I went for a beautiful sunny Sunday drive through the country with my hubby today. We love to drive down roads that we’ve never been on just to see where they lead. Sometimes it’s a dead end but most of the time it’s not.
Sunday Drive… by 904EastMillerStreet
Sunday Drive – Limited Edition Print by KillTaupe
Impressions of a Sunday Drive – 5×7 Fine Art Photograph by ara133photography
I don’t have any knitting or crochet finished projects this week but I definitely have some books! Eighteen completed books this week. It’s really nice to see all those books lined up. I’ve got a ton more to finish but I feel like I’ve gotten a good start.
Some of the books in the photo above were not completed this week. It is my entire on hand stock.
As soon as I have a non-rainy day I’ll take some photos and update the shop.
This past weekend we had a huge sale at A Likely Yarn to prep for our move. A very special person bought me enough yarn for a project, which I promptly cast on. I’m making the Siren Shawl from Knit Simple Spring/Summer 2007. I’m using Fibranatura’s Sea Song which is 80% pima cotton and 20% Seacell (kelp). It’s an easy four row pattern with a nine stitch repeat. I’m already on the second ball.
Last night while poking through my stash, I came upon several balls (mostly half used) of sugar’n cream cotton that I had used to make some commissioned projects in the past. I decided that I need some new crochet dishcloths and got started. By the time I went to bed, I had already gone through three of the small balls. These aren’t going to match perfectly but they will still be useful. I also have three skeins of Solei that I bought at the sale to use for dishcloths as well though I’ll probably knit those instead of crochet.
I’ve also cast on for another pair of socks. I started these last week by knitting from both ends of the ball but I didn’t like that the stripes weren’t lining up. I frogged them and rewound it on a ball winder so that things would line up. I’m making them with Trekking XXL in Circus.
I’m still working on books. I’m starting to get to the panic stage because I have a huge festival coming up at the end of July that I’ll be at for five days. I don’t feel like I have enough stock for five days at the moment but I’m working hard to get some things going. I’m hoping to try some new things but I just keep thinking I only have TWO MONTHS to get everything together!! I’m also trying to find time and the right lighting to take photos to do a shop update with the books that I’ve already made.
I planted five red pepper plants this week but two have died. I have two more to plant but I’m going to put them in containers.
I also planted my last tomato. I need to get one more tomato cage for it.
The flower box garden is growing well. Two tomatoes, oregano, pumpkin, and hosta.
The rose bush & peonies are looking beautiful.
What started as a beautiful sunny day has turned into a still beautiful but rainy day. I had planned on riding my scooter when I got home from work but I suppose I’ll have to ride tomorrow. Here are five beautiful Etsy items that are inspired by a rainy day.
Rainy Day Print by Tummy Mountain
Rainy Day With My Umbrella Gold Necklace by LycheeKiss
Rainy Day Hedgehog On Sky Blue Glass Pendant by raincloudstudio
This week I’ve been working hard to finish projects that have been around for awhile. I’ve finally finished the feather & fan lace cashmere scarf that I started in January. It was a great travel project because it could fit in a small zip-lock bag and it was a simple four row repeat with only one row of lace work. I’ve worked on it in many waiting rooms.
I also finished the Handknit Heroes Issue #1 POW! Hooded Scarf that is a shop sample for A Likely Yarn. It’s a simple pattern that is fairly quick to knit. I’m hosting a knit along at the shop for this project. If anyone is in the Abingdon, Virginia area and wants to join in, we will be meeting Thursday June 11, June 25, and July 9 from 5:00-7:00. The first meeting is a meet, greet, & cast-on. The second is a sit, knit & chat. The third is the reveal. You can reveal your finished project, in progress project or your secret identity and bring your favorite snack to share. I’ll be starting the shop sample for the Handknit Heroes Issue #2 Net of Justice Bag soon and the KAL for that project will start in mid August.
I received a commission in January from a family member of the person I made the stockings for last fall. They wanted one more for their family and I happily accepted. Unfortunately, tax season doesn’t really allow me to work on things like I want so I had to wait to start the project. I finished the stocking this week and I’m happy with how it turned out.
I’ve also started sewing together the books I’ve been working on. These are two that I completed yesterday and will be available in the shop soon.
This reminds me of a little boy’s bedroom curtains from the 1950’s or 1960’s.
This one is a simple green book. Green polka dots with green parchment type paper inside.
One last bit of info, if you are in the Abingdon area this weekend, A Likely Yarn is having a Moving/Memorial Day sale Saturday, Sunday & Monday. The shop will be closed Tuesday-Sunday of next week during the move but will reopen on June 1st at the new Pecan St. location.
I’m almost finished with the commission that I received in January. Tax season put a kink in my studio time so I wasn’t able to start the stocking until a couple of weeks ago. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that I’ll have it done by the end of the week. I have a bit more embroidery and then the assembly.
I don’t have much else in the WIP pile this week. I have a bunch of things that I’m ready to start but I’ve been mainly trying to get finished with things that have been around awhile. I do have the books that need to be sewn still. I’m planning on starting on those tomorrow.
This is what my workspace looks like if anyone is interested.
I put the finishing touches on the POW! Hooded Scarf. This is what I discovered when I stepped away for a few moments to grab some supplies. Piggy swears he’s just helping and not in it just for his yarn addiction.
One last thing, I was a giddy little kid yesterday when I opened my mail. I won a copy of Handknit Heros that I posted about last week. It’s signed my H. E. Wintermute (limedragon) who wrote the pattern that I cannot wait to make. I’ll be getting yarn for it Saturday!
So far this year, I’ve planted 4 tomatoes, 4 basil plants, onions, and chives. I also have the oregano that sprang back from last year. I still have a pumpkin, one tomato plant and several red pepper plants to go in the ground or pots.
I need to thin out my onions soon.
I’ve purchased two hanging flower baskets but I’m not sure what they are; there weren’t any tags on them when I bought them.
My roses are beginning to bloom. The bush looks like it will be loaded with blooms.
The peonies around the backside of the house are starting to bloom too.
Yesterday, the weather was beautiful and very warm, around 80 degrees. Today, it is a little over half that. Blackberry winter is a period of chilly weather that hits during mid-May when the blackberries are in bloom.
SeeJaneKnitYarns – Hand Painted Wool/Alpaca Sportweight – Crushed Blackberries
GudonyaToo – Wild Blackberry Whipped Clean Body Wash
ThePebbleCollection – Sterling Silver & Onyx Berry Pendant
FortuneCookieCafe – Triple Berry Shortbread Sandwich Cookie
MoonFlowers – Blackberries Print
Here is a little tidbit of info about me that you probably didn’t know. I am known to save slow creatures. I’ve been saving turtles on roadways since my mid-teens and I’ve been saving snails since god only knows when. I don’t know if I help them get where they are going any faster, but I at least get them off of sidewalks and out of the road where they could be very seriously hurt or killed. I saved a turtle this morning and thought I would share with you about my secret identity as a Turtle/Snail Superhero.
