31 December 2013

2013 - A Look Back

 I can't say that I did everything I wanted to do this year crafty wise. I do think I finished quit a bit. I know I can do better. I will make that my main goal for next year.
 
 
 
 
And on the knitting side.
 
I know 2014 will be a better year. I have so many projects in progress I can't help but finish them up. Right? Besides I have yarn report and a stash report to keep up on. I have to show some progress.
 
Have a Blessed and Happy New Year Everyone. Stay safe.
 
Michelle
 
 
 
 
 

30 December 2013

Design Wall Monday 12/30/13

Can you believe this is the last Design Wall for the year? Where did the year go?

I have to get back to working on my "need to" projects. So, this is on the list. I have a class in March so I have to hustle to get this one done. It is kind of a pain to put together but that is my fault. I started putting it together willy-nilly instead of in rows so it is a little more time consuming. I can say it was going to be a huge quilt and now it will be a small wall hanging or table topper, oh well.

These hexagons still need to be sewn.

This section is done.

It will look like this and I will add a border of plain white ones.
 
 
For other goodies head on over to Judy's. I am off to get ready for work.
 
Michelle

27 December 2013

On The Needles 12/27/2013

I have been so busy this month I haven't had a chance to post in awhile. Too bad I wasn't working on a lot of crafty stuff. Mainly working and shopping and who knows what else.

I started this on Dec 9 and was busting my bum to get finished before Christmas. I was actually able to get it done, but that was because I ran out of yarn. It came out a little smaller than I wanted but what can you do.



My first Hitchhiker. I love it. I used a Tosh DK in Jade or Emerald I think. I used US needles and 2 skeins. I wish I had a couple of more to use.
 
 
I also cast on my Challenge for the Loopy Ewe. I started with one pattern but changed to an easier one. Of course I have already had to rip it out and start over but I am making slow progress which is better than none.
 


For more Needles head on over to Judy's.


Michelle


06 December 2013

On The Needles 12/6/2013

I can actually say off the needles this week. I finished the "correct" pair of mittens for my niece. I have one more to make, mitten that is, and I will be done. I actually cast on a mini scarf as well but I forgot to take a picture of that. I might finish it. I might not.

 
I didn't think I would ever get those lovely little mittens done. If you want to read about the complete fiasco on these little things you can go here.
 
 
I figure I will just blame Judy anyway. If she hadn't made these cute little mittens I would not have had the desire to try. But, I did it and I am not so intimidated now. Well, maybe a little gun shy still.
 
I am either off to make another mitten or to cast on something new. I mean I only have two things on the needles now, socks and moms cardigan, I think another will be perfect. I seem to work better in threes.
 
 
Michelle
 
For more needle goodies head on over to Judy's.
 


04 December 2013

A Tale of a Mitten or 2, or, 3

Once upon a time there was this lovely young lady  knitter who decided to make her niece a lovely pair of mittens to go with the lovely hat. Now, said person had never made a pair of mittens before. It can't really be that hard right?

The pattern picked the aforementioned knitter began knitting in earnest. Following the pattern to the letter. She continued to knit and knit and knit and knit. In the back of her lovely mind she kept thinking this mitten was looking kind of big, but never having done the pattern before chose to continue. Now mind you this is not even in the round, it will be seamed later. Finally, after what seemed like days the glove was done, all ends woven in and seamed up. Then, reality set in. This mitten was big enough for said knitters hand with a little bit of room. The said knitter also wondered after looking at the picture on the pattern why her mitten didn't look the same. Well, other than the obvious gargantuan size, she also messed up the right side and the wrong side so now there is this nice ridge that shouldn't be there. Now mind you not once but twice.
Attempt 1 - really doesn't look that large in the picture but try and picture this on a 3 year old.  My thoughts exactly!


After sometime had passed, about one day (it is Christmas season), the poor, poor knitter decided to tackle another mitten with a different pattern. I mean she still has a whole skein of yarn left, plus a little more at that. The knitter is happily knitting away with her new pattern on size 4 dpns (tell you about those later). She is merrily knitting round and round following the pattern. She also has never knit onto scrap yarn but she merrily goes with flow and actually realizes she can do this. Now, by this time she is almost done with the one mitten and will only have to back and do the thumb. No worries she's got this, except one minor little detail. The stinking DPN's she is using are shorter than what she usually uses and they are killing her. Well not really but poor knitter's hand is being rubbed raw  sore. She can handle this though the is almost done and by golly she was a Marine at one point of time. Finally, after another day or so she is done with mitten 1. It is awesome. She figured out how to get the waste yarn out, pick up stitches, and go the distance.



The next day she starts the "matching" mitten. No problems. All is right in the world she will zip through this mitten and will be done with another project and able to move on up to other things. Since said knitter was on a roll she finished the mitten in a day (pretty quick for her too) but 9pm that day she only had to do to more rounds on thumb and weave in ends. She's got this. Bam...she is done. She proudly holds up for hubby to see and marvel at the wonders of the mittens that she created.

