Socks on a train - Complete

A little later than planned but the socks on a train (where they were knitted rather than the pattern name) are finished.

They were knitted in Fyberspates Coop Knits Sock Yeah DK following the afterthought heel technique by www.theknitgirllls.com with an honourable mention to Just One More Row for her YouTube video showing how to avoid a hole when knitting the heel.

12 Things in 2019

Judy of Patchwork Times and her friend Denise of Just Quiltin have come up with a plan to complete 12 items in 2019, they are aiming to complete 12 sweaters. I am going to join in with this attempt (challenge?) as the 12 Things don't have to be sweaters but any craft item and I definitely have 12 on my list.

My 12 Things (I like capitalising the word Things) are, in no particular order:

1. Highland cushions (sewing)
2. Xmas quilt 1 (sewing)
3. Xmas quilt 2 (sewing)
4. Hue Shift Afghan (knitting)
5. Colourwork stocking (knitting) 
6. CBTL (crochet)
7. Floozy cardigan (knitting)
8. Keep It Simple Shawl (knitting)
9. Hat (knitting)
10. Cat quilt (sewing)
11. Scheepjes Shrug (crochet)
12. Sparkle Punch Quilt (sewing)

I'm hoping this will help me get through my stash, maybe use it faster than I buy it! I will also be working on a hand pieced quilt, there will be more on that as I work on it, but it will definitely not be finished in 2019 so it's not on the list.

This is a relaxed challenge, there is no need to complete an item a month or to tackle the items in a particular order. If you like to join in the details and sign up can be found HERE. Although I have left this a little last minute and sign ups close on 30 Dec.

January Progress

Socks on a train

I've decided to knit a gift for my boyfriend, who I live with. As he's the kind of person who notices I can only knit them when we aren't spending time together, in the house this is when the Walking Dead is on and the odd Friday evening when he is gaming. Considering how long my last pair of socks took this is not enough time. So I've taken to knitting when out of the house...

... mainly during my commute to work...

...by train...

...seems to be working okay. They aren't growing that fast due to having to stand on the homebound train and not always being fully awake on the train to work.

FNSI Results - November

Third Friday of the month meant FNSI and I had definite plans for it (and for once they were actually followed!).

During the afternoon I got some work done on the secret socks...

I'm definitely a convert to Socks Yeah yarn, great colours and works up beautifully.

Then I bit the bullet and set up my new sewing machine, the Janome 1600PQC. It's mainly meant for use with my sewing frame but I can't put that up at the moment.

The machine is an absolute beast, took ages to thread up (still can't figure the auto needle threader) and even on slow it sees amazingly fast.

First up some practice and checking there was no residual oil.

If you look closely you might be able to see the stitching, I practiced some stars as I was to use them on a couple of upcoming quilts.

And then on to the main event...

Using the monster machine to free motion quilting the monster quilt. Hard to show but got a good chunk done.

If you missed this Friday's FNSI there is a bonus second FNSI next Friday.

Secret Socks

For the first time in ages I've decided to make Xmas presents for various people. So far I haven't been able to share anything on here in case a recipient sees them. My latest item, a pair of socks, I can share, my problem now is I'm having to knit themthe secret as it's for my boyfriend.

Socks on a train

Socks on a bus

Luckily there's also his work Xmas party night and I have a night away, along with a few other opportunities so they should get finished.

For information the yarn is Fyberspates Coop Knits Sock Yeah in DK, lovely to work with and makes a lovely fabric.

Dragon Quilt Finished

I have finally finished the dragon jelly roll race quilt.

And by basting more carefully and more thoroughly I seem to have avoided too many pleats on the back.

Not that you can or can't see them from this photo!

The quilt was made with a Lewis and Irene Dragons jelly roll. The binding is some random red spotted fabric that my friend spotted which goes well considering the tiny scraps of fabric I had to coordinate it with.

Now to get it in the post.

Pride leads to an upside down block!

