I remembered I'm a scrapbooker

Scrapbooking has been challenging for me since before the move.
Part of it is this crazy knitting obsession, part of it was moving away from my scrapbooking friends. It was so great when I'd get in a rut with a layout to just say, "Hey - what should I do here?"
Obviously, I can still do it via digital photography, webcams and email but it's just not the same. I miss my friends and scrapbooking seems to make it worse. :o\

It was nice yesterday to sit with piles of scrapping stuff around me and play with some of my favorite papers and work with one of my favorite subjects - baby Paige.
The layout was inspired by the incredible Valerie Salmon . Her sketches were just the boost I needed to remember why I love this craft.

Besides, it gave me a break from the devil sweater. (that I did end up ripping out. I'm on sleeve two and it is looking mighty fine!)

Perfectionism sucks! Especially given I can also be incredibly lazy!
Onward. . .

the devil vestee

it kinda looks like a sweater, doesn't it?
the pattern wasn't clear OR i bit off more than I could chew.
it's a basic knit two purl one stitch - how can you mess that up?

easy - put your needle in wrong and twist your knit stitches. if you don't catch on half way through, fine. if you do and you're not completely anal like me you can continue in the twist-knit way you've done up to this point and make your baby friend a sweater. But if you're a complete nutball like me you want to tear the whole thing out.

when i got to this point, the pattern didn't say "work pattern in the round", it just said "knit". and me, being a new knitter, trying to follow a pattern exactly, didn't think to wonder until i got three inches into the knitting in the round. it just didn't look right.

now i know. i should just finish the thing with the understanding it's my first sweater - it's not going to look right!

for now, it's sitting in my bag waiting to be dealt with. :o\
i fear it's going to be a pile of yarn on my lap before too long.

so i thought i could knit

these little bags are so easy, i thought i could knit. one little pink baby sweater fixed that!
i started a sweater KAL (knit-along) on a group i recently joined and it's turned out to be a hot mess. i'm leaving it alone for now, returning to what i know.

anyone need a bag?

my sister the rock star

a must read!

Pearls Before Breakfast

Renowned violin virtuoso Joshua Bell does a social study in a metro DC train station, dressing as a street performer. Click on the link above to discover what happened.

"The violin is an instrument that is said to be much like the human voice, and in this musician's masterly hands, it sobbed and laughed and sang -- ecstatic, sorrowful, importuning, adoring, flirtatious, castigating, playful, romancing, merry, triumphal, sumptuous."
- Gene Weingarten
Washington Post Staff Writer

Don't miss this one.
Thanks Ali!

bag-o-happiness

here it sits, waiting for me to click my sticks around it, longing to become something fabulous!

having trouble with my latest knit project. details to come, i'm sure. maybe it's just me. maybe it's my mom saying perhaps i picked too challenging of a project. maybe it's my husband scolding me for sitting on my ass knitting all day, which all of us knitters know is impossible *g*.

i'm going to try again tonight. last night i couldn't even make a k1, p1 rib look good.

funny how knitting teaches all sorts of lessons that have nothing to do with the yarn.

onward!

crafting is on hold

we're still trying to get settled in the new house.
i can't believe how long it's taken.
the house is pretty much a box-free zone thank gawd! but the office is filled with cardboard.
i can't believe how out of sorts i feel without the familiar around me. it was time to sit and pay monthly bills. i was lost without the calculator on my computer! i'm hoping there is no major error in my bill paying as i'm digging through boxes trying to find payment books and registers.

i think i have it under control but all this has been such a reminder of how organization is GOOD. it makes life so much easier.

since i'm not currently crafting i wanted to share a picture.inspired by 3191 (and reminded by Cathy z) i wanted to share a shot from my everyday world.

welcome to mundania.

felting does NOT hide all the mistakes!

a good friend of mine said she loves to felt her knitting because it hides all her mistakes. i'm here to tell you it does not! (sorry wil!)
i doubt the little two-year-old who is the intended recipient will care if one side is slightly higher than the other - i think i put the wrong row marker in the beginning so half the bag has an extra row. it's tough, moving and trying to knit. i put this down for two weeks while the movers came and took all our things to indianapolis. and that is what happens i guess. when you're melly, anyway. :)

it's still cute.

and, btw . . . a nestle chocolate can is the perfect blocking tool. you can't see it, but it's in there, doing it's thing.

:)

Tasting Wine

"One of the best things about going to California besides seeing family is going wine tasting.
At this Vino Piazza or wine mall, several wineries are represented in one area. It's GREAT!
We sampled a wide variety of wines including a Petit Syrah right from the barrel.
MAGIC!"

It's been so long since I really scrapbooked - it was so nice to sit yesterday with my friends and get my hands on paper again.

Putting together the story of the memory photos capture is what I love most about scrapbooking.
This layout preserves this moment forever. Good times.
Good.
Times.

gnomey hat - done!

fun and easy!

My babyfriend, Paige. :)