Dawn Brocco's Life & Design Blog

Designer's Archived Folder of Knitting Genres Best Left to Someone Else

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:45:00 +0000

Some things I take to quickly, others slowly, and yet other things - never.

When Cat Bordhi's First Magical book came out, 8 years ago, I thought the idea might be interesting from a geometry POV, but as I own most of Elizabeth Zimmermann's books, and had seen moebius strips, albeit grafted not knit in the round, I wasn't thrilled by the resultant shape, which generally looks like a sling for a broken arm!

So, I never read Cat's books, nor looked up the cast on on Yoohoo, and definitely didn't desire to design within the moebius genre – being way too interested in shaping cables (for example).

But, recently I began to think that maybe there might be something to this moebius thing. Maybe.

I still don't like that the stitch patterns used really need to be reversible, as the WS shows at the twist, which eliminates most stitch patterns, including stranded colorwork and cables – two of my favorite knitting genres.

So, I watched Cat's cast on video, and this different take on it, as well as perused this site's method (which does not specify the style of CO - which does make a difference), as well as being aware of EZ's original moebius strip.

From what I've seen thus far, Cat's method seems the easiest, most straightforward, least fiddly, and with the least potential for failure.

I also prefer her no-nonsense, carefully chosen words approach. Concise and to the point. Extraneous verbiage, or even worse, endless repetition, loses me. I'm a get-to-the-point-already girl, not a Chatty-Cathy girl, which sends me on an out-of-body vacation, flying back just in time to nod my head and go, un-huh.

So, I went to my local online inter-library ordering system, to request Cat's First and Second Magical Knitting books, only to get a message that they could not be requested!

Apparently they've both gone Missing, and with the prices these 2 books are fetching on Amazon (between $62 and $199, depending on the book and whether new or used), it looks like something is rotten in Denmark.

It could happen to any author's books, however, I was also requesting 3 of Nicky Epstein's books and the latest Elizabeth Zimmermann book, all of which were sitting on their respective libraries' shelves, happily awaiting my request. Hmmm.

But all I needed, really, was the cast on, which I had - thanks to Cat.

I cast on, and cast on, and cast on, knitting a little of this, a little of that, and was so underwhelmed by this convoluted fabric emanating from my choked up circular needle (which reminded me of how much I hate turtlenecks or even mock turtlenecks – gag, choke, sputter, rip off sweater), I threw the moebius idea back into my Designer's Archived Folder of Knitting Genres Best Left to Someone Else.

In this Folder also lies Anything Top Down. I'm a bottom-up sweater-girl only. I do not, ever, want to make a neckline design decision first. To my mind, it gets made somewhere between casting on the lower edge and the underarm.

Also in the Folder are socks made on needles smaller than a US size 3.

And, while we're at it, fine gauge anything!

All better left to other designers. Which is how it should be. Knowing one's strengths and preferences is crucial, in order to develop a body of work that says, This Designer.

Chapter Two - What's Your Name? Who's Your Daddy?

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:50:00 +0000

What's Not to Love!

Just home from the shelter - 6 months old, scruffy and dirty, but irresistible.

Many times we thought if only we could train him to use his tail to sweep the floors for us!

As our newfound pet didn't already have a name he answered to, the Big Name Search had to ensue.

The first few days saw us settling him and us in to this new family arrangement, discovering his personality (which took awhile, as he was shy and seemed unsure we were actually going to keep him!), and postulating on what breeds he might be.

And for the first 3 days, he never made a sound. Not a single bark, growl, or yip!

We knew he was a terrier, from the shelter, but that's very generic - there's 28 AKC terrier breeds.

But that's not all, I thought, something cuddly, as he looked like a miniature sheepdog when we brought him home, but looks completely different – smooth like a pointer or beagle – when he's fresh from the groomers. We could have called him Gemini or Pisces, had I have thought of it then, but am glad I didn't!

We thought if we could figure out what breeds he was, that would help us understand him and help us choose a name. We were tackling the subject from the outside in, trying to get an intellectual understanding about the dog. Intellect, however, ended up not being necessary.

So, by day 3 or so of adjusting and bonding, we decided it was time to find a name.

The kids and I were in the kitchen. I was leaning against the sink, the kids were sitting at the kitchen table. Hubby was in the adjoining family room, watching TV, but listening and laughing now and then to our proposed names. The dog wandered between both rooms, checking us out.

This was no quick process, as a name is a Most Important Thing and must be given Due Consideration, as he would be living with it a Very Long Time, though we had no idea, then, how very long a time this would end up being!

First we ran through the usual dog names, just to get them out of the way. This wasn't going to be a usual dog, so he deserved an unusual name, but I thought we should at least give lip service to the dog names. we knew.

Naturally, none of them sparked any interest for us, nor him, as he wouldn't respond to any of them.

Then, we ran through human names, which also might suit. Nope. He continued to ignore each name we tossed at him, like softballs - Here, Catch One Already!

I even pulled out the dictionary to drum up ideas. Again, nothing suited. The dog would not respond. We were getting discouraged.

Then both my son and daughter decided they wanted to call him "Einstein".

Now, not only did this dog not look smart enough to be an Einstein, but I said that we'd end up called him "Einie" for short, which just wouldn't do.

I could hear myself calling to him in the yard (because we knew, or at least I knew, who'd be the main caregiver of said Nameless Pet), "Here Einie, here Einie!"

Nope, no way.

I thought we had run through everything. We wracked our brains, and I thought we truly weren't going to find that Perfect Name, which described him best, and would have to settle for something uninspiring.

Scrambling for ideas, I turned my head. The refrigerator caught my eye and I immediately thought of the Sweet Gerkins I love so much. Then, before I knew it, I blurted out "Pickles!"

The dog jumped, the kids said, "Yes!"

And Pickles was born.

Chapter One - The Call of The Noiseless Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:39:00 +0000

(It's time I write about Pickles' life, while he's still with us.)

One March day in '95, hubby and I were in a nearby town, doing errands, when suddenly he said, "Let's go to the shelter to look for a dog." It was just a feeling he had. Having had feelings like that, which seem to come from nowhere, one learns to listen to them.

But, inwardly, I groaned.

We had been through this before, having adopted a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy, from another shelter, a few years earlier, and had to return him after a couple of weeks. Our house and household was ill-equipped for a puppy, at that time.

But what I said was, "OK", all the while hoping this would work out better than last time, or maybe even we'd luck out and all they'd have were horse-sized dogs, which we both didn't want, but which seem to fill the shelters where we've lived.

Or maybe it's just that all the small, cuddly shelter dogs get adopted so quickly, that if one's timing is off, one only gets to see the HUGE, slobbering, shedding, barking-til you-have-a-migraine, eat-you-out-of-house-and-home, will-chew-up-your-shoes, and drool-all-over-your-furniture dogs, so much that no-one, neither visitors nor other residents in the house, will ever want to sit down ever again, which will be fine, because he dog, or she dog, will be forever stretched out on your (once) nice, comfy sofa.

And it's not that I don't love some large dogs - I grew up in a dog-loving household, and despite spending most of my youth living in apartments where dogs were not allowed, somehow Dad and Mom always managed to squeak a couple of dogs in!

Mom brought home Goodie one day, when I was very young, maybe seven, when we lived in a 3 floor walk-up, on a busy street, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Officially, A Wee Bit of Goodness, a pure breed Miniature Poodle, who, at one year of age, was already a stud puppy, kept in a tiny cage.

He was small and adorable and spent his entire life walking in circles. The circles got a bit larger as the years went on, but they were still circles - imprinted on his young brain from his puppyhood, and for which he never got over.

After moving to a larger, and nicer, apartment on Shore Road, in my teens, Dad brought home Beau, or Beauregard, a German Shepherd. Who looked like he was half wolf. He had a big, beautiful mane of hair around his neck, was sweet and loving and mistreated by his previous owners. He was left tied up in the kitchen all day whilst they worked, so Dad took him off their incompetent hands. He was malnourished and mom had to feed him Brewer's Yeast for a while to boost his health.

So, in 6 rooms lived 6 people and 2 dogs, which weren't allowed, but Dad must have cajoled the super.

Beau was a great dog, but being a shepherd, he shed. Like mad. And loved leather. And fabric. And car interiors!

And had a habit of lying down in the narrow hall to sleep, all 120 lbs of him, so heaven forbid you needed to go down the hall to use the bathroom or get into your bedroom, you would have to step carefully around his legs, because he had no intention of waking up and moving out of your way.

He looked ferocious.

The Staten Island neighborhood we later moved to was afraid of him, and didn't feel quite safe with a 105 lb boneyard of a girl holding the reins to a 120-lb wolf-like dog. But he was a big baby, and they had nothing to worry about. He sensed your moods, particularly mother's, always curling up next to her, when she was unwell. We were his pack and he was happy to see any of us.

