Archive for May, 2009
Still fighting the burnout beast!
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
Well, here it is Wednesday already!
On Monday, Mazie, Mom, and I did a little photoshoot for an upcoming Stitch CoOp project. It was really fun to put Mazie in all of the pretty knits from my friends and colleagues and run around the beautiful Young Park here in Las Cruces.
Here’s a little preview!
Yesterday, I finished up my Lion Notebook Blog post for the week! We’re working on the SLEEVES section of the Textured Circle Shrug. I had to make my two sleeves look very different because a lot of the KALers are modifying their sleeves, and I want to have one example “by the book” and another one that will (hopefully) help out those adventurous souls who are off on their own a little more. Check the Notebook Blog tomorrow to see what I mean. This two different sleeves thing goes against my sense of symmetry and order…but! It’s for the Greater Good! (lol!)
Man, I’m still feeling a little stressed / burned out, but I’m loving my bamboo project:
It’s just what I needed for a relaxing little knitt. I’m actually pleased to report that I like working with my own yarn, too. (I’ve got about 40 hanks to post on Esty when I get back from my trip this weekend.) I’ve made a few scarves with it, both my Reclamation pattern (click the shop link above if you are curious) and the patterns that come in the Etsy Kit, but man, it’s nice to see that it works up well in stockinette as a garment, too.
My little project so far:
You can tell that I haven’t found that much time to work on it!
Here’s an article that Shannon Tweeted about Creative Burnout.
This really made me think: “The days of the 9-to-5 job are gone and the boundaries between work and home are blurred to the point of non-existence. We’re expected to be available nearly all the time, and the problem is often exacerbated for freelancers or anyone who works primarily from a home office where the only divide between being “at home” and being “at work” is a single door or a flight of stairs.
It’s not a badge of honor to work 80 hours a week or to answer e-mail or to Twitter at all hours of the night. Ask yourself: Have you set sufficient boundaries between your job and your life outside of work? Are you guarding those boundaries?”
If it makes you stop and think, too, I suggest that you read the article. I really need to find the balance, and consciously separate work time from family time. The last few years, I just sat around in the evenings with my laptop on my lap, doing my stuff, checking my email, etc. Now, though, I can’t do that. I have a toddler who needs me and who I want to spend time with. I’ll figure it out, I’m just glad that I was able to recognize it (burnout) for what it is!
My mom also just handed me an article on Toxic Personality Types to Avoid…those people in life that just make you feel BAD. I seem to end up with a lot of these around, and I’m not sure why. Something else to look into!
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One Lovely Blog Award
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
Thank you, Melissa!
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Sketch to Shirt: Analysis of the first swatch
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
This is a DK weight bamboo chain yarn that I dyed (the same stuff as in my Etsy shop).
As well as needing to check my gauge, I want to see what the drape of this fabric will be like, and whether the colors would pool, so I cast on quite a few stitches for this swatch.
I can tell by gathering the fabric that it’ll be quite maliable and that this is exactly the gauge that I need for my top. It’s going to hold its shape, but will flow and be really smooth-looking.
I also like the colors in the yarn, and I find that what minimal pooling there is really doesn’t look bad.
BUT. I’ve decided that as interesting as this yarn would be in a scarf like this:
…the colors aren’t what I need for my garment. The overall feel is too “cool” for me. I’ve got 3 more hanks of this yarn in this dark purple, and none of those have as much green. I’m going to swatch one of those and see if I like it better.
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What I did this morning…another dress.
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
This is a See and Sew pattern, using a purple linen with gold embroidery. Simple-simple, but I love it!
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Am I burned out or not?
Thursday, May 21st, 2009
Well, I had a phonecall with the editorial director at my publisher today to talk about the book I’m writing. I’m being kind of slow this time, because I’m just having problems sitting down and writing. As you can see, I’m totally procrastinating with all this sewing, and I’m just not very far on it.
So she asked me if I’m burned out. I don’t really think that I’m totally burned out of ideas, but I’m definitely rolling the question around in my head. You know (if you’ve been reading) that I’m having kind of a hard spring. But am I really done knitting?
I decided to do some yarny stuff to see if I really just don’t like to knit any more, or if I’m just in a distractable state.
