Adrian event here this Saturday. Not going to be a very big group. Apparently it is perfectly acceptable for us to drive 3.5 hours every month but heaven forbid most other people have to do it. I don't think we're even going to have enough for lists in anything (except maybe Huntsman's archery). I'm having a hard time gathering up my enthusiasm.

Interesting developments in knitting. I got a design accepted for publication in a large, well known and popular knitting magazine. Working like the very devil himself is after me to get the pattern written and sample knitted by the deadline. Which deadline is shared with two other major knitting design deadlines. Shoot me now. If everything works out the way I hope it will I should be in clover for launching the design business.

Still unemployed. Got one interview offer for a position that had been downgraded from full-time to part-time. Declined the interview offer as the job wouldn't have paid for childcare. Still have my fingers crossed. I have noticed more pertinent job ads in the last few weeks so maybe something good will happen.

Emma is big and happy. She weighed 19 pounds 3 ounces and was 29 inches long at her 9 month appointment. She wants nothing to do with baby food but will happily eat any people food we give her. Favorites of the day are peas, avocado, cucumber and green beans. She's crawling properly now and cruises around the furniture.

Now that I've reassured you all that I am not dead, I am going to go knit some more.

Harvest Faire last weekend.  We had pleasant weather and it was the warmest I'd ever experienced at that event.  Emma was an absolute trooper for the whole thing.  She had a tough time sleeping because of the noise but didn't become cranky.  She was positively happy to wander around the faire with whomever wanted to snuggle her at that moment.  Her favorite part was undoubtedly Sam The Dog.  He apparently made a good impression because any time Chris or I mention Sam The Dog she squeals and looks around to see if she can find him.

Despite the well planned garb ideas for Emma and I and the dedication with which I sewed, neither of us had new garb for this event.  Emma's was finished but forgotten on the couch at the last minute.  Mine had a small issue wherein I was unable to lower my arms once they were in the sleeves.  I'm taking my dress to Mom's in a couple of weeks and together we are going to take a whack at grand aissiette shaping in the sleeves.  As it was, I'm probably glad I didn't finish that dress because long sleeved wool in that weather would have been brutal.  Hopefully, I'll have it done in time for the November event.

I finished up the garden on Monday.  I brought the basil plant in and I'm hoping my chives will overwinter well.  I have one teeny eggplant, a bunch of jalapenos, some tomatoes and a very few teensy potatoes sitting on the counter.  I hope that next year will have more forethought, better maintenance and a more even yield of garden produce.  I'm also hoping that I'll have time this winter to build a cold frame so that I can get an early start on greens and cruciferous veggies in the spring.

It's starting to get really cold here so I spent this morning starting to winterize the house.  I took out the window AC unit in the bedroom and closed all the storm windows.  Now I need to wait for it to wind again so that I can determine which windows need weather stripping.  I have insulated curtains for the laundry room wall but I need some of those little doodads that are rings on one end and clips on the other end as I inadvertently bought pleated curtains to go on a straight, round rod.  What can I say, they were $15 a pair for the super thermal curtains in the right color for that room - I can find a way to overcome the pleatedness.  Mom also found curtains for the living room so those will help add another layer of winterization to that room.  

We had a wonderful weekend.  Saturday, we drove up to Dayton for the Dayton Days celebration.  Lots of neat vendors and excellent food.  I bought a coat rack that screws to the wall.  We'll be putting it up in the living room, as Emma has tried several times to pull the coat tree down on her head...

Sunday, we went to the Fall Fiber Festival and Montpelier Sheepdog Trials.  It was a bit of a drive to get there but we had a gorgeous day to be out and about it.  Emma really enjoyed looking at all the different sheep.  I had a blast watching the sheepdog trials and looking at all the different wares.  I ended up buying enough handdyed sport weight yarn to make a cardigan for Emma and some silk and wool for me to spin.  Had a delicious lamb chili with sweet potato fries for lunch and were home in time for Emma's afternoon nap.

When we got home, I cleaned my car.  That hadn't been done properly since I bought the silly thing three years ago so it was pretty dire.  It took awhile but the car looks much better inside and is ready for a road trip.  Now, I just need to get to Chris' car sometime this week and clean it out before we head to Harvest Faire.

On Sunday night, I finished patterning my new Versatile gown.  I used the draped pieces to make a paper pattern.  As soon as I finish posting this, I'm going to go cut out the front and back panels of this dress.  I need to drape a sleeve pattern but I'm not sure that I can do that on my own - I guess we'll find out!  If not, I'll likely take a sleeve from my Elizabethan silver and use it as the start of a pattern as those sleeves fit in a very similar way to the ones for the Versatile gown.  I'd rather drape it, of course, but I need to get this gown cut out so that I can start sewing!

I have finalized the costume that I want to make for my new Adrian persona... I'm going mid to late-14th century French in the lower echelons of nobility.

