Journal Your Christmas

I started this online class last year, but only got as far as a cover for my journal. This year I'm doing it again and hope I can get more done. My schedule for December includes finishing my electronic capstone portfolio, graduation, my birthday, my son's birthday, my wedding anniversary, and, of course, Christmas.

I am already looking forward to decorating, baking, putting the Christmas quilt on the bed, and planning lots of wonderful little surprises. Having a journal I can have fun assembling and then enjoy year after year is the something else I want to do, just for me.

If you'd like to find out more about this class, click here.

Girly-Girl Socks

I've begun knitting another pair of socks. This one is in girly-girl pink. I'm using size 1 dpns and Koigu yarn. I love this pattern stitch. It's a nine stitch, four round pattern.

Rnd 1: K2togb, yo, k3, yo k2togf, p2
Rnd 2: K7, p2
Rnd 3: K2, yo, sl1, k2 tog, psso, yo, k2, p2
Rnd 4: K7, p2

Bumblebee Socks

Reading about self-striping socks at Yarn Storm's blog reminded me of the many self-striping yarns I've bought through the years which have been languishing in my stash. One reason, of course, is that most use size 0 needles which are the about the size of toothpicks. The knitting is just plain stockinette, but the size of the needles means a lot of knitting. I did start several pairs and found them in a basket, still on the needles.

The bumblebee socks were almost finished so I chose to work on them first. I bought the yarn (Opal Bumblebee 187) several years ago. It is no longer available.

Two ATCs

Here are the two ATCs I made this morning.

Patchwork Garden

Here are the blocks I've pieced and appliquéd so far for Jan Patek's quilt pattern, Patchwork Garden.

To Sew is to Pray

To sew is to pray. Men don't understand this. They see the whole but they don't see the stitches. They don't see the speech of the creator in the work of the needle. We mend. We women turn things inside out and set things right. We salvage what we can of human garments and piece the rest into blankets. Sometimes our stitches stutter and show. Only a woman's eye can tell. Other time, the tension in the stitches might be too tight because of tears, but only we know what emotion went into the making. Only woman can hear the prayer.
Four Souls, Louise Erdrich, page 176

A Christmas Gift

Oh dear, oh dear. I have been neglecting this blog dreadfully. The problem is time or rather, the lack of time.

Here is a placeholder post. This is a photo of a gift I received last Christmas. It is a Muller 12 antique toy sewing machine. Made of cast iron it sews a simple chain stitch. Mine has a lovely case as well.

The Muller factory was founded by Friedrich Wilhelm Muller in 1868 and produced sewing machines until the 1970s. They were one of the largest manufacturers of small sewing machines in the world.