Underneath the Moonlight the Moonlight!

(Under the Moonlight Scarf -ravelry link)

I started and finished some knitting last week. There was a Stitch and Bitch meetup at my place on a Sunday. It went well but teaching other girls how to knit was far more difficult then i had anticipated. It was not my intention to have to teach all the girls how to knit. There was one that knew a bit but not enough to help others. There was some teaching of crochet by other girls. I had purchased some yarn at Hobby Lobby in case there were girls who didn't bring any yarn with them for any reason. Everyone bough yarn so I used the Caron Simply Soft Shadows as a demonstration. I really loved the color of the yarn so kept on knitting this simple scarf. It's short but I still love it. So soft and the colors and just my style. I'm really tempted to knit another one that is longer and in a loop. Yums. Just thought I would share one of my projects. The rest of my knitting projects are in limbo land. I would like to keep on knitting but i'm having trouble with my thumb/right hand. The things I constantly do everyday repeatedly is beating up my hand. Keyboard, mouse, propagation plants, using scissors, knitting...it's all taking a toll on me. I wish I could give my hand a break but there just isn't any way of doing that.

Sewing Mug Rugs

I've been knitting but i must share my sewing today. On Sunday January 10th I hosted a Stitch and Bitch for the GirlFriends Meetup. It went great but I had bought supplies to help someone learn how to sew. My goal was to teach the girl how to sew some coasters that used the fat quarters. When I was in home ec I learned to make a pillow in the fashion and thought it was great fun. After buying the supplies the girl canceled the hour before the meetup occured. This left me with lots of fabric and nothing to use it on. Well i bought fabric i liked anyways and some ribbon to add a touch of interest to the coasters. Instead of putting it away and forgetting about it I decided I needed some homemade decorations around the house and this was a great place to start. I had bought the oriental/metallic fat quarters pack and loved them.  To add to the back I got some fabric scrap yardage on sale. The photo above is of my second attempt.

(My first coaster attempt)

The first attempt went well but I wasn't measuring exact. I just cut one piece and cut the rest out of it not caring to be precise on my measurements. I know what would happen by doing this but was still dissapointed when it did. The coasters were not all the same size so I really wanted to love them but could not for that reason. I love the fabric combination and the ribbon I added to the center fabric. It was perfect for my decor but just not very...perfect. I'm a perfectionist so I decided to try again.

(My second attempt at making coasters)

The second time I made the coaster I was precise in my measurements and tried to sew the same distance each time (1/4th inch). This time they all came out very close to the same size except for two that were a tad larger. I liked the neatness better but not the fabric combination. It's not hideous but just not as pretty as the first and didn't really make me happy. I had paired up the two because the koi fabric had blue in it and some swirls. My thought was that it had something in common but just...wasn't my cup of tea. i have plans for these and they are already in a box ready to be shipped to hopefully someone who will love them more than me. If they don't maybe they will pass them on to someone who does.

(Not perfect but still pretty)

As you can guess I will be trying again. Third time is the charm right? i think I might stick with the same pattern as the first attempt but just be super precise and really stick to the 1/4inch seams. At least this third time they will be closer in size than the first for sure.

A Brief Look Back

I'm glad 2009 is over with. It was probably the hardest year I've had so far. There was a lot of stuff that happened and most of it really tested my inner strength. Unfortunately my inner strength isn't that strong. After all that happened I hope that it has made me stronger and not shaken when everything goes wrong.

2009 brought lots:

Leg pains for most the year with no explaination

My car crapping out on me freaquently and never getting fixed right

My dogs having one issue or another some time during the year

My husband being gone for about 5 months making dealing with issues harder for me

My friend moving away

Termites being found around our house

Acrobat ants invading the exterior of our home

Airconditioner breaking when it was over 100 degrees everyday and not being repaired until 4 days later

Graduation being delayed because last two classes i needed were cancelled

But also brought

2 pay raises (it helped when i needed it)

School almost done but now paid for

A new house which is way better than an apartment

Tova being neutered finally!!!!

Reviving of my interest in knitting again

Getting a gym membership (haven't used it as much as I should have)

2010 resolutions!!!!

Knit 12 sweaters/garments

Knit 12 little projects like scarves, mittens, hats etc.

Get more organized in the house...like bookshelf and other things to make it easier and neater

Clean some more (I did good in 2009 but i want to do better in 2010)

Start working from home part time by selling on Etsy again and doing Garden Consulting

Finish school finally!!!

Be a happier person

Work out more

Make some home decorations

Work on the front and back yards