The Mane Story: A Hairy Tale (get it?)

I'm sure I've told you that my husband is an environmental activist, yes?  Well, technically, he's a high school math and science teacher, but he's also what I like to (affectionately, most of the time) call an Enviro-Nazi.  One day, he told me about the chemicals in cosmetics and it disturbed me, though, as an educated and discerning consumer, I really should have known better.

On top of that, I have been steadily (and, for the most part, quietly) mounting a rebellion against the commercialization of our society (I won't say that I outright boycotted Christmas this year, but dang, I came close)(I have no problem with the *spirit* of Christmas, but to my disgust, the stupid displays were up in the store windows A WEEK BEFORE HALLOWEEN, this year).  At the risk of sounding like a complete hippy/mountain-top-hermit/recluse/grinch/scrooge, I don't just don't like the fact that I have to pay for so much "stuff" just because everyone else thinks I should.  Cosmetics have always topped my list of "Awww man, do I really have to pay for that?"

So sometime last fall, I decided to phase out the use of shampoo and conditioner here at our house.  My husband shaves his head (so he obviously doesn't need much beyond a gentle soap for his noggin) and I've been growing out my hair for about 18 months, which has changed some of its characteristics and needs.

When it was shorter, I straightened it on a regular basis, because it's a little wild and crazy.  Now that it's longer, it behaves much better and I realize that I miss having long hair (it was down past my waist for most of the first 17 years of my life, until I chopped it all off).

So, how's the no-shampoo campaign going?  Pretty well.  You wanna know how I went about it?  Ok, I'll tell you:

First of all, it's important to know that my hair is very healthy.  I was blessed in that department and I've made it a point to take care of it.  I've never treated it or scorched it.  As a result, it always responds well to change.  Your mileage may vary.

The first step was to start weaning my hair off washings.  When it was short, I had to wash it once a day.  As it started growing out, I was able to bring it down to every two days almost immediately and then slowly worked my way down to once every 4 or 5 days.  At this point, I was still using shampoo and conditioner, but the idea was to see if I could reduce my scalp's dependence on chemicals and make the process more seamless.

In October, I ran out of conditioner so one evening, I looked online and found out that you can use apple cider vinegar as conditioner.  So I tried it and wow, it really works.  The smell can be strong if you're sensitive to fragrances (which I am), but I personally don't find it unpleasant.  I was a little concerned about smelling like fermenting apples at work, though.  That's when I figured I would try something my yoga teacher uses on yoga mats to freshen them up: a spray bottle with a water and essential oil mixture.  Ruth uses red thyme, lemon balm and lavender but they're a little overpowering, so I stuck with lavender and then found a really fabulous cinnamon/cassia oil at my health food store and I've been using that, in combination with ylang ylang and tea tree oils.  Sometimes I use sweet orange oil instead, to jazz things up.  I make up a very small batch at a time (single use, really) so that the oils don't do weird things in the bottle while I have my back turned (I have no proof that they do, but I'm not taking any chances that I'll spray my hair one day and find out the hard way an hour later that something went rancid on me).  Just about 1/4 cup of water with 10 drops of oil or so.  I spray any excess on my sheets and pillow (makes for sweet dreams).

At this point, I hadn't shampooed my hair in a couple of weeks.  And no conditioner for 6 or 8 weeks.

Once I had the shampoo/apple cider vinegar routine down to once per week (beginning of November-ish), I started adding in "shampooings" of baking soda.  This was all trial-and-error, you understand: there were a couple of mornings when it looked downright awful and I just had to cave in and shampoo it.  I realize now that you have to pay more attention to the span between washings than I did.  And I also had to play with the concentrations of ingredients.  But there are no hair-washing police and no-one cares what happens in my shower (I hope).  There are a lot of variables in a person's life that might affect how their skin/hair/teeth respond to the elements and it's ok if things need a helping hand.

Now, I'm at one baking soda/apple cider vinegar washing per week (Saturday morning), with a water rinse every couple of days and a water/oil spray when I feel that it needs a freshening.  But the odd thing is that it doesn't smell.  Of course, I can't smell my own scalp, but my husband is honest to the point of being aggravating, so I trust him to tell me if I start to get gross.  So far, so good.  I haven't so much as touched the shampoo bottle in 6 weeks or so.

