What do Hardanger, Rabbits, and Cotton Have in Common?

They're all in my blog this week, that's what!

First, the hardanger. This is a photo of my mom's first attempt at hardanger embroidery. It's a bread cloth, mofidifed from a pattern in a Burda book. All she has to do is mend some blanket stitches at the edge, and it will be finished. Mend, mom, Mend!

Next comes the Rabbits. Here you see an angora .... something. It starts with a g, or so the recipient informs me, but the rest of the word is lost. The tie goes under the chin, the rest of it over the ears and head .... anyone know what it's called?


And last comes the cotton. Here's a cotton doily - my Very First Knit Cotton Doily. (I've knit two lace doily swatches before, for level III of my Master Knitting course. This one is from Marianne Kinzel's First Book of Modern Lace Knitting) I rather like it. It need re-blocking - but at least now I know that 1 tsp cornstarch to 2/3 cups of water does stiffen a doily sufficiently.

My OTN project is a sock. Sock number 2 of a pair, and it's at the heel. I also acquired two skeins of sock yarn today to make two pairs of socks for my mom. And I'm pretty much decided on knitting the Icarus Shawl from the latest Interweave Knits. Gotta have something to do work on while we're travelling to Ohio!

I received my Entrelac swatch back in the mail today ... what a fast turnaround time! Last Monday I sent it off, and this Monday I get it back. Along with a 'Congratulations!' letter. Dum da dee dee dum... I think I'll memorize the letter. I'd be better off memorizing the first letter, with the list of improvements I can work on, however.

I'm reading A Thomas Jefferson Education now. Fascinating book. I've talked my mom into reading it as well so I will have someonewith whom to discuss the ideas therein. There's a list of 'books to read' piling up on the bookmark in it as well -- and all this just at the beginning of our summer break! How fortuitous.

Now, if I can only stick with the reading, and not have things go in one ear and out the other.