Knitting....

I decided it was time for a new project. I confess, I have restarted this one at least 8 times (probably closer to 10 or 12) in the last year. I kept having issues with one stitch and kept doing it wrong. The other issue is 2 little ones getting into my sewing room and 'playing' with it..... isn't it fun to take the knitting needles out of the yarn Mommy? I finally figured the stitch out... and then let the project sit until this summer. Of course, I got to that point while sitting at JFK in June and completely forgot how to do the stitch. Tried something and had to take the whole thing out again. At least the stitch is only 20 rows in.. but still, at 162 stitches in a row it is a bit of work.
Yesterday I decided to try it again. I cast on my 162 stitches while the kids were out playing in the rain (before the wind started!) and then did 2 rows while they were napping. My goal is to do 2 rows a day, and maybe I'll get this done in time for her to still be able to wear it! I am doing a size 4T... she is currently 2 and starting to get too tall for the 2T pants and shirts.

The pattern is from the April/May 2010 issue of Country Woman Magazine. The yarn is from Joann's Fabrics - the Spa line and a wonderful feeling bamboo yarn in light purple.

I confess, I have never made a sweater before. I have done a few afghans in the ripple stitch (Mom has 3 and I think I have one) and countless dish cloths, a few scrubbers and one lonely sock half. I have also crocheted bunches of the kitchen towel tops (Mom got sick of buying them back in the 90's and asked me to figure out how to make them... which I did!) and a few crochet baby afghans and one large navy blue one called Michi using this free pattern. I am a self taught crocheter and Mom taught me to knit, pearl, and K2 together when I was a little girl. Anything else, I have learned through reading. I am sure I will be stuck as I go further along, but hopefully I can find a yarn shop down in Florida where I can pop in and ask for help when I get stuck.
Wish me luck

Star Struck top DONE!

Here it is! After the morning I had with the kids - very whiney boy, no fever but he said he 'aches' and is tired? Growing pains? Tired I can understand... he was up twice last night (so was the other one... at different times of course) and didn't settle down until well after 9PM (we put them to bed at 8!)... and was awake around 6AM. A broken lamp bulb... that I didn't see until I was putting them up for naps and then... checking on them 10 minutes later ... it seems that Daddy left the new DVD player for the car trip to Florida in our bedroom that we are currently sharing with Em...... I think I found them before any serious damage was done.

Mop the floors (which really need it).... or sew?

Guess you can tell from the picture at the top of the post what I decided to do! I did vacuum and dust, swept the floors and did 2 loads of laundry... that counts right?

The binding is all set to go for this one too. Just need to piece the back and buy some batting and pins for quilting..... I didn't plan on doing this quilt when I packed and didn't save off the pins or some batting. Oops... well, you can never have too many quilting pins right?

Just needs outer most border...and a Midget Block!

Progress has been made. Just need to put on the outermost border and piece the backing. It is coming together pretty nicely. I do wish I had done this a little more controlled with just blues I think. That would have made a really pretty combo with this quilt pattern. Maybe next time.... I do still have a huge bin of blue scraps waiting for me somewhere in my house in Florida =). I hope to get the borders on tonight, pinned sometime later this week and quilted during naps on Sunday. Well... it's good to have a 'plan' right?


Yesterday I took the kids to our family's camp on the lake to visit with Grammy and Grandpa. The plan was to stay overnight... but they would not take naps and were not listening so I took them home after dinner. They were not happy, but I think they will nap the next time we go out for a visit. Getting the 3YO to bed at night is a 1+ hour chore lately and the 2YO has been getting up before 6AM..... not a time of the morning my parents tend to be up for.

I got inspired by Angela over at Superscrappy and decided to open the Midget box and did #12 Indian Puzzle. I gave myself permission to continue going a bit out of order so I could get them started again. I need to do #5, #9, #10 and #11 still. Maybe I'll tackle one or two of them the next time I open the box.


What have you been working on?

Star Struck blocks...

This is what I have so far for the star struck quilt. I need 3 more blocks to set this 5x6. Time to go cut up a few lights so I can finish the blocks. I'd like to get the top done this week and quilted sometime next week. Fingers crossed that I can get time to work on this during nap times.

I can now officially say.....

