Tuesday Project Roundup: Fancy Things

Here are two projects that are very sophisticated, if only because they aren't kitty blankets or baby clothes.

First up is a shiny tunic that one could wear to adult parties where there is champagne and witty conversation (or one could just wear it to a regular party and be overdressed):Fabric is a run-of-the-mill brocade from JoAnn; pattern is from Simplicity.

And here's a fancy scarf, which I made for a friend who's going through a rough time and needed something nice. The pattern is the "Figure Eight Scarf" and it's really just a big tube. But it looks nice on:


Fabric here was a Liberty of London print backed with some cotton velveteen. Here's a picture that's actually in focus:
Fancy!

Get Out Your Druid Robes

Not only is tonight the winter solstice, but there is a full lunar eclipse, too! The last full moon on the solstice was 20 years ago; the last full lunar eclipse on the solstice was December 21, 1638.

Start here on the NASA site to read up about it--they'll even have a live web cam (!). The eclipse should start about 11:30 p.m. tonight, with totality starting Tuesday morning at 12:41 a.m. and ending at 1:53 a.m. The whole thing will be happening in the western sky. I hope it's not cloudy!

(Bonus activity: sing "Total Eclipse of the Moon" to the Bonnie Tyler tune. You're welcome.)

Friday Unrelated Information

1. Yesterday was Beethoven's birthday. Sorry I missed it, Ludwig!

2. These sci-fi slanted children's book covers have been making the rounds, but they make my heart too happy not to post a couple:


3. And here's the first animated gif I've ever posted--but come on, bees are HILARIOUS.

see more Gifs

Did Judy Garland Ever Sing A Happy Christmas Song?

As you know, she sang "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in Meet Me in St. Louis, which was such a sad song it featured a small child crying during the performance. But just this week I was watching In The Good Old Summertime and there she was singing another wistful little Christmas song:


Poor Judy. You kind of want her to belt out "Joy to the World" next. (Did she?)

New Snow Boots Make A Big Difference In One's Enjoyment Of Snow

Here's a poem about being happy in the snow (about more than boots).

Manna

by Joseph Stroud

Everywhere, everywhere, snow sifting down,
a world becoming white, no more sounds,
no longer possible to find the heart of the day,
the sun is gone, the sky is nowhere, and of all
I wanted in life – so be it – whatever it is
that brought me here, chance, fortune, whatever
blessing each flake of snow is the hint of, I am
grateful, I bear witness, I hold out my arms,
palms up, I know it is impossible to hold
for long what we love of the world, but look
at me, is it foolish, shameful, arrogant to say this,
see how the snow drifts down, look how happy
I am.

Tuesday Project Roundup: Kitty Blankets!

The blankets that I mentioned (and Toby modeled) a week ago got all tied and ready for the shelter over the weekend.

That's a stack of 20 kitty blankets and the elbow of my work friend (I didn't get a chance to ask if she wanted her picture posted or not so I just cropped it).

There were six ladies--including our mothers--tying blankets for a few hours Saturday at my friend's home and it was a lovely time. We'll deliver the blankets to two different shelters this week, along with food and litter and toys.

What is this feeling? Altruism? I think I like it!

Counting My Blessings, For Reals*

1. It was my sister-in-law's birthday yesterday, which I forgot to mention Friday. Happy birthday!

2. My friends offered to help me out of a technical issue with my laptop and iPod. Hooray, friends!

3. I think I found a house to make an offer on. (I don't want to jinx it so you'll have to be patient.)

4. The sun is shining!


*Some blogs I read are taking a "no complaining for a week" challenge. Do you think I can do it? I'm not sure, which is why I haven't taken the challenge, but I'm going to try.

Friday Unrelated Information

1. Roger Ebert is still being awesome. His review of the third Narnia movie (which is based on my favorite book of the series but sounds like it's been turned into a CGI-fest) contains too many gems to quote, but I liked this one:
No one knows how far away the Dark Island is. Lucky thing they know in which direction to sail. If they overshoot the island, they may sail off the edge of the Earth, Columbus having not existed in Narnia.

2. Have you all seen the Hungover Owls blog? Yes, I said hungover owls.

3. I knew there was a good reason why Toby doesn't get his picture taken with Santa:
This picture makes my heart so happy.