A couple of weeks ago, I ordered an electric skeinwinder from ordered from crazy monkey. It came today and I started to put it together, but I’m missing a couple of parts. Emailed them to let them know, so hopefully in a few days I’ll be able to skein up all that yarn from a few posts ago.
So, since I couldn’t do that, I decided to use some of the bamboo I dyed to make something for me to wear. I’ve been wanting something like this for a while…here’s a simple sketch:
It’s basically just going to have big flowy arms and not be fitted anywhere. The yoke is knit in the round in stockinette (at least to start out) and the body…we’ll see.
I hope I’m not fully burned out…that would really suck.
Posted in just chit chat | 2 Comments »
A few (sewing) FOs.
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
Here are a few things that I’ve finished lately:
This is a dress from Very Easy Very Vogue (#V8278). I used an aqua “linen-look” fabric that should be pretty easy-care. I zigzagged all the edges to make sure it doesn’t unravel on me! (especially at the hips, at the top of the slit in back, and at the back seam.)
I’m really happy with this dress, it’s exactly what I needed in my closet. Something bright and easy to wear. I’ve had it on all day today, to run errands, go to lunch, play with Mazie…work…and it’s great. There’s a little stretch to the fabric, which is nice.
I think I might make another one of these in a different fabric.
Here are a couple that I’m not too sure about.
I made this first skirt in a class at the LQS. They had three options, and the other two both had elastic waists.
This is “wrap it up” from Indygo Junction. It’s the shorter version, but I added another 1.5″ to the length. I like the fabric, but I don’t think it works as a skirt for me. I’m having a hard time picking out shirts to go with it. I’m very inclined to wear darks on the bottom and lights on top. I’m also still fighting the baby jellyroll syndrome, so don’t want to wear a ribbed tank or teeshirt…so I need to sew something with more structure to go on top. In like a medium-grey linen. We’ll see what I can find. I want something that isn’t girly or frilly, because that would just push the whole look way too far over the edge.
This is the Amy Butler Barcelona skirt It’s done in 3 different Amy fabrics. I’m not really sure if my mix was a success. I like the overall feel of it…but maybe my fabric choices weren’t the best. I’m not sure if I need to substitute one out, or if it’s something I’ll get used to. I’m thinking I should change out the bottom layer. The top 2 layers are really sewn in with the waistline and zipper, but the bottom 2 could be changed really easily. When I cut the third tier, I was so concerned about cutting it straight that I didn’t think to center the motif horizontally. That could be a big part of my issue with it. hrm. I just don’t know.
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When you need a hobby from your hobby…
Monday, May 18th, 2009
I realized that that’s what all this sewing is about. My main hobby (knitting) has, in the last 2 years, become my primary “job.” That means that at least some of the time, I HAVE to knit.
Which means that when I feel the need to procrastinate…I need a hobby from my hobby!
Which is what my little quilting and sewing jag has become.
For example, after I finished dyeing the yarn in the above photo, I overdyed some fabric…
I hope that the knitters among us won’t get too impatient while I do a little bit of hobby-switching here and there. You can always read my knitting thoughts here in the meantime, too!
BUT! This is just the kind of thing to make me drop my hobby-hobby and go back to my original hobby:
You can read the whole article here.
(My sweater review is at the bottom…the one I drew a great big arrow by!)
I’ve got some Lorna’s Laces Green Line DK in “Wink” on the needles now! Oh My Gosh. Love This Yarn. This is the same yarn I used for Habanero…
but in a different colorway. I can already feel that twitchy-fingers feeling I get when a new design is formulating…so. Get ready for Knitting Content!
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New Lion Notebook Post is up!
Thursday, May 14th, 2009
Well, the next installment of the Lion Brand Notebook Knitalong that I’m leading has been posted: Textured Circle Shrug Knit-Along: Casting On and Working the Yoke.
I’ve also uploaded the photos to the flickr pool, so that you can enlarge them if you need to see something more clearly. I don’t think that I can order them within the group pool (I’m not a moderator) but they’re in order in my set.
See? I’m knitting! Really! And, for you seamstresses out there, yes, that IS another Built by Me shirt! This one is a cool Alexander Henry butterfly print that I bought locally.
