FO: McCalls 5250 High Waisted Slacks & Misc.

Stuff and Stuff and some more Stuff!

McCalls 5250 High-Waisted Slacks

Love them! Got lots of compliments on them. These slacks were soooo comfortable.

Pattern: McCall's 5250 High-Waisted Slacks
Material: Tartan Grey Metallic Suiting
Notions: 9" zipper, flat hook closure
Mods & Notes: I had planned to fully line with Posh polyester from JoAnns but while sewing I had a tearing mishap. I may go back later and add lining. I originally cut these out in muslin to get the proper fit. Which I now use as a sort of sloper. Added about 3" to the length. Have to learn how to do a better hidden zipper. Took a little extra time to match the pattern and lengthened the belt carriers by 1" each to accomodate wider belts.

Results: I really love these pants and got many many compliments on them today. Only drawback is the side seam pockets don't lay as flat as they could causing puckering. I may go back and stay stitch them to the outer seams. The pattern is easy and requires little to no guesswork. I highly recommend.

Pinstripes Swatch

Now if I could just sit down and finish the dang ole sweater AND write out the pattern. I dream big and in color. I seem to be slipping back into some habits I thought I had long left behind. Procrastination and not finishing. I'm going to hold myself accountable on this one. Hopefully I'll have a progress pic in my next post.

Tea, Cream & Red Velvet

With walnut icing. The redder the better. Jongewaards in Long Beach.



Kamika now if I go in here and eat this mint cheesecake I'll be stuffed!

Did I Sleep With You Last Night?

Remember when your momma used to say that to you when you woke up in the morning and didn't say hello? Oh Hello! Yes, Mert (short for Martha) is old skool. It's sad when it seems like everytime you come back to YOUR house you have to explain to folks where ya been and why you been gone so long. Dang! I am GROWN! Although I am living in my parent's house and too lazy or is that too tired and unmotivated to move out. Most of the other boarders have gone so it's been pretty much smooth sailing. I guess I'm just deceiving myself.

Back to explaining where I been and so on. I'm talking to my blog readers not my mom. She doesn't tread to closely to my personal business and when she does, I just ignore her. Then again, she doesn't need to. I'm pretty predictable and regimented. It's only on the weekends that I turn into a hoe-bath taking Hussy! LOL! Actually, I wish! Not the hoe bath part. I likes to bathe in tubs and showers and put on fresh, well you know...

I was gone 5 days shy of a month. I missed my own blogiversary. I think I was a little afraid to come back. Does that say how I am in relationships?

Work is really draining my energy. Mental drains are waaay more tiring than the physical. When I get home at night I barely make it over the threshold before I want to fall face first into the carpet and stay there until morning. It's as if all the "special" projects at work have turned into my actual job. These crazy things have become endless. Sometimes I feel hood-winked.

I have been knitting and combing my hair though! Shew! It'll take a nation to hold me back. I'm working on my own shrug design which I think I'll call Oz. Peep the picture below. I'm much further than it shows but I was too lazy today to take another pic. It should be finished by this weekend and I'll post it then and the pattern when I get a chance.

I finished steeking the Deep V Argyle vest and got distracted. Here's some pics of my progress. I'll get back to it soon.


Do you remember this? It's Buttony done in that wonderful Malabrigo.


Well look at it now.

It's more like Button still in that same wonderful (blah, blah, blah) Malabrigo. I don't know what I was toking on that day, probably long dormant energy, but I shrunk it in the dryer. Words cannot describe my face when after realizing that I had left it in for longer than 5 minutes, I opened the dryer and saw this miniature. LB (remember my 8 yo neice I dubbed Lying Butterfly?) would love it. Would because she's living in Las Vegas now and has absolutely no use for it out there! Oh well, I bought some more Malabrigo in this pretty peachy-orange color and I plan to make another Buttony but this time a perfect fit. Lesson learned: Malabrigo felts really nicely.

Talk about being scatterbrained. Check out my new train case and my makeup.


Isn't it pretty!? I realize my creature-of-habitness shows up in my choice of makeup colors. I needed to get the case so I could prove to myself that I always seem to buy the same colors.

I think I may plunk down the $1,890 to buy this bag. It's up there, a little materialistic, and prolly not worth it. But I want it and since I don't have a car note or market rate rent, it's justifiable. We'll see if I come to my senses. I just love Gucci.

I tested some of this at Sephora. Smashbox Photofinish. This is a great product. I use it under my foundation but mostly under my loose powder instead of foundation. Love it! Love it! Love it! With this summer's heat sure to be high enough to melt your makeup off. This with loose powder or bronzer, is a great alternative.


I went back and redid the collar on the Cycling Aran again. The cashmere/wool blend, still wasn't stretching enough even in the rib so I reknit it in the same Blue Sky Alpacas yarn as the rest of the body. I then realized that I didn't like how the zipper looked on the inside so I knit a facing to cover it on both sides. It turned out really great and gave the sweater an even nicer finished look.


