pillows and a torture tool

A couple of new pillow covers I've just added to my Etsy shop.

I've got to come up with a better place for taking pictures. Have you seen Malka's amazing designs? Her fabrics and quilting are drop dead gorgeous but her photos make me want to redesign my entire house around one pillow.

The top pillow cover now reminds me of this bag, but I had almost forgotten about it. Actually, I woke up in the middle of the night with the idea to chop up this wonderful vintage Swedish dish towel/table cloth I had just found. This same person who hoards stacks of fabric and paper too pretty to cut into chopped up the thing without a second thought. And I'm glad I did. I really love how it turned out, but it doesn't go with a thing in my house. Plus, we might be getting close to the exceeding the appropriate number of pillows you can have without making your home look like a fluffy showroom. Not quite there, but almost.

Speaking of not quite there, but almost: behold my second completed knitting project. I call this one washcloth. Don't you love her? Beautiful (okay, I admit, that might be pushing it) and functional.

She made her appearance last week and has been caressed by every member of the family. No one seems to mind her less than perfect appearance or the fact that this is a freaking washcloth, people, that took me a week to make! I don't know how I'll ever be able to knit an actual sweater or blanket for another person. Unless I tie them down and make them watch the entire process (I'm picturing something like A Clockwork Orange here) so they know exactly how much hard work went into it. Even that, maybe I'd have to poke them in the eye with the knitting needle every few stitches so they can really feel how hard I worked. Sounds fair to me.

Comments

[Rebekah]

your cushions are so darling! loving the patchwork and the quilting on them!

[Cambria]

I love your blog. My Mom is the one that quilts. I've had a beaded jewelry business for two years and I just started a site on ETSY and my own blog about my work. My Mom and I are always checking out your site. Your blog is so much fun!! Cambria (12)

[Bev]

I love your washcloth -- I remember when I learned to knit the first project was a washcloth -- my grandmother taught me on wood needles that my grandfather had made and my "yarn" was cotton string that he brought home from the post office and we had carefully untangled, tied together and rolled into balls (that was back in the 50's when the post office still used string!)

You are progressing nicely!

How about a scarf next?

[Beth]

Pretty pillows there. Your knitting is coming along just fine. I was the same when I learned. It just takes practice. Before you know it, you'll be knitting lace shawls. What I did was just kept trying something harder and harder, just trust the pattern.

[Randi]

Hey Stranger-
Have you exchanged your journal for fabric art? Those pillows are beautiful. Makes me want to break out the ol sewing machine.

[CarrieJ]

Was Clockwork Orange not the most monotonous thing!! In college I tried to watch it with some friends, but got so bored I left. They very rudely rewound it to the same point and started it again when I got back. The whole movie looks the same, so maybe it was just still going. Arrrgggghhhhhh! hehe