Silence is Golden.

This blog has turned into my once monthly check-in, with a public goal-sharing forum (though I'm not sure how many people are still reading my blog).  Here we are at the end of May - I have no idea how that happened!  We're almost at summer already, even though Mother Nature has been keeping us here in Central Ontario wondering whether we will ever have more than two consecutive days of summer before shocking us with a fall or even winter type day!

Anyways...this past month I have realized a few things recently that have inspired me. (Note:  I am a huge fan of lists.  You will see that in this post, if you haven't noticed my monthly lists already!!)

1.  I've been stumbling across some of the bloggers who are blogging about Me Made May.  It has inspired me to get sewing.  I want to join in on MMM 2014, and to be able to wear something I have made every day next May.  If I only sew 2 pieces a month until then, I will have more than enough to get me through the month with what I already have.

2.  The bloggers have also inspired me to find a way to take photographs of myself wearing my clothes.  I have a great camera.  I have great clothes, and I am making more great clothes.  I need to find a way of showing you all how I look when I'm wearing them!  I get inspiration from other's outfits and sewing projects.  I want to give back some of that with you.  It may be a bit shaky at first (hopefully not literally, that would be bad for my camera and the photographs!), but I'm going to try playing with it this weekend.

3.  I tried on my summer clothes from previous years.  They do not fit - the shrink fairy has visited my closet over the winter. So...instead of feeling sorry for myself and getting down on myself, I am going to do three things - exercise more (more walks, more yoga, maybe even get the bicycle out), make healthier eating decisions (does eating vegan cake for breakfast count as healthier?  LOL), and sew new summer clothes.

With all the talk about me actually getting some sewing done, I STILL don't have any pictures to show you (see #2 above).  I'm hoping to change that.  SOON!

Last weekend I went on a cutting binge.  This is the best way for me to get things cut out.  If I cut out in the evenings, I make simple mistakes that cause a lot of problems, so I spend a few hours on a weekend afternoon to cut out a whole bunch of stuff.  Last weekend I cut out eight (8), yup, EIGHT pairs of slim pants from Vogue 8774 on Saturday afternoon.  Sunday and during the week, I've finished three of those pairs - a black stretch twill pair, a heavy linen/ramie pair and a black/white novelty stretch denim/twill pair.  I've worn two of them already this week.

Let's take a look at the goals I had set for myself for May:

Goals for May 2013

Knitting:

1.  Weave in the ends of Melissa's sweater and send it to her on Friday (is it cheating to write a goal you know you're already going to accomplish?  I'm taking this to knit night tonight!)  Done and mailed!  Pictures are on my camera.
2.  Finish Emerald Raspberry Fingerless Mitts for my mom.  Umm...no further today than last month.
3.  Finish Colonial Rib socks for my dad FINISHED!!
4.  Start socks in Casbah yarn for myself. Nope, didn't start.  Going to put this off until at least July, because I'm starting a Camp Loopy sock project, if my yarn EVER arrives!!
5.  Pick out sweater pattern and yarn for a sweater for Sara Done!  Finished the body of the Featherweight Cardigan out of Manos Lace in a gorgeous coral-ly colour and starting on the sleeve.

Sewing:

1.  Should I even bother??! I have far exceeded this goal!!  The red Sandra Betzina knit sweater I thought was a cardigan was actually only a vest, so it was even FASTER to finish!  Again...pics to follow.  Plus, I finished three pairs of slim pants!

Here are my goals for June 2013

Knitting:

1.  Finish Sara's Featherweight Cardigan, and post pictures to Knit Girllls KAL (deadline is June 30th)
2.  Start and Finish Camp Loopy Project #1 (deadline is June 30th).  Need to get the yarn from the mail yet!!

Sewing:

1.  Finish four pairs of slim jeans from Vogue 8774, which have already been cut (three in various shades of denim, and one in red!)
2. Make another Butterick 5678 shirt - I'm thinking of a red one
3.  Make a top from Simplicity 1694 out of embroidered cotton eyelet (white with black embroidery)

Living the Enchanted Life

Hello there...is this thing still on?  I've been absent from the blog lately, but with really good reason.  I am NOT sick, and nothing horrible has happened to me.  In fact, I've been spending a crazy amount of time away from home lately and as a result the blog and my sewing have been non-existent.

So...in April, I spent some time in Alberta, hanging out with my brothers.  We skied (well...I skied, one of them boarded, and the other had to watch from the sidelines due to work and a knee injury).  I took a TON of pictures of the mountains (you'll have to believe me for now - I'm having a techno-burp with my phone and all of my "real" pictures are on my camera at home).   We at awesome food we cooked for each other (yup, all foodies), we hung out at the fitness centre (for the pool! and hot tub! and steam room!).  We saw a MASSIVE GRIZZLY bear, which immediately curtailed any thoughts we had of hiking or snowshoeing.

Touristy picture of me taking a picture of my brother who is taking a picture of me...
enjoying a Rock Creek Dry Cider after a good day of skiing at Lake Louise

The brother who doesn't live there and I are dreaming up ways to get back there as quickly as possible.  Summer in the mountains brings a whole realm of different things to do! (horseback riding, camping, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking...so many choices!!)  Ah...the mountain life is the life!

Back to reality...I attended a conference in April for work, which seriously cut into my sewing time as well, and have another starting this weekend.  So instead of sewing, I will be visiting my brother in Ottawa for an overnight before heading to the hotel for the few days of the conference.  It is the first weekend of the annual Tulip Festival, and I have never been before, so I am very much looking forward to going!

There has been knitting.  Again - you'll just have to believe me for the time being until I can upload my photographs.  I have started a pair of Colonial Rib socks for my dad, and I'm really enjoying this knit.  Not mindless, but I am certainly finding these to be a relaxing knit. Here's the Rav Link.  I'm loving these!

I also started and finished a pair of plain vanilla socks while I was away in Regia yarn.  I enjoyed knitting on these when I was too tired to knit anything else after skiing.  Here's the Rav Link for these.

In the meantime, let's take a look at those goals from last month, shall we?


Goals for April 2013

Knitting:

1. Finish Reims socks Hooray!  Finished!
2. Finish Melissa's sweater, block it and send it to her in the mail Finished, blocked but still need to weave in the ends before sending it to her.
3. Finish Emerald Raspberry Fingerless Mitts for my mom um...yeah.  No further than last month.
4. And just because I'm feeling SO bold owing to finishing my goals for March, I'll throw in this one too - finish the Francis Revisited sweater I started for myself eons ago.  A warm alpaca/wool sweater just in time for spring. hahahaha...no progress at all.

Sewing:

1. Sew the *&@#$ red sweater.  I have till the end of April, right?! Famous last words...
2. Sew yoga leggings and tank tops to wear on my spring skiing vacation in two weeks. And again...famous last words.

Goals for May 2013

Knitting:

1.  Weave in the ends of Melissa's sweater and send it to her on Friday (is it cheating to write a goal you know you're already going to accomplish?  I'm taking this to knit night tonight!)
2.  Finish Emerald Raspberry Fingerless Mitts for my mom.
3.  Finish Colonial Rib socks for my dad
4.  Start socks in Casbah yarn for myself.
5.  Pick out sweater pattern and yarn for a sweater for Sara

Sewing:

1.  Should I even bother??!

LOL.