Button Love

I believe how close these buttons match the color of the yarn! And I didn't bring the shawl with me to the store! Found these tagua nut buttons at Green Planet Yarn (they have some other wonderful buttons, not to mention yarns).

I still need to weave in the ends and figure out where to put the button. And block the shawl thoroughly, but you can see where it's going.

After Pressing

Nothing like a freshly pressed seam...now I need to make the binding/border for the top and sew it on. Currently the top measures 52" x 54". I really need to win this.

Before Blocking

But after knitting! This project was just what I was looking for. I was thinking of knitting another Citron but that wasn't exactly right for these yarns. When I saw the sample was made out of yarns similar in color to what I had, I knew it was the one. Now I just need to block it.

Wonder if I have time to go to Petaluma this weekend...

Craftaluma - How the Craft was Won

As Promised...

Photo of the pool sign with resin coating:

This shows a glossy reflection in the upper left corner of the sign. It also shows a concerning "stain." The paint seems to be discolored in the middle of the sign. I think it's the white paint, but I don't know why it looks like it is dissolving...UV rays?

Hammock Quilt Progress

All of the strips are now sewn together! I did this completely randomly. And without really being careful about the seams or using pins. I'm not a quilter. :-)

Now I need to press the seams open and check to make sure that I didn't catch any of the cross-seams in the stitching.

It's great to see progress! I may work slowly, but if I like the project I'll eventually finish it.

Summer Poncho

Finished! This used up most of the Ella Rae Shibu -- I have part of a ball left. The garter stitch is very stretchy, and so I didn't use all of the yardage required although I did complete more repeats of the pattern than written.

Silk Poncho

Love this yarn! And I got two projects out of one shipment. It took just a little more than 3 balls of Ella Rae Shibu to make the larger version of Cool Hemp Ponchette by Lanaknits. It's the perfect cover up for a cool summer evening. The stitch pattern was easy to remember and the whole thing took about a week to knit. You can wear it with the point in front or in the back.

New Obsession

After working on an outdoor sign this weekend, I'm in love with resin! Well, it has a beautiful, thick, glossy finish, but it is soooo bad for the environment. So, my love affair will be secret and/or brief. For awhile there I was thinking of putting resin on anything that didn't move. :-)

Tips:

• Put the finish on when the project is new. The sign has been outdoors for 5 years and has some sun and water damage.
• Use enough resin to get an even finish. I skimped a bit (since I wasn't sure how much to get) and there are some low spots.
• Get all your tools together -- gloves, safety glasses, mask, stirring stick, pail large enough to mix resin and hardener, and a foam brush. And maybe an extra set of hands. It would have been nice to scrape out the pail to get every last drop.

Photos to follow later...