Not much crafting but....

This week was crazy busy with handyman repairs of various sorts to make the house and us happier.  I've also been trying to get off my duff more and get some walking in, which is good for me, but not good for crafting.  But I did make more hexipuffs.

They're all piled on top of each other, but I have Jamieson's Shetland Sprindrift and Koigu PPPM.

I didn't stitch much at all on Yellow Sub.  Instead, I got distracted,  again.   I kept seeing other people on Instagram working on GigiR's Red Deer Sampler and finally decided to pull mine out and start stitching on her again.  I haven't stitched much so far on her since I picked her up again, but she is so close to being done, comparatively.

Well, sort of.  I'm using the called for linen and fibers.

Sunday, I set up some new shoe organizers.  I bought them on sale, and immediately thought of a different purpose for them other than shoe organizing.

Yup, you guessed it.  Stash organizing!

The cubbies are small, shoe sized, but they work well for my yarns anyway.  I'm pleased with the arrangement.

Saturday, the Father type and I trekked out to Brooklyn.  We were on a mission.  Well, two missions.  The first was to stop at Gauge and Tension, which is in the Brooklyn Craft Company.   Gauge and Tension is a yarn shop owned by the talented designer Michele Wang.  She designs amazing sweaters and other knitwear, for Brooklyn Tweed among others.  I'm a huge fan of hers!

I neglected to take pictures of the shop or the craft areas, but guess who I got to meet?  Michele Wang!

She was sooooo nice!  It was amazing!  I bought this pattern by Michele.

And two skeins of Jones & Vandermeer Clever Camel in the color shown.

I also got to try on the Bellows cardigan, which was amazing!  Michele has all her models there -- I was drooling just looking at them all.  But Bellows is the one I think I want to try to knit.  I figure I'll start small and tackle the hat first.  Work on my cabling skills.  :D

After that fantastic experience, the Father type and I walked down to the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn to go here.

Mast Brothers Chocolate!   Again, amazing!  You walk in and all you smell is CHOCOLATE!!

These pics are from the factory -- that back area in the last pic is where they make the chocolate.  They also have a store where you can try various chocolate beverages, along with chocolate spread on sourdough bread.  Yum!

I had the non-alcoholic chocolate beer.  Very interesting.

And we came home with these chocolate bars.

We had dinner at La Goulette.  I had Joe's Plate, which was Chicken Shawarma over Cauliflower and Hummus with Pita.

And the Father type and I shared some Baklava for dessert.

It was a fun day with lots of walking and sight seeing along the way.  I was glad to have my Father type there to show me where to go on the subways!

Mia was happy to have us home that evening.

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

We all live in a.....

I lost interest in EF 1864 and picked up Blackbird Designs Yellow Submarine.  As many of you know, I'm a big Beatles fan, so the 6 designs based on Beatles songs that Blackbird Designs' Barb Adams released are a must for me.  Yellow Submarine has to be first -- the boy child and I watched that movie endless times.  Here is my progress on the piece so far.

I'm using the called for linen and GAST fibers.  Once again, I'm unhappy with how the GAST colors just aren't the same as what is shown on the model.  GAST and other overdyed cottons just aren't reliable in their colors at all.  And I feel the Lakeside Linen Cedar Plank just makes the colors look muddy.  The picture has lightened up the colors a lot.  (I'm using 40ct linen.)  I'm hoping my Yellow Sub looks good when it's finished.

If you're wondering what that hexagon shaped thing is in the picture -- well, it's my first hexipuff for a hexipuff blanket.  The pattern is from here.  I've made three so far, one not stuffed, one stuffed, and the third stuffed slightly more.

So far, I'm just using the leftover tidbits from my Walking Tour Scarf, Jamieson and Smith Shetland 2 ply Jumper weight.  I'm planning on adding in some Koigu and other yarns too.  And yes, you sew the hexipuffs together to make a blanket.

The weather has been beautiful and warm the past few days.  A certain cat has been enjoying it immensely.  (Mia is an indoor cat.)

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week!

Spring! And stitching?!!

I finished my Handbrake Cowl!

It is a pattern by Dan Jones with help from his wife Kay Jones of the Bakery Bears Podcast.  The pattern is 1 pound, all proceeds going to support cancer research.  I used Fancy Tiger Crafts Heirloom Romney in Blue Maize.  I gave it to the Father type -- here he is modeling it.

I think he likes it.  :D

I know this will be a shock but I'm stitching again!!!

I picked up an old WIP, the EF 1864 Sampler from an issue of Sampler and Antique Needlework Magazine.  I need to check which issue it is.  Here is how far I've gotten so far.

It's nice to be stitching again!  But I'm not sure how I will fare with this one.  I love Berlin woolwork, but it's not my favorite kind of stitching.   And that's what the bulk of the piece is.

This weekend was the first time in a week that we've had any sunshine.  Sunday was a glorious day!  Sunshine and temps in the 60s.  Yum!  The father type and I took a nice long walk in one of our local state parks, visited a bookstore, and just had a nice day!

And when we got home, we opened the windows for the first time this year!  Hooray!  Someone enjoyed the fresh air immensely.

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week!

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.