Quilting · Right Now...

Right now…

Vicki6 Comments

Anticipating… a few days in the UP (Upper Peninsula) (of Michigan) because we’re…

Celebrating… our 41st wedding anniversary next week! (Sheesh.)

Junah celebrated his golden birthday on Monday!! Can you believe it? They went on a little trip to LEGO Land in Chicago. I’d hoped to see them before they left, then when they returned… but we’re busy & they’re super busy (besides school & homework, think dance classes & wrestling) (Davy’s wrestling!). I think we’ll be able to get together next week. (And I really want to go watch Davy.)

Cooking… I’m cooking a lot more lately because just after Christmas our personal chef drove off with a car full of stuff (and her dog) & temporarily relocated to the Arizona desert.

Excited about… meeting said personal chef in Albuquerque for a long weekend next month as she begins to slowly make her way back to Wisconsin. She’ll be back by early March because that’s when Maddy will be here!!

I have two cousins (sisters) in ABQ, so will also try to meet up with them.

Wondering… if Kai will be excited to see me in Albuquerque! It’ll be interesting — it will be almost two months since they departed and we’ll be in a completely new & random place.

Hoping… just holding on to hope.

Knitting… Since the holiday knitting bonanza is over, I’ve been back to working on a little Sophie-esque scarf — only a few more repeats until I begin the end shaping. Then, I’m…

Looking forward to… getting back to my Farfalle cardigan! Both of those projects will be accompanying me to the UP. I need to pick that back up & get back into the rhythm I was just starting to feel. And, yes, the Family Temperature Blanket is also still awaiting some attention.

Practicing… patience.

Reading: Pages… No Time on My Hands by Grace Snyder. I bought this book in Nebraska & it’ll fit nicely on the shelf with all my other books about pioneer women & the west. This one also happens to be a memoir & quilting features prominently, so it’s ticked a number of boxes.

Reading: Audio… I haven’t “read” an audio book in quite a while, but I have the release of George Saunders’ Vigil noted on my calendar and I cannot wait!

A colorful array of various fabric pieces arranged in rows, showcasing a mix of vibrant patterns and textures.
A collection of fabric strips in various patterns and textures, arranged in vertical stacks on a cutting mat.

Planning/Sewing… I’m not at the sewing part yet, but I had my first quilt class this week. I’m still very much in the planning stage, as in choosing fabrics, and it’s hard! I’m trying to mostly use fabrics that I already have. The quilt uses about 15-17 fat quarters — and I have a lot (by my standards) (though not as many as I did a couple of months ago), most of them randomly collected so I’m trying to find The Thing that pulls it together. The main Things that I’m considering are color, pattern & scale… and it’s hard to focus/decide. It doesn’t help that I’m using mostly Kaffe Fassett fabrics again (because that’s mostly what I have) and so many of them defy categorization… but also he’s all about color & breaking rules & doing what makes you feel good. What makes me feel good? haha. I’m bringing the contenders on the trip & hopefully making my choices for the first block… which we’ll be sewing at the next class.

Thinking… that maybe I just need a good neutral/solid in there somewhere! Yeah, I’m thinking too much. If I really can’t land on a combo myself, I’ll haul it into the shop for some guidance.

Wondering… what’s up with you right now?

Quilting · Unraveled Wednesday / Knit & Read

Unraveled Wednesday

Vicki8 Comments

I’m joining Kat & the Unravelers for Unraveled Wednesday!

KNITTING:

Normally, I’d just share a photo or two of a recently completed project, but today I’m also sharing this image of my Ravelry project page, which shows all the projects completed in 2025, because FIVE OF THE EIGHT weren’t even on my radar until a week before Thanksgiving!

Grid of completed knitting projects including hats, mittens, and shawls displayed on a Ravelry project page.

That Musselburgh Beret for Ginny was just too cute & was quicker to knit than expected, so I had to knit another one for Malina.

A hand-knit purple beret displayed flat, showcasing its circular shape and knitted texture.
  • Ravelry Project Page: Musselburgh Beret II (for Malina) 
  • Pattern: Musselburgh Beret by Ysolda Teague 
  • Yarn: Make.Do Realize Sport in Lavender (OOAK) – from my stash
  • Size: Adult Small
  • Needle: US 3 (3.25 mm)
  • Start to Finish: December 19-22, 2025

And, y’know, if I was knitting something for each of the girls for Christmas, I really felt like I needed to knit something for each of the boys! I already had Ali ask all the kids for their favorite-color-of-the-moment, mainly to know Ginny’s, so at least I had that info for all.

