Veronica It Is!

I gave the little kitty cat to her new owner, Sharon G, at stitching yesterday. Sharon declared that she shall be named Veronica as well. I hope to post a photo of the two of them really soon.

There were 18 of us at our guild stitch day yesterday. Some of us (ahem) made a few mistakes and had to un-stitch them. One of our gang informed us she had to pick out everything she had stitched that day. Once again I learned the lesson to only have stuff that needs to be filled in when stitching socially. 

All that being said, I did get more done on my  'This Bee's Got Knees'.

I gave Jeanette her project bag so she can handsew the binding onto the back. 

Today I sewed up the other one she gave me to do. I started the second bag which I had cut out previously then realized I had to whip out and buy the right colour thread. Back at home, it came together in fairly short order. 

Although I'm using fusible fleece (with the fusible side towards the lining), I decided to quilt the back with the 30º lines 2 3/4" apart. I used a bit of washable glue to tack down the corners and have left it pinned for Jeanette to stitch down the binding. This YouTube video clearly outlines and excellent and almost foolproof method to attach binding ends. The pertinent part is at minute 23:00.

I really love the Wm Morris-ish fabric, and the lining and border fabric with tiny script. Nicola, the designer, provided extra script and lining fabric as other options to put above the zipper. They could easily be fashioned into a snappy ort tray.

Yesterday Barb asked me to sew up her panel as well so that will be my task tomorrow. I have owned my Bernina machine since 2012 and only just discovered I had the presser foot which would enable me to stitch in the ditch (I'm not sure what it's called). I have always struggled with stitching in the ditch using the regular presser feet so will try this out sometime soon. However, it won't be on Barb's bag. 

She left the binding decision up to me so for this one, so I plan to sew the binding onto the back and machine-sew it down on the front. 

I didn't get a call from the oboe repairer on Friday and he told me he was going on vacation this Tuesday so I doubt I'll get the instrument back until mid-September at the earliest. Still deciding when and what I'll play when I go back to the Pickering band.

And finally, in iPhone trade-in news, the trade-in kit arrived sometime on Friday. It was just a sturdy mailer with the return mailing label inside. I prepared my phone by backing up everything to the Cloud, unattaching it from the 'Find My' feature on my new phone, and restored it to factory settings. Then I gave it a bit of a cleanup, popped it into the mailer, slapped the label onto it, and beetled over to the nearby UPS Store to drop it off. 

I got an email today from the nice people at Apple asking if I was still interested in trading in my old phone to which I replied that I had sent it out on Friday. Fingers are crossed the trade-in amount will get put back on my Apple gift card and credit card soon.

Still Feeling Slothful

I only did a bit of stitching yesterday; on the 'This Bee's Got Knees' project.

Now that the backstitched outline is there, I am much more confident about where I'm placing the motifs.

Just using a scrap of linen, I stitched the centres of the blue scissor case pattern to make a scissor fob. The outer backstitching on the diagonal will be where I whip stitch the two pieces together. I'll also try to remember to insert the cording in the corner before sewing it all up.

I did finish the square stitching for the scissor case but haven't fully finished it yet.

Last night I fully finished the kitty cat I'm giving to one of my guild members at our stitch day on Saturday. It's my version of Esther Braithwaite's 'Kitty Friends'. Basically it is a tube, grafted at the top. Then the ears are sewn diagonally, the head stuffed, then the neck stitches cinched up.

The original pattern has a striped sweater but I did a solid one with the duplicate stitched heart, and as I mentioned in a previous post, a purl round on the second and last rounds of the 'sweater'. In this photo, one ear has been defined with diagonal stitches

The finishing takes almost as long as knitting the tube. To make her a girl, I stitch 6 eyelashes and add a coordinating bow. The recipient is free to name her whatever she likes. I do the nose and whiskers differently from the original pattern, too. Also, the i-cord tail is added.

I took her and her friends outside for a little photo shoot in the planter between my garage doors.

I received my new iPhone last week but still have not received the trade-in kit. I called again today and Apple claims to be sending me yet another trade-in kit (this is the third one) so hopefully I can finish up with that.

I've also resubscribed to Hello Fresh and should be receiving my first meal kit sometime before 8pm tonight. Hopefully it'll be before suppertime so I can make something good for supper.

Heads up! Lego has the Festive Gingerbread House back in stock. Because of the extreme cuteness and inexpensive price tag ($49.99CAD), it sold out really quickly last year. Here's the link if you want one. I'm sure they'll sell out fast again this year.

Quick update

I'm heading into The Big City in about a half hour to take my instrument to the oboe hospital - a repairer in North York so this will be quick.

