End of Term

I can't believe that it's been so long since I posted here! Things have been pretty busy for the month of November and I'm glad that it's over. And I'm even more glad that it's almost time to open the new shop.

In the crafty news, I finished my shawl! I need to soak it in hot water and really get it stretched out (the top should be much longer), but the final stitch was bound off late last night. When I get it properly blocked and all that good stuff I'll get a few more pictures.

 In this first image, you can see that Lyra is supervising my pinning skills. I'm pretty sure she thinks that I'm not doing it right. When I pin it out later, I'll move that bottom mat to the side and stretch the top out to cover most of the four mats. I'll have to use the smaller ones from KnitPicks for the bottom edge. This is going to be a very large shawl (compared to the others I've made).

In other news, I've finished the embroidery portion of a gift I'm making. I haven't decided if this will be a wall-hanging or a pillow, but I'm leaning toward a pillow.

I've learned so much about this machine! Keeping track of how many stitches are in each block is essential to avoid running out of bobbin thread. A block is a portion of the pattern that will all be stitched in one shot. For example, the dress was one block while the butterflies were another block. 

 I've also learned that no matter how careful I am with the threads or which brand I use, there is always a chance for tangles and snags. For days like that, I need to be patient and remember that everything will turn out in the end.

And now, it's time for a short break before planning the next OWL.

I do hope that you are all having a great Monday!