Last year I joined Gail's PhD project.  In spite of everything going

on, I did manage a few finishes.  I am hoping to be more 

successful this year.  Since most of my projects are still in packing boxes, I am not able to take pictures at the moment.  But they should be forth coming in another month or two or three. 

I love the motivation of listing things, checking them and taking stock of what I have!

1.    Aunt Mindy’s Flower Baskets

2.    Return to the Thirties

3.    Aunt Grace’s Garden Party

4.    Hocuspocusville

5.    Leftover Jelly Roll

6.    Schoolhouse Churn Dash

7.    30’s Four Patch Euro Swap

8.    Guild Sampler

9.    Home Tweet Home

10. Camp Oda May Path A

11. Turning Twentry Again in the Spring

12. Joy of Life

It is Never too Early to think about 2019

I like (love) participating in quilting and knitting blog challenges.  Judy of Patchwork Times has been hosting an UFO challenge the past few years.  I eagerly sign up and do manage to work on my projects.  My list is ready but no pictures since everything is still in storage.  But we HAVE A MOVE IN DATE!!!  The movers will arrive on Dec. 17th.  So I should be able to sort out my UFO's and take some pictures.

Judy’s UFO Challenge

1.    Aunt Mindy’s Flower Baskets

2.    Return to the Thirties

3.    Aunt Grace’s Garden Party

4.    Hocuspocusville

5.    Leftover Jelly Roll

6.    Schoolhouse Churn Dash

7.    30’s Four Patch Euro Swap

8.    Guild Sampler

9.    Home Tweet Home

10. Camp Oda May Path A

11. Turning Twenty in the Spring

12. Joy of Life

December Here I Come

You won't be surprised to hear that we still haven't moved into our apartment.  My standard answer is still 4-6 weeks.  (Yes, I have been saying that since September.)  I feel as though I am living a version of Dante's 10 Levels of Hell.  The worst part is that everything is in storage.

I try to keep Christmas time calm and not get caught up in the hustle and bustle.  I try to keep Faith, Family and Friends at the center of these days.  What I do get excited about is the blog posts for planning for next year.  I like participating in UFO challenges, BOM programs and other fun challenges.  I always start strong and end with a whimper.  But I feel as though I have a large internet universe of friends.  The one challenge I tend to stick with until the end is Eat Sleep Knit's Yarnathon.  If you are a knitter, you may find this great fun.  The new theme and teams will be announced on January 1.

So considering the state of my living situation, I am okay with what I accomplished in November.


NOVEMBER

Knitting: (all  projects for the Yarnathon

• Vanilla Socks--Q2 ESK KAL--in progress
• Hand Spring Mitts for Q4 ESK KAL--done
• Ruby and Cables Mitts--done
• Ribbed Fingerless Gloves--done

Quilting

• Judy's Challenge #-2 Malcolm's Umbrella Critter and #9 Guild Sampler--in storage

Crazy Quilt on line class with Kathy Shaw

• Complete Task 6--done
• Begin Task 7 and 8

Read

• Beneath a Scarlet Sky
• 
  

DECEMBER

Knitting:

• Vanilla Socks--Q2 ESK KAL
• Mia's Holey Hat
• Jarita Tee--ESK Yarnathon
  
  

Crazy Quilt on line class with Kathy Shaw

• Begin Task 7 and 8

Read

• To Sleep With the Angels

Goodbye October, Hello November

A little venting to get things off my chest.  We are still living in a guest room with the lovely Miss Katie and her family.  Our in law apartment was supposed to be ready mid September but we are still 4-6 weeks away before we can even think about moving in.  Everything including my winter clothes are in storage.  LLBean came to the rescue with a few sweaters.

Enough complaining.  Hopefully I will be a little more productive this month.

OCTOBER

Knitting:

• Vanilla Socks--Q2 ESK KAL--in progress
• Hand Spring Mitts for Q4 ESK KAL--in progress
• Cozy Reversible Cowl

Quilting

•  Aunt Mindy's Flower Baskets--finish label--packed away
• Judy's Challenge #-4-Hocuspocusville--packed away

Crazy Quilt on line class with Kathy Shaw

• Piece Block--done
• Begin working on seams--in progress

Read

• The Boston Girl  Beneath a Scarlet Sky

NOVEMBER

Knitting:

• Vanilla Socks--Q2 ESK KAL
• Hand Spring Mitts for Q4 ESK KAL

Quilting

• Judy's Challenge #-2 Malcolm's Umbrella Critter and #9 Guild Sampler

Crazy Quilt on line class with Kathy Shaw

• Complete Task 6
• Begin Task 7 and 8

Read

• Beneath a Scarlet Sky

Basic Crazy Quilt Class 101

A few weeks ago I wrote about taking Kathy Shaw's Basic Crazy Quilt Class 101.  I finally got my block pieced!  It is hard to work on projects with my stuff in storage.  Our in law apartment was supposed to be ready in September.  The expected date is now mid-November.  I must admit that this adventure is getting old.  But I am going to make the best of it.

