Finally: Forty Year Old Quilt Repaired

 Forty years ago or so I made a quilt/bedspread for our bed.  I was so pleased with how it turned out. It was on our bed every night until we went on our mission to the Oregon Portland Mission in 2017 then when we moved to South Carolina it went back on our bed.  

For several years a few of the blocks have looked rattier and rattier.  A few months ago it finally crossed my mind as to why this was happening.  The fact is that Dear One takes short naps on the bed sometimes.  He always lies down on top of the quilt. Underneath him is where the ragged squares are located.  It was a surprise to me.

Some months ago I found some fabric to make repairs and finally today I did it. It is not a stellar job but I imagine it will keep the quilt going as long as we need it to.

This picture shows the patch strip ready to sew the second side to the quilt.

Here is the repaired quilt on the bed. You can see it is not a great fix but hopefully it will work for a while. After all, the quilt as a whole has lasted forty years…

Not really expecting another forty years out of it but…we are actually watching a television series on the Blue Zones about secrets of living to 100 years old. Maybe if we really get into projected lifestyle now we can make it..

Knitting Today: Midwinter Blanket Square Two

 A few months ago I decided that the time had come to really go to town on using up yarn in the yarn closet.  When the yarn is all gone then I can plan new knitting projects and buy new yarn with a clear conscience.  I have a feeling it will take me two years to complete this use-up-the-yarn project but I am confirmed in my idea to do it.  

Since I had a fair amount of the Hilda Yates yarn still in a bin I decided to make another Barbara Walker Learn To Knit Afghan.  I may have mentioned this before.  So I got started.  I started in with Square One which is a striped garter stitch block and planned to just knit as far as I got in the 63 squares from the book until the yarn ran out.

At one point I decided I did not need to knit every one of the blocks in order but could pass on the ones I did not like very much.  I knitted most of the squares up to number 12 then the Martin Storey Midwinter Blanket Make A Long was hatched out by the Rowan yarn company. There are six squares in that blanket.  The reindeer below is the second square.

You will notice that I am actually blocking this square, along with the garter stripe square (Number One in Barbara Walker's book), something I rarely do.  Because garter stitch is a square stitch, that square is supposed to actually be square and so is how all the squares in the book are to be blocked.

The reindeer came out okay but is not stellar.  It was meant to be knit either stranded or stranded and intarsia combined. I did not want to bother with the intarsia and all the hanging balls or bobbins of yarn which will explain the nasty vertical lines of blue yarn showing through the white.  Since I have such a high tolerance for error, I am just letting it go and will not re-knit the square.  It is just a blanket and will lie on a bed or over a chair after all.  

There is a lot to learn in knitting and even in these two squares.  I suppose I will need to do better in staggering the floats on the back of the next Martin Storey square so we won't have this mess again.  Still, I like it well enough to just leave this one.  At least, I think I do. We shall see.  Square 3 will be released this Thursday.  I think we are expecting it to be a heavy weather day so I can happily stay home and knit.  We shall see.

Knitting Today: Midwinter Blanket Square One

 A few weeks ago I happened onto the Rowan Yarn website.  There was a notice that there was going to be a Make A Long starting in August.  It was for a Midwinter Blanket that was designed by Martin Storey.  Since I am trying to use up all the yarn in the house, and since I have already been working on a blanket, I decided to go for it and signed up.  One nice thing about this Make A Long is that there is no charge for the patterns and resources Rowan has set up for makers.  Often you have to pay to sign up for a make along or knit along plus you have to use specific yarn.  In this case, I am sure Rowan wants you to use their yarn but...I am using previously (many years ago, actually!) purchased yarn.

This morning I awoke early and decided to work on the square as soon as I finished scripture and Spanish study.  Here it is.  I am really pleased with how it looks.  There will be five other patterns.  

There are two other knitting projects I can go back to now until the second square pattern is released later this week! The first one is the potpourri bag project.  The second is the Harbin Sweater that I decided to re-knit, but with new yarn, and trying even harder to follows the pattern instructions. Another day I will show pictures of both projects.