His life was, sadly, quite short, not making it to his third birthday, as he developed a typical disease of shepherds, hip dysplasia, so we had to put him to sleep. He was just too large and heavy to carry up and down the stairs.

I still can't think of that day without welling up. I miss him still, and it's been about 35 years.

So, driving that day to the shelter brought many trepidatious thoughts and sad memories to mind, but never one to rain on hubby's parade, we went a dog-hunting.

And, as is usual, we walked back into the dog kennel area and immediately went deaf. We walked past cage after cage, feeling sorry for them all - no-one likes being caged - until we saw a fluffy, small, black and white dog whose body was pressed up against the cage door. And Not Making a Sound!

We read the description: Terrier Mix, approx. 6 months old, found on the street in Kingston.

We looked at this dog, who, even though he clearly needed a bath and a haircut, we could not imagine roaming Kingston's city streets. He was a house dog, almost a lap dog. Who, in his right mind, would let this puppy loose?

So we were led to a small Get-Acquainted Room and the attendant brought The Noiseless Dog in.

You could hardly see his face, as his hair, (oh, thank goodness, I said, no fur!) had grown too long. But we petted him, and saw he wasn't as big as he looked with the fluffy do, and he didn't seem to have any personality disorders. He checked us out, then went to the door, as if to say, OK, Let's Go Already and Get Out of This Noisy Nuthouse!

So, quiet? Without a doubt! Non-shedding? Yup. Small enough? Yup. Cute? Yup.

Boxes all ticked, we made the commitment, paid the adoption fee, then said goodbye for the night, as he was to immediately go the Vet to be neutered (as is the policy), and we were to pick him up at the Vet's the next day.

Driving home from the shelter, I wondered, was this dog calling to us?

There now seemed to be the perfect dog for our family, who, if the shelter had his age correct, would have been born the same time we bought our house in Saugerties, who in his Sheltered Loneliness, silently called out to hubby, who heard his call.

Next chapter - What's Your Name? Who's Your Daddy?

Big Ships & Bagels

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:10:00 +0000

We were watching Top Gear last night, after dinner, me on the loveseat knitting on a new design, he in his chair with the laptop.

It had been a very windy day, blustering constantly, which led us to have an earlier conversation about other seaside areas we might like to live in. There aren't many, as we're very particular, but I brought up California, again, as a nice place to live where, possibly, the wind doesn't blow almost every day!

I also remembered a House Hunters International episode we had seen twice in the past, located in Brittany, France.

So, I opened my mouth to begin to say, "For shits and giggles, why not..."
I didn't get to finish the thought.
He interrupted with, "Bishops and bagels?"
Me, "What's this about big ships and bagels?"

Apparently, sitting 10' apart is too far!

How I Make Escarole Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:04:00 +0000

I wrote this this post's text a couple months ago, shortly after moving into the house. I have since found my Zyliss salad spinner, though my model is many years older than this new style.

A large head of escarole had to be divided into 2 baths. I used a colander set into a medium-large mixing bowl. I would have used my salad spinner (love my spinner!), had I unearthed it, at this point, after moving.

The escarole does not need to be dried off - the water clinging to the leaves adds to the soup liquid. And I do snap or cut off the tough outer stalk ends before it goes into the pot!

Next, dig out your garlic. I keep mine in a large coffee mug, bought back when the kids were small and we trudged down to DC in February, if I remember correctly, so that I might have a booth at a wholesale show - which, as it turns out, was a sorry event. I think I sold 1, maybe 2 of my handspun, handknit sweaters, and missed out on the fun hubby and the kids were having at the Smithsonian Zoo, where this mug was purchased.

Not that we would have trudged to DC in the middle of winter, or at any other time, just to go to the zoo. The show was just a good excuse to go, and gave the others some good memories, at least.

Anyway, dig out some carrots, chicken stock (I use unsalted), and olive oil.

Chop 2 large or 3 medium carrots.

And pour a goodly amount of olive oil into a stock pot. (Gotta get my MUFAs!)

Peeling garlic is irksome and time-consuming.

Instead, I take our heavy cleaver, or hubby's barbecue spatula, which is nice and heavy, and give each clove a quick bashing. This loosens the paper. I just cut off the hard ends, and the skin just slides off.

Then I slice up the garlic - large pieces so hubby can see them and pick them out of his bowl! He thinks I use too much garlic. He smirks when I ask him if it's too much. I see the little bit of trepidation to state this assertion, but I see it sitting on the tip of his tongue, like a man about to ski down a mountain, with his brakes on!

Now I've seen reputable chefs on TV leave those hard garlic ends on, tossing them into the meal they're cooking - eesh. I certainly don't want to get a hard, chewy bit of garlic butt.

OK, saute the carrots. Until they're mostly cooked. Then add the garlic, but stir constantly now - to avoid burning the garlic.

Then pour in the chicken stock. I tried to make stock, from scratch, once. These cartons are SO much easier and way more flavorful than my stock was! And for the amount of time it takes to make stock, and the cost - oof - $3.50 or so a carton is a bargain.

While it's coming to a boil, rip up the escarole into, hopefully!, bite-size pieces. Or chop it, if you prefer to chop your greens. Hubby keeps reminding me they should be "bite-sized" pieces - yeah, yeah.

Then toss all the greens into the pot, which may well look like it will overflow. This was a tall pot, so they didn't come up to the rim, like they do in my squat pot.

Don't fear, just smoosh it down, stirring the hot broth up over the leaves, wilting them down. In a matter of moments, the leaves will have deflated.

Now, seasoning - a little salt - I use this much

which turns out to be about 1/8 tsp

(or to taste) and pepper.

Clean up your countertop! I hate to cook with a mess accumulating. I stop, often, and clear up and wipe up.

Put the pot on a low simmer, with lid just ajar. I never time these things (tho I do time baking). 10-15 minutes should do it.

The Big Brass Bath

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:14:00 +0000

Here's my just-bathed brass candlesticks.

I'm not a big metals person - but I love brass, for its warm glow. It's not gaudy like gold. I gag when I flip through an Architectural Digest and see a room or, worse yet, an entire house done up in gold fabrics and paint (shudder).

I like nickel, for the same reason - it has a warm tone. I love nickel-plated cabinet knobs and stove trim. Aluminum and steel have too much blue and look cold.

Anyway you might have caught a near-runaway conversation on FB regarding tips for shining up brass, without having to use brass cleaner.

It began by Googling, and found some easy cleaning ideas using items found in The Kitchen, including smearing on ketchup, letting it sit, then rinsing it off.

As my aim is to never again irritate the tendonitis in both these elbows with buffing up brass or silver ever again. Thank You NY Snow Shoveling and Too Large a Property Leaf Raking! I was more than willing to give this a go.

The tarnished candlesticks, waiting for their ketchup bath,

and 2 in the tub soaped up, so to speak!

And it worked. But not enough. They didn't have that spiffy, shiny polished look.

The next tip was to soak them in vinegar or lemon juice and salt and then wash and rinse.

So, I filled a bucket with warm water, dissolved about 1/3 c coarse (Kosher) salt in boiling water, adding it to the bucket, then added the last 3-4 glugs/glops/splooshes of white vinegar the gallon jug had to give, and for Good Measure, topped it off, with the last few glugs/glops/splooshes of cheap lemon juice I had, which hubby doesn't like - he only likes ReaLemon juice in his iced tea Home Brewed by Me.

I placed the candlesticks into the solution, then I walked away, leaving the gentle acetic acids and salt to do their thing.

I think I left them about half an hour, then turned them over to cover the parts that were sticking up. letting them soak a bit. A rinse and a drying off were all they needed.

Two Elbows saved from further destruction!

Padded Pinboard

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:08:00 +0000

The almost finished pinboard -

just hanging loops to be made and attached.

I placed it on my desk so you can get an idea of its size!

I've wanted/needed a new pinboard for awhile now, and maybe you've caught my previous posts alluding to the beginnings of said project.

Most pinboard projects have you begin with a piece of MDF or a cork pinboard, or something solid.

This project had to be made from in-house-supplies-only, so, no buying spools of nice grosgrain ribbon, no new batting to pad the thing, no new upholstery tacks, and certainly no new, large cork pinboard.

All that expense certainly feels counter-intuitive, anyway - it would end up being one, expensive board just to stash papers and clippings onto!

This project lolled around, giving me the Evil Eye, because I was betwixt and between as to how to proceed, with what I had available.

But I wanted the project done, so the mental decks could be cleared for other projects waiting in the queue.

For the backing, I needed to use a large (4' wide x 3' tall) white foam display board I bought at Staples years ago - 2 moves ago!, and which was beginning to look road-worn.

I left the 2 small folding sides attached, though you could easily X-Acto knife them off, as I wanted the largest pinboard I could make, and figured I'd deal with the how-to-attach-it-to-the wall issue later.

