Blue Queen

I finished my Messalina Shawl!  I do love it, and it was so much fun to knit.  Just the right amount of stuff to keep me interested balanced with plain stockinette for ease.  I used Clara Yarn Cormo 2.0 in Sky.  The pattern is by Kay Jones of the Bakery Bears podcast.  ( For those who are wondering, yes, I love that quilt.  But Mia has destroyed it by clawing it to shreds in huge areas.  I keep it folded up on the spare bed.  No, I didn't make it.)

I immediately dived into a pattern called the Handbrake Cowl, designed by Kay with her husband Dan Jones.  It's a pattern where the purchase price goes to cancer research, so definitely worth buying to support a good cause.   I'm using Fancy Tiger Crafts Heirloom Romney in the Blue Maize colorway.  Just a bit done so far.

I seem to have a theme of blue going on in this post.  I received a wonderful gift in the mail from Paula of Kelmscott Designs.  Paula has started a new line of products called Whimsical Edge Designs.  She knows I love all things British and British Royal, so she sent me her Blue Queen Threadkeep.  I love it so much!

I have it pictured here with two of Paula's scissors - both in red, of course!   The one on the left is the Storklette scissors and the one on the right is the red Roly Poly.  Can you tell I enjoy Paula's pieces?  Thank you, Paula, for my Blue Queen!  I love her!

I don't know if you've noticed, but knitting seems to have taken over for now, hasn't it?  Never fear.  For a while, I seriously wasn't even thinking of stitching.  As a first for me, I didn't even purchase anything from Nashville market!  Now this was a super bad sign -- I always go crazy when market rolls around.  lol!

But recently, I've started thinking about stitching again.  I even purchased a couple of charts from market, a few weeks after.  This one (Fractur Friends by Shakespeare's Peddler),

And this one (Feathered Whisperers by Barbara Ana).

The Feathered Whisperers, you can leave out the border if you want.  But the border is the best part, IMO!  And Fractur Friends is stitched on 40ct silk gauze.  But obviously, you don't have to go that route if you don't want to.  I have provided links directly to where I swiped the pictures from.  I hope it's ok to have swiped them!

Anyway, all this is to say I have been starting to think more about stitching again.  I think it's just a matter of time.  So all you stitchers, don't give up on me yet!  :D

I removed one of the wool blankets from the bed this week and put it on the bench I'd placed in front of Mia's favorite window.  I think Mia likes having the blanket there.

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week -- and that those who celebrate had a wonderful Easter,  or are having a good Passover.

It's been 16 years....

I did finish my Guernsey Wrap from Brooklyn Tweed.

I still have to block it, but I will get to that.  Sometime.  lol!  I used Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in Soot.

I started a new project -- it's the Messalina Shawl by Kay Jones of the Bakery Bears Podcast.  I love their podcast and I love knitting this shawl as well!

This is my progress so far.  I'm using Clara Yarn Cormo 2.0 in Sky -- I'm enjoying knitting for the first time with Cormo wool.

If you enjoy knitting podcasts, do check out the Bakery Bears.  :D

Something exciting happened this weekend.  The father type and I bought a car!  My old car was 16 years old, and I didn't trust it for much besides very local trips.  So this is a wonderful happening for me!  A rare treat!

Here are a couple of relics from when the kids were tiny that I found in my car.  Proof of how old the car is -- and how often I thoroughly clean out my car.  lol!

Here's my new car!

I love my new Honda CRV!

Love the color so so much!  It's called something like Mountain Air.  lol!

The father type and I took the car for a drive Sunday.  And where else would I elect to go but a yarn store?

We went to White Barn Farm,  and what a lovely store it is!

And it turns out there was a Hudson Valley Yarn Crawl going on.  I would have loved to go on the yarn crawl, but I figured one yarn store was tempting enough!

Here's my stash from White Barn Farm -- all locally made yarns, and all lovely!

We also went into the "downtown" area of New Paltz, wandered into book stores and chocolate stores, and had burritos at a yummy place.

It was great to take a drive in the new car on a lovely, sunny (if chilly) day.

While the father type and I were enjoying the weekend,  the girl child went to visit her brother in Boston.  They kept me somewhat up to date on their ventures, but not entirely -- of course.  lol!  Here is one picture the girl child sent me, from Newbury Street.  Can't remember the name of the store with the window display of sewing machines, but my girl knows I love that window!  See my babies in the window?

I recently moved things around a tiny bit and put a bench in front of one of Mia's favorite windows.  She seems to enjoy it.

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week.  I'm still rooting for spring!