My mother asked me a while ago what I’d like for my birthday. I really didn’t know what I wanted. Finally on Friday I decided and told her. She ran it by my dad, who okayed it and then Saturday, the two of us (well 4 as the twins came along too) went shopping. I got this:
The Singer 7468 Sewing Machine. I have an entry level Brother machine that while it works, doesn’t do a lot of things. I couldn’t drop the feed dogs or adjust the presser foot. I could sew a straight line though. I’ve drooled over some of the sewing that my fellow bloggers have been doing recently. Having started sewing long before HomeEc in junior high, I knew I had it in me as well. I was sewing an off the shoulder blouse in HomeEc while my classmates made pillows 
I figured a good machine was called for. I originally priced out the model below this one, the 7466, unsure of what the folks wanted to spend (but with a general idea based on previous year’s gift) and figured that the 7466 would be machine enough and I’d cover the difference if any. The deal I found for it was fabulous, priced extremely well and probably $50 less than anyone else. Even better, he’s located in NJ, not too far from home (drive was less than 30 min even in the rain) and told me on the phone that he’d match the online price for a phone order. As a bonus, Elizabeth NJ is an economic recovery zone and the sales tax is cut there from 6% (statewide flat rate) to 3%. Only thing, he didn’t have any more 7466′s in stock, would be getting them in soon and could ship one. I guess I sounded eager to drive on down and pick up a machine that day as it was then he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. He offered me the $399 7468 for $299 and wished me a happy birthday. I added the carrying case and called it a day. You need a new machine or service on an existing one, please check out Elizabeth Sewing, you’ll be glad you did.
Yesterday, after a 3 hour nap, we (mom, twins and I) headed off for Jo-Anns for some fabric. I need to make the twins new blankets as they are now officially too big for the hand crocheted blankets mom made them. I figured I’d make them some quick comforters out of a cozy flannel. Kat helped me decide which fabric to get her. While I had picked out some seriously girly pink with ballerina fabric, I said the word sheep and she repeated it over and over and over again, crying out for the sheepy fabric. That’s my girl. The boy was too busy droping his toys out the stroller to pay attention to fabric. (JoAnn.com is down otherwise I’d show the fabric selections – yeah, didn’t take pictures of it myself Expect action sewing shots in the near future.
I did some spinning this weekend. I futzed with a variety of different rovings and the eagle eyed will notice that the "On the Wheels" list got much smaller. I decided that one full Lendrum bobbin of the blue/pink Romney Roving was more than enough for a pair of socks. Not much else that I wanted from that colorway and after weighing it, listed it on eBay. I pulled out the cormo roving and while it spins beautiful, the resulting yarn is springier than what I had in mind for a gansey so I tucked it back in the closet fighting the urge to break it down and sell it. I then pulled out the CVM roving and after futzing with it for a while, it too met the same fate. Actually that one was sold quickly and is boxed up and ready to go. I did finally sit and spin without selling the remainder. Deb, when she came to test my wheels a while ago, brought a lovely hostess gift of a gorgeous white pindrafted shetland roving. It will be perfect for the center section of my Shetland Anniversary Pi shawl. I’m spinning it pretty darn fine and plied, should be a good laceweight. While I haven’t started either the merino for the Clapotis, or played with one of the fleeces designated for a sweater, I’m being tempted by a Wensleydale/BFL Pin-drafted roving on eBay. How wonderful would that be for a gansey?? The price of the roving is good, but her shipping is a tad high, I do have a question is as to whether she’d combine shipping.
I’d like to thank everyone for their assistance with the whole gansey v. aran question I posted. I pulled out my Starmore Fishermen’s Sweaters to consult it as well. The interpretation I’m walking away with is a gansey/guernsey/aran are all fishermen’s sweaters. The difference is the weight of the yarn and the construction method. While it will mean more spinning, I’m aiming for a gansey.
That should do it for now,
Craft on!