So, lay fabric (washed and ironed, and in this case, a seam opened up to give me more width) onto work surface, placed face side down. The fabric should be a bit larger than the batting and the board. The fabric I had gave a good few inches on 2 sides but a scant 1/4-1/3" on the other 2 sides. As there was nothing I could do about that, and I didn't want to use another fabric, I just stapled those sides more densely.

Lay batting or cut up quilt on top, a smidge larger than the board, making sure the most neutral side of your old quilt is facing down, so as to not peak through the cover fabric, then lay board on top. Choose the worst side to face down, leaving the good side facing up in case you ever need a good white backdrop to use.

Beginning at the center of each of the 4 sides, bring the fabric up over the batting and staple into the board. I just used regular office stapler-sized staples, not upholstery staples, which might have been too deep.

Work your way around, evenly pulling and stapling.

If you have enough fabric at the corners to do a proper miter, then do so! I didn't, so I folded the fabric squarely into the corner and stapled it down.

OK, flip the thing over.

Decide where you want to place your ribbons, or in my case, lengths of bulky-wt. wool yarn.

I had a pretty blue which, although it didn't match the small bits of blue in the floral pattern, didn't look out of place with it. I had wanted to use a rosy pink/red color, but had nothing that would work, so went with its opposite.

I pulled off lengths of yarn, laying them on the board, with a couple inches hanging off each end, so to secure to the WS of the board.

Then I hit a design wall.

I had no nice metal-tipped upholstery pins, just flat-headed push pins, which I figured I'd use until I could replace them.

But NO! The pins would not stay in - not deep enough.

I tried stapling - nope, popped right back out.

OK, now what?!

Then I thought, if the board has no grip, then work with it, not against it - buttons. Sewed on!

Oooh. Red buttons. That'll give the red element I want - oh, there better be enough red buttons in my button box! I needed 16 and had 17. All different styles and sizes, but I thought, what the heck, a funky element. Whoever said all the buttons needed to be the same?

I ran rows of small buttons next to rows of large buttons,

all different shapes and shades of red!

I pulled out the red Berroco Glace ribbon I had (which was too narrow to consider for the crosshatching, but would be great to sew down the buttons with, and first a crewel needle, then a tapestry needle (which worked better through the depth of materials), my metal thimble, and finally, a piece of rug under-padding I keep in a kitchen drawer for opening jars - to help pull the needle through. (The needle still fought back, even with the grippy pad to pull it, but not undo-able.)

With the ribbon yarn, it just took one pass for each button, double knotting, twice, on the WS.

Ah, but now the WS will be messed up with a bunch of yarn knots.

OK, fixable - cut small bits of duck tape to cover each knot, then around the outer, stapled edge.

OK, not the prettiest sight!

But no-one will see it, and the duck tape will keep the knots from scratching the wall.

(If I had a fabric I liked to use on the reverse, I would cover the entire back and hot glue bias binding or grosgrain ribbon around the edges, just to finish off the entire piece.)

For the hanging loop(s)- I figured as it's so wide, one centered loop wouldn't work as well as 2 loops.

Now there's several options for making the loops, if using yarn: crocheted, I-cord, braided. I didn't necessarily want stretchy hanging loops - like a baby jump up - so I-cord was out, leaving wither a snugly-crocheted single crochet with return slip stitch cording or a braided cord.

I'm opting for crocheted loops, in doubled strands of Berroco Glace with an H hook, as it would be easier to get both to be the same length. I'll be getting to that in a day or so, but thought you'd like to see the pinboard (in it's almost completed) stage!

In all, I do know that it's not perfect - the yarn really should be a strong ribbon, like grosgrain, but this is easily upgradeable, later on.

For now, if and until the yarn fuzzes up too much, it will not only do, but do in a pleasing way!

A Rose by Any Other Name

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:43:00 +0000

As you may have noticed, I've changed my blog template, colors, fonts, and organized my blog posts into 6 categories, listed at top in the sidebar:

Garden - anything about the outdoors, Nature, and gardening,
Home - decorating, moving, and general home-related posts,
Kitchen - cooking and recipes,
Life - ah, most of what I've been writing about, for far too long, which hopefully, this year I can get to nip in the bud,
Pen - poems, short stories, funny tete-a-tetes between hubby and self, and
Studio - everything related to my designing and business.

There are only 550 posts organized thus far. However, in the 8 years (egads!) of my blog's existence, I've written 1303 posts.

I may or may not get to re-label them all, but I'd like to - there may well be enough fodder in them there words, for me to make something of them. Just a thought.

Do let me know what you think of the new layout!

School Theme: What I Did on My Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:56:00 +0000

or to be more precise: How I Spent New Year's Eve.

Though it would have been nice to have been a happy reveller partying into the wee hours of the morning, it is, instead, a necessity that I be in bed at 9:30.

But at 1:47 am, when surely there were still late-night revellers tipping one more back and making a general ruckus, the only noisemaker I heard was coming from a black, white, and mostly grey 30 lb terrier mutt wailing in the office, because he had been wandering around, until his rear leg gave out, again, and had pooped.

I oozed out of bed, as jumping out of bed from a dead sleep is a nono for this heart, popped in my one contact lens, so I could see what I guessed he had done, scooped him up and plopped him outside onto his line, whilst I cleaned up The Mess.

Then brought him back in and plopped him on his bed, which he didn't take to and continued to pace around the office.

I waited for the adrenaline to calm, helped along with another Melatonin, so that I could continue with the crappy night's sleep which inevitably ensues when I'm awoken middle-of-the-night, which happens alot around here with the Wind and Warm Fronts.

And, of course, as day follows night, Hubby and I both awoke to more visible, and surprise!, amounts of poop around my office.

Me: He's only 30 lbs. Where does he put it?
Him: We should have called him Terdly.
Me: Why sugar coat it? We shoulda called him Shitty!

Please tell me this isn't an omen of how this year will go. Again!

2012 - The Year of Joy!

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:57:00 +0000

Ah, the last day of 2011!

I daresay there will be little Auld Lang Syne felt by many for this past year, but I am glad if you were lucky enough to have had a good year!

We never really appreciate the good years.

Heck, we don't even realize we're having a good year, we just think, well, this is how it should be, shouldn't it? And why shouldn't every year be full of productivity, growth, fun, laughter, good times, creativity, happy memories?

And it should be.

But not til we're older, and have been branded by Life's Battle Scars, do we see what a delicate thing this Life Force can be, and then how much coddling it needs in order to deal with the Whomps.

Yes, we struggle, yes we have setbacks, both minor and major, but in all, we overcome and rise above the problems and continue forward.

And by that standard, this would have been a good year! We have a house again. Not the house I would have preferred, however, as making it user-friendly and less frustrating, is proving to be a long process, but a house, nonetheless.

You'd think all houses are just walls, doorways, windows. What's the big deal?

Well, we all know what the big deal is! We own our particular furniture for how we live, which needs TO FIT.

Are we microwaved meals, semi-home-cooked from a box, or cooked-from-scratch people? These very different methods of cooking will require different kitchen sizes and layouts, especially the last, in order to have every meal not become a Trial!

Then there's the how-far-do-we-have-to-hike-to-get-to-the-bathroom issue? And, do the pet(s) have a place to be which isn't in our way?

Are there enough closets, of a substantial-enough size? And are they user friendly?

But, we have a house, and the issues can be overcome. In time.

The price I paid for the downsizing, however, was steep. And that seems to be my new reality - I pay for upheaval and stress with my health.

How *I* define a good year, however, is connected more to personal growth and expansion. Getting To Be Creative! Having creative thoughts and ideas coupled with the energy and well-being to bring them to Life. Having a Garden. Sigh.

Who knew that this, of all things, would be denied me. That which is the very core of who I am.

So, nope, this year will not be remembered fondly! I'd kick it out with my right foot, but the ace bandage on my knee won't allow me (don't ask me what I did! I just walk around in the circle that is this house all day.)

But, as each day passes, nearing us to a New Year, I have felt a growing excitement, a growing eagerness, as if I could see A New World spread out before me on the Horizon.

A world I would create. If it kills me! "I'd rather have thirty minutes of wonderful, than a lifetime of nothing special." Shelby, Steel Magnolias.

But here's The Thing.

Not only don't I think it will kill me, I think it will help heal me, via an Infusion of Joy. I drink infusions of licorice root and chamomile teas, so why not drink an Infusion of Joy?

So, in an effort to clear the decks and spur on the New, my day planner has been overflowing.

I set up ShopBuddy, on my Facebook fan page, with 10 of my more popular designs. (Have a look and tell me what you think.)

Coding Facebook Like buttons onto every (all 111) design web pages. (If a design does happen to tickle you, DO consider clicking the Like button, and share it with your FB friends! They're all looking unloved right now!)