Counting My Blessings

I've been joking lately about "First World Problems," such as not being able to find a suitable new and fancy house, or being irritated with aspects of my specialized office job, or not liking any of the coughfivecough winter coats I have, and you know what? Those are not even problems. It just took Irving Berlin and Bing to remind me.

"Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," from White Christmas:

Space!

I know I just posted a space picture from the Big Picture Advent Calendar, but this one is REALLY cool:

Each of those specks is a galaxy--which in turn has billions (and billions) of stars in it. The photo caption tells me that, "The amount of mass in this sea of galaxies is huge, and is great enough to visibly bend the fabric of spacetime." Mind boggling!

(And speaking of spacetime, have all the Dr. Who fans seen this video? Jason wrote about it Monday and it made my day.)

Tuesday Project Roundup: !!!!!!

What's this?
No, this isn't for a friend or a co-worker's baby. I haven't lost it and started making clothes for Toby. And I don't have any personal scandal I need to confess. There's a much better explanation:

I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNTIE!!

My brother and sister-in-law are expecting a BOY! It's their first and the first baby on our side of the family at all, so we are all VERY EXCITED.

As you can see, I have some projects planned. I actually have enough projects planned to keep the kid dressed until he's about three, I think. And don't get me going on the toys to make and buy, and the trips to the park to take, and the storybooks to read, and all the free babysitting I will offer...

Very excited indeed! Hooray!

Things That Happened Over The Weekend

1. I had to wake up my upstairs neighbor and tell him his dishwasher was flooding. How did I know this? My ceiling was leaking.

2. I took my parents to see a potential house that wouldn't have any issues caused by an upstairs neighbor, but on a second visit I decided it wasn't The One.

3. I enjoyed some (a lot of) wine while watching my imaginary boyfriend in The Nutcracker.

4. I got some polar fleece kitty blankets ready for a kitty-blanket-tying party next week. (My work friend and I cooked up an idea to donate supplies to local shelters for Christmas.)

5. Toby helped:

Friday Unrelated Information

1. One month from today is my birthday. I don't think I'm going to have a very good success rate on the 30 Things.

2. I'm reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy again after a lapse of about fifteen years. Now that I've seen some Dr. Who, I realize how derivative the book was. It's still fun, though--gotta love Marvin the Paranoid Android.

3. Something to remember:

(From here.)

When I'm Feeling Blah, I LIke To Look At Space Pictures

Yes, it's that time again: The Big Picture Blog of the Boston Globe has the third annual Hubble Space Telescope Advent Calendar up. Get a new space picture a day from now until Christmas!

Because if you're wrapped up in your first-world problems and feeling irritated and put-upon, a picture of new stars forming in a nebula 7,500 light years away really puts things into perspective.
(More details, including a Lord of the Rings reference--thanks, NASA!)

Early Onset Of Winter

The snow came early and deep this year, and I'm trying to be resigned because we have three more months of it. But I think a new winter coat would help me be more resigned. Since I decided I didn't want to make an orange one, I found some colorful alternatives*--because we're going to need color to get through this.

J. Crew, finally on sale a little:


Vintage plaid on Etsy:

And a vintage CAPE (!):

Of course, with a cape you can't wear a bag over your shoulder, so I'd need to get a new winter purse, too. I'd take this one if someone were giving them away:
Oh hai, typewriter purse. You should live with me.


*I have plenty of warm coats already and none of these (especially that purse) are in the budget, but just indulge me in my First World Problem, OK?

Tuesday Project Roundup: Progress During A Long Snowy Weekend

Not leaving the house a lot certainly gave me a lot of time to knock out some projects. For example, I finally have a new winter robe:
The fabric is flannel; I think the print gives the whole thing a sort of Victorian (Holmesian) dressing gown feel.

I used a pattern from the early 70s because I liked the collar and the fact that it was a little more tailored than a standard bathrobe.

And look--I'm knitting, too! This is the top of a pullover that's using yarn I already have. The yarn basket was getting way too full so I'm making myself finish this before I start anything new.

Lots of family talking time = lots of knitting time. I really enjoy being a knitter during the holidays.

On Leaving The House

I left the house twice in five days this holiday weekend. I love staying home, but there's something to be said for going to a job where there are other humans: Friday I caught myself worrying that Toby doesn't go to school (no, don't know where that came from) and Saturday I thought, "If I just don't watch the last two episodes of Doctor Who, then the Doctor and Rose can still be together!"

