Barn Quilts are Art

Squee! This is my birthday gift.

Ever since we bought our own house, I've wanted one of these barn quilts. There's a funny backstory to this. Nathan asked if I wanted anything special to mark my 60th birthday. I talked about this Mariner's Compass quilt block, that had been on my wish list for five years. "Okay, I'll see what I can do."

Later I told my husband about our conversation. "So Nathan's going to get me the Mariner's Compass block to mark my 60th birthday" Frank quietly replied, "But I already got you the Mariner's Compass block to mark your 60th birthday..." ((big hug around the neck)) Thank you sweetie!

Welcome Caulder Logan

It's a boy! Boys run in my husband's family, so we would've been truly surprised if it had been a girl. Mother and baby are doing well.

Slipper Socks for DS1

I originally started these for anyone visiting our home, but then decided I wanted Nathan to have them. While they were visiting this fall, I had him try on the one that was finished. He loved it! He said, "It's so squishy soft!" It's fun to knit for others when they're so enthusiastic.

The next time we were together, they were finished. When he put both of them on, he was gleeful and did a little impromptu two-step in the kitchen. "They're great! They don't slip. Thanks!" I was one happy knitter.

The Sweater that Almost Was

Started March 2017.
Chose a different pattern stitch for the sleeves due to hand pain, November 2017.

First fitting, February 2018. Found out it was too small. Plans to enlarge existing pieces begun.

Second fitting, June 2018. Still snug across the shoulders, but maybe adding the second widened front will help.

Third fitting, August 2018. Found it really wasn't possible to make a medium into a large.

So after more than a year of knitting and reworking, we talked it over and decided it was time to rip. Instead of frustration, I felt a wonderful sense of relief. If you're interested, you can read the whole back story starting here.

The Garden in Bloom

DH visited the community garden with me and captured the season's blossoms, bees and butterflies.

Love in the Mist

Cosmos and buckeye butterfly

Garden spinner

Butternut squash blossom

Yarrow in bloom

Sunflower and honey bees

Cosmos

Budding yarrow

Miniature roses

Small sunflower

Wool Toothbrush Rug Finish

You might remember this project from a couple of years ago. Kelly's encouragement to "Keep going, it looks good! It'll flatten out as it gets bigger", helped me to keep going when I had my doubts about it turning out.

This round of gold was supposed to be the same as the second round, but I ran short. I was moving along at a nice pace and didn't want to stop, so I found some upholstery fabric that was a close color match. It was a little stiff to work with compared to the wool, but I was glad to keep going.

July 6

August 10

I've put it in front of the ironing board. It's nice and cushy and makes standing at the ironing board less tiring.

Hand Painted Yarn

Debbie invited me to try some hand painted yarn dyeing. Three of us got together at her house, with natural wool yarn ready for painting.

We used acid dyes, here the yarn is soaking in water with citric acid.

We mixed small batches of dye in plastic squeeze bottles. I like this picture, it looks like "A Dyer's Still Life."

We didn't feel real confident at first so I just started painting.

It was easy and fun!

After the color was the way I wanted, I rolled the yarn in plastic wrap and heated it in the microwave. These are cooling in the sink before the rinse. We called them yarn sausages.

Rinsing.

Debbie painting.

Debbie's yarn in the rinse.

Sharon painting.

Sharon's yarn in the rinse.

My yarn after it dried. Love it! I have no idea what it'll look like as knitted fabric, but that's part of the fun. I think I'll call it Ocean Song.

Sampling a Favorite Sweater

I really like this sweater, but it's acrylic and not very warm. I wondered if I could recreate it; not that my Fair Isle knitting skills are up to the task  yet, but...

Using a graphics program I made a grid and square by square duplicated what I saw. It was tricky, because the sweater's yarn isn't smooth, so some times shapes weren't distinct. I learned something about creating the repeat too. That was a challenge.

Then I chose yarn from my collection that seemed to be a good match.  It was fun to discover I had some of each color already on hand. I haven't swatched it yet, but the colors do inspire.

Table Runner

I'm still occasionally working on UFOs from a quilting friend who is no longer sewing. This came from a Ziploc bag full of strips and pieces without any clear indication of what she had in mind, so I turned them into a table runner.

These aren't colors I would ever think to work with, but I sure like the way it looks. It's fun to work outside my usual color palette once in a while.

Opportunity Quilt Update

We had another sew day for the 2019 quilt guild op quilt. Two of us sewed the lattice strips on the blocks and then the rows into the top. Then I took it home to add the borders
.

First border.

Final border. I have to say I like it better than I thought I would.

Daisies

Yellow daisies in a favorite vase that belonged to my Grandmother.

Atwood Cardigan Update

Remember this post about the cardigan not fitting? Here's the panel sewn into the seam.

I estimated how much width to add, figured the stitch gauge and started and ended my pattern so it would mesh with the front and back once it was sewn in. Where there's a will, there's a way. 😊

Knitting for Baby

I have plans for a quilt for the new grand baby, but in the meantime, I'm knitting an afghan with this yummy baby alpaca. The yarn was a gift from the craft lady at my Mom's assisted living apartment. It seems no one wanted to use it. (!)

I decided to use the basket weave pattern. It's going pretty fast on size 101/2 needles.

Macro Flowers

It's been a long, cold spring. It's nice to finally see the flowers in our front yard.

Wild onion

Pacific Coast iris

Bleeding heart

Foxglove

Tulip Festival

I've heard that the Tulip Festival in Washington is eye-popping, but it's true that seeing is believing. Wow! It was a perfect day weather-wise and the blossoms were at their peak while I was visiting my son and DIL. What a great outing.