October Already

 This is Block 2 of the I Love Home BOM (4 parts).  For those who have read my other recent blog posts, you may remember that I am doing both a hand embroidery block and a raw edge applique block.

This is the applique version.  I still have not decided how I want to frame these blocks so they are still rough.  And I just love my door and windows: I am somewhat obsessed with owls, just ask my family.  ☺

Fortunately I have the hard work done on these because today Block 3 arrived which means I now have two more blocks to make.  They are not hard, just take time and a lot of that time is figuring out what fabrics to use.

While taking the dogs outside I looked back and saw this.  This is my studio (3 very full rooms) under bright blue skies and surrounded by bright green trees.  I realized, again, how lucky I am and how grateful I am for all I have: a man who loves me even after almost 57 years, a wonderful family, and God's grace for whatever comes. 

 And this is where I was when I took the above picture.  It was just too pretty a day to be inside and the hammock was calling me. Usually I bring a quilt out to put on it but I forgot so the dogs couldn't get up and join me.  Maybe today, after I get some knitting and quilting done.  I only have an inch to do on my green sleeves and, after I do some ripping out, I should be shortly done with the gauge swatch/pocket liners for the new sweater. 

Have a great week, see you next time.  Gari

A Little of This and a Little of That

This is the first of Esther Aliu's Vases BOM.  It took me quite a while to put this together but now I need to put it into a block.  This one is called Thursday's Vase.  I also have the pattern for Monday's Vase.  And, yes, she is not going in order so I probably will be totally confused by the time they all get here.

These are the outlines for a Morning Glory applique.  The bottom one is appliqued on top of the top one and I am going to try needle turn, by machine, applique using pieces of as many batiks as I can.  But I probably won't start this until after the first of the year as I have so many other things to do.

I did start a new sweater today.  I know, I know, I haven't finished the one I am currently working on but this one is a Craftsy KAL and I am already two lessons behind.  So I decided to do the gauge swatch, which also is the lining for a pocket.  And, of course, I am doing the lining for both pockets, at the same time.  This yarn is so soft that it will be hard to go back to any other knitting project. 

Oh, and don't pay any attention to the sweater picture, my printer is going through an identity crisis.   The yarn is mostly white with flecks of many other colors.  This will be a beautiful sweater, whenever I get it done. 

Hi there.

This is how I look when I am leaving the studio with a sense of accomplishment.  Have a great week!

A Little of What is Going On

I have gotten some further on this sweater.  I have the body done up to where the sleeves go and I have 13" done on the two sleeves (I am knitting them like two at a time socks).  The sleeves are supposed to be 18" so it will be a little while before they are ready to be attached to the body.  I have read and reread the pattern for attaching and it really doesn't make any sense to me.  But I will follow it, word for word, and see what happens. 

Thursday I had a 9:30 appointment with my cardiologist and a 1:00 appointment with my oncologist (with lunch in-between).  And because I HATE waiting for my turn, I took my knitting with me.  I was the only one in the waiting room that was occupied.    

The The above are blocks 1 & 2 in the I Love Home BOM (only 4 blocks).  There is supposed to be fabric around the houses but I haven't really decided on what fabric I want to use so this is as far as I have gotten.  Also, I seem to have misplaced Block 1 so I am kind of at a standstill on that one.

I am also doing the same blocks in hand embroidery.  I have not done hand embroidery since I was a child so that is going slowly.  I have block 1 done and am started on block 2: they are my TV watching thing to do in the evening.

                        Sadie                                        Abby

Sherlock

The above are our three doxies.  They are the sweetest puppies, except when it is time to come in from the outside.  And this morning the bottom one, Sherlock, caught a rat on our deck.  Hubby said that he had a hard time getting it out of his mouth and by the time he got it the rat was good and dead.  I've never seen a rat here but I am really glad the dog got him. 

A few weeks ago I was feeling pretty good and we decided it was time to visit our son in NC.  They have three children and we hadn't seen the last one or the others in two years.  It was fun to watch those children running around: such energy. 

(Our daughter, who lives near here, came to stay with the doxies.  I really appreciate her for taking care of them and keeping me from worrying about them.) 

Also Eric's sister and brother in law came down from NH so there was fun all around.  Our son is Provost at the local college so we got a great tour of the campus.  It was fun to hear how proud he is of the school and students.  Our daughter in law teaches an online class and fills the rest of her time with 3 rambunctious children and a lot of country cooking.

And finally, a small look at our yard decorations.  We live on 5 acres that is mostly covered with trees.  A few months ago I had a group of trees taken down so there would be some clearing around the house.  But that left a bunch of very short tree stumps that I was afraid Eric would run over with the riding lawn mower.  About that time I saw a really cute Gnome and decided putting one on each of the stumps would attract Eric's attention and he would avoid the stumps.  They have become a "thing" here and we now have 9 Gnomes.  We still have a few unadorned stumps but the filled ones alert Eric to watch for them.

This Gnome sits on our deck railing, looking over the "flock" of Gnomes in the yard.  I see him as the head man, kind of like Poppa Smurf.

I really enjoy seeing our "flock" of Gnomes, they make me smile.

