Pandemic level 3. Reyna shawl, drawstring bag and cross stitch update.

Last week we moved from level 4 to level 3.  It doesn't make much difference to me, but other people were able to return to work and businesses were able to do takeaway or pick up orders. At this stage we have 1487 confirmed cases and sadly 20 deaths. The numbers of confirmed cases over the last week have been less than 10 each day.  We find out next week if we can move to level 2.  For me this means I may be able to resume going to the gym and go the hairdresser, optometrist and dentist.


Meanwhile on to what I have been doing in lockdown. I had my birthday.  Very strange not being able to go out with anyone to celebrate.  Probably the loneliest I've been during lockdown.  It doesn't help that both my fathers and mothers birthdays would have fallen during lockdown so wasn't able to do anything to commemorate them.

Anyway, on to more productive stuff.

I finished my first knitting project in about 30 years.  The Reyna shawl, a free pattern from Ravelry.

I loved it so much I decided I wanted to make another one but bigger, more like a true shawl and with alternating colours.  I already had some of this Malabrigo sock yarn in

It is variegated with dark red and hints of purple.  I thought this grape Ashford Tekapo would work nicely.   On my screen it appeared to be a plum colour.  However when it arrived it was pure purple.

It clashes somewhat with the red, but its all I had on hand so  I went ahead and started it.

As it grows the red lace rows will be deeper.

When I ordered the wool I also went ahead and ordered a set of Knit Pro interchangeable circular needles.

Washing instructions for future reference.

While in lockdown a friend turned 60.  For the big birthdays a group of us club together to buy a nice gift.  I feel a bit guilty these days for using wrapping paper  - wasteful as it just ends up being used once then thrown away.  So I decided to make a drawstring bag for the gift.  She can then use the bag for storing whatever she wants. 

I found some velvet in my stash and made the base from denim.  I used a specialty stitch (stitch 40) on my sewing machine and a gold embroidery thread to add a bit of decoration to the denim.

The drawstring is some black twill tape I had in my stash. 

A pretty bag all made from scrap fabric.

For future reference the dimensions of fabric that I cut for this bag were:

Base:  11 x 6.5"   x2

Main:  11x7.5"    x2

Lining  11x 13"  x 2

Drawstring casing 11x2.5" x 2

Sewn with a 1/2" seam allowance.  I boxed the corners with 1 1/2" square cut out.

I've been busy with cross stitch as always.   I have another rotation in on Ornament Healing Rose by HAED

I've now stitched 17556 stitches which is 35.68%.