Holiday Quilt

For the second year in a row, Nancy gave me a "Quilt Retreat Weekend" for my birthday. We did this last year and had a great time, and I think (and hope) it has become an annual event. This year I decided to make a Holiday Quilt to grace our wall as we host our families and friends for various celebrations this December. I found the Santa blocks some time ago and built the quilt around them. The one along the bottom row says "'Twas the week before Christmas and there in the woods/St Nick was knitting as fast as he could./St Nick would give them all stockings full of good cheer/For the animals had all been so kind that year." I could hardly resist building a quilt around a motif of St Nick madly knitting socks the week before Christmas! (Not that I can relate.) I had no pattern for this quilt - just kind of made it up as I went along. I've realized that quilting can be a very organic process for me as long as I trust what's happening and am prepared to have a few roadblocks along the way. The other key for me is that the quilt needs to have meaning. I chose blocks that I felt reflected the meaning of the season. The top left corner has a little image of animals with the saying "The spirit of giving shall warm thy heart" and the banner across the top reads "Joy to all great and small." The large-ish red and cream block on the left is called Hearth and Home which seemed appropriate for the season, and the text in the middle reads "Peace on Earth." There's a Five-Pointed Guiding Star in the middle and another Santa block with the words "Starry Night" above the animals. The bottom row features a block which, to me, looks like stockings over a fireplace beside the Knitting Santa block. Beside that is a holly motif in the centre of a Log Cabin block, and beside that is a Tree Everlasting. There were definitely some moments where I wondered how it was going to turn out, but the great thing about creating this sort of thing at the quilt retreat is that there is lots of expertise around to help out when needed. It all came together in the end, and I got the bulk of it done at the retreat itself (it's always amazing to me how much a person can get done when you don't have to worry about anything else) and just finished quilting it at home. It's a very festive addition to our home over this holiday season, and I hope the wishes for love and gratitude and peace spill out of the quilt into our home, and beyond - to the whole world.

Hugh's Knightly Costume

It seems kind of crazy to be making another costume so soon after Hallowe'en, but when Hugh and I decided to go to Medieval Times on our weekend away in early December, it only seemed right that he have a knight costume to wear. A few years ago Aunty Rachel had given Hugh a set of pyjamas which look like a knight's costume, and these were dearly loved and often worn. As Hugh grew, however, they had to be retired to the hand-me-down box (I know Rory will enjoy them in a year or two) so there were no knight costumes on hand. I found this pattern and whipped this fancy shirt up in no time, since Hugh was threatening to pull out the too-small pyjamas and wear them. Hugh loved the shirt and requested a matching shield, so we faked our way through that one. And now we're all set for our knightly adventure!
Pattern: Simplicity 5520
Fabric: cotton, fleece and shiny knit ends

Apron

It has recently become clear to me that the use of an apron while baking is going to really help me appear less slovenly and may also reduce the amount of laundry I do. I like this "girlier" apron pattern - not too frou-frou, but still feminine. I used some cotton I had bought at the Goderich quilt shop this summer just a few weeks before the tornado went through, and used a complimentary fabric I found at Fabricland for the flounce. Since the holiday baking season is fast approaching, I expect it will get lots of use, and I plan to feel fabulous while wearing it.
Pattern: Butterick 5125
Fabric: cottons from Quilters by the Square and Fabricland

Hallowe'en Costumes: Hugh's Dragon

Hugh's was the most challenging this year. I took both Neva and Hugh to Fabricland to choose the fabric for their costumes waaaay back in September, and despite there being a plethora of snake-y and dragon-y type fabric, Hugh chose this gold lamé. I wasn't really sure how it would go; he chose the red lamé for the wings and the spikes as well, so at least the gold was going to be "cut" with something else, and he did consent to the grey scaly fabric for the tummy and claws. I stitched the gold fabric onto some leftover fleece from last year's costume to create both depth and warmth. I faked my way through the claws, making something up as I went along and adding big, black, fake nails, and they look awesome. The wings had several incarnations, from a store-bought pair which I altered but which still looked too "fairy-like" to these flowy-er, pointier ones. But the mask is really my chef-d'oeuvre. It's an old baseball cap covered in casting material and sculpted to look like a dragon's head. We spray-painted it gold and painted the details on, and it was a grand success. I think overall Hugh was a bit disappointed that the dragon ensemble wasn't scarier, but it's hard to be scary in gold lamé. The puffy tail didn't help things, either. But the mask and the claws really helped ramp up the "grrrrr!" factor. I knew things had turned out well when one of Hugh's little classmates complimented me on my work at the Hallowe'en dance. "I really like Hugh's dragon mask," he said. "I like how you made it." Also: last night as we watched The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, we noticed that the White Witch wears a headpiece remarkably similar to Hugh's dragon head in the final battle scene, and if that's not scary, I don't know what is.
Pattern: McCall's 2335
Fabric: gold and red lamé for body, tail and wings; grey faux-skin knit for tummy and claws

