On the Needles - 2/7/14

Quilting has been getting most of my creative mojo this past week, but I'm excited to share this FINISH with you ....

Wingspan is done!!! 

I ran into one little roadblock however....  

When I blocked it, which of course stretches out the stitches, a hole appeared!!!  

Right smack dab in the middle of the shawl!

Wow!  I have no idea how that happened, but I suspect it was because I was thinking this was such an easy knit and just not paying enough attention to what I was doing.  It looks like a yarn-over got in there somehow - which is really strange, since that section is just pure garter stitching - go figure!!!  So I suppose it's really not quite done until I figure out how I'm going to repair the hole.  However, I am very happy with this project overall and look forward to wearing it one day soon.

I wore my Cloud Illusions shawl to Guild last Tuesday for the first time and got rave reviews :)  I forgot to get a picture to share with you all though - I'll do better next time!

The red House Targaryen socks are still in process, as is my Swing Cowl.  They will both be getting more love now that Wingspan is done :)  And I'm thinking I may start my Rocio sweater soon :*)

This week's yarn report -
Yards stashed YTD - 2,200
Yards purchase this week - 0
Yards used this week - 400
Net yards stashed - 1,800

What's on your needles?

Share at Judy's Patchwork Times today!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Playing in Pinks for February!

I really haven't finished with the January BLUES yet for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, but February snuck up on me, so I had to start pulling out the PINKS as well :*)  My PINK stash is pretty slim, and the scraps are even slimmer, but I finally managed to pull together some fabrics for Hootie and Soul Searching.

It will be very interesting to see if these come together to make a few decent blocks!  

I traced off the fusible shapes for the February Hootie last night while watching TV....

I still need to dig into these crumb jars and whittle them down.....

Just look at all those yummy little scraps just waiting to become a gorgeous little quilt!!!

I have a few ideas of what I might like to do with them, but I probably won't decide for sure until I sit down and start playing :)

And after I finished tracing the Hootie pieces last night, I sat back and relaxed with some knitting.  Before I knew it, Wingspan was DONE - WOOHOO!!!

There are supposed to be 8 "wings" but as you can see from the tiny ball of yarn remaining, I didn't have enough for another wing.  I think this will be fine, though, since I'm built rather small - at least from the waist up LOL!!!  This still needs to be blocked, but all the ends are worked in and it is ready to go!  This will knock 400 yards off my stash yardage :*)

So what's in the works for me today?  First, I'm excited to show you the February Bertie wall hanging that I finished embroidering this week....

Isn't this just too darn cute?  

The white edging embroidery stitches took FOREVER and were not easy to keep uniform, so don't look too closely :)  Today, I plan to sandwich and quilt it and get it up on the wall so we can enjoy it all month.  The January Bertie only got two weeks' wall time, which is a shame because I love it so!!!

One last peek!!!!

Later on, I will be joining Kathy's Quilts doing some Slow Sunday Stitching on my little hand-applique Miniature Heart Blooms while watching the Super Bowl!

You can tell from the red hearts on the left that this was an early attempt at hand applique!  I was trying to do them by needleturn, but they are not very smooth.  I may end up taking them out and redoing them..... but then again, maybe not.  From past experience, I've learned that sometimes it doesn't really show that much when looking at a completed quilt.  Since this will be for my own personal enjoyment, I may decide to leave it as is :*)

I'm also hoping to get a few of these pieces for Rose Medallion prepped with the luscious oriental fabrics - I'm really anxious to see how that's going to look!!!  It's been quite a while since I played with the orientals - a task that I enjoy way too much LOL!!!

Also linking up with Judy's Design Wall Monday & Connie's Tuesday Linky Party :)

I wish a lovely week for you all!!!

Hugs & Blessings,

Teresa

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On the Needles - 1/10/14

As always, I overestimated how much knitting I would get done this past week while traveling & visiting family:)  For some reason, I found this little guy much more fascinating than yarn.....

Do you think he looks a little exhausted from all the cuddling he got from his Grandma?

I barely touched my red socks - boy have they been neglected!!!  But I did get another wedge applied to my Wingspan shawl....six of eight wedges complete now :)

This project is pretty much a mindless knit, so it's perfect for traveling and visiting with family.  I'll be sad when it is finished.

One thing that made knitting on this project much more enjoyable was my new Dreamz interchangeable needles!  I was so excited and just couldn't wait for a new project to try them out, so I traded out the old Clover circular needles for these....

So far, so good!  I love the feel of them and the fact that the yarn moves easily along the needle but doesn't threaten to fall off.  I've heard stories of interchangeables coming unscrewed or having a "catch" where they join, but so far these are working out beautifully :*)  I'll be able to give a better recommendation after I have used several more of the tips on other projects.