On another note I started an Etsy store for my jewelry and stitch markers. I haven't gotten around to decorating it yet but when I do I'll let you all know.

Thanks to those of you who checked on me,


Kamika

Summer Pain

Tis what it tis... I've been away from blogland. No not really, I've just been away from my blog flat and have been laying on the couch of some other great bloggers through my Google Reader. So much has been going on here at The Motel but nothing actually here on the premises to pique your interest. Everything has been happening either off site, or in my mind.

I've been knitting and languishing, hitting the treadmill, and languishing. Sweating like a greek in the sauna that is my bedroom waging war on the damned ants! The California heat this August is not much different than in previous years, I just can't get to a room that doesn't have wood paneling and be able to layout in my underoos at the same time. And the ants! Oh the horrible ants are taking damn over! We've had so many ants that I think immigration laws are in order.

The ants are coming out of every crack and crevice here at The Motel. They're not even looking for food but have attacked my water! Water! What sound-minded bug runs to the water? I know it's dry outside and we didn't get much rain this past winter but dang! They ain't gonna be saved running to the water. No salvation for ants.

On the knitting front I have been miserable. The worsted weight silk blend I was using to make Notorious just didn't feel good in my hands. I think it was entirely too thick for the top. With a little research I learned that it would thin out after handwashing and blocking, but I didn't want to take that chance. Secondly as you can see from the photos, I made great headway on my Anthro Redux project but unfortunately I had to quit quick fast and in a hurry. I broke out in a rash all over my neck and parts of my face and hands. Why? Because I have wool sensitivities and the wool fibers mixed with the sweat I made from the hot temps didn't mix well. My neck got bumpy and two shades darker (TMI? sorry but I'll save you the pictures). I had to cover those areas with vaseline and shea butter to stop itching and to soothe the burning of my skin. I don't think there was anything wrong with the actual yarn as a milder version of this has happened before when I was wearing a wool hat-- pure wool and I just don't mix. I was chancing it working with the Berocco Ultra Alpaca but I had no problems with it.

The ultimate solution for my wool rash was to bag up those skeins and start all over with some Lion Brand Wool-Ease which is an acrylic and wool blend. It was a great alternative and I was able to get it in one of the hottest colors of the season, grey. My goal is to have the mock up finished by this weekend. From there I plan to use the design elements and confidence I've gained from taking this leap on actually designing and creating my own garments. I have so many ideas in my head. BTW, thanks for all the sweet compliments on my previous posts and on Ravelry. I so appreciate it!


Kamika

Redux You!

The Anthro Redux is working out nicely. I'm finishing up the right front and will be switching to the left front before the days out. I'm very excited about this project. I've been in an emotional slump of late and usually when I find myself in this place I need to do something fantasmic to pull myself out. There's nothing like creating something fresh and new to do just that.

Yippee! Potter Craft News, the publisher of Annie Modesitt's soon to be released book Romantic Handknits has just released a teaser pattern. It's called Notorious-not quite a tank and not nearly a sweater. A great little number to transition from summer to fall with. This will be the perfect project for me to be able to use those 7 skeins of Rowan RYC Silk Aran I bought last week. Hey! They were on sale for 30% off! I had yard sale money! This was my only splurge, since the rest of my purse went to bills. I'm STASH BUSTING! I will actually be getting the book this weekend as it is being released on the 18th.

Yesterday, I found another great project. It's the Shedir hat from Knitty Fall 2004. Here's a really nice FO from Art Class Failure's blog. I plan to use that aubergine Tahki Cotton Classic I got from my Coffee Swap Partner Ann K.

Ahh! I'm feeling inspired again,

Kamika

Anthropologie Rising

I've been laying low since Thursday. Had a pretty heavy weekend what with the second garage sale and all. I didn't really sell anything this time around. Most items were bought last weekend. But then again I couldn't expect much to sell since my attitude was "I really don't want to sell it but if you give me some cash I guess I'll let you have it." Heck, I made enough to pay a couple of bills this week and buy some new storage. It worked.

I decided to step out of myself and start designing. I was on Ravelry at one of my groups and someone posted about Anthropologie's 2007 Fall Catalog. I immediately went to look and found this great cardigan that I just knew I could recreate. It's the "In Session Sweater" seen here in green. As a mock up I'm using the Deluxe Worsted 100% Wool, I had in my stash. You'll see on my dressform a blue jacket that I'm also using for shaping. I'm working this up so far on size 6US needles, which is going pretty fast and providing a good firm fabric. I plan to switch to size 7 or 8US to work the moss stitch shoulder shaping. I'm writing the pattern out as I go. Wish me luck!

Kamika