Monkey Shines update

This is one of the Monkey Shines blocks. As you can see, I've done the Monkey Wrench in four colors instead of the usual two. It looks really cool, but I realized when I started setting some of the blocks next to each other that it kind of messes with the secondary pattern. Now I'm doing more of them in just two colors. I'm still using all four colors, but only two per block.

Monkey Shines

I haven't finished my sweater yet (I still have about 12" to go on the cowl neck), but I'm starting a new quilting project. I mentioned last week that I've been playing around with EQ6 again, pulling up some traditional hand piecing patterns to use instead of paper piecing as I usually do. Right now I'm working on a bunch of 6" Monkey Wrench blocks, which I'm calling Monkey Shines because I'm doing it in four colors instead of two. I'll scan a block later this weekend (when I finish some) so you can see them.

Catnip Mousies!

I went to the Natural Foods store yesterday, and bought (among other things) some buckwheat hulls and some catnip, so I could make some catnip mousies for my kitties. I also bought some lavender, to stuff a sleep mask for me.

Anyway, today I got out some flannel scraps that I got from a coworker, and made myself a mousie template from an index card. I drew it about the size of their favorite non-catnip mousies, forgetting that those mousies have their little skins stretched over a hard body by a machine. I came to that realization after sewing four of them and turning two right-side out. These were way too small to stuff with anything but a cotton ball, and we don't have any of those. So I tossed them, and the cats are going to get little square pillows instead.

Back to stitching!

The Sweater Progresses

The cowl neck is now about 10 inches deep. I did a lot of it while watching the week's recorded crafty shows (hooray, Tivo!), and then I did more this morning while watching movies with Honey.

I still need to do at least another 10 inches - I want to make it big enough to cover my head.

Sweater Progress

Well, I did finally finish the second sleeve, and started on the neck. As I said before, I have plenty of yarn to do a nice deep cowl. So far, it's only about 3 or 4 inches, but it will get there.