Yarn Along

WOW! It's been only a week since I last posted, but my blogger dashboard does not look the same. Has it changed I am unaware of it? Or is it just one of those days? I seem to be figuring it out. But whoa. 

Anyhow, the pictures are all backwards for the way I imagined to compose this post. So I'll start at the end.

I'm playing along with Ginny over at Small Things for this weeks Yarn Along.

here are the books that are getting my interest this week. Stitched Whimsy and Super Cute Felt. I'm enjoying the eye candy and wishing I would just get out the felt, thread and needles to do a little late night stitching. Lovely things in those. I'm also catching glimpses of the East Coast magazine my mom sent DH for his birthday. It's from the East coast of Canada, featuring articles from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. Places close to my heart.

And now for the knitting.. Finally, my self striping sock. This is a merino with a cashmere blend. It is so soft and lovely. Everything i wanted in a sock. 

The heel is much better on this one.  After I turned the heel, I picked up 16 stitches on the side rather than the 19 they suggested. I think It may have done the trick.

As you can see from the sock below, the 19 stitches makes it a little too saggy and big. The sock below was the 1st one i knit in real sock wool. Small needles. I used needles that were .25 bigger than the pattern called for. That may have something to do with it I'm sure.

I decided to keep knitting it after I found the merino/cashmere wool. But after awhile, I realized that I probably would not be wearing this sock. it is kind of itchy. I have a very particular foot. Fussy it is. So I stopped and started the one above. Much happier.

Anyone get callouses on their finger tips when they pick up their knitting after having stopped for awhile? Or is that a silly question because you always have some sort of knitting with you!? I'm just an occasional knitter.

Thanks for looking,

Amanda

P.S. Geesh, With the new format, I don't even know where to click to publish. Oh, see it at the top.

unknown Hook rug

My, I've been quite slack in the creating and reporting department. For good reason. Spring cleaning, clearing, gutting, decluttering has swept over my house. Slowly, oh so slowly, am I doing it. But it does feel good to have it done.
Wanna see my sweater collection?

The 4 bags to the left, the large bag on the right are all sweaters. The large on e in the middle is large fabric pieces, like sheet size or a bit smaller. These vacuum bags are awesome. They really do take up less space, but the bags are HEAVY.
So for a little show and tell, I present a horse and barn hook rug.

It was my uncles. I think he said he got it at pottery Barn or Anthropologie? I don't know if that's correct. If you do, please advise.

Whomever hooked it was a good hooker. This is the front.

And this is the back. Yes, really. Isn't it lovely and consistent? I aim to hook like that one day. Then I will be a good hooker too!


Off to clean some more...
Cheers,
Amanda

flower puppet

After all the singing and performing for the last month, I'm finally getting my sewing brain back. Yeah!
How about this face?

Along with these petals..

And some leaves..

To make this little beauty..

Usually, I put my tag as the tail on the animal, but this one doesn't have a tail. It's just sewn on the back.


Another to go into my finger puppet collection


I used die cuts to make the flower petals and face. Gives it a nice even edge.

Have a good one,
Amanda

Happy Easter!

Here's where I spend every Sunday. I sing from the pulpit on the right side of the alter. I get to see how the outside light changes throughout the year as it streams into the stain glass windows. I get to make beautiful music with beautiful people.

And then come home to these beauties....


Happy EASTER!!!

Amanda

Another Thrifty SCORE!!

I tell ya, my friend Charlotte can spot a good find a mile away. She has especially good radar for little girl treasures. On this thrifty occasion, she brought over a box to Neve. There was much oohing and ahhhing, but as I was deep into the rack of wool sweaters on sale for .99 cents each, I didn't pay it much mind. Until we came home.
WOW!

I don't know the Madeline stories, but we will be sourcing them out on our next library trip.
This is the nun. The costume is amazing in details.

And then the 2 girls!

Here they are dressed to go exploring.

With a hat and overcoat, doncha know!

And the little detail on the side of the hat.

The drawers in the bottom of the case have some treasures as well.
Framed Photo..

A passport. I didn't even think to open it to see what is inside.

Some postcards.

A suit bag.

Look at the nun's bun...

And her undergarments.

Isn't it a girls dream kit? I can't wait to get a few books for her to re-enact the stories. It will be fun and is treasured already.


And I found 4 good wool sweaters for mittens. Yes, a good day at the thrift store.