I hope to start working on the seams today.

What Will October Bring

The move is done but the in law apartment isn't ready.  It may take another 4-6 weeks.  We are living in the guest room and everything is in storage.  Ionly have a few cool weather pieces of clothing.  It is a good thing we don't get snow in October (usually).

SEPTEMBER

MOVE--living in guest room
Vacation in New Jersey-- weather not great but fun with family

Knitting:

• Maize Mitts #4--done
• Vanilla Socks--in progress
• Jarita #884 in Ravelry Juniper Moon Neve--hibernating

Read

• Firefly Lane   
• The Boston Girl

OCTOBER

Knitting:

• Vanilla Socks--Q2 ESK KAL--on hold
• Hand Spring Mitts for Q4 ESK KAL--in progress
• Cozy Reversible Cowl--on hold

Quilting

•  Aunt Mindy's Flower Baskets--finish label--I can't find it.
• Judy's Challenge #9--Guild Sampler--somewhere in storage

Crazy Quilt on line class with Kathy Shaw

• Piece Block--done
• Begin hand embroidery along seams--in progress

Read

• The Boston Girl--done
• Beneath a Scarlet Sky

There has been a change in Judy's UFO.  It is #4--Hocuspocusville.  Mine is in storage.

NOVEMBER

Knitting:

• Vanilla Socks--Q2 ESK KAL
• Hand Spring Mitts for Q4 ESK KAL

Quilting

•  Judy's Challenge #

Crazy Quilt on line class with Kathy Shaw

• Complete Task 6
• Task 7 and 8

Read

• Beneath a Scarlet Sky

Teaching friends a new technique

Every January first I look forward to Eat Sleep Knit's Yarnathon.  I always have big plans when earning badges and participating in the KAL.  One of the badges is Teaching a Friend a new technique.  Before I moved I got together with friends twice a week for knitting.  This picture is from my Tuesday group and I showing them how to do a picot bind off.  Although I can't knit with my friends as often as I have in the past, I hope to see them during the holidays.  Applying for this badge makes me realize how much I miss my friends.

Check out the Yarnathon.  It is so much fun.  I am on Team Narwool this year.  I am not the most prolific knitter.  But I enjoy knitting things that I wouldn't necessarily think of.

Moving, Knitting, Traveling, Oh My

The move is done.  Vacation in New Jersey with family was wonderful in spite of the weather--rain, clouds, rain, humidity, more rain, more clouds.  But our in-law apartment is not done.  So much for the middle of September finish.  I know I am a creature of habit and I like my routine and order.  It isn't living in someone else's home.

But on a happier note, I have signed up for Kathy Shaw's Basic Crazy Quilt Class 101.   Most of my quilting supplies and all of my embellishments are in storage.  So I made an emergency run to Joann's for some basic supplies.

I will need to order some silk ribbon, lace and sequins on-line.  But at least I can start.

September Here I come

When I woke up this morning, I was planning what to pack next.  I didn't even realize that we turned the page on the calendar.  August is a blur of boxes, packing, discarding, rethinking.  We are scheduled to move into an in-law apartment with daughter #2 this month.  The construction is not finished. Hopefully we will be able to move in sometime in October.   Our things are going into storage.  In the meantime we will be nomads.

Since we will be in the car a lot, I should be able to catch up with some knitting.
I must admit   I can't wait to be settled and unpacked.


AUGUST

Knitting

• Yarnathon
• Q2 Socks--not started
• Avens --on hold-did not like the yarn I chose
• Vancouver Fog Mitts
• Alice's Mitts for Mia
• Maize Mitts 2 pair of child's size and one adult medium

Quilting

• Judy's Quilt Challenge: #6 Aunt Mindy's Flower Baskets--finish label--maybe next month
• Judy's Quilt Challenge: #3 Leftover Jelly Roll Lap Quilt--packed away

Machine Embroidery

• Center of Toile BOM--waiting for new machine
• Block 6 of Toile Design

Read

• Return to Sullivan Island,  Needles and Pearls,  Firefly Lane

PACK PACK PACK--almost done

SEPTEMBER

MOVE
Vacation in New Jersey
Judy's Quilt Challenge:  #9--Guild Sampler--packed away in one of many boxes
Knitting:

• Maize Mitts #4
• Vanilla Socks
• Jarita  

Reading

• Firefly Lane

My Sister and Lancaster

I was lucky to spend Mother's Day weekend with my sister.  Of the five of us, I was the only one to venture out of state.  My sibs all stayed in the Philadelphia area and I call Massachusetts home now that I have been here for almost fifty years.