Hallowe'en Costumes: Rory's Pikachu

Rory was adamant about being Pikachu this Hallowe'en. There were no "official" patterns to be found, so I used a generic Hallowe'en kid-suit pattern which I had on hand and added details to make it Pikachu-esque. The internet was helpful in showing how other costumes had been made and worn. I even had the yellow fleece on hand from a failed attempt to make myself a bee costume several years ago. (I knew that stash would come in handy one day!) I really love tailoring this sort of thing, and I'm super-pleased with how it turned out. So is Rory.
Pattern: McCall's 6185
Fabric: fleece, embellished with felt details for face and tail

Hallowe'en Costumes: Neva's Ghost

Straightforward and easy. Neva knew what she wanted to be, chose the fabric in a flash, and we had this sucker completed before October even began. It barely required a pattern, but I do always like having someone else's plan for where to cut etc. I used a pattern for the hood and dress, and just cut a circle for the poncho. She is delighted.
Pattern: McCall's 6421
Fabric: white crepe for dress; black embossed illusion net for poncho; embossed organza for hood

Welsh Pendragon Socks for Rachel

These special socks have the distinction of being the first of my UK Trip socks to be completed - which was entirely on purpose. I had found this pattern on Ravelry some time ago, and knew they were Arthurian-adjacent because of the "Pendragon" part of the title, so I kept them in the back of my mind for one day when I wanted to knit Rachel some socks. When the time came to start knitting projects for our trip together, I came back to this pattern and found that they were actually inspired by Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising" Sequence - which was one of the Arthurian-adjacent literary pieces we were going to cover on our trip! It couldn't have been more perfect. I chose a yarn that made me think of Wales (since Rachel had said Wales would have special meaning for her) and started knitting. I was reading the books at the same time and both pattern and story weaved together seamlessly - I finally turly understood the pattern and how it was tied to the books. The synchronicity here was amazing. My plan with all of my UK socks was to knit some part of them on site to try and imbue them with some of the local atmosphere, so I got these socks mostly done before the trip and then finished them in Wales so they could go home with Rachel. (The socks are seen here in close-up at home and in progress at Cadair Idris, in Wales.) Once I actually spent time in the Welsh countryside, it became clear that the colours were perfect and the atmosphere was perfect and it was all just perfect.
Pattern: Pendragon Socks [ravelry link] by Erica Lueder
Yarn: Cascade Heritage Paints in Grey

Shoulder Bags

Inspired by one of Sarah's bags, and in preparation for my upcoming trip to England, I decided to make myself a shoulder bag for travel. It needed to be big enough to hold a sock knitting project, my wallet, a small book, sunglasses, and any other incidentals needed while traveling. I wanted to be able to wear it across my body to leave my hands free and also to minimize wonky shoulder pain. I found a pattern online and did a test run with the beige striped fabric; the bag is cute, but too small and the straps were too short for what I needed. I modified the pattern, making the bag itself deeper and a bit narrower while extending the straps, and made the definitive version out of the raspberry silk. I'm delighted; it's perfect.
Pattern: Tiny Happy Shoulder Bag (striped one is as written; silk one is modified)
Fabrics: Striped bag: unknown drapery fabric lined with cotton; Silk bag: silk damask lined with broadcloth. All fabrics from Fabricland.

Thank You Quilt for Rocking Horse Day Care

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before, but crafting and quilting for me are kinds of therapy. Births, deaths, milestones of all kinds, and things that are meaningful to me - large or small - get transferred into some kind of quilt or craft endeavour. So when it became clear that Rory and Ewan's last day at their current daycare was looming, the only thing that seemed to "fit" for me was to make them a quilt.
I've had this quilt in my head since I found a variation of this pattern some years ago. But since I only seem to get things done when I have a deadline, it only just got made. Now, I don't do this sort of thing for every child care provider or agency that helps out with the kids. But Rocking Horse Day Care has been a part of our lives, on and off, for 8 years, and all four kids have spent time there. They have an incredible ability to make me feel like our kids are their favourites (though I know they probably make every parent feel that way). They have cared for our children with love and patience and energy and enthusiasm, and that is a blessing for our whole family.
Although I was certainly the prime mover in this quilt project, all of the kids had a hand in it. I got out my stash of quilt fabrics and had Rory choose his favourite (the border fabric with the chameleons and frogs). From there, I chose a bunch of co-ordinating fabric options and had the other kids make requests about what fabrics they particularly wanted included. The square of trucks and cars in the bottom left is Ewan's; Neva chose the turquoise, purple and red fabrics used in the main part of the panel; and Hugh requested the indigo fabric with the gold stars (seen in the border and as one of the stars around the "welcome" sign). And Jeffy, of course, provided lots of support along the way, both in the emotional department ("that's a fine looking quilt, sweetie") and the practical (doing extra driving so I could snag some extra kid-free sewing time). Truly a group effort.
I have no idea what the daycare will do with this piece, but ultimately it doesn't really matter: I've poured love and energy in to it, and have made my peace with the fact that the kids are moving on, and once it goes to them, it's theirs to do with as they choose. It is a gift filled with love and thanks to the people who have helped raise our children. Not enough, by any stretch, but a heartfelt token.