I've decided to make another quilt ( for my friend's new son not just because...I'm not a quick enough quilter for just because quilts) and after a long search for the right fabric (Stellar Baby by Moda) I remembered a nice simple layer cake pattern from Missouri Star Quilting Company. I've used the Double Slice Layer Cake blocks for a couple of other baby quilts and they give a pleasing random design while showing off the fabrics. I also remembered them as being quick and easy to put together.

So off I went...

...And then found out my phone has eaten my sewing in progress photo...

Nonetheless chain piecing went well. I knew the next steps so went ahead and sewed more pieces together. Thinking the only difficulty was maintaining randomness. I was wrong...

...Another eaten photo...

My favourite blocks were the wrong way round. Time for a bit of resewing and the slowly growing feeling this quilt is going to be a problem.

Hopefully all the snags have been worked out and I'll be able to complete this quilt smoothly from here.

Postcards from Sweden

Not the quilt. My boyfriend and I have just come back from a four day break in Stockholm and it was amazing.

Day One - Wandering around Stockholm

Day 2 - Royal Park and museums

Day 2 again - The Warship Vasa, the main reason for our visit

Day 3 - The National museum and Kannebulle

Day 4 - Wandering around Stockholm, History Museum and Princesstarte

We packed a lot into our visit - four museums, three restaurants, two bars and about 40km of walking. A lovely city I would happily visit again.

A bit of this and that

A very productive Friday night, for once I didn't fall asleep while knitting ( I have actually knitted while asleep - not a great success). Unfortunately two of the items I worked on are to be gifts, so there are some obscure photos coming up.

Firstly I finally got the quilting done on what I'd planned to be a quick project.

I've used my "in the ditch" foot for the first time and it seems to have worked. (Bought it as I'm not great at following lines, then when looking for something else I found that I'd had one all the time I've had the machine). I also basted the quilt within an inch of its life, so hopefully no pleats.

I also machined the binding, hand stitching awaits.

Another block of the Sparkle Punch Quilt was constructed; another seven to go. This quilt is still really pleasing to put together and thanks to some inspiration from an upcoming baby quilt I now know how I want to quilt this (I think!).

And finally I even managed a bit of knitting while catching up with last week's TV.

Quilting with rulers

A couple of years ago (at least) I treated myself to a Westerlee arc ruler and associated foot with the intention of using it on my quilts. 

Unfortunately the intention never became reality, I wasn't brave enough to try the ruler and was even considering getting rid of it. Then I saw some posts by Sue Moore (Sue's Stitch by Stitch) who is an accredited Westerlee tutor, so I bit the bullet and booked a course.

And I'm really glad I did. The ruler does take a bit of brain power to use but it's not impossible and I quickly learnt how to do some very pleasing quilting.

From this...

...which was useful for both learning the technique and setting my machine up.

Via this...

...to this...

All done using the one ruler and foot during a five hour course. I now need to continue practicing but there is no question of getting rid of the ruler, in fact I think I'll be buying more.

New sewing experience - curtains

I have watched my mum make several pairs of curtains over the years, but I never attempted to make them myself as I could always find what I needed (and was willing to pay for) in ready made curtains.

Being strictly truthful I have still not made a pair of curtains from scratch. But for our recently decorated dining room the only curtains we could find that we liked were as wide as we needed them long and vice versa ( in effect too long and too short but just right if rotated 90 degrees. They also had the wrong type of heading tape but this was a minor issue.  So I decided to take the plunge and modify the curtains to fit our window.

From this...

To this...

I would love to say it was a quick job, but there was a full day of head scratching to figure it out and then several days of hand sewing the sides. Sewing on pleated heading tape was easy - which was nice.

I'm pleased with the end result, a little extra pressing and some re-stock good may be needed but that's fine. I'm not entirely sure if modify curtains again (unless it was just swapping heading tape) but it hasn't put me off eventually making a set of curtains from scratch.

