A Sheeps Yarn

Autumn Lace Scarf

2012-01-23T15:49:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share pictures of my latest lace project. I'm tickled with the way it is knitting up. The colors are coming through beautifully and the lace pattern isn't being hidden. The yarn I'm using is one of my handspuns......a polypay cross wool yarn that I hand-dyed. The colors remind me of fall.....all those lovely shades of reds, oranges, yellows, and even a touch of purple. Of course we don't see a lot of fall colors around here with all the coniferous trees that are indigenous to the area. But we do get a bit of color. Just enough to enjoy and inspire. I ended up with 2 skeins of this really pretty yarn. About 620 yards total of a sport weight yarn. More than enough to make the scarf.

The pattern I'm using is a DROPS Design. I'm nearly done with one half of the scarf. Only five more lace repeats left to do before I can put the live stitches on a holder and start on the other half. Can't wait to see what the scarf will look like once it is finished and blocked.

Being Neighborly.......

2012-01-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

...exactly what does this mean? Does it mean enduring loud music and noise from your neighbors until 2 in the morning? Does it mean allowing your neighbor kids to park in your front yarn blaring their music and drinking beer ? Which they will then throw out on your yard for you to pick up. Does it mean tolerating your neighbor's kids speeding by your house and screaming obscenities at you? Does it mean having to endure the neighbor screaming at you over the phone and telling you to lighten up when you let them know exactly what kind of behavior their "child" is engaged in? Does it mean having to tolerate all this and more simply because someone doesn't want to take on the responsibilities of being a parent and would rather let their kid (and friends) run wild in the community.....harassing and destroying private property because it allows them to get drunk with their own friends. What exactly does being neighborly entail? If it entails any of what my hubby and I (not to mention the other families living in the area) have tolerated this weekend then I don't want to be neighborly and will be keeping the county sheriff on speed dial from now on.

We live in a very rural area. The smallest parcel of land around here is 3 acres. Most of the local residents have anywhere from 10 acres on up. So we do have neighbors. They just aren't close. And we also live on a private dirt road....which used to be really nice......until the neighbors moved in and their kids started raising "kane" on it. We have tolerated the extra traffic.....and the extra noise.....even though we are technically the only house on our road. The neighbors all live on the road above us....that "T's" into ours. They only use our road because it's a shortcut of sorts. We even tolerated the not so kind words when we blocked off the corner of our property that everyone was driving across. But this weekend. It's been something else. We've dealt with loud music until 2 in the morning. We've dealt with kids drinking and racing up and down the road. We've dealt with kids parking on our front yard, music blaring. We've dealt with kids driving by our house screaming obscenities at us. And I know we will be out there picking up empty beer cans from the front yard. The neighbors never pick up after their kids. And, yes, they do know their underage daughter drinks and drives.....and are perfectly okay with it. When my hubby called to let them know what these kids were doing he was told by the mother...."they are teenagers and that's what they do.". When he called the following night about the loud music and the parking in the front yard, he was told "it's only music. Hope you don't end up with any broken windows". That was Saturday. Sunday morning we get a phone call from the father telling us that we aren't being neighborly and to lighten up. Never even gave my husband a chance to say a word. Just screamed at him and hung up. Funny thing is this. He wasn't even there. He was at work. So not only did he not have a clue as to what was going on, but he didn't want to hear it either. Well, anyone who believes that engaging in illegal activity is partying really needs to take a good look at themselves.....and grow up. I can honestly say that when my kids lived at home they never did anything that could be construed in the slightest bit as rude or disrespectful to any of our neighbors. It was just the way they were raised. You respect others and their property whether their actions and/or words deserve it or not. You know, you try so hard to do what you think is right. We both thought that it would be the "neighborly thing" to do by calling the parents first instead of the county sherriff. Guess not. Next time we won't be so nice.

Well, I feel a bit better getting that out of my system. Now to talk about something more enjoyable. Fiber arts!! More specifically, knitting and spinning!! This year has gotten off to a wonderful start when it comes to knitting and spinning. I have knit up two hats and spun up a few skeins of yarn already. I have 3 skeins of completed yarn drying and have the most wonderful fiber blend on my spinning wheel right now. It's a blend of suri alpaca and shetland. So soft!!!! And such a dream to spin. Plus I have carded up another dreamy blend that I can't wait to start spinning. It's a blend of black alpaca, black shetland, and a touch of icicle. So far I have 4 ounces of it carded up into these wonderfully soft and fluffy batts. I have enough fiber left for at least another 4 ounces. Just haven't decided whether I want to card it up yet or not. I think I will wait until I start spinning it and then see how I feel. I'm kinda leaning towards wanting to knit a shawl with the finished yarn.

A little about the two hats pictured. Both were knitted up this year. The lace beret went rather quickly. I think it took about 4 or 5 hours to knit. Really quick knit. I used a handspun, handdyed shetland/soy silk blend that I had spun up quite some time ago. It was about a dk weight and was absolutely perfect for this hat. The pattern is from the book "Weekend Hats" (Greenery Beret)....although I didn't follow the pattern exactly. I changed the ribbing on it. The pattern called for a K1,P1 ribbing. I chose to do a K2,P2 ribbing instead. I just like the way it looks.

The finished beret is very light and delicate feeling. It weighs just a little over 2 1/2 ounces. Feels wonderful though. Very feminine. Pictured is a close up of the lace pattern used. It was an easy pattern to remember. I honestly can't believe how quickly this one knit up. I washed it in Soak wool wash and then blocked it on a 12" diameter plate. Those plastic holiday ones that you can get on clearance right now for less than a dollar work great for this. It's what I used and I couldn't have been happier with the way the beret turned out.

The other hat I have knit up this year is a nordic ski hat. It was knit using gray and white Finn wool. I had purchased the roving from Paradise Fibers a few days after Christmas. I was looking for something a bit different to spin and this is what Travis (the owner) suggested. We've known each other for years and he knows that I've tried my hand at spinning what seems just about everything under the sun. So it was a bit of a challenge for him to come up with something new for me. I have to say, it was a nice spin. Real fun. Went rather quickly too. I had spun up 8 ounces of the gray and 4 ounces of the white in no time. It made a beautiful dk weight yarn. Absolutely loved the way it knitted up!! It just glided through my fingers.

This hat took a bit longer to knit because of the colorwork. It was actually my first "real" piece of fair aisle knitting. The pattern is a DROPS Design. Once again I made a small change to the pattern. I opted to make the brim of the hat longer than what the pattern called for. I wanted to be able to fold the brim up so that you got a double layer of fabric covering the ears.....for those colder temperatures that we tend to get around here this time of the year. Besides I thought it would make the hat a bit more balanced. After all, the body of the hat is basically a double layer with all the stranding that is done during knitting.

I love the way this hat turned out. It can be worn either up (as shown in the pattern photo) or slouched. I think it looks really cute slouched. The Finn gives the hat a nice heavy, yet silky feel. Really nice feel. Very luxurious.

Other than doing quite a bit of knitting....and spinning.....I have been slowly learning how to use my new camera. Still need lots of practice.....as you can probably see by the photos. I will figure out how to take a picture of my finished stuff without the shadows. It's just a matter of lighting. I'm thinking I just may have to break down and get an external flash. I've been looking at one with a remote. I already have a tripod for my camera. Hubby bought one just for taking stills. I may have to think about getting one or two more lenses.....and some different lens filters. Still playing around with all that though. There is quite a bit to learn about this new camera. Thank goodness the dachshunds are so good about having a camera in their face all the time. :,)

Finally a thought about the new year. I stopped making resolutions quite some time ago. Just really never understood the reasoning behind it. I mean, afterall, if you are going to do something then you will do it regardless of whether it is a resolution or not. I always look at each new year as an opportunity to learn, grow, and enjoy life. Whether or not I manage to lose a few pounds doesn't really matter in the long run. Enjoying life, being happy with who I am, and always appreciating my family and friends is really all that matters. All else will come and go as life sees fit. I'm not going to stress over the things I have no control over. Doesn't do any good. Instead I will simply accept that which I cannot change and continue moving forward. Life is what you make of it. So why not make it a good one. :,)

Lace, lace, and more lace!!

2011-12-26T16:52:00.000-08:00

December has been a wonderful month for finishing up projects.....especially my lace projects. Pictured is my very first Shetland shawl. It measures 36" square. Not real large, I know. But it was a wonderful beginner shawl. This was made from the pattern that was provided in the online class I took. The one where I wasn't real crazy about the instructor. I'm gaga over the completed shawl though. :<) Can't seem to quit looking at it....and smiling from ear to ear every time I do!!

A little bit about the shawl. It's knit from a handspun 2-ply sportweight (15 wpi) yarn. Natural color. Compliments of my Shetland ewe, Carrie. The shawl was knit from the inside out. There is no cast-on edge anywhere. I learned how to do a provisional cast on with this project. I also learned how to use my blocking wires and mats.....and was simply amazed at the end results.

There are a few pictures of the shawl. My loving hubby surprised me with a new camera for Christmas....and I can't seem to stop using it. I find that I'm constantly picking it up and taking pictures of this and of that. So don't be surprised if my posts are more photo intensive than before. This is a really fun camera to use....and there is so much for me to learn. It's allowing me to finally spread my amateur photographer's wings. :<)

The other lace project I finished this month was an Estonian lace scarf. It was my very first piece of Estonian lace. It took a bit longer to knit up than the shawl did, but was so well worth the effort. Not only did I learn a new technique, but I also learned how to make nupps......and enjoyed making them. A lot!!!

The scarf is knit from a hand spun 2-ply shetland lamb/kid mohair/soy silk blend.......with a touch of icicle tossed in to give it a bit of sparkle. The yarn is a fine weight yarn (20 wpi). I had spun this yarn up quite some time ago, but could never find the perfect project for it.....until now.

Nature's Beauty

2011-12-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

I normally don't take nature pictures for a couple of reasons.....(1) I'm usually too busy enjoying it and totally forget about taking pictures.......and....(2) when I do think about taking a picture it's usually when I have left my camera behind. Well, the other night as I was heading in from feeding I happened to notice the beautiful sunset we were having. Being close to the house.....and remembering my camera......I was able to get a few shots. These were taken from the backyard looking out towards the pasture. Lucky sheep!! They get to enjoy views like this quite often......when they don't have their heads in the feeders that is!

These pictures were taken this morning before the sun moved in and burned off all the fog. I just loved how mystical everything looks. The sheep were just wondering when they were going to get their breakfast and could have cared less about how mystical the fog made their pasture look. :,)

Finally..........

2011-11-20T09:27:00.000-08:00

.....finished thread basting my Hawaiian quilt and was able to get a picture of it. So....here it is!!! My very first original Hawaiian quilt. :,) It measures approximately 88" x 109" right now. After it has been quilted, then I will trim it down so it measures approximately 86" or so square. The next step is needle-turn applique. I hope to start that just as soon as I finish up the poho poho quilt (otherwise known as my Hawaiian Sampler). Nearly done with the block I'm currently working on and then there is only one more block to do after that.

On Friday the final lesson in my Hawaiian quilt class was posted. Can't help feeling a bit sad. It was a wonderful class and I learned so much. Not to mention it was so much fun to take. The classroom will stay open until the 10th of December, but I really don't anticipate a lot of interaction other than the final good-byes and general wrapping up of the class. It was a wonderful class. The instructor (Nancy Chong) was very knowledgeable and incredibly helpful. All the notes were well written and easy to follow. If anyone is interested in learning how to make an Hawaiian quilt I would highly recommend taking a class from her....whether it be in person or on line. You won't be disappointed.

Been spending quite a bit of time making Christmas gifts. Had to rethink some of the things I wanted to do simply because it took so long for the thread I had ordered to arrive (over four weeks.....and it was coming from Nevada!)......and I won't have the time to get them done.....which didn't make me too happy. I had been planning some of the larger gifts for quite some time. Oh well. Happens. You do the best with what you have and continue forward....which I'm doing. Pictured is a sample tote that I did. Since I haven't had a lot of experience (okay none) in embroidery placement, I thought it would be a good idea to stitch up a sample first. Then I could make any changes that might be needed. Well, I really love the way this little tote turned out and will be doing the larger tote (gift) the same way. The extra time I took in measuring was so worth it. Now I hope these same techniques will work on placing an embroidery on the front of a shirt....especially since I have two of those to do and have never embroidered a shirt before. Guess I better find a sample one to do.

The other xmas gift I made was a flannel wall hanging. Can't post a picture of it though in case the recipient looks at my blog. Wouldn't want to give the surprise away. :,) Still left to do....a couple of embroidered pillows, two framed embroidered pieces, and a few pillowcases. While they are all relatively small things, they are things that can be finished easily and fairly quickly. I don't want to be doing what I've done in the past........frantically working late into the night on Christmas Eve to finish things up.

The scrappy civil war quilt (now named "Sweet Surrender") is finally done. At least the top anyway. Haven't taken a picture of it yet though. I'm waiting for the snow to let up so the quilt top can be hung on the line outside and a picture taken of it. It's a large one.....108" square. Bought a packaged cotton batt for it yesterday at Joanns. I had a 60% off coupon that I was able to use on it. Yea!! Even splurged and took advantage of the sale on Christmas fabrics. I was able to find some really nice ones to add to my small collection. Some will be absolutely perfect for a few of the Christmas gifts I still have left to make.

Onto knitting: My Estonian lace scarf has been put on hold for a bit. Just until the shawl I'm working on for the Shetland Shawl class I'm taking is finished. Taking this class was impulsive. I saw it being offered and simply couldn't refuse. I've been wanting to make a Shetland shawl for the longest time. Been collecting books on them for years. The class takes a different approach to knitting the shawl. You actually start from the center and work your way out. There is no cast on edge and no wrong or right side. The knitting has been simple. I'm nearly done with the shawl center. Only have a repeat and a half to go before I'm ready to start on the border. I'm using a 2-ply sport weight (15 wpi) handspun natural color shetland yarn (compliments of Carrie).

The class itself hasn't been the most exciting thing in the world to take. There is no interaction between the instructor and the students. I did post once on the discussion board....and the instructor did reply. But that was pretty much it. Very disappointing especially after the wonderful experience I have had with my Hawaiian quilting class. When I told my hubby how disappointed I am with this class (and highly doubt I will ever take another class via needlecraft university), he asked me if I have learned anything. Yes, I have. I have learned how to do a provisional cast-on....and how to pick up stitches with it looking the same on both sides. I am also learning how to knit a Shetland shawl from the inside out. Then he said, "well, that makes it worth taking." And he is right. Even though I'm not finding the class to be a wonderful experience (or even a mediocre one at that), I am learning new things....and I will end up with a finished Shetland shawl. So in the end it will have been worth it. Thankfully next week the final lesson goes up and the class will be done. I will be sure to post pictures of my Shetland shawl when it is done.

On that note, I will end this post by wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

Busy, busy, busy!!

2011-11-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

That's what I've been lately. Busy as a bee quilting up a storm. Wish I had pictures to share of what I've been working on lately....but I don't. So I thought I would share pictures of Dexter enjoying a knitting project that didn't turn out. When I have knitting projects that don't turn out they usually end up as playthings for the doxies....who then feel as if their mission in life is to de-construct the said item. In this case it was a knitted and fulled teddy bear that just wasn't meant to be. It wasn't a total loss though. I did get to see how the handspun yarn fulled.....and I did make notes on what I want to change the next time I knit this particular pattern up. Plus the doxies got to spend countless hours de-constructing....something they really enjoy doing. :<) Now for an update on what I've been up to.

My scrappy civil war quilt still isn't finished but I am making progress on it. The fourth quarter of it is up on the design wall and is being sewn together. Yesterday I made great progress and got all the blocks sewn together into pairs and trios. Today I hope to get rows sewn together.

My Hawaiian quilt class is going well. Lesson 3 was posted on Friday. It's on needle-turn applique....which I love. I'm not that far on my quilt though. My design has been laid out and securely pinned to the background. Thread basting it all in place is the next step.....and yet another thing I hope to start on today. It will probably take me a few days to get the entire design thread basted in place. Once that is done then I will get to put it up on the design wall and see my design in its entirety for the very first time. I've only got to see it in bits and pieces so far....or eighths and quarters to be more exact. It's a rather large quilt and the surface I'm using for pinning/basting only accommodates a little under half of the quilt at a time.

Onto the wall hanging that I've been hand quilting. That is actually coming along rather nicely. Only one more sashing piece to hand quilt before I can move onto the border. Not quilt sure what I want to do there yet. I'm thinking maybe feathers of some kind. Up until now I've only done straight line quilting.....mostly grid. So I thought it would be fun to try my hand at a little "fancy quilting" just to see how it is. Who knows. Maybe it is something I will really enjoy and will want to incorporate into future quilts. While I do enjoy looking at quilts with "fancy quilting" in them, I rarely do any of that in my own. It's not that I don't know how. I think it's more of what I'm drawn to personally. While the fancy quilting is pretty to look at , sometimes it can really take away from the quilt itself. I mean, afterall, a lot of time is spent in the piecing and/or appliqueing of a quilt. Why cover all that up with machine and/or hand quilting? To me, quilting is supposed to enhance the piecework and/or needle work...not cover it up or take away from it. In my opinion when you look at a quilt, the first thing you should see is the quilt design....not the quilting in it. I feel that should be secondary. But, then again, this is only my own very humble opinion. :<)

Pulled out another UFO....as if there is a shortage of *that* around here! This one is an Hawaiian sampler that I started years ago. It was started as a graduation quilt for my oldest....until she decided she didn't want it and chose another pattern instead. So it got put aside.....and started collecting dust. I decided to pull it out because I thought it would be perfect for trying my hand at thread basting on....which it was. The blocks are 20" in size. Once I got a block thread basted, I thought it would be a great way to freshen up my applique skills....especially since it has been quite some time since I've appliqued anything by hand. Another good call on my part. My needle turn is really rusty. This is the perfect project to get my needle turn back in shape before I tackle my large Hawaiian quilt. Plus I discovered that only two more blocks need to be made (one of which is already in progress) before the top could be put together.

As if I'm not working on enough quilting projects right now, there is my Estonian lace scarf that I try to knit a few rows on each day. It's actually coming along nicely and I hope to be able to take a picture of it sometime soon. Or at least of what I have done so far. My thoughtful and always considerate hubby suggested that I simply focus on one project until it is done then move onto another one. What a sweetheart he is!! Of course he doesn't quite understand the rationale behind why I must work on several projects at once. I mean, afterall, the Hawaiian sampler is helping me learn new techniques and freshen up old skills that I will need for the large Hawaiian quilt....which is a class project. And I can't simply quit hand quilting the wall hanging because I am so close to finally having it done....and with it being an older UFO, too. As for the scrappy civil war quilt.....well, with all the hand work I've been doing lately it's nice to be able to do some mindless piecing. Being able to finish yet another UFO in the process.....well, that's always an added bonus. :<) The knitting gives me a nice break from all the quilting....and the spinning is my zen time. Need I say more? :<)

Hawaiian Quilt Class

2011-10-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share how my online quilt class is going. Lesson Two opened on Friday. It's all about putting your applique design down on your background fabric. I'm not quite there yet. I'm still working on Lesson One....the designing part. Good thing it's a work at your own pace type of class. :<) Some of the other students in the class have already cut their designs out and have it put down on their background fabrics. Wow! There are some really pretty quilts in the making! If I have my design in fabric by the end of the five week class I will be very happy. :<)

This first picture is of my fabric choice. The dark fabric is for my applique....the lighter for the background. I'm doing a full/double size quilt....or at least that is what I hope to be making if I can ever get through the designing part.

The next picture is of my basic design. It is about a quarter of the size of what the final design will be. Rough cut circles were used instead of the actual flowers. This was done pretty much to see how things looked together and how happy I was with placement.

