Yellowbird Yarn Room

Back to the big tasks at hand

I go through my days knowing I'm busy. 

Sure, I take some time to goof off here and there.  Sit and stare at the TV or surf the net instead of being a contributing member of the household or society-at-large.  You have to sometimes to maintain sanity. 

But as a general rule my days are packed.

So when you run a craft-based business...and you're working on two large, time-consuming projects simultaneously...and you only have an average of an hour or two a day to work on them...well...let's just say that last week's eyeglass case was exactly the quick project I needed to shake things up!

Meanwhile, one project got set on cruise control while the other got parked all together.

I have been working on prepping this year's blanket squares for their final assembly, but am only as far as I am thanks to the wonderful ladies of Open Knit!  I have nearly finished washing and blocking out all 120 squares, and most of them now have a blanket stitch around their edges (thanks, ladies!).  

I'll be crocheting like a mad woman for the next (almost) two weeks.  Wish me luck. 

Then, there's my Clapotis.  I dove into that project with both needles and couldn't wait to see how the dropped stitches were going to work out!  But then things kept popping up.  Things like blanket squares, Book Club (have you read The Help yet?  I highly recommend it!), my eyeglass case, or the freakishly hot and humid days that made me cringe at the thought of knitting with fuzzy sewing thread.  But I have picked it up here and there for a row or two, just because.   

One really nice perk of a blog is the documentation of progress.

I told someone the other day that I had been working on it for over two months, but it looks like it just felt that way because the progress is so slow!   Thanks to the blog, I now know that I started it on April 7th, and this is (about) how far I have come:

 
I added about six more rows last night because I caved and turned on the air conditiong.

 

 
Not one dropped stitch, but two!

I really am such a happy girl now!  The blankets will be done in the next couple of weeks, then I'm all about that Clapotis.  My goal is to finish it for an event in July, and I think I might just make it!   

The promised full story

Last week I left you hanging with a picture and a promise.  Time now for fulfillment.

Let me start off with a confession:  I am a very big Harry Potter fan.  Have been for many years now.  Oh, I snubbed it in the beginning.  I remember saying to my friend, who had just received the first three books as a set for Christmas, "Puh-leeese.  Those are kids' books!  What.  Ever."

Then I saw the first movie.  Watched it just to see what all the fuss was about.  Then I read the first book. 

It was all downhill from there.

My kids have watched me read, re-read, and re-re-read the books (over and over) over the years, but I couldn't even get them to watch the first movie.  Not even as their friends started to become interested.  They wanted nothing to do with it. 

Then came the LEGO Harry Potter game.  I knew I had them.  Get them the game, and they'll be hooked and begging me to read all of the books and watch all the movies.  They had already done the same with Star Wars.

So when the first new-game-for-the-DSI buying opportunity arose I casually reminded the 7yo how much he begged for that game when he first saw the commercial. 

It was all downhill from there. 

I read a chapter to them almost every night now, and we watch the movie together as soon as we finish the book.  We are now halfway through the third year with no signs of decreased interest.  Even my husband (a non-reader) is starting to catch on to the lingo.  He's even allowed a wand (read:  stick) into the house.

Now, I had seen the knitting pattern book Charmed Knits many times before, and I had eyed me some House Scarves, but had never gotten so far as adding anything to my queue.  But on a trip to the local library near the end of summer I made my usual detour through the knitting book section with munchkins in tow and they saw it. 

It was all downhill from there.

They have a long wish list from this book, including wizard robes and wand cozies, but I told them to start with something relatively small that they really really wanted, and that they didn't think they would tire of two days later.  They chose Errol.  They do love their "stuffties". 

They scoured over my entire stash, looking for just the right colors and textures.  I knit swatches to make sure they liked the fabric that came out of their choices.  Then I got to work.

My 9yo helped out with his, knitting all of the basic "knit" rows (without any increases or decreases), and I managed to whip them out in just a couple of weeks!  I did fudge the bottom a bit, and they don't have their talons just yet, but it's all good.  I have two happy little boys who enjoy holding "Hedwig" and "Professor Dippit" every night at storytime.

Now, here's the kicker:  turns out the pattern was written by a lovely local lady who I met about a year ago!  Her name is Andi (aka knitbrit) and she also designed the incredible Weasley Clock Blanket.  Andi, if you're reading this, I don't know if I did your pattern justice but I thank you for writing it and helping my boys and I appreciate the shared love of a magnificent story.

Gettin' ready for the Festival!

I was planning on sharing a fun story with you, all about my latest projects and complete with a cute picture.

But I've run out of time...ach!

There was a bit of running around to do today after Open Knit (which is a story in and of itself, by the way...I think I love granny squares!) in order to acquire the proper equipment for sitting outside the next two days.  There's a few things yet to do tonight, too, and I have two little boys waiting for their nightly chapter of Harry Potter.

So, on that note, I do think it would only be proper for me to at least leave you with the cute picture with the promise of the full story early next week.  Enjoy, and I hope to see you at the Festival!

 

Book exchange at River City!

I am very excited about a new little feature at River City!  Right by Judy's Ice Cream is a book exchange book shelf.  You leave a book, you take a book.  How great is that!  Now I have to remember to bring a book with me on Saturday for Open Knit because there were a couple there I hadn't read yet!

Inspiration abounds

You know how you can sit and talk with a like-minded someone and walk away feeling positively effervescent with the grand new ideas that keep popping in your head?  The endless possibilities leaving you to wonder where to begin?

I have had a few of those this past week.  Plus the latest Jasper Fforde to read at night.  And Stephenie Meyer on cd for driving and cleaning during the day.  Tell me that's not the perfect recipe for a fancy metaphor.

First, there was the knitting lesson with Judy, the owner of River City, and her mother.  They.  Are.  Funny.  They both used to knit and had a vague memory of how it worked, so I walked them through the knitted cast-on and the knit stitch.  By the time they had a couple of rows on the needles I was the one in stitches!  I just sat there thinking about how that very moment was the epitome of why I love knitting and wanted to open the Yarn Room.  I'm still giggling about that one story...

Anywho...

I met with Laura of the Happy Valances on Friday, and oh!  So much to knit, so little time!  We're in early stages of collaberation, but with her mad sewing skills and my eagerness for experimental fiber goodness you may be free to expect fun things from upstairs!  There's talk of decorative knit trims and accents, knit pillow fronts, embroidery, and needle felting.  This is a lady with big ideas, let me tell you, and they are all wonderful.

And then Saturday marked the beginning of Open Knit, a time to come in and sit with your project of choice with myself and whoever else makes their way in from the cold.  It was late notice, but there were a couple of friendly faces there and I could not have enjoyed myself more.  I only wish it could have lasted longer!  But plans were made, with some to be announced soon, and I am so looking forward to it all!

Open Knit will continue every Saturday from 10 until noon until further notice.  I would like to add more "official" times during the week, so if you have any thoughts on a good time for that just let me know.  Or better yet, grab some needles and a friend and come on in!  It is a friendly and cozy atmosphere, perfect for creating a little effervescence of your own. 

I know Judy would enjoy a little effervescence with her ice cream.