Finishing Up

 When I make socks or hats, I don't normally block them. The socks get blocked into the shape of your feet as you wear them. The hats are much the same, and a lot of the hats are acrylic anyway.

However, scarves and shawls are a different story.

Yesterday, I took 3 scarves/shawls and soaked them to block them. It turned into a bit of an adventure. After the water cooled, I saw that the water in the sink was bright turquoise. After 9 more rinses, this is what the water looked like.

Better, but still blue. My hands were also blue by this time. Hopefully it is surface dye, and it is all out now.

This is the culprit. 

It is a long skinny scarf, in a merino cashmere silk yarn. Lovely yarn to knit with. The pattern is called Valiant, by Clare Slade. I started it last May and finished the knitting yesterday. It's about 2 m long. This is the lace.

I also blocked Boublay. I started it in February of last year and finished the knitting in March.

its a little neckerchief with bobbles and a beaded edge. The yarn is Uneek Sock. I have the second ball from the sock set, so I can knit another.

The most neglected shawl is Sobriquet. I started it in February of 2024, and finished the knitting the end of March 2025. Since it is the same yarn as the hat I made 2 weeks ago, I thought I should block it to make a set,

This bear was a big help in modelling the shawls. She is a fashionista from a department store in Chicago. My sweetie saw her when he was there on business, and knew I would like her. Her head is the wrong size for hats, but shawls are her thing.

Time to pick a new project to cast on.

Snow Day

The members of my quilt groups got an email last night, telling us to stay home and sew, since today was suppose to be a snow day. The snow was not bad as advertised, with most of it passing south of here. However, I did follow directions, and had a sew day. By the end of the day, I had this.

My Polaris quilt top is finished. I was pleased with how well it went together. It still needs a backing and some quilting, as well as a binding. That will come. I have to finish it, so I can try the blueberry chocolate bar that came with the the quilt kit.

I finished another hat.

This is the Martine Hat, a free pattern on Ravelry. The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll Tonal which has been languishing in my stash for several years.

I have gone back to working on a scarf I started about 6 months ago. I am down to 3 knitting WIPs. I am working hard to finish those before I accidentally cast on something else.

I had helpers this afternoon, while I was trying to take pictures.

After a very cold weekend, the basement is the warmest place to hang out. It is suppose to warm up and snow some more. I'm tired of boots and mitts, and scarves, already and there is still at least two more months of winter. Sigh...At least I have warm hobbies.

Flying Geese

 The next blocks for the Polaris quilt are curved flying geese units. I started my first one and realized I was doing it entirely wrong, so pulled out Karen Neary's book "Quilting Beauties for a brief review. After an aha experience, I was off a the correct track.

I now have half the geese sewn and the fabric cut for the rest.

I think they are looking pretty good.

I decided that their was something wrong with my purple hat, that I was knotting. I checked the pattern again, and realized I was using the wrong size needles. So the hat was completely frogged and restarted. Looks much better now, though I haven't taken a new picture.

Many of our patio plants spend the winter in the dining room. This morning, I stepped in to see this.

The azalea has decided to brighten my January morning. The bright pop of colour is appreciated, since it is snowing again today. We have had lots of snow lately. This was the bird feeder on Friday, after over 20 cm of snow.

Another snowy week ahead, so more time to sew.

Trust the Process

 The Quilt the North project for the second box is foundation paper piecing. It has been awhile since I did any FPP. So, I started my new year off, trying to remember how I do it. Because the fabric is supplied, I need to be careful not to make a mistake, because I don't have extra. 

Yesterday, I finished the star in the middle. After a bit of a rocky start, I am very pleased with how it turned out.

Karen suggests that you use freezer paper for the foundations, but I don't have any in my stash that fits in my printer, so I used foundation paper, since I did have that.

Our grey, snowy weather has invited knitting by the fire. So my first finish of 2026 is a hat, to match a new coat.

It is my usual Bankhead hat, in my fast dwindling Knit Picks Brava. The colour is Wasabi.

Bear says he just likes modelling baby hats, and I need to find some other way to display my hats.

I started another hat, with purple fingering from my stash.

January seems to be hat month. This is the Martine Hat. I think it will need some blocking.  Winter coats come in such dull colours that a bright hat is an essential accessory to add warmth and a bright splash of contrast to your "Michelin Man" look.

Last April, during the "Great Clear Out", all of the Christmas decoration boxes moved into the living room. They sat there for the rest of the year. When December rolled around, I was able to find a new home for a bunch of the decorations that weren't being used. I am now pleased to report that the rest of the decorations now are back in their refurbished storage area. 

