On the Needles Friday, Saturday etc

With a new little grandbaby on the way in a few weeks, I have been working feverishly to finish my Wee Baby Blocks blanket.  I have about 40 more rows.

I know I am being optimistic about December.  But who knows what I can accomplish under pressure.


November 2016

1. GAAA finish blocking and start putting together--almost
2. Work on Baby C's Wee Blocks Blanket--almost half done
3. Joy of Life Applique--Block 5--may next month
4. String Quilt--Bind and Label
5. My Tweets--borders--one block needs redoing
6. Tropical Jelly Roll--finish embroidery
7. BOM:  Color Safari and Guild Double Monkey Wrench
8. Read:  Milk and Honey
9. Patriot's football hat for Little Mr. C
10. Nap blanket for little Mr. C
11. Christmas Pillowcase
12. In the hoop Christmas Stocking

December 2016

1. Finish Baby C's Wee Blocks Blanket
2. GAAA finish blocking and start putting together
3. Joy of Life Applique--Block 5
4. Reconstruct My Tweets quilt top
5. BOM:  Color Safari and Double Monkey Wrench
6. Little Cotton Rabbit
7. Read:  Death by Cashmere

Stash Report

Thanksgiving is over, Advent has begun and soon 2016 will come to a close.  Even with the chaos of the holiday, I managed to use a little stash--both yarn and fabric.

Yarn in this week:  898 yards
Yarn out this week:  98 yards
Yarn in YTD:  19303
Yarn out YTD:  10397

Fabric in this week:  6 yards for a backing
Fabric out this week:  3.75 yards--a charity quilt and a pillowcase
Fabric in YTD:  40.5
Fabric out YTD:  94.75

I still have a few weeks!!!

On the Needles Friday (Saturday)

I know I have been on a little hiatus from blogging, but imagine my surprise to find blogger has changed!  I think it is just a little but I will need to spend some time with it.  Life has been a little stressful for our family with medical concerns.  As a family we circle the wagons to take care of each other.  I was able to lose myself for a few minutes here and there to relieve the tension.

 This was a simple knit that doesn't require too much concentration.  I have another on the needles that will have a football on top and the Patriot's colors--red, white and blue.  I will be sending it to my Little Mr. C who lives in VA.  My son in law is a die-hard Phila. Eagles fan.  And since Little Mr. C is going to be a big brother in January,  I have started Wee Baby Blocks  in Liberty wool in a soft blue grey. 

Stash Report

No new finishes on the knitting front but I did sort through a little of my yarn stash and gifted 3326 yards.  I met a lovely lady at our Weight Watcher meetings (actually I have made several friends there) who has taken up charity knitting with her church group.  I have some yarn purchases that make me wonder what was I thinking.  Also my taste in yarn and projects have changed over the years.  My friend J is very happy.

Yarn in the week:  0 yards
Yarn out this week:  3326 yards
Yarn in YTD:  18405 yards
Yarn out YTD:  10299

Another PhD quilting project is done!!  I finished the binding on a string quilt.

Fabric in this week:  0 yards
Fabric out this week:  15.5 yards
Fabric in YTD:  34.5 yards
Fabric out YTD:  91 yards.

I wish my Weight Watcher numbers were as good!!!

Stash Report

There has been a little movement in my numbers.  I had two finishes this week:  one knitting and one quilt. 


Fabric in this week:  0 yards
Fabric out this week:  4.5 yards
Fabric in YTD:  34.5 yards
Fabric out YTD:  75.5 yards

Yarn in the week:  0 yards
Yarn out this week:  435 yards
Yarn in YTD:  18,405 yards
Yarn out YTD:  6973

On the needles Friday

A finish!!!!!  Knit Purl Hunter's Cableship KAL.  My first successful attempt with Judy's Magic Cast On.

Now back to working on my Little Cotton Rabbit and cast on a baby blanket for the Little Baby C due in January.

 

A few bunny parts.

 



Stash Report

A few not so positive changes.  I needed some backing fabric and of course nothing in my stash was right for the project.

