Finished Sweater

I finished knitting a sweater this week -

I wanted to knit a sweater with commercial yarn for a change. It is knit with a fingering weight yarn and a lace weight silk and mohair yarn, held together (Bare Capretta and grey Aloft Super Kid Mohair both from Knit Picks). The pattern started out as The Classic by Espace Tricot. I decreased stitches before knitting the ribbing for the sleeves and made the sweater longer (I wanted to use up my yarn).

The sweater came out really nice - it is soft and warm.

Now I am working on a hat (Musselburg by Ysolda Teague), out of some beautiful merino/possum/silk yarn from a dear friend in New Zealand. I dyed the yarn. The hat is constructed so that it is two layers plus the brim folds over (4 layers over the ears!) - it should be a nice warm hat.

Photos from Around-

Interesting patterns in the snow drifts.

Molly loves to dig in the snow.

Miss Maggie is happy to watch from her favourite spot.

My youngest son started growing vegetables inside - mostly hydroponic lettuce, but he experimented with a bean plant, and this was the big harvest (they were delicious).

All the best!♥︎

Friday Night with Friends

I joined in this year's first Friday Night with Friends last night, hosted by Cheryll at Gone Stitchin'.

I did some weaving. I signed up for the JST School of Weaving, and so I am trying to learn to weave the way the Jane Stafford demonstrates- it is hard to break old habits (beating on an open shed, then switching treadles...). It was a bit slow going.

This is a warp for nine towels with cotton bouclé.

 I finished off towel #7,

and got a good start on towel #8.

The FNwF was really motivational - thanks Cheryll!

Photos-

This morning the flock of partridges buried themselves in the snow for warmth.

It was like watching "Whac-a-Mole"- heads popping out from different holes.

All the best!♥︎

Missed a Few

Last week I wrote a year end wrap-up post showing all the things I had made in the previous 4 months, but it turns out a forgot a few.

Moccasins-

I made a pair of moccasins. Earlier in the year I made a pair with beads and fur, which I wear with bare feet, and now I made a pair to wear over wool socks. I used a piece of wool melton cloth for the upper, and stitched on it with wool. The leather is moose hide, and they are lined with denim.

Painting- 

A while ago I turned an old salt shaker (that I had bought in a bundle of things from an auction for a $1), into a picture holder (thanks Pinterest). It stood empty for a few years, so I painted some miniature watercolours to display in it.

Cross Stitch -

This little pillow is an anniversary piece. The pattern is Beggar's Valentine from Primitive Cross Stitch on Etsy that I modified with our wedding date and initials. It is stitched with a poly/cotton embroidery floss that I had been given and wanted to try out. I used one strand of floss over two linen threads. The linen is one that I dyed (I think a 36 count). The embroidery thread worked well with good coverage (it is the inexpensive one from AliExpress). I made it into a pillow cover because last year when I was recycling an old down coat into pillows this was one of the small ones that needed a cover. The stitching is 5"x7".

This is Spell of the Moon by Blackbird Designs. It is stitched with cotton floss that I had dyed, and the linen is one that I dyed too (more of the 36 count). Stitched one strand of floss over two linen threads. I laced it onto a piece of foam core to hang on the wall. It is 4"x5".

The pattern is from this book - Winds of Autumn by Blackbird Designs.

This picture is one that I put together. Stitched with cotton floss and linen that I had dyed. This linen is 42 count. Stitched with one strand of floss over 2 linen threads. 

I had designed it to fit in an old frame. The stitching is 6"x8".

The motifs come from these two books - Répertoire des Motifs by Valérie Lejeune, and the Sampler Company's Ultimate Sampler Motifs Source Book by Brenda Keyes.

Random Photo -

This is the face of someone that had to come in because it was too cold for her to be outside (-30ºC temperatures with -40ºC windchills lately) while snow clearing was happening outside. What you don't hear is her crying and sad howling trying to get her beloved back (she could see our son working outside). I don't know who it is more stressful on - her or those who are inside with her.

All the best!♥︎

Year End Wrap Up

After a month of blogging every day I took a bit of a break from the computer. I didn't think it would last 4 months, but it did.

I have realized that cleaning and cooking have become my hobbies that I devote most of my time to these days (everything is better when it is considered a hobby).

I have finished a few different things over the past few months though.

Knitting -

A hat from a local raw fleece that I had cleaned, combed, spun, then dyed with indigo a few years ago. This is the second hat that I made with this yarn (I never wore the first one and took it apart).

This pattern is Mehendi by Svetlana Volkova.

A scarf made with some handspun, a merino/silk blend that I had dyed. 

The pattern is Easy by Martina Behm.

