Wow, that weekend went fast. I don't hate Mondays, but I definitely could've used one more day. We have a new cedar picket fence, which is adorable. There was only one re-do (when I came out and saw that the first eight pickets were about three inches too high, and gently insisted they come off [eeek â thank you hun, really] ) and two smashed-thumb incidents, one of which occurred on Easter Sunday. I worried for several seconds that the entire neighborhood would be treated to an Easter soliloquy hollered entirely in profanity, but Andy quickly hightailed it into the house and shouted a bit in there, which sent the dog into a far corner, out of which she didn't come for a while. She doesn't stick around much when the going gets rough. But everything worked out just fine in the end and the fence is very sweet. I'll take a picture today if it stops raining.
I weeded one half of the front parkway and mulched it and when I was done I felt that I should've gone horseback-riding instead, since my body felt as if I'd just finished a 14-hour trail ride. Oh. My. Goodnessgraciousme. Achy achy. Achy achy achy. I came in in time to clean up, hop into bed, and get ready to watch The Wind in the Willows as mentioned, but promptly fell asleep not fifteen minutes after it started. Having TiVo gives one zero-incentive to stay awake while recording, I tell you. I could hear Andy laughing at the movie beside me, especially during that "never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever, etc." part, which sounded really funny, so I'm going to try again to watch it tonight.
This is the circular-yoke sweater for Susan's book which, in the end, was very, very simple and when Susan sees it she will absolutely think "WHAT is this girl's problem? It's so obvious what had to happen to make this work." Well, Susan's so kind she probably won't think that but that's what I'd think if I'd witnessed all the flailing and acrobatics surrounding this cardi's creation, and then saw the final, rather straightforward and obvious solution. I do feel that I earned the solution, at least, so that's nice. I threaded some of the Liberty fabrics through the posts of these double crochets like those eyelet trims I used to have on my Easter dresses when I was a kid. I love those ribbon-laced tiny ruffles.
Anyway, things started are getting underway and even finished. I'm going to put the bookbags on sale Thursday at noon PST. If any sell at the exact same time, I'll definitely try to remake them, or something very similar.
That's not a real geranium. It's a fake plant from JoAnn's, seven years ago. I put them in my window boxes on the upstairs window â gotta love the no-maintenance garden after pulling all those weeds in the front one. Oooof.
Ever since I saw your Cecily baby sweater, I've secretly hoped you design a grown-up version as well. Can't wait 'til the book comes out!
My favorite Easter dress as a kid was a yellow calico dress made by my mom. It had yellow ribbons running through the eyelet trim - I still love that dress.
Happy Monday!
oh your cardigan is gorgeous...I wish i could crochet that well...and lived where it got chilly for more than a second.
**Jeff(dh)started our gravel backyard last week and it is already looking SO GOOD. Thanks again to Andy for the email 'splaining what he did. We have the base down, thumped, and brick trim in place so gravel doesn't get into our grassy areas. thinkin we'll get gravel this week...then, THEN the fluffing begins!
I watched the entire Wind in the Willows....I had to laugh about your " never, ever,ever,ever,ever,ever...." comment as my husband and I were laughing at that last night, too! : ) Over all I liked this adaptation...although Mr. Toad freaked me out little bit...and the singing! : ) I thought Mole, Ratty and the Badger were perfect!
Gorgeous cardi! Love those ties.
My mom used to make me do the weeding, which was torture because I was allergic to something out there that gave me a rash up my arms. And she wondered why I never wanted to join her in the garden.
Congrats on the fence. I can hardly wait to see it!
The sweater is SO lovely...Way to go, Ms. A! The pretty strips of fabric make me very happy.
And on a hilarity-related-note, your post the other day (about the blog being only about cats and the afghan) killed me, because I was thinking to myself just prior to that: "Alicia's blog seems to be becoming a Cat N' Crochet blog".
I can't wait to sit down and watch Wind in the Willows, too--thanks you you and you alone, I knew it was on and recorded it. :)
I used to think it was a little silly on those exercise/calorie lists when they'd put gardening down and list a surprisingly large number of calories burned per hour. Now I have my own garden to take care of, and I think their estimates run a little low! Whew. Can't wait to see fence photos!
se ve muy linda con esas amarras
That cardigan is absolutely gorgeous!
