Monday, December 9, 2013

Cold and Colds, Mishaps and Repairs


It's been a hard week in the mountains of Utah. The weather was part of it. 
That was taken Wednesday. We had several more inches over the weekend. I had to turn off the alerts on my weather app, because it kept waking me up at night and annoying me during the daytime. (As if I couldn't just look out the window and know, yes, it was a winter storm, and yes, there was danger of avalanche!)
I came down with a cold about the time the kids left, so I spent a good part of the week on the couch, reading and blowing my nose. Rocky loved it, though. He really likes to cuddle on the couch when the weather is cold. In one of those cuddly moments, he was in DH's lap chewing on a toy, when DH suddenly noticed he was chewing the quilt by accident. The hole went clear through to the other side.
(This photo is a closeup. The visible threads in the quilt backing will give you an idea of how close.)
I decided that THAT would be a good place for a label. Right there! (I had been too lazy to put a label on this one. Now was the time.) It was fortunate that the hole was fairly close to one corner, about where a label would go anyway. 
On the top side of the quilt, the hole went cleanly through one patch with a black background, easily (well, with some work) fixed by appliquéing a similar fabric on top. With the tiniest sts I could manage. You can recognize the spot because the machine quilting doesn't cross the patch. 
I'm not sure it would be worth trying to correct that issue. You really have to know what to look for, and this is a utility (i.e. "cuddle") quilt. 
Daphne's Green Pastures cardigan was really close to finishing, so I dragged myself off the couch to finish it. Colorwork always looks better after blocking. 
It took almost two days to dry, maybe because it has been so cold here, even in the house. The yarn is Swish Worsted in Dublin, Black and White. The pattern is "Welcome to the Flock" by Julia Farwell-Clay, available on Moth Heaven. Chest measurement 25", sleeve length from underarm 10".
I CO for another, slightly smaller, version for Soren. I have the body ribbing done and am working on the st st for the body. 
The pattern was designed for babies, but I made Daphne's bigger by using thicker yarn (Swish Worsted) and bigger needles. She's out of diapers, so I eliminated the shaping in the body that allowed for extra bulk and just CO on the number of sts I would have after the decreases. I'll do the shaping on Soren's, though. He'll be in diapers for a while yet. 
I needed to make an iPhone cozy for DD's iPhone for Christmas, a quick and easy project. Here it is, finished, felted/fulled and modeled by my iPhone. (She didn't want the Apple logo.)
I have the instructions on my Ravelry page for the project, and anyone is free to use/copy as they like. 
You may remember that I lost my credit card during Shop-small Saturday last week. It could be I dropped it in the bakery, where I used it last, but I think they would have found it and called me. I could have dropped it in the parking lot outside, where it would have been covered by snow by now and scooped up into a berm by the snow plow, not to be seen again until spring. Maybe it fell between the seats of the car and is waiting for some unusual car-cleaning frenzy by a future owner of my Honda.
At any rate, I had to cancel it and order new cards. (The news isn't all bad. DH had to pay for my expenditures at the quilt shop, Davidene's, and it turns out he got a rebate on everything he bought from a small, local, shop, using his American Express, so whoopee! Bargain for him, free for me!) My new card came this past Saturday, causing me to miss Cyberweek but allowing me to get my Audible credits on time on Saturday.
A sad, but not totally unexpected event this week was the passing of Nelson Mandela. I was reminded that during our short time in the UK, DH, DS2 and I went to Trafalgar Square in London to listen to a horn group play Christmas carols and to sign a petition asking for Mandela's release from prison. DS2 was 12 years old at the time. It made a big impression on all of us. We had to wait in line to sign. So much has happened since then.
In a season of sad anniversaries, Pearl Harbor comes to mind, and the anniversary also occurred this week. I was born after the "day that shall live in infamy," being one of the few war babies, born to a minister who could not serve even if he were young enough to be drafted or willing to sign up. This poster reminds me, though, of the event every year, and that we, as crafters, are among the most giving of people, often knitting, spinning, quilting and weaving for those in need.

I'm not sure you could stand any more cuteness after last week, but Soren just turned 17 months and Zachary 20 months in this past week. I'll try to include a photo next week. 
What's on my needles: "Green Pastures" cardigan for Soren, working on the body.  Dogwood Blossoms and Christmas Waffle sweater still on hold, and Green Tea socks still with the heel almost done.
What's on my loom: Making more progress on the Christmas present scarves.
What's on my wheel: Full Circle Roving in "Wolf". First bobbin finished. No progress this week.
What's on my Sewing needles, Featherweight: Delectable Pathways, piecing the Delectable Mountain block panels. Appliqué panel #3, No progress this week.
What's on my iPad/iPhone: I'm still listening to Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer. Finished reading The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley on the Nook App (highly entertaining), and then The I.P.O. by Dan Koontz (not Dean), on the Kindle app (spellbinding), both from Book Bub. Listening to the Fiber Hooligan podcast and the Knit Picks podcast.
What's my app of the week: Pages for iPad, which I use to compose my blog post each week and our annual Christmas letter. I love how easy it is to use on the iPad, and how fast I can type on the on-screen keyboard! Almost as fast as I can think. Guess that isn't saying much, now that I think of it. 
What's in my wine glass: Bogle Vinyards Petite Sirah. Elegant!

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.

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