Flu versus sewing

Another bout of flu offset but a surprising amount of getting things done. The first three days I learned all kinds of things about the homeless in Japan. Interesting and diverting but not too useful. Then I went into the rabbit hole of The Great British Sewing Bee, seasons one to four. I don't have a link because I wandered all over You Tube to find the different episodes.

Inspired, I gathered up Steve's sweater and finally added the missing button.

He really likes wearing it on the weekends. It turns out to be pretty snuggly.

I purchased 2 metres of a Bamboo Jersey Knit from Blackbird Fabrics (here) after Christmas and made version two of the Toaster Sweater. Only it was huge. I snipped out the arms, trimmed the armholes and re-inserted the arms. Inside out and upside down. Yup.

I guess I could have smiled.

I remeasured everything again, re-cut the arms out, reduced the side seams and finally, have a top that I can wear. I made the mistakes before the cold came in, and solved them while coughing up a storm.

 

Phoebe asked for an apron for her birthday and I supplied. Although this is one of the smaller projects I have ever made, it is probably the best made.

The details were fun.

She gets wet across the front when she does the dishes and wanted some pockets on the sides. I added some rip cord nylon inside the centre pocket and lengthened the waistband tie.

The bias binding turned out perfectly, for a change and the entire apron looks just so professional. I made it in time for Steve to get it to the post office so it will arrive in time. Happy Birthday Phoebe, if you are reading this before the 28th.

Wow, what a weekend that was. I attended a two and half day workshop on leadership with an emphasis on sustainability as a ideal. I learned all about Chaordic Decision making, a self-assessment tool, and how to be an effective storyteller, listener or witness. I learned what sort of leadership capacities I have some skills in and what needs work.

On my walk in on the first day, I stumbled across this broken piece of wasp's nest. It is so cool and it can really work with a birch bark project I am struggling to get rolling. It is very fragile. I am wondering if there is a way to strengthen it to stitch in without ruining it's fragile appearance.

The second day we learned a very cool way to gather lots of questions into themes and from that formulate them into powerful questions. Everyone was invited to write as many questions as they liked on a certain topic. Each question was on a sticky note. One person read out a question and others in the group who had a similar question clustered towards a themes. Themes in this case were Advice, Heroes/heroines, the future, work challenges and so on.

I've moved both sleeves onto one needle so that I can increase, decrease and shape each side the same. I had hopes to do some knitting when I returned home in the evenings, but I was so zonked, I just watched a video. Same on Sunday.

Luckily, I do have a couple of images for you. I've sketched and enlarged the next picture I am about to embroider on a hanky.

The close up shows a small gathering of animals often found in gardens. It is linked to my project on allotment gardens. I have not yet been in any garden when all these animals have gathered at one time, but I can live in hope.

I also found my stack of hankies and pulled out the ones I think will do nicely for this project.

On my mountain ash/rose hip squish piece, I found a magazine picture of a watering can. I want to sketch this and enlarge it a bit, then add it to this "garden path"

The object alongside the watering can is a very old style watering butt. It holds a large amount of water that can be wheeled to different areas of a garden. The smaller watering cans can be dipped into it. It prevents having to walk back and forth to taps and hoses. It's too bad we don't have this sort of thing today.

And now to chose the threads for the animals in the garden. This is a great part of any project. Lots of threads all over the place and maybe some fabrics to applique. Yum.

merrily we roll along

This weekend past I managed to get one of my four "Oldies" done and ready to give away.

Where it was.

Where it is.

I also managed to straighten up the top of this little table topper and cut out a back, but I did not have enough batting to finish the job.

Must go shopping.

I've knit another strip for Phoebe's blanket. Must sew it on to existing blanket.

I've started knitting Steve a sweater. I love working with this yarn. Berroco Ultra Alpaca. It is 50% alpaca and 50% peruvian wool. Normally, I do not like working with Alpaca or Merino wool. I find they lose their shape and droop. However, this blend keeps it shape better and is very soft.

It better not pill up on me, or I will be stamping my feet at the next alpaca I meet.

Finally, I have begun work on the fabric that will be the back sides of my pocket project. This whole piece needs attention of some sort.

This should go quickly, I want only a small amount of embroidery on it.

In the fall I like a firelog in the fireplace. It isn't really cold enough for a long lasting fire. The house overheats and I end up sitting with a book in the kitchen, cooling off. A firelog is just the ticket. Little bitty flames and nice glow setting ambience while I read or knit. I have just finished two books I think worth recommending. I never buy from Amazon. I always go to one of two local book stores or buy through Abe books. There is no affiliated link but I don't know how else to get images of the book's cover.

