Toddler socks

Finished embarrassingly late last night:
Yarn: something worsted weight from my stash of moderate-to-junky yarns ... I'm not even sure if it's acrylic or wool. I suspect it's acrylic, but I'm not about to run the socks through the washer to find out!

Needles: Size 6 DPNs

Pattern: free download from http://stitchesofviolet.blogspot.com/2004/11/mini-basketweave-toddler-sock-pattern.html

Notes: No wrapping to turn the heel! The pattern calls for making a flap, and then you pick up stitches down both sides of the flap to form the heel. Much less confusing than the short row heel I did on my first pair of socks, but I have a feeling it makes for a clunkier heel. In these that's actually good - the flap is made in a k1,sl1 pattern, which makes for a ridiculously dense finished fabric.

The pattern was developed for Children In Common, a charity that ships supplies over to Russian orphans who have not yet been adopted. Apparently warm socks are one thing the kids always need, no matter how many they send over. Anyway, since the socks will fit some kid no matter what size they turn out to be, there was no gauge on the pattern, and I was just hoping they would turn out to be the right size for some kid I knew. Luckily, they're the right size for my daughter, at least for the next few minutes! Not sure if they'll still fit this winter, but I can always make another pair on 7's or 8's if I need to. I think these took maybe 8 hours, start to finish ... okay, maybe a little more than that, but I finished the second sock in one naptime and two movies.

Oh, one last thing. I ran out of yarn about 1/2" from the end of the last sock. Can you tell which one has the different yarn spliced in? God, I'm good.

What a working studio should look like

Not like this ... too sterile.

Not like this ... too cluttered.

Like this - perfect!

You can tell I'm in mid-project because 1) there are blocks all over the floor, 2) the table is covered in fabric scraps and recently-purchased batting, 3) the cutting table is serving double duty as a pressing station, and 4) the cats have been banned from the room.

That's the pieced version of Southwood Squares that's serving as a tripping hazard right now. I'm excited about how it's turning out ... can't wait to show you the finished product and get the pattern ready for sale!

WIP Tuesday

Here's a look at what's on my design wall ... er, cutting table, lounging around until I get a few hours to start a relatively tedious pin-and-sew-as-you-go session. Tentative pattern name: Southwood Squares.Unless I totally wimp out and/or get hit by a bus, this will be my first bed-sized pattern, and it will include directions for both pieced and raw-edge applique versions. Why? Because I need to make two of them for my guest room anyway! And making the same quilt twice gives me the heebie-jeebies, but making two different versions of the same basic idea doesn't offend my sensibilities nearly as much.

Very productive today - in one of my daughter's naptimes I managed to dig out the planning sketches I did when we were living in the hotel, confirm that I actually had enough yardage of the fabrics, cut the squares and sashing strips for the pieced version, cut the background and squares for the applique version, and cut backs for both quilts. There's going to be a whole lot of sewin' goin' on next week - yay!

Heaven!

I just spent an hour quilting - quilting! - in my new studio. Not only is my sewing machine on a taller desk than at my old house (so less hunching over), but it's right next to my computer, so I can surf the internet while sewing. Send e-mail while seam-ripping! Download porn while pinning! Er, maybe not that one, but having the computer right nearby is a great excuse to change positions and do something non-crampy every 10 minutes or so, the way I'm supposed to if I don't want to turn into the Tylenol Tyrant the next day. Of course, now my unfinished projects will mock me when I pay bills, and my unbalanced checkbook will sneer at me as I sew, but hey - at least I don't have to run up and down the stairs every time I write a pattern now.

Hurray! We're up and running!

High-speed internet connection? Check.

Most of the house unpacked and (sorta) put away? Check.

Sewing room and office unpacked and settled?

Check.
I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to sitting down in front of the sewing machine and working on a couple of unfinished Lazy Mama projects. Oh, so much! I haven't sewn since March, other than some cross stitch and lots (and lots and lots) of knitting. My pedal foot is getting itchy just thinking about blowing through some Busy Baby Book samples for stores and my etsy shop. And I've got a quilt design all written up ... now I just have to actually make the darn thing to make sure all of my measurements and directions are right.

I'm back in the saddle again : ) : )

Anyone need a few moving boxes?

Welcome to Lazy Mama HQ, otherwise known as The Room That Will Be My Combined Office and Sewing Room, Should I Ever Unpack Enough Boxes To Find The Floor Again. Chest-high, those piles of boxes are, and all of that stuff has to go somewhere. I'll be able to weed out a few things - there's going to be a massive yard sale here in a month or two, so drop by if you're near Ohio - but most of it's necessary.

On the positive side of things, several of the projects I need to do to perk up the rooms in my new house are things that I plan to adapt to be Lazy Mama designs, so there should be some new home dec patterns and quilts coming in the next few weeks/months.

Oh, and here's a quick "Thanks!" to the folks at the Mad Hatter's Quilt Box near San Diego for their recent reorder ... glad the patterns are selling so well, ladies!

Okay, back into the unpacking grind. Hope to have less boring stuff to discuss soon!