Quiet Cafe Knitting.

Good Vibes Day

Today, December 30th, is Good Vibes Day. It is also Annie Schmidt's 22nd birthday. Her last message to the world was, "Fill your life with good vibes". So today let's take a moment to step outside of our comfort zone & make a difference in someone's life. Smile at strangers, give someone an encouraging word, call a friend or relative, take a treat to someone who is housebound, write a letter, say thank-you, help someone carry their groceries, pay for someone's coffee, give genuine compliments, ..the sky is the limit. Just Do. #honoringannieschmidt  #fillyourlifewithgoodvibes #goodvibesday #goodvibes

Slow Stitching

Slow stitching by the tree, coffee in hand, and snow falling softly outside. 

Lately I find when it comes to quilts I have become more of a process quilter then ever before. This is my first whole cloth quilt & I feel like I am breaking out of any quilting rules I ever had. Simply going for it and stitching is a freeing thing. I love this quilt, and I could not part from it to anyone but its intended recipient, my darling Mother. This beautiful piece of stitchery has traveled all over the place with me. I have stitched on it while solving life's problems with friends, hidden away at my own mini quilt retreat in a friend's guestroom for the weekend, watching sappy Christmas movies with my sister-in-law & loving every moment, and in quiet moments by myself. #slowstitching #slowliving #handquilting #handquilted #wholecloth #wholeclothquilt #turquoiseowlssewingjournal

Briochevron Blanket Progress

This is the beginning of my blanket that I have been working towards all summer.  I knew the yarn was not going to make it the whole distance so meanwhile I have still been doing some spinning on the side to add in as I go. I definitely needed some lights to brighten things up. I've paused for awhile as I finish up a couple of skeins. I don't want to completely run out of my first batch of yarn and swap to a completely new batch, so old and new will be intermingled. Most of this yarn was spun in the course of the last year and ranges from DK weight to heavy worsted so the blanket has some slight variations that give it added depth and character. Even though it is just a small lap blanket the amount of yarn it takes is staggering and sometimes I look at it and have a momentary panic of wondering if this is the right project for all of my beautiful handspun skeins or if I have completely lost my mind. But then when I look at each skein individually and the blanket as a whole, I see that there could not be any project for them but this. A handspun briochevron will be amazing, and I look forward to the day that it is finished. Meanwhile, I sit at my desk and bundle up in shawls & sweaters. 

Tour De Fleece 2016

So, let's talk Tour De Fleece! I honestly don't know how many grams or pounds or yards or anything! BUT, I did spin every day of the Tour for at least 15 minutes, if not more, and with the July I had I felt like it was an incredible accomplishment. My poor wrists are a bit tired, and a break is necessary after so much spinning. But it was all worth it. The majority of this was spindle spin and plied, a little was wheel spun previous to the Tour and then plied on my spindles during the Tour. Most will end up in my Briochevron blanket that I'm making for fall & winter warmth at my desk. Stay tuned for more spinning & knitting!

From where I stand: Briochevron Blanket Beginnings

This weekend I've been spinning on this beautiful fiber from Fiber Addiction. It's all softness and sparkle and I'm pretty sure that Emily keeps a herd of Unicorns in her backyard to shear for this gorgeous fiber! I have a weakness for sparkle, and silver angelina is no exception.

The other day I saw the Briochevron Blanket by West Knits and I can not get it out of my head. I've been looking for the perfect blanket to make into a lap blanket for work. At my computer it can be a bit brisk in the winter and a little handspun blanket would not go amiss. I feel like if I go with a woolen fluffy spin it will be warmest, but basically I plan to use whatever pretty handspun strikes my fancy. 

It will probably take me all summer to spin yarn for the blanket, and then knit it up. But it will all be worth it come the bitter winds of November. 

Happy Mail Day

It is always a wonderful mail day when fiber arrives! Added to it, these perfectly printed turquoise owls on flannel showed up as well. 

The fiber was won in a giveaway & I've already split it up and I'm turning it into punis. 

Life is good.