flip-flop day

Posted by on May 10, 2009 in craft | 15 comments

Every now and then I like to have a pajama day, a nice lazy day during which I never bother getting dressed. A nap is also a requirement. Sometimes, however, I want to have a slightly more productive yet still relaxed sort of day. These days are best observed when the weather is warm and the sky is blue, and everyone else is at work, and you can just do whatever you want. Attire must be comfortable, just a notch above pajamas-because you might just go out in public (but only if you feel like it), and must include flip-flops. That’s the kind of day I had on Friday. I’ve been needing a couple days off, so I told Mr. HeyLucy I wasn’t going to work Friday or Monday, but he shouldn’t expect much out of me, I was only going to do whatever I felt like doing at the moment.

Here’s how my flip-flop day commenced. I slept in until eight, which is not too late, but enough to feel like I got a little bonus sleep. I took care of the basic morning chores in a leisurely manner (unlike my usual rush to get everybody fed and watered on my way out the door), and finished assembling and painting another box for my beehive. I glued and nailed the ten frames that fit inside. I have a little more to do with the frames, but I’ll tell you about that later.

Because a new hobby requires as many cute new accessories as possible, I whipped up a little headscarf from Weekend Sewing. The first time I wore my hat and veil to work the bees, my hair got twisted up and fell in my face, and you can’t exactly reach in and move it once you’ve got 10,000 buzzing bees in front of you. It worked perfectly when I wore it for yesterday’s hive inspection. Although it’s quite adorable, and I’ve worn it for most of the weekend while working in the yard, it’s not particularly flattering with my short hair poking out the back, so I’m afraid I will not be able to model it for you.

Headscarf

This pattern was just as easy as can be, and took all of 30 minutes. I highly recommend it!

Before leaving to go for a nice swim, I enjoyed a quick breakfast of Greek yogurt and strawberries. One of the best things about living in Southern California is our ridiculously long strawberry season, and I had the most perfect strawberries.

I headed to the pool, swam for a half hour or so, and then I got to just lay in the sun for another half hour. It was perfectly warm, with a tiny breeze and the bluest sky. It was such a treat since I usually swim on my lunch hour, which means 30 minutes in the pool and then rush to shower and dry my hair and get back to my desk.

I went out to lunch with a good book and had some spicy Thai food. I ordered some extra to take home for our dinner, and then headed over to Lowe’s to pick up everything I needed to build a raised bed for a vegetable garden this Summer.

Back home for the evening, I watched a little Buffy the Vampire Slayer, while knitting, of course. And then, worn out from my perfectly relaxing day, I went to bed and slept like a baby. I feel like such a braggert telling you all about my day, but it was just the nicest ever. I hope everyone takes a flip-flop day soon!

Speaking of knitting, I could use an opinion. I’m nearly done with my pumpkin sweater (Alpaca! Just in time for Summer!) and I have this lovely coral heather laceweight, enough for either the Whisper Cardigan or Featherweight Cardigan (Ravelry link). I just can’t decide. I love the back of Whisper, but being somewhat busty, i don’t know if the front is very flattering. I like the Featherweight Cardi, but it’s still a new enough pattern that there aren’t many finished versions on Ravelry yet. I love Ravelry just because you can see what the finished products look like on a variety of figures. Which do you prefer? Explain please. Oh, and the yarn? Knit Picks Merino Laceweight, $2.99 a hank, either sweater requires two to three hanks, and even including shipping that’s less than $12 total. Bargain sweater!

Coralyarn

And one last thing, because this is rather long, but I did one other project recently that I’m quite pleased about. I made a little pin board for above my work table, and it’s so handy and it was very easy. I had a 12″ cork tile laying around, so I cut four one inch strips. I cut one of the strips in half, and then butted two strips together and glued a third, centered between the two. on top. That left the two halves, which I glued on either side of the centered strip, so I ended up with a double layer, 24″ strip of cork. I cut fabric into a 3 1/2 by 28 inch rectangle, and sewed it around the cork I just hung it up with strong double-sided foam tape, and that was that.

Pinboard

So handy! Now of course I’m going to have to make some cute push pins to coordinate. Maybe tomorrow.

