Week 15 of 2024

Mainly knitting this week, but I did press and trim more of the blocks that at sew at a monthly makers get together -

Now there are 54 Broken Dishes blocks (I need 218 total now because I decided to make a smaller quilt).

I finished spinning the fibre batt that I made from a local wool and our dog's fur.

79g of worsted weight tweed Chiengora yarn.

And knit a hat with it - a very quick knit. This one is for my son - Molly is his dog.

I am amazed how soft the yarn turned out, and the hat has a lovely halo.

I didn't use a pattern - more details can be found on a Ravelry page.

I finished knitting a pair of handspun socks.

A warm week last week.

Photos from Around- 

The snow has just about all melted, and the pets are so happy rolling around on the dry grass.

We had a nice view of the solar eclipse this week (just partial for us, but at least the clouds were clear enough to see it).

Miss Maggie in a nest.

Miss Molly found a big stick (we had high winds that blew some dead trees over).

Just visible, but there are a few flocks of Tundra Swans in the photo.

We usually see more geese than swans, I don't know why it is different this year.

Both ponds have pairs of Mallards on them - hopefully they will stay (last summer was the first year Mallards nested on both ponds).

All the best!♥︎

Week 14 of 2024

I worked on a few different projects this week -

I finished spinning a skein of sock yarn from some Merino/nylon that I had dyed recently.

An online spinning group that I belong to is having a challenge this month to spin a tweed yarn. I decided to drum card a bunch of salvaged fibre. This is all fluff that was (some maybe should have been) destined for the compost. Fur from Molly (collected over the years from brushing her after baths), wool from a local farmer (from meat sheep), scraps of handspun, and a tiny bit of winter white Jack Rabbit fur (found in the yard).

Molly was SO excited about the finished batt.

Machine quilted a quilt that is a gift, so can't say too much at the moment.

The temperatures really warmed up this week, so lots of new colours on the temperature blanket.

Photos from Around-

Maggie and Molly watching a Mourning Dove on the driveway earlier in the week. One of the first migrating bird we saw this year, now so many are back.

This morning we saw so many flocks of Tundra Swans heading north.

Molly looking back for Maggie on our morning walk earlier in the week (still lots of snow).

Here she comes.

Another morning walk - snow almost gone.

Miss Molly had a drugged-up trip to the vet for some vaccinations (those eyes!) - she did really well.

Today we had a surprise visitor - a Gray Squirrel under the bird feeder (we never have them here). The snow is almost all gone.

All the best!♥︎

Week 13 of 2024

I finished sewing the quilted jacket! 

This was made using a heavily modified Lutterloh pattern (#77 from supplement #320 - a vintage pattern that I made a French Terry jacket with a while ago). I removed the collar from the pattern.

Increased the centre fronts so I would have room for buttons and buttons holes.

Also made the sleeves longer and narrower. To finish the seams on the jacket I used an overlocker/serger, but I covered the seams for about 6" on the sleeves, so that they would look nice when folded back.

The bias binding on the jacket was leftover from a quilt I had made years ago (I had just enough!).

This was the original quilt top (more details on a previous post found here).

I also finished weaving some more tea towels. Made from 2/8 cotton, and one woven with some cotton chenille too, in a Huck pattern.

I sewed a top for my Mom from fabric my sister had given her (some kind of a stretch rayon).

It is from a Lutterloh pattern - #123, from supplement #322 (I had made her one last summer without sleeves and she loves it).

I turned the heels on my socks, so now this will become my take along project since it is just round and round knitting until all the yarn is used up (knitting from both ends of the ball).

Three months on the temperature blanket, and I should start seeing new colours soon with winter over!

Photos from Around -

Sunrise a few days ago.

Miss Maggie on a mission (more than likely to find a snack).

Molly playing catch (we had more snow this past week).

All the best!♥︎

Week 12 of 2024

Knitting for this week -

I started a pair of socks with yarn that I spun last week.

Toe-up, two-at-a-time, 64 stitches, on 2.5mm needles.

Temperature blanket.

Photos from Around-

Not too much snow left, but temperatures are cold again.

Sunrise.

Our yard is like a skating rink now.

Some interesting ice patterns too.

All the best!♥︎

Week 11 of 2024

One of my favourite things is dyeing fibre for spinning - playing with colour. 

I am not scientific, I just mix different colours, and pour them on the fibre. It is always exciting to see how it turns out.

I love spinning the fibre up (for a 3 ply yarn),

and seeing how the yarn turns out (this is from the bundle on the left in the above photo).

In 2022 I dyed and spun yarn for 12 pairs of socks, and since then I haven't made handspun socks, so I bought some fibre for socks. I find that I can be very experimental with colours for socks, I use about 120g of fibre. This one is a BFL/Nylon sock blend from Nikki Slipp on Etsy.

A birthday stripe on the temperature blanket this week.

Photos from Around-

Miss Maggie had a trip to the vet, and Molly was quite concerned (luckily Maggie has a white triangle on her neck so we can see her when it is dark). She always burrows into the quilt and stays quiet in her carrier.

Lots of signs of spring now - so many flocks of geese (swans too).

Jack Rabbits are starting to show signs of brown on their backs.

The snow is really melted on the surrounding fields.

Dirty looking snow in the yard.

Beautiful sunrise!

All the best!♥︎