Snail Spirals

The good news is that the volunteer sunflowers are blooming.



The bad news is that the feeling of being on the Tilt-A-Whirl has not subsided. The packing is going along, slowly because I need to get more boxes. I've been working on bookcases and closets, and made a really good dent this morning. It's such a hideous job.

Fiber-wise, progress has been mixed. The urchin shawl may not be finished in time for the Fair. I'm on Row 194 of 290. Then there's the edging. It just takes so long to go around each row now. I did have a potential solution, though. If I can get the body of the shawl done, I may just do a loopy crocheted chain edging to finish it off to show it at the Fair. Then I can go back later and take out the crocheted edging and do the wide knitted one.

The daffodil filet piece, though, is done, done, done! It took two complete evenings to pin it out, and over a thousand pins...



I'm quite pleased with the way this turned out.



I also spent some time this weekend putting the finishing touches on several smaller projects that were almost done. First, I sewed up a hardanger closet sachet. I've had the hardanger done for a while, it just needed to have the backing sewed on and the hanger added. I filled this completely full of dried lavender buds (no fiberfill this time) and made the hanger long enough to go over the clothes rod in a closet. This is an original design. Yay me!



I also lined and backed another hardanger piece, this time as a wall hanging. There will be a dowel through the tabs on the top, with a ribbon hanger. I was going to frame this, but I think I like it better like this. The backing fabric is the same purple-flowered print as the tabs.



This is a commercial sampler pattern, and it's very versatile. I've used the line of five fancy motifs through the center as a bookmark, and the heart motif at the top as a sachet topper.



I also finished the fulled and needlefelted purse that I started last November. All that was left was to sew in the lining and put on the strap. I haven't decided yet if I will add some sort of closure. I think it would have to be a magnetic catch, because I don't want to have a button or anything on the front of the bag.



The design on the front of this just makes me smile. It was such a serendipidous accident, the way my random needlefelted swirls made a face when the fabric was folded.



The last fibery thing I did over the past week was to fix my Chevron Shawl. I took out the i-cord along the top edge, knit six rows of garter stitch and knit the i-cord again. It looked fine the way it was while it was blocking, but the top edge had quite a curl when I took the pins out. Stockinette shawls are prone to that. Adding just those few rows of garter stitch completely cured the curling, and now I'm perfectly happy with the shawl.

So my Fair entries are shaping up well, the packing is progressing, the house is sold, we have temporary quarters to go to between closing day and moving day, and Emma is thriving.

I really have nothing to complain about.