15 Comments

  1. You have a really nice blog with beautiful photos. Inspiring!

  2. LOVE that fabric!!!! Do you remember where you got it??

  3. I was looking at the Whisper Cardi also, but I think I like the Featherweight better (thanks!). Both are very similar, but it does seem like Featherweight has more front coverage, and while I’m not really busty, I just like the fact that I can wrap it around myself if I get cold. Love your headband too – great fabric!

  4. Hmmm, I love the whisper from the back, but I think the front would drive me crazy, plus it does seem like it would kinda have a “boobs on display” effect.

  5. OOh! I’m with you on the Whisper cardigan – btw. I think it’s super cute, but don’t know how flattering it would be. I hadn’t seen the Featherweight until you linked to it though. I love this one!!!!! And you’re right, with Knitpicks yarn that is a BARGAIN!!!! Especially for a sweater that would probably get tons of wear.

  6. I couldn’t view the the Featherweight without an account, but I didn’t like the Whisper. Not enough closure, I suppose. It’s fun to have days off. I’m seriously taking my vacation time this year, and it feels good to sleep, to read, to dream in the garden. Happy Spring!

  7. Here’s a non-Ravelry link to the Featherweight Cardigan:
    http://knitbot.com/knitbot-patterns/
    It sounds like everyone is agreeing about the lack of closure on Whisper,
    which I kind of thought myself.
    I think I use most of my vacation time for those exact same activities.

  8. I’m knitting the whisper cardi myself. I liked that I had more to choose from size wise than just the measurement of my shoulder-span. Plus, being busty, I like that I’ll be able to close the sweater.
    PS: I’m really enjoying the terrarium. 🙂 I got a stowaway too!

  9. Sounds like you had a good day! Both the cardigans are cute, but if I had to choose, I think I would go with the whisper. My son and I made two 8 by 4 raised beds and filled them with dirt, etc. last weekend. I am hoping he will want to help me build 2-4 more? I followed the “tutorial” from Pioneer Woman’s blog- it had photos and made it really simple. I have a bunch of baby plants waiting to get in those beds, it seems I went a little crazy with the seeds this year and then all those transplants begging to go home with me…. I noticed a little “green thing” above your cute pin board, did you find that at The Container Store? I was just there yesterday and there was one just like that caught my eye- they were using it to hold a toothbrush and toothpaste and I thought it was handyl. I was buying more jars for my witch doctor herbal salves, creams and dried herbal remedies (I may kill us all- I blame it on the Outlander series, I want to be Claire’s character :). Ok, one more thing (I should email, but…), do you have any ideas of someone to contact about renting for 2 months this summer? Renting to someone with 4 dogs- yes, ahem…. Um, oh and my mom has one dog also, I think I should stay with 4 though, because 1 dog is small enough to be a guinea pig. On this note, I should confess to thinking a hedgehog would be a great addition to our family. Yeah, I know, I really need to stay off the internet!

  10. By Whisper, do you mean Featherweight? [?] I agree, I went and looked again,
    and I didn’t like that the one in Knits had only three sizes, determined by
    shoulder width. I’m glad I’m not the only busty one.
    I’ve been meaning to ask if the terrarium moss made it okay. I sent
    everything out on a Monday from the mailroom at my work. I checked my mail
    at our P.O. on Friday, and had a note that I had a package. I wasn’t
    expecting anything, and when I went to collect it, it was your package! They
    forgot to put postage on it, so I had to resend it. I really wasn’t sure it
    was going to make it. Were they very dried up? And a stowaway too! Lucky [?]

  11. I got it at a local fabric store a couple years ago, I’ll look at the
    selvedge and see what it is. I love it too :o)

  12. They’re by the same designer, but I think I’m with you, I’d rather be able
    to wrap it around me.

  13. The headscarf is so cute! As is the pin board. And the owl stickers. 🙂
    So funny – I just became obsessed with the Whisper cardi recently and I like Whisper because of the shaping. Featherweight doesn’t seem to have much. BUT….you could make both! Esp since the Knitpicks yarn is so cheeep! I do love the pink yarn too.

  14. I know that this is a little off topic, but would you reccomend a blogspot or a typepad account? Which one is best?

  15. I am almost 13 years old, and I love to craft and knit. I know most of the basic stuff, but I would like to learn more. I want to learn how to make socks, along with many other projects. Is there a pattern/website/book you would reccomend? I love your projects, especially the lacy scarf! Thanks!

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