Did you ever make the fall wreath?
To recap: I didn’t do a lot of decorating this year for the fall because we are so swamped with work, but Gordon wanted a pretty fall wreath for the door, so I went to Michael’s, got some supplies, and made one. Since this wreath is 50% of our fall decor, the other 50% being a wooden board with sunflowers that says Welcome, I might have overcompensated
Behold, the Wreath of Too Much.
Did you ever finish your stole?
I did and it is huge. The dropped stitches contributed to length. I had to stretch it between two trees to display it.
You can’t quite see it, but it is so sparkly. Very easy pattern.
Did you ever finish your dragon cross stitch?
Yes. I framed it and sent it to live at Kid 2’s house. Here it is, in the process of being framed. The back wasn’t trimmed yet here. I just wanted to know if the frame fit the design. I did decide on glass, mostly because Meow Meow Camille has sharp claws.
What are you working on now?
A crocheted cocoon cardigan. I’m pretty fried, so anything complicated is out of the question, and this pattern is as simple as it can get. It’s basically a giant granny square. It keeps my hands busy while I spend a little bit of time in front of a TV.
What are you working on?
Laying floors, installing window and door trim, and digging out enough rocks and gravel from the front yard that I can plant things (After 31 years, I’m starting over in a new house.)
Oooh, exciting! I started in a new place in June, after 35 years in the previous one. The “new” one is over a century old, and the previous owner started renovating ten years ago with the big important stuff like new well, septic, and HVAC. Now I’m setting contractors on the roof and floor joists while I tackle the landscaping. Eventually there will be handles on the kitchen cabinets and doors on all the closets and shelves in the laundry room. It’s already home though.
Mine is a new house that will eventually be NET zero and may get an Earth Advantage certification (although I don’t need to pay for a certification as long as I know it qualifies, so maybe not) I just like doing the finish work myself and I like the very personalized, customized look I get with recycled materials. My old house turned 100 years old this year so it’s odd dealing with a new house. It’s the first place I’ve ever lived that is younger than me.
The garden is the hard part because there is so much basic work still to do and I loved my old garden. I especially miss the mature fruit trees.
This one could get to net zero eventually. It’s very well sited for passive solar, with some work. I costed out solar panels however, and they won’t likely pay for themselves in my lifetime. So I may leave those for the next owner, and look around for a building lot closer to my family in a couple of years.
finishing some final touches on built in banquette seating (sadly adhd always makes that last 5% such a pain to finish). then sadly i have to fill in the pond. the previous didn’t install anything correctly and it’s a huge safety hazard and would cost more to repair than remove. planning on making it a sunken fire pit area instead (so i won’t have to fill it in quite as much).
that stole looks like it’s just long enough to really bundle yourself in all cozy. gives more options for how to wear it, too!
knitting baby hats – all my cousins’ kids are having babies. orange roll brim little hats, with a green i-cord at the top to be pumpkins. the ones i like best get a knit blank too, but those take so long!
Finally finished pulling all the weeds out of the flower beds. Attempting to grow some grass. Contemplating getting the Halloween decorations done.
I have a bunch of leftover fabrics from making baby quilts for my nieces and nephews. I thought I would make some smaller baby quilts out of the scraps to give away.
Or even smaller ones for the nieces dolls.
I love your projects, Ilona. The shawl looks gorgeous draped over those trees. I am obsessed with knitting in super bright colours right now. I’m just about to finish a strawberry red tee knitted out of yarn made from linen and paper! And I’ve just purchased yarn for a sweater in a “wow” red with a pop of pink piping. You can see it here: https://knitigatingcircumstances.com/2023/10/08/impulse-buy/. Sometimes we need a jolt of colour.
Giant death moth wings. Tis the season. Didn’t think about doors, though. Guess I’ll be getting dressed in the yard.
Can you go through the doors sideways (wing, body, then wing)?
Sideways and on my knees! They’re really huge.
Wonderful to know that Gordon aids and abets the crafting!
You did wonderful work! M daughter brought me a huge skein (660 yards) of Merino wool in celtic green!!! I want to make a marvelous wrap! If anyone has suggestions, [Edit: ModR].
Sorry Karola,
For safety, the blog does not allow the sharing of private details in the comments. It’s a public forum and we cannot vet who would get in contact with you.
