A New Year

I feel like I don't have much to say these days, but I would like to get back into posting weekly about the things I have been working on.

The past little while our basement renovations have really progressed. I was able to unpack most of my sewing space! It is so nice to see things that have been packed for over 2 years.

I now have a really nice work space - bright, with lots of room for everything, plus a nice storage room for supplies. 

One of the first things I am working on is some more boucle hand towels. The loom now sits in a little nook, so it can just wait, ready for weaving.

I think I am finally through my knitting hats with leftover handspun and mohair phase. I finished two more hats (four altogether). They are all so soft, and very warm.

Photos from around - 

There has been some amazing hoar frost lately.

Sunrise.

My son made a fire pit ring (he recently built a jig to curve sheets of metal).

There are more pictures on his instagram.

We discovered that the cat loves musicals

(the Sound of Music wasn't the only one!).

All the best!♥︎

Catching Up

It has been quite a while since I have been here. Lots of things are happening which is good.

I have finished a few knitting projects-

Another beret, knit out of handspun leftover from a cowl I made recently. I knit this one with a strand of kidsilk too (Aloft by Knit Picks). The pattern is Salut Cheri! Beret by Sari Nordlund (a free pattern). I made this one a bit different from the last one I made - I knit another set of increases but didn't knit as much before starting the increases (the other hat is lovely and warm, but falls over my eyes when I am not wearing my glasses).

A pair of handspun socks. This is a BFL/Nylon blend that I dyed and spun. The yarn is a bit thicker, perfect for winter in boots. I knit the top of the foot and the leg in a 3x1 rib pattern for a change (I wouldn't bother again). These are toe-up socks, knit two-at-a-time on a long circular needle, 56 stitches, on a 2.75mm needle.

For something different I knit a little mouse, with a sweater (all from handspun).

She is finished with a little sewn dress and a string of pearls. The pattern is also a free one - A Very Mice Christmas Pudding by Abigail Originals (it is a bit of a vague pattern).

I finished a few weaving projects-

In November I took a free online weaving class - 'Discover Colour' at Warp and Weave. It was all about how colours interact in weaving. It very interesting and I learned a lot - both teachers are amazing. This is the piece fresh off the loom.

We made mug rugs during the class, but I had enough and had to change things up, so I made a little towel and some kitchen cloths too.

Since I don't need little mug rugs, some went to someone with grandchildren. I couldn't have been happier when I was sent this picture of the pieces being put to a better use - doll house rugs!

These are some dish towels I wove. The pattern is Pure Delight, from the Jan/Feb 2015 issue of Handwoven magazine. It was a nice, easy pattern to weave - I used 8/2 cotton.

This is on the loom, 

 and after washing the squares turned to circles.

Once again my craft room is all packed away as we are deep into basement renovations. Now there is an end in sight, and things that have been packed away for over 2 years will be coming out soon!

Photos from around -

The beginning of December marked the one year anniversary of Molly coming to live with us.

She sure was tiny, but grew so quickly!

Here she is now (no snow this year).

She loves rocks and has been decorating her outdoor house with them (?).

Little Miss Maggie has been staying inside more these days. 

She likes to sleep under the Christmas tree (there are no decorations at the bottom of the tree just in case she gets any ideas).

Plus she likes to sleep in sun beams.

All the best!♥︎

Finished Cowl

I knit a cowl from some yarn that I spun this summer.

The pattern is The Shift by Andrea Mowry (a paid-for pattern on Ravelry). The pattern was really nice to knit - enough variation to keep it interesting, and an easy to remember pattern once established.

I spun the yarn from a local fleece that I cleaned, combed and dyed,

Then drum carded into batts ready for spinning.

The finished yarn.

A close up of the stitch pattern.

I knit it the cowl to go with the coat I made - all finished now that the buttons are on (I don't know when I will be able to wear it since we are supposed to stay home, but I'll be ready when things get better).

I have also been weaving mug rugs - I am participating in a free online weaving class from Warp and Weave, called Discover Colour Weave-Along. I have learned a lot, not just about colour but also weaving.

My Mom made a wall hanging called 'Friends and Neighbors', from the November/December 2020 issue Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting magazine (we see them free online at RB Digital through our local library). She did all the work, just wanted me to do some free motion quilting in the white background.

Something else that was finished recently is a bench that my son and I made.

He designed the metal legs. Each leg is made up of two tree shapes cut with his plasma cutter, with strips of metal welded between to make them thicker, but light weight. They are powder coated a dark bronze colour (a powder coating oven is something new he recently made for his business).

For the top he chain sawed a slab of wood from a tree that he had cut down for someone - it is Russian Olive. I finished the wood using an electric hand planer and electric sander (I was lucky enough to have power tools from my Dad!). Lots of hand sanding, plus lots of coats of wax. I am so happy with how it came out. 

I had been wanting a table in the window for some plants, but it is perfect for the cat too. 

Photos from around - 

Yesterday the sun dogs were amazing,

the top one had an extra rainbow (all the photos had the orb in them).

A Great Horned Owl has been hanging around (we can get quite close, another one just flies away when we come near).

A fox,

and a coyote caught on the trial cam.

Molly loves to carry the biggest sticks (this one a small tree).

All the best!♥︎

Baby Quilt, and Some Other Things

This week I finished quilting a baby quilt that my Mom and I made.

My Mom pieced the tiny thimbles, and I sewed on the borders and machine quilted it. It is a gift for a family member.

The quilt is 33"x42". 

I free motion quilted it with regular cotton sewing thread in the top and bobbin. It has a 80/20 Cotton/Poly batting, and a flannel backing.

Other recent sewing is that I made my first coat!

It is made from a camel coloured wool that I bought as a remnant from a fundraising sale at the Costume Museum of Canada ($30 for over 3m). I am just waiting for buttons to finish it up. It looks like another 'artisanal burlap sack', but that seems to be what I sew for myself.

The pattern is from this Japanese sewing book.

 

The pattern was for a much lighter fabric, and so I had to line mine (with lots of advice from my Mom!).

All the patterns in the book are very straightforward.

Since I don't seem to blog much anymore I have had a few more finishes, this time spinning and knitting.

I finished a pair of socks, made from some handspun Merino/Nylon.

I also spun up some merino that I dyed.

To make a 3 ply, about DK weight yarn.

 

I used it, along with a strand of mohair/silk to knit a hat.

The pattern is Salut Chéri Beret (link, a free pattern).

The hat is so soft and warm. I added another section of increases to the pattern because I was like a beanie of my large head at first, and I wanted it to be a beret.

The hat is finished just in time for the snow-

Molly was amazed by the snow - I guess she doesn't remember last winter.

All the best!♥︎