A Small Finish

As I noted in an earlier post, the clean up process in my sewing studio has unearthed some UFOs treasures. One of these was yarn purchased by my friend several years ago. I started to work as soon as I found it, and this is what she received yesterday.

The yarn was a combination of wool and alpaca, and some artificial fibers, and I was ONE double crochet short to finish the final round. So I dug in my stash to find something similar in colour and weight, and added that one more stitch. It's noticeable "in real life", but not in this photo. And I know her cat won't care!

Happy stitching!

(And in a side note - there are some things I'm still struggling with in formatting. How do I add a smiley face?)

Another Excuse

I've already shown you one reason why it's difficult to get any work done around here. I swear it's a conspiracy. (Maybe a clowder?)

This is why I can't do much ironing (sorry - pressing)!

Boots has decided this is now his favourite place to sleep - although he did sit up just to have his picture taken. Such a helpful cat!

Cleanup Progress

Well, it has been minimal, but here it is. See if you can spot the differences from the picture in my previous post about this.

And just so you know that some actual sewing does happen in this room:

These are postage stamp quilts that need sandwiching, quilting, and binding, so that I can donate them to the local humane society.

How's everyone else doing?

Wednesday WIPs

Well, the biggest one is the cleanup/organization of my sewing studio. But since there's nothing much to show yet, I thought I'd share a picture of three other WIPs.

Actually, there are four WIPs in this picture.

Gimli is lying on an in-progress cat blanket, and on another throw for my friend (totally forgot I had the yarn to make it). Just to the bottom right of the photo (that little bit of red that you can see) is the yarn for another cat blanket which has just been started (when Gimli was lying on the first one). The fourth WIP is in the plastic bag on the top left - it's an amigurami bunny which was started well before I received my diagnosis.

Technically speaking, these are all UFOs - and one day maybe I'll actually list them here. On the other hand - maybe not.

What are you working on?

Joining in the "Sewing Room Cleanup Along"

For a while, I was posting pictures of what was on my cutting table ever Wednesday. And for an even longer while, I've been absent from blogging.

So, I found this Sewing Room Cleanup Along on a blog that I follow. I mentioned it to my husband (darling man!) and he suggested that I join in. There's nothing like incentive, eh?

So, here's the BEFORE picture of one of the corners of my "sewing studio" in the basement. It has basically become the catch-all room for everything that hasn't got a home elsewhere in the house. You can see what I'm up against.

I'll post more pictures as I go. I believe the Cleanup Along runs for two weeks - so - PLEASE - join in. Come on and share my misery!

A couple of finishes

Several years ago, I was at the Creativ Festival with a friend. She picked up some, um, interesting yarn at the Mary Maxim booth, and asked me if I could do anything with it. Silly me - I said, "I can crochet anything." Well, that was a mistake.

This was eyelash yarn - with no give whatsoever. I tried making a six-sided throw, but that required me to put stitches into stitches. And I couldn't find/see the stitches. So the project sat in a bag for a long time.

After my cancer surgery, I knew that I would have some time on my hands during recovery. And I kept seeing that bag in my sewing studio (we'll call it that for now) with the unfinished project. I decided that, come hell or high water, I was going to finish it. But what to do when I couldn't make out the individual stitches? It dawned on me that I had to make something where I was putting stitches into spaces. Aha! A big granny square.

Unraveling my previous work was almost as much fun as trying to crochet with the yarn in the first place, but I managed. And I crocheted a big granny square.

This week, I also finished my radiation treatments (to reduce the likelihood of the cancer recurring). So we took my friend out to celebrate, and I gave her the completed throw.

It's not a masterpiece, but as they say, done is better than perfect!

Happy crafting!

A Journey with a Slight Detour

So, in my April post, I asked whether I should continue blogging - about my quilting journey - or whether I should throw in the towel. The overwhelming response was that I should keep blogging.:-)

Well, that journey took a little bit of a detour, but I expect to be back on track shortly.

In June, I received a diagnosis of cancer, and on July 5 I had surgery to deal with it. I am now awaiting radiation treatments, and working on getting better on a daily basis - and back to "normal" (for whatever definition of the term "normal" applies to me).

I write this not for sympathy - but to say that cancer is a word that holds whatever weight we choose to give it. For me - it is just a word. My prognosis is very good, and I am looking forward to a very long future. In the meantime, recovery is giving me some more crafting and "me" time - and that can't be a bad thing.

I hope that all of you out there are well, and that your summer, or winter, is a pleasant one.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

So - here's the big question. I don't totally want to give up blogging, but I've obviously not been doing it for a while.

I'm considering a "travel" blog - i.e. my journey from where I am now (with completely dysfunctional sewing spaces) to a small sewing room and a "studio". Or else maybe I should just shut it down.

Suggestions? Thoughts?