I think if I were ever to freelance from home I'd have to belong to a gym, or a knitting club, or a book club--just something to remind me that people use words to talk, not meows.

Is It Really Supposed To Work Like This?

I get a weekly newsletter from the yoga studio that I go to, and this Monday's offered ten "yogic tips to survive the holidays." I was expecting breathing, and peace, and love, and then I got this:

2. Be thankful you were reincarnated as yourself and not some one else. Everyone else is holding space for you this time around so you don't have to be them. Be thankful to them for being themselves so you don't have to.

I'm in no way an expert, but I don't think cosmic gloating is really the point of a spiritual practice?

Anyway, happy Thanksgiving--I have a lot to be thankful for (including being reincarnated as myself, apparently). I think I'll take the rest of the week off from posting and make fruitcake and marmalade instead.

Tuesday Project Roundup: It's The Holidays, Let's Wear Plaid

It's plaid season--wear a slightly itchy skirt!

Details: cheap wool/acrylic (with a weird chemical smell) from fabric.com and a 70's pattern that I had in my collection. The plaid is not a perfect match across the front (see how the yellow stripe is flipped?) because I always forget about grain when I cut things crosswise. Oh well; it's still festive.

Also: BLIZZARD WARNING! Fill your bird feeders, bring your animals inside, hide your wife, hide your kids...and don't go outside in a blizzard because YOU WILL DIE!! (The Long Winter taught me that.)

Laurie Colwin On Turkey

Kicking off the holiday week, here's one of my favorite food writers being insightful about Thanksgiving:

So many other people seem to dread turkey [...] In my opinion the poor turkey is merely a scapegoat for the mire of conflicted feelings flooding our psyches at holiday time. It is hard to divorce turkey from the expectations of family, the sibling rivalries, the unspoken resentments, the secret rages that occur in even the happiest families. Add to this the exhaustion of travel or the exhaustion of preparing to welcome traveling relatives, and even the tenderest, juiciest turkey may be as sawdust.

She then goes on to call just a turkey breast "turkey devoid of drama." I wonder what she'd have to say about Tofurkey!

Friday Unrelated Information

1. I knew I shouldn't have put up that chicken post yesterday--not only was it a classic example of a First-World Problem, I went to PetSmart at lunch wearing my leather shoes and bought Toby a supply of cat food made of those same sad chickens. Let she who is without a captive cat cast the first stone against the chicken-eaters.

2. Speaking of being a hypocrite--I mean, speaking of complicated, multifaceted issues--there is scientific proof why cheese is so delicious: it contains trace amounts of morphine. Cheese really is dairy crack!

3. I don't have room for it now and I won't have a house by Christmas, but I found the tree I want someday. I'll pretend I live in Whoville!

Science, Can You Give Us Vat-Grown Meat Already?

I had a post all written last week about factory-farmed eggs and chickens, and I ended up not posting it. Because I don't want to be Angry Vegetarian Girl, and because it was too sad. (An anonymous animal rights group in Israel put a hidden camera in a battery farming operation so you can see chickens stuffed three to cage without enough space to stand up straight, let alone stretch out their wings--on a live feed. It is, needless to say, DEEPLY DISTURBING.)

Battery cages are what the vast majority of chickens producing eggs and meat live in--the hidden camera shows the norm for chicken farming, not some horrifying violation. I find it deeply disturbing, yes--which is why I don't eat chicken and buy "beyond cage free" eggs--but I find it really depressing, too: I may care about chicken welfare, but most of the world either likes $1 chicken sandwiches too much or really believes that food animals are too stupid to notice how they're raised.

Obviously, I disagree. (I've always liked the Jeremy Benthem quote,"The question is not, 'Can they reason?' nor, 'Can they talk?' but rather, 'Can they suffer?' ") So I was pretty happy to read an article in Time yesterday about animal intelligence. In a nice, non-Angry Vegetarian way it pointed out that yes, animals should probably be treated better because they're actually not too stupid to feel things:

If animals can reason — even if it's in a way we'd consider crude — the unavoidable question becomes, Can they feel?...And what does it say about how we treat them?

[...]No matter what any one scientist thinks of animal cognition, nearly all agree that the way we treat domesticated animals is indefensible — though in certain parts of the world, improvements are being made . The European Union's official animal-welfare policies begin with the premise that animals are sentient beings and must be treated accordingly.

