The Ever-Growing Pile

It happens to the best of us.  You have 15+ projects going on at the same time, all of them at different levels of completion.  Some are aaaalllllllmost done.  Some you just started.  Some are still in the planning stages.  But they are all sitting out, demanding your attention.  And you have good intentions - just far too little time.  In my case, that happens when my younger son is sick or has a migraine, or has weekend after weekend of competitions (with tons of rehearsal time thrown in), when I have a busy week on-call at work, and when he has multiple doctor appointments and medical tests to get done.  Since I last posted, I've had all of the above.

And the Sewing Assistant was trying to help, honest.

I had to bring home some work from my on-call job today, so I had to clear off my worktable in order to pin the hems.  I was pretty frustrated looking at the HUGE pile of UFOs, and figured that after this job went back to work (which it did, about three hours ago) I'd leave that table clear for the time being.  When I started pulling the paper backing off the fabric banners, the Sewing Assistant heard the crinkling and figured he was being paged.

This is the back of the fabric banner with some of the hem pinned in place.  You can see how thin this material is, since you can see the photo from the other side!

I had stacked three of the banners on the piano while pinning this one - but Neko figured this meant he needed to be a pattern weight again and sat on top of them.  I kept lifting him off and setting him on the floor, because I didn't want him to tear or puncture the delicate fabric.  He was not happy, and ended up moping around for quite awhile.

"Hmmmph!  I kin not haz ANY fun."

Sad Face.  I poutz. 

I had to laugh, the pouting was that funny - then I had to get the camera because suddenly he started resembling a stranded seal.  I need to teach this guy how to jog.  Or how to eat salad.  Maybe both. 

Neko will be one year old on April 10th - I'm considering throwing him a party and inviting everyone he's ever made laugh - and that's a lot of people.  He's a funny cat.  A rotten Assistant, but good company.

Here's another banner I got to work on this past week (so can I say I helped in some small measure?):

My minor contribution - the hemming - is not done yet in this shot.

Don't forget to make a contribution somehow, some way.  

I repaired two band jackets after finishing up the girlfriend's tiger.  No photos, but two very happy customers.  Son #2 also requested a new jacket after seeing the dragon and the tiger, and would like his to have the matching wolf embroidery from the set.  

That UFO pile just keeps getting bigger.  I don't understand it.  

The newest sock is progressing nicely - I'm just about to finish up the heel flap and turn the heel - I love that part; like Stephanie Pearl-McPhee says - it makes me feel really, really smart every time I do it!  I was hoping to have the pair done by the end of March.  Doesn't look like it's going to happen, though.

This color-changing yarn makes me look wicked genius. 

Ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille!

I'm learning how to strand two colors two-handed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmiwk-qL3Ro) - so my tension isn't even and you can see where the carried strands pull and make sort of a raised effect right down the middle there - that actually happens across each pair of double-pointed needles, so four times total around the sock.  Bummer.  I'm hoping it won't show much once it's on.  I'm actually hoping it FITS once it's on - in spite of downsizing the needles to make it smaller, it still looks like it should fit my calf and part of someone else's.  Maybe I'll stuff Neko into it.  Nah, that'll just stretch it out until it looks like a Christmas stocking.  

More projects (hopefully finished) next time.  If I can move the Assistant, that is.