Christmas socks with handspun yarn (a BFL/nylon blend that I had dyed).

Weaving -

Tea Towels. Mainly woven with cottolin, but also some bouclé. This was a stash busting project to use up odds and ends. The warp is a natural cottolin. The pattern is A Baker's Dozen e-Book from Webs, one threading with lots of different weaving options to try.

A scarf with a handpainted warp - something I had never tried before. 

I used a Knit Picks lace yarn - Shimmer, an alpaca/silk blend, which dyed and wove beautifully.

More photos and details on my Ravelry page.

More tea towels in a favourite pattern (Cajun Inspired Towels from the Jan/Feb 2015 issue of Handwoven magazine). These just came off the loom and I am considering them finished for me, because my Mom said she would hem them in exchange for new towels.

Quilting -

A small (18"x24") Christmas table mat. I wanted a little pad for an end table that has a lamp and other things on it, so nothing fancy was needed. I realized that since machine free motion quilting is my favourite, that is what I did (plus a little bit of invisible machine appliqué).

I haven't been sewing much because my machine needs to go in for repairs, but with COVID some things are on hold. We did take the machine apart and tried a few things which helped, but it needs more work.

Woodcarving - 

More spoons, these from a crab apple branch that fell in the yard.

About 4" long.

A long spoon from a silver maple branch that fell too.

About 12" long.

Stained Glass - 

Since I now have a work space for stained glass again I made a piece using all kinds of odds and ends. It was lots of fun, but it has been awhile and I can see I need more practice.

Photos from Around - 

The bees did well this summer, they produced a lot of honey for us.

They are wrapped for the winter now, and we can't wait to see how they do.

A Great Horned Owl spent a lot of time around this past fall.

We harvested vegetables into October (unusual for here - we had about an extra month of growing weather this year).

Part of why cooking is my hobby, we had a great harvest with the extra month, so I did lots of canning.

Beautiful colours of Swiss Chard during the final harvest.

Molly.

Sunrise.

Molly loves to dig her ball in the snow (luckily she doesn't dig in the dirt the rest of the year).

Miss Maggie prefers the warmth of inside these days.

Molly as a new puppy two years ago,

and how much she has grown and changed in colour.

 And how the carpet has worn out, and how our home renovations are going.

The view from our window this morning - December 31st, 2021.

-31ºC with -45ºC windchill (-24ºF/-49ºF) - a good day to be inside!

I wish everyone the best for the New Year!♥︎

Day - 31 A Few Finishes!

I finished sewing a tunic from fabric that I bought at the Costume Museum of Canada fundraiser sale ($4).

The pattern is the Bessie Tunic from Style Arc. It is a really nice pattern and was relatively easy to sew (I had trouble at first with the fabric - I believe a polyester, but after I put the single hole throat plate on my sewing machine things went smoothly). The only trouble is that it doesn't fit. The shoulders are way too small - the tunic part fits fine, but after I added the sleeves (the last step) I was so dissapointed (I can't even raise my arms to fasten the button at the back of the neck, and struggled to take it off). The tunic is put away for a bit until I decide what to do with it. I love the style and will have to make another one, I just have to figure out how to modify the pattern to fit me.

I also finished carving another wooden spoon - this one a little scoop. I also tried my hand at adding some wood burning decoration - not the most successful (seems to be a theme today), but it was lots of fun. The spoon is about 6" long, out of basswood.

More importantly I finished a month long challenge to myself to blog everyday - well at least post a picture. Some days were a real challenge, but I am glad I did it. Next month will be a different challenge.

All the best!♥︎

Day 30 - Molly's Morning Walk

 

All the best!♥︎

Day 29 - Sunrise

 

All the best!♥︎

Day 28 - Double Rainbow

 

All the best!♥︎

Day 27- Weaving

 I started throwing the shuttle (I can't say weaving because apparently the whole measuring out the warp, and putting it on the loom is also weaving).

This will be on the loom for a while. It is a series of tea towels (from this pattern ebook - A Baker's Dozen) - I have enough warp for 6 towels.

All the best!♥︎

Day 26 - Morning Walk

Some photos from our morning walk.

Best friends.

All the best!♥︎

 

Day 25 - Wildflowers

A type of Aster.

Sweet yellow Clover.

All the best!♥︎

Day 24th - Molly

Big girl on our morning walk waiting for her ball to be thrown.

All the best!♥︎

Day 23 - Rain

 We have had over 3" of rain these past few day and the grass is already starting to grow.

All the best!♥︎

Day 22 - Something New

 I normally warp the loom 'front-to-back', but I am trying 'back-to-front' this time.

It is supposed to be more efficient, but I am not sure so far.

All the best!♥︎