Week 11 of 2026

This week I made a couple of things that had been planned for a while -

This is a liner for a project basket (I recently learned that the latest term is "analogue bag").

I was given the basket recently and it is perfect for my projects, but the knitting needles kept poking out, and yarn was catching (perfect because it fits under a side table next to the couch and the cats aren't able to get in to sleep).

It is made with all kinds of scraps of mainly linen, also some cotton. The pieced band is stitched on a strip of white cotton for stability. I machine sewed the whole bag (except the hem) before embellishing - crazy quilting, slow stitching, surface embroidery (so many names). I added beads, shisha mirrors, an old piece of tatting that hadn't gone to plan, and a collection of flattened pennies my son had from a trip when he was little (just drilled holes in the ends to stitch them on). The embroidery is mainly with perle cotton, some rayon thread, and a bit of silk buttonhole twist.

After all the embroidery was finished I hand stitched the hem to form a casing for a cotton twill tape and a cord lock to keep it tight (I find elastic gives out over time). I did machine stitch a button hole along the edge before, to be able to insert the twill tape.

I finally got around to sewing a pillow with the needlepoint I finished in January. I had wet blocked it and was worried it would bounce back to the angled state it had when it first came off the stitching frame (it didn't!). The green velveteen was something I inherited and it goes perfectly. I added a zipper on the back as the closer for the first time (usually I use buttons but the fabric was too thick).

Photos from Around (really the cats!) -

GingerSnap decided to bury himself in the pillows on my bed.

Such a sound sleeper!

A cat bunkbed.

All the best!♥︎

Week 10 of 2026

I finished a couple of things this week -

This crochet scarf I started in December. I made it with some handspun from years ago (it is BFL that I dyed a gradient, it was previously a cowl that I didn't wear - probably will be a crochet scarf that I don't wear but it was fun to make). The pattern is Hot Chili by Carmen Heffernan - it is a free pattern on her website.

I finished weaving some little utility cloths I started in January.

All hemmed - they are roughly 10" squares. Made from thick cotton - for under hot plates, potholders etc.

More details can be found on my Ravelry project page.

For one I used dark grey cotton to match an old scale we use as a fruit bowl.

This one was a quick project I made yesterday in about an hour (all machine sewn).

A "quilted, divided cup" - a great, well explained, free pattern from Alamosa Quilter (link here).

Perfect for scissors and rotary cutters.

I just pressed the points down on mine.

Photos from Around - 

Best friends - GingerSnap! follows Molly around everywhere, he waits for her to get out of her crate in the morning, or to come in from outside during the day.

My little helper when I was blocking the crochet scarf this week - Miss Maggie didn't even seem to mind the pins.

All the best!♥︎

Week 9 of 2026

This week I made a couple of table mats -

Made from 3.5" squares that I cut a few years ago to make a quilt I work on at a monthly quilt group. I decided to make the quilt smaller than originally planned, so I have lots of leftover squares.

This first one I used different brown squares.

Machine quilted with parallel lines. 12" x 16".

For this one I made half squares triangles with the 3.5" squares (four pieced together for a 5" block).

Machine quilted with an overall meander, with two layers of batting. 20" x 45".

Photos from Around -

More storms this week - lots of hard packed snow drifts.

It's pretty easy to tell what Miss Maggie thinks of GingerSnap!.

All the best!♥︎

Week 8 of 2026

I finished the set of three cross stitch characters -

The patterns are part of the Animal Cracker Series from Stacy Nash.

I used a tutorial from Helen D. on YouTube for the finishing (I should have read her comment about how she uses oval bases now instead of a circle, but the circles worked fine this time, next time I will try oval).

These were enjoyable to stitch because once the design was blocked in, it was easy to just fill in the stitches. I used a handdyed 36 count linen, with overdyed threads (some commercial and some I over dyed) - 1 thread over 2.

Photos from Around -

The chickens enjoying some outside time (they bring the straw out of their coop).

Red sky one morning.

