The "After" pictures...Non-fiber

I have been working on knitting a pair of socks and designing and dressing Sophie for some yardage. And a sweater I knitted only needs to be blocked. But the big project in our home has been taking up most of my time. If you click here, you'll see the "before" pictures. But below are the "after" pictures. It's mostly done! I think it just needs some handwoven towels and a curtain. Hmmm... What color(s)?

I've been waiting nigh on 25 years to re-do this, our master bathroom. The river rock feels So good on my feet!

Fancy rainfall showerhead.

A cabinet with Drawers!!!

And even an easy to clean toilet!!!

Just two years ago, this was all dirt.

I still have a plant here and there to add, but it's pretty amazing!

The path is almost right. Now, just to figure out how to make some raised beds in the corner.

It makes me smile!

While I do paperwork and prep...I admire other people's shared work

I'm finally buckling down and doing some planning and design and math for my next projects. I'd like to make a grocery tote. And I'm sampling to see how a couple of my stash yarns work together for a scarf. In the meantime, I had a tour with one friend and show-and-tell with another.

Joy Krauthammer learned to weave in the 70's at the Brooklyn Museum School of Art.

They told her, "you can't".

She said, "but look!"

Double weave and manipulation.

Cactus in the sunset.

More double weave.

Some lucky baby is going to get Maureen's lovely M's and O's baby blanket.

This is the yardage she's going to use for her grocery tote. The hand (the way the cloth feels) is perfect for it's purpose.

Some Old Projects

I'm pleased to say, I've been getting to some old projects. Two of my UFO's (unfinished objects) have been completed. It's such a relief to get things off of my To Do list.

This is Habu 24. It's another of the silk yarns with the stainless steel core. I decided to leave off the pattern's collar. It's a lot of fun to knit. I like the Japanese style pattern. I do not like how easily it snags.        I also went back and re-did the band on the red sweater, for the third time. I just didn't like the way it hung on me before.

And here is my next big project. This is the master bathroom's shower floor after it's been scrubbed clean. Besides the extreme wear, the shower pan is shot.

We have a settling problem, too. And, the floor should have 18 inches between wood beams. It has four feet.

The sink is cracked.

And the floor is in need of floor. I'm so excited to finally have it all done! Stay tuned!

Remember my backyard project? It's progressing nicely. Most of it is without my assistance. Even with the drought, it's been growing like crazy! There's only a little weeding to do. And I'm working on the new path.

There's a little frost damage that I need to see to and some weed type grass that needs to be dug out, again.

I love that there's always something blooming.

I've been making the time to play with dough, again. We found a new supplier for flour called Grist and Toll. This loaf is from a recipe I'd called bland when I made it with store bought flour. It's all whole wheat. It's incredible now. And it tastes as good as it looks!

Two Big Projects Done

I finished the baby blankets!
This is one of those projects for which I decided that since I needed four blankies, I'd warp for eight. Then, babies started coming early. I could have cut the first blankets off of the loom and tied the warp back on, but I didn't want to waste any of the yarn. So, every free minute for the last many days was spent weaving. I'll have to ask my trainer how many calories marathon weaving burns...?

The pattern is a summer and winter from A Weaver's Book of 8-Shaft Patterns, page 149, #532 and 534. Joanne Hall at Glimakra was a Big Help with figuring out the tie-up on Sophia, my standard countermarch. This is the first time I've attempted a skeleton tie-up on her. Have I said lately how much I LOVE this loom?!   

I ordered the cotton from my semi-LYS in Solvang. Since I have two whole cones of the bleached left, someone's going to have to go back and check her math.

I also finished spinning the cotton I've been playing with on my Suzie Pro. I did this with the stylus. I'd like to weave some yardage with the singles in both warp and weft. I'm not concerned about how fine it is once it's on the loom, it's just getting it there. I have to find some way to keep it under tension so that the yarn doesn't twist up on itself. Maybe I'll try steaming it beforehand. Hmm. Perhaps I should attempt that with some sample yarn, first. I'd hate to end up with a huge tangle and have to toss it all. 

Keeping busy

Of course, I've been keeping busy before, during and after our trip.

I climbed inside Sophia (and doesn't that sound strange) to dress her for some baby blankets.

Knitting daily on t.v. and away I go!

For eight blankets, this is over 900 ends (threads) at 13 yards each.

I knitted up an infinity scarf for my niece. This is just a simple garter stitch with a reversible ribbed cable. And it's a de-stash project! This is every bit of what I had left after I made my Fuse Cardigan.

And what fun this sweater was to knit up! It's knit top down with not a single seam! The design is engineered by Vera Sanon.

It's called the Sara Lace Cardi.

"Must I have my picture taken?"

Dobby and Winky now have Weasley sweaters of their own! This is a free pattern from Ravelry.

And the baby blankets are coming along. They're a pattern from page 149 of A Weaver's Book of 8-Shaft Patterns. Summer and winter is one of my favorite weaves. Look how the one side is a "negative" of the other!

Traveling

What a treat! My husband and I went traveling in Arizona. Our style is to drive until something catches our eye and interest, then we turn off. Walking around Bisbee, Arizona, we saw a sign at the YWCA. 

So, we went down into the basement.

They have a couple of rooms down there where their guild meets. They also have a small shop, library and store room.

My hubby wanted to hold the door for me at the Mini Time Machine: Tucson Museum of Miniatures.

These were in their store.

And this was the attic of the house in the lobby.

Also in Tucson, we went to a glass studio where I found this "rug".

And at the Ethiopian restaurant in Tucson, I found the perfect picture for me on the restroom wall.

This picture was taken in the museum in Pueblo Grande in Phoenix.

About an hour and a half north of Phoenix is Arcosanti.  If you've heard of the Soleri bells, they're made here. We toured the grounds. Then, we went downstairs.

Although I didn't bring my spindle down, I got to visit with a few of the attendees.

My mom, Linda Halabe, had her picture taken in front of her pastel painting at an art show in Phoenix.

I met Tohono O'odham basketry artist, Rhonda Wilson at Tumacacori. 

And I bought some flax at Grandma's Spinning Wheel in Tucson.

The Lure of a Trunk Show

I wasn't planning on going. Really, I wasn't! Anzula was making a three hour stop at my LYS and bringing fiber. And I have this pattern for doggie sweaters and they'd be a fun break from socks. So, my sweet, enabler honey and I headed over to A Major to visit and buy some Encore, and just look. Really.              The fiber was at the front door, so I petted and caressed and cuddled it for a little while. I limited myself to the Baby Alpaca and Baby Llama. Then, I picked the two skeins I needed for Dobby and Winky's sweaters. I wasn't planning on turning around, but my hand brushed against the yarn and I was hooked. I ended up with two skeins of Wash My Lace in the 1 Red Shoe. And they had a pretty cardigan pattern for it there, too. I love being able to download a pattern from Ravelry.               Besides that, I got to chat with Donna Nelson, the chinchilla lady. I have a picture of her fiber here. She showed me a couple of needlepoints she's been working on. And we compared our purchases.

None of this counts as stash if I have a plan for it. Right? Here is some of the yarn I got for the blankies I'm putting on Sophie next.