Fabric in this week:  5 yards
Fabric out this week:  0 yards
In YTD:  34.5 yds
Out YTD:   71 yards

My yarn numbers did not change this week.  But I know I will be having more come in before the end of the year.

On the Needles Friday

I finished the first sock for Knit Purl Hunter's Cableship KAL.  And the second sock is ready for the heel.  This is my first attempt at Judy's magic cast on.  I do like the technic and will use it again.

This was also the first time I used a Russian bind off.  It is very neat and pretty.

 

Design Wall Monday --ok Tues

At my LQS there is an Embroidery Quilt BOM program that I have been doing the last couple of years.  This year we are using Anita Goodesign's Landscape Animals.

This is my progress so far.  It is a fun project.

Stash Report

I have bee avoiding this post like the Black Plague.  I mentioned a few posts ago (I think) that I went on a yarn crawl with three of my Wooly Friends.  We each had a shopping list with a few items--nothing extravagant.  I was looking for a specific gauge ruler.  And I wanted to purchase yarn for a baby blanket for the new little grandbaby due in Jan.  We saw lots of amazing samples that got our creative juices flowing but we exercised remarkable restraint.

We purchased our "passports" at our home LYS.  The canvas bag had some knitty loveliness.

These were my purchases after visiting 5 shops.  I think I did well.  The yarn at the top right is to make a cowl.  The yarn is soft and feels wonderful against the skin.  The left forefront is Sueno in a blue gray for the baby yet to come.  And tucked under the gauge ruler is a skein of encore and a hank of roving to try my hand at thrummed mittens.

So now that I have tried to justify my purchases I am going to fess up to my numbers. 

Yarn in since I last calculated:  2719 yards
Yarn out this week:  0 yards (lots of WIP's)
Yarn in YTD:  18405 yards (No I am not missing a decimal point!)
Yarn out YTD:  6538

Falling Off the Wooly Wagon

Do you ever feel the need for a little accountability with yarn purchases or fabric purchase?  I always have good intentions but often times have a few special things that just beg to come home.  Such was the case when working last week at my LYS.  Like most well intentioned knitters, I don't NEED any stash yarn.  But I will purchase yarn on special occasions such as the yarn crawl I went on a few weeks back (more on that latter).  Several of my knitting friends (aka Wooly Women) are going to participate in Knit Purl Hunter Cableship KAL. I am not a proficient sock knitter and thought the KAL would move me in that direction.

This is my yarn choice.  It reminds me of watermelon and I wanted happy socks.  The yarn is Zauberball and it feels lovely.

I only want to buy yarn for specific projects that I will work on in the coming months.  But I am weak.  these two lovelies found their way into my work bag. 

So the big question is will I stop buying yarn for the time being.  Well-l-l-l-l!!!!!  Not exactly.  I found a darling poncho pattern for my granddaughter, and I think I need to start it.  Maybe just one more project's work of wooly goodness.

Yarn Crawl Adventures

Having been busy with a Yarn Crawl and a road trip to visit out of state family, I have had no time to share my Yarn Crawl experience.
Although there were 13 shops participating in the Crawl, we were only able to visit 5 shops. One of the 5 was our home shop.

My three wooly friends and I set out early Thursday morning to visit our first shop--which for us was the farthest.  We packed snacks and water to sustain us.  Even though I made a resolution this year to limit my yarn purchases, I knew I would purchase some lovely wooliness for specific projects.

The grey Sueno is for Wee Baby Blocks.  We have a new grandbaby coming in January and there was a request for a grey blanket.  At the top right are three skeins to make Big Fat Stratus.  There is some roving on the left.  I am going to make thrummed mittens.  I will add up the yardage for my stash report on Sunday.

On the Needles Friday

I am definitely in the home stretch with my Great American Aran Afghan.  Block 22 is done.








And I hope to finish the pieces for block 23 tonight.  This square has a mini Aran sweater stitched onto a background block.

I am off to Judy's to see what others are working on.

