All posts by Sherry

Poncho

Knit & Crochet

I made this pattern in pink for Christy when she was about six or seven and it was always one of my favourites.

But this poncho didn’t start out as a poncho. I had two skeins of yarn that I bought somewhere without having any particular pattern in mind. When I decided to use it my first thought was that it would make a nice shawl. So I started my standard triangular shawl; I wasn’t very far along when I decided I could come up with a better pattern so took it all apart

I went looking through my patterns and came up with a variation on a shawl – it was called a shawl poncho. It was a free pattern that I’d picked up somewhere and in the photo the shawl went over your head but it was only about shoulder length. So I started knitting but when I was finished I didn’t really like it. Since I give most of my knitting away I wasn’t sure anyone would “get” the idea of it without the photo.

That’s when I remembered the poncho that I had made for Christy. I found the pattern and started crocheting (ripping out the shawl/poncho as I went along). Because I wasn’t sure how much yarn I was going to need I made the poncho in the smallest size but when it was done I still had half a ball of yarn left.

So I moved on to making the next largest size (ripping out this second poncho as I went along). I was within a few rows of finishing the larger size when I ran out of yarn. What to do? I decided I’d tried and failed enough times already that I wasn’t starting over again. So I stopped just short of the larger size but it is a bit longer than the smaller size and I didn’t do the fringe on the bottom. I don’t often donate kids things other than hats and scarves but I think this will work in the Salvation Army Christmas baskets.

Happy Birthday Elizabeth

Journal

July 2, 2020

Quilling Daisies

I didn’t make a fabric card for Elizabeth this year, and I didn’t make this card.

When we were in Victoria at Christmas I saw this card in one of the book stores. I immediately thought of Elizabeth and bought it. I’m pleased that in the six months between the purchase and the giving I didn’t misplace it.

They make frames for these cards but the store in town was sold out of them. I’ll be checking back until I can send one to her.

My fingers are crossed that her parcel gets to her on time.

Most of the daisies in our yard are from seeds given out at Elizabeth & Ray’s wedding.

Pics from here and there

Journal

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Pic from here (Texada)

I headed outside to the deck for a second time to wait for the hummingbirds to find our feeders. I didn’t expect to see a small lizard sunning himself near my chair. By the time I got my camera (Pat kept his eye on him) he had moved off between the logs. Pat says he’s seen them before but this was my first time (and it could be my last and I wouldn’t mind).

Pic from there (Powell River)

I snapped a photo of this gladiola before we left home. Many summers we are away when they are at their best. So far this is the only one in blossom but I’ve seen spikes on a few others on the deck; the ones in the yard are further behind.

Happy Canada Day

Journal

Wednesday, July 1, 2020 (Block 107)

Old Glory Star

It is pretty quiet out on the streets today and there is no sign of any celebrations in honour of the day. I had to do some re-imagining of my daily block to make it more Canadian. The calendar is published in the US so there are a lot of red, white and blue patterns.

I took the car out for a drive after lunch. We’re going to Texada tomorrow for a few days and I knew it needed to be driven if there was to be any hope that it would start when we got back. I had a book to drop off at the library and I made a stop at the liquor store (stocking up for Texada). Pat got some groceries this morning so I felt I should do my part. I don’t think I’ve been to Texada since January, other than a quick ferry trip over and back. And I don’t think Pat has been over since February. It was hard for us to remember what is over there, what we’ve run out of, and what we brought back here that needs to go back there.

Since getting home I’ve had to make a few tough decisions. Will I take my sewing machine or will I leave it at home? If I take my machine what threads will I need? If I take my machine I’ll feel obligated to do my daily block and how will I know what fabric I need to take? Should I take my July UFO and get it started or should I have some fun and start something new? In the end I’ve decided to leave my sewing machine at home. I’m not sure how the daily blocks will work when I get back as the counting will be out – my OCD kicks in when I’ve been working on a series.

So what will I do without my machine? I have two knitting projects and two cross stitch projects packed. I have a big embroidery project already started on Texada so I can continue working on that. I have a pack of projects that are supposed to teach me how to do hardanger and that went into the bin. I packed my library book and I have my Kindle so reading in the hammock won’t be compromised. I hope we can get some hikes in; there have been a number of trails that are now mapped so we’ll be able to find them easier. There is a set of falls that we’ve gone looking for twice but never successfully found the trailhead. There is also some work that needs to be done (chopping wood, cleaning out the cobwebs, airing everything out) so I’m sure I won’t be bored.

I’m not sure I’ll be posting daily while we are away because there might not be a whole lot of anything to chat about. I’ll be back when we return to town next week.