knitting continues but it’s not my choice of project

Firstly, welcome to all my new followers; many of whom have started following since March when I wrote my last post. I hope you’ll stick around but I’ll understand if you don’t; my posts are very sporadic due to the turn my life has taken.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As long-term followers would know, I have given up knitting in yarns that I don’t like the feel of – acrylic being top of the list. I am not a yarn snob but I’ve decided life is just too short (and my stash is too big) to knit with yarns that I don’t like. Some acrylics are very soft; for example, the new “Stallion” yarn from Spotlight is lovely and soft but an 8ply (DK) it is not! However, most of the acrylics I have worked with over the years are quite harsh and have a very plasticky feel; which, I have to admit,  I didn’t notice until I started working in wool or sock yarn more frequently!  At Easter, I still had quite a bit of acrylic yarn in my stash but was slowly getting rid of it by sending it home with DD each time she came to visit!

I had also given up knitting blankets in favour of smaller projects. A blanket can warm only one person but the yarn used (about 1 kilogram) can be used to knit beanies, fingerless mitts and scarves, thereby keeping several people warm. I have nothing against knitting blankets; it’s just not what I choose to do with my time. I prefer to knit socks or to challenge myself with a new pattern or technique.

Then mum came to live with us; we thought it would be for a few weeks but we were naive about how long the process of getting someone into an aged care facility takes!

She had not knitted for a couple of years but her interest was renewed when she saw me knitting. That would be fine but she can’t remember how to cast on or cast off; and she can’t fix her problems if she drops a stitch. Even if she accidentally creates a stitch (I still haven't figured out how she’s doing it) then gets towards the end of the row, she doesn’t know what to do with the extra stitch (or stitches) at the end of the row. If she started with fifty stitches and there are now 51, she just goes to pieces.

There is no concept of “wait” and if I ask her too, she gets all huffy. Then she stands over me until I’ve dealt with the issue and sometimes that means unpicking several rows of very tight knitting!

Anyway, you get the picture. Despite all that, mum’s output is more than I can keep up with. Firstly, I have had to buy more straight needles and acrylic to keep her in knitting supplies! *sigh*

Since she came to live with us, eighteen weeks ago, she has knitted squares for one blanket (I spent much of my recent holiday/vacation sewing blanket squares together) and enough strips (I’m not sewing squares any more!) for three full blankets and is currently working on the final strips for the fifth blanket (she knits two strips alternately so that she always has knitting ready to go).

I now use all the time I would normally spend on my own knitting projects (plus some) making sure she has knitting to go, ripping back where there are too many rows in a strip and knitting strips together to make blankets! Apart from the leg of one sock, I have not had time to knit my own projects. So much for the cardigan I was going to make for myself to wear in spring (starts Speedometer here in Australia)!

I could knit during the day while she’s busy knitting, but I’m making quilts or doing family history.

Anyway, enough; this post sounds like I’m complaining …. I intended it to be a post to show what mum is up to and to let you know that I am, indeed, still in the craft world.

So, here we go...

the blanket made from squares which I sewed together (tricky when the “squares” are all different sizes and tensions):

 

and the blanket made from strips which I knitted together and grafted by the no-sew-method taught by Galena Khmeleva in her Orenberg lace workshops.

  

Both photos were taken from the front deck of the house we rented for ten days’ holiday/vacation in June. (It was supposed to be a holiday but planning, shopping and cooking – even with assistance - for eight people every night is not a holiday for me!)

I was going to show you the pile of strips but it’s uninteresting so you’ll have to wait until the strips become blankets! 

In my next post I’ll show you the quilting projects I have finished since March. Expect the post on either Friday or Saturday when I link up with Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday.

Until then; may your stitches bring you much joy!

37 years ago

And now we're more in love than ever – thank you, WM, you light up my life!

Something Old, something New – July edition

What a month June turned out to be: five days staying with my mother, three weeks with bronchitis, another three-day trip away to tutor two knitting workshops (“stranded colour knitting” and “using slipped stitches for colour and texture”) and hosting a couple who were billetted with us for four days! Needless to say, not much sewing happened during the month.

