Moving At Reduced Speed

I'm finding it difficult to get moving these days. It's partly because it's winter and I want to hibernate, partly because I have very low energy. I recently had some comprehensive blood tests (7 vials of blood!) and consequently discovered that I have hypothyroidism, and very low Vit. D  levels. So I have another medication to add to the daily intake, and I have to take 5 times the usual dose of Vit. D for the next 3 months and then be tested again.  My doctor breezily stated that I would start to have more energy in about 2 weeks, but I'm not there yet, possibly because I have another beastly cold. One interesting thing is that the cold temperatures have stopped bothering me; low thyroid levels apparently make one sensitive to cold. So that's a positive sign that I'm improving.

I'm doing a little bit of sewing here and there. I pulled out the blocks for the Fancy 4-Patch, and started working on them again. I'm pretty sure I have most of the HSTs done, I'll have to take a count later on.

I sewed quite a few of the 4Patch units, and bagged them to complete later. When I'm ready to complete the block it's a simple 9patch to put together, because I've already done all the fiddly bits.

I'm thinking about what I will work on when I have a couple more things crossed off the UFO list. These blocks caught my attention; Bonnie showed a vintage quilt in this pattern last year, and I made a few blocks to see if I liked sewing them. I do like them, and I think I'll cut and kit a heap of blocks. They're made with 2" strips, which will help clear out that drawer.

Last night I was feeling a bit dreary and incapable of creative thought, so I resorted to more Half Log Cabins.  I ran out of pieces again, so today I'll replenish the stacks. 

I've been spinning quite a bit, trying to work through my stash of ready-to-spin fibre.

This was Shetland wool roving, and has been hanging around for about 5 years. I had so much fun when I first got back into spinning, going to Fibre Fests and buying up braids and roving and bags of fluff. It was easier to buy it than spin it though, so I have many things still waiting.

The colours are captivating!

My main love is natural coloured fleece though, and I have a mountain of fleeces that I can't bear to part with. 

At nights I've been working on this chocolate coloured Corriedale. Once I've combed it it turns into luscious little nests of beautiful fibre.

It's so time intensive to prepare raw fleece for spinning; sorting out the best bits, washing the fleece, carding or combing it, spinning it and then washing the finished yarn. And then it's ready to be knitted, or crocheted, or woven. It's the perfect meditative past time for winter days and nights. But it's not quick! 

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What's Next

I seem to have lost focus after the finishing spree of May. The cold weather hasn't helped my energy levels, but I figure it's time to get over that and make some more progress. 

I sewed a lot of triangles together for the Dear Jane borders; if I concentrate it doesn't take long to make decent progress. I sat on a hard chair the night I sewed these, and when I got up my back complained a lot.  I need to find a comfy chair for my hand sewing sessions.

I spent another week in Adelaide with the family; it was school holidays so I could at least spend time with the kids. I mostly knitted socks, and finished off several pairs that just needed to have the toes grafted. Maybe after doing 5 pairs one after the other I will remember how to do it.

Once I came back from that trip I really had no idea what I was doing when I left, and I had no idea what to work on first. So I picked up a couple of easy things to finish off.

I made 7 Half Log Cabin blocks, so now I have the full 120 I need.

I played around with the Spinning Rectangles to see if I liked them sewn into set of four.

Not bad, but I'll just keep on adding to the box for now, there's no hurry to decide what I'll eventually make.

I have moved my blue/green scrap top further towards a finish. It's in one piece now, and I just need to decide on how I want to border it.

 I still have some scraps left, and it would be nice to use them up, because heavens almighty, they just won't give up and disappear! I'm even considering some string blocks, just to deal with them.

A little Finn story from our last visit; I was explaining how people shrink in height as they get older, and he said "Oh I get it. As they get shorter, they get wider". No Finn, it's not like playdough! It's not like that at all. But he does have a point.

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