just maryse

Christmas To Do List

I've been meaning to post something for a few days now but I don't have any new photos - my photo mojo has left the building - so i always feel a little undressed when i write a post without a new picture. Kind of like when i'm walking around the house fully dressed from the waist up, with my tights and shoes on, but without a skirt. i'm fully covered, but something feels amiss (this is also a fear of mine, that i will walk out the door without a skirt.  i know, that seems insane, but i'm sure someone has done it intentionally or not)

Anyway, I've got a lot of things I want to have going on right now. heh. my christmas shopping is pretty much done. I wasn't going to do a tree. J doesn't care and honestly, it's a hassle. but with all of the trees popping up in flickr and instagram i'm reconsidering. this weekend i even bought supplies to make ornaments, so there you go.

I also want to make a bunch of fancy nuts to give to neighbors and colleagues. i'm not much of a baker. i have one go to cookie recipe (butter nut balls which are probably my favorite cookie ever) but that's pretty much it. so i need to organize myself for that.

I'm considering sending out cards this year. New Year's cards. I haven't sent any out for years and since things have settled down into some semblance of order, I think maybe it's time. Plus, we've been eliminated from several greeting card lists (we hardly receive any anymore) and that's a bit of a bummer.

I've got some knitting to do. I haven't knit a stitch in a couple of weeks or crocheted even. So it's time i get going again. I'm not a christmas knitter. But I have promised a pair of thick socks for a friend's mother, and an infinity scarf for my stylist. She's sweet and she always asks about what I'm making. So she's worthy.

 

the plan is to use this yarn I spun early in the fall with some gray Lamb's Pride. she wears mostly black (she's a blue eyed brunette too) so I think she'll like it.

And finally, i felted 3 old lambswool sweaters INTENTIONALLY that i hadn't worn in several years. I plan on cutting them up and making stuff out them.

So that's what is going on over here. A lot of stuff on my plate. 

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I'm going to try something new with the comments. Instead of replying privately in emails, I'm going to reply in the comments (if appropriate of course). To get more of a back and forth going.

 

Friday is for Housekeeping

today's list is brought to you by the letter F for Friday and Y for Yay!  i love fridays.

1.  first things first.  i got a 100 on my biology test.  yeah, i'm wicked smaht. 

2.

little coin purses made from felted (or should i say "fulled") swatches.  yay me for actually doing something without having a written plan and approval from the authorities in charge of making things out of felted swatches!  by the way, i love that you can cut this stuff with scissors.  there may be more of these in my future.  maybe.

3.  weeks ago, while at the grafton flea market with stitchy mcyarnpants (shameless name dropping) i spied a typeset drawer, whatever the hell they're called.  you know you've seen them.  they're skinny drawers with tiny little compartments for holding letters for printing.  every now and again, they show up at the flea market but they've been a little on the pricey side. anyway, that time with stitchy, the guy wanted $15 for one drawer and although it was pretty and shiny,  i decided to walk away and come back later.  my rationale being that if it's still there when i come back, then it was meant to be.  well it wasn't meant to be.

because the typeset drawer gods had something else in mind for me.  last weekend at a local yard sale i found TWO for $5!!!! oh they're not nearly as shiny as the one i almost bought at the grafton flea, but FIVE BUCKS!!! FOR TWO!!! 

i love them.  i also scored this fabulous black windsor chair for my office/yarn room and a bench (not pictured) for an additional $35.  if only all yard sales were this good.

that's about all i've got for now.  have a good weekend!

Project Spectrum...C'est Fini!

yes, this year's Project Spectrum is officially done and so it's time for my final two-month retrospective, with the stars of the show, Orange, Purple, and Brown.

funny thing is that until very recently in my life, i didn't care for orange, purple, and  brown. 

then i discovered chocolate.  mmmm.  not the candy, but the color. dark woods, rich chocolate leathers and suedes, all inspire me, and make me want to  touch them, and move them into my house.   (ironically, my love for chocolate, the food, is not nearly as strong as it used to be).   

my obsession with orange is impossible for me to explain as well.  i used to hate orange.  maybe i grew up with too much orange, being a child of the 70's and all.  maybe, its brightness called too much attention to itself.  but for the past few years, when forced to choose, i've been drawn to orange.  i carry an orange wallet, i have orange shoes, i even wear a bright safety orange puffy coat (yeah that's an excellent look for me).  orange makes me smile. 

finally, there's purple.  i'm very particular about my purple.  it's got to be deep, and regal,  and intense.  not for me the lavenders and lilacs (although i say that now.  watch 2008 be all about lilac).

project-wise on the other hand, the months of september and october were relatively lame:  one scarf , one frogged sock. and a crocheted bag without a lining.

oh well, you can't win everything.

This Piggy Went to Market

but managed to only be able to bring home a very small roast beef because the bag ended up a little on the small size and floppy.  i should have anticipated the small part ... duh ... the final measurements are included in the pattern AND my bag ended up being bigger anyway.  but the floppy was a surprise.  but i didn't use the yarn specified and those are the breaks.

before felting

the width -- 22 inches

from the top of the bag to the bottom -- 14.5 inches

the straps -- 9 inches long

after felting

the width -- 18 inches

from the top of the bag to the bottom -- 11 inches

the straps -- 7.5 inches long

ta-daa!  a finished french market bag.

yarn:  Great Adirondacks Montana 550 yards
needles: size 8