I previously wrote about getting started with Davy’s mittens — I actually knit two pair (one slightly larger than the other) — and was just about at the point of felting. That went pretty well, and I propped them in front of the heat vent in the kitchen to hasten drying.

A collection of four yellow knitted mittens displayed in front of a heat vent on a wooden floor.

As they caught my eye the next morning, I thought to myself… Kai might be interested in those, maybe I should move them.

A pair of yellow knitted mittens with a red ribbed cuff, displayed on a speckled surface.

Famous last words! That little hole could probably be patched — I think I have a felted slipper in the repair pile, too — but not right now.

A pair of yellow mittens with a brown ribbed cuff, displayed on a speckled surface.
Close-up of the knitted cuff of a mitten showing a textured design in various shades of brown and yellow yarn.

Sarah’s blog post, along with a cautionary note about the cuff sizing that she made in a comment, were extremely helpful.

That left Junah to knit for — his favorite color right now is purple (“like crayola marker purple”), so I pulled out all my leftovers (and even some not-leftovers) to knit a hat! It turned out really great, except that it was a tad too small, so I made another one — purple is still the base color, but it didn’t shine as well. Oh well.

A hand-knitted purple hat showcasing a textured pattern, resting on a speckled surface.
Close-up of a hand-knitted hat in shades of purple, yellow, and gray, lying on a patterned surface.
  • Ravelry Project Pages:
    • Snap I (left) (for Junah… but too small, so for the girls & Davy)
    • Snap II (right) (for Junah – it fits!)
  • Pattern: Snap by tincanknits 
  • Yarn: Bits of every purple, adjacent, or complementary sock yarn I could dig up
  • Size: Child Small
  • Needle: US 8 (5.0 mm) & US 11 (8.0 mm)
  • Start to Finish:
    • Snap I – December 26-27, 2025
    • Snap II – December 28-31, 2025
A young boy wearing a knitted hat featuring purple and dark color variations, smiling at the camera indoors.

Handsome dude…

A boy in a black hoodie and sweatpants stands outside a barber shop with a sign featuring a cowboy and barber tools.

You can’t see his very fine fade under that hat, though. I took him to the official? unofficial? barber of the Green Bay Packers, including the head coach, for a New Year’s Eve haircut! Yes, it was a little $$, but look at him! Worth it (maybe not every time, tho… his hair grows fast!).

Anyway, also in the finish column for 2025 — the amazing Hexie Love crocheted blanket that I gave to Addison for graduation, and my first two Hitchhiker shawls!

I continued working on the Family Temperature Blanket — it’s all seamed up, and I’ve begun to knit the border. The first corner was not to my liking, so I tore it out and that’s where we sit. I started a couple other projects & I’ll get back to those as soon as my wrist recovers, because…

QUILTING:

I FINISHED MY QUILT YESTERDAY!!! I sewed (by machine) the binding on at Ann’s a few days ago when I spent the day doing laundry. Yesterday, I folded it around to the front & sewed it on. There was a lot of folding & pressing & pinning & clipping & fiddling… way more “hand work” than I expected. But, it’s DONE & it was on the bed last night.

My 10-week quilting class starts on Tuesday, so I’ll learn how to do it for real!

Uncategorized

Ringing in the new

Vicki7 Comments

Just as last year, the kids were here. And, just as last year, Junah stayed up until midnight Eastern (11 Central) to watch the ball drop on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve — and so did all the other kids!! And then we all (except for Davy, who faded out with just a few minutes left) stayed up until midnight Central to watch the celebration in Chicago, which looked pretty amazing from the drone shots of the river & fireworks from multiple bridges. In the words of Ginny: “Yeah, New York could have done better.”

While we watched, I finished my last knitting project of 2025!

A smiling child wearing a hand-knitted purple and yellow beanie, standing indoors with a snowy landscape visible through the window.
A boy smiling at the camera, wearing a colorful knitted hat pulled down over his eyes, standing in front of a window with snow-covered trees outside.
A hand-knitted hat showcasing a blend of purple, yellow, and gray yarns, resting on a textured surface.

