House Series #39

 

A dear friend at church took me aside and said he wanted to give his wife one of my quilts for Christmas. There aren't many (affordable) quilts available that might work and the thought of making a small one or quilting up an existing top, surfaced in my mind, but I made no promises. But I did say that I was looking for a sign to get back into the studio and maybe this was it. Gulp.

It's been a while and I felt rusty. But there was something I had wanted to make, or shall I say, remake and I pulled up the image of the previous quilt and used that as a stimulus. This time I would make it much bigger, something that would look good on a 20"square wood panel.  If this worked I could offer it as a sample of a small work, or even let him buy this one. But I am getting ahead of myself. 

First I had to make it. 

This meant getting my head out of knitting mode and back into fabric. The studio dance had to begin. 

1. Set up my Bluetooth and Pandora for music

2. Make a big pot of tea

3. Pull fabric and find the Teflon pressing sheet

4. Where are my rotary cutters?

5. Cut a piece of batting to get the feel for size

6. Decide where to start

The house is the place and finding fabric for that got me rolling. I made a big mess, but that is how this works. It wasn't until the second day that I got in a large folding table to hold all the possible fabrics and scraps and get them off my work surface. But by then I was almost finished. 

I was ready to place the tree and had to find just the right fabric for this color scheme. It must be color changing, in just the right way. Aha! I found it. Then came fusing the top to the batting for the hand embroidery part. Next came the quilting. On a piece like this I usually quilt with feed dogs up, vs free motion. Stitching in the ditch first, and then later I will find a spot to do a little decorative free motion design, and sign my name.  

Matching a thread to the fabric makes this part very subtle until one gets close up.

That's it. Done-aroo. I use these wonderful sticky Velcro dots from Walmart to adhere the quilt to the wood panel which finishes off the piece in a most professional way, in my humble opinion. 

I'll send pics of this and the smaller house quilt that I have in inventory to the client and see if he bites.  

I'm pricing this at $250 and this 12" square one at $100.

Pineapple

I swore: NO MORE PETS

O well. I succumbed.

My friend Ashleigh had a problem with Pineapple and a neighbor cat, and Pineapple had to go. He is 6 years old, neutered and declawed and formerly an outdoor kitty. Not anymore. I don't want fleas so he's gonna be King of the House indoors and also be the only kitty, which will be new, for him and for me. We always had multiple cats, but unless another one like Pineapple shows up at my door, it will be only him. 

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Diana asked about Dave in a comment. He is in bed ridden, is so thin despite eating all the time, has beginnings of bed sores, and sleeps most of the time, or lies awake staring at imaginary things. He wants to know the work schedule frequently so he is not late for work. He's been retired for 20 years but these things still haunt him. His legs are pulled up tightly to his body and it hurts him to move them when I change him. This is a terrible way to exist. I pray that God will have mercy and take him home soon. 

Fuss Free Cowl #6

 When I said that this shape has endless possibilities, I was not kidding. With this piece, I went for a more petite fit, a more shoulder hugging size. And only two colors of merino! I love the edges which became sorta candy cane like. And the added tassel, which makes me so happy.

  Tassel in front or in back, or, what the hey, on the side. 

Here it is lying flat.  and a detail shot of the tassel. Available for $65 plus shipping. Email me.

 

Fuss Free Cowl #5

 O yes! Another one in the series, which includes the new yarn I ordered. Only one skein was the basis for all this color. Cascade 220 Superwash Sport. It's the yarn cake on the right that changed colors all along the way. Genius. I used contrasting yarns from my stash as the colors changed. Great way to use my yarns that are a lighter, thinner weight.

When the cowl part is worn in front the shawl part covers the back neck and shoulders, down to mid back. Very cozy and easy to wear under a coat. 

 I love how this design looks like a scarf that is tucked under at the neckline, but it is really sewn in place. 

Enough congratulating myself (!!) This is available for $60 plus shipping. Email me. 

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Then this is the cowl I finished knitting yesterday for the gal in Alaska. The Dotty Cowl.  So soft and warm. When you have an item that is worn next to the skin, it is important to use yarn that has no itch factor. This is Malabrigo Rastita 100% merino, paired with Chroma Worsted from Knit Picks, the graduated pastel dots.

I guess summer is over

 My little maple is glowing and hanging onto its leaves. I planted it this spring and am so happy to see it really does turn red.

 This is the second planting of zinnias, which came up after the flood ruined my first crop. I didn't actually plant these, but they volunteered from the dropped seeds in the bed. Happy to have them for a few more days, now that the temps have dropped to 26 degrees.

 And my purple clematis survived the flood and looks even better than it did in the summer. 

But let's talk about knitting. I sold this shawl over the weekend to a former 'collector' in Alaska. 

She saw it when I posted it on Instagram which I rejoined, as my knitting is burgeoning and I must move inventory (doesn't that sound like I am a shopkeeper?). She asked for a shortie cowl, and I said I would knit one and send it off with the shawl. So I have been knitting all day yesterday and will continue today until it is ready to photograph and ship out. I love this. 

But it occurred to me that I should post the socks that I recently knit and offer those up, since they are not my size and are really very nice, if I do say so myself.

They are knit from 100% merino superwash, which means pop 'em in the washer and lay flat to dry.  They are extra squishy soft and if the wearer has long narrow feet, they would be perfect.  I wear a size 7.5 shoe and these are about 1.5 inches too long or I would keep them. Why would I make socks that don't fit me? I was so in love with the knitting that I got carried away. Typical. 

Anyway, a nice gifty for someone special this season?

$25 plus shipping. Email me.

Silky Creamy Cowl

        

Well...this was a dream to knit. Silk and merino yarn (50/50) light as a feather and yet so very warm. The color is just slightly off white, and has a tiny halo of fluffiness, which makes you want to pet it. 😊

I love the stitch definition, too, with a soft shine to each stitch.

Available for $45. Plus postage. Email me.

Fussfree Cowl

It's called the Fussfree Cowl because it just works without fiddling. It stays put where you want it too and requires no pins and no...Fuss! 
It can be worn as a cowl or a shawl or a hood, whatever the wearer needs. I used the best of the best yarns for it, Malabrigo Rastita, 100% merino DK, and Silky Merino 50% silk, 50% merino, so the drape is lovely and it's not too thick and heavy. This weight means it can stay on when one's coat is off.

I knit it in the classic slip stitch patterns, five rows of single slips and five rows of double slips. Since this is a rectangle it can be knit in plain stockinette, or garter or fancier stitch patterns or multiple yarn designs, cables, lace, anything! The sky is the limit. Watch this space for more variations.

This version is available for $60 plus postage. Email me.

 If only this mannequin had a head...this is as close as I could get it to show how the hood placement would work.

Laid flat back side first and then front side.

Here it is in progress, almost finished and steam. It measures about 15" deep and 39-45 long, your choice.

To knit on the diagonal just cast on 3 stitches and on the right side increase on either edge until desired width is achieved. 

Then continue to increase on the left edge while decreasing on the right edge until the left edge is as long as your finished piece requires. 

Then decrease on both edges until there are no more stitches. 

Sew the end of one side to the side of the front, matching pattern, if you have one! Choose yarns that have a nice drape, DK, worsted weight or lighter with needles that work with the yarn to produce a fabric you like.  Then send me pictures of your choice, as you know I will appreciate your work.