Fun with Knitting (and Quilting)

Wresting along

OK so I've been trying to wrangle my WIPS into submission!!

Finished Miley!

Can you see the purl increases on the side? The yarn is Seduce, I used size 5 and 7 needles. It was really easy pattern.

Finished Toe-Up Socks!

Just a basic toe up straight stockinette..(good car knitting) They yarn is Austermann Step.

Frogged-Favorite Cardigan-it was way to small..I ripped it back to the neckline. I need to swatch and move forward again (I'm sure It won't get done this month now-but that is OK)

I'm hoping to finish my little purse here soon too but my focus has been on Hey Teach. I'm on the last sleeve then to seam it up! So it should be done by the end of the week.

I did cast on for another pair of socks. I need to have my easy car knitting with me at all times. I have resisted the urge at this point to cast on for Sandrine. but I really want too!!!

I also made and finished my baby quilt for my friends baby shower last weekend. The couple were both really excited. (Of course I forgot my camera so I don't have a picture)

I'm still plugging away on my "summer cottage" quilt too. I really need to take my sewing machine in for a tune up before plugging on. but I'll probably work on it some more today!

UP next my fabulous prize from WEBS, but that deserves it's own post!

Yeah quilting is in the title of my blog

Though knitting is the main focus is seems, more and more all the time!

But I have started a quilt. (and I do have a couple other quilty projects planned this summer) This is a super simple, quick, summery kind of quilt. The pattern I'm using is from Amy Butler. It's her lotus brick path quilt and is a free pattern on her site. My original intention was to use Amy Butler Fabric but I fell for these 3Sisters fabrics.  They are very pretty, and sort of have a summer cottage feel to me. That was the look I was going for. I'm trying to make it very random so it's a scrapy type quilt. I do have enough of one of the blues and I think I'm going to throw a border around it when it's done. I have a few of the rows stitched up so far!

Hubby is on vacation next week so I don't know how much I'll get done then. I really need to take my machine in to get it tuned up!

And of course- again please vote for my school in the Lots2Give Contest! This runs till July 12th so You'll be hearing about it till then!

My favorite quilt

I think that this is my favorite quilt! I made this for my friends little boy when he was born! He's 7 now and look at this thing! It's awesome! I'm so excited by how much it's been loved! He sent it with his dad (they live out of state) for me to fix it! This is a HUGE deal. It's taken him a few years to get to this point! He wouldn't let me before! First when he was 4 he didn't want me to put a needle in it and hurt it. Then when he was 5 he wouldn't leave with me overnight. So I'm going to at least sew up the tears and worn spots.  I'm debating on putting on a new binding but then that may be to much. This quilt has been everywhere with him for these 7 years! I think this is the first time the brave boy has been without it! I'll fix it up and mail it off to PA this week! It's my favorite because it's so used! I've made I don't know I'm guess at least 30 baby quilts over the years. Almost all of them get put up and "saved". Saved for what?! I want them to look like this quilt, loved, used, and battered. It's what it was made for! 

There's a poem that I always give with my baby quilts, it goes like this : 

This quilt is made of cloth and thread
To place upon your little bed.
It's not an heirloom-just to keep,
But to lay upon as you count sheep.
Or perhaps the floor's the perfect place
For a doll and teddy picnic space.
This quilt can be anything you can dream-
From superman's cape to the robe of a queen.
Pretend it's a raft adrift at sea,
Or just cuddle up when you watch TV.
So use it up and wear it out-
I promise I won't yell or pout.
Just tell me when its days are through,
And I'll make another, just for you.

I've smiled every time I've seen Matt's quilt over the last seven years, getting rattier every year. It's wonderful! It's how it should be! So Thanks to Matt and his mom and dad for using up this quilt just like it was meant to be! 

(PS His sister still has and uses her quilt too! She's 9 now! She wraps hers around her pillow every night..it's just not a worn out!)

2 new projects

So since I finished knitting the front of my Tina Tank and it was blocking (I'm planning on seaming it up tonight or tomorrow.) and my mom was supposed to have knee surgery today (long story-we were all there and they had to cancel it for today because of a UTI that the doctors office or someone there apparently forgot to call her and call in a RX for her)..I decided to start a new project, then another one.

