Knitting and Sewing

 My pile of hats continues to grow.

There are 7 in this pile. Another was added last night. It is a small one that would fit a child.

I made the blocks for Week 3 

for the Scrap Buster Challenge.

These are darker, and the photo makes them appear even darker, but I really like the fabric. Sadly I only had a smallish piece and used most of it for these blocks. What was left is in the scrap bag to be used in another project. I will be adding some more dark teals along with lighter ones so it should balance out. I am also keeping up with stitching the bonus triangles together. Yay me!

A year or so ago I purchased a lovely purplish bluish (periwinkle?) top. After the second washing, I noticed a small hole in the middle of the back. (The color is off in this photo. I can't seem to get the colors looking right in my photos.)

I knew it would grow the more it was worn and laundered. My first thought was to patch it by weaving a matching thread in. I didn't have anything and was unable to find any that did. So I pondered some more. I finally decided to do some machine embroidery to hopefully cover it up while looking nice. 

I chose a thread that was slightly darker and a butterfly design.

The design didn't quite cover the hole which is in the body of the butterfly so I did some hand stitching to fill that in and cover the hole. I think it turned out nice. These are terrible photos, though. I may try to take better ones next time I wear the top.

While it is still cold here, the sun is shining today which sure does help with my state of mind.

My son recently made a hard decision and asked his GF to move out. They have not been getting along for months. They share a dog that she wants to visit often so they are trying to remain on friendly terms. She finally got everything she wanted moved out so now my son has to decide what he wants to keep and what he has room for of what remains. He also has to decide what he will need. It had been decided even before they started having issues that a new stove was needed. The one that came with the house is old, one of the electric burners is missing. Son can't use it as all the controls are on the back. He cannot safely reach them seated in his wheelchair. My parents said they would purchase a new stove and told him to start looking. He was also going to need a bed and mattress. He is currently sleeping on a futon which is not the most comfortable. I went with him on Monday to see what we could take care of. The first stop was the furniture store. We donned our masks and went in. We were the only customers that I could see. It is a big store though so there could have been more in another part of the building. Not one of the employees was wearing a mask. They were very nice and helped Son choose a bed, night table, and mattress that will work well for him. Sadly, the bedroom pieces were on display upstairs with no elevator for access. They have sold most of the bedroom furniture and have had a hard time getting more in so they had very little on display anyway so it didn't matter that we weren't able to go up. Son had been on their website earlier and had a pretty good idea of what he wanted so that went well. They will deliver and set up the bed for him, but it will likely be about three weeks before it arrives. The next stop was an appliance store that had been recommended as having good service. Again we donned our masks before we went in. There was another couple in the store, not wearing masks. The employees were not wearing masks either. They also were not friendly, at all. The man that finally decided to see if we needed help did look up some pricing for us, but I got the impression that we were inconveniencing him. We did not buy a stove there. At another store we stopped at all the employees were wearing masks as were all the customers I saw. At the next store, we did purchase a stove. All the employees and customers there were wearing masks. Son found a smooth top stove with a control display on the front that is easy for him to see. It is to be delivered next week. They will set it up and haul away the old one. Between him, my mom, and I there have been many texts and phone calls daily over the past few weeks. About half my day is spent answering texts and calls. I have found that the stand-up sewing set up works well while I am on the phone with Son. He had mostly been calling to vent, but now he is bored and lonely and just wants to talk or is thinking of things that need to be bought or done for his house. Some things he is unable to do by himself and is worried about that. I keep telling him it will all work out, maybe not today, but it will in time. Right now he is in a good place and has lots of support from family and friends. I am so thankful for that. I just wish he didn't live two hours away. 

Stay safe and well.