A general update

So the Log Cabin quilt top has been paper pieced

And has been paper pulled

And then I looked at it and realized that I needed more hand quilting practice before I quilted it.  So I put together a small whole-quilt to practice.

Which is what I am currently working on.  You can see the center heart and the beginning of the feather circle there in the middle, under all the basting.

The quilt is the Log Cabin Star kit by Rachel's of Greenfield.  The pattern on the whole top is from a Dritz stencil.  I can't find a link but I just found a lot to lust after.

And the scarf for my Mother-in-law is finally taking off.

Pattern is Wisp by Cheryl Niamath.  Yarn is Shimmer by Knit Picks in Turquoise Splendor (Himself picked it out for her)

What I have not been doing nearly enough of is reading.  I need to finish the next two chapters in The Well-Educated Mind and get those up and then I plan to start with the Waterstone's Top 100 Books of the Century list.  British readers and all and I believe that will help me overcome an unfortunate high school experience and catch up.  I'm planning on doing that this week.

OK, off to tend to the garden in some ridiculous heat. 

Suit of armor

Our old french press cozy died.  It was stretched out and too thin and not keeping anything warm.  So I decided to make Himself a new one.  At first I was going to make one that looked like a Supreme Dalek from Dr. Who. using the Caffeinate! Press Style Coffee Maker Cozy pattern by Coryna Blasko

Picture credit to sixxenomorph from Deviant Art

But the pattern had bobbles.  I was trying to work in a wool acrylic blend and I have to go down two needles to get gauge anyway and to make the bobbles anywhere near tight I was going to have to use a size 3 needle on worsted weight so that was not going to happen.

So I found another pattern, the French Press Cozy pattern by Christine Jewett, which was a lot easier in the body.  But still, not the serious layer of warm we wanted.  And the top of that one didn't fit our press.

So I fiddled.  I knit the simple pattern until it was time to switch to knitting in the round to make the top, then I picked up above the bottom ribbing and knitted in a garter stitch lining out of scrap wool.  At the top when I switched to in the round I knit one stitch from the shell and one from the lining together to join, then I used the top from the Dalek pattern.  Crochet around the openings to seal in the lining, added the back flap and this was the result:

A suit of armor fit for a coffee lover's press.

Himself is quite pleased.