Two Projects Done

I finished a project bag yesterday that I had started the night before. 

I really liked this Asian-themed fabric with gold paint and had the zipper and lining in my stash.

The fabric was non-directional so made it easy for folding over the top to attach the zipper. Finished size is 14" x 12".

I also got my Louisa Acton/Cordelia Peacock pinned, laced, and framed. I just need to cover the back and attach the hanging hardware.

Yesterday we rode the GO train into the city for Skip's checkup. All went well but hospitals are still not allowing people other than patients in. So I went to Fran's on College for lunch then over to College Park to wait inside. We got an early rush hour GO train back to Whitby and had leftovers for supper. 

Today I slept late and didn't really get moving until about 2 when I suited up to shovel snow. We had only had a couple of inches overnight and into this morning so I got it cleared fairly easily while Skip napped. I wanted to get it done so the sun could dry up the sidewalk, driveway, and back deck. As hard as it was to get my butt out the door, I enjoyed getting some exercise in the sunshine and above freezing (1C) temperatures.

Only 25 more days 'til spring!

Good Mail

 Yesterday a package from New Zealand arrived in the mail.

It was the Wessex Stitchery pattern I had ordered from JC Embroidery at the end of January. It was mailed Feb. 1.

Now I have to pick some fabric and 3 colours of thread. I have the hardest time doing this. I'll probably see someone else's and copy what they've done.

It also came with two key charms. The smaller one would make a great zipper pull.

Also, the 9 x 8 frame that I ordered online came. 

It was well packaged for shipping via FedEx. I had to Google how to remove the protective coating from the non-glare plexiglas (use a hair dryer to warm it). The matted print fit perfectly! I am very satisfied with this company, which actually shipped from Missouri. I received my order within two weeks. The watercolour painting I bought 10 years ago in Florence is finally framed.

I was going to order a frame for my Cordelia Peacock sampler but tried a 5 x 7 frame from my stash with it this morning and it looks fine. (taken at a slant to avoid glare).

I finished the backstitched border around the first side of the hummingbird biscornu and have started the second side.

I also finished the Helix socks.

I need to find another knitting or crocheting project to keep my  hands busy when I'm not stitching.

Hummingbird Biscornu

I have finished most of the stitching on the first side of the hummingbird biscornu except for the backstitching around the border which I will do in pink.

There will be beads in the middle of the purple and the small and large blue 'flowers'. Am also considering black beads for the hummingbirds' eyes. I have clear beads with silver centres in my stash that I'll use for the flowers.

The other side will be the same except no beads on the eyes or flowers around the inner part. Only beads on the big blue flowers. 

I found a tube of 28ct tea dyed linen at the big box craft store which will work for all the pieces. It's fairly large count compared to what I usually stitch on but much easier to see for stitching in the evenings.

No pics today but I have finished the leg, heel, and decreases for the foot of the second helix sock. A couple more TV sessions and I'll have the second sock done.

I need to make a couple more project bags but I need to muster some oomph to get myself going on them. They're not difficult and I have all the materials, I just need to get moving on them.

All is calm in Ottawa again. Now comes the aftermath. Challenge to the Emergency measures, bail hearings for those who were arrested, frozen bank accounts, etc. etc. A lawyer's dream. We grownups are pleased to see that there are finally consequences to these actions. Protests are one thing but blockades and threats to the life and livelihoods of residents is quite another.

I didn't watch any Olympics at all except the controversial women's figure skating long program on YouTube and the very beginning of the women's 30k cross-country skiing. The timing just wasn't right or the occupation of Ottawa took my attention away from it. I'm so disgusted with the IOC continuing to allow cheaters to compete. My heart just wasn't in it this time.

One Sock Finished and Another Biscornu Started

The first ribbed helix 2.0 sock is finished and second one is underway.

I got the fabric and rest of the threads for my hummingbird biscornu yesterday. Two of the colours are DMC Jewel/Light Effects threads. I'll use one strand of this with one strand of DMC.

