March Goals - Review

90 green squares knitted for the Christmas tree 

5 pairs of mittens/fingerless gloves

progress on Ben's sweater

front vestibule redecorated

cycling

Realistic To Do Lists

One of the recent challenges from Declutter 365 was to start creating realistic To Do lists. This is a challenge I need to get to grips with. Often when I'm writing them, I list every possible task under the sun, and then a few moon-based ones as well.

Today, my list will be:

• feed Ava
• make The Beloved's lunch
• strip the bed
• wash the bedding
• hang out the bedding to dry, along with the clothing washed last night
• put fresh linens on the bed
• make 'chicken goup' for Ava
• make chicken and vegetable soup
• make dinner (Pecorino Chicken)
• bring dry washing in
• put it away
• re-order the sitting room
• knit three squares

Muppets Baby Quilt

I dragged this UFO out from the naughty corner. One very blurry photograph was taken. It isn't possible to see the rainbow straight line quilting I had already stitched in place. It soon isn't going to be possible to see the quilting as I am ripping it out. 

My plan is to free motion quilt long, random rainbow wiggles on the white section, and then a design in the solid squares. The back of the quilt is black, and this means the quilting will be extremely visible there.

The fussy cut squares have individual Muppets on them and there's Muppet sashing at the sides. The binding will be black.

Bubbles!

Another interesting stitch pattern, Bubbles. Tracy from Quilters was telling me about a baby bubble blanket she saw. She would like to make one for her expected grandchild. I wonder if this is the type of bubble she wanted. 

I'll knit it into a hat, and take it along to Quilters next week. It's a very easy pattern. It's stocking stitch all the way, apart from a few rows where you dip down into the stitch four rows below and knit that. It causes the fabric to pucker in a most pleasing fashion.

Knitted Flowers

Yarn: 4ply yarn
Pattern: Knitted flower
Size: 
Needles: 2.5mm

Cast on 3sts. 

1. Purl (and every odd row).

2. K1, yo, k1, yo, k1.

4. K2, yo, k1, yo k2.

6. K3, yo, k1, yo, k3.

8. K4, yo, k1, yo, k4.

10. Knit.

12. K4, cdd, k4.

14. K3, cdd, k3.

16. K2, cdd, k2.

18. K1, cdd, k1.

20. Cdd, and then pull the tail of the yarn through the remaining stitch.

Weave in ends.

Flowers in a Row

Whilst looking for 'knitted flowers', I came across a flowery stitch pattern, Flowers in a Row. I must try this pattern. It has possibilities for all sorts of things.

Bye Bye Clutter

Today has been an exceptionally tiring day. I've been helping the Offspring to declutter clothing, and keep them on track!

I tried to get the process going at the start of the year. As the floordrobe clothing was washed, the Offspring made the decision to keep or reject items. The kept items were placed in piles on the dining room table. It was a long, long process, and just as we were getting to within hope of an end, we needed the dining room as a place to eat food. And, the clothes were dumped on the bedroom floor again.

I decided enough was enough, and order was required. All of the hanging clothes, and the clean items from the floor have been decluttered again. There's a rubbish pile, a couple of donation bags, some 'too small, but keep' and 'I like this'. Most of the 'I like this' stuff has been hung away. The sweaters, underwear, sleepwear and t-shirts are now neatly folded on their sofa. Over the next few days, we shall go through the drawers, and rationalise the contents. There may be more decluttering ahead.

The Beloved has joined in the action and has decided to donate a Harris Tweed jacket, and day-glo cycling jacket and trousers.

Beautiful Blue

What a stunning sky!  Sadly, it isn't like that now, but it was fantastic while it lasted.

Red Berries

It is really rather enjoyable taking a short walk, with the intent purpose of finding someone beautiful to photograph. 

Wee Wet Flower

I love the rain on this single Camellia bloom. There were loads on the bush, but this one seemed perfect. 

Some of the flowers have started falling, and below this bloom there's a little pool of pink 'confetti'. It's all rather beautiful.

Quilting Course

Yesterday was the second part of the "Introduction to Free Motion Quilting" course put on by the Quilters Guild. I felt a great deal more confident this week than last, and comparing the output of both, I'm a great deal happier.

It is very much an activity requiring daily practise until the muscle movements are learned (much like writing), and then regular practise to ensure the skills are kept polished.

We were asked to bring along some patchwork to put into practise what we have learned. The image above is the front of the mat I made. This is the reverse.

Yes, still a great of the P word to be done, but for such a new skill, I'm happy with my progress. There's a couple of loops snags - I forgot to lower the foot, and it screwed up the tension.

This morning, I have been trying to improve the Cathedral window pattern.

There has been an improvement since yesterday. There are two places where the curves cross exactly! But overall, it's fine.

My plan is to quilt a 6.5" square each day, and then I shall stitch each block together to make a quilt.

May the Gorse be with You

A wee drive around the Manx countryside showed lots and lots of gorse,  Against the dull grey skies, and dark green-brown thorny stems, shone these little explosions of colour, bright sunshine yellows.