(here)
 

A Catalog of Birds by Laura Harrington is simply lovely. Set in Finger Lakes (USA), a brother and sister are very close. They spend time in the woods. Billy teaches Nell about the birds that fascinate him, their calls and habits. Billy learns to decipher all the nuances of their calls and to draw their flight. It is the time of the Vietnam War and DDT. A few chapters in, Billy is deployed to Vietnam and we meet him at a M.A.S.H. unit and is on his way home. Billy is a ruined man, (can't give it all away) while Nell is a burgeoning adult. We watch the two as they struggle to support each other, learn to navigate Billy's wounds and grief and Nell's urgency to leave home. This book is so beautifully written about sorrow, tribulations, family tension, individual ways of dealing with tension, loss and forgiveness. I couldn't put this book down. I walked the wood paths with the siblings, felt the cold water, cried towards the end, felt the parent's anguish and guilt. Really, really good.

(here)
 

The second book I strongly recommend for those who love a good fantasy/sci-fi is The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. She has won the Hugo Award twice already and I believe this book either won her a third Hugo, or has been nominated for a Hugo. It is rather hard to describe because the writing structure is very surprising. I can't figure out a way to describe it without giving it away. But what I can say is that there are people who have the ability to deeply sense the movements of tectonic plates and earthquakes and tsunamis. The land is one of many volcanoes, fault lines and (there is a technical name for this) holes in the ground that hold water or oil. Father Earth is angry with people according to the stone lore. The people who can sense the shifting of the land have become enslaved to the general population to sense these shifts and prevent actual earthquakes etc. We follow what seems like several people's lives in this culture and attempts at freedom from the enslavement. Because of the cool structure of the novel, we see various points of view, settings, communities and growing anomalies.  I was fully convinced by the world created by the author, the characters are interesting, the love/not-love struggles are surprising, love/hate/revenge/forgiveness are explored in a satisfying way and there are even being who live in stones.I read this book in three days. I even bought books two and three on speculation based on some trusted people's recommendations. A perfect winter read.

More projects see the light of day

Weather'n nut, the title of the little embroidery is as finished as I can make it right now.

Here is a close up.

I am planning on several sheer hankies to stitch upon, so the final finish is still to come.

This little beauty, and I do think it is beautiful, was knit just in time for summer. It is a top down (as in from the neck to the hem) pattern that I figured out myself. I knew I wanted sleeveless pullover A-shape top with a short v neck. I knit both the right and left front sides on the same needles until I was an inch beyond the point of the neck, then did the same for the back. When everything was the same length, I switched it all to circular needles and sang along.

I tucked it all up in a freezer bag and stashed it behind the ground beef in the freezer. It is perfect for keeping warm but pulling off if it warms up through the day.

If it is blurry and out of focus, you can call it artistic.

I blocked it and took an artistic shot or two and now it is ready to go.

In Karen's class (see right side bar for link) we are working on pockets and embroidery and a bunch of other things. Several classes ago, I began this book of pockets. I still write letters to my dead Grandmother in law and my Godmother. I wanted somewhere to send the letters to and decided a little book of letter holding pockets for each would work nicely.

This book is for Great Grammy as I called her, because she was so wonderful to me. Everything in her life was "lilac".

Mauve toilet, sinks, and two mauve bathtubs. When we moved to Nova Scotia, I was telling this story at a gathering and a woman spoke up and said, "That was my son finding her those toilets. He nearly killed himself finding three mauve toilets!" I laughed but she didn't think it was funny. The power of mauve.

There are details to add and the backs so that pockets will form. The backs will need stitching as well.

My next big project, (it's been in the works for a few months) is to switch this blog to another spot. I have combined my comic book HotFlash Woman and her syde kik "Steamy" with Cloundmongers and Soup. I've added a gallery of images of my art and something else that I forget. Maybe poetry. But I forget.

I am hoping everything will be transferred over by the end of the month. There will be a link at the top of this blog's homepage to the new blog. I will also get more serious on Instagram. Goals, goals, goals. I hope you will join me at the new blog. What's it called? It's called Laureen van Lierop. 

Photos working again

This week the computer is letting me upload images. What does it mean when the computer arbitrarily says, in a voice of doom, you can't do this?
To catch up then, knitting on Phoebe's blanket.

Hopefully this will be ready by "turning the heat on" season.

 I have also continued working on this little stitching on a sheer handkerchief. I do not love the cape that she is wearing, but also can't bring myself to pick it off. I think it will stay.

I need to add little crystal beads for raindrops and then wonder what I will do with this. Mount it or not, add it to something else, use it to wipe the sweat from my brow as I stitch?

If you have been following this blog for a while, you will know that I am a true Karen Ruane groupie. Her link is on the right hand side of this blog. She is offering a year long "Stitch Along" that has come out of the box with a boom. I no longer get upset with myself if I am not doing exactly as the class is doing. I love to watch and listen while working on my own projects. I am loving it.

Our upcoming adventure is ripping the deck of the kitchen. We've been meaning to do it for at least three years now and it really can't go another winter without total collapse. We've decided to be smart and not try to get a new deck on before snow time. We will put a few steps on so we don't have to leap down to get rid of the garbage. Getting down would be fun, but the climbing back up is tough.

It felt like a busy week last week, I had the camera going with me every where, but it seems I forgot to take any pictures. Another week, another goal....take pictures.

Big Project Done

If you don't look closely in the dining room, where all the stuff that won't fit back into the studio is sitting, then I can say that the studio is done.

