Vintage Fablique Hanging for Sewing

This was one of the gems found in my great aunt Maude's sewing stash. The kit was made by Coats, and the copyright on it is 1978.

It's intended to store sewing supplies, but I'm just using it as a decoration. It seemed easy enough at first, but it had a lot of little details that made it take longer than I thought.

Terrarium Embroidery

I'm still on an embroidery kick, and I finished this one really quickly over just a week or so.

The moss on the bottom was intimidating, but once I got a feel for it, it was the best part. I also love the colors in this one. All the little extra lines and knots make it even more fun.

Pattern: Terrarium by cozyblue

Sunny Bunnies Embroidery

I usually get an itch to embroider at this time of year. Embroidery is portable (though I'm not going anywhere these days), and it doesn't make your legs all sweaty like knitting does.

I started working on Sunny Bunnies last year but never finished it. I'm finding a lot of gratification in completing quicker projects, and it's even better if they have been hanging around unfinished for a while. I'm so happy to add this one to my wall.

Pattern: Sunny Bunnies by cozyblue

Prism Knit Socks

I'm getting so much sock knitting accomplished during stay-at-home orders. Alex and I have been watching The Wire (neither of us had seen it), so socks are perfect for knitting while also paying enough attention to remember the names of the bazillion characters.

I wanted to support small businesses during this time, and this yarn was one I purchased for that reason.

Pattern: Cuff-down, my own pattern; the stitch is garter

Yarn: Birch Dyeworks 80/20 Sock in Prismatic Indigo

Alex's Birthday Cake Socks

This month is Alex's birthday. I don't have to tell you why that sucks. We usually have a party at our house for his birthday, but this year his band Modern Strangers was going to play a show for his birthday. We were all looking forward to it.

With the show cancelled, we're still figuring out a fun way to celebrate. I started working on these socks with yarn from my stash that Alex had picked out a long time ago. I finished them way earlier than I thought I would. With staying home during the pandemic, I've been able to work through a lot of my old yarn. That feels nice.

Pattern: My own cuff down using hurdle stitch
Yarn: Araucania Huasco Sock in Guacamayo

GIVEAWAY: Ombre Purple Knit Socks from PaintBox

Before Christmas, Love Crafts.com sent me a ball of ombre sock yarn to try out. After I finally finished all the handmade holiday gifts (some in January *cough*), I started working on these.

Now that COVID 19 is taking over our lives, I'm finding time to photograph projects I finished earlier in the year. It's also a great time to host a giveaway for a lucky stitcher!

Love Crafts.com is kindly giving away one ball of their Paintbox Yarn Socks in the color of your choice. I'm hosting the giveaway on Instagram, so hop over there to enter.

Pattern: My own. Basically a cuff-down sock using Hurdle Stitch

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Socks in Wisteria

This yarn was really fun to knit with. I couldn't see the color changes as they were happening, but then I'd knit several rows and look back to see that gradual shift.

Hurdle Stitch 

When I'm knitting socks, I go for stitches that have a lot of texture but are easy to memorize. (That's probably also why socks are one of my go-to projects for stitch group.)

Rnd 1: Knit.
Rnd 2: Purl.
Rnds 3-4: k1, p1; repeat from across.

If I made another pair of these, I would probably do an afterthought heel. The Hurdle Stitch works really well with this yarn, and it makes it extra squishy and cozy.

Knit Soothing Shawl

I've been diligently working through my stash lately, and I finally used yarn I bought two years ago in New Mexico. It's squishy and great for a textured stitch like the seed stitch used in this shawl.

It finally snowed in Asheville, and I thought the color was perfect against the snow. (It melted around noon, so it didn't last nearly long enough.)

Pattern: Soothing Shawl by Rachel Brockman (free pattern)
Yarn: Abiquiu Dye Studio Squishy Spring "Halleluiah" purchased at Espanola Valley Fiber Arts Center

The border is applied lace, so you have to work it sideways and knit the edge stitches together with the border. I couldn't wrap my head around it at first, but then I watched a couple of videos and it clicked. I've tried this kind of border before, but it's been a while.