I’m at the quilting stage on my Aloha shirt half triangle quilt. Decided to go hand quilting. I hope I don’t regret this. I chose the red backing color to follow Grandma Kiyo’s style. All the patchwork quilts we have this backing. She made some beauties. I’ll post more later.
Few updates to my list to keep me going. And I added few new ones, too.
Aloha shirt patchwork quilt
I’ve got a lot of squares cut out but want more color in it and went to my storage unit to find Oat’s old aloha shirts that I kept for a project like this. So now, I’m in the process of taking apart more shirts. At least I decided on doing a 1/2 triangle pattern.
Double knit and strand work
I’m yet to start on learning double knitting. My tension of my strand work is so much better and I’m faster at reading charts that I think it will only help when I start double knitting.
For non-knitters, double knitting is when you knit both front and back of the pattern at the same time. One side is the the reverse (in color) from the other. Here’s a video from Arne and Carlos about double knitting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_G5EOnRRb8.
Got me a bright yellow journal, 2 sizes of pilot pens, correction tape and ruler to start. I’m bit of a mess, with smudges here and there. I need to take my time with those pens.
It’s bit of bullet journal, bit of me just tracking things that going on with me. Like that it takes me away from my phone or my tablet which I need to do at night. It’s not colorful or pretty as some that I’ve seen on youtube and online but it’s a start. It does have sketches of ideas I have for things I want to make.
Got 8 items done and they are hanging on my bedroom door waiting to be posted in my shop. I hope I post it by the end of the month. More to come.
I’ll try and update my list once a month. Let’s see how far I get.
04.03.20
On top of being quarantine, I’m now furloughed till July. No work, stuck inside with my folks, I need to do something to keep me busy.
I’m a little sad but I think I’m okay. Be handling big changes in my life for the past 3 years and I think this one is small by comparison. But this has been my biggest worry as I get older to get laid off. Especially now that I moved my home base and my connection are all on the east cost.
04.29.20
It’s 3 weeks into my furlough and just receive a disqualified claim. I’m feeling sick to my stomach at the moment as I’m on hold with UI.
I’m trying to be positive but this feels so hard. I’m trying to be creative and productive but some days all I want to do is lie on my bed and watch bad Youtube about dumpster diving. I’m sure there are thousands of people out there in the same position as I am and are being productive. And I wish that it will come my way.
In the meantime, I decided to take Thursday off to go food/necessities shopping. When to Costco and used my new senior status to for kupuna (senior) hours
05.01.20
I’m on hold again. When I got through last time, they told me I had to file in NJ. Then I email my HR person and she said no, HI and gave me an insurance number. So I wait 226 calls to the same number. Then a friend reached out to with 2 new numbers and I go in on the second number. I wanted to cry.
Now I sit and wait and test my patience being on hold.
Got through and spoke to Craig, a volunteer who was calm and reassuring. He took my information that I got from HR and said he thought this would help. He took my number just in case they needed to call back for more information. He said to check my status on Monday if everything is good then it will show a change. If not, UI will be calling me back.
They didn’t call me back. I emailed them the same information I gave Craig and I guess I’m stuck on the phone with UI tomorrow.
Patchwork quilt
So with this good news, I thought I’d stop whine about unemployment and shows what on my plate for a new project. I’m putting out there that I’d like to finish it by the end of my furlough (2 months and 9 days).
Arne and Carlos Quarantine Knit-a-long
I started this at the beginning of this project at the beginning of the quarantine. It’s the Arne and Carlos Quarantine Knit-a-long. Arne and Carlos are Norwegian knitwear designers that have a podcast. It’s a project color work project of different square designs.
I’m not that great at color work. But these have gotten me to have better tension and my floats (on the back side of the work) are looking much better, not a jumble of string.
Totes, Project Bags, Box Pouches . . .
Since my machine has come out of hibernation, I start putting together totes with the scraps I have and fabric I’ve been thrifting. Most of it’s prototypes to find a tote shape that I like, has items that I think it needs–pockets, and made up mostly with up cycled material. Here’s a few that I’ve started with.
Princess Hot Flash 