Moving my office around, again. I think this layout is it - there's good flow around the room, good natural light, good workspace, less walking around tables to get anywhere, and still has a place for the dog to sleep.

Sourcing track lighting deals for my office - lighting in the office is typical dining room-limited, which means The Very Least Lighting and Outlets a Room Can Get by With and Still Meet Code!

Listing stuff on Craigslist, and dealing with scammers. Sigh.

Working on a new shaped-cable scarf design!

Sourcing Jul's innovative pedestal closures for said design.

Setting up the (running til 1/2/12 at noon!) Knittin' In The New Year's Ravelry Pattern Sale.

Beginning to make notes for the (in the near future) setup of an Etsy shop, for my patterns and handknit designs.

And beginning to collate a list of knitterly, and more non-knitterly, things I need to destash.

I know I need to get as much done asap, before 1/1 hits, after which I need to begin the onerous tax prep ordeal, which will clog up my office work space for many weeks to come, and usurp almost every last ounce of time that isn't spent running the household and caring for The Old Fart (that's Pickles, in case you were wondering.)

In the meantime, I have a padded-pinboard-in-the-making lying on the sewing room floor, giving me the Evil Eye, every time I make my way upstairs to do an errand.

Yes!, I see you there, unfinished. No, I can't get to you now.

Other can't-get-to-you-nows include fabric, which lies neatly folded, in its just-bought state, awaiting transformation into pillow piping, after a bath and ironing, bath towels which need to have their getting-raw edges either be zigzagged or bias taped, and windows which need prettier coverings.

But what I am doing today is unpacking all the prints. These walls are crying out for color and form. And maybe I can get to those towels.

Make hay while the dog is at the groomer. Maybe they could keep him for a few months!? I could conquer the world if I had a few months of non-dog-tending.

Onwards - to 2012 - The Year of Joy!

Knittin' In The New Year Ravelry Pattern Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:31:00 +0000

To help you celebrate 2012's arrival,

all my Ravelry pdf patterns and books

will be on SALE
from Noon, Friday, Dec. 30, 2011 to Noon, Monday, Jan 2, 2012.

Save $2.12 on each pattern or book pdf!

No coupon needed.

Note: This sale is on Ravelry only, not my website.

Dawn Brocco on Ravelry
Dawn Brocco on Facebook
Dawn Brocco on Twitter

An Actual Knit Bit!, The Case of the Pillows, Tanning Salon, The Stockade

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:36:00 +0000

An Actual Knit Bit!

I designed and knit this tea cozy, oh, back in August. It's for a 4-cup teapot. I began the sample for the 2-cup pot, but haven't finished it yet.

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Eco, and I think size 8 ckns. I had to cheat with the green, using their Baby Alpaca Chunky, as I didn't have the right green in the Eco, on hand, and am too impatient to wait until I can order yarn. I get so little time to design and knit, if I had to wait on yarn, nothing would ever get knit. But I will reknit it all in Eco, if you like the design.

I had this small swatch sitting around for a year or more, before that, of just the colorwork. I love how the colors dance with each other.

Then I added the looped and bobbled crochet fringe to the swatch, which, finally spoke to my mind and said, tea cozy.

I thought of a kids' sweater - yeah, could be.

I thought of a scarf - yeah, could be, but would have to be done circularly, which means having enough sts to navigate around a 16" circular ndl, which becomes a too-thick scarf, in the wt. yarn I prefer to use - worsted to heavy worsted.

But a tea cozy - ah, or a hat! A cozy needs the extra thickness and, wild colors or patterns? - all the better. I must, must get her books!

Tried the online library ordering system and, apparently, they haven't heard of Loani. But Amazon has, thankfully. Add them to the To-Get list.

Then we had to pack and move and I had to go and get sick, putting all designs, and thoughts of designing, into a dark cupboard, again.

I'm beginning to clear out the dark cupboard, pulling out my design swatch folders and notes, even though I am not getting better. Well, yes, the shingles is gone, however, the heart is being over-stressed caring for The Old Fart, and so is getting worse, again. But I won't depress you, nor anger me, with elaboration of that story, now.

I love how these colors work together so much that it now has me swatching another design, inspired by the latest Missoni craze at Target - something that will, hopefully, create a pleasing, if not totally reversible pattern.

But, back to the cozy. What do you think of this thing?

I know I need to work on either its gauge or give it a felting, as it's a bit too large and comes up the spout too far. I think felting it might work best and give it an even denser/firmer fabric, which is not unwanted in a tea cozy!

Too silly? Possibly too hard to use? Ya gotta get the pot into the cozy first before you can pour in the hot water, then pull the cord tight to seal it up.

Or just the right amount of brightness and whimsy to send Winter's Greyness packing?

The Case of the Pillows

Remember Saturday's minor pillowcase kerfuffle?

Well, I pulled out all our cases, from both linen closets and we had - drumroll - 28 cases. And that's not counting all the flannel ones, which we no longer need to use, but which I'm sure I'll recycle into something else one day.

I made my way through the 10, too-wide white and cream ones, which we would have been using, had they been narrow enough, taking them all in to a finished 18" width, leaving the rest.

Standard cases are 20" wide, though do shrink over time, so I measured each before sewing, to make sure I got even results. A good thing, as some were 19.5" and some were 19".

And if we ever want to use really plump pillows, I can always take the stitching out, as I didn't cut off the excess. (And, of course, I turned them all WS out to seam on the WS, not the RS.)

Tanning Salon

We've finally anointed the walls with the shade of pale tan/beige we wanted. (Please disregard the chaos. It's taking far longer to get each room organized and stuff into its final resting place, from this last move.)

You can see the difference between the office and living room walls from this photo below.

If you've been following this Torturous Tan Tour 1 and TTT 2 and, you'll remember the numerous color splatterings on my office wall.

We now have 5 tubes of Tints-All - Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Sandalwood, Medium Green and the Lamp Black hubby already had, in an attempt to correct the too-fleshy beige we originally purchased, some of which might have produced the color we wanted, had we been working with a white or cream base. But try and adjust a tinted color. If anyone has successfully retinted a tinted paint color, DO drop me a line - I'd love to see how it went and what you did!

The Stockade

Now, back to life. As I still haven't found a chair with ottoman for the sewing room upstairs, and the heart isn't liking climbing the stairs, anyway, at the moment, I need to fiddle with the living room furniture, so I can get a good spot (aka well-lit) in which to sit and knit on my designs - which has been one reason new work hasn't been flying out of here lately.

The other, afore-alluded to reason is shown below, in the doggy stockade he climbed into, on his own, whilst hubby was painting the office walls, again, in the foreground.

On the floor is one of the 2 quilts I fold and stack up to create his bed, all of which have needed washing twice, or is it 3x?, this week, so far. And yes, the laundry room is in the basement. Stairs.

Oh, Pickles.

Knitting, More Sewing, Beware - Genius at Work

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:29:00 +0000

Knitting

This is supposed to be a knitting and design blog, right? Not that any and all recent, and not so recent, posts have alluded, in any way, shape, or form, to The Knit Stitch.

So, I will attempt to rectify this, at least in a small way, for now.

Yes, I've been knitting, although very sporadically. There's been just too much to do with the settling in, and gift preparations, but especially with old dog care, to do a lot of knitting, or a lot of anything else, really.

I did do a little Christmas gift knitting, but not as much as in previous years. And I am working on the 2nd official, which is really the 3rd, design sample for a new cardigan design.

The first sample will be shown in the pattern, but, as its yarn is not to be found, and is not a typical commercial yarn, it'll be there really just for inspiration.

The first official sample was knit in to-die-for Cascade Yarns Eco Cloud. Yum. I must, must design more things in this yarn. It's pleasure in a hank.

Here's the buttons for this last sample, knit in Cascade Yarns Cotton Rich, for the spring/summer version of the design. The color (#6122) looks too sharp in my photo, and has too much blue in Cascade's photo. It's a lovely orchid-like color.

They were the priciest ones at Joann's, at $13.95 each - I know, gag, choke - but they were the only ones I liked - nothing else was quite right. Nothing else echoed the femininity of the sweater. And you only need 2.

Thank goodness, I hear you collectively saying. And honestly, I did try to like something else, walking up and down the aisles, listening to my knees crackle, as I squatted low to hold my still-being-knit sweater up to anything which I thought might go with it!

Hopefully, you'll like the end result, and won't begrudge me my little frivolity!

More Sewing

My pillow making has been temporarily side-boarded by the need to remake our 2 heat packs. (Bed Buddies) We use these things constantly. And they look it.

In the past, we've just gone out and bought new ones, as we like the handles, the fabric, how the beady inards nestle around the neck or on the shoulders - at least when they're still new.

