My First Quilt, Ever in Progress

My backing fabric

My patchwork top

Another view of my quilt top, in progress.

I love how well the top of my quilt is coming along.  I have more strips to sew onto the big piece and then I will be measuring to see if it is the right width.  I need 45 inches wide and 60 inches long.  I am using a fussy cut ruler for this project. 

I chose pink, black and white because they are such great colors together.  I found really cute fat quarters on Zulily and most of them came from Adorn It!  The pink sparkly damask fabric came from Hobby Lobby.  If you want really cute cotton fabrics, that is the place to hit.  This will be my throw quilt to snuggle up under on the couch.  I was reading a quilting magazine and their advice, which I loved, was..."keep your first quilt so, you can go back and look at how much you have improved."  I loved that advice.  I am going to keep this one and then go on to another one after this one.  There may be a bunch of patch work quilts floating around the family until I get really comfortable and branch out to the really fancy ones. 

I taught myself to sew.  I haven't had any classes or anything.  I just sat down one day and figured it out.  I think I am doing pretty well for someone who hasn't had a teacher. 

I decided to make a quilt when I had the tennis elbow from vacuuming too much with my DC 59.  I still love that thing but, I don't get to use it as much since the arm can't handle it.  So, I took my sewing machine out and started to sew.  It worked really well to fill my days up and keep my creative juices flowing.  I am so glad that I did.  I am learning new things every day. 

I will keep everyone posted on my progress with my quilt. 

One Finished and the Second One Almost Done

The Kathleen sock is almost completed.  I so can't wait to finish them.  If you want a copy of the pattern, it is for sale in my Etsy shop.  The pattern is for experienced chart readers and lace knitters.  If you want to bead the sock, then you will need some experience with a steel crochet hook and the pattern requires size 6/0 beads.  I highly recommend Dyna-Mites because you get a lot for your money and they are super cheap on Fire Mountain Gems.

The beads on this sock are cobalt blue with a rainbow finish.  I also knit this sock in Clementine with root beer colored beads with a rainbow finish.  There are some really cool seed beads out there and some of them are expensive!  My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw the ones that are gold over glass....$30 for those.  Uh, I can't do that.  My hubby wouldn't understand that one at all. 

I decided to offer the sock pattern up for sale only in my shop.  More patterns will be coming soon.  I have to write down the ones that I have knit recently and only have my charts and notes on them.  One pair I am wearing right now, is the Jolie sock.  I did a test knit of the charts and I need to write it down before I offer it up for sale. 

After I finish this sock, I have plans to knit my niece, Maribeth a pair of socks out of Beauty Queen Gone Bad.  I painted her a special skein of the super wash merino/nylon.  I am hoping she is going to love her socks. 

Next on the list will be a pair of Jolie socks for Ms. Jolie herself.  I custom dyed the yarn pink and I am using a silk eggshell colored seed bead for her socks.  No beads for Maribeth's because I am sick of beads right now.  Too many pairs knit with beads.  7 pairs to be exact.  Oh my word!  No more. 

My sister showed me her socks today that I had knit for her.  I totally forgot that I knit her a pair recently.  That should tell you how many socks I have knit.  I can't keep up anymore. 

I am working on my first quilt, ever.  It is coming out really nice.  I am working on getting the top sewn together.  Then I will put the batting down and next will be dealing with the backing.  My patchwork quilt is in the colors, pink, white, and black.  I found really cute fat quarters on Zulily.  They have fabric and sewing machines on there every now and again.  Janome basic sewing machines in colors for $62.99 was on one of the last sales.  I don't need another sewing machine but, that is such a great price for such a great machine.  It is more of a starter machine.  I love the Janome line up.  I have a DC1050 and I love that machine.  I came from sewing with a Singer and that damn thing clacked no matter how much I oiled it.  It drove me around the bend.  I sold it to my niece for $20.  She was using it to make all sorts of things.  When she gets better, she can buy herself a better machine.  I love the drop in bobbins on the Janome.  If you have ever had to fight with a front loading Singer, then I feel your pain.  I hated that part of the whole operation. 

Pictures will follow of my quilt top when I find the time to take some of it.  I found my camera. 

I need to dye some single colors of yarn for the patterns that will be coming up for the shop.  I am so behind right now.  It is crazy how things are going around here.  I went shopping today with my sister and bought my nephews some Easter candy, one loves chocolate, so, he is so easy to buy for.  His brother loves super sour and super sour is hard to find these days.  I found him some War Heads and some Super Sour bubble gum.  I am hoping that will work out for him.  My niece was so easy, I bought her a cowgirl hat, and I filled it with candy.  She loves her hat and she loved her candy.  The biggest hit is the chicken that clucks and lays jelly beans.  My sister had to buy more jelly beans for the thing.  I saw it and knew she would love the thing.  If you want interesting Easter candy, check out the Cracker Barrel near you.  They have candy from when I was a kid.  Dr. Pepper Hubba Bubba bubblegum.  I haven't seen it in years, they have it.  Or at least the one here in Cypress does. 

