Making the Most of Remnants

I love the remnant fabric bin at my local Joann's store. Something about the potential, the color, but also the limits. Most days, it's a bust. But every once in a while, I find something good. 

A few months ago, I scored some brand name camouflage fleece and a nice green fleece. Thinking they'd make a great 'something' for my husband, and considering the 50% off fleece sale (in addition to the remnant sale price), I bought both pieces. 

Sidebar: I am totally useless at math. Totally. Meaning, I usually end up with way less or way more fabric than I need (or yarn... or whatever) for the project I want to make. 

The aforementioned fleece sat in my craft room for a while. I dutifully washed it, laid it out as a measurement of sorts, realized I needed more, and folded it up and put it away.

This past week, I had my spring break. One of the wonderful perks of being a teacher. Also, a prime time to work on projects. With the happy toddler in tow, I headed out to the craft store for some yarn to finish a project. I had a great coupon (of course), and knew exactly what I wanted. Just a few skeins of yarn, nothing else. 

That nothing else turned into more green fleece (50% off again) and 2 cuts of fabric for dresses for me. Whoops. However, I now had my husband's Easter gift. 

Another round of washing and drying, lots of "help" from my toddler, and an hour later, I had a fleece tie blanket. 

Those that sew may tell me (and you) that I easily could've made do with the fabric I had. Probably true. However, with my nearly sub-par sewing skills (mostly straight lines, honestly), tying was the best way to go for me. I split my initial piece of green fleece, used it to border the camo, and then did endless knotting.

Again, not the most economical, but definitely a labor of love. Another lesson on measure twice and cutting once-- I have those nearly every time I sew (whoops)-- and more ideas on entertaining the toddler without digital entertainment so I can work.

Inspiration

My sister in law is a great inspiration for me. She lives on a farm with her five kids, husband working for the local school and their church. Recently she started selling faux-chenille blankets, inspiring me to try making one of my own. 

All the texture!

But with the habit that is buying fabric, I ended up with two! One pink/orange/yellow/green, the other red/white/navy. 

This is much brighter in person. 

My binding job is not great, but definitely an experience. Clare uses the wider satin binding on all of her blankets, which adds another bit of texture to the already amazing feeling blankets. She sells them through Facebook, at her page Mydea. I know she would appreciate the traffic and the likes. :)

I have many improvements to my own sewing that need to happen, but practice makes perfect. Already, I am working on a third blanket, and hope to have it done sometime in the new year.

Summer Summation

For all you people complaining that school starts in three weeks, take note. My professional development starts this coming Monday. As I reflect on my lack of productivity this summer, I realize that I have had a decent amount of time to relax, which has been good. 

My companion has been Whatever is Lovely: a coloring book for reflection and worship, which has been a huge help for me in terms of relaxing. (Follow me on Instagram if you are interested in more) 

I have also been knitting some mitered squares for a sock blanket, and will intersperse with crocheted mitten ornaments to break the monotony. 

What has your summer been like? 

Joining Ginny's yarnalong today

Sophie

Sophie's universe crochet along in Vanna's Choice--colors-- duckie, radiant orange, terracotta, dusty purple, eggplant

Trying to get my mojo back.

Crafting Differently

Normally, I blog about yarn and knitting and crocheting. This week, I'm trying some ideas I found on Pinterest.

First: tile coasters.
The instructions I followed are from this blog. The blogger is clear and has a lot of pictures, making it easy to follow along. I was originally inspired by this pin, but, obviously upon further looking, it links to an Etsy seller. So I sought out DIY instructions, leading me to the previosly mentioned blog.

My Materials (Using Something Like Susie Homemaker's list and altering it):