The last picture is of my design. This one is about half the size of what the final design will be. The flowers were added....and some changes were made. Again, it was done to see how things looked together...and how I like the placement of the different elements. I really like the way this one looks....although the different elements are just a touch too close together. If I was going to make this I would go back and scale things down a bit so that there was more space between the various elements. Since it is just another "mock up" of sorts there was no need to bother with any of that.

Yesterday afternoon was spent working on the full scale version of my design. Spent some time enlarging and copying so that I ended up with about four different sizes of flowers and buds to work with. Wanted to make sure that my flowers were at a size that looked good in the space they would be in. Since this is a full size pattern I'm only working with one quarter of it...instead of the entire design like I did with the "mock ups" I did earlier. The design is all drawn up and I started working on adding seam allowance. Once all the seam allowance is added I will be able to cut the pattern out and finally put it to fabric. Of course I plan on taking a picture of it first...printing it out four times.....and laying all those together to make sure that I'm truly happy with the final design. It would be a tragedy to cut out the fabric only to discover that there is something about the design that I'm just not happy with. I would rather spend more time with the eraser.

The class, over all, has been absolutely wonderful!! I have learned so much!! And I have learned exactly what I had always wanted to learn....how to *design* my own Hawaiian quilt. The rest of the class will be on applique, layering, basting, quilting, and finishing the quilt. I will follow along but it's not quite as important as this first part was. I mean, I have already made an Hawaiian quilt....a small one.....and I have another one in progress (more of a sampler of Hawaiian quilt blocks)....so I know the basics. Plus I've been doing needle-turn applique for years. For me the important part of this class was the design part. I won't say that I won't learn anything else from this class because I doubt that will hold true. I've found that there is always something new to learn as long as you have an open mind. It doesn't matter how well you do something or how much you think you know about it. There is always something new to be learned.....even if it's a small thing, like an easier way to thread a needle. So I look forward to the next few weeks of class and wonder what new things I will learn. :<)

Update on the civil war quilt: Section three is still up on the design wall waiting to be finished. It kinda got put on hold with the quilt class....which is understandable. There is still time left in the month to have it finished by month's end....the top anyway. :<)

Spinning update: Still been squeezing in some spinning time each day even with the pleasant distraction of class. I've acquired a fascination with spinning lace weight yarn these days. Could have something to do with the Estonian lace piece I am currently knitting. :<) I finished spinning up a couple of shetland/alpaca batts and was so tickled with how fine the singles were that I decided to pull out some yak down that's been collecting dust in the fiber room. I thought it would be fun to spin that into a lace weight yarn. Not so much. It is coming along. Not as fine as I was hoping for...and not as fun to spin either. The staple length is soooooo short!! I really have to pay attention and inch-worm my way along. Guess I've gotten so used to spinning without really having to think about it that I'm finding this a bit tedious.....to say the least. I ended up walking away from my wheel yesterday when I found myself getting frustrated because I simply could not keep my singles as consistent and as fine as I was wanting to. Now I should probably say that spinning a fine single is not something I can do easily. I really have to focus on it. My comfort weight is a dk or sport weight yarn. So I'm not going for a cobweb lace weight yarn. A nice fingering weight would be lovely. Something about 20 wpi. That's what I'm knitting with right now and while the lace piece I'm working on won't be able to fit through a wedding ring, it is something I will be very happy with when it's done. Besides it would be nice to add a few skeins of finer yarn to my yarn baskets. I have a nice selection of dk, sport, and worsted weight yarns right now.

Something To Smile About.....

2011-10-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

....and that's exactly what I'm doing....smiling!! Just like Casa. :<) Why are we both smiling? Well, today I found out that my blog has been featured in the Best of the Web over at CraftCorners.com . Take a look!! It's exciting!! My blog is being featured. Yea!! And here I thought all that I was sharing was simply disappearing out in cyber space somewhere. Hard to believe that I have readers. It is truly a very humbling experience. Thank you, CraftCorners, for featuring my blog on your wonderful site. What wonderful inspiration to keep on going no matter how wrong a project may go. :<)

Fibery Pursuits

2011-10-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

We've had quite a few rainy days lately. Not just rainy days. But those cool, rainy days when there's a chill that only a nice fire in the woodstove will chase away. Those days are absolutely perfect for spinning, knitting, and quilting....which is exactly what I've been doing.

Pictured is a few of my latest creations. The first picture is of a fulled hedgehog. He was knitted using a hand-spun, hand-dyed polypay yarn...and Erda tweed eyelash yarn. He stands 9" tall and is about 22" around at his widest point. He has button eyes and a nose that was needle-felted using chocolate brown Suri Alpaca fiber. When you press his tummy, he plays a lovely little diddy. Wish I knew the name of the tune. Unfortunately when I purchased a group of those musical buttons, there were a few that weren't labeled. And this just happens to be one of those "mystery buttons". Still, it seems to fit him. :<) The pattern for this little guy is from FiberTrends. This happens to be one of my favorite patterns to knit. I love all the short row shaping. I find it very relaxing. I have made about a half dozen of these. Most of them were given away as gifts. I kept my very first one. This little guy is available for purchase at my etsy shop. (Was that a shameless plug or what!!)

Another great thing to do on those chilly wet days is to spin....which I've been doing a lot of. Pictured here is a skein of hand-spun, hand-dyed superwash 2-ply yarn. I have to confess that I wasn't real happy with the way the roving had dyed up. Wasn't real pretty at all. But the yarn...Wow!! The yarn was a very pleasant surprise.

The pink/red skein pictured is also superwash. And, it too, was another rather disappointing dye job. I had pictured the roving coming out with reds and pinks transitioning softly from one shade to the next. Not the case. When the newly dyed roving finally dried it looked like it was a nearly solid red with not the slightest hint of pink anywhere to be seen. Have to admit, my heart dropped when I saw that. All I kept thinking was, "great...another skein of red yarn". Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised when I spun it up. The finished yarn reminds me of those peppermint candies that are popular around the holidays. The kind that starts out a stark red and white....then the pink starts emerging as you suck on it.

I have a soft spot for superwash wool. I think it's because when I first started spinning I had such a hard time spinning it. Could never get enough twist in it. My yarn was always falling apart. Plus I found it to be a rather slippery fiber to spin. Now I can spin superwash without any problems. Actually find it to be rather enjoyable. The only challenging part about it is the dyeing. I have yet to have a superwash roving turn out the way I had thought it would. It seems to take dye a bit differently than normal wool. And that's not always a bad thing. It is kinda nice to be pleasantly surprised when you see the finished yarn.

Onto quilting...another one of my favorite ways to spend a wet, chilly afternoon. Pictured is a quilt in progress. I know it really doesn't look like much right now. This is a UFO that I pulled out. The pattern is fairly simple...but you need to pay attention to the way the pieced blocks are laid out. I don't know how many times I've had to un-sew seams because I got the pieced block in the wrong way. The quilt is a large one (108" square when finished) and won't fit on my design wall. So I'm doing it in sections. The first section is on the left in the picture. The second section (shown in progress in the picture) is on the right. I'm using all civil war reproduction fabrics for it. Sometimes I look at it and think "what a jumbled mess!"....then my hubby will walk in and tell me how pretty it is looking. The quilt pictured in the pattern I'm using is done in blues, grays, and taupes. For some reason I chose to incorporate as many colors, prints, and patterns as I could. Who knows what I was thinking when I originally started this quilt eons ago. The blocks are 6 1/2" in size (unfinished) and there are something like 324 of them....total. While the quilt is taking time to make I have a feeling that it will end up being one of my favorites...not to mention my hubby's....who has a passion for large quilts. :<)

I signed up for my very first online quilt class at Quilt University. Today is the first day of class. Yea!! The class I'm taking is on how to design and make your own Hawaiian quilt. I've had a passion for Hawaiian quilts for y-e-a-r-s!!! So much so that I've spent years collecting books and patterns on it. Even have a couple of dvds on how to make your own Hawaiian quilts. Spent years trying to convince hubby that we really needed to go to Hawaiia just so I could take a class. :<) He never really bought into that one. Just imagine how happy he was when I discovered this online class. Lesson one covers how to design your own pattern, among other things like fabric choice, yardage, etc. Can't wait for the first lesson to open so I can get started.

Update on civil war quilt: Section two is finished. Section three is on the design wall and partially sewn. Just might have the top together by the end of the month. Yea!

Lavender

2011-09-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

Laveder is an amazing plant. You can use it for so many things from sachets to soaps to cooking. The plant is pretty, the flowers are prettier....and the smell. Well, that is simply heavenly!! I love lavender. Been growing it around the house for years, but never really did anything with it until this year.....when my loving hubby suggested I start a small lavender farm. Yea!!!

So instead of putting my lavender plants in the ground hubby suggested I plant them in galvanized steel tubs and set them at the base of each fence post. This way they can be moved if needed....it's easy for him to trim around......they are above the reach of the daschunds.....and it looks pretty. Currently my lavender farm consists of six tubs.....and seven types of lavender. I have two Hidcote Giants plants which have their own pots. They will get to be rather large plants when fully mature. The plant actually looks like a ball with the flowers coming out at all angles on long stems (first plant pictured).

Aromatic Blue Lavender (second picture) and Grosso Lavender (not pictured) share a tub. I have two plants of each variety. They are smaller plants when fully mature....but have a large fragrance!

Buena Vista Lavender shares a tub with Ellagance Purple Lavender (third picture). I only have one plant of each variety. They, too, are fairly small plants when fully mature....but very pretty!!

My Spanish Lavender (fourth picture) has its own tub. It has doubled in size since I purchased it earlier this year. It's flowers are very unique. Instead of tiny blooms on a stalk (like the other lavender plants have), its flowers are in small ball shaped clusters with what looks like a pair of angel wings on top. Very, very pretty!! My only concern about it is how it will winter. It is not zoned for this area. I read that plants winter better in containers....so in a container it went. In a few weeks I plan on trimming it back, then covering it with burlap in hopes that it will do well over the winter. I would trim it back now, but I'm hoping it will self-seed. It is such a lovely plant........

In addition to the varieties listed above, I also have Munstead Lavender....which grows in abundance around the house. I started it all from seed years ago and have let it slowly spread around the house. Haven't really done much with it....until now. It has bloomed and gone to seed so I will go out and trim all the plants back....dry the trimmings...and use them over winter. I read that I can put the dried stem and leaves in the wood stove. They will burn emitting a lovely fragrance. What a lovely bonus!!

I harvested my first bunch of lavender this morning. One of my Hidcote Giants was in full bloom. The other Hidcote Giant is still budding. I thought that the cooler temperatures we've had lately would slow the growth of my lavender down.....but it hasn't. With any luck I will get to harvest a few more bunches before first frost. I plan on using the dried lavender in small felted sheep.

The final picture is of my Sunflowers. The last color of the season. Aren't they pretty?? They have already started going to seed. I hope they self-seed and I get to enjoy their beauty once more next year.

Buggy Barn Show (photo intense)

2011-09-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Didn't think I would have my quilt done in time for this year's show....but I did. Yea!!! Pictured is my quilt "Bundling Board" as it was displayed on the big barn. The pattern is by Primitive Pieces by Lynda....for those of you who are interested. It's a really fun one to do.

Below are pictures from the show. Just a few. The first two are of quilt designer/author Cheryl Wall. I got to meet her at last year's show....and it was a thrill to see her again this year. I adore her quilts!! She was doing a book signing for her newest book. Of course I ended up falling in love with a couple of her patterns and just had to have them. One is the "When the Cows Come Home" pattern. The finished quilt can be seen draped over the table she is at. Another was this lovely star pattern..."Cabin Fever". The full quilt can be seen in the second photo down. It's the one with the star done with log cabin blocks and all the lovely applique. Looks like a good winter quilt. :,) It was a beautiful show. Lots more quilts on display than the previous year. Lovely weather, too.

My great find.....

2011-08-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

......is an 1892 Singer treadle sewing machine. Isn't it beautiful? :>) I adore this little machine. I've never seen anything like it before. The treadles that I'm used to seeing are the ones that fold down into the table. This one has what is called a "coffin" or "breadbox" lid. It has seen some use....and some wear, but I love it even more.
I'm not one of those people that stumble upon things like this. I'm the person that is always hearing about how others are stumbling upon such great finds. "I was at a garage sale and picked up a 1920 featherweight in pristine condition for $20." Nope. Not me. Until now. :>)

My hubby and I were driving across town to pick up my sewing machine from its annual cleaning and tune up when I saw a treadle sitting in the middle of a dirt parking lot of a junk store. He turned around so I could look at it. Little did I realize at the time that this machine was meant to come home with me. So off I go to look at the machine while off he went to haggle about price (isn't that what all guys do?). I knew the machine was meant to be mine when I got a small splinter in my finger from the lid. So while he haggled (which I knew was useless since the seller of the machine was on her mobile device showing him how "cheap" he could get parts for it) I went inside to pay. Came out a few minutes with someone to help load it up into the back of my Outback.

While we were picking up my sewing machine from the dealer, I had one of the technicians come out and take a look at my new treadle. He was really impressed with it. It moves smoothly and easily. The belt did snap, but I purchased a new one before I left. I also got a quick lesson on how to use the shuttle/long bobbin system on the machine. I have never seen anything like it before. There was one plate missing from the bed of the machine. The technician did a bit of digging and came back with half a dozen plates for treadles. We found two that fit mine....which I purchased.

My treadle is missing one castor wheel. I went online and was able to find (and purchase) one to fit it. That is now on its way. I also found a few more long bobbins for it. Those are also on their way. The only thing left is to spend an afternoon with it getting acquainted.....which I am looking forward to. :>)

Of course that will have to wait until I finish up my Bundling Board quilt. The Buggy Barn outdoor quilt show is this weekend. I so want to have my quilt in it.....but I don't know if that will happen or not. While the top is done.....and I did sandwich it......and machine quilt it.....and bind it......I'm still working on it. Why? Because when I machine quilted it I used a serpentine stitch for an all-over 2" grid pattern. Loved the way it looks, but was not happy with the way the applique was laying. It was flat in some places, buckling in others. So I had this crazy idea of simply hand quilting all the applique using #8 perle cotton and a big stitch. "Shouldn't take all that long." Right? Wrong. It takes me about 8 hours to quilt one block.....and there are four large blocks to do. While I'm not the fastest at hand quilting there are places on the block that really slow me down. Like where I'm quilting through layers of applique and seams. I have managed to get two blocks completely done and am half way through the third block. There is still time for me to finish it completely and have it in the show. The only question is will my quilting finger hold up? I'm hoping it will. It would be such a thrill to see my quilt in this year's show.

Quilts......

2011-07-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

.....pretty much says it all. :,) I've been spending quite a bit of time in the sewing room lately quilting. The first picture is of a quilt I call "Serendipity". It's actually the Porch Time pattern from the Quilt in a Day book "All Through the Seasons". The quilt got its name because I simply could not seem to get the block placement correct....as per the pattern instructions. I finally gave up and left it as is. Turns out the completed quilt is actually rather pretty.....and is being enjoyed by my "helper", Harley. :,) He gets so excited everytime I finish a quilt. It's almost as if the quilt was made just for him. This one got the "happy weenie roll" when he first got on it.

The next picture is of my Sudoku quilt. This was made eons ago when an online group I was on decided that this would be a fun New Year's Eve project. I enjoyed making this one so much that I actually made a second one (which I need to get a picture of). Obviously I need to get a better picture of this one as well. Seems I had two "helpers" who were more than happy to help me arrange the quilt for a picture. :,) The quilt has been "doxie approved". :,) They had fun burrowing under it for a while before finally falling asleep.

The last picture is of my latest quilt project, The Bundling Board by Primitive Pieces by Lynda. It's being made from grab bags that I've been collecting from the Buggy Barn. I had to add a bit of green from my stash though because I wasn't able to get a green grab bag this month. A large group of ladies had been to the shop before me and bought all the grab bags. I'm guessing there will be a nice display of "grab bag" quilts at the Buggy Barn show this year. At least I hope there will be. It's always fun seeing what quilters can do with a bag of scraps. I made a lot of scrap quilts when I first started quilting. Really couldn't afford to buy yardage unless it was on sale at JoAnns. So I have a soft spot for scrap quilts, especially scrap quilts with applique.

A little bit on the quilt pattern itself. The quilt consists of four blocks that are 21" square. There is a simple sashing/cornerstone separating the blocks....then two scrappy borders.....one light, one dark. The completed quilt will measure approximately 60" x 63". The applique is on a pieced background. The designer started off with a 15" square and then added on until the block was the desired size. Since I didn't have any scraps that would yield a 15" square I opted to go a different way. So my pieced background started off with a large 4-patch to which pieces were added to until the desired block size was achieved. The applique is being done using fusible web and a small zig-zag stitch in matching thread. I had started off using a new-to-me fusible web, but will finish it with my old fusible web. The new one didn't quite live up to all the hype I had been hearing/reading. It had some nice features to it, but not enough to where it was worth switching over to. And I'm purposely not mentioning any brand names here because I feel that what brand of fusible web one uses is a personal choice. What works wonderfully for one person, may not be all that to another.

Where has the time gone????

2011-07-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that it's been well over a month since I have posted to my blog. Guess time really does just fly by when you are in the midst of a creative spurt.....like I have been. Guess it also means lots to share. :<)

The first photo is of my latest pair of socks. They were knitted from a Shetland/Soy Silk blend. The yarn was hand-spun and hand-dyed by me. The wool is from my sheep, Carrie. I love working with her fiber!! It feels like silk and takes dyes beautifully. Plus she has a bit of black sprinkled throughout her medium gray fleece so that always adds a little something when you dye it. Couldn't be any happier with the way my socks turned out....especially as they are my first attempt at knitting lace socks. Yea!!

Now to change gears and talk about quilting for a bit. Been real busy there. The second picture is of my Beginning Baltimore blocks I have been working on (very old pattern by Fig Tree Quilts....for anyone who may be interested). Pictured are all of the completed blocks. They were all done on the machine using fusible web and a small zig-zag stitch (with matching thread). Again, another first for me. I had played with machine applique years ago, but never to this extent. I absolutely love the way the blocks came out and will definitely use this technique for future applique quilts. The blocks are now in a top and the top is finished....waiting to be sandwiched, quilted, and bound. PIctures of the finished quilt to come soon.....hopefully. :<)

The last 3 pictures are of more completed blocks for my Sheep in the Willows quilt. I was going to post pictures of all the blocks I have finished so far, but decided to save the rest for when the quilt top is finished. I put the final stitches in block #10 this morning. Only two more blocks left to stitch up before I can finally put them into a top. I really love the way the blocks look....and, yes, I know I say that about every project I do....but it's true. :<) Besides it's good to love the things you are working on. Means you will really enjoy them when they are done. :<) I think I will actually be a little sad when I'm done with this quilt. It's become such a wonderful part of my day.