Little projects

After the epic knitting marathon which was the RBTL I have decided to focus on some smaller, quicker to finish knitting projects.

The first of these was another Aran square for my mum's blanket...

After which I started on a Xmas gift...

...can't really show much but the yarn is lovely to work with.

Each of these has taken no more than two weeks to finish (knitted mostly in the evenings watching TV) and I'm enjoying the much quicker gratification.

Of course I have the yarn for a number of larger projects stashed away once I feel in need of another epic knit.

And just to make sure I don't run out of big projects I've bought myself some yarn to make a Floozy cardigan by Libby Johnson.

I am intentionally delaying this one as I am in the process of losing weight and don't want the finished cardigan not to fit.  The fact that I have to hand wind all six skeins of yarn helps with the delay!

Success

After some serious unpicking and careful basting I've managed to finish the baby quilt which caused me problems.

This time it's just expectedly crinkly.

I tend to quilt my quilts with the same thread on top and bottom. This time my friend kindly lent me some orange thread which coordinated perfectly with the backing fabric. I really like how it looks and will definitely use different threads on top and bottom in future.

All in all I really like how this quilt has worked out and now it's ready to go to it's new owner.

West Country Quilting Show - it'd have been rude not to!

I know I've only just been to the Festival of Quilts, but what's a girl to do when there is a quilting show only a short walk from work?

Of course my friend and I paid it an afternoon visit. Though saying "of course" I have been working near it for the past three years and this is the first time either of us have been.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect but I was pleasantly pleased. Lots of artists and groups, international and local, exhibiting. A small (compared to the FoQ) quilt competition and several stalls.

Memories of New Zealand - Jo Gallaway

Cape Town and Sardines by Gillian Travis

Chinese Decorated Fabrics with close up

I also photographed a small sample of the competition quilts...

...unfortunately due to not understanding the linkage between Google photos and my camera gallery I have deleted the names of the quilts and their makers. If anyone can provide me with the details I will update the pictures.

I read the description for the zig zag quilt, which included (I thought) the statement that one of the stripes were green. Whilst having a close look at the quilting (each line is quilted individually) I tried to work out which stripe was green. Admitting defeat, and wondering whether green-grey colour blindness was a thing I stepped back and saw my mistake (and a laughing friend)!

I enjoyed this show on many levels - lots of exhibitors, the opportunity to meet local craft groups, a few of the big stalls and lots of more local stalls that you wouldn't see at FoQ.

And the added bonus was that I got a good deal on a sewing machine I had decided to buy prior to the show...more about that when it arrives.

No rest for the knitted...

...or for those who have a huge queue of knitting projects to do.

RBTL is finished but I'm straight on to the next project.

This is another which has been a WIP for a good while. But it is quick to knit, even if it's taken me a little while to get used to the aran yarn.

The square is from this book. I'm not knitting every square in the book. The eventual Afghan is for my mum and she has chosen 10 designs she likes, we've split them between us and we're going to knit each one in three shades of blue.

They are knitted in Aran from New Lanark Wool. The colour is beautiful, the dark blue has threads of lots of other colours in it, almost jewel like.

My plan is to alternate each square with other small knitting projects, such as a single sock, to stop it becoming another epic knit.

Ely Cathedral

Whilst at Festival of Quilts I saw a couple of beautiful quilts which reminded me I'd forgotten to share the pictures from a recent (ish) visit to Ely Cathedral.

First the quilts:

Memorial, Ely Cathedral - Magenta Kang

Ely Cathedral - Magenta Kang

I've only just realised they were made by the same person. Interesting concept making two quilts on the same subject, guess you could do similar with different colourways of the same quilt design...my brain is whirring!

Anyway back to the photos. We visited Ely in May right at the start of the amazing hot and sunny spell we've recently enjoyed.  I didn't know what to expect but the cathedral was beautiful...

Definitely worth a visit if you're ever in the area.