1. 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch tiles --from Menards-- 12¢ each-- might've been on sale
2. Sheets of felt in desired colors-- you won't really see this, I had green, maroon, & black on hand. If you pay more than 30¢ for an 8x11" sheet, you are being robbed. Michael's has them for 26¢ (I think).
3.  Scrapbook paper-- My sister and I did our fair share of scrapbooking, like 3 years ago, so I have one of those really big stacks that orginally cost $20, with a 40% coupon or something. If you don't have that, Michael's has open stock paper- a 12" x12" sheet will cover 9 tiles. Get several coordinating prints for variation! (Shouldn't cost more than a few dollars)
4. Decoupage -- The blogger uses Mod Podge, which is too expensive for me, so I substituted-- 2:1 white glue & water. Mod Podge is just paste anyway.
5. Hot glue gun-- if you're a crafter, you don't need to go out and buy this, so I don't count it in final costs.
6. Scissors and ruler OR Paper cutter--- I am investing in a paper cutter after this. Scissors and ruler were not precise enough-- I actually took my scrapbook paper to work to do the cutting part. Joann's has a Fiskars for $25.
7. Sponge brush-- Hardware store, 69¢
8. Clear Acrylic Spray-- my mom had this already. Triple coat glaze, Krylon. probably $5 if purchased new.

two piles of felt covered tile!

Preparing to glue

First coat of glue

Note: cutting felt during the season finale of Castle is not a good idea. My edges were crooked. I personally cut a bit bigger than needed, just in case. I trimmed them after I glued. I do my best hot gluing before bed, which means I don't get impatient about the next step.

Note: Magazine pages do not work, they are too thin.

16 tiles $2.04
2 sheets of felt $.60
Paper $1.00
Sponge Brush $.69
Total $4.33


Second: polymer clay charms
Inspiration: this pin, step-by-step here.
Gifts for bridesmaids, to be made into keychains.

Polymer clay costs around $2.99, depending on the brand, and whether or not you have a coupon.
I used leftovers from my yarn bowl projects for all of these.
Stamps I had on hand.
Jewelry findings I had on hand. Eye pins are under $5 for a pack of either 50 or 100. Same for the jump rings. The key rings are a bit more expensive- $5 for a pack of 10, 1-1/4"
Acrylic paint borrowed from sister.





First batch of charms!

Close-up

Productivity

I've been working on a wide variety of projects lately. With 2 "cold days" off from school, I managed to get more done, but also start more things that need to be finished. A few sewing projects here, a bit of crocheting there. But it feels good to practice a bit of both. 

g-diaper inserts

afghan squares for a swap

little pants for my boy

my coffee table at 6 am.

my little guy helping with the fabric

a stack of nearly finished burp cloths

The sewing is all very new to me, but practice makes perfect, right?

Busy Elf

I said the painting would return. I got inspired Sunday night, and put my inspiration into action during JT's afternoon nap yesterday. Last year, I received as part of a gift exchange a multi-media Christmas canvas- "O Tannebaum" would probably be the theme- and I was really struck by its beauty and simplicity. As mentioned before, Michael's had canvas on sale- plus I had a few that I had snagged from my little sister- so all my supplies were on hand. These are planned as gifts, though still incomplete at the moment. All of them will have some form of crocheted embellishment added plus maybe some paper or fabric. 

in need of some pink hearts

I may add more yarn to this one

in need of a border to create balance

Painting hasn't been my only adventure since Christmas break started. I've been struggling to finish some blankets, and the first one is nearly done. There are a few ends left to sew, and the possibility of a bigger border, but the largest part is complete. The pattern is Sunny Spread, and is quite enjoyable. Full notes on my Ravelry page. I really hope it will be received with as much love as it was made with.

a sunny snuggly lap blanket

The next few days are going to be extremely busy, with lots of traveling. E is working Christmas Eve, and the day after Christmas, but we will be able to attend Mass as a family on Christmas Day before adventuring to my parents' for celebrating with my family. JT and I will be celebrating with my aunts on Friday, and Saturday all three of us will celebrate with JT's godparents. Sunday will be a busy day with all of my husband's family in town. I love having a season of celebrating, though it sometimes can be a struggle to remember to slow down, too. I'll get reminders of that, I'm sure. 

JT's favorite snack: his hands

If I don't get back before Christmas, I want to wish everyone a safe and blessed holiday. Thank you for you love and support and encouragement this year- it has meant so much to me!!

Love, 

Mary

Cutting it Close

Christmas gifts for this year are still in progress. I was swamped with a few custom orders right at the end of November, and was struggling to find time to crochet for me.

I'm getting close to catching up now. 

The painting's a new thing. I thought I would try my hand at another artistic outlet, and while it's not Picasso or anything, I'm mostly content. Bob Ross was great inspiration. 

Michael's had a great sale on canvas yesterday, so a few more things will pop up here over the next few weeks, I'm sure. 

