Week 1 of 2025

I had a few finishes this week -

The 2024 temperature blanket was finished on the last day of the year!

It was a fun knit, and made me pay attention to everyday of the year in a different way.

A set of tea towels is off the loom.

These are at the same pattern as the last set I wove in December, but using different colours for the warp.

It is an 8 shaft twill pattern. The towel in the above photo is just woven with red - stripes appear in certain sections, and the diagonal line in the twill changes directions, weaving is magical!

We framed the cross stitch I finished earlier using a frame from the thrift store that we cut to size. It was less than $3, solid oak and had the glass (it framed a piece of needlepoint and looked like it had been made with reclaimed wood).

It hangs in my kitchen with two other cross stitch samplers I had made (one from 30 years ago, and one I designed and stitched a couple of years ago to fit the thrifted frame it is in).

On January 1st I started another cross stitch - this is my cross stitch for 2025 (the challenge will be making it last for the year), a quarter of the border is stitched.

Photos from Around - 

Cold temperatures this week made for a few days of amazing sundogs.

Pets at the Start of 2025-

GingerSnap

Maggie

Molly (her turn in a cone this week).

Some of the nine chickens.

We plan on adding a few chickens this year, but hopefully no other pets show up wanting to move in (GingerSnap!).

All the best!♥︎

Week 51 of 2024

This week I finished a cross stitch -

The pattern is All Creatures Great and Small by Barbara Ana.

I stitched it on 40 count linen, with DMC floss (1 strand of floss over 2 fabric threads, so 20 stitches per inch). It is 12"x15". I thought it would be a three year project but I finished it in just over two and a half years (May 2022 to December 2024).It was really enjoyable to stitch because all the little motifs made for many satisfying finishes along the way. I added my maternal grandmother's initials and her date of birth, because her work inspired my love of embroidery. 

Here she is on the left, aged about 15 years around 1908, along with an older sister and her mother (I was surprised to realize that I am about the same age as my great grandmother in this photo - late fifties).

This is a sampler that my grandmother made at school (probably around the same time as the above photo), it includes different embroidery stitches, quilting, mending, patching, and crochet.

My next cross stitch is all ready (this will be a 2025 project).

I also made a couple of little "kicker" cat toys (with winter just starting someone is inside a lot more and needs ways to burn off energy that don't involve eating plants and climbing in the basement ceiling joists!). Simple squares of leftover thick fabric, sewn into rectangles, stuffed with scraps of wool batting, with some little braids of crochet cotton on the corners for added fun.

Very entertaining!

Weaving number four of the six tea towels on the loom.

Hard to believe only one and a half weeks left!

Photos from Around - 

Nose freckles.

GingerSnap blends well with the quilt.

There are so many photos of GingerSnap because he is always close by (he is the most affectionate of all the pets).

Everyone waiting for treats (someone more excited than the others).

The hens get their treats too (still laying lots of eggs).

Beautiful winter walks.

All the best!♥︎

Week 50 of 2024

This week I made a quick, simple knot bag -

This is a bag pattern I make all the time with handles that are the same length, but for a knot bag I made one of the handles shorter.

I made it out of fabric from a sample book (it is a polyester, home furnishings fabric).

I pieced fabric to make a larger piece.

I used an overlocker to piece the fabric,

then topstitched all the seams so that they would be flat and not catch on the inside of the bag (really so I wouldn't have to line the bag).

I also dyed some fibre for socks (a BFL/nylon blend).

Another set of tea towels is on the loom, almost the same as the last ones.

Works In Progress - 

Cross Stitch - maybe I will be finished by the end of the year?

I started the front of the knitted vest (this is the project bag that I wanted a knot bag for - I am alternating two balls of yarn for this since it is hand dyed, and the balls kept rolling all over the place. As you can imagine someone was pretty excited about this - GingerSnap!, so I needed a solution).

Temperature blanket - a few very cold days this week.

We were without power for a couple of hours this week, but luckily I have a treadle sewing machine so sewed a bit on a scrappy thimble quilt.

Photos from Around - 

The hens are doing fine with the cold, some had a bit of frostbite on their combs (they do have a heated house inside the grain bin, but don't always use it).

GingerSnap knows how to stay warm.

All the best!♥︎

Week 49 of 2024

This week I wove a set of tea towels -

The pattern is from Jane Stafford's School of Weaving, Season 5, episode 1 - Turned Twill Towels on 8 Shaft. Woven in 8/2 cotton.

The warp was fairly neutral, so it played well with various weft colours, and they all look so different.

I wove these on a time crunch (4 days from start to finish, they are sold), so I now have another set on the go because they were so nice to weave.

Works in Progress - 

Second Story Tee - the back is almost finished.

Cross Stitch - another row finished.

Temperature Blanket - just a few weeks left.

Photos from Around - 

Christmas cactus in full bloom.

The chickens are still laying lots of eggs!

The rink is really nice this year, and all the pets joined us for a skate.

I don't know what GingerSnap thought of being knocked over by Molly sliding into him.

Some cool bubble chains in the ice.

GingerSnap!

Today was a snowy day.

All the best!♥︎