An Eventful Year

 I did not blog as much as I should have in 2025, but there was a lot going on. 

In March we started clearing out the basement, for a major renovation, one that has been in the planning for a long time. This meant that we needed to sort through a lot of years of "stuff". 

We went from this.

To this...

And finally, to this...

This meant a lot of finding new homes for  stuff. I gave away patterns, yarn, and fabric. We sent a bunch of things we didn't need to a charity flea market. We filled the car with ewaste and took it to the recycling event. Everything looks so much more spacious.

My best give away was a Christmas tree, complete with ornaments and lights. It went to a family of new Canadians, with kids who really wanted their first Christmas tree.

I spent a lot of time hiding from the noise and chaos, with the pets. However, I did manage to get a lot of knitting and some sewing done.

So here is my 2025 tally

KNITTING

Mitts                                        5 pairs

Socks                                       9 pairs

Shawls                                     2

Baby Socks                             5 pairs

Hats                                        1

SEWING

Zippered Pouches                    6

Quilt                                        1

Purses                                      5

Shorts                                      1

Tote Bags                                2

I have some work in active progress. My Polaris quilt, a hat, a cowl, a scarf, and a pair of socks.

Despite all my give-aways, I have lots of yarn, fabric and sewing supplies, still. I do have a better idea of what I have, through all the sorting.

I have some ideas of what I want to do in 2026. I am going to try to spend at least 20 minutes a day, sewing. I created 2 bag projects from my own patterns last year, and I hope to do more. I want to do some selfish sewing, making some new stuff for me. I'm going to try to use up more of my beautiful fingering yarn, in ways other than socks. 

Above all, I want to keep learning new things. I think that is an excellent plan for the upcoming year.

Quilt The North #2 Unboxing

 I told myself I was going to make a couple of things for me in December. I did manage to make a pair of socks but my sewing goal is down to the wire. I have decided to make the quilt in this quarter's Quilt the North.

It came in early December and it was like an early Christmas gift.

My box arrived a little worse for wear, but the contents were all safe.

First up, the pattern.

The pattern is by Karen Neary of Nova Scotia. It is a bit hard to see but it is a star in white and silver and flying geese in pink, green, and purple, all on a dark blue background. I have made some of Karen's patterns in the past, and they are so well done that they are easy to sew and have a lovely completed project. So I'm excited to make this one.

Here is the fabric.

There is enough to make the top, back and the binding.

As before the box came with bonus goodies.

A block pattern from Monica, from Penny Spool Quilts, the creator of the Quilt the North boxes. 

A blueberry chocolate bar from Peace by Chocolate from Antigonish, Nova Scotia. If you are unfamiliar with Peace by Chocolate, they are a refugee success story. 

You can find their story and their products here.

There are also thread snips from LDH , a Canadian scissor company, and coasters from a Halifax company.

No wonder it felt like Christmas came early.

I have washed my fabrics, and copied my foundation pieces. I tidied my sewing room and if the power stays on, I can start tomorrow. There is an ice storm on the weather radar, and so our fingers and toes are crossed.

This box is sold out, but if you are interested is the next box, you can look here.

https://www.pennyspoolquilts.com/pages/quilt-the-north

Fraternal Twins

 I was asked to make two beach bags for a friend's granddaughters. Since it will be awhile before we have any beach days, I went toward a tote bag. My friend gave me some cotton fabric from her stash that both young women liked, and I added some water resistant canvas, that I got from Emmaline Bags. 

https://emmalinebags.com/collections/canvas-all-kinds/products/water-resistant-polyester-2-2-twill-450-denier-polyurethane-coated-back

Here are the finished bags.

The one on the right actually has blue canvas, but the camera turned it, and the wall behind it, grey. 

The bags have recessed zippers in the top.

They have slip pockets inside, a long with a lanyard for their keys.

The slip pockets has a label describing my thoughts as I finished,

I made the slip pockets a bit larger than I meant to make it. I must change the measurements in my book to shorten it.

I also finished my Christmas socks.

Like the bags, the socks are fraternal twins. They nearly match. The yarn is from Area 51, an Alberta hand dyer.

With winter settled in, the cats were thrilled the other day when their bird feeder was visited by a collection of finches and juncos.

there is only a junco visible in the picture. The cats are keen bird watcher in the winter, and remind us if the feeder is empty, or we didn't put peanuts out.