She really needs a name, this little Singer Featherweight.

I did some sewing yesterday. A duvet cover. From two big sheets. One would think this is a relatively easy thing. Pretty much three long straight seams.

Well…

I broke my sewing machine, the 1965ish Kenmore partway down the first seam. There was some trial and error because one of the sheets is the exact size of the comforter, while the other is bigger. There was some frustration. There was a lot of frustration. I don’t really have a sewing space, it is the end of the kitchen table. The end we typically eat on. Because it’s closest to the outlet. We have dogs. The floors aren’t super clean. There was a lot (a lot!) of fabric. Kenmore gave up the ghost… booo and hooo…

But I called my pal, and she said she had a machine even older than mine (~1947)! It works like a charm. There was some user error. After some bobbin thread massacre that required tools to clean up, I was good. Or maybe it was that I broke out the port. Chosen because it was the open bottle of anything wine-like. And a corkscrew was just too much at the time!

This machine was her mom’s… and she bought it as a young woman, in Hawaii! It is an amazing thing… light, compact, tidy, efficient, and beautiful.

The goal was to cover the down comforter with sheets, and to then ditch the top sheet on the bed. I told DH that it better be the damned best sleeping he’s ever had. He just laughed.

The seams are not straight. But it’s functional, and comfortable. So, mission accomplished!

bad eggs

Nothing is growing… but they still amuse me.

Of course it might be that these things were bought at deep discount, and they sat for a year before I planted them… or that I forgot which was the pitcher plant and which was the fly trap, and one of them needed to have its seeds frozen first. Those dragon plants advertise that the cut leaves bleed! Wouldn’t that be a hoot, terrifying bleeding plants at work? Right next to the whip…

Kenmore needs some servicing… but I think after maybe new belts, possibly new wiring from pedal, and perhaps (??) a new motor, it’ll be all good. It’s really a sturdy machine and has done a lot for me… including things I shouldn’t ask of it, like too many layers of fleece or denim. But after this little sewing escapade, I am clear that I do NOT want to sew my own flannel jammy pants. I’ll just buck up the big bucks (relative, to me) and get some ladies’ tall ones…

From Mel, for donating to No on 1. Best part? His mama’s pecan pie!!!

Sock yarn from black bunny fibers. Love the color, Selma-la-la! And some mega boot and a great mug made by Steven.

I took the day off, kiddo’s home on school vacation. Such a hardship (NOT)! Plan to get those holiday cards out today, but I need more stamps. And maybe I’ll finish BIL’s scarf. It’s lengthwise linen stitch, alpaca tweed, in browns, maybe an inch or so to go… but it isn’t going super quickly. Photos soon.

there has been some knitting

Here’s some, from our recent trip to PA,

For a baby coming any day now… the color is better in the non pom-pom version.

From leftovers for mitts I made for this baby’s mom,

and the hat that I made at first for the new baby was way too big, so this baby got it.

These are done,

but won’t get to their recipient until after Xmas.

I’m hoping that things get where they’re going (I haven’t even wrapped anything yet!) by the Epiphany. I figure it was good enough for JC, it should be good enough for my family! But I’m still working on at least one project.

work visitor

Bella! She’s maybe 8 or 10 weeks old, a standard poodle. Very sweet. Very soft. Very calm, unlike my girl or my boss’s boy was at that age… hmmm….

The other day was the first day of winter, and we have snow, and you know what that means… snow piles have begun!

Two views of the same pile… when it gets really big, the mound is nearly to the erosion fence by the edge of the woods. Just in case you want to get a head start on that snow melt contest… I think I’ll announce it on or just before the first day of spring.

Trying not to stress. No stress. No stress. No stress.

Houdini lives at Briar Bush Nature Center, where we had the memorial service for Mom-in-law on Saturday. Apparently Houdini lost his job as a magician’s dove because he is very talkative. And he likes to look in his mirror quite a lot (noisy and vain)! He usually is in a room with a couple of lovebirds, but for the memorial was in the front entry.

They all had a lot to say to each other during the service. I’m sure MIL would have loved it! She was an incredible nature enthusiast.

Here’s some of the other cast of characters about the place… The big tortoise is Tortellini, but I didn’t catch the names of the others… (those box turtles are rare in Maine, though not in PA).

I didn’t hear the cockroaches hiss…

Here’s the girls on the long long ride home,

We learned that such a long ride doesn’t do good things for Zuzu’s tummy. Not on the trip, but once we got home…

At close to midnight, this is what I saw…

Snow! Mounds of snow, blurring past…

And look what was waiting for me at home…

Wee (very wee!) little mitts. Thanks so much Mz Molly Bee’s! (check it out, she’d got a new look over there…) Given all that’s been going on, we are slow and late to get xmas up this year. These are a great start!

There was also some knitting… I put some on Ravelry… will save it for another post.

But driving in NJ? Save me!

Icy roads, drivers who don’t know how to drive on them… meant an awful lot of accidents and cars off the roads in crazy positions.

Our 8-9 hour road took 15 hours. But we are home and safe. Pics to come…