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October 31, 2006
Tinker Toy
Block B-9, Tinker Toy. The inset bits are so easy with hand piecing!
Posted by missalicefaye at 09:03 PM | Comments (5)
October 30, 2006
Unst: The First Border
The first border of the Unst Stole is complete. I added about 40 rows and two new motifs to lengthen the stole by a few inches.
(One of the new motifs, adapted from a pattern in Heirloom Knitting.)
And now to do it all over again for Border 2!
Posted by missalicefaye at 09:02 AM | Comments (6)
October 27, 2006
Indianapolis (Block G-7)
Finished yesterday during the lunch hour. I pieced the background and then appliqued the four wedge shapes--painstakingly trying to line up the corners. Probably I should have just pieced the whole thing. :)
I'm assuming that this block is named "Indianapolis" because of that big circle in downtown Indy. Possibly the names are explained in the Dear Jane book, but then I'd actually have to read it...
Meanwhile, the first border of the Unst stole is almost finished. These two projects are fierce competitors for my precious crafting time!
Posted by missalicefaye at 04:23 PM | Comments (4)
October 26, 2006
The Dear Jane project
These days, more than usual I am preoccupied with thoughts of large, complex, delicate projects--the Unst Stole, Orenburg shawls, the Wedding Ring Shawl. And this:
The 1863 Jane A. Stickle quilt. You can read all about it at the Dear Jane site.
Carolyn invited me to join a group of intrepid quilters undertaking this ambitious and beautiful project, including the talented and brave Heidi, Jen, and Melanie.
169 4.5-inch square blocks surrounded by 52 triangles and four corner triangles. My plan is to hand-piece and applique the whole thing. Shades of blue with a muslin background. My first block (J-7, Chicken Tracks) is pictured above. You can see where it fits (looking so lonely!) into the larger quilt on my design wall. (Blank design wall template created by Sharon Mastbrook.)
This is a Long Term project. You'll be hearing about it for many, many (many!) months to come. :)
Posted by missalicefaye at 11:38 AM | Comments (13)
October 18, 2006
Spiders I have loved
Up to row 62 of the first border. Since I'm using gossamer-weight yarn rather than the cobweb yarn the pattern calls for, the stole is turning out to be a little shorter than I'd like lengthwise. So I'm planning to add another repeat of the diamond grid and another tree-like motif.
Have I mentioned lately how much I love the spiders?
Posted by missalicefaye at 08:59 AM | Comments (8)
October 16, 2006
Flora and fauna
The latest alien flower for the embroidered curtain. Mostly Burden stitch.
Six flowers done, three to go. Someday, a new curtain.
And here we have a simple Shoo Fly block--I've been practicing my hand piecing in preparation for a little quilt project I'll be starting soon. Exciting details forthcoming! :) (Important clarification: it's not a baby quilt. I'm not pregnant. Calm down.)
Is it Rhinebeck yet?
Posted by missalicefaye at 09:17 AM | Comments (3)
October 10, 2006
Caprice
Yes, I've started Rusted Root and Dragone. (Click here and here for progress). Yes, I've enjoyed working on both.
And yet. The fine lace--it has an inexplicable hold on me. So I pulled out the Unst stole again.
Stretched it out.
Fell a bit in love.
7 out of 10 pattern repeats completed for the center. I think I'm finally ready to commit to this project, crazy gossamer weight single-ply yarn and all.
(Pattern from Heirloom Knitting by Sharon Miller.)
Posted by missalicefaye at 09:37 AM | Comments (7)
October 03, 2006
Stor Rund Dug
Stor Rund Dug from yarnover.net, knit with Halcyon Yarns' 20/2 pearl cotton, size 000 dpns. 12.5 inches in diameter.
About halfway through the second repeat of the feather and fan pattern, I'd had enough--enough of the repetitive pattern, enough of the tiny dpns. The pattern calls for a third repeat, but when I looked at the line that said "repeat 96 times," I knew that I just couldn't without losing some small but precious part of my mind.
Kind of pretty, though.
Anyway, I'm so tired of tiny dpns that I've set aside the gloves once again and have two new projects going on size 2 and 3 circs. I contemplated going up to a 4 for one of them, but that was just too much. :)
Posted by missalicefaye at 09:38 AM | Comments (11)
