End of the year Design Wall

This is the latest  msytery quilt from Mystery Quilts 4 Military Yahoo group.  This is the 3rd top I have made following these mysteries during 2012.  I made this top from my stash/scraps except for the red fabric.  The red fabric was 108" wide so it will also be the backing.  I bought it with a 40% off coupon and I got another 20% off as it was end of the bolt-it was a great buy.  The small blue HST's were made from some squares that I purchased through Quilters Flea Market.  They were squares from a 2000 swap!

I think it is a great looking top and I was amazed how little a dent it put in my stash/scraps.

Check out the rest of the end of the year design walls at Patchwork Times.

Happy New Year to you all.

On the Needles-Last of 2012

Yikes, size 10 needles are so FAT!  Knitting feels so awkward and strange after using size 2 needles for so long.  I am making this frilly knit scarf for a friend, for her birthday on the 31st.  Luckily it is going quickly if clumsily.  This is Red Heart Boutique Sashay which I purchased at Joann's with a 50% off coupon-a great buy.

I am on my second sock using the Ravelry Hermione's Everyday Socks by Erica Lueder.  It is the first time I have used this pattern and I really like the texture.  This yarn is called peacock and is more a teal color and it has little silver threads.  It is working up so well.

Happy New Year everyone.  Enjoy the other reports at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Christmas Eve

I haven't had many posts lately.  I have one quilt completed and given away as an 80th birthday present a few weeks ago.   This is a double Irish Chain made out of my blue "scraps" and stash.  It is quilted with a Celtic Knot in the open spaces by my friend, Beth.  The back has lighthouses on it-which my Irish friend Mary collects.

She was so thrilled.  She told me she would cherish it the rest of her life-that's the nicest comment I have received when I have given a quilt away.

My actual design wall contains an almost finished mystery quilt from the MysteryQuilts4Military yahoo group.  This is the third mystery I have made with this group.  This on is called Glint.  It is the most complex one I have made with them so far.  I will be working on the pieced border later today and hope to finish the top.

The red is a constant and a new fabric that I acquired for backing.  It is 108" wide and I had a 40% off coupon and it was an additional 20% off because it was the end of a bolt.  It was a great buy.  All the background and blue fabrics are from my stash/scraps.  Some of the blue squares I used for the HST's were 3" millennium swap squares that I purchased earlier this year on Quilters Flea Market.

Check out the other design walls At Patchwork Times.

Merry Christmas to you all.

On the Needles 12/14/2012

I have missed a few posts because-well just because it is a busy time of year.

I have 2 pair of socks on needles.  This first is ZigZags sock pattern by Elaine Anderson, free on Ravelry.

This is a glimmer yarn from Pylmouth Yarn, Stiletto, color #200.  I put it aside so I could do a pair with a less demanding pattern.  This one isn't hard but takes more paying attention.

The other pair is another free pattern from Ravelry, Hermione's Everyday Socks by Erica Lueder.  There are 4 different rows but it is an easy to memorize pattern.  This is KnitPicks Yarn, Stroll Peacock Glimmer.  The color in the photo is too bright it is a peacock color with silver threads.

Check out the other posts at Patchwork Times.

On the Needles November 23, 2012

I was unable to post earlier as the internet was not available here where we are spending the week.  We are lucky to be in Puerto Penasco, Mexico for the holiday.  The weather here is great and we have lots of friends, both Americans and locals.  We spent the holiday with our friends, Bill and Mary and 4 of their grown children and spouses.  We had a great dinner and an even greater time with our friends.

I finished the Malabrigo socks in the SKYP pattern for my friend.  This photos is a pretty accurate color  representation.

I also began these ZigZags sock pattern by Elaine Anderson, free on Ravelry.  I first saw this pattern done on Justquiltin with Denise Russart.  Although I'm using the same number of stitches, this is a larger sock then I am used to knitting but since it is for a friend 

I am usual doing.  But it is for a friend 

who has a larger foot them me, I think it will work just fine.  The pattern has 5 different rows but they are pretty 

to remember.  

This yarn is made in Romania for Pylmouth Yarn, Stiletto, color #200.  It is interesting to see 

all the foreign places that yarn is made.  This yarn has some silver flecks in it.  

Enjoy everyone's posts on Patchwork Times.

On the Needles November 16, 2012

I finished these socks last night while I was enjoying our first evening all month without company-sigh!  I love my brother and his wife BUT company for 2 weeks can be a trial.  We had lots of fun, great meals and more fun but I'm glad to have our lives back to "normal."

These are for my quilting friend Katrina-a late birthday gift.  This is KnitPicks Stroll tonal yarn in Wine Tasting.  Katrina had asked for red and purple socks and she enjoys a glass of wine.  I think these hit the mark!  The colors are more muted and wine-like then the photo shows.  I tried to photograph them on different backgrounds with little change in the results.

