I just wanted to put up a quick – well not really since it’s been so long since I’ve posted - blog entry to show you what I’ve been up to lately. So, I finished hemming my second quilt and squeezed in a photo shoot with my cousins before I had to leave them. (Jamie's acting crazy in the top one, there)
I love this quilt so much! It’s so happy. They’re both super happy. I was carrying the two quilts to my grandma’s house and I had them folded up in my laundry basket and even though they don’t go together at all, they still look good together because they’re bright and cheery. I think I’ll do my whole dorm like that. Exciting! Oh and I have a dorm picked out. I found out who my roomie was and it sounds like we’re going to have lots of fun this year I’m in Futrall Hall in room 314. I liked that because it was pi. Yes, I am a bit of a nerd but I had good vibes about that room.
I also got one of the two books I ordered in the mail, i heart patchwork by Rashida Coleman-Hale. I love it. I even had to drop her a little note to tell her thanks. I saved reading it until I was on the plane home from Sikeston so I’d have something to look forward to. And it was a good thing because it was really hard to leave this time! I’d just been there too long and gotten too used to it and then I was wrenched out of there before it even felt like I’d been there 2 weeks.But anyways! So I got that book JUST before I left and I wasn’t sure whether I’d have enough time to even try one of the patterns out before I left. But! I did and it was excellent. My old math teacher (well, she’s not old, just… she doesn’t teach me anymore. You know what I mean!) had a baby over the summer and I didn’t get to see her before I left so I wanted to try and visit her before I went to Laos. So my two friends Kate and Jenna and I worked together to make the patchwork ball. It looks SO cute! And it was a lot of fun to just sit and sew with my friends. People don’t DO that enough anymore! Just sit around, not watching TV or anything and just sew and chat! I’ve expressed my fondness of this before, but it was just so fun to catch up with my friends AND make something awesome all at the same time. So here’s a photo from my backyard. It’s precious.
Then, when I got back from Laos/Vietnam I made this apron for the friend (Jenna) who I stayed with while I was in Canada to say thank you:
I absolutely love it to pieces. It was really hard to give it away, but I know she’ll put it to good use with her baking and whatnot whilst looking beautiful in her apron :) to toot my own horn there a little. It was really a good pattern. I was very confused about putting the band on the top because the instructions were a little unclear, but I had a chat with my friend, Liz and we basically made up a way to do it, although it was a little different and it still turned out fine.
I also bought my first knitting pattern online. Ysolda’s Elijah. It is probably the cutest thing I’ve ever made. I gave it to my neighbours who are having a baby boy. The picture is a bit crap because I was in a rush. It was so cute. Another thing I was a bit sad to get rid of:
I made a few of my own personal touches to the Elijah. I curved the trunk up, just by tying the yarn at the end of the trunk to the back of his head. Plus I added the tiny little bellybutton and a braided tail which you can't really see in the picture, but I didn't think he was complete without it.
I had some excellent knitting adventures whilst in Canada! I dragged Jenna and Jessie to some yarn stores in Winnipeg and we all ended up buying some very excellent yarn from the Ram Wools Yarn Co-op and I bought one skein from Where the Wool things are but I much preferred Ram. We even got to use their swift to wind some yarn!
I look very silly in that picture, but I knew if I put up the one of Jess she'd kill me. Anyway, I made one simple guy’s slouchy hat and started a pair of mittens but I think I’m going to have to unravel them and start again because they’re a tad too small. It’s the first thing that I think I’ve ever unraveled so it’s going to be a little tough. But I’ll get over it because I think they look ugly now anyway. Jenna started a big project that I don’t know if I’m allowed to say what it is, and Jess learnt how to make a hat, so she whipped up 2 while I was there and has another on in the makings! I was very proud of her because she had to learn how to purl, increase, and decrease all on circular needles!! I was definitely a proud teacher.
Blog in mind, I snapped some pictures of us knitting on the back porch of Jenna’s cabin:
I can’t really believe my summer is practically over. I am lapping up the last sweet, sweet minutes of it :)
I hope you’re all enjoying your summers, whatever you’re doing!
