No Idle hands here

EPP Hexie, progress report

Slowly but surely, the quilt grows. I didn’t bring the actual quilt on my trip, it is getting large and unwieldily – even though it’s only about the size of a small baby quilt. What I did do was cut up a lot of paper and fabric on my Accuquilt, bagged them up and sewed quite a few of them on the trip.

Once home I went right back to adding them to the quilt.I am being very mindful of color placement. I know quilters who just throw things together, willy nilly and their quilts look amazing. I am trying to balance to the colors, so they are spread out over the quilt. Since I’m only a third of the way done, if that, I still have a lot of room to work with.

One issue I’m having is the size of the fabric hexies. When cutting by hand, I gave myself a lot of extra seam allowances. Although I cut many more of them on the die cutter, they have exactly 1/4″ seam allowances – which to be honest is very tight.Moving into the yellow and blue you can see the seam allowances are much smaller. This does create a problem, less seam allowance means less stability of each patch.Here is a close-up, in some cases it almost looks like 1/8″. No, I am not going back to cutting by hand. My whip stitches are very close together, so that should hold things in place. Also, I am going to do some kind of overall quilting, by machine! I will not be hand quilting this! The quilting will help hold things in place.I am also changing the paper/card stock I use. The colored card stock is lovely but it is slightly thicker than the mail card I cut up. That tiny increment makes a difference when folding over the fabric. So I am saving all magazine inserts, the ones that used to drive me crazy. As well as envelopes and other junk mail. How’s that for really recycling and reusing!

Happy New Year שנה טובה

Flower Cardigan

I love knitting friends – we really enable each other’s habit. In this case it’s a friend I haven’t met yet in real life – but one of these days I intend to!

Vivian was working on Flower Cardigan and I had to run to Ravelry and buy the pattern. This is what I cast on as soon as I finished the baby sweater.Starting from the 6 petal flower.

The designer, Ewelina Murach, has created a whole line of patterns based on this flower. As someone who is addicted to Hexagons right now, I can attest that the six sided shape (hexagon) is a wonderful design as a jumping off point.

The sections held by waste yarn will be the sleeves and neckline. The rest is the body of the sweater. This is much more impressive than it looks, I knit this on my 15 flight home from Israel. Luckily, with the help of Ambien I did sleep 7 of those hours, but for most of the rest of the time, I was knitting. The plane was dark for the whole trip, We left at 1 am Israel time and basically chased the night all the way to LA. as we were coming in for landing the sun was rising behind us in the east. Yes, seeing a sunrise in an airplane is pretty spectacular, I was in the middle seat – so to try and get a picture just wasn’t going to work well.

All this to say, I knit this section with a tiny clip on light and I’m proud to say – no mistakes. The flower itself was complete before I boarded the plane, but still working the increases correctly is quite an accomplishment.Home and working on the left front. I can’t stretch the work out because my needle is only so long. This gives an idea of the front. I am knitting this out of Cascade Elysian, a super wash wool and acrylic yarn. I LOVE this yarn. It is wonderful to knit with and the stitch definition is amazing. Oh, this is a sweater for my granddaughter, so of course it has to be machine washable. Love it when I find the perfect yarn for the perfect project. I would be happy to knit myself a sweater out of this yarn – it is that good.

Local hike

One thing I love about living in Los Angeles is how easy it is to go on a hike at the spur of the moment. We are a large metropolis with a very impressive mountain range right in the middle of the city. The Santa Monica mountains should be the border between Los Angeles and communities in the San Fernando Valley on the other side. Due to the massive Los Angeles Aqueduct project in the early 20th century – The Valley as it’s known became part of the city of Los Angeles. Something to do with Federal dollars and who could use the water. But that is a story for another day. So although I live in the valley, I am very much a resident and tax payer in the city of Los Angeles.2 miles from my house is Fryman Canyon, most days this 2.5 mile hike is teaming with people and dogs. For some reason on Sunday afternoon there were very few people here. Although we did manage to bump into people we know. The initial climb is pretty steep, which makes the hike feel more like exercise than just a neighborhood stroll.Wilderness, with a radio tower in the distance and few houses on the hillside. Except very busy Laurel Canyon Blvd is right down there bellow us.That Russian looking building is on busy Ventura Blvd, our house not far behind it. Distance makes everything look more peaceful. Not to mention how many trees there are! Is the Valley really that green?We’ve climbed higher, now I am looking east towards Burbank and the San Gabriel mountains in the background. It is very hazy and smoggy, summer brings out the worst of the smog, although to be fare – the air quality in LA is so much better than it was 30 years ago. It always helps to look back where you have come from. Another fellow walker is back down on the part of the road we were just on five minutes ago.This time looking west towards Sherman Oaks and Encino. The office buildings indicate Ventura Blvd heading west. Still very hazy, to get a clear view I need to come back on a crisp winter day.After we crested the mountain and started back down the other side we come across the back entrance to Tree People, a non profit group that has been supplying trees all over the city – making LA a greener friendlier place.Down the other side, we are walking along quiet residential streets with large homes on very large lots. I had to stop for this yellow double hibiscus. It’s a little late in the season for these blooms, maybe because it is a shady protected canyon the bush is still flowering. The rainbow in the sprinkler was more impressive in reality, but I snapped a picture anyway.A cow in the city. I have a friend who would love one of these. And that’s it, one hour, good exercise and happy it is so close to home.

