Livin' La Needle Loca

...it was a productive weekend. This is Rose Banderos handspun [ Ravelry ] : and the close-up: Specs:  Alpaca-Merino-Bamboo (5.5 oz.) from Ranch of the Oaks Started 3/15/19 Finished 4/27/19 332 yds. 2-ply; 14 WPI This is Malibu handspun [ Ravelry ]: and the close-up: Specs: Merino-Yak-Silk (4 oz.) from Greenwood Fiberworks Started 4/13/19 Finished 4/27/19 194 yds. chain-ply; 13 WPI I have officially started the Shimmering Advancing Point Twill Wrap project. I named it Shimmering Points [ Ravelry ]. I started winding the warp on Sunday. I'm still debating on whether to use the Red Purple tencel as specified in the project (warp) or as the weft yarn. If I decide to use it as weft, I'll replace it with Amethyst. Guess I better decide soon! I'm making progress on the Estrella Marina Shawl [ Ravelry ]. I wasn't sure how the triangle edging was going to work, but now that I have a couple done, it makes sense. I'm much happier with th...

...blog and run. Trying to get back into the whole photo thing again, but running out of time to blog. We have family visiting this weekend, so this is a quick one. Dianthus: Gazania: Bleeding Hearts: Monkey Flowers: and Blue-eyed Grass: Have a good weekend! .

...wait. It's been a week since I posted last? OK, I missed Eye Candy Friday because we were on the road to Mom's. Once we arrived there, it was all-family-all-the-time for the whole weekend. My brother's Celebration of Life was Saturday and we spent lots of time with out-of-town family and friends. My sister and her husband did an outstanding job organizing it (despite my mother throwing in several monkey wrenches in the plans). It was a Santa Maria style BBQ in the best tradition and my brother would have loved it. We miss him so much! At home things were in a in complete disarray on Monday and Tuesday. Our dishwasher died the previous weekend. We bought a new one and it was delivered early in the week, but there was work that needed to be done before we could install it. The Husband had to bring in an electrician to rewire the outlet because it was no longer to code. Plus he had to do some cabinet work to get the new dishwasher to fit and make sure the plumbing was...

...and there is a little movement on the project front, but not nearly as much as there should be. Remember this photo of Canto de Sirena Shawl from 2015? Well, that's pretty much what it looks like now. I pulled out the pattern stitches back to the border and started reknitting it. I think I am almost to the same place I was when I took this photo. Really. While I haven't technically started dressing the loom, I spent some time coming back up to speed on the Shimmering Advancing Point Twill Wrap project that's been in the queue for a while. I figured out how many ends I needed of each color. I won't be able to start winding the warp for at least another week, but it's getting closer! WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Canto de Sirena shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Working on the first pattern section Malibu Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Started spinning the singles; about 60% spun. Shimmering Advancing Point Twill Wrap (weaving) Not quite started, but I ...

...and the weekend report. I spent Friday afternoon with the Daughter, which hardly ever happens!  The only bad part is the traffic getting back and forth to her house. Friday is not the best time to drive to Oakland. Spin-In was small this time, but that's OK. I got some quality spinning time and I really needed it. I made gingerbread cookies to take and had a few leftover for home. I spent Sunday finishing our taxes, writing two big checks, and getting them into the mail. We kept Sunday dinner very simple because I knew I wouldn't want to cook after doing taxes. At least I had Game of thrones to look forward to!

...and I have photos! Here is a first look at the Seaside Dreams quilt that I finished on Sunday: Specs: Started 12/29/18 Finished 4/7/19 Seaside Dreams panel and border fabrics augmented with leftover fabrics from my stash. For my mother-in-law I didn’t use a specific pattern. I had two Seaside Dreams panels. I used one intact and cut the second one up to make the corner motifs and the label. I also cut up some Seaside Dreams border fabric to create the borders surrounding the panel. I'd like to get a better photo of this, but that might not happen before I have to deliver the quilt to its new home. I had to take our cat to the vet again this week for a follow-up on her blood pressure meds. Sombra was less than pleased to go back into the carrier and go to the vet! At least the vet us only 5 minutes from home! Up this weekend: Spin-In tomorrow. Followed by finishing our taxes and getting them into the post office by end-of-the-day Sunday. It's going to ...