Sadly, my photographic skills do not show the gorse to its best advantage.

St David's Day

Gŵyl Dewi Sant Hapus - Happy St David's Day

After the over ambitious goals of last month, this month's goals are a lot simpler. By the end of the month, I want to have 90 green squares knitted for the Christmas tree and 5 pairs of mittens/fingerless gloves. It would be great to have progress made on Ben's sweater, and to have the front vestibule redecorated. 

In addition to this, I need to get back on my bike in preparation for the cycling of Iron May. This year, Cat and I are going to form a team, and encourage each other.

February Craftings

Candy Stripe Hat

Start: 1st February 2019

Finished: 1st February 2019

Pink Norwegian Sweet Baby Cap
Started: 1st February 2019
Finished: 2nd February 2019

Blue Diamonds 

Started: 2nd February 2019

Finished: 3rd February 2019

Purple Fair Isle
Started: 3rd February 2019
Finished: 3rd February 2019

Pink Flowers
Started: 3rd February 2019
Finished: 4th February 2019

Yarn bought: 34

Yarn finished: 

Yarn bought this year: 0

Yarn finished: 

February Goals - Review

This month didn't go too well in terms of meeting my goals. My primary goal was to complete 28 hats this month. This I did not achieve. My wrists decided they had had enough and wanted time to rest. Instead, I managed 21 hats. I'm disappointed I didn't reach the magic number, but it's still equates to 21 warm heads. 

The second knitting goal was to reach 60 green squares. About 3 were made! This was a long way short of the goal. 

Around the house, the back vestibule was decluttered and tidied. I love the results. Unfortunately, the Beloved was ill during his holiday week, and nothing happened in the front vestibule. 

Honey, Vanilla and Oatmeal Soup

A little something I whipped up, honey, vanilla and oatmeal soap. It is utterly fantastic to use after gardening, or other dirty jobs. The oatmeal given just a little bit of exfoliation, but not too much.

A Full Day!

There's quite a lot to fit into today. It's half past nine, and so far, dinner has been started, laundry has been hung on the line, and second load is in the washing machine, breakfast has been made for the dog, and lunch for The Beloved...

The dining room has been reconfigured for sewing and quilting. The plan is to make six pinwheels for the Quilters Guild raffle quilt. I'll also practise quilting, and then round off the crafting with a light spot of knitting.

This beautiful crochet block was made by Celine using Terrazzo Afghan by Tinna Thórudóttir Thorvaldsdóttir. The pattern is available on Ravelry.

After staring at its beauty for a few minutes, I realised it was a variation of the Optical Illusion Zig Zag Blanket I made last year. This wonderful design is fully within my grasp!

A few moments later, several balls of yarn appeared in my Deramores shopping basket. They looked a tad lonely, and a few more jumped in too. That's when I realised the yarn, Deramores Studio DK, was 15% off. It struck me, if I took it up to £40, I could get free shipping.  Then a little realisation kicked in, I had a 15% off voucher. In the end, I ordered 24 balls of yarn. Last week, it would have been £48, but today, it was £34. 

I started this year 'cold sheeping' (not buying yarn). With the yarns Dorothy and Cat gave me, I needed some neutrals to enable the yarn to become hats. Ten balls were bought, and now and additional 24. This destashing exercise is not quite going to plan. No more yarn until after Easter!

Free Motion Quilting Workshop

For ages, I have wanted to learn how to free motion quilt. I was incredibly sad when I learned the Quilting Guild was organising a pair of workshops, but it was all booked up. Then, such joy was mine when I was informed someone had dropped out and a place was available!

Three hours (including breaks) of quilting later, and I have made significant improvement on my first attempts at home. I learned big stitches means you're going too slowly, and tiny stitches you aren't going quickly enough. This really is a "practise, practise, practise" thing. The time must be spent learning the skills, and the muscle coordination.

At the end of the session, it felt like I had been in the gym for three hours! My plan is to practise every day, and work on my skills.  I can see so many ways I want to use it, but a great deal of practise is required. It would be great to be able to show the tutor the improvement I'm hopping to make by next Saturday.

Good Home Cooking

"Good home cooking" is where I'm at. Id love to create stunning meals, but the reality is I am not prepared to put in the consistent effort required to elevate my game.

We had family friends over for dinner tonight, and I was going to make stunning things. But yesterday I was a bit under weather and felt most unlike myself. The day for preparation became a day of doing practically nothing.

Instead of beautiful creations, we had chicken tagine, quorn lasagna, and big bowl of salad. This was followed by apple crumble and ice cream. It was all gluten-free, apart from one flavour of ice cream (strawberry cheesecake), and there were dairy-free choices. These dishes were chosen because they could be made throughout the day, and then set aside until cooking/serving.

Everyone expressed their thanks for the meal, and all had second helpings. This got me to thinking, this is where I want to spend my time, with the people I love, not alone in a kitchen. There's a concept I've come across, reportedly from Italy, the cook should not spend more time in the kitchen than they do at the dinner table. Good food is great, but it's the people you eat with who are important.