Seattle Dress

In general I don’t name my dresses. There always are exceptions, like now. I love buying fabric and yarn on vacation, this fabric was bought in Seattle – hence the name.I’ve had this pattern for quite a while. I had used the skirt portion before but not the whole dress. I was debating which neckline. I like the drawing of the stand-up collar but how will it actually look on the dress? I checked out the reviews on Pattern Review, most people like the pattern and a few even had examples with the stand up collar. They look good.I learned as a child that the backside of the work should looks as clean and as neat as the front. This referred to embroidery, but the same is true with garment sewing. Having a serger makes cleans seams easy. After inserting a sleeve, once I’m sure there are no ripples or tucks – I serge them as well.I served the seams open, the fabric is thick (yes it’s a thicker quilting fabric, I just love the print). Sometimes after pressing the seams open I will serge the seam allowance together. You can even see where I marked the pleats and darts. No, this won’t come out in the wash, I use Wax Tracing Paper from Richard the Thread. If I am sewing with a very fine or sheer fabric I will actually do thread marking. But I wasn’t worried about the blue showing through to the front, if any did – it would simply blend in with the very busy print pattern.The hem was done on the machine as well. Once again, no one will see the tiny threads on the front of the dress. The amount of hand work I do on a dress really depends on the fabric and pattern.Having a pocket is veery nice on a dress. It has to be a full skirt, I don’t want pockets to mar the look of a tight pencil skirt. I faced the front with white lining fabric and the back with the fashion fabric. That way the pocket isn’t as heavy, but the visible part, when using the pocket is actually the back.A lapped zipper is a very classy look. One thing is I had to cut the back pattern pieces with 1″ seam allowance rather than 5/8″ which is the standard for home sewing patterns. Wonderful instructions are available in this Craftsy Mini class (which means it is free!) Mastering Zipper Techniques.I love this dress. The neckline came out perfectly. I love the way the dress looks and of course I’m thrilled with the fabric. For Southern CA, this is a transition or even winter dress.I have also discovered that these days, I like my skirts to hit mid knee, longer than that is looking dowdy to me right now. Of course that may change in a few years.Looking good from the back as well.

A park in Jerusalem

I grew up in Jerusalem, I lived there for 6 years as an adult – just goes to show, that cities are not like little villages – there is always something new to discover.

In my case, it is this wonderful little Park.To be fair, this park probably didn’t exist when I was a child, it was probably an empty field. Still it’s interesting to come across something new to me. The sign on the gate has nothing to do with the park. These are death announcements and one finds them plastered all over the city. They do serve an important purpose, when my father died suddenly it was notices like this that alerted acquaintances of mine to come by and offer condolences. So it’s hard for me to see this as blight, or graffiti.This is a lovely well designed park. Like most parks in Jerusalem, it was donated by wealthy individuals. In this case, Doris and Chaim Morrison – because they love flowers and the children of Jerusalem. Today it was rather empty of children, probably because they are back in school.Cats, Jerusalem is full of street cats. I think the British brought a few over to combat the rodent problem. Just like the rabbits took over Australia, the street cats have taken over Israel. At least there isn’t much of a rodent problem. I had to take a number of pictures of this large grassy area. This is a rarity in Jerusalem. First of all there aren’t enough parks, second of all, where there are parks, there often isn’t much grass. A real treat for sore eyes, since most of the city is buildings clad in Jerusalem stone – basically limestone. So green is very very welcome.A touch of color. For people in the northern climes – the Hollyhock is a lovely garden flower. In hot dry Israel this is one of those rare flowers that reseeds itself like a weed, yet is very welcome once it bloomsA family set up tables and food under the arbor. Friday is like Sunday in Israel – weekend. The difference is that although most people don’t work, the schools still are in session on Fridays. So I’m guessing these kids were pulled out for a family gathering.In the wall, this wonderful mosaic. I don’t read Greek, or is this the ancient Hebrew alphabet? Probably more likely. The images are of course the 7 branch candelabra that would have been in the Temple. The yellow fruit is probably the Etrog (citron) and the branch is the palm frond that together with the Etrog are used on the holiday of Sukkot, which is coming up very soon.The pomegranate is ripening on the tree. This is the season for the fruit. It will be displayed proudly on peoples tables (mine included) next Wednesday night when we welcome in the Jewish New Year. One of the blessing is – may your year be as full of blessings as the seeds of the pomegranate.