Pictures of the Kathleen Sock

Cobalt blue beads with a rainbow finish

Front view center

Here are the pictures that I promised.  I am almost finished with the first one.  I am on the toe section right now.  I decided last night to sit down and work on this sock. 

The yarn is a custom color, aqua green, I knit this pair on US 3 Addi turbo Rockets, 24 inch cables.  The beads are 6/0 and applied with a size 9 steel crochet hook.  The yarn is a merino/silk sock.  The heel is one of my favorites, a Dutch heel and the heel flap is stockinette stitch with a knit lead in. 

Knitting Fever and Quilting

I have one pair of socks on the needles and I have holes in my finger so, I am waiting for those to heal before I start working on that sock again.  I have a Selbu mitten on another set of needles, they are wood so, the points aren't sharp and this works out well.  I am also taking time to work on my first quilt. 

New for me...glasses!  Reading glasses only!  I couldn't read a box at the grocery store so, I knew something was up.  I went ahead and found an eye doctor, and managed to get the hubby an appointment as well.  We both need reading glasses, he is less blind than I am.  So, I found myself a package of 5 for cheap on Amazon.  They work well. This means I have a pair in each room where I need to read. 

I work on the mitten in front of the tv at night.  I try to work on my quilt during the day.  After several false starts, I finally found my niche.  I swear, that rotary cutter was a nightmare at first, I know you are thinking, how can that be since it looks like a pizza cutter?  Uh, a pizza cutter is easy compared to getting used to this thing.  I finally think I have it down pat.  I am using a square fussy cutter for my pattern.  My batting is 48 inches by 60 inches.  I am using polyester batting for my first one and will save the expensive cotton batting for a bigger one down the road. 

I had planned to make each of my dogs a quilt but, since the loss of my hound dog, that blew that out of the water.  I lost interest and now, I am making a lap quilt for myself.  I have also realized how damn picky I am when it comes to the colors in my quilt and the fabric choices out there.  My first one is going to be pinks, blacks and whites.  I am searching for my perfect backing fabric next.  That is the hard part for me.  I am looking for the perfect one. 

The Selbu mitten is going for charity.  I have started my charity knitting for the year.  I hit a sale on sock yarn on Zulily and decided to use it for my charity knitting.  I have one hat completed and now I am working on the mitten.  After the mittens, I am thinking, a neck cozy out of stash yarn.  I have way too much yarn and I need to use it.  So, the kids who are needy will be getting items from me out of it. 

I have plans to knit a custom pair of socks for a dear friend's daughter.  I want to knit a pair for my niece, Maribeth.  She needs a new pair.  The pair of the needles right now, are going to my niece, Kate. 

With the cold the way it is these days, one minute it is warm down here and the next, cold.  Freaky weird weather for Texas.  Seriously!  I have my tomato plants which I grew from seed, they have to be hardened and I can't set them out until all freeze warnings are no more.  I need to get these babies into the ground.  I also have some basil and parsley that I planted.  I love fresh flat leaf parsley.  It is really fantastic in tempura.  It makes it creamy tasting when it is fried in tempura batter.  The hubby and I love it. 

I want to see if I can knit projects for charity out of a bin of yarn at a time.  I want to empty a bin and then move on to another bin.  I tried to see if I could do this in a month, it didn't work.  So, I am going to try and see if I can do it and how long it takes for me to use up the yarn in one bin. 

I need to knit myself a new pair of mittens, I can't seem to find mine.  I lose everything. 

Sock Knitting Due to Freaking Cold Feet

I have been trying to sit down and work on my newest sock, I am knitting a pair for myself.  Right now, I am wearing two mismatched wool socks.  I have no idea where their mates are so, I am desperate to keep my feet warm.  Hence the mismatched socks.  I decided to start knitting when this problem came to light. 

So, I started on the Meagan sock with beads.  I thought my yarn was slightly off and then realization hit, it wasn't my favorite merino/silk sock yarn...nope, it is some other blend and for the life of me, I can't even begin to guess what it is, I dyed it up in a beautiful periwinkle color and no idea what is in it.  There might be some angora in it.  I am not sure.  Don't you hate when you dye a yarn up and can't remember what the fiber content is?  Am I the only one this happens to? 

