What is it?

Any guesses as to what it's going to be? One hint: the bathroom remodel is almost finished. . .

I'm coming out of my Harry Potter-induced hibernation. I just finished Book 6 yesterday, and read a chapter or two of book 7 last night. I find myself now wanting to savor and stretch out my reading of the Last Book. I think I'll take my time with it over the long weekend. And now that I've read book 5, I might twist dd's arm into going to see the movie version this weekend.


(Um, I also ordered Charmed Knits, like that's a big surprise.)

We've had a break in the heat, but now it's humid and thunderstormy (is that a word?) and the upstairs sewing room air isn't working still. . . I need to sew on some boy scout patches and work on making a cub scout banner soon. Anyone know if there are any free cub scout embroidery designs out there? That might push me to finally get my Magic Box installed on this computer.


Have a great Labor Day weekend.

Doily and Moth

I finished this doily, the June doily from the Leisure Arts booklet, A Year of Doilies Part 5. I think I used Aunt Lydia's crochet cotton, size 10 and a size 8 hook.

I started it on the plane to California, while sitting next to a rapper type who was going to LA for the weekend to record an album. This I gathered from conversations with his friend sitting behind us. He had an iPhone, of which he was quite proud, so I got to hear a few phone conversations as well. And there I am crocheting a doily, crazy throwback I guess. . .

I had stopped working on it because I was confused by some of the instructions, but then I took it to my mom's last weekend and she got me straightened out and I finished it. Gotta love having a backup troubleshooter.

Check out this moth:

Wish I had a better photo, but man it was scary looking. White body, dark gigantic wings, flashing its proboscis at me. . . The cats were going nuts.

We get the strangest bugs around here.

Chevron Scarf

I can't believe how well my yarn matches the Harry Potter 2 cover art. I'm making the chevron scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I'm just getting started on it, but it's going to be so pretty. I'm using Koigu (the turquoise) and Cherry Tree Hill (the red). I heard Brenda Dayne mention using some sock yarns to make this scarf, and remembered that this pattern was on my *I want to make that* list.

I haven't felt like making socks so much lately, so my sock yarn stash isn't being depleted like I want. A scarf is the perfect solution.

The tomatoes are finally in. I've been making salads with red onion and cucumber, along with lots of sandwiches.

I think that's my favorite part of summer. Tomato sandwiches.

The air conditioner is working again, although we've had to relocate the units, and the work on that continues today. The contractor thinks all the interior work on the bathrooms will be finished this week (with the exception of my closet). I'm ready to have them out of there and have my space back.

I got the latest issue of Burda Plus. There's lots of jackets, which I really don't wear, but I'm thinking I might make an outfit from one of the eveningwear patterns for dh's company holiday dance. I've been wearing a dark garnet red every year, and I liked the look of the teal fabrics they show.

Summer Blahs

We spent a day at the Tennessee Aquarium on Saturday. I really like it, compared say to the Georgia Aquarium, because it has a nice organized flow. They move you from exhibit to exhibit like rats in a maze.

We typically visit once a year and the kids love it. We watched a Dinosaur Imax 3D movie too.

School started yesterday, so I am enjoying my copious free time by running errands and cleaning (!). I want to do a major decluttering over the next few weeks, and yesterday I cleaned out the coat closet where the kids keep their shoes and backpacks, so I'm off to a decent start. Today, I'm going to Goodwill some plastic plates/cups the kids no longer use from one of the kitchen shelves.

I am feeling completely uninspired sewing/knitting/crochet wise. I'm working on a doily, but without much enthusiasm. I think a yarn stash cleanout is going to be just the thing for me. I know I have some great projects tucked away that I've forgotten about, and I'm tring to resist a trip to the store for something new when I have some good stuff already. . .

The air conditioning isn't working right around here, so my sewing space is an oven. I know I won't be able to get up there for a while. (We are probably going to have to relocate our air conditioning units ($$$) in order to get them to work properly again since we boxed them in during the remodel and they aren't getting good airflow.)

On the positive side, the new bathroom is coming together and looking gorgeous. I need to take a few pics to post, but I can't decide whether to wait until it's all done or not.

Blogging Vacation

I really didn't intend to take such a long vacation from blogging, but I guess I needed it, since I don't really have anything interesting to say, ahem. . .

Why a bunch of 11 yo girls want to decapitate Dora the Explorer, I'll never know. Birthday fun, apparently.

I can't believe there's actual craft content, but I finished a pair of socks for dd last night. I used my typical p2K4 rib pattern, exactly how I make them for myself but shorter. I think I'll give her these at Christmas, since it's 100 degrees outside now. The yarn is Schaefer Anne, really nice, but a bit itchy right now.


We have tadpoles. I've been sneaking them into the fish tank for food, because there's no way we can raise this many. Might as well use them, right?

I'm going to my parents' house for the weekend. Mom and I will probably discuss the fall knitting magazines, can't wait to see which things she's making.

School starts on Monday, when I expect to re-exert some control over the computer (after I fix myself a margarita and do a few happy dances ALL BY MYSELF).