On the Needles Friday--ok Saturday

Block 22 of my great American Aran Afghan will be finished this weekend!!  Lots and lots of bobbles.

On the Needles

Progress continuing on my GAAA.  Yeah!!!

Block 21

Block 22

 

 

 



On the Needles

Another block from the GAAA almost finished.  Lots of cables and bobbles.
The body parts of my Little Cotton Rabbit are finished.  Now to put her together and knit her a little dotty dress.

Stash Report

True confession time--even more wooly loveliness found its way to my stash.  But to be truthful it is ear marked for a KAL or two that will be coming up.  I am knitting feverishly but haven't completed anything.  I am working on a few large projects. 
And in the fabric department, I finished 3 little quilts that will be donated to a NICU.

Yarn in this week:  2349 yards
Yarn out this week:  0 yards
Yarn in YTD:  15686
Yarn out YTD:  6538

Fabric in this week:  0 yards
Fabric out this week:  6 yards
Fabric in YTD:  10.5 yards
Fabric out YTD:  71 yards

Stash Report

 

Some lovely wooly goodness found its way into stash!  And it is here to stay.  But I am very happy to have finished a quilt.

Yarn in this week:  2248 yards
Yarn out this week:  0 yards
Yarn in YTD:  13337 yards (not much of yarn diet!)
Yarn out YTD:  6538 yards

Fabric in this week:  0 yards
Fabric out this week:  6.5 yards
Fabric in YTD: 29.5
Fabric out YTD:  65

On the Needles Friday

There has been a definite improvement in my knitting skills since I posted thishttp://appliqueand.blogspot.com/2016/08/some-days.html.

This is what it looks like today.

But before I made much progress, it was time to cast on the next square.  In just two days this is the progress I made:

I hope to put a good dent into these two squares this week end.

Some Days!!!!

Today is one of those days I should not have been allowed to play with sharp objects.  I have been working on the Great American Afghan.  And after almost 2 years I am ready to be done with it.  Several of the blocks have been very challenging.  This block I am about to show you wasn't all that difficult, a little fussy but nothing drastic.

After much scratching of my head,  I realized I used two different sized needles!!!!!  It is time to put the needles down and walk away from the yarn.

On the Needles Friday--a day late

For some reason I always manage to miss my Friday knitting post.  But I am happy with a little progress this week.  I finished another GAAA block.  The challenge for this block was to knit the border first and join with a Kitchener stitch.  The pick up stitches to complete the center section also in the round.

 

I cast on another block also a little tricky.  It is worked entirely in the round.  I started on a circular needle and have made my way down to DP needles. 

 



I am hoping that blocking will really help the squares! 

On the Needles Friday

I am plugging away on my projects.  I know I am making progress but it is slow.
My Cape Cod is lovely to work on.  I love the yarn and the pattern.

And it is beginning to look like a sweater!!!  YEAH!!!
I am working on Block 17 of the Great American Aran Afghan. 

It is the border of a block that is grated together.  I have already finished it once but I did a terrible job on the grafting and decided to redo it.  I did the provisional cast on with a larger needle.  Wish me luck with the grafting.

On the Needles and Stash Report

This will be a multi tasking post!  My attempts at blogging need to be better organized.  But I have been busy working on my GAAA (Great American Aran Afghan).  I am doing this along with a couple of friends.  Another block is finished and another one begun.


Church Block

The blocks will look  much better once they are blocked.  This was a fun block to work on.

The next one I am working on is a little tricky but I think I have the hang of it.  I needed to purchase more yarn to finish this project.  Fortunately, my LYS owner had put aside several skeins of the yarn. 

I made a little progress on my Cape Cod.

So while nothing has been finished I am making steady progress.

Yarn in this week:  910 yards
Yarn out this week:  0 yards
In YTD: 8014 yar
Out YTD: 6538 yards

On and Off the Needles

Another week has flown by!  Do you ever ask yourself  "where does the time go"?

 

I finished another block of the my Great American Aran Afghan.  And hope to finish another one today.

