Hello blogging friends. I hope it is much warmer where you are than where I am. It has been so cold this week. So, since cold and snow has kept me inside, I thought I would get my Margot Wrap fully finished. I added some wool wash to a sink full of cold water and put my wrap in to soak for about 15 minutes. I pulled out the blocking boards, pins and blocking wires.
Margot Wrap soaking
There is just something about a knit (or crochet) project soaking in a bubble bath. The colors become brighter and the patterns seem to be more prominent. I love it! After soaking for about 15 minutes, I pressed out as much water as I could and then rolled the wrap in a towel and pressed to get the rest of the water out.
Margot Wrap blocking
Since this was a long wrap with mostly straight sides, I decided to use the blocking wires. If you haven’t used them before, they are long, skinny rods that come in various lengths. Mine are about 36″ long and I don’t know why, but they remind me of a car radio antenna. Well, sort of. Anyway, you just weave them through your garment and add some blocking pins to hold in place. When I use them, I seem to take a longer time to weave them through than if I had just used the blocking pins. But I was able to get it all blocked and let it sit overnight. It blocked out beautifully!
Margot WrapMargot Wrap
The colors are so beautiful and the criss crosses blocked out nicely.
Margot Wrap
It really turned out lovely and I can’t wait to wear it the next time I go out. The details on this wrap: It is the 2021 Advent from Speckled Finch Studios. The pattern is The Margot Wrap by Yvonne Poon and is available on Ravelry.
So that is what I have been up to. What are you up to?
Happy New Year! Is it really 2022? Will it fly by as fast as 2021? Well, however it goes, I hope that it is a better year for all of us. I had hoped to make a post before 2021 ended, but that didn’t happen. Too much going on I suppose. I do hope that my day today is not an indication of how my year is going to go, because it is not going so well 😦 Deep breaths.
So, when I last posted, I was working on the Marit Shawl. I did finish it and blocked it and it came out very well.
Marit Shawl being blocked
I wasn’t so sure about adding the fringe, but I am glad I did. It really looks lovely with the fringe.
Me trying out the Marit shawl
It was sent to my Mother-in-law for Christmas and she loves it. The yarn is Berroco Topaz and was a little rough while knitting and thick and thin in places. I was not sure I was going to like it or not. After blocking , it did get softer and the drape is really nice. I am glad it turned out to be a nice yarn, as I had purchased several skeins in a different colorway, for a cardigan for myself. I hope to get to it this year some time.
I have several more finishes to share, but I will save them for other posts. For now, I hope that your holidays were wonderful and I wish you a fabulous 2022!
Hello blogging friends. The temps are getting cooler here after a few days of surprisingly wonderful warm and sunny days. The dreaded white stuff is coming though. About an inch or two of snow is predicted for this weekend 😦 Are you a fan of snow and cold weather? I am not looking forward to winter and can only hope that it will fly by as fast as my summer did.
I need to plan out some projects for the winter. But for now, let’s talk about what I am stitching on right now.
Pearl’s Tail
I finished the tail on Pearl of the Orient Seas, minus the beads. I have moved scrolls to the middle of the design to work upwards.
Progress on Pearl
While I am enjoying the stitching on this one, the colors are starting to bring me down and I am getting the itch to start something new. I am trying really hard to resist, but I do see some smaller projects creeping into my plans. For now, I stitch on 🙂 Just to remind you, the design is Pearl of the Orient Seas by Bella Filipina Designs. Fabric is 16ct aida, a one of a kind dye from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics.
The Marit Shawl by Amy Christoffers is still on my needles. It is going well, but still looking a little small to me.
Marit shawl
I am actually on the decrease tier now and making half triangles for the top edge.
Almost finished!
Maybe blocking will give me the size I need. This shawl will also have tassels.
Now onto the shopping as mentioned in my title. Last week Shop Hop started at local yarn shops. I decided not to shop hop this year, but just visit my very local shop, The Knitting Nest. I picked up some yarn for the newly published on Ravelery, Urchins and Scallops shawl from Soft Yarn Designs. This one should definitely be put into my winter knitting plans 😉
Shop Hop Haul
After getting home, I realized the yarn colors are very similar to the colors used in the pattern. I think they are perfect. The lovely shop owners also pointed out that they had some new stitch markers that they knew I would be interested it. Mermaids! Yes, please. And I couldn’t help but pick up another Project Bag by CleverGirl Designs. This one is a little bigger than the bags I usually order from her. It just fits into the bin I keep them in, but is taller than the other bags. I don’t think I can ever have too many of Kristine’s bags. Hubby ordered me another year of the Bag of the Month from her in August. I have received August, September and October, but I cannot find the pictures. Today I was surprised with the November and December bags and they are Awesome! Here is my November bag…ready?
