Year of Projects 2019-2020 Round-Up!

June has been quite the month here (I have written a couple of posts prior to this one about what's been going on) and I'm so glad to have arrived at the final Sunday of the month for two reasons:  

• There's just something that feels really good about turning the calendar page after some hard things.  It's a new beginning of sorts - and who doesn't love a new beginning.

• The annual YOP Round-Up post is my favorite post of the year.  It's interesting to look back and see what I've done crafty-wise over the course of the last twelve months because I always find a project or two I've completely forgotten about, and when motivation is temporarily waning, it reminds me that I haven't truly been as unproductive as I may be feeling right now.  

While I have a feeling I've missed some things, here's a look back:.

I have enjoyed getting back to cross stitch:

And I've discovered how easy and fun Helical Knitting is:

 

I really need to do more of this...

I've also enjoyed some quick and easy projects:

As well as more time consuming projects:

And as always, I enjoyed making scarves:

And this year added scarf/shawls to the mix:

And in my on-going quest to use up my huge stash of cotton yarn, I knitted lots of dishcloths again.  This is just a sampling:

Also, I finished a langushing toddler sweater (now ready to gift to a toddler some day):

And lastly, I mustn't forget my Sacred Space blanket:

A kind of funky, just-for-fun project:

I have a feeling (with hub's healing from knee surgery and eventually getting back to clearing out MIL's home after her recent passing) life is going to be slowing down my crafty times for a while, but who knows...  If can get back to thinking of crafting as a soothing activity it may provide refreshment.  At the moment, it's just feeling like one more thing to do.  Nothing soothing about that.

While June has been a doozy, maybe just turning the calendar page will get me over this hump I'm experiencing.  Here's hoping a new YOP Year provides many of us with a needed lift in this year that has been anything but normal.

To see what other YOPers are up to (and especially if you'd like to consider joining us), click on the Year of Projects graphic below:

Inner Light Scarf...

I have a finish!

During the hottest week (so far) of the year I finished my Inner Light Scarf made with 100% merino wool:

The yarn was purchased last summer at a local yarn festival from Knitting Notions (a hand dyer from Nashville, TN).  I bought two skeins of the Azalea color off her clearance table and only after I got home did I realize I had bought two different dye lots.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I decided to alternate the skeins every two rows and they ended up working together really well.  This pattern makes an asymmetrical scarf  (or shawl) that I imagined I would wear  once it cools down again - something like this:

It's so warm, though, I'm pretty sure it will be reserved for wearing under a coat or jacket when it's really cold, so I'm not sure how much of that pretty lattice design will ever be seen. But I'm super happy with it.  I am so warm-blooded anymore I can't seem to tolerate much of a scarf, but this one made in fingering weight yarn, I'm thinking will be pretty perfect.

This was a pleasant and pretty easy pattern to crochet.  I have at least one more scarf/shawl pattern from this designer and I look forward to giving it a go soon.  The size of this can be made larger or smaller depending on the intended wearer, and how they might want to wear it (e.g. someone small could wear it as a shawl, or it could be made larger to fit any size):

Having finished this asymmetrical scarf, I went looking for ways to wear it.  I found this; and it was kind of fun watching this gal play with hers.

And that's a wrap!

Happy Handcrafts...

Life is getting back to some semblance of normal for a lot of people in our state, but Hubs and I are needing to continue to practice physical distancing from others pretty much at the same level we have over the last 2 1/2 months as we wait  for him to have knee surgery this summer.  We do NOT want him to get sick and have this surgery postponed, or him have to suffer illness on top of a knee that has grown so painful he can't sleep in bed for much of the night. He's walking with a cane, and hobbles, and frankly, doesn't walk very far.  Driving is difficult.  It's getting old and waiting is getting harder and harder.  Trying to hang onto the positive that he has a date, and not focus on the fact that it's still over a month away.   

It's a small complaint, really.  It's where we're at right now.  