And since Winter seems intent on making us all miserable this year - (Polar Vortex????  Really????) - I thought I would go ahead and start my next crush - the Swing Cowl by Angela Meinz (click link HERE to see this free pattern on Ravelry).  Note:  If you are not a member of Ravelry, you may not be able to see it, but signing up is free, easy, and without any interference in your personal stuff (like spam!), so you may want to sign up just so you can see all the pretty yarn projects... just sayin' :*)

I was inspired to make this Cowl by seeing Denise's HERE!  Since I don't want to show her pictures or those from Ravelry without permission, I'll just show you how my pattern looks on my Kindle...

I just love the way the pattern moves in this Cowl!!!  And I LOVE the rainbow colors Denise used in hers!  My first reaction was to go find that yarn and make one just like it!!!  You know how that feels, don't you?  Please say you do! :*)  But then I remembered my resolve to SIMPLIFY this year... which meant that I needed to see if anything in my meager stash would work for this project.

And Eureka!!!  I have this Noro sock yarn that I originally purchased to make my Dreambird shawl, but then I found the blues/aquas colorway that I really wanted, so this went back in the stash for something else.  Hmmm, something else like maybe a Swing Cowl?  Yep - I think so!!!  It is not the true rainbow colors of Denise's, but there is a lot of color variety and I think I will be very happy with it.  I also had enough black left from Dreambird to use as the background on this - double perfect!!!  I love knowing that I will be using stash yarn and not just buying more for this project!

Workin' that SIMPLIFY plan - YAY!!!

And one last share for this On the Needles post ..... I was finally able to present my needled Christmas gifts, so now I can show them to you....

Crocheted scarf and matching knitted hand warmers for my daughter
Also, a soft face cloth in the palest shade of her favorite color, purple :*)

Knitted hand warmers for our oldest granddaughters, Emma (18) and Sara (15)

Both of these granddaughters are now driving - Sara just got her learner's permit - so these hand warmers will be great for them this winter as they drive.  Of course, and perhaps more importantly to the girls, these also leave those finger tips free for texting and playing games on their phones - hopefully NOT while they are driving :*)

What's on your needles today?  

Please share or just go look at all the yarn pretties at Patchwork Times!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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On the Needles - 11-8-13

Since I was so burned out on quilting after Moonglow, I kicked up my knitting projects a notch in the past few weeks!  I find it really relaxing to just sit with needles and yarn, and quietly, gently make something beautiful appear out of nowhere :*)

I just finished a wonderful new pair of plain jane socks.....

These are my Surf Serenity socks that I finished up in just 10 days!  You can see more pictures and read about them in my last blog post HERE.  Several have commented that the color bands match so well - that was totally unexpected!  I did take off some yarn at the beginning of one of the balls of yarn so the toes would be the same, but I never dreamed they would keep the same bands of color throughout most of both socks! :*)

In that post I also shared about a new-to-me method of stretchy binding off that worked like a charm!!!

I've worked a little on Wingspan - two "wings" are now finished and I've started on the third.

Joanne and I are going to Knaughty Knitter tomorrow and I hope to pick up a longer pair of #4 circulars because I'll be running out of room on these soon I'm afraid.  I'm also not really liking the way these Clover bamboo needles are "grabbing" the yarn, and the tips are too blunt for it as well.  I like the Knit Picks wooden circulars that I've been using for my socks - much smoother and with pointier tips.  The only metal needles I've found that I like are the Addi's.  They don't get "tacky" and they don't slip off the loops easily like other metal needles seem to do.  Although they are quite a bit more expensive, they may be worth it.  The right tools really DO make a difference!!!

As Denise at Justquiltin' promised, Wingspan is the perfect take-along project!  Very little thinking involved, so you don't have to follow a pattern every stitch.  And it is light and compact enough to carry in my purse.  I'm really enjoying the colors too, and this yarn is heavenly!!!!  This project will move slowly as its purpose is to have a "take along" project when I will be sitting somewhere and need to have my hands busy.

I have a couple of new projects in waiting.... all of them pretty involved and requiring some concentration and skills that I may not yet have :)  I need to decide on which one gets to be next, and get it started.

My husband gifted me with all the materials for my 100 Diamonds shawl for my birthday.  (Isn't he a pretty awesome guy?!?!  Yup, he certainly is :*D)  Ooo-la-la!!!!  I love this shawl!!!  So elegant and delicate.  And I'm very happy with the color yarn I chose...Raspberry - Yum!!!

