More Polish

Today's Daily Polish:

Lancome's Vernis Absolu in Nude 3. I usually layer my nailpolish for a couple of days until it stops drying in a reasonable timeframe, then take it off and start over again. I've had nearly all of these for probably close to ten years. I don't think I've purchased any since starting college in '03. And I still have way too many!

Today's secondary picture:

All the nailpolish. All 25 bottles of it. I swear, it multiplies when I'm not looking. I actually got most of these from a neighbor back in high school, when she was getting rid of the business-y nailpolish she wouldn't be using anymore. I believe it was the summer I was starting an internship at an engineering firm. She gave me a fairly large bag of nailpolish, and I've got most of it left!

The Daily Polish

No, not kielbasa and pierogis. In an attempt to blog more often, I bring you...The Daily Polish!

Today's color is a clear base coat followed by Cover Girl's Hue Thrill Me. I'm trying to use as much of my consumables before leaving Japan as possible. I brought all of the makeup and toiletries I had when I got here, and may need to actually purchase a lotion or soap/body wash as I'm getting really close to zero. Same with lipstuff. Nailpolishes, on the other hand, are not disappearing so quickly, even though I've been trying to paint my fingers and toes often to use up polish, stop biting them, and be pretty. The bottles just last so long and don't go bad, they take forever to finish!

In addition to a stunning picture of my (hopefully non-smudged) fingernails, I plan to post a second picture of...something!  Could be a current WIP, could be breakfast, could be my flowers, could be something completely different. Today's secondary picture:

This is my current carry-along project. I started this Illusion Snowflake Scarf (Ravelry) on the 14th, and hope to have it finished by the end of the month. Given the current pace and the fact that it's a week 'til the end, should be do-able. I only work on it walking to and from work, do a few rows at lunch, and knit some more if I'm reading e-mail or papers. Home is the huge blanket only. The scarf is about 1/4 of the way done so far. Really easy pattern, love the yarn, wish I could have found a lighter blue as the lightest instead of going all the way to navy blue, but it works.

Looks like this is the second month in a row where my yarn count is going in the correct direction!

What's goin' on?

Blog silence for awhile. Not that that's new or anything. Must take more and better pictures so I can blog about projects midway rather than just the finished ones. I always find the midway posts more interesting on blogs I read, I just don't seem to have interesting things to say or take pictures for mine.

Ah well.

Recently, I bought a bunch of plants. I like plants, though I've killed all that I've tried to grow. We had some mint and oregano seeds that if I were watering other plants anyway, I'd try to grow those too.  I bought five little ones from the dollar store and arranged them in a pot:

Sure, they'll outgrow the pot soon enough, but that's okay, they're pretty now and given my track record may not ever actually live that long. I also got some pretty flowers from the flower shop, put them in pots, and planted the seeds in some of them because the flowers won't last that long, I'm sure:

All the pots had dirt from last year (or the year before) when they were planted, so I just used that. Oddly enough, four out of the five pots have tiny little sprouts. Only two of them are purposefully seeded, so I guess we'll see if it's weeds or mint from two years ago or something else entirely that is growing in my plants!

On the knitting front, more Rhiannon while out and about and at work (no photo), a way-cool illusion scarf I started when I had to be in on Saturday (no photo either, it's still at work!), and the blanket:

Really hoping I get this one done for a 1-year anniversary gifting...but as of right now, I'm honestly not sure if I'll make it!

Plus Bunches

I recently purchased a pattern for a tank top as a layering piece for my camping gear. I prefer a bra tank to wear as a base layer, rather than a sports bra, and while I've been looking, I haven't yet found one I like in my size. I've found a couple great ones, but they weren't in my size and I couldn't try on comparable ones to see what size I should order online. Ones that have been in my size have been not quite right for one reason or another - mostly straps that are too thin. I want nice, thick straps so that with the backpack, I'm not getting any uncomfortable digging going on. To that end, I found the perfect pattern, Butterick 5609, had a real hassle getting the printable version, and managed to make it just barely in time for a trial run on a 5-day bike trip over Golden Week vacation (details here).

Of course, I haven't taken pictures yet, but I will! Since I was getting everything out and using my sewing machine, I thought it would be a good time to delve into the sewing stash. I have fabric and patterns for a few shorter sleeved button-downs that will be perfect for "cool biz" starting June 1, when you can wear more comfortable clothes to work in Japan. It already being May, I figured I'd better get started so I can wear them rather than taking the supplies back to the US as stash!

I fixed the bobbin case (it needed a bit of sandpaper to one edge), finished the crafting tool holder that was nearly done, made the tank top that turned out to be perfect for my purposes, and now have nine other projects cut out and waiting for sewing. Nine seven, I finished three and found another box bag ready to go. Nearly all of which need something purchased before I will be able to complete them. I have a shirt that needs some seam binding, four shirts that need buttons (two that still need to be cut out!), and another shirt that needs fabric - I had extra fabric that worked well as a contrasting color for a pattern I own, I just need a coordinating main color now. At least the biggest pain in the butt is done, almost all of the pieces are cut out and nearly ready to go. The button down shirts were the most questionable. I have a bunch of purple and black linen, but not technically enough for the two shirts of each I wanted to make, so some finangling was necessary (and still is for the black...) to cut it all out correctly.

Now to actually do the easy part...