Front of the Gnomie bag
Oh my gosh! It’s Gnomies!! so stinking cute! I LOVE it! And here is the back;
Cute Gnomes project bag (back)
My December bag was just as awesome.
Mermaid bag and Floss Catcher
She knows my love for mermaids and I do love this one. In fact, it matched the mask I was wearing when I went to the yarn shop to pick them up. Did you catch that cute Seashell zipper pull/progress marker? So cute! And check out that cute wallet looking matching piece! Have to show the back and the open wallet, too!
Mermaid set
Just look at that cute little Floss Catcher! I just love all of Kristine’s bags. They are so well made and her attention to detail and choice of fabrics is amazing. You can find her on Instagram @clevergirldesignsco
This is how I store my CleverGirl Project Bags.
Bins of Project Bags
There are 20 bags in these bins. It doesn’t include the one I am using for Pearl or the 2 new ones I picked up today. I can still use some more, LOL
Another bin full of projects
This been is full of not so pretty bags filled with wonderful projects. Some day it will be filled with pretty CleverGirl Design bags.
While at the Yarn Shop today, I was looking for even more yarn. This time for a sweater. Yep, a sweater, not a shawl! I haven’t made a sweater in years and I think I need to add one to my winter stitching plan 😉 I didn’t buy any, as I need to figure out what I want to use. So, I am off to make a swatch. What are you up to? What are your crafty plans for the weekend?
Hello, friends! So today I am going to chat about what is on my needles now; both knitting and cross stitch. Let’s start with the knitting. When my Mother-in-law visited in September, we went to the local yarn shop. The shop was having a Berroco Trunk show, and MIL found a shawl that she loved. She asked if I would knit it for her. Of course I agreed. I already had the book that the pattern was in, and she purchased the yarn. Last week I started it.
Marit Shawl
The pattern is the Marit Shawl and is in Berroca Book 428 – Topaz. It is also available on Ravelry. So I started it and it is the weirdest construction I have ever done. I am told it is Entrelec knitting. It is a little confusing at first, but I have learned that if I look ahead to see whether the next row is knitted on the right side or the wrong side, I am good to go. I think I just start second guessing myself and then confuse myself. The diagram included also helps. So I started knitting away on a 7 US needle.
Lovely colors
I was getting the hang of the pattern and enjoying the knitting. I am not so sure about the yarn. It is Topaz from Berroco. It goes from thin to thick, hence the lumpy look in many spots. I need to grow to love this yarn as I purchased quite a bit of it in another colorway for a cardigan for myself. And then I happened to look up the pattern on Ravelry (I don’t even remember why) and noticed that my squares were a bit smaller that the picture. So I started looking at the stats and the Ravelry pattern suggests a size 9 US needle. What?? The book pattern suggests a 7 US needle. Oh my gosh! So I had to rip it all out. Yep, frogged the whole thing, and it was not easy. This yarn is a bit fuzzy, so it took me quite some time to try to carefully rip it all out. OK. On to start number two.
Second Start
So on Tuesday I re-started the shawl. My squares are definitely bigger and it is going faster this time around.
Marit Progress
This is where I left off last night. I will say that this pattern is so fun and at times, I say to myself, “one more block.” And then I have knitted 3 more. I just want to keep going with it. But usually I knit in the morning while having my coffee. I didn’t get to do that this morning, so I may be knitting “a few blocks” tonight. But evenings and nights are usually reserved for cross stitching. Which brings me to talk about what I am stitching X’s on these days.
When I finished The Dark Queen, I immediately went to my WIP stack and pulled out Pearl, of The Orient Seas from Bella Filipina. I started her in August of 2019.
Start on Pearl in August 2019
This is what she looked like when I picked her up in October.
Pearl
This pattern is very heavily beaded and has lots of Kreinik threads. So there is going to be lots of holes left for adding many, many beads in the end.
Pearl
She has a very skinny body leading down to her tail. Oh good, that should go rather quickly. And then there is beautiful tail! Here is where I am at now.
Pearl, Of the Orient Seas
She is coming along nicely and I am determined to stick with her until finished. I am stitching her on a one of a Kind 16ct aida from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics.
