Author: mail@sophie-heinrich.net

It’s Sunday, it’s Mother’s day and it was Sheep &wool. What a beautiful day!

This fantastic day started early with a delicious breakfast made of: baguette, tea, honey, and Nutella. The kids made me “I love you” cards which made my day. Shortly before 8 am, my friend L (let’s call her: Her who loves blue yarn!) who is a knitter as well, came by. We left to pick up our friend K. (Her who designs the most crazy socks you’ve ever seen) and started our annual journey to the Sheep & Wool festival. It takes place on a fair ground about 40 minutes away from my house. It is the paradise of knitters. There is yarn everywhere, pleople wearing beautiful sweaters, shawls, socks, hats… and as L says, this is the only place on earth where it’s acceptable to point at people, and touch their clothes without knowing them!

After such a great yarn day, I could not but post an update on my project.

My first one is a shawl that I made out of yarn I bought at Sheet & wool a few years ago. I made this pattern before. It very easy, and was the ideal project for a train trip to New York that I took at the end of March. (yes, it’s been finished for a while!)

My second, is a sweater that my Mom made for E. It was in pieces and I had to do the finishing.

My third, is a cardigan that I made for Bobo. Bobo, is a  dear familly friend. He has been leaving with us for almost 7 years, and was getting very cold. Or at least that is what G said.

I am not sure when my next post will be since I am working on finishing a big project. Let’s hope it will be done before the summer!

Last week, I finally got around to do 2 things I had meant to do for quite some times. First I finished E’s  blanket, and second I made bugnes.

For those of you who are not familiar with bugnes, this is similar to a New Orleans beignet, just better! We typically make them for Chrismas or around Mardi Gras. Since I did not come around to make them at these times, and the weather was cold and gloomy, I felt that bugnes were the ray of sunshine we needed.

I also completed a blanket I started for E. last year. It is made of her baby receiving blankets. Aren’t we all trying to the reuse and upcycle spirit ? I did buy some fabric for the baking and the binding, but I am still very happy with the way the baby receiving blankets now make a nice cozy quilt for her. I finished it up by hand embroidering her initials. I started the same for G. so that there will be one for everyone!

Ok, so either no one reads my blog or no one guest the solution to last week contest. I am going to be positive and say that no one guest. The answer is that the flower was made out of… coffee filters.

I wanted to achieve a peony like look, and used food coloring to get the pink color. I then used green pipe cleaner to hold the filters together and crushed the petals to finish the flower. I’ve got the idea from the kids’ daycare. Upon researching on Pinterest for a bit, I discovered that it was extremely simple and fun to make. I am planning on making some more, so stay tuned…

Last week I finished a baby planket for a little kiwi baby. Our friends in New Zealand just had a little boy and I wanted to make something special for them. I had bought the fabric about a year ago thinking that it was cute, and that I would make a blanket with it, eventually… So the birth of the little boy was the perfect occasion to execute my plan. I finished up my project by adding an embroidery of the little kiwi baby’s name on the back. While it’s not the most perfect blanket ever made, I am thrilled with the results and can’t wait to ship it.

This winter has been very odd, and while I usually do love Winter, I did not like our odd one. We had a ton of snow at once, but not enough snow to truly cover the ski slopes, which makes me grumpy! To top it of, while the last two weeks were rather springy, it did snow on Saturday. Can the weather make up its mind? Can the weather give my dafodyls a break and let them grow in piece!!! So, this week, I decided to let Spring in my house by making flowers.

I also decided that I would share Sring. So… here is the trick: I won’t tell you what they are made off until next Sunday! Until then, leave me a comment with your best guess, and I will send a flower to the first one to guess the right answer. Be specific! Note,  There are no geographical restrictions, so if you guess right you could get Spring in a box…

So, here it is, I did my best but cannot sustain a one week/ one project rythm. If I am honnest, I cannot even sustain a 2 weeks/ 1 project pace either! That’s a real bummer, but as my Aunt Rasberry said:”why did you put so much pressure on yourself?” Well, hum, let me think…. I don’t know, I am a bit crazy…   So without further ado, here is what I have been up to in the last 2 months.

I made socks for The Little Big Boy. It all started with one sock. I then realized that I would not have enough yarn to finish the second one, so I unravelled the one I made and used scraps to make 2. While I was making these, I feared he would not wear them, but he became quite fond of them. I am now planning on making him another pair, with more scarps I have in my drawers.

On a cold snowy day, I made scones for the all family. Cranberry lemon for Dear Husband and I, and chocolate chip ones for the kids. I have fallen in love with scones. Not only are they super easy to make, they also taste delicious yet are not too sweet. I recently bought frozen blueberries, and I am hoping to try that next.

Here is a shawl, I have finished 2 weeks ago. I could not get a good picture of the cable that runs along the scalops, so I posted Dear husband’s favorite one. I had a lot of fun making this shawl. Not only do I love cables, but I really enjoyed making a reversible shawl.