So, I've transferred the beady inards to new covers and reused the blue plastic handles. And it does keep me from throwing out something (else), which I hate to do.

I was going to do this project on the machine, but the need to rest on the loveseat with feet up compelled a hand stitched project.

It's not as onerous as it sounds. I used an old flannel pillowcase, in a floral print. One case makes 2 heat pack covers.

I cut the case down the center, lengthwise.

Then I trimmed off the wide patterned band at the open end, making sure that the fabric length that remained would be long enough to wrap around the neck.

Turn the 1/2 case so the WS faces out and seam up the long edge (straight stitch or back stitch), but not the remaining open short edge, yet.

Turn the tube RS out. Now tuck the short side's edges in about 1/4" and straight stitch or overhand stitch the short end.

I used Mettler unwaxed quilting thread and the only needle I had downstairs - a crewel needle!

A tiny stitch is important, so the beady insides can't escape - which is why machine sewing is probably the best way - though, to be honest, we've been using our new heat packs and no bits have fallen out, as they had been out of their original knit casings. It was beginning to look like a coarse sandy beach around here.

At this point, decide if there's a better side to your closed tube, which you'd prefer to face out. My pillow case fabric looked the same all around, so I just folded the tube, lengthwise, and seamed the long edge. (I did not want just one thin layer of fabric between the heated up beads and our necks - I wanted 2 layers all around the heat pack.)

And though the crewel needle is a thicker needle, I think its extra length made it possible for me to back stitch through the 4 layers of cotton flannel fabric and still get 9-10 sts/1".

Now, cut the handles out of the old heat pack casings. Our Bed Buddies have 2 oval blue plastic handles.

Insert one handle into one short end, which fortunately fit perfectly within the width of the tube.

So, all I needed to do was sew the fabric ends between the handle sides, leaving about an inch of the handle hidden within the tube.

Then I sewed directly under that hidden handle ring, securing the entire width of the tube, so no bits could escape out through the handle end.

With one end of the new casing secured and handled!, it's time to deposit the bits into the new casing.

Hold the old casing up so all the bits settle to one end, and cut the old casing several inches above all the bits, holding the cut bag 'o bits so they don't scatter!

Shove this cut end into the open end of the new casing and let the bits drop into the new casing.

When they're all in, remove the old casing and discard.

Settle the heavy end of the heat pack in your lap and insert the other handle into the opposite short end and seam it up, as before.

The new packs are 22" long, from fabric end to fabric end, not counting the handles. And look how the blue handles match the blue in the floral - as if I meant it to happen!

Not only do I like having recycled the heat packs, I think I prefer this new casing better. It's not as large and stretchy as the original, making the bits more compact within.

With the original knit casing, the bits wandered around alot. If you moved, the bits flung themselves off your neck or shoulder and hung in front of your chest, like lead weights, causing you to remove the pack, resettle the bits, then replace the pack - total pita, when you're otherwise busy doing things.

The new pack stays in place. The bits stay where they need to be. The flannel is warm and cozy. I think a win-win all around!

I may well have to get some uncracked wheat or rice and make extra heat packs, in different sizes, for those larger aches and pains - like the back - with a strap system and velcro to hold it in place.

Hmmm, like a backpack, with adjustable straps that come around the shoulders to hold its weight, then straps with velcro that come around the waist to hold it in place. So you can move around, go about your day, yet get some relief from back pain.

Add it to the To-Do List.

Beware - Genius at Work

I laid in bed, last night, thinking about an online article I read about tips for falling and staying asleep, especially for the Hormonally Challenged (us M women) - none of which, it turns out, help a person with adrenal issues, as shutting up that stupid adrenaline at 2 am is not helped with chamomile tea!

Aside
Which reminds me of something else I should do as a bedtime prep - as if I don't have enough to do before bed, all regularly scheduled, like clockwork. BUT, maybe I should brew extra licorice root tea, and keep it by the bed with a couple phosphatidylserine, for when the irksome adrenaline rears it ugly head? Maybe it'll be just enough to shut it up and let me return to sleep.

I'll have to keep you posted on that.

I wouldn't be having such a time lately with the adrenals if I didn't pick up 30-lb Mr. Peesandpoopsalot to haul his butt outside all day long. I shouldn't be exerting myself this much. I could leash him and lead him outside, however, (my favorite word!), he tends to resist such maneuvering, and I need my patience tried like I need a hole in my head!

Return from Aside
All of which I knew, but was willing to try nonetheless - like lavender oil on a hankie in your pillow, chamomile tea (I drank the tea from 2 sleepytime tea bags and 1 chamomile tea bag last night - to which the adrenals laughed in their faces), and changing your pillow case every night, as we sleep better with fresh linens.

Yes, I do find that to be true, however, I prefer a snug pillowcase. Most of the cases we have were made far too wide and allow the pillow to flop around inside and flatten out too much.

Then the light bulb went on - why don't I just take in all our pillowcases?!

Then I can swap them out, every day if I wanted to, and not have to first do a load of laundry to get back the one case that fits right. I think we have about 20 cases, from many years' accumulation, but they'll fly on the machine.

Add it to the To-Do List.

Smorgasbord of Enticements

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:51:00 +0000

Long gone are the days of throwing some dry food into the bowl, toss a little warm water on it, and watch him gobble it down.

Nope. Now it's every brand and flavor of faux human-food-flavored wet dog food - as a base that then then still needs to be beefed up with Enticements, before the Fussbudget will deign to eat it.

It's not enough to have Sirloin Beef with Rice and Peas, mixed with Roasted Chicken, Pasta, Carrots & Spinach. Nooooo.

First I scatter little droplets of hubby's Bolognese sauce, heated up first, because the dog loves it. Or, if I'm out of sauce, some heated up V8 works - he loves that too!

Nope. Not going for it.

Then I mix in a smooshed up piece of liverwurst or a thin slice of ham, broken into little bits.

If I'm lucky, he'll pick out the good bits, and leave all the food.

Then I heat up, naturally, a little unsalted chicken or vegetable stock, and sprinkle that on. He lives for chicken.

Nope, still not going for it.

Then I sprinkle on some peanut butter mixed with dry oats - he loves peanut butter and oatmeal.

Nope.

How about a thin slice of my oatmeal bread, cut thin enough just to make a bunch of crumbs, sprinkled on top? Just eat the crumbs, then maybe it will make you want to eat the rest.

Nope.

OK, bowl goes into the microwave for 22 seconds to warm the galoop up.

Long before now, hubby's stomach is turning, from the odd mix of foodstuffs in that bowl. But he's a dog. He doesn't care that the flavors don't go with each other. All he knows is that he likes them all.

Supposedly.

What finally gets enough of the bowl's contents into his stomach is my kneeling on the floor next to him and spooning the food up to his little hairy, front-toothless mouth.

But even though he can hardly see nor smell, he still makes his way around the spoon, selecting the bits he wants to eat!

Some days, this ritual infuriates me - usually on the days I have other pressing matters to attend to. Other days, it just makes me love him more.

Then, to thank me, he craps on the floor!

Writing Life

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:22:00 +0000

It's not New Year's yet, but it'll be here any minute.

I was ordering a necessary supplement, and the website had an apropos coupon code - adios2011.

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Adios. Arrivederci. Adieu. Farvel. Auf Wiedersehen. Slán go fóill. Onen. Toodlioo. Pffft.

Yes, some good came out of this year, like hubby getting a decent job, our getting a home, helping DD secure her first home, and seeing DS get married, but in general, it was very stressful, ill-making, and upheaving, for me. Good for others, not really great for me. I've not had many years that were as bad (Cancer year included), and certainly have had better.

I do not make New Year's Resolutions. I do, however, make Intentions.

It is my Intention to Create A Rebuild Me 2012.

There. It's Said, It's Written. It's Out There.

I intend to be well.
I intend to be creative.
I intend to be happy.
I intend to turn my life into what I've always envisioned it should be.
I intend to make no choices which are not in my best interest.

Well comes first, of course, as without it, everything else can be damn near impossible, which is why point #5 is so important, from here on out.

"Rams were born to spearhead, not suck it up."

This hits deeply. Because of how much I feel I've missed.

How to balance the doing/being for others with doing/being what one NEEDS to be and do.

(I don't know what it's like for other signs. All I know is myself, and how Alone is paramount to Productivity, and therefore, Happiness. I live an internal life, which connects me to the world through my creativity.)

For me, in my present not-really-healthy state, and at my age, part of this lies within not being constricted by the Thumb of Responsibility.

It does feel like a Thumb, doesn't it? Pressing down, squelching rebuff, squelching even breath, sometimes.

I really cannot become healthy, never mind be all I can be (ha), if I'm spending a good chunk of each day caring for a degenerating pet, who, I think, is aiming for the Guinness World record of pet longevity!, and the rest of my day running a household, interspersed with crumbs of creative work time - when the bod or mind hasn't become too overwrought.