And the biggest surprise?  The texture.  I am not sure how to explain it.  It's not greasy, even when I suspect that it is.  I would say that it's more waxy than oily.  It is smooth and heavy and thick, but not limp.  I haven't gotten a trim since sometime last winter, yet I have no split ends.  It is less frizzy than before (oh, I just love that - it feels like I'm sticking it to the conditioner manufacturers of the world).  It has always been open to the suggestion of curl, but now it has reached a whole 'nother level:

I took this photo this morning.  I tip my hat to those who take nice mirror self-portraits.  That shit is HARD.

Those ringlets?  I created those about 3 minutes before I took the photo - just by twirling them around my finger.  Those waves last all day.  I've had a couple of crazy frizzy/dry/wild days, but when they come up (and they come up because it's wintertime and I'm still working out my routine/technique/concentrations of ingredients), I use a teeny little bit of Burt's Bees Hand Salve that we have on hand.  I rub it on my hands and then carefully run my fingers through my hair.  It works like a charm.

Here's the rub: one thing I've had to adapt to is the need to carefully comb/brush my hair and fasten it before bed.  I did that for most of my childhood, so it's not a hardship, but I haven't done it in 16 years (EGADS, has it really been that long?), so I was out of practice.  My hair doesn't have that same slick texture it once had (which is probably why it retains curl so much better) and it tangles a bit more easily.  I want to prevent bed head so that I can avoid washing/rinsing it in the morning.  I don't like going to work with wet hair (and I've never been big on blow drying), so washing it in the morning is not my favourite.  I tie it up, either in french braids or in little buns (the buns have a nicer effect on my waves) and then hit the sheets:

{I haven't figured out a great way to keep this stuff handy in the bathroom.  I use a glass mason jar for the baking soda mix (this is a disaster waiting to happen, I know... when I drop it and cut myself on the shards, you can smugly call me an idiot and I won't protest) and large plastic jug for the vinegar mix.  But that's a little unwieldy and I'm on the lookout for more convenient tools.  If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.}

Anyway, it's been a really interesting experiment and now that this particular ball is rolling, I'm looking at other ways to phase out chemicals in my life.  I still take guilty pleasure in washing my tub with Comet (baking soda wasn't cutting it, sorry), but I have just about every other cleaning product in my sights.  Mwahahahahaha!

Awesome stuff

I really hate it how all we seem to hear from people regarding customer service/new products are the horrible customer service and disappointments they've experienced.  I also hate how the details of these experiences are often blown completely out of proportion (I blame Twitter, incidentally).

I wish people would share their positive experiences with as much enthusiasm - why punish the crappy businesses and then ignore the good ones?

So today, I'm going to tell you about some recent acquisitions I've made that I'm very pleased with.  You might not care, but I'm going to do it anyway.  Here we go:

1.  New yoga pants.  I am not one of those creatures who believes that spending $100 on a pair of yoga pants (or jacket/top/whatever) is acceptable.   I have never paid more than $30 for a pair and many of mine have lasted for years and years (and I practice a very physically demanding form of yoga, so that is saying something).  Usually I go to Winners for yoga gear, but I don't like the inconsistency - just when I've found a brand/style that I like, they run out of it.  (Wanna see someone go ballistic in a public place with little or no regard for decency?  Come shopping with me at Winners on a Saturday morning on a day when I need new yoga pants and can't find a pair.)

But Mountain Equipment Co-Op just put out a line of yoga gear and I tried some stuff on while I was in Ottawa (we don't have a store here...*SOB*).  I confirmed my size and ordered a pair of the Messina pants online (yay! on sale!).  They fit perfectly.  So comfy, the fabric is soft and sturdy and the colour is really nice.  I had to hem them because I'm short for my size (large), but that's a pretty common occurrence and it's not their fault that I'm a hobbit. 

So: win.

2.  Still with MEC (a most wonderful chain of stores that I can NOT say enough good things about - if we had one here, it's probably the only place I would shop, I kid you not).  Last winter (the warmest winter I've ever experienced, so my purchase kind of went to waste), I bought a pair of merino leggings.  Black wool leggings.  Yes.  So very yes.  They're thin and comfy and totally non-itchy (and non-stinky: BONUS) and WARM.  I love them (and would love them more if I'd thought to buy them in medium, as the large is a little too large) and am getting at least one more pair.  Perfect under long wool skirts.  Perfect as pyjamas.  Perfect under jeans.

(Wool-sensitive Husband bought the men's long-sleeve undershirt version and loves it.)

Win again.

