The Well-Dressed Hedgehog

Another Hiatus

Elizabeth — 2010-08-09T15:27:00Z

You might have noticed that there are a lot of error messages at the top of this blog. This is because Dreamhost decided to disable PHP4 on all their existing accounts. This site is written in PHP4.

Until I can talk the Husband into writing a conversion program to get all of the info from FLog into some other blogging software, I won't be posting much. We'll see how long this takes. I am also disabling comments for now, because I keep getting spammers.

See you later!

What's good for the basil...

Elizabeth — 2010-05-23T16:28:33Z

Time for a garden update!

I planted a bunch of carrots a while ago. Last week, I got around to thinning them out, and I still have around three dozen (maybe a few more) left. If they all make it to adult-hood, we should have some tasty carrots this fall.

The chives have finally gotten large enough to be put to use, so I think I will be getting some baking potatoes at the store today for lunches. Parsley, similarly, has enough foliage to be added to my next batch of chicken stock and to contribute to Husband's omelets. The rosemary is putting on another growth spurt. Next year I will probably try to get a new plant started in the spring; this one is going to out-grow the container here in a bit.

Today and yesterday are some of the first sunny days that we have gotten since I set the basil outside, and it has responded by putting out two new sets of leaves in the last two days. This weather is going to continue for most of the next week, which means we will, eventually, have some pesto from the patio garden. My love for pesto is deep and abiding.

Yesterday, however, was the last day for the spinach. We didn't get more than a double-handful of leaves from all the plants put together before they all bolted from the heat. Part of the trouble is that I planted them about three or four weeks too late, and part of it was that we had some really unseasonably warm weather back in April. So, I pulled up what was left and will be planting some morning glories in the basket for the rest of the summer. Yes, they are strictly ornamental, but seeing the big purple and red flowers in the morning makes me smile, and it will give our windows some shade in the mornings as well. This fall I might put some more spinach out after the basil is all gone.

This is the status report. This afternoon I am going to check on the pepper plant, which is being fostered on a friend's patio. They get more sun than we do, so it should be happier there.

Nothing to report

Elizabeth — 2010-05-22T12:46:46Z

No, no I don't have anything to talk about right now.

All I have been working on are two super-secret projects. One is about half-done and has a looming deadline. The other is... ten percent? I think? It's big. And time-consuming. And Secret. And so gorgeous that I really, really want to take pictures and show them off, but I can't. Why, yes, I do plan to taunt you all until the holidays. Or until the project is finished and I can move on to something else.

The smaller one should be done sometime in the next week, and then I can both a)start on something that I can discuss, and b)wait until the recipient sees it and then post pictures here.

Well, I guess the other thing I have been doing is altering some shirts for a fellow fencer. I'm down to the last one at this point, but it's a bit more time-consuming than the first three were. Not much, just this is the only one that I have had to mess with the hem instead of just making the darts bigger.

Actually, that might be kind-of interesting to write up. Anyone interested in learning how to alter shirts?

High-water cozy?

Elizabeth — 2010-05-18T12:31:21Z

Well, the alphasmart cozy went through the wash twice, and has come out like this:

It's a bit short, isn't it?

I think I made a math error, but even if I didn't, that was the point at which I ran out of yarn.

The second version will get cast on once I check the numbers a second time. I am toying with the idea of having it be bottom-up (starting at the base of the keyboard) instead of top-down. Which would be more irritating as a finish: grafting 35 stitches on each side (70 total) or dealing with a 70 stitch two-sided cast-on?

Dusting off

Elizabeth — 2010-05-05T12:30:56Z

I (finally) got a picture of the socks I knit for the Husband!

This was the first time I think I actually talked him into putting them on, since I finished them up just when the weather turned warm. They now reside in his sock drawer, and will remain there until October.

The knitting status might be a little quiet for a while, because I am getting a jump-start on some holiday knitting and at least two of the people that I am working on things for read this blog. So, you might get cryptic, photo-less updates, but that will be about it.

Sewing, though! Oh, do I have sewing lined up. As soon as I have my iron back, I am going to knock together a summer skirt, I have some (paid!) alterations work lined up for next week, and I have picked the Tudor Monstrosity up again.

Why are you on the floor? It's not that funny.

Last night, I went through the fabric stash (no, I did not take pictures) and found all the pieces. This morning I started on the last bits of seam finishing on the underdress bodice.

The state of the dress is pretty much the same as it was in this post from July 2007. I also tried on the corset and bodice last night, and they all still fit fairly well. I think I might have cried if they had not, because I do not have enough fabric to re-cut the bodice and still get enough skirt out of the whole thing and the corset took forever and I really, really don't want to have to re-sew all those boning channels.

I did decide, after all, to hand-sew the whole thing. Maybe not the skirt seams, but everything else will just be less frustrating that way, even if it is more time-consuming. This is going to be my hand-work for the next week or so (waiting on some supplies ordered for Giant Secret Knitting Project), and I will see how far I get. The hard work on the underdress (the pattern, mainly) is already done. I just have to execute the plan.