We finished our first week of home school yesterday with a trip to the aquarium in Fort Walton Beach. The kids have done really well this week and I am very proud of them. Of course, home schooling takes a great deal of time so my hobbies must be squeezed into the few remaining hours reserved for house cleaning, cooking, etc. Which do you think gets most of my time???

Thus far I have managed to maintain my 6 rows per day on the COTR shawl. I am presently working on the first Sea Foam chart.



The shawl stretches across my couch before blocking so I think it might be a bit large. I am 5'5'' tall with a small frame, so I hope it is not too big after blocking.



A closer view shows there is quite a bit of stretch room left. At least I like oversized clothes for cold weather. . .



Gabrielle woke up cheerful as usual and agreed to do some modeling for me. (Her hippo is her constant evening, night time and morning companion.) She is wearing a nightgown I sewed for her last year. We have matching nightgowns in this fabric and one other.



Gabrielle just turned 4 a month ago and wears a child's size 5. The shawl does not look too big draped on her so perhaps all will be well.



Here is the back. I love how sheer it looks. It is so hard for me to believe I actually knitted lace!

I am also working on a sun dress for Gabrielle. I started smocking it last August when Gregory went to kindergarten and I had to sit in the car 45 minutes everyday waiting to pick him up. When we had to take him out of kindergarten a month later, the smocking progress slowed down considerably. However, I am determined to finish Gabrielle's sundress BEFORE summer is over!



I think it will be absolutely adorable and the anchor buttons are a perfect finish for the back!

I finally took the Incredible Sweater Machine out of the closet. It has occupied it's original box for many years.



I packed it away years ago because it needed to be clamped to a flat, rectangular table without a lip. I did not have a workable table so I never used it. I still don't have a workable table, but now I have a darling husband who is willing to build me one. He found all of the necessary parts at work (he is a manager at our local mission thrift store) and is waiting for a day off to assemble them. So at least the Incredible Sweater Machine remains out of the closet for now and is high up on my "to learn" list. I'd like to master it before my tri-loom is finished and competing for my time.

I'm still spinning the Rose Merino and Silk fiber for my grandmother's shawl. I am on my second bobbin full now.



I don't have too much left to go before I can ply it, but with such limited time available to me at present, I must be content to get 15 to 30 minutes of spinning time per day.