Dahlia Shrug pattern

Grandma Dahlia's finished version....

The start of my own...

Ive started my second "Dahlia" shrug and have gotten all the quirks out of the pattern, sooo Monday I will be posting the pattern, so you can make your own. The shrug is knitted in two halves and then later joined in the center. BUT you could easily do something fun in the center for the halves to join into. I'm planning on having a vertical stacked center section of granny squares just for visual interest. I think it would look really pretty rather then just a seam in the center of the back but I will leave that up to you . Be creative and do whatever you like. Another nice thing about the pattern is you can work on it and watch t.v. because its so simple. I LOVE simple. The yarn I'm using is Dolce by cascade yarns. Its beautiful and super soft. 55% superfine alpaca, 23% wool and 22% silk. Yum.

I will now get busy and work on writing it all out and will be planning to post it on Monday.

My Grandma Dahlia loved her version of the shrug so I'm ready to share it now that I have fixed some of the things I didn't like about the first one. This shrug is also one size fits all. By using blocking you could make this sucker huge! Without blocking it will fit a little loose and slouchy- cozy on the super skinny chicks out there. I ain't one of ya...but...I digress. I can block. ;0)

See ya"ll Monday...

P.s. Dont cha just love the Texas Chainsaw Massacre poster in the background? lol I kinda forget about it being there and then when I notice it I wonder what other people think. Doesnt everyone have a Texas Chainsaw Massacre poster in their sewing rooms like me? LOL.. xo me

Singer 301, Singer Rocketeer and granny squares

This machine is a Singer 301. Fantastic little machine, weighs in at about 16 pounds. This one came to me needing a bit of TLC. She was jammed up pretty bad with a nasty snarl in her bobbin hook. After wiping her down with sewing machine oil to remove dust and grime, I oiled her and got her foot lever working. It was stuck in the "up" position. Then I set about taking her hook apart. I had no idea how to do it but found some instruction on the Internet. It wasn't too bad but I would be fibbing if I said I didn't break out in a sweat a couple of times. You don't want to put things back in backwards of lose any tiny screws! After removing the snarl and putting her back together everything runs perfectly. Now I have a 301 short bed to go with my long bed. Both are black. I adore them equally.

Ive been playing with my Noro collection making granny squares. I want to try some free form crochet with these and see if I can come up with a interesting scarf/shawl.

More Noro visiting with my Rocketeer. I really didn't need a Singer 500 since I have a 401 and they are really the same machine with a different package on top. Its just that the 500 is such a good looking machine! This one came with all her goodies. Feet and attachments. Don't have a name for her or the 301 yet, but something will strike me at some point.

More little Granny squares, also being made with the intent of trying them out on a "free form" project.

That's pretty much all that is going on around here. My husband unit has been hanging around the house this week taking a break from his crazy job so I haven't really gone anywhere or done anything cuz I like hanging out with him. But I can tell you I will be ready for him to go back to work Tuesday. lol.

NOW PLAYING ON THE DEVIL BOX: Memento, Religulous, My bloody Valentine and Man Hunter.

MUSIC PLAYING IN THE DEVIL BOX: The soundtrack to "The Devils Rejects"

A special Solstice for Mrs. Spider

Mrs. Spider (Priscilla, to her friends) hatched her babies last night. She lives on a cherry tomato plant on the porch. Ive watched her and her little egg ball for a few days and then this morning I found her with all her wee little spinners! ( as always, click on pics for big fatty close-ups!) I was afraid she would die after they hatched, as some spiders do, but she seems fit as a fiddle. I'm sure they will spread out, across the other plants in the next few days. The babies are so tiny you can hardly make them out without wearing reading glasses. What a wonderful Solstice surprise for Priscilla! And its been alot of fun looking after her and watching for changes. May they be happy, may they be healthy, may they be peaceful! And may they keep all the other bugs from harming the tomato plants!

What a weird little guy.

Just stuff....

