This week I had my First Ladies Class at Davidene's. We made the Eleanor Roosevelt Block:
The book is Eleanor Burns' Tales of First Ladies. I love the fabrics Davidene picked for this project, and the designs in the book as well, but I'm not crazy about the piecing methods. Here's why: It's a pain if you don't have her rulers, and it's really fiddly unless you do a lot of the same block over and over, so you don't have to keep looking at the book. If you do get this book and make the quilt or any of the blocks from the book, though, follow her directions exactly if you do at all. An experienced quilter could figure out how to make these blocks with templates, strip piecing, etc., but if you make the quilt her way, you need to do exactly what she says. If you do that, the blocks will turn out great.
The last section of the Echo Flowers Shawl, the Edge Chart, is going well. I found the nupps starting with the Border Chart and continuing into the Edge Chart, to be challenging at first. The first ones were a little wonky, but they got better with practice. I am making them on a crochet hook (loosely) and bringing the working yarn through the loops as I finish. Here it is with the Border pattern finished.
Here's a closeup of the knitting moving into the Edge Chart as of Sunday evening:
(The yarn is Bare 100% Merino Lace Weight yarn from Knit Picks. The pattern is "Echo Flower Shawl" by Jenny Johnson Johnen.)
Vintage Stitchers met at Julie's this week. Carol brought this quilt, which I think was a kit from Keepsake Quilting, but I'm not sure, and she added sashing, which has become her signature style, it seems.
Janet has made some progress on her Bertie blocks.
Saturday was International Knit In Public Day. I was a delegate to the Utah State Democratic Convention, which met in Park City on Saturday, so I took my shawl to work on. There were hundreds of people there, so it was indeed "in public." (Yes, there are Democrats in Utah. We mostly hide in caves and only come out on election day.)
My Multi Scrap Scarf is going slowly. In fact, it's hibernating. Im still at 32". I won't be needing it this summer, so there's no rush. I really want to get my shawl finished, so I can take it on the trip this summer, and I need to make a new tote for my iPhone, as my old one is wearing out. I think the new one will be lined, for strength.
What's on my needles: Echo Flowers Shawl and the Fair Isle Flower Socks. Still ready to CO the "March of the Fibres" cardi when I get a chance, maybe after I finish the shawl.
What's on my Featherweight: One more pieced block to go from First Ladies. I will miss the appliqué class next month, but will make the final pieced block in August.
What's on my wheel: Still Full Circle spinning fiber in "Pigeon." No progress there.
What's on my loom: Still the Multi Scrap scarf, 32".
What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen, my favorite of hers so far. Then I listened to Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey from Audible, read by Juliet Stevenson. If you aren't accustomed to 19th Century language, reading one of Austen's novels can be a little difficult. Try an audiobook first. This is the best reading of it I have listened to, well worth the price of buying it. I've read the book many times and listened to it as an audiobook, but I've never laughed so hard. Austen really makes fun of the gothic novels of her era and the affectations of many of the young people in society. Still reading Death by Cashmere in iBooks and Ann Budd's Sock Knitting Master Class on Kindle.
What's in my wine glass: Liberty Creek Pinot Noir. The big bottle. Very nice.
What's my tip of the week: Let the dryer run for 15-20 minutes and then remove shirts and dresses that might normally need ironing. Hang them up on coat hangers to finish drying. They will need little or no ironing. Pants dry faster if you use two hangers; one for each leg.
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.
The last section of the Echo Flowers Shawl, the Edge Chart, is going well. I found the nupps starting with the Border Chart and continuing into the Edge Chart, to be challenging at first. The first ones were a little wonky, but they got better with practice. I am making them on a crochet hook (loosely) and bringing the working yarn through the loops as I finish. Here it is with the Border pattern finished.
Here's a closeup of the knitting moving into the Edge Chart as of Sunday evening:
(The yarn is Bare 100% Merino Lace Weight yarn from Knit Picks. The pattern is "Echo Flower Shawl" by Jenny Johnson Johnen.)
Vintage Stitchers met at Julie's this week. Carol brought this quilt, which I think was a kit from Keepsake Quilting, but I'm not sure, and she added sashing, which has become her signature style, it seems.
Janet has made some progress on her Bertie blocks.
Saturday was International Knit In Public Day. I was a delegate to the Utah State Democratic Convention, which met in Park City on Saturday, so I took my shawl to work on. There were hundreds of people there, so it was indeed "in public." (Yes, there are Democrats in Utah. We mostly hide in caves and only come out on election day.)
My Multi Scrap Scarf is going slowly. In fact, it's hibernating. Im still at 32". I won't be needing it this summer, so there's no rush. I really want to get my shawl finished, so I can take it on the trip this summer, and I need to make a new tote for my iPhone, as my old one is wearing out. I think the new one will be lined, for strength.
What's on my needles: Echo Flowers Shawl and the Fair Isle Flower Socks. Still ready to CO the "March of the Fibres" cardi when I get a chance, maybe after I finish the shawl.
What's on my Featherweight: One more pieced block to go from First Ladies. I will miss the appliqué class next month, but will make the final pieced block in August.
What's on my wheel: Still Full Circle spinning fiber in "Pigeon." No progress there.
What's on my loom: Still the Multi Scrap scarf, 32".
What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen, my favorite of hers so far. Then I listened to Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey from Audible, read by Juliet Stevenson. If you aren't accustomed to 19th Century language, reading one of Austen's novels can be a little difficult. Try an audiobook first. This is the best reading of it I have listened to, well worth the price of buying it. I've read the book many times and listened to it as an audiobook, but I've never laughed so hard. Austen really makes fun of the gothic novels of her era and the affectations of many of the young people in society. Still reading Death by Cashmere in iBooks and Ann Budd's Sock Knitting Master Class on Kindle.
What's in my wine glass: Liberty Creek Pinot Noir. The big bottle. Very nice.
What's my tip of the week: Let the dryer run for 15-20 minutes and then remove shirts and dresses that might normally need ironing. Hang them up on coat hangers to finish drying. They will need little or no ironing. Pants dry faster if you use two hangers; one for each leg.
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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