Catching Up -- and Turning Toward September

Raspberry Jam II
Aug 4-2026

The summer is slipping away.  The days are growing visibly shorter.  As a Certified Morning Person, I am rebelling against the fact that as long as we're in Daylight Savings Time, the mornings stay darker far longer than I'd like, even now -- and the evenings, lighter for longer than is necessary! LOL! 😄

Soon I'll be changing up the photo in my "Header" for something more autumnal.  

That said, the Battle of Cool/Rainy versus Hot/Steamy here continues.  Me?  I prefer "Warm with a Breeze"...but apparently Mother Nature ran out of that some time ago. Sigh...

In the midst of all this, and the ongoing global angst, I continue to try to Create Beauty Every Day, as one of my heros, Deanne Fitzpatrick, would say.

In fact, I spend so much time on that objective that I've not had a lot of time to sit down and share what I've been doing in that regard -- so today is the day -- even though it's almost a full month since my last post.  

This means it's time to catch up!

Let's start with knitting. At the end of July, I showed yet another pair of finished mittens, and mentioned the Caribou Mountains Hat, which I have, indeed finished:

Pattern: Caribou Mountains Hat
Designer: Kalea the Luddite
Yarn: Diamond Galway Heather (discontinued)

This is the third of these hats I've made and I confess, it's one of my favourite patterns!

After the hat, comes mittens -- per my overall plan for this summer.  Thus I followed that hat with these fingerless mittens in 2 colours:

Pattern: Simple Bi-color Mitts
Designer: Cathy Dages
Yarn: unlabelled synthetics

And I followed these up with another hat.  This time, I tried a new-to-me pattern.  It was a bit of a challenge, as it required me to knit a stitch pattern I'd not tried before: the Honeycomb Stitch. What it is, is a closely-packed series of cables.  I love cables but I confess that making these, one row (seemingly) on top of another, in worsted/aran-weight yarn was a bit hard on my old hands, and definitely required some focus, to ensure the cables were going the right way! I persisted, and the result was a close-fitting, cozy hat that fit a small-medium head -- in large part because I increased the number of stitches I cast on...and adapted accordingly:

Pattern: "Tweedy Honeycomb Toque"
Designer: Kent Turman
Yarn: 1. Unlabelled maroon/wine-coloured
worsted weight yarn; 2. a few grams of 
elann.com Peruvian Sierra that matched

Now that those are finished, I'll be casting on another pair of The World's Simplest Mittens from Tin Can Knits -- my absolutely favourite mitten pattern which, of course, I commend to those of you who live in parts of the world wherein it gets cold enough to need warm hands!

Up next?  Not a lot of quilting going on -- too hot! But there have been cloudy, rainy days in which I've spend some time in my sewdio, cutting fabric, prepping pieces and making units that will end up in a quilt.

There have been horrific fires again this year in the Okanagan Valley, so I've put out feelers re: sending tops or quilted throw-sized quilts to those who might be in need.

And a few weeks ago, a young woman in my area who'd seen my art quilts contacted me, because she wants to learn to quilt -- so we got together.  We met for coffee and then came back to my home for a look at what I do.  I sent her home with some fabric, a list of supplies she needed (cutting mat, rotary cutter, etc.) and a couple of simple patterns -- the first being a Rail Fence. She's made a start, and we'll keep in touch once her seasonal job winds down.

Aside from that, I've been adding units that will end up either in another postage-stamp quilt or in 16-patch blocks that will be combined in a more expansive way.  And I've started cutting scraps into 2" x 3 1/2" rectangles, and 3 1/2" squares, to combine in a pattern from Bonnie Hunter that I want to make into a throw quilt for a neighbour of mine who's been particularly helpful: a "Fun With Bricks!" quilt!  

It's a pattern that involves two distinct four-patch units which, when put together, create a larger block.  I began with one four-patch design and then tried out the second...just to get a feel for the full block.  

Left: Unit 1; Right: Unit 2.

I've discovered I need to use fewer 'lights' in the Unit 1 pieces in order to make the entire block - two of each type -- work harmoniously. So...on we go! I'd like to have it done for Xmas but...well...time will tell!

Now then...what about cross-stitch?

August is the month in which I focus on "A Quilter's Dream", which I selected well over a year ago as the piece I wanted to do in tribute to my late hubby, my greatest art-quilting fan.  He died 20 years ago this month, and so I've been working steadily on that piece, designed by Jacob of Modern Folk Embroidery.  I'm using 2 colours of Roxy Floss Co. hand-dyed floss: Pippy (a red, after the character 'Pippy Long-stocking'); and "Greater Porpoise" -- a blue-grey, because...well...you know. 😉

Here's where I was when I left off at the end of February this year (that's the month in which we got engaged in 1975):

And here is where I am as of yesterday (August 22, 2026):

It's slow, steady, meditative work.  At the end of this month it will go away until November, the month that marks my late husband's birthday.  And so...we'll see how far that takes me too.  

