sewinsight

lunch at the farmer's market

even in rainy Seattle in the winter, we try to get out, it was sprinkling, and the rain started harder before we left, but we had a great lunch today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
hungry yet?

I feel a change coming

I have been feeling guilt over neglecting this space, but for a million reasons I just am not getting over here as much as I would like.  What gets me is the waste of paying for something I am not using.  So I am exploring downgrading the blog for a while, to one of their free micro plans.  Maybe spending more time on Flickr, and practicing photography more.  We'll see.  

but for now, here is what I have been up to...

no sewing because half of our basement is torn back down to the concrete and studs, my sewing spot is temporarily gone.  i have been knitting, slow but sure, will share when i finish.

b and i went downtown a bit ago, wandered through Lush, the overwhelming smell of scented soaps, a little much for our sensitive perfume free - dye free noses.

 

then into Daiso, the office supply aisle, so hard to choose.

 

the puppy is growing, up to 80 lbs in 8 months, eek.  we are all settling in together as a family, getting into the rhythm of a new member of the household, he is even beginning to make peace with the feline population of our house.

 

 

MLK Day spent sledding with friends up at the Pass.  i was grumpy about going, dreading the long drive and standing around freezing, but thoroughly enjoying myself after all.  the drive was peaceful, and the vision of the tall snowy mountains appearing bigger and bigger around each bend as we approached reminded me of my cerebral need to see the mountains and ocean at least once a year.  i forget that and am always surprised at the feeling of centering and calm that wash over me when i see the ocean or a mountain up close, after a long absence.  the kids had a great time and the adults too.  i got to take a few runs with b, together on the sled, the complete joy of flying down a snowy hill, remembering what it was like to be a kid.

 

 

yesterday a walk with my boys, to "the village".  that is what people call our little neighborhood downtown.  about 3 blocks long by 2 blocks wide, with too many coffee shops, the locally owned bookstore, hardware store, bakery and of course the pie shop.  i love the small town feel that is captured here, in the arms of a very big city.

 

 

 

I will admit too, I have spent the last month absorbed in a series of books, here's your hint.

i have no excuse...

...for the blog silence.    

Just can't seem to find the time.  But I am home with B for the two weeks of his school vacation and am taking a few minutes this morning (thanks for the nudge K).  The blog silence is a combination of many things - work, being a mom, not having much crafty stuff to share, and strangely the puppy has taken over some.  I know it isn't an excuse, plenty of people have puppies, babies, etc and still manage to blog, but basically I think I have a hard time taking time to do something for myself (don't we all), I feel quite guilty if I do.  But, moving on, here is what we have been up to the last couple of months.

We spent a stormy November weekend away at Seabrook on the Washington Coast with some good friends.  Two nights in a rented beach house, good food, games, walks, and conversation.  Kids had a blast on the bunk beds and the storm that blew through felt like it would blow through the walls at times.  

In December my Dad came for a visit all the way from the stormy coast of Newfoundland, Canada.  We were so happy to get to see him, it had been about 4 years since he was here last.  B grew quite possessive of Grandpa, asking when he would be back as he headed out to have a visit with one of my siblings.  We have since discovered Skype and had a great chat with him, back at home now, on the computer last night.  It is so different to be able to chat with someone and "see" them.  Somehow it feels like a much better visit than on the phone.  He even took their laptop and gave us a "tour" of their home there.  In the photo above we went to see the fishing boats that are docked just minutes from our house, Dad is a photographer in his retired life and it was interesting to hear about the differences between our fishing boats (which fish in Alaska) and the ones in Newfoundland, the styles of the boats are very different.  

A trip to my favorite coffee shop for hot chocolate and cappuccino was lots of fun too.

We celebrated the season this year by decorating a Gingerbread train with Daddy, held our now annual Gingerbread Cookie decorating party at the beginning of December, and had lots of visits with friends and family.  

At the beginning of B's school break last week, we headed downtown to enjoy the Holiday activities.  Unfortunately so did the rest of Seattle.  The line to see the Gingerbread Houses at the Sheraton was so long I couldn't even see the entrance - so we skipped it - as was the line for the Carousel.  But we did enjoy the a capella carolers (above), and had a great time poking through Daiso in Westlake Mall.  A little hard to explain the homeless Santa charging people to sit on his lap, though.  Ah the big bad world. 

I am finding that six can be an interesting age, the frustration and grumpiness and yet also the pure joy and excitement of the season.  I loved watching him over Christmas, the care he took in putting together a note, cookies, milk and carrots (for the reindeer) and the joy the next morning when he woke up.  But that then couples with the frustration of not getting his way, or feeling he is not understood.  

On the "crafting" front not much is happening.  Most of our basement is ripped up for a do-it-yourself (translated to "will take a long time") remodel so my sewing room is gone and everything is boxed up.  I have been knitting and took a class to finally finish my sweater, but then am not happy with the result so I have set it aside for now.  It is frustrating to not be totally thrilled with something I spent so much time on, so I need to get past that before I try to finish it.

