Handspun socks

I have some travel coming up, so have cast on another easy project. I’m using this pattern and some yarn that I spun earlier in the year. Traditional three-ply sock yarn.

“Unfortunately” I’m so enthralled with how it’s knitting up that I’m almost at the heel of the first sock and I haven’t left home yet. Hopefully I won’t run out of knitting while I’m away. I’ve packed this, the lace shawl and the crochet bag.

Should give me something to do.

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Crochet Wednesday

My current Wednesday crochet project will also be doing double duty as my take-along project.  I’m making one of these bags.

Pictured is one of my new crochet hooks from the set that I bought earlier this year. I’m a big fan. I think I’m crocheting much faster with these hooks and they are easier on the hands.

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A handspun shawl

A looong time ago I spun some silk. It languished marinated in the stash for several years until Adamas bubbled to the top of my Ravelry queue and I decided the two would be a good match.

I think I was right.

I’m loving how this is turning out.

This final picture shows the colour most accurately.

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Hexagon Monday

I’m trying something new. I’m taking photos during the week and then writing all my blog posts on the weekend when I have a little more time and scheduling them to post. I’m aiming for shorter more frequent updates rather than a massive occasional post.

Work continues on the hexagon quilt. The latest block.

Sewn into a row ready to be added to the bottom of the quilt top.

I went to prep some more blocks a few days ago and discovered that I’m out of two of the paper piecing shapes I use most. I will need to get this row sewn on and then spend some time removing paper from the back of the previous row for reuse.

There should be quilt top photos coming soon.

 

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Blanket

The blanket is coming along. I’m working on this exclusively at the moment hoping to get it done before we visit Australia in July.

I’m really hoping I have enough yarn to get it finished before we arrive in Australia.

 

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Quilt in progress

I’ve been working on this quilt for a while. I think it’s nearly done. I want add one more white border around, but I’m avoiding the maths I need to do in order to work out if I have enough fabric to do that.

I have a break from teaching coming up (mid-semester break) so perhaps I’ll have the energy to try it one evening after work (I still have to be in the office although there are no teaching classes).

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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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Hexagon update

The hexagon quilt has been sadly neglected this year. A few days ago I pulled it out and inspired by Faeries and Fibres decided to try a new (to me) way of adding the hexagons. You see I’ve been adding each hexagon individually and it’s been very slow. However, sewing a strip of hexagons and then adding that strip has significantly speeded up the process.

I now have a square top.

This is going to be a queen-sized top, so there’s a long way to go.

But I’m pleased with how it is coming together. It’s a riot of colour.

Gorgeous Man asked if I would be doing another one and I replied that I would. But I would use only one pattern for the quilt next time. Perhaps it’s my sewing, but each of the patterns make a slightly different sized hexagon which makes challenges putting them together.

I’m now putting this together so quickly that I need to prep some more pieced hexagons to add.

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Getting organised

So, the conference paper for Hong Kong is written, and the shortened presentation is worked out.

My presentation for university is done.

Travel documentation has been printed and the suitcase is packed except for the last minute things. Handbag has been cleaned out and purse will have Australian money, bank cards and ID transferred across shorty. Hotel for the first night in Hong Kong is booked and transport to the conference location is sorted thanks to the excellent maps of the MTR available online. I’ve also gotten the travelling crafty things ready.

Two knitting and three crochet projects. That should be enough to keep me going for 9 days, right? The blue yarn is one I dyed with Kool Aid. I’m excited to see how that is going to crochet up.

I finally got around to sewing the ears onto Happy Hippo.

It ended up taking much less time than I anticipated, though one ear did get sewn on twice. Now I just need to source eyes for the little fellow, but that will happen when we are in Australia over the year end. I learned a lot with this one and I’m sure that the one I’m currently making motifs for will be even better.

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The World Blog Tour makes its way to Papua New Guinea

In recent weeks both Elzaan and Kate have tagged me to take part in the World Blog Tour. Elzaan is an expat and blogs at Huisvlyt.  She blogs in English and Afrikaans and lives in Mauritus. She makes lovely quilts and I always try to read the Afrikaans portion of her blog first to try and see how much I can work out. Kate is also an expat and blogs at Kate’s Quilting. She does much more than quilt, making wonderful Artist Trading cards and cross stitch as well. Kate is a blog reader who has become a good friend and I’m hoping that one day we’ll get to meet in person.

On to the questions.

1. What am I working on?

The short answer to this is: A thesis…(due for submission at the beginning of December so I’m currently a little bit obsessed with it).

Craft wise I’m working on another crocheted hippo like this one. This one still needs ears and eyes…

There is also a hand-pieced hexagon quilt which is a slow ongoing project.

There is also a strip quilt waiting to be basted (my least favourite part of quilting)

and there’s the Very Hungry Caterpillar quilt.

I also scrapbook

and lately I’ve been dabbling in the shiny new world of art journalling.

Weirdly for me, there is no knitting WIPs at present.

I also spin.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I’m not sure that it does. My friend Kerin, who no longer blogs, but should 🙂 tells me that I have my own distinct scrapbooking style that she can now recognise. Living away from craft stores forces me to work from stash, so there is a lot of handwritten titles and journalling on my pages and I’m starting to incorporate more doodling as well.

As far as knitting and crocheting go I tend to follow patterns pretty closely. Quilting I’m starting to make up my own patterns, but because maths is not my strong point they are pretty loose and free.

I guess my blog is different because I live in a place where most craft bloggers don’t and so I get to share pictures like this with you from time to time.

(This was Independence Day celebrations at Gorgeous Girl’s school a few years ago).

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

I like to make things. I enjoy the process of being creative. Being an isolated crafter I cherish the connections I’ve made through this blog as it allows me to feel part of a broader community of makers.

4. How does my writing/creating process work?

When I have free time I make things. Then I write about them so that I don’t accost random strangers to show them what I’ve made. I usually do different crafts on set days as it helps me not to have to decide what to work on during the spare minutes. Though lately I’ve just been obsessing on the crochet animals…

At this point I’m supposed to nominate three other bloggers to host the Tour on their blogs. However, nearly all of the blogs I read have already played along. So, if you have a blog and you haven’t played along and would like to, please let me know in the comments and I’ll give you a shout out in my next blog post.

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