Weekends are for Finishing Up

WOOOOOHOOOOOO! I am DONE with school! I have a 2 week quarter break in which to knit and read. Oh yeah, and clean house.

Yesterday I finished my columbine socks. These were knit from Wildfoote Columbine, which I picked up quite accidentally one day while shopping for the Knit Mitt Kit Swap. It was one of those yarn purchases where the yarn leaped into my hands and before I knew it, I was out of the store wondering how it was I just purchased new sock yarn? They are knit on size 2 addi turbos, with a short-row toe and heel, knit toe-up. I was planning to knit on up the leg until I ran out of yarn, but I got to the point where I either needed to add increases or cuff and end. It looked like if I added increases, the socks would wind up being an awkward length, so I just stopped where I was. I used the yarn-over cable from Sensational Knitted Socks.

And then there's the dresses. It all started a week ago, when I wound up going to the fabric store with my coworkers at lunch time. It was a huge mistake. It's like taking an ex-alcoholic into a bar. I was short of breath. My heart started to race. I was shaking like a leaf! I managed to get out of there without buying anything, well, except for a candy bar to help settle my nerves. But then--just like an addict, eh?--I went back later alone and bought some green embroidered interlock. That wasn't all, the next day I went back and bought some green ribbing to go with the interlock, and then some blue embroidered interlock, a matching plain interlock, and ribbing.

And that wasn't the only danger. My coworker was asking about sergers. We had a day off work coming up so I told her to come on over and try it out. I did warn her: I told her she'd have to buy one if she tried one. We spent the day looking at patterns, cutting out, and sewing. That night I finished my first dress out of a really cool organic hemp/cotton jersey, straight out of my stash. (yes, I have a fabric stash, it is astonishing to behold.) The very next day she went out and bought a serger. By the end of the weekend I'd sewn two and a half dresses, with a nightie all cut out. However, I had to stop for the week, working as usual plus I had to finish up the quarter.

Anyway, this morning I was able to finish up the third dress. These were made after my #1Girl was cruising through a mail-order catalogue and spotted dresses that she absolutely had to have. Now she has three of them... but I'm off the wagon. It's difficult to know whether to knit, sew, read a book, or what?