Hot off the grill

Boy is it hot today! I know it was just the other day I was grumbling about how wet, gray and cold it was - in typical Midwest weather fashion it has instantly turned to hazy, hot and humid. I did get a couple of things done though. First - my Zombie BBQ socks in the RPM pattern.





Don't those raised parts look like grill marks? Love this yarn and the pattern and I will use both again. Also, I am pondering the absurdity of finishing wool socks on a day where the heat index is over 100 degrees. Oh well I'm ahead on my winter knitting -right?

The Wonky Butterfly quilt is winging its way to Columbus. Boy I'm happy to have that project finished. And the giveaway winners' prizes are being mailed today. I wanted to add a little something extra and picked up the extras last night.

At my quilt guild meeting Monday night the speaker was "the gadget lady" - unfortunately my little pea brain has already forgotten her name - sheesh. But anyway she brought lots of goodies for us to purchase and I snagged this new Jaybird quilt pattern titled Hugs and Kisses.



and here are some of the blocks I've made. Instead of using just 3 strips 2 1/2 inches wide. I sewed together several strips of different widths.



These strips are leftovers from several log cabin and pineapple block quilts I've done using novelty and bright fabrics. I figure this can be another almost free quilt using fabrics I already own. I haven't decided on the background fabric that will fill the diamonds, maybe something white with lots of colored dots or speckles.

Well I'm going to hunker down in my basement sewing room where the temps are cool and the sewing machine will be hot - happy stitching!

carol fun

Friday Frivolities

There are other projects I should be attending to - the 40 or so more butterfly blocks I need to make, the laundry, vacuuming the carpet, you get the idea, but instead I have engaged in frenetic new sock knitting! Yes not one, not two but three new socks have been started - someone should hide my extra circular needles! Here they are displayed on my new sock blockers --



The top one is a Gale's Art yarn called Crayon Box and the pattern is Charade.

In the middle spot is that brand new Lorna's Laces ,Zombie BBQ, I got the other day and the pattern is rpm I found a great little modification that allows you to knit this in a continuous spiral of K6, P3 with no shifting of the beginning of the row-- genius! Not me, the lady who figured this out. I keep seeing little pimento stuffed olives as I knit this one up.

And at the bottom is Fiber Optics Yarn called Tequila Sunrise. It has cashmere in it and feels sooooooo good. The pattern is Pyroclastic.

If you click on the links to the patterns you will see that these are all free downloads and all came from Ravelry.com. Love that site. I just love seeing how the patterns and the coloring of the yarns play out as you knit them up. It is quite habit forming.

Since the sun has come out 2 days in a row-- a record here in this April in Ohio - I dragged a quilt out to take some pictures. This is another giant Schnibbles pattern called Bennington. I call mine "Bowties from Down the Street" since the street I live on is right off of the street in my neighborhood called Bennington.



The fabric is the Hoopla line from Moda. I loved all the bright colors - lime green, purple, red, hot pink, orange and yellow - and the cute motifs - cherries, tulips and polka dots. This is one happy quilt!



Tomorrow is suppose to be sunny too - OMG, 3 days in a row, I hope I can handle it. My garden is soooo green but soooo soggy. I'd like to plant a few new annuals and perennials but I think I'll wait another week or so. Around here it they always say to wait till Mother's Day to plant annuals and I did jump the gun one year and was rewarded with limp and slimy coleus for my enthusiasm.

Hope your weekend is sunny and bright and that you have time to be crafty- Happy stitching!
carol fun

Where does the time go?

Saturday? How did it get to be Saturday already? Well the week flew by and I did get a few things finished up. That's a good feeling. It was definitely a knitty week. I got the mate made for two pairs of socks - now they're not lonely anymore - LOL!



First is this pair- the pattern is Embossed Leaves and the yarn is some I dyed myself. The base yarn is from Knitpicks and it gives a nice stitch definition.



And there is this pair - the pattern is a simple K3,P2 rib and the yarn is Blue Moon Socks That Rock. I love the wild colors and I love how it pools (yes I know that annoys most knitters but not me, I search out yarns that will pool - I'm crazy that way - LOL) The name of this colorway is Cattywampus - dontcha love that name? I just ordered two more skeins from them - Crabby McCrabbypants and Count Cluckula. I'm not sure which grabs me more the colors or the names. (Another thought - I think it would be great to have a job naming colors of paint, yarn, threads, etc. It appeals to the English major in me that I didn't pursue in college - oh well.)

In the quilting side of life, I just got this quilt out and threw it over my stitching chair.




The fabric is an older collection by Chez Moi from Moda. I found the pattern in a magazine as I remember, and I sketched it out and went home and figured out how to make it with a jelly roll.


My long arm quilter did a great job with this one. I love all over designs done in variegated threads.

Check back tomorrow and I'll show you another primitive doll I made. Little Elphaba is going to live at Stephie's house which makes me very happy. And I'll take some pics of the 22.5 Degree shawl I finished - perfect timing since we had some snow flurries last night - brrrr! I'll need a warm scarf or two or three - so much cool yarn just waiting to be knitted!

Happy stitching -

carol fun