I confess, though, that as a big fan of Jacob's work, I couldn't resist participating in his first-ever "Fast Frisian SAL", which is taking place now, through August 31.  I'm stitching it on a small piece of 36-count "Wren" from Picture This Plus, left from another project, using 1 strand of 'Maritimes' highly-variegated floss from Roxy Floss Co., over 2 fabric threads, mostly doing one 'X' at a time, given the nature of the variegation.  And yes, there are errors here and there where I've fudged it, but no matter -- I'm enjoying the journey!

And that's really about it, folks, for the textile crafts.  

Oh yes, I've spun a wee bit from an alpaca roving, but nothing to write home about.  

As for rug-hooking, I've only the sky left on the kit "Singing to the Choir" that I won in a draw at the Makers' Meet-up at the end of March (hosted by Deanne Fitzpatrick Studios). Here was my progress as of July -- some time after my last post. 

Kit variation: "Singing to the Choir"
Deanne Fitspatrick Studios

In the past week or so, I've added the rest of the stars (not shown) and started filling in the night sky above the blue-coated gal on the left.  It's going to be very pretty when it's done -- and once I get back with the Meet-up in September, that shouldn't be too long!

With September just over a week away (!), what are my hopes/plans/dreams for that month, one of my favourites in the entire year?

Quilting: 

• Get back to the Block of the Month (BOM) from A Quilting Life;
• Keep working on creating units and then blocks for the "Fun with Bricks" quilt top;
• Keep making 16-patch blocks for a future charity quilt;
• Keep the hopes of another Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt in the back of my mind;
• Follow up with my young learning-to-quilt friend as dictated by what she needs.

Knitting:

• September is for shawls and sweaters, with WIPs taking priority, but with at least one new start in one or both categories;
• Continue with small projects -- maybe adding in a cowl -- for the 2026 Warm Things Box.

Cross-Stitch:

• Finish the Fast Frisian SAL by the end of August;
• Move into Sampler September with work on the following projects:
• "Emeline Hotchkiss, Lacolle, 1846" -- a Canadian sampler reproduced by Kathleen Littleton of Cross Stitch Antiques; and
• "Memories of the Past", my birthday sampler from a few years ago, from Hands Across the Sea.
• Start a new sampler for my birthday this year.  It's a toss-up between Isabella Carter MaClean, 1799 -- a Canadian sampler with Scottish ancestral influence -- or Elizabeth Eason, 1827, a Scottish sampler.  I've bought the pattern and kitted up the former; the latter is still on my wish list!

Rug-Hooking:

• Finish "Singing to the Choir" as described above; and
• Lay out a new large piece on linen -- drawing for inspiration from Deanne's book on Landscapes and her online courses on "Working Big" as well as "Wildflowers in the Glen" all of which I've purchased; and
• Participate actively in the Makers' Meet-Up/Inspiration Sessions, which have been combined into one programme!

Some of what is started in September will, of course, continue through the winter months.  I've no requests for knitted items for Xmas, but may make the odd stitched one if inspiration strikes and time permits.  I'm not a "holiday" stitcher -- no Hallowe'en or Christmas-themed pieces for me (and that includes ornaments).  

I'm just going to cozy up and work on pieces that are relatively slow, rhythmic, and meditative -- to soothe a troubled mind!

It seems, too, Gentle Readers, that these hopes/plans of mine dovetail perfectly with the ideas that Nina-Marie is sharing on her Off The Wall Friday post this week: having fun, letting the work flow, not comparing what I'm doing with what others are doing, being fulfilled from within rather than from validation from without.

What about you?  Take a look at her post, and ponder...

Until next time, may you be safe, well and remember to find and/or create a bit of beauty every day.  A bientot!

Moving Right Along...

I confess I'm happy to see the last of July this year!  I've posted more often than usual, and it seems I was posting about ways to maintain sanity in this mad, mad, mad, mad world.  

I've decided: "Been there; done that!" and it's time to Move On. August has got to show some results of daily trying to find Light in the Making!  After all, that's currently what this blog is called, right?

So...what light have I found in making since my post last Friday?