Then I went back to the green socks I had been knitting at the beginning of October.  I put them aside to take up the Socktober Challenge when the Opal yarns arrived.  I have barely started the second sock.  This is malabrigo yarn but I have misplaced the tag and cannot tell you the color name.  This photo is a fairly good representation of the color.  These socks are for my friend Dianne, a lover of green.   It is the first time I used this kind of yarn and it feels great!

I am still behind 2 pair of birthday socks for this year.  The yarn is selected and I think it is about time to try a new pattern.  The last 2 pair I have knitted or am knitting are from the SKYP sock pattern from Ravelry.  I did not join the 12 in 2012 sock challenge but looking back at this years posts I have made at least 12 pair!  I have given about half that away.  I have been looking at my over flowing sock drawer and it needs to be straightened and organized.  I'll save that for another post.

Check the other needle posts at Patchwork Times.

SIL's design wall

My brother and his wife are visiting from upstate NY.  My SIL, Pam is a beginning quilter and hasn't sewn for a long, long time.  She has made some small projects and quilts recently without any lessons or patterns.  So we tried a few projects.

She made this lap quilt top with her first ever HST.  I think she had fun after getting over her fear of screwing up my "fancy" sewing machine or ruining my fabric.

My machine is 26 years old so hardly fancy by today's standards but her machine is very plain which is all she really needs at this point.  I was so pleased to have her use some of my stash.

She also made lots of pillowcases.  She was amazed how fast and easy they were.  The grandkids will be thrilled!

Then she got real brave and she made a reversible table runner following Sharon Pederson's method and pattern from the book More Reversible Quilts.  It is Christmas on one side and fall on the other.

My family is leaving on Thursday.  I am itching to get my sewing room back and get some sewing time for myself.  BUT I am so very glad that I have passed my addiction on to Pam.

On the Needles

Maybe the title of this post should be finishing leftovers and new beginnings.

These are the leftover Socktober Opal socks.  I started them first and the second sock had a fatal flaw in the pattern!  So I went on to other socks for the challenge.  I went back to them at the very end of October and pulled out all but the ribbing.  Here they are in all their glory.  I'm not very concerned about matching the colors in this yarn.  I'm not sure its possible so I just knit away!  This is the Jenk sock pattern, free on Ravelry.  It is an easy pattern but somehow I got it all off center-solely my fault.

 This the new beginning.  It is Simple Skyp and I think my most favorite pattern!  This is KnitPicks Yarn, Stroll Tonal Yarn called Wine Tasting.  The color is not quite right in the photos.  The colors are not so bright and they are more wine looking.  This pair is a birthday gift for one of my quilting buddies and we do seem to consume just enough wine when we are all together.

Check out the other needle reports at Patchwork Times.

Socktober Fest Finale

I am glad I decided to participate in this years Socktober Fest.  I hope there is another challenge next year.  I thought I could easily knit 4 pairs of socks from Opal yarn.  I over estimated my abilities!  I began the challenge a week late, ran into some pattern problems and overall enjoyed it immensely.

The first pair I made or attempted went badly.  I used the Jecks pattern and when I had almost finished the second sock, I noticed that the pattern was not centered.  These socks were to be a gift so the error just wouldn't do.  I put them aside.

The second pair of socks were a nice blue/grey/white combination with Opal sport yarn.  The Jecks pattern worked out just right.

 My third pair of sock were a nice red/purple combination yarn.  I used the SKYP pattern for those.  I finished them last night and I'm very pleased with the results.  I will try to get a better photos tomorrow in the daylight so you can see the yarn better.

After I finished those, I unraveled the second sock from my first pair and started over from the ribbing.

I had hoped the get more work done on them before this post but that wasn't in the plans.

So, I fell short of my goal by one pair and one sock.

I will finished them up and be more realistic if there is a challenge again next year.

On the needles/socktober fest a day early

Tomorrow is a busy day for me so I am posting a day early.  Hopefully by this time tomorrow, I will have finished the sock I am working on and made some good progress on the second sock in the pair.

I finished pair #2 of the Opal Socktober Fest Challenge.  I'm very pleased with the results.  This is a sock sport yarn and a little heavier then others I have made.  They will keep me toasty and feel great with my tennis shoes.  I used the Jeck sock pattern by Regina Satta, which was free on Ravelry.

I went back to the Simple SKYP pattern by Adrienne Ku (free on Ravelry) for my #3 pair of Opal socks.  This red and purple yarn is lighter then the sport yarn.  I tried 2 other patterns but there was such poor definition that I resorted to SKYP again.