So, that is what I have been up to. What are you working on?
Hi! How can it be November already? The last post I made was in July! Everything is fine, just busy I suppose. I spent part of the summer getting the spare bedroom ready for my Mother-in-Law’s visit in September. That was fun. I turned it into “The Mermaid room”. My MIL really liked the room. She visited for a month and we had lots of fun. We visited the zoo, went to a wedding, went up north, did lots of shopping, knitting and I taught her to do Diamond Painting, which I think she really enjoyed.
So, let me back-track and see where I left off over the summer…Oh yes. The Jolie Shawl. I finished it and it turned out very nice. So soft and sparkly.
Jolie Shawl
The pattern was from the July 2021 Seed Club from the Yarn Garden in Charlotte, Michigan. I don’t think the pattern is up on Ravelry yet, but you can contact the shop if you are interested. The yarn is from Britty Rae Knits and is just scrumptious.
I have also finished a cross stitch I was working on.
Dark Queen of the Seas
The Dark Queen is finished. I did leave off the corner elements and the crown. I also left off a ton of back stitching on her tentacles. Lots of gold lines and symbols. I thought her tentacles looked fine as is and that would have been way to much backstitching for me. I am not a fan of backstitch, so the less, the better 😉 Design is by Autumn Lane Stitchery. Fabric is 16ct Aida Iris from Fabrics by Stephanie.
I also finished these:
GalateaSummer LadySpring FaeIris Goddess
I have a few more finishes to share next time, including the full 20 Year Celebration.
This summer has been such a rainy summer so far. It is raining again today. Rainy days are perfect for being inside and crafting or snuggling up with a soft blanket and a good book. I usually spend mine crafting or cleaning. Today I did a little knitting and a little cross stitching. I will show you what I am cross stitching on, but first let me show you what I finished last week.
Dark Queen of the Seas
Well, she is not actually finished, but I finished section 11 and am now caught up. The 12th and final section will come out August 1. I am assuming it will be backstitching and beading. I did skip 2 elements; her crown and the corner ornaments. I am for sure leaving off the corner elements. I haven’t fully decided about the crown, but I am leaning towards leaving it off also. II think she looks fine the way she is. The fabric is 16ct Aida Iris and is actually purple and blue, but with all of the rainy days, I haven’t been able to get a good photo. Hopefully the next time I photograph her, I will capture her true colors. So now what am I cross stitching on?
20 Year Celebration
I have pulled out the 20 Year Celebration from Passione Ricamo. I have the block I am working on to finish, and below this row, there is another row of 4 blocks to do. And then beading on all of the blocks. This is such a fabulous design and I will be so thrilled to finish it. The fabric is 16ct Aida Nantucket Sky. So perfect for all of the fairies.
Jolie
Here is my progress on Jolie. It is a relaxing knit and the yarn is so nice to work with.
Jolie Sparkle
Can you see the sparkle? The yarn band says it is Gold Stellina, but it is clearly silver (which I prefer). I love it! This is going to be a light and airy shawl, so delicate. Yarn is from Britty Rae Knits.
So that is what I have been up to on this rainy day today. What do you like to do on rainy days?
Hello my blogging friends! We are over halfway through June already! The days are just flying by. The last 2 months we have had some work done in our back yard, so maybe that is why the days have gone by so quickly. But I am still filling my days with crafting. In fact, I have 2 finishes this month so far. On June 1, I finished Mermaid Perfume! Yay!
Mermaid Perfume
Please excuse the wrinkles. I was just so excited to finish her and get her photographed on a beautiful sunny day. Sadly, I still have not ironed her. But, having her on the Qsnaps for beading did help pull the fabric and she does not pucker in the middle anymore. That makes me very happy.
Sweet, sweet mermaid
I am really pleased with how she turned out. Again, she is Mermaid Perfume from Mirabilia. I stitched her on 16ct Aida Hidden Cove from Sunny Dyes Fabrics. I am still searching for a framer, so it may be some time before I can get her framed.
My other finish is only a partial finish, but a finish in my book.
Merfolk Fade Shawl
Yep, on June 3 I finished this beautiful shawl. I still need to block it and weave in the ends. The table I use for blocking has been covered with all of my cross stitch fabrics for reorganization. And now it is covered with a very large Diamond Dotz I have been working on. So, I hope to get that table cleaned off and get this shawl blocked soon so I can really call it a finish. This shawl was a joy to knit. The pattern was easy to follow and the yarns wonderful. The stats on this one: Merfolk Fade Shawl by Jennifer Owens. The yarn is from Cape May Fiber Co. all in DK weight. Colors are Nessie, Mermaid Mane and Sea Swords.