Changing gears again....back to spinning. Over the weekend I was lucky enough to finally be able to visit a particular alpaca farm. I've driven by it enough times and always admire the beautiful animals in the pastures. Finally, the open sign was on and I was able to visit (it's always closed whenever I'm in the area). Definitely not what I expected. You walk into the shop and it's like walking into a high end boutique. There are all these lovely garments everywhere....jackets, scarves, wraps, and such. At first I thought, "oh a weaver!!" and was really impressed by everything......until I started looking at tags and discovered that the garments are all brought in from South America (I believe it was). Of course that didn't make things any less pretty.....just a bit disappointed because I was thinking that the fiber came from all those beautiful suri alpacas out in the pasture. So I walked around looking at things and wondering if there was anything in the shop that came from the suri alpacas outside....until my youngest said, "mom, you gotta see the yarn room!" Yes, that did perk me up a bit. Perked me up even more when I saw a wallful of handspun yarn. Then I turned around....and there it was........suri alpaca roving!! And not just any suri alpaca roving, but suri alpaca cria roving.....AND from animals that were right outside. Yea!!! It was so hard trying to decide on what I wanted, but I did end up walking to the front of the shop with two beautiful bumps of roving....where I met the owner of the shop and of the suri alpacas. She told me the names of the alpaca that my roving came from.....which I can't remember because I was just so darn excited about the roving. :<)

One bump is a lovely cream color that will be blended with moorit shetland and a bit of soy silk. The other bump was a mix of fiber from 3 different animals. It had a bit of light gray, medium brownish gray, and almost a black in it. Notice the word "had". That particular bump is in the process of being blended with black shetland and soy silk......and spun up. I'm carding it up as I spin it....something I only do when I'm really excited about a fiber. The fiber of both bumps is amazingly soft!! The yarn I'm currently spinning is incredibly soft as well. I'm planning on knitting socks from the finished yarn. Wonder if the finished socks will end up feeling like heaven on earth? :<)

More Sheep!!

2011-05-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

What can I say? I like sheep. And I've been enjoying wool applique immensely. The first photo is of my finished wool applique sampler....."Spring Sampler" by All Through the Night. It's done using "upcycled" wool (some of which I hand-dyed/over-dyed myself...and had a blast doing it) on a linen background. The whole piece was coffee dyed after it was completed, but before it was framed. The finished framed piece measures 16" x 20".

The next two photos are of embroideries that I have been wanting to do for quite some time. Both are done on a flannel background with cotton batting used as a stabilizer. Both pieces were coffee-dyed after being stitched out and before they were framed. Loved the way the flannel coffee-dyed! Both framed pieces are 8" x 8". They will be hung in the same room as the Spring Sampler.

The last 3 pictures are of the first 3 blocks from my newest quilt project "Sheep in the Willows thru the Year" (by the American Fiber Artist S. West - Buttermilk Basin). They are being stitched on a coffee-dyed linen background using "upcycled" wool....some of which I have hand-dyed/overdyed myself. I've had these patterns for quite some time (years) and it has been a sheer joy to finally be able to make this quilt. My apologies for the coloring of the last block photo. It was up higher on my design wall so the lighting was off when I took the picture. These blocks are measuring 10" square (unfinished size).

Sheep, sheep, and more sheep

2011-05-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of the smaller projects I've been working on lately. Yes, they are all of sheep. :.) I must have "sheep on the brain" because my newest project (yet to be started) is also of sheep. Anyway, back to the pictures.

The first one is a sheep make-do. It is made using upcycled felted wool on an upcycled candlestick. It stands 11" tall and is 10" at its widest point....from front leg to back leg. The stuffing is wool....of course. :.) It is adorned with a homespun bow (on sheep and candlestick) with a little gold bell in the center (sheep only....not seen in photo).
What is a make-do? For those of you (like me....I looked it up) who aren't familiar with the term, a make-do is basically anything made from something that has been re-purposed. Turning something old into something new......recycling. Like using your favorite mug for a planter because it has a chip in it.

The next couple of photos are of small wool applique pieces that I framed. Both pieces are done on a coffee-dyed linen background (I prefer coffee-dye over tea-dye because coffee has brown overtones whereas tea has orange overtones....plus coffee is kinder to your fabric than tea is).....using upcycled wool with embroidered embellishments. Both pieces fit very nicely into a 4" x 6" frame. I really enjoyed stitching up both of these. They were fun!!

I can almost hear the question....how did you do all those tiny little flowers?? Normally, I would have cut them all out by hand (very tedious and very tricky) but I picked up a new tip from designer Sue Spargo (watched her show on The Quilt Show. Wow!!! Definitely a must-see!). Seems she utilizes these tiny circles in her quilts all the time. To make things easy she uses a 1/4" hole punch....which I did. It was wonderful!!!! I was able to produce all these tiny little circles in a very short amount of time. The "Sheep with Basket" has 18 tiny flowers. The "Sheep with Flowers" has 12 tiny flowers. Of course with the flowers aren't all the same size on "Sheep with Flowers" so some of those had to be cut out by hand. Still, the hole punch did make things so much easier. Now I'm on the look-out for a one that is a little larger. :.)

Oregon Vest

2011-05-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

It's finally done. After lanquishing for weeks in my rocking chair waiting for those finishing touches, it is finally done. :>) The vest is knit from hand-spun shetland lamb/kid mohair yarn.....all natural colors.

There were a few firsts with this one. First time I have ever knitted something with pockets. First time I have ever put a zipper into a knitted garment (which I think went rather well). And it was the first time I have ever made a zipper pull (which has the Chinese character for sheep on it). It was a fun knit. A really fun knit. :>)

Things have been busy around here. The remodel on the guest bathroom is coming along nicely. The ceiling and walls are now painted. Light fixtures are up. Hubby is working on getting the old floor up so we can put the new floor down. Of course that hasn't left much time for fun stuff....like quilting, spinning, or knitting. I have been sneaking in bits of time here and there to work on my "Spring Sampler". It's nearly done. Just have the large basket on the bottom to finish up. Then I can "age" it.....and frame it.

(The vest is really a lighter gray in color than what it photographed. The picture of the zipper pull is more accurate as far as coloring goes.)

More April Showers

2011-04-26T16:02:00.000-07:00

We've just been having the craziest weather lately. Today's weather actually started out as rain.....then it changed to snow. Lots and lots of snow. Snowed heavy and hard for over 3 hours before it finally tapered off......and changed back to rain. I took this picture from the back door. The trees looked so pretty covered in snow. Cavi, my guardian llama can be seen standing under them. Jack, one of my alpacas is laying down next to a tree. Everyone else had taken cover either in the barns or under the overhangs. It was a really wet, heavy snow. I'm sure the flock is happy that shearing hasn't happened yet. Everyone still has their winter coats to help them cope with this crazy weather.

Once the snow tapered off and changed to rain, the little birds came back out. I got lucky and was able to get a photo of a few of them out by the feeders in the backyard. Of course, right after I took this about a dozen little birds came flying in. Unfortunately they all flew out again before I could touch the camera. We get everything from Black Capped Chickadees and

Sparrows to Mountain Bluebirds. Doves and Quails also like to visit the birdfeeders. I really enjoy watching them. :.)

Thought I would include a picture of what I've been working on lately. It's a wool applique sampler called "Spring Sampler". The pattern is by Bonnie Sullivan of All Through the Night. It's been a wonderful way to pass the time....stitching on my sampler while watching it snow. :.)

A little bit about the piece. The background is linen (which I'm thinking about coffee-dyeing once done to "age" it a bit). A variety of wool is being used. Pretty much everything from hand-dyed (which I did!!) to over-dyed (the bee hive) to "re-purposed". When complete this piece will fit in a commercial 16" x 20" frame. This has been a really fun piece to do.

April Showers

2011-04-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

And it wasn't rain!!! Yes, it actually snowed yesterday....for most of the day. It came down hard and furious at times with the wind howling......forcing the flock to take shelter. This morning....no snow to be seen anywhere. Just very cold temperatures. It warmed up enough early yesterday evening to melt everything. Such crazy weather!!

We had plans to work outside on the new fence for the dogs, but that had to be put on hold ....for obvious reasons. Made a good dent in the remodel of the kids' bathroom though. The old sink/vanity, medicine cabinet, and mirror have been taken out. The toilet is next to come out. The tub/shower combination will stay. It's amazing how large the bathroom looks now that it is nearly empty. I never realized how much room the sink/vanity combination took up. The new vanity was put in last night just to see how it would look. Wow!! Really opened things up. It's much smaller (and prettier) than the old one. Now I can't wait for everything to be done. So today I will start on the taping/mudding with the hopes of finishing a good part of it. My loving hubby will do a few repairs later on tonight (the medicine cabinet was set into the wall so that will have to be taken care of since another will not be going in). He hopes to have all the prep work done in a day or two so that we can start painting. It will be a total remodel from floor to ceiling (with the exception of the tub/shower combination). I have all my light fixtures and mirror picked out. The new sink/vanity is already here waiting to be put in. I've picked out a really pretty faux stone floor. The completed bathroom will have a country garden theme to it.

This will be the second room that has been re-done since my youngest moved out. While it is a bit sad, it's also exiting. It's like we are re-claiming the house as our own. :.) As for the kids.....well, their thoughts on everything is "It's about time!!" :.)

Wool fun

2011-04-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

I've discovered a new way to enjoy wool......wool applique!! Yes, I've known about wool applique for years. Even tried my hand at it once.....and found that I wasn't real crazy about it. Then, while browsing one of my favorite sites, I came across this little guy.....Larry the Lamb. I thought "I can do this. It's small." Plus it was just so cute that I simply had to have it. So I got the pattern and gave it a go. Turns out I really enjoyed working with the felted wool and stitching this up. So much so that I decided to play with it a bit more. Hence, the framed piece pictured below.

This is one my own design. It just popped into my head as I was spinning one day.....and staring at an empty frame that has been collecting dust on the top of my bookshelf for way too long. I thought "why not give it a try". After all, I used to be quite the artist when I was younger.....and I've been doing embroidery for decades (learned when I was very young). So I gave it a try. Did some rought sketches. Was staring out and watching my flock wondering about how I wanted my sheep to look when it dawned on me. Why not use my Shetlands as a model. Then I started noticing things about them.....like how square their bodies are.....and how short their legs look when they are in full fleece......and how their heads look so small compared to their bodies. Of course they don't run around with their tails up....unless they are fertilizing that is. :>) I just thought it would look cuter.

So the piece is named "Stop to Smell the Flowers".....and it is inspired by my own woolly crew. Nothing really extraordinary about it. I did use part of a felted wool sweater for the background. The background is actually a very pretty blue (like in the first picture of the piece). I'm not quite sure why it wanted to photograph more gray in color in the closeups. The sheep body itself is from a felted 100% cashmere sweater (it's amazing what you can find in the local thrift shop). It's so soft!!! I just wanted to sit and pet it all day. :>)

I used a whip-stitch for all the applique, a stem stitch for the vines and detail in the sheep's body, and french knots for the sheep's eyes. DMC embroidery floss was used for all the stitching in colors that matched the applique pieces. The stitching went rather quickly and was so very fun to do. I had forgotten how much I enjoy doing hand-work....and how relaxing it can be. Will there be more creations like this one? Let's just say the dust has been blown off my sketchbook, pencils, and eraser.....and I look forward to building a felted wool stash. :>)

Signs of Spring

2011-03-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

It's finally starting to look a bit like Spring around here. Most of the snow is gone and the first buttercups have made their appearance. The sheep are acting like Spring is here.....all playful, bouncing around the pasture. I love this time of the year. The sheep are happy and they look amazing in full fleece. Once the temps warm up a bit there will be the heavenly smell of warm lanolin to enjoy. That's when I know shearing is right around the corner.

Here they are enjoying their breakfast al fresco under a stand of pine trees.

Paddy Bear

2011-03-08T07:52:00.000-08:00

......is my latest teddy bear creation. He is 10 1/2" tall when standing.....8" tall when sitting.....and 13" at his widest point.H has button-thread-joined joints which allows him to sit, stand, and enjoy countless other poses. He is knit using a hand-spun Shetland/Soy Silk blend yarn (all natural colors) and was fulled (or felted depending on which term you choose to use) just enough to create a firm fabric while still maintaining a touch of stitch definition. He has button eyes. His nose is needle-felted using very soft Suri Alpaca fiber. His facial features are also needle-felted. Doesn't he look so very happy? :>) He was also lovingly (yet gently) brushed to enhance the natural halo of the hand-spun yarn. This makes him very, very soft to the touch. You just want to cuddle with him. :>)

Paddy Bear sports his favorite comfy winter sweater. This little sweater was designed just for him. It is knit from a hand-spun superwash wool. Ribbing can be found at the sweater bottom and both cuffs. The turtleneck is also ribbing. The sweater construction is rather simple with drop sleeves.

Puzzles

2011-03-03T15:43:00.000-08:00

I've always enjoyed putting together a good puzzle. It's a wonderful way to pass a rainy afternoon with those you love. When I discovered jigsaw puzzles online I was thrilled beyond belief. And then I discovered I could create my own.....Yea!!! Here is my first jigsaw puzzle. Simply click on the picture.

Enjoy!!

130 Quilts

Is it really February???

2011-02-23T15:58:00.000-08:00

Cuz it sure looks alot like December around here!!! This is what fell in a couple of hours.....and it's still snowing!! The snow storm that has moved into the area is due to hang around until late Thursday night. It will be interesting to see exactly how much of the white stuff will be left behind once the storm moves on. I know my sheep are thankful that they are still fully "clothed. :.)

Lots of Needle Action.....

2011-02-07T07:15:00.000-08:00

....... (as in knitting needles) has been happening lately. It's been a good thing. :.) I've been finishing up projects that were started eons ago.....and enjoying new ones. One of the new projects is the teddy bear pictured. He's made from hand-spun Shetland yarn (from my own sheep!) and is almost 9" tall sitting. He was fulled enough to where a firm fabric was created while still retaining the stitch definition. Of course this made the yarn really soft and fluffy. Just makes you want to hold him all the time. :.)

He's a fairly simple bear with button eyes. His nose was needle-felted using some really soft Suri Alpaca wool. His facial features were also needle-felted. He's such a happy bear. :.)

For a bit of whimsy, he sports a hand-knit, lightly fulled flower pin. The flower pin is knit from hand-dyed, hand-spun wool yarn. A lovely button adorns the center of it. The flower petals are all held in place by small, sparkly beads. The entire pin is backed with wool felt and has a small pin closure....so it can be taken off if so desired. This little bear was tons of fun to do. :.)

The sweater pictured is one of the projects that was started eons ago. It's my Harriet sweater.....or, more correctly, Harriet Vest. This had started out as a sweater. I had all the pieces knit....two fronts, a back, and two sleeves. Went to put it all together only to discover that the sleeves were too small for the armholes (and I had knit the larger sleeves....at least I thought I did). So the project was set aside for quite some time while I tried to figure out how to tackle this small stumbling block. One day I was watching a knitting show on my local PBS station when it was mentioned to use a running stitch and simply ease the sleeves into place.....like you do when sewing a garment. So out came the sweater and I gave it a try. Wasn't real happy with the end results. I really didn't want to put the sweater aside again so I decided to finish up the collar and the front while I tried to figure out a way to make it all work. It was while I had the incomplete sweater on that my loving hubby saw it and said "what a pretty vest!" Yes, the lightbulb finally came on. :.) I decided to turn my sweater into a vest. I had thought about using the same treatment that was used on the collar to finish out the armholes. I even toyed with the idea of repeating the scallop section on the bottom of the sweater for "sleeves". In the end, I simply turned a small seam allowance back and stitched it in place. It just seemed to be the right way to finish the armholes. I got lucky and happened to find the perfect buttons for it as well. All in all, I'm pretty happy with it. So much so, that I'm ready to attempt my next "big" project.....another vest. :.)

A little something about the pattern.....it can be found in the book " A Fine Fleece". I had knit my vest using a hand-spun Shetland lamb/Kid Mohair blend (from my own animals.....and it's been years since I've had Angora goats so the yarn is some of my first hand-spun). This is a lovely pattern with lots of really pretty detailing. It has Shetland lace inserts in the front and back (and both sleeves). The lace inserts and scalloped edge are separated by an eyelet detail. The same detailing that is used for the collar.

There are lots of firsts in this project for me. It was the first time I had attempted to knit lace....which was rather easy and fun once I learned to mark all of my repeats with stitch markers. It was the first time I had tackled a project with so much detailing.....the scalloped edge, the eyelet, the lace. While it was my second sweater, it was the first one I had done with set-in sleeves. My first sweater had raglan sleeves....which went much better as far as fit. Unfortunately my first sweater was way too large on me....and very unflattering.....but my friend loves it to pieces. :.)

Bits and Pieces

2011-01-13T08:47:00.000-08:00

Bits and pieces, bits and pieces, bits and pieces.....that's what this new year has been like so far. Seems like things have been happening in bits and pieces. Small changes here and there.

Well, it's been bits and pieces in the sewing room as well. Just small projects that are easily finished. Nothing new or large has been started. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing. :>) Pictured is a small quilt that I started last year....and was hoping to finish last year....until a very nasty cold brought things to a screeching halt. So now it is officially my first finish of the new year. Yea!

I bought the panel year before last. Saw it on display in one of the local quilt shops. It was just too cute to pass up (and I'm not a big "panel person"). Bought a few matching pieces as well. Never got around to making it into a quilt though. One thing or another came up that just had to be done. So the panel and all of its matching fabrics was put away.....only to be discovered a year later when I was looking for something else (isn't that always the way?). I just couldn't resist not making it so out it all came. It really didn't take long to piece the top. Even found some really cute santa fabric in the stash for the backing. The quilting is what took me a bit to do. For some reason the creative, experimental side came out. I did quite a bit of free motion quilting....swirls in the sky, wood grain in the fence, loop-de-loop on the ground. Outlined all the reindeer. Did some additional quilting inside the two larger ones and the sled. Did a holly leaf and berry motif on the piano key border. While the quilting may not "pop" out at you, I'm real happy with it. I was able to experiment with different things and not worry if they didn't come out perfect.

The next small project I tackled was pillowcases. It seems my kids are always asking me for pillowcases. "Mom, can you make me some more pillowcases?" And this from kids that are grown with places of their own. So out comes all this fabric from the stash. I spent a day just cutting. Cut out a baker's dozen. The the sewing started....and I had so much fun!!! Why so much fun? Because I was finally able to use my new serger. :>)

In the first pillowcase picture are the pillowcases that I made for my father and my loving hubby. There was enough fabric to make 3 of each pillowcase. Two of the santa print were sent to my father for his birthday (he hasn't received them yet so I don't know how he liked them). The third santa one I kept for myself. (It was too cute to send off as well.). The fishing ones are for my loving hubby....who has now requested even more pillowcases. He wants some to match all the quilts I have made over the years (silly man!). He says that he loves using them and loves the way they brighten up the bed.

The next picture of pillowcases show the ones that I have made for my kids. The first one in the picture has a mate....so there are two of those. The next two are a set (didn't have enough fabric to make matching ones so I had to get a bit creative). Both sets match the quilt I made for my oldest for Christmas.

The last one shown is for my youngest. She will tell everyone that she has a strong dislike for brown, but when she saw the brown and orange floral print (not one of my favorites) she just had to have pillowcases made from it. I have to admit they do look rather elegant.....even if the color combination isn't exactly what I would choose.

And here is a picture of my "new to me" serger. :>) This was actually my "big" gift from my hubby. And I couldn't be happier. :>) The story behind the serger.......I was working on pillowcases for Christmas and was getting a bit frustrated because I just knew I wouldn't have time to finish the other gifts I was hoping to get made. Even though my machine has an overlock stitch on it I was still sewing each seam twice. Once with a straight stitch and a second time with a zig-zag to finish those raw edges. I learned from experience that pillowcases tend to fall apart quicker if the raw edges are left as is....especially with how much my kids use the pillowcases. While I was sitting there working on one it dawned on me how much quicker and easier it would be if I had a serger. Then it dawned on me that a very close friend of mine had one that she wanted to sell. She had bought it new, used it for about half an hour, and then it sat....collecting dust. Worked out beautifully for the two of us. :>) And my loving hubby took care of all the details....including the shipping of the machine cross-country.

With the new year has come yet another new addition to our family. His name is Dexter and he is a 9 month old miniature daschund (or more accurately a tweenie-weinie). He is black and tan and a very sweet boy. His previous owner's schedule (my youngest....who works two jobs, does volunteer work, and is a full time college student) and his needs did not mesh very well, so he came to live with us. Dexter is pictured with Ratt ( a rescue my hubby brought home around this time last year). So now we have a very full house with 3 miniature daschunds and a very large golden retriever mix.....who some days loves the doxies and other days barely tolerates them. :>)

More Holiday Projects

2011-01-01T07:42:00.000-08:00

Here they are.....pictures of the last of the holiday projects. I was hoping to post this earlier but a nasty head/chest cold got in the way. Hopefully I'm seeing the tail-end of that. Anyway, here they are!!