Knitting! I finished that pair of The World's Simplest Mittens (with eternal thanks to Tin Can Knits on Ravelry for that enduring pattern):

When I began working on items for my Warm Things Box, I decided to alternate between hats and mittens.  Thus, having finished these, I've cast on another hat.  This time I'm using this pattern -- the Caribou Mountains Hat -- by Kalea Turner-Beckman, aka "Kalea the Luddite".  (Isn't that a wonderful nickname?  I'm a bit of a Luddite myself -- use a landline phone, no cell phone.  Write real letters and notes to people on real paper and, affixing an address and a stamp, mail them...and aren't all of us who knit, spin, weave, embroider/cross-stitch, hook rugs for wall or floor, make quilts for wall or bed -- aren't we all carrying a bit of that inside ourselves?)

But I digress...

I've made that hat twice before, and this third one, knit in Galway Heather from Diamond Yarn, in a deep teal, will be sure to keep someone cozy this coming winter.

Quilting! Well...nothing newly-started there BUT I have finally bound, washed and photographed the "Almost 40" birthday quilt for my son's partner.  She doesn't read my blog, so I'm taking a chance posting it here.  We're having a family gathering this coming Monday (it's a civic holiday here) so she'll be receiving it then.  

I need to express my continuing admiration for Bonnie Hunter and her ability to make complex patterns look easy, as this is another of her designs.  As I mentioned in my last post, it's the "Lupines and Laughter" pattern, her 2025/26 Mystery Quilt, and I'm thrilled with how it turned out.  Yes; it's all from stash -- including the pieced backing.

I am also delighted with the quality of the long-arm quilting from a gal named Marsha who works on a contractual basis with The Quilt Closet in Canmore, Alberta.  We chose a 'stars and swirls' pattern; here's a close-up:

Note: these photos were taken after the quilt was fully finished and washed, so if it looks, well, "quilty"...it is!

Last (for this week)...cross stitch.  I've got only a few more hours before I switch out to my Planned Stitches for August -- which I'll write about in a future post.  Having finished my Canadian Flag, I've spent the last week or so focused on "Emeline Hotchkiss, Lacolle, 1846", a Canadian sampler reproduced by Kathleen Littleton of Cross-stitch Antiques in the US.  

I've made great progress -- and have reached the point where I think, if I bring it back into 'rotation' for Sampler September, I might just finish it then!

Here is where I was in my last post:

You can see that I was nearing the border on the right side.  Well! As of last evening, July 30, here's where I am now:

All of that bit of border (upper right) is finished, plus some more of the bottom border, plus 3 motifs near the centre!

What's next? Well...there's a house.  A Big House, as you can see below in a photo of the cover of the pattern.

Photo Credit: Cross-stitch Antiques

Given that might take me quite a bit of time, perhaps my thoughts of finishing the last centre/corner of this piece by the end of September are a bit ambitious, but a gal can try, can't she?

Coming up in August there's more to do on the "Little Acorns" year-long Stitch-Along from Modern Folk Embroidery and there's Jacob's "Fast Friesian SAL" that starts...tomorrow -- and runs through August 31.  I've got my pattern, my fabric and my floss prepped so stay tuned for what transpires on that front!

I've no idea when I'll post next...but that's the way life goes, right?  

There is my corner of the art world, too, after all...

I've just dropped off a half dozen pieces at Curiosity Art & Framing in Red Deer, Alberta, for the gallery's new themed exhibit, "Roads", which runs until near the end of September.  I'll be posting more about that on my 3F Creations Facebook page soon. 

The gallery is also the founder of the Society of Creative Arts Center (American spelling of 'center' because "centre" is already in use in a similar title by some other organization. Sorry.) 

And as such, it has started an "Art in Your Pocket" program, wherein artists were invited to contribute photos of pieces that are printed out on special paper and wrapped up to be sold -- hold on! -- in vending machines!  Go figure!  

I decided to take a chance, and submitted my work. "Dandelions On Forever!" is a hooked art piece that was selected and is now available in such machines in select locations in Red Deer, including this one:

Each artist is paid an honourarium, and then a small sum of every piece sold. It's not a 'get rich quick' scheme, to be sure, but it gets our work "out there", is a bit of fun (the machines operate on random distribution -- you don't get to pick the piece you want) and is proving to be quite popular...so time will tell on this front too!

In this week's Off the Wall Friday post, Nina-Marie opines that one might start to make art instead of making sense.  I'm not so sure.  For me, Gentle Readers, making art HELPS me make sense -- of the world and whatever is going on around me.  What do you think?  I'm linking to her post, and would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

And until next time...stay safe, be well..a bientot!