The first is some nice easy brainless knitting...it is the Pretty in Pink tank from Delicious Stitches. ( I also want to make the Lillian tank of hers too) Super cute and super easy. I'm using some stash yarn..tangerine TLC cotton plus, it was cheap and it's cotton, and I've been watching it my stash for a couple of years and it hasn't knit itself into anything so I thought, hey why not!

The second project requires MUCH more thought! It's the Lotus Blossom tank from Interweave. I believe it's still a free download on Knitting Daily.  I have the SWTC Bamboo (first generation-not as soft as the current version I hear) I intend to make it longer by 1 or 2 lace repeats. I'll decide when I get there-as I'm only on round 12 Right now!

It's still in the 90s here in my part of Ohio which is crazy because last week it was like 60! OK so I'm trying not to complain too much, the 90s are just to hot for outside knitting which is one of my favorite things to do in the summer.  So  I started the cleaning  out of my sewing room. I am trying to do a major overhaul and get rid of a bunch of stuff that has been laying around for quite some time. So far I have one garbage bag of small scraps, and 1 30 gallon bag of fabrics to try to sell at our garage sale in a few weeks or give away. I also have 2 quilts in progress that I have decided to part with. They will never be finished!  I have some embroidery blanks and stuff still to go through. I don't use the embroidery unit for my sewing machine very much anymore...I'd rather be knitting. I still have a ton to do, and will work on it some more tomorrow. Then onto the yarn! Scary...

FREEDOM....

Ahh the George Michael(I so still love this man!)Freedom 90 - George Michaelsong is running through my head..

Today was my last day with students. I'm thrilled to be done, but really overall I liked the kids in my class this year! (Sure some drove me crazy on a daily basis-but they all have good qualities). I started out thinking that this year was going to be so awful, after getting laid off last year on the last day of school. Then being called back to teach 5th grade instead of 1st which is what I'd taught for for 9 years. Then it turned out that hey I like this age. I don't think I'd go back to first grade again (unless I had too). So this year turned out so much better than I thought, and now I can actually kind of look forward to fall. But I'm also really looking forward to this summer. Last year was soo bad not knowing if I was going to be called back to my job or where I would be. I'm very thankful that it all worked out so well. It went so much better than I ever expected. (so if any of my students find this blog-thanks to you guys too!)

Anyway, I have big plans in mind for this summer! I have lots of knitting and sewing plans! First on my list though is to "air out the stash"! Yarn and Fabric. I seriously need to look at some of my older projects and decide what to do with them. I want to go through everything in those 2 (yes 2) rooms. I plan on getting both of those things done next week!  I also need to get my sewing machine tuned up, should have done that before school got out.

I'm pretty much in summer mode with my knitting at this point I'm almost done with my Tina Tank from Berocco I'm using stash yarn that I bought on a cruise in Key West back in 2006! It's cotton twist from Berocco in a color that looks like the inside of a conch shell(Morandi mix I think). It reminds me of Key West. I hope to finish up the front this week.The back is done and blocking. The Lotus Blossom tank is up next in my que!

A new project was also calling me...it's called the Bailey Felted Purse (I can't find any references to it on Ravelry or the web!) Anyway it's a cute bag made out of 3 skeins of Cascade 128. I'm using a fuchsia tweed. Thought it'd be fun.

Also my poor baby Abby had to have surgery a little over a week ago. She had a fatty tumor removed from her side, so she had a pretty big incision. she's had to wear t-shirts since her surgery to keep her from messing with the stitches. Well turns out she loves her shirts. Since she's so big- 87 pounds, she's been wearing ladies shirts. She has some fun colors now...I can't find doggie ones in her size. She just looks so darn cute in them! She is finally getting back to her normal ornery self. She gets  her stitches out on Thursday. We'll probably keep her in her shirts for another week or so, so the wound heals up good.

OK Enough rambling for today!

A little sewing

So after the last weeks beautiful weather, today started a bit dreary not bad, but still I'd gotten spoiled. Hubby and I were both feeling a little lazy, eventually I decided to go up and sew up this little guy. It is for my cousin's baby. He was Christened today, we didn't go it was down in Dayton but I wanted to get/make a little gift for him. I had this cute little kit from Joann's and made it up this afternoon. Quick, easy, and hey I finished something! Yay!

