Tuesday, December 22, 2020

I don’t think I could take another sewing stitch – not even on a new and exciting project. Yesterday I finished another row on That Fairy Tale Quilt and today I finished the top for the Guild mystery.

I think I’ll clean my sewing room tomorrow, clean and oil both of my sewing machines, and call to make an appointment to have both machines professionally cleaned and serviced. I don’t have any plans for any more sewing until the New Year – unless of course I find a new and exciting project!

I’ve never had a cleaning person but my understanding is that you always clean your house before they arrive. I assuming the same probably holds true for sewing machines.

Monday, December 21, 2020

I’ve spent the last several evenings trying to get started on a crocheted afghan. I found a pattern I liked but there were seven rows involved and there was no way I could concentrate on whatever show we were watching and keep track of where I was.

So I switched to a knitted afghan pattern, but I didn’t like the way it looked after several rows. I found another crochet pattern but I wasn’t able to figure out the stitches; personally I think there was an error in the pattern as I tried and ripped at least three times and never ended up with the right number of stitches at the end of the row.

So then I thought I could make up a pattern of my own. That did not work out well at all.

So yesterday I found my basic shell stitch pattern and that is what I’m using. The instructions told you what multiple of stitches I needed (6 + 1 was the magic number). I have several rows done and it looks fine. The same pattern maker also has a Wave stitch afghan that I will try next. I really want a knitted ripple stitch afghan (and I know I have a pattern somewhere) and when I find it I’ll have another option.

Saturday, December 19, 2020

I didn’t plan a whole lot for the day but what was planned (an Alias Grace block) was finished before I stopped for lunch. I did a bit of tidying up but it is still early afternoon.

We have a couple of online concerts this afternoon but the first one doesn’t start for over an hour. I think I’ll read my book under the lights of the Christmas tree until it is time to move to the basement and work on my afghan.

Friday, December 18, 2020

We were warned that we were in for a storm and it arrived right on time. The Texada ferry ran earlier today because I saw it at seven when I was making coffee and again about nine when I went down for a second cup. The ferry to Comox isn’t running either; I’m not sure whether or not it ran first thing in the morning.

I’ve had another no-pressure day unless you consider deciding what to bake and what knitting/crochet pattern I should use pressure.

Last night I started a crocheted afghan but wasn’t even finished the first row before I knew it wouldn’t work for me. There were about seven rows in the pattern and, since we were watching a show with sub-titles, I needed something simpler. I found a knitted afghan pattern that was easy enough to follow but after a few rows I decided I didn’t really like it. I’ve found another crochet pattern that repeats one row over and over; I hope it works out or I may go back to making hats.

I intended to make Nanaimo Bars today. I purchased all the ingredients at the last shop and even told Pat that was what I was making. There wasn’t a recipe in Mum’s cookbook but I recalled she had a Mincemeat Muffin recipe and that I still had half a jar of mincemeat in the fridge. Instead of the muffins though I made an Oatmeal Mincemeat Square. It looks a lot like a Matrimonial Cake but with mincemeat in the middle rather than dates. I looks and smells good; we’ll know for sure when we have dessert tonight.