AMEN for vacation!! What would I do without it?? I have three days left...three days of getting up at ungodly hours, dragging myself into the shower, dragging a reluctant 4-year-old out of bed and to preschool, and dragging reluctant high schoolers through the joys of English. But no more! My Seniors graduated last week, and all three classes of them have become my three new prep periods. Yeah, baby!! :) What have I been doing with all this free time?? Let's see...I've graded the few papers I have left for my sophomores, filed my original copies back in their binders, filed extra copies of assignments, etc. in my filing cabinet, taken down my classroom decorations, put my books in my cabinet, inventoried my textbooks, sent miscellaneous leftover items away to the lost-and-found, and shopped for yarn online. That was on Friday, when I was tired and feeling less than motivated to do anything.
But the end is in sight, and I'm really energized by it. Well, that and the delicious ability to catch up on lost sleep on the weekend. Yesterday I was particularly lazy and shiftless, but today...I made my husband breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, did the dishes (normally his job on the weekend), and sent him off for a "man day" to himself. I think that's probably a better gift for him than anything I can buy...guilt-free time to himself without any cling-ons, like a very loving but very demanding little girl, as well as a rather shaggy-looking puppy who wants to play.
So...the child is napping, the kitchen is clean (although the living room is not...I may be somewhat energized today, but tackling the kitchen was enough), and I have an hour and a quarter to myself.
So...SUMMER: I'm not a huge fan of hot weather, being rather round and having excess insulation, but I am a huge fan of vacation. And I have been spinning all kinds of projects around in my head. SO many things I want to do! Knitting and crocheting and sewing and embroidery and painting and camping and playing and all that good stuff. And since I've been able to come home guilt-free, I've been able to dedicate Ella's naptime to my projects.
I've managed to finish cutting out the pile of Bleuette clothing I've stockpiled--can't wait to get started on some of those. I also set aside some simple embroidery projects for Bleuette--aprons, nightgowns, underthings, blouses, and in a few hours yesterday and a few this morning, I've finished a set of underthings as well as a blouse--that one I did in a very fine shirting material I got at Fabric Depot about a year ago, and embroidered the scalloped edging in one strand of floss. My first attempt at the neckline went a little wonky, but I picked it out and started over again after I'd done more of it. The second one looks much nicer. I will have to post pictures here soon....
I've also been obsessing over vests and tunics for my daughter. I don't want to pay the money for the expensive sweaters I love at Gymboree and etc., and because she has a long waist, most of them end up too short on her before she really outgrows them. She also doesn't seem to like bulk on her arms. SO...my solution is vests/tunics to keep her warm. She's got somewhat sensitive skin, and already has KP (Keratosis Pilaris--commonly known as "chicken skin"--a form of eczema), and since I had bad eczema as a kid (and have not entirely outgrown it), I am careful about the fiber content of yarns for her. Wool of course is warmest, but...it itches. I don't care how soft they say it is, even cashmere itches. And cashmere is expensive. I cannot wear wool--even the softest stuff starts to itch after an hour or two. I have a sweater set that I love that is a wool blend, but I can't wear it more than half a day. At that point, I'm ready to rip it off my body like The Hulk in a temper! My husband also has eczema, so the poor kid is doomed.
The downside to non-wool fibers is that they don't always have a nice feel to them. I hate the squeak--that squeaky noise that you get when you're working with acrylic/synthetic yarns. Ugh! So...I'm trying to find decently-priced alternatives to wool. Fortunately, I'm only planning to have her wear the tunics/vests over a shirt/blouse, so a wool blend might be ok for her. Knitpicks has some nice cottons...I may invest in some of those. I love their Crayon DK cotton--SO soft!! But boucle yarn has some limitations. Still...I've got a rainbow stash of it, so I may end up making her some rainbow-striped things.
I recently discovered Ravelry, and have been spending many hours poring over their offerings--WOW! I think I'm in trouble. I'm afraid to bring home more yarn, though...my husband may not understand my obsession, and is generally supportive of all my creative endeavors, but...he does complain about the clutter and how we have too much stuff. Hmm...he works during the day...and I'm on vacation, so....hmm... :)
Well, gotta hop in the shower before it is time to wake up the munchkin for her bath and subsequent trip to the Ram for Father's Day dinner.
Happy crafting!
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