Grape Leaves Cardigan

I fell in love with this yarn some time ago - soft, bulky, great colours. It took me a loooooong time to find the right pattern for it, but I finally did find it. One of the pattern's appealing qualities was that it was touted as a "24-hour knit!" I knew that this would only be true for people who were fast knitters and/or who might have fewer than 4 young children at home, but still: it was a hopeful sign. I began this sweater on April 9; I finished it on June 2. Quite a few more than 24 hours, really. Part of that is my fault - I made some changes to the pattern which meant that I had to rip it out a couple of times to get the fit right - but ultimately I'm glad I did. I think it looks great, and it will be a perfect little sweater to throw on in the cool fall when I can't go outside without a coat or sweater, but don't need full-on fall or winter gear. I love it.
Pattern: Cumulus by Cirilia Rose for Berroco
Yarn: Malabrigo Aquarella in "Soriano" colourway

Backdoor Quilt Series: Beginnings

Many, many moons ago I made a fall quilt from a pattern called "Back Door Quilt Series: Be Thankful." I'm a sucker for all things Autumn, and this was right up my alley. My office at work had a perfect space of blank, bleak wall which was just calling out for some décor, and that autumn quilt fit the bill perfectly. I changed the lettering to "Thankfulness" (not wanting to be too pushy) and it still hangs there every fall.
The problem with seasonal quilts, however, is that (in my opinion) they look weird if they're hanging there out of season. So I duly designed and constructed a winter-themed one ("Tranquility") using the same basic principles, and it hangs there during the winter. And just this week - while I had a reduced child-care load over March Break thanks to various members of the Sheldrake family - I finished off this spring one: "Beginnings." The template is the same, but the design of the quilt part itself is totally from my own brain. This was a very organic process - I kind of faked my way through most of it - but I'm really thrilled with the results. One of the things I love about these quilts is the little bird that gets incorporated: a crow for fall, a cardinal for winter, and here - a robin for spring. The flowers are made following a couple of patterns in the Fabled Flowers book. I love it, and even though it's snowing outside today, it reminds me that spring is just around the corner.
Pattern: my own, but based on the Back Door Quilt Series
Fabrics: from my stash

Thank You Scarf

After Chris the librarian gave me her handspun and I turned it into my lovely Shalom Cardigan, I felt it was only right that I give her a little something in return. Karma, politeness, the Golden Rule - all would suggest that this is a good thing to do. Figuring out what to make was a bit of a trick, but eventually I settled on making her this infinity scarf. I used the same yarn I'd used for my Celtic Cardigan - it's Canadian, nice and thick, and a great mix of colours. Chris often wears a scarf when she's sitting at the front desk in the library, and she's a no-nonsense kind of person who would appreciate the simplicity of this scarf. These big cowls (or infinity scarves) are all the rage these days, and I can see why - they're big and warm and can be worn all kinds of different ways. I faked a pattern up - it's just a big loop of seed stitch - and knit until I felt it was big enough. I kind of love it myself, but I'm happy for Chris to have it, with my thanks!
Yarn: Fleece Artist Scotian Silk
Pattern: my own

Handspun Shalom Cardigan

At the last book club meeting at the Storrington Public Library, I brought my knitting. Chris the librarian said she had some yarn at home which she had spun ages ago and which she was never going to use, and did I want it? I said sure, thinking that would be the end of it, but the next time I went in to pick up my books: there it was. A bag of cream handspun think-and-thin yarn which Chris happily handed over to me. I did some research on Ravelry, weighed and measured the stuff, and figured out that my best bet was probably to make myself a Shalom Cardigan. I also decided to dye the stuff with Kool-Aid. The dyeing was an interesting process - it took a few tries and lots of grape powder mix - but eventually I ended up with a colour I liked (even if it was a bit uneven. Luckily the pattern could accommodate the patchy colour). I probably would never have tried this method if it hadn't been free yarn, but I'm very glad I did - it was really fun, and made the whole house smell like grape Kool-Aid! (The sweater still smells a bit like Kool-Aid as well, even though it's been well rinsed and blocked.) The sweater knit up quickly - it was a great pattern to work with - and overall I'm thrilled with the result.
Yarn: Chris the librarian's thick-and-thin handspun, dyed with Grape Kool-Aid by moi
Pattern: Shalom Cardigan by Meghan McFarlane

Hugh's Birth Announcement

What? Do you think I should have had his birth announcement finished and framed closer to his actual birth almost seven years ago? Well, you're probably right. But a few things happened in the intervening years (see: worldwide travel, buying and moving in to one house, buying and moving in to another house, and having two more children) and this little item kind of got lost in the shuffle. But: it's done now. And even if it's a little late in coming, the love that goes with it isn't diminished one whit.

