Slow Sunday Stitching - March 29, 2020

The quarantine continues, our state is now in lockdown and we've had the first local death - a woman just five years older than me. 

But here at Casa Threads, there is work and housework and handwork aplenty to keep me occupied.  I do miss the social interaction, but my son is checking in on me regularly and there are the daily video calls with my co-workers.   And of course my online communities are busier than ever.  (I am linking up with one of them - Slow Sunday Stitching.)

And I have been knitting up a storm.  As I mentioned in my 'travel project' changeover post, I rather binge watched a couple of BBC historic/anthropology series that are available on Amazon Prime last Sunday, knitting all the while on the sock feet and got my socks done by mid week - no work knitting this week, I was slammed with month end things.

I was able to keep them matching until down toward the end of the gussets, but when I hit the FIFTH knot in these two balls, I was out of matching yarn.  So the feet are at best fraternal twins.   But at least the part that shows when you wear them are more or less matching.

Then my knitting attention turned back to the Rosemarkie vest.  I cut the first arm steek,

picked up the ribbing and have the first arm ribbing almost done!

And for those of you who are going "she cut a hole in her knitting????WHAT!!!!", here's a shot of what's going on inside.

The checkerboard is one half of the steek (the temporary bridge of stitches across the arm opening which was created to allow the work to continue in the round), cut up the center of the white stitch as in the photo above.  I then picked up the ribbing well in from the cut edge (which is also secured by the line of hand stitching I put in before cutting).  The steek then folds in to make a nice facing. 

Even the very edge right next to the cut is holding up pretty well to the stress of having the ribbing put on and will continue to felt into the body of the vest as it is washed and worn.  This is an historic technique that works well in Shetland style yarns - they are 'hairy' and will felt from just normal humidity and wear.  I will tack the steek edge down to encourage that once the ribbing is finished.  I have just three more rounds to do before binding off this side.

With the socks done, I introduced "Lucy Boston" as my new carry along project.  I know I said I wouldn't work on Block 7 until after the quarantine was lifted, but then I needed to see if my colors would work, right?  (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.) 

I have all twelve of the dark pieces prepped and the remaining light ones cut and ready for basting.

And last but not least, the cutwork continues on the Victoria Sampler piece.  So far, so good.  That middle section where the thread does not go across has held up to the cutting and thread removal at least.   We will see how the weaving goes after (online) church - that's my SSS goal for today.

I'm trying very hard to resist the spate of 'quarantine quilt alongs', 'start a new stitching project for self care', 'are we bored yet knit alongs' that are happening.  I have enough stash and works in progress to keep me occupied, thanks.  That being said, I did pull out an old UFO stitching project that was a class back in 2000 and worked on it for a couple of hours Friday night.  It's a Sharon Cohen sweet bag that was published in Just Cross Stitch back in Aug 1996.  Technically, this should be waiting patiently until I finish Dutch Beauty and a space in the 'historic/vintage' slot opens up since it's inspired by pieces from the Elizabethan period.   But it's better than a new start or throwing my needlework rotation out the window altogether, right?

where I started

after a couple of hours of 'guilty pleasure' stitching

Stay safe, everyone. And happy stitches.