the next projects

So kindergarten is now in full swing, but the socks aren't done (yet). I only have about half a sock more to do and then, new socks for school! My knitting prowess and speed (ha) have evidently made a big impression on one of my daughters, who offered to one of her new friends that mom could make her a backpack. The backpack in question is Ayla from knitty. I made one for each of the girls a while ago in fact one of them hung in the yarn store I used to work in as a sample. I don't have a good picture of that one, but the one that started it all was this one:

Turns out the friend wants pink and green or something. Hope the friend isn't actually expecting the backpack.

You know how I said I wasn't knitting anything else for anyone--especially not as a Christmas present? Well, I should just stop saying things like that. I've agreed to knit one of my non-knitting friends a shrug for her mom for christmas Guess which one. You can laugh right along with me. I'm doing the lace first this time though--get through it.

I probably shouldn't, given my track record with big pronouncements, announce that now that my children (the ladies) are in school I have tons of free time. Actually I don't, but I am finding myself with the odd hour or two where the house is quiet and I do not feel like collapsing in a giant puddle. This will probably change just as soon as I say that or as soon as I tell you that I have fun and exciting things planned with that time.
First you must know that as of today there are only 53 days left before Halloween. And Halloween means.... candy and sewing! And yes, I am a nutcase, but I've already made my children decide on their costumes.


Since their tastes are running toward frilly dresses and gowns, I'd best get cracking.

But really, the reason I'm excited about quiet non sleepy time is:

That's some hand dyed by me Knit picks Bare, lace weight. I'm hoping it is a good substitute for Alpaca Cloud. I'm also hoping it doesn't look too clown-like since it is one of my first dyed efforts and I went a bit crazy on the colors. I did think that this lace project would be fairly easy so I could theoretically do this during my less than awake times and would be good to do in the odd hour or two I have. That is when I'm not making costumes.

You can tell I'm not little miss suzy homemaker, because I never once thought to myself--Ahh now I will have time to clean my house!

socks socks socks

I think I might be on a sock kick.

I was working on toe up socks for me from Knit picks Dancing. And I finished those.

Then I decided that I'd make some socks for my daughters. I started with the daughter who loves pink and who had picked out some pink stripey cascade fixation. It is a bit thicker and really knit up fast. I finished those in four days. FOUR. I don't have a picture yet though because it is still on my camera. She wanted them short, so I guess that helped.

Then the daughter who loves purple has some Lorna's laces Purple stripe that I bought 18 months ago for her (stash much?). I started those last night and have a decent amount done on the first toe. I think they were both hoping they'd be done before school started but, eh, not going to happen.

I can't really tell exactly why I am so enamored with this toe up sock. I liked socks ok from the cuff down. And when I first learned to make them I made... well three pairs much like I am now--one for me and one for each of the girls. I just don't remember liking them as much. I think what I'm enjoying is the short row heel, which just seems to give a heel with little fuss and no picking up stitches and then decreasing or heel flaps or any of that other nonsense. Perhaps I'll have to learn to do a cuff down short row heel, and see if I like that.

Finished object!

Ok, so I whine a lot--and perhaps only have a few readers only two who bothered to chime in to help me out with my decision, and one of them I browbeat into giving me her opinion (thanks Jenn) in real time. I've made a decision too, but you'll have to wade through my finished object report to find out what it was. As for Jill... I'll have to think of a nice something for her by the next knit night.

I finished the lacey hug me tight shrug. The pattern is from Knit 2 Together. I used Elle Aran gold yarn--2 skeins and 3 skeins of Ella Rae Bamboo silk.. I used size 7 needles for the body and 10.5 for the lace. The body part went together fast, but the lace part just dragged for me. Part of the problem was that the lace pattern made no discernible "pattern" for me. So I charted it, and only worked on it when I could give it more attention than the things around me. Then I ran into big trouble.

It pains me to admit this, because the next series of problems were caused by my own pride. You see, I didn't pay attention to the instructions. The instructions say that you should cast on 19 stitches and follow the lace pattern until the piece reaches 60 inches, then bind off. (then it goes on to tell you to only make one lace piece for the armholes, which is clearly a mistake, which I may actually blame for my own stupidness in what comes next). Did I do this? Well, I did the lace part, but I just kept going, thinking I had to make it long enough to go around the outside of the shrug--forgetting that 2X2 rib will um stretch. In fact ribbing such as that stretches so as to never quite be the same diameter any two times I measured. After approx. 72 inches of lace, I decided to be done. I blocked it, and I sewed it on.

What happened is that I also failed to follow the next direction which clearly said--pin the darn thing together BEFORE sewing.

So 72 inches didn't go all the way around. And then I ran out of yarn.

I tried it on and was immediately overwhelmed with lacey ruffleness. My impression was ewww I'll never wear this. I set it aside thinking then, that perhaps I'd never finish it. Then someone asked about it at knit night and I realized that hey, I should finish this for all my complaining. So I ripped off the lace I had sewed on. I measured out 60 inches, and marked it. Then I pinned (with approx. 30 gazillion pins) it on, easing it in so that I stopped at or near my 60 inch marker. THEN I sewed. I did decide not to mess with the sleeves, which were about 15 inches instead of the required 12.
The result is much better. Who knew that the directions might actually provide some useful advice?
I had my daughters take some pics (with their cameras, so sorry about the quality)--click on the picture to see more pictures.


I've worn it three times already. I love it. So much so I think it earns the rare--I'd knit it again designation. Only next time--I'm so doing it in the Blue sky Alpaca Silk it recommends.

And my decision? Well... size 2 in the rosewood. I'm still thinking might have rather had the 1.5s, and I did have to special order, so 2s it is. I can't wait.

Quandary

Yes, I'm still chugging along on the shrug--I'm finding some problems that are making me about scream, but I'm still hanging in there. Still working on the second toe up sock too. But today dear readers, I have a quandary I need your help with.

It is about double point needles (dpn). I know some people hate hate hate them. Me, I like them. And in socks, I like them to be fairly short. I have some six inch long ones I tolerate, but really I like the ones I have that are 5-5.5 inches long. I have the following:
clover size 0, 5 inches long
clover size 1, 5 inches long
Brittany Birch size 1.5, 5 inches long (I HATE these not pointy enough)
Unicorn Books size 1.5, 6 inches long
Clover size 2, 7 inches long. (way too long for me)

Now, I knit socks fairly regularly. I wouldn't say that's ALL I knit, but in the plans right now I have a pair for each daughter, and probably one for me too. So three pairs I'll most likely make before the end of 2008.

I confess that I avoid using the size 2s because of length and find myself either with the 1 or the 1.5s. I might use the size 2 more if I had a smaller set.

Now here's the big deal: every time I go to a yarn store, I look for 5 inch dpns. Last Monday, I asked the wonderful Sally at Apple Valley if they had any. Well they had some 6 inch ones on the wall. And then I noticed they also had sox stix. When I teased Sally for not pointing those out she said--I know you--you won't spend $20+ on needles--especially needles you already own. And she's partially right. Ok she's totally right. But seriously, I almost have in the past. Plus, they didn't have any size 2 but Sally said if I was serious she'd see if they could order or get them from the other store (in Clare).
Well I came home and babbled on to Husband about how neat it would be to have some and wouldn't rosewood feel just great to knit with and then his eyes glazed over. I ended it with, "before you zone out they are called Sox Stix and they'd make a good gift".

