Not much, really

OK, I hadn't planned to post, but I was checking things out on the internet and I saw this on my "Jon Stewart Quote of the Day" (a handy little plug-in for Firefox):

"Let me just ask this: General [Petraeus], are those space pants? Because your butt is out of this world. The gentle lady from California wants you to know - she yields." (Sept. 13, 2007)

Those writers at Comedy Central earn their money, yes they do! Having just visited the Air/Space Museum, loving Jon Stewart, and SpecialK's multiple Petraeus references this week (not that we aren't enjoying it...), it seemed like a call to blog...

Knitting!
Ok, I broke two of my Brittany size 0 needles today. I'm beginning to accept that perhaps the issue is the knitter and not the needles. Still, I'm doing all of this intricate cable work on the Traveler's Stockings and it creates a lot of tension, ya know? I'm playing with hand position so that the area that needs to be flexing is smaller, employing every bit of physics I'll allow to trickle into my leisure time, hopefully reducing the total pressure exerted and reducing likelihood of breakage. We shall see.

Que mas? I began work on nephew D.'s cardigan. Thank god they live in the SF Bay Area so it will be a while before he's in great need of it. Because I got my gauge wrong and I have no intention on compromising my yarn choice so I had to make my own pattern and start over. I've had to do that a LOT lately and its getting rather tiresome.

I had intended to put away my Vogue shell project in these cooler months having completed the five rows of fan-like pattern at the bottom (gorgeous, by the way). But since the sock requires MUCH attention and that's not always what I'm into and D.'s sweater needed some prep work, I've picked it back up. Still pretty? Yup. Its going to be GREAT.

But the socks, oh, the socks! BEAUTIFUL. Even more than you might envision because I changed yarn. I decided the Koigu was beautiful but there was too much color variation for the texture to really be appreciated so I went with something with just a wee bit of color (see how I'm all into the ctrl-i thing tonight? ) and they are really looking great. Too bad I can't show you yet. Having done so, I'm making good progress; I'm about half way through the detail cuff and after that it should go very (ctrl-i) fast.

Best of all....
This visit, Mom and Dad brought to me a very special gift: Mom's sewing machine. It was purchased in 1965 and I do believe that every article of clothing that was not gifted to me was sewn on that machine up until I was 13 or so...thereafter, only about 75% of my clothes were sewn by Mom. I think the last things I remember her sewing for me were the suit I wore to my grad school interview (Vogue, very nice) and some really really cute sundresses that same year---1989? Countless really lovely Easter outfits, bathing suits (really!), stuffed animals, coats (ctrl-b-i), you name it, she made it for myself and my sisters as well as the cradle bedding that all of Beth's children slept in as well as a set for my own babies. I am so thrilled to have it, I can hardly stand myself.

Now, its not up to certain extended family members' standards but the sewing machine in beautiful standing cherry cabinet is what pushed the library/mudroom/some crafty business over the line into full-fledged-keep-your-butts-out-of-here craft room. We're even going to replace the French doors up currently with panel doors so I don't have to worry about things being unsightly (creativity isn't that pretty...). Ahhhh. I'm very happy. I have my BoseWave radio with iPod hook-up all ready. I expect the Singer repair place to call tomorrow and tell me they've got it all tuned up.

First project: dress-up capes for three little Mullens. I had made two sweet satin ones for Haley and Anna in the pre-Lolly days but they've gone missing and when I said I'd make one for her, of course Thing One and Thing Two asserted their need for one. I found this gorgeous, diaphanous, yet still having body, sheer fabric; it reminds me the kind of drape that might be worn with a sari, but a very formal one as these selections all have designs of one kind or another in crystals and they're kind of irridescent. I can't wait to get started.

In return, I'm giving to my Mom the portable that I've used sporadically over the last five or six years. Its decent, does the job, it was just a major drag to schlep it out, schlep it back. Cool thing? It was my cBFF Dave's first machine. When he bought his really good machine, I got lucky as the portable Singer I had at the time was a pain.

Well, and that's probably all you really wanted to know about family sewing machines. Except that with Beth having checked out early, Tracy is the heir-apparent to Grandma's circa 1939 Singer---which is still being used. I made my first stuffed animals on it for Christmas presents in 1976... that's a major piece of family history.

Don't even ask me about my grandfather's record player....