The Best and the Worst of Winter Break

 We got snow! And not just a dusting. There was enough snow for the city to groom the golf course. I love cross country skiing, so this was a huge treat! Skiing with friends was extra special this winter.

From left: Tsela, Judith, Lisa, Me, Debbie, Mimi

I skied for three days in a row, one of which was my friend Tsela's birthday.

I don't have much time to exercise when school is in session, so I am pretty out of shape. By the third day, I had to shorten my route. I was tired; my arms and legs were aching -- best feeling ever!

And I designed and sewed a needle book. I had bought a little one for $5 in summer 2019, but I wanted something bigger and with pockets. It was a surprising success.

I even embroidered each page to show what kind of needles it holds.

That was the best stuff. That and talking to both my kids this week.

The worst? Break ends tomorrow and it's back to virtual school. I think I would be enjoying it more if I wasn't worried about the district forcing us to come back before we are vaccinated. Cross your fingers that my district supports teachers' right to live!

A Week From Today

...will be the first day of my summer vacation! I have so many ideas for projects flying around my brain. I need to write them down and then focus on actually finishing a few things.

I definitely want to improve my sewing skills this summer. I've been working on the Death Cat project. 

You may not remember it because it has languished for quite a while, but one of these days I'll have a finished quilt to show you.

Tonight I'm working on an annual tradition:

I bake cookies for the kids I proctor final exams for.  Most of my students don't get home baking, so they are very appreciative.

And Wisconsin is finally blooming:

Does anyone know what these are? I found them on a little after-work walk and was amazed by their beauty.

Designing Woman

Thanks to all who shared their favorite listens. I needed some new ideas. Also a note on the knitting: I am knitting Free Your Fade, which is much smaller than Find Your Fade. Find is more of a blanket than a shawl!

While I can follow knitting patterns just fine, I find sewing patterns confusing. I wanted a small tote bag, so I looked at some patterns and then made up my own mash-up pattern. Amazingly, it worked:

Sewing doesn't usually go this smoothly for me. And isn't the fabric fabulous? The lining is my own ice-dyed faux-indigo fabric.

I'm also trying to perfect a Fair Isle hat pattern. The colors aren't quite right here. The light color is yellow, not white, so it looks more Earthy than the photo shows.

And I'm working on a new abstract embroidery pattern. Sometimes it's fun to just play with color and shape.

A few of you have asked about my health. So sweet of you! My recovery from the surgery is just about complete, and it went smoothly. The pathology report wasn't so good, though, so there is more treatment in my future. Hopefully just minor stuff.

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

If you read a few blogs, you've seen this adorable handmade card over the last few days:

Yes, it is the handwork of Deb. If you don't know Deb, you can meet her here. In addition to writing a great blog, Deb might be the most generous crafter out there. She is a master of soapmaking, and she gives away her amazing wares:

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Look at that loot! From top left, there are lotion bars (which I use constantly), soaps, lip balm, and facial soap. You cannot buy soaps like these! And I mean that literally: These are superior to any commercial soap out there. Effective, gentle and perfectly scented. And beautiful:

A huge thank you to you, Deb, for your incredible generosity. You are so talented -- and so kind to share your creations.

That was the good. Here is the bad:

Fair Isle is so much fun to knit, but then there are all those ends to weave in. Not so much fun.

And then there's the ugly. Yesterday, my MIL and I took a class at a local fabric store to learn how to free motion quilt. I'm really glad to start learning this skill, but my first attempt is not beautiful.

My MIL, a lifetime seamstress who sews most of her own wardrobe and all my FIL's shirts, took to it right away. And we both learned that quilter's gloves are not optional. Neither is practice!

Also ugly: snow in mid-April. The roads are snow-covered ice. We were able to have breakfast with my parents, but I can't see going out a second time.

Not a Lot of Knitting

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this, but I was a newspaper reporter and editor for more than 20 years, so I'm generally pretty good with deadlines. But this one really got away from me: I have to finish this quilt by Tuesday evening.

I have a meeting tonight, so I don't exactly have a lot time. Thus, I spent every free minute this weekend quilting -- and I'm working before and after school, too. I will get it done -- but only because I have to!

One Finished, One Will Never Be

About a year ago, my daughter asked me to make a pencil case for her. It just so happens that I have long wanted to learn to put in zippers. It took a about a year to figure it out. I thoughtlessly gave her the first one that was successful over Thanksgiving -- before I took a photo of it!  But here is pencil case No. 2:

I'm quite happy with it. It's lined and everything!

I see many pencil cases and notions cases in my future.

On the other hand, my Project Peace Cowl is not so peaceful. I thought I had joined it carefully -- as in without twisting it. I was wrong. Besides, I realized that this is not the right color. I really like the cowls, like the original, that are made in pale colors.  Maybe I'll make one next year.

Today was a great day: I got to cross country ski! This is the only exercise that I truly love. I could lose a ton of weight easily if we could have a snowy winter -- with reasonable temperatures. When we headed out to ski at midday, the temp was 10 degrees with wind chill, which is about as cold as I find it comfortable to ski. Even though I am terribly out of shape, it was awesome!

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!