Out of my Element

I've been sewing. Which is so not me. I never took up sewing when single because my mom had this older sewing machine that she was convinced my sister and I would break. So I took up yarn arts because that was different from what my mom did. But with a little one at home comes the need for sewing projects. I feel silly paying for someone to hem fabric for me-- ala nursing cover or car seat canopy. Several internet searches led me to some DIY designs for both of these items. I didn't even need to buy fabric, because my mom has a friend who used to work at a fabric store and was destashing her fabric a few years ago. There are several large bins of it in my parents' basement now. 

very geometric fabric- so my lines are straight!

Luckily when this idea to do some sewing hit me, my mother-in-law was able to provide. I'm currently borrowing her machine, which apparently she rarely used.

the instruction booklet stays close!

All the hemming done!!

sewing machine problems

I made it most of the way through both my projects before the tension on the machine decided to go wonky. What's left on my two big projects is mainly hand sewing anyway, but 'breaking' the machine really dampened my morning. 

I was able to switch to my crocheting projects though. Both are CAL patterns from the CSW Ravelry group.  The first one I've been working on since July, but was motivated by the September CAL to get moving on it. 

nearly finished

I'm using KnitPicks Stroll and Candy Skein Yummy fingering. The colors are not showing true due to the overcast weather we're having.

My second one is the October CAL, modified to be more of a scarf size. I'll try for better pics when my arms aren't occupied by baby J. I'm holding two strands of Lion Brand Sock-ease together for this one, the second ball being one I dyed a while back. Hopefully the Sock-ease will soften, as it feels a bit stiff right now. 

new project

Pink Shawl-- desperately seeking shallow crescent
Blue-green scarf-- Nena

Wednesday link-up with Ginny

Getting Back in the Groove

It is taking me longer than expected to get back into a regular routine. This past week has been full of ups and downs, with my downs being particularly low. Part of it may be the sinus infection that E and I think we both have, which is leaving me more fatigued than just pregnancy fatigue. But we're coming closer on the end. That is my main encouragement. My only 'worry' is that once I find my new groove, the baby will come along and give me something new to adjust to. I just keep coming back to changes, and adjusting to those changes.

A finally finished blanket in use

There have been a few good days, even when E was working. I've been making precise plans, and  actually got done what was needed. My extra time then became dedicated to finishing my biggest WIP, the 'wedding' ripple. In my typical fashion, I simply crocheted until I was sick of it, then called it done. It's not quite as big as I originally wanted, but it is finished. There are a few ends to weave, but I'm calling it.

Baby Owl

Riding on the coat-tails of that finish, I was motivated enough to finish one of my baby hats. There are several in progress, but I told myself I would get at least one done before Baby is born. Now I'm hoping to have two or three. Only two of them are actually for him, but getting extras done can always be a plus. My craft show stock on hats is low this year, so I've been hoping to get it up in these last few weeks.

This green-- one of Vanna's Choice Baby-- was initially difficult to match, but after thinking it over and halting multiple times, I just decided to stick with another shade of green. Not living with my artistic sister can be such a drag sometimes, because she has always been my main color-matcher. I'm a lot less adventurous with my color choices, and mainly just stick to colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. My sister tells me that her method is exactly the same as mine, but I don't really buy it. She has some magical sense that just allows her to coordinate colors better than most people.

Getting one hat done means I'm just a bit closer to getting more done, which is extremely motivating. Which brings me to more projects that need to get done.

Half-finished Granny Squares

I've come back to my baby granny blanket, and added to that as well. It was started at Christmas time, when I brought a bag of Vanna scraps with me to my in-laws, because my oldest niece wanted some crocheting tutoring. My brother-in-law was extremely frustrated that I was working on something that really had no coordination or purpose-- randomly colored granny squares can do that to even the most relaxed person-- so it was more an effort to tease him than anything else. But it turned into a baby blanket, now intended for our new little one.

 In an attempt to not overwhelm myself, I keep switching between projects. By finishing small things, the big picture looks tidier in my head. My sinus headache is still awful, but the edges around my crafting mess are starting to get smoother. 

