Musselburgh - A Very Versatile Pattern

I finished the latest Musselburgh hat I've been knitting out of Urth Uneek Extrafine Superwash Merino Fingering yarn.

Basically it's a tube, closed at both ends. The pattern can be adapted to may yarn weights, gauges, and head sizes. I knit it longer than called for before doing the decreases.

The yarn did all the striping. Once finished, simply shove one end into the other for a double thickness, slouchy hat.

Then fold up the brim for extra thickness over the ears. The extra length I knit made for a deeper brim.

The hat is completely reversible.

The two ways don't look much different from each other but the first way is yellow and purple and this way is more yellow and blue.

Ysolda Teague has updated the pattern with some variations. For example, some folks might want the brim to be ribbed or each side to be a different colour. 

I have a lot of superwash merino in my stash but it isn't suitable for socks because it doesn't have any nylon or silk for strenght. I'm always looking for patterns for these yarns and aside from mittens, gloves, and shawlettes, the Musselburgh is an excellent pattern for this yarn. It's also great knitting for TV watching as once the increases are done, it's just straight knitting in the round until the decreases at the other end.

Another Helix Sock Start

 I finished my Musselburg hat last night (post and pics to follow). I have a vast sock yarn stash so raided it to find a couple of contrasting yarns to knit another pair of Helix socks.

Both these yarns are mystery yarns. The black is a commercial yarn and the variegated blue yarn was some of my hand-dyed I believe. I'm pretty sure I started a different project with it, then frogged it and rewound it back into a yarn cake.

This first sock will have black cuff, heel, and toe. The second sock will have the opposite yarn for heel and toe. 

Why knit a helix sock? There are no jogs at the beginning of each round because the yarns basically chase each other around the round.

The method I use is very simple. I cast on 72 sts over two needles and knit K3, P1 for the length of the cuff. Then added the second colour, knitting all the way around until 3sts before the colour change. Slip those next 3 sts and pick up the first colour and knit around to 3 sts before the colour change to colour #2. Keep going around and around like that and aside from where you joined the second yarn, there will be no jogs. 

Simple!

This technique will work with any knitting in the round - sweaters, sleeves, hats, cowls, etc.

Try it!

This May Be the Cutest Thing I've Ever Crocheted

I finished crocheting all of Hobbes' parts a couple of weeks ago, then thought I'd better get him stuffed and assembled. It only took a couple of sessions before I was done.

We had a bit of a photo shoot in the back yard.

He's kinda wonky. Instead of using felt for his head stripes and eyes, I embroidered them.

He's really very cute and squishy. I lined his tummy piece with batting so the orange and black stripes wouldn't show through.

I smile every time I look at him.

Triangular Scissor Case

I finished stitching the Wildflower Hearts design with the Sulky Petites thread. Because I used smaller count fabric, it was proportionately smaller than others I had stitched. I decided to add a border of Algerian eyelets outside of the diagonal satin stitch border.

I had hoped some of the blue and white printed fabrics would work for the lining but the whites didn't go with the colour of the white linen. I found a fabric from my stash that would work for the lining. The whites matched and there is a very faint floral pattern.

In my enthusiasm to finish this project, I didn't get any shots before I assembled the scissor case. Here it is finished:

I blinged it up a bit with some 2mm 'jewels'.

The floral print on the lining is barely perceptible. OMG! I didn't finish the eyelets! Will get right on that - should be fairly easy to stitch them from the right side.

The cording is 8 strands of sulky. The closure is a pearl bead. 

It feels good to get another project completed. Many, many more to go.

A few minutes later...

Fixed!

From My Stash

I have a few spools of Sulky Petite threads in various colours in my stash. One strand of this is approximately equivalent to #12 Perle cotton or 2 strands of DMC and works well over two threads on 36ct or 40ct linen. I thought I'd start another Wildflowers Hearts piece with it. There are diagonal satin stitches, Rhodes hearts and circles, rice stitch, and reverse fagot stitch. I'm using some 36ct linen - also from my stash.

I really enjoyed doing the satin stitch on the previous ones I've done so I'm whipping through the blackwork parts to get to that. It should look splendid with the variegated thread. I'll find some appropriate fabric in my stash for the lining.

I seem not to have killed my orchids. Those white, outstretched air roots indicate that the plant is in good health. 

In fact, the big one is sprouting another shoot upon which the flowers will bloom. It's growing about 0.5cm per day. 

Pretty soon I'll be able to clip it to the sticks.

My mini orchid is also coming back to life but hasn't sprouted a flower shoot yet.

It has, however developed a new leaf out the top.

It had two flowering stems when I bought it so hopefully that will happen again at some point.

These plants thrive on neglect. The mini one only needs to be put in a dish with water for 15 minutes once a week. The big one gets the same treatment every 2 weeks. This will be the third time the big plant has flowered for me.

Watching TV with Skip last week I got the rest of the water stitched around the sailboat.

There's a bit of an issue with two skeins of the same number being slightly different colours so I went over the offending area with a single cross of the correct skein. I'm not going to say where the issue is so any folks looking for it will just have to figure it out for themselves. 

