a bit of mending...

i have several blouses/shirts that were purchased from the thrift stores but are a bit too small. i ripped open the side seams from the hem edge to the wrist edge, added 2" strips of cloth (deb lacativa's dyed cloth) and hand stitched on both sides. it now is a perfect fit. i did some hand stitching on the edges to tack down the seams. this is so easy and really enlarges the width of the sleeves, the top arm circumference and the body of the shirt. give it a try if you have some tops that are a bit too small.
click on the images for a closer view.

white cotton blouse mended to fit

still doing some spinning and knitting as well. working on a pair of fingerless gloves that match the cowl i posted last week. the pattern is from the book '10 SECRETS of the LAIDBACK KNITTERS'. this is a library book but there are so many patterns in there that i love that i ordered the book from Amazon. i always manage to change the pattern in some way but i'm not expert enough to make anything other than a scarf without some guidance.

one fingerless glove completed

i've been practicing spinning cotton roving on my new tahkli spindle but still need lots more practice so not much to show other than the spindle and the cotton. the spindle is just under 7" long and weighs about half an ounce.

tahkli spindle and cotton roving

hope you are all having a good week.

UPDATE:
i forgot that i wanted to share this video on HEALING (yourself and the world), if you haven't already seen it on Facebook or elsewhere. it is long but it's the latest info on the subject and very understandable.  sit with some stitching or knitting and just listen. it gives so much hope in so many areas. the link is here. looks like this full version is no longer available but you can watch half of it here.

spinning along...

the cowl is finished and it actually fits. i had my doubts. i really need to start making a gauge swatch before knitting...especially something that needed to fit over my head.
click on the images for a closer view.

knitted cowl with handspun yarn...color is a little more subtle in real life

i started knitting a scarf with the spun yarn that was left over and am now having to spin up some more to finish it. it will be a gift. i'm getting a bit bored with this colorway. i just purchased some cotton roving and that will be my next project. it's a bit more difficult to spin than the wool so there will be lots of experimenting and practice needed.

spinning up more yarn to finish this scarf

i did get a bit of stitching in this week. just a patch to cover up a stain on my favorite t-shirt.

two old t-shirts helping each other to stay alive

 and the most amazing thing that i discovered today...my indigo plants that never got more than 2" tall with itty-bitty leaves are actually producing seed heads. i will collect the seed if it develops and plant them just to see what happens. maybe the second go round will be better, if the seeds are viable at all.

indigo going to seed

have a great week and concentrate on what's positive out there in your world.

spinning, knitting and a bit of dyeing...

lots of experimenting going on with the spinning and i've prepared enough handspun yarn to start knitting a cowl. also attempted making some black and white thread but all i had was wool. it turned out ok but really want to try it with cotton which i prefer for stitching.

handspun wool yarn and the beginnings of a cowl

finally got all the flowers i'd saved out of the freezer and did some dyeing. the cotton pieces turned out better than the silk this time. the cotton pieces were soaked in soy milk overnight and allowed to dry and sit for a few days before using. haven't had much time for dyeing lately.

some hints of blue in that center strip

bits of rust from the cotton wrapped around tin cans

i'm trying to keep up with all of your blogs but haven't had much time to comment lately. wishing you all a great week.