Some things completed

While I was in England during December and January, I knit my littlest (youngest) granddaughter a blanket that she could use while sitting in the stroller.

Here's Aurora using the blanket. We have had some really cold days but it looks like Aurora is bundled up nicely.

I brought home some double knit yarn from England and, since I like making small things in between bigger projects, I knit a couple of hats. These are free patterns on Ravelry. The one on the left is called 'Baby Hat With Top Knot - Tegan' and the one on the right is called 'Basic Baby Hat.' My daughter claimed them for her friend who recently had a little girl.

Here's the finished Christmas mystery top. I wanted to take a photo of it outside but there wasn't anyone willing to hold it up for me so I just placed it on the back deck. It worked out well. I have some of the light blue fabric left over to bind it with but that will have to wait for later.

This is one of the pillowcases I made for Christmas for one of my granddaughters.

As you can tell, the theme was princesses.

I purchased the co-ordinated fabric from Sew Sisters in Toronto. It was on sale and I thought it would make perfect pillowcases. The pink fairy fabric was in the mystery box I also purchased from them.

Here they all are. Unfortunately, because I wasn't here at Christmas time, they weren't handed out but once I got home, they were the first things the little ones got.

The boys all got dinosaur pillowcases.

Well, that's it for the finished projects at the moment.

Works in progress

 I am finding myself switching up what I work on daily.

This is a little baby blanket that I am making for no one in particular. I belong to a Facebook group called Warm Baby Project that is based in the UK. They have offered free baby blanket patterns and they usually have some kind of design knitted right in. The first five patterns were free and this sixth one was only a couple of dollars so I decided to try it. I'm only on row 122 and there are 167 rows altogether. That means I have two more pages to go. Counting is all you have to do since it's just knit and purl.

This is the yarn I'm using. It was on sale somewhere and I thought I would pick it up and use it for some charity knitting.

I have also started a slouch hat. This is on hold right now.

In the sewing department, I'm also working on finishing up this Christmas quilt top. It was a mystery quilt that I started early in December before I left for England. This one is a fused applique project. There is another red and green pieced Christmas mystery quilt that I signed up for too and was working on at the same time but I have left it for now. Too many things to do all at once and I found that some of the fabrics were too close in shading and it was confusing me. I need to concentrate in order to complete it.

My eldest daughter requested some bags just to keep things in. Odds and ends or toys. I have a lot of longish zippers and a lot of these Ikea scraps (that are heavier in weight than cotton) so I thought I would use both to make some bags. After I found these pieces, I noticed that four had already been sewn together. Bonus for me.

And lastly, I have started a baby quilt for one of my daughter's friends who had a little girl in late January. These were charm squares that my daughter arranged in a four patch. She wanted something more modern and neutral in colour for them instead of pink and mauve. The pattern is an easy one called Breezy Charm Quilt and it's a free pattern from Tacy Gray. I had all the fabric put aside before I left for England so I haven't had to hunt around for anything. I shall show you the completed top once it's all put together. Same with the Christmas blue and white one.

We had a bit of snow this past week.

We had some really cold days too.

Some of the snow on the sidewalks melted in the sun and a bit of it came back. On Monday it's supposed to be a high of 3C and Tuesday we should be at 4C so perhaps more of this snow will be gone again.

We are still in lockdown and it has been extended for another two weeks. I don't mind since I'm such a homebody anyway and I have so many projects that I can work on to keep me occupied.

Stay home, stay safe.

Trust and betrayal

It is a sad, sad day when people you trust betray you. My son and daughter-in-law, both public school teachers, have been living with us for the past 7 months. They were to move into their renovated home early in December but so far, they are left with just a shell of a house. The contractor that they hired, the one who they researched and who was acredited by the Better Business Bureau, deceived them and took their money. They are left with very little savings to hire a new contractor. My eldest son has started a Go Fund Me page to help them get back on their feet and into the house for which they had planned and dreamed.

If you feel at all inclined to help, Thank You from the whole Sedore family.

https://ca.gofundme.com/f/help-davina-and-eric-rebuild-their-home

Daddy, ever the joker.

Ready for the outdoors.

Daddy's little girls and this one was even born on Father's Day.

Taken last summer in happier times.

The birthday girl sharing space with her little sister.

What is in there?

The little kitchen outfit I made with the chef's hat on the floor.

Smile.

Stay healthy. Stay safe.

The latest projects

For the past month I was in England visiting my youngest daughter and helping her with the twins and 3 year old Atticus. Her husband had to go away to take a course and since I was there, I extended my visit for a bit. I am now close to completing my self isolation in the basement of my home. Luckily, I have everything I need here - including my crafts.

I started this blanket when I was in England. I got the yarn from Aldi and purchased it because it was a good price and also, it had a certain amount of wool content. It's 20% wool but it's also washable. The label says it's Knit & Purl Rainbow Yarn in the Nougat colour. Each ball or cake was 200 grams.

I used up two balls of yarn for the blanket when I was in England but when I came home, I added to it and used up another ball of yarn. There are still three left in England. I crocheted it using the shell stitch.

I made the blanket so that my youngest little granddaughter, Aurora, had something that kept her legs warm when she was in the stroller. This photo shows the colours better.

I started this last night. It's a hat for my other granddaughter, Severn. I had made a rainbow hat for her mom and it was her mom who suggested I make one for Severn. It seems that Severn keeps wearing her mom's hat. The pattern is free on Ravelry and it's called Bankhead. I have used that pattern for about a dozen or more hats so far. The yarn was purchased last year or the year before from Walmart.

Once the hat is finished, I am planning on using up these little balls of leftover yarn for another hat.

This is the yarn. Patons Decor is no longer being made since it's not readily available anywhere. I did manage to get some from Lens Mill store a while ago but it was in the clearance section. I like it because it's variegated and also because it too has a certain amount of wool content - 25%. I have made many hats with Patons Decor yarn and my grandchildren are still wearing the hats I made. I think my new 'go to' yarn is Lion Brand's Wool Ease but it's not all that easy to find. It too has a percentage of wool content. Hopefully, I will be back in my sewing room next week. There is a whole big list of things that I have to make. I'll try to remember to take photos of things I finish. 

Until then, stay home, stay safe.

Something new

 But not quilt related.

Cross stitch kits.

I treated myself to some kits. Most of them are not that big at all. I don't need any fabric and since I am currently in England, I thought I would save the international shipping charges. Once I am home, I will be in isolation so I will have something to do to keep me occupied. I have done some cross stitch before but they have all been small things. I thought I would work at smaller kits until I feel like doing bigger ones. I think all of these are a 14 count. My friend has a problem with vision and so she uses 11 count. I have seen some of the cross stitch that she does and she has incorporated some of the designs into her quilts.