I had to be on an East-coast client call early this morning, and Toby did not like that one bit. In his cat mind, if I’m up earlier than usual it should be to lavish him with even more attention and monologues in the kitty voice. So he did his best to distract me with races, squeaks, surprise attacks, and most distracting of all, the Cute Roll:
Toby
Friday Unrelated Information
1. This article in the NY Times made me smile: A 67-year-old trying to set a new land speed record essentially bought a JET and put wheels on it. He’ll be the driver when they try to set the record–800 mph.
2. Did you know Audrey Tatou (of Amelie) is starring as Coco Chanel in a new French movie? I will have to see that. For now, you can see the trailer here–with subtitles provided by a high-school student of French. (The official English trailer isn’t out yet.)
3. Here is Toby in a bag. Just because.
Toby’s Latest Trick: Impeding Progress
Tuesday Project Roundup: Easter Dress
So I made myself an Easter dress for the first time in about ten years. My mom used to make me fantastic ones when I was little, and later I’d go shop for something, but the only point of an Easter dress is wearing it on Easter, and the only place to wear something on Easter is church, and I decided about the same time I stopped getting new Easter dresses that the only part of Lutheranism I liked was Bach. But I digress.
This is impossible to photograph on a cloudy morning but it looks very nice on–it’s navy dotted swiss over a plain navy lining, using the same pattern as last week.
And what’s going on in knitting? Well, look who’s helping my yellow sweater block:
“uuh, mama, this sweater is damp…”
It’s Monday
And sometimes Toby has a hard time getting up an hour earlier with me. He usually has to have a quick nap around 8:00, which he’s doing here on the back of the couch in the sun.
Updated after morning internet reading to add: Iowa, you rock. I haven’t been getting the paper daily or reading my news sites at work, so this was a happy surprise.
Today Is A Great Day
Why? Because one year ago Toby joined the family!
He went from small and timid that first week
to large and spoiled shortly thereafter.
He has an enormous vocabulary of squeaks and chirps, he knows 9 words and phrases (treat, drink, snack, catnip, lettuce, let’s get up, good-bye, I’ll be back, and toy), and he’s the reason I got together a 72-hour kit.
So I guess today is also for celebrating the anniversary of me becoming a crazy cat lady.
We Haven’t Had A Toby Picture In A While
Tuesday Project Roundup: Piles Of Projects
Which pile should I start with? The pile of quilt fabrics?
Turning this into a quilt shouldn’t be too daunting, because the final product will consist of just long columns of these fabrics, like this or this. I just need to get started. (I decided against making a doll quilt to practice, because most of my motivation on a project comes from anticipating the final result, and, well, Toby already got his new rug.)
This pile of yarn will be that owl sweater I’ve been talking about since November:
And then there’s this pile, which is the sweater I’ve been working on for ten weeks now. It will look like this someday…
Maybe I can blame Toby for impeding progress. I had to snatch the pieces from the jaws of death right after I took this.
Feeling Sad? Do Something For Someone Else
Tuesday Project Roundup: The Vacation Projects
I didn’t get as much knitting finished as I’d hoped during my time off after Christmas but the new sewing machine certainly helped me get some projects done.
I finished this tunic pattern from the 70’s in gray corduroy. It looks medieval to me, but Mr. Isbell said that I looked like an elf from Lord of the Rings and my mother mentioned Star Wars. I think those were all compliments, though.
Here, I just look like a cat wrangler. (It’s really tricky to get a picture of gray corduroy in a dark apartment at dusk. This was the best one.)
I was able to start and almost finish another blouse, using all the seam finishes and bell and whistles on the new Bernina. This one has already prompted Mr. Isbell to say, “The collar is like a Star Trek villain’s,” but I like it. It just needs buttonholes and a hem.
I’ll try to have a (better-lit) modeled shot next week. Maybe there will be some knitting, too!