Knitting progress............

I finished the 2nd hot water bottle cover that will be a gift. Very cute. I love mine so I hope the recipient loves using this one.  (once again pix are sideways for what reason I don't know as they aren't sideways on my computer)

 I finally finished a pair of black socks, with specks, that I had set aside while working on holiday gifts. I love having handknit black socks but this is the last time I knit black ones, way too hard to see. I can cross these black socks off my to-do list.  In the bottom corner is another pair of socks in progress, always need to have some on the needles to work on when I have down time waiting somewhere. 

Overshot......

Take two on my lost Friday.  Saturday I spent a good part of the day winding this warp of 20/2 perle cotton in navy to replace the black warp that kept breaking.  It's hard to see but the 10/2 perle cotton pattern weft is a brilliant lime green, no sun today so I couldn't get the color right.  Once this is off the loom and washed the design will be square.  Hoping to finish weaving today.........

(in case anyone is interested this pattern is Queen's Delight out of the monograph - Miniature Patterns for Handweaving by Josephine Estes)

A lost day......

Today turned into a lost day. Right after taking this photo of my 20/2 perle cotton black warp sett at 30 epi it was off the loom and in the trash can.  While winding the warp this morning it broke twice but I didn't think of it as a problem since it caught on a peg on the warping board that pulled it taut and broke it.  I wound it on the back beam with no problem. Threaded heddles.  But once I started sleying the reed it was shredding right and left. If my sley hook didn't break it the reed did. Of course I was almost done sleying and ready to tie on at this point. The cotton was so weak I knew it would be a problem tying on and would never hold up to weaving. I'm now rethinking the project - maybe using a navy blue 20/2 that is very strong.  I have lots of 10/2 but very little 20/2 to choose from.  This has happened several times over the years with black cottons, all thicker cottons but hasn't been an issue in probably 10 years.  Oh well...........another day, another warp...........  

 

thinking spring tulips

 I started weaving some spring tulips even though tulip time is 3-4 months away.  These are for a long term project yet to be written about. 20/2 perle cotton warp and ground weft, 10/2 perle cotton pattern, sett is 30 epi. 

Today we have torrential rains which is better than the ice to the north and snow to the east. I'll be staying in to weave and knit while listening to audio book 8 of the outlander series. I had wanted to go to the weaving guild meeting but it's probably 50 minute drive, much of it on the highway with crazy drivers, especially semi's, in this rain I'd rather not be on the road with them.  As a friend on the coast would say it's raining pitchforks and shovels. 

The good and the bad.......

The good - I'm ahead of the game - today I put together a total of 30 cards that will be birthday cards for this coming year.  I wove the fabric last spring on a scarf warp that I intentionally put extra warp on for cards. It has sequins in little double weave pockets. This is a sampling of some of the cards.  I probably should have taken a close up picture of one of the cards - at this point I'm just happy the pic turned right side up once loaded to blogger. I've gotten low on envelopes to fit this size so will have to make a stop at Staples next time out.  

The bad - I hadn't put this on my to-do list even though it was something I've wanted to do for months. Now I don't get the pleasure of crossing it out.  Does it still count if I write it on the list now and then cross it off???

Another finished project in the new year.......

Upside down photo this time - makes no sense when taking photos with my phone as to how they'll upload to blogger, definitely not consistent.  Anyhow finished up a hot water bottle cover for a February birthday. A friend gave me one for my back issues and I love it - the water stays hot all evening. The pattern, Hot Water Bottle Cozy, is by Churchmouse. I'm going to start the snowflake design this evening for a March birthday. 

I continue to go through some stash/books to see if they need to go live elsewhere so they get used.  I have a container of novelty yarns that would be great to mix in as accents in knitting or weaving projects that will need new homes, still keeping some for myself.  Today I'm going to look over my knitting books, some of which I bought but will probably never knit any of the patterns. 

Sheesh - just noticed in the picture I have a mistake, a white stitch where it should be purple. Thinking it will stay that way. I could try doing a duplicate stitch overtop the white stitch but then that might even draw more attention to it.  Oh well.........

 

Working on that to-do list........

This year I'm hoping to make a dent in the creative to-do list that carries over from year to year.  First I sat down and updated the list which means more projects added to it. Last night I was able to cross a project off the list that's been sitting for years, so many years I can't even guess how long. I bought the pattern, Union Square Floor Tote, fabric, jute webbing, soft & stable foam and other materials to make two of these. One was made as a gift but then the bag with the supplies for mine sat under the sewing room desk for years. I worked on it the past few days minus one day when we were without power for many hours. Now I remember why I never got to mine - with two layers of the foam it's very hard to maneuver under the sewing machine. It's also big which makes it hard to machine sew. But I persevered and have a finished tote to sit in the living room with my many current knitting projects in it. The background color of the outside is actually a bit more colorful - a soft seafoam teal.  The inside is the same fabric with a brown background. And yes, those are sheep all over it. I love it. I will never make another one. 

Today's chore was organizing my knitting supplies as they were spread all out over the house instead of where they should be. I thought I was done and then found another basket full.  Now they're all organized. Two dilapidated knitting totes are off to the trash, all combined into a third one. I also went through my felted knitting books to share with others. I kept one. I will never make all those projects so best the books move on to someone that will use them. This freed up space on one shelf for more quilting books...........ah, there's always an upside to cleaning out. 

Other than the knitting projects I have going I'll have to go look over that very long to-do list to see what I'm in the mood to work on next.

I wish you all a Happy New Year - I wish you peace, good health, no chaos or crisis and lots of time to be creative at what you love doing..............