Oh June, a month that simultaneously took an eternity and flew by. I’ve been working on some larger scale projects, and not blogging. So there’s that. After school let out 2 weeks ago, we’ve been doing swim lessons at the local college, had a handful of playdates, and just let it be hot. This afternoon, we met one of my daughter’s friends at the public pool. An hour and a half after we arrived, someone pooed in the pool and they closed the pool for the rest of the day. “Awesome”. At least no one got sunburned today.

My hobbit door throw and my Until We Win: Fight shawl have been my main projects. I’m doing some weird stuff with the hobbit door throw, and I think it’ll work out. My shawl is making me nervous that I have grossly misjudged my shaping and that it will be a failure. BUT: there is no failure, only an opportunity to shape it unconventionally!

The school year wrapped up last week. I’m happy to have a break and have time to do additional fun things with the kids. I say this, on the first day of the first week of summer break. The kids have swim lessons every day at the local college for the next two weeks- this will be our first time using that program.

Let’s get to creative stuff, shall we?

Zinnia Blanket: This was a gift for my daughter’s teacher as a baby gift; she is expecting a baby girl early fall. The center pic above is the most accurate in color. I finished it THE NIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL ENDED. It took me working over 3 days to finish weaving in all the ends. It was all crocheted and whip stitched together by Sunday. I was rather ambitious using 4 colors for most squares (and 6 colors for 2)- weaving in the ends took significantly longer than anticipated. I was in such a rush to get it packed up for school Thursday morning, that I didn’t even measure the finished piece. I think its about 38-40″ square.

Usually I pop my finished project into the wash to make sure all the connections are good and to get any random detritus off (usually a leaf bit from working outside, or my hair). Welllllll- that couldn’t happen.
Our washing machine irreparably broke on Monday night. Spouse pulled it all apart and decided that a) it is an old machine he has repaired at least once before b) the piece that’s broken is THE piece that makes it “go” c) it will be simpler and faster to just order a new washer- that we have been talking about getting since we moved in. So we ordered a new fancy washer/dryer set that got delivered this past Saturday. The dryer was the same age and it has been repaired even more than the washer! Best of all: they work.

After contemplating for awhile on how I wanted this shawl to look, I dove in last week (after finishing up the Zinnia). My first attempt wasn’t quite right. The two colorways, Until We Win and Fight, did not look best when separated. So I ripped back the first two sections and started again alternating the skeins 2×2 rows. The result is perfection. The first section (which I will use again later in the shawl) was perfect for easy knitting. The current lace section requires me to count (for pattern clarity) at the end of each row and accurately relay the changing amount between markers on the increase sections. The knitting itself is pretty easy to read and memorize the lace for this section.
The intent is for the lace sections to become progressively more open as the shawl progresses. I’m also writing the pattern into the formatting as I go; usually I transcribe my notes. This time I’m writing as I go- no wasting my time going between. I think this will help with my turn around.

I finished 2 tiny baby hats out of a cotton blend yarn. I only took a picture of one of them today because the other happens to be misplaced. I moved around my workspace and not everything has been put in permanent homes yet. The turquoise cabled thing is going to be a top for my daughter. It started out as a top for me, but the cotton yarn was TEDIOUS with the cables. I never made it long enough to fit my torso, and all these years later I don’t believe it would actually fit around me. It is destined to be a top for my daughter. I’m going to add straps and a peplum style ruffle at the bottom. It is going to fit her for a couple years; once the peplum gets short, I can add a longer fabric ruffle.

I also made a couple water bottle holders. The small one is for my daughter, she has a small/short water bottle. The large one is mine, it holds my giant 40 oz water bottle. Interesting note: the bottom of both holders are identical in size. The only significant difference is the height of the piece, mine is twice the height. She wanted a crossbody strap, I just wanted a small handle. Nice cotton scrap stash-busting project!

This will be a Hobbit Door blanket/throw. I don’t usually make commission projects, but this one seemed like a fun challenge. There are no hard and fast deadlines, and I have creative control.
The final project is not destined for pattern release, this is just a project idea that intrigued me. I didn’t like the already published options out there, so I’m making my own. The bricks around the door are going to be constructed in mosaic, I think. I might need more yarn. The yarn is Encore Chunky, a 75% wool, 25% acrylic blend in green (deeper than this picture), tan, and two browns that might be too similar. The hook is a K. I also have a lavender-ish grey from the Lion Brand Hue+Me collection (80% Wool, 20 % Acrylic) as mortar around the door and bricks.

I finally just picked a person off Etsy to make my logo tags. The turn around was super FAST and the shipping was also reasonable. From order to delivery, it was less than a week. I seriously love them. They make my work look so professional. Or at least I feel the tags elevate the finished project. I’m thinking of getting some smaller fabric ones for my sewing projects.

I will leave you with a picture of me once I got back from training/lifting this morning. The most appropriate shirt, ever, for life.

The end of the school year is quickly approaching for my kids. That means TEAHER GIFT TIME. Their teachers have been AMAZING. Between full virtual, and simultaneous hybrid (virtual and in-person), and all the madness that goes along with it, the teachers have been beyond PHENOMENAL. I want to thank them. And I’m not NOT giving gift cards, but I wanted to do something a bit different. Usually I forget all about specials teachers- not this time!

While perusing Pinterest the other week looking for little things to sew (and sell??), I stumbled upon these Journaling Bookmarks. This week I’ve been inspired to try my hand at sewing them. I didn’t love the aesthetics of the 1″ elastic on my first one, although my spouse claimed it for one of the testing log books for work. I knew I was onto something when my spouse claimed something I made, he tends to like practical things.

I made a second one with some 1/2″ elastic, but I don’t love this elastic either. I absolutely love having a pen ATTACHED TO MY PLANNER and I can easily bookmark where I want to open to. I’m still trying to figure out how I’ve lived without one of these penholder bookmarks.

Today I tested out using 2 pieces of 1/4″ elastic: WINNER. Its a bit more effort to get my placement correct. These are about as difficult to construct as a basic rectangular mask. However, flipping them right side out is a BEAST. I used a wooden “stuffing tool”, which looks like a chopstick, to help turn it right side out. My topstitching isn’t perfect. I need to remind myself that I’m NOT a machine. Nor am I a professional seamstress or even a particularly good sewist.

I took advantage of having the machine already out to make some singe pocket versions. The single 1/2″ elastic is PERFECT for these! They were really annoying to turn right side out! I don’t love making these.

Other notes: I used a cutting mat and a rotary cutter to do most of the holders. It was fast and efficient. Usually I use my giant fabric shears to cut all the fabric, but the rotary cutter made for neater cuts and straighter edges. I will continue to improve my rotary cutter skills (and invest in a larger cutting mat.

I think these would be a little big for A5 sized books, but for a composition book, planner, or a regular letter (A4) sized notebook they work great! To make it work for the smaller A5 notebooks, shortening the elastic would be easy!

How I’m gifting:

I purchased 8 “dot” journals and a two packs of the Uniball Signo 207 pens in multiple colors. Each teacher and specials teacher is getting a journal, a pen holder, and 2 different color pens. Each teacher is getting a different pattern holder (all the notebooks are blue)! I’m going to make the kids main teacher a pencil case with a gift card inside. Those will be pretty simple to put together by next Thursday, I even have the zippers ready for the projects!