Score!

Knitting again–

This curly yarn was not to be found last winter. Everyone wanted a scarf made from it and shop owners could not keep it on the shelf. Well, we’re headed into warm weather now and there is a small supply of it filtering into the stores again, from several yarn companies. In a move quite unusual for me, I’m thinking ahead and buying some now instead of waiting until the last minute. It’s really amazing how that works…I’ll actually have it when I need it. Wow!

So this will probably be the crafty part of my days for the next couple of weeks. I really am devoting May to the house and yard, until all of those chores that we’ve put off are done. Might not have much to post about for a while, but I guess every day can’t be a total studio day!

I’m Getting a New Toy!

My family is awesome! I’ve been saying that I want a needle felting machine but just haven’t actually gone out to get one. They all conspired to make my birthday a totally fantastic experience…they are buying me the machine I want and the extra accessories to go with! I am so excited I could jump up and down with joy—and that would not be a pretty sight!!!!

My thoughts on this machine are that I will be able to combine fibers so much more easily. I have done needle felting by hand for small projects and I love the look. Now it will be easier to use my yarns and rovings and ribbons and wools in larger projects. And then the whole field of silks and sheers will be open to experimentation. Why, I may turn into a surface designer in spite of myself…

I thought adding beading to my skills and my work was a wonderful new adventure. This machine goes right to my heart, with the combination of fibers and threads. Talk about a kid in a candy shop…that’s me all the way. I can’t wait to play and of course, I’ll share my fun with you.

Wooooooooo hoooooooo!!!!!!

Enjoy!

Life is short. Enjoy every moment.

Words that we hear often throughout our lives and mostly just say yeah, yeah, yeah and continue on our way.

I have started on a time in my life when I can enjoy every moment and I’m realizing just how short life is.

I enjoy the process of knitting these neat chemo hats, but I’m unhappy about the need for them. They are soft and warm and work well for anyone who is suffering from chemo hair loss, and I’m glad I can provide that small comfort. Too many, though…

So I will continue to enjoy my every moment but there will always be a part of my heart that is sad for the suffering of others…and joy that that suffering often results in renewed good health…and hope for a good life for all.

Couch Potato Season

I have totally walked away from the quilting studio for the last little while. I’ve mostly sat on the couch knitting while family swirls around me. It’s been so relaxing and self-indulgent. Chat a little, watch football, cook a little, watch hockey, knit…the real life of leisure!

This is how the felted hat turned out. I think the crown is a little high and the brim is too big, but it is useable and very, very warm. I’ll put a scarf around the crown and it will look fine. It’s a little fuzzy, but a brush up will even that out and make it look pretty good.

This sweater was started last winter and I didn’t really have much time to knit so it went into a bag and sat until a couple of weeks ago. I got it finished and now I have a nice, new, warm sweater to wear with my warm hat!

Wow…beige and plain don’t show up very well in a photo, do they?

And yesterday I started a sweater for my grandson…at least it has some color going for it! If I remain a couch potato for the rest of this week, I may get it done, too. It’s small! But I just guessed at how big his head is, so maybe I should take it over when I see him tonight and see if it will fit!

I got a chemo hat done, too, but I didn’t get a picture of that before I gave it away. Knitting the particular hat pattern that I use is very enjoyable for me, but the reason people need them is crappy!  Elann. com is where I got the free pattern and a few things for my yarn stash over the years!

So, I’m off to sit on the couch again, happily knitting away and being just as lazy as the day is long. New ambition will undoubtedly come with the New Year!

Finish, Start, Finish, Start…

That seems to be the way things are going right now…I’m finishing and starting things all at the same time.

A detail of the final section of the zen quilt

The “final” piece—I have to decide whether I want a facing finish or a binding. And since I usually like the finish color rim of a binding, that’s the way I’m leaning right now.

I also started the last part of my river quilt. I went with the white background but I’m adding a pattern of black and then splitting that with the river. Don’t know if I will keep it stark and simple or add a little glitz in the river at least.

And I’m finishing up knitting a sweater that I started last winter. No picture of that but I also started a felted wool hat project. I think my yarn is 100% wool. I hope my yarn is 100% wool. I didn’t have any labels on the yarn; I’m recycling from an unfinished project that I believe is 100% wool! This is how I’m starting out…I’ll let you know what it looks like after felting!!!

Sidetracks Galore

My one-track vision for dedicated studio time has so many sidetracks now that it looks like a chicken yard after feeding time! I have a river project on hold, free motion quilting class samples on hold waiting a sewing machine cleaning, a zendrawing  quilt on hold and now I’ve gone back to something I had thought I was done with…

For a number of years I have knitted some unique scarves and offered them for sale in a couple of limited venues. I was NOT going to do that anymore, yet I felt the call to knit something. It is fall, after all. Then I went and looked at my yarn stash and found so many odds and ends of yarn, just perfect for scarves and I couldn’t help myself. My knitting needles jumped out of the drawer and into my hands and I found myself sitting on the couch, watching (listening to!) football and knitting…pretty typical fall behavior around here. I’ll knit through this weekend and take my scarves in on Monday. What I have done is what will be offered. Here’s an idea of what I have right now.

I typically donate any unsold items to charity for Christmas baskets so I’m never selling “old” stuff and this year for sure anything left will be going away! Now that I have that novelty yarn stash down to a small pile, I’m sure I can indulge my knitting cravings and just donate right from the start.

And if I can resist the call of the wild yarns, I may be able to keep that stash down to a reasonable level. I sure hope so…