Between Projects

I've got so many irons in the fire, the forge is looking like a porcupine.  Besides my ridiculously busy schedule with two kids in soccer and one in karate (and I have made it clear that they are only permitted one sport at a time), I also have Girl Scouts coming up where I am the leader, three quilt guilds where I am the secretary for one of them this year and the quilt show coordinator for next year, SCA and all the art projects associated with that.

Emma's karate is coming along and her sensei decided she was ready to test for the yellow belt (starts white, then yellow, orange, green, green with a blue stripe, blue, blue with a brown stripe, brown, then black...at least, that's what I remember from the display on the far wall), but the test is THIS Saturday in Redmond, which is a bit of a haul (not horribly far, but not just down the street), and we are already double-booked for the weekend. The next test date is in mid-October, so Sensei is starting to teach her the yellow belt stuff now, just to give her a head start for the test after that.

Cammie was delivered to her aunt Nancy for a couple days to hang out with her favorite cousin, Nate.  He's a year younger than her, but they've been the closest of pals since toddlerhood and we try to get them together at least a couple times a year, and recently, each summer for a few days.  His birthday was a couple weeks ago, so they're having a belated birthday party for him and we'll go back to fetch her on Friday.

Ben is continuing to dislike soccer.  He complains that he's too slow, he doesn't kick the ball hard enough and doesn't have the strength.  I'm thinking that maybe he'd have a better time with karate, too.  We'll give soccer a couple more weeks and if things are really going poorly, we'll have to decide whether to pull him out and sign him up for karate at the Y instead or what.

The yurt is coming along--we cut the new rafters from the hem-fir and screwed in the lag bolts on Monday.  I need to re-drill the holes in the tono to accommodate the larger rafter pegs (the lags are 3/8"; I drilled 1/4" for the ill-fated 3/16" pencil rod).  After that, I may actually get to set the thing up!  I still need to sew the roof for it, but it's getting darn close to being finished!!

I also finished one of the two yellow thistle knee socks.  I have 30 or so rows of yellow to knit, and the second will be done.  I'll be happy to have those off the needles and sent on to the new owners.  I'll also like to have the $50 in my pocket for having finished them!

A few new projects have surfaced, too--I am commissioned to make a couple sets of Elizabethan clothes for 8 and 9 year old girls for Halloween...or rather, All Saints Day.  The girls at the Catholic schools get brownie points from the priests for dressing up as Saints, so the girls chose St. Margaret Ward to be their chosen saint.  She rescued a priest from prison for having continued to hold services after Catholicism was made illegal.  She smuggled a rope into the prison to help him escape and things went awry when the rope was accidentally left behind and a boatman who was in on the plot was caught and ratted her out.  She was one of 40 who were named martyrs of England and Wales.

I may also have some clothes to make for Tyrssen's lady, who likes things frilly and girly.  Elizabethan it is!  I don't know if I'll be able to make a proper bodice without fittings, but I should be able to make most of the other parts--chemise, skirt, sleeves (for indoor wintertime events), ruffs, etc.  What I'd like to try to make (for myself first) is a coat from that era.  I've seen other people wearing them and they're just spectacular.  I'll have to see if I can find a pattern.  The internet is the most amazing tool!

I don't have to be anywhere until 3:30 tomorrow, so I think I'll spend a couple hours catching up on housework.  Sheets, laundry, vacuuming, bathrooms, countertops...there's a lot to do.

G'nite.
K