Mostly Yarn-y Things

Just as I do with sewing/quilting projects, I've been rotating through three different yarn-y garment projects.

Continuing to work on the crocheted Summer Cardigan following Wan's YouTube video, I quickly realized I made a big mistake. To get gauge, I reduced the number of chains I crocheted for the back. But then when I chained each of the two front sides, I didn't reduce accordingly. I forgot, darn it! I realized my error when I laid out all the parts to begin sewing them together. The neck opening was much too small.

It needs to be more like this. 

I had no other option than to uncrochet the two sides. I'm very disappointed in myself, but I suppose this is part of learning how to crochet (and knit) garments to fit oneself. I can't imagine how much skill is required to crochet (or knit) to make something to fit someone else!

uncrocheted sides, hand wound into balls

I have now re-crocheted one side, and after doing so, sewed together parts - one side to the back and then one sleeve to the side. I've begun to re-crochet the second side. Though the neck opening will still be slightly smaller than Wan's instructions, I'm hoping it fits me. If not, I will take apart what's required to fix it. 

Following another of Wan's YouTube videos (I also bought this pattern on Etsy), I'm making Crochet Summer Lace Top. The design is effective because of dyed color gradations in the yarn.

Unfortunately, the cotton/acrylic fingering weight yarn Wan used is no longer available, so I bought this gradient cake from Okey Dokeys 

Wan's version ends as far as I've crocheted in this picture. I tried it on and found it much too short, so I'll be adding ten more rows. At least the color gradient will be more visible though I'm sure I won't make it to the gray color at the end. I think I'll be happy with this finished. 

I've discovered I really like yarn "cakes" which are meant to be used from the center. The yarn pulls out very easily. 

Since I've spent more time than I'd like winding yarn balls by hand, it would sure be nice to have a manual yarn winder, perhaps like this one. Until then, I'm hand winding yarn. I had to do that today with what's left of a yarn ball I started using in my Summer Soul Top knitting project. Yarn was getting very tangled.

I first wound figure eights around my left-hand thumb and index finger.

Then I placed the yarn ring from my index finger on top of the yarn ring already on my thumb.

Then I begin wrapping yarn around my thumb. After six to eight wraps, I turn the yarn ball and continue wrapping... then turning, then wrapping. 

It turns into a nice yarn ball, but it can be tedious when yarn has gotten tangled and needs to be untangled. Rather than deal with tangles, I'd prefer to wind a ball first, then start knitting (or crocheting). 

This week I've made progress on each of these project because hubs had knee replacement early Monday morning. Being at home with him this week has meant lots of fetching and delivering. Basically being at-the-ready if something is needed. Crocheting has been easy to pick up and put down. 

Helping him has helped me appreciate the seven times he helped me following angioplasties in my legs dut to having peripheral artery disease. Heart-pumping exercise is necessary for me to keep arteries clear of plaque. But even though I didn't exercise Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, so as to be available to him, on Tuesday I logged more than 13,000 steps amounting to 6.01 miles in the house! And our house isn't that big. Wednesday was slightly less demanding as I logged only 3.85 miles in the house. Ha! Today, since getting out to power walk 4 miles (my typical walk distance), I've hit 6 miles again. I am grateful I'm able-bodied enough to exercise and keep pace with whatever hubs needs. 

As we were driving toward Orlando for hub's early Monday morning surgery, we were surprised to see another Falcon 9 rocket launch right out the front car window! It was about 6:15 AM. You couldn't miss it!

This is probably the best view of a launch we've ever seen!

And what we'd never seen before was the massive expanding halo that comes at the end of a rocket launch. It's called the "space jellyfish" effect and is also known as the "SpaceX spiral." It happens when venting rocket propellant in a circular, rotating motion. Cool, isn't it? Linda

Sharing and Caring

Through my blog posts, you've watched me flit from project to project - hand appliqué to crochet to diamond painting to knitting to scrappy Sashiko and then to quiltmaking. While making, I often battle a temptation to work on something other than what is in my hands at the moment. My mind works ahead, to ask myself, "What can I accomplish in the moment that will allow me to "reward" myself and move on to the next thing that attracts my interest?"

It seems the older I get, the more I think and act this way - sort of like, if I don't hurry and get this done, I'll run out of time and not get that done. It feels like a functional craze. But as a maker/creator, I'm not alone in thinking this way.

You all know I enjoy responding to every comment made on one of my blog posts. As it sometimes happens, I end up swapping more than one email with the commenter, thus getting to know that person a little better, share information, and ultimately make a friend. This is one of several reasons I've continued to blog regularly for 17+ years. 

