TWO SURPRISES!

The quilt is shaping up--it is so much fun arranging 

and rearranging the blocks!  So many choices!

And my chrysalis hatched the butterfly!  What an amazing journey!  I missed the actual emerging but saw him pretty soon afterwards and was able to release him!  Just incredible!

 

HST'S RULE

I needed a new piecing project so pulled out one I just bought

 while on the Shop Hop!

I read through my instructions and got the gist of the pattern.

I matched up the colors I bought--6 prints; 3 in darks and 3 in lights.

I laid the two strips right sides together and drew my stitching lines.

After a bit of piecing and pressing, I have a few blocks! 

 I can't wait to mix in the other prints!

Today will see that happen!

SOCKS FOR SUNDAY

The Wool Select Jacquard socks in the Trailblazer colorway

are off the needles

 and ready for a good wash and dry. 

 It was easy to find the right spot to begin the next sock

 because I ended the first one at 'just the right spot'! 

 I knit on 2.5 mm needles over 64 stitches, toe-up 

for a pair of 8-11 women's socks!

 

FLITTING LIKE A BUTTERFLY!

 

Here is a great link for understanding the stages

 of the Monarch butterfly!

I transferred the chrysalis into this large jar to await the big transformation!

And the towels are off the loom and on the table! 

 The two towels are 24" x 11 1/2" and a 12 1/2" mat.

I did a bit of organizing and found this languishing shawl;  I have pulled it out and knit two twelve row repeats--I am on the decreasing side of the pattern so hope to get this out of the project bag and onto my shoulders!

(It's the Pimpelliese Shawl I started this in 2020-not too long ago!)

And if one wasn't enough, I found this one, too!  Unfortunately, this one didn't have the pattern in the project bag so I will have to try and copy what I have done with a bit of trial and error!  If you recognize it, please say so in the comments.  I will do a deep dive into the archives for my blog and see if I can find it!

(I did find that this is the Close to You shawl but it was buried deeply;  I started this in 2016!)

And I even worked on the inside of the bowl!  I have a few problems in the numerous cracks and will try to glue sawdust in them and see if that helps to make the cuts smooth going.

FRIDAY FINISHES!

The 3-yard quilt top is all sewn together and ready for the quilting frame!  It was pretty easy to stitch it and even a bit boring to just keep adding the borders one after another!

The set of towels are off the loom and hemmed and even washed and in the dryer!  I will trim threads and press it tomorrow for the final measurements and beauty shots!

Look at how pretty the blooms are

 as they tower over everything in the front yard!

But here is the piece de resistance----

a monarch butterfly chrysalis!!!!  

It is hanging in the pot of aloes 

and the greens match so perfectly I almost missed it!!!! 

 I think I will be putting it in a large jar to be able to see it hatch 

and not lose it to a passing turkey family  like last year!

WOOD WORKS

I cleaned the wood shop area;  the tools and the floor, etc so that I could begin work on that burl we acquired a few weeks ago!  It felt so good to work in front of the lathe!!!!  I still have another hour of sanding and sealing this half of the bowl then I will be turning it around to hollow out the inside.

The burl bumps will be on the brim of the bowl. 

 I have no idea exactly how this will turn out 

but I can be sure it will be a unique piece!

ALMOST A TOP!

  I have all of the pieces blocks finished 

and the borders are cut but nothing is sewn to its neighbor yet

 but that is on the schedule for today!  

And Bill is sore but doing pretty well considering.  

POST SURGERY TIME

I was able to get a ton of knitting time in

 while in the Surgery Center with Bill yesterday! 

 He did well but it is harder to have surgery the older you get! 

 The staff were great but home is much better!

Once home,  Bill took several long naps 

and so I was able to get some piecing done; 

half the blocks I need are done! 

 I am enjoying the secondary pattern that develops!

I was able to do a bit of weaving, too.

