Missing winter
Posted by Lanea on Thursday, March 1st, 2012
This is one of the warmest winters I ever remember in Virginia, and I disapprove. I heartily disapprove. And apparently I’m demonstrating my disapproval by making blankets I don’t need. I’ve worked on nothing but blankets for weeks, and yet I’m kicking off the quilt night after night, wishing for a hard freeze and snow that demands attention.
The wool-along blanket was pretending to be nearly finished, but I decided I had to pick apart the squares and take out a band of lace that just wasn’t right. Geometry smacked me right upside the head, and everything went wonky and wrong. All my talk a few weeks ago about my ease with knitting was hubris. I should have seen this coming. But, still, the yarn won’t be ruined and the squares have come back together nicely.
All of my despair as I crocheted the squares together proved worth it. Unzipping the seams was much easier than picking apart feet of mattress stitch. And I think repetition is making me less angsty about crochet. I am worried about making another rank of squares for the outside. I’m on the 25th square now, and still have tons of yarn left. Using all 24 of the wools will make for a giant blanket. Giant. Do people use bed-sized afghans?
I also zipped through a queen-sized sweater-felt pieced blanket. I’m not sure whether or not I’ll back and quilt it. I made nine-patch squares with larger pieces of felt, and then sashed with strips of the smaller squares.
It’s a bit homely, but very warm. Also very interesting to the wool cat.
I think this is my favorite square. That waviness of the construction stitches is what makes me hesitant to quilt it.
My dear friend Etaine was kind enough to give me a book made by her sister Michelle, who happens to be an amazing weaver and dyer and blogger. She dyed the yarn with woad and wove the fabric, which is an emboldened tabby called “Lover’s Knot.” I think I’ve spent more time cuddling the book than writing in it so far. I need to stop keeping it so precious, but but but . . .
I finished weaving the yardage I was working on, which doesn’t really look at all different than it did on the loom. I broke down and bought a stand for the loom, and I’m so glad I did. It made the work go much more quickly. Now, I’m trying to steel myself to waulk the fabric.
Finally, I finally started on a gallery wall. I’ve been meaning to hang a bunch of stuff here since the big painting and flooring spree a few years ago, but I kept hesitating. I love it.
Maybe Yarrow will rate a frame of his own.
Filed in felting,knitting,sewing,weaving | 7 responses so far
Lisaon 04 Mar 2012 at 12:18 am 1Love the idea of the felted blanket! I use old felted sweaters to make stuffed animals, but a blankie…yummy!
NutmegOwlon 05 Mar 2012 at 9:40 am 2What a fabulous wall! (Not to mention all the other stuff, but the wall is wonderful.) IKWYM about the lack of winter – when my knitting mojo has been hottest, the temps never caught up. Then again, considering that we were utterly buried – literally – last year, I shan’t complain.
gayleon 06 Mar 2012 at 7:47 am 3We’re getting our usual March late-hit snow. At least it’s not piling on top of a 3-4′ base like in normal years…
I have a wool blanket made by my great-grandmother (before I was born.) The top is pieced of wool fabric, the backing is wool, and the batting is wool. It weighs almost as much as my car, but it may very well be the World’s Warmest Blanket. Great-grandma tied it rather than quilting it – wise choice.
marfaon 11 Mar 2012 at 12:45 pm 4Uh-huh & lots of head nodding re the tho’ts of “what happened to winter?” here in PA too. The blankie is wonderful & I love the photos of it. Ditto Mr. Yarrow. A photo wall is a dream of ours too – yours is a great example of one.
XOXO
bullwinkleon 13 Mar 2012 at 6:42 am 5Your blankets have inspired me (or, at least, justified my odd collection of feltable sweaters.) Not that I have anything except stash/squares to show for it. Yet. 😉 (Ftr: that’s one to be finished from years ago, the sweater blanket, a new one from stash, and a wool-along in the planning stages. Enough of giving the felted log-cabin blankets to the pooches!)
That book is astounding. Gorgeous. Did she make the book or cover a book? (Because, if she made it, may I see the binding?) You and Purlewe are going to make me get a loom…
As for winter, the porch doors are open and the birds are singing.
lellaon 25 Mar 2012 at 9:08 pm 6What a gorgeous book and weaving. That shows a master’s hand, that one. And, of course, Yarrow should have a frame on the wall. Sweet wool kitty!
I love the blankets you’ve made. DH would not let me bring home a loom the last time we went North. Absolutely nixed it. I’m pretty mad about that because he’s the reason I’m still knee deep in ceramics. grrrr.
I hope that your Summer is not too hot, nor your Spring too short.
Charlieon 16 Apr 2012 at 1:45 pm 7Awesome book… hey, is that a mica lampshade? I like.