There are some vague white spots throughout the yarn which add some unexpected pops of color.

Check out the other knitting projects at Patchwork Times.

On the Needles October 19,2012

I gave up (for a while) on my #1 pair of Opal socks.  The first sock is finished and the second sock is 80% complete-BUT, there is a mistake in the pattern-UGH!!!!

It can't be very noticeable if I got so far without noticing it.  But, the socks were to be a gift soooooo... I'm putting them aside before I decide which way to go on them.

In the meantime, I am almost finished with Opal pair #2, sock #1.  This is another Opal sport sock yarn but it feels "nicer" then the first pair I worked on.  Sometimes I think the dye effects the feel of yarn and fabric.

I am using the Jeck pattern by Regina Satta, free on Ravelry.

Check out the rest of the Soctober Fest/On the Needles posts at Patchwork Times. 

Design Wall Monday, October 15, 2012

We are having some lovely fall weather here in Phoenix.  My Bird of Paradise likes it too!

I finished my Blue Irish Chain quilt top.  It came out a little too long for look proportionate to me.  I added a row of squares down either side and now it looks much better to me.  It is ready for the quilter.

Funny how it looks brown and blue in this shot.  It is all blue, even the background.

Chck out the rest of the design walls at Patchwork Times.

On the Needles October 12, 2012

Last night I finished my first Opal sock.  It is sock sport yarn so it is a little heavier then I am used to using and a little coarser too.  It is a lovely blend of purples, light blues and off white.  I think it is called Color Party.  The label says Farbe Partie.

I have barely started the second sock.  I bought 4 different skeins of Opal Yarn for the Socktober Fest but I'm not sure I can get 4 pair done since I'm almost a week behind already.  I do have some long car rides at the end of the month so hopefully I will catch up then.

We are suddenly having fall like weather here in Phoenix.  It is 11 am and still only 69 degrees so we are enjoying it and I am looking forward to all my new socks to wear.

Check out the other needlers at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday and Socktober Fest

I did not get much done for the Quiltathon this past weekend.  I did little sewing but quite a bit of knitting.

My design wall holds almost all the parts for my blue Irish Chain quilt.  I can see in the photo that a few of the light blue squares look almost white.  I used lots of 2 1/2" squares from my scraps.   The background is a light blue marble from Patrick Lose for Moda.   Everything has been from my scraps or stash-Yippee!

I finished the non-Opal sock that I was working on and I will show it when I get back to the other sock.  I started on my Socktober Fest Opal socks.  I am using a free pattern from Ravelry, Jeck by Regina Satta.  It is an easy to remember pattern but it is not showing up as well as it did when I saw it in brighter colors.

Check out the other reports on Patchwork Times.

On the Needles October 5, 2012

This year sure has rushed by-October already!

I have received my Opal yarn for Socktober fest!  The 2 skeins on the right are actually brighter then in the photo.

I have not started on this yarn yet as I need to finish the sock I am working on.  Last night I watched 2 parts of the first season of the new PBS Upstairs Downstairs.  (I love Downton Abbey and thought I would enjoy this too)  I was so involved that I messed up.  Sometimes I get a hole at the bottom of the gusset triangle on my socks.   I was not paying very close attention and wow did I have a big hole!  I have unknitted that part and I'm ready to reknit the heel/gusset this afternoon while watching the last episode of the show.  Our PBS station will run the newest episodes next month so I'll be ready.

See the mess I've made?  This is the simple Skyp pattern from free Ravelry.  The pattern shows up nicely on this malabrigo yarn.

I need to look at some patterns so I can do something new with the Opal yarn.

Check out the other needles and Socktober Fest at Patchwork Times.

Quiltathon and Socktoberfest

I have not posted on much other than knitting socks lately.  We had been in the RV for a few months and not much sewing was getting done.

Yesterday I finished putting the borders on this mystery quilt that is a QOV.  I thought I had enough BIG pieces of fabric to make the backing but no such luck-darn a trip to the LQS is necessary.  This is the latest mystery-Star Path from Mystery 4 Military Yahoo group.  This is the second mystery I have done with them and really enjoy the process.

Today I am back to working on my blue Irish chain.  I started it several months ago as an 80th birthday present for our friend Bill.  I did not get it done and he got another gift.  Now his wife is having her 80th and I know she really, really wants a quilt.  I am making the quilt larger by adding partial blocks around the edges.  So far so good-

 Earlier today I also spent an hour knitting socks.  This is the first time I have used malabrigo sock yarn.  I feels so nice and it is a great mix of blues and greens.  It is a gift for a friend who loves all things green.  I am in a hurry to finish this one sock up so I can get started on Socktober Fest.  Two different balls of Opal yarn arrived yesterday and there are 2 more out there somewhere hopefully to arrive in my mailbox today or tomorrow.