Ultimately, a mainstream article like this is going to change more opinions than radical hidden cameras in chicken farms or earnest blog posts from vegetarians. But I dare you to read up on chicken farming anyway.

I Rarely Feel Lonely

I'm pretty happy being a cat lady with Toby, but I heard this song on KRCL Sunday and it made me feel a little wistful. Because who doesn't want someone to bring them booze to ease their suffering from an incurable illness?



...wait, is that just me? Um, I like the singer's voice and he's very in tune. That's what I meant to say. Yeah.

Tuesday Project Roundup: Something Fun

My last two projects have been extra fiddly and, in the case of the pants, not even that wearable. Clearly, it was time for some craft glue.

It's a coin purse! Except I think I need to adjust the size of any future purses because it seems a little big for coins but a little small for anything else. (I made my own pattern for the purse frames from this tutorial, where you can also find frames.)

The sewing and turning are finished in an episode of Saint Paul Sunday, and then there's just waiting for the glue to dry. Fun with glue, fun with contrasting colors. Maybe I need to order more purse frames?

And The Voice Said, "Master Suite," And I Listened

As you know, I've been looking at houses for many months now, telling myself that I'll let go of things like new construction, a second bathroom, a finished basement, and lately even a garage in order to live in my preferred area--close to downtown and easily walkable and bikeable.

That area features houses ranging from 1890 to about 1940--and I've seen the whole range, with different degrees of upkeep. I was looking at one from 1919 a couple weeks ago and the voice of reason in my head spoke up.

It said, "Karen, keep your life from turning into Grey Gardens in 20 years. Buy a house that won't immediately fall apart around you." And then it said, "You don't walk or bike that much anyway--and it's not like you're moving to Daybreak."

So that's why I'm checking out two houses built in 2007 tonight. They're south of 21st South (gasp) but they have things like powder rooms, and insulation, and bathrooms that are attached to your bedroom (!), and garages that are attached to your house (!!).

Did you know that most newer houses have ALL of those things BUILT IN? Can you imagine?

Friday Unrelated Information

1. Guys, the Large Hadron Collider worked! They smashed together ions (instead of protons) and got "quark-gluon plasma," similar to what they think the Big Bang could have produced.

2. Did anyone watch the final new Sherlock episode on PBS? There were lots of in-jokes again, referencing "The Adventure of the Bruce Partington Plans" and "The Five Orange Pips." And it ended on a CLIFFHANGER--I predict that the swimming pool is going to be the Reichenbach Falls of the second series.

3. I'm going to The Paris tonight for a champagne dinner--because how else do you celebrate a year of being single?

EDITED TO ADD #4:
I'm featured on my friend's company blog today--go read about my blog on another blog; it will be very circular.

Cat Poem!

This poem was on the Writer's Almanac earlier this week. I'm putting it up for my parents, who recently adopted two more cats, bringing their kitty total up to four.

exactly right

by Charles Bukowski

the strays keep arriving: now we have 5
cats and they are smart, spontaneous, self-
absorbed, naturally poised and awesomely
beautiful.

one of the finest things about cats is
that when you're feeling down, very down,
if you just look at the cat at rest,
at the way they sit or lie and wait,
it's a grand lesson in preserving
and
if you watch 5 cats at once that's 5
times better.

no matter the extra demands they make
no matter the heavy sacks of food
no matter the dozens of cans of tuna
from the supermarket: it's all just fuel for their
amazing dignity and their
affirmation of a vital
life
we humans can
only envy and
admire from
afar.

Tuesday (Wednesday) Project Roundup: PITA Skirt

This skirt was a royal pain in the you-know-what. It was the Burda pattern I've been making all year but the wool--a nice heavy tweed from B and J Fabrics--just fought me. Herringbone stretches in weird directions! Thick, weirdly stretchy wool needs to be stabilized around the zipper and the waistband! An invisible zipper is not the best choice for a heavy wool! Tweed frays so much you have to finish all the edges before even sewing the pieces together!

BUT--it's done (thank god; I thought it would never end), it looks fine (on the outside), and I got lots of compliments on it Monday, so it's not a failure.
However, I think this project taught me an important lesson: I really don't want to make a coat after all.

We Interrupt This Tuesday Project Roundup

Because it's Carl Sagan's birthday!