A Saturday Date

Beating the heat! Yesterday -- Saturday -- I took myself on an "artist's date" to the Art Walk in the Garden in Camrose -- organized by the Camrose Arts Society. I've been attending this event for years, including when it was inside assorted locations, when my friend Mary Wilton and I showed our collaborative exhibit, "Shamrock and Thistle", back in the summer of 2018.

Nowadays Mary's art is focused on wet-felted, quilted pieces -- largely landscapes and florals -- and they continue to be *amazing*. I'm blessed to own a couple, one of which was a gift from her. Her hubby Terry, aka T Wilton Dale, is an author *and* an improv pianist, and while his 'regular' gig is Saturday afternoons at 1908 Cafe in Camrose, for the Art Walk, he sits near Mary and entertains the artists and the viewers.

I went early today to escape the heat and smoke (yes; we have an air quality warning -- we didn't send *everything* down south... 😉) and visited 3 gardens. The first two were "side by each", and I found paintings, and hand-crafted mugs, and...art to wear. I fell hard for a hot pink hoodie. I don't generally wear hoodies, but my trusty sweatshirts are decades old and wearing out fast. This is a quality sweatshirt with a kangaroo pocket in front -- and a *glorious* original art print on the back. (Note: it also has "Chevrolet" trapuntoed on the front. Why? No idea -- but as our family cars when I was growing up were all Chevrolets, I'll take it as homage to my late departed parents!)

Simple Front...

Artful Back!

The piece de resistance, though, which really made my day, was a small piece crafted by Steve R. Mitts. He and his wife open their garden to the Art Walkers, and Mary and Terry grace the space with their art and music -- but Steve takes centre stage with his unique paintings on 100+ year-old wood scraps. I've longed for one this year, and today I put a tiny dent in my children's inheritence with this small piece: "View from the Cliffs".

View from the Cliffs
(C) Steve R. Mitts, Camrose, Alberta 2026

It reminds me of Scotland, home of my paternal ancestors, and of the village of Kilsyth not far from Glasgow, from whence they emmigrated to southwest Quebec, and where a piece of my heart will always be. A Rennie I was born, and a Rennie I will always be. And yes, there are still distant cousins there in Kilsyth -- they operate Rennies Bakery...should you ever happen by. They don't know me from Adam...but they and that place hold precious memories for me.

And I'm thankful to Steve for the memories, however unintended, that his work evoked in me.

NOTE: Gentle Readers who follow me on Facebook may have already seen this post; however, I wanted to share it here too, for those who continue to read my weblog -- definitely a bit "old school" these days. 😉 I appreciate all of you! 🩷

Still in Search of Sanity!

Since my last regular blog post we've managed to move from autumnal weather into -- heat wave!  Along with that, we're getting wild fire smoke across the mountains from B.C., some from Saskatchewan to the east (!) and perhaps a bit of our own from up north.  Try as we might, we can't seem to get it to travel south... 😉

But between the heat and smoke, work in the yard and garden has been a challenge, and I've not been able to use my Outdoor Studio as much as I'd hoped.  

That said, given all the rain we got in June and earlier this month, everything's growing like Topsy!  The peonies were glorious -- as you can see from the above photo -- and the roses, daisies and yarrow, profuse!  

I've had 2 salads with my own leaf lettuce and snips of dill; my green beans are flowering; my cherry tomatoes are cherry-ing and I've 3 zucchini plants gearing up to flower.

Even the rhubarb I transplanted into one of the raised beds last fall, saving it from being buried by the raspberries, has given me a couple of cups, diced, and is promising at least two more.

And speaking of raspberries -- my canes are loaded again this year.  This morning, before the heat and smoke set in, I picked my first large collander full:

From which I made this:

Seven cups of fresh rasberry jam!

And I have a few cups left over to enjoy fresh.  And there's more on the canes yet to ripen.

Don't worry, Gentle Readers -- my crafting is still in the spotlight, because it is the key to finding daily peace and sanity, as the World Order continues be most disorderly indeed!

In the cool of the mornings I tend to take up my knitting, with what little bit of news I can handle, several knitting podcasts and at least two cups of good, black coffee!  

I mentioned socks in my last post, and indeed, I'm working on the second of this pair of "Cock-a-hoop Socks" from Canadian Nancy Wheeler of New Brunswick.  The photo doesn't do the pattern justice, but I think the yarn I dug out from my stash is capturing what Nancy was getting at when she designed them.  Here's what the first sock looks like:

Yarn: Subculture Yarn SW
Merino Bamboo Rayon Nylon Fingering
Colour-way: "Unicorn Farts"! 🤣 

I've set aside the socks, sweaters and blanket projects though, in favour of small items to go in my "Warm Things Box", which I'll take to my parish church in November for distribution to those in need.  I'm working on hats and mittens, alternating projects in turn, and have finished two hats and a pair of mittens, and am on the second mitten of my second pair of those.  Here's the line-up so far:

First, another LOSY (Left Over Sock Yarn) Hat, the fourth I've made...

