Sewingroom in progress

You didn't think I would let my sewing room stay empty for long did you?

I'm far from done, but it is functional at the moment.  I've got a work bench along one wall and with a corner unit where my sewing machine is set up.

There are 4 storing units instead of legs for the work bench.  2 of them are full of yarn and one is packed with buttons, thread, needles and all that wonderful stuff.  I've got see through plastic boxes for scraps.  The bigger scraps are sorted by color, and then I have a simpler version of Bonnie Hunters scrap users system, in the future I will cut more of my scraps according to this.  Then I've got a book case with glas doors for the rest of my fabrics. 

In front of the window I've placed my beloved treadle machine. It doesn't show on the picture, but it's there.

My design board isn't in place yet, so I've started pinning on the very ugly wallpaper....

The blocks on the top are from the Scrap Happy BOM (click on "for members" and then on "block of the month" and then on "2010") , it's been a blast to sew, I can really recommend their BOMs!

How to move books

I love books, and I have plenty of them, approximately 1000 lbs.  Moving them is tricky, you don't want big heavy boxes that have to be picked up from the floor, this will break you back.  My books are organized by author, so I really don't want them all mixed up.  I want them in order and easy to move.

I've found that the easiest way to move books is in grocery bags with handles.  The bags can be labled with numbers to keep them in order and they are easy to pick up and carry, you just have to bend your knees a little and go.

Ok, I had 30 bags to move, but it worked very well.  No broken backs, and all in order.

New house!

Sorry about the silence, we've spent the last weeks moving to a new house and getting everything sorted.  I'm very happy with the new place, and we are both saying that this is our last move... we have said this before...

This is my sewing room to-be...  it's got the ugliest wallpaper ever made. 

I'll keep you updated on the progress.

Geraniums and an elderberry

The scrappy helix scarf

Since I have nothing else to do with my time (like packing for the move, working on the Storm-at-sea quilt, knitting the Ullared sweater, or... gasp... cleaning the house) I've started a helix scarf with the leftover yarn from the Shifty triangle mittens.

This is what I did:
Yarn: Drops Delight,
         Color nr 10
         50gr = 175 meters (1,76 oz = 191 yards)

I used two double pointed needles 3mm because they don't take much space when knitting.

Cast on 20-40 stitches (depending on how wide you want your scarf), I did 30.
Knit all the stitches on the needle, turn.
*Knit 8-15 stitches (how wide do you want the center of your scarf?), I did 10.  With the yarn behind the work, slip a stitch purl wise.  Turn. Knit to the end of the needle.
Knit 4-8 stitches (I did 5).  With the yarn behind the work, slip a stitch purl wise.  Knit to the end of the needle.
Now knit all the stitches on the needle, to the othe side.*
Repeat from * to * until desired length.  (and then add some or you will think it's too short..)

Good Luck and enjoy your knitting!

Quilting the Storm-at-sea

I've been trying to figure out how to quilt Storm.  I had an all-over feather pattern all thought out and everything.

But once I got it in the machine.... it didn't want all over feathers...  This is what happened instead:

I think I'm going to make the swirl in the square-in-a-square larger and fill the block, and I'll make another swirl inside the biggest block - because the feathered wreath doesn't show up well enough to make it worth the trouble.

Do you get all silly over mittens too?

Have you seen this web page?  It appears simple at first sight, but I can drool over it for ages!  So many wonderful mittens...

Cimdu Raktsi