Sunday, January 26, 2020

It's a mystery to me....

I am one who has always enjoyed taking part in a mystery quilt sew-along. I know there are others who simply don't like them, and that's ok :)

A quilty friend of mine used to lead many mystery quilts for one of my guilds years ago and it was always a whole lot of fun. 

This week I am trying a new mystery for me....a knitting mystery.

The pattern is called The Impromptu Shawl.

It starts out with four balls of lovely yarn...


There are some nice fibres here...merino, alpaca, and the grey one is 50% Yak!

With the pattern is a deck of cards. Each suit...hearts, diamonds, spades, clubs....represents one of the balls of yarn. The numbers on the cards denotes which pattern of knitting to follow.


After doing the first bit of the pattern, I drew my first card from the deck...


The jack of diamonds tells me to use the multi-coloured ball and which pattern to follow. 



I can tell already that I'm going to love the process of knitting this shawl. I really feel like sitting and knitting all day today!

I also did a bit of applique on my Animal Album quilt. I really don't want this one to fall by the wayside. I've put it on my list of quilts that I'd like to complete in time for our quilt show in 2021, so hopefully this will keep me at it.



I had a visit with a friend this week and she was talking about how there are two kinds of crafters...Process and Projects. 

Projects....The crafter who creates because of a need of the completed craft...such as making a quilt for a wedding gift or a new grandbaby.

Process....Those of us who create for the love of the "doing". I've known for a long time that this is who I am. I love the journey of the project...the getting there is an added bonus. 

I will love the journey of the Impromptu Shawl....I hope I enjoy wearing it in the end, lol...who knows.

And, of course, I love the journey of hand-stitching. I know most of us who do needlework are in the same category as me. 

Looking back, I can only think of a couple of people in my life that made quilts only when the need arose...not just for the sake of the making. For me, I do it for the enjoyment....and I know from experience that each quilt, etc., will one day speak to who it is for. 

This has happened to me as recently as last month when I gifted a quilt to a person in my life who was obviously who the quilt was intended.

I hope you will comment on which kind of creator you are...but I have an inkling that I already know what most of the answers will be.

I am linking up with Kathy today for Slow Sunday Stitching...where I'm sure we'll see many others who are in it to enjoy the journey.

14 comments:

  1. I love the "making"; chain piecing is a special love of mine...something so easy and rewarding to watch that chain of twosies growing...I like your album a lot--
    hugs, Julierose

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  2. I'm definitely a process crafter! Looking forward to seeing how your shawl progresses!

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  3. I am a process crafter. I look forward to seeing how your shawl comes along. That sounds like fun!

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  4. I'm going to say I am some of both. I love the process, but I need a finish. I learned years ago that I need projects to be finished or I feel guilty of wasting my time and resources. But if I'm not creating, I'm incomplete.

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  5. I am both. There are projects that I have definite timelines for to give as specific gifts and then there are those items that I work on just to enjoy the process. I do know that I have to be working towards a finish though or my projects just languish and never get finished which makes me sad.

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  6. Interesting I think im mainly in the process club, now again in the projects group when something really needs to be finished quickly. Does this explain why i have so many UFOs perhaps? Now and again someone will say they only work on one project atca time till it is completed, but thats certainly not me!

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  7. Your knitting mystery sounds like great fun! I, too, am in that process category. I enjoy finishing something now and then, but I definitely love the process of creating, no matter how slow!

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  8. Think I too fall into the "both" group. I truly enjoy the process, especially with hand stitching but also often fall into the project category for special events such as birthdays, Christmas or weddings.

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  9. I'm a gifter - as easy as that.

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  10. A little bit of both, but my favourite quilt is always the one I have just finished!

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  11. I am a process quilter. Love getting a quilt finished but enjoy the process more.
    Love the shawl mystery! It will be so much fun!

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  12. I’m in the process group as well. Although I do enjoy the finished products, there are times when finishing is almost a disappointment, A year ago, I finished appliquéing the Kim McLean Flower Garden blocks (just the flowers). I was sad because I enjoyed making those flowers so much. That quilt has been waiting for a border which I plan to start soon (I have designed my own instead of using Kim’s). Also, as another commenter said above, my favourite quilt is often the one I just finished.

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  13. While I'm not a knitter, I do love the idea of your shawl mystery, looks like a fun way to go. I guess I'm in the process group too. I don't get too hung up about when it gets finished, I know it will eventually! I have found I do gift alot of quilts after they are made and have been here with me a while! Can't keep them all!

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  14. I have to admit that I'm a little of both ... process and projects. I prefer process, but don't mind interjecting a little project in there when necessary! Your applique work is really darling!

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