Okay... onto happier things.  Handcrafts!  😊

I finished February's portion of the Linen and Threads' 2020 Mystery Stitch-A-Long:

It will probably be lost on anyone not doing this SAL, but I will be adding some motifs throughout the year in areas where they will fit in.  This is called "Friends and Family Sampler"  and each stitcher is encouraged to stitch in the initials of meaningful people in his/her life.  But that idea doesn't float my boat at all.   There are so many spaces for doing this, even if I could come up with that many initials, I don't even know if I'd be able to remember who all they belonged to when I was finished.  So...  inspired by another stitcher of this sampler, I'm looking for some motifs that I can add.  Some will fit in naturally, some will add a bit of wimsy (like animals and insects).  I have to stitch a bit more on this before I have a good feel where those things will fit, but be on the lookout for them.  Or maybe they won't appear until the Sampler itself is finished.   Unless, of course, I change my mind.  We all know I'm fully capable of doing that - and possibly even prone to it.  Anyway...  though the stitching is small and sometimes tedious, I am enjoying this greatly. 

And this week, I started a shawl/scarf project called Inner Light.   Because I'm using two hanks of yarn that are from different dye lots, I'm switching back and forth between the two every other row.  I know the two balls look the same, but one is darker than the other and it becomes apparent when working them together. 

 As usual, all you get is a peek at this stage.  😉 

I think the mottling effect is interesting in this yarn that is hand dyed in shades of bright pink yarn.  Worked up, it's not nearly as bright as I imagined it would be - which is a good thing.  It was really bright in the hank.  

And that's it!  Come back next week and see if I've made any progress!  

Bird Pillow...

I have a finish this week!   I don't know how many may remember this Blue Tit Cushion, but I started it on May 2nd, 2019.  Yesterday (May 16th, 2020), I finally finished it:

  
There is just simply no reason for this having languished  unloved in a basket for over a year!  Shortly after beginning it, I kind of cooled on all the color changes, but when I set my mind to it again this week, I had the front finished in just a couple of sittings. And the back in two more sittings.  I kid you not - this little 12-inch pillow does have hours in it, but it wasn't complicated.   

Picky me wants to cringe over the the white squiggles on the wings, but I did it twice and it didn't improve the second time, so I decided to be done with it and call the squiggliness "artistic".   It helps that when I looked at the designer's pillow, her wings have squiggles too.  I am reminded that squiggles are, to some degree, inherent in crochet colorwork. 

And here's a picture of the back - because the back is just as sweet as the front:

