Knotty Mouse

Browsing around the internet the other day I found an article from LifeHack.Org called “10 simple ways to save yourself from messing up your life”. I usually don’t share websites here on the blog.. I don’t know why either because when other people do it I find it interesting.. but .. I’m rambling. Point is.. I thought it was really a great list.. and very appropriate for shit I’ve been going through lately. Check it out. I’m printing it up and putting it on the fridge.

I’ve spent a lot of time at my craft table lately working on new stitch markers for the shop.. and I came up with these while working on the set I promised to Sheepish Annie and her charity run. This photo was taken before I realized that there wasn’t a black edge on the toe portion of a pair of “Chucks” and went about removing that from all of them. The other white shoes are Adidas ‘toe shell’ sneakers.. one of my other favorite ‘old school’ shoes. Both sets found me sitting at the table with one of my ratty old shoes as inspiration.. These will be in the shop (on Etsy most likely) in the next few days.. I’m thinking Monday at the latest. I’ve got a bunch of other colors that will be going up as well.. because you know that you can’t JUST have one pair of chucks!

Since a bunch of people asked.. I worked up a pattern for the hairwrap/headband.. and gave it a few tweaks (like widening the center band from the original) before I went into “production” mode on them. I’ll have some skull/pirate type ones and some other designs by Monday for the shop. So far I have two of this style (mine aren’t in the photo..) and have been wearing them constantly. I’m very happy with the way they turned out and how you can wear them different ways. I also realized that they would be the perfect size for a belt on a child who is about 6 years old or younger.. because it fits perfectly around my sons waist with room to tie it.  He wants one as a “pirate sash” now…

So.. other than the decluttering of the house that I spoke of in my 7 things meme.. that’s about all I’m up to right now.  I’m dealing with Day1 of “Mommy… I’m so booooooooored” as well.. which I’m so not putting up with the entire summer. I never understood why people sent their children to summer camp.. until now.  Personally.. I don’t get being “bored”.. I never have. I’ve basically always been able to come up with something to keep myself entertained… which is probably why I have so many damn hobbies.  Anyway..  I have to go find something for my son to do because he’s already exhausted the “why don’t you make a necklace with all of these brightly colored plastic beads” idea and the “here’s a bucket of micro-machines” option.  Oy.  Does anyone want to borrow a slightly strange not-quite-six year old for a few hours so that I can get something done?

Surprisingly these socks took me less than 2 months to complete and I even finished another full pair of socks in between! I do believe that the combination of toe up and magic loop is the secret to making sock mojo work in my favor. This pair was technically the first toe-up sock I did and I’m pretty happy with the way they turned out. I did end up doing ’sock surgery’ on the toe of the first sock that was very pointy because I cast on too small of a number of stitches..

pattern: Universal Toe Up
yarn: 2 skeins gifted Koigu KPPPM (with quite a bit left over)
needles: size 1 Addi circs (magic loop)
Started: March 27,2007 finished:May 17,2007
Shoes: Keen Seattle maryjanes ( I love these shoes..)

I was a little unhappy with how splitty the yarn was in one of the skeins.. you’d think for how expensive the stuff is that there wouldn’t be as many issues with it. I was very concerned with the pooling on the socks when I started because I really like my socks to be ‘matchy matchy’ and these weren’t. Pooling usually makes me neurotic but I was able to just let go and accept that its what this yarn does. Other than the problems with the one skein, Koigu KPPM is a very nice yarn to knit with.

In between finishing these socks while watching CSI: Miami - I’ve been working on more stitch markers (polymer clay and beaded) for the shop and some hair scarves as well. Getting the pattern correct involved ‘the maths’ and I had to drag the hubby into the design process because the Mouse hates the maths. After explaining to the hubby that I really don’t give a crap HOW he came up with the numbers and that I just “wanted it to work so that I could go back to sewing” - we seem to have managed to make it all work out. I think. Honestly I’m not really sure right now considering I seem to have contracted a case of “Squirrel Pox” (aka. strep throat.. again) from the lovely children in Munchkin’s class.

I’ve promised to donate a set of polymer stitch markers to Sheepie because she’s running a charity race.. so I’ve got some “Run Sheepie, Run!” stitch markers on the trays ready to bake. There is a certain sneaker that I have a collection of that I managed to reproduce in miniature….. hee hee.