Hexagon Quilt update

I’m back from a whirlwind trip to the USA. A few days digging in some archives and then a conference presentation. It was a profitable trip. Once I get over the jetlag I’ve got some finishes and some works in progress to show you, but in the meantime, let’s talk about the Hand-pieced hexagon quilt.

It’s been a while since I posted about my hand-pieced hexagon quilt. This is a project in very slow progress. Recently I spread it out onto the bed to see how much more I had to do.

This is a queen sized bed. I’m thinking two or probably three more rows on either side to give it room to hang over the edge of the bed. There are a lot more rows to get to the right length.

I love the riot of colour in this.

Some of my favourite blocks. I’m getting better at fussy cutting the fabrics. I didn’t really have much clue when I started but Karen’s posts on her Faeries and Fibers blog are very educational and inspirational. Even if you don’t English paper piece you should head over there for the eye candy alone.

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Doodling

I’ve been trying to expand my drawing skills. Recently I completed a doodle that I’m really quite pleased with. I wouldn’t go as far as to call it a Zentangle, but it does use elements of zentangle patterns. The whole piece.

A close-up.

I’m quietly pleased with how this has turned out. I’m still deciding if I should add some colour or leave it black and white. Thoughts?

I’m heading to the Australia tomorrow and then to the USA on Sunday. I’m lucky to have been given some funding to go do some research in some archives as well as present a paper at a conference. I have some long plane rides ahead of me, so hopefully I’ll get some knitting or sewing done.

 

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A racoon hat

I crocheted a hat last year and then it sat around for a long time waiting for me to add buttons to the eyes. I did this in time for Gorgeous Girl to take with her on our big trip. She did wear it a few times while we were away, but for some reason I don’t have any photos of her in it.

This is Racoon Hat from Repeat Crafter Me. Lovely easy pattern, worked up very quickly. Specs found here. I think it’s turned out really cute.

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Some cards

I made a few cards recently. I’m pleased with how they turned out.

I drew the flowers onto some patterned paper and cut them out, then added stems and the sentiment using an alphabet stamp kit.

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Handspun socks

I also took some socks as my travel knitting. I knitted these during quiet times at the house in Colorado, on the plane to Atlanta, quiet time at the hotel in Atlanta, on the plane to Hawaii and put the finishing stitches on them in Hawaii.

These were a departure from my usual sock knitting in that I knitted them toe up. They came out pretty well, though I’m still struggling to get the toes looking nice.

I was pretty darn impressed with myself, and then I tried them on…

I should have listened to my instincts as I was knitting them. The needles were too small for the thickness of my handspun and the socks were too tight on my feet and the fabric was very, very stiff.

The socks got frogged (pulled out) and I’m reknitting them at a looser gauge. One sock is completely reknitted and the other is in progress. Good reminder to myself to listen to my knitting instincts more. Problems are not going to magically disappear once the item is finished!

 

 

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Mittens

According to Ravelry, I queued the Vineland Mittens pattern on December 28, 2008. I remember seeing them on Jody’s blog and being very impressed with the pattern.

I cast these on before we left for our US trip. I worked on them in front of the fire in Colorado and finally got them finished in time to wear in Atlanta.

I love the pattern. I used Nurturing Fibres DK yarn for the berry colour and the brown is from a friend who had the yarn spun from the fibre off his sheep in Wales (he then took it to South Africa when he moved there and gave it to me, so I know that it is truly vintage yarn).

This is a really clever pattern. The design is reversed for left and right hand.

To be honest I think I love the palms of the mittens more than the back. As you can see, I did have some problems with the thumbs. That is entirely the result of my own inexperience with mitten knitting (these are the first mittens I’ve knitted) and not the fault of the pattern.

You can find all the technical details here. Thanks for a great pattern Jody.

I’m pretty sure these won’t be the last mittens I knit, though there isn’t much call for mittens where I live…

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