Working with thread like this is not my favourite thing. The shiny part often separates from the coloured part with the darning method I use so I have to slow down and use the stabbing method so as to not have excessive wear on the thread causing the shredding. It's going to look really pretty when I'm done, though.

I look forward to stitching and making the scissor case.

We had a couple of days of above freezing temperatures. It started to rain last night, then, as the temperatures started to plummet, there were ice pellets and then snow. There was about 10cm (4") to shovel this morning. A neighbour cleared our sidewalk with his snowblower and was doing several neighbours' driveways. I shovelled our front steps, walkways, back patio, and back deck. I left the rest for Skip to do with the snowblower. I'm sure the snowplough will fill in the bottom of the driveway and we'll have to clear that out sometime later today.

I don't mind doing my share of the snow clearing. I can certainly use the workout. I cleaned the oven the other day and because I couldn't figure out how to remove the door (like I could on our previous oven), I had to crouch into all these weird positions to wipe all the goop off. For the last two days my inner thighs have been really achy. They're not too bad today, thank goodness.

Almost to the Toe

I got more done last night while finishing up the last two episodes of  'Inventing Anna'. 

The striping is different on the foot because of the decrease in the number of stitches. I actually decreased too many sts - down to 60 around the foot and decided not to frog back to fix it. I had originally intended to only decrease to 64 sts but got carried away. The foot of the sock does fit snugly so it's fine, it made for slightly a bit more than 10% ease.

I almost have the stitching done on the Four Little Hearts biscornu but may change to a different pattern. I did this hummingbird biscornu a few years ago. I actually made two and donated one for an auction at a birding festival in Texas.

I could redo it and a matching scissor fob and scissor case. I have 6 weeks to get it all figured out. Will check my stash to see if I have appropriate fabric.

With more relaxation of COVID protocols, as of the beginning of March we can now return from the US without having to take a molecular PCR test. There will be only random tests and they can be rapid antigen tests (RATs) - much faster and more convenient. Speaking of RATs, a neighbour texted me this morning that our local pharmacy was handing them out. Skip went over and got us a box. I then notified another neighbour and several of my stitching and spinning friends to check their own local pharmacies or come over to ours and pick some RATs up. I purchased the exact same ones online before Christmas just before the big giveaway for $54CAD plus tax and shipping. After Christmas another online vendor was selling the same box of 5 tests for $139.95. With more tests available, easing up on the COVID restrictions might be a bit easier for many of us.

When I entertained the idea of making a short trip to the US (two nights), Skip didn't balk (as much). It will be a wait-and-see situation as we monitor the numbers after the beginning of March.

Starting StitchNorth Prep, Moonshine Cabin Update, and Ribbed Helix 2.0

There are 44 sleeps until StitchNorth, the first big stitching retreat held by Caroline McNeil from Evertote.ca. It will be held at the Brampton Courtyard by Marriott the first weekend of April. COVID mandates are being lifted and by then, the only mandate might be social distancing and mask-wearing. One of the events will be a smalls exchange. I have decided to stitch a the Four Little Hearts biscornu from Indigo Rose. It used to be a free pattern but no longer is available online. I still had a copy of it from when I stitched it a few years ago during my biscornu stitching phase.

I completed most of the stitching on one side during the SuperBowl. There are Rhodes squares in the 4 corners which I may do in a colour closest to one of the hues in the DMC variations floss I'm using. I had the 32ct linen fabric in my stash.

More was done yesterday during my Monday morning chat and later that day.

I will adapt some elements of this chart to make a scissor fob and am thinking of making a scissor case out of a similar pattern using the same colour floss. I want to bling it up, substituting beads for some of the individual stitches diagonal to the corners on one side of it. 

I got a lot of the tree on the left side of Mooshine Cabin done on Sunday. There is a lot of counting on this dark, 36ct fabric.

I frogged the helix sock I was working on because the 72st leg was too loose. Instead, I am using the same number of sts but have done 3 x 1 ribbing for the entire leg of the sock. 