I am going to try to write a little more often.  It take me longer to get things done so frequently I don't have anything to say.  I currently am pretty healthy, still get weak occasionally, so there isn't anything to report on the health side. I am getting ready to work on some other projects and will share them when there is something to see.

Love to all,  Gari

Green Sweater on the Needles

This was the start of my newest sweater.  If you remember I had to start it three times because I got the circular needles screwed up.  I have used circular needles ever since I started knitting, 3-4 years ago with socks, and never got the beginning twisted.  But I sure did in starting this project.

And this is how far along I have gotten: I am a little over half way up the body.  It is really easy since it is just the knit stitch, over and over again.  But it is going slowly because I have been dropping off while knitting.  It is really funny that I wake up, still holding my needles, and just start knitting again.  And I haven't dropped a stitch. 

While I continue with this sweater I am working on two applique quilt blocks and I am hoping to start a pair of socks.  It takes all my strength to wind yarn but if I can do it I will have a pair of orange socks soon.

Missing and Inaction

I have been missing in action for the last 3 months.  Missing, yes, with almost no action during all that time.  I did a one week medication mistake that threw me for a loop (really dumb mistake on my part) but then for the next 2 1/2 months I just sat, doing nothing, and being quite comfortable that way.  I even stopped going to the studio or going out to eat.  Slowly I started to regain strength and do a little.  I surprised DH one day when I suggested we go out to eat: he was so excited.  So I am still kind of weak but seem to be getting back to doing some things.

The first thing I worked on was this scarf.  I had started it months ago with the leftover yarn from the sweater I have knitted but still not sewn together (it is 95 outside so I don't need a heavy sweater yet).  Anyway, I started with small needles but then decided I liked the bulky better so knit with size 10.  Then I decided to take out the beginning part done on size 7 needles.  Did you know that it is really hard to rip out backwards?  Well, it really is.  I had to pull the yard through each stitch which took a really long time.  I finally got it all out and then reknit the first part to match the rest.  I toyed with the idea of this being a cowl but bound the ends off anyway.

Then yesterday I decided to sew a fabric bowl.  11 years ago I bound the cloths cord with fabric but kind of fell out of interest in sewing this thing together.  When I moved back to AL I brought the cord with me and hid it under the sewing table.  I could still kind of see it but just ignored it.  So I crawled under the table and pulled this covered cord out and began stitching.  Of course I made a mistake right off the bat.

I set my stitching up so that the "bowl" was building up inside the machine's throat.  You probably can't tell but I did round up the edges and decided that this was going to be a "plate".  I have started another one, going in the right direction, but ran out of time so I will get back to you with my progress.

This morning I  replanted my grandma's Christmas cactus.  My grandma died when I was 12 years old.  She was a hand quilter who frequently quilted other people's quilts to earn an income.  I was told that this cactus is a cutting from her's.  When I got it it only had 3 ribs but look at it now.  It has been a house plant so I figure it will have to have some adjustment time out on the deck. 

It has joined my other  plants and is enjoying the warm soft breeze.  When I decided to take this picture I included the little pot it is has been living in.  I imagine she is experiencing culture shock.

I don't do a lot every day.  I seem to wear out after only a short time and frequently it takes a day or two to recuperate.  But it really is nice to be at least a little productive again.  Please come back and check on me. 

Leftover Yarn

What do you do with leftover yarn?  I have some from other projects, not enough for any project I am looking at but still filling my stash bins.  So, when I finished knitting the pieces for my sweater (still not sewn together) I decided I needed a hat to go with it.

But I still had yarn left over.  So this is the beginning of a scarf.  I am making up the pattern but it is pretty much mindless knitting. That will give me time to figure out what I want to start next.  I know I want to knit a pair of socks (bright orange) but I need to go through a couple of books and web sites to find something challenging as my second project.

We have been dog sitting our daughter's 6 month old doxie puppy: she has been here for 10 days.  I am exhausted.  Our three doxies were not thrilled with her but she finally won them over and got two of them to play with her.  Anyway, our daughter just got back from her vacation and both she and her puppy, Dallas, were very happy to see each other.  They have now gone home and all is quiet in our little home.  But I have to say it was fun playing with a puppy again. 

Happy knitting, Gari

Linking with Patchwork Times

Blocks To Put Together

 It sometimes seems that I am only knitting. But in-between knitting times, I sew.  I have these four blocks completed and at least two more to cut up and resew.  I do have to confess that I have not really planned how this quilt will layout but I do like the blocks and am looking forward to whatever I decide to do with them.

Additionally I have these 5 machine embroidery blocks with 5 more still on the machine, waiting to be sewn.  I think I may be putting the two sets of blocks together as a baby quilt.

Of course before I can put this top together I will need to finish quilting the baby quilt that is currently on the quilting frame.  I hope to finish it this week: what a joy that will be.

During the time I was really sick a lot of my quilting supplies were piled up in front of my design wall.  I am trying to figure out what is in that really big pile and where I can put that stuff so I an use my design wall.  I will need it when I get all these blocks done and ready to go.

So, now I have a plan, I think, and I just need to figure out how to make it work.  Wish me luck.... Gari

Linking to Patchwork Times