25 January 2018

Odds and Ends


I tried, but I didn't get a quilt finished this week. It's layered, pin-basted and ready to go, but it hasn't found its way beneath the presser foot yet.

Feels sort of weird to not have another quilt finished, after last year's quilting high!!!

However, I have finished a few projects. The biggest finish of the week was winding all of my most recent batch of hand-dyed thread into balls. Whew! We had about eight more inches of snow on Sunday, the biggest storm of the season so far. It was SO tempting to snow dye again, but I decided I have enough thread to last for a while, and I shouldn't dye anymore until I finish up some of what I've already done.


I dyed new thread last spring before I found out I had to give the crochet hook a bit of a vacation because I needed more rainbow hues. I dyed thread again a couple of weeks ago because I had nearly run out of pink. I'm beginning to realize I need to cut back on the odd shades and dye only pinks, blues and rainbow colors! And I guess I need to come up with some ideas to use those odd colors...

I've been using up little bits of thread each day for a couple of months now. I'm very happy to be crocheting again, after several months of limited activity due to elbow and neck issues. I'm crocheting on the train almost every day again now, at least when I can get a seat. I've had to retrain myself not to hold whatever I'm working on so close to my face in order to see the stitches. I'm so happy to be able to crochet with thread and a tiny hook again! Almost pain-free!


Most of my thread, of course, goes to snowflakes.






Although I did make the solar system. The planets even glow in the dark.




I made the Great American eclipse, too! And yes, the earrings glow in the dark!




I bought some bead stones in April of 2016 with every intention of turning them into crocheted jewelry, featuring my hand-dyed thread. I finally made my first necklace last week!


For the past few years, I've sent amigurumi birthday card photos to all my friends and family. I sent the same photo to every single person on my list each year. Last year, one of my crocheting friends, probably bored with seeing the same photo every single time someone we both know celebrated a birthday, challenged me to pose my amigurumi differently for each birthday. I'm up to 57 new amigurumi photos so far. So everybody gets a different photo this year!


The cupcakes are the newest addition to the amigurumi collection. I made a new bear, too. This is the first bear I've crocheted since... Can't remember when I made the last one!


I also made a new bevy of hearts.


For most of last year, my motto was, "As soon as I finish five more quilts, I get to make something for me!" I didn't actually make something for me until I finished all the Christmas present and late Christmas present quilts, and then it finally was my turn. This cute jumper worked up in just a couple of hours, and I've already worn to to church and to work.


Call me the bag lady. I've made bean bags, corn bags, rice bags, and now a flax bag. I heard right before Christmas that flax makes a really good heating pad because it does not collect moisture. I used a cheap department store wash rag to test the theory, and I think there will be more flax bags in my future.


Linking up with Busy Hands Quilts, Crazy Mom Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

12 comments :

  1. What fun those earrings are - and teaching your neighbor!! This was such a happy post ;-) Have a great day!

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    1. Thanks, Alycia! She is such a fun student! She asked me this week to give her a test on paper so she could show her skills. I still haven't stopped chuckling over that one!

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  2. She sure looks determined. You can create much at your bay indeed. Even if not a quilt, still creating something, so that's a win. Great that the injury crap is fading away too.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Pat. It was too, too long to be off my bike, away from my crochet hook and off my computer, but I sure did get a lot of quilting done during that time!

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  3. I would love love to see you do a horse. It's my spirit animal. =)

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    1. Well, Texasnascarcowgirl, seems to me the challenge is on... I may just have to make a horse now. :)

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  4. Wonderful crochet...so tiny! Your thread colors are beautiful..you've accomplished such a lot for this post...plus teaching...very inspiring.

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    1. Thank you, Jan! I'm still tempted to dye again. I wonder if that temptation will ever go away!

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  5. Such a busy crafter!! LOVE the fact that you are passing along quilting to your little neighbor. Kudos!!

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    1. Thank you, Joy! If I can't teach my own granddaughters, I might as well teach someone else's! I'm very thankful to have her in my life!

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  6. Woo hoo! The bear factory is once again up and running! And the heart factory and the snowflake factory....

    What a lovely necklace. (I didn't think you ever wore jewelry.) Your little neighbor sure is growing!

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    Replies
    1. You should see the hedgehog factory, Sue! And you are correct; I don’t wear jewelry, but I do love making it.

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