Barnstaple Vest

From the great long blogging break that I have taken you would think I hadn't done anything at all creative in a long time, but that isn't the case. During the 2 hour breaks I get each morning while the puppy, Teddy, goes down for a nap, I have been able to accomplish quite a bit. This new vest is a recent finished project.

It's the "Barnstaple Vest", pattern by Sandi Rosner.

The fit is perfect and I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

I respaced the buttonholes. I have 5 buttons with 12 stitches between each buttonhole rather than the 7 buttons with 8 stitches between each buttonhole as suggested in the pattern. I find fewer buttons, placed farther apart a more pleasing look.

Since my last post in November I have been working on several other projects, some are finished, some are still works in progress. More on that over the next few days -- if my blogging ompf holds out and Teddy-pup gives me a few moments to myself.

All's Well that Ends Well

It was quite the journey getting to this point so I hope you'll enjoy this photo of a textured ceiling. LOL

It's a good thing my husband doesn't give up easily! He started off bright and early this morning to rent a machine to do the spraying of the ceiling since this community does not rent the type he was after. After driving all the way there and back, unloading the thing, dragging it up the stairs, setting it up, and mixing a big pail of the texturizing goop (sorry, don't know the technical terms for any of this!) he starts up the machine and within only a few minutes I hear some muttering and the machine is shut off. 

I nervously approached as the muttering continued. The machine doesn't work and water is spewing everywhere. 

After carefully covering the bucket of "goop" the whole machine had to be packed up again, dragged out to the truck, and off he went again to Abbotsford only to find out that the other machine there also does not work. Back home again (these round trips took hours), to do some research and attack the problem from another angle. 

Different type of machine, not what he wanted, was rented locally and again had to be set up. I left to pick up my grandchildren just as the machine started up and when I returned the job was done. And perfectly I might add!

Long story short? All's well that ends well.

Better Than Expected

So the random colours I drew from the bag of crayons for the guild's year end challenge are playing together far better than I expected. Yay!

The 3 colours drawn were Spring Green, Goldenrod, and Brown. They must make up at least 60% of the finished article. I've added in a red-orange for zing and there is an occasional small blip of blue happening when it appears as the second ply in a predominately brown yarn.

A Surprise Ending

That there is another "warp as weft" cowl/scarf is no big surprise,

I enjoy weaving them and they are a good use for little bits of this and that in the yarn stash.

But when I wound the warp for this cowl I intended to weave a hat from the same warp. That is not how this warp ended. Although this warp made a pretty cowl with a light, spring like look, it just didn't seem right for the intended hat. I also had more than enough for just a hat.

When I cut the remaining length into three pieces and sewed them side by side they made a piece exactly the right size and shape to become upholstery fabric for my loom bench.

I backed the handwoven fabric with heavy fusible interfacing and padded the seat with 1" foam layered with a little extra in the middle.

It makes a super comfy and very inviting place to weave. 

Knitting Injury

It's been so long since I've done more than a few minutes of knitting in one day that a couple of hours of knitting yesterday left me with a very sore arm. It hurt enough in the night to wake me several times!

The pain may be worth it though as I finally have some progress to show on my Celtic Cardigan.

I actually finished the back yesterday! It's not that it is such a slow knit or anything, it's just that I haven't been working on it regularly.