Knitting is something I can still do, doesn't take much space.  I have finished several of the beret style hats I showed earlier and am most of the way thought this hat for my man, but it is my first time working off a chart, which I find is like reading another language, and it just doesn't come easily.  I finally took to just writing out each line, which helps.  The hat is brain taxing, which I like, but I don't always pick it up when I am tired at night.  My current "easy" project is the kids scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, which is a really easy pattern, but fun because it is a combination of two colors of Noro Silk Garden yarns, so the colors of the stripes changes often and it is fun to see how the overall look changes.  I will post photos when I get done.

You still with me?  I guess I did have a lot to say.  Happy New Year and I will try to post again soon.  

Trip to the beach

So our fledgling Organized Chaos group took a nature walk to the beach the other day on a Friday holiday.  This one seemed to be a bit of a architecture lesson as the kids added found pieces to the structures that others had already built on the beach.  Amazing that we live so close to this beach, I really need to get down there more.

 

 

Lunchtime...

 

When we got home B decided he wanted to make a God's Eye, a great craft for this age (6) as he can do it for the most part himself, I just helped him get it started, then went back to the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies I was making.

a few things complete

Finally, I have some things done to post.  

At LONG last I finished the Clapitos shawl from knitty.com.  I started it in February.  It came out bigger than I intended, but I love how soft it is and it will keep me warm.  I used the Manos del Uruguay silk blend yard in two colors.  This is me at the Ballard Farmer's Market today, and a few more below of the shawl flat. 

The color change was purposeful, and yet also because I used so darn much yarn on this.  I swear I used 7 skeins total.  So when I knew I wouldn't have enough, and because I thought it might be too much if all one color, I decided to switch for the last part.  I debated doing the other color in the middle, but liked how it would drape with the darker green at the end.

We enjoyed a great day at the Ballard Farmer's Market with my mother-in-law, her boyfriend and our niece today - and of course Royal, B and I.

I love this shot, the happy look on all their faces.

We all had breakfast together before the market, I made my Oatmeal Orange Cranberry Scones.  

Then I settled in for some sewing.  I brought everything upstairs and worked with the back door open.

I had bought four wonderful dishtowels at Bolt on our last trip to Portland, OR and had been debating what to do with them.  Today I did patchwork strips, two of each color scheme and am thrilled to be able to get rid of our old, hole filled, flour sack towels.

Yesterday I got some sewing time in as well, while Daddy and B played a little racquetball.  I recently bought the Sew What! Bags book and tried a messenger style purse.  I wanted the top flap to have some weight so I added a piece of heavy weight interfacing I had, but think it might be too much.  I will try it out for a while and see how it goes, I can always cut it out if need be.

Strangely the patten didn't call for lining, but I thought it really needed it, so I added some.  I hand sewed it in the same way I do with my zippered pouches.  I love that it has pockets in the front, I hate digging for my iPhone.  Main fabric is from Ink and Spindle.  I have been hoarding her fabrics and decided I finally had to cut into one of them.  Sizing is exactly as they outlined on the pattern for the smaller messenger bag/purse.

coffee and tennis anyone?

Yesterday, a ride to the "village" to practice some tennis.    He hits so well, I was on ball duty, good exercise chasing them balls around the court.  

Stopped off for coffee and a chocolate milk.  Our little 

"main street" is about 3 blocks long, feels like a small 

town in the big city.  Folks saying hello as they walk by, 

loving this sunny stretch of weather.

Over the weekend I did a little project, wasn't sure about posting it, but I have seen others do the same so I think it is alright.  I also changed the design some and let me preface by saying I have no intention of selling these, but just made them for our own use.  If you are interested in ordering one, email me and I will send you the link to the etsy site for the person who inspired me, I will have to track it down but will.  So that disclaimer said, I am excited to have sewn two French press coffee cozies and love having something other than a dishtowel wrapped around the press in the morning to keep the coffee warm.  I used this great wool felt from Ella's etsy site, which was really nice to work with.  I had some other wool from another project and tried to do one in that too, but it didn't work as well.  I had fun putting the fabric combos together.  I decided on a velcro closure, because the idea of trying to do a button before I had my morning coffee seemed more than I could do.

Jaguars, Orangutans and Bears - oh my!

Wow, what a day.  Just a warning, you may get tired just reading about it.  But starting with what I sewed yesterday.  I have been thinking about making the Pink Chalk Studio's Mail Sack for a while now, but was inspired by the great one Daria made for a little friend of ours.  I wanted to use this great canvas called Cocca Re;foRm by yumeji takehisa x yurio seki but didn't have enough.  I found some on Reprodepot and bought all they had (sorry I would link but it isn't on their site anymore).  Anyone who has read my blog for a while will notice I am not one for combining a lot of patterns, and I wanted a simpler combination than many of the other Mail Sacks I have seen.  I used some Chocolate Lollipop for the lining and a great green dot for the pockets.  My first hidden zippered pocket, I'm so proud.  I worked really hard on this bag, really wanted it to come out well and I am thrilled with it.  Look how those stripes on the handle line up with the yoke :)

So, on to today.  This morning B and I headed to the Woodland Park Zoo (about 10 minutes from us).  I like to get there when it opens and leave when the crowds show up and we had amazing weather today.  We saw a sleeping jaguar....

bouncing wallaroos...