In other news I've finished the back of my eyelet cardi and am starting on the front. And Oh I still have to get picks of my latest FO up!

Final FO for the holidays

Well this is the throw I made for my Uncle for Christmas. He is a HUGE Indians fan, so I drew his name this year and this is what he is getting.  I have a baseball print on the back (forgot to take a pict. of that!) It is just 8 1/2" sqares sewn together.  I used my serger for almost the whole project.  It came out pretty nice and went pretty quickly.  I finished it up this morning, we aren't doing Christmas with my dad's side of the family until this coming Sat. so it isn't late!

Today I'm trying to get a bunch done around here, we have had stuff like every day but one since I started vacation on the 21st.  Now it's back to work tomorrow, bummer.  I wish I had Thurs. and Fri off yet, it's really hard to start back with kids with only 2 days. Plus I'm guessing that I'll have several kids out those two days too. Oh well!

What do you think?

OK so here is me in the ballet top:

So do you think I should rip back and modify or do you think I should frog  and just make this instead? 3 skeins should be enough.... so what do you think I should do?

I also finished both of my Amy Butler skirts and they really came out nicely.  I really like them and plan on making more of them too. Have to get picts of those yet...

I also started a quick quilt called take 5 gets to the point.  I stitched up the main blocks yesterday. 

I'm off with a couple of friends to Frankenmuth, Michigan tomorrow we are going to spend the night and have a girls overnight party sort of thing.  I haven't been up there since I was a kid so it should be fun! (there are 2 yes 2 yarn shops there..WEEE)

Hubby's on vacation again this week, so I never seem to be able to get much done when he's around!

In non knitting news

Well I was home from work with laryngitis today. I also have a yucky cold...I figured my voice would be better by now, but NO still no voice.  It is very VERY VERY hard for me not to talk!

So to make good use of my time today, I did finish  Sahara, picts and detail on that once I get some picts!

But I also finished my Mom's table runner for Mother's day! I know a few days late but it is done! Her kitchen is all blue and yellow so the front is just that:

The back is Christmas:

It is a reversible quilt as you go pattern.  I'm not sure I'm thrilled with how the binding looks on the Christmas side, it's a little to bright, but man is it hard to try to match up Christmas with blue and yellow. I hope my mom knows how much I love her because I even sewed the binding down by hand, which I HATE to do! Generally I sew my bindings down by machine, or send them out to be done by someone else!  It was fun and easy to do pattern. I may have to make one for my self one of these days!

So now I'm off to work on trying to finish a purse I'm knitting which will be felted. Maybe I can finish that too tonight!  We'll see!

Sorry I've been quiet

But I've been quite busy.  This time of year gets crazy-Birthday's, graduations, repairing our yard, visiting my sweet baby neice, etc. Tons of end of the year school stuff, and we've have all kinds of crap going on every weekend since we got back from the cruise.  More this weekend and the one after.  I can hardly wait for school to be out!  I'm feeling done and so is my class.  They are beginning to get on each other's nerves (and mine too!)  getting a new student tomorrow, with 20 days left...why oh why would you do that to your kid?!?! Oh did I mention that this kid had NEVER been in school before!!!! AHHHHH

But  have been knitting.  I have just the neckline to do on Sahara for the SKC. I'm really happy with it so far! I also started The boat-neck bluebell from Fitted Knits for that KAL. My car knitting, it's easy no brainer stuff. No picts just yet.  I hope to get a few by later this week.  I want to finish Sahara by the weekend or so... I really want to start Rusted Root, but I won't let myself until I finish one of these up.  I also need to try to make the beginning of a summer finish it up time.  I have a lot of unfinished projects, it's gotten to be too many.  It used to be just a few and now I have a bunch some are close to being done! Perhaps I'll make a list....

Also I'm starting a table runner for my mom for mother's day she mentioned that she wanted one for Christmas..like on Dec. 23rd...so Mother's Day is the next holiday.  It is a reversible, Blues & Yellows on one side(to match her Kitchen), and Christmas on the other. I've got it all cut out and It should be done fast. 

I promise pictures soon!