I didn't see this coming...

After knitting yesterday I dropped by Kmart, for something...can't remember what, and strayed into the outdoor furniture department. I saw this sign that said Lazy-boy recliner, and I thought I would sit down and try one out. I lie back, lifted the foot pad and was a goner. Then I further tilted and went all the way back, just like the dentist's chair. I gotta tell you, I love the dentist's chair. Feet up, head down, middle further down, and so ready to nap. It was love at first sit. But eoouwww I hated the color of the cushions. And really...who wants chairs like this for outdoors? Um. Well. Me I guess. But what about the price? And do I need, no, NEED them?
The price on the chair was $399 but then I saw the deadly sale price...$279. O geesh.
Then I looked at the cushions, which were easily removeable and so easy to recover, including the foot pads which are velcroed! I could make new ones anytime I wanted to change (immediately) them.
I chatted with another shopper and then he decided to buy a different set, which were lots more money and not as nice, so the Hour of Decision was upon me. I thought I could just show Dave online, but that's not the same as sitting in them...so what the heck, I said "I'll take two!" I can always return them, I figured.
But I also knew Dave would say he wanted them...and I was so right.
Here is a photo of them in the living room, half extended. I'd have to be sitting in it to get it to go all the way back, and let me just say, getting out of it in this position was no easy trick.
This is position makes it possible to stay awake. All the way back, not so much.
Part B: We unloaded them from the van onto the deck and in the bright sunlight the color wasn't so nasty. I kinda liked it. Then we decided that they could go in the living room and with the seaglass walls, they looked right at home. Kinda. Anyway, they are staying right there. We watched TV in total comfort and the dawgs managed to jump up on our laps, and cuddled easily. The fabric is outdoor stuff so it can easily be washed, which of course with our dirty dawgs is a must. They have their own couch, doncha know.
I never thought I would ever buy Lazy-boy chairs. We must really be old farts now.
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How's the diet going, you ask? Here I am in my size 12 jeans! Smaller butt and flatter tummy. Legs still short however. Damn.
Working on the ham shank arms today at Jazzercize.
I am not eating the following: pasta, potatoes, rice, bread, cookies, any sugar or flour, chocolate, popcorn, pizza, WINE, beer, hard liquor...all the stuff that made me fat. I'll weigh myself at the end of the month, but I am sure I have more to lose, but I won't be going all the way down to size 8 like I did last time. I mean, good health is the goal. And I am already there now!

New Stuff

How many times have I begun a sentence with "I saw this on Pinterest"? Here I go again. When I saw this cut up sweatshirt, I knew I had to do it too. So fast and just right for chasing the chill.
 

Now that I have worn this all day, I am thinking maybe a fabric trim, button placket, and pocket are soon to follow. 
I bought this sweatshirt at the rum-dum two years ago, and just found it in my closet recently. Never having worn it, I decided it was OK to recycle into this cardigan. So glad I did. Much nicer than those Flashdance cutup sweats of old.





















It was tidy up loose ends day in the studio, and my new shirt was finally going to get its buttonholes and buttons. My Janome 6500 makes great buttonholes and I like to sew my buttons on by machine. Have you used this trick? Tape the button in place and use a zig-zag to stitch them on. I put a pin in the center to provide some flex to the thread.

I bought black buttons, but they just disappeared and I thought a tiny bit more color (Pink!) would be better. Yup.

 My new fabrics and yarn finally arrived and I am so happy that they were delayed, because in the meantime Hobby Lobby has put their patterns on sale for 99 cents. How perfect! I am going there today after Jazzercise. Yes it is more Kaffe Fasset prints, but I think they will make lovely summer clothes, as the base fabric is so soft. The yarn, Vintage by Berrocco.

Here's the lovely and talented Dave wearing his finally finished vest. This shows him in the before blocking version. I blocked it overnight and now it is much looser on his skinny self. He thinks it is too girly, but promised to wear it anyway. Silk and merino...so soft and luxurious.

 Chester doing his big trick...carrying anything in his mouth and wagging his tail for approval. Darling.

Chumley doesn't do tricks, considering it beneath him.

 

A Little Froggy Today

I got lucky and had a chance to photograph one of our immense and LOUD frogs. We have about seven of these bulls and they will make a racket once it gets warm enough to think of romance.
I cannot help myself when it comes to taking pictures of our fish. They come when they see us and wait to be fed, which is just what I wanted when we put in our first goldies. As you can see they thrived. Lots of different colored ones appeared too, including all white, half white-half orange, and black and orange.
We feed them catfish chow pellets and the big ones can gulp them down, but the fry must only nibble until they soften enough to bite.
Watching fish swim is so relaxing. And at this time of year the water is so clear and inviting, but of course we never venture in. The dawgs will though.


I expected to be sewing all weekend, but my fabric won't arrive til this afternoon, so I finished my cardigan instead, even wet blocking it into submission as well.

This was my target design, and I wanted to make the pockets but ran out of yarn. I may try again with different yarn. I love the way the current one fits. So roomy and cuddly.
My sweater was derived from this pattern but the translation from the French was so difficult (for me) to follow that I resorted to my experience of making other raglan cardigans. Close enough. The yarn is Lion Brand Amazing, wool/acrylic and was wonderful to knit on size 8 needles.


