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Back At it Again

October 30th, 2014

Back when I was sick a few months ago, I started a rainbow afghan. Of course once I was well again, it was put in a box and my time was spent catching up on garden chores. Last week during the days and days of rain, out it came once again and I started assembling it.
afghan (1)
It’s not my normal style & colors. I typically don’t go for bright primary colors, but I really wanted this to be classic. I can’t decide if I want to keep it or give it to a friend. One thing I can say is that the local hand dyed merino wool yarn does not make for an inexpensive project!
Screen Shot 2014-10-29 at 6.37.48 PM
I’m pretty excited about winter coming as I have amassed quite a collection of projects I want to work on. There is fabric in my sewing room for two new quilts and I have an idea for a third. I have a shirt I want to make, along with a skirt as well. There are also a few new skeins of a mustardy yellow wool I picked up earlier this week for a warm cowl that I will hopefully be wearing this winter.

Do you pick up any sewing, knitting, or other handicrafts during the winter months?

10 Comments to “Back At it Again”
  1. Marina on October 30, 2014 at 6:38 am

    I am making a quilt for our daughter’s graduation from vet school, and I always have several knitting projects, but also some new adventures with natural dyeing of my friend Jamie’s alpaca yarn, which is really wonderfully soft to work with.
    I am using poke berry, which I gathered before the first frost, for a soft bricky red, and I have recipes for dye from the water of soaked black beans, which will make a soft blue, and I would like to try purple cabbage, which would be a lavender hue.

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  2. Sierra on October 30, 2014 at 8:27 am

    I have two knitting projects going right now, a third in waiting and tons more in my ravelry library that I can’t wait to choose from! I just wish I could knit faster so that I could actually count on making gifts for birthdays or Christmas.

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  3. Nebraska Dave on October 30, 2014 at 9:12 am

    Susy, well, I don’t have any knitting, quilting, or afghans to complete but I do have winter projects. The biggest is to continue to clean up the basement area. I did get a major portion of the cleanup done last winter but it still needs massive cleanup to be done. Then a good organizing of the seed starting area before February will be needed. My plans are big for next year’s garden. They’re always big but things are lining up for a stellar year. Next year will have more flowers in the garden to attract pollinators; more backup plants in case of extreme weather like this year; more work on spring water irrigation development for Terra Nova; more development of the Urban Ranch garden beds in my back yard; and more success with growing giant pumpkins. I’ve always wanted to grow a giant pumpkin. Now that I have the space, I can. Last year I couldn’t get the seeds to germinate. I’ll have to do more research to see what I did wrong. Anyway, new excitement is building for the winter projects.

    Have a great winter project planning day.

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  4. misti on October 30, 2014 at 9:23 am

    I want to pick up my crochet hook but not sure how that will work out with the baby being attention needy at the moment. I’m doing good just to get some exercise in during the evenings!

    Your blanket is awesome! I have a huge stash of acrylic yarn from my grandmother that is good for blankets—-don’t think I would spent the $ on fancy merino for a blanket…definitely for a clothing item, though.

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  5. Jenn Ray on October 30, 2014 at 9:58 am

    You’re making my blanket! I’ve been making one on and off for a few years that’s so similar I thought the picture *was* my blanket – except mines bigger now. Mines a bit darker but it’s the exact same pattern and the background colour is the same. Also I wasn’t sure I liked it when I started it but it grew on me and I love it now.

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  6. DebbieB on October 30, 2014 at 10:59 am

    Well, you know I love working with my hands. I spin and weave and knit all year long. But I do crochet more in the winter, because the only thing I really like to crochet is blankets, and having a wool blanket in progress on my lap is oppressive anytime but winter.

    Your afghan looks like a garden full of wildflowers, I love it! Even when you’re not gardening, you ARE. ;)

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  7. Lemongrass on October 30, 2014 at 4:50 pm

    As DebbieB mentioned, your afghan looks like a beautiful garden full of wild flowers. I love it. You’re doing a wonderful job with the color combo.
    With no winter in my hemisphere, I have no go-to winter projects. I have been knitting and crocheting a bit more during this rainy season…………soon to end. I am working on a knitted lace undershirt and hat for my neice.

    Reply to Lemongrass's comment

  8. Marie on October 31, 2014 at 2:11 pm

    I’m perpetually knitting year-round, though my knitting time is quite shortened lately with the addition of the baby.

    Reply to Marie's comment

  9. Wendy on October 31, 2014 at 11:21 pm

    I’m always making something, but I really get the most time to work on them during the fall and winter months. The sewing projects are taking over my workspace, but I’m still hoping to squeeze in some knitting and crocheting, too.

    I really like the gray border around each of the squares in your afghan–it really sets off those bright colors nicely. My favorite project of yours ever is the quilt you made out of old jeans with the patches of the places you’ve traveled–I really want to make something like that sometime. Can’t wait to see what you make this winter!

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  10. Kyle on November 5, 2014 at 7:48 pm

    I’m a voracious knitter and I’m starting to feel the itch for a big project. But, I’m still trying to get the various parts of my garden shored up for winter and I’m still a long way off from having it all done. But soon….

    Reply to Kyle's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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