I also decided to add the beads to this project.  It calls for one tiny little 3mm Swarovski crystal bead in the center of each diamond intersection.  Ya know I just love that bling, right???  I was too chicken to try them with my Cloud Illusions shawl LOL!!!  But I think I may be ready now, and I'm in love with the idea of how they will sparkle ever so gently on this delicate shawl.  Yes, I do believe I am waxing poetic!!!

I was shocked when they arrived - sooooooo tiny!!!!  And I had to order a special crochet hook for attaching them.  You can get an idea of the miniature sizes of the beads and hook by the toothpick added to this picture....

And by the way, I found a wonderful supplier for Addi needles and hooks - addi Needle Shop .  They have any Addi needle you might want and free shipping in the US!  I found the crochet hook I needed - the price was less than Amazon's, it included a protective cap, and there was no shipping!  They were very friendly, and they shipped quick.  I couldn't have asked for anything more!

But I think I will wait just a little longer until I have a little more experience under my belt before I make this special shawl.  I want it to be glorious!!!!  Well, I want it to look like Sachiko's flawless shawls, but that's not going to happen LOL!!!  This is a chart pattern which I've never done before, so I think I may find a simple chart pattern on Ravelry and practice that first.  Plus, I really want my knitting to be even and smooth on this shawl, because it will really show up if its not.  You can only get that from practice, practice, practice!!!!

So the project I think I'm going to start next has been waiting in the wings for a while now, almost since I started knitting again.  It is the Neck Down Swing Coat.....perfect with winter on the way!  Of course, it may be next winter before I finish it LOL!!!

I got the pattern and that wonderful hand-dyed worsted yarn at Knaughty Knitter - don't you just LOVE that yarn!!!!  I believe Meredith (shop owner) dyed that herself :)  I've put off starting this project because I am terribly nervous about successfully knitting a garment that will actually fit me!  I've never done anything but shawls and socks, so this is a new animal altogether :*)

To help in this learning process, I signed up for a Craftsy class - Knit Lab - Fit Your Knits....

I'll keep you posted on how the class goes and whether I am able to make any progress on this Swing Coat!

In the meantime, I will be putting yarn on the needles for another pair of socks to relax with in the evenings while watching my taped shows....

I've promised my daughter a pair of purple socks, and I just loved the colorplay in this yarn.  I wanted to try out the Kroy socks yarn to see how I like it.  There are a lot of colors that I like, but it is more expensive than some other sock yarns at Joann's, so I had been passing it up.  I was able to use coupons to get these relatively inexpensively.  I like that this yarn is mostly wool and it has a really nice soft feel to it.  I think my daughter will enjoy these! =^..^=

I'm linking up with Judy's On The Needles linky party at Patchwork Times - come see!!!

Have a wonderful & creative weekend my friends!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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What I'm Up to....

Since I finished the quilting marathon with Moonglow, I've been trying to tie up a few loose ends in the sewing studio.  And I have been busy in the evenings with my knitting needles.  First off, I finished up Dreambird!

I decided to finish it off with only 15 feathers, rather than the 21 called for in the pattern.  I'm a small-size person (except around the middle LOL!!!), and I felt that too many feathers would just overwhelm me.  I'm very happy with the size and how it turned out!  A huge THANKS to Judy & Denise for hostessing the Knit-along to encourage those of us who might not have started this project otherwise :*D  I can definitely see me making this shawl again someday - it was a truly fun project with just enough challenge, but still easily make-able once you got the hang of it.

On my needles right now are two pretty easy projects.  First, here is my progress on Wingspan....

Not a whole lot more done since my last picture, but this is my "to go" knitting project, so it hasn't come out a lot lately.  But I'm pretty sure I'm going to LOVE IT when I'm done :*D

Next, I've started my third pair of socks - again using the "Toe-up, Two-at-a-time, Magic Loop" method that I really enjoyed with my second pair.  The yarn is Serenity Sock Weight in the Surf colorway...

Can you believe I started these socks last Sunday, and I already have them past the heel????

Photo taken last night

They've been a very relaxing project for TV watching in the evenings.  We're going to be doing a little day travel this weekend, so I expect to get these done pretty quickly - don't blink or you'll miss the finish LOL!!!  I'm just doing a "plain jane" stockinette stitch for the leg sections.

Don't you just love this "Eye of the Partridge" design on the heel?  I do!!!

