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(Right, Barbie?)
Tomorrow, we’re meeting a friend and her daughter for lunch. Maybe I should backtrack…
Last week, Mom mentioned that she’d like me to take all of my sister’s and my old Barbies with me when we move. Um, I don’t really want all my Barbies, but I really don’t want to get rid of them, either.
Then it hit me: what am I saving them for? When I was a little girl, I kept them looking so nice – I lost almost no shoes, I kept their hair combed – all because I knew that someday my daughters would want to play with them. Well, that’s certainly not going to happen. My boys couldn’t care less (they just like to race the Corvette alongside their dumptrucks), and even if they wanted to play with the dolls, I don’t think I could watch them play rough with the toys I kept so carefully for so long.
Did I mention the friend I’m meeting tomorrow has a daughter? Who likes Barbies? *Lightbulb*
So today, Mom and I played Barbies one last time as we set up for a fashion shoot. I decided to give all of them to Haylee, and relive my memories of my favorite childhood toys through my camera. Ready to climb in the time machine with me? Instead of a Delorean, we’ll be taking the pink Corvette…
Let’s start with a night on the town with Ken and Crystal Barbie. She was my favorite. I remember removing her from the box. That dress! That stole! And the earrings had crystals in them!
Next, a trio of favorites. On the left is Twirly Curls Barbie; she belonged to Heather. Twirly’s poor neck is beyond the help of any chiropractor – her hair is so heavy that her head lost the ability to stay upright years ago. In the center: Kissing Barbie. This Barbie has a button on her back that pushes her lips out – she really kisses! She came with a little tube of “lipstick,” and letters and envelopes to S.W.A.K. The envelopes quickly ran out, though, and the backs of our hands got the brunt of the kissing. On the right: Golden Dreams Barbie. If this outfit doesn’t scream, “Bridging the gap between the 1970’s & 1980’s!” I don’t know what would.
Next, make way for Western Barbie and her horse, Dallas! This beautiful lady also has a button on her back, but instead of kissing, she winks at you, displaying a nice, heavy swath of blue eyeshadow. Stylish!
Barbie wasn’t always out riding the range. When she hit the city, she did it in style! Here she is in her ‘79 Dream Vette. (Complete with mobile phone and television in the dash.)
So we know Barbie winks, kisses, rides and drives. Did you know she can also rock out in the most 80’s way? Yep, in the mid-to-late-80’s Barbie fronted her own band, Barbie and the Rockers. One year Heather and I saved up ALL of our money to head down to Toys R Us and buy their tour van. What could be cooler than a purple splatter-painted camper with its own working tape deck? Absolutely nothing.
Now what Barbie girl worth her salt would have such a fine collection of dolls without the threads to go with them? Our girls were oh-so-fashionable back in the day. Take a gander at this 70’s halter dress. And how about the Sergio Valente denim duds? Don’t you miss the 80’s?
The very best Barbie clothes, however, were not to be found on the shelves of the toy store. Pattern makers have always capitalized on our love of fashion dolls, and Mom provided our dolls with the greatest array of fashion choices. My favorites are the two outfits on the left – how awesome are they? (The house dress…meh. However, it brings back so many memories, I can’t not love it.)
And of course, Barbie had to be prepared for her wedding. Here we have a double ceremony, complete with bridesmaid.
Once I got old enough, I started following in Mom’s footsteps and making my own outfits for the girls. Most were still held together with straight pins when I found them in storage, but these two are great. I didn’t even realize until I found them that I’d known this much about crocheting at such a young age! I forgot it somewhere along the way…
So tomorrow, all these ladies and gents, vehicles and animal, clothes and accessories get passed to the next generation. I’m excited to have them once again fulfilling their purpose, rather than sitting in boxes in the basement. Thank you, Barbie, for the endless fun.
As I promised on Twitter last week, I can finally reveal my latest crochet project. Saturday was the shower for some dear friends, who are due next month with a little girl. Since I have so few opportunities (that is to say, no opportunities) to dress little girls, I had to go for a garment.