 

 

I am making slow and steady progress on my Cape Cod.  It probably doesn't look much further along than last week.  But I am almost ready to separate for the sleeves.

 





On the Needles Friday

I am not sure I can even say slowly and steady progress.  But there was some knitting and I am happy with the few stitches I managed to do.

I made a little progress on my Cape Cod.  And I managed to cast on another block of The Great American Aran Afghan.  With one cataract surgery down and one to go, I am not sure how much of anything I will get done this month



Cape Cod by babycocktails

GAAA

On the Needles Friday

I have made a little progress on my Cape Cod.  The yarn--Three Irish Girls--is lovely to work with.  It is a top down sweater from Baby Cocktails.  I am going to link up with Judy and see what others are working on.

Stash Report

I got a little carried away this week.  I needed some fabric for two quilt tops that are almost done.  And I needed to "supplement" my stash with just a little more fabric for my Machine Embroidery Quilt Club.  My little adventure added 26 yards!

My fabric report for the week is:
Fabric in this week:  26 yards
Fabric out this week:  0
In YTD:  29.5 yards
Out YTD:  47

There has been no change in my yarn numbers even though I knit everyday.

On the Needles

I  managed to finish another Aran afghan block.  It was a little tricky but I like the final block. 



This is #15.  Just 10 blocks left!!!

 A gentleman at Church asked if I would knit him some dish cloths.  That is one project I have never done.  He gave me some yarn that his late wife had not used.

I finished one and gave it to him earlier this week.  He was so happy. 

I 

Stash Report

Are you a knitter?  Do you know about the Plucky Knitter?  Three years ago I participated in a KAL and loved everything about the project and the yarn.  I suppose life got in the way and I didn't keep up the site.  But I have fallen in love all over again.  I ordered two skeins of Traveler DK in Maverick and Goose.  I think it will make up into a lovely cowl for a Christmas gift.  Plus I purchased 7 skeins of Primo Sport in Run Forest for a sweater for me.


Plucky Traveler DK Maverick and Goose

Primo Sport Run Forest



 Pretty pictures should ease the blow of my stash report this week.
Yarn in this week:  2425 yards
Yarn out this week:  0 yard
Yarn in YTD: 7104 yards
Yarn out YTD:  6538

On the Needles Friday

I promised myself that I wanted to knit a sweater for me.  I have not been a successful garment knitter except for baby sweaters.  Fit isn't as critical.  Babies and kids will hopefully grow into it.  Our LYS is offering a sweater fit class and our first class of Wednesday evening.  We made our swatch and did the math calculations for our pattern.  I am going to attempt knit Baby Cocktails' Cape Cod.  I have chosen Three Irish Girls Knit Springvale DK in Cherry Ginger ale.  I have wanted to be a successful sweater knitter and I am determined to do it

 

I am still plugging away on my Great American Aran Afghan.  This is block 14 in progress.



On the Needles

I finished my 14 Carat Poncho in time to submit for the KAL.  I don't think of myself as a poncho kind of girl.  I definitely don't know how to pose for pictures!

Stash Report

Nothing to report on the fabric front.  I am working on a guild challenge which should use up a little fabric soon.  There has been no fabric in or out.
But I did manage to finish my 14 Carat Poncho KAL.

Yarn in this week:  0 yards
Yarn in YTD:  4679
Yarn out this week:  1430 yards
Yarn out YTD:  6538

I can only hope to use more than I purchase.  So far so good. 

Lovely Yarn

Do you like knitting challenges?  Do you crave beautiful yarn?  I have mentioned several times that I love Eat Sleep Knit.  Someday I hope to visit the shop in person but for now the internet will have to do.  I take my duty to help my team, Starsheep, achieve success.  With this post I hope to earn a few badges.  One of the prettiest things I have ever seen is yarn ready for knitting.  The yarn on the left is Three Irish Girl Springvale in Cherry Ginger Ale.  The yarn on the right is Madelinetosh Vintage in Dr. Zhivago's Sky.  I am hoping to make sweaters out of these lovelies.

