Tag Archives: work-in-progress

This and That for Saturday!

Hi all! Did you have a nice Groundhog Day? Yep, he saw his shadow—another 6 weeks of winter. I’m betting winter will extend past that 6 week mark, maybe 10 weeks! What do you think?

My husband and I spent yesterday evening watching the movie “Groundhog Day”. It was filmed in a nearby town that we frequently visit. We had fun trying to pick out the filming spots and what is there now. The filming probably took place in 1992, so things have changed. My husband is really good at spotting the areas, not me so much. The bed and breakfast that Bill Murray stayed in was recently sold. In case you are curious as to what it looks like you can see that here. I don’t believe they filmed inside, but definitely outside. I think it operated as a bed and breakfast for a while, but not sure what it is currently being used for.

This little orchid blossom is just opening this very morning! She’s itty bitty, and is one of three buds on a short stem. This is my last remaining phalaenopsis orchid plant. 😦 I must say that that’s a very good reason to visit a somewhat local orchid greenhouse. It’s huge (4 acres!) and makes you feel as if you’re on a tropical vacation.

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My stack of cowls is growing. I just finished the white one. My next cowl will be the Bobble Cowl by Joji Locatelli. It is much longer than these three, so will be on my needles for awhile. I want to dye a skein of fingering weight merino single ply in a very light tonal or barely there gradient. Sorry dollies, I know this skein was meant for you.

As for dolly stuff, I will be embroidering today. See, I’m all set up and ready to go. Once I get started I will be fine—no more procrastinating.

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Oh, one more thing… I didn’t start out collecting doll books, but as you can see it is turning into that. I don’t think I can pass up a book with the word “doll” in the title or a doll illustration on the cover. “House of Dolls” just arrived last week, and is my tiniest book yet. A few of these books have been recommended by some of you. Thank you! I’ve enjoyed them all very much and reread them often. Any more suggestions? 🙂

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I still have to share my heart sachets with you. Tomorrow, I will try. This post is already all over the place.

Wishing you all a great Saturday!

Thank you so much for spending some time with me today. ❤

This Week So Far

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Hello. I’ve made some progress this week so far. Yay!

We woke to a rainy morning yesterday. I was determined that this rainy day and Monday was not going to get to me. It was actually the perfect morning to settle down in my studio and finally get some embroidery work done, specifically this sweater coat! Yes, that’s right, another project started in early December!

01-22-2018 3792 For me, embroidering my doll sweaters is like exercise—I’m happy when it’s done. It’s not that I hate embroidering, it’s just that embroidering on knitwear is so unpredictable. Sometimes the embroidery fairies are helpful and sometimes they are little terrors— knotting the back of my work, sending the floss where I don’t intend it to go, choosing the wrong colors for me. Yesterday they were helpful little fairies, which I was most thankful for. By 3:00 pm I was finished.

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Mother Nature was treating us well today too. She stopped the rain and brightened the sky so that some sunshine could peek through, and the temperature was the cherry on top, quite warm for January. I was able to squeeze in a brisk walk to catch the setting sunshine and watched as the fog started rolling in. Really, it was quite beautiful.

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And then, Mother Nature played a joke on us this morning. Not even the television weather people got this right.

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Snowfalls when the temperature is barely at freezing are the amazing. The snow clings to everything; it reminds me of flocked Christmas trees.

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It’s definitely a “fire in the fireplace” kind of day. I hope you enjoy your day, wherever you may be.

Sending you a warm hug from northern Illinois. ❤

This Past Week

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Another week gone by in a blur… I was going to say how crazy it is that January is already half over. I missed my chance—as of tomorrow January is two-thirds over. Spring is around the corner!

This past week was a calm but busy one. As the weather warmed up I was able to get outside for a walk. It’s always uplifting to get some sunshine and breathe in that crisp air. I believe I sleep better on those days that I am able to get outside.

Even my pup loves sunshine, and of course, soft beds. I think he is missing his “sissy”.

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I completed my first doll ensemble this week, and it is on its way to a special little girl.

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I have a couple of newer fabrics that have this shade of green in them, so I decided to knit a “Light Cardigan” for the Little Darlings in the longest length with elbow length sleeves. It is now blocked and waiting patiently for me.

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Yesterday I dyed a skein of merino worsted weight yarn for a cowl I’d like to make. I made these two color palettes on PicMonkey, but the end result doesn’t really look anything like the palettes I made. Hmm, an unnecessary step?

I started with 5 basic colors: yellow, warm red, cool red, warm blue, cool blue. I mixed up a concentrated bit of each, then used those to mix four colors to be used on the yarn.

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This is the first time I “cooked” my yarn in a pot and used citric acid instead of vinegar as a mordant.

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The dye “stuck” to the yarn immediately. I thought it would get diluted and bleed into the other colors. That didn’t happen. I guess because of all the citric acid. I find many different “suggestions” for the amount to be used.

This is how the yarn looked after I finished applying the dye. I used the smaller cups and slowly put it on the yarn.

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When I lifted my skein out of the pot I discovered the underside had lots of white. I actually like it better this way, so yay! You can see how clear the dye bath is; all of the dye is on the yarn. When I washed the skein I had no bleeding whatsoever.

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The end result was a surprise. I was going for a much more muted and pastel version of these colors—not so violet-y looking Oh well… I have a LOT to learn about dyeing yarn. Nevertheless, it was fun and perhaps addicting. I am anxious to start knitting with this skein. I hope it doesn’t knit up looking like a mess.

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This yarn is Preciosa from Knit Picks—a 100% merino single ply. I’ve discovered that merino wool is not scratchy on my skin—even on my neck. I’ve believed for many, many years that I could not wear any animal fiber whatsoever. I see many cowls, socks, scarves, and shawls in my future. And perhaps, when I am really confident, a sweater.

Also, from this week. Wendy, who makes porcelain dolls and repaints others, has kindly shared photos of her work with me and you, too. Wendy has resized some of my knitting patterns to fit her specific dolls. She is one multi-talented lady. She also does other crafts. If you’d like to follow her Facebook page it is called Wendy’s Doll Collection. Here are her photos. The first and last are from Dianna Effner molds. The middle doll is a German antique reproductions which she repainted and dressed.

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