Pattern: Lacy Cardigan by Hilary Mackin, Sue Whiting
from The Big Book of Weekend Crochet
Yarn: Knit Picks Risata
Hook: 3.5mm (E)
I’m very happy with it, although I didn’t find the pattern too easy to read. I got it done though, and it’s adorable, and that’s the point! The yarn matches embroidery on the little dress I picked out for her, and it was a dream to work with. It has some stretch to it, and it created such a nicely-draping fabric.
Today, the baby fun continued when I drove out to meet a good friend from high school and her new baby boy. She and I had lost touch for a number of years (12!) before we met again at her baby shower this summer. Talking today, it was like we’d just been hanging out together last week. Good friends like that don’t come a dime a dozen.
Remember the Sólás Caomh blanket? That was for Little Baby Thomas:
Babies are so cooperative when they’re napping, aren’t they? Thomas, like both of my boys, was born prematurely due to preeclampsia. He is thriving, though, and ate like a little piggy while I was there today. (And his mommy is doing well now, too.)
He continued napping long enough for us to grab lunch…
…and then woke up to let me capture my favorite photo of the day. I love the look on Monica’s face.
(How freaking adorable is this baby?!?) Of course, when Thomas heard about Bench Monday, he got really excited and begged his Mommy to play along.
The boys and I are home after our lovely staycation at our best friends’ house. They hit the beach, and we spent the week puppy-sitting and making use of their extended satellite TV, cozy reading chairs, and neighborhood pool. It was a good deal all-around.
Of course, Monday meant that I could take advantage of a new-to-me bench…
Tuesday, the boys each had a swimming lesson with the neighborhood’s swim team coach. This young woman has such a way with kids! I hadn’t been able to get Kalen to do anything resembling a stroke before this day, and look at him swimming right to her!
Nicky also made great progress in the pool, and he got the hang of side breathing. He can now make it all the way across the short width of the pool without putting his feet down. This kid has come a long, long way in just over a year. I’m in such awe of him.
I also spent an awful lot of time reading (Lynn Kurland – one of my favorites!), and I got a start on that baby gift I mentioned before. No details until after the shower, but a little sneak peek can’t hurt, can it?
We really enjoyed our little faux vacay, and it was made even better by the knowledge that Jason will be coming to see us next week. He flies in Tuesday night to spend a week and celebrate Kalen’s birthday. We’re all so excited.
I set to work on the latest Digi Dare yesterday afternoon (main components of the challenge – one word title and one photo containing only one subject). Looking through my 2005 photos, I found this one of Nicky with his listening equipment. His occupational therapist at the time, Ms. Yolanda, had determined that he was a prime candidate for a program called Therapeutic Listening to help with his Sensory Processing Disorder. Nicky continued with TL for many months. I don’t know how much it helped, and how much was the other forms of therapy or simple maturity, but he did show improvement over that year.
(Credits behind the cut)
Today I finished up another baby blanket. This one’s bound for the NICU, to warm some little baby while he or she is having feedings. I needed something mindless to work on while the boys and I watched the original Star Wars trilogy last week, and j. had sent me a great skein of bright orange yarn, so this was born. I’m halfway in love with it, just for the colors. I’m so tired of pastel baby clothes and blankets, I swear I’ll never make anything pastel for a baby again!
I love this pattern!
Sólás Caomh by Jodi Euchner
Yarn: Wool-Ease (wool/poly blend for washability)
G hook
The finished product was well worth the rows and half-rows I frogged each time I realized I’d put a cable in the wrong place or forgotten a part of a cable. It’s a pretty small blanket, not big enough to keep anyone warm, really. However, I hope it will be perfect for little Thomas to drag around behind him, cuddle up with, and generally treat with tough love.
My hook is flying madly whenever I find time to park myself on the sofa…mostly in the evenings, watching Jane Austen movies with Mom and Dad. Doctors’ waiting rooms also make fine crochet studios, especially once you’ve been through the pattern repeats a bit.
Sólás Caomh by Jodi Euchner
This is one of the most difficult patterns I’ve ever done. Now that I’m going strong, it isn’t so bad, actually, but the first few repeats were murder. Cable crochet in and of itself isn’t so hard…what makes it fiddly is the “Shut up, I’m counting!” nature of the pattern, plus the unfamliar motion of working front post stitches behind stitches you just made.
