A Little Sewdio R & R

A couple of days ago, I posted my first finished piece for EB's Master Class, and her generous critique.  Before the next assignment arrives (Feb. 1!), I'm taking some time to work on other projects.

Some of you may remember that almost a year ago I posted about a Carpenter's Star medallion piece I was assembling from a kit I'd won as a door prize some years ago.  Fairly small, as these things, go (48" square without all the added borders), I was making it as a test piece for a larger version for which I've been commissioned.

I'm glad I practiced!  Actually, though, it's pretty easy if you follow the chart provided by the designer (Debbie Maddy of Calico Carriage).  I've only reversed a couple of the pieces, necessitating a 'do-over'.

The medallion itself consists of eight rows of blocks.  On Monday, I finished sewing the first four rows, which I'd pieced together a few months ago:

It's wider than my design wall and as deep!

Due to its size, I had to make this note to myself:

This end up!

Today I'm working on the bottom four rows, which have their own label:

Top half of the bottom half...

In between, I finished a baby blanket for a wee one who's arrival is now past due...This morning, I washed it and here it lies on towels on the spare room floor, blocking and drying:

Pattern: "Saurey" from Berroco Yarns
Yarn: Katia "Pisco" - Aran weight,
cotton/acrylic/linen (discontinued)

With this project, I've removed another 5 balls of yarn from my stash, which pleases me no end as whittling it down is one of my unspoken objectives for this year.  Another project designed to do so is participating in the "Socks From Stash" monthly challenges on Ravelry.  I'm a bit behind and won't finish the January pair on time (they have to be cast on and knit up entirely within the given month), but I'm plugging away on the second of the pair and love the pattern which, for a change, is pour moi:

Pattern: "Isabella D'Este" by Jayme Stahl
from Clara Parkes' Knitter's Book of Socks
Yarn: Diamond Luxury Collection "Foot Loose",
super-wash, extra-fine merino wool, nylon
in colour #6307 - Grey (discontinued)

February's project will be a 'plain vanilla' sock in my brightest sock yarn:

ONline Supersocke 4-fach
NEON Color, #01721
Super-wash wool, nylon

That ought to keep away the 'February Blahs', eh?  ;-)

A reminder for the knitters among you, Gentle Readers:  the deadline to enter "Celebrate the Yarn Harlot" draw for one of three selections of lace-weight yarn is midnight, January 31, in whatever time zone you are.  I will make a random-number-generated draw after I awaken on Sunday, February 1.  To enter, read the instructions on THIS BLOG POST.  :-)

And now to connect to WIP Wednesday over at TNTN, and get back to the sewdio!

Bitten

My busyness last week came back to bite me this week, as Wednesday in the wee hours I was stricken with a cold -- the coughing, sneezing, barking kind.  I rested much of Wednesday in bed, but had enough presence of mind to knit in between naps, and thus got a good handle on the last of the Christmas knitting.

Thursday I managed to work in The Shop...and finish a Christmas Cowl.

Friday...trying to conserve energy, I nonetheless managed lunch (soup) with a friend (her treat; we even drove to the Whistle Stop, which is usually an easy walk)...and following  lunch my afternoon nap, I got some sewing done.

One project finished:

The Annual Christmas Boxer Shorts

Another underway

Yesterday...another friend, another soup lunch...and back for more napping and knitting.  The first sock of the Second Wild Pair is now finished, and the second is cast on...

Yarn: ONline Supersock 4-fache Neon-Color
Colour #01717

The "other sewing project" was completed...

And last night I even had enough energy to print off Clue 4 of the Grand Illusion Mystery, and to make a start at the units for Clue 3:

Stack of 10 units, and more strips ready to go

Today?

More knitting.

More napping.

And a bit of a tour around Nina-Marie's Off the Wall Friday to see what others are up to while I count down to Christmas...

While over all, Miss Pookie supervises...

What?  You mean you're gonna use this fabric?