A slow week.

I have contented myself with working mostly on small projects this week. It's been a work out for my brain and a pleasure too, to create more knitting patterns for mitts and stockings using different weights of yarn and smaller needle sizes. And a good excuse to remain chair bound. Charlotte now owns some shorter mitts in pink and sage green, as well as a workaday pair in grey wool. Arabella is miffed.

The cordwaining work shop is still not organized though, despite collecting more shoe research and materials. I even have a pattern, and a great book by Tarja Simpanen, Techniques for Making Doll Shoes. It beats any of the Youtube videos I've watched for projects that are actually doable. I found it on Amazon. Watch out! There are pirated copies on Amazon too. Support the author and buy HER book. 

Having watched a costume jewelry program featuring old fashioned cameos I began researching 18th century examples. Then I made the mistake of going in search of tiny versions and had to get off of Etsy fast! Too tempting. And not in my budget range. So I have added cameos to my thrift store list. There are some cute little buttons out there with cameos on them and you never know. Eventually, I will get around to collecting other jewelry in general. 

Speaking of thrift stores, I scooped up some cones of yarn in navy, royal blue and bright green. One of the cones is from an historic woolen mill in Almonte, Ontario. The Rosamond Woollen Co.Ltd. closed in 1986 and is a museum now. The other two were produced by Spinrite which is still in business and owns many popular yarn brands. The Rosamond cone is wool, but burn tests on the others were inconclusive. Will move on to a bleach test next. At any rate, they are all great weights for my little knitted garments.

There was also a skein of cream, lace weight crochet thread that found it's way into my shopping bag. Crocheting makes my hands sore at the best of times but we'll see if I can manage a small miser's purse for the ladies. Or maybe the size 1 mm knitting needles will work? 

Some other projects that didn't take too much energy included making some hat stands for the milliner. My husband cleverly stayed out of that one, but I am pleased with some of the thrift store contraptions I came up with. One is an upside down candle stick and another two are made with napkin rings and curtain rod finials. I have some wooden salt and pepper shakers that might do if I can find some half spheres to glue on top to make a mushroom style. The upside down candle stick is my favourite.

So now I will study my collected screen shots of 18th Century footwear and hope that inspiration takes over. Or maybe with most of my doll making challenges sorted out, I will start on a third Queen Anne and document the face painting process. I think her name will be Abigail . . .