Another week has flown by! Karen from Nothing But Knit blog suggested people join in by doing a post of ‘My Favourite Item(s) I Made’, so earlier this week I did a blog post with mine. Only one knitted item, but lots of other crafted items I made are on this Favourite list. Feel free to join in and share your post link. Anyway, back to this week’s YOP update.
Knitting
This week I was just working on my Hermione’s Everyday Socks in Regia yarn. I should finish these later today as I’m towards the end of the foot. Yay for tiny feet! Not a perfect pair on the pattern ah well!
Oops a confession, I had a 2nd yarn buying incident. I’m going to be crocheting a Minion and the yellow and blue shades I bought last year aren’t quite right, so I’ve bought better shades that are nearer to the shade of the millions of Minions in the house!!! It will be on my next YOP Year list…but that’s only 9 weeks away.
Sewing
I bought some sewing machine needles for sewing denim and watched some YouTube clips of how to make a bag from a pair of jeans. My husband has a pair with a hole in that I would like to practice on but he’s very attached to them, despite them not being able to be worn out in public! I have jeans that are too small for me, that I can use, but it would be a narrower bag…I’m still working on persuading him.
I also bought a sewing machine bag as my old cover was broken and the pocket for the foot peddle was totally ripped. My new one has cats on and looks attractive now when not in use.
Spinning
I need to take some twist out of a skein next week, then I can start to spin more fibre. Having only 4 bobbins is a bit frustrating. When lockdown eventually ends and we are allowed to/can travel safely then I will pick up my 2nd wheel which comes with 4 bobbins and they’ll fit both wheels. It just isn’t clear what month or year that will be!!
Weaving
I have threaded 8/2ne cotton warp on my loom to make a big long strip of tea towel. I still need to tie on all the ends before I can make a start.
A lady from the Guild and my Spinning group has given me some great advice and thinks next time I can use my 2 heddle reeds that are size 10 dpi (rather than the 12.5 dpi I have on there now, which I only have one of) and then could make a double width tea towel! That will be exciting! I’ve warped this with a crazy enormous length of cotton, because I set it up in the garden. At one point there was a gust of wind and there was a bit of a tangle and I wished I’d not made it so long. Part of my brain is wondering how much of a hassle it would be to take this all off and re-do it shorter and set for double width, then I remember the mess I got on with the thick cotton. Hmm needs more thinking time!!
Other News
A lot of time was spent in the garden this week planting more veg seeds, weeding etc. Allistar played with his pressure washer and our paths are so much brighter it’s lovely, and some slabs look like new. Below is the before and after and some of the path in the after photo is still wet so it is all much lighter when dry. My wild strawberries, they are a losing battle…losing the will battle. They taste lovely so I may just leave the rest that are still everywhere and rip out more in autumn.
I got sunburnt gardening mid-week…in April…in the Highlands. 3 years ago this week we had snow, this has been exceptionally good weather for where I live.
I hope everyone else is staying safe and keeping well.
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This is a Year of Projects update. If you would like to find out more about the
Year of Projects Group on Ravelry, or you’d like to join in, please follow the link for details. To read what the other members of the YOP Group have been getting up to please click on the latest weekly folder and follow the links to their blog posts. This is a friendly group with a wide mix of skills and crafting interests.
HighlandHeffalump 
Three years ago this week I was up in Kylesku and it was horizontal sleet! I remember it well. My garden looking pretty good for the time of year, and we here in the “wet west” are wishing for rain. Strange times, indeed. Can’t wait to see how you get along with your weaving!
PS: My DH also cleaned the paths with the pressure washer…! ☺️
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It’s been weird being able to sit out so much in April, the problem is the dappled shade I normal sit under in summer from the crabapple tree isn’t there because the leaves are only just appearing…thus my sunburn. We are due some rain tomorrow I think.
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Lovely socks!
We (in Massachusetts USA) have had a real mix of weather lately. It’s been both warm and sunny with temperatures that make you think it’s time to plant in the garden and then snow. It’s always a mixed bag here in spring:)
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Well we may have snow today…..rain possibly turning to snow……I have try Hermione’s again, the pair I made are too big, but I wear them…
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Great sock. HES is one of the best ever patterns. Your garden looks so nice. If those strawberries are so delicious, let them grow and enjoy their flavor. Harvest and can or freeze them for this winter. A bit of summer during the nasty weather is always a joy.
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It’s only 9 weeks ’till the beginning of a new YOP year?!? I just can’t get over how quickly a YOP year flies by. I love how fresh everything is after a good power wash. This was going to the be spring I got my powerwasher repaired and tuned up. I’ve tried doing the simple repair myself (twice now), but I just can’t manage to stop a leak. Thinking now I may have to limp along with it not operating at full power another season…
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Our last one was useless and leaked a lot. This one seems much better so far.
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I can’t wait to see your tea towel!
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I’ve started to wonder whether I could unravel it on the spare bed without getting in a tangle and then try for double straight away. Eek wish me luck!
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Great socks. We have wild strawberries a plenty as well. I don’t mind a few but they get everywhere!
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Isn’t amazing how the little things brighten our days now! I’m pretty sure we were in or had just had a blizzard this time last year. Our last snow was 14 inches in May 21!! This spring is much better!
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What lovely projects- I love the socks. I am going to have a go at turning jeans into a bag, mind you I’ve had it all sitting there for a couple of years now!
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Sorry about the sunburn, but lucky you to have good weather to be out in the garden. I can’t imagine only 4 bobbins. I keep thinking that 6 isn’t enough for me. Your warping picture leaves me speechless – I can only imagine the tangle I would get into. The hermione socks are in my to-do list, but I have to wait to get the right yarn I think. I like the idea of the favourite things post. I might take you up on that.
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Your projects are lovely and interesting, as always! Looking forward to seeing your tea towel! Your garden is looking lovely – yay for early spring weather!
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Very nice socks. I love how your garden is shaping up.
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[…] like it’s just me who has a crazy long list of projects but then I discovered this post by Highland Heffalump and I discovered this Ravelry group. So now at least even though I am swimming in a giant list of […]
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