Plugging along...

My new Sontag shawl is coming along slowly, a row or two at a time. I spent last weekend balling yarn.  While I only plan to add a row or two of the yellow near the outer edge, I decided to ball up all of this handspun/handdyed wool. (It was originally the flowers on the shawl of the planned sweater.) The skeins were loose loops that had tangled over the years.  Even now, after reballing some of them for better tension, they are kind of sloppy.  I figured if I didn't grit my teeth and do it all at once, I would never do it.  While I was at it, I balled several more balls of the blue Cascade wool and I found another ball of handdyed in a similar color, left over from a completed shawl. I added it to the pile. 

I also began work on the new Catherine Jordan trees pendant project.  

Step 1 is to get the pieces of fabric ready to paint the backgrounds. The kit included one set of cut-to-size fabrics and then uncut strips for the other pendants.  I cut a set of card templates for the openings (pinned together in the photo above) and then used them to trace my pieces.  I left the strips as strips and just cut out the openings. I need to paint the inner edges of the openings so no white shows, but the outside edges of the pieces will be hidden by the frame.  Now to dig out the paints!

It's been three months since my second knee surgery and I'm just about to finish up physical therapy. I'm still having some issues, but they're improving. I'm back doing morning walks with my friend, World Embroideries. And I'm still quite tired in the evenings.  Progress is slow, but as of today I have completed the cutting and weaving one-quarter of the way around the border of the Hardanger tablecloth. It doesn't look much different than the post here.