LOSY Hat - Left Over Sock Yarn

Next, I tried out a pair of colour-work mittens.  I liked the pattern and would probably knit these again -- but would crib the thumb from "The World's Simplest Mittens" pattern. I'm not alone there, as others on Ravelry had doubts about the thumbs in this pattern. Anyway, here they are, knit as written:

Pattern: Kuura Mittens
Designer: Helena Joronen
Yarns: Blue - Cascaed 220 - worsted
Colour: #9487 - Puget Sound
White/Cream: Unknown worsted-weight wool

Third -- a hat, of course -- to stay in rotation!  This was a new to me pattern that I found when listening to this podcast: Cathy W. Yarn with Heart (a Canadian but I'm not sure from which part of the country). It's the "Look Out! Winter Hat"  designed by Roberta Rich, and it's free on Ravelry. The pattern is size-inclusive, is knit partly flat and partly in the round -- but can be knit entirely flat if you choose. It can be knit in 2 colours but I chose to knit my first one in Berroco Vintage, a worsted-weight (#4 in US yarn numbering) wool-acrylic blend, in "Black Cherry":

It's mostly garter stitch, and has an applied i-cord edge along the bottom.  It takes a bit more time and thought than the LOSY or other more "basic" hats, but I think I'd make another if I have the right yarn (or yarns) in stash.  I'd like to try a two-colour one!

And now...I'm on the second of yet-another-pair of my very favourite mitten patterns. I'm sure, Gentle Readers Who Knit Mitts, you know and likely appreciate this pattern too -- 'The World's Simplest Mittens' from Tin Can Knits.  This go 'round I'm using two yarns: an acrylic solid for the cuffs and a wool/nylon blend for the main part. I remain undecided as to the thumbs, depending on how close I come to playing "Yarn Chicken" in the end!

Red yarn: Mary Maxim Parisienne
DK - 100% acrylic - colour #104;
Self-patterning yarn: ONline Supersocke
6 fach, wool/nylon - Arizona - Color #1970

While I've been knitting every day (it's my go-to Sanity Saver), I've been working a bit with...

Quilting: 

1. The binding is fully sewn on 2 sides of the "Lupines & Laughter" quilt (Bonnie Hunter's Mystery 2025-26) and machine-sewn on the other two, pinned for hand-stitching when it gets cool enough to put a quilt in my lap, or the weekend of August 1 -- whichever comes first!  The reason? This is a birthday gift for my son's partner -- her "almost 40" quilt (she turns 39 later in August this year) and we're having a family gathering on August 3rd, which is a holiday in most Canadian provinces/territories!  So I need to get a move on!
2. No new scraps have been cut into usable squares/bricks -- too hot!  And out on the back stoop?  Too windy! And...
3. I've printed the July block from "A Quilting Life" but...that's as far as I've got.  Too hot in the south-facing studio (no ceiling fan).

Rug-hooking:

Working in fits-and-starts here, but am eager to finish my current project by the end of this month if I can.  For my part in the "10-Minutes-a-Day Challenge" at Deanne Fitzpatrick Studios, I'm working on the pattern/kit I won at the end of March as a member of her "March is for Makers" program -- now continuing as the "Makers' Meet-up".  

The kit is a variation of one used for the "Kit of the Month" a while back, and it's lovely.  That said, of course I'm playing with the suggested colours and colour placement!  That's the whole idea, isn't it?! 😉

"Singing to the Choir" -- on the frame
Designed by Deanne Fitzpatrich Studio

All I have left to do on this piece is the sky...and my plan? To bind it and give it to the friend with whom I sung at church for over a decade -- first as a trio (we called ourselves "The Quartet" -- see why, below!) and then as a duo.  Precious memories:

"The Quartet": 2 vocalists, 2 guitarists 😉

And then there's cross-stitch. Those of you that do these crafts probably know well the commonality they share: hands working together, often hand-over-hand.  It's that quality that plays a key part in the search for sanity.

I really didn't have much to show you in my last post, so I'm making up for that now.