Knitting with Wool

I was sick for a few days.  Went to work anyway, with a low-level fever.  I finally took a day off when I lost my voice and really wasn't in any shape to get in to work on Tuesday.  After sleeping for another four plus hours, I got up and decided to get something done.  There were papers to write, classes to plan, blankets to finish...

I knit a hat.  I also fixed the brim on Lee's hat since he didn't like the cast-on edge and wanted a fold-up brim on it.  Now they just need to be blocked.

This hat will be a part of my camping gear set and hopefully a really awesome warm winter hat.  To round out the camping gear, I'm planning to knit a matching ninja mask, basically making a balaclava that is in two pieces, more versatile.  The mask will work with a bicycle helmet and having separate layers will be useful for varying weather conditions while on extended hikes.


I swatched, but am going to rip out the swatch and start the mask using that end.  Probably not necessary, but there's no point in saving the swatch (I say now...) and this way I will only have one ball of leftovers rather than two.  I'm anal like that sometimes.

I swatched this time partly because this pattern is one of those fill-in-the-blanks with your own measurements and gauge and such, but also because I'm using a much larger yarn and am still hoping that it works.  We shall see!  Now onto the mask.  Yes, there are other things to do, but this is honestly a quick(ish) project that's been on my list for a bit and needs to be done by August, when we take the gear on a test run.  Better would be to have it (and one matching the brown hat) done by May for a five day bike ride, just in case.

WIP Update

WIPs, let me show you them!


First off, we have the blanket I've been working on for AGES, finished up to 60%, then ripped back to get a better product.  Points for integrity, but probably not enough to compensate for the lateness.  Ah well, this is an awesome project and is coming out very, very well.  Look at those floats!  And those intarsia joins!  Of course, not amazing, but pretty gosh darn great if I do say so myself.

I am going to finish this off with an applied I-cord edging and cover the back with some gray fleece.  I think I will attempt to attach the fleece with the applied I-cord somehow.  I may do some other kind of edging, to make the fleece attachment easier, something like a crocheted edge or something, but I've been leaning toward a six stitch I-cord the whole time and still think that sounds pretty good.  Any ideas on how to attach the fleece?  I think I may baste the edges with long stitches, and pick up stitches through those with the I-cord to attach it.  Or something.  Holes in the fleece?  Something other than I-cord?  Since everything else about this blanket has been wrong from the get-go, I'll probably end up doing something other than I-cord, but not until I've at least tried the I-cord.  Hopefully before failing miserably and ruining the fleece such that I'll have to buy a whole new piece.  Do they even come in queen-sized blanket from fabric stores?  Will I have to sew smaller pieces together?

That's my big at-home, watching movies, winding down after dinner project.  Of course, I have some other projects going as well.  I've got Rhiannon on the needles for my traveling sock project, though when the first one is finished I'll probably switch to some Christmas presents like a scarf or pair of socks rather than jumping in to the next one.  Yes, another WIP going into UFO status, but I won't be wearing these anytime soon so I may as well get working on other things!  I'm down to 12, yes, 12! WIPs, so I don't feel too bad about letting another one languish.  Wait, isn't that how the insane numbers start?

I'm also using a cross stitch to break up the monotony of the huge blanket.  Still the ornaments.  Three 100% stitching complete, six needing backstitching and other details, three others started.  Once I finish those I'll pull out the Art of Disney Mickey and the Fireman (scroll down for project pictures) again, but I think I can finish the ornaments faster than that, so ornaments first!

All of the other projects that show up in the sidebar as in progress are really more in hibernation.  Nothing else is really at a state of more progress than it had been last time it was seen.  I am kind of getting itchy for a quick finish though.  Funny how when that happens I cast on about a bajillion things, thinking that this one MUST be faster than the last one I started thinking it would be quick.  I went through all of my sewing fabrics the other day, and the only thing that stayed my hand was that the winter and traveling bumped me up into a higher size than my easy patterns.  At least I've got some really long cycling vacations planned soon!

Christmas Gifts finished in March

The goal for the year, to minimize year-end carpal tunnel due to frenzied knitting and to maximize on-time Christmas gifting, was to knit two Christmas presents per month.  I managed to do more UFO and stash knitting than anticipated thus far, so I'm not too upset by the behindness in Christmas gifts, but I am two months behind.  Only two finished thus far, both in March.

First up, yet another Thuja!  I love this yarn and am interested to see how it wears.  It looks great as an FO!

Pattern: Thuja from Knitty (Ravelry)

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Garnet Heather

Needles: US6/4.0mm

Timeframe: March 13 - April 1, though they were waiting for a block for a few days.

Mods: None.

Problems: None. Love this pattern so, so, so much!

I also finished a scarf.  I dislike scarves typically, but this one was pretty good, if a bit boring for the long stretch of plain rows in between the designs on either end.  I made the cast on and bind off two-colored to match the edges, using a crochet cast-on for the beginning and a yarn-over bindoff for the end.  Check out my Ravelry page for more technical information.

Pattern: Dark Mark Illusion Scarf (Ravelry)

Yarn: Diakeito Diaepoca, two skeins of black and two of green.

Needles: US5/3.75mm

Timeframe: January 14 - April 1

Mods: Some.  Cast on/Bind off to match sides, used instructions from the two-row Noro scarf slipping the first and last stitch of every second row to make a nice edge.  Marked where I ran out of yarn from the first two skeins to maximize yarn usage and length.  No fringe.

Problems: None!

Now to not forget about or lose either of these for Christmas.  Shouldn't be too difficult!