Happy Earth Day, everyone!
I planted some seeds today!
Just a few though - I thought I had more, but these were all I could find.
Zinnias, mini sunflowers & some Heirloom Sweet Pea seeds (Lord Nelson & Lady Grisel Hamilton Sweet Peas, to be precise!)
I'm incredibly excited for spring to take the drivers seat & drive me right into Summer. I hadn't realized it until last week, but this winter gave me a *serious* case of the Blah-wah-wah-wahs. I experienced a lethargy that was beyond the scope of simply blaming it on my generation. But no more! I'm ready to pop out of my own metaphorical peat pellet! Ready to ride my bicycle & eat lots of locally grown fruits & vegetables! (Speaking of which, Gord & I will hopefully be able to rig up some sort of vegetable growing operation on the back deck)
Have I mentioned? That my boyfriend & I are jumping into co-habitation mode & as of May 1st I'll have a new roommate!
In anticipation of this, I've been trying my best to get rid of stuff that's been cluttering up my apartment. I'm a Grade A pack-rat & I'm trying desperately to get rid of what I don't need.
This weekend I started with my sewing room - it was getting out of control!
OI!
I was kidding myself for a while by saying it was a *creative* mess - that chaos like this meant that the room was being put to good use & that there were "things happening" in there. But then I'd turn around & use the fact that the room was so messy as my excuse for *not* doing anything.
So Saturday morning I went in there with a mission - a game plan. A strategy. I was going to have a box for things I would give to other people. I would have a box for items to be donated to the Goodwill. I would have a bag for paper to be recycled. I would have a large garbage bag for everything else I didn't need.
I had a camera to take photos of things I should have gotten rid of years ago but held onto for some reason or another.
Such as this 'yarn dolly' given to me for christmas:
This is cute, for sure (but still, WTF??) - I just don't know what to *do* with it. I have had her sitting in my sewing room for over a year now & I think it's time she moves on to someone elses home.
This little bear & skunk figurine was given to me by my great friend Darren about 7 years ago. It's lovely. It's adorable. It's a *skunk* playing *guitar* to a *bear* holding *flowers* while sitting on top of a *mushroom*. That's a lot of cute going on in one little porcelain figurine, and it's time I stop being so greedy - more people need to see this!
This scarf is awesome. about 4 years ago my cousin & I decided that for our family's gift exchange we would *make* each other gifts. I made him a sock monkey & he freaking learned how to knit & made me this awesome scarf. He said that he'd come home from class, crack open a beer, watch Hockey & knit this scarf. AMAZING! It's a little wonky in some spots, but that makes me love it *MORE*. The thing is, I'm not the only fan of this scarf. Moths love it too...
Fawk!
After I took these photos, I decided I must do all I can to save. this. scarf. I know what it is to put so much work into making something for some one. I cannot let a couple (um, 5 or so.. ) of moth holes get me down. I think I may felt it & see what I can do with it.
This...this is just one of the beauties I got rid of. A couple of summers ago my friend Peter & I were riding our bicycles around town & happened upon a Jamboree (!!!) at a grade school. We got there near the end of it, so at the book table they were encouraging us to take all the books we could jam into a bag for one dollar. There were tons of Reader's Digest 'Condensed Novels' which are probably some of the most handsomely design books I've ever seen. Peter & I snatched them up, not quite sure of what we were going to do with them - but we wanted them.
They are filled with amazingness. And mold. These books make my nose tingle & my eyes water & my skin crawl. I've taken a bunch of photos of their insides & outsides in hopes of using the photos as inspiration - but the books.......they will go.
I've started a special photo set of these things in my flickr
It felt crazygood to just toss things! I've never, ever been the type who can let go of stuff - but I'm hoping this is a new leaf. My sewing space is *so* tidy & awesome now. I just want to sit in there all day long.
Trust me, this bookshelf looks a billion times better.
This room means a lot to me. Tim & Donald surprised me with a 'While you were Out' style room makeover last year. While I was at work, they painted, put up some awesome artwork, tons of hooks, set me up with lots of shelf space & made me cry. They loved me enough to do this for me! I love this room! It deserves to be clutter-free!
Now everything is in its place, the sun is beaming in through the window & there's not one dust rainbow to be seen!
TA DA!
Next stop - my bedroom....soon to be Gord's own private music hideaway.
A great bundle of deep reds, blues, pinks & purpley.
I was thrilled! The stitch pattern is great for hand painted yarns & I motored on with high hopes. It started getting a little lop sided, but I paid no mind, hoping it'd sort itself out as I went along.
It never did. it got worse - the pattern got wonkier & wonkier as I went along, no matter what I did to try & straighten it out....
The sock was lost to me. I was no longer in charge - the sock told *me* where it was going, I was just a willing victim. I finally put a stop to it. Gave the Shimmer sock the finger.
The pattern is easy & quick going - but I'm worried. Is it too plain for a sock swap? Shouldn't I be knitting socks that will astound the recipient? Should I try & fix the Shimmer sock?