Not that I want him to go. 17 years means he's a family institution. I want him to be young and healthy again. Which, of course, isn't how it goes.

I also want/need me to be healthy again, and I'll be damned if I can't make that happen. No-one else better get sick, before I've had a chance to get well - this has dragged on long enough.

So, I sadly wait. Until I can recapture more of my life, and mold the rest to my needs.

It's like reading a book. You know. You can feel the end of a chapter nearing. You don't want the chapter to end, but you are eager for the next chapter to begin. You need the next chapter to begin.

Yet you also know that that brings you closer to the end. And that you will miss dearly what has passed, and the clock can then only be turned back in your mind. Past the grief. To happy days.

And then, all too soon, the book is done. Over.

But at least you can go back and reread it. More slowly this time, absorbing the nuances, the flavor, the mood. Drinking it in, until you are One with the book.

When a call from another room pulls you back to the Here and Now, begrudgingly, and you rise, dizzy from the time and space travel, head swimming in another life, another story.

Then you remember this life, this story You are Writing. How do you want it to read?

Pfisherfolk

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:57:00 +0000

I had to turn on comment moderation, at least for awhile, due to pfisherfolk and spam.

I enjoy and look forward to friendly comments, and try to approve them the same day they are posted, or, in some cases, blast them with my ray gun. If Only.

The Classics

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:21:00 +0000

I've reorganized the designs on my website.

I've moved all the designs from 1997 to 2007 into a category called The Classics, under the Shop by Style menu, in the left sidebar.

The Shop by Technique menu, also in the left sidebar, still lists all the designs, as before.

If you like the new streamlined display of just my more recent work, do pop me a line, and I'll change the Shop by Technique menu listings, as well.

dawnbrocco on Ravelry
dawnbrocco on Facebook
dawnbrocco on Twitter

Rip Van Winklette

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:57:00 +0000

I've been organized my sewing bits and bobs, from their long-standing enclosures of one gallon-sized ZipLock bag and a Christmas-themed tin with a snug lid (so that I was sure nothing enclosed therein would become off-smelling with the passage of time).

And Oh did Time Pass.

Aside

I discovered (or rather, unearthed, as from an archeological dig, deep in the bowels of the jam-packed tin), 6 sewing machine presser feet.

Oh, I said - lookee! I have feet!

Straight stitch, zig zag - OK, those are easy.

Walking foot - even after 30 years, I remember my beloved walking foot, as it jiggy jiggied my quilt layers along.

Now these 3 had me scratching my head for quite awhile, and Googling with my free hand.
Apparently, a roller foot, for recalcitrant fabrics, I suppose.

A rolled hemming foot - well, well, isn't that spiffy! I'll need to find edges that need to be rolled. Yeah, right.

This last one took as long as the rolled hemming foot to figure out, but, voila, what I was hoping I had, which instigated the archeological dig - an adjustable zipper and piping foot,

or at least, so says The Sewing Outlet, as this model is darn close to mine. So, a foot to make my pillow piping with. We hope.

Return from Aside

Now, what's up with these?

Really.

How much hand quilting did I think I was going to do, that I purchased 5 packages of quilting needles? They're not like thread - one package could have lasted my entire lifetime.

And do note the 60 cent pricing. Now, they're a buck, 35. Tells you how long ago I hand quilted. Nearly 30 years.

So, actually, the needles only doubling in price in 30 years is quite good!

30 years ago (1981), one could get a house, a NEW house, for $78,200!

Yup, way more than doubled in 30 years.

I also found thread, real cotton sewing thread, on a wood spool! Geez, I'm not that old. But it does beckon a comment.

I recently posted about planning to go to Joann's to get some cotton/polyester thread.

Well, again, it's been awhile since I've bought thread. Nope, sorry, not exactly accurate. When I need thread, I buy locally or order Mettler unwaxed cotton quilting thread, in natural, art. 35, Ne 40/3 500 yd spools. I handsew everything with it.

So, when I say thread, I mean cotton covered polyester, for machine sewing. And somehow, over the years, eh, decades, I missed the demise of cotton covered poly thread!

There's only polyester, and get this, polyester covered polyester thread. They're joking, right? No cotton in the thread. At All?! Only if you want quilting thread.

As we trundled home from Joanns and our other errands, I postulated that it must be due to the US cotton mills closing down. They are mostly closed down, aren't they? I mean you can hardly buy a 100% cotton bath or kitchen towel made in the US any more.

I had to get cotton mixed with rayon from bamboo towels, made in India, from Target. SO not pleased with them.

It has been several years since I've needed to buy bath towels, and even then, they were made in India, but they were still 100% cotton.

Only once, did I buy a sheet set, 100% cotton, made in India. One wash and the dusty rose became blue. (12/13 Correction: The blue turned dusty rose/pink. Smacks side of head.)

Maybe I just missed the all-cotton towels?

In the meantime, it looks like our time-worn towels will be getting some new hems. And I'll be sure to use the good cotton Mettler thread.

Where's The Beef!? aka Pimp My Pillow!

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:26:00 +0000

I recently purchased 4, 14" square pillow forms, at joann.com recent half-off pillow sale, thinking, errantly, of course, that they would be large enough.

I had measured a knit-covered pillow, which is a bit larger than I wanted, however (a most used modifier, lately), I had long forgotten that what I put into that 16" square knit covering was an 18" square pillow form, stretching the lace part of the knit covering, and creating a super-stuffed pillow.

So, in fact, 16" pillow forms would have been what I should have ordered.

Now, I hate to have to return things. It's such an irksome thing to do, and if you're like me, you already have more than enough irksome things to do each day, not to mention losing the shipping cost and then having to wait for the replacement order.

So, here's my attempt at remedying the too-small pillow forms.

What is a pillow form but (usually) polyester fluff.

My thought is to wrap the form in a square of (old, unloved, unused, lesser quality-than-one-would-prefer, Goodwill or yard sale find) quilt, to fatten up the form, such as this shiny pink and cream, lace edged little girls' quilt.

Even an ugly quilt can still serve this purpose, so long as one side has a neutral color, so it will not show through your final pillow covering.

I'd use quilt batting, if I had any on hand, and no I won't purchase it just for this purpose, as I prefer wool quilt batting, for quilt-making.I put the form inside the quilt fabric/batting.

Fold up one edge to cover the form, and measure how much quilt fabric you'll need, with a generous seam allowance.

Cut the other 3 sides of the quilt/batting around the form, allowing 1" around, for seams, if you're an experienced seamstress.

If you're like me - someone who pulls out the machine once a decade - then cut yourself a generous 20" x 40" piece of the old quilt, to cover a 14" pillow form, to make sure you won't be short, especially if you're eyeballing the cutting!

I moved the tape measure up every 6-8" or so, while I cut it - I'm not looking for perfect, at this stage.

Pin around the form, leaving breathing room.

Here you can see how much leeway I gave myself!, which I trimmed down, after the other 2 sides were sewn up (the 4th side is the folded up side of the fabric.)

Remove the form.

Fold the quilt/batting in half, so that right sides are to the inside. For me, the shiny pink side is definitely the wrong side!, so they face out.

Now, my machine is a low-rent model, so I did not dare to sew through 4 layers of fabric and 2 pieces of batting, for each seam - and it's really unnecessary, anyway, to sew through the batting.

So, as I pinned each seam, I folded back each piece of batting, to get them out of the way, leaving just the 4 fabric layers to sew through.

Seam up 2 sides, leaving the 3rd side open, so that the form may be inserted. Trim the seams down to 3/8-1/2".

As for stitch count and tension. I generally leave things at the middle - tension 2 (out of 4), and stitch length 2.5.

Turn the covering right side out.

Insert form. Trim down that huge wad of excess fabric, across the last to-be-seamed side, to about 1-1.5" (better safe than sorry).

Fold raw edges to the inside on front and back pieces and pin together. Nothing like long quilting pins for pinning bulky projects. I've had mine for millenia.

Hand sew this last seam closed (or machine sew it, if you really don't want to hand sew - but I like having the option to pick out the looser, hand sewn stitches, if I ever want/need to wash the form separately from it's quilted cover.

I ended up close enough to my desired finished measurement of 16" square. It came out to 31.5" around, with the tape ends meeting correctly - they fall loose when you let go = 15.75" square. A thicker quilt would have given me the 16" and then some.

This twin quilt I'm cutting up will easily beef up the 4 form, and possibly a couple other small pillow forms I have. And if you do them assembly line, they won't take forever to finish.

I pulled out all but one of my home decor books (the last was just about upholstery, no pillows) to see what style of pillow covers I want, and what trims I'm gonna need to get/make - maybe some piping (now what thick cotton yarn do I have to use as piping cord?) or ruched fringe - really like ruched fringe...

