So Very Much

In the last post, I had dropped off my sewing machine for repairs. Well, that didn't go so great. The repair guy wanted $150 to fix it (understandable seeing as how he'd need to completely disassemble the machine), and that was a bit much for me. I said "Thanks, but no thanks," let him keep it, and bought a new one- for almost exactly $150. Practicality beats sentimentality every time at our house.

I bought a Brother CS6000i from Amazon, and finally tried it out today. I loves it. It features 60 stitches, a drop-in bobbin, and automatic buttonholes; and it came with almost every available accessory. This afternoon I pulled out some junk fabric and thread, and played around a bit. It was ridiculously easy to use. Apologies for the lack of contrast- I just grabbed the first thread I saw, and didn't think about photo quality. The sketchy bit in the center is a buttonhole.

Two knit-nights ago, I learned about the Shalimar Yarns mystery knit-a-long... with mystery yarn! Naturally, I signed up and bought my mystery yarn kit. It arrived yesterday, and it is very lovely- I will refrain from saying anything else about it, to protect those who haven't seen it yet. Mystery!

Yesterday, my friend Maria and I had an awesome mini yarn crawl in Virginia. We first stopped at Needles in the Haymarket. It's a nice store, with a table to sit and knit at, and the ladies there were super friendly. Next we swung by Hunt Country Yarns in The Plains, where it took every ounce of self-restraint to not buy the qiviut or cashmere. Another nice store with a nice selection, and Maria and I agreed the The Plains is a super cute little town. Then it was back in the Jeep for a two hour trek to the next store on our list: the Massanutten Hookery.

Admittedly, we felt we had to visit the Massanutten Hookery mostly because it is called the Massanutten Hookery. I think we were both picturing a much larger shop, but the owner was nice and they had a decent selection for the space. It's part of Skyline Cafe and Art, so you can also browse jewelery, pottery, candles, and other things that may or may not have the Confederate flag emblazoned on them. The coffee at the cafe is awesome. At the Hookery, I got some hemp yarn from Plymouth Yarn called Grass. I really wish I had a shirt that said, "I bought Grass at the Massanutten Hookery."

Later, back in Frederick, I went solo to the big sale at Eleganza. I picked up some Shalimar Zoe Sock in two colors that seemed Christmasy to me. Maybe I'll stripe them together and make Christmas socks or a stocking.

And these four colors are going to become my new lunch bag. I'm thinking I'll do wide stripes with the yellow, blue and pink; then thin stripes of the green in between. I bought some bright green Pleather to line it with, and I think it'll be awesome.

Now the fun weekend is over, and I have to go back to work tomorrow. I hate work more and more with each day. I liked it better when I just did the same stupid thing every day, and the boss asked and answered all the questions. Now I have to think and do stuff and be challenged and it sucks. My hand and brain hurt from straining to figure out new patterns, people are always in the lab messing stuff up, and it keeps getting worse. I think I found that point where money ceases to buy happiness. Blargh. I keep wondering when we'll be able to move to Virginia so that I can quit my job to become a crazy survivalist housewife.

Super Un-Genius

A few weeks ago I tried to sew a simple pocket for my Jeep windows. I had some denim fabric, heavy-duty thread, a sewing machine, and a small amount of sewing knowledge retained from a junior high home economics class. I gathered these things in our spare bedroom, away from the dog and cats, and set to work. The fabric was long enough that I could just cut it to the width of the windows (plus a bit for ease), fold it, and sew up each side, leaving a little flap at the top. I even thought I might add a button closure so the windows wouldn’t slide out.

I cut the fabric, pinned the first edge, and set up the machine. The thread was too thick for the needle, so I changed it and moved on. As soon as I started sewing, everything went awry. The machine kept eating the bobbin thread, and the tension seemed to be off no matter what I set it to. I would go 6 inches, and the needle thread would break. I would finish a seam, only to find out the bobbin thread was nowhere to be found. It seemed like I tried everything, and nothing helped. In the end, I was so frustrated that I actually sewed the edges wrong- I had created the flap on opposite sides (creating two triangular flaps- front left and rear right). Awesome. Too irritated to rip it out and do it right, I just said, “Fuck it.” and stuck my windows in it anyway.

Adding to my woe, I was convinced that I had destroyed my sewing machine with a combination of poor maintenance and heavy duty thread. Normally this wouldn’t be all that distressing- I’d just chuck it and buy a new one. It’s my way. Except that this particular machine was Scott’s first Christmas gift to me. I didn’t want to let it go that easily. Naturally, I turned to the internet for help.