My sister and I love fabric and yarn.  We always manage to find a few yarn shops and quilt shops.We visited a lovely yarn shop, The Lancaster Yarn Shop, in Intercourse PA.  There was some beautiful wool from local sheep.  I couldn't resist the colorway, Betsy.  As an Elizabeth I feel that we are kindred spirits and I brought some of her home with me.

Meet my namesake.  I hope to make a Dohne shawl.

I hope everyone is as lucky as I to have a sister like mine.  I love her and can never spend enough time with her. 

Bantry Bay Finish

I have been working feverishly to finish my Bantry Bay MKAL from Impeccable Knits.  I love all of the cables and intricate stitch patterns.  It was a challenge but I am happy that it is finished.  The yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sport.  The color is Manly Yes But I Like it Too.  The Grey shows the stitches but I think the fiber was a  little too rustic for the pattern.  It did not block as nicely as I would have liked.

First Quilt Finish for 2018

I love the feeling of finishing a project.  My first quilt finish for 2018 is a machine embroidered BOM that I started in 2016 at my LQS.  This is also my first quilt as you go project.  Even the label is DONE.

Quilt by Day Knit by Night

We are getting for another snow storm.  But I think "storm"  is a little over-kill.  .The ice that is supposed to come at the end of the storm will be the problem.  Schools have cancelled or will have an early release.  I have my tea ready and I hope to spend some quality time quilting an knitting.

I don't often sign up for quilting or knitting mysteries.  Apparently I am more controlling than I realized.  But I have never seen a pattern by Impeccable Knits that I didn't like.  Currently Luise is hosting a MKAL, Bantry Bay.  I had a little difficulty with Clue 1 but I finished and love the cabling.

Clue 1

Clue 2 went a little quicker.  I will start Clue 3 this evening.

I have never done a quilt as you go (QAYG) project.  But I have jumped into the pool with this one.

Color Safari

This is a machine embroidered quilt that uses an Anita Goodesign pattern.  It was a BOM at my LQS. 

On the Needles Friday

The past few weeks have been a little crazy.  Medical stuff can be very draining especially when it was one of my daughters. 
No matter what I worked on I made BIG mistakes.  I was making more of a mess trying to "frog" it.  It is a beautiful mystery KAL, Bantry Bay,  from Impeccable Knits.  I love knitting cables and I think I am on the right track now.


My quilting isn't as successful.  I was trying a new technic for combining half square triangles to make an hour glass shape.  After I attempted to put it together, I realized I made a mistake in cutting.  Can you see the mistake?  Since this is a quilt kit, I am not sure I will have enough fabric to correct it.

The units on the right and left are off.  Not a good day for sewing!

Stash Report Week 1

Time to reinstate fabric and yarn accountability.  My yarn numbers were pretty good last year.  I used more than I purchased.  However, I wasn't as attentive to my fabric.  I didn't purchase much but I didn't do a good job keeping track of what came in and what went out.  So for the new year, I am starting from scratch.

Fabric in this week:  0 yards
Fabric out this week:  0 yards  even though I finished a quilt top.  I will wait until the quilt is finished.  This is where I get into trouble.  By the time I finish something I am in a rush to get it done and out that I forget to add it to my numbers.

Yarn in this week:  0 yards only because I haven't been to the mailbox.  There is yarn waiting for me that was a planned purchase--actually 2 planned purchases.  My goal is to knit as much as possible from stash.

Yarn out this week:  203 yards

On the Needles Friday

My first finish for 2018.
I love the little Top This hats.  They make cute gifts.  And best of all I can work on them during drop in knitting.  I am much less likely to make a mistake.

A friend and I have started a Hats for Charity KAL called Knit One Crochet tooat our LYS.   I am the knitter and Mary a crocheter.  Our first project for 2018 were little premie hats for the American Heart Association.  Our February project is for a local Soup Kitchen.  We will be making adult hats and the pattern we will provide is for a Mistake Rib Hat in chunky yarn.

 I have also been working on Build it with Lace.  I am on the third of nine lace sections.  I am enjoying the project and the yarn, The Periwinkle Sheep.