Observations About Inspiration

A recent email exchange with my friend Anne @springleafstudio in Colorado (we met in person once, 11 years ago! Picture below) generated conversation about following inspirational flow for making.

Photo taken at QuiltCon 2015, Austin, Texas
L-R: René (Florida), me, Anne (Colorado), Cindy (California)
in front of my Bias Tape Challenge quilt, Shapes

With Anne's permission, I'm sharing what she had to say about inspiration. 

I’ve learned over the years that when I feel inspiration out of the blue for one of my projects it’s best to go with the moment. When I do that I get things done. But the list of projects I want to do is always growing so there’s always something new to do. Go with what ever is striking you in the moment. It all adds up to accomplishment one way or another.

Don't ya appreciate a friend who validates how you create? Anne sure did that for me! Her statement to "Go with whatever is striking you in the moment." and that it "adds up to accomplishment" are words to live by. Thank you for your profound thoughts, Anne!

Observations about Kawandi

In late February I presented a program, and taught Kawandi to members of South Florida MQG in Boca Raton.

Recently my friend Marie @marie4nier (standing in the back center in the pink top) emailed a picture and thoughts about her recent, first Kawandi finish.

 I loved the Kawandi project! It took me a while to complete it because I needed to find a quiet time. And I finally did.

 

My response to Marie: 

I like the authenticity of Kawandi. It tells me about you - the fabrics (colors and prints) you like to use. Your personality is in every stitch. Simply wonderful! I hope you choose to make another one. I bet it will be different from this one, and give a different perspective about you. 

Marie's reply to me:

I noticed the same thing you did when I took the time to look at my project: the fabric is mine, and every piece of fabric has a story and is associated to a project in my "collection." I added some flowers. Flowers are my "signature." 

I so appreciate insightful thoughts and conversations such as these because they reveal how deeply we care and value our creations, and how much each make reveals about us. Thank you, Marie!

A Little Caring From Me: Tiny Dolls

Many of you know I round loom knit Tiny Dolls (I follow this Tiny Dolls YouTube tutorial by Denise of Loomahat). After making 20 dolls (more than shown in this basket) I promised myself I would donate them to the local police department.

Well the dolls have sat for many weeks, stored in an empty Cluster Stuff zipper bag (the filler brand I use inside each doll) while I tried to connect with the police department's community outreach liaison and make an appointment to drop off the dolls.

That finally happened this week. 

Chelsey and Captain Kinder met me in the police station lobby to thank me and take pictures. I was told the police like items like this because they're small enough to carry in a patrol car. They'll be given away to comfort a scared or hurting child. That makes me feel really good. 

A Little Share To Me

On Friday, after spending a couple hours diamond painting with friends, I returned to my golf cart parked in the lot outside the rec center to see this.

Some kind person decided to share a little happy, and make me smile by leaving this squeaky rubber duck on my cart seat.

Life is about love - sharing and caring, isn't it? Whether it's in a long-distance friendship, a nearby friendship, or sharing in an unexpected way, how we love and how we pass it around is a good indicator of how well we're living.

We can see the Lord's love all around when we open our hearts and eyes to appreciate it. Just in my own neighborhood, looking skyward to admire creation fills my heart.

Love to you, Linda

Diamond Painting

I first picked up diamond painting a year ago this month, attending Diamond Painting Club at a rec center near me. I happened to find two quilting friends who regularly attend, and have since made many new friends. Socializing while diamond painting is the thing to do. 

Though I don't attend Diamond Painting Club during winter months - I refuse to stand in line for a half-hour or more to attend a club activity - now that snowbirds have returned home I have resumed my Friday afternoon attendance. When I walk in, I pick an empty seat and end up making meeting interesting people and making new friends. 

Returning to the club has prompted me to resume diamond painting. 

I write the date on the canvas of each project I start so I know how many months I work on a piece. Though by no means is that indicative of how many hours I spend painting it! The two pieces I've been working on since June 27 and August 4, 2025  have been slow-going. Though diamond painting is meant to be an easy, mindless sort of fun activity, both kits I purchased have presented problems. 

The first kit I started on June 27 is certainly beautiful. It's an ocean sunrise and measures 50 cm X 50 cm (about 20" X 20"). The kit is made with high quality, soft canvas that's very sticky. The resin drills - the tiny colored squares placed on the canvas are of superior quality - square, multi-facited and shiney. This is the website's rendering of the design. Lovely, yes?