My stats show that less and less people are signing up for Something Old, something New each month; in fact, less and less people are visiting my blog period! I am tempted to stop the linky party right now but I need something to keep me working on my old projects – they have a way of wearing me down after a while! Just knowing they are there, in the background, whatever life throws at me, makes me want to get them finished! So, Something Old, Something New will continue, despite the fact that I seem to say the same thing -- “almost no progress” -- every month!

In June, my “Something Old” project was to have been a pair of curtains I started way too long ago. Those poor old curtains never even made it out of the cupboard! What little time I had in front of the machine (not a lot when you’re coughing ‘fit to bust’) was spent working on the Country Houses quilt, which had been my Something Old project earlier this year. I was working away on it, making reasonable progress, when I found a small hole right on the seam line of one of the central blocks! I had to unpick some quilting, and open the backing and wadding (it’s a quilt-as-you-go project) to access the seam in question. I really didn't know what to do so I took it to my quilting teacher. I hadn’t been in class for weeks because I hadn’t wanted to share my germs so it wasn't until the very last day of June that the hole was repaired! (Sorry, I forgot to take a photo and the repair is almost invisible!)

I did spend some sewing time at home practising my curved piecing

and in class (after repairing the hole) on foundation piecing so at least some progress was made on my Something New techniques!

My crafting plans for July are as follows:

1. Something Old -- repair the first pair of 4ply (sock weight) socks I ever knitted: they were for WM and I dropped a stitch while grafting the toe; I have had to rip back several rows to find that stitch!
   
2. Something New -- sort my yarn stash, decide what's staying and what’s going then update my stash records on Ravelry! (There’ll be a separate post about this so no photo here)
3. Works in Progress -- sew in the ends of the pair of socks I finished knitting this past weekend (Socks for Someone #4); it took me eight months to knit the first sock and less than a week to knit the second! They were completely finished on 1 July.
   
4. Something Old -- graft the toes of the Tidal Wave socks I started a long time ago (the original pattern can be seen here on Ravelry). According to my Ravelry notes, the socks were in hibernation because they were possibly too small (too short?) but it's time to get them off the needles and move on!
   
5. Something New -- shadow knitting: I’m currently making a scarf which has the illusion of a piano keyboard (Ravelry link)
6. Works in Progress -- sew in the ends of my Nouveau Log Cabin knitted blanket (seen in this post about knitting)
7. Something Old -- finish the Country Houses quilt (you’ve seen this often enough – no more photos till it’s finished!)
8. Something Old -- knit one fingerless mitten (man size)
   
9. Something New -- a new quilting technique for me: Bargello
10. Something New -- cast on Socks for Someone #5 (I always have socks on my needles) -- I cast on last night while I was wastching television; I didn't have enough light to cast on navy mitts (the colour in the photo above is nowhere near dark enough) and I can't sit there doing nothing!
    

I have decided that I will do all ten of these things in July, which is quite ambitious considering how little I usually get done! Some of them are only little projects  so I think it's possible to get it all done... I have listed them here in the order I plan to do them but, who knows?!

What about you?
How did you go with your plans in June?
What are your plans for July?

Remember, your “Something New” project can be to start something new or learning (or practising) a new technique! (This month I'm doing both!)

Please link the URL of your specific blog post here so others can come and check out what you’re up to!

