Let's try this again

 Ahhhh, another Friday off.  The extra hour during my work day does sometimes seem unending (I work 8 9-hour days, one 8-hour day and have every other Friday off) but having a 3-day weekend every other week is so nice.  Today, in my craft rotation, is a sewing day so once I get this all written and posted, I'll be sewing/making something with fabric (probably storage or project bags - either knitting or stitching).

I've missed a lot of check-ins but am only late for  this month.  Gifted Gorgeousness is hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.  This is a wonderful SAL that gives us a chance to thank people that have gifted us stitchy goodness, to show things we're making for someone else or whatever else we can make fit.  It's a wonderful no pressure SAL that only requires you to post and link-up on the 15th of each month (or there abouts, Jo leaves the check-in open through the end of the month).  This has been an easy SAL for me the last few years as just about everything I've stitched has been for someone else.  The last month, I finished Winter Hearts by Shepherd's Bush:

and started Baby Bug Ball also by Shepherd's Bush:

These are both gifts for the new littles.  I need to finish the satin stitch border and add an alphabet and lots of do-dads on this.  There are also some beads and small buttons.  I'm optimistic that I'll have a finish this weekend.  I think I'll use the alphabet - it's very quirky, but fun -  and put the baby's name and birthdate under the satin stitch border and make this into a pillow.  My other thought was to finish it as a drum and put the baby's name on the "back" - his name on one side of the seam and birthdate on the other, with some sort of decorative stitch over the seam.  

I've mentioned my new rotation the last couple of posts.  In order to give myself time to get a few of the other WIPs I have finished and to just take some of the pressure off myself (in the past I've scrambled the last minute to get things done or finish things up and it's just not fun), I came up with a crafting rotation.  Saturday, Sunday and Monday are stitching days, Tuesday is papercrafting, Wednesday is knitting, Thursday is crochet and Friday is sewing.  These are general and I don't get too upset if I feel like doing something on the "wrong" day - as long as I'm seeing progress on things.

Monday, I cut and stamped and now have a stack of cards to put together.  Tuesday, I finished Elli's hat:

This is the Sockhead Hat by Kelly McClure in Licorice by SplashofColorYarnsUS on Etsy.  I had enough yarn left that I decided to give baby socks a try.

This is the first pair of socks I've made using double pointed needles (and yes it is a bit like how wrestling a hedgehog would be).  It's getting a bit easier as there's more fabric, but these are VERY fiddly. I think I started them three times. I'm using the Cozy Little Toes pattern by Judy Kaethler - it's a free download on Ravelry and making the 3 months size.

Last night I crocheted:

This is the baby blanket for the new great-nephew.  The pattern is Tiny Basketweave Baby Blanket in Bernat Baby Blanket Tiny "Pebble Path".  The pattern was free on the Bernat website (I think).  This is that wonderfully soft, chenille-style yarn but in a worsted weight.  It's a really simple pattern and once past the first couple rows is only front- and back-post double crochet.  I like this so much that I'm going to rip out what I have on The Hubs' blanket and restart it in this pattern.  So easy but very dramatic.

As I mentioned, sewing today. 

And before I forget again

This was our sunflower patch a few weeks ago.  These are all volunteers and grew from seeds the birds scattered from the feeders. The flowers are all gone now and the seed heads have been stripped by the gold finches but it was very pretty while it lasted.  The house is actually grey - it's been so humid this summer that we're having an awful algae/mildew problem on the siding - definitely need to wash it this fall.

I'm off to sew.  Hope you're all well and safe.