Domestic Geek

Ten Things I've Been Putting Off

1. Putting stuff up for sale on eBay. I'd better get cracking because free listing fees promotion expires on Sunday.
2. Doing a home inventory. We really need one for insurance purposes, but never seem to get one done.
3. Sending the LiveStrong bracelets to my Blogathon sponsors.
4. Going grocery shopping. I absolutely hate it. I need to make an online order, but keep putting that off, too.
5. Scheduling an appointment with a gynecologist. I'm over 40 and need to start getting mammograms. When our company's new insurance carrier kicks in October 1st, I need to take care of this.
6. Getting my hair cut. I know I'd feel and look better if I'd go spend the money and do it.
7. Cleaning my car. It needs to be cleaned, inside and out. The windshield is filthy and it needs a wax job.
8. Losing weight. I need to exercise in a bad way.
9. Getting some financial issues taken care of. They've been a mess since the company I was working for closed in November 2005.
10. Starting my design company or finding a part time job. If I'm going to clean up my finances and get out of this mobile home park, I need more money coming in.

A woman at the yarn shop yesterday was wearing the cutest top that she had made from a pattern she found on a web site named Knitty.com. I wanted to make a note of that to remember to check it out.

Better late than never, I'm posting this as part of Cass' Online Craft Club.

After giving my hand a rest yesterday, I got it the bag to the point of needing further help this morning. This afternoon off I went to The Knitting Habitat for additional instruction. The shop owner was in and showed me how to finish off the top edge. After I did that, she taught me how to make what they call icords. These are going to be the handles. After I get 2 of them at 36" apiece, I get to do what they call felting it. I guess you wash it in the washer in really hot water under much agitation and the wool stitches become like a big piece of felt. It looks really cool. Then it has to dry stretched over a cereal box covered in plastic. Once that's done, I'll go back and she'll show me how to attach the handles.

I may try to work some more of the ribbon thread into the bag before I felt it. I haven't decided yet. We'll see how the icord making goes.

Anyway, here are some pictures. The first is the point I was at after my first class last Saturday. The second is one that Marcus snapped after I got settled in to work on it here at home. The third is where I am at after today's class.

Hopefully next week you'll all get to see the finished bag!

Some days when I'm cruising on stock sites like iStockPhoto.com and the like, I see images and illustrations that caught my eye from the many publications we print. I've decided to get off my duff and learn to illustrate people so that I can get my work onto iStockPhoto and one day come across my work in one of our client's magazines. A weird goal? Maybe. I still think it would be cool, though. Damn, why is illustrating people's faces so freaking difficult?

I've long used an OTT-LITE® to read by that my father gave me for my birthday years ago. I saw them on Aleene's Creative Living television show and just had to have one. Right now it is on the headboard of my bed. I also have a second desk lamp that is on my PC computer desk. I just purchased an OTT-LITE® True Color™ task light with a magnifier to make my cross stitching easier (Maggie the Messmaker will be started this fall!).

What's great about these lamps is that they simulate natural light so that you can see colors and small details accurately. They don't produce the glare or heat that normal bulbs do, you don't get that fatigue or eye strain that you feel being too close to a common lamp. I can't praise this product line high enough. I can suggest that if you do any type of crafting, design, writing or reading, though, you should really invest the money and get one. We even use them at work to match colors, so you know if they're good enough for a professional shop, they're good for us crafters and creatives.