I added eyes to the creatures and need to put white stitches around them. The whales need white on their tummies (more contrast than the called-for thread) and blowholes. I am going to outline the flags with a medium grey so they'll 'pop' a bit more. 

I am changing the church to a house and will have to modify the windows on the front of it. I may also add another tree to the right of it.

There is still the Canadian flag, some birds, all the mortar on the big house and lot of bits and bobs to stitch. I'm saving the words for the end.

Lorna came over the other day with a huge cooler pack full of food she had prepared for us. We are so appreciative of the help and support we've received from our friends and family. These are tough times for us but the generosity of people really helps go a long way to keeping us managing Skip's situation. We are so fortunate in so many ways and we thank all of you who are looking after us.

World Donkey Day!

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that today, May 8, is World Donkey Day! What an amazing animal to honour! Those who know me know how much I love donkeys. They are so gentle, curious, and expressive. 

We used to have a donkey in our neighbourhood. His name was Jingles and he lived by himself in a paddock beside his owner's house. When Scooter was younger we called him 'The Lone Donkey' but later on the owner put out a sign telling us that Jingles was his name.

Every year on my birthday, we'd make a point of visiting Jingles and bring him a nice, big carrot.

The last time we visited, once he heard the car door slam, he came running full tilt to see what we had brought him. I'm pretty sure he had lots of other visitors who brought him treats.

Then we didn't see him any more - assuming Jingles had either died or had gone to another owner or a donkey sanctuary. His paddock became overgrown and then we noticed the house was unoccupied. Both the house and the barn have been levelled since then. I miss having Jingles so close.

Then we discovered a very cool donkey farm on a country road in north Oshawa. We would often visit the animals there on our way home from Port Perry. There were over a  dozen, including babies. 

They, too, enjoyed carrot treats and long grass we'd pull up from the roadside. I still drive by there from on the way down from the north but there don't seem to be many donkeys there anymore.

Before visiting local donkeys, Skip and I visited the Donkey Sanctuary of Canada in Puslinch ON on our way back from the Sarnia area or after visiting Skip's brother in Guelph. 

There, they care for dozens of donkeys, hinnies (horse dad and donkey mom),  and mules (donkey dad and horse mom) that were unwanted, neglected, abused, or their owners could no longer care for them properly. They peacefully live out the rest of their days receiving the proper food, shelter, and medical care they need.

On one of our Crystal cruises to the southern Caribbean, I learned there was a donkey sanctuary in Bonaire, one of the ABC islands we visited (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) and a special municipality of the Netherlands. 

At the time they were caring for over 600 donkeys, many of whom were brought there in sad shape. This blog post explains a lot about the sanctuary and our visit there.

Closer to home, we have the PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary outside of Roseneath ON. They hold several fund-raising events. Marilyn and I attended a 'tea' and toured the facility a few years back.

Donkey sanctuaries are lovely, peaceful places where these amazing animals are cared for in every way. They're a great place to bring yourselves, children, and grandchildren for a visit.

These sanctuaries can always use your donations.

Happy World Donkey Day! Hee Haw!

Festooned!

My 70th birthday was this week. My friends and neighbours made it a very special day. Skip had treatment in the afternoon but the morning was nice and relaxed.

I was given so many wonderful presents.

I met Lorna and Sue in The Big City a week ago Thursday and Lorna had a big bag of birthday treats for me: a painting, some body butter, lip balm and goat's milk soap, dinner napkins,

and a teacup jigsaw puzzle.

She also brought me a Pandora charm she and Francey had bought me while on their European trip - La Tour Eiffel.

Alexa brought me some lovely flowers.

David brought me more flowers and a very cute birthday card.

My neighbour Susan had this beautiful bouquet delivered from our nearby florist. Roses, lilies, a big hyerangea (back right), etc. The lilies are just starting to bloom.

Barb gave me a printed panel for embroidering centres of hexies and hexie flowers, and 3 fat quarters.

Jeanette gave me a very cute beehive panel embroidery kit which included everything: fabric, threads, and buttons, as well as some Purdy's chocolates.

Poppy gave me a coil-bound watercolour painting book and the 'DIY Watercolor [sic] Flowers' technique book. 

She also made me a beautiful needle case 

with 7 coordinating skeins of floss.

Jen1 gave me the Spring Green Pears kit from Annie Beez.

She included the fabric and silk threads. The green-ness of the fabric doesn't show but think 'light pear green'.

I've done the first (red) and second (blue) ones in the series and now I have the third.

Marilyn gave me a Lori Holt quilt puzzle, Jan Hicks' 'Love' - the cardinals from her 'Birds of Colour' series. I'd been wanting this chart so was so happy to receive it.

I hope to have some time to start on of these projects or get back to stitching my 'Live on Little'.

My time is not my own with Skip needing more care so I tend to rest between bouts of activity rather than do some crafting. I'll get the hang of the new routine and carve out time for myself. I'm not a stoic or a martyr. I need to take care of myself and have no problem calling on friends for help or accepting help that is offered. 

I certainly have lots of projects I can work on for my stress management.

I am so grateful for all the folks who care about us and have been so supportive and helpful. We are so fortunate.