I have been dealing with antibiotics.  I was at the ER last week  Monday with my current woe.  My doctor was booked solid and I was in agony.  So, I told the hubby we were going to deal with it.  I couldn't take it any longer. 

I sleep most of the day away on this particular antibiotic and the current ailment was kicking my ass.  I have never seen the like before.  I will say that I do not want this back...ever!  It literally sucked the life out of me for a while.  I am getting better and I am trying to work around it.  I do two house cleaning items a day and that is it for me right now.  Nothing more.  Sad but, true. 

I haven't given up on knitting, yet.  I am still an avid participant with it.  I am not buying any yarn this year, I am using stash yarn.  What I have is it.  I have way too much yarn as it is and I have plans for it.  I think I am going to start knitting mittens with some of it for the unfortunate children that I collect items for and send them along for this year's campaign.  I also have plans for hats and neck warmers.  I am not a fan of the scarf, too much material and way overrated.  I might even delve into gloves. I just know that there are a lot of needy kids with nothing.  Maybe this will help those kids. 

I wish I could sit down and spin because I have a lot of fiber that needs to become yarn.  No idea when the arm will heal for me to sit and do that.  It was getting better and then I over did it, again.  Grr!  Isn't that the way it goes?  I thought it was healing and took off the ugly brace...bad idea. 

Hopefully, I will have enough cuff of the sock done soon, and I will take pictures for everyone to see. 

Have a wonderful week and happy knitting! 

Time to Knit

I have been suffering from the stupid tennis elbow.  It still freaking hurts.  Grr!  I am about to start knitting slowly to get myself back into shape.  I have a pair of socks I want to knit.  The yarn is in the bathroom and it is my yarn.  Yeah, I should be knitting my niece a pair of socks but, I deserve a new pair since I am the knitter. 

I wrapped Christmas presents last night.  I was going to give the hubby a new suitcase but, I decided to keep it.  He has plenty of luggage.  My luggage bit it on our last cruise.  That was a while back. 

The only problem...it is solid black.  Time to add something pretty to it so, I will know it is mine.  I wonder what I can paint on it to make it look like me?  I have to think about it for a while. 

I put the mini tree up yesterday.  My Christmas tree is small since I just didn't feel like messing with a big one.  The arm, and just hating having to deal with the whole moving of furniture to get it in front of the window.  Sucks!  The little one was harder to decorate than the big one.  On a big one, I can put the ornaments where ever and it works...the little one, I had to look and move ornaments so, like colors wouldn't be next to each other.  It turned out really well. 

We are in the funky season zone over here, one day hot, the next cold.  It sucks!  We aren't turning on the heat unless it gets super cold.  So, we have a nice quilt on the bed.  Thankfully we have cats who love to sleep on the bed with us.  Nothing like a warm cat pressed up against me in the cold.  I am not telling the cat that I love her being pressed up against me because a hot cat in the summer is another story.  Ugh! 

I am sick of cold feet.  I sleep in wool socks in the winter.  I need a new pair, too.  Time to knit some for me.  I want to knit one of my patterns that I have written recently.  I deserve something beautiful.  I also think I want to enter my socks into a contest.  I have been saying this for years but, I think this year, I am going to do it.  Let's see what I can win.  :) 

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful rest of the week.  If I don't post before Christmas again...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 

Napoleon, My Hound Dog

Friday was a really bad day for us.  My hubby took our old hound dog in to the vet, we knew it wasn't going to be a good prognosis, he had some serious health issues and we knew it was time.  Napoleon gave up on Thursday night, he stopped eating, he was having trouble breathing.  I was petting his soft ears and let him know how much I loved him. 

Hubby took him in and the vet said his heart murmur had really gotten worse, 6 being the worst, his was at 5.  His back legs no longer worked, he had some spine issues.  He was 13 years old.  So, Gary called me and said he was having him put down.  It was hard for both of us and it was better for him, no more pain, no more suffering.  He had been through major surgery to have a ruptured lump removed, he then had pancreatitis and we had to nurse him back to health.  He wasn't living a good life, not for a dog.  No more of his favorite foods, no more kibble with any form of fat, he had to live on diet dog food. 

Napoleon relaxing with his best friend, Bootsy.

He lived for Taco Bell.  Do not ask me why this dog loved it but, he did.  He would drool when we had it.  He would sit there and try to dog-natize us.  Those big brown eyes just staring at us. 

I miss his singing.  He sang to me every night.  I miss that and so does Ody, our corgi.  He and Napoleon were buddies since Boots is old and grouchy.  They spent a lot of time together in the back yard. 

I look in his home each morning expecting to see him snoring away.  Sigh! 

I love you my old faithful hound dog.  You will be missed.