....in which I get to use the word "antimacassar"....

 I think Spring is just around the corner! I don't go by the groundhog to tell me so...I can tell by the fact that my husband has planted some seeds in the indoor greenhouse, lol. Hopefully we'll have an abundance of colour in the garden this year. Last Summer was a bit of a bust but we've learned our lesson...so I'm crossing my fingers. 

It's a bright beautiful start to the day, so I'll be heading out to the trail for a bit of a run shortly. We haven't run the trail in quite a while since we don't have appropriate footwear for slippery and snowy conditions. 

Still, it feels like a nice day to sit and knit for a bit. I am going to finish up these socks this week. They've been pushed aside for a while now, but I'm needing those needles for something else.

The pattern for my socks is the Hermione pattern and I quite like it. It's pretty and it's easy...good for knitting while the tv is on. This was yarn that I dyed myself using kitchen spices....dry mustard, paprika, chili powder, and of course turmeric. I tried to set the colour with vinegar, but I don't know if I did it properly or if the colours will fade. That's ok if it does, it was just a fun experiment!

 I have joined an international sock swap through social media. I think most of the people involved are from countries such as Norway and Finland. I'm a bit torn on which socks to make but I'm leaning toward using a yarn from a Canadian dyer, and a pattern from a Canadian designer, since my secret sock partner is from Finland. 

This past week was filled with hand-work of some kind or another. I completed my Siddi/Kawandi quilt that was started a week ago through an online workshop with Sujata Shah. This project couldn't linger on and on because I needed the space back on which I had set this project up....and for the fact that I did not want this to become another UFO!

Of course, I couldn't resist doing a bit of fussy-cutting here and there. I also enjoyed using a bit of dupioni silk to give the quilt a bit of bling. I'm going to watch out for neckties in thrift shops as I think they will be a perfect fabric for a future Siddi quilt. 

I love that it is the perfect size to be a new antimacassar. Antimacassar is one of my favourite words...do you have any favourite words?? 

One thing about this technique is that the finish line only gets faster as you work on the piece since you are working from the outside in!

Finally...if any of you wonder if people actually win on Instagram contests....yes, they do! 

This week I won a prize from Windham Fabrics and designer Tamara Kate!

It's even better than that. In the contest we were to "tag" a friend, which I did....so we both one an Aerial fabric bundle and our choices of  a pattern by Tamara Kate. 

The fabrics are soooo pretty...and I'll take them as a sign of Spring, too!

That's all for now. Of course, as always on a Sunday, I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching

Stitching and knitting...

It's been a while since I've posted....this is always such a busy time of year for longarm quilters!

I've also been out of touch due to a severe lack of sleep, but I think I've got this managed (I hope!).

Last time I posted that I needed to get two doll quilts done for Christmas. You can read about it HERE.

I ended up switching things up and taking a much easier route to getting these made up. I took the Naive Melody quilt that I had been working on and used it for the two doll quilts.

The doll quilts are completed and ready for wrapping.

I've also finished my Snowflake quilt, and it will be a Christmas gift also. 

My goal for the new year is to be motivated by my friend Terry....she decided not to start any new projects all these months of being stuck at home due to Covid....she's managed to get a lot of progress done on finishing up UFO's. Part of me is chuckling at myself at the thought of sticking to this....but I'll try.

I have got a few knitting projects planned for the new year, so they won't count as they are already in the queue! 

This month I've put my applique aside so that I can take part in a knit-along with knitting gurus, Arne and Carlos. They came up with a Christmas Advent KAL of their Christmas balls. Everyday they have a fun little YouTube video about each ball. 

Here are a couple of pictures of the balls I've knitted so far...

I knew I'd been doing something incorrect in my increasing and decreasing technique with the balls. The pictures I've seen on Instagram are much smoother. I did a bit of research and found out what I was doing wrong...so the balls from here on out should be a little bit improved!

I always tell quilters that are just starting out and a bit dejected when comparing their work to seasoned quilters that they need to allow themselves to be beginners....we were all there at some point. So, that's how I look at the progress of my knitted Christmas balls...I've allowed myself to be a beginner...I won't discard the balls I've made so far, I will take note of my improvement instead. 

As a friend (SS) commented to me....isn't it fun to learn?....and, yes, it is!

Also, Arne and Carlos were correct...knitting these balls can be addictive! Lots of fun with a new Christmas ball pattern each day.

I'm pretty happy with my Christmas socks...

....but instead of wearing them I've hung them on the mantel and they look great!

I had thought to get a new ornament to remember 2020 by (but really, will we ever forget?). I'm glad I held off, as I received this ornament on Saturday (Dofasco gifts employees/retirees with a nutcracker each year)...

That's all for now. I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching. I think I'll take a look at what every one is stitching on as I finish up the binding on my Snowflake quilt, and knit on today's Christmas ball. Also, thanks go to Gail, aka The Cozy Quilter, for giving me a friendly kick in the butt :)

What the heck???

I've been sewing a bit here and there on my Snowflake quilt as it is my One Monthly Goal for October, to have the top completed.

It's a pretty easy pattern and is going together rather quickly. It's put together in panels of squares and HSTs...

 Here was the the first row of panels up on the design wall...

...and here are a few of that row's panels sewn together...so far, so good...

Last year at a retreat I learned a method of taking all of the pieces of the panel to the sewing machine in one, nice organised pile to sew together. It was similar to what I've previously done, with a wonderful tweak. 

On to the second row of panels...

This is when I say, "What the heck???" (although I may have actually said something else, lol)

Something is just not right! How on earth did I do that???

