Well, so I’ve been devoted to RealJob lately and fell behind on email and all the other trappings of an online presence. It feels good to be so absorbed and enjoy it, for a change, but it does mean there’s been little making going on to show you here. And, surprisingly, I haven’t missed it much. Slow and steady progress will lead to more to share with you eventually, of course, and it’s nice to feel a patient calm in crafting rather than my more usual breakneck pace in all parts of life.
Here’s a brief update.
Hand-sewing:
The handpiecing project went on hold while I gathered more fabric. This brand of shot cotton is discontinued and so re-stocking for this is challenging. I gathered bits and pieces from all over the place. Apart from a deep want for some of the dark blue, this stack feels complete and it might be time to re-devote to this. Once the block pieces are cut and marked, the sewing rhythm is pleasant and the finished blocks always make me a little giddy.
Knitting:
The new dark log cabin Sleepknitting Blanket (or Somnambulist Blanket? or somesuch?) has reached the slower outer orbits just by taking up the sticks shortly before bedtime every night. But, you know how the early rows are so short they seem to fly off the needles? The work is now at the point where knitting a row seems to have no effect on the overall size of the piece. It might also be the right time to begin improvising more dramatically to increase the interest level both visually and morally. The commitment to the darker color range and a vow of no new yarn mean that I’m also up against stash limitations that present new challenges in deciding what colors to use and when and how to vary them.
Spinning:
And there’s been one hour of spinning in the past week! I finally finished up some skeins that I started spinning last July. Some, plied back in December, just needed a bath and a whack, while others came from bobbins of stale singles that needed to be plied.
I guess I finished 5 hanks. My favorite is a patchwork 3-ply made by chain plying all the leftover singles to clear off all the bobbins.
Spinning is one of those activities that requires a deep well of mojo for me to indulge. I tend to have a frenzy of spinning up quite a few hanks and then not touch the wheel for months–or a year. Feels like I might just spin down the stash and then sell the wheel soon. There’s the additional complication that this is how I “use” the yarn. Oy.
Quilting:
In quilting, I have several impulsive patchworks in mind, I need to get the Give a F*ck top assembled, and I want to put together my bee quilts. With all of these, I’m more interested in the patchwork process, so I’ll likely ship them off to a longarmer for quilting. Unfortunately, I’m super particular about the handsewing of bindings, so I’ll still finish them off myself.
This list is exhausting and makes me want to retreat back into my work cave. Heh. Kind of a nice turn of events.
I hope you have a great weekend!
Well, we have to bring home the bacon to afford more materials for the crafts…! So you’re excused. Still that link to your spinning stash is pretty impressive (and I loved seeing the baby sweater/jacket).
;)
glad you have been enjoying realjob! stop enjoying it so much though. ;)
It’s good when one enjoys the bread winning activities of one’s days.
I see great potential in your hand spun stash there. The blue and yellow on the chair there for example, just need a third color and will make a most fabulous Color Affection.
Would you like to send it over for me to knit one for you?
I looked around your blog a bit for a pic of your spinning wheel. Very interesting! Knitting is something I want to learn, real soon, and I would love to spin my own yarn! Not sure of your location, but keep me in mind if you decide to sell.
Funny, I prefer the hand quilting to the piecing usually. If you ever want me to hand quilt something for you, and you don’t mind my slow pace, just let me know!
Knitting a log cabin is something I love to do, but it’s the early stages that are more of a slog for me. Those small pieces and all that turning–wears me out. But the results are worth it.
I just finished my needle craft project; so happy about that. Now I am working on an antique quilt. I will be very happy to get that particular project done.
Your handspun yarns are so gorgeous. Sigh.
I love the photo of your hand spun yarn in the linked post. Did you ever write the spinning manifesto that’s mentioned there?
Wow, I’m glad to hear that real job has been rewarding and a positive thing lately. Its good to know you’re finding a pace that works best for you right now. That is something I need to work on as well. I’m loving both of your long term projects, and I look forward to see what else you’ve got up your immediate quilty sleeve!
Wow! What productivity. It’s great when you can enjoy your vocation and avocation.
“Morally”? How do you increase the interest level of a garter-stitch blanket morally? My inventiveness button seems to be switched off tonight.
Ooooooh! So you’re the one who designed and knit that Spin-Off scarf! Oooooooh! And you must knit like a bat out of hell to have made that much of a Sleepknitting blanket so quickly. Inspiring — come on, weekend!
Oh, no, I didn’t design that scarf in Spin Off. They just used mine to show how it looks in handspun yarn.
Maybe while you take a break in all the inspiration giving you’ve got going on over here I can get a little caught up on the using of that inspiration! :) I forgot to come let you know I sent a little Vee Day love your way this week!
http://www.honorcrownedcrafts.com/1/post/2012/02/knit-love-for-vee-day.html
… and I thought I had lots of ufos!!
a stitch at a time eh? (love the dusky log cabin)