Depression is an odd thing. I don't know even if these blues I've had for most of my pregnancy qualify as depression. But it's been a struggle. These moments of accomplishment, though sometimes small, are sometimes all I have to cling to in dark times. E has been amazing through all of this, praying with me and for me and taking on more than his share of the burden. Without his constant reminders, I think I would lose sight of who's really in control. 

These little accomplishments help me get back on track, with everything. Being grateful for the small things helps so much. And these small things get added to the list. I am grateful that I finally finished a baby project. I am grateful that even though he feels as sick as I do, my husband still helped with the dishes. I am grateful that our family has been blessed with life. I am grateful for changes that stretch me, and for normal things that give me comfort.

Linking with Tami & Ginny & KCCO

Finishing Friday

Blue or pink? Any guesses?

I didn't quite finish my projects this morning, but I'm hoping by this evening to be finished with my chunky blue scarf. The other is a button cowl in a pale pink, just waiting for buttons. 

For those who caught my post yesterday, the lack of fanfare was not due to lack of excitement, but rather to 'I don't know how to proceed with this' in a sense. Work does not always leave room to get excited, but I have found some patterns to try- this sweet pinafore, this knit baby tunic, this knit blanket, another cute pinafore style dress, and this hoodie.

Once summer vacation hits, or maybe even as soon as spring break, I will start to get excited :)

FO Friday @ Tami's Amis!

A New history book! Also, yarn

I love being busy with crafting things, and these weeks leading up to the holidays are quite busy. There is one final craft show this weekend, and I am hoping to have some new items in new colors for the final shopping push to Christmas.

New things!

From my fuzzy ipad photo, you can see my new book, all with two new projects that I've started. The dark blue yarn is another infinity scarf- lion brand has put out several new colors this season in their homespun yarn, and I am taking full advantage of fun and new colors.  The lighter blue that you can
kinda see it a third slouch hat, in a similar style to the red one from last week.

My new book is a gift from my husband, for St. Nick's Day & St. Lucia Day. Traditionally, with his family, books are the gift for St. Lucia, and food or candy is the gift for St. Nick. I've never celebrated Lucia Day before


Joining up with Tami & Ginny!

Still Here!

Over the past month or so, I've found myself on my laptop less and less. A new phone for my birthday and my borrowing of Fiance's tablet, both of which are way more portable, means I don't often sit in front of a screen with a proper keyboard. All of these things means less blogging.

But I'm still around. I'm checking out Yarn-Along, WIPW,  and FOF. I'm seeking a happy meduim, and hopefully I'll find it.

So for now, even if I'm not posting, I'm still around. Weddign preparations are getting even more busy than I had guessed, and with that comes moving and job searching. I just have to remember:

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

A Mascot Project 4KCBWDAY2

Your task today is to either think of or research a project that embodies that house/animal. It could be a knitting or crochet pattern – either of the animal itself or something that makes you think of the qualities of that house.

Today's challenge from Eskmimi for Knit and Crochet Blog Week is to plan out a possible project that represents your House mascot. As I talked about yesterday, I placed myself in the House of Manatee. As I sat and brainstormed about possible mascot projects, I came up with several ideas.

My first round of brainstorming

• A giant stuffed manatee- or a tiny ami manatee-- taking the project totally literally, and making a mascot in one of several sizes. Because I still relate to the other houses, mainly the color of the peacock, I knew my manatee would not be grey. My first thought was to hold 2 yarns together, creating a mottled effect that would look like a sea animal. Being a sutffed animal, a manatee would embody the characteristics of its house simply by being. A stuffed toy is cuddly and comforting.
• If I was not going to make an actual manatee, I wanted to really represent a manatee. Calming colors came to mind-- soft blues, greens, and purples. The color of water, the ocean. I find the ocean really relaxing, and I felt like this idea further expanded upon the characteristics of a manatee. So, something blue or green would definitely be a possibility.
• When I thought of the ocean, I thought of waves, which took me to ripple patterns. They exist in both crochet and knit, and if done in the right colors, could successfully embody the House of Manatee.
• From ripples, I started searching my favorites and my queue for ripple ideas. Two patterns stuck out in my search- a ripple blanket like Lucy from Attic24 makes frequently, and this cardigan which I've been meaning to make for some time.
• To go with my color idea, I would need to use either green or blue with either of these projects. Oddly enough, I found that because I've had another ripple blanket in mind for a while, and I've wanted to make a cardigan for a while, I have yarn in my stash for both of these projects.

