Socks!

It's been many months since I last knit on anything but I was inspired to play along with  Judy's November Sock KAL.

The blue Sockotta cotton/wool socks were started before the 2010 Olympics but, sadly, I dropped a stitch and didn't notice it until the sock was bound off and they got pushed aside for a more patient day. I fixed and finished it last weekend so I could start the ones in the center with my currently preferred toe-up, one-at-a-time.  I needed something to fall back on if I got too frustrated with the new method.   The center sock is a wool/nylon OnLine yarn that, thankfully, is getting softer as I knit. 

The green and black toddler socks on the right are from stashed Essential yarn from Knitpicks a few years ago when it came in 462-yard skeins.  Sunday I buckled down and forced myself to learn two socks-at-once in daylight hours.  Early in the summer I bought the books recommended by Mary and read them a lot, but hadn't tried the method.  

It really defeats the purpose of knitting two at once to make them different colors, I guess you're thinking?   I didn't have two identical skeins of any yarn, so I decided to use different colors of the same yarn.  As it turns out, it's hell on the eyes to knit black /dark yarn, so teaming it with the green works better for tracking where I am.  Another reason for using two colors was to track Sock 1 and Sock 2... I thought.  It took a bit to realize Sock 1 changes with each portion of the round.  Before that realization, there were quite a few gymnastic effects and frustrating moments when trying to knit the black 'Sock 1' first each time.  

I'll have to work on these during lunch hours if I hope to make any significant progress during the month.  My nights are mostly filled with what little quiltmaking happens in my life right now.

Back again!

Right after my last post and all my virus issues, the display went out on my 6 y/o laptop and I was without a computer for about 5 weeks while looking for the perfect economic solution (free).   The first week was really rough (think DTs!), but I eventually came around and managed to live a life with only my work computer and lunchtime to tide me over.   The good thing is I managed to get a lot of stuff done in my downtime.

Here are a couple of quilts I finished and sent off to Gloria in Utah to quilt and donate for her project.  I'll have better pictures from her once they are quilted.  A couple of  toddler quilts are on their way as well.

Grant helped me peel/core/slice apples again this year.  This tool is the greatest invention.

Oliver turned 2!  My little cuddlebug sweetheart.

Who cares about cake; give me the icing!

Super Mario and Luigi went trick-or-treating.  I made their hats by piecing fabric to cover cheap home store paint caps.  Marker on muslin glued to the front for the letters.

July in review

In addition to canning (strawberry jam, cherry pie filling, blueberry jam, blueberry butter, apricot jam, and shiro plum jam) and lots of reading & DVDs, July was spent like this:

Finally got &*%X# borders on
the QOV; still need to make the
pillowcase and get it sent off.

Went to a baby shower

Dealt with this mishap!

Pulled out a brown bag UFO from
...2000?

Used triangle paper for the first
time.  The jury's still out.

HSTs went into these LQS
 mystery pieces 'n' parts.

And I'm still dealing with more computer viruses
than I've ever seen since I've owned a computer.

Take care,

Sheila

Catching up

I’m working backwards through some pictures I’ve taken and not posted in recent months.

***

Stash Enhancement--9.47 pounds

Connecting Threads had a scraps ‘n’ ends sale at their Columbus distribution center today.  It’s only about four exits from me on the outerbelt, and at $5 a pound, why not?   Luckily, I went in with a budget or I would have done some major damage.   Some of their fabric lines seem to me to have an inconsistent quality from one fabric to another, so it was nice to be able to feel the fabric before buying it.  Other than to acquire some more blues and reds for QOV quilts, I wish I’d had a project in mind.  As it was I mostly grabbed some pieces to add new life to the scrap bin.    

***

Here’s Oscar with a recent shave, haircut and a paw-dicure.  I was amazed how brown-ish his fur was after all that long white hair.  He was sick for about a week before this (and did some major damage to the carpet).  Luckily he’s okay.   Am I the only person who’s never heard of the sick dog diet of boiled hamburger & rice?  After eating that, he will hardly touch his regular food now. 

***

A few months ago I took Grant to see the movie How to Train Your Dragon at the Movie Tavern near me which has a (very pricey!!) Flapjacks and a Flick feature for kids on Saturday mornings.  (My son warned me they were the worst pancakes I’d ever eat, and he wasn’t kidding.)  Grant’s become infatuated with dragons and Vikings since then and wanted a dragon cake for his 4^th birthday in May.  Isn’t this a cute idea?

 I’d be a bad Nana if I didn’t include a picture of my boys!  

***

My car finally hit 50,000 miles after 6.5 years.  That's an average of 641 miles a month and includes several round trips between Ohio and Texas.  I think I deserve an insurance discount, don't you?

***

The stocking below was a pattern I tested for Gudrun Erla in early March.  It’s from her latest QAYG book, Fast and Furious Holiday.  I’m not sure the plaids were quite what she was looking for, but I think it turned out cute in all its maleness.  This experience was a good lesson for me in how directions can be interpreted differently!

That’s all for now.  Tomorrow, an update on the QOV and maybe some finished jam.

Take care,

Sheila

The quilting stitch

I could look all day at how quilting transforms a quilt.  Keryn's Square Spiral panto is a favorite of mine ever since Anne used it on my spider web.  But look at the dramatic difference on a light fabric quilt.

More of the Memorial Day quilt

I didn’t meet Judy’s mail by June 6th deadline, but definite progress has been made.  I have three row-sets hanging here, but abandoned pressing open the long seams and sewing the final two seams in favor of cutting and piecing all the parts for the five borders. We’ll get back at it next weekend!

Memorial Day Quilting

I didn't really fall off the face of the earth, and I'm determined to blog more consistently.

I've taken Judy up on her offer to quilt and donate to QOV tops made according to her pattern.  On top of a hectic week, I struggled choosing fabrics but finally made a decision on Saturday night.  Step 3 was finished Monday (except for pressing), and I should have no problem meeting her June 6th deadline.