Tuesday was a normal day, except that I decided to list on Amazon all the textbooks* I had cluttering up my knitting book shelf (I've done this before and usually August and Jan are good times to do it). By Wednesday am, I had sold 6 of 9 and have since sold the seventh. I e-mailed the man with a hey hey I sold $150 worth of books! He e-mailed me back saying--Monday buy yourself some of those stix thingies.

Here's my quandary should I:
1) buy myself size 1.5
a) rosewood
b) ebony
2) buy myself size 2
a) rosewood
b) ebony
3)buy myself $20 in yarn instead at the lys

4)go a little over and buy myself enough knitpicks Cotlin for the dollar and a half cardigan

5) buy myself some frosting food coloring and a few hanks of bare and dye my own yarn.
or 6) other (please explain)

Tell me in the comments what YOU think I should do. And hey if you want the Brittany Birch needles--tell me that too, because if I get enough comments I might be able to put together a "prize" for some random person--I'll have to take a closer look at my stash first (oh and it might include fabric too).

I just read this over and thought that it makes me sound really um dependent upon my husband for money and such, which is not really true. It is just that both of us have in the past two years tried really hard to cut back on the non-necessary. We're trying to be more thrifty. Plus I'm just really indecisive.

*textbooks that the man is done with, after he's done he puts them on my shelf.

socks and lace oh my

You know-It seems like I should have updated more recently, especially when I finished a sock and one of my daughters said--you should take a picture of that and put it on your blog!
So of course I oblige:


That's the first toe up sock. I used a bind off described in Knitting Daily but I don't think I like it. On sock #2 I'll do a sewn bind off and if I like that, I'll ripout the bind off on sock #1 and sew it in. I'm liking the toe up method--in fact I have 2 more pairs planned (and neither is for me. So much for my everything I'm knitting from here on out is for me).

But wait! I was asked if I indeed had ever finished the lacey hug me tight. The answer is... sort of. I had finished all the lace before I left for Illinois. But I didn't block it. so I blocked it when I came home and went to sew it on last night and discovered... wait for it... that the lace around the armholes wasn't long enough. I'm knitting longer on one piece, and I'm... I'm not sure on the other piece, it is only short by maybe an inch. I also might be too long on the lace around the whole shrug, but I have an answer for that too--I'll just start at the cast on end and unravel what I don't need and re-bind it off. Clever. eh? Now If I could only tell which side was the bound off side.... I think this has made me even more determined to finish it.

socks and lace oh my

You know-It seems like I should have updated more recently, especially when I finished a sock and one of my daughters said--you should take a picture of that and put it on your blog!
So of course I oblige:


That's the first toe up sock. I used a bind off described in Knitting Daily but I don't think I like it. On sock #2 I'll do a sewn bind off and if I like that, I'll ripout the bind off on sock #1 and sew it in. I'm liking the toe up method--in fact I have 2 more pairs planned (and neither is for me. So much for my everything I'm knitting from here on out is for me).

But wait! I was asked if I indeed had ever finished the lacey hug me tight. The answer is... sort of. I had finished all the lace before I left for Illinois. But I didn't block it. so I blocked it when I came home and went to sew it on last night and discovered... wait for it... that the lace around the armholes wasn't long enough. I'm knitting longer on one piece, and I'm... I'm not sure on the other piece, it is only short by maybe an inch. I also might be too long on the lace around the whole shrug, but I have an answer for that too--I'll just start at the cast on end and unravel what I don't need and re-bind it off. Clever. eh? Now If I could only tell which side was the bound off side.... I think this has made me even more determined to finish it.

traveling

For the next week, I'll be traveling to visit my mom. Usually, i like these visits if for no other reason than 13 hours in the car is some serious knitting time. This time, however, I'll be doign all the driving, as the man will be staying home--so no serious 13 hour knitting stretch, because I haven't figured out how to drive and knit at the same time.

Before I go, I'm going to really push to finish that lace on the lacey hug me tight. I'll do it too as I really only need to knock out maybe a dozen rows. I'll block it so that when I get back I'll have some sewing to do. I think I'd probably find the Olympics to be good Lace knitting TV, if I were watching them. I'm not though because (ho hum) I really don't find them that exciting.

Speaking of Olympics, I've decided not to do the Ravelympics. I was debating it right up to the end, but in the end decided to sit this one out. I'd like to say that I was taking a high road on the human rights record of China or some other geopolitical reason (free Tibet). But the reality is that as much as I like having a knitting blog that uses the word geopolitical, I really didn't have a project that I thought would work well for it. Especially given that I'll be driving for 3 days of the time.

This doesn't mean that there won't be knitting! I've decided I really for reasons I can not even explain, enjoy making these toe up socks.

I initially had planned to make them as long as the yarn would allow. After several days of deliberation (every night I asked my husband, how long should I make those socks), I decided I don't really want these socks to be that long. In reality, I like most of my socks to be as long as these socks are now. I think I'll make them a bit longer and then start the next sock. Also, Im bringing another skein of sock yarn as a back up project (on the off chance I finish both socks).

I haven't decided if that sock will be for me or for my purple loving daughter, and really I have enough of that color to make both a pair for me, a pair for her and perhaps a bunch of leftover. The only problem with making my daughter a pair of purple socks, is that it means I'll have to get some yarn that will satisfy her sister. I know I have a lot of sock yarn and none of it is pink.

Perhaps when I get back, I'll be in the mood to knit something else.

plugging away

So, I'm plugging away on the lace and I have the long piece --the part that goes around the outside, done and blocking--and well it should be dry by now. I have one arm piece done, I'm doubting it is actually long enough, but I'm calling it done--I'll block it tonight or tomorrow. I cast on for the second of the two and have about 2 inches knit on this.

I've done lace before and I've never had anything quite like this. The pattern isn't symmetrical since it is worked side to side. There isn't any pattern repeats and the number of stitches changes every right side row. It is only 12 rows but it makes such little sense to me, I can't memorize it. Ironically, I'd like to start another lace project soon, I guess I just need to make it my quiet time project.

On the sock front, everyone told me that the best part about toe up socks was being able to try them on as you went. I was not however able to do that because for some reason my foot didn't fit in. This really upset me because I was worried that it might not fit me. In the end, I decided to be zen about it and decided that if it didn't fit me, it would fit someone, and I'd give them away.
Then it hit me, it wouldn't fit not because of the sock, but because of the needles! So if I try it on while I'm halfway through what the instructions say are needle two, it will fit on my foot.


Today I actually marked where two inches from where my heel is--on my heel, so I could try it on and get it right. Sadly this heel turn will be a new technique also so probably no tv watching while I do that either.

unmotivated

I'm having trouble staying motivated in a lot of areas of my life right now. And my knitting is being symptomatic of that. I feel as if I've been knitting this same lace pattern forEVER for the Lacey Hug me tight. I even dared to bring it to knit night although I added a lifeline (or two) and had to use one. If you've never used a lifeline when knitting lace, it is a godsend. Basically you use a cotton yarn (like sugar and cream) and you run it under your needles at a certain point. If you have to rip out, the cotton will hold that row of stitches. So if you remember at what point you put in the lifeline, you can rip back to that point and start again. When you finish you can pull the lifeline out.

Now, I have done a bit more on it and have decided it is done. Now to block it. I also need to knit some small versions for around the armholes then start sewing. Ironically, now that is is almost done, I don't want to work on it, I want to put it away for a long time.

I want to start another big project, but part of me doesn't want to until I finish the lace. I'd like it to be a little simpler--for optimal TV knitting, but not something all stockinette stitch. I was thinking about the dollar and a half cardigan from Interweave Knits. I have grey yarn in a wool acrylic blend that might work, but I must swatch to be sure. I'm not feeling motivated to swatch. Not at all. But I know if I do swatch it, I can finish the lace while I'm letting the swatch dry (not blocked exactly, more like washed like I'll wash the sweater).

Sometimes when I am unmotivated in other areas of my life, learning something new or challenging myself will help me kick it into gear. I've also been thinking about my stash as of late. I should do an entry on my stash. Anyway, I have a ton of sock yarn, because sock yarn is easy to buy a skein or two and do something useful with it. Up to this point, I've only ever knit socks from the top down on double pointed needles. But there are a ton of ways to knit socks: top down, toe up, on DPNs or magic loop or two at a time on circular needles or even a tiny circular needle. So it makes sense to try to break out of my unmotivated rut by attempting one of these techniques. Since I need this NOW NOW NOW, I can't wait for a class. Enter the stash of knitting magazines--and so using an Interweave knits article I have taught myself a new cast on and have started some socks from the toe up:


Still it remains to be seen if the motivation will come back.

finished objects

Finally I have some finished objects to write about!
Last weekend, I decided that since we were going to go visit my mom for the weekend, it might be nice if I kicked it up a gear with the monkey socks, which were for her. So I set aside the lace for the lacey-hug me tight and cranked out the socks.

It is really hard to take a picture of your own socks. Especially if you don't want to get out the tripod.
One complaint I've heard about this design is that the multicolored yarn hides it. And based on the pictures, I'd agree. But in person they look rather textured. I like them but I'm so sick of the pattern that I don't see myself making another pair anytime soon. The yarn is regia bamboo colors, which my mom bought to make herself some socks. She got tired of trying to learn socks and gave me the yarn--so she's getting the socks after all.
Of course now we aren't going this weekend, because my step-father is ill, but the socks are done!

The other day I was complaining to my husband that I've never knit for him. He doesn't think he'd like handknit socks--poor man, he doesn't like sweaters, although he will wear cardigans sometimes, but he has three and that's enough thanks. He has a hat and doesn't wear scarves. he prefers his leather gloves. Then he said--What about my ipod sock? A month ago he got an ipod for a birthday present (from everyone ever) and has been asking for some sort of container since. Well I got out my leftover Felici and in one day knit him this puppy. I don't think I've ever knit anything in one day before.


So now, I guess I'd better get working on that lace. But I'm still having the issue of having to have a tv show that isn't action-packed, or that takes any thinking in order to finish it. And I've got a fresh disk of the 4400.

I see more socks in my future.

TV knitting

Most of the time, I only knit when I watch tv. In part because that's mostly when I have the time--the girls are in bed, the house is quiet and most of the daily chores are done and I'm too tired to do things that aren't. It works, in that I get a little time every day and it helps me unwind a bit, Plus I can't eat and knit at the same time, so I don't mindlessly snack. It doesn't work in that usually by that time, I'm tired and my attention is split between the tv and knitting. Sometimes, the split isn't a big deal--I can do garter or stockinette with out paying close attention. I can even do a simple pattern repeat if it makes sense to me. Sometimes the show that's on doesn't require I stare at the screen.

We also only have basic cable, meaning we don't get Disney or Bravo or Food TV or anything like that. We do get Netflix, mostly TV shows, but by and large we don't watch a great quantity of tv. My daughters get an hour every day, which we'll probably revisit when school starts up in earnest (like when they start going all day instead of mornings). They watch whatever PBS show is on at 4pm or if they've asked for me to tape something else. Sometimes I watch with them, but more likely I make dinner.

I say all this, really just to say that lately I've noticed that if we aren't really watching anything or if we're watching one of the shows we occasionally tune in for, I can knit on the lace for Lacey hug me tight. If we are watching our netflix offering or some "must watch tv" I'll mess the lace up every time. BUT, I can do the Monkey socks while something exciting is on.

Initially, I thought I needed a "plain" project for the "keep your eyes on the screen" tv, but I think I just need something less random than the lace. Which is really too bad, because I'm finding myself wanting to do more and more lace projects. I guess I'll just have to figure out how to find some non-tv knitting time.

yarn yarn yarn

I have been thinking that perhaps I am just not meant to actually knit on Mondays. Last monday I spent all of my knitting time unravelling a huge mess in my Regia bamboo sock yarn. This monday I had to rip back about a foot of lace from my Lacey Hug me tight shawl. The story is this--I went to lay out the lace I had to see how much more I needed to knit. Then I thought I'd take a picture for the blog. Then I realized that I didn't have the right side up. Then I turned it and realized I still didn't have the right side up, then realized this was because the last eight inches were all done backwards meaning I had lost my place in the rows and thus done one row twice or skipped a row. It took the rest of the foot to actually pick up every stitch and figure out roughly which row I'm on.


About two weeks ago, I had thought that it might be a good idea to start some stash management. My plan was that starting July 1, I would not buy any new yarn and instead knit on the yarn in my stash. I had thought July 1 to January 1 would be a good goal. Then there was the trip to Ann Arbor. I met up with Karen and she took me to Busy Hands, A yarn shop I never would have found on my own--mainly because I would not have known to wander in the building it was in. All I can say is that I'm really glad I did not tell anyone I wasn't buying any yarn because otherwise I'd have a lot of 'splainin to do because they had Malabrigo silky merino as their yarn of the month and two skeins of purple needed me. The picture just doesn't catch the purple-ness of the yarn.

Any ideas about what to do with 300 yards of yummy goodness?
I also bought some bamboo sock yarn. I have plans for this one--might not get made for a while, But I do have plans.

Somehow Karen resisted the lure of the malabrigo, but she too was swayed by the bamboo sock yarn. It is some serious softness. If she makes it back up here any time soon, I'll take her to Apple Valley Yarn--because turnabout is fair play.

Anyway, so now I'm going to try to not buy any yarn for a while. Or not, you know, whatever.

shrug

I've been a bad blogger lately. I wish I could say, I have not been writing because I've been super busy knitting. This is not the case.

Yes, I did cast on the second Monkey sock. But then I spent about 4 hours untangling the horrid mess that came out of the yarn ball. And even then I ended up slicing a piece of it--in error of course I thought it was a fuzz tangle and it was indeed a knot. I've been trying to knit it in the 45 minute swimming lessons. I think today I got three rounds in the lace pattern in. At this rate it will take me... um a lot more swimming lessons.

I also started work on a shrug. I even took a picture of that project with the intention of writing about it. It is Lacey Hug me tight from Knit 2 together. The plan was to knit the body in a cream yarn that I had in stash (and I do believe I still have enough for the sweater I originally bought it for) and then knit the lace edging in the green yarn I got for mother's day. Well, I needed to swatch both the lace pattern and the body. The body so that I could get a good fit, the lace, so I could figure out what size needles made the lace look the best. The body part went fine, I swatched on both size 6 and size 7 needles. Got gauge on the 6 and felt good about the fabric. Then I started the lace. Whoo boy, I could not follow the pattern for anything. Plus nothing looked right. Of course, when you can't even finish one repeat of the lace, it is hard to tell how it's looking. Finally I settled on size 10.5 needles. I also decided it might be easier if I charted the pattern. And lo and behold, for some reason I can follow the chart I made but could not follow: k5, yo, k2tog, k3, skp. I didn't even chart properly--since I made every row go right to left instead of having he Rs rows go left to right. But still I can read it and it is working for me.
So after I took the picture, I didn't write about it and then, I finished the body part. And sewed it together. I was quite skeptical of how something that was rectangular could become shrug-like and fit. And yet it does. So now I should take a picture of the shrug sans lace. I also have about 2 feet of lace done (the pattern says make 5 feet of lace) and I'm not sure how this floppy bamboo silk yarn is going to look as lace edging to what seems a sturdy shrug. But because I also couldn't see how a rectangle could end up as a sweater-like object, I've decided to preserver. Although initially, I thought a smaller lace around the edge would look better and perhaps I'd do the patterned lace just for the arms. but if I change my mind, the lace will make a decent scarf.

So that's where I am. And given that it took me three blocks of writing time (10 minutes each) to bang this out, I should post and go to bed.

updates

I thought that this might be a good time to do a few "updates' to some
previous posts. Perhaps answer some comment based questions too.

Cinnamonamon said in regards to my entry on making jam that it looked really easy. And I guess I just wanted to say that indeed it is. Perhaps the hardest parts are mashing the berries, but only if you do this by hand, and stirring the pectin in for three minutes. This year I did one cup by hand, and the second cup with the hand blender--I'm hoping that this will cause the jam to be sufficiently chunky while saving me a bit of arm soreness. And this year I let my children do some of the stirring. Given that this year I've made four batches of strawberry and will most likely make one batch of peach (and trust me peach is harder to mash), the more arm saving I can do the better.

I would say though, if you are thinking about making some jam--NOW is the time to do strawberry. In January, when you pull out a container that tastes just like spring, you'll thank me. Unless of course you live in the southern hemisphere--in which case, never mind.

In regards to my yoga
socks post, Kniterella asked if I'd gotten to wear them to class yet. Well... sort of. See usually I go to a class called "slow flow" which sounds easy (or you know vaguely dirty), but really it is about moving from pose to pose with the breath. I like it because I'm used the the routine, and yet I can challenge myself with the poses. But the class is only two days a week, and usually I make sure I have at least one of those days free it is totally drop in) so that I can go at least once a week. The past few weeks though I have been so busy that I've had to schedule things (like work and playdates etc) into "yoga time". But I did have a morning free and there happened to be a class that was billed as a step up from "Slow flow" and it took passes. I thought I could probably handle it so I went, and I wore my yoga socks. The room was so hot though that I ended up taking them off just for a small respite. I should have left them on to test the effects on sweaty feet because after the class I looked like I had run a few miles.
Next class I promise. Also--that class kicked my butt--and I was sore for two days afterwards--a painful reminder to keep my slow flow mornings free.

I also wanted to update on the stuffed animals I made. The pig is still very much loved and occasionally toted around the house. The panda has been relgated to the panda shelf where it looks out over the other pandas--something like 13 at this point. But then I knew that would happen--no Panda is going to replace her favorite--Stillwater is her name.

I have been knitting, even though I have not made it to the LYS knit night lately. I almost went this week, but had the bad knitter mojo combo of not having everyone home for dinner by 5:15 and not having a project in a good "chat" mode--so I ran instead. I'll try for next week--even if I have to cast on a simple sock--although I could cast on the second Monkey sock because the first inch of ribbing isn't hard just after you get to the charts that it gets iffy. Must find a way to make that sock more portable, I have places to go this summer. Starting a simple sock would make it harder for me to finish the Monkey socks.

Jam

There is actual knitting being done--I promise. But I'm not going to talk about knitting today, I'm going to talk about jam.
I've only been making jam for two summers. And I was afraid at first to tell my mom I was making jam because when I started knitting she said to me, next thing I know you'll be making jam! As if I was some suzy homemaker instead of just stressed and twitchy with an unhealthy love of strawberries. So last summer, I had a bunch of really good berries and a taste for my husband's aunt's freezer jam. So I called her and asked for her recipe (since she was no longer growing strawberries and probably no longer making the jam). She laughed and said--I just follow the recipe on the certo box. Go buy yourself some certo. She insisted I get the liquid.


I've only had two batches of jam NOT set. One batch was a batch of peach last year in which I used Ball brand pectin and one batch of strawberry this year in which I used a different measuring cup for the berries (it was larger and I think less accurate). The certo is good stuff. I highly recommend the certo!

I thought that I'd actually photodocument the process so that I'd make sure I was following the directions after that first unset batch. So--here is how I make freezer strawberry jam.
First--Start with some good berries, I recommend your local farmer's market or U-Pick place. The recipe says you'll need a pint, but it varies for me--somewhere between a quart and a quart and a half. Usually I buy the flat and we eat and jam and we all are happy.


Then you wash and cut the berries up--discard the stems of course. This is my smaller measuring cup.


Then you get to mash or Blend the berries. You want chunks, but you also want juice. I usually use my potato masher. This year I also tried the hand blender too. I wouldn't do it solely with the hand blender I don't think, but after a cup of berries, my arms were tired of mashing. The pre-mash picture though is my favorite--looks very arty.


At any rate you need to get 2 cups of mashed up juicy berries. I usually do one cup at a time, and pour them into a large bowl. Then you add the sugar. Four cups of sugar. And don't skimp. Like the directions say--you want less sugar use the low sugar formulas--you want no sugar--don't make jam. I add them one cup at a time, and stir it in well. At this point you are supposed to set it aside for 10 minutes. I usually gather up containers and keep the kids out of it. Trust me, this tastes so good at this point--like strawberry syrup.

Then I mix up the certo and two tablespoons of lemon juice. The directions say to use a real lemon. I use juice from a bottle. This then gets poured into the strawberry sugar mix.


Then you stir this for three minutes. My girls help. Sometimes it starts to feel like it is setting before the three minutes are up. usually this step makes me so hungry.

