Sunday, March 7, 2021

....in which I get to use the word "antimacassar"....

 I think Spring is just around the corner! I don't go by the groundhog to tell me so...I can tell by the fact that my husband has planted some seeds in the indoor greenhouse, lol. Hopefully we'll have an abundance of colour in the garden this year. Last Summer was a bit of a bust but we've learned our lesson...so I'm crossing my fingers. 


It's a bright beautiful start to the day, so I'll be heading out to the trail for a bit of a run shortly. We haven't run the trail in quite a while since we don't have appropriate footwear for slippery and snowy conditions. 


Still, it feels like a nice day to sit and knit for a bit. I am going to finish up these socks this week. They've been pushed aside for a while now, but I'm needing those needles for something else.




The pattern for my socks is the Hermione pattern and I quite like it. It's pretty and it's easy...good for knitting while the tv is on. This was yarn that I dyed myself using kitchen spices....dry mustard, paprika, chili powder, and of course turmeric. I tried to set the colour with vinegar, but I don't know if I did it properly or if the colours will fade. That's ok if it does, it was just a fun experiment!

 I have joined an international sock swap through social media. I think most of the people involved are from countries such as Norway and Finland. I'm a bit torn on which socks to make but I'm leaning toward using a yarn from a Canadian dyer, and a pattern from a Canadian designer, since my secret sock partner is from Finland. 


This past week was filled with hand-work of some kind or another. I completed my Siddi/Kawandi quilt that was started a week ago through an online workshop with Sujata Shah. This project couldn't linger on and on because I needed the space back on which I had set this project up....and for the fact that I did not want this to become another UFO!






Of course, I couldn't resist doing a bit of fussy-cutting here and there. I also enjoyed using a bit of dupioni silk to give the quilt a bit of bling. I'm going to watch out for neckties in thrift shops as I think they will be a perfect fabric for a future Siddi quilt. 


I love that it is the perfect size to be a new antimacassar. Antimacassar is one of my favourite words...do you have any favourite words?? 


One thing about this technique is that the finish line only gets faster as you work on the piece since you are working from the outside in!


Finally...if any of you wonder if people actually win on Instagram contests....yes, they do! 

This week I won a prize from Windham Fabrics and designer Tamara Kate!

It's even better than that. In the contest we were to "tag" a friend, which I did....so we both one an Aerial fabric bundle and our choices of  a pattern by Tamara Kate. 




The fabrics are soooo pretty...and I'll take them as a sign of Spring, too!

That's all for now. Of course, as always on a Sunday, I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching

6 comments:

  1. Congrats on the fabric win! I now have to go look up a Siddi quilt. I have never heard of this.

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  2. Beautiful socks and quilt! Congratulations on your win! I have actually won on Instagram too!

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  3. Oh, spring has definitely turned up at your place....why those fabrics tell me so. Your Siddi/Kawandi is gorgeous. Astonishing really how all those little pieces of fabrics turn into a little quilt of great beauty. It looks wonderful on the chair in its new role as an "antimacassar". Why, I think this is my new favourite word. Those socks are fabulous. You did a stellar in the dyeing of the yarn. Congratulations on the fabric win. Those fabrics are so pretty.

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  4. Love the socks and little quilt. Congrats! On your lucky win! 🍀

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  5. Yay for making a quilt and not a UFO. Looks so happy with all those bright colors.

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  6. Love your socks, how clever of you to dye your wool. Your international sock swap sounds fun.

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