1000 mile challenge

I haven't forgotten the photos of the weekend away; WM and I haven't been home much since we returned. They'll be here soon so keep checking!
~~~~~~~~~
Inspired by Lyndsey, at Sew Many Yarns, I have signed up for the 1000 mile challenge in 2014.

Distances in Australia have been measured in kilometres since the mid-seventies, so I am challenging myself to walk 1,600 kilometres this year.

In late November, WM and I started walking around the perimeter of the local park at 5am. This gives us half an hour of walking time before he has to prepare for work. Starting in November, the end of spring, means that we have all summer and autumn to be in the habit of walking before the really cold (for us) weather begins in June.

While WM showers, I continue to walk by making circuits of our back yard; and, after saying goodbye, I return to the backyard for yet more laps. As of this morning, I had done a little over 69km this month.


 I am now averaging 6500 steps a morning, a distance of about 5km. This will see me walk about 1,300 kilometres this year (we generally don't walk Saturday or Sunday).

Obviously, it won't be enough to see me reach my goal of 1600 kilometres for the year but as I get fitter I should be able to walk further each week (I'm already up from 4km a day at the beginning of January) and we will probably do some deliberate walks on weekends that are not our usual circuit.

My "exercise ticker" (as seen above) is at the bottom of my sidebar if you'd like to watch my progress!

Thanks, Lyndsey, for inspiring me.
Anyone care to join us? It's not too late!

480 and counting

Thank you to all of you who left comments supporting me through my family “issues”. I should not have used that word, “situations” would have been better but I couldn’t think of a better word when I wrote the post!

The first “situation” (which coincidentally began on Valentine’s Day) was a good one, all the better for being totally unexpected, and has resulted in deeper communication and a much closer, even more loving, relationship with my husband of thirty-five years. What can be better than that?

I am trying to get back into a normal routine. I confess that I am easily distracted and can become a little obsessed with whatever has drawn my attention. It has been said of me that I “don’t do things by halves” and this was no exception.

After almost two weeks of living in this distracted, obsessive, nearly dream-like state, I am slowly coming back to earth and my sewing room, where I now sit, reminds me of Things That Need Doing!

My computer and my iPad, ever persistent in luring me, aren't letting me off the hook either! I have dozens of emails, including blog comments, that need answering. 

And Google Reader tells me I have 480 unread blog posts! How is that possible, it's only been twelve days? I will read them all but it’s unlikely I will leave a lot of comments!

I'm sorry, I can't hang around here and chat - I have have things to do!

I just had to share this with you

- found on Mary Lou and Whimsy Too!

perhaps I should return to work

When I worked, I was very rarely sick. Perhaps that's because I was employed on a part time (casual) basis and if I didn't work I didn't get paid. Perhaps it was because I don't like to let people down. I believe in honouring my commitments.

But truly, I rarely was so sick that I couldn't work. Sure, I went to work with allergies and sniffled (perfectly acceptable in many cultures) or had runny eyes.

In June, I told my boss that I either wanted to work two days a week or not at all. One morning a week - two and half hours (so that I was away from home for about five hours) - is just a pain, it interferes with real life and becomes a drudge. The long shot of that, for those who weren't following my blog back then, was that I received an email saying there would be no work for me this semester. That suited me fine. WM was happy for me to stay home so it caused no friction. I was in "forced" retirement and "happy as Larry"!

Since July, I have had a heavy cold four times. The first three times it came unexpectedly, knocked me down for about twenty-four hours, and was gone almost as quickly as it came!

This time my sinuses have become infected. I have an appointment to see the doctor -- this Thursday; by then I will have had this heavy infection for a week. As I type this, the occasional tear rolls down my face (I'm not crying), my head is throbbing, my nose feels like I've gone backwards into the swimming pool and the centre of my face feels like I've been punched several times!

I missed another sewing class today - I just couldn't face driving my car or driving my sewing machine! I haven't done any sewing for more than a week and it doesn't seem likely I will be doing any in the near future.

Enough of the whingeing - I'm off to knit!

Perhaps I should return to work?

my first ATCs

ATC = Artist Trading Card

I have long been interested in this form of miniature art. I think I was still teaching scrap-booking classes (around 2005) when I first heard of them. I have seen them made in paper, mixed media and fabrics but I've never seen a knitted one (now there's a challenge, Lynne!)

