FO: Adamas shawl

Conceived in 2008, but not born till 2009, I present to you: Adamas. This thing has been in progress since April, but it got balled up when Vivienne came along and didn't get brought back out till I needed something to do in class this fall. I fully support Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's notions about knitting being important work for achieving fancier brain-waves and all that- I concentrate so much more on the discussion at hand in class when I have something to knit while I listen and talk. If only I could knit while reading...

Anyway, here's the shawl. It's knit with pagoda red hanpaintedyarn.com laceweight on size 4? 5? (it's a fleamarket circular, and my gauge is missing). The pattern is the beautiful Adamas, and I am looking forward to trying another of Mim's designs.

Here's one more picture which captures all the gloom of the subzero, sunless weather we have in a Michigan January:

Cold weather, warm quilts

So, what do you do when you get a sewing machine for Christmas? You go out and promptly begin hoarding fabric, of course! This is the year I build my quilting skills, after all. I have an idea all planned out in my head for these cute prints:

this is also the inspriration for the blog redesign

This is roughly $12 of fabric from the big box store, and I think it's really cute, honestly. I am already worried that I will finish the top and then freak out about quilting it perfectly, thus stalling the project.

But it's 2009, and I'm not! doing! that! This is a practice quilt, after all. It's going on the couch to get gnawed on by dogs and puked on by the rugrat. Good enough will be good enough.

Although maybe I will back it in chenille. We love fuzzy things at my house.

New Year's Plans

I'm not calling them resolutions. I'm not. They're more like... goals. Things I'm hoping for. Things that I will try to do. With resolutions I feel there is a predestined failure waiting to realize itself. Maybe if I don't call them resolutions, they won't act like resolutions. It feels a little like trying too look at something in my peripheral vision, and I'm scared that if I turn my head, it'll disappear.

That's a little depressing. Perhaps what I mean to say is that if I try too hard to schedule my life, the fun goes out of the task, and nothing gets done. I want to have fun, and what follows are things I hope I'm doing when the fun happens.



Anyway, here we go, in no particular order:

• Sew more: I got a sewing machine for Christmas, so I am hoping to make some strides in my abilities. I want to make a couple of little quilts before I conquer the spaceman quilt- I bought those materials before Viv was born! Free motion quilting is on the list for 2009.


• Knit things I will actually use: Let's face it: I am a process knitter. It took me a long time to realize that, but now that I know, I need to tailor my projects to reflect that. No more knitting non-superwash socks (ack!), no more sweaters I won't wear and felted bags I won't use. I like lace, I like cardigans, and I like fancy schmancy knee socks. These are the things I will make... oh, and baby stuff, if it's fast and I think it will last. I want to try Socks that Rock this year, and I want to make one or two orders to handpaintedyarn.com or 100purewool.com.


• Stop kidding myself about gardening: I can't do it. I am bad at it. If Dan wants to try, fine. But no more planting tomato plants that I water all season to not get a single freakin' tomato (seriously! bad! at! gardening!).


• Redecorate the house on a budget: I need to paint, which my lovely landlord covers, but beyond that, I need to fix my house. I have been inspired, but I can't afford the sticker price on some of the things I love (mid-century furniture, bold graphic stuff, etc.). Watch the blog for some revealing photographs about my space as it transforms from crappy to ...less so. Fortunately, IKEA and Target hear me loud and clear... but I am conflicted about buying too much stuff from big-box stores. It reminds me too much of the narrator's apartment in Fight Club.
  
• and the big one: Start my photography business! This is going to take time. I am already booking some small weddings for the summer, so if you are looking for an affordable and friendly photographer who is super crafty and appreciates DIY weddings, I'm your girl. And I am willing to travel outside Michigan! I hope to have a nifty new blogsite up and running in the next week or so, and I'm heading to WPPI in Vegas in February (with big ups to my husband for watching the baby for, like, five days while I'm gone).