Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Crafty Days

I've been doing a ridiculous amount of knitting and crocheting of late.  It is easy to want to do, like today when it is the 26th of March and it is 13 degrees F when we got up.  I've made three baby afghans, and three are in progress, six baby hats, these felted knitted bowls and the big afghan for us to snuggle under.
I've also done plenty of normal housekeeping things and office work.  I've been trying to feel like cleaning out   the bedroom we've made into an office, and it is so discouraging because I don't know what to do with all the scrapbooking stuff that is in the closet.  I don't have room to put it anywhere else.  I NEED to finish some  books.  Which I would if I wasn't knitting.
Speaking of knitting, I like to felt things.  It is cool to knit up some yarn and throw it in the washer and come out with something that is thick and feltly and doesn't look quite like it did before.   I had some leftover wool given me by a sister-in-law,  (I'm a good dumping ground for yarn) and decided I wanted to try my hand at some bowls.  They worked up quickly and are just plumb cute.  

They felted very nicely in my front loader with a load of towels. 




As soon as it got cold last year, when I was on the couch I was snuggled under a big thick afghan that was Aunt Inez'.  I wanted to made another one that looked better in our living room.  The purply-pink just didn't match. So I used this green variegated yarn and it turned out just the way I wanted.  It's nice looking with our new brown couch and love seat.  I wanted it heavy so I used double yarn with size 15 needles.  I wanted it pretty so I knitted in cables.  I was so careful in binding off so it was loose enough and I was pleased with the way it looked and felt.  So, I threw it over the couch to take a photo.  Imagine my surprise and dismay when right there in the middle of the piece---I missed a cable.  There it was glaring at me, and what to do.  I didn't want to take it apart and redo it, it took me so long already.  


So, I didn't. It's too hard to make everything perfect.  I usually do go fix a mistake if I catch it before I'm all done and it isn't more than a few inches back.  


 I remembered hearing something once upon a time about quilters making deliberate mistakes in a quilt, so I researched it on google.  I found they are called humility blocks and the story is a myth. It is attributed to the Amish especially, but plenty of other quilters would say along with them, "I can make enough mistakes without making them on purpose."

My birthday was last week and I decided to do something I especially liked to do on that day, so I invited a couple of friends over for tea.  They brought lovely gifts.  I think I fall way down on the gift department for others. Jim and I went out to eat with some friends that were in town for high school speech.  We had planned on going out sometime as a family, but Lynette was working that night.  She made my cake early,  and we ate it after we got home. I smooshed mine all up with ice cream. That's malted milk balls, and it wasn't so easy to get them to stick up there.  While she was working on it, I would hear, "plink, plink, plink" and an occasional "auuugh", but it turned out nicely in spite of all that. 


Then on Sunday, we had dinner with my older daughter, and they made soup so I could eat what they had, too.  How nice of them.  It was nice to see them and play with the boys again.  Before we left, though, Zane was cuddling up on Papa's lap.  He acted like he was getting sick.  If that boy is quiet, it's not normal.

Now I can get back to crocheting. 


8 comments:

The Millers said...

He's back to normal lol

Renee said...

Thanks for taking time out from your knitting frenzy to put up a new blog post. I enjoy your blog. The new afghan is lovely...I wouldn't fret over the missed cable!

Mrs MacOlsson said...

Beautiful blanket - and really like those bowls too!

Anita said...

I love quilts and quilting- and I was taught to do the quilting by hand. I recognize the 'coolness' (or whatever) of machine quilting but I don't like it. And so, I look for imperfections in the quilting- often a sign of 'real' quilting. I don't like making mistakes...but I love handwork and so- mistakes are ok. :) (And that afghan is beautiful!)
And so is Lynette's cake! yum!

Dorothy said...

Those bowls turned out totally cool! I'm geometrically challenged so my brain is trying to figger out how on earth you cut that cake with the whoppers on it.....

Raimie said...

Dear Auntie Shelley,
What a joy to be busy with projects! The afghan is fabulous, the cake is darling, and the felting makes me happy to see.

Love,
Plenty of messed up crafts in NE

Gramma's Corner said...

Brandie Yeutter sats: "the bowls are so very cute! and your afghan is lovely, even with the less-than-perfect-ness"

Gramma's Corner said...

Jane Jossi says: "The felted bowls are great!!! Someone mentioned to me that 'mistakes are charming personality coming out!""