My weekend- pattern making, walking, sketching

I hope you’ve been having a good weekend. Contrary to what we thought, we here in northern NB did not move back a level last Friday. We stayed in orange, still with limited travel but we are now allowed to have what’s termed a ‘steady 10’. That helps a bit although we’ll still keep a lot to ourselves.

I didn’t get outside on Saturday, spending a quiet day. Would you believe that the hives that I was plagued with for 6 months last year have returned. Taking the medication which doesn’t even work, makes me quite sleepy. I try to keep busy in the studio. I’m putting together the last horizontal row.

Yesterday, I traced a pattern onto fabric for painting and I’ve shown some of the process in a new short video on YouTube. You can view it by clicking the icon at the top of my blog.

It’s now ready to paint and I’m a bit anxious over starting.

Today was a really nice winter trail so I decided to get out on the trail with my ‘sled walker’.

I just couldn’t stop myself from bringing home a few treasures to sketch - maybe an avoidance technique for getting started on my shed pattern form yesterday. I like to call it going with the inspiration, lol.

I’ll be uploading a new YouTube video shortly.

What I’m knitting and reading

It seems that yesterday I over did things a bit and today I’m barely able to walk. My husband does the vacuuming but I spritzed a floor. I also had a very short walk using only my poles rather than the walker as the roads and trail are rather messy due to the mild weather.

As a result I’m sitting with heating doing hand stitching, reading and knitting. I’ve only recently gotten back to some book reading since the start of the virus. There is even a small stack of magazines that I haven’t looked at -unusual for me.

Since Christmas, I’ve started reading, finishing one and almost a second one and oddly for me, I want to read an actual book as opposed to an ebook.I really enjoyed The Sea Gate. It’s a mystery and the kind I like, mysterious, rooted in the past, not much violence and a little romance.

The Salt Path is based on a true story of a middle aged couple who lost everything and embarked on a coastal foot path journey in England. There is love, and hope and survival in a beautiful setting. I’m probably going to finish it today. It was recommended by the podcaster of What Vivi Did Next.

Next up is Miss Benson’s Beetle and I found in one of those fliers that recommends atlantic books. 

I’ve also purchased a few nooks for my Kindle App on the I Pad, but right now I’m more enjoying the feel of a real book.

I finally finished these mitts form the Saltwater Knits book which were quite challenging for me. They fit but for some reason want to twist around my hand when I wear then which means that half of the pattern meant for the palm side shows on the top. As far as I can figure out, I do

I’d followed the pattern correctly. These are knit in a fine Briggs and Little yarn. I’d hoped to do some in their regular weight. Now I’m not sure. I’d like to talk to someone who may have made some.

You can see the part on the right below where the salt and pepper pattern on the palm side is starting to twist to the front.

I finished a pair of socks knit from a pattern I shown by a podcaster called Crunkled . I used a merino wool from Lichen yarns.

I also started a sweater for my grandson Gussie who is almost 10 month old. The yarn is Deluxe Dk Tweed super wash wool from Universal. I’m enjoying it. I like a little pattern to make it interesting but something not too difficult.

Always needing something simple like socks to fall back to for no brainer knitting, I cast on another women’s size socks.

Something else that may interest you are the ‘folded wraps’ that I came across from a friend on fb. You can easily find it on Google. there are so many fillings you could use,  even dessert ones; there are endless variations.  I like to have a smaller sized one with a bowl of homemade soup.

You can add a can atop to weigh them down in the pan.

Let me know if you try them and what ingredients you used.

💕

A winter day - walking, sketching and quilting

The sunshine on this winter day led us out to the trail for a walk. I’ve made a small video of our walk posted on YouTube if you’d like to watch. You can click on the YouTube icon above left.

 

 

Even though it was milder than the last few days, there was a wind that really pierced. I could do no more than a few squiggles with watercolor pencil.



The snow is packed down in most places now though, so that I could get around more easily.

At home, I added some water to the sketch. It needs more color, I think.

Then I took my tea into the studio where I’m working on putting the horizontal rows of the flying geese together.

There are only 5 rows vertically and I’m working on 4 now.

I finished 3 little pairs of socks as a gift for someone who was thoughtful to me.

Then, I decided to go to the local yarn shop, Fresh Fibers, to pick up more sock yarn. Yes, I still have some in my stash, but it’s really going down and I needed (wanted) some color. I see that the darker Kroy back left seems dark when it’s actually a brighter green and blue and I think it’ll make nice socks for the grandsons.

