Socks x 2

Socks x 2

I love the concept of knitting a pair of socks in unison but I don't really like the single set of circular needles used to do it.

So ... I have modified the technique to work better for me ...

I put the socks on two different circular needles and I am using a third to make it easier for me to manage and knit. As long as the socks are knit in unison ... does it really matter how I get it done? Adventures in sock knitting!

hahahaha!!!

Booker getting ready to bat that ball of yarn off my bed ... hahahahaha!

I love that boy cat!!!

 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

 Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Living at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains is truly a blessing. When I saw the Great Smoky Mountains panel by Riley Blake I had to have it.

I purchased this panel a few years ago but didn't really have a direction in where I wanted to go.

I knew I was going to use Kona Solids but no real plan.

I ended up pulling these fabrics from my stash and decided to give it a go ...

I spent all day Saturday trimming, cutting, and piecing blocks ... and it is coming together!

💖💖💖

Orphan Block Box

Orphan Block Box

I truly love orphan blocks and scraps. Every quilt I make is a joy to me. I love the fabrics and patterns of the quilts I've decided to make over the years. Even the quilts that I don't end up making because after making a test block or two, I know I don't want to make the 40 plus needed to make a quilt top. Hahaha! It happens! 

I have this box that I put all of my orphan blocks in. Over the years I often make my test blocks out of red and white fabrics. Since becoming obsessed with red/white quilts it only makes since to make my test blocks with all of the red/white fabrics that I have. 

I managed to get the checker board border pieced onto the bottom of my present red/white orphan block sampler quilt top.  Once that was completed this little red/white nugget measures at 51 x 56 inches. So back in the Orphan Block Box it went ... it still has room to grow.

 

Toe Up Socks x 2

Sock Knitting

I learned how to knit to specifically knit socks. I've been knitting socks now for a few years. I have a plain cuff down pattern for ankle high socks and a plain toe up pattern for calf high socks. I have been knitting these two same patterns for socks since I began.

There is a math formula for figuring out sizes - how many stitches from toe to gusset and so on. I've never had to learn this formula as the first two patterns I came across fit me perfectly.

I purchase the same sock knitting weight yarn from www.knitpicks.com for each pair I make.

Very plain socks yet still very beautiful, fun to make, and for me ... rewarding as well as relaxing.

I've decided to work on taking my sock knitting to the next level.

Knitting a pair of socks at the same time on the same set of needles. Truthfully ... it seems a bit daunting but, last night I was able to cast on my first pair of knit at the same time socks!

For this first pair I've decided to keep it simple and use the toe up sock pattern I always use. Until I get more comfortable knitting a pair of socks on the same needle.

It is my plan to dive into this world of sock knitting and try new patterns, new cast ons, all of the heel varieties, finally figure out that sock math, and in general just work on my sock knitting skills.

Constructing Crochet Easter Baskets

 Constructing crochet Easter Baskets

And so it begins ...

Crocheted basket construction is pretty straight forward. There are a ton of tutorials for crocheting baskets.

I've spent my lunch break this past week getting the basket started. I love starting a new Easter basket. As you may or may not know, I crochet an Easter basket for my daughter each year. Some years an idea for her Easter basket comes together really quickly. Other years not so quickly. I've done daisies, sunflowers, the pacific northwest, Ariel (Disney princess), Mardi gras colors ... and the Colorado state flag.

I have tons and tons of ideas but my amigurumi skills do NOT match the ideas that I come up with! Hahahahahahaha!!!! But with each basket I am getting a little better at crocheting and amigurumi.

I love the colors of this self striping yarn. It is a cotton worsted weight blend but it came from my stash and I have long since lost the label for this ball of yarn. I don't remember where I got it or what brand of yarn it is. UGH! Sorry!

My inspiration this year.

I love the basket handle and how it is attached to the basket.

I haven't decided on the theme of this Easter Basket. There will be an amigurumi element but I haven't decided on the direction I want to go. 

RED

 RED

Apparently I really like the color RED

hahahaha!

From fabric to yarn ...

I just received the new sock yarn that I ordered HERE 

I love this sock yarn. It is Felicia Sock Yarn by Knit Picks

www.knitpicks.com

This yarn is self striping and it knits up really nicely.

Pictured about is Vampire Vibes color way.

Parts and Serious Quilt Math

Parts and Pieces and Orphan Blocks

Thanks to some serious quilt math my red / white parts, pieces, and orphan blocks quilt top is coming together. Nothing makes me happier than being able to use orphan blocks - especially the red and white ones.  💖 

From blah randomness ...

To organized chaos!!! I am not unhappy!  😀

The checker board strip at the top is from my historical redwork quilt top that I completed on my vacation this year. The fancy fox face is a test block - the background fabric is to light and the fox's face just fades into the background but it is still a cute block. Too cute not to use. The wonky stars inside of the stars - is all of the half square triangles leftover from piecing the 4 fox faces that I am currently seam ripping apart to repair. The Tula Pink splash fabric I used for the background is an EPIC FAIL! The idea to use Tula Pink splash fabric looked so much better in my head than in real life!

Hahahahaha!

It happens!

Parts and Pieces and Orphan Blocks

I am still OBSESSED with Red/White quilts ...

I love them, recently I haven't worked on a specific pattern for a red/white quilt. I made a red/white sampler quilt with some orphaned blocks over my vacation but I haven't focused on creating a red/white quilt in a while now. That being said ... I somehow end up with parts and pieces and orphan red/white blocks!

More wonky star blocks and scrappy strips of red/white fabrics ...

A fox face block ... I have 4 more of these fox blocks but I'm presently seam ripping them apart because the background fabric I chose is AWFUL!