July, for me, is the month I focus on Canadian designers.  In July of 2024 I began a lovely sampler reproduced by a talent American -- Kathleen Littleton of Cross-stitch Antiques, and I've continued to work on it again this month.  It was stitched originally by Emeline Hotchkiss, a Canadian girl living in or around Lacolle, Quebec, in the 1800s -- hence the Canadian connection.

Here's where I last left it almost a year ago (July 31, 2025):

And here's my progress as of yesterday -- July 23, 2026:

Emeline Hotchkiss, Lacolle, 1846
reproduced by Kathleen Littleton,
Cross-stitch Antiques.

I know it doesn't look like much but I'm turning the upper right corner of the border to go down that third side. Once that's done, I'll be moving to the bottom section, closing in on a finish. 

I'm working it with 1 strand of floss over 2 fabric threads on 40-count "Vellum" from Picture This Plus, using DMC floss -- called for the odd close-colour substitute from stash.  

To celebrate Canada Day (July 1) I started this tiny piece at the end of June and finished it at the end of the first week of July: Canadian Flag from Erin Elizabeth Designs.

I stitched it on 36-count Antique White linen from Zweigart, using DMC #327, one strand over 2 fabric threads.  I've a red mat and an inexpensive black frame from Michael's, and plan to frame it up and park it on the indoor sill of my front window, just 'cause.

Last but not least, I've gone back to Jacob's 2026 SAL, "Little Acorns", for a meditative monochromatic stitch. I'm not following the suggested sections very strictly, so I've really no idea of my progress compared to others doing this Stitch-ALong, but I enjoy it.

While I've worked on it on and off, this is the progress I recorded in May (!)

And this is my progress as of July 22:

Yes! I'm nearly finished this latest section!  I'm working with 1 strand of Roxy Floss hand-dyed floss in the "Pippy" colour-way, over 2 strands of Roxy Floss linen, 40-count, in "Platinum".  

Long. Slow. Distance.  That's what these pieces remind me of.

You see, in my younger years (mid-late twenties to early thirties) I took up running.  Long. Slow. Distance.  My purpose?  To manage my weight (I'm built like a box!) and to have Time To Myself.  I would run at least 1/2 hour a day, and longer (up to 2 hours or more) on weekends. I entered 6 marathons and finished 5 (one I quit at 10 miles due to the heat).  So I understand the rhythm.

The rhythm of the feet and legs moving in time. Steady pace; steady breathing.  Managing hills -- up and down.  Navigating around icy patches. Dressing for all sorts of wind and weather.  All to find Sanity, Peace of Mind, in the pace. Long. Slow. Distance.

Nowadays it's Long. Slow. Stitches.  Whether knitting loops or hooking them. Whether crossing stitches, or hem-stitching bindings on quilts. Whether drafting a bit of wool roving and spinning it, or plying singles to make a yarn.

Quiet, rhythmic and meditative -- yet productive.  Creating beauty every day that can be both savoured and shared with others -- with those in need or those "just because".  Beauty, comfort, the quiet expression and sharing of the work of our hands.

I have to believe that if we keep on keeping on, there will always be Light in the Making.  This belief is what gets me up in the morning and keeps me going all day.  Perhaps it works the same magic for you.

I'll leave you with that to ponder.  Nina-Marie is off elsewhere this week so...until next time, Gentle Readers, a bientot!***

***She's BACK! So I'm linking belatedly to Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday.  Have a great day!

Between Friends: A Memory

As tomorrow marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in the United States.  Given current...circumstances...I expect the celebrations will not be quite as originally envisioned.  I want to return you, Gentle Readers, to different times -- fifty years ago, to the American Bi-centennial.  

What you see in the photo at left is the front page of a book produced in 1976 by the Government of Canada, presented to the Government of the United States as a gift for the Bi-centennial.

Entitled Between Friends/Entre Amis, it is filled with photos taken of settlements and people living on or near the longest undefended border in the world.

My parents used to spend a few wintry months in Florida -- in the Kissimmee area -- and in that year, had their (mostly) American friends sign their book.  After my step-father died and my mother down-sized (more than once!) this copy fell into my hands.

In this post I want to share with you the Foreward from the book, written when life was, perhaps, a tad bit easier; when times were, perhaps, a tad bit slower; and when people of good will were governing our two very similar but very different cultures.  I hope and pray that someday, before too long, these words will be true again:

“This book is about people – about the Canadians and Americans who live in harmony close to that long thin line known as the International Boundary.  It is about the boundary itself, which both links these people and helps to define their separate national identities. 

“This book is also a celebration – a joyful recognition of that striking triumph of the human spirit reflected in the atmosphere of peace and friendship which pervades the many relationships between two proud and free nations.  It is a celebration, as well, of the two hundredth anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence, and of the innumerable accomplishments of a great country during two centuries of freedom.

