too. much. stuff.

 

Remember when the only things in your shower were a bar of soap, a washcloth, and a bottle of Prell? Maybe some baby powder waiting on the counter when you were done?

I'm not exaggerating: except for one bottle of shampoo on the top shelf, all these products are MINE! And, yes, I do use them all.

There's the shampoo, and the conditioner. And the leave in conditioner. And the twice-monthly deep-moisturizing conditioner. There's the regular body wash, the soothing body wash, and the exfoliating body wash. There's the regular skin moisturizer, and the moisturizer with mica flakes for when I want to look a little jazzy. And then there's the Vitamin E oil for moisturizing my deeply callused heels.

This dizzying array doesn't even include the gel and pomade I add to my hair after the shower to keep from looking like a crazed poodle. Or the facial moisturizer with SPF 2000 for the day, and the eye cream and moisturizer for night.

When did taking a simple shower become so complicated?

my sister the model

My blessed sister came to my house in the 14 degree weather yesterday to model some of the pieces I've finished. Although you can't see her face here, I think she makes an effective model. (By the way, that's the finished Gaugin Neck Warmer she's modeling.)

Poor Andrea has been the object of my photographic obsession since the day I first picked up a camera. There was one picture I took of her, a very artsy b&w semi-nude (tastefully done from the back of course), that I thought of as an homage to Ingres. My mother, on the other hand, saw it as nothing more than soft-core kiddy porn (Andrea being only 14 at the time). I've still got that picture, stored somewhere in the bowels of my closets, and I promise to look for it and post it for all the world to pass judgment themselves.

look ma, no pins! (almost)

I'm a Johnny-Come-Lately to the wonderful world of blocking wires. My first set arrived in the mail a couple of days ago, just in time for me to block my Gaugin neck warmer. (I decided "Woven Stitch Neck Warmer" was not an evocative enough name.)

What an epiphany!

It took me a little while to figure out how to thread those skinny, skinny wires through the edges of my piece, but once I did ... Wow! It was a breeze to block, a task I usually hate. Four wires, a few T-pins, a spritz of water, and the next morning I've got the most perfectly flat, squared off piece of knitting. I am definitely a convert.

The piece is actually finished - buttons sewn on and everything. One more piece checked off of my Etsy list. No photos of the finished piece yet, 'cause I'm hoping my sister will drive over today so I can rope her into modeling it for me.

etsy bound

I'm trying to complete some knit and crochet projects to sell on Etsy. I'd like to have 6-10 objects to start, since common wisdom on the site is that a larger inventory is better for business. So far I've got 2 items completed and 2 in progress:

1. Four Corners Hat. I made this one as an experiment with a yarn I hadn't tried before - Paton's Soy Wool Stripes. It's a very cool self-striping yarn, made out of 70% wool and 30% soy.
2. The Mistake-Rib Neck Warmer. I know I said I would give it to Ian, but last night I found it lying on the living room floor in a heap of stuffed animals and Legos. I decided that it would benefit my family far more if it paid its own way, instead of joining the rest of the ubiquitous clutter.
3. A Woven-Stitch Neck Warmer. Yes, I'm really into neck warmers these days. Shorter than scarves, yet every bit as hard working in the warmth department.
4. Crocheted Basket. The crocheting is done. All I've got to do is sew in a lining. Boy-oh-boy, do I hate sewing.

cat on a hot ink printer

You know how cats love to curl up in your yarn when you're knitting? Or stretch out on your kid's essay when he's still writing it? Well, Merrie also likes to lie across the keyboard when I'm doing just about anything at the computer.

This picture was taken right after I removed her for the third time in 10 minutes. I guess she felt it was safer to move to higher ground.

models like to steal clothes, you know

I finished my first neck warmer, and was thinking about trying to sell it on Etsy, but then I made the mistake of asking Ian to model it for me. "This is really warm, Mom," he declared. "Can I have it?"

The perpetual dilemma. You craft something for a friend, or for yourself, and then your kids see it, and bam! all of a sudden, you find yourself having to make a second one.

So even though I told Ian 'no' last night, I think I'll cave on this one. He does wear it well. Of course, that's a model's job; free clothes are just a side benefit.

"looped" by any other name

The fabrics I make are clearly not the only things that are loopy in my world. Allow me to present Exhibit A: Ian and Seth, about as loopy as two kids can be.