Sock Off and Sock On!

These are a pair now!

I used Hawthorne Bare yarn from KnitPicks

and dyed from a sock blank I knit on the knitting machine double stranded.

The socks match perfectly this way.

And I have immediately cast on the tangled skein yarn

which I had hoped would be traditional Christmas

colored but this faded Victorian version has its own charm!

So Much Sewing!

 Yesterday, I finished sewing these blocks together!

This is very similar to the mystery quilt because I cut too many parts for the first one

and I didn't want to 'waste' them!  So another quilt is about to be born!

 I'm going to make a lap quilt with these orphan blocks from my aunt's stash.

 I took these blocks I had made last year, cut them from 8" blocks to 6"blocks 

and arranged them for a table runner.

Nice to pull things from the shelf and give them life.

And more ideas abound!

Face masks and a new quilt is going to be cut out today!

Sock Progress

As usual, after a busy time with the kids,

I spent the day resting but one sock pleasantly finished-

and the other well on its way!

I had forgotten the difference in this yarn ,which is Hawthorne

from KnitPicks;  it feels more like cotton than wool.

It dyes beautifully giving much depth of color within the strand.

I'm ready to begin the gusset here-and after the heel, 

the sock will soar because I can't wait to begin

the new yarn in a pair of socks!

Accomplished

 I've worked on this little 5 x 7" line and wash of the kids' home while they were here;

they liked seeing their house come to life! 

 I was relieved that they recognized it right away!

This is a gift for their Mom.

 This is how that skein has looked since last Thursday.

When the kids went home with Dad last night, I sat the winder in front of my recliner 

and began some serious unwinding!  

And it worked!

I rewound the ball into a cake-a lovely cake just the way I expected to happen! lol

(The only odd part of the whole experiment--I had dyed this dark red and green but it is now

rust and teal! 

 Not a bad thing but different than the Christmas skein I had planned for a pair of socks!)

Try , try, again!

Babies

 The dress baby needed was designed and agreed that maybe a nightgown would be a better choice.

 Aren't these little feet adorable?!  

Ella could do most of the sewing on this project-I only had to tackle the sleeves.

 We had an amazing sight late in the afternoon yesterday;

we heard and then saw a bird of prey swoop down

 and grab a morning dove from the bird feeder area and  fly right into the live oak tree!!

 We traipsed around for a better view and couldn't believe our eyes!

He was the size of a small bald eagle but no white head-it had to be a young one!

A quick check in the bird book proved we were right--who knew they didn't get their iconic white head until they are in their fourth year!  

He stayed until he had eaten all of his dinner and then flew off!

What an incredible memory made!

With the little bit of energy I have at the end of our days, 

I knit on the sock--it is coming along!

Work is Play

 While the Bill and Eli worked on the tractor to spread the wood chips out back,

 filling in low spots and building upon the wet areas, 

 Ella and I did some sewing.  We traced the right size pattern pieces, pinned them on the chosen fabric and did some real sewing machine sewing!  Once we had the babies pj's made,

Ella declared she had to have a hat!

Check!

She is ready for our next outfit-she wants to make her a dress!

I think we have a budding seamstress in the house!

Savor it on Saturday

 On the piecing front, I managed to make the rest of the outside rows I needed for the last 7 blocks.

I hope to get them sewn on in stolen moments throughout today.

Yesterday, I cut out enough face mask pieces from youngest son's work t-shirt

 to make him 6 work masks since it is now mandatory to wear them in his county,

 he will need more than the few he has been using.

I will line these with interfacing and use elastic to go behind the ears.

 After our swim yesterday, the kids found surprise packages from Dad and Mom in the mail.

Nothing like a bit of love via Amazon! 

 I wanted to show you round two of bloom from the African Violet.

I didn't think over-watering could happen with the pot-in-a-pot they sell for this kind of flower,

but I have proven it IS possible.  At least the yellowing leaves tell the truth!

And here is something I will love to share with you--

today is my parents' 67th wedding anniversary!

They were such kids--they are on the way to their honeymoon at Niagara Falls, NY.

I couldn't have asked for a better home or better parents!

A Grand Meeting

 For the car ride yesterday, I worked on this sock.

I thought I was going to do some patterning on this one but didn't enjoy having to count for the lace 

I had picked out.  

I settled on k3, p1 up the foot and then will do the leg in the same pattern all around.

I had just started on the gusset increases when we got back home.

 And I did work on the whole ride up to tame this tangle!

Look at the progress I made!

 The strands are really looped through each other and not really tangled unbearable.

I patiently (see, Nancy, I was patient) teased each loop through its neighbors until they were side by side again.  And yes, Dee it was very much like a good puzzle.  Bill still thought I was crazy! lol

And the reason for the trip---

to bring the Fernandina grands back to spend a few days with us!