I got some stitching done yesterday both at stitching in the morning and later in the afternoon. I had added some guideline with turquoise sewing thread a while back (hardly visible in this photo) but my stitching was off by a stitch here and there so decided to do the backstitched border and make sure all the stitched elements stayed within those parameters.

If I dedicated more time to this project, it could be finished in pretty short order. It will be pretty easy to fully finish, too.

I forgot to take the project bag to Jeanette yesterday but will hand it off on Saturday at our stitch day. She gave me a little finished square so I could add the snaps for her so I can give her that on Saturday, too.

Now it's a little ort tray. Unsnapped, it lies flat and tucks into a pocket on a retreat bag for transport.

Although I do have a plethora of projects in various stages of completion, I do derive a lot of enjoyment getting something fully finished. 

Taking It Easy Today.

After all the excitement, activity and fun of the last few weeks and days, I spent today totally indulging myself. It was a pyjama day spent finishing listening to an audiobook (Ann Patchett's 'The Dutch House**), sending messages and emails to lots of folks this morning, and this afternoon, making another retreat mat.

I used 70 squares that were cut from jelly roll strips. It was a lot of sewing but I'm loving the result. The fabric line is 'Hydrangea Passion'.

I had quilted the interior fabric to the batting quite a while ago. I used 6 additional squares to make the lined pocket. Two other strips in the roll were perfect for the binding.

Of course I added my little 'logo'.

This is the back of it. The finished size is 19 1/2" x 13 1/2"This design would also work great for a folio with interior pockets - some of them with zippers. I still have a couple of jelly rolls I could use for this.

I have no idea when or where I purchased this 'fabric roll'.

Looking back in my archives (blog) I see I used some of the strips to make Poppy a project bag back in 2002.

The case for my new iPhone 17 Pro arrived on Friday. The corners look extra durable. My previous phone had more of a silicone case which protected it very well - even when the phone was dropped.

I went for a really pretty case that also came with a screen protector. I haven't installed the screen protector yet as it involved more steps than I had the bandwidth for that day.

Isn't is pretty?

I haven't fully figured out all the capabilities of the new phone so will be doing some research. I await receipt of the trade-in kit so I can get the $225 for the old iPhone 12 Pro that I bought myself for my birthday back in 2021.

I forgot to make note of the progress on the Helix sock. The waste yarn for the afterthought heel was inserted (the yellow stitches under the white line) and the stocking stitch foot is underway.

At stitching on Monday, I had to pick out most of what I did on the project I was working on so I switched to 'This Bee's Got Knees' pincushion and filled in the lighter green on the leaves. 

Not sure what I'll work on tomorrow at stitching but it will need to be something I don't have to carefully count.

** this is the second Ann Patchett book I have listened to and enjoyed. The first one was 'Tom Lake' which I particularly enjoyed because of its setting. I like novels like this that develop the story of people in families and how the relationships evolve over the years. I look forward to reading more of them.

I Had The.Best.Time.

A few days ago, I was contacted by two former students who both live in London, and were interested in coming to visit me. Chris had two dates he was available - today and a Saturday in October. I suggested today and Andrew was available, too. We met at the Symposium Café in Ajax and parked ourselves at a booth for the afternoon. Fortunately there were only a couple of other tables of diners so our prolonged lunch didn't prevent anyone else from getting a table.

The last time we got together was in July 2009 at Andrew's home.

And before that, the last time we had been together was Chris' ordination as a Catholic priest in 1997.

It was so fun today catching up on what we'd been doing these past 17 years. Neither of them are very active on social media but I'm sure we've exchanged messages or texts a couple of times over the years and, of course, they always receive my annual Christmas newsletter, the Glen Hill Times.

As I've mentioned before, spending fun times with long-time friends is the best experience ever. I taught these guys music in the mid-80s starting when they were in Grade 9. Andrew played clarinet and Chris started out on saxophone then became a bassoonist. He even played bassoon in a community band up to a decade or two ago. I encouraged him to rent a bassoon and come to music camp next year. He's seriously considering it.

Before we knew it, 4 1/2 hours had gone by and it was time for them to head back to London. Of course, we had to have a group photo before going our separate ways.

My afternoon was like breathing pure oxygen. I met these guys when they were 14 and got to see their social, musical, and intellectual development through the rest of high school. I have continued to follow their post-secondary pursuits, life events, and career choices and successes. It has been such a joy to have these guys in my life. I am so fortunate.

In knitting news, I started a Sophie scarf last night with some lovely laceweight yarn (possibly Malabrigo).  The pattern increases on one side every 8 rows but I'm increasing every 6 rows instead. This will made a wider scarf and use up more of the yarn. I haven't decided how long I'll make it. The stitch marker reminds me what side to do the increases on. The Knit Lounge has several Facebook reels on this project starting with this one. The actual knitting starts with this one. 