The first picture is of the "Stircle" quilt that I made for my oldest. She had asked for a quilt with circles. So out came all the books, patterns, and magazines in search of the "perfect pattern", but didn't find one that spoke to me. Next option was to simply make my own. The "Stircle" quilt was born. It's nothing fancy. Simply a small circle within a star within a larger circle. Straight set with sashing and cornerstones. I did get to use my new circle cutter.....which worked amazingly well. The quilting on it was a simply cross-hatch grid using a matching varigated thread and serpentine stitch. The quilt is bed-sized with a matching pillow. The best part of it all was when I got to hear my oldest tell me how much she loved the quilt. :>)

The second picture is of the quilt I made for my youngest. She was a bit more challenging than the oldest.....simply because she had taken a picture of a small wall hanging and said "I would like a quilt like this for Christmas....only bigger for my bed." Not a problem, right? Wrong!! Turns out the fabrics used for this miniature quilt was purchased for the sole purpose of making kits. So there was none to be had....not even a fat quarter. So the search for the fabrics had begun. A couple pieces were found here.....another one there.....and one from my stash. None were an exact match, but they were close enough that I didn't think anything of it. The pattern was easy....a simple rail fence. Then I thought "why not put a little applique in it"......hence the "weenie dog" applique block. It was super easy to digitize and stitched out like a dream. I did three running weenie dog blocks for the front of the quilt.....and a sitting weenie dog block for the label on the back of the quilt. I got lucky and just happen to have the perfect hand-dyed fabric in my stash for the weenie dog appliques. The only fabric that was difficult to find was the border fabric. The border fabric on the quilt that started it all was a print on a black background. The best I could do was dark blue. I like it though. Thought it really pulled the whole quilt together. Of course one of the first things I heard when she opened up the quilt was "couldn't you find any black?" Oh well. Apparently the quilt isn't all that bad since it's now on her bed in her apartment. (I had also made four matching pillowcases.)

While I was photographing the last quilt an unexpected photo opportunity presented itself. My six month old Daschund, Harley, decided to sit prettily on the quilt right by one of the weenie applique blocks. It was a "kodak moment" that I was lucky enough to catch on "film". :>)

Latest Projects

2010-12-19T08:36:00.000-08:00

This year I have opted to make quite a few gifts. Here are pictures of a few. The top picture is of a lap quilt/pillow set. Someone had sent me the center panels and pink fabric years ago (along with a pattern). I then purchased the required amount of rose print fabric to finish out the fabric requirements. Put the quilt together and then didn't like it. So it sat. Destined to become an eternal UFO....until this year when a last minute gift was needed. Turns out, the perfect backing fabric had materialized during the time this top sat dormant. It quilted up beautifully....and the extra panel was made into a matching pillow. Almost hated to part with it, but I know the recipient will adore the set.....so off to its new home it goes.

The second lap quilt/pillow set was a gift to a dear friend....who opened it early and simply adores it. :>) This, too, has a story behind it. While it wasn't a languishing UFO, it was a project that was destined to become one. I had signed up for a Block of the Month at a local shop thinking I was going to be learning how to digitize blocks.....which I did. What I wasn't aware of was that I also signed up to make a "machine only" version of the same quilt. I was okay with this until I started putting the "machine only" version together. That's when I realized that I really wasn't all that crazy about the pattern and really didn't want to make two of it. By this time I had already stitched out a few of the blocks that I had digitized and had no desire to digitize or stitch out anymore. Wasn't real crazy about the idea of simply setting the blocks aside either. The only solution was to think of another project that I could use the blocks in.

Since the blocks were done using 1930's reproduction fabric, I decided to use set them together in to a mini sampler of sorts using pieced blocks that were authentic to this time period......hence the pieced blocks. A little time in EQ6....and I have a mini sampler. It did take a bit to put it together. My math left a bit to be desired. :>) But once I figured out what I did wrong (and it was such a simple mistake) the quilt went together beautifully.. The pillows were done using overlapping back pieces (a first for me) and binding on the edges (another first for me). I was tickled with the way everything turned out......and so happy that it was well received. :>)

The final picture is of a framed, quilted embroidery that I did for my father for Christmas. I was stumped as to what to give him this year. He's retired, loves to fish, and has a tendency to buy whatever it is he needs or wants when it comes to his fishing. Really hard to buy gifts for. So I decided to do a fishing embroidery for him. The embroidery is surrounded by a quilted border.....then finished up with a narrow green border. The piece was stitched-in-the-ditch around the embroidery and the narrow green border. The middle fish border was quilted using a cross-hatch. This is basically like a mini quilt with no binding. It was then framed. Turns out, this is my father's favorite gift. Guess I won't be short of ideas for next year. :>)

Wishing everyone and their families a very happy holiday season. May it be filled with lots of love, laughter, and joy!

In Loving Memory

2010-11-27T03:01:00.000-08:00

Joey
Feb. 21, 2000 - Nov. 27, 2010

Fiber, Fiber, and More Fiber!!

2010-10-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

That's what I have!! Fiber, fiber, and more fiber!! The fleeces that I had sent off to the mill returned.....and it is all absolutely beautiful!! I'm so tickled with the way everything turned out. I was so incredibly nervous sending off all that lovely fiber. It's been years since I have had anything done by a mill.

Back when I first started getting into Shetlands....and was slowly phasing out my Angora goats....I took my first shearing of Shetland into the local mill to be processed into pencil roving. I had taken in my mohair the year before to be done and it came out beautifully, so I didn't think twice about taking in my Shetland. Well, since my Shetlands were lambs....and I had some kids as well, I thought a blend of the two would be wonderful. Took everything in expecting to hear good things. I figured the owners of the mill would be thrilled to see that I was actually blending wool with the mohair. Not a lot was said...and I was okay with that. I thought it was wonderful that they were so busy (especially since they had opened up the year before). Few weeks later went back to pick up my finished fiber. The fiber looked great. Cost more than what I was expecting....especially since I only got back about half of what I had taken in. I thought "okay, they are local and you do what you have to do to support local." The thing I wasn't okay with was being told that unless I blended some other wool with my Shetland, they would not do it anymore. They also wouldn't do a Shetland/Mohair blend anymore. They had gotten in with the local alpaca breeders and decided that they were going to focus on alpaca only. I honestly couldn't believe that they would leave out so many local sheep breeders like that. I mean, if you expect the local fiber community to support you, then you should support them.....which they chose not to do. I did take fiber to them the following year....hoping that they had changed their way of thinking. I had taken in 40 pounds of polypay fleeces that I was hoping to have blended with the last of my mohair....but didn't. Ended up selling the mohair on its own. When I finally got the call to pick up my fiber, it was months later. And it wasn't worth the drive out. Out of 40 pounds of fiber, I only got back 17 pounds of roving. I was told that it was normal to lose at least 50% of what you took in....if not more. Of course the bill I had to pay didn't reflect that. :.( The worse part of it all was that when I started to actually spin up the roving I found wool of various colors in it.....and all the fleeces I had taken in were white. Needless to say I took the money that I normally would have spent at the local mill and bought a drum carder instead. Have been doing my own fiber ever since.....which is why I was nervous sending my fleeces in this year.

Of course I didn't send them to the local mill.....which I heard has since closed down. Seems the local alpaca breeders opted to not support them as they had hoped. Also heard that they had turned away quite a few of the larger local sheep breeders, who then took their business to mills outside the area. Tsk, tsk. Shame on them for not supporting all of the local fiber community. I know that I sent my fiber out of the area to be processed....even though I got an earful and some looks from a few local spinners. "You know, you should have your fiber done by this local lady. She picks all the fleeces by hand. Yes, there is still quite a bit of vm in the roving....but she does put tissue paper between all the layers." I'm sure those that take their fiber to this local person to be done are happy with it, but if I wanted to pick out vm then I would simply do my fiber myself. And I won't even get into the tissue paper thing.

The fiber I got back from the mill was absolutely stunning!! I had sent in 22 pounds of fiber (Shetland fleeces and alpaca blankets) and got back 20 pounds of incredibly soft, incredibly clean roving. The Shetland fleeces were ran as they were packaged (although I was expecting it all to be done together) and the mill even put the names on the bags of whose fleece was done with whose....which thrilled me to no end. What really impressed me even more than that was the alpaca. I know how much my alpaca roll and what they roll in. The fiber I got back was amazing clean and so incredibly soft!! After I got done playing with it, I started spinning it. Spun up 10 ounces of alpaca roving. It spun like a dream!! Drafted evenly with very little effort. No dirty fingers. Very little vm. I think I picked out maybe six small pieces of vm out of the entire 10 ounces that I spun. The roving was soft going through my fingers. No icky feeling like some mill processed roving tends to get. No weird smell either. All the roving has this very pleasant, clean smell to it. It was actually hypnotic to spin. I had intended to only spin up 4 ounces...just to see how it spins. Ended up doing 10 ounces....and have a pattern picked out for the finished yarn. :.)

As for the Shetland roving.....well, after playing with that for quite some time I have finally started spinning some of it up. I have started with the brown-gray roving (from Caspian and Charlie). Have to admit it's spinning up beautifully! The color of the singles is a bit surprising as they have almost a tweedy look to them. The singles are soft to the touch. The roving is drafting very nicely....very easily. It's a joy to spin. There are no neps or noils in the roving at all. The mill did an absolutely beautiful job processing it. (And I have seen Shetland roving that was filled with neps and noils....not a pretty sight!) I'm planning on spinning up only 4 ounces of each color of the Shetland roving. We'll see how that goes. :.)

**Pictured is.....at top, light gray Shetland (from Angus and Boogie).....brown-gray Shetland (from Caspian and Charlie).....off-white Shetland (from Trixie and Q-Tip)......bobbin of alpaca singles.....alpaca roving (from Jack and Casa). And, yes, the alpaca roving photos as a reddish-brown, but the bobbin looks to be a darker brown. Same fiber. Different lighting. Still a joy to spin regardless of the color.**

"Fun" Socks

2010-10-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

....so named because the colorway of the roving I spun for the yarn used in these socks was called "Clown".....and I really don't want to call these my "clown socks". :.) Since they were so fun to knit......hence, the name. The cuff, heel, and toe was knit using my own hand-spun, hand-dyed polypay yarn. The body of the sock was knit using the "clown" hand-spun yarn (which I'm guessing is just a generic wool).

I saw a sock pattern that I really liked but the pattern called for a heavier weight yarn than what I wanted to use. So I re-worked the pattern for the yarn and needles I wanted to use. I opted to make the cuff a bit longer than what the original pattern called for. The top of the sock is knit using a diamond lace pattern. While this is a really pretty pattern, unfortunately I didn't realize that the colorway of my yarn made it to where you really couldn't see the pattern until I was halfway done with the leg. I opted to continue instead of ripping back and using a different pattern. The instep of the sock was done using a K2,P2 rib instead of continuing with the diamond lace pattern.

I really like the way the socks turned out. The socks fit nicely (although they are a little loose on the leg where the lace pattern is). I think the cuff is my favorite part of the whole sock. I love the way it gently hugs my leg above the ankle....where I love wearing my socks at. The socks that hit mid-calf really bother me and I find that I tend to fold them down anyway. Just more comfortable for me. I don't have the "my socks are falling down" feeling. :.)

Tide Pool Quilt

2010-10-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

Here is the completed Tide Pool quilt. I'm real pleased with the way it turned out. Washed up beautifully, too. I kept the quilting simple. Serpentine stitch in the sashing.....echo quilting in the light parts of the blocks......a free motion wave motif in the inner border.....and a fun free-motion design in the outer border. Used a variety of variegated threads for the machine quilting....with the exception of the light colored areas in the blocks themselves. I didn't want the quilting to take center stage, so I used a thread to match. Kept it real subtle. The quilt was bound with the same fabric as was used for the inner border. Batiks was used for the entire quilt with the exception of the backing.....which was done using a rather "loud" yellow and orange floral print. Actually looks really pretty and goes real well with the front of the quilt. Another pleasant surprise. :.)

"Pug Hugs" Pillow

2010-10-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

I have a very good friend who has five pugs. We email each other quite often (sometimes several times a day) and once she signed her email "Pug Hugs"....being funny as she is. :.) Well, I was trying to think of something that I could make for her for Christmas that was uniquely her when I came across a pug applique. Was tossing around ideas for how I could use this when I suddenly remembered her humorous sign off that one time...."Pug Hugs!" Hence, the birth of a new project. :.)

While I can't take credit for the original drawing of the pug itself, I did make a few simple changes to it so that it would be easier to digitize and stitch out on the embroidery machine. After the pug was digitized, I moved it into another module of my embroidery software where I then added the lettering. Pictured above is the end result. I had tons of fun playing around with the lettering and the positioning of the lettering.

I had toyed with the idea of making several blocks and putting them into a lap quilt.....but this just seemed better suited for a pillow. So I found some lovely paw print fabric which I used to frame the pillow center. I also used it for the pillow back and the binding. The pillow center was machine quilted using matching thread before the pillow was put together. I did a free motion loop-de-loop motif on it quilting in the names of all five pugs in the process. This was a really fun project to do. :.)

14" pillow

Final Sampler Block

2010-10-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

Here it is! The final sampler block. This one took the most time to do, but was well worth all the effort in the end. It was done using fusible web machine applique with raw edge techniques. Took a bit to get all the pieces in just the right places. I had put the pattern under my background fabric to aid in placement of all the pieces. Not quite sure I like the way "Suspender Sam" turned out.......but it's going in the quilt anyway. :.) Did the flowers using silk ribbon embroidery with beaded centers. Also did a bit of silk ribbon embroidery on Sue's bonnet. Did a simple decorative stitch on his hat with the machine. The 16-patch alternate blocks will have to wait until I get a few more Christmas gifts done. Hopefully this will become at least a finished top by the end of the year....if not sooner.

30's Sampler update

2010-10-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of days, I have managed to finish up the last five sampler blocks for this quilt. It was a bit challenging at times.....like how to do a block using fusible web machine applique when English paper piecing was suggested. Or there were those moments of indesicion. Do I do this by machine? Or by hand? Embroidery floss? Or silk ribbon embroidery?

The first block pictured is the Foundation Rose. It was highly suggested to this block using English paper piecing. Well, I honestly had enough of English paper piecing (with using it for two other blocks) and decided that I wanted to do this block using fusible web machine applique. Have to confess the block came out much better than I had anticipated. The only thing I would do differently (if I had to make this block again) is to make templates for each piece and then use the templates when transferring my design to the fusible web. This would have made each piece more uniform which would have allowed the block to go together a bit easier. As it was, I had simply traced each piece from the pattern and then added a quarter inch seam allowance. It was the adding of the seam allowance that gave me a slight variance in the shapes of the various pieces. Thankfully it wasn't enough to cause too much grief when putting the block together. :.)

The next block is the hollyhock wreath. Block went together easily and I really didn't change much.....although I did replace the fabric for the larger leaves. The kit came with only three fabrics. The two shown for the flowers....and green....which I used for the stems and smaller leaves. I felt it was too much green and wanted to use something a bit different for the leaves. Unfortunately I only had one shade of green in my 30's reproduction stash that played nicely with the solid green fabric. So the large leaves got the new fabric. I think it adds a little something to the block overall.

The next block is the Barbara Fritchie Star. I made changes to this one as well. Fabric changes. The kit for this block came with three fabrics.....background fabric, light fabric, and dark fabric. There was enough light fabric for the star itself....and only enough dark for the star center. I didn't want a light colored star. Felt there wouldn't be enough contrast against the background. So went into my 30's stash and came out with the purple that the star is done in. Used the light colored fabric that was in the kit for the star center. I'm real pleased with the way it turned out.

The last picture is of the 30's Butterfly block. I used all the fabrics that were in the kit.....plus one of my own. The detailing in the wings was done on my machine using a triple straight stitch. Gave a heavy of enough line of stitching to be visible, but not too heavey to be overpowering. Instead of stitching in the circles on the wings, I opted to applique them on....using a yellow print that came from my 30's stash. The antennae were drawn on with a fine pigma pen, then stitched over with a single line of straight stitching. I wanted to retain the delicate look the antennae had when drawn in with the pigma pen.

All the blocks, with the exception of the pieced block, were done using fusible web machine applique (and raw edge applique techniques). I tend to "window" every piece so there is very little fusible web in the quilt. Just enough to hold the pieces in place. As for the fifth, and final, block.....well, it is close to being done. Just needs a bit of beading and I will be able to call it complete. Picture coming soon. :.)

Project Updates

2010-09-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

Time to take "inventory" of all the projects I am working on right now. Pictured is my latest quilt project. I finished the blocks up and have put them on my design wall with the sashing fabric behind them. I wanted to see how the colors would play together. Pretty nice, I think. :.) I've also pulled out a blue/green hand-dye for the outer border and am toying with the idea of using either a dark blue or dark green hand-dye for the inner border.

For those that are interested, the pattern is Tide Pool by NWQuilt Design (http://www.nwquiltdesign.com ). It is a continuous line applique pattern. Lots of fun to do. So what is your quilting project??

Onto knitting: Current project is one from the book "Knitted Comfort for the Sole". I'm making the "Diamond Delight" socks. Although I did spend some time last night re-working the pattern so it will fit the yarn and needles I'm using. The yarn I'm using is one of my own handspuns and is a lighter weight than the yarn the pattern calls for. I've also opted to go with a K2, P2 cuff instead of the K1, P1 cuff the pattern uses. I just like the K2, P2 pattern better. So far it's looking good.....although I'm only ten rows into the cuff.

My previous sock project didn't work out so well though. I had attempted to make the "Movie Sock" from the book "Joy of Sox". Just didn't have the right combination of yarn, needles, or pattern for this one. I did get the first sock knitted.....to the point to where only the toe was left to do. Thought I would try it on to see how it looked only to find out that the sock was too big. Too big in the leg and foot. The heel flap was over an inch too long. Just not a good fit at all! So the sock was undone and the yarn reskeined. Someday the perfect pattern for this yarn (shetland/soy silk blend - mine) will come along. So, what's on your needles??

And, finally...spinning!! On my wheel is a lovely blend of gray shetland, black alpaca, and soy silk. It's spinning up into a lovely tweedy looking single that I'm hoping will finish out to about a fingering weight sock yarn. I would love to make my hubby a pair of socks from this lovely blend for Christmas. He asked for something made from fiber from our own animals....which this is with the exception of the soy silk (which I added to give the finished yarn a bit of strength). So what's on your wheel??

Road to Oslo

2010-09-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

This is my latest completed sock project. I've been wanting to knit these socks up for quite some time....and always had another project either in the works....or one that just had to be done first. I've even had the yarn sitting there waiting. Finally got the chance to knit them. Boy, they were fun!!!

The pattern can be found in "Knitting on the Road" by Nancy Bush. I used a hand-spun Targhee/Merino two-ply yarn. The lighter color is natural color...the darker I dyed. I did these on a size 3 circular (Hiya-Hiya 9" circular). For the most part I did follow the pattern. The changes I made were small. I didn't use a larger size needle on the cuff (per the pattern) simply because I didn't have one. And I didn't decrease from 54 sts to 48 sts (per the pattern) after the cuff was done because I wanted to make sure the completed sock would fit (which it does). Now, when I make another pair (which I will) the only other change I will make to the sock is to knit the leg portion just a touch longer. That, I think, will make the sock absolutely perfect. :.)