Check out carlsagan.com, read up on the SETI Institute, or just watch Cosmos again. Here's a clip from the opening:



The cosmos is full beyond measure of elegant truths, of exquisite interrelationships, of the awesome machinery of nature.

I know you wouldn't approve of this, Carl, but I hope that somewhere, you've found out everything you still wanted to know.

Saturday Morning Cartoons

Last week I saw that Netflix had episodes of DuckTales available, a Disney cartoon that I watched from 1987-1990, probably while drawing unicorns.

Curiosity got the better of me and I watched an episode and a half this weekend, but whatever magic the show had was gone--along with seven-year-old Karen. (Not all cartoons can be as smart as Animaniacs, I guess.)

I did remember every word to the DuckTales theme song, though. And then had it stuck in my head all weekend. You've been warned.

Friday Unrelated Information

1. I have a new upstairs neighbor, whom I met on Wednesday. He asked me about the neighborhood and I started rattling off facts like "these nighbors have a dog named Esme, this one walks to work every morning at 7:30, these people have two cats that don't go outside much, this neighbor works at the liquor store," etc. I sounded like I spent all my time watching the neighbors.

2. In case the elections made you sad, here's something happier. I found it encouraging but don't click if you're offended by swearing: What the F*** Has Obama Done So Far?

3. And finally, I just discovered the genre of redubbed music videos:


Elm! Beef! Elm! Beef!

Thursday Poem

I thought about this Mary Oliver poem the other day and wondered why I never posted it last year. I'd say that this one and the one below are her two most well-known poems, heavily used in the sort of "serenity now" inspirational sites that include pictures of waterfalls. But at least people are reading poems, right?


The Journey

One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice ...
though the whole house began to tremble
and you felt the old tug at your ankles.
'Mend my life!' each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.

You knew what you had to do, though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers at the very foundations ...
though their melancholy was terrible.
It was already late enough,
and a wild night, and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.

But little by little, as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice, which you slowly recognized as your own,
that kept you company as you strode deeper and deeper into the world,
determined to do the only thing you could do,
determined to save the only life you could save.

In Which I Gave A Presentation And It Was OK

In maybe the most "professional" moment of my career to date, I went to a college marketing class last night and talked to them about brands. I had a PowerPoint prepared--with animations! I had speakers notes! I brought in a 1995 J. Peterman catalog as a prop! I answered grad students' questions!

I was afraid it would be like this, but it actually went pretty well.


There are four kinds of business. Tourism. Food service. Railroads. And sales.

Tuesday Project Roundup: I Knit Things For Grownups, Too

Hey, remember this project that I started in January? I finally finished it!
The yarn is really lovely--a merino from a farm in Michigan. It's very soft and got nice and fluffy in the final wash. I used this pattern but I kept the silhouette more boxy than fitted, for easy layering. That worked well everywhere except the sleeves, which turned out way too wide. (I might have to rip those back and re-knit them on smaller needles.)

But overall, I'm not going to complain too much. Because it's DONE.

Thing #21, aka IT'S BOOZE TIME

I finally bit the bullet and stocked my home bar over the weekend, accomplishing Thing 21 on my list of 30 Things:
The scotch is for sipping, not for mixing.

Right now my "bar" is in an upper kitchen cabinet but someday I will arrange all the booze on a fancy tray or cart in my imaginary living room:

Yes, it feels good accomplishing my alcohol-related goals.

Friday Unrelated Information

1. I think adults going all-out for Halloween is silly, but there's a party at work so I made a costume (or a really big necklace):
I'm a "cereal" (serial) comma! No one will get it!

2. Speaking of, Jason posted a real-life example of someone who should have used a serial comma to add clarity. It is important punctuation, people!

3. And, because it's Halloween, here are probably my favorite seven words ever uttered on TV:

(See more of the episode here.)

Teleport!

This is a cool program that lets you see different parts of the world (or, conversely, illustrates the chilling reach of Google): Globe Genie. It basically just randomizes Google Street Views but it manages to suck you in. It also reminds you how much of the world looks the same, landscape-wise: Central France could be Wisconsin, Russia looks like Wyoming, Tuscany like Northern California, etc.

Check it out--the button to randomize really does say "Teleport."

Are You Tired Of This Yet?

By "this," I mean posts in which I tell you that I'm watching a new TV series and it's really good and I have a crush on the main actor. I hope you're not too fed up, because guess what? I watched a new TV series!

