Winter, a shawl and some stitching

Today we have winter. Yesterday evening, all of a sudden, it started to snow and this morning this was what I saw when I looked out of my window.
The street

And the backyard

So I stayed home today. I know, it would be healthy if I'd go for a walk, but DH was at work the afternoon and I didn't want to go all by myself. So I curles myself up at the couch and did my Sunday project, the borders from Randje per Week.

After I finished my borders I took my NY quilt and did some quilting, in the meanwhile watching the video of our summer vacation of last year.

I have been doing quite some stitches last week. No progress picture, but that is to come!

There's also some progress on my shawl, Winter Dreams. Part four (of five) is finished. I hope I have enough yar, there's only 14 grams left now! The colour is a bit darker and I know you can't see the pattern yet. But that will be a surprise after blocking! I hope to have it done by next week.

Progress without pictures

Yes, you read it already, I have a lot of progress on th NY quilt for DD, but no pictures. It's clear that it will not be finished for her birthday next week, so today I spent my time quilting on my bedquilt. I have been quilting most evenings, but now my fingers are sore, so I decided to take a little break and do some knitting tonight :)
I have some pictures for you though. Last Thursday, after a workdonference in Utrecht, I went to DD, who lives in Nijmegen. Next morning I went to Arnhem, to visit the Abbey Koningsoord. The abbey closed their embroidery atelier and all left materials were for sale. I bought items for a bargain. Embroidery thread, two pair of scissors, a piece of lace. And a lot of knitting yarn.

The weekly project has some new borders. It is a pleasure to stitch them. It takes only an hour or so and I plan to do this on the quiet Sunday mornings, when the rest of my family members are still asleep.

New project

You may have noticed there is a new hype in The Netherlands, called 'Randje per Week'. It is a facebook group and a blog, you can see the button on the right side of my blog. The idea is to stitch a border a week, like schoolgirls used to do in former days.
I joined the group and am stichting along. These are my first borders:

These borders don't take much stitching time, so I had plenty of time to do other things, like quilting my bedquilt. I have done quite some stitches these past few weeks.

I also am busy quilting the first NY quilt. DD has her birthday in two weeks and I would love to give her the finished quilt as a birthday gift. I quilt by hand, but I can't quilt for hours, I have to pay attention to my back and shoulders. Yet I hope I make it!

And there has been something new that caught my attention. I participated in a game at a group of knitters I'm in. You were asked to post a picture to the theme 'Fairytales' and I came up with Aladdin. The owner of the group is a hand dyer of all knids of wool and she dyes according to the picture I sent. This is the result. The picture of Aladdin is my contribution, the wool is hers. And, good part of the deal, I got this wool for free!

I have one little problem, I don't know how to make yarn out of this. A dear friend took me to her dear friend, who showed me how to spin a wool batt into yarn. And after that I went to the attic, looked around for my spinning wheel (my dad once made me one, but I never used it) and assembled it. All I have to do now is practice! 

My first handspun thread!

First finish in 2014!

My wish for all of you is at the bottom of my last blogpost in 2013. The year 2014 had a quiet start. No accidents in my environment and in my family. I started this year with backing my New York Quilts. A dear friend helped me doing that. It made fun, we had real quality time together, just talking and sewing. Luckily we are able to multitask!

Coming home I started quilting immediately. I have a silk batting and it quilts without any effort.

Of course I have been stitching on my Call of the Raven. I reached the bottom, but still 14 pages to go!

Also there was happy news in the family. My niece is going to have a baby. And although I don't know if she likes it, I knitted a little babyhat. You can find the pattern here. I knitted it with yarn, handdyed by Loret Karman and I like the little hat. A quick knit, only a few hours work.

Speaking of work, tomorrow morning duty calls again. That means less time to sew, knit and stitch.

See you again in 2014!

This probably is my last blogpost of the year 2013. I am not the reflecting type, most of the time I just act and do what I am supposed to do or, creatively, what I want to do. But the year 2013 brought me some hightlights I just want to mention.

My youngest graduated and left the nest, leaving her parents and brother at home and went for a long trip to the USA. After that, she moved to another city to study. Surprisingly, after missing her the first months, I adjusted to the situation and I am happy seeing her live her own life.

In the context of DD's trip to the USA I spent a week with her in New York. The highlight of the year. It was a journey of meeting my own strength, meeting places I've never been, meeting a grown up daughter and love what kind of person she became. It was fulfilling a dream I wasn't aware I dreamt.

DS studies at Groningen University and got his B.A. degree last August. The ceremony was in October and we attended it as proud parents. Now he opts for a Master's degree.

It was also a year with continuing trouble at work, but somehow I learnt this year to draw a line and to be clear about what I do not accept. And to be able to communicate that with the people I work with.

Before I switch to stitch related things, I want to thank you all, for reading my stories and leaving a comment. I love every comment and I hope to 'see' you all in 2014!

On the edge of this year I have been making two almost identical quilttops in memory of our trip to NY, one for DD, one for me. 

And I have been sewing  these last days. I made a huswif and another framed purse. A little needlebook completes the set. 

Call of the Raven is growing steadily (pictures next time), and so does my bedquilt. 

I wish you all a happy New Year's Eve and 

New projects

Is it because it is the end of the year that I feel the need to start new projects? I don't know, but I think I just go with the flow and let it happen.
Last week's projects is gone. I rippes it, after starting over at the same point three times. I don't know if it's me or the chart, but when I found myself on the couch saying some ugly words I decided to rip it and start something new. So I casted on Renee Leverington's Winter Mystery Shawl and knitted the first clue.

Another new project is a shawl, knitted from the yarn DD brought home with her after her trip to the USA.  I name it New York City Found, the pattern is Myruni

Today was the first day of my vacation. We stay at home for the holidays and I refurnished our living room into a sewing studio. And so I could cut fabric into a jellyroll and make the top of a New York Quilt. I plan to make two of them, one for me, one for DD. 

Everything we experienced in NY is there. The green of Central Park, the huge buildings, the clock of Grand Central Station, the lights of Times Square, the traffic, the Stars and Stripes.  And sweet memories, of course...

Quilting again

Somehow I got in the mood these last weeks, so I have been quilting. The result doen's show that quick, but here is an idea of what I've done.

I also knitted on Ambrosiane, a shawl designed by Birgit Freyer. I bought some yarn in her shop in Berlin over a year ago and I decided it has to be used for a shawl of hers.

I started, but made a mistake that I couldn't fix, so I pulled it out and started all over again. I think she will become a beauty!

And there is something else in a corner of my mind. I dream about it, but haven't decided yet how to work my dreams out. DD brought me some fabrics from her trip to the USA and of course they must be used to make a New York Quilt. I have been searching on the internet and in my LQS and came up with these fabrics. Now I hope I can find time and spirit in the next vacation. Which is in about a week!