Reading

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1920s lacy sweater

Knitting...

I'm almost done with the first shoulder. It's nice to have the energy to knit!

Of course, I go back to work tomorrow...

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job,
writing

Just wrote an AH answer for a question that I'd had open in a tab for very nearly two weeks. I love doing that, it feels so much more like an accomplishment if the unanswered question has been bugging me for a while; I get to feel relieved to finally have it off my plate. Hashtag ADHD life.

Likewise trying to organize my writing in terms of plates. The not-Fandom Trumps Hate piece is more than 75% done, so the Regency romance is going to abide for a bit while I just focus on this one thing. And then I will have it done and can stop feeling guilty about it. And then I might celebrate with work on an actual fanfic for a bit, get another chapter in of this very self-indulgent SVSSS genderbend, before going back to work that I intend to sell. (When will I edit Grand and Glorious Feeling? When will I publish Arrow Collar Man? I don't knowwwww, it's scary to put your work out there and depressing to sell like ten copies in six months.)

I will also be mailing out copies of Dandies & Dandyzettes very very soon, and having THAT off my plate and not feeling guilty about it anymore will be incredible. I think it will fix me.

SO many excellent things to watch these days. Serially, I'm most engaged with The Pitt (what a glorious mess!!), but I've been slowly watching the new BBC adaptation of Lord of the Flies, which is really excellent on multiple levels. So well done, strongly recommend it.

Have to go to Philadelphia for work next week. Have to DRIVE AROUND in Philadelphia for work next week. Have to drive around in DOWNTOWN PHILLY AROUND INDEPENDENCE HALL AND THE LIBERTY BELL. I am so pissed off but am coming to a point of resigned acceptance that a) I can't get out of it and b) I may very well cry in front of my deputy on those days. So it goes.

Entry tags:

1920s lacy sweater

Yarn...

I bought three skeins of yarn for the lacy sweater. One got me through just over half the back. The front is slightly less yarn than the back, so the next skein will easily get me through that. Then the lace peplum, cuffs, crocheted (ugh) neckline and belt and belt loops (also crochet, but I doubt I'll do that. I'll try...) are left. The peplum is almost as big as the back though. It's a half inch longer than the underarm measurement (or whatever I decide) and it's wider. The pattern calls for it to be the same width, but I'm two sizes bigger on my bottom half, so I downsized the top of the pattern and am leaving the peplum the same size, or maybe even a tiny bit bigger, so it's going to be 26 to 38 stitches bigger.

So I ordered another skein. It's always so hard to tell how much you need with old patterns!

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1930s blue print lawn dress

Decision!

I held up the skirt pattern to me again. Floor length. I don't want to deal with taking a foot off of it, so I'm using the Melisandre/linen skirt pattern. It was exactly where I thought it was, neatly labeled 30s scalloped yoked skirt. I pinned the yoke pieces to the base, and pattern! I'm going to add a half inch to the side back pieces because the linen skirt does like to unsnap, but that's not worth a mockup.

Much easier!

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More progress!

The left shoulder on the sweater is growing, and I wound the second 450 yard hank of lace weight yarn into a ball.

The 30s dress bodice is almost done. I have to hem the sleeves and finish the neckline binding. The pattern calls for facing the sleeves, but that was too stiff.

As expected, I needed to tweak it a little once I sewed it. It's too long waisted in front and I opened the sleeve seams a little more. It's basically a kimono sleeve, but it has a seam at the top and the sleeve is open over the shoulder.

I'll do the hand sewing tonight and start the skirt tomorrow. If it gives me any trouble, I'll just use the seahorse skirt or the 30s Melisandre/linen skirt. That one does have flare that the seahorse one doesn't. I don't think it will give me issues though, even though I did notice it has straight edges where the original drawing of the layout has curves. We'll see...

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Progress!

I cut out the 30s dress bodice! I hope it fits as well as the mockup did...

I also finished the back of the lacy sweater! The neckline is bound off and I'm working on the left shoulder. Of course, there's a lace peplum that's sewn on, but the body of the back is done.

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Packing for Jamestown

I'm headed down to Jamestown, VA this weekend for Military Through the Ages.

My least favorite part of reenacting is packing all my gear into the car. This trip I'm just taking the tent (So Stephen and Shary have shade for their beer brewing demo), chairs to sit on, and my clothes.