This was a wonderful learning experience for me. With this sock, I learned how to do the picot edging on the cuff. I also learned how to knit a sock to where the inside of the cuff meets the outside of the sock leg. I got to practice doing colorwork.....which I simply adore, but don't do enough of. This simple sock has given me the confidence to tackle those more challenging (to me anyway) sock patterns.

Speaking of more challenging sock patterns.....remember the saying, "When at first you don't suceed, try, try, again." Well, that saying definitely applies to my current sock project. It has taken me three tries to finally get it right. I'm knitting up the "Movie Sock" from the book "Joy of Sox". I'm using a lovely hand-spun, two-ply pink Shetland/Soy Silk blend yarn (mine!) on size 1 circular (Hiya- Hiya....gotta love it, love it!). The yarn is knitting up beautifully. I can honestly say I got gauge both on sts/inch and rows/inch...which thrilled me beyond belief. Where I ran into problems was with the actual knitting.

On my first try, I couldn't figure out how to join the cast one edge with the live stitches. The sock has a picot cuff edging which the Oslo sock had as well. The only difference is that the Oslo sock had you hem it by hand. With this one you're not. Anyway, after several tries, I finally decided to simply stitch it in place and continue on. Things went well until I got into the first row of the bobble and lace pattern. Forgot to place markers after each pattern repeat (there are four around the sock) which meant that I ended up getting totally lost. Decided to simply start all over.

Try #2: Managed the picot edging just fine. Even figured out how to stitch the cast on stitches to the live stitches (like binding off without dropping stitches). Got to the bobble and lace pattern. Was real careful about counting stitches and placing a marker after each pattern repeat. The first few rows went well....and then I ran into a problem. No matter how much I counted or how carefully I followed the chart I kept coming up with an extra stitch. Kept telling my hubby that there was a mistake in the pattern. Then I noticed that somehow I had dropped a stitch in the eyelet row way up high in the cuff.....and things just got incredibly frustrating for me at that point. Ended up tearing it all out and looking for another, easier sock pattern to do. Didn't find anything that spoke to me, so I called it a night.

Try #3: Went onto the publishing site to see if there were any misprints in the book (can you tell this sock was screaming to be made). None were listed. So I decided to go onto Ravelry and see how others did with this same pattern. There I discovered that there is a mistake in the pattern.....which made me feel better. This meant that it wasn't all me. Went back, wrote the correction in my book, then cast on again. Have to say the sock is going much better. The cuff is done....looks great.....and I'm nearly finished with the first repeat of the bobble and lace pattern (this needs to be repeated two more times.....16 rows per repeat). I have all the stitches I'm supposed to have and things look good. :.) I have to admit that these socks are fun to knit....once I got past all the frustration and mistake making that is. Oh, I almost forgot to add...on top of the knitting challenges, I was also using metal needles for the very first time. I normally prefer bamboo, but after having one of my Hiya-Hiya's snap in my hand (while I was knitting a sock) I decided to purchase metal needles instead. Still, things are going well and I'm adjusting to the metal needles. :.)

I think I will end this post with a picture from the Buggy Barn show which was held a couple of weekends ago. It was a lovely show. Lots of amazing quilts to see. The highlight for me was meeting Cherly Wall, author of the book "Country Comforts"....and then getting to see the quilts from the book up close and personal. Her quilts were beautiful and she was so sweet!! The weather was perfect. Couldn't have asked for a better day.

Meet Harley......

2010-08-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

.....my ten week old miniature daschund. His color is chocolate and tan...with dapple markings. He has the most amazing eyes....green/brown in color.....and the sweetest personality. He is my little shadow. :.) He gets along wonderfully with all the other dogs. Yes, I do have other dogs. Three to be precise. :.) Never thought I would be one to have a houseful of dogs, but I do. The oldest one is a 10 year old miniature schnauzer, Joey, who sees the new addition as a huge relief. It means the other two will leave him alone. He prefers spending his days sleeping with as little activity as possible. He's been sick the last couple of years and we honestly don't know how much longer we will be blessed with him. He will turn 11 in February.

The golden retriever/mix (Rudy) is 8 years old and is fascinated by the new puppy. At first he thought it was this really great toy for him to play with....until he realized that it made noise he really didn't like hearing (whining). Now he simply tolerates it....or at least acts like he does. Heaven forbid if the puppy whines....Rudy will be the first one there to make sure he's okay. :.)

Then there is Ratt. He's my hubby's dapple miniature daschund. He simply adores Harley, but can't wait until he is bigger so they can really play together. He's the youngest of the three older boys (little over a year and a half old) so he still loves to play. For him, Harley is a very welcomed addition. Now he finally has a playmate.....or at least he will once Harley is a little older and bigger. :.) At the left is a picture of the two daschunds together. And, yes, Ratt's eyes are what is known as marled (two different colors in each eye)......so it's not the photo.

Well, enough about the newest four legged addition. Onto some crafty updates. As for spinning.....I have a lovely shetland lamb/baby camel/soy silk blend on the spinning wheel. It's spinning up beautifully! I'm hoping for a fingering weight yarn so I can make some socks from it. The soy silk should give the yarn the strength it needs for socks.

Spent the afternoon dyeing up some superwash roving I had purchased who knows when (it's been that long!). The roving is seconds...meaning the dye didn't take so it is splotchy in color. I don't mind this because I was planning on over-dyeing it anyway. Tried a new (to me) dyeing technique this afternoon. Dip dyeing. Basically, you have three or four different containers of dye set out and you dip parts of your roving in each color....being sure to squeeze out the excess dye before moving onto the next color. I have to admit that I really enjoyed this technique and will defintely do it again. I found this particular roving hard to dye because I simply couldn't get the dye to penetrate the roving all the way. And I would be left with light colored or undyed areas when I tried to hand-paint it. Didn't run into that problem with the dip dyeing. I don't have any photos of the newly dyed roving because it is still outside drying.

Onto knitting: I finally finished my Karakul rug. Yea!! Thought I would never get this one done. I think it's the largest thing I have knitted to date. The completed rug measures something like 25" x 54". It is backed with a non-skid backing (which I found at Home Depot...and would be great for putting on the bottom of felted slippers) and now resides in front of my sliding glass door where it receives very light wear. One of the smaller dogs may lay on it from time to time....but that's pretty much it. Didn't have a pattern. Just did my own thing for the most part. The yarn is my own hand-spun. I remember picking out the fleece while it was still on the sheep, so this was a sheep-to-rug project.

Of course now that the rug is done I simply had to cast on for a new project.....socks!!!! :.) I have been wanting to make the Oslo socks in Nancy Bush's book "Knitting on the Road". Even had the yarn (hand-spun, of course) set aside and ready to go. I cast on last week. Sock #1 is completely done and I'm working on the leg of sock #2. These are knitting up rather quickly and are very enjoyable to do. I kinda wish my yarn was a bit more consistent, but it's still knitting up rather nicely. I have been making notes of what I would like to do when I knit another pair using this pattern.....which I will. :.) Love the socks!! :.)

Onto quilting: I've actually been quilting up a storm lately. Tried some new-to-me techniques and have been really pleased with the end results. I put some orphan blocks together into a sampler lap quilt and am in the process of machine quilting it. Matching pillows were made with the two blocks that I didn't include in the lap quilt. Tried some new techniques when making the pillows and was pleasantly surprised. :.) I actually did an over-lapping back on the pillow (first for me) and absolutely love it. Plus I put a binding on the pillow edge so there are no raw edges at all...inside or out. Really pleased with how finished the pillow looks. No pictures though. I will post pictures once the lap quilt is finished.

Started not one, but two new quilts. One is the "Tide Pool" quilt...pattern by Quilt Design Northwest (http://www.quiltdesignnorthwest.com/). I saw the pattern at a local quilt show I went to a couple of weeks ago and just had to have it. It's another new-to-me technique called "continuous line applique". Definitely worth going to the website and checking out. There is even a tutorial on the website on how to do continous line applique. All I can say is that it's easy and tons of fun to do. Oh...I'm doing my Tide Pool quilt all in batiks. The blocks are really pretty. :.)

The other new quilt I started is an older BOM that I got who knows when. Instead of making each block as it came in, I simply put the kit up thinking I would get to it later. Well, fast forward to......later.....and I have finally pulled it out and am starting to put it together. The BOM is called "Beginning Baltimore" and is a Fig Tree design. I'm using raw edge applique techniques (new to me) for each block instead of hand applique like I had originally planned on doing. Block #1 is done and up on my small design wall. I really like the way it looks and can't wait to make more blocks. One thing at a time though. :.)

Finally, news on my Pfaff Creative Vision. As you may recall (or not) I was having problems with how the machine stitched out....back in June. Well, I am pleased to say that after almost 3 months I finally have my machine back. Or should I say my new machine. Yup. That's right. My Pfaff dealer couldn't get my old machine fixed and gave me a new one. My dh picked it up and brought it home yesterday. The Pfaff dealer even made sure it had all of the latest and greatest updates on it. So the new machine is now in my sewing table all ready for me to use....and all I've done so far is turn it on to adjust the sound settings to my liking. I know. I really need to use it and get acquainted with it. I have to confess that at first I was really upset that I was being given a new machine.....as silly as that sounds. Hey, that was my machine....and it was a bit hard for me to wrap my head around getting a new one. Still is. But I really need to give this one a chance and get to know it. I'm sure it's a wonderful machine and I will have hours upon hours of stitching enjoyment with it. Heck, I even downloaded a pattern just so I can try it out. I'm going to make a dresden plate pillow. Might even put a small embroidery in the plate center....and I will definitely play with a few of those decorative stitches on the plate "blades".

As for the Wickersham quilt....which has been put on hold due to machine troubles.....well, I will continue with that once I'm comfortable with the new machine.

30's Sampler update

2010-08-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

Another three blocks have been completed for the 30's sampler BOM I am doing. Only five more blocks left before I can start putting it all together. I can hardly wait!! This has been a very fun BOM to do. I have learned so much....and am really pleased with the end results. It's always a good thing when you have fun and learn something new in the process.

With the umbrella block I got a chance to practice my invisible machine applique techniques. This one went together so much easier and nicer than my previous attempts. I'm still using freezer paper templates (haven't moved onto to the heat resistant template material yet...saving that for a project that has multiples of a single item, like leaves). I'm still placing the freezer paper template down on the wrong side of the fabric with the shiny (or waxy) side of the freezer paper up. I'm still clipping my curves when needed. The only thing I did different on this block was I painted the seam allowance with starch before ironing it over. Made for a much crisper seam without flattening the applique piece. I also learned that smaller seam allowances on curves work so much better. Learned this with the end of the umbrella handle. My seam allowance was way too large. It was closer to the normal 1/4" when it should have been half that size....at least. While I was still able to turn the seam allowance over, it was just very hard to get those nice smooth curves I was looking for. There was just too much bulk and it took a lot of manipulation before I was happy with the end result. Yes, I could have gone back and trimmed, but decided it was best to work with what I had and not take the chance of cutting the seam allowance too much (which I probably would have done, knowing me).

I'm sure there is a name for this block, although I don't know it. The "pattern" simply called it Triangle Squares. This was a fun and easy block to piece. Went together quickly. There's really not much else to say about this one.

The final block I did was the flower block using the english paper piecing technique. This is a fun technique that I found very easy to do. Almost mindless really. Love the way all the pieces fit together.....kinda like a puzzle. The leaves were done using the same technique as I used for the umbrella. With this block and the umbrella block I chose to stich the applique to the background using a small buttonhole stitch and matching thread.

Update on other sewing projects: I know some of you are following the progress on the digitized version of the Wickersham quilt that I'm doing. For those that are wondering how the project is coming along, here is an update. No, the project hasn't been put on the back burner. There has been an delay that is beyond my control. In other words, the machine has been at the shop since the 28th of June....waiting on the arrival of a part. So when I will see my machine is anyone's guess. I'm hoping by the end of the month. Yesterday I got a call letting me know that the part needed has been taken off of backorder and should be enroute. Exactly what does that mean? "It's in the mail".

On the positive side of things, I did manage to finish a two-year old UFO. Loved the fabrics and the pattern when I started. Ran into a slight glitch when I inadvertantly mis-sewed over 40 units. Frogged everything and tried again only to discover that I sewed them wrong yet again. That's when the whole thing got set aside never to see daylight until two years later. Came across it when I was looking for something else. Decided it was time to finish it. Frogged all those mis-sewn units and actually got them right. Started putting the quilt together only to discover that I really didn't like the way the fabrics were working together. Finished putting the quilt together just to have it done and out of the way. Used up all the leftover fabric for backing so I wouldn't have to worry about what to do with it at a later date. Did a simple 2" grid quilting on it using variegated thread and a serpentine stitch. The quilt is now being enjoyed by my in-laws who absolutely love it. And me.....I'm just glad it's done and out of here. :>)

Mountain Cottage- front

Mountain Cottage - back

Red Hat Tote

2010-07-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

I had wanted to make something a little special for my mother's birthday. Her and my aunt are both active members of their local Red Hat group......so what better gift than a custom-made Red Hat tote. :>) After much searching I found the "perfect" fabric for it and just needed to find the "perfect" pattern. I was looking for the pattern when I spied this lovely sample tote hanging above a fabric display. Unfortunately when I asked for the pattern, I discovered that there wasn't one. It was a "panel tote"....meaning I had to purchase the panel in order to make the tote. So the panel was added to my growing pile of fabric.

Took everything home and sat down to make the "panel tote"....thinking it would be relatively easy. After all, how hard is it to cut out the pieces and sew them together. Turns out it wasn't nearly as easy as I thought it would be. Distinguishing the front and back pieces was easy. What was not easy was figuring out which strips were for the handle and which ones were for the bag gusset. Not a single thing was marked.....and the strips were all the same length. One set was a bit wider than the other set....that was the only difference. I ended up using the strips that should have been for the tote handles for the bag gusset instead. Didn't figure this out until the body of the bag was assembled and I was looking at the handles thinking "these are awful skinny!". Had a moment of panic before I realized that I had more than enough of the lining fabric left and this would make wonderful handles. Yes, I did line the bag.....and even included pockets on the inside (something the panel did not include).

The "panel tote" turned out to be a practice piece for the one I finally made for my mother. Although it's not as "fancy" as the practice piece, it did go together beautifully. I was smart enough to make patterns as I went so other totes can be made at a later date.....if needed or desired. The practice piece went to my oldest daughter who absolutely loves how large it is. She uses it on a daily basis. The Red Hat tote went to my mother who absolutely adores it. :>) She can't wait to show it off to her Red Hat group and plans on using it on their next outing. Isn't it wonderful when things that don't start off the best end up turning out better than you could imagine?? :>)

30's Sampler

2010-07-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

There are two things I really enjoy about quilting.....samplers and block of the months. To have the two combined is sheer joy for me. When I saw this quilt and learned that it was being offered as a block of the month.....well, I just couldn't refuse. :>) Not only is it a sampler.....and done using 30's reproduction fabrics (which I adore!).....but it is a bom that is done at your own pace. Which means no waiting each month for a new block. Yea!! I've been picking up a new block every week and have been making the block the very next day. It's been great. :>)

I have to confess that these blocks have been a bit challenging for me as well. I'm learning new techniques and have really been enjoying that. It's also nice knowing that I only have to make one block.....for those techniques that may not be the most enjoyable for me. One of the new things I learned was English Paper Piecing. I knew what it was. Was familiar with how it was done, but had never given it a try myself.....until the flower basket block. Not only did this block give me the chance to try my hand at English Paper Piecing, but I also got to try my hand at invisible machine applique.

EPP templates were included with the block. Little tiny ones (finished out at 1"). I opted to make my own out of freezer paper. I then ironed the seam allowance of each little piece to the waxy side of the freezer paper. Worked out great! I had pieces with wonderful stability to work with. Got to play with my Clover mini iron. And discovered that it was real easy to take the freezer paper out and still have the piece retain its shape. Used this method with the basket and leaves. A bit of glue stick helped the pieces stay in place on the block background and I was ready for invisible machine applique. I was a bit torn as to what thread to use. Should I use one that matches the applique fabric? Or should I use an invisible thread? I opted to use an invisible thread simply because it was my first attempt at this and I had wanted to try a couple of different stitches. The first stitch I tried was a small zig-zag. Worked out rather nicely. Then I tried a small blanket stitch. Also worked out rather nicely. As for preference? I really don't have one. Both worked nicely for what I was doing. Both were relatively "invisible" due to the thread I was using. The blanket stitch was a bit nicer in that it really help keep those leaf points nice....and worked beautifully on sharp inside points. I think it will all depend on what I'm stitching down as to which stitch I will use. It's nice knowing that I have options. :>)

The bow-tie block was a new block for me. I had tons of fun with this one and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly and easily the smaller units went together. Not sure if I would do an entire quilt using this block due to all the small pieces (the completed block measures 10 1/2") but I am glad that I got to make one for the sampler.

The Wheel of Fortune block was another interesting adventure for me. This block used templates....which I had used before so that wasn't really anything new. The challenge with this block is that the block instructions consisted of one page with a 6" drawing of the block......and nothing else. Nothing saying how large the completed block should be. No templates. Nothing. I have to confess I did puzzle over this one for a night. Then it dawned on me. Why not simply look the block up in my Encyclopedia of Pieced Blocks.....find the block number......use this to locate the block in Block Base and then transfer it over to EQ7 where I can print out templates the size I need......which is exactly what I did. Had a completed block that afternoon.

Brickwork was a fun block to do. It was another block that I had never made before. Not really a very difficult block to do. The biggest challenge was making sure all the pieces were laid out in the right order....and stayed that way. The block consists of approximately 70 "bricks" that are 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" in size. This block measured 11 1/2" when completed. Today I will go and pick up my next block. Wonder what it will be??

Stitcher's Garden....update (machine)

2010-06-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

Pictured are the final blocks from this quilt. There were also a couple of "extra" blocks as well. These are done and up on the design wall with the rest of the blocks. I have started putting the top together and hope to have that finished by this weekend. While this hasn't been the most enjoyable quilt I've made, at least it is being finished and won't end up as another UFO.

Stitcher's Garden....update (machine)

2010-06-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest completed blocks for the "machine version" of the Stitcher's Garden. The idea behind this block of the month is to use different feet and to try different techniques with those different feet. Well, I must confess, I got bored with it all a few blocks into the program. It was fun using different decorative stitches for the machine applique. And at first I did enjoy seeing what could be done with the different feet........until I realized just how expensive things were getting (you were buying a new foot every month, unless you already had that particular foot)......and got to wondering if I would ever use these new feet beyond this one quilt. I think I bought about four new feet for my machine and haven't used a single one for anything beyond this quilt. The worst part is I'm starting to get bored with the quilt itself. I'm so focused on finishing the quilt now that I totally spaced out class on Tuesday.....which was a first for me. I've now set a goal of having the quilt top (at least) completely done by class next month. I know if I don't finish it soon, it will end up put away somewhere not to be seen by anyone for who knows how long. I really don't want that to happen, especially since my oldest would really love to have the quilt......with matching pillow cases. Only a few more blocks to do before I can start assembling the quilt top.............

Stitcher's Garden.....update (digitized)

2010-06-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of the latest digitized Stitcher's Garden blocks. I've opted to do this entire quilt in 30's reproduction fabrics and am just tickled with the way all the blocks I've done so far look. I've a feeling that this will become one of my favorite quilts simply because of the fabric. The way the blocks are turning out doesn't hurt either. :>)

Haven't been able to stitch out any more blocks because my *big* Pfaff (Creative Vision) is in the shop being serviced. I hope to have it back soon so I can start stitching out some of the blocks I've been busy digitizing.

