I don't have a lot of craft-project progress to report, but there's a little.
The faux cathedral windows denim quilt is still just sitting there, clamped down in the old Singer, looking at me reproachfully every time I go in the room. The last time I was working on it, the upper thread kept breaking. Very frustrating! (Especially after arranging/positioning the quilt just so, only to have the thread break a few stitches later.)
I have a short list of possible problems and solutions. I'll start with the easy ones-- changing out the thread (in case it's a bad spool), then (if/when the new thread doesn't help) putting on a new needle. If that doesn't work, it will be time to start fiddling with the tension settings, but I'm hoping it won't be necessary. (It was working fine not long ago! Those tension settings shouldn't need changing, should they?)
I'm tempted to just bundle the whole thing up and donate it, but I'm relatively close to finishing... If I can just get the machine (and that bulky quilt) to cooperate...
Here's the finished yarn I "microwave dyed" a little while back:
The ball of finer (light fingering/sock) yarn is the one that was in the bowl in a photo in an earlier post. That's the stuff destined to be edging on the scarf/cowl.
The thicker yarn is some that came in a bag from the thrift store. It was originally grey fleck with an unappealing range of bright colors. I'd already over-dyed it once, but I still wasn't crazy about the color, so I re-used the vinegar water from dyeing the first ball and gave the yarn another layer of color. I left the yarn in balls to dye it. I've seen people do that with interesting gradient results. I don't think it worked out that way, this time. Maybe I used too much water or the yarn was too loosely wound. In any case, it's a nicer color, now. It'll probably be used in a scrappy linen-stitch knitted cowl or scarf, someday-- when I have enough scraps saved and am in the right mood.
I have a young cousin ("first cousin once removed", technically) who's celebrating his second birthday, and I was moved to crochet some amigurumi for him. No photos, yet. (The party is this weekend, so they'll show up soon.)
Two little critters are completed-- all but the face embroidery, at least, which you know I love so much that I procrastinate "just doing it" for days. ;o) I can put it off a bit longer, because there's a third tiny animal that is still a work-in-progress. (Then I can worry and fuss over the embroidered faces of all three at one go!)
After finishing the amigurumi, it will be a treat to work on something else!
To make up for an absence of photos of crocheted animals, here are a few of my crazy dogs.
Luna (the one-year-old) loves to get right in Trixie's face and kiss her. Unfortunately, Trixie doesn't share her enthusiasm for public displays of affection. ;o) They get along alright, though-- much better than at first. I think they'll be even happier together when Luna calms down over the next year or two. (She will, right?? I keep reading that Eskies can take a couple of years to fully outgrow their "puppy-ness"... We've been through this with two other Eskie puppies, but you tend to forget...)
- - - - - - -
The faux cathedral windows denim quilt is still just sitting there, clamped down in the old Singer, looking at me reproachfully every time I go in the room. The last time I was working on it, the upper thread kept breaking. Very frustrating! (Especially after arranging/positioning the quilt just so, only to have the thread break a few stitches later.)
I have a short list of possible problems and solutions. I'll start with the easy ones-- changing out the thread (in case it's a bad spool), then (if/when the new thread doesn't help) putting on a new needle. If that doesn't work, it will be time to start fiddling with the tension settings, but I'm hoping it won't be necessary. (It was working fine not long ago! Those tension settings shouldn't need changing, should they?)
I'm tempted to just bundle the whole thing up and donate it, but I'm relatively close to finishing... If I can just get the machine (and that bulky quilt) to cooperate...
- - - - - - -
Here's the finished yarn I "microwave dyed" a little while back:
The ball of finer (light fingering/sock) yarn is the one that was in the bowl in a photo in an earlier post. That's the stuff destined to be edging on the scarf/cowl.
The thicker yarn is some that came in a bag from the thrift store. It was originally grey fleck with an unappealing range of bright colors. I'd already over-dyed it once, but I still wasn't crazy about the color, so I re-used the vinegar water from dyeing the first ball and gave the yarn another layer of color. I left the yarn in balls to dye it. I've seen people do that with interesting gradient results. I don't think it worked out that way, this time. Maybe I used too much water or the yarn was too loosely wound. In any case, it's a nicer color, now. It'll probably be used in a scrappy linen-stitch knitted cowl or scarf, someday-- when I have enough scraps saved and am in the right mood.
- - - - - - -
I have a young cousin ("first cousin once removed", technically) who's celebrating his second birthday, and I was moved to crochet some amigurumi for him. No photos, yet. (The party is this weekend, so they'll show up soon.)
Two little critters are completed-- all but the face embroidery, at least, which you know I love so much that I procrastinate "just doing it" for days. ;o) I can put it off a bit longer, because there's a third tiny animal that is still a work-in-progress. (Then I can worry and fuss over the embroidered faces of all three at one go!)
After finishing the amigurumi, it will be a treat to work on something else!
- - - - - - -
To make up for an absence of photos of crocheted animals, here are a few of my crazy dogs.
Luna (the one-year-old) loves to get right in Trixie's face and kiss her. Unfortunately, Trixie doesn't share her enthusiasm for public displays of affection. ;o) They get along alright, though-- much better than at first. I think they'll be even happier together when Luna calms down over the next year or two. (She will, right?? I keep reading that Eskies can take a couple of years to fully outgrow their "puppy-ness"... We've been through this with two other Eskie puppies, but you tend to forget...)