Enchanted Kimono Robe

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Have you ever seen the film Enchanted April? I haven’t watched it in at least a decade or maybe longer. I hope there is nothing offensive in it. I sometimes think fondly on an old film and then rewatch it and find myself appalled by something I never noticed before!

Anyway, in the film, Josie Lawrence is wearing a lovely silk kimono robe. I’ve always wanted one. I have shopped robes but never found one I liked or felt good about buying. Then I decided to make one, and I shopped silk but couldn’t find quite the right thing. I finally settled on this cotton lawn with cranes and peonies (printed in Spain).

This was a very zen make. I didn’t follow instructions or a pattern. I measured and cut rectangles and sewed them together. I made the sleeves extra long for extra waftiness. Isn’t it great with the pink tile? I purchased this fabric several months ago, before I’d even seen the pink tile! Happiness score = 😃

Bob and I walked our local rails to trails bike path this morning. It wasn’t too far and it was a well kept path. I got all my steps in today!

I can’t wait to drink my coffee on my hammock swing tomorrow in my new robe.

Throwback Thursday

Posted on Posted in inspiration, life, sewingTagged , , , 14 Comments

Remember way back in 2019 when I sewed this Farrow dress and these Emerson pants? They look great together! I may sew another dress like this in the mauve linen from Lithuania in my stash.

In other news, I am back up to the weight and size I was when I made these. I haven’t dieted or worked out all year. So I signed up for a program that’s free with my health insurance to help me get back on track. I did yoga and pilates today! Now I need to find a cardio workout I can do regularly. The roads around here aren’t the safest for walking or riding a bike. I could go into town to the gym, but I’m a little wary because of the Rona. I think I will drive 6 miles to the nearest park trail tomorrow and see how that goes.

I hope you have some fun socially-distanced holiday weekend plans! We don’t do anything for July 4, but on Sunday we’re hosting my friend Laurel for a birthday dinner.

Saturyay

Posted on Posted in inspiration, life, socks, Works in Progress (WIPs)Tagged , 6 Comments

This is my yarn closet and my sewing corner in my office. All my yarn and fabric fit in that narrow closet, but not all my fiber. I have two big tubs of fiber — mostly wool — in the hallway outside. Don’t judge me. Or do, I don’t mind. I have an art show in 14 months. I’m sure I will use most of it up. I have angora and silk as well — the angora from my old bunnies. What will I make?

Bob and I went to downtown Newark for gluten-free pizza for Saturdate! 2020. What a year!

We liked the face on this building. Green Man? Gargoyle?

Heel flap time on my Pride sock! I’d better get knitting if I’m going to finish these by July 1. Not likely, if I’m honest.

I just finished reading The Mirror & the Light by Hillary Mantel, the final book in the Thomas Cromwell series. It has been criticized as having too many words, but each word is so delicious, I didn’t mind savoring it.

I watched the fox kits in our back yard last night. I was worried about them getting enough food, they seem so skinny, until they rustled up some vermin from the compost pile. Human-Fox symbiosis! Their den is under our barn.

Friyay

Posted on Posted in gardening, lifeTagged , 8 Comments
I swing in the hammock chair and watch birds.

Other than work, I’m not doing much. I knit a few rows on Deschain here and I’m knitting a heel flap on my Pride sock there. I did plant a small veg and herb garden, and a few flowers. I’ve had to clean up after deer and what is probably a raccoon digging up my beds and pots. But they left it alone last night. A morning of respite! And a fog rolled in.

One tomato and the pepper are still getting over the trauma of being dug up by critters. Twice! I brought the lemon balm, sage, mint, and blackberry from my old garden.

I’ve enjoyed catching up on your blogs. This weekend I will show you my yarn closet!

Yellow House in the Woods

Posted on Posted in life, what makes me tickTagged , 12 Comments
New front porch, my happy place!

We spent all week moving. The new house is set up and the old one is empty. Today is “do nothing day” before we go back to work.

I moved my planter boxes and have a small garden in the front of the house with a couple of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and some herbs. The big terraced garden in the back needs to be landscaped, and I hope we can get that done this summer so we can plant it next spring.

On the second night in the house, we had fox kits in the back yard. Here’s a video Bob took.

In addition to moving, this week we had a storm, lost power, and had a scare with the well water. It turns out all we needed was a new filter. We tested the water and everything is fine. I told Bob we should start a podcast: “Two renters from the city buy a house in the country.”

I haven’t knit a stitch this week. Maybe I will work on my Pride sock today.

We Bought a House Today

Posted on Posted in life, shawls and haps, yarnTagged , 16 Comments

Just add a pitchfork and a cameo brooch and you’ve got American Gothic. But seriously, it’s yellow. I love a yellow house. Especially one with pink tile. Tomorrow we pack and Sunday we move the big stuff with our army herd gaggle of children helping.

Marilee said she buys yarn when she doesn’t know what else to do, and I’m afraid I’m the same. Here’s my most recent acquisition from Countess Ablaze. I love her and their yarn and I am unapologetic. Shoalwater Shawl here I come. (I’ve been wanting to knit that for nearly two decades!)

Going to leave this here because it needs to be said.

Sock It To Me Monday – PRIDE Edition

Posted on Posted in knitting, life, lofty thoughts, socks, Works in Progress (WIPs), yarnTagged , , , , , 10 Comments

I started my PRIDE sock KAL with the Blogville Knitters. This is TurtlePurl’s What Does It Mean? Double Rainbow sock yarn and for pattern I’m following a 64 stitch recipe based on Hermione’s Every Day Sock.

Also proud to have spent most of my day helping to create and communicate a Statement in Support of Racial Justice for the organization I work for. Exhausting day, but a good day.