Basically it's garter stitch (knit every row) with a lovely i-cord edge. Once it's as wide as I want it, I'll decrease back down to the number of stitches I started with. 

You'd think a simple pattern like this would be easy to keep track of the rows. But oh, no! It was hard to read the dark yarn and I was watching TV while knitting. I found checking off each row with pencil and paper to be very tedious, then remembered I had a row counter that goes over my finger which I had bought in 2016 (the counter was still in the mailer in which I received it). I created a little avalanche of knitting accouterments while rummaging around on a shelf for it but I found it!

Of course the battery was 'deader than a mackerel' as Skip used to say. So I found the appropriate mini Phillips screwdriver and opened it up. The battery was one of those little button batteries like go in hearing aids and wouldn't you know it? I had some spare ones! (People think I'm joking when I tell them I own everything, but it's pretty true). 

It took a couple of tries to get the battery and the innards oriented properly but finally I was successful! A number appeared in the window! Hurray! (I was so proud of myself - Scooter just shook his head - LOL).

Just tap the big button when you finish a row and the little button resets to zero. So handy!

They're $3CAD or less on Amazon and would be a great treat to hand out at knitting events/retreats. Golfers could also use them to count strokes.

And finally, I spent some time yesterday working on the finishing of the triangular sunflower scissor case.

I made SO MANY MISTAKES putting it together which did involve some bad language. One boo boo was not inserting the cording on the tip of the flap for the loop closure before turning everything right side out. 

I used Sulky Petites thread for the cording - 4 strands folded in half for 8 strands total. I think I can tuck the ends of the cording into the tip and secure it. Then all I'll have to do is add the pearl bead closure and the HotFix jewels in the spots on the front in the 4-sided Kloster blocks where eyelets were supposed to go.

Some Sewing and a New Mexican Restaurant

After cutting out the project bag pieces yesterday, I sewed the first one together today. Everything went together well except for my bonehead move attaching the back wrong way around - with the lining on the outside. No big deal as I had just basted around the edges with a narrow zigzag stitch - easily taken out with my seam ripper.

I like to baste with a zigzag stitch before attaching the binding. Things just go a lot smoother that way.

I'm leaving the hand-sewing of the binding onto the back for Jeanette to do. I just have it pinned in place on the back for these photos. 

This panel of fabric commemorates the big stitching event in Swindon UK last summer, attended by Jen1, Barb, Jeanette, Poppy, Yvonne, and Victoria. 

The lining fabric is very cute - little houses.

The fabric for the back is the same as around the panel on the front. 

Scooter and I tried out the new Mexican restaurant in downtown Oshawa for supper this evening. Cactus Cocina Mexicana .

Scooter had a chicken chimichanga,

and I had carne asada tacos.

It tasted very authentic and yummy. I would definitely dine there again.

I did a bit more knitting on the helix sock last night.

The cuff will be 8" long before I insert the waste yarn for the afterthought heel.

I'm also very intrigued with the Sophie scarf.

Basically you weigh your ball of yarn, cast on and knit garter stitch with i-cord edges, increasing every 8 rows until half the yarn is used up, then decrease every 8 rows until back down to the number of stitches you cast on. 

It can be wrapped several times around your neck.

I plan to make it a bit wider so will do the increases every 6 rows and knit until it's about 10" wide, then do the decreases.

Another Pair of Helical Socks

I wanted another mindless knitting project so I scrounged around in my stash for some contrasting yarn for a pair of helical socks.

Scooter housesat for me last week and has stayed on this week so we watch TV in the evenings. I crochet or knit during this time so two nights ago I cast on the socks - 72 stitches, with a 3 x1 ribbed leg; 2.5mm needles. I'll probably do afterthought heels with the black yarn as well as the toes.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to create ‘identical twin’ socks. It will depend on the striping sequence of the colourful yarn.

I continue to feel quite slothful since returning home from camp on Sunday. I have accomplished a few things, though. I got my camp laundry done, some grocery shopping, bought a new iPhone 17 Pro as my 5 year-old iPhone 12 had no more memory even after deleting a bunch of space-hogging apps. I spent the last couple of hours setting it up and still need to buy a case and screen protector for it. 

I also cut out the fabric pieces from the Nicola Parkman project bag panel. I offered to make the project bags for Jeanette so we texted back and forth about some choices that need to be made. We have settled on this (there were three options for the fabric above the zipper above the floral fabric). 

However the bag’s construction came to a screeching halt when I realized I didn’t have the right zippers in my stash. Acquiring them will be a task for tomorrow.

Out in the garden the sunflower has continued to grow taller and has bloomed. The first photo was taken on August 12 and the second one, today.

I need to remember to plant more next year.