cake made by mama
dress made by mama
family and friends
a great day. Huzzah!
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I have completed some things in the past two weeks, all for an afghan swap I decided to take part in. We had to make a 12”x12” square and add in some goodies.
My square is made from Cascade 220 superwash, and I used the Squared Cross Pattern from the first Barbara Walker treasury. I must have cast on about 6-7 times before I got the math and pattern right. I got the width right, but the length could have been shortened by one repeat, as it grew more than I thought it would.
I also knit some dish clothes from some Sugar ‘n Cream cotton. The pattern is a free pattern, Three Dishcloths. I only got two out of my ball, since I used a variegated yarn, as the ombres in this yarn have less yardage than the solids. I would have made them a bit larger if I would have thought about it before hand. Next time I know.
Finally I made a set of stitch markers. They are ones similar to ones I have made in the past. I think they are very pretty for the short amount of time put in. In addition, I added some stationary and some mints. It’s too hot for chocolate! My package came earlier in the week. I got a wonderful box of goodies!
The bunny is goat’s milk soap, which made it through in great condition, but the chocolate had to sit a spell in the fridge before I could eat it! A bit late but…. For Easter, Riley wore a cute little suit. It had a tie, blue blazer, wnd khaki shorts. While she loved it, I have no clue where this comment came from when we were commenting how cute she was… "I look like a judge!"
How does she know what a judge is, much less what one looks like?! My mind is a bit blah. We have been sick here for over a month, and my thoughts are not so coherent. It is therefore surprising that I actually have some finished projects. First are my “Bumblebees on Acid” socks, made of Ladybug Fiber Co. self-striping yarn. I have been taking these in the car with me, while I drop one off at school or wait to pick her up, so they have gone quickly. Plus, it was fast doing the afterthough heel with no heel turning. Although I have decided I’m not fond of this construction. I don’t like breaking the yarn to make the heel, and the heel is a bit tight across the instep. I have high arches so I need a deeper heel. I could try doing the heel over more stitches, and if I try this again I will attempt that, but for now I will go try some other methods of sock construction.
I have also completed one of two mug rugs that I have been attempting to complete since January. I promised these as a gift, but between the illness and fatigue and other shenanigans around here, they have been slow to make progress. All of this making is good, because I am not the type of parent/mother who can be at home with my little ones and be satisfied and fulfilled watching them play and spit-up. I am an introvert who needs a good deal of time to myself, and it is hard to find that among so much else that needs to be done. But I will keep trying, keep putting time aside for me. Then maybe my mental stability will come back. I finished the sweater, it doesn’t fit. I have ideas on why it doesn’t fit, but I will not dwell on that now. I had my pity party last night, but I get a new sweater out of it and I am content with that.
I have a little bit left to spin on the fiber I am currently working on, then I can start the second single. I’m doing two fibers separately then plying the singles together. The first fiber looks like this unspun.
I have a pair of socks that are almost done, I could have them finished by the end of the weekend if I work on them. We shall see if I prove faithful. I don’t feel particularly faithful now. I itch to cast on something else. I have a number of things I want to do, particularly some simple shawls. But really, I need to work on baby items. I have a baby coming into my life soon, as my sister is 5 months pregnant, and I want to make the baby something. I have plans for a hat, and I could make a vest, however I want to make a little sweater as well. I’m not going to do a blanket, as that is my grandmother’s department, and maybe my mom might make one. I will also sew some bibs and maybe more. She knows she is having a little boy, which is marvelous, but I wanted a girl so I could knit some of the things I never made Riley! I also have numerous sewing and knitting projects already on the needles I could work on. Oh, the curse of having choices! Below is a picture of my knitting soaking. These are all woolens that need washing, and perhaps will be stored away for the next cold season. But there on the right, you will see my latest finished object.
I have completed another sweater for my husband. Two years after the last one, I wove in the ends on a day that the temperatures reached into the eighties (Fahrenheit, for clarification). In March. It seems that I have started a new tradition, where I complete warm wooly sweaters for my beloved husband only when the weather gets to a point where woolens are obsolete. Perhaps, though, I will be pleasantly surprised by a twist in temperatures in the next week or so, and there will be a chill in the air once again. Then he might be persuaded to don said sweater and gander about. Maybe I will even find a zipper and the time to sew it in before that happens! My hubby has gone to England for business, leaving me alone with two children. Actually, closer to three, since the dog is only a year old and very needy. She ends up needing as much attention as one of the other kids or she becomes so crazy she tears around the house at full speed, unmindful of who or what she takes out in the process. So far so good though. Last night Riley said, ‘Daddy went to London. He’s going to see the queen.” Oh, baby! If only daddy were that important! (In addition to the fact that I have no idea how you know there is a queen in England) Actual conversation from the other day while the approaching-three child was eating dates:
Me: “You’re a date-aholic!” Her: “I’m going to turn into a date!” Me: “Yes, you are at this rate.” Her: after a thoughtful pause, “And daddy is going to turn into a beer!” Me: “A beer?!” Her: “That’s the way it is.”
‘Nough said. I decided I’m going to use the handspun I posted about yesterday to make a chirp. I think I might have enough yarn for it, but I might need to do the wings in another color. I asked Riley if she wanted me to make her one, and she said she wanted ‘lots’. I told her that I could knit one, and if she liked it, maybe I might make her more. She said she wants a red one and a blue one, like the pattern. I responded that she could knit herself one. (She has her own yarn and needles to ‘knit’ with) She said she is busy knitting something else. I asked what, and she said, “A candle.” Only two and a half, and already designing her own patterns! This morning I finished what I consider instant gratification in spinning. I received this fiber as a gift from the Storied Yarns group on Ravelry, donated for finishing some of my WIP last year. I started spinning this sometime after MDS&W last year, on my new drop spindle. I have had half of the approx one ounce done since this summer, but it has been hanging out for a while with the new baby stuff. The colorway is Suki, from Moonwood Farm. It contained organic merino, rambouillet, super A1 cultivated mulberry silk, soy silk, milk protein fiber, and angelina. I ended up with about 28 yards of mostly bulky thick-thin yarn.
This was actually a pain to spin. First, I think because I’m a bit of a novice and have not worked with anything but wool before. Second, I was using a lace-weight spindle, so combined with the new fibers, it wasn’t the best spinning experience. Third, the final product is not as nice, because the white fiber (milk fiber? soy silk?) doesn’t look nice when washed, and the shiny parts against the matte wool I don’t think go together, which might just be my personal tastes. It did turn out not to be as overspun as I thought it would be. I think I might make a monster or something out of it. |
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