Anyway, I’ve now completed six of eleven repeats, and I’m supposed to have it done for a baby shower on Saturday, complete with border and blocking. Eh, piece of cake, right? Riiiiight…
Or, it would be if I didn’t keep taking breaks to scrap a bit. Hey, in my defense, the poor hands need a rest now and then.
Yesterday (yay!), PencilLines posted the sketch for this week. Sketches help so much when inspiration is scarce. As you can tell, I’m a bit behind in my scrapping. (Yes, that 19-month-old eating the green popsicle is entering First Grade in a couple of months. Don’t even ask about their baby albums.) In the past, I jumped all over, scrapping whatever photos hit my mood at the time. However, I’ve taken a cue from my dear friend (and scrapping/design guru), Karah. I’m approaching it methodically now, working my way through 2005. In a few months, I should have an album to show for it!
Sweet Treat Credits:
Sketch (reversed) by Anna Bowkis for PencilLines blog (#137)
Background paper by Audra Little (A Little Ensanada)
Krafty Brackets Paper by Christine Honsinger for ScrapArtist.com
Noteworthy Alpha by Birgit Kerr
Stitching by Birgit Kerr (Easy Living)
Scrolled Alpha (recolored) & Bird by Lori Musser/Page Frocks (Paper Dreams)
Swirl Stamp by Amber Clegg (Tranquility)
Cardboard Circle and Scalloped Border by Amy Martin (5255 Collab Kit)
Flowers & “Cool” Word Art by Shabby Princess (Happy Go Lucky)
Journaling Lines by Designs by Lili for ScrapArtist.com (Pieces of My Heart)
One of the guidelines of Bench Monday is to “wear something pretty.” I typically ignore this rule, due to the fact that (a) I don’t really own much in the way of pretty (most of my days are jeans and tops occasions), and (b) what little I do have is packed away at the mo’.
This weekend, however, Mom gave me some more of her grandmother’s crocheted lace. This time, it was two table runners, and I was especially drawn to the one done in a pinwheel pattern. It makes a pretty apron, although somewhat inappropriate for use during dinner prep.
I have quite the collection of antique crocheted lace now, all done by my great-grandmother. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it all. I suspect it won’t come as much of a shock if I reveal that I’m not really one to have crocheted doilies and table runners all over the place. One piece will be included with my submission to the Milkweed Project. The rest will have to bide their time until the right use for each presents itself.
Two things have been missing from my blog lately: me and crochet.
Me? That’s an easy one.
My brilliant, fabulous, incredible and now highly-educated little sister graduated from law school on Saturday. I so want to call her a lawyer and send cute little notes with an “Esq.” on the end, but she says I’m not allowed until she passes the bar. Details, details. (I still inscribed the book I bought her with her name, Esq. It’s fun, and I’m freaking proud of her. So sue me. I’ll have a good lawyer soon enough.) So, we were up in Virginia for a long weekend celebrating, watching her speak (yes, she was elected speaker by her class!), and sight-seeing in D.C. (Pictures of that to follow later…)
Crochet? Ah, never assume that the absence of crochet from the blog equals an absence of crochet from my life! I’ve been working for the past month solely on Heather’s graduation present…and since it was in her school colors, I exercised an awful lot of restraint and did NOT post the progress here.
However! Graduation is past, and the gift has been given.
When I read about Laughing Purple Goldfish’s Event Plaid, I knew immediately that this is what I would make for Heather’s graduation gift. After a few trips to Goodwill for sweaters to frog and a session with my Wilton’s and Kool-Aid dyes, I had three green yarns and a gold. Perfect for a George Mason U. grad. (This is the largest project I’ve made completely of reclaimed yarns. Yay!)
The whole idea of this blanket is to utilize the numbers from an important date to create the pattern. Heather’s graduation was on May 16, 2009, or 5-16-09. The numbers I would use to make the blanket, therefore, were 5-1-6-9. I needed four yarns for this; the first would be used for five rows, the second for one row, etc. Voila, a pattern!