Then you spoon it into containers, cover them and let them sit for 24 hours (or until they are set and you need counter space). I use both 1 cup containers and 1/2 cup containers (that I used to use for baby food when my husband made all the baby food). I call this the "tower of power"



I've found that if it is going to set, it will within a few hours. And I've found that if you follow the instructions, it will set. My only problem using certo was I believe caused by too much strawberry in the strawberry sugar ratio. My biggest clue for that--it took almost 3 quarts of berries.
Anyway, you can freeze this for a year--I usually thaw in the fridge. Use the thawed within three weeks. I've made three batches of strawberry this year that have set. I think I'm done until peach season.

Yoga socks

I finished the yoga socks. And even got brave and posted a picture on flickr.


I do think that the key to avoiding the ickies is in your tags. (or as the librarian in me says--subject headings are the access points!)

Anyhow, I promised I would explain yoga socks, although I must say--I've been doing yoga for four years and I've never found the need for socks. The idea is, that in yoga, you need to have bare feet in order to balance properly and stick to your mat so that your feet don't slip out from under you while you are in say down dog pose. My hands actually get slicker than my feet, but that's neither here nor there.
Ok, so you don't want your feet to slip, but perhaps your feet get chilly, or sweaty. enter the yoga sock--which is essentially a sock--one that would absorb sweat--because it is wool (yay wool) and yet would let your toes and heels have contact with the mat (or floor) giving you an extra sense of balance.


I'll confess that I didn't come up with the idea--and actually if you google yoga socks, you'll find links to socks with non slip grippies on them, similar to kids slippers. The idea being that you might not want to prance around your dirty yoga studio barefoot. I saw in namaste knitters ( Ravelry group I belong to) someone mention that they had made a pair from a pattern and I thought they were cool. I also thought I could make up my own pattern.
And I did. They don't of course look exactly like the pattern, but that's ok, if I wanted them to look exactly like that, I would have purchased the pattern. Instead I took my one ball of Knit Picks felici and worked up a toeless and heel-less sock. Seeing how much yarn I had leftover, I figure I might have been able to make two short socks out of the one ball, but live and learn, I'm sure they'll make nice baby socks or something.
I'll have to wait until my next yoga class--and who know when that will be because I'm having trouble remembering to leave myself space for the class I like to take (my studio is all drop-in)--to find out if they work.

I also managed to finish the first Monkey Sock and take a very bad picture of it.


I did not cast-on for the second monkey sock and went a record 24 hours with absolutely NOTHING on the needles. That's twice in one month that I've been without something on the needles, the world may be coming to an end.
But please don't worry--I've rectified the matter... details later.

sick of socks

Last week we all went on vacation. Eight days of driving, visiting my parents, going to the zoo and Magic House. I packed way too many clothes for my girls, way too few for me and only one knitting project. Clearly I am insane.

I am also tired of knitting socks.

I decided not to take my yoga socks because I only have a few hours left on the last one. No instead, I decided I'd take the Monkey Socks I'm making for my mom. I had cast on and done about 3/4 inch of ribbing before we left. I packed the instructions, a counter, needles, tapestry needles, instructions for kitchner (I need the instructions every time!), a too big crochet hook, scissors, and a row marker. I also packed the second ball of yarn in what I can only say now was a big burst of optimism.

The good thing about only bringing the one project is that I only worked on the one project, the bad thing is... well I only worked on the one project. By the time we rolled into the driveway I was almost through with sock number one, had lost my row counter, had borrowed a crochet hook from my mom, and was thoroughly sick of the pattern, the sock and the yarn. I think my row counter fell out of the car on one of the many pit stops we made. I haven't picked up the sock since we've been home--although I only have about 4 rows before starting the toe decreases.


Instead I've been trying to finish the yoga sock--Only about an other hour, I'd estimate. And I promise I'll post a picture. I'll also try to explain the concept. And after I finish that? Well I might do the rest of the monkey sock or I might just start something else.

starting

When I last wrote I had nothing on the needles. I know nothing! Although I posted that and immediately cast on for the second yoga sock. And then cast on to swatch for a shrug. And then last night I cast on Monkey socks for my mom.
I haven’t put anything into ravelry yet though.

I’ve been thinking that this really has been a year for knitting things for other people. Aside from the yoga socks and a sweater, everything I’ve knit since DECEMBER has been for someone else. And I have only one item on the to do list left… the Monkey socks. I’m not sure if they count as a project to have that you can whip out anywhere just yet, we’ll see when I get to the actual lace pattern. But I did learn on something when I went to cast on for them… I need some new double points. My size 2 DPNs are 7 inches, which makes for awkward sock knitting. I have one set of 1.5s that are too dull for lacey sock knitting, they drive me batty on regular knitting (they are Brittanys I believe). And one set of 1s that are 6 inches long. I need some short dpns. I have some size zeros I have never opened. Clover brand seems to be working the best for me… although if someone gifts me with some rosewood needles, I wouldn’t urn those down.

The shrug is for me though and it uses some of my mother’s day yarn. I’ve given up on the thought of using both of them in one project, and I broke down and bought a few extra skeins. I’m going to use the purple for a lacey scarf thing later. And I’m going to use the green to do the lace edging on the lacey shrug from Knit 2 together. I’m using some cream colored yarn from my stash for the main body of the shrug. I’ll have to put in an link for the book and get the real name for the pattern later.

Finished

I finished three things this weekend! Go me.
First and foremost I finished the stuffed animals and both are already very well loved. I debated for a few minutes not showing how the panda tuned out because I'm not happy with the head and didn't want you all to think less of me, but my daughter loves it and that's all that matters.


The pig was the third one I'd made, but the only one made with Baby softee. I will NEVER EVER EVER use Baby softee again. I hated the yarn. I still have half the skein left, but I may give it away. I found it splitty and hard to knit with. I dropped I don't know how many stitches and had a really hard time picking them back up (and I seem to have lost my sock crochet hook which would probably have helped). I even managed to have two stitches drop or something when I was sewing it up! The pig is soft though.

Pig from Knitted toys by Fiona McTague. Yarn: Baby Softee (pink) and Scraps of black (probably Caron simply soft)
Needles: Size US three.

The poor panda. It was insisted to me that the panda have light purple ears, which probably adds to its over all lumpiness. Also, I probably could have put more stuffing in. perhaps she's so silly looking she's cute?

Or not.
Anyway, the specs:
Pattern: Panda from Knitted toys by Fiona Mctague
Yarn; one skein each of some sort of Acrylic white and black. I lost th elabels--so probably less than one skein since I didn't double strand as the pattern calls for
needles: US size 7

I also finished the first yoga sock! I have no picture of that for many reasons. First, I finished it right before bed. Second, my husband was teasing me about my sexy feet. finally, I seem to have a few people looking at my flickr photostream that have, let's say feet issues. Someone favorited a picture of a pair of my oldest running shoes. Until I figure out if this is a foot fetish thing (and block the gageebers out of them all) or a running shoe thing (again, possibly block them). I'm not putting up a picture of my half naked foot.