The problem with it came to light when I painted the sunrise sky and the sun itself. They're all pink! Aren't a sunrise glow and sun supposed to be yellow? That's when I realized Diamond Painting Pro must digitize their designs - that no human being checks color accuracy.  

When I emailed to complain to Diamond Painting Pro, the company offered to redesign the canvas for me, and send me a new kit. I accepted. Guess what? Yep. The new kit was exactly the same (only the color key along the side was recoded). No yellow drills were in the new kit. 

When I let the company know I wasn't doing business with them anymore, they offered to send me the drill colors I needed to make this kit right - basically making me the designer. Did you know that drill colors are based on DMC colors? I had only to look at my embroidery floss bags to identify the yellows I wanted. I received six packages of different yellows, and white drills. I also got a $20 store credit that I used for a set of stainless steel drill placers. I must give Diamond Painting Pro kudos for trying to make me a satisfied customer.

This is the status of the painting. I removed drills from the sun and replaced them with white AB drills. AB means "aurora borealis." These drills have an irridescent gleam. 

 I also started removing pink from around the sun, replacing those with yellow. 

This is the Diamond Painting Pro website picture. 

I have a long way to go! The photo below is marked with black, indicating where pink drills need to be removed and replaced with yellow. The area marked in red has yet to be painted. 

I have a lot of work ahead of me! When I take this to Diamond Painting Club, I'll spend my time removing pink drills. Repainting will happen when I'm at home and can focus on placing yellows correctly.

The other diamond painting is finished! It's  It's an ocean sunset with the silhouette of a palm and measures 55 cm X 70 cm (about 21½" X 27½"). I don't work small, do I? I started it August 4, 2025 and finished May 27, 2026. 

Problems with this one arose because the whole kit is of inferior quality. I bought this kit from Etsy shop "TinmiArtsPainting." The canvas wasn't very sticky, and many of the square drills were poorly pressed. I probably threw away about a hundred drills that had extra plastic on the edges, or were round! 

It's completely finished now and I love how it looks. But I'm concerned that drills may fall off!

Though I glued numerous drills to secure them in place and sprayed the finished piece with several coats of Modge Podge spray (a suggestion from Sandy who leads Diamond Painting Club), I'm concerned that these drills may fall off when it's hung vertically! I have a frame ready to mount it, but have put off doing so. 

At the same time I bought the kit (above) from TimniArts Painting, from the same shop I bought this 50 cm X 70 cm (20" X 27½") Abstract Plant: Design 4 kit with 45 drill colors. I have yet to start it. Maybe the canvas will be stickier? Maybe the drills will be better cut? I still like the design, but I'm not ready to tackle it, in case it too is problematic. One problem kit at a time! Until the ocean (first kit) is finished, this one's on hold.

I've sure had poor luck choosing kits, haven't I?

Lesson learned: Before buying, consult with diamond painting friends to identify companies that make the best-quality kits. Linda

End of May

It's time for a brief reset - a review of fabric used this month and books read. 

Disappointingly, fabric usage is way down this month due to my interest in crocheting and knitting. The only fabrics sewn were for a mug rug (previously blogged about), and these two small projects. 

For a Central Florida MQG workshop I've designed a 26" X 40" quilt top using bias tape. I'm calling the piece Nocturne. Bias tape workshop registrations begin at our July meeting, so I have a few weeks to quilt and finish it. I also pieced a back that I'll share at a later date.

While perusing information about 2027 QuiltCon instructors and workshops that came out last Monday, (Did anyone besides me note how young and new-to-quilting all the instructors are?!), I came across two Patchwork Sashiko workshops to be taught by Diana Li Fitzgerald @banjoflannel. For her classes she requires students to buy her book - Patchwork Sashiko: Transform Your Scraps; 14 Slow-Stitched Projects. Being curious, I found a long preview of her book here on Google Books. After getting a taste of it, I bought the e-book version from e-book.com for only $2.99! 

Following Diana's instructions, I began to make my first 7" X 9" piece of Sashiko fabric using stash fabrics and size 10 crochet thread just purchased from Hobby Lobby. I have a couple ideas about what I want to do with this fabric.

So, fabric used in May is basically two yards. While incoming fabric amounted to zilch, don't ask me about incoming yarn!

Book Recommendations

I listened to eight audiobooks in May. I'm trying to read one classic a month, and Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens, was this month's listen. I didn't score it very high because I had difficulty keeping track of too many characters, as well as understanding the old-English conversations. 

