This time for sure!

Hi All,

Oh, I've been busy...and not, all at the same time. In this last month I had all the following:

Broken car
Sick Child
Broken Husband's car
Sick Husband
End of School year wind down
End of year wind down - Girls Scouts
Sick Me

Oh sure there's more incidentals in between as well. This time of year is always so busy.

I so want to get back to sewing. I am beginning to miss it. I know the girls are starting at a new school here soon, and they will still need the uniform, but they also need clothes for the summer, and I would like to make them both a few dresses. I need to get back into it anyway, as I promised to make Ally's wedding dress for next March,a nd I know it's only June, but time will fly by quickly, and I need to get the material picked out, swatches sent to the bride for approval. Lots to do. The last 5 years or so it's been real tough to get to the machine for any length of time because the girls usually want to get in and help me...wether I need/want it or not. They are getting bigger, and a little easier to redirect when they decide they need to get right in the way. I just have to dig out my sewing space and find my niche in that room. Hopefully this weekend I will accomplish something, as I have to spend some time at the fabric stores looking swatches.

The dress Ally picked is interesting, in many ways a typical strapless wedding dress, but the skirt has some hitches in it ( to bunch up the fabric in spots as part of the design), but she also wants it trimmed in red. I am trying to picture this dress with the red trim and trying to think of what the best way to approach would be. I will be giving this some thought.

I spoke with Ally yesterday, she was planning to be up in the area in July, and I want to try out the pattern, so I was thinking of making a sundress with the pattern to see how it goes together. This way i can try the fitting, to see how close I am ( I know she's trying to loose some weight for next March, but for now, it would work to see if I'm close. I expect to have to make adjustments anyway.

I just need to put down the knitting...pry it from my sore old hands. I am so close to finishing the Mystery Shawl. I have 2 of the 4 corners turned on the outer edge. I am knitting like a man-woman to finsih it off (this weekend in Memorial weekend, I am hoping to block it this weekend at work when no one is here. I don't have the space at home, so I was really hoping to do it after hours, and let it sit Sunday and most of Monday undistrubed). I have the first shawl done, but haven't blocked it yet - but now as I think about it, I wonder if I should dye it. It's cream colored (ebay special)....maybe I should just block it for now and see how it looks. I keep thinking I should dye it blue, in a graduating color from light on the edge to darker in the middle. I will think about this a little more, as I do have some time before Sunday to dye it if I'm going to.

I am getting ready for another shawl that starts Saturday. It will once again be a triangular shawl, and I do still feel like a square so we'll see what I do. I found another group making a mystery shawl - Galveston Shawl - and this has the option of going Square or triangle, in 3 sizes. From what I've seen of the pictures, the square interests me the most, but it looks like so many of the people are knitting the square, and hardly anyone is knitting the triangle. Maybe I will work on spinning up some of the dark brown wool, and use that to make this shawl... it's something to think about.

I better go- lots to do.
Happy Knitting!