First I found a few places nearby that offered sewing machine repair services. The one shop that listed a price wanted $90. I could only assume that covered labor only, and it seemed a little steep. My next Google search was (and this is where things get really interesting): “how to fix your own sewing machine.”

The first result I read warned to check your needle- that 9 out of 10 times, sewing machine malfunction is due to an improperly inserted needle. Pssht. As if that applied to me. I clicked on. The next result was from eHow, and it was so deliciously simple that it HAD to be right. It instructed me to remove the plastic bits, vacuum out the lint and any wayward thread, oil some bits, and grease others. Replace plastic bits. I cackled manically to myself as I thought about how I was going to save tens of dollars with my brilliant plan!

Yesterday, I went to the hardware store to get the oil and white lithium grease I’d need. “This is so freaking awesome,” I thought on the way home. “I’m going to fix my own machine for less than $7!” My next thought was that I HAD to blog this. I would stun a very small group of family and fellow knitters with my mechanical prowess, and the prideful high would last for weeks. Maybe even months! Well, I will amaze you… but mostly with my vast stupidity.


I gathered all the items necessary for my little project, and took a photo. It’s rare that I realize a golden blogging opportunity before it actually happens, and I wanted to document it well. But before I started, I wanted to test the machine. I had some cotton fabric and standard thread- I wondered if maybe it was just the heavier fabric and thread that had been a problem. As I changed needles once again, I thought back to that first website. A quick glance in the manual told me that I was, in fact, an idiot. The needle was in backwards. After putting it in correctly, the machine ran without breaking either thread. The tension still seemed a bit wonky, though, and that was the only nudge I needed to continue on my quest to crack that sucker open. It turns out I had grown highly curious of how a sewing machine works, and really wanted to open it up.

On I went, taking photos along the way. Not knowing how exactly all these plastic parts come off, and not having a manual that goes much beyond needle insertion and bobbin winding, I guessed. I took out screws where it seemed like it might do something. Eventually I got a panel off the bottom, and one off the side. Something in the back of my mind told me to stop before I got into trouble, but I ignored it. 30 seconds later, I was unscrewing the bit that apparently holds the tension wheel in place when shit hit the fan.


First, the tension wheel sprang out before I could get a good look at how it was in there, so that I could put it back correctly. I knew that was a problem, but kept going anyway. Still trying to figure out how to get the main plastic cover off, I sighted a screw near the bobbin winder. It was the auto-cutoff bit, and it looked to me like it might hold a secret… Unfortunately it’s secret was a bolt on the end of the nut I removed, which dropped into the shadowy world inside the machine (which I was still so desperate to expose) as I unscrewed it. I shook the machine, and heard it rattle around a bit. Idea! I could just shake it out! I shook the machine feverishly over the kitchen table, straining to hear a sound that might be a small nut hitting the table. Nothing. I shook it at every angle, until eventually it lodged itself into a cozy corner of the machine never to be heard again.

That’s when I realized I was in way over my head. The little nut was probably stuck in a gear somewhere, ready to do some serious damage in retaliation for all that shaking about. Not wanting to risk unscrewing anything more, and having no other options, I began to put the machine together as best I could. Most of it went fine- I had smartly labeled all the pieces. But that damned little tension wheel gave me a lot of grief. It probably took me 45 minutes to get that sucker back in, and it still didn’t go in right. Something like 27 little pieces need to be coordinated just so in order to screw it back in place. Freaking impossible.

Today I called a couple places about repairs. I asked about their prices and turnaround time, and the cheapest and fastest was a place in Gaithersburg on East Diamond. I had the address from the innerwebs, and at lunch I headed over. Except when I got to the address, I saw only auto shops. Confused and thinking maybe they had moved, I called from a nearby parking lot. It turns out the guy who fixes sewing machines is an auto mechanic. The garage is the right place. Okay then! A couple of minutes later, a very nice man covered in motor oil took my machine, and tried not to laugh at me when I explained my situation. He said he’ll call when it’s done. I’m crossing my fingers.

The House List

This is the list of things (some very specific, some general) that I want to have in our "forever home." Keep in mind that part of our criteria is a house on a large piece of land (at least a few acres), with the house centrally located on the property to ensure that our house doesn't wind up 10 feet away from the neighbor's house (or too close to the street, in case road noise becomes an issue in the future). We'd also like the property to be on a mountain, if possible. Ok, that said... on to the list!