Now, the said knitter is enjoying her success immensely. Then reaching across the 12 inches she has to reach to get the other mitten and put them together to wash the travesty sets in. They DO NOT MATCH.  What they heck?

Then the reality sets in. She didn't read the directions properly from mitten one to mitten two. Go Figure! Even though when poor knitter is starting second mitten she has a momentary thought of "I don't remember doing a ribbing on the first one" but it just must be me.  Oh why, why did she not reach those short few inches and check the first mitten. She didn't even have to get up for goodness sakes.


So, now the poor, poor knitter has 3 mittens and none of them match. Guess what said knitter will be doing with the stinking DPNS from hell the basket. You got it! She will now spend the next day or two making not one but TWO more mittens. One with ribbing, the proper ones, and one without commonly referred to the oven mitt.

Will said knitter be making anymore mittens after this any time soon? Not if she can help it.

Come back on Friday to check out my On The Needles post and just maybe there will be 2 sets of mittens.

Michelle

PS. Hubby asked what I was going to do with the first lonely mitten attempt. My lovely response..."why, hang it on the Christmas Tree since there is not such thing as an ugly mitten".











03 December 2013

Another Quilt Top Finish

I started this quilt with my beginning love of hexies. Then I wasn't thinking and had to keep un-sewing. So I threw a fit and set it aside, twice. Finally this last week I decided to just get it done. I was also out of straight pins since I had used them pin the rows together but that is besides the point. Within a matter of minutes I was done with the top. Go figure.

Hexagon Shuffle using Honeycombs and free pattern from Moda website.


I really need to start quilting some of these tops. I really don't want to know how many I have but I am sure it is more than 25. Maybe I will make a list for the New year and work on that. But, do I really want to know exactly how many I have to quilt?

Have a blessed day.

Michelle

02 December 2013

Design Wall Monday 12/2/2013

I've been working on a little bit of this and a little bit of that. It's back to work tomorrow so my sewing will be cut down a little bit darn it.

I finished the first set of blocks for my Downton Abbey Mystery QAL. I ended up using a solid background instead of the DA one. I think it looks fine. I didn't want to wait until the fabric came in or I would be way behind. This is a Christmas gift for my sister. I told her she wouldn't get it til January sometime though.

It is called Titanic and I am using Sybil's color way.
 
I also am keeping up on my Fit For A Hero (FFAH) over at Judy's. It's kind of nice that it only takes about 30 minutes to do the step and be done with it.
 


And finally I spent half the day Friday and half the day Saturday cutting but I finally was able to start sewing on step one of Bonnie Hunter mystery, Celtic Solstice.

I was able to get 180 blocks done so I only have 100 more to go.


Even though I really am not a fan of cutting with a templates, the ruler really made this easier. It is a little time consuming but when you go to start sewing the blocks together it works out pretty darn good. I think it is amazing that these wonderful quilters go out of their way to do these free quilt alongs for us.
 
 
I am hooking up with both Judy and Bonnie today.
 
Michelle




 
 

29 November 2013

On The Needles 11/29/13

Just a little something I finished this week. Dad's birthday was Tuesday so I was on a mission to finish it before then and I did.

This is the 7-8-9 Hat from Ravelry. I used 7" needles. I also used a new to me super wash wool, Charley.
 
Not too bad for a quick finish and a quick start to boot.
 
I am off to buy more needles today. One of these days I will have all of the sizes I need. Well, I can hope anyway.
 
I also have these lovelies to work on. They are for my Time Travelers Scarf and Sock.
 

 
 
I have a couple of other projects I want to get done. So off I go to shop and sew and knit. At least I hope so. I gracefully or not so gracefully took a slide down a set of stairs at mom's house yesterday. Thank goodness it was only 5 stairs and I kind of slid bumped down them. Landed on my feet before I hit the tile below. Needless to say I woke up this morning not so gracefully. The posterior is killing me and the shoulders from trying to keep myself upright are sore as well. Guess a hot shower is in order first.
 
 
 
For more pretty ideas head on over to Judy's
 
Michelle
 
 
 


27 November 2013

A Little Hexie

As much as I love EPP my hands don't. I still have a project to finish but after that I will have to take a break to see if that will help my hands.

I made these from a quilt magazine because I fell in love with them. (I can't remember the name of the magazine though to save my life and I am too lazy to go up and find it)


Made with 1.5 hexagons. Decided they were too big.

Didn't get it filled as much as I wanted but good enough.


 

Changed to 1'' hexagons. Liked it much better. I even was able to shove more walnut shells in this time. 

I actually made this one for a co-worker. I told her to bring me 7 3.5 in squares but didn't tell her what they were for. She asked though.
 
 
These are great little projects to make and give as gifts. Just a little rough on the fingers.
 
 
Have a great day.
 
Michelle