Thank you for always looking out for us, Mod R 😘
Thanks, Mod R!
knit, loom knit, machine knit, crochet, netting, weaving, or broomstick?
what thickness of yarn; cobweb, lace, fingering/sock, sport….?
Start with a few stitches or a lot?
Open and airy (aka lace) or thick and textured (aka cables)?
In the round so no purling or flat and you might need to purl
try Ravelry.com lots of free patterns
Such a beautiful wreath! I love the little birds peeping out. The stole is beautiful as is the dragon cross stitch. I am in awe of how much work you do! I am currently making a Very Hungry Caterpillar quilt for my neighbor. It will be 36×48 inches and is made of easy 12 1/2 inch blocks. A six and a half inch center square bordered by 3 1/2 by 9 1/2 inch rectangles. You can use 2 colors for the long rectangles, 4 colors or anything you want.. I used pink, green, purple and blue with a white center square printed with illustrations from the book. I’m retired and have lots of time for crafts. It fills me with wonder at the amount of writing, crafting, parenting and work that you and Gordon do. Good luck on your current and future projects
Love your wreath! Not too much, at all! Your Stole is lovely too! Seeing your dragon, makes me remember how much I loved doing cross stitch. I’m missing crafting. Self employed, so I work too much. You have inspired me to pick up my crochet hook again.
Enjoy all your books too! Like to think I am part of the Horde!
Generally I have an embroidery or cross-stitch project on the back burner. Last fall a patient showed me pictures of a miniature room kit that she enjoyed. So over the last few months I put together pieces of the kit. Over this summer, whenever I was at an open ‘festival’ I would find small pieces to add to the ‘room.’ So far I have collected: 4 mini polished stone mushrooms, a one inch tall metal laser cut castle, a 1 1/2 inch tall metal laser cut dragon with crystal, a tiny ceramic frog, itty-bitty eating utensils, tiny dice and cup, a blue bird in a silver cage, potted ceramic succulents, wine and beer bottles, also glasses and steins, tiny-tiny blown glass apple and rubber ducky… I am stunned by the number of miniature hand crafted items I have tripped over and then been required to purchase. I’ll probably end up having to build a mini mansion for my mini collection!
Would you add some pics to your post? Your room sounds marvelous!
The picture attachment function is disabled for comments at the moment 🙂
If it helps, the kit is made by Robotime C&C(Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. and is Distributed by Hands Craft: http://www.handscraft.com. The specific project I am working on is Miller’s Garden. (DG108). My version will only marginally resemble the original ‘Miller’s Garden.’ I cannot seem to keep myself to following the specifics in the plans. The large framework of the ‘room’ stays the same. But, I keep finding all these interesting little ‘bits’ to add!
I’m working on revising my kitchen. I have thrown out so much stuff that was well past the expiration date – and I’m talking several years, rather than months. I just bought a convection/toaster oven since I wasn’t using my microwave to even reheat coffee, and I never did like actually cooking with the microwave. It works fine, so my granddaughter has dibs when she actually gets a place of her own, which is probably two or three years down the road.
I have a gas stove, which I like, but I need more counter space, so I bought a cover for it, and an induction burner for when I actually need to cook something on a stovetop – which isn’t that often.
I rent. I can’t do an actual remodel, but I will eventually get things exactly as I need them.
That wreath is beautiful! I would buy that!
Trying to grass to grow where we cut down a tree three years ago(watering as I type) & create jewelry with my new lampwork beads….
I’m reading more than anything. I need to try to pick up my cross-stitch – I have had trouble seeing it, but after cataract surgery and a torn retina repair, now I’m waiting for my torn muscle in mt\y arm to heal – takes forever.
The wreath is lovely.
I think the wreath is just right. Stole is lovely and the dragon cross stitch is absolutely gorgeous. It reminds me of the night sky here, which has much less light pollution than I’m used to. My previous home was rural suburban but my new one is solidly rural, and the night sky is awesome in the most literal sense of the word.
Gardening/landscaping is my creative outlet. Currently building a native wildflower landscape on ground that has seen nothing but extraction for decades, if not centuries. Of course almost the first thing that went in was black-eyed susans, since I had to rep Maryland somehow!