I'm growing restless thinking about our upcoming move. I'm trying to get rid of junk and useless bits while retaining the gems. Speaking of gems, this big baby doll needed a good dusting and she will also need a fresh spray of clear matte sealer to keep whats left of her composition from falling off. Isn't she gorgeous? She a big doll. Over 2 feet tall. I was also playing around with some dusty old wings. She likes to wear these around the winter months. Once upon a time she belonged to a little girl who must have loved her so very much. Now I love her. Old baby dolls are enchanting and one of my most favorite things to collect. The more neglected the better. My Grandmother once commented how lovely my old dolls would be if I had them repaired and re painted. That would be tragic. Then they would look like new dolls. And whats the point of that? I love every crack, every chip, every single rip and missing part. Its shows time and decay. And that is beautiful. She said I was very odd, but she loved me anyway. ;0)

The tomatoes are thriving at this point. I even have some nickel sized fruits. But I'm sure at any moment disaster could strike in the form of mold, fungus, birds or bugs. Maybe all at the same time. I think I would cry.

Milla has spotted something outside. Its either a bird or a cat...

Ears rigid, lips pursed.....whiskers squinched tight, low rumble in the throat. Yep...Its a bird. A dove to be exact.

All she wants is for me to open the screen so she can try and catch the bird. Milla is 6 pounds of bird catching chihuahua fury. She has come heart stopping close to catching many birds. I think she was a cat in her past life.

My eggplant has gorgeous purple flowers.

And I spotted this little guy on the Roma tomatoes. Friend or Foe? I have no idea so I'm leaving him be. I found a spider who has spun a web on the side mirror of the new Element. I'm going to catch her and put her on the plants outback and put her to work. I don't want her flying off on the freeway. That would be sad.

ON THE TABLE TONIGHT:

Fries with cheese and salad.

ON THE DEVIL BOX:

48 Hours.

Ha! And you thought I was dead....nope, not yet.

Its terrible when I get lost for so long from my blog. Life gets in the way of blogging! Also laziness. So this is whats been going on around Chez Moon. I found some really magickal looking fairy lanterns at Target. How great is that store??? I'd like to just move in to the garden department. You think I could hide there and they wouldnt fine me??? I draped them around the front porch. It makes me feel happpy when I go outside in the evening.

Cleaned up the Buddha at the front door. Dusted and tidied everything up. Some how every thing gets tossed up here. Keys, change...sunglasses.

Made some cupcakes. Played around with a plumeria flower made out of a marshmallow. These were yellow cake with vanilla icing. Very yummy!

The newest baby to the collection. A really fantastic Singer 500. I am so happy to have her. She is going to get allot of use come fall! She came freshly serviced too.

Finished my Grams shrug, just gotta weave in the tails. The arms are a tad long so she can fold them over once and that should take care of it. My arms are always too long! Maybe I was an octopus in a past life?

Side view....cute huh??

Back........tres chic. This should take care of her "chilly arms at church" issue. Love is in every single stitch. Its my hug for her!!

These cupcakes were baked this morning. They are french vanilla cake with vanilla frosting tinted light sky blue and piped into rose like shapes. They taste super super yummo. Very moist.

The Baxendale as she looked outa the box. She needs a good dusting and a shine but I am so pleased with her. She turns smoothly even though she has had some neglect before ending up with me.

Her lettering is gone......but still can be read through their shadow.

The backside of the machine is glorious. Simply stunning.

A little spit and polish...she will be all wow.

My tomatos and a single eggplant. I cant wait for a BLT!

A very cool Franklin sewing machine with nifty scarab decals.

I think she has taken her first offering. I found this fly right in this spot when I went to dust her. The machine already has a neat kinda "witchy" feel due to the scarab beetles and the snakes in the decal work. So when I pulled her out to dust her and found the fly it reminded me of some sorta creepy thing that sucked the blood outa bugs for nourishment. Maybe the spirit of an ancient spider lives inside her metal hull, and every now and then she has to take in some kind of life source. Like flies. ;0)

Isnt she gorgeous!!!! Excuse the dust, I took the pics before cleaning her since I found the fly and thought it was interesting. ;0)

So thats the update, now I'm going to hit the kitchen and steam some artichokes to eat tonight with our grilled New York Strips. Daddy is home, so its back to the Saturday grilling!