1. An off-road trail (if the property is big enough)

2. Lots of mature trees, several of which shade the house- but not too old (as to fall on the house)

3. No standing water (like a pond) on the property (mosquitoes!), running water okay

4. Possibly a concrete home, or log home

5. Basement

6. Lots of storage space

7. Laundry area in basement or in out of the way area (not near bedrooms or living room)

8. Double-hung windows

9. Ceiling fans all over the place

10. Screened deck/porch with ceiling fan(s)

11. Fireplace(s)

12. 2 bedrooms- master and guest

13. 2 full bathrooms

14. 1-2 car attached garage or carport

15. Detached garage or barn

16. 2 areas for Scott and I to have our own space- a knitting area and a man cave

17. One of those instant hot water heaters (as opposed to the usual big tank type)

18. Large, eat-in/country kitchen or dining area next to kitchen, only one eating area

19. Generous counter space

20. 2 ovens

21. Pantry

22. Mud room between garage and house

23. Private well and septic system

24. Solar panels

25. Compost heap

26. Clothesline

27. Greenhouse

28. Chicken coop

29. Hidden safe, bolted in place

30. Fire pit

31. Brick BBQ

32. Giant garden

33. Metal roof

34. Bomb shelter/tornado bunker

35. Master bedroom on the North or East side of the house (afternoon sun = hot room!)



Of course, a lot of the list is negotiable; and the whole list goes out the window if we can get our hands on an old church with a cemetery on the grounds. Spooky! And there is a lot of crazy crap that I'd like to put on the list, but unless we fall into a few million bucks it's not realistic stuff (think secret passageways and moving walls).

Oddities

I was reviewing the blog and noticed that my links are all bad. I don't know why, and I'm sorry if it created any confusion or inconvenience. It looks like my old way of editing HTML no longer works. What a pain in the ass. From now on I'll just use the special little hyperlink button Blogger provides. Truth be told, I'm not completely happy with Blogger- I'm considering changes! Maybe my own website? It will depend on how nutty I want to get with my little blog. Perhaps that's something I will look into once I go back to housewifery and have more time on my hands.

I have a funny little anecdote: The cats kept scratching at the door early this morning, so I got up and placed our two laundry baskets in front of our door to block them, in hopes that I could get a little more sleep. Later, the (undeterred) cats were back to scratching at the door. Scott walks over, opens the door, but sees only two laundry baskets. He looks at me and says, "I think the laundry baskets are hungry." Lolz.

Friday night after knitting, I put all the windows back on the Jeep, in preparation for a much-needed rain. Once the rain cleared up Saturday morning, I went out to run some errands. I got in the Jeep and noticed quite a bit of rain had gotten in on the passenger side. I walked around for a better look, and I might as well have not put the window in at all on that side. Water, water, everywhere! I think that I didn't seat the upper door/window all the way into the lower door, which caused it to not seal. I have rubber tray-style floor mats, which caught a good amount of the rain, but I still had to pull up the carpet and pull the two plugs to drain the rest of the water.

I toweled of the floor, carpet, door, dash, and console as best I could, then ran my errands with the carpet still pulled up in hopes that it would dry a bit. After a few hours, it was dry enough that I felt okay about putting the plugs back and refitting the carpet. This morning the carpet was still a bit damp in a couple spots, so the Jeep is now opened up- hopefully the fresh air and heat will finish drying it out.

When I went out to put the top down, I decided to try out the Sunrider sunroof. For those not in the know, the newer Jeep soft tops have the option to only partially fold the top back, creating a sort of sunroof. I never did it before because I didn't really see the point. And now that I've tried it, I still don't really see the point. I guess it's a nice option if there's a lot of rain off and on in the forecast, and you don't want to keep taking the top down and/or windows off; but it sort of feels like I'm just half-assing it.

This past week Scott and I did a bit of planning for emergencies. Scott gets very excited about the idea of surviving epic disasters and living in a post-apocalyptic world, and loves planning for such an event. He gathered everything we would need for a "Go Kit." This is the kit we would take if a bomb hit DC. It assumes we will need to leave in a matter of minutes, and may never be able to come back. I also made a little emergency kit for my Jeep. We are nearly adequately prepared for almost any sort of disaster.