Monday Again!

 Things have been slumping along lately but now seem to be looking up.  Resolving to eat more oatmeal has been a plus.

This is dry oatmeal (1-minute oatmeal instead of 5-minute oatmeal since I was not paying attention when I picked it up at the store...) with chopped seedless grapes.  You would not think it was any good, but it really is.  It is purported to improve blood lipids/cholesterol plus blood sugar.  I don't know about the lipids since I have not had lab work recently but it does seem to improve blood sugar.

Friday Floral: Mexican Petinias

 

Three years ago a dear friend gave us many Mexican petunias from their garden to plant in front of our house. I planted them and did my best to keep the baby plants alive that year  BUT the weeds in the rest of the garden got ahead of us. Well, me, since I am supposed to be the gardener.

One day I went out to pull weeds.  I worked pretty hard and finally wore down. Just before getting to the tiny newly planted Mexican petunias. My ever kindly Dear One offered to complete the job for me. I accepted his help  and went into the house.  The next day when I went out I discovered an empty spot where the Mexican petunias had been.  I could not be mad since  he had been so kind as to help me when I had nothing left to give  the garden.

So our kind friends entrusted us with more plants to start. Last year they began growing. This made me happy. I handled all the weeding last year. 

This year we have two blossoms! So lovely. With good fortune they will continue to grow and strengthen until we have many blossoms.

Rigid Heddle Looms!!!

 Since that last post I have watched several hours of information on rigid heddle looms. I had thought I wanted a Kromski Harp Rigid Heddle Loom. Now I am leaning toward a Schacht 20” Flip Loom. It will be costly but will not take up much room!  

The above picture was taken at The Woolery website. I liked it because it includes a bit of description.

My picture-taking on the phone from a website was not ideal but this is what the loom looks likes. It will need a stand.

If anyone has one of those looms they would let me look at/watch them weave on, I would love it. It may be this is the wrong side of life to develop an interest in this weaving idea….

While sitting here knitting I am becoming infected with rigid heddle loom envy/desire as I continue to watch YouTube videos on the subject.  I mentioned to Dear One the possibility of driving up to Kentucky to The Woolery where they have many different rigid heddle looms for sale and presumably on display.   He was NOT AT ALL enthusiastic about that idea…There must be loom stores nearer but I have not found any.  Suggestions are welcomed.  Many thanks for listening as I dream!

High Maintenance Wives

 Some time ago I noted how nice so many women I know look. They look great all the time. I had a conversation with Dear One on the subject. I asked him if he would like  me to be a little more high maintenance. He looked at me and smiled his sweet smile. SO…I decided to be a high maintenance wife. Well, no, that is not true. I thought I would try to be a little something different.

So I went to a nail salon. The woman put gel nails on. After the third nail she started telling me how much work it was going to take to get the gel off when it started chipping  Yikes! I had no knowledge so I had not planned on that!  I began thinking that I might wish for some sort of skin treatment so I could do make-up! Can’t do it since my skin is a total mess. I was a Speech and Dramatic Arts major in college. The semester we had to take a stage make up class was a disaster. My face hurt in multiple ways and the poor people on the other side of my skin were scared.  Yes, it was that bad…so I never try all that fancy expensive stuff.  I wash my face and call it good.  Nails, now, I thought maybe this would be a thing.

The nails turned out very pretty. For $40 I thought they looked pretty good.  So smooth and shiny and rosy!  I got used to them and actually liked them.

Ten days later I really HAD to wash dishes.  Within fifteen minutes after doing the dishes I noticed the gel was lifting off my left thumb.  What was that about?!!!

You know how you have a small injury which scans over and eventually you touch the spot inadvertently and then you start scratching and picking at it?  Well, guess what happened? Yep, an hour later $40 worth of gel nail polish was down the drain.

Dear One kindly told me I did not need to do it again. On his account…

So much for this high maintenance wife. I will stick with yarn.  And maybe a 24” Kromski Harp Rigid Heddle Loom if anyone knows of one up for grabs…!

Kind of nice, weren’t they?!

Now back to normal…