Oh My

Reading the blogs I follow, beginning where I left off 2 days ago, as I put the last stitches in the red-work-block-to-replace-the-one-Someone-Else-was-supposed-to-do, when I found this.  If you're not on Ravelry, my apologies, as you may not be able to see what I'm talking about.  But if you're a knitter, you're probably on Ravelry, so that's okay.

Whatever.  I have to make one of these.  Soon.

P.S. Thanks to my Knitting Hero, the Yarn Harlot, for pointing the way to this beauty.

Almost There: Orca Bay Part 1, Day 4

Reporting from Orca Bay Mystery Quilt Outpost, Mirror, Alberta:  

Here are the hour glass units that passed muster from today's work -- all 52 of them.  There were supposed to be 60, but eight went into the 2.325" square stack instead.*  I must have had a moment of weakness or fatigue, and just not taken enough care to stitch that hair's width inside the sewing lines on those ones.  Sigh.  Ah well: they will be stored and used elsewhere!  More tomorrow, perhaps, though I have to work in the morning and I wanted to get some spinning done in the afternoon because, after all, "Tuesdays are for Spinning".

*This brings my total thus far to 142.  Only 82 to go!

Working Title: I Was Hungry...

In addition to the OBMQ squares, I finally began to 'birth' a new art piece that's been growing inside my head for the past few weeks.  The 'picture' I got for this one has spoken so loudly to me that I just had to get it down.

Sometimes things brew far longer than a few weeks (like a coat I have in mind that's been lodged at the back of my right brain for over a year now) -- but not this one. No way.  I even know how I want to quilt it.  The piece will be 15 inches square.  There is a motif -- a begging bowl or a rice bowl -- fused a bit off-centre on the lower left; I bought the beads I want to use for the rice, from The Crafty Lady, a couple of weeks ago.  The rest will show up in the quilting.  Inspiration? There were two sources: 1) a presentation at church a few weeks ago by our parish rep for PWRDF (the Anglican Primate's World Relief and Development Fund); and 2) the Gospel of Matthew 25:35.  I can just feel it: this is one of those pieces that won't let me go until it's finished.  Stay tuned.

Let it be known!

I'm a Fan of the Yarn Harlot!

No; I've never met her.

BUT

I have read all of her books (and own them all)

EXCEPT

for her new one.

KIDS:

This one sits 

next to

Clara Parkes'

Knitter's Book of Socks

on the 

I WANT IT

Christmas wish list.

Love,

MOM

**Original post editted November 3, 2011.  Somehow, the other photo (i.e. same photo, but with a caption) had its link broken.  I don't know why or how, because to the best of my knowledge this photo is in broad circulation.  I don't want to offend Ms. McPhee, though, so will delete this post altogether if it becomes a problem.

Ya Gotta Love Her...

Stephanie, that is; i.e., Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka the Yarn Harlot....who's currently on a tour promoting (well, signing, actually -- she's so wonderful that the promoting bit is automatic) her new book. She just left Baltimore for Chicago...and recorded her Baltimore experience; Yarn Harlot: In which Baltimore Brings It*

Most of it is Essential YH -- i.e., a twist on what happened in Boston, and what's going to happen in Chicago BUT...if you scroll down to the end...read about running out of books. Too funny. I love it.

No? Not a knitter, eh?

Pity.

*'via Blog this'

Wednesdays are for C&G

... Or at least that seems to be how it's turning out this week.

I'd really like to get into a more consistent routine, and now that the Siren Song of Summer Sunshine no longer beckons, perhaps I can do just that. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, The Yarn Harlot, used to say, "Tuesdays are for spinning".  I'd like to incorporate that into my schedule too, thus:

1. Mondays are for Lacombe (the City of, that is), wherein I meet to say the Anglican Rosary, attend an aquacize class, meet with a charity knitting group, teach a bit of knitting, work on whatever handwork is going, run errands (groceries, car wash, bottle depot...) and practice with the other two members of the trio to which I belong;
2. Tuesdays are for the Mirror Library (a.m. - currently acting-librarian) and spinning;
3. Wednesdays are for City & Guilds reading, designing, exercises, and for the Mirror Library (7-9 p.m.);
4. Thursdays are for the studio (a.m.) and the Mirror Library (1-5 p.m.); and
5. Fridays - as for Thursdays but without the Library!

If I could stick to that, Saturdays would be open for volunteer work (Thrift Shop -- where I get some of my best materials!) or art galleries or quilt shows or...whatever.  And Sunday is my Sabbath: church, friends, naps, reading, BEing more than DOing.

Now that I've put that out to "a great cloud of witnesses" in cyber-space, So Be It!  

Two Against the Current

Today being for the C&G, I finished Activities 15 and 16 of Module 4 -- creating Prairie Points and inserting them into a seam; then, quilting the piece.  (Notice these weren't left as points per se, but pressed open.  What fun!)   I used mainly my hand-dyed fabrics with a bit of commercial cotton as well, and machine quilted the sample with Sulky 'Blendable' thread in colour #4016 - "Peacock Plume" -- simply because it seemed best for the subtle effect I wanted on the hand-dyed background fabric. 

 As I haven't done much machine quilting this summer, the quilting on this sample is not my best, so the piece won't leave my studio -- but it has given me an idea to replicate it at a higher level of quality for the next SAQA Benefit Auction.  :-)

Sock Knitters, United!

Those of you who know me, know I'm an avid knitter, and always have something on the needles.  My very favourite portable project is a sock.  As you can see from the video below, I'm not alone!  :-)