• ginger tea and fizzy water

    Friends, I’ve been just flattened by a horrible sickness! Headache, runny nose, sore throat, body aches, cough, the whole bit. I’ve spent the better part of the week in bed already, and today’s the first day in awhile I’ve even been upright for more than a few minutes. As usual though, I’ve already pushed myself a little too hard today and really need to rest some more. I’m pretty bad at sitting still, especially when forced to.

    felted clogs

    I ran Dale’s clogs through the washer a couple more times, with a kettleful of boiling water added, and they felted to the right size! I guess the lesson is persistence (and boiling water). He’s worn them every day since they dried.

    felted clogs

    The pattern is Fiber Trends felt clogs, which always come out beautifully. I love the shape! I used 2 skeins of Cascade 220 in red and 1 skein in dark grey. I haven’t put anything on the bottom since we have somewhat shredded hardwood floors (no risk of slipping) but I might add something in the future to help them last longer.

    felted clogs

    My pattern sale is still on until Christmas! 20% off all single self-published patterns totalling $5 or more. There’s no coupon code, the discount will be applied automatically in your Ravelry cart.

    Hope you are all warm, cozy, and on top of your holiday knitting!

  • sewings-on

    This triangles quilt is…not going very quickly. I seem to have lost a bit of my quilting mojo! My favourite part is handquilting, so maybe I need to start doing whole-cloth quilts or something. Just can’t seem to get going on the piecing. I’ve been making pairs, but maybe I need to start sewing the pairs together into larger sections to see how it’s going.

    triangles quilt

    quilt seam

    My skirt has kind of stalled out too, with one side seam done. I did French seams using this tutorial, it was a bit confusing at first but definitely worth it!

    pocket

    side seam and pocket

    I’m feeling a bit aimless at the moment, flitting from project to project without deadlines or anything. It’s fun for awhile, but I really need to set some short-term goals so I have something to work towards. I just finished that snowflake-sleeved cardigan and it’s in the wash, so that’s one thing I can check off! Today I will sew the other side seam of the skirt. It’s a start.

    While I’m working away back here, how about a cheery PATTERN SALE? 20% off single, self-published patterns totalling $5 or more, through December 25, 2013. Check it out on Ravelry!

  • winter white

    Twitter tells me “winter white” is creamier and warmer than “regular” (bright) white. Google tells me that winter white is just wearing white in the winter, bucking the old admonishment not to wear white after Labour Day. Also, that it’s a type of hamster.

    The first two apply pretty well to the Soliton Cowl I just cast on, I think! (Not so much with the hamster.)

    Soliton cowl

    The Malabrigo Twist I used for the original is pretty chunky. This merino is on the thinner side of worsted though, so I’m holding 2 strands together. I think I cast on a few extra stitches too – you can do the pattern over any number of stitches, which makes it very easy to customize. I’m doing 131 stitches, and upped the needle size to 6.5mm (US 10.5). I have so many projects on the needles right now I had to break out my old Denise set for this one! It’s a gift, and I think (hope) the recipient will like and wear it.

    merino from the spinning mill

    I bought this 8oz skein at Rhinebeck at least 3 years ago (or so) from The Spinning Mill – they don’t seem to have an online presence, though they’re still listed on the Rhinebeck website as a vendor. It’s really lovely yarn, just nicely spun, smooth, and with good twist. It was a steal at $18 for 500 yards! Next Rhinebeck I’ll have to make a point of checking them out again.