Paul and I have both been busy creating lately.
Remodeling
Paul got tired of looking at the battleship gray enamel paint on the bathroom floors and decided to do something about it. He bought tile for both bathrooms, and has diligently been working on it this last couple of weeks.
Since everything was stripped out of the bathroom and neither of us liked the wallpaper in the main bath anymore, I mentioned we should change the wallpaper. The second time I mentioned it (without doing anything about it) Paul stripped all the paper off the wall. So now I had to go out and find replacement paper. It turns out that wallpaper is no longer in fashion. There are only two suppliers listed in our Yellow Pages, and the nearest one had only about 20 books total. So we decided to paint. I chose a light beige to go with the oak cabinets and tile, and I can put in any color towel I want.
Knitting
I’ve finished knitting the Bayerishe socks by Eunny Jang.
The design took my breath away when I first saw it on her blog. Mine are knit with Fortissima Socka cream color, on US Size #0 needles. The first time I knit the sock, I didn’t try it on until I got to the heel. I had been using 12” circular needles, and of course I ended up with a sock 12” around instead of 8”! So I started over again, with double-point needles, and got a sock that fit.
The design is so beautiful.
The stitches are crisp because every knit stitch is knit into the back of the loop, giving it a tight twist. This makes it one of the most difficult designs I’ve knit as well.
And I finally got around to blocking the Orenburg-Style Scarf designed by Susan Sternlieb, for the raffle at the June Mass. It is knit with SRK Ovation, natural color. When I pinned it out, I noticed that there are 4 points at one end and 5 at the other! I think I followed the directions?
Beading
I’ve just learned about the macro feature on my camera, thanks to another blogger, Fiber Dreams. Here’s a flower on the bush outside my window. I want to design a fringe-y necklace based on it.
I made a wirework necklace for Paul’s 90-yr-old friend who helped raise him.
Her 90th birthday was summarily ignored (in my opinion) while her daughter got a huge party for her 70th around the same time. So Paul “commissioned” me to make something for her. I used citrine (her birthstone), Swarovski crystals, sterling wire and sterling spacers. This is the first time I’ve worked with sterling wire. The gauge is heavier than the plate I usually use. Initially, I was forgetting to link the sections together before closing the wrapped loops. Eventually I caught on, so the links are actually linked. And in the end, I got smart and added sterling chain and a hook so the length would be adjustable.
One recent rainy day, Hannah decided to nap on my beading tray. I had to move my beads off quickly. So she got the “heat lamp” and the beading tray, Sydney was asleep in her own box, and I didn’t even get a table or light.
Cats
We’ve had a warm spell here for a few days. Here’s Hannah reveling in the sun in my doorway,
and Sydney on the hunt for a hummingbird.
Sewing
I managed to embroider Paul’s name on 4 or 5 tee-shirts without incident.
And I made grocery bags.
I can see the end of the use of those ubiquitous plastic bags, and wanted to be prepared. My bags are the same size as the plastic ones, so I’m hoping the grocery clerks will have no trouble with them. I used batik fabrics from my stash, anything that I had at least a yard of. Of course, the next time I went to the store, I forgot to take them!