Aren't those heart buttons cute?   I'm so glad I had purchased those many, many months ago.  If I hadn't, it could be weeks or months more before this was finished.  Note to self:  When starting a project, have all the pieces parts.  You never know when something like a pandemic will hit.

~~~~~

And lastly, on a non-YOP note, but since this could benefit interested YOPers, I'd like to link to a post I wrote recently about how to make links in a post that open in new windows.  The short of it is that links that open into new windows (as opposed to opening in the same window as the blog the links appear on) have benefits for folks who read blog posts on a devices like laptops, chromebooks, or personal computers.  The benefit to the blogger is that links that open into new windows are less likely to cause your blog to become lost to the reader while they're checking out your cool links.   If you're curious how to do this simple thing, check out my post. The simple instructions are early in the post; the rest of the post is just an explanation of why it's a helpful thing.

And that's all she wrote!

Stitching A-Long...

This week I began a new project that should see me through the rest of the calendar year.  Linen & Threads hosts an annual Mystery Sampler Stitch-A-Long, and while I think it might have been sometime in March when I first became aware that they hosted these annual SALs,  I just recently decided to jump in on the one for this year. 

It was about mid-April when I made that decision, and with COVID-19 affecting things, it took over 3 weeks for materials to arrive.  Once fabric and floss arrived early this week, I pretty quickly sat myself down and started on it.  And this weekend, four month's behind schedule, I finished January's part of the pattern:

When completed, the whole design will measure just under 10 inches square.  
Somewhere around half the size of the original that is stitched 2 over 2.

I'm stitching this with DMC floss (815 colorway) 1 over 1, on 25-ct Lugana in Antique White.  It's a bit of a stretch for these eyes of mine, but with a bright light I'm able to do it!  I'm also finding that a sharp needle is easier to use with this fabric than a less sharp petite needle I'd been using and growing very fond of on other recent projects.  When I cross stitched in the 80's I, personally didn't know about any other cross stitch fabric than Aida, and had no clue that there were a variety of needles to stitch with.  Always something new to learn!

I'm hoping ,with some intense periods of stitching for a few weeks, I can get caught up and maybe by early-mid June I'll be on track to be ready and waiting for each new reveal over the last six months of 2020.  I'm thinking of this as something of a commemorative piece to represent our year of COVID, so if this takes me until there's a vaccine to finish it (and it could), I guess that will be fitting, too.

And lastly, I completely forgot last week that I had finished another small Christmas stitch:

This will go into my collection of smalls that will one day be sewn into little pillows.  That's my thought at the moment, anyway...

An uneventful, but fairly productive week...

So how are things in your corner of the world?  It's been a rather uneventful week here, but yesterday morning got us out to see the Indiana National Guard 122 Fighter Wing, AKA The Blacksnakes do a flyover to honor health care and other front-line workers during this time of COVID. 

Everyone was told to "social distance", but other than a written word telling people to not travel to watch the event, there was no attempt to stop people from doing just that.  So on a beautiful Saturday morning, a fair number of the population of our sleepy little town made their way to places where the flyover could be best observed.  And those who did were treated to a somber, and moving flyover.  That's it.  It wasn't exactly exciting.  There were no stunts.  Just four fighter jets flew over as we watched in silence.  As we soaked in the sun and the breeze.  Except for the social distancing, we might have forgotten all about COVID for a few minutes.  And then we got into our vehicles and drove home - us glad we'd gone and feeling thankful for our health care workers and all who are working during this time to make our world continue to turn; and proud of the pilots who flew those planes.

*****

At home, I've used this uneventful week to finish a couple of projects. 

First, the piece I'm most pleased with - my cross stitched Marsh Wren:

The pattern is part of the Crossed Wing Collection, from the "To Wrent for a Song" set.

It's stitched in DMC thread on Confederate Gray 18-count Aida Cloth. 

And for my amusement (and possibly yours) here's an information page about Marsh Wrens.

Listening to the video that is featured at this link, I'm now sure I've heard this bird chirping around the pond at the local wetland area where I sometimes walk.  

_____

And secondly, I finished my Sacred Space:

At this size (made with worsted weight yarn) it measures 62 inches across.  A bit bigger than lap-sized for an adult.  Or a child could use it for a napping blanket, or a TV watching blanket...  It's tempting to entertain completing it to full size, but that would make this thing large enough to cover our queen sized bed, and that is just totally unnecessary.  So, I'm calling it a day.  And will be storing it until its purpose is revealed to me.

*****

And this afternoon is being spent making some more COVID masks.  😣    That's what I'm calling them.  I have a feeling once COVID is passed, or vaccinated out of existance, we'll not be sporting face masks anymore so yes...  I think referring to them as COVID masks is exactly correct.  Anyway... I was called upon to help procure some masks for some extended family members who still did not have any, and rather than spend my time searching out masks online that I can't tell whether or not they'll fit, because of who these are for I decided to just make some that I'm pretty sure will. 