...and still no photos. I hope to rectify that soon, but it might not be until the weekend. Now that my MIL's quilt is done, I need to decide which queued or WIP project to work on next. I'm itching to start something new, but I've also had some of those WIPs around for too long. Decisions, decisions! WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Rose Banderos Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Finished spinning the singles and it's ready for plying. In the Queue Renaissance Mermaid (cross stitch) Shimmering Advancing Point Twill Wrap (weaving) Works In Progress, Did Not Work On This Week: Canto de Sirena shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Finishing work for some old crewel pictures (sewing)  Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting) Valley of the Heart's Delight sampler design (cross stitch) UFOs/Hibernation: Be My Baby for My Baby (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Bear Paw pottery (needlepoint) Mother of Dragons shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Peacock Majesty by Just Nan (...

...and the weekend report. The Seaside Dreams quilt is done!! I finished it a 6pm on Sunday. I could have finished it sooner, but I decided to embroider and hide a label between the layers of the quilt. That took a little time. I then made my standard label and put it aside while I sewed on the binding. I machine-sewed the binding both on the front and the back. I figure this quilt will get washed multiple times and I want to make sure that the binding stays on. After I finished the binding, I applied some Steam-a-Seam Lite to the back of the label and ironed it on to the quilt. I then zig-zagged around the label to firmly attach it to the quilt. I also worked on was our taxes, never a pleasant thing to do! I had already collected most of the paperwork, so it was just a matter of entering it into TurboTax. We owe money, so I'm not going to mail that until the 14th! After finding out that we owed money, I spent a little time at my spinning wheel, trying to zen out a bit. It ...

...such as it is. I managed to finish some things in the beginning of the month, but my MIL's quilt has consumed most of my craft time. Finished: 3/2 Dragon Scales handspun [ Ravelry ] Merino-Tencel (4 oz.) from Greenwood Fiberworks 162 yds. chain-ply; 13 WPI 3/3 Earth and Sky Hat (knitting) [ Ravelry ] 3/9 Cupcake Hat (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Books: My Kind of Christmas, Robyn Carr Liar Liar, James Patterson Midnight Betrayal, Melinda Leigh The Matchmaker, Elin Hilderbrand Winter Stroll, Elin Hilderbrand The Chocolate Cream Pie Murder, Joanne Fluke Secrets Never Die, Melinda Leigh 1st to Die, James Patterson 2nd Chance, James Patterson Winter Storms, Elin Hilderbrand 3rd Degree, James Patterson Started: 3/15 Rose Banderos handsun (spinning [ Ravelry ] Queued Renaissance Mermaid (cross stitch) Shimmering Advancing Point Twill Wrap (weaving)  Works In Progress: Canto de Sirena shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Dragon Scales handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ...

...blog and run. We have some new flowers that are ready to plant, we're just tying to decide where in the garden they belong. We have Asiatic Lilies: Armeria: Columbines: and osteospermum: Our tulips are blooming. These are in the courtyard. Up this weekend: Finish the quilt! .

...and no progress pix to show. Almost everything except my MIL's quilt is on hold. I just haven't had energy to do much more. WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Rose Banderos Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Started spinning this when I got home from Mom's as a form of meditation. When I need a break from the quilt, I work on the singles. Seaside Dreams quilt for MIL (quilting) Finished burying the threads; made the binding. I need to make the real label and sew the binding on. So close! In the Queue Renaissance Mermaid (cross stitch) Shimmering Advancing Point Twill Wrap (weaving) Works In Progress, Did Not Work On This Week: Canto de Sirena shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Finishing work for some old crewel pictures (sewing)  Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting) Valley of the Heart's Delight sampler design (cross stitch) UFOs/Hibernation: Be My Baby for My Baby (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Bear Paw pottery (needlepoint) Mother of Dragons shawl (knittin...

...a day late. We moved our office last week. We spent Thursday packing everything up. The movers were very efficient and were done moving everything over by 11:30am. We've spent the last couple of days unpacking. We're nearly done, thank goodness. Moving put a crimp in my time - I worked longer hours and non-stop for 3 days. Needless to say, I didn;t have time for blogging. I took part of Saturday to rest. Then I spent the afternoon and Sunday do the last chunk of thread burying for my MIL's quilt. I trimmed up the edges and sewed the binding together. I did not get a chance to put on the binding...next weekend! I took a little time to take some photos of some new flowers that The Husband bought. I practiced with the macro lens for my DSLR and hope that they turned out OK. It's going to take some time to process them! .