By the way, fellow Fredneckians... If a nuclear bomb hits the DC area, we're totally screwed. Don't bother running. You'd have to be at least 160 miles or so away for the fallout not to kill you, and 250 miles away before you'd only feel mild effects. At only 30 miles from the beltway, we'll be dead in hours. Sorry!

Once we move to our dream house, we plan on becoming as self-sufficient as possible. I've been adding to that whole list of insane things we want to do/make/have. It's insane enough to make me worry about getting raided by the ATF or FBI, with our property being referred to as a "compound" on the news. Ha. I'll put the list in another post-it's too long to put here. While a nuclear blast will still kill us in the area we'd be in (an hour or less from Manassas), I think we could be ready for something like a small (non-nuclear) electromagnetic pulse event, or even just really severe weather. Yeah, I know. Scott's crazy is rubbing off on me.

Finally (on a non-crazy note), I'm working on that sweater from the last post, and so far so good. I'm into the main body now, and it should go relatively quickly with the worsted yarn. I'm also thinking 3/4 sleeves. It will be a nice transitional top for the Spring and Fall. Pictures later, when it's more identifiable.

One Month Later...

First off, I want to say FUCK HEAT. No really- heat can go screw. I hate it. It's heavy and oppressive, and there's nothing you can do about it. Scott says that if we moved somewhere cold, I'd just start bitching about the cold... the grass is always greener and all that. I'm not sure he's right. Perhaps if we lived where it was cold all the time, but I think I'd be pretty happy in a place that was always just about 10 degrees cooler than Frederick.

But it seems more likely that in a couple of years we'll be living in Virginia, closer to the tattoo shop. Hopefully we can find a piece of property on a mountain, in the woods, where it might be a bit cooler. With my job becoming more and more of a pain in my ass, I've been daydreaming a lot about the day when I get to quit my job and be a housewife again (in an actual house with a yard). I've been keeping a list of things I'll do- garden, bake, etc. Granted, there's no guarantee that I'll change my lazy ways, but it's fun to think about.

I've also been keeping a list of things I'd like to have in our "forever house." I think Scott and I are both hoping that the next house we buy will be the last house we buy (at least until retirement). We're hoping to get a small to medium sized house on a huge chunk of land- with the house right in the middle so the neighbors are all far away! My list includes some things that will need to exist on whatever property we purchase (mature trees, basement), and some things that we can add on later (greenhouse, chicken coop, solar panels). I also keep meaning to start a scrapbook of sorts containing photos and pressed leaves of plants I want on the property. And that is something I really should get started on, because it will take a full year to see what looks good during each season.

In the meantime, it's life as usual. Scott and I started watching the first season of X-files on Netflix recently. It's strange to think that it's almost 20 years old. I remember watching it as a kid, on the TV in the basement for full spooky effect. Back then I had a crush on Mulder/David Duchovny... Not so much anymore.

Knitting has been slow-going. I haven't worked on much since finishing the blanket. I did finally finish a pair of socks that I started back in uh... March? They came out pretty well, but I accidentally worked the heels over a different number of stitches, so they are not exactly identical like I'd hoped. The yarn is Knitting Fever Indulgence, and it has sadly been discontinued according to Ravelry. It's a buttery soft 75% merino/25% nylon blend, and it was great to knit with. I hope the softness won't equate to wearing poorly.


I think I might start working on one of my UFOs- a top-down sweater in SWTC Therapi. I started it quite a while ago (even before the socks) and it's only about halfway through the raglan increases. Maybe I can make some decent progress this weekend.

I'm pretty stoked about this weekend. I've got Monday off, which rocks; Scott has tomorrow off, which also rocks; and I've got two slabs of ribs marinating in the fridge which rocks extra hard. I really, really hope my marinade doesn't suck. I sort of pieced it together based on two different recipes and what I had to work with. One was a fruity bourbon thing, but Scott is not really into fruity meat, so I used part of a beer-based marinade too... It's basically bourbon, honey, soy sauce, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, one garlic clove and 1/2 of a Vidalia onion. It could be awesome, or it could be horrible. Who knows? I'm going to let it sit overnight, turn the pieces in the morning, and bake them in the late afternoon- nice and slow. I'll be dumping copious amounts of BBQ sauce on them as they bake, so the marinade may not even play a huge role in this. Then a few minutes under the broiler should finish them off nicely. There will also be potato salad (made this afternoon) and corn. Yay, food!

That's it for today, kids. I hope you have (or had) a great weekend! Happy Fourth of July! Go America, and other such sentiments!