Design Wall Monday

It seems like forever since I had much of anything on my design wall.  Our guild is having a "house block" challenge this year.  Our blocks should represent different months.  With some of my blocks you have to stretch your imagination.  The blocks are finished and ready to be made into a top.

I was looking for whimsy and colorful.  Now I just need to find a border fabric.  Once the quilting is done I hope to embellish the blocks with beads and charms.

Stash Report

Not much progress working on my fabric stash, but I know that will come in time.  As I mentioned in my last post, I added to my yarn stash even before finishing a project.  But I felt obliged to contribute to my team on Eat Sleep Knit.  I haven't been participating in the KAL but I hope to work on a few badges.  I am a member of the Starsheep team and want to do my part to help them be Number 1.  One of the badges, Special Delivery, demands  awards points for purchasing yarn on your birthday.  As an aside, I wanted this to be the year I made sweaters especially for me.  I have always been reticent actually petrified of attempting one.  But in a few weeks, my LYS is offering a class in fit.  I am going to be prepared.  Thea Colman's Cape Cod has been at the top of my list.  I purchased Three Irish Girls Springvale DK in Cherry Ginger ale.

I hope to get it caked up and start swatching in a week or two.    I also found Madelinetosh Vintage in Dr. Zhivago's Sky to purchase just because.  I think I want to make Mondo's Pulli Cable. It was my birthday after all.

 

My stash numbers this week:

 

Yarn in this week:  3220 yards

Yarn out this week:  0 yards

Yarn in YTD:  4679 yards

Yarn out YTD:  5108 yards



On the Needles

I can't believe a week has gone by since I last posted.  Time is moving way too fast this year.  But I am busy working away on my 14 Carat Poncho for Knit Purl Hunter's KAL.  I thought I would have finished it this week.  But next week will be the charm. 

I haven't worked on anything else this week but I did manage to order some yarn--but more about that later.  Be sure to visit Judy's blog to see what others are working on.

On the Needles

I am still working on my 14 Carat Poncho and I am nearing the end of the repeats.

I must admit that I am itching to finish something.  It seems that everything is a work in progress.

What is it with me and labels!!!  I hope I can finish a few items this month.



April 2016

1. Book:  The Nightingale:  5 stars
2. Book:  Things that Matter:  4 stars
3. Double Wedding Ring Quilt:  bind and label
4. Black and White String Quilt--label--not yet
5. Jelly Bean Quilt--Label--not yet
6. 14 Carat KAL--making progress
7. Great American Aran Afghan--2 blocks--not even close
8. The Splendid Sampler
9. Farmhouse Animal Quilt--quilt, bind and label
10. Revolutionary Flair Quilt--baste
11. The Obituary Writer--ok
12. Murder in Merino:  fun read

May 2016

1. Farmhouse Animal Quilt--quilt, bind and label
2. Revolutionary Flair Quilt--baste
3. Labels, labels, labels
4. Great American Aran Afghan--2 blocks
5. 14 Carat Poncho KAL
6. The Splendid Sampler--catch up

On the Needles Friday

I don't know where the week has gone!  The Big Guy and I spent the week with medical maintenance.  I know that it is a good to nip things in the bud.  But we took that advice literally this week.  But I did manage a little progress on my 14 Carat Poncho.

What's Next

As promised in the last post, I promised more of "no sharp objects for me this week".

Machine quilting and I struggle.  But I am determined to be able to do it.  I basted a quilt top that I had made last and wanted to stitch in the ditch.  My walking foot is ready to go and I can kind of sew a straight line.

It is a little bulky but manageable.  I was carefully clipping my basting threads as I stitched. (This was the first time I had used boards to baste my quilt.  I think I like it)  Each time I clipped a thread, I told myself  BE CAREFUL.  LIFT THE STITCH.

Not only did I clip the quilt top, but there is also a lovely V-clip on my finger.  The machine has been turned off.  The scissors are safely locked up.  Someone else will have to carve the ham tonight.