December 31st

Every New Year's Eve I participate in a Spin-In in a Ravelry group. This is what I spun today - a little sample of a fibre I was given over a year ago. It was a beautiful fibre, full of curly locks, but it ended up being really hard to spin, I think I will have to think of something else to do with it.

I was hoping that this sweater would be finished before the end of the year. It is getting there though, only a few inches to go.

At the start of the year I was hoping to have a completely "me-made" outfit, and I am so pleased that happened (I have more than one now - bra, panties and everything!). Photo in our bedroom mirror (made years ago by my Dad), but all that I am wearing are things I made this year.

2023 Project Wrap-Up

- Quilting - hexagon quilt (queen sized), finished the Laundry Basket 2021 Mystery quilt, I also free motioned a couple of smaller quilts

- Knitting - 2 pairs of socks, 2 cowls, a hat, a scarf, and a vest (in the above photo)

- Weaving - 4 sets of tea towels (20 total), plus one towel with handspun linen, 5 overshot table runners (some with handspun - this year was about spinning for weaving), and a scarf (overshoot too)

- Spinning - 17 skeins - 1.8kg of fibre 

- Sewing - 2 pairs of pants, 3 dresses, 4 skirts, plus 1 dress and 2 skirts for my Mom, a pair of flannel pyjamas, undergarments, lightweight long and short sleeve t-shirts and tank tops, plus several summer knit cardigans.

- a few different little hand embroidery projects

Another beautiful sunrise this morning.

All the best for the New Year!♥︎

December 30th

Finished off the last of the 3 little bobbin scrolls - another project complete before the end of the year.

I milled a kilogram of wheat berries today, the most I have done at once in this little mill (it handled it beautifully). This was for two loaves of sourdough bread. I am hoping that I will only need to bake bread once a week now.

Best friends.

 All the best!♥︎

December 29th

Today I sewed a little bag for a new game (magnetic chess). I used a tutorial I had made had made years ago.

Early morning walk.

Miss Molly

Miss Maggie

All the best!♥︎

December 28th

I finished spinning a skein of yarn. With the end of the year coming up I am trying to finish off different projects. The weaving loom is empty, now the spinning wheel is empty too.

This is a merino/tencel blend that I had dyed.

We had another moon lit walk early this morning.

Beautiful frosty day too.

This is the small town that I live near. Typical prairie town with the grain elevator by the railroad tracks. There is also a church, community centre, farm store, seed plant, skating rink... (the school closed a couple of years ago).

Nice clear roads today.

Another warm day (0ºC).

All the best!♥︎ 

December 27th

I finished the first of three little stitch meditation spool.

Today was a beautiful, warm (0ºC) day. Everyone was outside enjoying it.

Maggie enjoying the sun.

Molly with her favourite ball.

Molly chasing a white jack rabbit (left side of photo) in the field.

Molly coming along.

All the best!♥︎

December 26th

The tea towels are all washed and hemmed.

The warp is 2/8 cotton (natural and black). Four of the towels are woven with 2/8 cotton, two woven with cotton chenille, and  the leftover warp was woven with cotton bouclé. The pattern for the draft is from 'A Weaver's Book of 8-Shaft Patterns' (the Strickler book), #246.

Full moon, for a moon lit morning walk.

Woodpecker at the peanut ring.

All the best!♥︎

December 25th

Merry Christmas!

I finished up the last towel and they are off the loom. I can't seem to make a set of towels without at least one having a mistake - how I missed it yesterday I don't know.

Miss Molly checking out her Christmas treat.

Miss Maggie getting excited about a little creature she saw outside.

All the best!♥︎

December 24th

Today I was working on finishing up this weaving. It has been on the loom since August - which is way too long. 6 tea towels, plus a small towel, almost finished.

It is Christmas Eve so we had our traditional tourtière (my Mom is French Canadian). We used fresh milled, whole grain flour for the pie crust for the first time, and it was wonderful. The pie in the back in the above picture is a butterscotch pie, it was delicious too.

 

All the best!♥︎

December 23rd

The oven was going just about all morning - sourdough bread (made yesterday and baked today), granola, and blueberry muffins.

Still time for some more embroidery (and knitting).

Maggie watching the birds outside.

All the best!♥︎

December 22nd

Foggy start to the morning.

Makes everything beautiful and frosty.

Such a regal looking girl.

Who then had the crazy zoomies!

Today was a day for baking - sourdough starter all fed and bubbly.

My favourite peanut butter rye cookies (recipe link).

Time for some embroidery, and knitting too.

All the best!♥︎

December 21st

I had the opportunity to go to the mall today.

Lovely sunset on the shortest day of the year. The start of winter too, very warm still though (-2ºC).

I had a small smart on stitching too.

All the best!♥︎

December 20th

Today I started some little scrolls using fabric scraps and old wooden spools. The idea is from a YouTube video by k3n clothtales. 

I made one with bits of lace, silk, linen and Liberty cotton, another from French General scraps, and the one in the photo that is in progress is random scraps. There are all basted, and need the fancy 'slow stitching' added. 

Miss Molly just chilling - tale wagging too.

All the best!♥︎

December 19th

Family Christmas lunch meant a few trips in the car, so I got lots of knitting on my 'take along' project done.

This is the DRK Everyday Cowl in handspun.

Miss Maggie joined us for our morning walk (our morning walks are just before sunrise for now).

All the best!♥︎

December 17th

Fresh milled flour - so quick and easy, for a much tastier and nutritious final product.

I feel like I have been knitting on the sleeves of this sweater forever (I think about 3 weeks), but they are finally finished. Now I can use the rest of the yarn for the body of the sweater.

Sunrise walk.

All the best!♥︎