B used this week's allowance for binoculars, which he has been wanting for a while.  Last week was a magnifying glass, he is gathering quite a science collection.  They were great for the zoo.

the sleepy brother bears...

the awesome orangutan hanging in the sun...

 

and the majestic Asian elephant.

Then it was back home for lunch, baked a batch of Chocolate Chip cookies, did some meal planning, headed off to meet some friends for 14 (we lost steam at the end) rounds of mini-golf, then B and I went to two grocery stores.  

Back home I whipped up a really good loaf of Molasses quick bread from this book and Toasted Bread, Bean and Vegetable Soup from Sunset Magazine.  I didn't do the toasted bread since I had made the other bread, but the last time I did this recipe I did and it is really good.

You tired yet?  Well, I am, and I'm off to have a cookie and the first organic strawberries of the season and watch Amazing Race.  Night all.

I actually finished something!

Yes, I have tons of projects in the works, but was excited last night to actually finish something.  I started this scarf for Royal last August, his birthday was in October so I am only 5 months late and just in time for spring but who's counting.  

It is a little washed out by our cloudy morning, but is really soft and a rich dark brown.  I used 3 skeins and it felt like it took forever (because it did).  It is a pattern from this book and was basically knit a row then K1, P1, repeat, then repeat those two rows, over and over and over.  

We had a weekend filled with spring cleaning (talking flipping the mattress and removing the toilet seat kind of clean) but did go to a friend's horsey 6th birthday party.  My little cowboy!

Have a great week y'all.

good intentions don't equal a blog post

Long time, I know.  Have been thinking of posting for a week now, but life just seems to get away from me.  Between work, helping with homework, life and all it just doesn't seem to happen.  My week was capped with a stint on jury duty on Wednesday - one I couldn't get out of despite my well written email.  I have decided email is too easy for them to respond to, next time that excuse will go via good old fashioned mail.  Usually my "self-employed" plea gets me out of it, if I am not working, I am not earning an income, and could potentially lose clients.  This time that combined with mommy duty didn't do the trick, so off I went for the first time ever.  Have you ever served?  What a trip.  Mostly I sat all day, had a nice, long (boy they get long breaks) lunch with my lovely sister-in-law who is a bailiff there.  Then in the afternoon I got called in.  The bad guy was so guilty, I would not have been a good impartial juror.  And the attorneys were so much like TV, the schmarmy, bejeweled defense attorney, and the squeaky clean prosecutor who looked about 16.  When they asked for excuses, I gave mine, and they let me go, but it was an interesting day.  

We are heading off to the Bike Expo shortly and finally this is something I am getting interested in.  We got a bike for me last weekend, this little number complete with a detachable metal mesh basket on the back for my trips to the farmers market this summer.  We are also looking on Craigslist for one of those kid trailer attachment bikes for B, at 5 he can't keep up with us on his own bike, but can ride behind Daddy on that number so that will be fun this summer.  Something along this line, but used of course.

I am working on things, finishing up some zippered pouches and making good progress on my sweater, I am on the button band (yea!) but nothing photographed to share quite yet.  So I will leave you with a few books I have finished recently.

I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed this one, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  It is set after WWII and historical is not always my thing, but it is written as a series of letters and the characters are so quirky, plucky, and interesting, I truly didn't want it to end.  I highly recommend it, and it looks like it is coming out in paperback soon (May 5th).  

I also finished this one, written as a follow up to Chocolat, I mentioned it previously but not since I finished it.  I did enjoy it, it was suspenseful, but the ending got a bit strange, kind of like one of those where the writer is hoping it will get picked up for a movie deal so they write the big Hollywood ending that seems to depart a bit from the story.  Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

So now I am reading this, and enjoying it so far.  The chapters rotate in being written in the different characters voices, which I always find a bit disjointed, so we'll see how it comes together at the end.  The characters don't even interact with each other that much, and sometimes books done that way do come together amazingly well, and other times they don't.  I had such high hopes for Emperor's Children (in the don't category) but it just didn't work.  

What are you reading and enjoying?  I have requested this from the library, I heard the author on NPR yesterday, she was quite funny.  I have read a lot of Indian authors and like the idea of learning more about Iran and the middle east, through their female writers, any to recommend?

Gung Hay Fat Choy (Happy Chinese New Year)

This was our second "Organized Chaos" outing and again went really well.  Yesterday we headed down with my friend and her daughter (Royal joined us this time too) to the International District here in Seattle for the Chinese New Year celebration.  

We started with lunch...

We were a little late getting out for the dragon dance unfortunately, but caught the end.

But, we were then in a prime spot to get to see the Taiko drumming which we were really excited about.  Ended up sitting on the wet street, but was a great experience being right up in front.

 

 

 

After the performance B went over to a tent where he could try his own drumming.

Great dragons on the light poles.

After the show we headed back to Uwajimaya (the wonderful Asian grocery store) where we had parked our car, filled up on enough Asian sweets to get our parking validated and were on our way.  All in all a great day.