Chemise like this one but with sleeves.
Versatile Gown built using the curved front seam method from La Cotte Simple.
Restricted Gown with short sleeves and tippets like the black one in this image.
A half circle mantle with a chain/rope fastener.
An open hood with buttons
Rectangular drawstring purse with embroidery and a longish hanging cord.
Apron like the one described in this blog postmatildalazouche.livejournal.com/2569.html.
A heraldic sideless surcoat, as soon as I figure out what my heraldry will be.
A reworking of the silver silk Elizabethan thing into a Versatile Gown, likely built with the straight front seam method, as I already have straight seams in the correct location.

Still to be determined are a dressier sort of headgear that is appropriate for summer and a belt.  I'm contemplating a straw hat and coif combination but there is limited documentation for that.  I also need to consider period stockings and footwear but I am less concerned about periodicity in that department than I am with comfort and dryness.

As exciting as this plan is, I don't quite know the urgency with which I need to implement it.  We are contemplating going to Harvest Faire as it is one of my favorite events.  However it is a three day camping event and two of those days and both nights have a better than 50% chance of rain.  I'm starting to think that sounds like a recipe for a miserable baby and mama.  We will watch the weather carefully for the next week and make the call no later than Wednesday as we would have to leave early Friday morning to get there.

I got a new haircut this evening.  I like it muchly.  It will be very easy to style but I am afraid that it will take frequent trims to keep it looking nice.

Tomorrow we are going to the Dayton Days autumn festival and on Sunday to the Fall Fiber Festival.  Also on Sunday we will be stopping to look for fabric for living room curtains and throw pillows.

First, I would like to lodge an official complaint with the complaint department at the House of Mom.

Dear CD@HoM,

It is supremely unfair that my sisters needed braces more than I did. Because of that, they got them while they were young. Thus, you dealt with the insurance company, dentist, orthodontist and 57,000 hours spent whining about carrot sticks wedged into dental appliances. I am requesting a rewind so that I, too, may have braces under your supervision, thereby relieving myself of the necessity of dealing with the insurance company, dentist, orthodontist and oral surgeon.

Sincerely,
Your Firstborn Daughter

Secondly, an update.

Today I went to the dentist. I also disposed of one dead mouse and took trash to the dump. I ordered curtains for the laundry room and a slip cover for the couch. Tomorrow, I get to go to Ben Franklin and pick out fabric to cover the throw pillows and the foot stool with. I need to remember to get braid to do the edges of the footstool. After a careful tallying of all the bits of money that I have stashed for myself, and the cashing in of some rewards points, I am giving myself some treats. The curtains and slipcover and new cushions are one of them. I am also planning on going to two festivals this weekend, where I plan to spend some money on yarn and fiber. I am going to take one sewing machine to get looked at and repaired, as it is beyond my skills.

I do not know that I will get garb done in time for Harvest Faire. This may not be as big of an issue as I think it will be because the weather is looking quite chancy. I am not stupid enough to spend three days camping in the cold and the rain with an 8 month old.

Emma learned to pull up to stand yesterday.

Today's lesson was "Falling Down" - she has a big bruise and a cut above her left eye.

I have two bits of fuzz that need to leave the house. They make me sneeze so I won't be spinning with them. I'm open to suggestions of trade for knitting, spinning or sewing stuff or we can talk $ if you'd rather do that. Feel free to point all your friends here!


This one is 2oz of agouti angora bunny combings and belly fur. Beautiful and spotlessly clean.


This one is 4oz of raw, reddish-brown llama. Very little VM but some guard hairs.

I've spent part of the afternoon making up a bunch of danglies.  They could be put on rings to make stitch markers for knitters or earring hooks for (obviously) earrings or, I suppose could be hung from necklaces as charms or zippers as zipper pulls.  Is there any interest in pictures of these for purpose of sale or trade?  Otherwise, I'll probably stick them on etsy or something.

I hope that everyone who is headed to Imperial War enjoys themselves. I will be happily at home enjoying the fact that I am not turning an 8 hour drive into a 15 hour drive with a cranky infant.


To Do List for Harvest Faire:
( To Do List for Harvest Faire (October 9-11) )

To Do List for House:
( To Do for House )

So to carry on from last week's theme....

The telephone AND internet people have been. They replaced all the phone lines in and out of the house. This appears to have fixed all of the assorted telecommunications issues. Downside is that the modem and router are now located in my bedroom.

The furnace people were out. Previous owner did crappy maintenance on the furnace but no permanent damage. Everything is tuned up and now I just need to schedule a delivery of fuel before the price goes sky high.

The front fence is entirely weeded. I discovered a small tree growing under more of the whatever-the-hell it is. This tree will have to be moved to some other location when we dig up the fence, as it is growing smack at the corner of the driveway.

Several boards in the office floor are splintering to bits. I need to figure out how we're going to deal with that. The correct answer would be to move out the furniture, sand and reseal the entire room (floor is in horrid shape) but I frankly don't have the time and inclination to do it myself or the money to hire someone. May wind up going and buying a clear chair mat to put over it. I'm most worried about splinters in baby knees (and my feet) so the mat will be a good short term solution.

Went today and did the preliminary blood draw necessary for a special sort of blood donation. If everything with that works out I'll do the donation in two weeks. We're not sure that the donation process will work out but it would be stellar if it did, as I am a universal donor for that particular blood product.