1.14 in Book Volume 4 on Size 11 Denises. The yarn says for gauge to use an 11.5 but we are not being practical remember?

So I am getting 4 repeats to one ball so I think that it will be a decent length and quick quick quick. And orderly. And I do like the wavy edges. I can only take so much order. I don't think I will block it, we will see when we get there. I will take this order and simplicity anywhere I can get it, 'cause I am not getting that from the small hollering boys.

Oh and say a little knitter's wish for me, in about 10 minutes I have to break a promise to myself that I am not looking forward to. There is a place I said I would never ever go and now I must or I break my child's heart and the heart of his new friend. I have to take Angus to a party at Chuck E. Cheese.

Posted by K.T. at 03:23 PM | Permalink | | Leave a comment

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