I decided against the afterthought heel and instead used a Fish Lips Kiss (FLK) heel in the darker yarn and have continued the helix pattern for the foot in stocking stitch. FLK is an easy short row heel that leaves no holes. The first 8 of the 16 pages discuss sock architecture and construction again à la Cat Bordhi IMHO. The actual heel pattern is on pgs. 9 - 11 with step by step photos on the last 5 pages describing the twin stitch knit and twin stitch purl (part of the short row instructions). The entire .pdf is only $1 - a very good deal for some excellent instruction. I haven't checked but I'm sure there are YouTube videos on the topic as well.

I could have opted to continue the ribbing on the instep but instead am going to make decreases down to 68sts to make the foot off the sock snugger. 

Because there were no gussets at the sides of the sock, I am making the decreases on the bottom of the foot à la Cat Bordhi (RIP). I counted in 12 sts from each side and have placed markers there. I will decrease on the outsides of the markers until I have 68 sts. then will test the feel of the foot of the sock. I could continue to decrease down to 64 sts which is a good size factoring negative ease. I don't like my sock feet to be too loose.

Cat had such interesting ideas about sock architecture. I am grateful I took the opportunity to take a class with her at the very first KnitEast in St. Andrews-By-The-Sea NB. I still have the cardboard template we made of our foot outlined in her book,  'Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters'.

I just checked eBay and this out of print book is selling for ridiculously high prices. It is available from her website in digital format for $20US.

Now that I see some of these prices, I need to seriously consider selling some of the books from my knitting library that are out of print. 

I Finished Something

I got the little bird, flower, finishing touches, initials and date done,

The bird is itty bitty - less than 1cm high. Stitching over 1 thread on 40ct is not something I would want to do at any great length.

I'm having a couple of days of being unmotivated to do much. There are tons of projects I could stitch on, socks to knit, shopping to do and I don't feel like doing much of anything.

I have completed the helix knitting on the first sock and need to decrease for the toe. I won't do the heel yet. Instead I will start the second sock.

I released the Hydrangea Cowl from the blocking wires and pins. It is very cozy around my neck. 

This would be a great project for some of my handspun.

More on the Sampler and Helix Sock with Instructions

 During our Crafternoon chat yesterday I got the alphabet and border finished on the Acton/Peacock sampler.

Because I did the sawtooth starting with 2 threads - one below the charted one, I had to space the lettering accordingly, one thread below. This meant my border stitches would be out one thread when I got to the bottom. So the lowest st on each side above the bottom border is 2 threads wide but only 1 st tall. 

You would never know if I hadn't mentioned it. But I did mention it to show that this modification is really is not noticeable at all.

I need to finish the flower on the right, the birds' beaks, and the 1 over 1 bird between the hearts. Then will check it over, fix any boo boos and it will be done! I may use this for a project bag and have the vinyl window go vertically beside the sampler.

I started another Helix sock two nights ago. I'm using a handpainted yarn from my stash with green, blue, and purple with a drab solid yarn. Come to think of it, I may have dyed the yarn myself. I must have started another project with it because I unravelled half a sock to rewind the coloured yarn and prepare it for use again. It definitely looks like colours I would have used in dyeing.

The stripes pool nicely in a diagonal alternating with the tan yarn.

• To knit a Helix sock, pick one of the colours (A)  and knit a 2 x 2 ribbed cuff as long as you like.
• then start the other colour (B) and knit one round, stopping 3 sts before the end of the round.
•  *Dropping B, slip the last 3 sts (colour A) purlwise, 
• then pick up A and knit to 3 sts before B. Drop A, slip the 3 sts of B, 
• pick up B and knit to 3 before the next colour. 
• Then keep repeating from *. 

Basically one yarn is chasing the other around the sock always stopping 3 sts before the next colour. No carrying of yarns or jogs!

