marin

The details are so pretty in Ysolda's Marin and I love the construction. It is really different from how I have knit shawls before. The little cables and waves on the edge make for a really interesting design. I know I will want to knit this again. I used Quince and Co. Chickadee in the color Winesap.

heart quilt

I finished quilting and binding the heart quilt the other day. I would have had it done sooner but, I am always juggling lots of projects. I ran it through the machine and now it's all nice and crinkly and ready to keep us cozy.

It is made up of cotton squares placed on an angle and is made to resemble hearts. I talked about it a few times if you want more information here and here.

I am hand quilting a double cotton gauze quilt now made of Nani Iro. Here is a peek at that

I am taking upholstery class again (second class tonight) and am working on the chair I started last Spring which is exciting. I am doing it white which a few people have mentioned is crazy but I plan to scotch guard it and I am feeling good about it. A possible new opportunity has come my way but I will wait to see before I spill the beans.

weaving and knitting

I based this branch weaving on one I saw that Stephanie had made. It is made from wool yarn and wool/silk roving on a grapevine branch from the yard. I've also been working on Marin by Ysolda. I always find Ysolda's patterns so beautiful and really enjoyable/addictive to knit and this one is no exception. I first started it in lace yarn but it was too loose and floppy. This is Quince and Co. chickadee which is sport weight as the pattern calls for and I like it. It is not necessarily my ideal yarn choice for this project but, still very pretty.

bloomsbury gardens

I treated myself to some new fabric from Liberty of London's Bloomsbury Gardens this week.

An 11 fat quarter pack in brown.

And a few yards of some of these other pieces.

So excited about these prints.

three little pumpkins

Three little pumpkins sitting on a gate -
The first one said, "Oh my it's getting late."
The second one said, "I'm ready for some fun."
The third one said, "Lets run and run and run!"
AHH-WHOOOOOoooooo went the wind
And OUT went the lights
And the three little pumpkins rolled out of sight


My son used to sing this song when he was in preschool and this small rug hooking reminded me of it.

I thought a kit would be fun and chose this holiday themed one.
I think I get the concept of rug hooking okay.... It's fairly easy to pull the loops through the burlap but, there are some tricks to the trade I could definitely use some instruction on. One would be finishing techniques in regards to the wool strips left on back and better binding. I decided to back it with a piece of wool felt though I think a sturdier piece of felt would have been better. I have another kit with stars I hope to get to amongst all my other projects. In the future I think abstract designs is where my head is it if I continue with this craft. Not sure if I need another hobby.

toasted marshmallow

Good Morning. Hope you all had a nice weekend and welcome October. We celebrated my Mother-in-Law's 80th birthday with a grand party on Saturday. She has seven children and 11 grandchildren so you can imagine how full of a life she has had so far. She grew up in Ecuador and moved to Queens, NY where she met her husband in a class learning to speak English. I get such a kick out of how they couldn't really talk to each other on their first date.

Anyway, I just love this month and it really is time for the wools to get worn. Last night I finished knitting this soft and cosy cowl scarf made with Blue Sky Brushed Suri. Years ago I knit a lace scarf in the color Earl Gray with this yarn and I love it so that I thought it would be project for another scarf project. This pattern is called the Cupido Cowl and there is some really nice texture created in the pattern. The color is called toasted marshmallow hence the title of the post. It's just the sort of soft easy piece to throw on in the morning. Well I am off to do a little sewing and tea drinking. Be back soon.

citronille: Césarine - plaid wool coat

I put this coat together over the past few days despite this lingering cold virus I have been carrying for 10 days now. Though I never took French lessons I was able to sew this following the diagrams and my existent sewing knowledge of putting garments together. I did look up a few words after tracing the pattern and the seam allowance conversion.

I cut the size 4 which is the smallest size for this pattern and it is definitely a nice generous size with room to grow. I've had the wool for about a year now in a few different plaids and have made capes and pillows with it and have wanted to try using it for a coat. I used a soft cotton velvet blend for the lining that I had on hand. When making the coat I was pleasantly surprised how easily everything came together though getting the layers where the coat meets the hood through the machine was a bit tricky since it was so thick and I wound up breaking a needle. A longer stitch helped. I used 3 and 3.5 rather then 2.5 on my machine. Have you made hand sewn buttonholes before? It is so nice and simple and worked out beautifully for this project.

Running around in dahlias at a farm and orchard we visited yesterday.

The website for Citronille is here but, I don't see this pattern listed. I have had it for awhile and I would definitely recommend sewing this pattern if you have some experience. They now have some patterns translated to English which I just found out if you are not feeling so brave. I have been wishing for some of their knitting patterns to be translated ( I see one because I have often admired some of the examples I have seen worked up on Ravelry... I am not sure if I can knit in French;)