So right now I have nothing on my knitting needles, but I am going to remedy that soon. And as for cross stitching, I have picked up The Dark Queen of the Seas and am trying to catch up before the next section comes out on July 1. I neglected her while working on Mermaid Perfume exclusively for 14 1/2 weeks. Here is where I was when I picked her up a couple of weeks ago.
Dark Queen of The Seas
And here is where I am now:
Dark Queen Progress
I am working on section 9 at the moment and still have section 10 to do before section 11 comes out on July 1. There are a couple of sections I have decided to leave off; the crown and coral on her head and the top left and right corner ornaments. I like the way she looks without those things. And she is definitely not a mermaid. While I am disappointed in that, I do like her. And I love her face. So, again, she is the Dark Queen of the Seas Mystery SAL from Autumn Lane Stitchery. I am stitching her on 16ct Aida Iris from Fabrics by Stephanie.
So that is what I have been up to. Join me next time for some organization updates 🙂 What have you been up to?
I usually spend some time in the morning knitting on whatever project I have going. It is my new normal during Covid this last year. I am really loving stitching on the Merfolk Fade shawl. The pattern has been easy to follow and the patterns are pretty easy to pick up and remember without too much looking at the pattern. I did run into a minor snag the other morning and I couldn’t get the correct number of stitches on one side of the stitch marker. So I messaged the designer and she was quick to respond and corrected the pattern and messaged me back. She was grateful that I brought it to her attention and even gifted me the pattern in my Ravelry. The pattern that I have was included in the Merfolk Fade kit that I purchased from Cape May Fiber Co. So I am really happy to have it in my Ravelry forever. So here is where I am with the pattern so far.
Merfold progress
These yarns are really out of my comfort zone, but when I saw them as a kit, I instantly fell in love with them. And I am loving how they are knitting up together. I could have never put these colors together myself. Soon I will be adding the third color, which is my favorite. It has a lot of pink in it and I can’t wait to see how it knits up. Here is a close up of the patterns in the shawl.
Close up of Merfolk
Even with all of the colors in the yarn, the patterns are easy to see. I love everything about this shawl; the pattern, the soft, squishy yarn and the colors.
So what is on your needles, knitting, cross stitch or even crochet?
The CDC announced that we can unmask in most situations if we are fully vaccinated. This is great news, but still scary or awkward. My husband and I just had our first vaccine about 10 days ago. We will get our 2nd dose in a few weeks. Maybe then I will feel a little better about going without a mask, but this has been our normal for 14 months and I am feeling a little uneasy about unmasking. I won’t go into it all, but I am hoping this is a good sign of getting back to some normalcy.
So, I am still keeping busy by crafting. I am also trying to get myself into some kind of routine since hubby will probably being going back to working in the office soon. And that includes making sure that blogging is in my routine again. So where did I last leave off…Oh, I finished the Fairies in the Snow shawl that I was working on.
Fairies in the Snow Shawl
It turned out really nice and I even had a chance to wear it. I love it and can see myself making another one in different colors in the future. The pattern is available on Ravelry and the designer is Lena Matheson. The yarn I used is from The Speckled Finch.
Since then I have made another shawl. This one was a kit made especially for Local Yarn Shop Day April 2021.
You Are Enough
When I started this kit, I wasn’t really sure I was going to like it. The directions were not very specific as in when to change colors and how many rows to do. I am one of those people that pretty much follows a pattern. So having to make some of my own decisions was a bit scary. But, I dived right in.
You Are Enough Shawl
The pattern is You Are Enough by Sarah B. Abram. I met a very sweet gal on Ravelry who reached out to me about something I had placed on my project. So glad she did, as we chatted together throughout and she made some wonderful notes about her project and took some great photos. She was a big help when I had questions and she cheered me on to keep going.
You Are Enough ProgressMore ProgressLovely LaceBack side of lace
Here is where I was working on the Picot edge bind off. I had never knitted a picot edge nor did I ever bind off this way. Be prepared on this one. It took me about 2 half days to get this bound off. But it was so worth it.