Now I have actually NOTHING on the needles. I failed to get the second yoga sock cast on--due to the lateness of the hour. I need to get going on that though before I decide I'd rather start new socks and swatch for my lovely shrug. Well, I may just cast on all three (well the swatch for the shrug).

progress

My husband just got back from an extended research trip. You would think that with him gone, I would be free to knit or sew well into the night and that this week I'd have gobs of finished objects to show you.

You would be wrong.

I did do more cutting out than I might have had he been here. I managed to cut out 40 seven inch squares of denim, and about 20 seven inch squares of flannel. But instead of knitting I read blogs--lots of blogs. I should have updated my blogroll (but didn't), and I should have written more entries (but didn't). I did no sewing, although now I do have some things to sew. I did a little reading of books, but not as much as you'd expect from someone who has to be told to put the book down and go to bed.

You would think that the several warm and sunny, play outside all day long and get your first sunburns would also have hindered the knitting.

You'd be wrong about that too.

The only real knitting I did was on the patio while my girls ran and played and laughed. I took frequent breaks to run and play and laugh too, but I managed to get all the rest of the panda pieces knit (4 ear pieces and a nose) and a good chunk of the (I only have the ears and tail to do).


Really, all I need to do now is sew the animals up!

Planning

I can't believe it has been over a week since I last posted. You'd think that would mean that I'd have a ton of finished projects to show off. But really, I'm plodding along, working my way through the longest part of the pig pattern, slowly looking for my purple yarn so I can finish the panda's ears (I thought I ran out of black, approved the color sub with my daughter, found more black while searching--fruitlessly--for purple). Even the yoga sock, while progressing, is not quite done.

What I have been doing is dreaming. Dreaming of future projects.
I decided that even though I surged all those fabrics (and still fretting), that i didn't have a clue about what to do with them yet, but I did have a bunch of old jeans and a jeans quilt would make a nice picnic blanket this summer. And heck, I have enough to make a few of them! So I washed a bunch and cut off the tops (hopefully one or more can be made into a purse or something) and have this huge pile of jeans. I found some dark blue flannel and so now, I guess I just get cutting.


Then for mother's day, my husband took the girls to not my favorite yarn store (the one he can find though) and let them each pick me out a skein of yarn. They ended up with Ella Rae bamboo silk. In two different colors. Colors you must see to believe:

Purple and green! Or apple and plum as the labels say. Since each is 90 meters and while they go together, but need something else to offset them, I've been planning a purchase of more yarn. I have a frequent buyers card all full at said yarn store (I know! and they aren't my favorite! but it took me about two years to fill). I've spent a gob of time looking at ravelry and checking out patterns at my favorite LYS. The idea, the one I think will work anyway, is to buy two or three skeins in a cream or white (2.5 is what my full card will buy--sans tax) and make a shrug that either has stripes on the sleeves or one sleeve edged on purple the other in green. I've never made a shrug before, but it can't be hard right? I'm kind of envisioning something lacey. Suggestions are appreciated.

Hole in my socks

I've been knitting socks for almost exactly two years. I've knit in that time, with only two brands of sock yarn (although the yoga socks are in a third brand): Lorna's laces and Tofutsies. I've knit 6 pairs (and 2 sets of baby socks). I've been wearing the first pair every week since I finished them two years ago. I knit my daughters each a pair of socks when they were 3. One daughter wore her socks every time they were clean until she finally grew so far out of them, that it was uncomfortable. All of these were Lorna's laces. None of them ever developed a hole.
I've knit two of the six pairs in tofutsies, The first pair--which I must have finished a year ago (but I don't know exactly), and worn about like the others now has a hole!


I'm a little beside myself. My husband suggested I "fix" them. Except I have used every single yard of that yarn up, in fact had to finish the second of the second pair of socks with a different yarn! I have no idea how to darn socks.

I could just cry.
ETA: I checked my Ravelry page and I entered them there as having finished them in July of 07. Should Handknit socks last more than a year?

stress relief

I knit, a lot. In fact at the book club, there were three people who professed to be knitters (one I knew from having taken a how to knit sock class with her), but I was the only one knitting. I knit nearly every night after my girls are asleep, and sometimes I even get in a bit while I watch tv with them. I do this to get rid of the tension that builds up every day. The click click click of the needles, the row upon row of stitches soothes me.

Except for the big stress.
No, for the big stress (death, illness, hard decisions) I need sewing. The wiggita wiggita of the machine as it stitches along is the only thing for a big crisis. When my grandmother was very ill and my mother was calling every day to tell me if grandma had made it through the night, I sewed. I quilted a large quilt for the guest room bed and I worked on a baby quilt for my cousin. I cried over both of these quilts, as the machine chugged along. I swore when needles broke, when thread tangled and when I put together the pieces wrong. But mostly I let my brain take in the rhythmic ka-chunking that seems to help me achieve a sense of peace.

I have no large sewing projects looming, no baby quilts to make, no unfinished objects demanding my attention. But I have the sort of big stress that requires sewing right now. My answer is this: Last fall, I was given 2 large boxes of fabric, pulled from an aunt's stash. In those boxes, were enough "milk paint" colored fabric to make quite a splendid quilt using color gradations. All of it had never been washed. I usually prewash all my fabric, but first I like to serge the edges to keep the fraying to a minimum. The serger wiggita wiggitas with the best of them. So, this is my plan--serge the fabrics until the stress melts away. Then start planning something wonderful.

You should always have a sock going

I should know this by now. It is always good to have at least one sock in progress. And not just any sock, but something simple, easy to memorize.

Why?

Well, when you have a simple sock going, you can throw it in your purse and whip it out whenever you have a few spare minutes to knit. You could carry it to a book club for example. You could (and I have always always wanted to do this) pull it out when you are in a meeting that you don't need to do much note-taking for. You could knit a sock in the car on a long car trip (when someone else is driving). I even manage to knit on small stuff that I don't need a pattern for while I watch my girls play outside.
Sweaters are hard to pull out of your purse (heck hard to get IN your purse). Scarves are similar, although I suppose they aren't as bad as sweaters. A hat might work. I suppose a mitten or a glove might work too. I suppose a dish cloth wouldn't be bad--if the needles were short enough.

Coincidentally (or not) all the small projects that fit in your purse, are also the things people swear they enjoy making in the summer, when the heat makes working on a sweater or afghan seem impossible.
So, why as the weather turns very spring-like, did I not have a sock going? especially when I have a book club meeting coming up --one in which I'd like to have a small auto-pilot project to pull out.
I'd point to the panda I'm working on, the pig I'm obligated to knit, the monkey socks for my mom that are in the queue. I'd point to how my ice queen is almost finished and how I don't like having more than two projects going at once. But the panda isn't portable--as I need to follow what is turning out to be a very detailed pattern. The ice queen isn't either--although I took it outside--primarily because of the beads. I haven't started the monkey socks, and didn't like my chances of memorizing the pattern before 7pm tonight.