1950 221-1 Singer Feather-weight, terrible condition....for now....

I know what your thinking. I know it looks terrible. But its really not as bad as you think or it looks. This little 221-1 has been through the wringer of salty humid Hawaiian weather. Most of the damage is paint and the rust is more surface then it looks so a little paint stripper and buffing will remove it.

The Great news here is that her insides are wonderful. Grease and oil have saved it from rusting out. Her wires are good to go and after oiling and lubing she runs very smooth. The other good news is she was only 45 dollars. I have to say, 45 dollars for an ugly but smooth running 221 is a helluva deal.

Her bobbin is missing but no problemo because I can use the one from my other 221 Dahlia. And now for the best-tastic news of all. A Singer 221 in this condition is an A+ candidate for a repaint.

(I can hear the grumbles from purist Featherweight collectors)

I know allot of collectors put their bony noses in the air at the thought of repainting a sewing machine, but come on.....Look at her. The "it will go down in value" won't play for a machine in this condition. Repainting it the only way to let an old worn out machine be young and beautiful again.

With a repaint she is going to be fantastic, and the color choices???? Enough to get a headache over. My Dahlia has some missing paint, but all in all, she is a fine little machine. I would never repaint her. But on this machine I can really let loose, pick any color I desire and have fun. What a lucky lucky find she was. (Craigslist find) So ya'll, please don't be afraid to pick up a cosmetic disaster of a machine. A little elbow grease cures a world of sins. Besides, there is plenty-plenty of your basic black 221's out there for everybody. ;0)

I'm thinking I'm going to go with a nice Halloween inspired orange. I'm so enamored with orange these days I have a few streaks of it in my hair. ;0) I would go for a more true pumpkin orange on the machine though....

This here is my favorite thing to eat the past few months. Get yourself some free range type chicken and stuff it with your favorite breaded stuffing and a fat handful of asparagus, pin closed with a tooth pick. Salt and pepper. Then dump a pre-mixed mixture of 2 cans of golden mushroom soup, a huge gob of minced garlic and 3/4 a soup can of wine over the top. Cover and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees and all hot and bubbly. Seriously good eats.

Then you might also want to make some super garlicky Focaccia bread too..

Any excuse to play with the Kitchen-Aid.... Its a super toy. ;0)

Got another pair of Doc Martins. These are alot like the black pair of mary janes, but these have the always super cool T-strap, and embossed sugar skulls on the toes. Love them tooo much.

NETFLIX NOW PLAYING IN THE DEVIL BOX:

Blindsight, Jackie Brown and Surfwise

M.I.A.

Sorry its been so long between posts. Its been so busy around here!! I'm almost done with sock monkey and I'm almost done with my Grandmothers shrug. The only picture I have to share today is a sewing machine I picked up yesterday. Its a class 66 Singer made in 1919. Some one has put on some new fangly bits, like an adaptor that lets the machine sew forward and back. I think that is really neat. It took about 2 and a half hours to get her moving again. She was frozen up so badly nothing moved. I used many curse words, lighter fluid, oil and a mashed thumb and she now is as free moving as she was when new. I need to take off her bobbin winder and buff the rust off it. She is also missing her bobbin cover, but that's an easy fix. The table she came with is original with the machine and when refinished will rock!

But here is the really cool part about this machine. My friend Jenn who is a tattoo artist, is going to put some tattoo art on her! Maybe a pin up??? Her finish is pretty bad off and I think it would make her look pretty darn nifty! She would be very one of a kind. It would be neat if she could distress the work so it goes well with the old finish.

I'm taking it to her Friday!

Its cloudy today....