Round 2 brainstorming- less structured

A blanket or a cardigan? Both represent the comfortable and cuddly side of the Manatee House, and both of them want to be made :-) Through my reflecting on this challenge, I have found several projects that I would now really like to make. In color, technique, and end result, these projects represent how I feel about being a part of the House of Manatee. Now all that is left is for me to decide which one to start first!

Yarns for a blanket

The musical finishes this weekend. Saturday performance is at 7 pm, and our Sunday matinee is at 2 pm. And then I only have 4 days this coming week, with Spring (Easter) Break starting on Friday.

Even though I still have to work, not going to school will be a refreshing change. Going to spend Easter with E's family. His brother & sister-in-law just welcomed a new little girl to the family-- still trying to decide if I ought to attempt to make a last minute new baby gift. I'll have a few things to finish up over this break, but there will definitely be a bunch of crafting time too. I miss my time spent visiting everyone's blogs, so hopefully that will pick back up.

I'm getting so close to the end!!!!

Another Adventure with Clay

I made another yarn bowl!! I also added polymer clay handles to a few of my crochet hooks, just to see if I liked the feel of it. Both were successful, though the yarn bowl was a bit stubborn and didn't want to bake!

5 new hooks!

I finished up the big 1 lb. block of polymer clay (CraftSmart brand) and all the leftover blue and silver from my first yarn bowl, along with another package of pink that I bought a month or 2 ago.

"I" is my favorite of the hooks. 

There are definitely flaws in both the hook handles and the yarn bowl, but I'm still pleased with my work. For personal use, everything works just fine. I think my biggest problem this time around was my lack of tools. It's important to keep clay & food utensils separate; as this was a spur of the moment activity, I had nothing out and ready.
Even with all the flaws, I'm still glad that I tried something a little different, and that it was mostly successful.

And this little adventure also made me assess my hook preferences. I've found that I definitely like Boye better than Bates, but I have a decent number of both due to family 'hand-me-'rounds" and thrift store purchases.

You might noticed that some of my photos are date-stamped. I just got a new camera this past week (after complaining about my old one, and getting the go-ahead from the fiance) and I've been testing out the various features.

New bowl on the left. 

I use a regular bowl to give me an idea of the size, and I covered it with tin foil, giving bowl # 2 the wrinkly interior. 

WIP Wednesday Again!

I feel like several WIP Wednesdays passed without me noticing them. Being busy with student teaching and musical rehearsals and work and wedding planning has left little time for blogging and crafting. But I am still managing to work on a few things here and there.

I have so many pictures to share, but for today, I'll keep it to one.

Quite a mix today

I'm reading the World History textbook in preparation for my next round of lessons-- Kingdoms of Africa. Hopefully the students will take to it, as it is not my best area of knowledge.

There are 2 different hats in progress, both commissioned items. The black is the start of another Toothless hat, and the pink is a new design. To the far right is my finished Citron, which I will share on Friday. The green smack dab in the middle is my second Snowdrop, in Knit Picks Chroma.

I've finished my first audiobook of Lent-- CS Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Definitely one of my favorite books to read, and easy listening, especially when knitting or crocheting.

Linking with Ginny and Tami today!

Four Day Weekend

I have just totally lucked out with my student teaching placement. Two snow days on either end of my weekend!! This should mean that I am super prepared for the rest of my week at school... But I'm partly prepared, is that enough? I sure hope so.

With all this free time, I've been able to plan for both classes I am teaching this week, 11th grade government and 6th grade Social Studies. I love my 6th graders quite a bit. They still aren't quite teenagers, but they aren't little kids any more either. Because I am able to see the difference in middle school and high school every day I go in, I am most definitely leaning more toward teaching middle school, or at least the lower grades of high school.



But enough about my teaching. I have had some time to knit and crochet this weekend. I started the weekend off strong by finishing my Snowdrop! Friday night, during our weekly viewing of CSI: NY, I reached the end of my yarn. Toward the end, I thought I would never see the end of the yarn. But I did!

