Still caught by time..,

This post was just brought to my attention.

http://toltyarnandwool.com/blog/2014/2/2/lisas-mittens

I love the pictures and am flattered when anything that I design becomes

 a finished item. Someone valued the pattern enough to spend their time

 creating my vision. And in this instance, taking beautiful pictures as well.

I am working on a new stranded pattern. It's been in my head for a long time.

Finally, it is charted, thumb designed. Knit once - frogged and in process of being knit again.

It feels like this pattern has come easily. Though not perfectly, hence the frogging.

As I have started to count the hours - and yes, it is a lot of hours, that it has taken to get the crosses to wrap - to center the thumb, have the decreases in the correct places, and get all the stitches charted on the software, I figure that I am about 20 hours in. With about 10 hours to go - writing the written pattern, knitting a second pair a double check, adjusting the charts. Back to time... Deadlines for submission, working 40 hours, 10 more patterns roaming around in my head, and so many other things pulling at my time...

The story of a skirt - p1

Last November, I had the amazing opportunity to go to Alabama Chanin's studio and factory for a week. While I was there, several projects were cut and stenciled. The first one that has made it to my sewing needles. It is slow going, but the beautiful progress is completely worth all the time.

Starting with the hand stitching with button craft thread.

Then there is the beading...

 

As a full panel...

Moving to the embroidery...

And this is just half of the first panel. There will be more updates as the skirt progresses.

Beautiful slow gifts

The first of my slow gifts for the holiday is finished. It is packed and ready to head to my dad in the desert.

I am so pleased with the details and overall with the shirt.

Decoy sewing

My first Alabama sweater is finished. I cut a few of these at Studio Week. While I am continuing with covert crafting for Christmas gifts, there is decoy crafting. This is the first completed decoy project.

I am especially happy with how my cretin stitch is becoming more even.