Back in Warp Drive.

The loom is in business again. 

DH has been after me to fold up the loom so he has a place to store the boxes as he packs things. I still had about 60" of warp left on the loom and didn't want to waste it, so I'm making a bureau scarf out of it. It should serve double-duty as a rug for the dolls from time to time. I was hoping to get a start on making some rag rugs for our new home, but that will have to wait.

Common threads met at Margareth's house. Lynda and I drove through a blizzard to get there, but we didn't want Margareth to have wasted all her preparations, so we braved it, as well as the resort traffic, which was awful (powder day). Karan and Georgette also made it, although we were all late.

Margareth was working on this wool felt project.

She had finished this advent calendar for her cabin, now under construction.

Georgette was working on the same needlepoint design she had last time we met, but she had picked up her santa picture from the framer. This one was for a family member.

I took my Spring Flowers quilt to hand-quilt during the meeting. I'm making good progress.

I finished the last Steampunk Blouse, so we had to get a group photo. I have a more posed shot, but this one was cuter.

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The girls had planned a special  event for Valentine's Day. They watched all six hours of the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

The boys said they would rather do homework. It was a pleasant day, and we could have called it "Galentine's Day," because it was just for the gals, as it turned out. (That's a new term I just learned.) 

We didn't hear the sad news about the school shooting until after the last episode was over. 

I made an Easter bunny for Mandy. I used the Little Cotton Rabbits pattern I've used before, but this time with fingering weight yarn (Palette "Oregon Coast). left off the clothes (do rabbits really wear clothes) and made the feet according to the boy bunny pattern. I used tiny buttons for eyes instead of French knots, because I can trust Mandy not to bite off and swallow the buttons. 

I realized the next day that I had forgotten the tail, which was quick to remedy. We had to take another photo.

Remember the story of Vroni's birthday party? I decided to make a little book out of it for the grands. My laptop is a MacBook, and the photo program has the option of making projects like books (mostly photo albums) and calendars. Some of the options for pages have text and photos, so I wrote it up, printed off a copy for DH to proofread for me, and now it's ready to send to Apple to print as a paperback. Here's the cover (from a screenshot, so it's a little fuzzy).

I made a book for Daphne when she was a toddler, so this isn't my first foray into Apple publishing. Her book was all about her first year of life using all the best photos of her. I don't have permission to use the photos of the dolls, so I can't sell the book, but I'm going to give copies to the grands, keep one for myself and give one to Therapy Animals of Utah for their silent auction. It took 24 pages to get all the photos in. I had to change some of the wording to get it to fit without shrinking the type.

We made two trips to Run-A-Muk Dog Park during the week.

What's on my needles: A hat for one of the "girls." I'm using the Newsboy Cap, but without the bill. The pattern is a free download by Deb Denair.

What's on my Featherweight: Pants and skirts for the "kids."

What's in my hoop: Still my Spring Flowers appliqué quilt. I think I'm past halfway with the hand-quilting.

What's on my loom: Bureau Scarf to use up the last of the warp.

What's on my wheel: Stanzi is still awaiting her next task. 

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished Listening to Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet by M. C. Beaton. This author is always a good read, so I downloaded Henrietta: The Daring Debutantes Series Book 1, also by M. C. Beaton as Marion Chesney. When I finished that, I started Envious Casca: Inspector Hemingway Series, Book 2 by Georgette Beyer. On my Kindle app is Miss Braithwait’s Secret by G. G. Vandagriff.

What's in my wine glass: Trader Joe's Coastal Zinfandel, 2014 vintage.

What's my tip of the week: Moths of all life stages die at 130ºF or higher. You can't put big rugs into the oven, but from time to time I put knitwear, incased in pillowcases, into the oven, turn it on to warm (170ºF) and turn it off again when the oven beeps that it has reached temperature. They should be good and dead then. I've never had any moth damage to quilts with wool batting, so I think the adult moths can't get inside to lay their eggs. Vacuuming helps keep them down. I use plastic bags for my yarn stash.