 “No one should think it strange that Canadians should involve themselves in the observance of an American anniversary.  Over hundreds of years we have worked and played together, laughed and mourned together fought side by side against common enemies.  Our two peoples have helped each other repair the havoc of natural disasters, inspired and applauded each other, opened our hearts and homes to each other as to valued and welcomed friends.

 “Let no one seek to devalue the achievements of our friendship by glossing over its occasional difficulties.  It is true that, as is not uncommon among lifelong friends, we have sometimes had serious differences of opinion, misunderstood each other, struggled against each other’s competing ambitions.  Long ago we even fought each other, usually in relation to the very boundary which this book illuminates. 

“The true nature of our international relationship, however, is revealed by the fact that it is defined not by our differences, but by our capacity and eagerness to resolve them. 

“Our International Boundary, and the men and women who view it from opposite sides, have a vitally important lesson to teach other members of the community of nations.  It is well expressed on a plaque marking the border line between Alaska and the Yukon Territory – a plaque which proclaims that the friendship between Canada and the United States is ‘a lesson of peace to all nations.’”

             - The Right Honourable Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, 1976

Blessings to you, my American readers, friends and family. May you have a safe and happy celebration. 

Summer Scraps for Sanity!

Hello, Gentle Readers!

Yes...it's been over a month, but I'm still here, still trying to spread light and life in 'the making' of things.

Though this weekend is supposedly the 'vernal equinox' for us here in the northern hemisphere, well...maybe it is where you are, but in these parts, in the weeks since my last post, it's been more autumnal than summer-like.  For a very long time -- April and the first part of May -- we were begging for rain as our snow-pack in the Canadian Rockies was low, and those who grow crops and graze cattle in these parts were worried about drought.  

There was even enough time for the Meadow to produce a reasonable crop of dandelions, so I was able to make a couple of batches of my dandelion jam.  Here's a photo of the first one...

Well -- worry no more! Since the last 10 days of May and right through today, it's been positively autumnal!  Not frosty; just chilly overnight and through most days...with lots of rain.  Gardens have been planted, and the more courageous seedlings have ventured forth, despite risk of drowning!  I'm happy that my lilacs and irises have bloomed, my daisies and lupines are in full gear, and my roses and peonies are in bud.  I've some green beans beginning in their raised bed, along with some salad greens, and my wee cherry tomato has flowers...so onward we go!

All that said, it's been good weather for indoor making!

The chill and the rain mean I've been focused on knitting and quilting, with some cross-stitch on the side.

The little pink-and-white pinwheel quilt I showed in my last post was finished and mailed off to the expectant grandparents, who are long-time friends -- Larry and his wife, Lydia.  Larry was our Best Man at our wedding over 50 years ago.  He called this past week to say that the parcel had arrived on the same day as the baby!  She is reportedly a sweetie and is doing well.  You can't put a price on such long and lovely friendships!  Here's what the finished quilt looked like before it crossed the country by Canada Post:

I even managed to find a sweet label for it in my stash:

This week, I've moved on to another baby quilt -- similar, but different -- and in blue and white, for a wee baby boy.  His family is part of the wider parish from which our pastor comes twice a month for services in our tiny church, about 20 minutes north of me.  He's had a really challenging start to life due to serious health issues -- so I decided he needs a quilt.

Thanks to all the hour-glass units I've made from "bonus triangles" (thanks to the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilts!!) I had several in blue-and-white -- just as I had so many in pink-and-white.  So...I took these...

And made them into this, pin-basted and ready to quilt:

I hope to have it finished by our next service (June 28) so I can give it to our pastor to take to Baby C and his parents.

In other quilting?  Well, I've finished the June block (my version) for the 2026 BOM from A Quilting Life.  

It remains a challenge to balance those prints in order to get the best effect and not overwhelm the block!

Finally, in quilty news...I've decided to commit any possible quilting-related time this summer to...SCRAPS!

This means that if I can, I want to use my outdoor studio-on-the stoop for cutting scraps into usable pieces -- squares and rectangles.  This, of course, will depend on Mother Nature's buying in to the process -- not too hot, not windy and definitely NOT rainy!  I managed to eke out a bit of time for this recently, so this is what it would look like if...well...you know...

Outdoor Studio on the Stoop

In addition to all the above, I've been notified by the long-arm quilter at Camrose's newest quilt shop -- The Quilt Closet -- that the "Lupines and Laughter" quilt I sent there for quilting is *finished*!  This is a gift for my son's partner's birthday (August) so I hope to pick it up this week and get it bound ASAP.  Photos will follow!