I am back at the table, working on little projects. Cleo Belle and I like to watch Karen Ruane's videos while working on these.

My son's friend from highschool has just had a baby. He is a big boy, the baby not the dad, and booties were not deemed useful. Instead, I decided to pull out an old pattern for a homely cat.

His name is Wobbles, he can do the splits and falls over really well. I like this cat a lot. I use left over sock yarns and scraps of wool or cotton for the tail and scarf. Wobbles is more homely than usual, his body length ran away from me and his arms a bit stubby. But how many of you know a discerning 3 week old?

About six weeks ago, at a gathering of women who work in textiles, the daughter of a friend of mine was fooling around with a paper bag and twisted a little doll shape into being. I was enchanted. I finally tried making one of my own. She is pretty little, a proto-type.

I cannot for the life of me remember the daughter's name. It will come to me tomorrow afternoon in the grocery store. She stitched some clothes for her doll out of other paper scraps and it was charming. I have 4 garbage bags full (just overflowing full) of fabric in the dining room and I wanted to stash bust. Reaching in, I found a 4 inch scrap and a 3 inch scrap. Stash busting success. I made a little top and skirt.

What I really like about projects like this is that I can scatter fabric and lace and buttons all over the place and let serendipity do the work. A little floral scrap made itself known and my mind was off, all ready to make another twisted doll. I am going to grab a bunch of bits, stuff them into a cookie tin and make a few of these while at the camp this month. That's why I like the little homely cat project too, I never know how the sock yarn will come out or how the cat will look in advance. A great way to let control go.

I will be at the camp for most of August. There is a cafe with internet in the village near us. A friend there keeps our spare ice packs frozen and we switch them around every 3 days. I can pop in and load up a blog, but don't expect and regularity until September. I hope that where ever you are, there is enough water, cooling breezes and cool drinks.

A new shawl

That was a long 12 days away from home and hearth. Luckily, Steve took care the cat and the home and it wasn't so cold that the hearth fire was lit. After being in Toronto to assist my mom with several medical issues, I am back, the studio is clean, and I can begin, again.

While I was away, I managed to knit this lovely shawl for a friend.

The shawl isn't blocked, my friend is going to do that, since she needs it before I can do that task.The upper peak won't be there once it is blocked, it will be level and the peak at the bottom will be more pronounced. The pattern is 20 rows of stocking stitch, 10 rows of garter stitch and 20 repeats of (yarn over, knit two together) until the end of the row and purl back. There is an increase at the beginning and end of each row as well as an increase either side of the centre line. The pattern is from Ravelry (free) and is super easy. The yarn carries the day. However, I have decided that the thicker the yarn, the better the simple pattern shows up.

The first image shows the yarn as purple but this image is closer to the truth. It is a warm red with tiny flecks of a creamy-pink where the dye did not catch. It gives a lovely linen effect. Called Rosewood,the yarn is Rustic Lace by Ella Rae. It is a New Zealand wool and silk blend. It was purchased from Gaspereau Valley Fibres, http://www.gaspereauvalleyfibres.ca/ one of the two best yarn shops in Nova Scotia.

I knit this while in waiting rooms, subways and on couches waiting for very long days to end. It is soothing and the yarn really made this something to look forward to each day. I have hopes of returning to Gaspereau and buying some for a summer sweater. (here) The colour options are delicious.

So Glad To Be Home. SGTBH

What colour is this?

This is the weirdest colour I have ever come across.

I purchased this mohair wool about a year ago thinking to make a snuggly shawl. I thought it was a light mauve. I wanted something in the purple family, but not too dark and not too pink. Six months ago, I was back in the shop and asked if I could swap it for another colour, because it just wasn't singing to me.

I put the two balls back on the shelf, wandered around looking at other things and when my eyes were clear, I went back to choose a new colour. And chose the same two balls. In the pile of different colours, it showed up as a lovely mauve. It went well with all the other colours, reds, blues, yellows, greens and greys. I thought well this is obviously a versatile colour and will work with most of my clothes. I figured I had over thought things and went back to my original decision. Six months later, major month of sickness and it is time to get knitting on something that requires no brains at all.

In fact, I think zombies could knit this shawl pattern. Increase at one edge, purl back a row, repeat until first ball of yarn is finished. Decrease at the same edge, purl back a row, repeat until yarn is finished. Knit on 4 or 5 mm short needles, this is even easy on aching hands. The shawl itself is fine and will be a lovely thing to wear once it is blocked. But what the hell colour is it? It is ghastly. I've held it up against many other colours and while it never clashes, it never sparkles either.

For those of you who visit to see my studio stitching, it has been a barren month. I've been pretty sick for most of it and am up out of bed only two days ago. Still not breathing well, but soon.

I was able to get enough gumption up for one afternoon and managed to make two very small samples. I am rather proud of them, despite their size. See the gauzey mauve paper? That's the colour mauve I thought the knitting was going to be.

 Even the cat, Cleo Belle, who looks elegant in most colours, thinks this colour is a bore.