So, I pulled out my single skein of Felici--which is not enough for a pair and now the color is sold out--and cast on for "yoga" socks. Basically an anklet without a heel or toe. I can't claim this as my own design, as I've seen a pattern for sale for this type of sock, but this will be my own interpretation. I'm thinking the 2x2 rib will be enough for me to work on while we talk books. If it gets the 3.5-4 inches long, well--no heel flap to work.
I may have to expand the old adage that says--sock yarn doesn't count for your stash to include, socks don't count as works in progress, because everyone should have a sock going in the summer.

I did not win the knitty contest. I am recovering.

I am debating, about this one issue. Is it ok to bring a small item to knit, say a simple sock, to a book club gathering? If it is your first time at said gathering? If you are missing knit night for it?
Perhaps I'll throw a sock in my purse and if it feels right, whip it out.

Plodding on

Sometimes, when it seems there is nothing new to report, it is hard to write an entry. I'm still working away on the two projects I have, feeling as if there is no end in sight.
First there is Mr Panda--Actually it will probably end up being a girl panda because all of the stuffed animals in our house are girls. The pattern is From Fiona McTague's Knitted toys. It was listed as skill level 3, which frightened me a bit, but now I think it is just because it has a bit of colorwork and has 11 pieces to sew together. The colorwork part went fine, I think I only have one hole to deal with (yay me). I have the front, back, both legs, both soles and one arm done.

I feel like I will never get all the pieces done. But even when I do, I need to get he pig all knitted before I can sew it together and stuff--because I can't present a finished panda without having a finished pig, jealousy you know.

In kind of a race, is my ice queen. I knew when I started it, that it would be too warm to wear it by the time I finished, and sure enough temps reached the high 70s last week. They've dipped into a more normal 50s, but I'm still not counting on actually wearing it until next fall. Now, I love how this is turning out, but...
I think working with the yarn is like working with lint
I think it is taking FORever
I wish it had more beads
I think I will never be done.
I'm scared of the parts coming up which I have never done.

It is pretty, but I have something like 20-30 more rows, then the bind off, which is a bind off I've never done before. Then I have to unravel the temporary cast on, get everything on the needles and bind off that side.
All that complaining aside--I think I want one in purple. Also raspberry and black.

dreaming about yarn

I feel like I'm so far behind, because between the baby quilt (although I have to say that it is a really good thing I got that baby quilt done, because my co-worker welcomed her new baby yesterday, and I probably won't see her until August.) and all the great weather we're havng in Michigan, I haven't had time to write about some fantastic things.
First, I went to the knit night at my sort of Local Yarn shop (Apple Valley Yarns in Freeland, MI--FAB shop). I wore my green hoodie (despite the 70 degree weather!) and got a ton of compliments. I also had to try really really hard not to take home enough wool bam boo to make another one. Seriously, I love yarn so much that a night at a shop like that can give me things to think about for DAYS afterwards.
I have such a yarn imagination (actually I have a pretty good imagination in general but yarn--we're talking about yarn), I spend all this time thinking and imagining what I will knit next.
I know I want to make another hoodie. Then I remember I have all this cotton classic I wanted to make into a Tangerine Twist--except mine would be blue. I also want to make a pair of yoga socks (but that would be my own pattern figureing). And then I realize I have gobs of sock yarn that I really want to make into actual socks. Which of course leads to the stash and well let's just say this is how I put myself to sleep at night--dreaming of all the yarns and wonderful things to knit with them.

And then, Oh if there ever was a contest I so much want to win, it would have to be the one thrown by knitty. I love knitty, I've made several things from there (in fact am making Ice queen right now--well not this minute, because I am typing...). Well, Amy Singer announced the other day that knitty is having a contest and I about hyperventilated when I saw the prizes. Seriously, I don't think I've ever wanted to win something as badly as I want to win this. Not even the $500 shopping spree to your LYS that Knitting Daily gave away.
I know I won't win. I'm preparing myself to not win. But oh how I want to (I'm entered too). I'm even prepared to say that I'll share the goodies if I win--I'll have contests of my own. (although at this point, if I won I could probably give something away to everyone reading this now because there just aren't that many of you). I toyed with the idea of not saying anything, lest some person I influenced to sign up for knitty's newsletter should win. But I'll just have to trust that if you saw this, entered and YOU win, instead of me, that you'll be kind and share.

baby quit #2

Finally, I've finished quilt number two. This was a baby quilt for my co-worker's third baby. I had all these pre-cut 4 inch squares that I had been gifted by one of my husband's aunts. So, initially the plan was to just sew all these four inch blocks together. But it didn't look very visually appealing. Plus, I had 198 of them and I figured I'd need another 100 to make it work. So instead, I decided to alternate them with a four-patch block.

I used scraps for those. I also had to use math! Well, I'm not a math phobic, in fact I loved math in high school, but this was more geometry which I was never good at. I had to figure out what size strips to cut to end up with a 4 inch four patch. If you were drawing you'd say--well 2 two inch blocks makes a four inch block, but I was sewing ans so had to have a .25 inch seam allowance--on two sides. So actually--I cut 2.5 inch strips and sewed them together, cut 2.5 inch strips of that and sewed those together. I think. see this is why I need to journal more--I've forgotten, but I think this is right. If not well then i cut 2.25. See I am a disaster and not just with yarn!
I used scraps from a previous quilt's backing for the borders. I had picked out a different border originally, but it just didn't go right. I even used leftover thread to quilt with--in part because I didn't have enough of one color
It seems to me that this is really the quilting heritage--use up what you have, make do with what you have. And both of these were so true with this quilt. I think it turned out pretty good.

My next sewing step is to clean out the sewing room so I can actually find stuff.


I promise i'll start talking knitting again soon.

Pictures!

This is going to be a kind of a busy week in which I really need to buckle down and finish that baby quilt, and so blog posts might be sparse until it is done. But ehre is the picture I promised, of me in my green hoodie. My husband said it looked like something I'd bought!

Green Hooded Sweater

Finally knitting again.
Although to me it feels a bit funny to think about having a finished object to write about
this week because I've spent less time knitting this week than I think I have in months. I missed knit night, I went to bed early Wednesday (I have a cold) and I hardly knit at all on Tuesdays.
And yet, somehow in this I managed to finish a sweater. Of course I didn't quilt like I was supposed to on Tuesday because I was busy kitchnering the hood, but whatever.
The pattern is Neck down hooded tunic from Knitting pure and simple. I made it using Elle Aran Gold, which is an acrylic, but doesn't feel like one. I made one of my daughters a sweater from this and found it to be a bit slippery after it was woven in. So I wove in my ends really tightly.

When I swatched for this project I made sure to swatch as if I was knitting in the round--from directions I found somewhere (sorry I should have noted it down, I am so not good about this). Then I threw the swatch in with the delicate cycle. I should have measured before I threw it in, because now I'm hoping that the sweater grows a tiny bit after I wash it*. But also at the same time I am afraid to was it because my swatch unravelled in the gentle cyle! Well just a bit on the ends, but I don't want that on the real thing. And I can't recall if I have washed the other sweater I made from this yarn. So while, I need to wash this and have it expand a tiny bit (really 1/2 inch), I'm scared to wash it.