I have long wanted to make some but, for the past couple of years, my practical side has been getting in the way of making art of any kind. Craft is okay, my inner critic is silent if the article under creation is of practical use; but "art for art's sake": forget it!

Just about every time I have thought about making art during daylight hours, I have felt that it would be such a waste of time. Only in daylight hours, you ask?

At night, when I can't sleep or just before I fall asleep, I think of great ideas for all kinds of art projects. In the bright light of day, all my ideas float away like mist or just seem too silly or impractical.

But there are a few reasons why that changed on Saturday:

1. My new studio - I just feel more creative with all that space around me (if I ignore all the boxes still in my old study screaming for me to sort through them).
2. I have been quite ill with a heavy cold, including awful sinus pain and headaches. I didn't have the energy or enthusiasm to deal with boxes of stuff!
3. My new-found interest in quilting; it means I have been looking at new blogs and one that has really been inspiring me is Kate's Arty Bits Blog. Kate has been making ATCs and she keeps inspiring me.
4.  I want to be creative but I have come to a impasse with my latest quilt: I don't have either the fabric or the thread to go ahead and haven't felt well enough to go to a fabric store to change that situation.
5. A simple decision - I decided that I was going to make an ATC and "Miss Critic" could take a hike. I know, from past experience, that once I'm in "the zone" I can't hear her anyway so I just had to get past that not-so-still-small-voice!

So, on to the actual art making...Who knew that something so small would actually take a couple of hours to make; if you count gathering supplies, making decisions, cutting, making more decisions, assembling, making more decisions, re-assembling, making more decisions, gluing, labelling and cleaning up!

So, you have already seen this - the beginnings of my first applique block:

Well, it seems I'm working on a series for the first time in my artistic life. Here is Saturday's version made from scraps of long finished scrapbook pages (I can't bear to throw away anything that might be useful, hence those boxes that need sorting!):

And I was taught never to mix patterns (see Miss Critic - you are not always right!)

Lesson learnt: Cut the background papers slightly too large and trim them back later!

And here is Sunday's softer, less 'realistic', version:

Verdict: I'm not 100% happy with what I've produced (what artist ever is?) but I've made a start and making art makes me happy so "Take that, Inner Critic!"

Sunday Ramble

Still here, still knitting. Monogamously and slowly. I've made it to seven repeats of the Myrtle Leaf stole. The lifelines, which are inserted every six rows, have only been needed once; which is a sign I'm improving! Only 33 repeats and the border to do in less than eleven weeks! Some days I don't knit at all so that doesn't help.

I've not been well - not sick - just not feeling 'well'. Extremely tired, down but not out - I'm sure you know what I mean. It's the end of the academic year and assessments are underway, which means marking and making decisions re grades - not the most glamorous part of my usually interesting job. And then there's the paperwork! I thought computers were supposed to make life easier?!

But, look on the bright side: there are only three weeks left of TAFE, and four weeks at the community college. Then I have an eight week break, or eight weeks without pay, whichever you prefer. I prefer the former because I need the break. WM has a regular income and we're used to my 'seasonal' wages.

Then there's Christmas for which I am nowhere near ready, and the wedding, which is almost completely organised; you see, I have my priorities straight! LOL

It's an easy Christmas for us in many ways; WM's family gathers the Sunday before Christmas. We hosted last year so this year we just pack some meat for the barbecue, drinks, some coleslaw and a cheesecake [so 70s] and travel to another sibling's home. Easy-peasy [as my students used to say in the 70s]. Then my family's Christmas will be at my sister's house - 500km away; the travel is the worst part. WM has Christmas Eve off as part of his normal roster, so that makes life easier. We'll drive up on Wednesday, stay in a 2-bedroom cabin at the local caravan park, spend Christmas Day and the morning of Boxing Day with the family and drive home in the afternoon; WM has to work on the Saturday.

As for the wedding: nearly everything is done; of course, there are still some little things - the seating plan [can't do that till we know who's coming], the order of service [when DD and SIL2B make up their minds] and the mother-of-the-bride's dress: yeah, that's me. I hate clothes shopping and am trying to lose weight by watching what I eat [sort of - really, I'm too tired to care] and vigilantly walking 10,000+ steps a day every day. The walking is supposed to help cure the tiredness too; the theory is "energy creates energy"! Hmmm!

Enough rambling; I'm off to work on Myrtle.