Fall Projects

The Pucker Up Socks are done:

I wore them to Common Threads on Thursday. It's nice to wear bright socks when it's cold and rainy outside. 

Georgette had finished this drop-stitch scarf, which Lynda is holding up. 

The sock sitting on Lynda's knee in the photo above is the one she's knitting from the yarn I brought her from Germany. Georgette is currently working on the Vertical Stripe Throw and Afghan. (Hers will be the afghan version.)

Julie is working on a long vest from Malabrigo, the same yarn I used for my Steampunk Shawlette.

And Karan brought this quilt to get opinions on hand-quilting designs.

Margareth is making this Fair Isle sweater. This is the back. It's Aspen by Marie Grace Smith.

He is also making herself a mink sweater. Yes, the yarn is actually mink.

Now that the socks are done, I've moved on to the Busy Bee Throw. I've crocheted more than half of the hexagons needed to make the throw. I love that I can keep a crochet hook and a ball of City Tweed in my purse to work on if I get tied up somewhere while I'm out. However, now that I'm actually making progress, I'm also working on it at home.

My fabric from Connecting Threads has arrived in Park City and should be delivered today. I'll post a photo of the yummy stuff along with the half a bolt Kona Snow fabric I bought from Julie. (She gets a discount because she owns a quilting business.)

Meanwhile, Sunny continues to lose weight slowly, in spite of the occasional treat from Daddy. It's a good thing he didn't teach her to beg...or Rocky, either.

Her diet has worked so well, I've recommended it to my friends who want to lose weight. Here it is: 1 1/4 C kibble a day (brand not important, but stay away from the really cheap stuff), and an occasional piece of carrot, banana, potato peel or other fresh fruit or vegetable. (If you catch a mouse, you can chew on it, but you have to spit it out when you're done, because it might have consumed poison before you caught it.) I guarantee you will lose weight if you follow this diet.

What's on my hook: Working on hexagons for the Busy Bee Throw.

What's on my Featherweight: First Ladies Quilt. Still.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, based on Rumpelstilskin. Now listening to The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey. A new take on the zombie apocalypse, not something I usually choose, but the description of this intrigued me, and it was an Audible Deal of the Day, so I have it a try. I don't want to put it down. It sort of reminds me of some of Dean Koontz's novels. Finished Cut from the Same Cloth, by Kathleen Baldwin, from Kindle, the last of the "My Notorious Aunt" series. I want to read more from Baldwin. Now I have Miss Goldsleigh's Secret by Amylynn Bright on my Kindle app, good so far. I've been sticking to free books from Book Bub, and it's keeping me in reading. You can sign up to get daily mailings of eBooks that are free or very inexpensive in various categories. (You get to choose.) The books are available in various apps. I usually choose Kindle, because often the free book will give you the option to buy the WhisperSync version very inexpensively.

What's in my wine glass: A Pinot Grigio from Glen Ellen, vintage 2013. It doesn't keep well, so...drink up! 

What's my tip of the week: Children grow in length more than width. When making a sweater for a growing child, choosing a top-down pattern (starting at the neck and working down) makes it easier to lengthen the sleeves or even the torso by undoing the BO sts, picking them up as you go and adding yarn. Then you can knit a few extra inches to get more use out of your sweater. 

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.

Accelerating Towards Halloween

Vintage Stitchers met at Barbara's this week. Her home was already decorated for Halloween.

Diane was working on a scarf. The pattern is called "Lacy Leaves." She just had a copy with her, and there was no source, but she said it was from a booklet with four or five patterns.

Marilyn has been busy embroidering with her machine. She made some dish towels, like this:

and this:

She also had finished this wall hanging. Just the binding to go.

Rebecca showed us this framed cross stitch.

and this table runner, using hand-dyed wool.

We talked about our upcoming quilt retreat in Washington, Utah. DH and I will be taking the trailer down, so we can sleep in our own bed. Others are staying in local hotels. I think most people will be taking hand work, but I may take my Featherweight.

I picked up my Pine Burr quilt from the quilter on Friday. Just the binding to go. (You can get a glimpse of the backing at the upper corner folded over.)