There's nothing I enjoy more than spending a rainy afternoon in my sewing room. With all the rainy afternoons we've had lately, you'd think I would have lots done. Not so. I just can't seem to focus on any one project long enough to finish it. So I have a quilt in progress hanging on my "design wall" (just needs borders and it will be ready for machine quilting)......another in blocks on my smaller sewing table (at least I'm adding to the blocks and will hopefully be able to start assembling a top soon)......and blocks for two more on the small design wall in my sewing room. I won't even mention the new block of the month I just started. .....or all the UFOs that have been patiently waiting their turn. :>)

Wickersham Update

2010-05-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted about the Wickersham quilt. It hasn't been set aside. I've just been busy re-working the blocks......and pictured is the end result. The entire first row is now finished, stitched out, and waiting to become part of the quilt......once the other ten rows are done, that is.

While the first two blocks I stitched out turned out lovely, they just didn't seem to have enough background space around them. They looked a bit squished into the background space. So I opted to make my blocks a bit smaller....which meant re-stitching. As I learned new digitizing techniques, I applied these to the blocks I had already done.....which I think just adds even more to the blocks. At first I wasn't real happy with the idea of having to go back in and re-work all the blocks that I had already digitized (3 rows worth!). Now......now I'm happy that I'm taking the time to re-work the blocks. I'm using a really neat feature of my embroidery program that allows you to do a "virtual" stitch-out. By using this feature I'm able to see all those tiny little mistakes before any thread touches fabric. I'm able to go back in and fix all these little flaws. While it may be time-consuming, it does save on fabric and thread. Plus it makes me happier. Usually, the first time the block is stitched out is the keeper. For me, there is nothing more frustrating than having to stitch out a block mulitiple times. I won't even get into the fabric/thread that is wasted......or the time spent.

I've started re-working row 2. It's going well, albeit slowly. I hope to start stitching out row 2 blocks in a few days. I'm really loving the way this quilt is looking so far. I can't wait to see it all put together. I've been wanting to make this quilt for years. Now it's finally happening......and using a technique that I never thought I would even think about learning, let alone using.

Painted Plates

2010-05-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest finished quilt. This had started out as a block of the month......but, then the shop closed. Those of us who had signed up had the option of continuing with it and picking up our monthly blocks at a different location.....which was really nice. Unfortunately, the different location was just too much of a drive for me (an hour and a half one way). So I opted to finish my quilt with what I had.

My completed quilt measures 61" square. It has 3 borders.....thin inner border, checkerboard border, and a darker outer border.......and is finished with a dark red binding. The "plates" were digitized (not by me) and stitched out on an embroidery machine. This was the first machine embroidery/applique quilt that I have ever done.....and it was what drew me to this quilt in the first place. It gave me a chance to play with the embroidery side of my machine.....which I really enjoyed doing. Of course these days I digitize my own designs......but this was a start for me.

The label was designed in my embroidery software and then stitched out on my machine. I did something a bit different with it. Instead of sewing it on by hand....which I normally do.....I opted to quilt the label in place. It acutally worked out much better than I thought it would. I had ironed the raw edges to the back of the label and then glued it where I wanted it on the back of the quilt. I used a washable glue stick for this. I checked often while doing the machine quilting in this area because I thought for sure that the label would want to curl up or shift.....or something would happen to where I would have to take out all the stitching and start all over. Seems l worried for nothing. The label stayed right where I wanted it. Nothing moved. Nothing flipped up and over. It stayed nice and flat....thankfully. Will I be attaching my labels like this with future quilts? Most likely yes. :>) It worked that well.

Spinning Update

2010-05-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've done a spinning update. Life has slowed down a bit now that shearing (sheep only) is finished. I still have a few fleeces that need to be skirted and gone over.....but that will have to wait until better weather. We are still getting frost!!

Pictured is one of my latest hand-spun skeins. This is a blend of Shetland/red llama/soy silk. It spun up to be about a worsted weight yarn. The Shetland is from my horned ewe, Willow. It is actually her britch skirtings from one year. The britch skirtings were so clean that I just couldn't bear to toss it.....and since her fleece was sold (as it is every year) it allowed me to enjoy a little bit of her lovely fiber. I chose to blend it with some red llama (to bring out the red in Willow's natural color....moorit) and blended in a bit of soy silk for added strength (wasn't sure what I was going to do with the finished yarn). The end result was a lovely brown yarn that, while not the softest, isn't itchy either. I love the various shades within the yarn and am thinking it will make up into a beautiful knitted/fulled teddy bear. A jointed one.....just for me.

This isn't the only spinning I've done lately. I have decided that I would like to make a couple of knitted/fulled rugs and have started spinning for that. I'm using mill end roving that I purchased from The Sheep Shed Studio quite some time ago. It's a wool/mohair blend so it should make wonderful rugs that wear well. I've already spun up a pound of brown/black/white roving into a bulky weight yarn. And I finished plying a pound of black/gray/white singles. This, too, ended up being a bulky weight yarn. I just need to set the twist on it. Currently on the wheel is a white/gray/black roving. I have a pound of this as well. The finished yarn will be paired with the black/gray/white yarn since it will be much lighter in color (more white than black.....whereas the already finished yarn is more black than white). As for the brown/black/white yarn.....I have a pound of light brown/white roving that I will eventually spin up into a bulky weight yarn which will be paired with it. I will be sure to take pictures of the finished yarn. I know it probably sounds a bit confusing right now with the various colors of the different rovings I'm working with.

I'm using my Ashford Country Spinner to spin all this up. With its large bobbin (2 lb. capacity) I'm able to spin the entire pound into singles at one time (and ply it, too). I end up with one very large skein.....which makes me happy. No worrying about wondering if I have all the skeins together. I have a two yard niddy noddy that I wind the plyed yarn on for setting the twist......and a jumbo ball winder for when I'm ready to use these large skeins.

Stitcher's Garden....update

2010-04-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest machine stitched blocks for this quilt......blocks 5A, 5B, and 6. I haven't started on block 7 yet, but hope to do so next week. I really like the way all the blocks are turning out. They have been tons of fun to do as well. Thankfully I have a layout of the quilt and have been able to color co-ordinate the blocks as I make them.

It's interesting to go to class and see the blocks that everyone else has made. Such a wonderful variety!! Some are following the pattern exactly, while others have opted to do their own things. I can't wait to see everyone's completed quilts. It will be amazing!!! I wonder if the shop will have a small "show" and display everyone's completed quilt tops.

Finished!!

2010-04-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

I have finished up a few projects in the past couple of weeks. Yea!! One of my finished projects was a long-standing UFO (pictured at left). The wall hanging is simply named "Roses". It is hand applique and machine quilted. This was a good one for me to practice my free-motion machine quilting on. Tried some new designs and different techniques. Even did some machine quilting in the applique itself....which was a first for me.

This wall hanging will be a Mother Day's gift for my mother. Along with it, I'm sending a several packages of heirloom seeds wrapped in a pretty ribbon. She loves gardening, so I thought this would be the perfect gift for her. :>)

Another finish has been the Daffodil quilt. Wish I would have taken a picture of it before it was packaged up, but I didn't. So a picture of the completed top will have to be enough. I did bind it in a blue to match that in the quilt center. The quilting on it was simple....an all-over grid in a variegated thread using a serpentine stitch. The daffodil in the center was outline quilted and then some free-motion done in the applique itself. The binding was put on by machine. Turned out to be a very pretty quilt.

Of course the thing I'm most proud of when it comes to this quilt is the label. I had wanted to do something a bit special since the quilt is going to a friend who will be starting up chemo treatments soon. Her treatments are such that she will have to spend 4-5 days in the hospital each time. This means being apart from her loving companion of 12 years.....a beautiful female husky. So I wanted the quilt label to have a picture of her husky on it, but didn't want to do photo transfer. I wanted the quilt to be totally washable without worry of anything fading. I knew what I wanted to do, but didn't quite know how to do it. So out came the reference manauls for my embroidery software. After many, many hours.....and lots of trial and errors......the end result is the label pictured above. It is a digitized version of a photo of my friend's husky framed by a lovely washable merino wool yarn that was couched in place. I'm thrilled with the way it turned out. I hope she likes it and that it brings her comfort when she is away from her "princess".

Not only did I get a couple of quilt finished, but I also finished knitting a pair of socks. They are knit out of a superwash, hand-dyed merino wool. The pattern is called "Hyacinth Socks" and is from the book "The Eclectic Sole" (I love this book!). These were a great knit. The lace pattern on the cuff was just challenging enough to keep me interested, but not so much that I got frustrated and lost interest. The yarn was amazing to knit with. My only disappointment is that the socks came out a bit too large for me. That's okay though. They will make a great Christmas gift for someone. :>)

Life........

2010-03-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

......has a funny way of getting your notice. Not only did it get my notice, but it got my full un-divided attention........for quite some time. I was absolutely floored when I realized that it had been close to a month and a half since I last posted on my blog. It wasn't my intention to go this long without a post. Life just happened....although that didn't stop me from quilting. Just gave me even more reason to quilt. Gave me a wonderful break from life.

While I haven't gotten to quilt as much as I would like, I did manage to squeeze small amounts of time in here and there. Enough to make a few blocks.....and stay caught up with the block of the month I'm taking through a local shop. This BOM is a bit different than others that I have done in the past. Instead of picking up a monthly kit, there is actually a monthly class that you attend. Each class covers a new technique (such as couching) and a new foot. It also gives you a wonderful opportunity to play with some of those decorative stitches on your machine. For me, it has added a whole new dimension to machine applique......and has been tons of fun in the process.

Pictured above (and below) are a few of the blocks I have done so far. These are all done on my Pfaff using a few of the many decorative stitches that are on my machine. As an added bonus (or twist, depending on which way you look at it) I'm also learning how to digitize these same blocks. Yes, I do have two of the same quilts going. One being done on the machine and one that is digitized then stitched out using my embroidery unit. And I'm thoroughly enjoying both. It has been a wonderful learning experience. :.)

The Wickersham Quilt

2010-02-12T10:14:00.000-08:00

The Wickersham quilt is a signature quilt that was made in 1854 by Rebecca Wickersham. It is believed the quilt was made in memory of her husband, John Wickersham, who died in 1853. The quilt is comprised of 63 applique blocks....two of which are used as a border treatment. The entire quilt is set on point. There are various signatures on the blocks....believed to be those of family and members of the Quaker faith (of which the Wickershams belonged). The blocks themselves have mostly a floral theme and are a combination of various hand techniques....with hand applique being the most prominent, although there are blocks that were hand pieced....and quite a bit of hand embroidery. It is a very pretty quilt and has held my fascination for several years now.

It is one of those quilts that I knew I just had to make when I first saw it. I did attempt to make a couple of blocks by hand, but just wasn't happy with the way the finished block looked. It just looked as though something was missing. Fast forward a bit to the time when I got an opportunity to learn digitizing. Even before my first digitizing class I knew that this was the way to finally make the Wickersham quilt. I knew that this technique would embrace all that wonderful "folk art charm" of the quilt while allowing me a way of letting the "inner beauty" of the blocks shine through. Pictured above is the first Wickersham block that I have stitched out. I simply love the way it turned out! I think it retains that "folk art charm" while being a bit more of today....with the decorative stitching on the vase. The use of variegated thread on the flowers just seem to make them "glow"....and gives them life. The berries are all embroidered.

The block pictured below is another block from the Wickersham quilt. This one was a very simple block. Just a flower surrounded by leaves. The center of the flower on the original block was left empty (that's where the maker of the block had signed it). I chose to fill it with decorative stitching to give the illusion of there actually being a flower center. While it is wonderful to see all the signatures on the original quilt, I have opted to leave those off of my interpretation of the quilt. So far I have digitized about a dozen of the blocks and have stitched out two. I really love the way the blocks are turning out.....and love the way it has a more modern feel to it while still retaining the "folk art charm" that originally drew me to the quilt.

This is defnitely a long-term project for me. It takes hours to digitize each block.....and hours to stitch them out. I'm hoping to have all the blocks digitized and stitched out by year's end....at least that's my goal. :>) I will be sure to update my progress on this wonderful quilt as I go along. The original quilt measures 107" x 99". My completed quilt should be around that size as well.

Digitizing......

2010-02-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

.....is an amazing new technique that I have been slowly learning over the past few months. How to explain digitizing? Well, it's a way of putting a design into a format that your embroidery machine can read. It is fairly easy to do once you learn the techniques (and actually remember them!!).......and can be rather time consuming. Although it is a very lovely way of passing the time if you enjoy the process.....which I do. :>) It's a technique that allows you to combine embroidery with applique. Pictured above is one of the blocks that I have digitized and stitched out. This is for a block of the month that I am doing. I am actually doing two of these quilts.....one using "traditional" fusible web machine applique techniques....and one digitized. While the machine applique version has the lovely satin stitch and incorporates a few other decorative stitches as well, it does not have the lovely "thread play" that you see on the digitized version.....or the textured embroidery (as can be seen on the stem in the above picture). However, I must admit that the machine applique version is a bit quicker. You don't have to take the time to digitize anything. Just cut and sew.....basically. :>)

As far as actual sewing time for both techniques....it's probably pretty close. It took about two hours for the digitized block pictured to be stitched out. That includes thread changes, fabric placement and trimming. The quarter circles in the corners were done using machine applique techniques. These had to be added after the central design was stitched out and the block trimmed down to the appropriate size.

Is the digitized block worth all the extra time and effort? Definitely, yes! While it may take a bit more time to do, you do end up with a more precise looking block....and are able to add touches of embroidery that you wouldn't be able to do with a regular sewing machine. The digitizing allows you to put the stitches where you want them.....and repeat stitches are exactly that. Close-to-perfect repeats. I won't call them perfect, simply because with digitizing the line of stitches will follow the line it is given when digitizing....and that may not always be perfect.

Pictured below: Another digitized block from the same block-of-the-month program. The checkerboard appearance of the leaves is not from the fabric used. It is actually from the decorative stitching that was done on top of the fabric.

The Harriet Sweater

2010-02-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

Here is the Harriet sweater.....still unfinished. I ran into a small "inconvenience" with it. The armholes are a bit larger than the sleeves....which means there will be some easing involved. I have set it aside until I figure out exactly how I want to handle this. So close to finishing!!! Only the button bands on both fronts and the collar........(big sigh). It's best to be patient and see what solution will prevent itself....rather than adopt a "hurry up and finish" attitude. I would rather be happy with the completed project than do the "would have, could have, should have" dance.

So, in the meantime, I have pulled out another UFO and am working on finally getting that hand quilted. I had forgotten how much I enjoy the hand quilting. I spent some time last night playing with different hoops until I found one that felt comfortable. I settled on my 16" lap hoop. I also have a 14" lap hoop and a lovely floor hoop with a variety of different sized hoops. Yes, I definitely forgot how much I enjoy hand quilting. About 1/4 of the quilt was already done when I picked it back up. Hopefully this time....when the hoops are put away....it will be finished.

Teddy!!

2010-01-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest knitted creation. I call him "Teddy". It's a simple name, yet seems to suit him to perfection. :>) Teddy is a whopping 7" tall when standing. The yarn used to create him is a blend of Shetland, Llama, and Soy Silk.....hand-spun. The Shetland and Llama wool is from my very own fiber flock (compliments of Oreo and Cavi, respectively). The yarn is all natural colors

Teddy was my first attempt at a jointed knitted bear. He is string jointed (or, in this case, yarn jointed). His head and body were knit as one piece. After the pieces were all knit up, they were then lightly stuffed (to help retain their wonderful shape) and then popped in the washer for fulling. This produced a firmer fabric while still maintaining the stitch definition. After everything was dry, a bit more stuffing was added and the pieces were assembled. Teddy has button eyes. His nose is needle-felted alpaca (compliments of Whitkin)....and there is some needle-felting on his face to give his nose area a bit more definition. He sports a simple blue bow. He was tons of fun to make. :>) I hope to create a larger teddy bear some day. One that uses plastic joints. I even hope to make one that will wear little outfits. So many possibilities!!! :>)

On the knitting needles now is the sleeve for a sweater I started way too long ago. I had knitted the back, both front pieces, and a sleeve before it was put aside. Well, this is the year of finishing for me......so out came the sweater. Thankfully I had kept good notes, so it was real easy to see exactly where I left off. I hope to have a completed sweater by the end of the month.....or very early into next month. Don't want to rush myself with time constraints. :>)

Onto quilting.....things have been pretty busy in the sewing room lately....which is good. :>) Anything new that has been started, has also been finished. Pictured below is a lap quilt....which started out as a wall hanging.....which was a kit (someone gave me) that has been sitting on a shelf for way too long. Well, I wasn't real pleased with the way the wall hanging came out so thought I would simply add to it. Wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Somehow in the process of stitching the daffodil down the background got all skewed. I didn't find this out until I was adding the rows of Chinese Coins. Just couldn't figure out why one side was longer than the other......until I put it on the design wall and took a really good look at it. It was definitely a "smack on the forehead" moment for me. On the cutting mat the whole piece went to be squared up so that I wouldn't have any problems whatsoever when I added the log cabin border.....or so I thought anyway. The log cabin blocks went together beautifully.....unfortunately they didn't go onto the quilt as well. The fit left a bit to be desired.....and I was starting to get frustrated with the whole thing. So instead of doing a lot of ripping and re-sewing, I opted to simply use a bit of starch with a good pressing.....and see how things looked after that. Turns out not too bad. I still don't care for the center daffodil panel....but maybe things will change after it is quilted. I'm planning on doing an all-over pattern of some sort and then binding it with blue. Should make for a nice snuggle quilt.

Strata Quilting

2010-01-23T06:07:00.000-08:00

Strata quilting was the name of the class I took earlier this month. The technique was new to me and rather fun once I knew what I was doing. The pillow pictured is my finished project from that class.

Basically, the technique was rather simple. You laid one fabric on top of another....right sides facing up......made a slightly curvy cut with your rotary cutter......flipped one piece onto the other.....and sewed, using a narrow seam. The hard part (at least for me) was trying to picture what I wanted the end piece to look like. You were creating a picture of sorts. I'm a very traditional sort of quilter, so I found this way outside my comfort zone and rather challenging to do. I did manage to complete a small piece in class.....but didn't finish it right away. Once I got home I wasn't sure what the piece wanted. So I patiently waited util if finally decided and let me know. It had decided that it wanted to be a pillow. One where all the seams were done with a decorative stitch using rayon threads....which I did.....and had lots of fun doing. :>) I had backed the pillow front with a piece of cotton batting before doing all the decorative stitching.....in essence, quilting it. I used a couple of the maxi stitches available on my machine in the larger areas of the pillow front. The stitch used in the blue was left as is. The stitch used on the gold fabric didn't really show. It got lost in the color and pattern of the fabric. So I opted to color it in with colored pencils. While the end result is subtle, it does give the eye a bit of relief from such a busy fabric.

As for the pillow backing......I tried something new (for me). The piece decided that it wanted a string backing using a flip-and-sew on a foundation method....something I have never done before. So out came the older books on string quilting.....and I was off and running. Loved this technique!! It was fun and allowed me to create a beautiful backing that was quilted as well (since I used batting as my foundation piece).

The pillow itself is now on display at the shop where I took my class. I hope it brings inspiration to all that see it.

Here's Horace!!!

2010-01-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Horace the Bear that is. :>) This is a pattern that I've been wanting to make for quite some time. Years, actually. The yarn is a hand-spun Targhee/Lincoln blend. The roving was already dyed when I bought it (most likely at a fiber show). The pattern is by an artist in Britain. Horace was a ton of fun to knit up.

I had wanted to try something a bit different. Horace is a knitted bear and I wanted to create a fabric that was a bit firmer. So after the bear was knitted, I lightly stuffed it.....so it would retain its shape.....and then into the washer it went. I checked on it often....holding my breath most times. :>) He came out beautifully!! I got the firm fabric I was looking for without any of the distortion that I was worried about. There was just enough stuffing to help the knitting retain the shape I wanted. Once he was dry, I then finish stuffing him (even put a small pellet bag in his body to give him a bit of weight when sitting).....and then put all of the finishing touches on. I couldn't be happier with the end results. :>) Horace is about 7" tall when sitting......11" when standing. The flower Horace is wearing was made by a friend of mine.

