Pat's Knitting and Quilting
May 21, 2013 Now THIS was a project! An amazing learning experience - I started out following the plans step by step, but gradually got more and more confident in my skills and began to change things up a bit - modifying and adding lots of my own personal touches. I promise I will get back to knitting/spinning/weaving/quilting content next time :) WARNING: Picture overload.... This is one of my modifications - an outside nest box for easy access - LOVE this!
from all angles...
a view inside...
waiting patiently in the brooder box - they want to move into their new home!
The chicks are 2 weeks old and will move out in another week or 2. In the meantime, I built this little portable run so they could play outside on these beautiful days!
If you have comments or questions or want to contact me for any reason, just email or contact me on Ravelry. Thanks :) May 8, 2013
They hatched Monday - were 15 hours en route and arrived here at 11 am yesterday morning. In these pictures they are 24 hours old - OMG they are the cutest little chicks ever - I can't imagine any more cuteness! Running, chirping, flying, preening, eating, sleeping - and last night they started playing games. I brought in a big clump of dirt with dandelions and violets in it and they LOVED it. One will get a little something in it's mouth and run fast and they all run after her thinking she's got a bug or something - what a riot - We've have been totally entertained since they arrived :)
There are 7 total - 1 Australorp, 1 Barred Rock, 1 Rhode Island Red, 2 Easter Eggers, 1 Golden Laced Wyandotte, and 1 Golden Buff - a perfect little flock!
and their home is almost done!
If you have comments or questions or want to contact me for any reason, just email or contact me on Ravelry. Thanks :) April 30, 2013 On a whim, I decided to play along and make some April Mystery Mittens in the "I Make Mittens" Ravelry group, and I'm glad I did - LOVE these mitts! The designer was Julie Hamilton from Julie's Yarn Shop - and what a mystery these mittens were! I didn't have the design figured out until the very last clue.
It is so difficult to pick out colors when you have NO IDEA what the mitten is going to look like! I limited my choices to stash yarn only, and chose 7 colors of Knit Picks Palette. We were told the basic colors to use (light gray background, red, green, black, brown, lemon yellow, white) I didn't have all of those so substituted when necessary and went with a "country colors" palette. (You'll notice that 4 of the 7 colors were left over from my recently completed Polar Chullo). I was VERY unsure after clue 1 because I felt like there wasn't enough contrast with my choices, but from clue 2 on, I was happy :)
She designed these with beautiful detail - the thumb even has all 4 motifs on it (flower, bird, heart, butterfly) - I realize that I didn't get a good thumb photo, but you can sort of see both sides if you look at both sets of pics. Something wrong about knitting mittens in the springtime... these wintry mittens need snow - not flowers!
All month I worked on the coop during the day and knit on these mittens in the evening - a very nice combination of projects! I scored this amazing brooder box at the grocery store last week - It is HUGE and now has a window and door in it - pics when chicks come...In 10 days!!!
After hanging the coop run door yesterday, I got very focused on making a handle from a pruned lilac branch - I LOVE my new door handle!
If you have comments or questions or want to contact me for any reason, just email or contact me on Ravelry. Thanks :) April 25, 2013 I'm a bit out of season here, but I finally put the finishing touches on this hat - all ready for next winter!
I love earflap hats in general, but this one is spectacular! The minute I saw Mary Ann's pattern, I knew I would make it. I LOVE her colorwork patterns - she designed my favorite mitts.
Pattern: Polar Chullo by Mary Ann Stephens
Lined with cashmere - soooo soft and warm! This picture also shows a nice close up of the i-cord edging - THAT took awhile!
chair picture to show tie tassels too
Chicken news....2 weeks until chick arrival - and the coop is progressing beautifully :) Should be completely predator proof with this 1/2" hardware cloth extending 12" underground!
I added an exterior nesting box and will put in a cute little window so I can peek in :)
If you have comments or questions or want to contact me for any reason, just email or contact me on Ravelry. Thanks :) April 12, 2013 Starting with another beautiful braid from FatCatKnits - this one is BFL in a soft subtle colorway called "London Fog" - perfect for MAN socks!
Spun into 335 yards regular 3 ply to mix up the colors for more muted striping
and knit into a simple pair of socks for Dave - he loves handknit socks for hockey coaching - I can't knit enough of them! Pattern: Winterscape Socks by Kay Redding - the perfect pattern for handspun yarn!
a completely different coloring in the shade - sunshine brings out the golden hues.
I'm also playing along with the I Make Mittens Raverly group - an April Mystery Mitten KAL. I decided to limit myself to stash yarn - it is all KP Palette - kind of wish I had gone with lighter spring colors - oh well.
and last but not least, my chicken coop project continues - since this picture, I have completed the roof, framed the inside wall, and put hardware cloth on the ceiling. Next job is not easy - I will be digging a 12-18" trench around the whole thing to bury the hardware cloth and hopefully prevent digging predators since we have raccoons, fisher cats, skunks etc. It is an integrated coop/run - I'm wishing I had made it bigger!!
It is raining today, so I will build the screen door inside - I'm getting better and better at this whole carpentry thing - already planning more projects :) If you have comments or questions or want to contact me for any reason, just email or contact me on Ravelry. Thanks :)
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