I'm a Two Trick Pony

I figured out how to use my sewing machine! Because all I need is another hobby and the ability to find vintage fabric on ebay....

I'd been threatening to figure the thing out for a few years - it's an old Singer a neighbor friend gave me. No insructions or manual, but it works when you turn it on. I just wasn't sure how oto thread the thing until I found an amazing web page with at title that says something like :

"Do you own an old Singer Sewing Machine you got at a Garage Sale for $5 and do you need to know how to use it?"

Why yes I do.

And Maya's birthday party is this weekend, so the need for a mermaid tail was what put the wheels in motion - her Dress As Your Favorite Magical or Mythical Creature Magical Mystical Birthday Party. (yes, that's what the invite says)

Don't judge me too harshly here. This is a retro fit mermaid outfit. We took a pair of Bea Arthur-esque palazzo pants from a garage sale (is that what those are called?), cut off a leg, sewed up the crooked crotch hole and added the seaweed and fins. the fins cover most the bunchy seam stuff, but those pants were HUGE. Best of all, we had so much fun in the fabric store finding seaweed and fins. The seaweed is also now bejeweled, thanks to the Scrapbooking aisle.

She also has a bunch of accessories to jazz it up, but I figured you all only care (assuming you do, even) about the sewing project part. With the whole shebang going on, she looks pretty groovy. And most importantly, she's feeling pretty groovy.

Otherwise, back to knitting at home again. I have one finished sock from the Cape, a cocktail and a new project in the works. The cocktail is a vodka and apricot -mango spritzer and the new project is the Ella Rae cardigan pictured below. I am going to leave off the bobbles and use some vintage buttons on it. (since I have how many now??) The yarn is the Louisa Harding Nautical Cotton, which is exactly on gauge.

behind Ella's photo, you'll see a pattern for a great shrug, which I found on RAVELRY. Am planning to do it out of the leftover Cotton.

But Ravelry - I got in past the waiting list, thanks to a friend who sent me the invite - and gotta say, I'm hooked. what a great site. Set up amazingly to browse for ideas and patterns and see what others have done. I'm only scratching the surface so far, but am really intrigued.

Am afraid DSS may have to step in when the kids are wallowing in their own filth, but in the meantime they seem happy to be ignored and I'm happy to surf away.