I do have another knitted bear on the needles. Different pattern, different technique. This one is being knitted with yarn from my very own animals. It's a blend of shetland wool and llama with a touch of soy silk. Very pretty yarn. I simply adore the way it is knitting up as well. If someone were to ask me what my favorite fiber is I would have to say.......anything from my own fiber flock!! And that I've processed myself. So far this year I have spun up close to a pound of fiber.....and all of it from my flock.

First Finishes of 2010

2010-01-11T07:17:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is.....the new year.....and I have finishes. Yea!! They are small, but finishes all the same. :.) The teddy bear was made from left-over border fabric from a UFO that I have been working on since the beginning of the new year. Really loved the fabric and just couldn't bring myself to toss out the scraps. Found a free pattern online.......little bit of cutting, some sewing.......and a teddy bear is born. He is a whopping 7" tall when standing. His head, arms, and legs all move. I really didn't have the proper "hardware" for him, so made due with what I had on hand. So button/string joints for the arms and legs. The head joint is actually an lock washer eye that I had left over from another project. I opted to do the cross-stitch on the seams to give it a more "folksy" look......for lack of a better word.

My other finished project was an embroidery one that I had started when I first got my "new" Pfaff. I coudn't wait to try out the larger hoops so I stitched out an embroidery that was already built into the machine using a variegated rayon thread. Loved the way it turned out. Then I decided to play with the mirror feature.....and stitched that out as well. Ended up getting sidetracked with something else and both pieces were set aside. I'm sure at one time I had some wonderful project planned for these embroideries. What it was I have no idea. :.) All I know is that an acquaintance had come over and the blocks had been pulled out for some reason. She really loved the blocks.....so I thought it would be nice if I did something to finish them up and then give the completed project to her as a gift. Well, I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with these blocks. Then it dawned on me. Why not frame them? Sounded good!! I could see them framed and hanging off-set on a wall looking pretty. Well, off to the store I went to get the "perfect" frames. I'm standing there, looking at frames, when this larger frame catches my eye. What if I framed them as one piece instead of two? So the larger frame comes home with me. I find that I have the perfect fabric in my stash that will compliment the two embroideries very nicely. Sew it all together, then decide that a bit of quilting would look nice, too. The end piece is pictured below. It turned out so nicely that I decided to keep it for myself. My loving hubby found a wonderful place to hang it. The finished piece ended up being 14" x 11". I have a few other smaller embroidery blocks that I did (and don't know what to do with). I'm now thinking that they will look very nicely framed. I even saw the "perfect" frame. Sounds like yet another UFO will be finished.....which is always a good thing. :.)

Last Day of 2009

2009-12-31T18:34:00.000-08:00

......and a time to reflect on the accomplishments of the year past......and look forward to the upcoming new year and all that it holds. This has been a year of change for me. Lots of change. Some good....some not so good. It's been a good year overall though. :>) And what of the new year?? Do I have plans? Resolutions? No plans really. And no hard-fast, set-in-stone resolutions. It would be nice to finally finish (or at least make a huge dent) in my UFO pile. It would also be nice to lose about 20 pounds (yes, I have hit the point where I really need to focus on losing a bit of weight. You know it's time when you are not happy with yourself.....and I'm not happy with being pleasantly plump). Other than that.....well, I just hope to continue enjoying the things that make me happy.

I thought I would share a couple of pictures of my "boys". Pictured above is my miniature schnauzer. He will be ten years old in February. He suffered a stroke and was very ill little over a year ago.....so he still has his times when it is very difficult for him to get around. The sparkle is still in his eyes though. :>) Makes me happy to see him running across the yard (when he does....which isn't very often).

Pictured here is the "big guy". And I've been told that he is very large for a Golden Retriever. He is actually a Golden Retriever mix. Mixed with what we do not know. He was the proverbial pound puppy. We adopted him when he was four weeks old. He had a rough beginning (very sick) and the vet wasn't sure he would make it. Here he is six and a half years later. :>) Doesn't have the best hips, but is still very active.....loves laying on the porch watching the world go by.....and playing with his toys. He's perfectly content to spend an afternoon sleeping in the sewing room (right in the middle!!) while I stitch away. He also loves the sound of the spinning wheel in motion. He is happy to lay next to it for as long as I can treadle. I think he finds it calming.....as funny as that sounds.

Time to share pictures of my latest finishes.....and I have had a couple with which to end the year. Yea!! The first one is a small snuggle quilt that I made from a panel that was sent to me. Really didn't know what to do with it. Inspiration hit one day.....and I had a completed quilt the next. This one is going to my youngest's college roommate. I think she needs "quilty hugs" right now. She has had a rather difficult first semester.

My other completed project was a knitting project. I finally finished the socks I have been working on and off on for the past couple of months. They are for my youngest....who loves them. :>) I call them the "Mardi Gras Socks" because the yarn reminds me of all the colors you see in association with Mardi Gras (although I've never been....but have seen lots of footage and pictures). The fiber used for the yarn was hand-dyed by my youngest. I did the blending and spinning of the yarn itself. The picture of the pair doesn't really do the yarn justice, so I took a couple of close ups to show the color of the yarn knit up. They turned out really pretty. Both socks are different in coloration so I made sure to use the same pattern for both. The sock pattern is my own. Couldn't find one that I liked and thought would work with the yarn. Happens. Just glad I'm able to write up a simple sock patterns that I can actually knit up fairly easily. :>)

Wishing everyone a new year filled with lots of love, laughter, and joy!!!

Quilts!!

2009-12-21T09:15:00.000-08:00

I finally have a chance to share pictures of my latest quilts. Yea!! The last couple of weeks have been so busy! Didn't help things any that I had a plethora of classes as well. Pictured above is the end results from one of my classes. I simply LOVE how this quilt turned out! The class was called "Magic Square Quilt". The technique for this quilt was relatively simple....once you figured it out. This is a no template. It's a simple cut and sew. The "magic" lies in the cut. It is an easy quilt to make, just not an easy one to explain. This was a 3-part class. Class one was learning how to make the cut.....and seeing all the different options you can get from the various cuts. We also played around with color, value, and piece placement. I was lucky enough to get four blocks sewn together during class. It gave us all an opportunity to play around with a few blocks on the design wall.

Class two was just a continuation of class one. Everyone came back with completed blocks and then got to spend time playing around with placement....and eventually sewing them together. I came to class with a completed quilt center and fabric for a piano key border. Some time was spent playing around with fabric/color placement in the border......and then I settled down to getting my border pieces cut out. I loved seeing how everyone else's blocks had turned out....and some of the design possibilities.

Class three was the finishing class. It was here that we got to see what all the quilts looked like. If anyone needed help with anything, this was the class. I came to class with my quilt finished. I spent class stitching my binding to my backing. Another classmate showed up with not one, but two tops done. She just needed to add borders....which she did in class. Her quilts were very striking. The third classmate showed up with stacks of completed blocks. She needed help in deciding on the placement of all of her blocks. We all had fun helping her. By the time class had ended she had sewn together at least half a dozen rows of her quilt. Her quilt was done in soft pinks, blues, and florals. Very, very pretty. It was a wonderful class. :>)

Pictured above is a small wall hanging that I decided to squeeze in between projects. It was in one of the latest quilt magazines that arrived in the mail. Not quite sure which one right now. Anyway, I just had to do this one.....even though it was originally done using hand applique. I had the urge to see how small of a piece I could do using fusible web machine applique. You see, one of the classes I'm taking is a Block of the Month. It's a beautiful applique quilt...only using fusible web and decorative stitches. Well, it's been ages since I've done fusible web and I just had to do another project (finished my current block the same day as class). I was looking through my magazine when I saw this wall hanging. I simply loved it and the rest is history (as they say). No decorative stitches were used, except on the flower pot. The pieces were simply too small. I did have a wonderful time putting it all together. Made me realize how much I enjoy machine applique and now I'm determined to do a bit more. :>)
Finally, we come to "The Elvis Quilt". This is a quilt I made for my mother for Christmas. She is a huge Elvis fan (as in...."I was standing next to Pricilla when he flew into Germany.......it could have been me......"). She was born and raised in Germany. Came over when she married my father....who was stationed over there....and that is all I will say about that. Needless to say, when I saw this panel hanging in the window of one of my favorite fabric shops I just knew I had to buy it. It was easy buying fabric to go with. The hard part was figuring out what to do with it all once I got it home. I'm not much of a "panel" person so this was incredibly challenging for me. I spent who knows how long thinking, sketching, thinking, and sketching some more....and still didn't have a clue as to what I was going to do with it. So it all got set aside. Until one day when I was watching a Fons and Porter quilt show on my local PBS station. They were doing a one-block quilt using their pyramid ruler. Well, I simply loved that ruler and just had to have one. So I did the hour drive into town and was lucky enough to get the very last ruler that my local JoAnns store had. While driving home (and feeling so lucky to have gotten the very last ruler), it dawned on me. I finally knew exactly what I was going to do with the Elvis panel and matching fabric I had bought. Out came the sketch pad. It only took a few sketches before I knew exactly what I was going to do. The end result is pictured above. I think the finished quilt came out to be about 70" x 80".... a nice size to snuggle in. It's currently on its way to Floriday. I hope she likes it.

Only a few more days until Christmas. I have all the gifts made that I'm going to make. Just about everything is wrapped and under the tree. Cookies are made (I made 12 dozen yesterday).....and I'm as ready as I'll ever be. :>) We did get some snow.....followed by freezing rain......followed by more snow. Then warmer temperatures and rain. Lots and lots of rain. We have a slight carpet of snow still left.....and lots of very large, very deep puddles of standing water everywhere. My poor critters!!! First the frigid temperatures.....then snow (which they seemed happy with)......and now all this rain. Wonder what Mother Nature has in store for us next?

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May it be filled with lots of love, laughter, and joy. :>)

Quilts for Kids

2009-12-13T09:39:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted on my blog. Sure doesn't feel like it's been all that long. Guess that goes to show me how crazy things have been around here lately. It's like the days are just flying by!

Pictured above is the very first Quilt for Kids quilt that I have made. It didn't take long at all to put together. A couple of hours at the machine resulted in a completed top. Another couple of hours resulted in a completed quilt. This one has been mailed off and received. A second kit arrived a few days ago and it patiently waiting for me to put it together. It will most likely have to wait until after the holidays though. Still have a few more things to finish up in the sewing room.

Usually we have snow on the ground by this time of year. Not so this year. Bare ground. :>( I really hope we get some snow for Christmas. Can't imagine not having snow on the ground Christmas day. Well, just because there is no snow, it doesn't mean that we don't have the cold weather. We have had plenty of that.....in spades!! You know it's been cold when the high hits 9 degrees and you are going "yea! It's warming up!". Yesterday was the warmest it has been in well over a week. The high was a balmy 23 degrees. Yea!! Snow is in the forecast. Now whether we actually see some or not.....who knows. Thankfully all the critters have nice heavy coats on them and are doing well with the frigid temperatures. All except my older llama. He was sheared this past spring so he doesn't have a full fleece in yet. When the temps dipped into the negative numbers he was out there shivering.....and there wasn't anything I could do for him. I wanted to cover him, but knew he wouldn't stand for it (literally.....and I really didn't feel like taking a hard hit from him with it being so cold). So I simply fed him some extra llama pellets in addition to putting out extra hay (which I had been doing since the frigid temps hit).....and then encouraged him to be more active........which wasn't a problem since the alpacas had decided to help by antagonizing him. It's so nice when everyone works together. :>)

Little Chaos

2009-11-05T09:58:00.000-08:00

Finished!!!! And given to the recipient.....who absolutely LOVED it. :.) It now resides with my youngest in her dorm room. She says it makes a great snuggle quilt.

Been working on Christmas gifts. It's that time of the year.....for me anyway. I'm nearly finished with one quilt.....and almost done with sock #1. Hope to finish the quilt up this weekend.....and hope to have the pair of socks done by mid-month. I only have one more knitted project to make for Christmas.....and two more quilts, plus a quilted tote. I'm hoping to get everything done with time to spare.....and very little stress on my part. Just have to keep reminding myself that I have plenty of time in which to do everything.

As an added bonus, my first kit arrived from Quilts for Kids. I'm so excited!!! I can't wait to get started on it. Just need to set a day aside just for that. Shouldn't take more than a day to get the quilt made, quilted, and washed. I would love to be able to send two completed quilts back. It's just a matter of squeezing another day in there to make another quilt. I already have the fabric for the second quilt put aside. It's times like this when I wish I had a second machine set up. Then I could be working on two projects at once. Oh well. Maybe some day. :.)

Quilted Tote

2009-10-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

I learned a new technique and was wondering what to do with the block that I had just created, when it dawned on me......make a tote!! I don't make totes very often as I really don't have the need for them (have way too many), but thought that this might make a nice surprise gift for a friend. So a tote was created. :.)

The design on this tote was created using the embroidery unit on my sewing machine. Some other amazingly creative person digitized the design. All I had to do was learn how to stitch it out correctly.....which took a bit of doing. I had never done applique with the embroidery unit before. I did manage to get the block stitched out and really love the way it turned out. The design in the center is colored with colored pencil....and heat set. The very center of that is beaded with tiny purple beads and a bird charm was then stitched to the center of that.

The front of the bag was quilted using a neutral colored quilting thread....outlining the applique design and stipple quilting around the stitched design inside of that. The background of the applique was quilted using a decorative stitch and the neutral colored thread in one direction. The same decorative stitch was used only with a clear metallic thread for the other direction. The entire bag was lined with the same fabric that was used for the applique on front. The bag was done with a box bottom and I put buttons made from recycled plastic on the bag bottom to act as "feet". This is suppose to give the bag something to sit on so the bottom doesn't get dirty.

There is no pattern, per se, for this bag. This is my own design....for the most part (applique not included). I'm sure that there are probably patterns similiar out there on the market somewhere. I have never seen them....nor have I looked for them. This is just something I will make from time to time....improving upon it each time. I hope to get it to where I can make any size bag needed without a bunch of trial and error. As for the recipient of this quilted tote......she was totally surprised and totally thrilled with it. I was informed that it will be her constant companion when she goes out. How wonderful is that!! :.)

The day after.......

2009-10-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

......a creative day is always hard for me. Things just don't seem to "flow" as well. It's not that the creative ideas don't keep coming. Because they do. It's just that things don't go as smoothly. I had finished up a pair of socks (that I had been working on for way too long) the night before last and it was time to choose a new knitting project. It was a no-brainer that I was going to start another sock project. After all, I had discovered how portable of a project it makes......and how calming it can be knitting on a pair of socks when the stress levels are a bit high (I had a procedure done about a week ago and knit on my socks the entire time........made things a bit easier to endure). Anyway, while looking for that perfect sock pattern (couldn't remember exactly where I saw it)......I came across a pattern for thrummed mittens. Perfect!! It was something I had been wanting to make and I even had the perfect yarn for it. Problem was I didn't have the needles needed. So I pulled things out for the thrummed mittens knowing that I couldn't start on the project until I got into town to buy the needles needed.

Well, after getting sidetracked with the mittens for quite some time (even pulled out the fiber for the thrums....black llama) I finally got back to looking for that perfect sock pattern. Once I found it, I photo copied it and then settled down to cast on. Did my swatch and my gauge was off by a stitch. Went up a needle size and my gauge was still off.....by half a stitch. Any larger and the fabric would be way too loose looking.....the yarn just wasn't heavy enough for larger needles. So I thought I would cast on and see what happens. Turns out it wouldn't work. If I had continued knitting the sock it would have ended up fitting a child. So everything was undone and the search for a new pattern began. I did find one pattern that I really liked and cast on for it. The gauge and needle size was a good match. The ribbing even turned out really nice. The problem was with the stitch pattern itself. Did nothing for me. Luckily I had only knit two rows.....so out they came. Found another pattern that was okay. Wasn't real crazy about it, but it did fit what I had done already. It calls for 1 1/2" of ribbing instead of the inch I had already knit. So I knit a couple more rows of ribbing.....and that was pretty much it. Not real crazy about the stitch pattern. So I think I may spend a bit of time seeing if I can't find something that works with what I have knit already. I really don't want to knit a "plain vanilla" sock. The yarn calls for something more. Just not quite sure what yet.

As for the picture above......well, that is a picture of the socks that I finally completed. Actually it is the only picture that turned out fairly decent. Turns out the socks don't photograph very well. Or maybe it was me. Anyway, I hope to have a better picture of the socks soon. Maybe yesterday just wasn't a very good photograph day either........

Creativity Abounds!!

2009-10-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days when you have the impulse to create, but don't know what? Then something catches your eye......and it's just enough to get you off and running. Before you know it, the afternoon has passed and you've created something amazing.

Well, I'm having one of those days. Woke up with an amazing amount of creative energy. Thought, "okay, time to work on this month's block" and as I was reaching for the monthly kit something caught my eye. It was a stack of brightly colored blocks. While I was working on the first of two blocks for this month that stack of brightly colors kept calling me. Before I knew it, the block of the month was set aside and those brightly colored blocks were laying all over my sewing table. Wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with them....until I started laying them out. Then it all just came together of its own accord. Once the blocks were laid out I started sewing. A couple of hours later I had a wonderful little quilt top. A few minutes later the perfect backing appeared.....the batting joined......and a quilt sandwich was born. :.) I call it "Little Chaos". I even know exactly how it will be quilted.

As I stood back admiring the morning's burst of creativity, it dawned on me how amazing it was to have everything I needed for this little quilt right at hand. The perfect border fabric....perfect colored backing in the right size.......and the perfect thread for machine quilting. Not a single thing was lacking or wanting. It's as if it was meant to be.....and this was the morning for it to be created. Gotta love days like this!! :.)

Of course I did have a very good night last night, too. Actually finished combing a lamb fleece. It was the very first fleece I have ever combed. I was simply amazed at how beautiful and clean the fiber is. And this is from a fleece that I thought for sure would be tossed. There was so much vm in it!! Definitely not a fleece that I would have even thought about picking and carding. It was that dirty. Of course now that it's all clean time to move onto the next step....blending it with some white baby camel top that I have. Just haven't quite decided whether I will be adding blending nylon to it or faux cashmere. It will all depend on how the nylon that I ordered looks. It's supposed to resemble silk. We'll see. I will be spinning sock yarn from it. I thought my hubby would enjoy a pair of shetland lamb/baby camel socks. :.)

On to fair spinning........ pictured below is the bobbin on my Ashford Country Spinner. On the bobbin is a Shetland lamb/kid mohair blend that I spun up at the fair. I used the Country Spinner to ply all the singles thatI had spun. The first skein (pictured below) ended up being about 500 yards (weighing about 13 ounces) of a nice worsted weight yarn (10 wpi). The second skein still needs to have the twist set, but it is also a worsted weight yarn.....with about 490 yards in the skein. Then there is a third smaller skein of about 78 yards. Haven't decided what I will do with all the finished yarn yet. Thought about a vest.....maybe thrummed mittens and a scarf......or maybe a felted teddy bear. The possibilities are endless. :.)

