quilt basting day

 It was another dreary day on Monday but a great day for basting quilts.  I pin basted quilts until my fingers hurt.  I really miss the fatty pads on my fingers that I had in my younger days.  The phrase work your fingers to the bone didn't make any sense until the last 8 to 10 years.  Anyway the stack is basted and now let the fun commence with the machine quilting.  click  post on basting quilts and quilt frame.  --Ann--

Quilt top border

I know it’s busy looking with the pieced border but I was on a mission to use ALL  the 4 patches from the leftover strips only a half dozen left!  I just needed a couple dreary overcast days to sew the 4 patches into strips for the borders on this quilt. Well rainy days and plugging in the dehumidifier to get the moisture and chill out of the air downstairs. When the air felt dry the temp went up 4 degrees without touching the thermostat.
 Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day, I did.  Hubby cooked dinner and the kids cleaned up. I got to sit around like a guy minus the remote. - -Ann- -

Friday knitting

 Socks are done for son with the turkey thighs for calves.  His birthday isn't until June but they are finished.  Can you see how I added stitches in the center back to accommodate his meaty legs?  Note to self if they are the perfect fit write down  the measurements for increases.

I started this sweater with CoBaSi yarn which is cotton, bamboo and silk.  It feels like a dream.  The swatch shrank a little in length in the washer but not in width so I can knit it a little longer.  The lace pattern in the sleeve is supper easy.

 And another pair of socks!  The color of these make me hungry for rhubarb. That is the color a yellow green with pink and red.  I wonder when the blue will appear from the ball.  I'm doing a fake cable it has the look but doesn't loose the stretch.
k4, p2 for six rows
p2, k4 for 6 row
k2, p2, k4 for 6 row and repeat the sequence.
For all the socks I have knit there are some patterns I keep coming back to because of the amount of stretch and others I don't knit again because of lack of stretch.
Happy knitting  --Ann--

Easily distracted

you know how it happens..............you are looking in the stash for the perfect piece of fabric to finish the border of a quilt and you find another piece of fabric for a different project and everything for that project is right there so you do that instead..............I cut my strips to make a coil wrapped basket.  I’m using linen from a dress and a skirt length that was given to me by a friend of my mother’s in Ireland. I’ve had the fabric for over 30 years and I’m never going to make it into a skirt.  When was the last time I wore a skirt?   I even re read parts of my book about making coil wrapped baskets.  It was full steam ahead on my bag/basket then I stood it upright what a mess!!! The shape was lopsided and distorted so I made lunch, knit a few rounds, read for awhile, soaked up some vitamin D on the deck and came back to it.  Distractions always clear my mind. I decided it was so awful that I ripped it apart my upper arm got a good workout and it didn’t take long until I got to the base because I straight stitched across for extra support just like the instruction said to do.  The curved surgical blade seam ripper works wonders. Then I started over from the beginning. Do you have any idea how fast it sews together when over 100 yards of clothes line are wrapped?!??

 Really, really fast!  I was done in no time at all then to add the handles and a little embellishment.  I filled my new bag with projects for the weekend and was a very happy camper while the guys fished.  Now to clean up the mess of threads on the floor.  --Ann--

Long weekend

We spend a lovely weekend at son’s.  The guys
went fishing. I had time to read, knit, sketch, do some hand sewing, played with his dog, sat in the sun, sat in the shade, then in the sun.  It felt sooo good. Then I turned pink then red. But it felt so good.

I worked on these socks on the long drive there and back.
I started on another blanket stitch appliqué block that I organized last spring click  My hands felt awkward and uncoordinated .  Up close my stitches are uneven but got better with repetition. The wind wasn’t helping but it felt so good to sit outside.

Now at home I’m basting the edges and basting in place. Next time we go I will get more done. He gets minimal television reception, there were 4 remotes on the table too complicated for me so I enjoyed a techno free weekend.  --Ann--

sweater finish

I just love this sweater pattern Fine Sand on Ravelry. It knits fast because it is just knit rows or purl rows on size 4 needles I went up 2 needle sizes for the sleeves because I knit tighter in the round than knitting flat. And this is all the yarn that I have left.  I used all the leftovers click and a full ball of the natural icelandic lace yarn. I held two strand together, a strand of the lace yarn ( 2 balls in the center and the red) and a strand of the sock yarn.  I didn't need three extra balls of sock yarn but I blended some of each in for unity in the fabric and I didn't worry about running out before I got to the end. I could knit socks to match!  There will be some cool days when I can wear my new sweater before I treat all my woolens to a spa day.  Loving these warmer days.  --Ann--

Out of the Cupboard

It seems a life time ago that I made miniature quilts, I sold all but this one back when I was doing craft sales. They were sewn with 1/8 inch seams and a minimal of hand quilting.  The blossoms are an inch and a half square.  I went to a quilt show last weekend, the vendors were harking new cutting tools and rulers and lots of precut fabric. I don't buy precuts, I have too many big cuts in my stash and the rulers made the minis look so easy to sew but I have lots of big cuts in my stash to make bigger quilts.  I didn't buy anything and hubby was off turkey hunting so I could have brought lots of good stuff into the house without him even knowing.  But I didn't.  --Ann--