on and off the needles

 Darling daughter came home for a few days and agreed to let me teach her how to knit. I tried when she was 11 or 12 when all those fuzzy yarns were all the rage....... was not a good experience for either of us no tears but a lot of arrrghh's. I thought she was doing wonderfully for starting this late in the evening after a day of shopping in Sioux Falls and 5-6 hours in the car and being ten years older than her first attempt at knitting. I kept reminding her its a dishrag, its only a dishrag. I started her on longer aluminum needles but they were really slippery so I switched her to these soft nylon needles that are not as slick but a little crowded on the kneedles.

 These are finished and waiting for cooler days.

I started a new pair for oldest son, a wonderful soft super wash yarn the color was called 'nutmeg' but it looks like camouflage, perfect for him. Check out whats on the needles at Judy's.
The craft store where I bought the dishrag yarn was putting out Christmas stuff already. Are we forgetting to enjoy the season we are in right now!??! Savoring summer and time with my daughter.--Ann--

On and off the needles

I finished the Paton sport weight yarn socks with the k2p2 2 row basket weave. I liked doing a pattern on the wide stripes. There was a knot in the yarn so the repeat is off. Oh well ......good thing I'm not OCD
The next pair of socks is an Opal yarn. I really like the self striping yarn the Opal is a busy stripe that just needs plain stockinette knitting. I set the goal of knitting to the next color change when I pick up the needles.

I'm being brave again and starting a top down summer sweater with 3/4 length sleeves. It is knitting fast on size 8 (5mm) needles with a cotlin (cotton linen) dk weight yarn. check out  On the needles at Judy's.  --Ann--

Groom's quilt

We have a wedding to go to on Saturday, last Friday I started this for the blissful couple. Earlier that week I was looking through the photo book I keep of all my quilts for a really quick quilt, There are notes in the book about who has the quilt and details like the finished size and block size.  I had written 8 1/2" blocks for this quilt.  The math doesn't work very nice for 8 1/2 inch nine patches. The pattern was in a magazine from at least 9 years ago that's how long #2 son has been out of high school, I made him a similar quilt for the dorm. After spending hours looking for the magazine and not finding it I looked in a notebook I keep of all the quilts I have made or at least most of them. Its really more of a recipe book for quilts that has the size of strips I cut and what tools and methods I used. Its a great time saver if I think to look in it when I need the information.! Note to self: put the recipe book in a more obvious place like on top of the stack of magazines or on top of the cutting mat. The blocks were 8 1/2 inches after washing and drying in the dryer what happens at college stays at college.... so the blocks were originally 9inches made with 3 1/2 inch strips. That made the math so much easier. By Monday I was pinning it to the quilt frame and was machine quilting all evening. Today I sew the binding on all by machine and make a label then I will hang it on my stair rail and enjoy it for a couple days before I wrap it.

I called this a groom's quilt...they are user friendly, made with guy colors, earthy and lots of plaids and hunting and fishing themes. The groom's quilt is on the sofa, in the recliner and on the floor next to the dog and into the washer and dryer and everyone is happy.--Ann--

design wall

The log cabin blocks are done, now to finish the fans, the big curve is easy but the  little curve is a bit more challenging. Today was the first morning warm enough to sit outside and drink in some vitamin D and my coffee. It is supposed to get warm/hot by afternoon so I'll be fanning myself with these blocks in the sewing room. Linking to Judy's Design Wall Monday--Ann--

on and off the needles

Two finishes and a start. That makes 11 pairs of socks completed for 2013. Number 12 is a sport weight on 2.75mm needles size 2 US and they are knitting very fast. The pattern is a simple basket weave stitch k2 p2  and ending the row with k2 for 2 rows then knit a row then p2 k2 for 2 rows then knit a row and repeat. The repeat was perfect for 26 stitches on each needle. We have had a very cool wet spring here but gardening is under way usually my hands are stiff from pulling weeds and gripping the garden tools but not this year must be that knitting strengthens the hands and June 1st was the last day I wore wool socks. I'll put them on again rather than turn on the furnace. Linking to Judy's on the needles. --Ann--

Free motion quilting

Sometimes I have to sew something quick and easy for that great feeling of accomplishment when all other projects seem to be dragging. I just finished a little window hanging, I made it short enough to let in lots of natural light but block the view of the dirt (new landscaping in earliest stages) next door.  These are my trial blocks using the quick curve tool. Is it ever slick!! and very little waste for curved piecing!! The fabrics were all from a bundle of fat quarters I purchased years ago. There are tons of variations and blocks for these curves. I free motion quilted with my sit down sweet 16 machine. The counter said I did 25,584 stitches on this little quilt that is only 28" x 36" I have started signing my name and year in machine stitching because I don't always get a label on my quilts. I am so glad I used a backing fabric with the same colors as the front of the quilt because in the daylight the colors show through you can see the purple coming through on the right.--Ann-- Linking to Leah's Free Motion Friday

Design Wall Monday

I have a good  start on the second of three log cabin with fans quilts. click the first one. This one is to have more green. Some of the log cabin blocks were partial blocks left over from the first quilt. I think I need more green in the LC blocks. I also need to stay home and work on it.
In the search for a particular quilt magazine that I knew had the color scheme I was looking for.....I stacked up some books that I haven't used for years so have listed them on etsy.  click here   or on the "where to find me" sidebar to find my etsy shop.
The 12 Days of Christmas by Debbie Mumm
The Joy of Quilting by Joan Hanson and Mary Hickey
In the Studio with Judy Murrah  and Jacket Jazz by Judy Murrah
At Home with Thimbleberries by Lynett Jensen
also three book on Marbeling on paper and fabric
too be listed in the next couple days....... there is gardening to do and errands to run and sewing to do and a meeting to go to, and daughter is home for a couple days...........
French Braid Quilts by Jane Hardy Miller         Altered Books Workshop  by Bev Brazelton
Pop up Greeting cards by Ondori               The Art and Craft of Papermaking by Sophie Dawson
Better Homes and Gardens American Patchwork and Quilting book published in 1985

and now the wind has come up so I won't be riding the bike to run my errands but I am linking to Judy's Design Wall Monday --Ann--