Check out the other Quiltathon participants on Patchwork Times

On the Needles

Why is it I am always so surprised that it is Friday again?  I knew yesterday that it was Thursday so why?

How about these bright blue striped socks?  I'm just loving the colors and they are knitting up so quick.

I have not been inside a yarn shop in years and I have resisted going to one hoping that I will not develop another bad stash habit.  BUT, today, I am venturing out to help the local economy and I don't care what the consequences are.  I will report the results next Friday!

Check out the other needlers on Patchwork Times.

ON THE NEEDLES 9/14/12

Sorry I missed posting last week but I did read your posts and enjoyed your photos and reports.

I finished up a gift pair of socks last night.  I need them for my quilt meeting tonight.

The yarn is Hulk Ultramerino Superwash Sock Yarn from Sarah Brown Design on ETSY.  The colors are great and I love the way the colors went together on the socks.  I know my friend Mary will enjoy them on her trip to Maine later this month.

Check out the other knitters on Patchwork Times.

OTN August 31, 2012

Wow!  Can you believe it- the year/summer has just flown by.   Almost time to wear all these new socks.

I have just finished a sock made from Stroll yarn from KnitPicks.  I have made several pair of socks from this kind of yarn and have liked it but this time I was pretty disappointed.  There were 3 different areas where the yarn was pieced-never happened before with this brand of yarn.  I have not started the second sock and hope I don't find the same.  I will send a message to the company to let them know what I experienced.

The color is Sunset Multi but I call it Butterscotch.  Parts of the sock look striped and part looks solid.  If you look carefully at the solid part, it is actually stripped but the colors don't vary enough to be noticeable.

I also started a new pair of socks that will be a birthday gift for one of my quilting buddies.  She loves green and wears lots of neutrals.  I think this HULK yarn from www.sarahbrowndesign.com is perfect for her.

I tried adding a pattern to the leg area but it did not show enough to be worth the extra time.  I am really

happy with the way this one is coming out.  I like the color randomly dispersed.

Check out everyone else's needle work at Patchwork Times.

On the Needles August 24, 2012

I didn't get a chance to post last week but I did enjoy seeing all your posts and projects.

I last posted a beginning of my first toe up socks.  I zipped right along doing the instep and then darn-I realized I left the instructions at home.  So here they sit waiting for us to return home from the cool rainy mountains back to the scorching heat of Phoenix.  We will be home for a few days early next week so I am looking forward to getting back to these socks.

Luckily, I had other yarn with me so I have another pair almost complete.  They are part bamboo and soooooo very soft.  The yarn is a little difficult to work with as it is easy to split the strands apart.

The skein photo shows the colors most accurately.

I also have some other yarn here so I can start another pair as soon as I do the last few rows and close the toe on the second sock.  When the weather clears for a while, I hope to get a better photo of these socks.

Check out the other posts at Patchwork Times.

On and Off the Needles August 10, 2012

I finished the socks for my quilting friend, Joanne.  I had one complete last month and needed her to try it on before I finished the other one.  I will see her tonight for our monthly Friday Night Quilters meeting and they are ready to go home with her.  I used Knit Picks Stroll yarn in Parlor Multi.  It knits up nicely and wears well.

I used the Simple Skyp pattern, free on Ravelry.  The pattern is not very visible but I am hoping it will show up more after a few washings.  I already washed them once in the machine in a net bag with a color catcher in the bag.  There was no color on the color catcher.  I did dry them flat on a towel

I am finally starting a toe up project.  I am using this book.

I used the figure eight cast on-pretty easy.  The only problem with this book is that it is all about technique.  They do not give the stitch number needed by size or stitches per inch or needle size.  I started the socks using a #1 needle, smaller then I am used to.  I used the number of stitches given in their example which is supposed to fit MOST women.  Well, I have small feet and after about 4 inches, I could see that the sock would be too large-I like them snug.  So I unknitted most of my work and started with less stitches BUT foolishly changed to larger needles #3.  What was I thinking???  So now I have unknitted again and gone back to the smaller needles.

I wish I had read Judy L's hint about using waste yarn so you can just rip out instead of unknitting.

Judy L says :For those who have never had to use one, a life line is some kind of waste yarn (it’s the orange string you see in the picture) that is pulled through a row as that row is knitted.  Then if I have to rip out, I can rip back to there and the waste yarn stops that row from being ripped.  I can then pick up those stitches and go from there.

So, it is a little start but I think they will be fun socks.  The yarn is Chocofetti from play at life fiber arts on ETSY.

Check out the other needles too!