I cut out the fabric yesterday, so hopefully that will make the task of sewing them up a little less tiring. Though after making just one, I took a break to post this.  Have I said before I dislike making masks?

I did decide this time to cut out more mask pieces than I think I'll sew together for now, and I will store them for the future. That doesn't mean I'll want to make them in the future.  It just means that part will be done if I feel compelled to again.  The word that I'm sending out with these is that my sewing room is closed, but time will tell if I can hold to that.

Please no advice to just say no.  I wasn't asked to make them this time. I offered because sometimes you just have to do a thing you don't want to do 'cuz you'll feel worse if you don't.  It's not guilt.  It was simply the right thing to do.  This time.

I'm honestly not sure why I dislike making these as much as I do.  I only know I do.  For my immediate family, I don't feel that way.  But beyond that, I pretty much despise the whole business.  I wish I didn't.  Hubs wishes I didn't (and that certainly doesn't help my disposition about it all).  But I do.  No sense pretending I feel differently.  And I figure if anyone reading this feels the same way, they'll appreciate my honesty. 'Nuff said.

And on that happy note, let me wish you a good week ahead, everyone.  Here it looks like we'll have days of sun and temps in the 60's all week.  Actually, those temps may last until the middle of May.  It's my perfect weather!  😊

A good week...

It's been a good week.  I'm concluding that either I'm getting used to this stay at home business, or the good news is starting to outweigh the bad.  I'm thinking both are true.

Monday, I got started on my second little bird cross stitch.  This is going to be a Marsh Wren:

There's a fair amount of back stitching to do (on the bird) and some more leaves to stitch, so I'm guessing I'm about half done at this point.  I'm really enjoying this little bird.

And then...  after a few days stitching the wren, I decided to switch things up and pull out my Sacred Space blanket again and see if I couldn't complete another section.   Remember this?

Well, I finally set myself to the task of finishing Section 5 (out of 9), but after hours of working on this, I still couldn't manage to finish this section - it takes such a long time to go all the way around this thing now.  But here's a little glimpse of what I worked on this week: 

 So close, and yet so far...

I'm starting to conclude some things about this project.  In a ZOOM meeting with fellow YOPers a week ago, I commented that I like to make blankets with worsted weight yarn (and I do), but I am reminded that highly texturized blankets get awfully heavy when made with worsted weight yarn.  So...  while I reserve the right to change my mind, I'm thinking that once I finish this section (which only has another round to go) I may be calling this blanket finished.  Also, I'm pretty sure I'll be finishing up the last of the black yarn I have for this project and not buying more yarn  sounds like a good idea.  So... hopefully by next weekend, I'll have this finished and there will be a dry day when I can lay it out on the grass and hang myself out of an upstairs window to take a picture of what is starting to feel like a beast of a blanket.

And that's it on the crafty front.  On a personal note, I'm happy to say I've finally gotten my second shingles vaccine - which was becoming very difficult during this lock-down.  After only one day of being laid low by the vaccine's side effects, I'm a happy camper - so relieved to have that task finished!  And that that is worthy of even talking about here is, I guess, a little peek into how one more thing we take for granted is made different by something like a pandemic and a social-distancing lock-down.

I hope things are going okay in your corner of the world.  It's the most beautiful spring here and it seems many are saying similar things elsewhere.   Is it a lack of pollution that has come with less industry and traffic over the last month?  Is it simply that we have more time on our hands to observe how beautiful are the blossoms, and sweet are the birds' songs?  I don't know the reason, but I'm trying to remain aware and grateful for these beautiful days - even rainy days, like today, are lovely this spring.

What week of the lock-down is this?

It seems like it was a busy week last, but looking back I think it's just an illusion because we took the opportunity twice to leave our home and interacted with other human beings.  Oh, how this lock-down is affecting my perspective.

The first outing was to deliver some birthday gifts to oldest son on Tuesday.  He and his youngest brother share an apartment less than a half-hour away.  There was no hugging, or even much conversation - it was too cold and blustery to stand outside where we could keep a respectable distance.  Just a masked hand-off of a bag full of goodies  (including several masks I had made him and his brother).  And a picture snapped to commemorate the moment.

It felt very good to make in-person contact. 

And Thursday was the last time (at least for now) we'll be delivering meals to the COVID unit at our local hospital.  It has felt so good to do this and while I will miss doing it, I'm glad that so many others want to join in that the schedule is filled through most of May.  

I was also very glad this week to be able to talk with the head nurse - in person.  It had been a hard week in terms of patient illness and loss, but she had so much good to say about the staff.  And, to date, none of them have come down sick.  She was really happy about that, but her heavy heart was evident even through the mask she wore.   This delivering restaurant meals is such a small thing on an individual scale for any of us who are able to do it, but I hope it buoys the nurses and hospital staff in the COVID unit to know they're being thought of and prayed for.