Posted in Patterns, press, tips and tricks | No Comments »
Tee Gee Eye Eff
Friday, May 8th, 2009
Well! The car’s out of the shop!!
I drive an older car (actually a minivan, but I was trying there for a minute to deny it.) It’s a 1996! I had to have a belt changed, the A/C charged, and thermostat replaced. $700. Holy Jeez! (I’m trying not to swear now that Mazie’s talking a little bit.)
It’s really a good thing that I just got paid for a big freelance job!
So, a couple of days this week were hogged up with that stress. The rest of the week, I’ve been working on this, this:
And this (…and trying to write.):
The dress is an Indygo Junction pattern called “over the top tunic.” I used Kaffe Fassett fabrics that I bought when I visited Spool. The body is in Millefiore, and the sleeves are Shot Cotton. Laura at Spool picked them both out for me. It came out a little bit too short (which is my fault for not lengthening the hem while cutting) but will be cute with jeans. Doesn’t it look like it should have a purple band at the hem, too? (I had to work a little bit to make sure none of the circles ended up right on my chestal area front and center!)
Nathan called the MC fabric “Mommy’s hippy fabric.” He’ll just have to get used to it.
(Indygo Junction also has lots of cute little girl patterns, if you’re looking for summer kids’ gear!)
The quilt is Chinese Coins from Susan Ziegler.
In my last post, I was moaning about how expensive quilting can be, and it really CAN, but there are a lot of really cool quilts on Flickr that use all or mostly scraps, too. I found a really pretty one that uses mostly thrift store clothing, cut up and pieced. I love that.
I need to clean out the garage and will probably find a number of things that I’ll never fit into again. QUILT!
Last week, I dropped a quilt top off at Courtyard Quilting to be quilted on the longarm. (We did a barter deal.) I’m so excited to see how it comes out. They told me that it typically takes about 3 weeks, but hoped it would go on the machine this week. Looks like next week. Cynde said she’d call me when they have it on the frame, so that I can come over and take pictures! I can’t wait!!
I’m also realizing that the more one quilts, the more scraps there are. There are some totally beautiful scrap quilt patterns out there, like these on Etsy. (Link courtesy Bitterpurl who made me the coolest scarf AND dyed yarn to match!!
(You can tell from my fabric and nail polish choices lately that I’m in a ‘brighter’ mood!)
Posted in sewing | 2 Comments »
This has been a really weird day.
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
Aside: When we lived in Germany, there was a Czech guy who was totally fluent in English, but had just learned the word “weird.” And he found the pronunciation really WWWWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEIRRRRRRRRRD. So, whenever I think / say ‘weird’…it’s like, “weeeeeeeirrrrrrrrrd.”
Yeah. And today was weeeirrrd. It was just not my usual day. My friend Robyn (Crochet by Faye) did a blog post one day with her daily time line, and suggested that I do that, too. But I’m boring, so I never did do it.
My normal day would be like this:
8:45: wake up
9:00: Make coffee, get us dressed, eat
9:30: Go over to Mom and Dad’s
10:00 - 12:00: work / play
12:00: lunch while working
12:00 - 5:00: work / play
5:00: go home
Today was weird in that I had absolutely no schedule. We stayed home because my car is in the shop. So we got periodic updates all day with things they were doing and checking and it was really stressful. It’s an older car and is to the point that we have to go, “well, is this going to cost more than the car’s worth?” UGH.
I also had a really fun phonecall from Julie. She’s writing a book about how the computer age has changed the face of the knitting world, and is featuring patterns from a few bloggers. I’m one. It was a great conversation, and I’m really happy to be part of the project.
So, even though I had the whole day today to work or do whatever…the only thing I accomplished was to neaten the house in the morning, hang out some laundry, talk to Julie, and talk to the mechanic a bunch of times. And I feel TIRED.
The more I work on this quilt, the more I’m sure that the pattern is called Chinese Coins because it resembles the I Ching. (Random orientation of coins thrown onto the table in hopes of divining one’s best path / course of action.)
It’s interesting the things you learn about yourself through these little creative endeavors. Even something as benign as making a quilt!