By the time I had taken this photo, I was already 'pooled' out two hours later

and grandpa was about wrinkled beyond his years!

I coaxed them out with the lure of a ice cream cone!

It worked!

Two Feet

 I cast on for a pair of women's socks with the newly dyed yarn.

64 stitches on a number 1 needle.

Socks for Bill ( a size 15 shoe) on #5 needles over 60 stitches;

this is the yarn from Russia--a type of Mohair but a single ply.

Bill always wears through the heels of the socks I make him so I am going to sew some

deerskin to the heel to see if it helps them last longer !

A Win, a Win, a Lose!

 The Charm Stars quilt is completed-bound, washed , dried and in the donation pile!

40 x 52"

 I died a sock blank that I have had for a long time-I knit this on the knitting machine (LK150)

double strand so that the two socks could match. 

 I unraveled it and have two cakes ready for me to cast on!

And then there is this.

Completely my fault-I put it in the washer to spin out-a ph call came 

and I wandered away which meant that the nice skein (even with ties) 

went through the rinse and another spin and it is a MESS!

Bill said throw it away....I might 

but first I will try to untangle it

-there has to be some way to get some order since it is still tied in two places.  

I should know better.  

I might just hang it for wall art!

ART-Just Do It!

 I started with an idea of replicating a photo a friend took of an abandoned and decrepit

stone house in a state park in Oregon.  I was going to do a water color but decided I liked

the idea of a line and wash instead. (permanent ink pen and watercolor wash)

 I began the watercolor.  I find watercolor so much more difficult than acrylics!  

You have to think so much because there is no hiding an error!

I tried a bit more shading than I usually use with watercolor and I liked the results.

The ink shading gave life to the pale colors.  

The photo was taken in the winter and the landscape was as desolate as the house.

The moss was alive and well which makes a nice contrast.

 Framed and finished!

I'm pleased with what I learned with this artwork.

And I dug out my little sketchbook and decided I need to stop with all of the YouTube watching

and do some more of my own sketching.

This is a landscape from of all things, WordScapes, which I play on my Kindle!

Pen and colored pencils.

I'm going to try to do one a day.

Exercise is good for the brain!

Socks!

 The LionBrand Mani-Pedi yarn socks are finished.

Against all odds, I managed to get a matching pair even.

The first skein was a perfect skein-no tangles, pulled right out of the center nicely, was a dream!

The second skein was wound opposite of the first skein-no problem, I found the spot 

and began to knit all the way up to the dark pink on the leg and then I hit a knot.

Bad enough to have a knot but the ends weren't related at all! 

 I had to untangle the center

 and  then wind it all the way from the other direction to find my spot.

  I was persistent and can't believe I pulled it off!

A matching pair of socks, against all odds.

I have two little balls left from each skein-I will use them to add a square to the sock yarn blanket!

Mystery QAL Finished!

   

I finished the quilting in no time when using a 14" pantograph, the quilting goes quickly!

Lena offered to lay in the middle of the quilt while I was binding it so it wouldn't fall off the table.

How considerate!

 42 x 56  Mystery QAL by DaysFilledwithJoy

 I used the seashell panto which isn't immediately apparent on the front...

 but really shows on the back!

And the frame isn't empty!

I loaded the last of the queue--

4th of July

 A quieter day than in years past, but a day to remember no matter what the circumstances.

The idea of freedom blazes across the quilt's surface.

When you eat your hot dogs and hamburgers, chips and salads....

remember to give thanks to God that we still live in a country unique in the world\

 because of the very ideals of freedom

-to worship

to think and work for yourself

to carry arms

to be a responsible citizen

who is careful to balance all freedoms on the scales of kindness.

I pledge allegiance to the flag

of the United States of America

and to the republic for which it stands

one nation

under God

indivisible

with liberty and justice for all.

                                   .

Look at Those Whiskers!

Lena.

 Her whiskers are silky and numerous!

I think she hears thunder through them and subsequently hides--

our little 'Alexa, is it gonna storm?' barometer! 

I'm down with a sore throat so stayed in the recliner all day....

...thankful I could knit-

one sock down and well on the way with the second!

Sewed Up!

No empty quilt frame until I'm through the pile I've pieced!

I'm stitching this one in white thread with a simple design.

I think it works in the simplicity of this pattern.

This Mystery QAL is finally completed. 

 I might move it up in the quilting queue just so I could get it completed!

I set my sight on the binding of the colorful quilt;

then immediately sent them through the washer and dryer!

Finished to about 40 x 48, these orphan 4 patches really sing when all set together-who knew?!

The quilting was simple but crinkled perfectly!

The vintage paintbrush fabric quilt is going to my son who is a paint salesman for Behr Paint Co

and he will appreciate the dynamics of this quilt!

Yup, this one was a joy from beginning to ending!