3.  A buckwheat pillow from Halfmoon Yoga (another great Canadian company). 

I do not sleep easily, friends.  I've battled one form of insomnia or another almost my entire life (there was a lovely bout between the ages of 17 and 24 where sleep came easily and I'm grateful for that, but alas, it waned).  It's frustrating to deal with so I take sleep seriously.  One of my big challenges is finding a good pillow.  Not too big, not too squishy (and for the love of all that is holy, no damn feathers!), but something that will stay put and has neck support.  I don't move very much in my sleep and I tend to remain on one side or the other all night, so it must have substance.

I'd read about buckwheat pillows and I have a zafu, so I had a sense of what it would feel like, but I wasn't 100% sold on the idea.  But I got good and fed up a few months ago and decided to just take the plunge, already.  Now, I don't consider $80 for a pillow reasonable - I was gritting my teeth in protest even as I was clicking on the "Add To Cart" button.  But I was so tired of experimenting with other pillows (thereby wasting money),  I went through with it.

This is the pillow for me. It took about 10 days nights to get used to it (my neck was sore for a few days and my ear hurt a fair bit from sleeping on it - the pillow doesn't have a lot of "give" to it), but once I got accustomed to it, it felt sooooo good.

Win win win.

4.  My Sigg wide mouth water bottle.  I bought this on my trip to Ottawa, not online.   It has a dual cap: one opening big enough to drop in ice cubes and one opening small enough that you can easily control the flow of water you're drinking, so that it doesn't splash you in the face.  Also, easier to clean than the narrow-mouth versions.  Love it.

Mine actually has a different and more ornate orange Indian/paisley pattern on it, but this one is nice, too.

Win x 4.

5.  And last, but not least: my new travel mug. 

I have bought 4 travel mugs in the past 2 years.  Four.  And they all sucked.  Either the caps were gross and uncleanable or the body of the mug itself took on water when it was being washed (which would naturally escape later, when I was trying to drink from it...mmmm old dish water running down my chin...GAG).  This one, bought from www.goneshopping.ca (AWESOME online shop with a fantastic assortment of eco-products - they sent me a lovely personalized e-mail and then a little handwritten note with my shipment, offering me a discount on my next purchase), is a total winner (though the price tag initially took me some time to justify - until I calculated how much I had wasted on the previous 4 mugs).  The cap comes apart for ease of cleaning, the body is fully sealed - so there's no seepage, and it keeps my tea hot (HOT, not just slightly warmish) for literally 7 hours (no joke - if I prepare it at 7:00 am, my tea is still be drinkable at 2:00 pm).

It's shown with the loop cap, but you can buy the "café cap" to go with it - that's the one you need in order to use it as a mug

I bought it on a Thursday, it arrived at my office on Monday morning (Monday!  I live on a little island in the Atlantic - nothing ever ships here in 2 days!) and I used it Tuesday and Wednesday (by which time I was totally smitten, as you can imagine).  Then, on Wednesday night, I flew out to Toronto for business and proceeded to lose this little guy in the taxi from the airport.

I don't really have to tell you how much cursing and screaming (quiet screaming, mostly internal, but very effective) I did the next morning when I went to make a cup of tea in my hotel room and discovered that it was missing, do I?  I got a grip (took me a few hours to calm down, I'm ashamed to say), conjured my inner Gandhi (not an easy feat, I assure you, kind of like horking up a hairball) and told myself that it was ok, some lucky bastard had just unknowingly inherited the best damn travel mug ever made by humankind.  It was just $30.  Let it go.

Right, so the next morning (that's Friday - 8 days after my initial purchase, in case you've lost track), I walked two blocks from the hotel to the Yonge Pharmacy (what a great, old school place that is!), where the interwebs told me I could find more Klean Kanteen stuff.  I couldn't find the insulated ones, so I approached the counter and asked if they had any of them in stock.  They had just received a shipment the day before and had exactly what I was looking for in the back.  So I prepared to lay down (another! ARGH!) $30 for a replacement and while the clerk was ringing me in, I started recounting my tale of woe.  He kind of chuckled (not laughing AT me, I'm sure...) and said "Aw, that sucks.  Well, seeing as you had such a crappy time of it, I'm going to give you 20% off this one."

Yeah, that's right.  Good karma: I has it.  Glad I coughed up that hairball after all.

(And I have been guarding the freaking thing with my life ever since - if anyone so much as looks sideways at my travel mug, they're going to lose an eye.)(If my house was on fire, I'd grab my great-grandmother's knitting needles, my husband, my two dogs and this mug.)