The pattern was "Pine Burr Made Modern" from McCall's Quilting, May/June 2012, but it looks completely different because of the fabric/color choices and the fact that I elected to make the background scrappy.

Remember the Kaleidoscope fabrics I was expressing my admiration for last week? I ordered 12 of them for a new quilt. I'm leaning toward "Fresh" from Simply Retro with Camille Roskelley. It's sort of a quick and easy version of a block that looks like the LeMoyne Star.

In knitting news, my first Pucker Up sock is finished and the second started.

The pattern is Cookie A’s ”Wanida” from Sock Innovation. The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll Brights in “Pucker.”

What's on my needles: Pucker Up Socks. Still hoping to CO the March of the Fiber Animals Cardigan for DH. Finished a few more hexagons for the Busy Bee Throw.

What's on my Featherweight: Binding for the Pine Burr quilt.

What's on my wheel: Languishing, but I have some yummy spinning fiber to inspire me.

What's on my loom: Multi-scrap scarf, no progress since before the trip.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished Lady Maybe by Julie Klassen on the Audible app. Now listening to A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce. This book is an award winner, and I can see why. Finished Blood Red from the library, an actual book. Delightful. Now reading Cut from the Same Cloth, by Kathleen Baldwin, one of my new favorite authors, from Kindle. This is the last of the "My Notorious Aunt" series. Funny.

What's in my wine glass: Foxhorn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. Nice value.

What's my tip of the week: I save all those ends of bread no one wants to eat and keep them in the freezer. When I need bread crumbs, I thaw them, break them into pieces and grind them in the blender to use as topping on casseroles or any time I need bread crumbs.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.

Bright and Cheerful

It was another busy week in the mountains of Utah. The leaves are turning and Park City Singers has begun practicing again.

Practice was Tuesday evening, the same day as out 50th wedding anniversary. DH picked me up early at practice, and we went out to dinner. Several people knew it was our anniversary and called out good wishes. My answer: "Throw rice."

Common Threads was cancelled because Joanie and I were the only ones available besides the host, but we managed to meet at Joanie's on Friday afternoon. Joanie's helper, Anna, had crocheted a little sheep for Joanie last week.

(I think this may be the pattern.) This week a little mouse joined the sheep. 

I found this pattern on Ravelry. It might be the right one, or at least similar.

August is always a hard month for our groups, with so many people traveling. Watch this space for more inspiration, though. There will be other meetings soon, and the quilt retreat coming in October.

My "Hermione's Not-So-Everyday Socks" are finished and ready to wear. 

This is the pattern I used, Hermione's Everyday Socks by Erica Lueder. The yarn is Stroll sock yarn in "Dandelion." 

I couldn't wait to CO a new pair of socks. I've been petting and admiring this yarn as I finished up the yellow socks. It's Stroll Brights in Pucker. I'm calling the new socks "Pucker Up," in honor of our 50th wedding anniversary.

The pattern is "Wanida" from Cookie A's book, Sock Innovation. 

I found this in my mail box this week, just like this, with this side up. I think I'm in love!

I want to order some of it as soon as I figure out what my design will be and how much I need. The fabric line is Kaleidoscope from Connecting Threads. I want to make a quilt with these fabrics and a white background. Any suggestions?

What's on my needles: The "Pucker Up" (Wanida) Socks. Still hoping to CO the March of the Fiber Animals Cardigan for DH. Finished a few more hexagons for the Busy Bee Throw.

What's on my Featherweight: First Ladies Quilt. Still.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished Lady Maybe by Julie Klassen. Now listening to Under Different Stars, both on the Audible app. Still reading Blood Red from the library, an actual book. It's turning out to be a good story.

What's in my wine glass: Liberty Creek Pinot Noir. Yum!

What's my tip of the week: Book Bub offers eBooks from many publishers for minimal cost, often free. Some of the low-cost or free books on Amazon (Kindle app) have an associated WhisperSync version (Audible app) for less than buying the book on Audible. You can sign up to get suggestions, personalized for you, in daily emails.


Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.