In The Loop Pattern Update

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 19:47:00 +0000

As of 12/4/11, the downloadable pdf and hard copy versions of the In The Loop Scarf pattern have been updated to include photo support of the directions.

New version pdfs have been sent to previous purchasers (on my website) of the pdf pattern. Ravelers have also been sent their new pdfs.

If you have a hard copy of the pattern, email me with your receipt, and I will email you the updated pdf version.

The Spiritual Side, The Practical Side

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:54:00 +0000

The Spiritual Side

Got this at the ReStore in Carver (2 bucks - love those happy bargains!), when we bought the light fixture, and a bunch of other housey bits and bobs.

Perhaps Love, Peace and the rest of the Virtues will make their way to me, to sprinkle around the house, in unusual places, catching the eye, and mind, off-guard.

The dog sleeps on his bed, under this sign - not that it was my intent - though it does remind me to treat the old bugger with kindness.

Not easy when he goes out for 15 minutes, then comes in to poop or pee on the floor or carpet, then walks through it because he can't see nor, apparently, smell much any more. Oof.

But that is when we need to remember kindness the most, isn't it - when those we love try our patience and exasperate us. Kindness for them, and the resultant kindness for ourselves.

Don't you find that being kind, even under trying circumstances, mellows us? Takes that nasty, irritated edge off our hearts and lets Love back in.

The Practical Side

Ok, so this attitude adjustment may help us to be less angry, it does not, however, change the problem.

And I do not like leaving problems un-addressed, unsolved. There's always an answer.

After another difficult day with the dog P'g and P'g three times in the house, despite putting him outside many times during the day and evening (though I think he just wanders around a bit and does Nothing), had hubby exasperated again to the point of wanting to put him down (though he only had to deal with one potty clean-up - I get the dog all day long!)

This idea, of putting a dog down who isn't ill, just very old, blind, deaf, can't smell much anymore, is neurotic and has dementia, bothers me - I don't think I could live with it.

But, as I'm lying there, trying to fall asleep, made more difficult by the thoughts swimming in my head, I thought of the phosphatidylserine I take. It helps my memory and cortisol levels and has been used for Alzheimer's, so maybe it can help the dog?

I did some Googling this morning and it has been used.
http://www.wellvet.com/phosserine.html
http://www.petcarenaturally.com/ask-dr-shawn/cognitive-disorder-alzheimers-disease.php#3

As geriatric veterinary science is still new, the most our vet could suggest was an expensive protein supplement, which might help his cognitive abilities, then again, it might not.

The PS will definitely help his cognitive abilities, and I'm already buying the PS for myself, like the passion flower we both take.

I know he's connected to me, but Really! That's now 4-5 pills a day to try and give him - 1-2 PS, 1 gingko, 1 anti-anxiety, 1 passion flower.

If I'm lucky, I can keep him healthy enough, so that when it's his time, he'll just go in his sleep - much as I'd like to go, whilst in the middle of a happy dream.

How Hard Could It Be?!, Pinboard, Windsor Love, Musical Curtain Chairs, A Little Light Reading While Dining

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:38:00 +0000

How Hard Could It Be?!

The kiss of death, for any project.

17 paint samples on the wall and they all stink.

So, on Today's List is repainting the wall in Sand Trap, once I find where hubby stashed the rollers...

Of course, I had to go online to Valspar's website, as hubby insists we never used Valspar indoors, but we can't remember, for the life of us, what brand of paint we did use to paint our previous home's family room and office walls.

Their Timber Dust 2007-10A is much closer to what we want, tho different sites show the color differently, and, naturally, Valspar uses Flash, so I can't seem to link to the exact color. He doesn't like Valspar paint, however, as it's been his experience that it's runny.

Pinboard

But, I've come up with a ingenius idea to hide most of the Sand Trap wall, which I see from my chair - a Very Large Cloth-Wrapped and Padded Pinboard, with ribbon cross-hatching and coordinating upholstery pins, if I can find them (ala Martha.)

I have a hand-me-up pinboard, from DD, in Purple. But, between Life's paperwork and Work's Paperwork, this little board overflows. And I haven't done Purple since I was about 9 or 10.

I will post the process, and will, most likely, be reusing what I have on hand to do the project, including some Berroco Glace yarn, from stash, which I haven't found a use for yet, instead of ribbon, which I never have more than scraps of, a large white foam board, which is showing wear, and the batting innards from a cast off quilt, that was dumped on our doorstep, after our house-moving sale in Saugerties.

Yes, someone apparently thought that as we would be getting rid of stuff, anyway, we could toss out their crap, as well, as if we weren't already overloaded with work. But amongst the 2 huge, ripped-apart bags of, mostly, kiddie clothing, were 2 twin quilts, which I hung onto. The rest was in good shape and we gave it to the Salvation Army.

Windsor Love

Here's that Windsor chair. If I have to sit in a wood chair, it's this one, and only this one - nothing else is ever comfortable.

The arms don't come forward so far as to get in the way.

The gentle backwards lean

and the carved seat, make it comfortable.

Beauty doesn't always have to cost a fortune, however, you just get one, not a set!

Musical Curtain Chairs

Wasn't thrilled with the blue plaid kitchen curtains. They don't fit this window well enough. So, down they came and up went my Vintage-Tablecloth-Turned-Into-Curtains. Essh. It really will be nice, when I can finally get the Swedish blinds made.

Of course, the fabrics I've discovered that I love the most are Waverly, and even on the discount sites, are still $20 a yard! Which is, indeed, a bargain, from the $45 a yard retail cost - choke, gag, where's the smelling salts?

I have a Designer's Inner Eye and Appreciation aka Penchant for The Most Expensive Stuff. But not a pot to piss in - pardon the French. Now what's up with that phrase - Pardon the/my French?

When William Morris talked about Beauty, he didn't make any mention of how much Beauty costs!

A Little Light Reading While Dining

We had to, temporarily, install the books in the breakfast room, until he gets to rebuild the book shelves flanking the fireplace. Sturdy book shelves!

The previous owners had children - and hairy pets, as we're discovering. We hadn't had time, til Saturday, to give much more than a passing thought to the 2, 3-prong outlets, phone jack and cable modem jack on the breakfast room wall.

Then it dawned on us - tv and dvd player to keep the kids quiet, while they were eating. We never did that - dinner was time that the family was together.

I unpacked and organized 20 boxes of books Saturday night, but, like all unpacking, it feels good, to have a place for one's things. Now, every time, I walk through the breakfast room, I smile, if only on the inside.

Our intrepid real estate agent, Liz Green, gave us this lovely farm-style tin basket, filled with Goodies for a New Home, when we closed on the house.

Not Turkey!, Bread Love, Another Stab at Picasso, Let There be Light, Old Sponges, Painting Man, Sewing Room

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:30:00 +0000

As hubby rearranged his work week, so to have 4 days for the Thanksgiving holiday, we are using the time to work on the house - what else is new! That's what we've always done, when we found crumbs of time here and there.

Not Turkey!

But, first up - Thanksgiving Dinner.

Nope, it's not a turkey. The turkey he was given at work, turned out to be bad. However, a regular repair customer gave hubby about 30 of his own, farm-grown, Wellfleet oysters.

I had never eaten oysters before. Mussels, clams, crab, shrimp, scallops - yum, but the thought of slurping raw seafood just didn't sound right, somehow.

But, we must at least try. A good dab of cocktail sauce, and I was hooked immediately. 4 or 5 oysters later, and he had to hold me back, so he could bread the rest with Panko and fry them.

Who needs turkey, when there's seafood!

Bread Love

He did get to fix the oven Tuesday night, in preparation for that turkey that never went in.

Wednesday morning, he was making a small shopping list and said out loud, "bread".
"No,", I said, "I gotta make you bread."
"Oh, I miss your bread!" He said it was such love, such devotion, such longing!
"Really?" I asked, knowing that he loves my bread, but couldn't help but try and get him to expound. We women never do get to hear enough verbal love affirmations, even if it is for something we make or do.
"I can't stand regular bread, squishy, white..." twisting his face into a grimace, as he spoke.

My heart alighted!, as I happily went about the process of getting 2 oatmeal with oat bran loaves made.

Another Stab at Picasso

Hubby just went back to the paint store, to get a tube each of green and black tint.

The Sand Trap paint color is too fleshy - it's gagging us. I knew the fluorescent store lighting would not be helpful, and, of course, the store exit was miles away, so that we might have checked the color card out in natural light.

They did have a lightbox setup in the color card aisle, to, supposedly help one see colors in different lighting situations.

Supposedly.

But I never trust that anything is ever done right - I've just lived too long, and seen too much done wrong, as is being confirmed, once again, by the plethora of things done wrong in this house, as well.