So that's it - those are some of the good things I've recently purchased that I am so very pleased with.  The shops I've linked to are amazing and take customer service very seriously, for which I commend them.  If you have Christmas shopping to do in the next few months, you may want to consider sending some business their way - they deserve it and you won't be disappointed.

(I don't really have to say it, do I?  None of these people have given me a dime - or free product - to give you my recommendations.  I just really like them and wanted to go on the record with my experiences.)

The Principles of Knitting

Have you guys heard any of the buzz surrounding The Principles of Knitting?  I had never heard of this book until a few days ago, when all of the sudden, it seems to be getting attention from all over the place.  Apparently, it's quite the thing.

Have any of you bought it?  If so, what did you think?  Overrated or the new knitting bible?

Eeek, it's a steek!

One of my unofficial New Year's resolutions was to refrain from buying more yarn until I work through half of my stash (my stash isn't very big: "half" constitutes 2 sweaters' worth).  I also had a couple of hibernating WIP's that I new needed to go.  I decided that the first contestant would be my poorly-conceived tunic (seen here).  The problem with the whole thing is that the yarn is so damn itchy.  It needs to be worn as outerwear and I can tell that the tunic is going to be too warm for me.  So I frogged it and started some sleeves for a Seamless Hybrid (women's version).  It's going to be a jacket with long and roomy sleeves and buttons.  Maybe some patch pockets?  I'm not sure.  All I know is it's going to be WARM.  Phew, this yarn is a workhorse (Lamb's Pride, by the by).  Last week, I showed you sleeve #1:

I experienced something with this yarn that I had not yet come across: there are dramatic variations within the different balls (all the same dye lot and batch).  This sleeve has nice dark low lights and a few strands of light beige high lights.  The other sleeve (a different ball of yarn) has much less contrast.  Oh well.  I'm not a perfectionist and besides, if I chuck that ball, I won't have enough yarn.  No-one will notice, right?  Right.

For the body of the sweater, I'm going to attempt, for the first time EVER, a steek.  I've been doing research all week and found Eunny Jang's tutorial series here, which is really well executed and full of crucial information, which I so appreciate.  I decided to do up a little steek swatch:

My knitted tube with one row of crochet stitches along the steek line (I didn't actually mark the steek line - it wasn't crucial).

The tube with both rows of crochet, ready for cutting.

Do you see the ladders I've circled in grey?  Those ladders are what I'm about to cut.  (Please forgive the deplorable state of my thumbnail and cuticle.  February is doing its best to kill me and I tend to take that kind of thing out on my nails.  My name is dw and I'm a nail biter.)

Steeking in progress.

 

Wrong side view of the steek in progress.

 

Isn't it strange how there are no little yarn ends?  The snipped threads almost seem to shrink back into the crochet stitches.

The steek edged (notice how short those snipped threads are?  I'm highlighting them with arrows...)

The wrong side view of the steeked edge.  So neat and tidy...

...and the right side view (with an arrow pointing at a little snipped end).

I took the opportunity to pick up and knit along the edge to practice making the button placket.

Result: nice, crisp and tidy.  The seam allowance on the wrong side was surprizingly not at all bulky.  And it lies flat against the fabric - no wrestling into place involved.

I tacked down the edge with some scrap yarn (in orange, so you could see it).

And this is the final product.  

So what do I think?  Ah yeah, me likey.  I have a feeling I'm about to embark on an adventure that will change my knitting forever.

I forgot to talk about the magic loop, didn't I?

...Oh bother.

So much for being organized and all that.

Anyway, what I WAS GOING to say is that magic loop has changed everything for me.  No really, it has.  I went from ABHORRING knitting-in-the-round on circulars to trying to figure out a way to do EVERYTHING like that.

So how does it work, you ask?  Well, I could sit here and a) try to explain it verbally (which would lead to me going cross-eyed) or b) I could just embed some professionally-produced videos for your reference.  How 'bout we stick with option b, eh?



I think it's pretty clear from the video that you can use the magic loop to knit all sorts of objects with a small circumference.  You can even knit two things at once (like socks or sleeves):



You can see how this would become addictive, right?  Second Sock Syndrome: cured.  Forgetting to take notes on modifications for the first mitten when it comes time to knitting the second: not a problem.  Wanting to make sure that the sleeves are EXACTLY the same length: done.

Whoever invented this deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, am I right?

And there's a bunch of peeps on Ravelry are participating in a KAL on a cabled hat, so I thought I'd add this one (though it has nothing to do with magic loop):

So what next?