This the youngest, Gussie, at nearly 20 months. We miss him and Ollie so.

Finally, my husband put up the last thing in our redone bathroom -a small glass shelf.

I’m wishing a peaceful, creative weekend. Stay safe. 💜

Some knitting, sketching and some snow

As usual, it’s been a quiet weekend. We have a lot of that now, especially since we’re mostly retired. My husband is an introvert and I’d say o may be partly. I can sure keep myself busy though. 

We had a chance to take the sled out on the trail yesterday before the heavy snowfall today and while the snow was still packed and fairly level. There was a nice frost on all the trees.

And the light and soft colors were so pretty.



This is a big old pine that we’ve passed by for many years that has a growing hole. I couldn’t resist a quick sketch as you never know how long it will be there.


I sketched for about 15 minutes while Gord walked a small loop and until my fingers grew cold. It makes me happy to be able to put even a few lines on paper when I’m out.

It is the process and the journaling that are more important to me than the artistic ability although I’d like to improve my skills.

These are a couple of my favourite spots in our small home.

The painting on the left was given to me after my father dies by my mother as he had collected a few pieces of art and she knew I loved this one. It’s by a Prince Edward Island painter, Daphne Irving.

I also love the grey and silver lampshade purchased at a common design store separately from the base.

The one wall of the living room is painted a medium eggplant color, maybe not quite as dark as shown in the picture.

This one below is a simple print also from  home store.

You may notice one of the mitts I’m making on top of the basket. Last night, I finished them but didn’t photograph them yet until I get all the ends sewn in.

It started snowing during the night and continued all day today.

I stayed inside and did some fridge cleaning and made a couple more masks with the polypropylene lining in them.

Things are heating up with the virus here and some of our province has moved closer to comp,Eve shut down. I sure hope the vaccines would get going.

Hugs to you all. Stay safe. 

Adding borders to 2 quilting projects, trying out a sled

Check my YouTube on the right for a short movie. Explanation and more pics below. 

Today in the studio, I cut and sewed the top borders for the Drunkard’s  Path baby quilt. 

I was out this morning on a couple small errands and then after lunch, we went outside to take the Christmas lights down and pack them away. It’s a lovely mild day today but I was tired and sore from our little walk yesterday so after that, I came inside and headed to the studio.


I took a shirt break from my socks and mitts to get some socks done for little ones made from an opal 8 ply. I made one sock in an evening already.

I got the birders on and it’s now ready for quilting. 

For a short explanation on how I add borders, I’ve posted a short movie on YouTube which you can access above right on my sidebar, There’s also a little bit about a sled that was lent to me this week to try out on our trails. It’s something that my husband can ouch or I can push for short distances. It doubles the tone I can spend there.

We took a drive so to the Mi’gmaq Trail a few days ago where I was able to access a look off point to the river where I could sit and sketch while my husband did a short walk.



The view is so pretty and it’s so peaceful there. I did need the wool blanket as it was about -2C. I was able to do a small watercolour and then finish it at home later. Even though I can’t walk far it is so important for my mental state to find ways to get out into nature. It is so trite but it really does feed my soul. I feel instantly more relaxed and so at peace and content when I can be there,

Gelli monoprints, testing fabric paints for an new piece

I took a little break from the baby quilt to put together the Gelli prints for my cushion cover.

If you’d like to follow along on my day, there’s a new video on YouTube. You can watch by clicking the icon on the top right of my blog. I’m learning as I go. And I must say it’s difficult to out yourself out there in a video.

One of my readers suggested I could use them to make cards so I thought I’d use the leftover pieces and even tried one for a bookmark.

I will do a scant stitch around but I’d also like to find a glue to hold it down. I’ll have to look around and retry some. Any suggestions are welcome.

I’ve been working on a large pattern for a new fiber art piece in which I’ll use Setacolor paints. Here, I’ve been sampling both the opaque and transparent ones.

I’m quite happy with the paints and think I’ll go with the opaque ones. You can see the reference picture below.

It’s going to be quite large, so I’m hoping I’ll have enough paint.  It will be painted, stitched and the collaged with fabric flowers and foliage. That’s the plan anyway.

We took a short drive yesterday and I found another little old shed to photograph. It’s very grey, maybe not much for interest. I don’t know why I’m so attracted to them.

I’m now putting the rows together and I’ve chosen a border fabric for the drunkard’s path baby quilt.

I hope you’re having a ni e week despite the challenges. 💜