The rough, hard snow must feel good on her back, she loves to roll on it.

All the best!♥︎

Week 7 of 2026

This week I finished 100 days of painting/sketching -

I started a month long challenge to myself on November 1st, and enjoyed it so much that I continued for 100 days.

The plan was to just put something down on paper everyday for the month. I started with different tutorials from social media, and discovered TobySketchLoose on YouTube. I really like his style of ink and wash watercolour.

I quickly realized that I could only do my style of ink and wash, and that's what I have been working on. I don't think it can be called urban sketching because I don't live in a climate where I can paint watercolour outside at the moment, so I have been painting from photos that I have taken. The above photo is a collage of some of the paintings I did on our holiday in BC.

I also started painting photos that I painted earlier in the 100 days just to see how things are going.

I did upgraded my supplies which made a big difference. I have always had good paint brushes thanks to a gift from my sister in law who is an artist.

The challenge has been great. I am amazed how I look at things, and colours differently now.

I plan on continuing the challenge, maybe for another 100 days, 365 days, or the rest of the year - no pressure though. Just something down on paper or fabric everyday, even if it only takes a few minutes. I want to experiment more with mixed media, calligraphy, real urban sketching, and painting on fabric too.

Photos from Around -

The warmer weather has been great for the chickens to be able to go outside.

We've been able to enjoy more walks with Molly too.

This week Miss Maggie chose to sit close to GingerSnap! for a change - he even seemed a bit surprised.

Two seconds later he had to go and touch her. 

I think it will be awhile until she sits near him again. Oh GingerSnap!!

All the best!♥︎

Week 6 of 2026

Works in progress this week -

The handspun crochet scarf is growing slowly- free pattern Hot Chili.

Woven utility cloths on the loom (this is #5).

Cross stitching a few of Stacy Nash's Animal Crackers - I finished Miss Hazel this week, now I am working on Maggie Mae.

Taking a break from knitting socks as a take along project and knitting a hat - the Musselburgh by Ysolda Teague. This is some of my first handspun and has been a few things, so I am hoping it works well for this hat pattern. The yarn is about lace weight/light fingering, and I am knitting it on 2.5mm needles.

Photos from Around - 

I came out of the chicken coop to this one morning - Molly waiting for me to throw her ball.

We had some amazing sunrises this week.

All the best!♥︎

Week 5 of 2026

This week I finished knitting a sweater -

Made with handspun yarn I dyed and spun almost 10 years ago! The pattern is the Hanstholm Sweater by PetiteKnit - a basic top-down, raglan sweater. This is the first handspun sweater I have made for my husband. It was a perfect project to knit in the car when we went out west last month. 

When I finished knitting it, and put it down to get a needle to weave in the ends, GingerSnap! decided it was a good place to sleep (how do cats fall asleep so fast!).

Photos from Around (Snow Photos) -

A flock of Grey Partridges in the yard in the above photo.

All the best!♥︎

Week 4 of 2026

This week I finished a needlepoint I started a couple of years ago -

This was a painted canvas I bought at a thrift store for 25 cents. Stitched with wool I had - I chose colours that matched Molly. The canvas was portrait shaped and I changed it to a square to make a pillow. Also the background had tropical leaves and I just stitched different shades of green sections. Now I have to block it.

More Holiday Photos - 

The last week of our holiday in Osoyoos, BC, involved lots more walking.

The area is full of orchards and vineyards.

This orchard was along the Irrigation Canal Walkway.

This was along the Dividend Ridge Trail - coming from the flat prairies I couldn't imagine living somewhere with such steep roads.

The above two photos are along the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre (pronounced in-ka-meep) loop, which was lovely.

Our last day in Osoyoos was the coldest, but the fountain was still going.

Driving home we stopped at Hardy Falls (a stream where Kokanee salmon spawn in the spring).

We stayed in Sicamous, BC, for the night.

The next day was the drive through the Rockies.

It didn't take long to look more like home (10 hour drive that day, 3 days of driving in total).

All the best!♥︎