I'm still waffling on bringing my Sutlerin gear, but I need to have something to do or talk about when I'm down there, or I get restless. I can't help cook, because they pre-cook (no idea when the judges are going to show up, so they kinda have to) and Kelly pretty much doesn't let anyone into her kitchen.

Even if I do bring the Sulterin stuff (small items that I would pretend to have for sale for the troops), it's still a fraction of what I used to pack for CTRF. It always makes me think I'm forgetting something. The car isn't overflowing? Something is wrong!

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naps

yawn

Even vacation days need naps. I'll start the dress tomorrow...

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Halfway

I’m halfway through the decreases for the ankle on my stocking. I’m making rapid progress, too rapid, in fact. My hand is a little sore from too much stiff knitting these last few days. I had been trying to do ten rows per day this week, but I’m going to give that up the next couple of days. I had a crazy idea I might be able to finish this stocking by Pt. Townsend, but I think that’s probably not tenable.

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Sign

I made my sign for the next No Kings day today.

I knit a little.

I tried on my 30s dress muslin again. Maybe I'll start it tomorrow...

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condo,
whinging

WTF

I was woken up at 5:40am this morning by the truck that empties the dumpster. My condo is not near either of the two dumpsters, but I heard the first being emptied, then the truck rumbled up the driveway right next to my bedroom and I heard the second being emptied.

I cannot imagine how loud it was for the buildings on either side of the dumpsters, all that bashing around. They usually show up in the middle of the day, so I'm awake when I hear them. Now I know they're loud enough to wake me up. What possessed them to arrive at o-dark-thirty I cannot guess. Bastards.

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kitties

Success!

I bought cat toys today, and they like them!

Triple feathers on a wire and a thing with feathers that plugs in and wobbles on its own.

Sid loved the triple feathers so much that he jumped higher than I knew he could, landed on Tom and landed on and crushed a collapsible hut which I had to pop back into shape. Poppy was a fan too, if startled by his lump of a brother.

Will they still like them tomorrow? They are cats...

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Jane Austin's Period Drama

OMG, if you don't follow Frock Flicks, you MUST check out the video for Jane Austin's Period Drama.

Because it is HILARIOUS!

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To the Waist

I spent practically the whole afternoon knitting. I got to the waist on the front of my swimsuit and knit a full inch (20 rows) of my stocking. I just have five rows left before the narrowing begins. After 220 plain rows, narrowing is very exciting.

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me,
vacations

Spring break...

Spring break is so nice. But I'm so excited for cataract surgery that is just want it to be April 7th! And 21st. I'm just reminding myself to enjoy being off work!

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friends

Great start!

Amy was un town for a game board convention, so I went and we also went to dinner. So nice to see her!

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knit vintage bathing suits

Bathing Suit

I spent yesterday evening working on the bathing suit. I finished the front of the shorts and started the front of the skirt. I'm about halfway through the stripes at the bottom. The shorts took a little more than half a ball of yarn, and I only have three so I might need more. I'll see how far I get with the first one and then decide.

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Eyes!

My left eye surgery is April 7, right eye April 14. March 31 was the first available, but my retina appointment was the 27th, and that seemed close. I'm sure whatever report he sends to the surgeon will be quick, but waiting a week seems safer. And it's just a week!

I'm missing so much work this semester. Twelve days, at least. Oh well, every one has been needed. My first eye is scheduled the day after staff development day, the second one is during state testing.

I'm getting multi focal lenses inserted and will probably need reading glasses. Between surgeries, I'll wear my glasses with one lens popped out. That will be fun in middle school! Any bets on how many times I need to tell them why? ;)

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Finished Items

I just got back from a week-long business trip. I took plenty of projects to work on in the evenings and over the weekend.

I finished the 1896 bag for bathing dress etc.

I finished the March bookmark I started when we were visiting my in-laws at the holidays. I started the April one but only made it as far as the border.

I made a lot of progress on my 1880's cotton stocking. I gave myself a 10-row per day quota to meet and did so nearly every day. Some days I did more than 10 rows. I now only have 25 rows until I get to start the decreases.

I made good progress on the cross-stitch that's for a gift. The top half is finished, but there are a lot more stitches in the bottom half than the top half so I'm really only about a third of the way finished.

I started another knit 1930's bathing suit. I am working on the first part of the shorts for the front.

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Wow!

At the eye doctor, waiting on the surgery consultant. I don't have keratoconus! I have astigmatism and cataracts. I still have to see the retina specialist on the 27th, but I can have surgery and multi focal lenses!

This has been a lot!