Projects there are many

Well you'd think with two full weeks of holidays i would be blogging about all the finished projects i have done in that time. Well not so. We have started about three new projects and continuing with only some of the things that was on my list of things to do and finish. I have been experimenting with paper quilting which i started last holidays and have made considerable progress as it is all hand sewn which is very time consuming but relaxing and portable. I have paper quilted triangles then sewn them into hexagons. I really am a fan of colour so have used ten different fabrics which i had in my stash.



While sewing the hexagons i am also cutting out and sewing a quilt called Day Lilies for Little Ma which again uses lots and lots of colour, well actually uses 21 different fabrics. I tell you i had a lot of fun in spotlight choosing those fabrics. This is also a hand sewn quilt from a book by Jinny Beyer which is like the bible of hand-sewing. I'm sure this quilt will take me a good few years to complete.



Both Little Ma and myself have started a very late birthday present for a friend which involves lots of time. We are going to knit a lap blanket which has been dyed with eucalyptus leaves from our friends back yard near flinders uni. We are using eucalyptus leaves and bark as these do not require a mordant which are usually chemicals. Our house has smelt a bit strong and different over the pass few days as we boil the leaves or bark in rain water for a couple of hours before putting a skein of white wool in for a further couple of hours. After rinsing and drying the colours which we have got so far are amazing especially the bark which has produced a rich chocolate brown.



We plan on doing a pattern called Curve of Pursuit which caught our eye while googling for patterns. We bought the pattern from a site called

Ravelry

I also found a pattern on the Ravelry site called ten-stitch-twist. Again i can play with colour with this pattern so fell in love and even better was a free download. The instructions for how to start the circle and join are so well explained ad detailed as well. Both the patterns use short row knitting and i must say every knitter should try this technique as it really is very easy.



Little Ma has been very busy knitting baby booties as my auntie's daughter-in-law recently had a little girl. The first pair where a slightly to big for a baby so she knitted another pair and now has a pair for the baby and her bigger sister who is two.



Well back to one of the many projects.