And on a crafty note, with mask-making (for now) behind me, I cleaned up my craft room, packed away my mask-making supplies, and settled in to cross stitch on my Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher.   And Saturday evening I finished it!  Yay!

Crossed Winged Collection has an amazing selection of beautiful bird designs.

Just for fun (and mostly for my future reference), here are some pictures of what Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers look like in real life.

And clicking on any of the files on this page gives an idea of what this little bird sounds like.  

Hopefully, this week I'll get started on a second cross stitch pattern from the same designers - this time, a little Marsh Wren.  

Picture source:  http://www.nebraskabirdlibrary.org/passeriformes/troglodytidae/marsh-wren/

And lastly... here's a pic of middle son wearing the hot pink mask I made him.    I knew he wouldn't disappoint 😉:

I'm pretty sure there's a handsome smile under there.

And that, dear reader, is all she wrote!

More masks...

First of all, I'd like to say I hope you have a happy and blessed Easter - wherever you are.  And I hope you are safe and well.  

It's been a busy week.  After seeing the masks I made last week (hubs posted pictures to his FB page) one of my sisters asked me if I would make her one.  How could I refuse?    I broke out some pretty bird-print fabric and made her two! 

As I finished them up, I started contemplating making a few more for us, and thought about asking my sons if they'd each like a mask - figuring I'd probably have to talk them into the idea.

But then, on Thursday, middle son texted us a picture of a surgical mask.  His short message said they were to start wearing masks at work.  Every employee was given one, and was told it needed to last them for a week. 😧   

Thinking that just wouldn't do, I offered to make him some masks pronto - to which he replied with a hearty, "Sure!"

Still not having any "manly" fabric, I decided to dye a twin-size sheet I found early last week - a sheet we don't even have a twin bed for anymore.  

I had black, and blue liquid Rit Dye, so I figured I'd experiment a bit by combining them in different measures.  I tried some mottling (not terribly successful) and even a little tie dying.   I got a few nice shades of gray and blue from my efforts.  And I even decided to dye a pair of faded jeans while I was at it.  👍

I actually found a somewhat simpler, but same end-result pattern to make the Olson Mask this time around (and it comes in different sizes!).  Here's the link for anyone who might be interested.  

I cut out the mask pieces and started making them assembly-line style:

Not knowing how often son does laundry, I ended up making him six masks:

My plan was to make him five to get him through a work week, but he asked if I could make a pink one.  I told him I didn't have any pink fabric (which was true), but then I asked a friend if she happened to have some and she had this small piece of gorgeous hot pink in her stash.  I wish I could see his look of surprise, and hear him laugh when he opens up the box and sees a work-week's worth of masks and a hot pink one.  😄

Not knowing if son would like elastic at the ears, and how much elastic to give him, I made several different styles of fastening these on so he can decide what's best for him.

I thought the idea below pretty genius when I found it online.  The idea here is you put your head through the loop part and it sits on the back of the head, then the mask is put up against your face, and the loose ends are tied behind the neck:  

I tried it myself and it holds well.   I used a soft leather strip I had in my jewelry making supplies.  These masks have been a real exercise in using what I have!

And next up:  While I didn't get a separate picture showing the ear holders (below), I came across the idea of making "elastic" by taking a 1-inch strip of t-shirt fabric, and then pulling it taut so it curls up on itself.  You cut the strips whatever length you need to loop around the ears, feed the strip through the side casing, tie a tight knot, then hide the knot in the casing if you want.  These are super soft on the ears:

I made extra strips so he can replace them on the masks if he wants to.

And lastly, since he wears safety goggles at work, he asked for a wire across the top so he could mold it to his face.  I used this wire I found in my jewelry-making supplies:

I put a slightly softer wire (I'm guessing 22-gauge) in mine and hub's masks and they've come through the laundry just fine a couple of times, so I'm hoping this 20-gauge wire works well for son.

And that is how I spent a few days this past week.  I'm going to finish up a couple more for hubs and myself, and a few for another son who's interested in having something if/when he needs to run errands.  He's thinking he probably won't wear a mask to work, but we'll see how long he has a choice in the matter...

And then, I think I'm done mask-making for a while.  My hat is off to so many of you who've made masks for donating.  While I've been happy to make these for my family, I've found it exhausting to spend time bent over cutting out fabric pieces and then bent forward at the sewing machine for the length of the time it took to make these.  It probably doesn't help my sense of exhaustion that I spent time dying fabric, too.   As soon as I finish up the handful of masks sitting at my sewing machine still, I'm ready to reclaim my craft room for some peaceful and stress-free crocheting, knitting and/or cross stitching for a while.