And to continue the scrappiness...I've returned to string piecing in two formats: diagonal and straight.  

I'm using diagonally-placed strips on both 6 1/2" and 8 1/2" squares to make blocks that will eventually become...tops:

6 1/2" diagonal string blocks

And this is what the straight-string blocks look like:

6 /2" straight string blocks

It will take a while to get enough of these to put together into something useful...but no worries!  The strips/scraps breed in the night, and God willing, She'll give me the time!

Knitting is, I confess, my first love, and my coziest craft -- whether inside or out.  Of course, then, I've got a fair amount to share about it!

That said, I didn't mention much in my last post, but since then, I finished another cozy, scrappy pullover.  It was meant by the designer to be a strictly-striped tee-top, but no!  I didn't want that.  I had a number of bits of scrap fingering yarn to use up and wanted a top-down pullover.  I chose the "Bustleton Tee" and then proceded to follow the instructions...well, let's just day that I followed them "loosely".  

First, I didn't go for fixed stripes.  I was using left-over fingering-weight yarn and when a colour was done -- well, it was done

Second, I wanted long sleeves, so I planned for that.

Third, I wanted "top-down" -- and that's as close to the rules as I got!  That said...here's what I ended up with by doing so:

It looked well enough BUT the neckline was far too wide so...I picked up stitches around the neck and created this:

And here's a closer look:

It fits well, and I've worn it several times in this unseasonably chilly weather, so all's well that ends well, eh?

In addition, I've made plans for this summer:

 - Give main attention to my 'Warm Things Box' for the fall of 2026:

FIRST: the mitred square blanket, long under construction, has been taken up again. It's currently closing in on 11 x 11 squares.  Made of left-over fingering-weight yarn, at about 2" per finished square, I've some distance to go yet!

SECOND: another LOSY Hat (Left Over Sock Yarn Hat) -- barely started, so no photo. Sorry.

After that...whatever calls to me...but there's still the Sea Haven pullover to work on (stockinette 'round and 'round for the body at the moment) and a new pair of socks: the "Cock-a-hoop Socks" from Nancy Wheeler, which I'm knitting in a gorgeous yarn from stash, given to me some years ago by a non-knitty friend:

The colour-way is *very* variegated -- not really what I expected -- but it's making a gloriously mixed-colour fabric. I'm on the foot of the first sock and will show photos in a future post -- stay tuned!

Yes, there is also a bit of rug-hooking, but it's been slow and quiet, on the back burner.  I did finish my "Daisy Cottage", which is my adaptation of one of Deanne Fitzpatrick's patterns, "Starfish Cove" -- adapted because I am nowhere near an ocean or starfish.  Here it is while still on the frame. 

"Daisy Cottage" - a DFS pattern adaptation

I'm not sure how I'm going to finish it, so it's simply stored away for now.

I've joined Deanne's 10-Minutes-a-Day challenge, though, which kicks off on June 25 -- and plan to work on the kit I won from the "Makers' Meetup" at the end of March.  I seem to be drawn more to patterns these days, rather than original work.  My brain appears to need the rest!

There is, of course, also some stitching...but I'm woefully short of photos.  I've been focused lately on the "Little Acorns" SAL from Modern Folk Embroidery, and on "Disagree" from Rebel Stitcher.  The latter is almost finished, but the former -- ah, well, I've a long way to go even to catch up!

I will tell you, though, that my June 1 fabric from the Evertote/Roxy Floss 'Traditional' club arrived -- and along with it 2 skeins of the spectacular "Maritimes" variegated floss (Roxy Floss Co too), which I want to use for Jacob's "Fast Frisian" SAL starting in August. I've pre-ordered the pattern, so I'm all set!

I think that's all the energy I have for this post.  I confess that I continue to struggle with maintaining a certain nonchalance about the state of the world -- especially for friends family and everyone else in Canada's neighbour to the south.  Staying creative, repeating the hand-over-hand work of knitting, cross-stitch, and rug-hooking, cutting and piecing strips and units of fabric, and digging in the dirt of my flower and veggie beds...all of that is an attempt to keep my heart, soul and mind from losing hope for you, dear readers, who may be caught up in the mess, and for those of us being swept along for the ride.

This week Nina Marie suggests that being 'weird' might be an asset, so perhaps as we head toward the end of yet another month, we should all try to be weird...in a creative way, that is!

Linking to her post, then, I bid you a fond farewell, with thanks for reading...and until next time, a bientot!