You know how you put off something because it feels like the most GINORMOUS task in the world and it feels like it will take FOREVER and be HARD?  That is completely how this sewing of the ribbon to Paul’s zipper felt.  But do you know how also lots of times those ginormous tasks don’t seem so terrible once you get started?  That is completely how the sewing of the ribbon to Paul’s zipper went.

Before:

After:

Now, I didn’t say I did the best job in the whole world, just that it wasn’t as bad as I thought.  Each side of the ribbon (there were 4) took me about a half-hour each (not HOURS and DAYS and YEARS…).  Not too bad!  You can see that there is some (*ahem* a lot of) puckering but when Paul tried it on, it looked fine.  (You don’t get to see a picture of him in it until we take one at Rhinebeck, which was deadline day.)  I’m not really aspiring to get great at sewing in zippers, though.  The next time, I will pay my friend Janell who is an excellent seamstress, to do it for me!  This one, though, I wanted to be able to say I did the whole vest myself just for Paul.

And seriously, last week when I had 8 days to go, I was absolutely certain it would be down to the wire.  And after that day, three more days went by before I actually got to work on it.  I had no idea I’d have three days to spare!

Because in the mean time, I taught three knitting classes over the weekend.  I missed getting a picture from the final session of the Silverleaf class, but everyone was doing really well and will have some really nice shawls!

The Felted Clogs (slippers) class was also off to a great start:

(Yes, those will be slippers. Stay tuned for a picture after the second class in two weeks.)

And the Sleeping Owl Tea Cosy (yes, it is spelled “Cosy” and not “Cozy”) class also went really well:

So cute!

In other knitting news, I made the first of two Maine Morning Mitts for a fingerless mitts class I will have in November:

These are SO comfortable.  The 2X1 ribbing just hugs your hand and feels so nice.

Then, my knitting friend Sue tagged me on Facebook to show me the Rough Waters pattern and for some reason I just had to make it, thinking it would also make a great class, possibly in December:

That was one of those I-can’t-believe-you-showed-me-that-because-now-I-have-to-make-it-and-really-have-so-many-other-things-to-knit kind of things.  But, it was a quick knit apparently, because I was done in about three days.

Ok, that’s it for now.  Except to say it’s really fall now and I’m dying to make some apple crisp.  Or apple something.  Enjoy a changing-leaves picture from our yard: