Ramblings in hopes of keeping someone interested

I was bit excited about making a Wee Tiny Sock, so yesterday I sat down to just “get started” and a bit under two hours later, I was all done and ready to stick it in the envelope, but I need to wait to know where I am to send it to! Today I decided it was so cool I made another one, a little bit shorter, as the first one was too long for the blocker.
Someone at Wednesday Night Knit Group keeps whining about how she has been burned in glass bead swaps, so she won't try knitting swaps. She also keeps being wowed at how well I have been treated in swaps; I just tell her knitters aren't like those slacker glass toads. I even gave her a chance to try one with a guarantee, but NOOOO....

 

Well, we all decided to have our own “Knit Nite Tiny Sock Swap” but still need to work out the details. Stuff like are we going to do an assigned “make one/get one” trade, or make several and then have socks from lots of friends. Leah joined us this week, she just moved here five weeks ago and we were happy to have her crash our party! She was knitting a very cute Opal Brazil Baby Sweater Set (in case anyone needs ideas for babies).
And in case anyone should think that I don't do anything besides knitting, TA DA!! Today I made a pyramid. It was pretty easy (unlike the last one I built, more on that later). I think it wouldn't have taken me as long as it did if I hadn't had help. Help inspecting the sewing machine as I cleaned the table off, help cutting out fabric, and help ironing; fortunately, no one got hurt in the process. Unfortunately, no pictures were taken other than the finished product, especially since at one point she was hanging off of the end of the ironing board by just a couple of claws on each of her front feet. I was having a hard time not laughing at her swinging in the air!This pyramid will live in our room, to keep the door from getting blasted open in the middle of the night by Someone dashing about. I also made some awesome Black Bean Sweet Potato Stew, but I guess most of you out there know I cook.... It is a very yummy vegetarian stew (aka thick soup). If anyone wants, I would be happy to post the recipe; just leave a comment.
So, about that other pyramid I made... (Did you think I either forgot or was just going to leave you hanging?) I am not sure how many of you out there have worked with clay so I will give a brief overview of how it was made. First off, I will say I am really glad I had my brother's help, because I needed the extra hands and suggestions! This is made from slabs of clay, which means they have been run through a roller; thank goodness I didn't have to do that part without the aid of tools. Then the slabs have to dry some, but not too much, and get decorated. That involved marking all the "brick lines," doing some glazing and texture, cutting windows, and attaching "dimensional bricks." I also had to cut the slabs into the base and sides according to the pattern I had drafted. I also had to cut the lid and make the supports for it to rest on.Then the really hard part of sticking the sides and base together without having them fall in on themselves (more than two hands were needed here, wet clay is really heavy!) and putting stuff inside to hold them up until it was completely dry and ready to do the first fire. Then there was more glazing to be done before the finial firing. This will give you a rough idea of how big it is; the base is about one foot square, which means it is also about a foot tall. I think it probably weighs somewhere between eight and ten pounds.

 

Anybody besides my immediate family, oldest brother, and probably my mom, want to guess what these are?

 

Hint: It is of one of my most favorite harbingers of spring. I know they look a bit gross today, but soon enough they will be cake, pie, and jam!