Wow!  It has been over a month since my last post.  So much has happened in the world since then.  Just 2 days after my last post, we decided to shelter in place.  Hubby’s work suggested that people who can work from home,  do so.  The next week our state issued a stay at home order.  Today is day 42.  Home is my happy place, but I can’t say that it has been totally easy.  There are some days that just get away from me without getting much done.  I have so many  things to do that sometimes I don’t know what to do and I do nothing.  But I am trying to get something done everyday.  Today, is my blog post 🙂   So I have pulled my pictures to share with you what I have been up to this last month.  I actually have a couple of finishes!  First, remember the black and white photo I shared of a project I had started last month?

Well, it is a baby blanket.  The yarn is AJHC Wools in color Aether.  It is so gorgeous and I knew it was the perfect color for a friend who was expecting a little boy.

 The pattern is Simple Eyelet Baby Blanket by LeeLee Knits and is available on Ravelry.  I really enjoyed working on this blanket.  The pattern was nice and simple, but elegant looking.

Sadly, my friend lost her baby.  My heart aches for her and her husband.  I cannot even imagine what they are going through.  I finished the blanket.  It still needs to be blocked.  Then I will tuck it away for now.

I also finished Aquamarina this last week and she turned out so beautiful and sparkly!

I am thrilled with how she turned out.  She is my first Bella Filipina finish and I can honestly say she will not be my last.  The fabric is 16ct Aida, a one of a kind from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics and is really is the perfect fabric for her.

So far I have not pulled another cross stitch out to work on, but I am really itching to.  Instead, I have been knitting in the evenings on a cowl  project I had started last September. The Wilma Cowl.

It is a project I picked up last September during a Shop Hop.  The pattern is from a book and the yarn is Heritage from Cascade Yarns in colorway #502.  It is supposed to have chevron pattern all around, but they really are not showing up well in this yarn, even though it is the yarn called for.  When I stretch it I can see it somewhat, but for the most part it just looks like random knitting.  The yarn is soft and the color is perfect for fall, so I  will continue on with it in between working on this project:

Yeah, it is the Wingspan.  And if I wasn’t turning gray from the Corona Virus, I would be from this project.  I pulled it out and put in my second lifeline right away.  Knitted 4 or 5 rows and had to rip back to the lifeline.  Picked up the stitches and knit the rows back in.  Now I am up to Section D, another transition section.  So I add another lifeline.  I hold my breath the entire row and UGH!  I have 2 stitches left over.  So I rip out to the lifeline and boy were they a bear to pick back up this time!  Finally got them back on the needle and knitted the row again.  Perfect. Thank heavens for Lifelines.  But for now,  the project is in a time out!  I wanted to knit a couple of rows everyday so I can get this finished, but it is too stressful some days.  So I will wait until later this week to take it out of time out.  I thought I had been working on this project for 2 years, but turns out that I started in June 2019, so it hasn’t even been a year.  Just maybe I can get it done before the year is up 😉 But then again…maybe not.  There is a newproject start in my near future!  More about that in a minute…

I have also pulled out my sewing machine and have been making masks for family and friends. I made 25  until I ran out of elastic. I received a small shipment of elastic on Thursday, so I need to get back to sewing to fill some more orders I have received.  I will sew again until I run out of elastic and wait for my original shipment to arrive, hopefully soon.  It is a little something I can do to help out during this pandemic.

Since I last posted, I have received my March and April project bags from CleverGirl Designs.  They are so cute!

I love the knitting on the March bag on the left.  And the April bag has such cheery colors!

This is the back side of both bags.  March on the left with little kitties to go with the yarn balls. Fun, vintage typewriters on the back of the April bag.  I love them both and have yet to fill them with a future cross stitch project.  But don’t worry.  I have a gazillion projects to choose from 😉  They won’t be empty for too long.  I have really enjoyed getting these happy mail packages every month, especially now during stay at home.

So, this leads me to the very near future project I mentioned earlier.  If you are a knitter, you probably have heard about Casapinka’s new shawl pattern that is out this weekend.  This weekend was supposed to be National LYS day and she designed a pattern for the shops to give for FREE when purchasing the yarn for the shawl.  This is the Breathe and Hope shawl:

I fell in love with this as soon as I saw it in my email!! I love the colors and the pattern.  She is not telling us the yarn used, so that we can shop at the yarn shops.  I do hope that someday she reveals the yarn used, as it definitely deserves recognition.  The day before this photo arrived in my email, I had purchased a special bag and matching yarn from Tippy Tree Yarns.  The spring bag made by Knit 2 Together, has a matching skein of yarn dyed by Tippy Tree Yarns. I contacted her after receiving the email from Casapinka asking if she had a solid color to match the yarn.  She did and I ordered it and it  should arrive this week. It is a dark coral and I think it will be perfect with the yarn I just received yesterday.

I am so excited for a new start this week.  I know I shouldn’t, but the Breathe and Hope shawl is perfect for this situation we are all in.

So, that is what I have been up to.  How are you spending your days while sheltering in place?  Do you have any new projects started?  Finish anything during our quarantine?  I’d love to hear about it!  And as always, be safe and stay healthy.