Winter Scarf On the Needles

I love the way the two different Noro Silk Garden yarn colorways are knitting up in this scarf I have on my needles right now. The pattern is from here---from another blog I enjoy BROOKLYN TWEED. I saw this scarf on his blog last year and fell in love with it.....and I am finally getting around to knitting one. This is knitting up quickly because I am so fascinated with watching the colors evolve as I go....

Today's Quote: " The only place where housework comes before needlework is in the dictionary. " ~Mary Kurtz

Bear Over the Mountain Crib Quilt : WIP

Hand appliqued, with embroidery details---these are calico's from the early '80's---yes, fabric & quilt squares I have had for that long! and moved several times along with me....the pattern is called "Bear Over the Mountain" and I have no idea where it is from...

I plan to make these 9 squares (which I originally created in 1981) into a crib quilt for the new grandbaby who will arrive in late August. I have always wanted to finish this quilt--- and pleased I now will. I'm thinking it might be fun to embroider some snow caps on the mountains...before I sew the squares all together.

Tree Quilt--Work in Progress (WIP)

So here is my last 2 days of the CREATIVE EVERY DAY challenge.

This small "quilt" is titled HOMAGE TO TREES and is part of a series of small mixed media (fabric and paper) quilts I am making on the theme of the Earth and the Environmental Crisis. This is a creative work in progress or WIP.

I started with a vintage deck of Tree Spotter cards
---stitched some cards together, added batting and a fabric backing--and now I'm working on embellishing with buttons, beads and embroidery. I will use the green leaf fabric as a border---and plan to hand quilt the borders....











"I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do." --Willa Cather

"To Do" Lists and Knitting

For the knitters who read my blog--yes, I am knitting those holiday gifts! I have this scarf finished (just need to block it)



and this one on the needles....




and then I interrupted the frantic scarf knitting to knit a few squares for Kay at Mason-Dixon Knitting for Oliver's Blanket. These were fun because they provided instant gratification--I knit all three in one evening. They are 4" x 4" and knit with nice wool sock yarns.



And I am mightily resisting the strong urge to start another project---crocheting (with the gorgeous red wool/silk yarn I bought last month at ArtFibers) a lovely lacey sweater to wear to those holiday parties....[note to self: must must finish those scarves first, no more yarn projects! --- until scarf is finished]

On another more literary note--I attended a fun "reading" for this book the other night



The author, Sasha Cagen, had a "list slam" where folks read their "to do" lists out loud --some quite hilarious...and she has a great website here. If you area list-maker----(I am;-) you will probably enjoy this funny book!

Here is my current craft project list (well--- some I have to withhold from putting here because they are holiday gifts surprises--so I actually have more projects going and/or planned than this list)
1. sew some (more) coffee cup cozys
2. sew some aprons
3. sew an afghan from felted repurposed sweaters
4. knit hat to go with scarf (maybe?)
5. finish scarf on the needles
6. finish socks on the needles
7. sew more pin backs on "inchies"
8. crochet red holiday sweater
9. sew some baby bibs
10. sew some (more) grocery shopping bags

What is on your list?

Sweater WIP

sweater front

This is one of those projects I have had going for several years--a gift for my oldest daughter---and every so often she gives me some flak about "just when are you going to finish my sweater?"...as you probably could guess---I'm making this one up (as I go!) and using up scraps and bits of yarn I saved for years---so much of it is primo silk/wools and angora that costs too much to buy now. I was a handweaver for years, and saved left over yarns from weaving projects, so I have included mohair, wool, silk and angora yarns in this cardigan. And whew! all those ends are going to be a pain to weave in at the end...



sleeve and half of the front

And now she wants me to create a hood for this sweater, and I plan to edge the front and create a closure (with buttons) with a crocheted edging. I'm thinking about lining this sweater---so I can avoid weaving in all the ends---is this cheating? what do you other knitters think? I guess I'm going public with this too give myself the push I need to finish this project--which has been languishing in my WIP (wip = work in progress) pile for too darn long.

Oh-so-close Socks

getting very close to finished---toes (and some foot) to go...
these socks are for me ! (big smile)should be done in time for colder winter weather. In case you are wondering--I always knit both socks at once--so I'm not caught by the only-finish-one and the-next-sock-is-so boring syndrome.


TODAY'S QUOTE: "Large tasks are completed in a series of starts." --Neil Fiore

June Bead Journal Update

Awhile ago I joined the Bead Journal Project (you can read more about this project here) -- started by noted beading teacher Robin Atkins---and so here is a peek at how far I am on my June bead journal page. Getting very close to finished--just 1/2 the border around the edge to go...

Yeah--I know, I know--it is July now--but I have resigned myself to the fact that I may not finish each beaded page during the month it is started. We are supposed to make one beaded journal page a month--and I will do this--but the creation of the various pages will undoubtedly overlap some months--and I am ok with that. Some journal pages will probably have more beading on them than others--so will take longer to complete --like this one! which now is about nine-tenth completed. I have decided to not start July's page before the June page is completed, however--because I know myself well enough to know that this one will languish, while I become enamored with the new one I'm working on. I think the Yarn Harlot calls this syndrome "startitus"---and I have the disease bad...always starting new projects, and so have several projects on my "WTBF" (waiting to be finished) shelf. I suffer from "too many ideas--never enough time;-)" and summer traveling, music camps, music festivals and so on seem to get in the way. I just haven't found an easy way to take all the beads and supplies I need for bead embroidery on a trip...it is so much easier to pack some bead crochet, or socks to knit...

and here is a close up (I find beadwork hard to photograph with my point & shoot camera... the colors just are not correct here, and the bead reflect so much light...and this whole piece is really very much greener than this photo--like the lush forest greens of Southeast Alaska)

New Projects

Ripple crochet scarf in various wool yarns (some natural dyed by me about 15 years ago!)--I just need to weave in all the ends, then it will be sent off to the Afghans for Afghans project. They accept not only afghans--made of wool--but hand knit or crocheted (from wool) baby blankets, hats, vests, mittens, socks and scarfs to help keep Afghani people warm.


Some beading in progress (WIP)--this one is a small bead embroidery...rather freeform, as I am just letting the piece lead me...


This one is right angle stitch, then embellished--playing around with a freeform right angle sampler....

Quote for today: "To be on a quest is nothing more or less than to become an asker of questions. " ---Sam Keen