Blocking
This week I got around to blocking it. Just look at how that lace opened up!! Knitting the lace was my favorite part of this pattern. I left out one of the repeats in the burgundy/gray section. So I added a few rows of garter stitch and that also brought my stitch count up to where it needed to be for the lace section. Yep, I added my own element! This pattern also suggested to add 2 rows of the next color, then 2 rows of the current color then continue with the next color. This meant lines of color in each pattern section. I knew from the beginning I did not want those lines of color, so I just switched colors when I was ready to. This really is a forgiving pattern.
You Are Enough Finish
It really turned out beautifully. It was finally a nice day out so I had to take a photo outside. This photo shows the true colors, too. I was a little leery about the colors together, but they have grown on me. I can’t wait to wear it in the fall.
You Are Enough Shawl
The colors in this photo are off. But it looks so pretty hanging like this. In the end this was a really nice pattern and I really enjoyed it. If you have this kit and are looking to knit it up, be sure to check out the projects on Ravelry as there are some really good note takers there. I learned a few new stitches with shawl, and for that I am grateful. I am happy I knitted this one.
Next time I will talk about my cross stitch. So what have you been up to? Drop me a comment and tell me about it. I have missed you so much and I would love to hear about what you are up to.
Hello my blogging friends! It has been a long time. Not sure why, other than while crafting, time just got away from me. I can’t believe that just about 4 months have gone by since my last post. But I am doing well and still crafting away.
So, where to begin…How about I share with what projects I am currently working on? A couple of weeks ago I started stitching on Mermaid Perfume by Mirabilia.
Mermaid Perfume
I couldn’t wait to get everything I needed to get started on her. I am stitching her on 16ct Aida Hidden Cove, a hand painted fabric from Sunny Dyes Fabrics. I can’t wait to see how she emerges on this fabric.
I found this fabric on the Design and Fabric Viewer. This is a site where you can see what fabrics would look good with a particular design. If you have never been, you should go and check it out. You will have to create an account (just an email and password) and then you can play with the designs there along with many fabric dyers’ fabrics. And if you haven’t visited this site in a while, I urge you to check it out. It is all new, with a subscription level to allow you to save more than 3 picks. The first 3 are on the FREE viewing. And with a subscription, you can upload your own fabrics so that you can see how your favorite designs there will look on your exact fabric. It really is a great tool for cross stitchers and I encourage you to check it out. You will have so much fun matching fabrics to designs.
The other cross stitch project I have worked on is the Dark Queen of the Seas MSAL (Mystery Stitch A Long)
Dark Queen of the Seas
This MSAL is by Autumn Lane Stitchery. It started in September 2020 and each section is released on the 1st of the month until August 2021. I am stitching her on 16ct Aida Iris from Fabrics By Stephanie. This photo was taken after I finished section 6 a few weeks ago. Section 7 just came out on March 1, but I am not a fan of the added pieces, so for now I will leave them off. I may add them later when I see more of the design, but for now, I am leaving them off. I hear that next month we will start working on the lower portion of the design. I can’t wait! She is such a beauty! Just look at her face!
Close up of Dark Queen of the Seas
The designer has done a great job designing her. That face is so awesome. And those eyes! The shading is fabulous, too.
Last month I started knitting on Fairies In The Snow Shawl MKAL (Mystery Knit A Long) I have really been enjoying this knit.
Fairies in the Snow MKAL part 3
This MKAL is by Softyarn Designs and is on Ravelry if you want to join. The last part, clue#4 just came out on Thursday, March 4, but there a lot of people in the group that are on different parts of the pattern. There is a chat group on Ravelry, too. The yarn I am using is from Speckled Finch Studios in colors Kismet 4 Magic Stone (the darker color) and Champagne Wishes. I love how these 2 yarns look together and the yarn is so soft. I should finish the last clue this week, and then decide if I want to add another section to use up yarn, or leave as is.
Last month I finished a scarf that I started in January. It turned out gorgeous and I have to say it is now my favorite scarf and have worn it several times already.
Adventurer Scarf
I call it my rainbow scarf, but the actual name of the pattern is The Adventurer Scarf and Wrap by Ambah O’Brien. I knitted the scarf version in Basic Sock Mini’s from AJHC Wools. I love everything about this scarf; the yarn, the colors, the weight, the knitting, the pattern.
I have many, many more knitting projects and cross stitch projects I want to work on, as well as stamping and scrapbooking that needs tending to. For now, I am enjoying whatever it is I am working on. I have missed all of you and I hope that my blogging mojo is back. I look forward to hearing from you and catching up on all of the blogs I have missed in the last few moths.
So, what have you been up to? What are you working on today?
My Time Stitching 