Sunday, June 18, 2006

The Honeymoon is Over

I've always wondered why clothing designers didn't cut their clothes larger so that women would be forced to buy a smaller size. Talk about brand loyalty. I don't know many people who wouldn't be drawn to a specific brand if the size on the tag was at least one size smaller than all the other pairs of jeans, shorts, skirts, etc. in their closet. The ego boost of a smaller number on the tag is really unbelievable, even if it doesn't happen very often.

Maybe Bonnie, my Honeymoon Tank, was trying to give me an ego boost. I measured myself, measured my swatch, adjusted the pattern, frogged it and adjusted it again and even though she measures right when flat, as you can see, she's a little big on me. I guess she's just trying to make me feel better about turning 30. I'm guessing it's the weight of the cotton I used that didn't allow it to drape like it should and instead she is a little saggy. I tried to block some of that out of her, but it really didn't help much. You live you learn I guess.



I'm not going to frog her. I'll be able to wear her around the house, outside while tending to my flowers and maybe to the pool. I don't think she'll become a staple in my wardrobe. I do think I will actually make a size smaller in a sweater than I think I should if she is supposed to be close fitting.

I'll apply this concept to Orangina, who I'm going to start while we're on vacation next week. I really like the way it looks and based on some of the results the girls at the Sexy Knitters Club have had with this pattern, I think this will look awesome in black. They did this as a KAL in April and I really like the finished product. I'm on the search for the right yarn and I hope I'm successful before we get on the plane on Wednesday night. Knitting with cotton really hurts my hands, but Orangina is also made of cotton, so maybe the soreness is just making my hands stronger.

Until then, I'll keep plugging away on my Somewhat Cowl. The back and forth knitting is so slow, but I know it will pick up once I join the round. But, for a little instant gratification, I made this little cosmetics pouch for my purse last night. Easy and it only took a couple of hours to finish.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Bonnie Blue

I've been pretty busy knitting this weekend and I'm almost done with the blue tank. I think I will call her Bonnie. Real original, huh?



I finished the right side yesterday and hope to make the same kind of progress on the left side tonight. I still have the i-cord straps to do, but I think I'm going to try it on first and then knit the straps based on the fit. I like the decrease method used in the pattern, so I learned something new.



I wonder if I'll have the guts to wear it when all is said and done. Maybe with another tank under it or something. Hopefully by the end of the week I will have a finished product up for review. The cats are unimpressed, as they think mom suddenly made them a blanket for them to relax on while sunning on the back deck.



Today is sad for me. Sasha, the dog I got when I was 16 years old, has gotten too sick for us to stand by and watch her suffer through her last days. We're taking her to the vet today at 11:45a to say goodbye. She's been a good dog for 14 years and was my father's devoted companion. It's going to be a tough day, but my mom and I know it is the right thing to do. We're going to bring her ashes to Boone and spread them at the graveyard so she can be next to dad. Here's a photo of my girl just a few months ago. It's not the best picture of her, but it's the only one I had this morning.

Friday, June 02, 2006

First Official Day of Summer

Each morning I usually go upstairs and run on the treadmill. It's too hot in Georgia, no matter what time of year it is, to run outside, so I run while I watch the morning news. Today is the first official day of summer for our house because school is now over for the 2005-06 school year and my husband is home now and is sleeping in as I write this, which interrupts my morning routine.

I work from home. Kevin will be home all day, too. I'm not sure how this is going to work.

My current plan is to run from 12:30 until 1p each day on my "lunch hour" and use my quiet morning time to knit. Between my morning knitting and my pre-bed knitting I may get this darn tank done after all.