I Like Making Things

Lead image: Hobbes helping me do a little hand stitching to repair an alphabet pocket thing my granny made me when I was born.

As I was scrolling through the interwebs this morning, I came across a blog post by Tin Can Knits (click here) that very nicely summarized why I love to knit. I agree with everything that blog said, and there’s also one more thing for me. Knitting, and creating in general, is just good for my brain. It makes everything slow down a little bit and feel less overwhelming.

Given that my life is going to be flipped upside down in less than a month, I’ve been knitting and crafting…a lot. So here are some pictures and updates and things! Get ready for very many pictures.

The lighting is a little odd on this, but it’s (very roughly) 36 inches square. It’s a garter stitch boarder with a stockinette center; this is my favorite pattern to do with varigated yarns because the colors show up so nicely and and I can knit it without hardly looking at it.

This blanket might look familiar; I shared a picture of it (ahem…last summer…) while it was still in pieces. I got it sewn together reasonably soon after that, but when it came to weaving in all the ends, I was less enthusiastic. But the recipient who gets it will need it soon! So I did finally get it done.

I also have an update on embroidering my baby blanket I wrote about last month! I decided to go ahead and give it a shot, and I’m not quite halfway done with it. It only takes me about an hour and a half per side, so I’ve got another four or so hours to put in and then the vine will be done!

Given that I’ve never done embroidery before, I did a couple of samples. This is called a feather stitch.

I just basted some satin on some flannel from scraps to practice, so you can see the fabric isn’t super taut. But that is what a feather stitch is supposed to look like!

I also practiced curving it back and forth so it would look more like a vine. This isn’t how a feather stitch is traditionally done, but I really like it this way.

I do also have a dark pink embroidery floss that I could use to make little rosettes…but that project is still firmly in the “we’ll see about that” category.

And of course, the update you might have been waiting for…the lace blanket is done. I’m so happy about it.

This is the blanket before I washed and blocked it. Blocking a piece is when you use pins to stretch it to the appropriate shape and size and then let it dry. This is especially effective with wool, which this is, and with lace. You can use the toothbrushes at the top for scale in this picture.

This is after it’s been washed and blocked. For scale, that black mat is four feet square! You can see the lace pattern much better now because the yarn has settled into the pattern and been stretched. And once it’s dry, it will stay this shape!

I am very, very happy with how it turned out. There are a couple of places where my pattern gets a little…creative, shall we say…but mistakes are the holes where the love gets through. I’m delighted with it. And definitely contemplating ordering another pattern that would be similar.

And did I stop making things once these were finished? (Well, the knitting projects anyway…) Nope! I have a baby sweater on needles right now that I might also actually get done before Peanut arrives. And if not? It’s still hot here and Peanut won’t need it right away anyhow.

Your homework: What do you create? How does it make you feel?

Hej då,

Jamie