Then knit a tube the desired length of the leg of the sock plus the length from the 'hinge' of the front of the ankle to a couple of inches short of the end of my big toe ending with B. Then do the decreases for the toe with A and graft the toe closed.

For the afterthought heel, determine where the heel should start on the bottom of the foot. (see arrow)

I lay the tube flat, pick up all the sts of B above and below this spot to the edges of the sock. This is more easily done with smaller needles to pick up only one side of each 'v'.

Then snip an A stich in the middle and between the two lines of B and unravel to each edge of the sock.

You will be left with the heel opening and all the sts on needles above and below it. 

Then with the desired needle, knit across the first set of sts, weaving in the unravelled yarn. Then knit across the other needle, weaving in the unravelled yarn on that side. 

Now you have all the heel sts on your needles. Knit the heel with decreases as you would with the toe until you have 1/3 of the sts left on each needle. Graft closed.

Do this with the other sock and you're done! If there are any holes at the corners, just darn them closed - no biggie.

This is a great way to use up ends of sock yarn. Toes, cuffs and heels don't even need to match! Each pair uses less than 50g of each colour for the striping and hardly any for the toes, cuffs, and heels.

I like knitting these because I can knit at night and not have to look at my needles much, I just go round and round.

Another way to knit the tube is to insert a row (half a round) of greatly contrasting yarn and unravel it later, putting the sts above and below on needles. Or you could just knit a conventional FLK or short row heel. 

The best results are with two yarns that contrast strongly.

Looking back at the first sock photo, notice how tight the striping is in the ribbed cuff, compared to it all spread out with the alternating yarn rounds. 

I finally blocked the Hydrangea cowl I finished weeks ago. 

I soaked it for a bit in warm water and some Soak wool wash (no rinsing is needed). There was a bit of bleeding from the dye but nothing major. 

Using my 18" blocking wires, I stretched it out widthways and lengthways, weaving wired in and out of the eyelet above the lace edging. I firmly pinned the points on the top and will leave it to dry. I wear long-sleeved t-shirts all winter and these cowls keep my neck nice and warm. 

I'm wearing this one right now and realized it's the same yarn as the Hydrangea one that's drying.

Just Needing Initials and Date

I finished the insides of the two Wessex needlebooks except for the initials and date. 

I'm still deciding what colours to do the outram on the right hand one. Green and blue? Blue and yellow? Yellow and green?

Having learned from the left one, I'll use a single strand of DMC if I decide on the green one. 

I finished crocheting the red and black ripple blanket.

The striping pattern was determined by how much yarn was in each ball. I did 12 rows of red and 8 rows of black. 

Because it's DK yarn, it's lighter than it looks. It will be very cozy for the chemo patient who gets to use it and hopefully keep it. 

I now need another knitting or crocheting project to start. I haven't been stitching my Wessex projects at night because the count is so small and I need to sit at the table with really good light. That has been morning and afternoon stitching. So at night while watching TV, I have been knitting. 

I have a stack of Interweave Knits magazines to look through for inspiration. And, of course, the myriad of stitching patterns I could put on my queue.

We only got a couple of inches of snow overnight - much less than what was predicted. I shoveled the walkways, most of the sidewalk, back patio and path on the deck, and about 1/3 of our driveway before Skip could get out there with the snowblower. The snow was fairly heavy because it had rained a lot yesterday. Fortunately when the plow went by, it ran down the middle of the street and didn't fill in the driveway at all. Yay! No windrows to shovel.

I decided we're having fish and chips tonight. Our former favourite breakfast place is a fish and chips restaurant so we'll probably order from them. They no longer serve breakfast. We hope our favourite server, Sayida, has been able to find employment elsewhere. Skip and I used to really enjoy going out for early bird breakfast every week or two and have missed doing that during the pandemic. Now we are being told we need to learn to 'live with COVID' so I guess we'll be starting to go out there more and more. Skip and I are still a bit leery being in the 65+ category but we're both relatively healthy so if/when we do get COVID, we'll be able to beat it with our immunity from our vaccinations and boosters.