This pattern incorporates what they call a "faux" heel - which means that you don't knit a heel flap and then pick up stitches to attach it to the rest of the sock like in usual sock patterns.  I don't really know how to explain it very well.  You still use short rows but you attach the flap by way of knitting back to your other heel stitches - you don't go into the sides and pick up stitches there.  Sorry if that doesn't make any sense.  If you're interested, go HERE to download the pattern and try it - its free on Ravelry, quick and fun, and really easy!

For my next big knitting project, I must confess I bought yarn!!!!  It will be a birthday present :*)  I love the 100 Diamonds Shawl that is designed by Sachiko Uemura, one of the most amazing knitters I have ever seen!  Her work is flawless!!!!  I'm not sure if it is okay to post pictures of other knitters' projects from Ravelry  even with the proper credits, so I'll just provide a couple of links here for you to go look if you like - both of these are just gorgeous!!!

Purple version - http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/100-diamonds
Newest Caffeine version - http://www.ravelry.com/projects/knittimo/100-diamonds-3

Of course, my knitting will not come close to Sachiko's perfection, but I can't wait to make one of these elegant shawls!  I ordered my yarn from Knit Purl because I wanted to use the same exact type of yarn = Shibui Silk Cloud - mine will be in this luscious Raspberry colorway....

Isn't that just a gorgeous color?

(There will be crystal beads too!  BLING!!!)

I also ordered the Addi Lace needles for this project.  Sachiko mentions that working with this yarn can be "fiddly," and lace-work can be fiddly enough for me all on its own, so I decided to get the best tools for the job.  I used Addi needles on my Dreambird project and loved them - nice sharp points and the yarn slides along nicely without losing control and dropping stitches.  Knit Purl describes the Addi Lace needles this way - "smooth needles with defined points for knitters who need a little more control over fine yarns than the traditional Addi TURBO needles"  I decided they're worth the extra expense for this special project.  I'll keep you posted on my progress, of course :*)

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On the "quilty" side, I have been busy playing with Terri Stegmiller's Paws in the Garden pattern and having a ball!

I've already prepped pieces to make two different projects but I don't really have much to share yet.  I've chosen fabrics, traced and cut out the fusible pieces so far, that's it :(

I will give you one hint though - one of the projects will be done in wools!!!

And I want to show you my oh-so-lovely winnings from a giveaway recently by my friend Lesley at The Cuddle Quilter.  If you haven't visited Lesley - you need to go NOW!!!  I just love her blog :*D  Lesley was celebrating her two-year Blogiversary and she decided to offer a giveaway.  My name was pulled for a gift certificate to Christa Quilts - one of my favorite on-line fabric shops - YIPPEE!!!!  This is the fun bounty I scored from Christa's sale section....

3 yards of that luscious batik on the left and 1 yard of the happy lime Christmas print in the middle.
And Christa includes a mystery fat quarter if you order over $25 - how could she know how much I love text prints?

 A closer look at the batik...YUM!!!!

Thanks Lesley!  And Happy Blogiversary!!!!  I'm so glad you decided to start a blog so all of us could follow along and get to know you - such a bloggy treasure!!!!

And lest I run out of things to work on - it could happen!!!!! - I signed up for this too-cute BOM at Shabby Fabrics....  Berties Year Club at Shabby Fabrics.....

Photo courtesy of Shabby Fabrics

The applique pieces will arrive at my doorstep already laser cut - woohoo!!!!  And I know I don't have to tell you that I am a true sucker for small quilts that I can change out every month for a new one :*)  I love the simplicity of these designs - they shouldn't take very long to make at all!  And the borders really add something special to each quilt.  I'll be eagerly looking forward to this package from Shabby Fabrics every month!

Linking up with On the Needles at Patchwork Times!

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend!!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Dreambird - On the Needles 10-4-13

All of my knitting projects seem to be taking "Wing" LOL!!!

Dreambird is slowly but surely taking shape - I now have 13 of the 21 feathers done!!!

Joanne has been much more industrious at the needles than I have - as usual LOL!!!  She actually has 17 feathers done now, although this picture was taken at only 16....

I've also begun a new project, Wingspan, so I can have a quick, pick-up-and-go project that requires very little thought for guild meetings, doctor offices, etc.  Dreambird is NOT that type of project LOL!!!

If you look at the upper left area, you can see where I'm just starting the second section.  This is a super easy pattern and I love the striations from the combination of this pattern and yarn together!  It actually has more color variations than I realized just looking at the ball of yarn.

The yarn is soft, light, and fluffy, a pleasant change from the prickly Noro sock yarn used in Dreambird.  The bright warm colors are also a nice change from all the cool aquas and purples I've been working with lately :*D

So what's on your needles?

See all the fun projects being shared at Judy's Patchwork Times today!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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