Sparkly Scarf

One of the side effects of learning about the incredible knitting community online (mostly via Ravelry and the Yarn Harlot) was that I found a number of online yarn shops in Canada where I would, often, buy yarn on impulse. Their sale bins were no less appealing just because they were online. And so I acquired a number of things which - quite honestly - if I had seen them live and in person, I probably wouldn't have bought. This yarn was one of those impulse buys. The idea of sequined, beaded mohair sounded great, but when it arrived, it was the smallest skein of yarn I'd ever seen. Seriously - when I wound it up (and it was closer to dental floss than yarn in terms of thickness) the ball was no bigger than an apple. I had no idea what I was going to do with it - how I would stretch this tiny bit of luxury yarn into anything at all resembling anything useful. Still - I fell in love with it, and stashed it carefully where I wouldn't forget it. Eventually, I found this one row scarf pattern on Ravelry and decided that this was what my yarn was destined to become. I paired it with a plain brown sock yarn to give it some body, and knit until I ran out of yarn. I seamed the ends together and, voilà! A sparkly brown infinity scarf, large enough to go around my neck twice. I'm very, very pleased. But I've learned my lesson: buy most yarn in person unless you know the yarn well, or unless you're willing to take a risk. And I'm also laying off the online yarn store websites until my stash is reduced to a more manageable level.
Pattern: One Row Lace Scarf by Turvid
Yarn: Artyarns Beaded Mohair & Sequins; Sandnesgarn Sisu Sock Yarn, both in brown

Winter Socks for Daddy

I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but I find coming up with gift ideas for the men in my family is always a challenge. Luckily: they all seem to love the hand knit socks. (Either that or they're doing a fine job of pretending.) So it's kind of become my go-to gift for my dad, my brother, and Jeffy. Last Christmas, however, I was a little behind in the whole crafting department (I think going back to work, taking a trip to Mexico, and hand sewing a wedding dress may have had something to do with it), and so I gave my dad a tin of cashews and a ball of the sock yarn I was intending to use to make him some socks. He seemed delighted (though slightly confused about why he was getting a ball of yarn) and said he was actually kind of happy that the socks weren't done, because if they had been he might not have gotten the cashews! (Mental note: nuts are always a good gift for my dad. Especially cashews.) I managed to whip these little puppies up quite quickly and gave them to him in late February, at which point he immediately put them on his feet. With the winter we've had, there's still lots of good reason to wear wool socks.
Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks Jacquards in "Denim Blue"
Pattern: the Yarn Harlot's Good Plain Sock Recipe

Crooked Paths Hat

I just finished up this lovely little hat for me. It's hard to believe, but I am functionally winter hat-less - a sorry state of affairs for a knitter. (What's that saying about the shoemaker's children going barefoot? Hmmm...) I love the current slouchy hat trend, and found this beautiful pattern on ravelry, and dug out some yarn from my stash that's been waiting for the right project, and whipped this little number up in about two weeks. It was a really enjoyable knit - straightforward pattern, but not boring, and blocking it around a dinner plate was especially fun. By chance, it matches a scarf I bought in New Zealand perfectly. I wore this hat outside today when we were playing with the kids, and it kept me warm and happy. Success all around!
Pattern: Crooked Paths by Melissa LaBarre
Yarn: Dream in Color "Classy" in "Chinatown Apple"

Balaclavas for Neva and Hugh

Well, I don't know if you've noticed (or if it's this cold where you are), but it's -33 Celsius around these parts these days. We're in a cold snap, and although the school is good about not making the kids go outside if it's less than -25C -- that's still pretty cold. Hence: balaclavas for all! This is a pattern I'd done before for Jeffy, and liked a lot. It's a fast knit, and the face opening is stretchy enough that it can be left open just for the eyes or pulled down to expose most of the face. I even managed to make Hugh's in less than 48 hours, which shows you either a) how quickly it knits up, or b) how good I am at ignoring the children when I have a goal in mind. Regardless: they wore them today, and not for the last time, methinks. Their comment: "We look like ninjas!" You bet, kidlets. Really warm ninjas.
Pattern: Easy Balaclava by Nanette Blanchard
Yarn: Dream in Color: Neva's is "Classy" yarn in "Pansy Golightly" and Hugh's is "Knitosophy" yarn in "Superhero"