I also spun up some sock yarn at the fair this year. It was all spun on a drop spindle then plyed on a wheel. It's a polypay x/icicle top blend. There is actually a story of sorts behind this yarn. My youngst had died up all these short pieces of polypay x roving and then left it all in a large ziplock. I had asked her what she was going to do with it all. Her response "I think I will spin it up. Well, that was eons ago. She has since then graduated high school and moved out (college dorms). I was cleaning up the fiber room right before the fair and noticed this large ziplock filled with all these short pieces of dyed roving. Was a bit upset when I saw it......then thought "why not spin it up myself". The idea was to spin up the ugliest, gaudiest yarn I possibly could and then make her socks from it......which I would give to her for Christmas. (insert evil mom laugh here) Well, things didn't quite turn out as I thought. She saw the fiber as I was spinning it and absolutely LOVED it!! When I was spinning it, the fiber was in about six different batts and each one was a different color. I decided to "blend" the various singles together when plying in the hopes of creating a very colorful, very cohesive sock yarn. I think I actually accomplished that. :.) And I even found the perfect sock pattern for it. Oh, happy days!!!!

Tumbled Apples

2009-09-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

It's been a bit of time since I last posted. September is always a busy time around here. It's fair time. Things went really well at the fair this year. There were lots of demonstrators so I wasn't stuck behind the "wheel" spinning for ten or more hours a day. And there wasn't the normal drama that there usually is in the barn. Reason for this......no sheep!!! The sheep numbers were incredibly low.....and the goat numbers were incredibly high. So the barns were switched. The goats got the big barn and the sheep were moved into the little barn. The wool department (which is what I run) is located in the big barn so I didn't have to worry about being moved. I did, however, get quite a bit of grief from the "sheep people" because they were "kicked out of their barn". I honestly couldn't believe how rude they were!! It's not like I had anything to do with it either....because I didn't. It was sheer numbers. When you have close to 500 goats and barely 100 sheep.....well, which one do you think will be getting the big barn. Goats, of course.

I will confess to really enjoying having the goats in the barn. The breeders were nice....the barn was always full......and it just made the entire fair really pleasant. Even the demonstrators for the wool department commented on how nice it was having the goats in the barn. And the fair goers really didn't seem to mind that we were spinning sheep wool in a barn full of goats. :.) Plus the breeders played games with their goats and invited the public to join in. Really filled the barn....which meant plenty of people at the wool department. Kept everyone busy spinning, carding, and answering questions. :.)

While the fair went well, things at home did not go as smoothly. Came home late one night only to discover that I was short a sheep. Did a head count to make sure.Then went walking the pature with a small headlamp on. Found my little yearling ewe. She had passed away sometime during the day.....from scours. My hubby had told me that she was off her feed and staying away from the rest of the flock. I was hoping it would pass, but had this awful feeling that I would end up losing her....which we did. She was buried out in pasture the next morning where she will always be with the rest of the flock. With being so busy at the fair and my hubby's long work hours.....well, it's just hard to always be there for the wooly ones. I'm not sure there would have been anything I could have done for her anyway, short of a vet visit. And even then........no point to dwell on should have's, would have's, could have's.

Well, it's been a week since I finished things up for the fair. I'm finally getting caught up on things around the house. I still have a lot of singles to ply and finish up. I spun a whopping two pounds this year at the fair. Most of it on a spinning wheel.....with about four ounces of it being spun on drop spindle. I didn't get to finish up the socks I have been working on. People wanted to see the 'Tank" in action. So no knitting for me. I do hope to get those done sometime this week though.

Last night I took the time and finally finished up my Tumbled Apples quilt (pictured above and below). It felt good to finally finish something. :.) I had bought the blocks already pre-cut so all I had to do was sew them into rows...and the rows into a top. I really loved the apple fabric and wanted to use it as a border. In order to tie the apple fabric in with the quilt center I decided to embroider the apple trees. Unfortunately, I didn't take into consideration the fabric background on which the embroideries would be. So they don't "pop" like I was hoping they would. Oh well. Live and learn. :.) It is something I will definitely try again. I'll just make sure the fabric background will enhance the embroidery, not hide it.

Sunflowers

2009-08-29T06:36:00.000-07:00

I love sunflowers! Love the colors they come in....the various shapes and colors. While they may not be the prettiest flower (from ground up) they are very elegant and make me happy. :.) I thought I would share a few pictures of the ones that made it through the very hot summer we have had and are now starting to bloom.

Enjoy!!

Organized Chaos

2009-08-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

And that is what it's been like around here the last couple of weeks. Between settling the boys in and helping the youngest get packed and ready for her move to college......it's just been plain chaotic. Well, the youngest has moved and is now settled into the dorms. She loves the campus and the town surrounding the campus. Her and her roommate get along well. .....and her "intended" lives on the floor above her. So all is well with her world. Oh, and class starts tomorrow....which she can't wait for. :.)

As for me.....well, I must confess that it is harder for me to adjust to an empty house than I thought it would be. I actually felt lost....and very, very sad. The lost feeling is slowly starting to go away. Still feel sad at times, but I'm not crying anymore.....and that's a good thing. :.) I started a new quilt project. The top is almost done. Just needs a bit more embroidery and then it will be ready for sandwiching and quilting. I've also done a lot of spinning. I just set the twist on the last of the plyed yarn today. That will make three completed skeins of yarn in the last two weeks. Quite a bit for me. :.) I've also been playing around with dyeing my batts. I've been using Border Leister for that. My experimentation hasn't quite turned out the way I was expecting....but it's still rather pretty....or at least I think so anyway. :.) It's encouraging enough that I will keep on trying until I get what I'm after. It's absolutely amazing how different the two skeins turned out even though I used the same dye colors. Didn't even mix new ones for the second skein. I had plenty left from the first.

I did finish the graduation quilt....which was aptly named "Organized Chaos". It looked absolutely beautiful on her dorm bed. Fit perfectly. :.) Her side of the room is done in bright colors....pink, turquoise, purple, yellow. Real sunny. :.) This was definitely the project quilt. There are something like 72 pieced blocks in all......and 26 embroidered blocks. The whole thing is set on point (which always gives me fits). The machine quilting is rather simple. Mostly straight line quilting using a serpentine stitch and variegated thread. The embroideries are outlined with meander quilting in the background. Pictured are a couple of the embroideries found on the quilt.

Now I will end this the same way it started.....with a picture of smiling Casa. He has a perpetual smile on his face. You can't help but smile and feel happy inside every time you see him. :.)

My new boys :.)

2009-08-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

Here they are!!! My new boys. :.) After a very long, but very pleasant, drive they are finally here. So meet.....Whitikin (the true black)......Casadeora (the red in the center)......and Jack-O-Lantern (the rose gray).

All 3 were gifted to me by a very generous breeder in Oregon. The drive down was lovely! We visited Sisters, Oregon....went through the Willamette National Forest (very, very pretty!!)......saw an amazing historical bridge.....and really enjoyed the lovely scenery. Had a wonderful visit with the breeder the boys came from. All of the other alpacas were very friendly.....and very, very pretty. At one point I was surrounded by babies ranging in age from 2 weeks up to a year. It was amazing!! While I was playing with babies, my hubby was getting to know the boys.

We spent the night in Eugene and loaded everyone up the next morning. They loaded very easily....and very quickly.....in Whitikin's case. He literally ran into the trailer and squeezed himself between Casa and Jack. He didn't want to be left behind. :.) The trip back up was just as nice as the one going down. We took a different way home and saw so many beautiful things. Every time we would stop heads would pop up. It got to be quite comical. "Are we there yet??" :.) We arrived home late yesterday afternoon. Unloading went very quickly. The boys were more than ready to see their new home and meet the flock.

Here is Whitikin saying hello to Q-Tip. Q-Tip is always one of the first to greet any newcomers. He is almost as curious as Whitkin is.

I was a little nervous about the boys meeting the llamas....especially Cavi. He's the alpha male of the flock and everyone knows it. Things went much better than I expected. :.) Below is a picture of Whitkin (told you he was curious) saying hello to Cavi. This was one of my favorite moments from yesterday.

Of course the thing I wasn't expecting was the bit of tension between Levi and the new boys. Levi (my white llama) is very, very friendly.....and very curious. So when there was a bit of tension between him and the new boys I was stumped. Couldn't figure it out until I remembered that the breeder had a light colored herdsire that was aggressive with the boys. Then it all made sense. So I watched and waited. While there was still a bit of ears laid back (on Jack's part) things went pretty well. Levi showed no signs of aggression at all. At one point, Cavi felt Jack was being too aggressive (with the growling and ears laid back) with Levi and actually stepped between the two. After that, things calmed down. It will take a bit of time, but I think everyone will become great friends. :.) And I think Cavi will retain his status as Alpha male of the group. After all, he does tower over everyone.....which makes him very happy. :.) As for me....well, I'm on cloud nine with happiness. My flock finally seems complete and I have some wonderful fiber to play with. What more could I ask for. :.)

Finally done

2009-07-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

These are the socks that I've been working on....and they are finally done. They were a test knit for a designer in Colorado, so I'm not sure when the pattern will be available for sale. They did knit up rather nicely. And the pattern was very easy to follow. It was my first attempt at doing a short row heel and toe. Both were easy to do once I got the hang of it. Picking up those wraps with the stitches can be a bit on the tricky side. I had read somewhere that if you simply put the wraps on the needle and then treat it as if you were knitting multiple stitches together that it would be easier and look a bit neater. Well, I gave it a try. One side of the heel layed really nice. The other side looks like the wraps/stitches are just a bit tight. Looks like I will definitely have to practice that technique a bit more. :>)

The yarn I used was a Targhee/Merino/Corriedale blend. Lovely yarn to work with. It was spun semi-worsted so it wasn't overly fuzzy. Wish it would have been a bit more consistent as far as thickness, but that's okay. This was a really great pattern for the yarn. Really hid all the inconsistencies very nicely. :>) I have enough yarn left to make another pair of socks.....which I will be doing.....and which will be going to my mother-in-law. My father-in-law will get the pair that is already done. This way they both will have a pair of wool socks hand knit from handspun yarn.....only in different patterns so they can tell them apart.

Fiber Fun!!

2009-07-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

I've been having fun playing with fiber. Lots and lots of fun!! Yesterday I finished washing up the last of the 2009 fleeces that I kept for myself. Wow! There were some beautiful fleeces this year! It was amazing.....especially considering the winter we had and the acquisition of a new llama (Levi) who insisted on eating over the sheep instead of next to them. It was also challenging to keep washing until all the fleeces were done. With each newly washed fleece, I just wanted to drop everything and play with it. :>) With all the shetland fleeces washed, I only have a bit of alpaca and llama wool to wash. Then I can finally settle down and enjoy it all. :>)

Pictured below is the batts that I carded up in between washes and rinses. The first set of batts pictured are a shetland/llama/soy silk blend. I used moorit shetland (this was skirtings from a fleece that sold....mostly britch) with this lovely red llama that I purchased.....and added a small amount of soy silk (for strength). This will be spun into sock yarn......someday. It was a lovely, lovely blend. One that I would love to repeat some day. I think I ended up with 8-9 ounces in all.

I've been spinning quite a few sample skeins lately on my drop spindle. Just too impatient to see what the finished yarn will look like. :>) Anyway, the skein on the left is shetland/llama/soy silk blend (from the batts pictured above). The skein on the right is shetland/alpaca blend. The shetland used was a light cream color, while the alpaca was a lovely red color. The sample skein came out incredibly soft!! Even the shetland/llama blend came out feeling soft. Not as soft as the shetland/alpaca blend....but still quite a bit softer than what you would expect from britch. Both sample skeins were spun woolen on the drop spindle. The fiber was carded on hand cards.

The last batts pictured are of a shetland/llama/icicle top blend. The shetland is shetland black.....the llama is gray (that I purchased).....with a touch of icicle to give it a bit of sparkle. I had blend the shetland and llama together and really didn't care for the way the finished batt looked. Kinda dull. So I added a touch of icicle top and was amazed at the end result. The picture on the left shows the coloring of the batt, while the picture on the right really shows the sparkle of the icicle. Only half of this is carded up. I want to do a total of four batts....enough for socks. Then I would love to use the remaining shetland and blend it with either with white llama (also purchased) or with some red alpaca. Haven't decided which yet. All I know is that I'm more than ready to finally see the last of the black shetland. Even with gifting some of it, there was still quite a bit left. That was one pretty large fleece!!

Disappointment.....

2009-07-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

.....is when the fleeces you thought were so pretty turn out to be something entirely different. Disappointment is when you have to toss those same fleeces because there is simply nothing to work with. Disappointment is having someone tell you " I told you so" when you were hoping for something else.

I finally decided to wash a couple of fleeces that I had purchased back in May. I was so excited when these fleeces had arrived. They were of breeds that I had never worked with before....which was exciting in itself. I had opened the bags upon arrival. Everything looked great! Even took pictures and then shared them on my blog. Couldn't wait for the weather to turn nice so I could wash them. Well, the weather turned nice and I pulled all the fleeces out to wash. The smell that hit me when I opened the bags was horrible!! " So they are dirty" I thought and continued on. Pulled the smaller of the three fleeces out and put it on the table. Went to open it up, but there was nothing to open up. It was a piled jumble of mess. My hubby said it looked more like a bagful of skirting than a fleece. There was dung tags, second cuts, dirt, vegetation, and poo (not sheep either). The few locks that looked good were not. Upon closer inspection they were matted with giant burrs. So out the fleece went. The second fleece went up on the table. Same smell. Same pile of mess....only more of it. This one followed the first....unsalvageable. My hubby simply wanted to toss the final fleece, but I wanted to see if something was salvageable. Even if it was only a few ounces. After all, I had paid for these and didn't want to feel as if I had thrown money in the trash (which I basically was doing by tossing the first two). So the final fleece went up on the table. It was a white Border Leister fleece. Or at least it was supposed to be white. It was actually yellow and brown....and stunk real bad. We did spend the time and picked through this one.....all six pounds of it! It was totally disgusting. I think we ended up salvaging maybe a pound of it. The fleece was in the same condition as the other two....only with less burrs and more poo. I honestly don't know how much of it was matted with poo. It was so bad that you couldn't even pull the locks apart. You were literally tearing the fiber itself. What little we salvaged I proceeded to wash. The first wash.....Yuck!! Not only was the water this disgusting color, but it stunk really, really bad! The second wash was a bit better. Still had to toss a few locks that were beyond hope....but not too many. The little bit we salvaged went through 2 washes and 3 rinses before the water was finally clear. I was hoping to end up with a small pile of white locks....but I didn't. Instead I ended up with a small pile of yellow locks with a bit of white near the cut ends. It will all be dyed.....probably a nice shade of blue. Of course the washing also revealed all the dirt that was hidden inside the locks. Little tiny granulars of dirt. I'm hoping most of this will fall out when it is put through the picker.....and the rest when it is carded.

Learned alot with those fleeces......like I will most likely never buy a fleece online again. This wasn't the first not-so-good experience I have had.....which puts me in a tough spot. I sell my fleeces online and don't want to discourage anyone from buying online. It's a wonderful resource. I'm just a bit sad that not everyone who sells fleeces online makes sure that the buyer is getting a nice fleece. Makes for a lot of very wary buyers....which is not fair to those of us who do put the effort out to insure that we only sell nice fleeces. It also made me take another look at my own fleeces. Wow! The ones that I feel are bad and won't sell (usually keep these for myself) really aren't near as bad as I think they are. :.) They don't have poo of any type in them.......or dung tags.....or burrs. Just a bit more vegetation than I would like. Sure makes me very thankful that I do take the time to go over each and every fleece before I sell them. At least I know that whoever buys a fleece from me is getting something that they can use all of....and not have to throw half of it out. And I also know that when they open that bag the smell coming from it is of sheep and nothing else.

Yes, I have had some good experiences buying online as well. I just purchased some very lovely llama wool from a breeder.....and have really enjoyed using it. I enjoyed the fiber so much that I ordered another pound of it. It's this beautiful red color. I also purchased some amazing alpaca wool from another breeder....and just recently ordered more from them. The fiber was that lovely. :.) I guess buying online all hinges on trust. Trust that the seller (or breeder) will have nice fiber. Trust that you will truly get what you ordered. Trust that the photos you see are indeed of the same fiber (or fleece or animal that the fleece is coming from) that you have actually purchased. And that is all I have to say on this topic.

Moving on......in my last post I had mentioned some of the sample yarns that I had been spinning.....and had requests for pictures. So here they are! :.) The top picture is of a sample yarn that I spun from a single lock from Jack's fleece. His fleece is this amazing color (pictured in my last post). It was hard getting a picture of the yarn since I hadn't really spun all that much up. It will be such a pretty fleece to work with. I have a pound and 14 ounces of this wonderful fiber to play with. :.)

The next sample yarn pictured (on the right) is a blend that I've been carding up. It's a shetland/llama/soy silk blend. The shetland fiber is moorit in color.....the llama is cinnamon red....and I used a honey colored soy silk. This sample was spun from the leftovers on the drum carder. Not the most perfect yarn, but it gives me a real good idea of what the yarn will look like spun from the batts. I'm almost done carding it. Only three more batts to go. :.)

The final sample yarn was spun from wool from one of my guardian llamas. He has incredibly soft fiber.....but also get incredibly dirty. I ended up spinning it really fine so I could pick out all the teeny tiny bits of vm as I went. The singles were really soft. Plyed it and then didn't care for the way it looked (or felt). So I plyed it again and ended up with my very first cabled yarn. :.) The yarn turned out much nicer. Feels soft, but not as soft as the singles did. It also has a bit of weight to it. I really can't explain how it feels. Heavy, but a soft, silky heavy....if this makes any sense. I have a couple pounds from this spring's shearing out in the barn. I'm going to play around with cleaning and spinning to see if I can finally spin a yarn that I am completely happy with.

One sock done....

2009-07-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

The first sock is done. Yea! Didn't turn out too bad. Unfortunately it was a bit snug for my hubby, but fit his father beautifully. So the socks will end up going to his father. Then I get to knit a second pair for his mother. Will most likely use a different pattern though....so they can tell their socks apart. :.) I will be using the same yarn.....which is nice since I have enough for a second pair of socks.....and since she really likes the yarn used in this sock.

As for the second sock...it has been started. The cuff is done and I've got a good start on the leg. I'm hoping to have it finished in about a week. I have to finish it in about a week. If I don't, then I won't have enough time to get a second pair of socks knitted before hubby's parents leave. And I really want to finish up that second pair before they leave.

Switching gears....from socks to fiber......here are pictures of Jack's lamb fleece. I know I've shared pictures of this fleece before, but I just couldn't help myself. It's so pretty!! I washed his fleece up a couple of days ago and the colors are even more vibrant. It's a very stunning fleece. In fact, I was so excited about it that I washed up a single lock and then spun it on my drop spindle. The yarn turned out amazing! All that color variation came through in the yarn. Now I have to decide how I want to spin the fleece. Do I want to spin the entire thing lock by lock? Or will I blend some of it with another fiber? I just got some very lovely true black alpaca fiber in the mail. It would look stunning blended with Jack's fiber. Or do I card it and hope the colors don't blend so much that I end up with an all gray batt. Decisions, decisions, decisions!!!!

One the drum carder is a lovely blend that I hope to get pictures of soon. The wool is from my ewe, Willow. She is this lovely soft moorit color. Her fleece tips tend to get lighter...almost a honey colored blonde. Very pretty against the soft moorit coloring. Well, her 2009 fleece was one of the first ones to sell this year. As I was skirting it I noticed that all the skirtings were really clean....and rather pretty. So I set it aside for myself. Washed it all up and have been playing with it. It's mostly britch, so it's not as soft as the rest of her fleece....and will end up being made into socks. I recently bought some very pretty cinnamon colored llama wool that I decided to blend with Willow's fiber. Thought the red would make for a pretty accent against the soft moorit coloring. Then I decided to blend in a bit of honey colored soy silk.....to give the finished yarn a bit of strength since I know it will be used for socks. What I didn't plan on was how pretty the completed batt looks. The llama picks up the red coloring the wool while the soy silk highlights the honey blonde tips. Really , really pretty! I can't wait to finish carding up the rest of it so I can start spinning. There's nothing like being pleasantly surprised by a blend. :.)