Week of January 1st-8th

For several mornings over the past week at Joann Fabrics, I've been helping set up the new seasonal merchandise. Currently, we have sections for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter, plus a fair amount of spring and summer product lines. Add to that the nice sunny weather we've been having the last two days, and I'm increasingly confused about what season this is. Wait till we have another snowstorm.

Still, it is only the second week of January, and I've made four distinct plans for the year. (I hate the word "resolution" and prefer thinking of them as "plans.") Two are professional:

1 - Design something new every week. (I don't have to make it, just design it.)
2 - Start a line of sewn project bags and hook and needle bags. (Now that I have a working sewing machine and, conveniently, work in a fabric store.)

The other two are personal:

1 - Read at least 52 books. (One for each week of the year. Luckily I read quickly.)
2 - Cook more "real" food. (Boxed meals don't count!)

So far I've been doing better on the personal side than the professional. I haven't had time to start a new line because I've been so busy keeping up with sales. I did finally write up and list my newest pattern for a baby blanket toy - my first pattern of 2013!

For my first book of the year, I reread The Hobbit. My parents had read it to me when I was little and I listened to it on tape a few years ago, but it occurred to me that I'd never "read" it in the eyes-on-print way, which is how I read best anyway. My husband, a friend and I saw the movie the other week, and it made me remember how much I enjoyed the book. Here's a funny thing that struck me about the book this time around, though: there are no female characters in it whatsoever. It doesn't offend me, because it's a delightful book and I don't think having a woman or two in there would have improved the story necessarily. (In the movie, they stuck in Galadriel; I suppose that's their right. They added several characters from The Lord of the Rings and from Middle Earth mythology.) It does bug me slightly to think that if the opposite were the case - female characters only - then only a few people, mostly women, would have read it and it would never have become a classic. Anyway, I doubt it was a deliberate omission on Tolkien's part and so I just find it amusing.

Weeks of August 7th-20th

We're in the midst of moving and things have been quite crazy for the past couple of weeks. Our new place is literally just five minutes up the road - it even has the same zip code as our current address - but even so it's stressing me out! I do have another cute custom-order baby sweater, also in Vickie Howell Sheep(ish), to show for last week. The color is Chartreuse(ish). Here's the photo, and I'll get back to packing.

Week of July 31st - August 6th

The red sweater pattern is typed up, but I didn't get to the photos yet. However, I do have two sweaters that I completed this week. The first is a unisex baby sweater I did as a custom order. I used 3 balls of Vickie Howell Sheep(ish) in Yellow(ish). The cute cow buttons came from Fine Points.

After putting it aside briefly to complete the baby sweater, I finished my newest Mossy Jacket, also a custom order for a family member. This is the 5th one I've made, but since the yarn comes in so many pretty colorways, I haven't gotten bored with them yet! This one is in Trendsetter Tonalita color #2349 Bright Multi.

Week of July 2nd - 8th

Cleveland hasn't been spared the heat wave, though we're lucky to have had a few days' rain last week and no windstorms yet. Thanks to our new window unit, I have two baby sweaters and my completed TARDIS scarf to show for this sweltering week.

First, the Hooded Cardigan by Debbie Bliss, from the pattern in Design It, Knit It: Babies, knit using two balls of Ella Rae Amity Prints acrylic/wool blend:

This hoodie pattern is one of my favorites for baby sweaters; it's quick, easy, and very cute. I knit this one for a baby girl in the family. For a boy, I decided on another old favorite, Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket. I used the newsletter pattern from The Opinionated Knitter and two balls of Plymouth Yarn Encore Colorspun:

That one always turns out bigger than I expect, but I guess too big is always better than too small, especially when it comes to babies. I found the adorable elephant buttons at Joann Fabrics and couldn't resist; they don't match exactly, but I think they work anyway.

And, last but not least, I finally sat down and finished my TARDIS scarf. I would have liked to have made it longer, but I ran out of medium blue cotton and ultimately decided it was fine as is:

I'm considering putting the pattern up here for free, my only hesitation being the copyright issues of using the word TARDIS or the police box image. I'll see.

Week of April 2nd-8th

This weekend finds me in a good place. We've had family in town for Passover, so lots of socializing. Also, I've gotten a seasonal job at the excellent Joann Fabrics, which I think will be a good fit for me. I've never worked there before, but it's where I source a lot of my yarn and I'm certainly a fan of the store.

And here's the project I mentioned last week - a crocheted toy bunny. I suppose you can call it amigurumi (I think it simply means "knitted or crocheted toy," which this is), though it's not really in the amigurumi style. I wanted something non-clothing that's appropriate for babies and small children, and I've been long meaning to expand my catalog of crochet patterns. I'm in the midst of another toy design right now - it's always exciting to take off on a new creative track!