A week or so ago, Miranda sent me an e-mail, asking for some knitting advice. Her question was about the magic loop (which I'll talk about again in a minute), but it was actually about something else: how to "grow" as a knitter (oh wow, that sounded really cheesy, sorry). And it doesn't only apply to knitters - any hobby or life skill presents this problem.
But really, you know what I mean, right? There are a gadgillion resources out there for beginning knitters. Lots of how-to videos on YouTube, lots of books aimed at helping you master the art of garter stitch, lots of easy projects to test out. So, you watch the videos, read the books, try the garter stitch iPod cases...

Then what? What happens when you've exhausted all of these simple projects? I mean, even if your first project was a sweater, you might still hit that very same wall: where do I go from here?

There is no real definite answer. You are, in a sense, on your own. And so am I.

As I mentioned to Miranda in my reply, I have long since outstripped my mother and grandmother (or any relative, for that matter) in knitting know-how. My obsession with it is a little mystifying to both of them. Slippers and scarves were the projects of choice for them (though Mom did knit Dad a marled grey sweater at one point, and started another - T, do you remember that one? It was navy blue, with a grey, beige, and white yoke sweater...). Neither one has attempted lace or sock knitting. And steeking? Heavens, NO!

So what is a girl (or guy) to do? Well, there are a few things:

1. Know thyself.  If you've knit a few projects, you should be getting a sense of what you like and don't like.  Pay attention to this: it's your first clue.  Are you intrigued by construction (the "architecture" of knitting)?  What about cables and texture - is that your thing?  Or are you more of a colour person?  These details are going to act as your first set of directions.
2. Try new things you aren't sure you'll like.  HA!  I just told you to follow your instincts and now I'm telling you to ignore them and try things you hadn't thought of.  Hahahaha!  Ain't I funny!?!?  No?  Oh well.  But seriously, if you aren't sure yet what you like, you really ought to try stuff that you have never given serious thought to before.  Like lace and sock knitting.  Like colour work (just be warned: intarsia is the devil).
3. Ignore the scare tactics you hear from other knitters.  Like "just be warned: intarsia is the devil".  Try it for yourself.  Then you can be the judge.
4. Pay attention to people like Elizabeth Zimmermann, Meg Swanson, Sally Melville, Alice Starmore, Kate Davies, Jacqueline Fee, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Jared Flood, Ysolda Teague, Franklin Habit, Debbie New, Adrian Bizilia, SpillyJane and a host of others.  These are your teachers-in-hiding.  I call them that because they are designers, writers and bloggers, first and foremost.  But their work is peppered with a wealth of knowledge that is just waiting for you to snatch up.  I'm thinking of one in particular that Stephanie (the Yarn Harlot) wrote, called "Knitting Rules!" in which she lists out page after page of knitting tips and tricks that I have no idea where she found (like, did you know you should always knit your ribbing on smaller needles than those used for the rest of the piece?).  My guess is that she has been collecting it by reading the authors I listed above and by asking lots of questions.  You will learn a lot if you adopt her approach.
5. Take notes, take notes, take notes.  You're going to start coming across very interesting little tidbits in your reading and you will tell yourself that you don't need to write it down: something THAT amazing is sure to stick in your memory forever!  Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but you'd be mistaken there, my friend.  So, you remember when I extolled the virtues of the knitting journal?  Well, I hate to beat a dead horse, but...
6. Start thinking about where and when and how you like to knit.  Are you a commuter-knitter?  What about in front of the TV?  At night, as an un-winding activity?  Or first thing in the morning, to focus your thoughts?  Do you travel a lot for work and need something to take your mind off the monotony of yet another hotel room?  Or just whenever you get a moment free of the kids, which you use as an escape-in-the-search-for-sanity (no, I'm not a mother, but I've spent a fair bit of time looking after kids... I know what it's like)?  The answers to those questions will give you yet another clue as to what type of knitting you should be trying out.  Like, if you're escaping to your basement craft room when the kids are napping so that you can remember how to breathe, might I suggest that you stick to simple knits with little shaping and pattern?  Maybe put some soothing music on instead and just let your hands do the work.  But, if you're travelling, you're going to want something more involved.  A five-hour flight with only a garter-stitch scarf to keep you company is likely only going to emphasize the boredom.  So, that's where lace comes in handy.  Plus, lace is a great travel-wardrobe accessory.  Think about it: it crumples up nicely in a suitcase, it acts as both a scarf and a blanket, AND it can zazz up an evening outfit without even batting an eye.
7. Maybe try having more than one project on the go.  That way, when you find yourself getting bored with something or needing to change your pace, you've got something else to turn to, without having to hunt something down.  I've shackled myself monogamously to the intarsia argyle vest for the past few weeks and I'm about to go bat-crap crazy.  This is NOT the way to do things, people.
8. Speaking of beating a dead horse: have you started listening to Kelly Petkun's podcasts, yet?  I am not joking: these podcasts have completely changed my perspective on knitting (in a good way).  Kelly has done a LOT of the legwork here - all you have to do is listen (and take notes - knittingjournal, knittingjournal, knittingjournal).  Plus, it's free.  And not that KnitPicks needs any more endorsements from me, but I also encourage you to check out all of their YouTube videos.  They are the most professionally-produced that I have found.
9. Inspiration may be your biggest challenge, going forward.  There's a reason Ravelry is so popular: get on there and go fishing for inspiration.  Look at stuff that you think you'll never be able to knit and then figure out a way to do it.  Everything you need is floating around here somewhere, I promise.  You just have to figure out a way to find it and use it.