Book Recommendation

I’m seeing a lot of blog hops recommending wonderful crafty books. I’d like to do something a little different and recommend an advice book, or should I say – helpful hints.

Auntie Jodi’s Helpful Hints

Jodi is a dear friend of mine, I’m not going to gush and tell you about this amazing book ‘I’ve discovered’.

As someone who prides herself on being very creative with the work of my hands, I am in awe of people who have a way with words. This little gem of a book is perfect example. Miss Manners is stale and old fashioned, Dear Prudence is just too edgy and hip.

Auntie Jodi gets it right, yes you will be laughing at many of the situations she describes, but pay attention, good advice is being offered. Humor is the best tool for learning.

Here are just two examples, now go get the book!

If an over-solicitous kumbaya type shares that you seem “angry,” simply laugh and tell the poor soul “it’s called ‘having an opinion.’

Don’t be one of those who proclaim that “I’m not into funerals.” Few really are, unless you are a member of the walking dead. That, darling, is not what funerals are about. We go to funerals for all sorts of reasons: because we loved someone or because they meant something to us, or, as they say, “to pay our respects.” Remember—if you cannot grant respect, you certainly won’t command it.

Travel knitting

I’ve heard people refer to knitting on planes – sky knitting. Well with a 13 hour flight to Israel and a 15 hour flight back (trade winds!) I got a lot of knitting done.This little sweater for baby Westley – done! I blame knitting on an airplane on the fact that this little boy sweater closes like the girls sweater. Yes, I should have reversed the fold for a boy. Once the mistake was made I just left it. I’m sure Westley won’t know or care how his sweater is wrapped.Back viewThis is an easy cute knit. Although, even for babies I find knitting a sweater in sock weight yarn a little tedious. For my grandson, of course it was worth the effort.I wasted no time in casting on a sweater for Shira, the color is off here, it is actually more purple. More information on this sweater in another post.

Addendum

My niece just sent me these pictures of me at the juice hut.Notice how I both blend in and add color to the image. It’s all about being colorful!With drinks in hand.

Back from Jerusalem

I made a quick trip to Jerusalem, one week in and out. I know, it seems crazy to go that far for just one week, but this isn’t a vacation, it was family issues. Which means that I wasn’t spending my time running around being a tourist.

I grew up here, so it is amazing how familiar I feel, even with all the big changes going on. Driving in Jerusalem isn’t easy, instinctively I seem to know how the streets work. I guess that comes from living here so long ago.I did have time to meet my niece here for a visit. This train station was built over 100 years ago. It was quite a breakthrough to have the train come up from Jaffa to Jerusalem, I think it was about 40 years ago that the train stopped running, so now has been transformed into one of those wonderful creative urban spots.The green painted doors and shutters are new. I’ve noticed some old photos (as in just a year or two ago) that does not have the shutters or the color.From inside the station, looking at the building. Most of the structure is now filled with restaurants and few shops.They have covered most of the track so it it easy to walk on, but here and there they have left the track exposed. A lot of sun umbrellas for the hot days, heat lamps for the cool Jerusalem nights as well as the cold days that are coming quickly.End of the line train stop.This is Israel, this little two year old was running around on his own. I never saw the parents, they must have been around somewhere. At some point he was gone, presumably with his parents. It is amazing how much freedom little children have. Six year olds take the bus alone to school and in a large open place like this (yes protected from street traffic) a little boy scoots around freely.Weekends in Israel are Friday, Saturday. So they set up a very cute craft fair. You can also see how they have covered most of the train tracks. At night there are music performances as well. Notice the crane in the background? They are building a 15 story hotel, construction never stops in this city.Have I mentioned how strong and hot Jerusalem sun can be? Mouth watering bread.Interesting collection of antiques.View into one of the stores. They left one wall untouched, with the old pealing paint in place.As you walk south from the station, the tracks now become a wonderful walking path and bike path to it’s side. So far this urban walk walk way goes a couple miles south through neighborhoods and industrial areas. Full of walkers and bikers. A lovely urban renewal project. Here is the old switch station, turned into a small restaurant, appropriately named: The Switch Station.At the first intersection with a street is a small hut where a man used to sit to signal to the traffic on the street that a train was coming. Today there is a delightful juice hut here. That is my niece in the blue and yes, we both had some very interesting juice combinations – delicious of course. Mine had melon, cucumber, mint and lemon juice. Refreshing!We sat under the green umbrella, enjoyed our juice and enjoyed a relaxing conversation.