The current kitchen garden is temporary, and of the summer veggies only the eggplant is still producing. The permanent garden goes in next spring, although I hope to get some high bush blueberries, strawberries, and possibly asparagus started this fall. Meanwhile the kale, cabbage, and collards look great. The marigolds are still blooming, but I can’t deadhead them now because there are always bumblebees on them. In the summer I could do it first thing; now the bees sleep on them overnight, and sometimes they’re underneath where you can’t see them. One sting was enough.
Well done on all your crafts! 😁
I recently decided to finish a scarf I’d been working on for years. Mainly because it lived in my car as my just in case I get bored/stranded/have to wait for someone or something project. Great airplane project. Slender yarn, small needles lots of knit togethers, yarn overs, etc. Very pretty.
Now I need to pick a pattern for the beautiful skein of alpaca yarn I picked up this summer.
I am working on the Stephen West MKAL – it’s big, but I’m loving my colors! Is your shawl the Clapotis? That’s always been a favorite of mine and I usually have one going as my ‘brainless’ knit project for a gift that will be needed down the road for someone who will need something!
That’s what I was going to ask! Ha! I knitted a clapotis years ago as a gift. Have never knit one for myself. I have the yarn for the MKAL but haven’t started. There did seem to be a fuss so I thought I’d wait.
No, this is not Clapotis. This is a Clapotis-lookalike for simple people like me. The pattern came free with a skein of Heron yarn I bought at a knitting shop in the Outer Banks.
So instead of all that complicated stuff, it’s a simple repeat: knit 1 through the back, knit 3, knit 1 through the back, purl. So on the right side row you have: pxkkkx (x-crossed knit stitch) and on the wrong side row you have kppppp.
Then you just skew it on diagonal.
Chain multiple of 6 plus +2, knit a row, purl a row.
Pattern row 1: slip one, knit 2 together, knit 2, knit 1 through the back, crossing the stitch, purl.
[knit 1 through the back, knit 3, knit 1 through the back, purl] until you have 2 stitches left.
Knit front and back, knit final stitch.
Pattern row 2: slip one, purl all the purled stitches, knit all the knit stitches.
Rinse and repeat. This gives it diagonal slant. Continue like that until you have 1 knit stitch followed by a purl stitch at the beginning of the knit row. Slip stitch, drop purl stitch, carry on.
The twist with the stitches keep unravelling nice and even. I also ended up knitting through the back of the purl stitches around the knit stitch on the wrong side just in case. It’s simple, fun, and unravels as you go.
That sounds much easier than clapotis, which I have tried several times and always managed to mess up somehow. Thank you!
Thank you for this. It will be perfect for when I finish a Vestover V (available on Ravelry) for my mom. Yay, Xmas knitting. 😐
The wreath is gorgeous.
Cleaning the garage and getting ready for a Halloween get together. I really would like a nap.
Started my first quilt. It is on piecing paper, so if you can sew a straight line your good. Hopefully I will finish it, I have 12 squares done, need about 24 more! It is a very easy pattern.
What pattern is it please? I don’t usually have much luck with paper piecing so your pattern sounds interesting! I put the directions for my current project in my earlier comment so feel free to try it if you like. Mine is a really really simple log cabin variation. I’m always interested in new ideas. Yours’ sounds good!
I’m knitting a new hat for winter which, at first glance, makes sense for all you northern hemisphere BDH-ers. Unfortunately, I live in the Central Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand and winter has passed us by. I guess I’m now knitting an old hat for a new winter? It’s a cute little two-colour which I’m doing in blue and white (pattern for sale on Ravelry https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hello-autumn-hat) and I’m going to modify it a little by leaving a hole at the top for a ponytail or bun to fit through.
I just finished a blackwork piece by Ajisai Designs – they are amazing. I am back to cross stitch and doing Fairytales Live on Rooftops by RTO now :). And still doing my Tea Ceremony occasionally at work – that is the one with a dragon being poured out of a teapot.
Getting ready to move to another apartment. The one I’m in now has shifted to the point cracks are showing up and the floors snap and creak. Yesterday I heard a loud snap in my office above me. I thought “stay up. Don’t fall on me!”
Not worth the rent hike when I will get a discount off my rent where I’m moving to because I work for a health system.
The dragon cross-stitch is beautiful. The shawl looks like you could wrap Gordon up in it with you. Have fun making your huge granny square.
Love the colorful wreath and beautiful stole!
I am trying to remove leftover toys from 3 kids and find new homes for a lot of stuff.