The light box wasn't labelled, naturally, so I had hubby poke his head underneath to check out the bulbs. They're all fluorescent, he says.

Big help.

Now, I refuse to be daunted. I also refuse to spend another 50 bucks on 2 measly gallons of paint - what are they putting in this stuff to make it so expensive? He says it's the price of transporting the paint. So, now, I guess we need to get oil and earth tints and make our own - eh?

Hence, the green and black tubes of tint. But I had to determine that the present color needs green and black. Which I did by pulling up my photo editing software and playing with the RGB color spectrum, intil I found our current color, then adjusted it until I found the color we wanted.

I ran a few numbers to determine the relationship in percentage of each color to the other - red, blue, green. Red and blue both made it fleshier, green balanced the fleshy, then black to darken it a bit.

I'll do samples then post again with the results. Otherwise we'll have to live with fleshy sand.

What we have.

What we want.

Added a smidge of green.

Which is here in the spectrum.

Which I then just darkened a bit.

Let There be Light

The last time we were at the ReStore in Carver, we picked up this light fixture for the dinette area. (Oh, I don't like the word, dinette. But, it's not the dining room, it's also not exactly an eat-in-kitchen. Breakfast room?) And it happily looks like it goes with the clock, which we've had for years. The metal tone on both are similar - a brushed nickel - my photos are in error.

Old Sponges

I've always handwashed dishes. We do have a dishwasher, and had one in the rental house, though that was my first dishwasher, Ever.

I know they say using the machine saves water. That's what they say, but as I question everything, I question the comparison to hand washing dishes. Are they running the faucet at full pressure? Or the just more than the trickle I run the faucet at - just enough water to rinse the dishes, without unnecessary waste.

Hmm. I bet they're not doing that!

Which brings me to, Old Sponges.

I just can't use a new sponge. It's too stiff. Dishes keep falling out of my hands, as I'm washing, trying to squeeze this thing, forcing it to be compliant. God knows I don't like being compliant, so why should the sponge?

Yes, I'd rather use the beat up, shredded, falling apart sponge on the right, than the brandy new one on the left. Hopeless.

Painting Man

The old breakfast room color - actually, the tamest of all the colors in this house! But just too dark and taupey for our taste.

Though, there was a time we loved taupe - when we were young-er. We liked Deco style back then - our historical take on the typical Modern style most young people prefer. We couldn't just do Modern, like everyone else. Nope, not us. Which meant taupe, not grey (and the inevitable black - aack.)

But, I've been playing with color for a long time. We wanted the staircase in our first house to be taupe, but didn't have that paint color. We did, however have brown, pink, white and grey, which, in the right amounts, make, you guessed it, taupe.

Himself. The Pookie. And the chaotic mess that is currently in every room. One of my handspun, hand hooked rugs sits by the sliding glass door - Six Hearts - one of my designs which I intend on reworking in commercially-available yarns and kitting up and/or having made up for sale.

Sewing Room

Boxes, piling up in the hall, as I unpacked the linens. These boxes have done 2 moves. By the next move, we'll need to put color-coded stickers across them, for labeling contents. The loft over the garage is half full. Just with boxes.

So, the small space previous owners left, for the bed - really! - neatly holds a work table and ironing board (with ironing piled on it already, naturally), sitting under the skylight. I plopped a large tea tray on the luggage rack, to have another surface for bits and bobs.

The bed rails and a dresser's mirror stacked in the corner, for now. I'll bring up my Favorite! Ethan Allen fan-back windsor chair, and tie the seat cushion onto it. The arms on mine don't come as forward as this example, and I've been trying like heck to find this older EA style of chair, as I'd LOVE a whole set. Curved seat, leans back just enough. Sigh.

It was a lonely find at a yard sale, back in Warwick, NY, before we even moved to Saugerties. Maple, all of $5. Will post photo another time.

The rest of our high, pencil-post, canopy queen bed frame stacked behind the door.

The dresser that mirror goes to, tucked up against Bathroom-To-Be-Demo'd wall. I do have another large box of baskets hiding somewhere around here...

One of the white, metal racks, holding the rest of the linens and bits of fabrics. There are 2 linen closets in the house - one up and one down - however, they're both small, too small for the lifetime of sheets, quilts, blankets, rag rugs, and table coverings I now have.

I have far too many flannel sheets, but some will be recycled into quilt duvets.

Still looking for a chair with ottoman to put near the side window, where the wood bed steps are, for knitting, and hand sewing.

Yes, you made it to the end!

Giving Thanks Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:09:00 +0000

Hi all,

From start of day on Thanksgiving, Thursday, 11/24,

through to the end of day on Saturday, 11/26,

all my Ravelry patterns and books are 25% off!

No coupon needed.

Please enjoy the savings on this Thanksgiving Gratitude Sale,

to make your holiday knitting just a little bit easier.

Couldn't Wait, The Triple R, No Picasso, The Barbara

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:43:00 +0000

Couldn't Wait

another minute, never mind another day, to reorganize the office, once again.

Removing one of the tables, so it can go into the temporary sewing room, ruined the office layout. I ended up with harsh sunlight in my face and a wall to stare at.

Hubby trudged off to work this morning, I got the dog hand-fed - yup - that's what it takes some days - spoon-feeding him, as he's not been eating enough, despite many attempts and cajolements with his favorite tidbits.

He's getting thinner. But I can't think about that, even though he's not been much of a pet, for going on 2 years now. It's more like having an infant - all work, lotsa bottom end cleanups.

So, dog fed, self fed, then I began humping tables and the metal rack around. Which is the Easy Part.

Then the Real Fun begins.

Getting all the cords to reach where they need to go means 2 power strips (except for the printer, which gets its own outlet, because it's Special), and a juggling of equipment placement. The fax ended up on the rack with the speakers, and the cable modem and hub on the rolling paper, sleeve and ink table, scanner, zip drive and external hard drive on the computer table.

I can do all this and resolve the Airport network problems, which crop up with hubby's IBook form time to time (though I hate network problems with a passion!), but don't ask me to set up the dvd player!

But I actually like this better than before, with the extra table, as that layout created deep corners which are difficult to reach/use.

This opens up after the computer table, and actually gives me an entire 5" table next to the printer for collating patterns.

All the yarn binders and files will get unpacked, after hubby can do the 2nd paint coat.

No Picasso

We bought a coupla tubes of paint tint, which I played around with the other day. However, as I couldn't find, locally anyway, micro-measuring spoons, all the colors came out way too dark. The color we're gonna use is the middle one on the card. It's called Sand Trap, by Olympic, which, hopefully, will show up well on the walls. One never knows til it's up and dry!

Sand and creamy white (which all the woodwork will have to be repainted, from its current stark white shade), are what I wanted for the backdrop for the blue or earthy red (never in the same room!), fabrics and painted furniture.

I love when things, finally, work out, even though it took nearly 20 room layouts graphed and erased!

The Triple R

I love shopping at the Goodwill. My hand finds the cashmere, silk, linen and wool - clothing I could never be able to purchase at retail. As I've always been a recycler and reuser, since, what?, grammar school I think, I love the idea of reusing perfectly good clothing.

This skirt was a shopgoodwill.com find, for all of 3 bucks. Wool blend, wrap skirt, and lined!

With this nice decorative closure.

It's only problem is that it was a size 12, and I'm an 8-10. More 10 than 8, but it varies with brand.

So, I moved the inside button over. I picked the sts out of one of the velcro tabs and resewed it in. By hand, hence the Frankenstitches. But try and sew through velcro and 2 layers of fabric by hand! Usually my handwork is better than that, but no-one will see it.

Then I moved over the buttons and loops on the decorative clasp. I've taken in my fair share of waistbands, so was not daunted by this small project.

More reused goods coming in a future post - namely a small bookcase, tall, but narrow hutch and narrow bureau we found on Craigslist, just off-Cape. A retired gentleman restores and/or paints bits of furniture he comes upon and sells them quite reasonably. He painted them a too creamy off-white, so we need to repaint them before using.

The tall hutch will fit behind the bathroom door, and the short bookcase will work next to the sink to hold the things for which we need immediate access. The bureau will go into the eventual guest room, along with the twin beds we need to also find on Craigslist.

Also am keeping my eyes out for a console table or 2, so I can arrange the living room the way it needs to be, and, most importantly, a comfy chair with ottoman I can put up into the sewing room, for knitting on my designs. The light in that room is perfect, everywhere else it's either inadequate or blinding!

The Barbara

The Barbara Bretton sent me a copy of her latest in the Chloe and Luke saga, Spells & Stitches, and for which I have made a small contribution, in the back of the book!

I'm gonna try and squeeze reading time into this upcoming holiday weekend, in between the continued unpacking and organizing of this Still Chaotic Mess.

Don't forget to check out her blog, Romancing the Yarn!