darning

When I took up knitting again

(after a looong non-knitting period

and then discovering the beautiful sock yarn

with long colour changes)

I made a lot of pairs of socks.

Now, all but one pair of winter shoes

are big enough to wear home knitted socks :

never again cold feet

(haha)

But lately I discovered some very thin patches,

only the nylon in the wool left !
(hmmmmm ... that's because I always walk on my socks inside the house)

Time for some serious darning !!!

Unfortunately I had nothing of the original colour left

(and nothing close)

Nothing to worry :

as long as I don't put my feet up !

My mother's old darning tool

came in handy

(some more pairs waiting for the same treatment !)

*

We had no winter to speak of

but in the garden spring seems to be on its way.

Daughter brought spring for inside

wishing you ...

... a lot of

happiness,

peace,

(desperately needed in some places)

good health,

and of course

creativity

!

To all my friends out there in blog-land

a very good 

2017

Just before the end

I received my last felting-exchange piece

(at least I think it is) 

Another lovely creation to wear

with a sweet christmas card

Thank you so much Helma !!!

And on the same day another sweet envelope arrived :

from my dearest friend Birgit

she dyed some things in her indigo vat

and sent it back to me

(we split the wonderful dragon-embroidered piece !)

A dragon and some lovely threads

(bamboo, silk and cotton  f.l.t.r.) 

My zigzag socks are finished

and because it is such fun knitting

and daughter had sock yarn leftovers too

I started right away with another pair

reds and purples this time ...

See you all next year !

quiet ... quiet ... quiet

Yes it's quiet here,

the year walks quietly to its end.

We had lovely family days

and the rest was really quiet.

Just mending a bit

(not for me)

...

and knitting

(the zigzag pattern)

...

and making some more stars

(for the tree)

The jeans of daughter that were lying around for quite some time :

busy mending at last !

the beginning

the outside                   ...         and using pliers !!!

inside

(with some extra cotton fabric for strength)

*

Because the zigzag scarf pattern was so much fun

(using up all the sock yarn leftovers)

I thought I should make some socks

to go with the scarf

:-)

Now two socks on one circular needle

Nearly there !!!

!

I coloured some more wooden stars

such fun to do !

Some more for the tree ...

(which will be outside again soon !)

birthday was fun !

Well, I said I would be busy didn't I ?
Yesterday
(with a High Tea at our home)
I celebrated with some dear family and friends
my 70th birthday.
Years come and go :
you just have to enjoy them !

Daughter brought me this wonderful big bunch of flowers !

Man made (and bought) some yummy things
for our High Tea

and I must confess :
I totally forgot to take a picture
when all the plates were still full
(some stuff didn't last very long  ;-)  !)

It was a wonderful happy celebration
on a bright and SUNNY day !

You know that you get sweet postcards
on a day like this,
but there was also a package
(right on time)
;-)

My dear Blogging-friend Birgit sent it !
(she heard about my birthday when we met in Arnhem)

In it was a wonderful stitched card in Jude-style :
(we both are very fond
of Jude's stitching)

Some delightful yarns, something sweet
and some of the vintage pieces she dyed for me
in her indigo vat !
An unexpected but very sweet present !

*

The day before my birthday
we had our monthly mandala group evening

"Pele"
(the Hawaiian Goddess of Fire)

a winner ! (and more)

On this

International Women's Day

I have drawn a winner for the "leap day mandala"

Delia

you're the lucky one this time !

(it will soon come to you in Germany)

*

For a long time

there was a knitting project that I wanted to make

the Petal Cowl by Xandy Peters

(on Ravelry .... of course)

But after I studied the pattern a bit

I knew it would be

a difficult task !

There are videos to explain

the ingenious "stacked in and decreases"

But that's doable with a few stitches ...

but with 300 on your needle

.....

But after talking about it with someone

in the Alpaca-on-tour group this Saturday

I really started with a tiny try-out

with only 60 stitches

(the wool is Katia "Darling" and was a gift

from my dear friend "Stins" )

And because it was fun ...

(AFTER  I did a LOT of things WRONG !)

I had finally enough courage

to start with a real petal cowl !

(though mine will be a lot smaller than the original pattern !)

NORO Kureyon Sock from my stash !

When I'm really fed up

with aaaaaaaall this "stacking"

then I still have my wonderful

sock-yarn-leftovers scarf !

;-)

*

Finally I received another envelope of my felting exchange !

A card, a beautiful homemade envelope

and a fun little lizard brooch !

Thank you, Anneke ! 

12 - 12 - 15 ... just small things

Nothing much is going on.

We're in between festivities and

December is just going its quiet way.

Small things I'm making.

I'm thinking of stitching a little cloth

just for the fun of stitching again

Finished a small embroidery project just now

which I will show a bit later ...

and another one.

Last Wednesday we had the last mandala evening of the year

there isn't much to be seen 

of the unicorn  that it was about

(that's what happens sometimes after the meditation)

And this was the one of November that I didn't post either

about the sea goddess Benten and the dragon

When I went to Rotterdam today

my usual Stitch'nBitch visit, 

I fi-nal-ly finished my sock

and made the beginnign for number two

Love the colour of that "Lang" yarn 

So :
just small things

ready ... GO !

 

Yesterday evening

my Easter Bunny looked finished

 

but was not !

 

When making a wet felted animal like this

you build up the whole figure with

soft gentle felting

...

Later on

 

the rubbing gets a lot harsher ...

 

and a very good soak afterwards !

(and then ... still a lot of harsh rolling in a towel)

 

But now,

after all weathered hardships,

mister Bunny is quite ready

for his important task tomorrow :

hiding yummy chocolate eggs

for the grandchildren !

 

(he did a bit of a try-out today)

 

He did it quite well

 

so he enjoyed the sun afterwards

with his basket emptied.

 

*

 

Ahhhhhhhh

 I couldn't help myself : simply HAD to make this picture

 

of the lovely sock yarn daughter is knitting with

and the gorgeous Bluebells !