So anyway, my point is that just because you're having a hard time finding the right resources to get haul yourself into the advanced-intermediate (or even just into the intermediate-beginner) territory, don't lose faith.  It's out there: it just isn't as blatantly obvious as the beginner stuff.

Viewer Discretion is Advised

The reason for the disclaimer is that I'm finally ready to show what I got for my birthday (back in July...so much for promptness).  I hinted at it a few times, but I only wanted to unveil it when it was ready.

So, without further ado, I present to you the newest member of my family:

She's a foam body form made by a company called Uniquely You.  I bought it online and the way it works is that you tailor the canvas cover it comes with to fit you EXACTLY (more on that in a minute).  Once that's done, you wrestle the canvas cover over the foam form (emphasis on the "wrestle"... I actually have blisters on my knuckles from body slamming this thing into submission this afternoon).

I'm obviously a little shorter than the norm, because you can see the strip of foam poking out the bottom there.  Oh well.

And can I just take a moment to marvel at just how curvy I am?  I hate photos of myself (I am truly the least photogenic person on the planet) so standing next to this thing is the best sense I've gotten of my body's proportions ever.  I have got me some junk in the trunk.  Who knew?

Right, so you're dying to ask me if this thing works.  Well, so far, I would have to give you a resounding YES.  Oh, it gave me some trouble: it was hellish to get the stupid cover right.  You can see a whole whack of loose threads poking out there, right?  After the fourth fifth third hour of altering, I got lazy and stopped trimming the ends.  And holy cow, when the instructions say that the cover has to be SKIN TIGHT, they don't kid.  I could barely breathe in it.  The current incarnation you see above is actually the second version.  I spent a whole day altering the first time around only to discover that it didn't match my measurements when I got it all assembled.  My reaction when I discovered that is best kept under wraps.  It was not pretty, folks.

But, this weekend I had a bit of a burst of productivity and started to de-stash my fabric/sewing project collection.  (I know, crazy!)  I have been finding it difficult to get motivated re: sewing, lately.  Which is really dumb because it just sits on the edge of my desk all the time - it's not like I need to assemble it every time or anything.  Once that sewing machine gets set up, I find it much easier to just keep going.  Sigh.

So anyway, once I got this baby set up and measured it again (this time it was spot on, yay!), I took out a few projects that I started last fall (they've been sitting in the drawer languishing for a year OH FOR SHAME!).  One is a pair of pants and the other is a button-down shirt.  The laziness vis-à-vis the shirt, I can forgive, I guess.  (Have you ever figured out how to alter darts on the back of a shirt when you're the one it's being fitted on and you're alone trying to fit it?  Yeah, me neither.  Yoga will only get you so far: it can't help you grow eyes on the back of your head.  Hence why I needed the dress form.)  The laziness re: the pants is kind of ridiculous.  I mean, a whole 12 months they've been collecting dust?  Sheesh.  But the shirt got fitted this afternoon and holy crap, it was so EASY!  I actually foresee myself making more of them (which I never thought I'd "hear" myself say).  Dresses are going to be a breeze (I wish I could accurately convey the excitement I feel at being able to write that... but I can't, so you'll just have to use your imaginations, ok?).

Mwahahahahaha, I am now a sewing force to be reckoned with!

Or whatever.