Oh A-Crocheting I Go.

We have just returned from a few days with my parents, who live a couple of hours' drive away.  It was the loveliest couple of days.  Lots of yummy food, because despite popular opinion my mother can cook.  She just doesn't enjoy it as much as others seem to.  Feeding my family is entirely satisfying though - they eat everything and tell her how wonderful it was.  You wouldn't think iced chocolate cake was that amazing.  Maybe they're just deprived?

In any case, Mr Busy got apple and rhubarb pie, and lots of boys-only trips of secret-men's-businness with his Dad and Grandpa.  I think they included coffee and cake.  Us girls went Geo Cache-ing.  My aunty got Mum into it, and then Miss Sunshine downloaded an app and we got into it.  And then Miss Sunshine told a couple of friends and now they're into it.  So much fun at no cost.  Glorified orienteering with a GPS that tells you exactly where you should find the cache.

I got back into crocheting.  My mother is the kind of crafter who has all of the paraphernalia required for every craft under the sun.  She was the perfect person to ask about crocheting patterns.  "What do you want to make?" she asked me.  I didn't know, just something.  So she dragged out her pile of pattern magazines and such and I looked through every single one.  The pile was nearly a foot high, but that's half the fun - choosing something.  I found something I loved, went to Spotlight and got my wool and in less than 24 hours I have something significant to show for my time.  I love crocheting - so satisfying!  In between choosing the pattern and getting started, my precious mother figured out the pattern so I could just get on with it.  Because reading the pattern is often the biggest obstacle to crocheting (and knitting).  She had to write DC = TR for me at the top of it so my British-oriented brain could cope with a US pattern.  I guess I just don't speak US when it comes to crochet patterns.  I haven't crocheted for a very long time, but my brain is firmly imprinted with the way I was taught!

At the end of it I will have this vest:

Image Credit

And because crocheting grows so quickly I am already well on my way.  All this since 5pm yesterday - a mere 4 hours of work.

And Then It Was Finished....Unveiling the Quilt

My 'Tail Feathers' quilt is done!  Well, the top is, anyway.  One day for birthday's and mother's day's I'll have it professionally quilted.

For now I'm just going to enjoy the satisfied feeling of looking at a completed project.

And then I'll begin thinking about what to do with all those 1 1/2 inch strips...

An Easter of Stitching

I managed to organise myself well enough to have not one but two weeks of mid-semester break for Uni at the same time as the school holidays.  It took a lot of work, but it has been so nice to enjoy Easter with no assignments looming over me for the first time in four years!

What does a girl do with all that freedom?  She stitches, of course!  Well, she read books too but this was definitely the Easter of Stitching.  On the day we left to go away for five days I madly cut out material, fused fabric and traced stitching lines  I have managed to complete the embroidery for one block and have nearly completed the embroidery for the next one.  The FINAL one!  I may well finish the stitching in front of the telly this week, before Uni demands my attention again.

The pieces of each block will probably then be put aside to languish sullenly until the mid-year school holidays to be put together.  It is rather exciting to see the quilt top nearly done though.  I began this quilt before I began my degree, and at the rate I'm going the degree will be completed first.  Funny thing about deadlines I suppose.

Of Trains and Quiet Evenings

After the early morning mind games I caught my train in just enough time.  The station I would normally go from has very little parking by 8am, so I headed to the next station and managed to get my ticket and be on the platform with 3 minutes to spare.  That's plenty, right?  I came home with Dh, who had driven in to the city so we had a lovely chat in the comfort of our own car.

My PD was very informative with lots of things to bring back to the teachers I work with.  Things to look for.  Things to do.  Activities to enjoy, just because...and to assist students in particular ways.  And what did I hear all day?  Visual, visuals visuals.  Children with language and learning difficulties all need visual aide supports.  Clip-Art, here I come.  My return to school this morning was greeted with tales of little people 'falling of their perches' here and there.  It's the last week of term, so I suppose it makes sense that some of them would be to weary to cope well.  My heart ached for them...and their teachers!

I'm planning a nice quiet evening in front of the TV, I think.  I've one chapter to read for Uni and then I'm done for the week, I think.  How did that happen?!  It's only Wednesday.  Perhaps my Tail Feathers stitchery might keep me company too.  It's contstantly in my mind and I walk past it thinking how lonely it looks resting there on my sewing cabinet, neglected and patient.  But every time I sit down for long enough to do it I'm too weary to think about moving!  Maybe tonight.

Stitching Therapy

Tail Feathers, Block 7

My tiring week ended with some therapeutic stitching on Friday evening.  Slowly but surely my whimsical little birdies emerge from a tin of threads and a pink lines traced onto my fabric.  I'm sorry the light isn't great.  That's what you get for trying to take pics at night!  I've yet to blanket stitch around the appliqued bird.  Perhaps a task for this evening while Dh and I relax in front of the telly.  In fact, I think that sounds like a marvellous idea!

Tail Feathers, Block 6

I also finished the blanket stitching on the previous block the other night.  I'm tell you, on was on stitching fire!  Now they both just need to be sewn together.  I'm going to attempt to do that this week.  I think  it might be a good idea to prepare the next two blocks for stitching so that I don't have to get the machine out for a little while.  

~ ~ ~ o o 0 o o ~ ~ ~

The Orientation Day I attended yesterday was amazing.  I know a lot of the others there felt like their brains were being overloaded.  For me, it was an extension of the Uni preparation and the online orientation information.  I got to ask a few question and discovered that I am enrolled in one second-year subject because of the credit I received for my work last year.  One of the most beneficial things was meeting my lecturer for one of my subjects.  She's a straight-talking lady with an amusing sense of humour.  I know I'm going to appreciate her all the more, having met her.  I also, of course, got to meet some of the other 'local' students, although none live anywhere near me.  But it will be nice to be able to picture others as we chat online.

One of the things I learned yesterday was where all the readings are being reserved on the library website.  I've begun working my way through printing and reading those while I have no other tasks pressing for my attention.

PS.  If you want a closer look at the photos, you can click on the pictures and then zoom in again from there.