This is that shrug I was working on for my Grandmother. Looks a little different now, yes? That's because I ripped the old one out because it looked stupid and draped so badly across the back I was shocked! I mean I followed the pattern tried it on off and on while working and it still was an utter disaster. I ripped out the entire finished shrug and starting re-knitting it in my own made up pattern. Made up cant end up any worse then the pattern I was following. I think the pattern was created for a hunchback it had so much extra fabric on the back. I'm also really glad this Cascade 220 can hold up to ripping and re knitting so well.

This half of the shrug is done.....

Here you can see my leaf lace as it rolls over the shoulder.

A close up of the arm. I love the sleeves! I am writing down everything as I go so when I'm finished I can have an actual pattern for a shrug I like. And if you like it I can share it with you. ;0) I'm not blocking the lace. I love the texture of it! It has an organic feel....

This is the start of the other half of the shrug. I will post more as I get closer to finishing. Mr. Foster sock monkey is sitting off in a corner waiting to be finished while I brainstorm this sweater project. I need to get it sent to Grandma while the weather is still cold. lol

The only thing else Ive been up to is watching auctions for a hand crank sewing machine....and coveting these boots. I'm going to need these to wear with dresses.... I'm going to order them next week.

Been awhile, eh?

Where and the heck have I been?? Fucking off mostly. I'm really good at that. In fact, I think I have a Masters Degree in Fuckoffology. So, here is a bunch of pictures of what Ive been up to. Above is First Mate Tia's adorable hippo knitting notions holder. I really like him. I wish they made one that looks like a pig. We were at Starbucks doing a little knitting. She was working on this gorgeous shawl!!! I wanted to steal it and run away. I was working on Sock monkey as well as eating a yummy bagel. They don't sell the spinach bagels anymore so I had to make due with a plain one. ;0( On the upside, they do have really yummy cupcakes Sock monkey is moving along...here he is waiting for me to finish his brain case. The pattern called for you to stuff his body while you knit him. I didn't really like that idea. I would rather stuff him afterwards. I need to go to the craft store and get some fiber fill. Right now he is very skinny and flat, with needles poking out of his grape and he has told me he would like that situation fixed ASAP. Sock monkey asks...and I shall do. The sewing machine repair shop gave me the wrong damn hand wheel for Decayed Beauty. I took it back. Here is the wrong wheel compared to the right size that is on Lilith. I should have noticed it was the wrong size...but....it was one of those days where you don't put two and two together till your ass is already home.

These lovely knitting hands belong to Sandy. I caught her knitting at Aloha Yarn with Nanea. She is always working on something pretty.

I had a terrible slip up in my mostly veggie diet. It happened at Teddy's. A very yummy burger spot here on Oahu. The offspring wanted to eat there, so I caved. But just look at it????? OMG! Does it not look good????????? It was mouth watering. Too bad you cant smell it, all hot and smokey..... A neat mural in the burger shop..... See the Offspring and their happy faces?Then we went to the health food store "Down to Earth" and bought some healthy groceries. I felt bad about the burger and talked to the ducks about it.

Here is where the ducks live. This canal is right behind Down to Earth. I like to look in the water at the fish. There are some pretty big fishies in there. Its so pretty here in Hawaii.

I had some more work done on Grandma T. Here she is when I had the background filled in. And here she is with her shading....and I just had the roses and her shoes done last Thursday. I will post pics of her all finished after she is healed down and loses her "waxy" look. It should be about a month before it can be photographed well.

I went and saw Last House on The Left opening night and it was amaZing!!! I would see it again and will for sure being buying a copy when its released on DVD. My only knit pick on the film would be the last couple moments of the film. There was a scene added that needed to be set on fire rather then being put in the film. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it yourself. Besides that, Its an A+++++ film. And that's coming from a huge fan of the first. Well done Rogue Pictures for bringing it to the big screen. I hope you have much more up your sleeve for horror fans who are sick and tired of the same old PG-13 crapola that's dished out for teenage consumption. We want smart horror films that are truly scary and pulls no punches. So keep it coming!

And that is about it for the moment.....I leave you with another music video by my baby brother.