Here's a brief review of the titles I awarded a score of 4.0 or more, out of a possible 5.0:

The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarrow is about a soldier, Beckett, whose best friend dies in service. In Beckett's friend's last letter, Beckett is asked to go to Telluride, Colorado to help his friend's sister, Ella, who's raising twins as a single mother, and running a resort. While the story includes sweet romance - warning - characters deal with childhood cance,  and a child's death. It was a moving listen; I shed tears. 

Michelle Shocklee titles never disappoint, and this was the case with The Women of Oak Ridge, a ficticious story about elderly Mae's remembrances of her years during WW2 working on the Manhatten project - living in a secret city (Oak Ridge) while making a secret atomic weapon. Fast forward to Laurel, Mae's granddaughter, who's gone to Oak Ridge to visit her grandmother and, for her doctoral thesis, research what happened in Oak Ridge and its impact on people involved. Maybe she can finally get her grandmother to talk about it. Shocklee's historical fiction books will have you Googling the facts of what she writes about. 

Winter's Mourn is the first title in the Winter Black Series, by Mary Stone. I loved it! Winter Black is an FBI agent returning to her hometown in Virginia to investigate a case. She's striving to not allow her personal history - the murder of her parents and little brother - to impact her job. Yet her experiences are what motivate her to search for the truth, also keeping in mind finding for her parents' killers. 

Book #2 is Winter's Curse. I would have checked it's out right away if I hadn't already used my Hoopla quota of five titles a month. Twenty-three books are in this series!

His Other Woman by Valerie Keogh takes a unique perspective on a married man Richard, who's a two-timer. His wife, Lydia and his mistress, Fiona, each play a role in his life. While you want to blame Fiona, when you understand the perspectives of each woman, you begin to understand why Lydia and Fiona do what they do - making an alliance to decide how to handle Richard who is not the man either of them thought he was. 

I'm curious... have you read The Day the World Came to Town,  by Jim DeFede that I blogged about last month? So far, it's the best book I've read this year. Happy making and audio-book listening! Linda

Quilt-free Blog Post

I'm embarrassed to share that I don't have any quiltmaking efforts to post about. That's because I haven't been sewing. Other crafts have my attention.

While lamenting that I've gotten nowhere learning to knit a garment, I've made progress on my crocheted Summer Cardigan. The front and one side are finished; in the works is the other side. Then, just two sleeves to go.

One recent morning, while perusing Instagram, I came across a new-to-me knitter, Julia Piro @juliapiroknits of Denmark. She offers an inexpensive ($9) Summer Soul Top beginner pattern for a knitter who's "new to garment making." Me! A detailed YouTube video accompanies the pattern. Whoopee! 

So off I went, making another yarn purchase. This time yarn came from Hobbii, a company in Copenhagen, Denmark. I bought Friends Cotton Silk blend yarn, just as Julia used. I also bought two different lengths of size 3.5 mm circular needles.

Julia offers a free download: Knitting Project Planner - just what I needed to walk myself through the process.

Being a good student, I started by making a swatch. Though it feels like a waste of time (several hours) and yarn, I want my first garment to fit. To make the swatch, I dutifully cast on 34 stitches, knitted four rows of ribbing, switched needle size and continued knitting a 6½" long swatch. Then I washed (using Quilt Soak), blocked and allowed the swatch to dry overnight.

You might imagine my shriek of delight - "Yes!" - when I used my new Chiaogoo needle sizer/gauge-checker to learn my swatch came out exactly the right size! Yippee! A big self-pat on the back! You can bet I'll start knitting the project soon... like today!

The other attraction demanding attention is diamond painting. I haven't touched this ocean sunset picture for at least six months. Now, in just a half-dozen hours, I'm nearing a complete finish. Only the lower right 2" X 4" area needs to be diamond-painted. Since I have a frame waiting, this finish will feel really good. Soon! (Don't know what diamond painting/diamond art is? AI offers a great description.)

Speaking of "soon," for those who may be curious... Twistee Treat still isn't open, though their recent Instagram post states "we're hopeful it will be open by the end of May."

My golf cart drive through the parking lot last Saturday - on my way to Central Florida MQG's monthly Sew-In at the public library - seems like it's ready for patrons. Landscaping is finished, and the building exterior looks good.

However drive-up food signage is missing.

Peeks through the windows reveal that ice cream serving equipment isn't yet in place. 

No doubt hiring employees and training them takes time. 

So... fingers crossed for June! I'm ready! Linda