I'm moving from Vermont to Florida sometime next month. Phew..... it has been in the works for a while now (we started thinking of this in January!) but I have been unable to say anything until DH gave his 4 week notice this morning. Does that explain the mention of packing and movers I let slip?
I have 3 projects packed with me at our interim residence - the L&E quilt which became the 'main' one with a person in mind for it; Emily's quilt in the 30's prints and my box for the midget blocks. I've been focusing on the L&E quilt for Miss C and hope to get it done and delivered before we head south. This will be a little something for the young lady who has been watching my kids at the Playspace while I go to the gym and get my workout. She has been there since September 2008 when AT was just 7 months old! The kids just love her and know Mommy is working on a quilt for her. Emily even helped pick out and match up the dark squares for me while I sewed! I just need to get back to working on it... in between doing all the other things associated with moving and starting a new business while having 2 toddlers underfoot.
I've got 116 sewn into patches with the dark triangles sewn on, re sewn for the little HST and all trimmed off and pressed. The light squares are sewn and I am working on the resew for the creation of the little HST's. Then I just need to trim and press and start making my blocks. I do need to make 4 more for the 5x6 block setting for a lap quilt.... then get some fabrics for the borders. I think I'll wait and see what it looks like together before I get the border fabrics. I'm thinking a brown small border and some blue print with a geometric pattern on it for the outside but we'll see.
Will post pics next post, I promise!

Have a great day everyone. I think I'll take the kids to the play ground at my old elementary school for a bit this morning. Tomorrow is Santa's Village in New Hampshire... if the weather cooperates! Think sun and no rain for me!

L&E... becomes the main project ... right now anyway!

I didn't feel like cutting yesterday... I felt like sewing. So....(no pun intended) I pulled the 4.5x2.5 guys and got 116 of them sewn together. Just need to find the iron and an ironing board so I can add the squares to each end for the star struck pieces. Excuse Miss Sophie - the white blob on the side of the picture... she was wanting some attention from me since the kids are down for their naps. They seem to only come out when the kids are not around lately.

I think I'll be in the mood to start cutting out Em's quilt on Sunday. Saturday will be a BBQ for the professional group I am part of at the President's house on a lake. I think my kids will be the only ones there.....so hopefully Aunt D and Uncle D will help me keep them entertained for the afternoon. I have a feeling Em will be in the water up to her ankles picking up rocks and AT will be running around making everyone tired just watching him!

Have a great weekend.

Emily's quilt and a new L&E project

This will be my 'next' project over the next little bit. We will be getting her a new 'big girl' bed in a couple of months so I'd better get moving on her new quilt to fit a twin bed. I had picked out the pattern 'Spring Valley Log Cabin' from the Judy Martin book 'Piece and Play Quilts'. After collecting the 30's prints and some solids I am ready to start cutting this one out. Wish me luck!

Today was packing day.... so to keep out of the way, I took a rubbermaid bucket overflowing with scraps - mostly blue but other colors got in there too - and cut up a bunch of 2.5x4.5 and 2.5 squares in light and dark. I have at least 100 of each size in both light and dark after hours of cutting. I figure that will give me a start with about 20 blocks finishing around 8 inches. Not big enough for a quilt but a start. These will be the leader/ender for Emily's quilt project.... and fitting that it will be a Bonnie Hunter pattern at Quiltville. This will be the star struck and I do have someone in mind for it... lets hope I get some sewing time in over the next few weeks so I can get a good jump on both these projects.

All 12 VQF blocks done.....

I decided to just finish that one without getting the replacement fabric. I decided I can live with it. Heck..... it will be something to look for in the quilt... find the boo boo!

I also did another one Sunday while everyone napped.... after I mowed the lawn. I haven't mowed the lawn for about 4 years I think.... but G lifted Miss Em when we got back from the play ground so she could hit the garage door button to close it and did something to his back.
Here are the final 3 blocks. I just called Maplewood Quilts in Northfield, VT and she has the finishing kit but is waiting for more of the background fabric to arrive. She has my name and cell number so hopefully I can pick that up sometime next week. I haven't been to her actual shop, but I did get some pretty FQ's from her a few years ago at our guild quilt show. I am looking forward to checking out her shop.. without the kids in tow!




I bought a batting for hand quilting for the patriotic 'fireworks' quilt. Someone commented asking if I meant it to look like fireworks going off..... I was unable to go to their blog to leave a comment or e-mail so the answer is - nope... I never noticed that until you pointed it out! Thanks... now I have a name for the quilt. Just need to get it basted for hand quilting. That will be my project for a trip we will be taking next month.

While making the VQF blocks I was able to make these 9 patches from my stash of scraps. I'm trying to figure out what other 'colors' I need to grab so there is a good variety.. I have some purples cut and ready for sewing so will lay it out again when the others are sewn.... I think I have 6 more ready to go.


I'll also start something NEW...... next week as time allows. More about that later...
Have a great week everyone..