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Friday, April 26, 2019

More Knitting and Family Heirlooms

 As you can see, making good headway on my latest shawl.  However, in the picture it looks like shades of blue, when in fact it's shades of gray and even when I tried to edit the picture, couldn't get the color right.  Why does that happen?  As I look back at the previous post where this was barely started, it also looked more blue than gray.  I've not had to rip out and start over as I did when I made the pink-green one, so am pleased it's going much quicker.  I really love the shape of the shawl and plan to make several more, so stay tuned.  Just about half way in this picture, though took it two days ago, so am further along.
 What to keep and what to part with?  This clock is not in working order, and I don't know how costly it would be to fix it.  I also don't know how long it's been since it did work.  I wonder if anyone in the family knows.  We're getting down to the wire for a tag sale at my Dad's place.  On one hand I feel like we should keep things, but then our already over full house would end up like my Dad's....too full of stuff to get rid of.  This clock apparently belonged to my Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather.  I think perhaps it was a wedding present; but ...maybe it will bring a good price at the tag sale?  It's something my folks have had for a long time, but I don't think they got it from Granny, I think one of her daughters had it for years, then my folks.  I don't know for certain.  But, you just can't keep everything, or all you would be doing is moving stuff from one house to another, compounding the quantity of stuff.
How does one take a picture without getting a reflection when glass is involved?  You saw this family doily in the previous post, but now I have if framed in a shadow box.  I hope my older brother likes it.  Think it will look nice on his mantel.  This might have been made by Granny (owner of above clock?), or one of her daughters, Great Aunt Irene who I know did some other stitch work.  Sure wish we knew whom.

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Family Heirlooms, Knitting and Crocheting and Selling a Family Home

This antique filet crochet doily is a family piece.  I don't know who made it, or how old it is; as I've never seen it before.  When the brothers and I were cleaning out and organizing my Dad's house to prepare it for sale, we found this in a badly broken old frame.  If you click to enlarge the picture, you can see the stains.........both of age, and on the two edges that were touching the frame.  Believe it absorbed the stain from the frame.  I examined it carefully and could see no signs of instability and so decided I would chance washing it.  I washed in cold water, in light detergent in a laundry bag for fine linens to protect it.  It's now dried and looks more clean, but the stain is still present...just better.  I plan to find an appropriate sized shadow box frame for it.  The old frame isn't repairable and wasn't the right size to begin with, which is how the edges were all matted against the frame and some of the filet wasn't actually visible in the old frame.  What a find!  Just wish I had seen this before, when I could have asked my mother, or grandmother, or one of my great aunts who made it, where it came from, who's house it had belonged to.  Such a shame to have family pieces without knowing the story.
Finished my shawl!  Just need to weave in the ends.  Really wanted another section of the pretty green, but wasn't sure I had enough yarn left to continue the next repeat.  Each repeat was 10 rows, and at the end of the 10 rows you bind off 4 to give you the pointed edge.  I ended up with 24 points, pattern indicated you might get 25 from the cake of yarn.  Love the points edge...very pretty, and the scooped edge that will be the neck edge (you can see it if you click to enlarge picture...it's the top edge where you do the increases with kfb.  The right edge is the edge you bind off.  Debating whether or not I should try to crochet a little edge there...or whether it would look weird, even if I do have enough yarn to do that..........love your thoughts gang.
And so, I've started another one.  This one won't be as colorful...black, gray and white.  So far it's hard to see any shading in the colors.  If you remember, I had to rip out the pink and green one when I was close to half way through, and lost some yarn in the process.  Since, I now know the pattern that shouldn't happen, and presumably I should be able to get the 25 points?  Time will tell.  This one is for a friend who requested the black, gray and white.  
Coffee Latte is continuing to grow.  Am working on the dark brown section now that you see at the bottom of the picture.  Completed 2 more sections since the last picture and it now measures 38 (before blocking) inches in depth.  The previous large dark brown section is the middle point of the afghan.

Some of  you know I've been blogging less due to being super busy dealing with my Dad being in an assisted living center...and working on his house to prepare for sale.  This is his house, fingers and toes crossed...we have a contract.  Just waiting on the inspection now.  Will be a huge relief to get this taken care of.

Friday, April 05, 2019

Knitting and Yoga


Spotted this the other day on Facebook and thought it was too funny not to share.  I especially like downward facing cake, lol.  I'm not really even a big lover of cake, prefer pie...but it made me laugh.


Making headway with my shawl............the 2nd time through.  I was farther along than the previous picture shows when I realized I had a major error, I wasn't able to fix it, so totally un-knitted it and started over.  Currently I have 18 scallops for the edge, pattern says they will be about 25 when finished.  Wasn't happy about having to totally rip it out and start over; but I didn't put a marker for the right side in, which got my count off...my own fault.  The 2nd time I put the marker in.  Lesson learned.  LOL.  What I can't visualize is how my long un-scalloped edge is going to shape up.  Seems too long to only get 7 more scallops in..........time will tell I guess.


Haven't worked on this drop stitch lace shawl in awhile, but hope to in the next couple of days.  


Coffee Latte is now over half way.  The current section of variegated starts the 2nd half (at the top of the photo), with the dark brown section being the middle.


This is a series hubby and I are watching.  It's an interesting view of Atlantic City back in the day with crime bosses and Capone and I love the clothes of the period.

Been out of town a bit, and very busy with Dad at the Assisted Living Center, and preparing his house for sale.  Thus, the being behind with blogging.