Half Square triangles leftover from piecing the fox faces ...

Lots of red/white parts and pieces and orphan blocks ...

I'm going to spend the weekend testing my quilt math skills and trying to make a quilt top out of all of these pretty red/white parts and pieces.

Wish me Luck!!

 

Seasons

 Seasons

I didn't garden at all this year. I have been extremely unmotivated this spring and summer.

😞😞😞

Maybe for a lot of reasons but mostly because of COVID and the weight of the pandemic and all of the concerns surrounding it. I didn't travel to see family for vacation this year. I hunkered down at home. I shop online for EVERYTHING. I miss people and getting out and roaming about freely in the world. It is a weight worrying about being exposed and or contracting COVID. I have been vaccinated but apparently many haven't ... and now there are new variants ... ugh! It is a lot to process and deal with, or at least it is for me.

I had a small patio herb and tomato garden in my backyard this year but even that didn't do very well for me this year. Sunday afternoon I cleaned up and put my little garden to bed.

Maybe next year will be a better gardening year for me.

Booker Boy was a trooper and spent the entire weekend with me in my sewing room. He spent most of his time on squirrel patrol! Jezebel kept a spot on my bed warm for me the entire weekend ignoring us completely. hahaha!!!

My girl asked me to make her a cup cozy ... so ... I used the free pattern I found on the Sew Hungry Hippie's website. You can get the pattern HERE if you would like to make one for yourself.

I only made the one but I plan to make several more. 

It is a fun and cute little sewing project.

Wild and Wonderful Weekend

Weekends are glorious!

I spent the weekend in my sewing room ... the entire weekend! And it was glorious.

My Saguaro Quilt - pattern by @Kairleoaks on instagram is now complete and ready for machine quilting.

💖💖💖🌵🌵🌵

I started this quilt last weekend and spent my mornings last week working on these cute blocks.

After sorting, cutting, and organizing all of the parts and pieces ... I spent Sunday morning piecing the blocks.

Sashing ...

Borders and this quilt top was complete!

I really enjoyed making this quilt top. It was such a fun one. There is a fair bit of cutting but the blocks really do come together quickly. 

I used various green fabrics and Kona Solid, Azalea Pink as the background.

Saguaro Quilt

 The Saguaro Quilt

What I have been calling the pretty cactus quilt ...

I am following a tutorial by @kairleoaks on instagram.

She has a wonderful tutorial on her blog for this project. This is another one of those quilts on my list of quilts I want to make.

Yesterday morning I woke up earlier than usual and decided to start working on cutting instructions for this project. There will 360 of these little green squares.

I love the backing fabric I chose, this is KONA in Azalea Pink

Getting a head start on my weekend of sewing.

This is going to be a fun one!

One block complete ... Eleven more to go!

Pillow Project - Reboot

 Pillow Project - Reboot

I enjoy making pillows from quilt projects. Especially the patterns I really like.

Stars and Stripes is one of those patterns. 

With this pattern - I decided to reboot my Pillow Project.

These two blocks are going to make wonderful pillows.

Sunshine Socks

Sunshine Socks

I finished the pair of socks that I started while I was on vacation a few weeks ago. 

This is a basic toe up sock pattern with a Turkish cast on.

Every time I make a pair of socks I consider getting creative and using some other pattern ... then I don't!

hahahaha!!!

I enjoy sock knitting. For the most part I only knit socks. The reason I learned how to knit is so that I could knit socks. 

I usually always have a pair of socks on my needles and in a project bag that I carry around with me, most everywhere. It is amazing how much you can accomplish 15 minutes at a time. I enjoying knitting during my lunch break. 

Sunshine Socks

These socks were made for a friend at work.

I taught her how to knit a couple of years ago and since then she has knit me two beautiful sweaters.

She asked me to make her a pair of socks ... so I did.

She LOVES color! Lots and lots of color!

She loves her Sunshine socks!

 

Scraps

Scraps

I spent most of Sunday afternoon organizing my fabric scraps. I keep my fabric scraps from the quilts I make. I make string pieced quilts and I'm always on the look out for scrap quilt patterns. So every now and again I take the time to organize my fabric scraps for easy use.

I poured out a bag of solids fabric scraps and what do I find?

A red/white wonky star quilt block.

Apparently it was cut to small ???

I put this little gem in my box of red/white orphan quilt blocks. 

Not only do I collect fabric scraps ... I keep all of those random orphan blocks.

Test blocks, blocks cut wrong or not the right size, and blocks made for quilt patterns I no longer want to finish.

Some become pillows and some become parts of other improv quilt tops I decide to make.

#scraphappy

 

Stars and Stripes

Stars and Stripes

Thimble Blossoms pattern Stars and Stripes

I love this pattern. I've made a baby quilt size and now a full size bed size. I love this pattern, I love how it sews up. The pattern is easy to read and you can add your own color way options to change it up.

The sashing fabric finally came in last week and I spent Sunday morning finishing this quilt top.

Like I said, this pattern sews up quickly and beautifully.

It didn't take long to get the sashing cut and pieced.

I had a lot of fun making this one.

Stars and Stripes forever!

#quiltsinthewild

 

A No Sew Saturday

 Saturday

A No Sew Saturday

Saturday was a no sew day. I had the pleasure of going with my baby girl to buy her first car.

I love that new car smile!

It was such a fun day and great experience.

Buying a car for the first time can be very intimidating but my girl was a champ.

We drove 3 hours to the dealership and just had a great time.

All the excitement was so sweet.

On the return home we stopped at the best pizza place!

It was a glorious day!

#wearefamily