Week 4 of 2024

This past week I sewed another black skirt. This one a winter one in a thick knit (I think a ponte or a scuba - another one that was $1 a pound). It is from a Lutterloh dress pattern that I modified to make a skirt.

 I put another set of tea towels on the loom. A huck lace pattern in 2/8 cotton, woven with two shuttles.

Temperatures are warming up (around freezing) for the temperature blanket. There will be some more new colours this next week with even warmer temperatures in the forecast.

Photos from Around - 

The sourdough journey continues, and the look of the bread is getting better (it always tastes good). I have figured out the proportions of flour (100% freshly milled), liquid (whey from homemade yogourt), starter and salt that work for me, so now I am trying different types of wheat berries, and different techniques. The Emile Henry loaf pans seem the best for me too - they have lids and go into a cold oven straight from the fridge.

We had the first hydroponic tomato of the year this week -it was delicious and there are more on the way.

Don't mess with Miss Maggie.

The pond outside our yard.

The days are getting longer (we always walk Molly at the same time and now there are beautiful sunrises)

The warmer temperatures are perfect for skating.

All the best!♥︎

Week 3 of 2024

This past week I cut 1600, 3+1/2" squares of fabric (each stack is 100 squares).

To make a queen sized, scrappy, Broken Dishes quilt.

This will be my new grab-and-go project, that fits in a tin (my favourite kind of quilt to sew).

There is enough squares to make 400, 5" blocks. The finished quilt will be 100" square with a 20x20 block layout.

I am almost finished my other grab-and-go project, a Drunkard's Path quilt that I cut out last year, so it was time to get a new one ready.

I sewed another skirt this week. This is my second one in this pattern (I made one for my Mom too), and this one fits just right (the other one is too big at the waist, this one has bigger darts in the back - I am slowing learning how to adjust patterns to fit me). It is a Lutterloh pattern, #16 from supplement Summer 325. I modified it by changing the pockets, and moving the front slit to a kick pleat in the back. It is in a stretch fabric, that cost a few dollars (it was part of a sale purchase - "fill a large box with fabric pieces for $25", I think it ended up being less than a dollar a pound - how the store sells a lot of their fabric).

The colours on the temperature blanket are staying about the same.

Photos from Around- 

Morning walk (the weather was very cold, so we didn't go far).

Winter prairie scene - sun dogs, blowing snow and a grain elevator in the distance.

Jack Rabbits have found the bird feeders.

Molly seemed disappointed when I gave her a piece of orange (she does enjoy them though)

Downtown Winnipeg.

Maggie was pretty excited to see something moving outside - it was just a leaf blowing across the snow, but she was sure it was a mouse.

The hydroponics are doing well - peppers,

and the first tomato is almost ready.

All the best!♥︎

Week 2 of 2024

This past week I cut and overlocked 101 little "blankets" (the smallest size is 3.5"x5") to donate to a local hospital. They just need to have the ends woven in, and be washed and pressed.

I finished the quilt block I started last week. You can probably guess by the wonky centre I won't be making a whole quilt with this pattern. The pieces for the centre star are cut from 1" strips so any difference in cutting and sewing width really adds up. At least I got better at sewing Y-seams.

The final little quilt finished at 18" square (the centre block is 12").

Another week of knitting on the temperature blanket. The temperatures are getting colder so there are some new colours in this week.

Photos from This Past Week-

Moonlite morning walk with lots of lights on the horizon (clear visibility).

Beautiful frosty day.

Sun dogs while driving in the city (I was a passenger).

Sun dogs at home another day too, while someone cleared the driveway (we have had snow along with the colder temperatures).

Blowing snow for yesterday's outing.

Today Miss Molly waiting for someone to kick her ball.

Good catch!

Sensible Miss Maggie stays inside when it feels like -30ºC outside.

All the best!♥︎

Week 1 of 2024

I finished knitting my sweater. It is a simple, top-down, raglan sweater (no pattern). I cast on 66 stitches for the neck on 4.5mm needles and went from there. The yarn is Wool of the Andes Tweed from KnitPicks in the colour way Lighthouse Heather (9 balls).

This is my new knitting project, a year long temperature blanket. My Mom and I are both making them (she is celebrating her 90th birthday and 65th wedding anniversary, and I am celebrating my 35th wedding anniversary this year).

The kit is from Fleece Artist.

It has been interesting to work out the temperature ranges for the colours. Where we live temperatures can range from close to -40ºC to almost +40ºC. 

Miss Maggie has already started enjoying the blanket, sleeping on it in my work basket.

Another new project is a sample quilt block. This is the start of a Star Upon Stars quilt block (inspired by Laundry Basket Quilts). Edyta Sitar has great YouTube video tutorials for this quilt block. I am trying out a block to see if this is a quilt I would enjoy sewing (so far I don't think so).

Photos from Around-

The rink on the pond is nice, and we have been skating.

Quite a few tiny fish in the ice (about 2" long).

Best friends are always near by.

This is the first year there are cattails around the pond.

Saw this large sculpture at the local garbage dump/recycling depot.

This morning's moonlit walk.

All the best!♥︎