~~~~~

And one last very happy note:   Yesterday morning, five of us YOPers met on Zoom for the first time.  How fun to hear voices of women I've only enjoyed through their written words up 'till now.  I hope to join in future Zoom meet-ups with any and all YOPers who can make it.  Thank you, Maria for setting it up!   It was so fun to meet up with you, Marsha, Liz, Mary-Anne, and Maria!  Maria even has a screen shot of all of us at the link that is her name! 

Have a safe and happy week, everyone!

Making masks...

I'm finally making masks.  I don't know what took me so long, but with the infection rate rising dramatically in our area, I, for one, was happy to hear the CDC finally recommend everyone wear a face mask. I suspected we should have been wearing them for the last month, but as much as I hate to admit it, I simply wasn't motivated to make them before now.  It was some form of denial, I suppose.

But knowing we had to run an errand today, I got busy last night and made three (2 for hubs, and 1 for me):

I have a few pieces of girly fabric that suit me just fine, but nothing really masculine for hubs, so I cut up a striped cotton shirt that was in the donation pile.  I got two masks from the back of the man's shirt, and I imagine I can come up with one or two more with the front and sleeves.    

I used a pattern for an Olsen Mask (and benefited from the video at this link).   Video is also below:

And here's what it looks like on me:

Adding a disclaimer:  These masks are for personal use.  I've included information below about the details of these masks I've made that are comfortable for us.  Your sensitivities, or sensibilities may vary.  

I put a 20-gauge wire in the top (and machine-basted it in) so I could shape it on my face - otherwise, breathing with this on steams up my glasses big time.   I'm doubtful it will come through the wash with the wire still usable, but I'm going to try it and see.  The next masks I make, I'm going to take more care to create a neat casing along the top so that a wire can be slipped in and out.  The  really cool thing is, this tutorial suggests using pony tail holders for the ear pieces.  Genius!   I wonder if they would work equally well on the rectangular masks...  I think I will try that pattern, too, and see.   I found four elastic bands in a bathroom drawer, but when we were on our errand today I stopped in at the Dollar Tree and picked up a bunch more.  Thin ones work best, I believe, and have to be more comfortable than thicker elastic.

BTW, here's a tip (I found online in a video of a medical person explaining how to wear various masks) -- to keep from steaming up your glasses while wearing a mask like this:  Fold a tissue several times (lengthwise, until it's about an inch wide) and lay it along the top, but behind the mask.  I did this, and with the wire, the tissue wasn't even visible.  And it worked.  I haven't road tested it - by shopping or moving around a lot, but just wearing it around the house for a while, it seemed to stay in place.  I'm sure the wire helps.  

~~~~~

Back to the errand we ran earlier today...  I'm really glad to share that our little church (along with some other churches in our small town) are delivering meals to the COVID Response Team at our local hospital.  I signed hubs and I up for today (and a few times in the future).   It's an opportunity  to support some local restaurants and give encouragement to those medical personnel who are working so tirelessly and bravely.  In a time of fear, loss, exhaustion and trauma, it felt good to do something tangible.  

~~~~~

On a yarny note...  I am half-amazed, half-embarrassed to show my dishcloth knitting for the month of March, but here it is!

I'd call this stress knitting, but honestly, I haven't exactly felt stressed.  Or worried.  Of course, I haven't been struck with sickness, so... easy for me to say.

I've asked myself so many times, "What am I feeling?"

Grieved?  

Oh yes.  

Overwhelmed?  

Sometimes - yes.  I assume we all have had moments where we are overwhelmed by the loss and pain and trauma many are experiencing - if we are not experiencing these things ourselves.  

To be honest, I don't think a day goes by - probably not an hour goes by without realizing at some point that I am distracted.   

Yeah, I think it's fair to say my dishcloths at the moment have been "distracted knitting".  When I couldn't focus on anything more complicated than knit and purl, back and forth, row after row.  When sleep hasn't come until 3 am, or when words for cohesive prayers have been elusive, my hands kept busy.  

I pray you are kept safe and well in this time of uncertainty.

~~~~~

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

                                  Romans 8:26-27 New International Version