My sights are on StitchNorth - a big stitching retreat the first weekend of April. We have about 8 weeks 'til then and hope the province stays open enough for us to attend. Fingers are crossed. If I need to isolate for a few days after I return, I will do so. 

 

Checking In on the Wessex Needlebook, Louisa Acton Sampler, and My Fabric Stash

Last night some of the guild members checked in to ask any questions or any clarifications about the Wessex needlebook SAL.  

I had done quite a bit of work in the afternoon, picking out the 4-sided stitch over 2 stitches (what I interpreted as 4 threads) and re-doing it over 2 threads. It looks much better now. Because I only left one thread between the tussock sts and the backstitching, there are 26 threads between the 'wavy' sts. When I stitch the 'outram' stitches, there will be one thread separating it from the wavy sts. I will tackle that today.

On the second one I made, I picked out the 2 strands of the dark blue thread and re-did one side with a single strand. Now the left side looks balanced with the light blue Sulky thread. My task this morning was to take out the dark blue on the right side and stitch it again with a single strand.

The process went very quickly because the holes were still very visible. 

Now I can do the 4-sided sts for the back and stitch the pattern on the back. 

We will check in again at our guild meeting in 2 weeks and discuss the finishing at our March meeting.

Yesterday morning I finished stitching the name on my Louisa Acton/Cordelia Peacock sampler while listening to the Fruity Knitting episode featuring Alan Dart. He is the British knitting designer who specializes in adorable toys. 

The 'Z' on the top line looks a little strange. I might re-do it. This sampler on 40ct PTP Legacy linen is tiny - only 3 34" wide - slightly wider than a business card. It will easily fit into a 5 x 7 frame. I haven't tackled the little bird that goes between the two hearts over one thread. I may do it in tent stitch - that is, like needlepoint only one / and not a complete cross.

We were scheduled to get another dump of snow but thankfully only got about an inch. I slept in while Skip got the front walkway, driveway, sidewalk, side walkway back patio and a path through the back deck cleaned off. He said it wasn't too strenuous. I usually help him but not today. 

Last night I got over half of the remaining red stripe done on the ripple stitch blanket.

Only a couple more rows and I'll be done. I now understand how folks accumulate afghans crocheted by some aunt or other. They're addictive but unless there is a person to give them to they just would pile up. I have several hand knit lap blankets I did with scrap yarn - mostly sock yarn. I have started a 10-stitch blanket but haven't decided what yarn I'll use or if I'll try and plan a design. I have enough sock yarn to knit another 30+ pairs of socks. And I don't even want to talk about my fabric stash.

It may not look that vast but remember, I'm not a quilter.

I just have accumulated these over many trips to JoAnn's in the US, FabricLand back home and a few quilting shops.

You may say, "they don't seem to be organized in any way". Hey, the fact that they've been folded (mostly) uniformly is a big accomplishment for me. 

A couple of years ago we had an IKEA outlet in town so I ordered a Billy shelf and this CD tower (GNEDBY) which is perfect for most of my fat quarters. (Photo has been turned 90°).

My fabric is actually the most organized thing in my office. I need to reorganize/cull my yarn stash to make more room and better use of my existing storage space. 

But for now, back to my stitching...

Sampler and Afghan

I did a bit more on my Louisa Acton/Cordelia Peacock sampler this morning. 

I did the sawtooth with one strand but instead of 1 2 3 4 5 6 5 4 3 2 1, I started a thread lower and did 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 5 4 3 2. I used the variegated Valdani Withered Green thread for that but for the lettering underneath I'm using a solid DMC colour.

I sure hope I counted properly for the name. I started in the centre and am working out and may cram the letters of 'Cordelia' a little to ensure they all fit. One strand over one thread is a real pain to pick out if I've screwed it up.

I finished the 5th and last black band on the crocheted ripple blanket and have about 1/4 of the last red band done. We'll see how much I get done on my Zoom chat tonight with the Whitby Spinners and Fibre Friends.