  I am finished with the first towel

 (I know this by reaching the end of the 30" ribbon) 

and then wove a different pattern for the hem area

and am moving onto the second towel!  

 

SOME KNITTING TIME

I will be working on my sock knitting today since I will be in the waiting room for quite a while;  

Bill is having surgery to remove his gall bladder.

  It has been plaguing him since just before Thanksgiving.

The week will have a much slower pace 

which is just what we both need;  

I hope Bill breezes through this surgery 

as he has through most of the others!

 

LITTLE AND LOTTA BITS

Ahhhh, a pair of socks on the needles finally!  It has been way too long.  I haven't had too much time for knitting but it sure was wonderful to get the toe done.

The Lotta Bit has been keeping up with these two! lol 

 We had glorious weather and they knew right where they wanted to be!  And I have been savoring each minute with them!

 

SUNSHINE!

The Heliopsis is in bloom again and has many buds ready to continue the beauty for most of the summer!

But I had to reach quite high to get a picture

 because this plant is 8' tall already! 

 (This is a special plant to me because it came from my Dad in NY several years ago and adapted well to its very different clime!)

This is on my schedule for the weekend!!!  

There are GrandBoys on deck!!!!!

 

GLOWING WORK!

The two layer cake scrambled tops are finished! 

 The dimensions are 40 50". 

 I have the backing so they will be heading to the frame in no time!

I started a new quilt top!  It sure has a few units to fit together but it isn't too hard; I just have to be attentive! 

 (which is asking for a lot many days!)

It produced a very pretty block at least! 

 (Remember, the white and the white on the mushrooms

 glow in the dark!!!)  

 

BLUE SKIES, BLUE WAVES

We were in St Augustine yesterday for an appointment for Bill and when we arrived, the receptionist informed us that the doctor (surgeon) had an emergency and would be back in office in a few hours!  So we decided to do our errands first and when we finally finished with the Dr later, we decided to visit the ocean! 

 The beauty was very good therapy!

This is along the inter-coastal waterway.

Just a cottage that appeals to me with the ocean in the back yard!

Oh, and we might've stopped for a delicious cone, too!

Lena was very glad to welcome my lap home and curled up for several hours--I was just as pleased with the rest!

 

WEAVING WONDERS

 Another Undulating 2/2 Twill.  

This one is from the Hand weaver's Pattern Directory, page 201.

This one took some threading and re-threading but I finally got it! 

 I love the treadling on this one!  

I'm using 3/2 cotton for a pair of towels.

FABRIC FORTUNES

I enjoyed a day at home yesterday!  It has been a long time since I had a relaxing day at home!  I cleaned (which I like to do!) and laundered and picked up and then spent the rest of the day in the studio!  I pieced the rest of the blocks from the layer cake

 and sorted them.

Today, I will be putting the borders on 

so they will be ready for the quilting queue!

I also tackled the 'glow in the dark' quilt.  I have the large pieces cut and ready to begin stitching and then cutting into units!

This pile of blocks which was given for me to make a kids' quilt got some attention.  It is mostly horses in the blocks but also a funny cow in each row!  It will be very cute!

 

A WOOD BUMP

I called dibs on a burl on a tree at church.  When I saw that someone had removed it (half was rotten and it wasn't safe anymore) I reminded Bill of my claim!  He brought his chainsaw and cut the piece for me!

See the bump?  It is called a burl and it has the most interesting wood grain for a bowl!

He cut out the chunk for me and then halved the log 

so I can get to work on it this week!

I can't wait to get back to work at the lathe!

 

A WRAP ON THE WARP!

It's on the table!  

I love the thought of having my own woven runner

 and enjoyed each step of this weaving project! 

The towel/place mat looks great on the island, too!

I dressed the loom with a new warp already!

This one is from Lotsaknots.

And the new patterns is off to a good start! 

( the reddish yarn is just to spread out the threads 

and not part of the weaving!)  This time I am weaving two towels

 in another undulating twill pattern.