Quilting, Sewing and Knitting Round-Up

Hey there!

There has been a lot of projects going on here since my last post. Boy it's been a long time...I am anxious to document what I have done right here.

I sandwiched and pinned my quilt:

There was lots of SEWING-

And then I started knitting:

There was the SOCK SUMMIT:

And now I am crocheting a ripple afghan, working on 3 cardigans, and have some new sock yarn that I can't wait to use. It is Mossay from Socks That Rock- lightweight. haven't decided if they will be more Zombie socks or Absinthe socks, i am not sure if I have the patience to practice another toe up (not like starting circular ribbing doesn't take patience, I just don't have to read carefully to get going. it's a simple matter of "How many stitches? Got it. What kind of ribbing? Got it. Get going!" The toe up really was easy so perhaps I will read it out sometime soon because I really do like the Absinthe Socks and the point is to build a new skill with every sock. I learned a lot of techniques in Laurel Coombs' Choosing Among Choices class at the Sock Summit, includung an elastic sewn cast off for toe ups, short row heels and hiding the wraps, also two needle cast on for toe ups. I did use that for Wendy's toe up pattern. I have a whole lot of socks to make but a sock break is OK since I have so many projects that are not finished at this point.

Visual On the Inside, Not Outside

I had a thought, but I forgot it. Oh, it will come to me in just a sec. I managed to tip over a box AND mess up a fingernail all in a seconds' time. Oh YES! I remembered! Wow, that was quick. Are you dying yet? OK, it is time to finish my QUILT! Yes, that one! My 7 year old just got fabric glue in a handprint shape on my cheapy IKEA bedspread on the guest bed, so I decided it is finally time to get rid of it. I don't want to go and BUY a bedspread, I looked before but I was not in love with anything at Target at all. So I got the idea to cute that bed up with the quilt. It is my Dresden plate vine-trimmed one, and I started it when we were first married and I was on an oil tanker with Rob heading up the West Coast from Long Beach to Portland. I actually pieced all of the plates by hand and have been sitting on it ever since. I was kind of struggling with my skills and I decided I was tired of doing things inaccurately, and I did not have the patience at the time to read up and figure out what the right way was, so I put it aside. I picked it up again about 4 years ago for long enough to figure out how to make perfectly round circles with freezer paper, thanks to a book and my MIL Lorie, who is extremely proficient in quilting. I was also having some seam allowance problems that threatened to derail the entire project. So my motivation is to get the house in order quickly so that I can reward myself with some supreme crafty time. Pictures are just a bit too ambitious for me today but I will get back to you to let you know if this actually going to get off the ground soon.