It was going well, until I got to the third yarn in my pattern, and I quickly realized that I would run out of my third and fourth yarns if I kept up that pattern. I modified the numbers and ended up with a 5-1-3-6 pattern. I’m not sure if anything important happened on May 13, 2006, but we’ll just assume it’s around the time Heather decided to move to Virginia for law school and call it done.
I have to agree with Sharon’s assessment that this is an ugly, ugly pattern until the very last bit is done. The pattern is worked in dc, ch1 spaces for row after row. It’s not very attractive. The magic happens after the crochet portion is done and the weaving begins. Weaving is done in the same row patterns, obviously worked in the other direction. Once the strands are woven through and the tassles tied, the plaid is obvious and incredible. I can’t imagine a color combination that wouldn’t look great.
I learned an important thing during this process. This pattern takes forever. I mean it. It just goes on and on, especially when you want a blanket of some size, like I did. I really wanted to give Heather something she could snuggle under on the couch. I managed to watch several great miniseries on DVD with Mom and Dad while crocheting this thing. The weaving took a lot longer than I expected, too. Thank goodness for Mom. She spent most of the day and evening last Wednesday working on the weaving, and it saved me a lot of anguish and scrambling.
It was worth it, though. I finished the weaving on the road on Thursday and tied the tassles that night in the hotel room. It’s one of my favorite pieces ever.
Here’s an idea of the size…Heather says it will be perfect for her office someday. She wants a chaise where she can curl up and read briefs and cases, and of course, she must have a blankie for the space. This one has the added bonus of being very tartan-like, which speaks to our proud Scottish heritage.
She looks pretty happy with it, don’t you think?? It even matches her eyes.
Cozy Girl, Esq.
Mother’s Day has presented me with the opportunity to attempt something I’ve been wanting to for awhile. I’ve long been intrigued by knitalette’s beautiful crochet-covered stones. I could see them as something Mom would like, which she quickly confirmed when I showed her the photos a few weeks ago.
Yesterday, I sat down with stone, thread, and hook in hand. While Mom was in the dining room working on collages with the boys, I fiddled away in the living room…and was able to present her with this a short time later:
I’ve not had much luck with freeform crochet in the past, but this medium worked well for me. I’m quite happy with the results, and Mom is even happier, having requested a small pile of them. Success!
Yesterday, I made a stone.
Today, I made time. The boys and I spent a nice portion of the afternoon on the back porch, reading and drawing and coloring.
Nicky had Book Fair books to devour, and I’m reading yet another historical fiction set around the British monarchy. Kalen was incredibly patient with us, flipping through Nicky’s new Pokemon guidebook for some time before finally asking to play a game. I sheepishly put my book aside and “encouraged” Nicky to do the same. When Kalen realized he had our attention, the game idea was quickly scratched in favor of coloring. True to their forms, Nicky chose a coloring book, and Kalen grabbed a sketchbook.
Nicky likes being inside the lines. Kalen likes making his own lines.
When I was a little girl and unable to let go of my perfectionism, I preferred coloring books, too. I still like them, but I’m now able to embrace non-realism in my own drawing…to view drawing as an extension of my ever-present doodling rather than trying to make my hands create precisely what my eyes see.
It’s a wonder what an hour with crayons and markers will do for your morale.
My issue of Interweave Crochet came today, and there was a familiar face on page 8!
Lookie here!
Last summer, I was asked to write the Atlanta edition of IC’s Crochet Around Town feature. I can’t tell you how excited I was to combine two of my loves: crochet and writing. Not only did I get to share some of the great yarn shops in Atlanta, I was able to show off some of my other favorite things in the city. (The Shakespeare Tavern probably tops my list there. What a great evening that place provides!)
I have been sitting on pins and needles since the IC preview was put up last week, waiting for my copy. Now I guess I’ll have to go to the bookstore and buy a copy to keep pristine in my writing files, because there are a few patterns in the issue that I simply must make.
Thanks to Jason for the photo, and to j. – my favorite editor – for the ripping and rearranging of my draft and the inspiration for the opening hook. (Ha! Pun not intended but not deleted, because I do love a good pun.)
