Earthwhisper Fiber Arts

I knit another clapotis. I used 4 different colorways of Cherry Tree Hill’s Silk & Merino Worsted. This was yarn I picked up at 50% off when my local yarn store went out of business.

I just rotated the balls and carried them up the side of the shawl. It worked out really well. I am amazed on how well the colors blended together. No one would know this was 4 different colorways. I can’t remember which ones they were. I thought I saved the ball bands, but can only find two, Spanish Moss and Country Garden. I think the other ones are Gypsy Rose and possibly Blueberry HIll.

I also knit a doll. It is from the Rebecca Magazine. You can purchase the pattern seperately, which I did. I couldn’t find the yarn in the pattern at any lys and didn’t want to buy online. So I bought Patons Grace, which is as close as I could get to the gauge that I needed. I was able to get it at a discounted rate at Michaels (when I still worked there.)

I knit this on size 0 needles. Yes, it was slow going and hard on my hands, but I did it. The hardest part though was grafting on the head, arms, and legs. In the instructions, there is not a suggested way on doing this, so I just winged it.

For the head, my main concern was making sure her head would be straight. I think I did okay. There is still a small angle, but it is hard to line up those small stitches.

For the arms, I grafted the top part of the arm and then also grafted the bottom part of the arm…so, it looks like the stitching is pretty continuous on the top of the shoulder and in the armpit. I did the same style of attaching the legs. Also, by sewing the arms and legs together first at the top, I think it gave them more of a bendable quality at those joints.

My grafting isn’t perfect, but I think I might take a close up picture of what I did later, so that if there is someone out there who is knitting this it will give them an idea on how to do it. I also think grafting them joints on using the same yarn as the doll makes a stronger join at the joints then any other type of joining.

Now I need to figure out how to embroider on a nice face (maybe it would have been easier to do this before sewing everything together?

I also have to figure out how to attach the hair.  I wish I could do curly hair to match Madeleine.  While I figured out how to get a nice curl, I don’t know how to keep it curled.   Oh, and I need to knit some clothes.

I am hoping to finish this doll by Madeleine’s birthday, May 5.

Speaking of Birthdays (mine is coming up on May 2nd…the big 34…,) I won a contest a few months back. Netter made my daughter’s the COOLEST BIRTHDAY BANNERS EVER!!! She also sent them little birthday goodies, lollipops (these cool long stemmed ones) and even birthday ribbon/buttons.  Birthday months is coming up and I can’t wait to hang up their banners.  They are going to be so surprised!!  Tony was really impressed by how creative and perfect the banners were.  Thanks Netter!!  Sorry I took so long to blog about it.

Now I need to start planning some parties that are inexpensive, yet fun.  Last year we didn’t do parties.  We just took the girls to Discovery Kingdom.

This year, Sierra has lots of school friends and she is really wanting a party.  Madeleine would be jealous if she didn’t get one, too.  She doesn’t have many friends, since she isn’t in school.

Finally, I am sorry that I have been missing. I won’t bore you with some of my personal issues, but I am dealing with them. I had to make some changes recently (I quit caffeine.) That was a biggie, but I needed to for my own health.

I had to drop the class I was taking. I hate posting that here because I am embarrassed, mad, sad, etc. about having to quit again. I was doing good in the class (88%), but I missed some days when I had the flu and then I had some rough spots a few weeks ago.  After some thought I decided I needed to simplify my life for the next few months.  I am in a much better place now.  I am considering summer school (I registered,) but I may just take the summer off too.  I don’t know.

Tony and I are doing good.  The girls are healthy and happy.