Oh wow I Love the sweater! The unexpected touch of fabric floral ties makes it perfect! (love the fabric too!)
It looks like something I should wear for Easter! So pretty, great job!
Hope you and Andy get some rest now, and the aches go away.
The fake geranium is so pretty. :O)
Didn't see wind in the willows, but Hubby and I watched Shirley Temple movies on AMC all Sunday, a good cryfest!
Love love love the sweater!!
I can't wait for the Cardi pattern! You'll have to let us know when the book gets published. Yay to book bags too! Just~ YAY Alicia!
P.S. I fell asleep last night too~ can't wait to watch it tonight, especially since Heroes isn't on right now.
SUCH a pretty cardi. Maybe I need to take up crochet now too...?
The cardigan is GORGEOUS!! Your fabric weave-ins are the perfect touch. My sister and I had the Shirley Temple movie marathon on all day yesterday. I own all the movies, but that didn't stop us. I still adore her - the absolute best and most wonderful child actress/singer/dancer EVER in the history of the world, never to be equaled. She will celebrate her 79th birthday this month!
the sweater is amazing and i have my hoops ready to adorn my wall too(see i've been lurking like a bad blogger)! you are so so talented! hope you had a grand weekend! advil helped last weekend when i did my weeding!
Sweet Alicia =^..^=
Oh you DO have the very BEST ideas!
This is simply the prettiest little big people sweater, ever ever!
The fabric ties ::SIGH:: I like them so much infact I immediately snitched the idea and took the little ribbons from the vintage baby sweater on my teddy bear, Pony ... and made ties from old calico & gingham ... Strung them through ... and it looks adorable!!!
Of course now I want one too. You may have actually gotten me with this project ... I can usually convince myself that I don't need to make anything more (like I need another project, you know?) ... but this time I am already considering yarn colors. I might have to make myself one of these darling cardigans! Very Yummers.
=^..^= love, zU
Anxiously awaiting the pictures of the little cedar fence ... Special for, Audrey ... right? Not to worry ... It's okay none of us will tell her otherwise ::smile::
The sweater is beautiful! Thanks for posting the link to Susan's store Loop. I love the patterns you created that she has in stock - think I may be purchasing one very soon!
I love that sweater, it's so sweet! And can't wait to see the fence. At least you only have rain - we had snow here this morning. Thankfully it didn't stick. That would have been just plain ugly.
Have a great day!
God bless :)
I love how you put those Liberty fabrics in. That is just such a beautiful picture. It's just breathtaking!
Was really happy that here in Holland we have two easterdays. No monday this week. Seeing that cardigan I think I have to learn to crochet before next easter!
I love the cardigan and the fabric through the loops just ties it off perfectly!
I'm preparing for many of the smashing thumb episodes as we are going to be taking out a chain link fence in our yard soon. Yikes!
I love how you ripped the fabrics and wove them into ties, it's really lovely. The top liberty fabric is really cute, I have a blouse from anthropologie that has the same pattern patchworked on the sleeves.
so chic! :)
I love the sweater. I wish I had the ability to do that. I think it looks great.
I LOVE those fabric strips through the eyelets instead of ribbon. Love it. To me, that detail is what really makes the cardi special. Good for you - an artist's touch to elevate it beyond ordinary crochet.
Also - when I was growing in Portland we had tons of flower gardens (as in the rose garden, the iris garden, the rock garden, the pansey garden etc.) and I always had to help weed them. I truly hated it after 10 years or so. Strangely I now live in Montana where EVERYONE puts in low-maintenance shrubbery with weed-barrier and large bark dust. The only flowers go in pots. I rarely have to weed. But I do kind of long for that Oregon-y moist dark dirt with fine mulch. A lot of work, but much more "earthy".
Love the cardi! Lovely work!
Just wanted to let you know that I nominated your blog for Best Blog of All Time in the Blogger's Choice Awards (http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com). :)