Back to Crafting

Things on the knitting front have been quiet. I didn't finish my 1st travel sock until I got home from California.

I like the way it is turning out, but it is kind of a tedious knit. Because of all the color changes, I can't just read my knitting so I have to count much of the time. I know I'm going to love these socks, but I doubt I'll knit this pattern again.

I bought this skein from A Verb for Keeping Warm in Oakland. It is a purplish skein of sock yarn that is part of their own line of yarn. It has cashmere in it so it is deliciously soft! It is going to be a Granola Sock, which will give me some much-needed practice with cables.

So, what have I been working on? It is an embroidered piece that is going to be part of a hanging quilt. I've committed to hanging it in a show and it MUST be delivered on Sept. 1.

To be in this show, a piece must feature Wisconsin native flora or fauna. As you can see from these sneak-peeks, I'm focusing on flora. Much easier!

This project is a stretch for me in so many ways. I've never embroidered a large piece of my own design before. And I haven't quilted in decades (and I wasn't ever that good at it).  Luckily, my MIL is an expert seamstress, so I can go to her with all the problems I'm sure to have!

Yarn Along in the East Bay

Greetings from beautiful Berkeley. I'm visiting my friend Joni and we are having our usual wonderful time crafting, shopping, and eating.

While I am on a deadline for an embroidery project, I have devoted some time to a pair of socks that I am enjoying:

This is a highly modified version of Whiz Bang. I am knitting my usual cuff-down sock but incorporating the slip-stitch pattern from Whiz Bang. The yarn is Spun Right Round, and it very smooshy. The colors are just beautiful.

I have mixed feelings about Empire of the Summer Moon, which is a nonfiction book about how the United States defeated the Comanches. One of the stories is that of Cynthia Ann Parker, who was kidnapped by the Comanches as a young girl and later chose to stay. That story is fascinating. But there are a lot of battles, and I've never been a fan of military history.

On my Kindle, I'm reading the novel The Nest, about a dysfunctional family of adult children. There are a million books on this theme, but this one is especially good.

I'm joining up with Ginny for Yarn Along.