Works in Progress

Since my post yesterday was rather long-winded (a habit of mine, admittedly), I'll keep this one short.

I read a lot of paperback books (mostly borrowed or from the used-books store) and I hate how they get all beat-up and grubby. I found a pattern for a paperback book cover in a Japanese embroidery book my mom bought, so I decided to make one that will fit my cheap paperbacks, especially my old Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries (I'm reading Clouds of Witness right now). This cute owl (not yet finished) will go on the front and I've found a nice green floral/stripe for the interior fabric. I embroidered the leaves last night while Paul and I watched Star Trek: The Next Generation on one of the few cable channels we have. Yes, my aerospace engineer husband watches Star Trek. Definitely "White and Nerdy." If you haven't seen the music video, click here and you'll understand.
I hope I know what I'm doing when it comes to assembling the book cover. The instructions in the embroidery book are in Japanese...

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered a Yarn Store in a Box from Halcyon Yarns. It came with catalogs and sample cards for all the yarns they carry. I have been looking for good yarn that I can afford for quite a while because most of my patterns call for Rowan yarn which is ridiculously expensive and I also buy a lot of old patterns that call for yarn that doesn't exist anymore. I just ordered the yarn below (color 35, click to enlarge) to make the sweater pictured (from Knitting Fashions of the 1940s by Jane Waller). The yarn comes in 1-pound cones for only $39.95 and this sweater calls for just 250 grams (8.8 oz.) so I'll be able to make something else, as well.

I'm looking forward to being able to share the work I'll be doing on both projects. Until next time!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

How much laundry can two people create? Evidently a lot! Today was one of those days when every section of my laundry sorter was full. I'm about halfway through all of it now, so we don't have to go around in dirty clothes. I don't mind laundry, though. It's easy and it's not washing dishes!

In other news, we had ice yesterday and snow today so I'm missing my dance classes today. I'm disappointed, but after my wreck last month, I'm not willing to go out in the inclement weather. So, instead, I'm hanging out in my pajamas and trying to stay warm. It's 15 degrees right now, so it's even cold in the house. I may have to fill up the hot-water bottle. I think I'll also have to do some ballet this afternoon to make up for missing class. That'll help keep me warm.

Tea also helps keep my blood from freezing in my veins. I actually do get cold, contrary to popular belief. Paul actually said I must be the witch from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe because of my tendencies to turn down the thermostat. Isn't he mean? Anyway, I like to drink tea and read books and I like chartreuse.

The chair I've photographed before and the cup and saucer are from A Legacy Antiques on Douglas in Wichita. The books are David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (my serious reading), The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (my fun reading) and Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (my guilty reading). I'm still reading David Copperfield, but I've passed the Agatha Chrisite on to Paul (I love her books) and I finished Living Dead in Dallas, so that has to go back to my mother and I can move on to the next Southern Vampire novel: Club Dead. I can't wait until the TV series (True Blood) comes out on DVD. Since we don't have HBO, we have to wait until May to watch the first season. This week, I've started reading Jane Eyre, Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers, and Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita. Did I ever mention that I like to read?

I also like to cook (most of the time). I just don't like cleaning up afterward. This first photo is Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches (using a baguette instead of hoagie rolls, which is the way the Vietnamese sandwich places in OKC do it) and Chili-Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges.

Next, we have comfort food at its best: breakfast for dinner! I had to buy a 10-pound ham so I could have the bones and other inedibles for split-pea soup ("Potage Saint-Germain" probably sounds more appetizing), thus we have a lot of ham steaks. I fried up the ham and made toast and my Special Occasion Scrambled Eggs (1 teaspoon of cream per egg, bacon fat and butter for scrambling, and a sprinkling of green onion). This meal goes really well with tea and a movie.
Hope you're staying warm out there! Don't drive unless you have to!

P.S. Here's a little Bach, which always makes me feel better (I just love chamber orchestras):