Me and My Crafts

 This has been a week of transition.  With the completion of the Gentle Rain shell I had to find other outlets for my "creative" talent.  I have focused on sock knitting because I already had two pair in process but they had been abandoned as the shell got closer to completion.  There is something about finishing that compels me to focus on the goal.  Anyway, these striped socks are now up to the heel and I am half way through one.  I really like doing the FLK heel but always have to watch the videos and cannot do them without the written directions. 

Once I have seen the videos I wonder why I couldn't remember and it is really easy to knit away.  My only problem this week has been that Eric is still on vacation and every time I go to the studio he arrives within 20 minuets saying "break time" or "lets go to lunch somewhere" and I find it hard to get things done.  But according to the calendar summer classes begin next week and I will have 4 mornings a week .... Yay!

 Almost as soon as I got my shell done this sweater was demoed on Very Pink Knits YouTube.  Well, not really demoed, more like talked about.  Anyway, it is a lace pattern and done differently, all one piece.  The pattern is free so I printed it out and practiced and practiced until I felt I could follow the chart: no written pattern which is the only way I have knit until now.  Then I sent for the yarn.

Isn't it pretty?  And it is so soft.  And it isn't in a ball, ready to knit.  It has to be wound into a ball.  I have a skein that I tried to wind without a swift, that thing below, and it isn't pretty what happened to it.  It is still a terrible mess that I need to work on. 

 Anyway, I moaned and whined and complained until hubby, who really loves me, ordered the above swift.  So now I need to get the older yarn off of the ball winder so I can use it with the swift to wind that beautiful yarn into balls, ready to knit into that beautiful cardigan.  I bought enough yarn to make it longer as I don't like things that cut me off at the waiste.

While working on applique I spend quite a lot of time auditioning thread.  With each thread change I will have several spools of thread lying on the piece while trying to find just the right shade to either match or compliment the fabric.  I am very lucky, over the almost 20 years of quilting and machine embroidery I have collected a plethora of thread.  However it does take some time to go through it all to find just the right one.  Poor me!

 I did finish the machine applique on Block 1 of Esther Aliu's Sweet 16 Mystery Quilt.  It really isn't as bumpty as it looks.  It is lying on what will be the background fabric but all 10 blocks will be appliqued onto just one large piece of fabric so that has to wait.  There is a stand foot and a knob on the top but I am going to wait until I have all the blocks before adding those adjoining pieces.

I am really looking forward to this weekend.  We will be going to the beach to spend time with our great grandson and his mother (to bad our grandson has to work).  We always have a fun time with this section of our family and as they will be moving back to Colorado next winter we want to spend as much time with them as we can.  I hope you all have as good a time as we plan to.  Gari

I am linking with Patchwork Times for more knitting inspiration.

What Design Wall?

This is about as close as I can get this week.  Let me tell you why…..


Friday we decided it would be a good day to drive to Pensacola.  I had been “needing” some light bamboo #2 DPN needles and hadn’t been able to find them locally. 







Look at what all I found.  And, yes, I also found the needles I was wanting/needing.  Not only that but they came with this note:










Can you see what it says?  One extra needle and the opportunity to get two more if they brake.  Who ever heard of something like that?  I really appreciate that kind of customer service.








I also visited my favorite fabric store.  I shopped for browns so I can get busy making more owls and then I ran into the striped fabric (I see binding for Weave) and the creamy orange that I have no idea what I will use it for. 


It was a fun and long day so we went to bed early in preparation for Saturday.







Then on Saturday we attended a local Quilt Show (sorry, no pictures) and then went to our grandson’s wedding.












The ceremony was held at a small lake, on the pier/pavilion.  What a perfect setting.  The men wore cream shirts, brown vests, jeans and cowboy boots.  The bridesmaids wore really nice brown dresses and cowboy boots.  Everybody had a great time.







Now, why no Design Wall?  Well, first there is this:


This is Sherlock, a rescue Dapple Daschund who came to live with us on Sunday afternoon.  We adopted him 3 weeks ago but his health was bad and wasn’t ready to come home with us until Sunday. 












He has already made friends with Sadie, who is just about the same size, only fatter.  It seems it will take a little longer for Abby to warm up to him. 













The second reason why there is no Design Wall is that just before we went to get Sherlock, the door fell off of my Studio.  Yes, FELL OFF.  I went to open it and it fell to the left, still attached at the bottom.  This door is very heavy and it took two of us to hold it up and at least get it relocked.  But I really can’t get into the studio, where all my new stuff is, until I figure out how to get a new door (door and casing). 



Well, that’s my story.  My plan is to get everything and everybody working in sync again so that next week I can have something new and fun on my Design Wall.

Have a great week,  Gari

Gone and Back

This is the reason I have been absent from my blog, and my studio.  Most of you have seen her picture in the header of this blog but last weekend we had the first chance to be with her in person.  She lives almost 1000 miles away from us and at only 9 months is quite unable to come for visits with us.  She is the daughter of our DS#3 and his very sweet wife.





Even her Grandpa was entranced by her.












And I loved this picture as Elsa eats and Ponce keeps watch over, or under, her.

And just in case you think this will be all the pictures I will be sharing, think again.  I have a few more and, thankfully, her mother keeps taking and sharing even more.








I did try to use my time wisely. I had some time to myself and spent it sourcing out yarn shops.  I found two and did myself proud with these purchases.  Then, on the way home we just happened to go by Mary Jo’s in Gastonia, NC.  Well, we didn’t exactly “go by”.  When I realized that we would be there during open hours I gave myself 30 min to shop for fabrics for a the new BOM Carol Doak is running.  And, yes, I was in and out in 30 min.




The three on the right are batiks.  I never have enough background fabrics and then there are just some that call out to me while I am passing.  And the purple, well, I really need a Halloween tablerunner and placemats.  Will I have them done this month?  Who knows?





Of course I need to say that we also did some antiquing on our trip and one of the things I found was this acrylic box.  It is about 30” high and 36” deep with three shelves and the perfect place to store my yarn. 









I started this sock prior to our trip but since getting back I have completed the heel flap and am currently working on the gusset (the hardest part for me to understand).  I forgot to split the yarn into two balls so I can’t start the second sock until I get this one done.

I have a couple of other knitting projects started: I like to have one in the the house, one in the studio and one to work on when I get bored of everything else.

And what about quilting?  Well, I have two new BOMs to start and one to finish plus the two that are still ongoing.  I have one quilt top still waiting on the frame.  So after I get some household chores done I am going to be sewing, quilting, and knitting.  See what fun I have!

Hope you are having fun, too.    Gari

Up and Running

This is the proof that the HQ is working with me and we are once again quilting our Funky Chicken quilt. 












So I have now completed 3 chickens and moved on to Chicken #4.

I love quilting the 9 patches as they feel like “resting”places between chickens.













I did get the background done and just as I was ready to start on Chicken #4, DH came into the room and suggested that we take off to see Red 2.  Since we enjoyed Red, off we went: we had a good time, again.









This is an old picture of my Design Wall.  Now only the top two rows of the Weave quilt are still on the Wall.  I have all the other rows sewn together and this morning I will sew these last two on.  I have decided to not put any borders on.  I think once this is quilted it will make a great charity/comfort quilt.







Since Wednesday I have visited two more yarn shops.  This is getting a little bit expensive so I have decided that I can’t go yarn shopping again until I have made something else.  So much to do, so little time.  

Hope you all have a great week,  Gari