In the crafting departement i am working on a crotchet shawl from mooritmag.com.
Fly me to the Moon, to colours, merino/silk dk weight, very not mindless work, but possible to listen to radio or graphic audio 😝
Nanna
That is a beautiful stole!
I’m recovering from a long illness, and have more time on my hands for reading and knitting!
My knitting is my sanity, and my knitting group as well!
I am working on my 1st pair of socks, in the home stretch!!!
Knitting group was challenged to make hats to go along with church coat drive, so we are busting out our stashes and making caps. I’m making some gifts as well from some lovely merino/alpaca/silk and donegal tweed yarn, delightful to knit! I need some larger needle projects after those teeny #1 double points!
Hand sewing, painting and needle felting like crazy to prepare for an upcoming art show. I make small worlds for small hands and Christmas ornaments. Keeping my massage therapist on speed dial. 🤣🤣
Renovating a downstairs area of my house that was neglected for many years. required fixing water damage, taking off wallpaper, fixing the walls, finding the right paint color ( after trying paint color 1, using recommended texture of paint store, decided it was wrong texture and color), replaced an old 4′ flourescant, ugly fixture which required patching the ceiling, fixing out of code wiring, then spent 4 days painting and repainted the entire ceiling, bc the patch panel color was lighter than the ceiling around it , tried using blocking primer, using a darker color under ceiling white, then figured out I just needed to let it age, the patched panel darkened with time, go figure . then of course clean up bc I didn’t use a drop cloth….now working on a flight of 7 steps to remove like 70 yrs of paint so I can stain it…them there is insulating a garage wall that makes the space cold in winter.
I am finishing the Library of Books 3D book nook puzzle/model. Then, it is back to scrollsaw and other tools to finish wall clocks.
I have just started crocheting a baby blanket.
My son and daughter-in-law have gotten serious about adopting. Realistically, there will be a wait for a child, but I am so slow that it probably won’t be done any time soon anyway.
If there is time, I have a pattern for a blanket that converts to a toy bag for the next project…
I took an art class on the weekends in October it’s been delightful and fun to paint with other artists. I normally paint landscapes but now I’m painting fruit and I love it 😁
Thank you for sharing, what lovely projects!
Fall is the best time for planting so I’m outside as much as possible. I’m finally getting plants out of pots and into the ground, yay less to hand water! I’m also transplanting unhappy plants to better locations.
Happy Fall Horde!!
Wow that is the biggest shawl/stole I’ve ever seen! I’ve had projects that grow like that!
Your wreath is perfect, NOT too much.
I’m finishing up Christmas projects, which I work on all year long. Also working on a knitted lace yoke cotton sweater. The yoke is done, now for the (boring) body. Not a fast knitter so it might be ready by spring….
I haven’t had time for crafting yet, although I had plans to do some quilting this summer. We had to move from the house we were renting, to another rental house in San Diego county. My family decided that I could deal with the long-term items that need to be stored, so I had to drive a 12 foot moving truck to the house I own in Nebraska, so I can store everyone’s things long-term. Being alone here, I am the only one that can, sort, unpack, figure out where to store things, and all the other miscellaneous along with day-to-day life, things such as trying to find a contractor to fix the hole in my roof. Hopefully, next trip out to Nebraska around January, I’ll have time to actually start doing some of the crafting that I had planned to do all year. It’s rough when life gets in the way. I had to learn over the past year that I shouldn’t make specific plans, life has been interfering. Therefore, I’m only setting goals, instead of specific plans. That way, I won’t feel so frustrated when my plans get suddenly changed by life.
Pretty stuff! Not crafty myself, so I always enjoy seeing what others can do.
I just finished a quilt for my dad. I’ll restart some ufos next.
I would love to write how industrious I am, but my craft room is in chaos as is the rest of my house. We watch 3 grandkids ages 14 mos to 7 on most Saturdays and occasionally during week , cleaning up and putting their toys somewhere is getting harder as we are over 70 and energy levels flagging. The 4 yr olds crocheted blanket needs only 7 more rows and maybe I’ll finish by the time he turns 5 or 6 or….
On the plus side, Halloween decor up !
Your wreath is gorgeous and I am in envy of your knitting skills. The dragon is beautiful also. You are very talented and industrious and thank you for taking time to keep us updated!
