Snow Day!

 Madison called a snow day -- even for virtual instruction -- and I could not be happier. I had insomnia last night, so the timing is perfect.

And what better than a snowy day to think about blankets? I finished my Habitation Throw. Mine is quite a bit larger than the pattern calls for. I just played it by ear. Some of the color transitions are better than others. I think I prefer more of a fade technique than these sudden changes. But it's very homey and comforting.

I've also been working on a larger blanket that uses worsted weight. I had an odd assortment of Julia yarn and Cascade Quattro, both discontinued, which is a shame. They are absolutely lovely yarns and they play quite well together. I'm using a variety of grays to tie it all together and hoping it works.

 

I think I'm going to let this one get quite large. It also has a border, so it will take me a while to finish.

I would love to spend the whole day knitting by the window, but I need to declutter. We are looking at a house tomorrow and it looks promising online. Whenever there is a house on the horizon I panic and start decluttering. Moving is a lot to take on right now as I try to adapt to my new diagnoses, but it needs to be done. It's never fun, but we'll be happy when it's behind us.

Making Keeps Me Sane

 This is a hard time for everyone. The pandemic and politics are impossible to escape. And we all have our personal struggles with these issues.

But I am grateful to be a maker. I've had quite a few Zooms on this long weekend, and the Habitation Throw is perfect mindless knitting. I'm not sure I like the way it's coming out, but I can always use another lap blanket.

And I finished this embroidery of my own design. It gave me chance to work on my satin stitch and try combining stitches. It was way more work than I expected, which is often the case for me.

I'm going to make it into a little wall quilt. I think the colors will work with all the fabric I sun-dyed last summer.

And I took a little trip to Prague -- virtually, of course. This is the Old-New Synagogue, where Franz Kafka was dragged to High Holy Days services by his father. I was there with my daughter in 2018. Jews have been praying there for 700 years and that imbues it with a quiet sense of holiness.

Being a maker is especially useful, I think, during the pandemic and winter. I do miss seeing people, meeting at coffee shops, gathering for potlucks. But making things is a pretty good way to get through this strange world we now inhabit.

I hope you are finding ways to bring some joy into your life, too!

Gift Worthy!

We've all gifted handmade items to people who didn't appreciate them, leaving us feeling that we had wasted a whole lot of time. My daughter, however, is a very knit-worthy young woman. She not only liked the mittens and hat I knit for her, but she even sent me a photo! (If you look behind her, you can see the cat quilt I made for her.)

The holidays sure aren't the same without Rachel and Seth. Keith and I rang in 2020 in Phoenix, along with my mom. Tonight will not be half as fun.

I've been knitting my Habitation Throw whenever I watch TV or socialize on Zoom, so it's coming along. It looks way better in person than in this photo, I'm happy to say.

In the last month, I got around to learning a jewelry-making skill I've long wanted to master: using brick stitch to attach beads to a metal ring. It's rewarding because it goes pretty fast.

I used free tutorials on YouTube to figure out the technique. It amazes me how generous people are with sharing their skills. I'm sure many of them are offering the tutorials in conjunction with a business, but it's still really nice. I thought about buying a tutorial on Etsy, but I figured that I know enough about beading to figure it out with a little help.

Keith has a strong preference for the fan-shaped earrings, but I like the the full circles just as well. What do you think?

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year's Eve. We'll be binging on The Mandalorian. Keith likes it more than I do, but I am the advisor for the Star Wars Club at school, so I like to be on top of it.

Nothing Wrong with a Quiet Christmas

I hope you are all enjoying this holiday even with all the Covid restrictions. We are a careful bunch, so I bet you are all having a quiet day, as are we.

I've spent much of the first week of my winter break baking cookies. I love baking, so it has been a good distraction from all the bad stuff in the news -- including possible school reopenings, even though the largest ICU in Madison is at 100% capacity.

I highly recommend this recipe, Browned Butter Coconut Cookies from the Smitten Kitchen. I made them for the first, but not last, time this year!

I also made a pair of Isaac's Mitts for myself. They are very warm and cozy -- perfect for walks on warmer winter days.

And with a finish, comes a cast on. I have been decluttering every day, including my yarn stash. I have so many lovely fingering leftovers that I decided it was time for a Habitation Throw from Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade:

I just love making things with leftovers. They don't always turn out as well as I'd envisioned, but I have an awful lot of fun pulling together the colors.

The temperature here is below 0, so it's a good day to stay home, Zoom with family, and do some knitting.

And thanks for the compliments on the poncho in my last post. It's the Winter Ridge Poncho from Ewetopia, knit with yarn specially milled for that pattern. Ewetopia is both a store and dyer in Viroqua, Wis., and I can vouch for the quality of her wool and patterns.

A peaceful day to all!