Because I'm done with this sweater, I should start on the stuffed toys I promised my daughters. I'd like to finish ice queen soon though. However, I'm finding mohair is a bit tedious to work with. Not hard, but it takes some watching so you don't accidently knit with the fuzz (not that I ever have *cough cough*) instead of the string. So perhaps the Panda--even with it's color changes--would make a good mohair distraction.

*I should say that really it fits. It fits with very little ease though and I'm not sure it will be all that comfortable over a t-shirt which is what I wanted it for. But then, to make the next size up would mean about 3 inches of ease, and I thought that might be too much. Plus, I think I was tickled to be making the size called "small." Now I'm thinking I should have made the medium anyway.

Pictures to come later.

basting quilt #2

You know, for a knit blogger I certainly talk a lot about quilting! Don't worry, it is a phase, and as soon as I finish baby quilt number 2, I'm done until the next person tells me there is a baby on the way.
Today, I "pinned" baby quilt number 2 and so I thought I might spend this entry explaining that process.

Pinning is actually how I baste my quilt layers. You see anything that can be called a quilt is actually a set of layers that are sewn together (either by hand or machine). You can also tie quilts, which is just another way of holding them together--with ties that are sewn through the layers. I usually machine quilt my baby quilts. I've done hand quilting, enough to know that I prefer hand quilting whole cloth, because I have trouble keeping my stitches even over seams. Anyway, in order to keep those layers together when you are sewing you have to somehow baste them.

For my baby quilts, I use three layers: The top, batting, and a piece of fabric for the back. You don't have to use three layers, some backings are thick enough that you'd want to only have two (I'm thinking of the Minkee backed quilts my mother in law made for my girls). Sometimes the top is thick enough that batting would make it impossible to quilt--Like in the case of the denim quilt I want to make someday.

In today's quilt, I've used a piece of leftover fabric for the back (most of the time, I buy fabric on sale for this purpose). In other quilts I've done all kinds of things like used fabric that I meant to use in the top, but didn't get used, bought sale fabric especially for the quilt, or just bought something really on sale (like 50% off). I have even made a double sided quilt (for my husband's college roommate's first child because my husband and I couldn't agree on a color scheme--so I made both).
Usually, I use Warm and Natural batting. I like the way it feels and how it quilts. But today I used a batting called--a touch of cashmere that Karen mailed me a while back, when I was complaining about how I was broke and wasn't buying ANY more fabric or yarn. But oh sigh I had quilts to make. It was a really great package--it had yarn in it too!

Some people baste their layers together with needle and thread and do really long basting stitches. Others, use this gizmo quilting places sell that put plastic tags in your quilts. I use safety pins. I use safety pins because that's how my mother in law does it and she taught me to quilt. Of course she taught me using an old table that she expands out to fit her quilts. She also uses binder clips to hold the backing to the table. I use the kitchen floor and tape. Seriously--this is really about using what you have.

I spread the backing fabric face down (ok there have been times I've forgotten this!) and I tape it slightly stretched and very smooth to the floor with painter's tape. Then I lay the batting over it and smooth it out and then the top. After I have it very smooth, I start in the center and pin all the layers together with safety pins. This all sounds really easy, but many a time, I've had to reposition everything to get everything just right (and don't get me started about the double quilt--I've blocked that basting out of my memory even though I had major help with it).
I always feel like I use too many pins, but I aim for about 3-4 inches apart. While, I'm on the floor, I also clip any loose threads. As I quilt, I'll remove the pins. I try to store my safety pins open in a food storage box. Yes, I prick my fingers when I'm pinning sometimes, but I don't have to close, then open every pin.


Probably the only disadvantage to basting this way--for me--is the fact that I'm all bent over for the majority of the time I'm pinning. I try to think of it as an additional yoga workout and try to breathe deeply and stretch my legs in different ways.

Questions

So what does a crafty blogger blog about when there are no finished objects? Well about her Knitting style, of course.

Seriously, I thought I might take a moment and address one of the questions I always want to ask of people who knit (or sew); When do you knit?
I don't mean it in the "oh my whenever do you have the time?" Although that has been asked of me about various pursuits in my life--including my knitting. No, I wonder just sort of generally when people knit. I guess I've often wondered, because I have a friend who admitted to me once, that she did know how to knit, but only knit on long car trips. I've noticed that other people have the ability to knit off and on throughout the day. On ravelry, I hear people talking about knitting at work (on breaks I presume).

I knit primarily in front of the tv. I also knit in the car, but not exclusively. I've tried knitting throughout the day but I have a hard time putting it down to do other things. But the only time I've ever felt like I could knit at work was when I worked at a yarn shop. I really like knitting at the knitting club I go to. However, the knitting group is worse than tv for distracting me!

Sewing is different for me. I usually only make time to sew when I have something I "need" to make. What this means is that I usually only sew when I have a baby quilt to make or a halloween costume. Despite havign several quilting projects I wanted to do for myself AND some PJs that I need to make. It seems that if I don't have a deadline, I don't make the time to do it. Also, while I knit every day, I only sew on Tuesdays and a little on the weekends. In part this is because I can't sew throughout the day--gotta wrangle those kids! And also because sewing isn't as portable as knitting. Plus, I gotta say--sewing is louder.

So there you go--when I knit (and sew). What questions do you usually find yourself askign of knitters (either in your head or outright)? Ask me in a comment, and I'll answer.

baby quilt number 1--done

On the day before Easter, after learning that my former college roommate had had her April 1st baby (a bit early--but everyone is fine) I hurried up and stitched down the last of the binding:


(Someday, I'll have to explain my binding theories)

Just so I could get one quilt, one pig, and one snake into a box and mail the box before the post office closed. (I wish I had photographed the box--it was funny)
I wanted to write about the quilt, a snails trail done in leftover fabrics, on Thursday but did not want to ruin any surprises. I've now seen pictures of the baby on the quilt and so I can show it off to you:

I decided on snails trail because my former roomie studies snails--she has the big phd in biology and everything. I've made her four quilts now (a wedding and three baby) and have wanted to do Snail's trail since the first. I've always lacked the focus or whatever, to actually sit down and figure out how big to cut the triangles and such. Recently I found a pattern that had the sizes, and I had the energy to work up how it would work with the colors I wanted to use. Sadly, I used up most of my brainpower on that and so my first sewing had some major goofs:


So there was much ripping in this project! I just hadn't been paying attention, assuming I guess that there was only one way to sew these pieces together--well I'm here to tell you that if you do this--You'll get 1/4 of them correct, and you'll have to completely rip out 1/4 of them. The other half will need some things, but not all ripped.
Probably the only other thing I feel like I need to mention about this project is--In every baby quilt I make, I quilt a heart into the design. Usually I do this when I free-motion quilt the borders (although I have been known to sneak in a free-motion heart in quilts with geometric quilting too). I really liked how this one turned out. I also did a snail in one corner.


One baby quilt done--One to go!