Creative Company Time

 Marsel learned the finer tips and tricks to plying yarn.   She made a very balanced skein of wool.

 This was the little skein before its wash and dry.

 What a great accomplishment!  40 yards of beautiful yarn!

 The kids braved a swim-the water temperature was only in the high 60's.

Bill's sister, Barbara and her husband, Doug,  came for a visit!  It was so good to see them again!
We had a great dinner with my parents, too, and then a rousing game of cards!  So nice to share.
(Barbara had recent knee surgery, hence the fancy stockings! )

 The new shawl pattern is working out great and is fun to knit.   I have the shawl scrunched on this needle-it is a lot wider laid out flat but I need my circular #13 needles and I can't find them!  Grrr.

 I worked out my own pattern for the pocket fingerless mitts for Bruce.  I knit a cuff up pair of mitts as usual.

 Then when I reached the point for ribbing on the fingers, I added a M1 for every stitch on the needle so I doubled my stitches on the back of the hand.   I put the stitches on a waste yarn and finished the ribbing.

 Then I knit the pocket and added ribbing when I reached the cuff.   I left the tails long on the beginning and end so I could use them to sew the pocked down using the purl bumps so it would be invisible from the right side.   The hand itself holds the pocket closed so you can put in the rice hand warmer!  I am working hard to finish the second one before they head home!  Of course, the mitt can be worn without the warmer and it will just have a second layer of wool on the back of the hand!  I am happy with the pattern and the ease of the knit!

 We sewed four little heatable rice hand warmers.

 Here is the dimensions if you want to give it a try.  They are filled with brown rice and a bit of essential oil in your favorite aroma.  (I use an 1/8th cup of instant brown rice)  Sew the funnel hole shut and they are ready to microwave again and again.  (30 seconds on high gives about a 1/2 hour of warm!)

 We used the bevel soap scraps to make a sachet-this one in peppermint.

 Mom's back is out and she is marooned in her chair.  Marsel and I took on a very advanced paper piecing project and tortured enjoyed ourselves for several hours!

 We did end up with some relatively accurate dragonflies for table runners-we will compare completed projects next visit!

 Today, Marsel started her spinning skills on the new pink roving.  There was a bit of adjustment on the finer top instead of carded wool but she caught right on to the nuances.   I am a very proud mama!

 This afternoon we visited our patient.  We got a bit of knitting done but a lot more stories and laughter which is powerful healing medicine!

Tonight, like they do after a week of camp, we had a campfire and some s'mores and enjoyed each other for our last night of this long visit.  (Bill had the van at Tire Kingdom for tire rotation and alignment so he missed the Kumbaya songs!)