Throughout the weekend, I made other attempts to finish some of my long-term projects, and while I did not succeed, I still made headway on them.


in the picture above, you can see the purple-pink of my knitted Citron, my first big lace project that has been on the needles since January 2012. Underneath it is a knitted poncho, in Knit Picks Bare Stroll (Superwash wool & Nylon). The poncho is a commissioned item for a friend, paid for and everything. The pattern, which the recipient picked out, calls for 18 or so "wedges". Over the weekend, I started on the 3rd. Both of these projects need to get out of my room in FO form before I move out in July/August. So I do have a deadline for them, and with the way I've been knitting this weekend, I seriously hope I can have them both done before the end of the school year.

All in all, my four day weekend has been productive. I'm hoping to make more throughout today, but we shall see.

When Life Gets Busy

I feel a bit like I fell off the edge of the earth when 2012 disappeared and 2013 came to be. Spending New Year's with my fiance's family was great, but trying to catch up the rest of the week has been crazy. Student teaching starts on Monday, first with observation, and then a gradual movement toward more responsibility in the classroom. I'm both nervous and excited.

However, being at school, during the 'regular' school day-- meaning from 7 to 3-- will cut down on craft and reading time, which is slightly disappointing. Wedding planning will also be put aside, at least for a bit.

My camera battery died, otherwise I'd share a few photos from my Christmas adventures. My future sister in law ordered hats for Christmas-- ages ago!-- but now I finally have modeled photos of most of the hats I made for her. I'm planning on sharing those soon, just because her kids are so cute :)

Even with a busy life, I want to make a few goals for the new year:

1. At least one craft show item made a week-- like a hat or scarf. This should eat up some of my stash so I won't have to move all of it come August.
2. Craft with purpose-- this means dyeing yarn as well as making things. I have so many items that were "cute" or "fun" to make, but now I don't know who to give them too.
3. Do that exercising thing. Being on my feet all day in a classroom is not going to be great for my physical well-being-- at our student teaching "training" they told us to make sure we are exercising-- Plus, I have a wedding dress that needs to fit properly.
4. Only buy new yarn when I need it-- no need to explain this one
5. DO NOT overcommit yourself. I've done this a bit already, but I really need to keep it in check. I have projects for other people that I really don't want to make, but I've already committed.
6. Blog for me. I've found that blogging holds me accountable for finishing projects, and I love sharing my journey with a particular bit of yarn.

We'll see what I make of these goals come the end of January when I'm in the thick of things.

Pinspiration

My cousin T has totally inspired me to actually use Pinterest, as she is doing a totally hand-made Christmas this year. I think that is super awesome, and I want to do the same next year.

My first Pinterest project was based on this idea which used pipe insulation as a wreath base. I purchased several packages of pre-cut insulation, unlike the original poster. Each package came with 4 pieces, and they are cut in 3 foot lengths, which works well for me. I've made several wreaths using this method, and I like it.

Number Two came from my cousin, who made this cool project for my mom, who has used it at numerous parties this summer. I bought Christmas-y dishes on Monday when out with my mom, and while they will probably stay apart for now, I'm hoping to assemble them by next year.

The third project comes from a need for a better craft show display. Using items I already have on hand, I will be making this "bow holder" for my flower hair clips for next year's craft shows.

I'm actually in the process of making 2 more wreaths for Christmas gifts, as the greatest inspiration comes to me in the shower, and I realized I had the perfect yarn to make some holiday wreaths.

My post is up late(r) today because I spent the morning working on two of the above projects. Both of these projects are under $10, as long as you have the supplies on hand.

For the wreaths, I used masking tape and hot glue to hold the ends together (A Note on the hot glue-- it melts the pipe insulation, but provides enough of a bond to hold the ends together while I taped).

Wreath in foreground, frame in background

For the picture frame, I used acrylic paint, not because there was no spray paint in my house, but because Michigan weather in the winter does not agree with the spray paint requirements of "between 50 and 90 degrees".  And I am impatient. Luckily, I have 2 artist (in the traditional sense) siblings, so paint and brushes are common in our house too. It helped that I did the wreath forms first, because then I switched to the frame, but then back again to the wreaths while the paint dried.

Even though I am in the midst of several projects, I always feel the need to start one more. I've had this beautiful skein of Fyberspates yarn in my stash since June, and I know what it wants to be. But with all my other projects, ones that really need to be finished, I can't really ball this yarn yet. Soon though, really soon.

Linking with Tami and Ginny for WIPW & Yarn-Along