And if you are wondering what’s coming next… I just finished a quilt made of Miss I do It Myself baby blankets, I am working on a hitchhiker for myself, and on an over the top merino cable cardigan ( Still for myself). No I am not selfish…

So, I did not post anything in the last 4 weeks, and it’s not that I slaked and did not make anything, it is just that life is life, and I never got time to take pictures during the day to post nice ones. Well, I didn’t get a chance to take pictures during the day today either, but here is a post nonetheless.

Starting with the sweater I started 2 years ago! Yes, it is finished! Too big, but finished… I will probably re-open the sleeves to shorten them, and while I am not madely in love with it, it does a nice job at keeping me warm.

In our familly, we traditionally make our own Advent calendars. Frank and I have one, Gatien has one, and niw Eloise does too. I re-use little bags that my Mother had made years ago to create one for Bene and I, and use a embroyedery hoop as the structure. A glue gun, lots of ribbons, et voila!

Gatien’s birthday was this week, he received his aligator scarf, which I think he likes more holding then wearing around his neck. I am waiting to find it in his bed one of these days.

Yesderday we celebrated with a few of his friends. I made a mud and worms cake, and fishing poles for fun. They also got badges to complete activities.

I am going back to preparing a number of Chrismas presents, (I am late) so I’ll writte a longer post another time…

I have been somewhat absent for a few weeks, running behind time and never catching up. As I have heard other say before me: life happens…

So what happend? Last Saturday, I missed my monthly knitting meet up, to take a weaving class. The class was taylored for ridgid hedle weaving, but many of the notions I learned can be used toward weaving on the Beast!

My teacher: Claudia was very nice, and gave me great tools, to get me started in my weaving journey. She also lent me her loom to finish my first ever woven scarf! YEAH! F. volunteered to use it, but I think the colors are not very manly, and I promised to make him one.

The week before, I finished in extremis a Christmas lavender sachet. I had cross stiched the motive long time ago, and it was waiting, alone, lost and sad in one of my drawers. When Christmas comes it will replace the little bear I made in the summer!

Last summer, I decided that I would do my best to give the children something hand made and personal everytime they receive a gift from us.

For Eloise’s fourth birthday, I made her a pair of kitty mittens and a matching scarf. She happily modelled!

This is something that I made in stages and pretty much without pattern. I made the mittens during our Vermont vacation using a basic mittens pattern. During the Montgomery County fair, I made the greatest part of the scarf, and last week, I made the icord that connnects the mittens.

Because of my resolution, I have already made Gatien’s birthday present and started a quilted blanket for Eloise’s Christmas present… I am on it!

This week end, I also made quince paste! Gatien and I were at the farmer’s market when we found quinces… I love quince paste, it’s sweet but not too much, and the golden color makes me feel happy every time I take a bite. So here is a pic for those of you who never tried before.

 

Alright, I don’t need to be that negative, but this is the first time, that I do not complete a project!

Last week, life took over, and while I did do some knitting, I did not complete any of my almost done projects. So this week, there won’t be a picture or a tale of a finished project. Instead, there will be story of “How the Beast found a new home”.

The Beast, is the nickname of my new toy, which if you follow this blog you already heard about: my new weaving loom.

Yes, the Beast has found its new home in our basement. Its transport was an adventure worse telling in itself. On Thursday night, right after work, I went to Home Depot (the equivalent, in bigger of Leroy Merlin or BHV) to rent a truck. Now, fun facts about renting a truck there: it’s on a first come first serve basis. So me, and my Optimism showed up there, certain that a truck was waiting for us! Well… no!!!

A bit perplexed, my Optimism and I decided to rent a big car at the next car rental! Yeah!! So the American Big car, my Optimism, and I showed up at Lydia and Stephen’s house to big up the loom. After moving the Beast (which I want to remind everyone is very large and heavy!) to the car, we noticed that the Beast was larger than the American Big Car! For the French amongst you readers, an American Big Car, is very very very big!

My optimism and I learned our lesson, and we went back today with a moving truck. Yes! A large moving truck with loading ramp and the all shabang! Frank mastered the driving, while the kids and I followed in the car (not the American Big Car, I unfortunately had to give it back ;-)). The Beast was loaded and is now in its new home.

I couldn’t be more excited. Thanks Lydia and Family for this wonderful gift!

This week, I’ll give you a tell without a picture.

The reason is, I completed an alligator scarf for G. but since it’s a surprise for his birthday, I did not want to show him, and take a picture. Hence you will have to believe me, and wait until Dec. 10 to get a pic.

I had a lot of fun completing this scarf. One because it looks really fun and I can’t wait to see Gatien wear it. Two, because I was able to use some of my left-over yarn. Talk about stash busting…

A big news this week, I am getting a 42′ floor loom. Noooo, I do not know how to weave yet, but I already scheduled lessons, and Yes, it was too good of an opportunity to pass. I went to see the loom yesterday, which belonged to my friend’s Grandmother. My friend does not know how to weave, and does not want to keep it. She kindly offered it to me. We still need to figure out how to bring it home, but we already found it a place in our basement!