Thanks for looking,
Amanda

enough about the chicken

I'm done with the chicken.
But here is another pic and the linkwhere I got the tutorial from. Yes, it is much fun to make. yes, the children enjoyed playing with them.
I used popcorn in it instead of a dried bean or rice. They are not meant to be heat bags, so I used popcorn in case they should get wet. I mean, imagine, if you used rice or beans and it got wet. It would probably sprout! So popcorn it is.

Now on to this beauty.

The felting is tight and thick. Which leads me to believe that it may have come from Nepal.

Oh look, there are 2 of them!

On a what??@@!!!!!!????!!!

yes, big honkin' orange flowers on purple slippers!

And a nicely done bottom. they do keep the cold out. Do you like my newly sanded and varnished floors? I heart my new floors.

Here's the slipper on my foot. Yes, it's a bit grotesque, but they are mine (only $2.99) and I adore the workmanship. They are loved. :}


Thanks for lookin'
Amanda

chicken teaser

I'm off to rehearsal, but I did manage to make some of these today in my sweltering attic. it was 24 celcius today! That's HOT. Especially for March.
Here's a little teaser...
a chicken teaser.


L8R,
Amanda

Betz's bunny

A few years back, I made some bunnies a la Betz White.
here
and here
Yesterday, I made another with some experimentation in the tail department.


I was going to place a wooden button for the eye, but I lost it here. boo hiss.

So here is the bunny with the looooong tail and no eye. yet.

It was different to work with a sweater compared to the fleece. I'm glad my sewing machine can get through the wool smoothly. like cutting butter.

It's a lovely spring day here today. There are children on my deck soaking the sun, a girlie happily painting a picture with watercolours and a mama who is turning the other direction from the mess. I may have to vacuum though before I go out. I do like to come home to a clean floor.!
have a good one.
Amanda

Hello Dolly

If you're local, come see me in Scarborough Choral Onstage Production of Hello Dolly
info here
We're heavy into rehearsal with next week being dark week. In layman terms: every night spent in the dark of the theatre, running the show with tech rehearsal, dress rehearsal, cue to cue, run, run and stop, etc.
It's a great show. Lots of funny lines that had me snorting a bit in rehearsal. Not too embarrassing, I was sitting in a corner. Surrounded only by friends who know my little charming trait.
I'll post some pics next week.
Cheers,
Amanda

Blue alien in an orange spaceship

Last summer, I made a bunch of these little felties for wee friends.
One little boy has been patiently waiting for the spaceship to go with it. Last week, i got down to business and made one.

I left the opening at the top for the alien to get in. It has to be fairly wide to fit his head in.

Since I didn't have an alien to judge the size of spaceship, I had to make a new alien. Ol' bluey.

Now they will have to go in the mail. I forgot to bring the gift with me. Boo Hiss.


have a good one,
Amanda

stuff

This weekend, I taught the kids how to knit. Or I should say, I put the bug in them and they are taking it as they can. Neve is knitting a scarf for her doll. Rafael is knitting a dish cloth. Neve is slow and steady, going for quality. Rafael has the movements down pretty smoothly, but has, well, let's just say he's going for quantity. I'm not sure how well that cloth will wash dishes with all the holes in it, but it is making a little giggle fest for daddy and me.
Yesterday, he picked up the knitting and said he had a little problem. The yarn was so tangled and wrapped around itself.

I think he dropped a few stitches! I managed to fix that part, but then had to deal with all the strands of yearn that he had knit into the cloth. And then I had to fit the whole ball of yarn through a teeny hole. It was a good laugh.

In other happenings...
12 years ago, I met my husband. 12 years ago, I stopped doing musical theatre. Life took over. Well, this year, I'm doing it again. I'm having a blast! Singing with Scarborough Choral Society. We're doing Hello Dolly. I'll add more details later for local folks who are interested in going.
As a cast member of the show, we have to help with the sets. I grabbed my friend and daughter and went to check it out. It was purple day.

Neve and I went back again today and painted the trap door. Fun.
While sitting in rehearsal in "Hurry up and wait" mode, I made some alterations to a jacket I will be wearing.

My tip to you... Don't sew a coat on your lap while you're watching a rehearsal.

I had sewed my coat to my skirt! We quietly had a good chuckle over it. But when I cut the the thread pictured here, I pulled up the coat and realized that I had sewed the whole coat to my red costume skirt. Well, then there was gut busting laughter. You know the kind where your eyes tear up and you stifle a snort or 2, but you can't make any noise, lest you disturb the rehearsal!
Yep, having some fun.

Ciao,
Amanda