I guess at some point in the sewing-together method my little pile of squares and HSTs got turned around somehow. It's too big a mistake to ignore....so a date with the seam ripper is in the cards today.

Something new I wanted to try the other day was dyeing a skein of yarn.

I soaked the yarn in some water and a bit of vinegar like I saw on YouTube. I wanted to try the method using the little Kool-aid packets for dye.

I went into my small town where we do have 2 grocery stores...no Kool-aid to be found. I haven't looked for it for probably 2 decades, so I don't even know if you can buy it any more.

I looked for food dye....both stores don't carry it.

I was a little peeved because I had already started the process by soaking my yarn. I don't know how it came to me, but I decided to use some spices I have in the house...I remember the first time I did something with turmeric and had yellow hands for a couple of days!...so why not!

I used turmeric, dry mustard, paprika, and powdered bay leaf. Coincidentally I was cooking beets in the Instant Pot that day and saved some beet water to use also, which is what you see in this picture...

After the yarn was dry, I did find that I had food dye tucked way back in the corner of my baking cupboard, so I wet the yarn again and sprinkled a bit of the red dye randomly.

Here is my result, I'm quite happy with it. I'll let it dry even longer before I wind it into a ball...it feels dry, but I want to be sure...

I want to start knitting with it right away, but there are Christmas gifts that need to be knitted first.

I did do some knitting this week. I've had a pattern for Mermaid socks for a while now and finally had to try it. I finished the first sock this morning...

I really like the picot edge, and I like the stitch that is used. I'm really going to like the asymmetry of the pair of socks. 

I used a yarn by West Highland Spinners which I've never used before....I liked it so much that I've gone online and ordered some more!

I will share with you that this has been a particularly difficult week. I'm sure I'm not alone in this....feeling like it's a bit hard to cope after all these months of Covid. 

Yesterday I took some time to get out into nature for a nice long walk. Man, did that ever improve my mood! I encourage anyone who is feeling blue, weepy, anxious, to get some fresh air....it really does work wonders. Even if it means just sitting outside on your front stoop. 

Mother Nature makes good medicine!

Today I am linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

One Monthly Goal - September

 I've been writing a list of my UFO's....and there are soooo many.

I think I'll try knocking one off the list every month (or two months if that particular quilt needs a lot of work).

This month my goal is to complete the Farm Life Vintage quilt top.

I think it needs three borders, maybe four, one of them being a border of flying geese....like the ones to the left of the picture. 

This quilt has been taken way too long to be a real quilt, so I look forward to having it completed. 

Another thing I'd like done is three hats made of these balls of yarn...

I am just finishing some knitted socks. Normally socks don't take too long to finish, but this pair has been so uninspiring. I'm almost to the ribbing of the second sock, so finally almost done. They also happen to be the biggest pair of socks I've ever made, on a 2mm needle (small!), so that has helped in dragging these out so long. I'll be glad to see the end of them!

My goal this year is for everyone in the family to have a knitted item for Christmas. Luckily the hats will knit up quickly. Only a few more after these ones, and one to knit in secret, and perhaps one more pair of socks, and I'm good.

I wasn't going to show the pair of socks that I'm working, but oh well, why not. The colour is called Hamburger and the one good thing is that they are turning out to be almost identical twins...not bad! I like doing the toe-up method, but I'm not a fan of how this particular heel looks. It's the first time I've done a Fleegle heel and despite not liking the look of it, I did like the knitting of it. 

Edited to add: Now, after a bit more knitting, they are finally complete! Yay!!! On to the next pair...or one of the hats.

I am linking up with Elm Street Quilts for One Monthly Goal

Sunday stitching...

My slow stitches have been a bit different lately. Instead of doing my regular daily applique I've gone back to a hobby from many years ago for me...knitting.

I was talking to a knitter lately, saying that I'm a bit torn between knitting and working on current applique projects. She replied that I should give myself grace and work on whatever pleases me at the moment....so I'm knitting.

To make it "ok" in my mind, I'm knitting Christmas presents for this year. By December my Christmas "shopping" should be done!

Today I finished the second sock of this pair...

I just have to close up the toe with the Kitchener stitch, which I'll do later today.

Yesterday was International Quilt Day...or Quilting Day???...not sure which, but I did my part and hung a quilt outside...

It was easy to pick which quilt to hang....the one that fit between the existing hooks on the porch won the honour. This is one of the first quilts I appliqued, I think....and it's now 20 years old!...

I'm pretty sure this was a Robert Callahan pattern offered in installments in McCall's Quilting magazine. It may have even been a mystery quilt, I can't remember.

I do like taking part in mystery quilt sewalongs. And I was tempted to begin another by Kathy at Kathy's Quilts...such an enabler! You can see her post HERE. It is a mystery offered by Edyta Sitar at Laundry Basket Quilts. 

It's still early and it won't take much time to catch up if you'd like to join in. You can read about it at Edyta's blog in this post HERE.

I did do the first two days and will do today's section later today. There will be 100 blocks to do over the fifteen days. It's not 100 different blocks....for instance, on Day 1 we made 4 of the same blocks which will be the four corners of the quilt.

I will be putting a quarter of my blocks up on the design wall as we go along. Here is the design wall after Day 2, yesterday....

I am using an assortment of 30's prints since I have a nice big bin of them.

That's all for today....stay safe everyone, and try to get out in the sunshine for a bit of Vitamin D...but in a safe way!

I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching. Visit her post and take some nice quiet time to see what other stitchers are up to today.