Cushion Update

 This is the Large Fourway Bargello finished and now to start the Ray. I am enjoying stitching this pattern again. I hope my sister likes the colour choices I have made for her cushion cover.

The XO Cable Vest

I just finished sewing on the buttons for the XO Cable vest. I really like this vest. I enjoyed knitting it up and will likely make another one.

Buttons for the XO Cabled Vest

 

I received two cookie tins of buttons some months ago from a woman who was downsizing before moving to a new home.  Before going shopping for buttons for the XO cabled vest I thought i would look through the tins first. To my great surprise I found these beautiful buttons among all the other buttons. Although they don't all match I like them all and think they look similar enough to put on the vest. The three sparkly ones will go at the top of the vest.

Border Update

I have begun filling in the Ribbon border with a copper colour. I like how well it looks beside the light and dark purples. Since taking this picture I have filled in the smaller spaces on most of the border.

Bargelo Update

 

 The ribbon border almost done. I am pleased with the colours chosen and look forward to stitching the large pattern at bottom left of the picture above.

 I am sure my sister will be pleased!

 

The Beginning of a Cushion

 

Above at left are the supplies needed to start making a Cushion top. Also the frame put together using the rubber mallet. At right a close up of my tool/thread box and the pattern designed by Kit Gates

 At left is the canvas with masking tape around the cut edge to "seal" it. this protects the edge and keeps threads from becoming caught. At right is the canvas attached to the frame using tacks. To the right of the frame are the tack pusher which saves your thumb and/or fingers and the tack remover.

 At left are the threads which will be used to create the ribbon border. They range from a very light Lilac to a rich dark Eggplant. at right is the tracking row completed using the lightest purple. The next colour I will use is on the pattern.
For me the hardest part of a project is the getting started. So now it will be the joy of laying down stitches and watching the different patterns grow. I am looking forward to seeing how the colours I have chosen will look together on the canvas.

Spinning in Progress

 

These are the hand painted Polworth locks I got from Rovings  quite some time ago. 

The colours are much richer jewel tones than shown above.

I am flicking small portions open with a slicker brush before spinning. 

I am spinning ,fairly fine singles as i would like to finish with a fine 2 or 3 ply yarn for shawl knitting.

Pottery from the Kiln

 

I finally got to the Stoneware Studio to pick up the pottery I threw and glazed last winter before returning to ELA.  

I still have more pieces to go into the glaze kiln, but they probably won't be done until summer is done so I will check for more finished pots in September.

Two Cowls

 The cowl on the left will go with the Wavy Cabled Hat for my sister. The colour is not correct in the photo. The colour is actually a dark eggplant purple. The cowl on the right is called Eleanor from Knitty Deep Fall 2010. I am using the Louisa Harding Grace Hand -dyed yarn I originally bought to make the Wavy Cabled Hat for my sister. I got 90% done and realized I would not have enough to finish and of course I could not find more of the yarn in this colourway. So I bought the Lang Yak yarn in Eggplant to make the hat. I came across the Eleanor pattern while I was trolling through the pattern search on Ravelry trying to find a cowl pattern so I could figure out how many stitches to cast on to make a Wavy Cabled Cowl to go with the Wavy Cabled HAt.

The Grace Hand-dyed is 50%merino and 50% silk spun in Italy and then shipped to the artisans at Auraucania in Chile where each hank is individually painted. As you can imagine the feel and look of this yarn is very luxurious.

The Lang Yak is 50% yak and 50% merino and is actually a much better yarn for the Wavy Cabled Hat. It holds it shape and will be much warmer. I also prefer the dark Eggplant colour and I am sure my sister will as well.

Cushion Request

My sister requested a cushion top using the Bargello pattern that I made last year. The
purples correspond to the pinks in the finished piece and the rusts/golds correspond to the brown/green/golds.
I enjoyed stitching this project immensely and look forward to starting the cushion top for my sister.
Unfortunately the shop where I buy my supplies and take stitching classes will be closing at the end of June. Last weekend I was in the city and went on a crazy shopping spree at the stitching studio. I now have enough canvass and threads to keep me stitching for years. Oh happy day!

hat request

My sister requested hats with ear flaps for her and my brother-in-law. It was a very cold winter in Victoria this year! I decided on the Wavy Cabled hat for her in a dark purple, of course, in Lang Yak.  For him I chose the Multicolor Ear Flap Cap in three shades of blue and real red in Lopi wool.

 

I have enough yarn left over from the Wavy Cabled Hat to make a cowl using 5 repeats of the hat pattern.

they will be toasty warm next winter!

shawl for marcia

marcia, very generously, was soon to give me her canoe. how to show my appreciation?  many years ago marcia showed me how to spin. we had also spent many hours together knitting. she was about to move to a cold climate so a hand spun, hand knitted garment made good sense as a gift of appreciation.
i decided i would spin up some yarn and knit whatever she wanted with the yarn. she chose a shawl.
i went to my folk shawls pattern book by cheryl oberle for inspiration and a good quick pattern. i decided to make the aran pocket shawl.
unfortunately i did not have enough yarn to do the full length shawl with the pockets but the shorter variation will be cozy nonetheless.

as well as the two skeins of singles pictured on the right i also spun up two skeins of two ply in a similar weight. on the left is the roving of the chocolate brown polworth shot with the natural tussah silk. in the center the singles being spun. and below the shawl finished just in time.

there was no time for me to block the shawl
before marcia had to leave so she agreed to do so when she arrives at her new home.
i will definitely use this pattern again. next time finer yarn and/or larger needles.

return from hiatus

The embroidery cushion projects are finally cushions! I am very pleased with how they turned out. I chose The Needlepoint Place, a local shop, to make the cushions. They did a fabulous job. I can hardly wait to start my next project! Should I start the next ’Dream’
pillow ’My Wildest Dream’ or another bargello sampler in a different colours than the pinks and browns/yellows¿ I will not be starting this project until I return to camp so there is still lots of time to decide.