Fibermania

Aiming at Normal

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Four finished pairs of pj's

Do you remember when you were a kid and you actually complained,

"Mom, I'm bored."

Ha! Hard to imagine these days when all we can do is try to accomplish one creative thing a day, or a week or whatever. When I started my career I focused so completely on it that everyday tasks kept being put off, indefinitely, like putting away my laundry.

But then the idea of retiring came into view and I did just that, almost, in 2002. That is, I retired from one third of my career. Well, one third is a lot. I kept the teaching and the art part and retired from the dyeing business with all its travel, booth sitting and website order filling. I thought that would give me more time to have a more normal life.

So here I am, four years later still aiming at that normal life.

For example. I like to sew clothes for myself. Especially things that I want that I really cannot stand to buy, like pajama bottoms. Nowadays pj's are all hip huggers! How dumb is that? The last thing I want is a gaping drafty emptiness at my middle. I found some interlock from the early 90's still in my stash, and a pattern that I have used for pjs that I loved.

Vintage!

The nice thing about Stretch and Sew patterns is never having to admit what size you are making. So I cleared off my work table and cut out the four pairs of bottoms, sewed them up and now I am ready for winter. I like this pattern because the leg tapers so nicely that I can pull my sox over the hems and seal myself in for maximum warmth.

Toasty!

Isn't this a fun picture? I am learning all these tricks in Photoshop...more time for normal life stuff.

Now, do I really need to fix these sox? The cuff was knitted from wool that felted upon washing.

This makes them difficult to pull on and reminds me of my first sweater (made at 15) which felted when I washed it. A nightmare, since it was an Aran fisherman's sweater. This is why I am not a fan of felted items, which are all the rage these days. I am unpicking the stitches from the cuff and will reknit from superwash wool.

It is great to have a day where I accomplish something unrelated to my career. I still have laundry to put away though...