The series is the modern-day interpretation of Sherlock Holmes on PBS, Sherlock. Yes, the actors are fun to watch:
Holmes gets to stand in front. Because he's Sherlock Holmes.


Why hello, Sherlock. Are you deducing something?

But if you know me you know that before I was a Dune geek, before I read any Tolkein, I was a Sherlock Holmes fan. Holmes is my geekery of choice. So imagine my delight that the writers of this new series (who write for the new Dr. Who series, oh the colliding worlds of geekdom) did such a good job adapting the Holmes canon to the modern day.

Seriously, if you're a fellow Holmes geek, it's worth a watch to catch the in-jokes (deductions are made from a cell phone instead of a pocket watch; Watson's a veteran of the modern Afghan war; he's similarly confused about where he was shot; no, they're not gay; etc.)

You can watch the first episode--"A Study in Pink"--online, with new ones airing Sunday nights for the next two weeks.

Tuesday Project Roundup: Repeat Of A Sellout

Look, more baby stuff!

This is for a co-worker who adopted a baby boy after waiting a long time. I wanted to do something a little more than a hat or booties to mark the occasion, so another owl sweater it was.

This time I used superwash wool instead of wool-cotton, because the baby is in Park City instead of sunny Asheville, and I didn't impose my love of color on the recipient quite as much. (I did get some contrasting blue eyes in, though.)


Who? who? Baby owls!

Reading Cookbooks

I was going through some Laurie Colwin again last week and found this:

You want comfort; you want security; you want food; you want not to be hungry; and not only do you want those basic things fixed, you want it done in a really nice, gentle way that makes you feel loved. That's a big desire, and cookbooks say to the person who's reading them, "If you read me, you will be able to do this for yourself and for others. You will make everybody feel better."

Let's read some cookbooks!

Friday Unrelated Information

1. As much as I talk about wanting fancy hi-fis and home decor, all I really want is a house. A house that doesn't require a roto-rooter visit every other month because the upstairs neighbor insists on using her defunct disposal for things like celery stalks and Chinese takeout. (Guess how I know what foods she's trying to grind up! And guess what I'm doing this morning!)

2. Speaking of, I looked at my 2oth house this week (in person). I'm still holding out for one that's north of 21st South, west of 13th East, and isn't a fire hazard or a pit of asbestos. Do I ask too much for my price range? Perhaps. But I'm holding out.

3. I'm holding out for a hero, too.

Did You Know?

Did you know that Ray and Charles Eames designed speaker cabinets back in the day? Which were then marketed with kitten pictures? (Click for big)

Hello, gorgeous.


Yes, I'd take an Eames three-way.

When I think of my imaginary house, I think of getting adult electronics like a stereo and a TV with two functioning speakers (imagine!). Except I would want all my equipment to look like this. Then I would listen to Ethiopian jazz and bebop on vinyl, like this:


You can see more vintage hi-fi goodness here.

The Moral Of This Poem

...is the last line. But the build up is worth a read, too.

Filling Station

by Elizabeth Bishop

Oh, but it is dirty!

—this little filling station,

oil-soaked, oil-permeated

to a disturbing, over-all

black translucency.

Be careful with that match!

Father wears a dirty,

oil-soaked monkey suit

that cuts him under the arms,

and several quick and saucy

and greasy sons assist him

(it’s a family filling station),

all quite thoroughly dirty.

Do they live in the station?

It has a cement porch

behind the pumps, and on it

a set of crushed and grease-

impregnated wickerwork;

on the wicker sofa

a dirty dog, quite comfy.

Some comic books provide

the only note of color—

of certain color. They lie

upon a big dim doily

draping a taboret

(part of the set), beside

a big hirsute begonia.

Why the extraneous plant?

Why the taboret?

Why, oh why, the doily?

(Embroidered in daisy stitch

with marguerites, I think,

and heavy with gray crochet.)

Somebody embroidered the doily.

Somebody waters the plant,

or oils it, maybe. Somebody

arranges the rows of cans

so that they softly say:

esso—so—so—so

to high-strung automobiles.

Somebody loves us all.

Tuesday Project Roundup: Pants. Meh.

In the five years that I've really been sewing for myself, I've tried to make real pants (not lounge pants but outerwear) only once or twice, and neither time was a success. So in that respect, this pair of wearable pants is a big deal:

But so are the legs. The bottom opening is really wide. I don't know what part of me thought "26 inches? That's a normal leg opening." Because it's not, unless you're a clown or a sailor.