The Dawgs are so happy to have free run in the yard, since the fencing extends to almost the whole property. But they stand at the pond dam wall on guard, barking occasionally at the loud log trucks.
One more fishy picture and then I'll quit...

Faucet, Fencing, Spigott and Hose

It sounds like a strange law firm but it was our shopping list at Lowe's yesterday. I coulda/shoulda stayed home and got something done, but it was such a lovely day that I decided to chuck it and go shopping with Dave. Mostly so I could pick out the new faucet for our upstairs bathroom. I am slowly removing all Victorian hardware from the previous owner and replacing it with stuff I like better. Especially one handle faucets. There are times when a nudge with the elbow is just what's needed to get the right water temperature. This one leans forward a bit making it easier to get my face under it to rinse after brushing my teeth. So important after my recent dental work. My nightly flossing ritual is now accompanied with a special mouthwash....why am I telling you all this? Anyway, the previous faucet just was driving me crazy, so I am having this new one installed.

We also got another 300 feet of dog fence, a new hose and water spigott for our garden. It must be Spring.

My garden is sprouting up faster than most years and I am hoping against hope that we won't have a hard freeze in April. Tulips should be blooming this week, if the previews in town are any indication. Bradford Pear trees,  

and Cherry blossoms are everywhere, with forsythia and weigela in full bloom.

  

Ah, Spring!



A Work of Art

Oooh, I am so happy to have this new knitting bowl. Perhaps you have seen these made from ceramic, but this one is hand made by Don Maxwell, husband of knitting friend Kathy, out of cherry wood. Don is a fantastic wood turner and he has found an eager audience among us knitters.
The idea of this bowl is to feed the yarn through without it falling to the floor, which is what usually happens as I knit along. It works like a dream.


Signed by the artist. This is a real heirloom. I am so thrilled to be its owner.











I had my camera handy for some Dawg pictures, which show Chumley with his favorite Pink Chewy Bone. He looks posed... so rare. Then he attacks it with enthusiasm.



Snoozin' away in front of the TV.

Update

I took my (Amish Prison Warden) denim dress to my sister to show her and asked her if she liked it. She tried it on, it fit her, and she claimed it. Problem solved!
Then I went shopping to find a better pattern for a summer dress and found patterns have gotten suddenly very expensive. So when I returned home I scoured through my old patterns and found EXACTLY the same sought after design in an old Stretch and Sew Pattern. Woowoo! I am off to the races, as soon as my fabric arrives...maybe this afternoon.
In the meantime, it is Knitting Group! Yay. I have a new sweater to wear and it will be in the 70's today, which means summer yarns can't be far from my needles. Double woowoo!

A Better Neckline

I currently am entranced with raglan top down sweaters( no surprise), but have been unhappy with the necklines as the pattern is written.

O let's face it, I am never happy with the pattern as written on anything. I have to make it my way.

 I kept thinking that I should be able to do the neckline ribbing and make the front of the neck lower than the back. Most of these patterns make them even or balanced, which is either too low in the back or too high in the front. Or too low in both back and front. I don't want a gap at the back of my neck and especially don't want that 'strangled' feeling of being hit too high in the neck in front.
I decided to knit the ribbing and then do short rows on just the back neck and stop and turn after the front raglan increases. I knit with a wrap and turn technique, and didn't pick up the wraps, risktaker that I am. Turns out it doesn't show.

I am attempting to show the wrapped stitches, which even I can't see, but am guessing they are where I placed the X's. The fact that I knit five rows more on the back of the ribbing, thus raising the back neck while keeping the front stitches unknit til later fulfills my goal of lowering the front neck. Yay!



Here are two variations of the jacket.  Free pattern. My neckline will be higher, and raglan construction, so this will be more of a jacket to keep me warm. I am changing the front button placket too, and won't be making the lacy cuffs and hem. I am aiming at long sleeves..
It is two varigated sock yarns held together, and  I ordered the suggested yarns only to find out one colorway was out of stock, so I am substituting a purple mix for one of the four colors called for in the pattern. In the end my jacket will only be slightly like this one.  I'll have pockets on mine.

Call the Fashion Police

    I have been looking and pinning (Pinterest) outfits like these, so outside what I usually think of as my style. There is something so functional and comfy about these pieces (I love anything with pockets!)  that I decided I had to make one for myself. I had some lightweight denim and that seemed to be the cool fabric to wear, other than wrinkly linen, and lots of patterns I could reconfigure to work into one of these looks.
I took a jacket top pattern and cut it down to empire waist height, and then added a skirt and worked in pleats, both back and front, but only in the middle.  Then I added pockets and tie for the back.



I think it looks cute, in a kinda Amish Prison Warden way, but my husband hates hates hates it. So it must be GREAT!
I'd have him take a picture of me wearing it, but he  can't stomach it.

So I don't get it. What makes me like these looks so much and what do I need to do to make myself look good wearing them, beside erase 40 years of my life?