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 or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.

Bats, Beethoven and Booty

Now that I have your attention….not done with doll clothes. Here is Dolly wearing the jeans that are part of her western attire:

The hat and boots came from The Doll Clothes Store. The pattern for the jeans was from Pixie Faire, not as hard as I expected. The shirt was from The Best Doll Clothes Book. Here's a closeup from the front:

And from the back:

We met at Joanie’s on Thursday for Vintage Stitchers. We were a small group, but sometimes that’s nice. Janet was working on her Washington Park Shawl, which will be glorious when it’s done. She was wearing this lovely dropped-stitch cowl she made. She’s getting to be a fantastic knitter.

Joanie had started a new project and needed help. (Difficult yarn, stitch count off. Story short: we frogged it, and I started it over and got her back to where she was.) Joanie is a talented knitter. She had this fruit bat from Knit Your Own Zoo.

Here is the fruit bat awake:

…and asleep.

OK, we covered the bats. Now for the Beethoven. I’ve been practicing my part in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. We only sing the final movement after sitting and listening to all the earlier movements, but it’s a humdinger when we get to sing. Most of the soprano part is in the rafters, long and high.

As for the booty. (No, not that kind of booty.) I received this in the mail:

It was an unsolicited package from a friend in the new Ravelry group, The Frog Prince and his Knitting Community Orphans, as a “Random Act of Kindness,” or “RAK.” We filled out a survey of our likes and interests if we wanted to participate. When we feel the urge to do so, we can choose a subject from among those who filled out surveys and send them something we think they would like. I found this in my mailbox.

Knowing I love knitting AND red wine, she thought it prudent to include this pin on the bag.

If you have to get RAKed, this is the way to do it. Then the next day, this appeared at my door:

All kinds of goodies from Knit Picks. I CO the Vicenza Shawl with the Hawthorne “Lovejoy” that arrived in the box (shown at the bottom of the photo)…once I ascertained that I had enough for the project. Not much to show yet, but I think it’s going to be a fun knit. The pouch now holds my favorite knitting notions, including my new favorite scissors.

I’ve also been taking part in the Spin-in that started Saturday in the The Frog Prince and the Knitting Community Orphans group. Here’s what I have so far:

The fiber is Knit Picks Full Circle 100% wool roving in "Fawn." It will be a blanket someday, when I get my weaving studio back.

I also knit and felted a new iPhone pouch, something I’ve been meaning to do since I got my new iPhone, which is a little taller than the old one and thus a bit too big for the pouch I made before we left on our trip last summer. Here it is with the fabric I used to line it. I don't know if the colors are showing up as they are, but the magenta background is a perfect match. The lining fabric is Connecting Threads batik “Nebula-Ultraviolet.”

I decided that, now that I know how to post a pattern on Ravelry, I would polish this pattern up a bit and publish it, so…if you really want to make one just like mine, you can find the pattern here.

While I was at it, I knit a little purse for Gabi (until she has to give it up for Daphne Jr., when the birthday package gets shipped). That way I could felt them both at the same time and save water.

Just in case you think spring has arrived, we got lots of snow this past week. Most of the snow is now gone, but it’s still pretty cold out, but I woke up one morning to this.

What's on my needles: Still hand-quilting the “Delectable Pathways” quilt. Working on the Aran sweater for Daphne Jr. and socks. Just CO (I admit I have a problem) the Vicenza Lace Shawl. 

What's on my Featherweight: Ready to start on Dolly’s Regency outfit when I get a chance.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Still listening to Saint Odd by Dean Koontz. Listing to the Beethoven’s Ninth choral practice recording is cutting into my audiobook time. Reading A Love That Never Tires by Allyson Jeleyne on the Kindle app.

What's in my wine glass: Gato Negro Malbec, a red, of course. 2014 vintage. Drink it while it’s fresh. :-}

What's my tip of the week: White vinegar and salt will remove tarnish from copper and brass. Cheap fix.

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.