I used this out-of-print pattern:
but I think if I try pants again, I'll use the more vintage pattern I talked about in May. Although why make "meh" pants when there are dresses in crazy prints to sew?

It's Monday

Sit on it like it's a blanket that just came out of storage.

Bonus shot, so you can see the intensity of the sitting:
Sitting on things requires great focus.

Friday Unrelated Information

1. I got tickets for the season opening of Utah Opera tomorrow. It's La Boheme, which is pretty hard to ruin even for them. I'm sure I'll be back to complaining that life isn't like opera on Monday.

2. I blew through season one of the new Dr. Who and fell hard for Christopher Eccleston--so I was prepared to hate his regenerated replacement, David Tennant. Well, it only took about ten minutes of season two for me to decide that I LOVE David Tennant! He wears nerd glasses! He got introduced with a cheesy pop song!

3 .Related: It might be time to stop pretending to be sophisticated and just accept that I'm a sci-fi geek.

This Qualifies Me For Home Ownership, Right?

I may not know how to light my pilot light or mow a lawn, but I can replace the hardware on my sewing cabinet.

The before is on the left; the much less 1988-country-kitchen after is on the right. I got the right size and everything!

Yep, home ownership will be a piece of cake.

Cat-vertising!

This commercial from Purina New Zealand would have been a fun account to work on. Kitties! Yarn! Oh my!

Tuesday Project Roundup: If You Don't Own A Horse...

...you can always wear one. That's right, the hippy dress strikes again!

Here's a better idea of the real fabric color (thanks, camera):

And here's the pattern drawing so you can get a better idea of the shape, such as it is:

The fabric is an Alexander Henry quilting cotton that I got to make a wearable muslin (test garment) for second hippy dress pattern from France. The quilting cotton isn't the best apparel fabric and there are a few tweaks I'll make before I sew it in fancy corduroy, but it's wearable and it has horses on it. Therefore, it's a success.

I Guess Only Men Buy Houses?

I got really close to making an offer on a house last week, but then I didn't--the house still had the original 1939 knob and tube wiring and a fuse box.

In the course of finding out about the wiring, my awesome agent forwarded me the emails she got from the seller's agent, in which I (the buyer) was always referred to "he." For example: "If the buyer wants to call the guy who inspected the wiring, he can reach that guy* at..." and "If the buyer wants a house with updated wiring, he might need to look at new construction." (That one's an actual quote.)**

My realtor is a woman so I haven't had to deal with any of the "Buying a house all by yourself, little lady?" attitude that you get in a conservative state. I just thought it was interesting that the default for the (male) seller's agent was "he."

So the house hunt continues, even though I am not a man.



*That guy was described as an "Army electrician and jack of most trades." Um, shouldn't that job description have been "licensed electrician"?

**For the love of god. I don't need NEW wiring; just wiring that isn't a fire hazard.

Friday Unrelated Information

1. Mark your calendars and set your alarm clocks, because the metro area Target is opening on Sunday! I have been combining suburban Target trips with visits to my parents for the last SEVEN YEARS, so I will be there on 10/10/10 with bells on.

2. Happy birthday to Frank Herbert, writer of Dune, enabler of geekiness.

3. This week at work I got a chance to use the Don Draper quote to the beatnik in Season 1 of Mad Men:
Beatnik: You're in advertising? How do you sleep at night?
Don Draper: On a mattress made of money.

Your Coffee May Be Too Strong...

...if your kitty tries to bury it like kitty poop.

Kitteh vs. The Smell of Coffee - watch more funny videos

I broke my French press over the weekend so now I'm using the stovetop espresso maker. Still trying to get the proportions right.

How Come I Didn't Know This?

While watching my new imaginary boyfriend* Christopher Eccleston in an episode of Dr. Who set during the Blitz, there was some Glenn Miller playing. Which led me to Wikipedia to learn that Glenn Miller is officially listed as missing in action (presumed dead) because his plane disappeared over the Channel in 1944 while on tour with his Army Air Force Band.

And I thought I liked Miller for "Chattanooga Choo Choo." Dying while on tour to rally the troops in the war effort is another matter entirely.





*I'm sorry, Dimitri, I'm really enjoying your baritone and your t-shirts, but there's such a thing as too much music. I'll call you.