Happy Halloween
Finishing a small afghan, then two cow baby blankets-the kind with head, legs, and tail. All crocheted, all under the direct supervision of Miss Sally. She shares my chair and is a dog literally picked up from the streets as a young dog. Now at 12?, she is in charge.
I am crocheting a Christmas afghan for a friend, in a green and red ripple stripe. I started in August so I could take my time. I’ve crocheted afghans for all seven of my grandkids. They got to pick the colors. I’m slow so did one a year. Love your wreath, so very colorful.
An e-book cover that I just have to finish binding off and adding elastic to so my Nook doesn’t fall out. A ten-stitch blanket off Ravelry. I’ll probably do some scarves for Christmas presents.
I’m learning how to Tunisian crochet before starting Knitter Knotters CAL afghan with its lovely geometric patterned squares— just need to get consistent enough to get started!
I started my grandkids on diamond painting! It’s been a big hit! Even my son-in-law has joined in.
That wreath is not too much. It’s a big door and this is Texas. Lol You’re celebrating the bounty of fall. Gorgeous work. All of it! I put my cross stitch under glass too bc I hate dealing w dust in fiber!
I’m making hats for all my children bc we are in Washington and my Texas children are freezing. And my 6 year old saw a Halloween kitty hat on Pinterest. Which only comes in toddler size for the pattern (so I had to figure out how to size it up) and instead of wanting a black cat, she wanted a *rainbow* kitty. But the yarn she picked is a mandala cake designed for shawls. So the color bands are huge and I need like 2-3 rows per color of a hat. So this is me, crocheting 2 rows, balling up the rest of the color, then cutting my yarn, 2 more rows w the next color…. I’m going to be weaving my ends until next spring. And no the easy ways they tell you to use don’t work for me and my cheap acrylic yarn. They come loose. I have to do it the yard way. But don’t worry. I’ll conquer. Eventually. lol
Everything is lovely! Can you please tell me where to find the pattern for the stole
It’s here 🙂https://www.knittingaddiction.com/shop/Patterns/p/Parallel-Applause-x55604955.htm
Thank you! Pattern acquired, now I just need to decide which yarn to use from the many in my stash.
off topic: sometime in the past year automatic capitalization (sentence case) seems to have stopped working when I comment? Is there a reason? Asking for a friend 🤪
Current two quilt projects
– Quilting my flamingo quilt on my sitdown longarm
-Piecing a quilt of batik fabrics brought back from Hawaii four years ago from Hawaii making pineapples as it seems to make sense from Hawaii
In brain process coming up with what I make for a baby quilt for my cousin’s daughter who is having a girl in April.
There are only another 16 projects in process either needing to be pieced and/or quilted.
Yes I have an addiction but since I work full time only some gets done at a time.
the work you showed is gorgeous. being a crafty person myself, I admire the time and creativity that went into each project. Go you.
Gorgeous body wrap!
I have to say, you are utterly amazing. I crochet, cross stitch and I have so many craft supplies for other projects that never get going. For example, hubby and I bought stuff to make a summer wreath. It’s all still in it’s bag. I have cross stitch projects I’ve never started or are in the middle of. Mostly now I crochet. I have 4 blankets in the process, a Amish Puzzle Ball and who knows what else. I did finish a scarf last week and a turtle for my hubby. Can we post pictures of finished projects on the facebook group for you to see? The one blanket I’m doing I’m very proud of.
Of course 🙂! Here is the link for the Fb group post https://tinyurl.com/mr6uvfse
Bit of a sidebar: I was watching the Great British Bake Off – season 14 episode 5 “Pastry Week”; the technical challenge this week was a ‘pithivier’. I knew exactly what that was thanks to Catalina.
😁 Have made so many of those since the book, Mary Berry would WEEP!
My sister and I live full-time in a RV. Recently, we upgraded to a larger vehicle. So the last 5 weeks have been spent as follows. Packing up all our stuff, putting it in a small storage unit, cleaning the old RV, and watching videos on how to drive a commercial diesel truck. Then turn in the old RV, collect the new and take all the stuff out of the storage unit and find places for it in the new one. ‘Rest time’ is spent learning all of the new systems and managing the stress of our pets.
I do have a small knit scarf that I work on when traveling and I’m not driving. Sorry to say that I’ve only completed a few inches. I wonder why?