Another SNAP hat for Junah — the first one was just a bit too snug (but will fit the girls). I haven’t blogged about that… stay tuned for the next installment of Unraveled Wednesday!

Today, we just relaxed…

A young child reading 'Charlotte's Web' in a cozy nook surrounded by plants and decorative items.

…this kind of vibe. The kids went home after lunch. I took a nap. It’s been a PJ Day, and I’m just fine with that. I’ll rejoin the rest of the world tomorrow.

Happy New Year!!

Year In Review

12.30: Year In Review

Vicki8 Comments

Here we go again Year In Review!

I do it in words (the first sentence of the first post of each month) and in pictures (a favorite posted photo from each month) — the two are not necessarily related.

January 2025:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Junah & I stayed up until midnight Eastern (11 Central) to watch the ball drop — his first!!

Selfie of two people at the beach, smiling while wearing warm clothing and enjoying a sunny day with the ocean in the background.

Who knew we’d get snowed-in… in Charleston?!!

February 2025:

Right Now… life’s a shit show (pardon my french) in almost every possible way!

A child standing on a glass ledge high above a cityscape, wearing a pink shirt and black gloves, with a view of snow-covered buildings below.

This attitude… can I get it to go?

March 2025:

It’s the first day of the first month that I’m eligible to apply for Social Security (for my desired timeframe)… and I did.

A vibrant bouquet of pink and orange tulips with green leaves, placed in a glass vase on a wooden table.

April 2025:

Much of my free time — everyone’s around here — since mid-February has been spent on cleaning, cleaning out, fixing up, and remodeling an old house (ca. 1880).

A colorful, striped textile piece laid out on wooden flooring, featuring various shades of blue, green, purple, and red.

I need more knitting time…

May 2025:

It’s one of the most wonderful times of the year!!

Three handmade greeting cards are displayed on a wooden surface. The first card, in green, features drawings of a sun and hearts, with the message 'Be happy with what you got' and signed 'Love, Malina.' The second card is a white card adorned with a floral design and has no visible text. The third card, in yellow, has the greeting 'Happy Grand Mothers' written in blue.

Not sure this Mothers Day card from Malina will ever be topped!

June 2025:

I’m back! Travels went smoothly, even with a new airport opening in Lima (arrived at the old, departed from the new); Addison is a graduate, I had a nice visit, enjoyed some wonderful meals, and there was lots of love & laughter.

A cluttered crafting workspace featuring an ironing board, sewing machine, computer, and various crafting supplies scattered across the table.

July 2025:

Last “weekend” (Thurs-Sat), we all headed up north — not quite as north as we usually go, but right around US Hwy 8, so totally acceptable to any Wisconsinite. 

Four children posing in front of a store window with 'RAGSTOCK' signage, showcasing various playful outfits and accessories.

August 2025:

We headed out on Saturday morning, and here’s how our few days went:

  • Climbing inside Looking at a giant musky over a fence & through some trees (things have changed)
  • Fred Smith’s Wisconsin Concrete Park
  • Visiting cousins (2)
  • + First cousin once-removed & his fiancee
  • + Stevie the blind pet squirrel
  • + horses, pigs, alpacas, sheep & goats
  • Taking possession of Grandma’s photos
  • Meeting up with high school classmate
  • Returning book borrowed in 1976
  • Visiting uncle
  • Maddy embarking on an impromptu paddle in the kayak
A person standing on a porch, holding up a colorful crocheted blanket made of hexagonal motifs, surrounded by greenery and a chair.

September 2025:

I had five days off and hardly took any photos!

A young child in a floral dress is seen from the back, listening to a performance. There is a colorful floral arrangement in the foreground, and handwritten notes are visible on a nearby sheet of paper.

October 2025:

Phase 2 of sewing up commenced last night.

A variety of colorful fabric squares and swatches arranged on a table, along with an iron and craft supplies in the background.

November 2025:

Halloween… before it’s too late… and because my crew hit it out of the park this year!

View of a serene sunrise over a straight highway, with wispy clouds and a hint of greenery along the roadside.

December 2025:

I woke up on Thanksgiving morning and saw this in the ravine… I immediately thought, “Oh, there’s my venison backstrap.”

A young girl wearing a purple beret and smiling, with a softly blurred festive background.
A young person wearing a colorful beret and a green hoodie, looking at the camera with a slight smile.

2026 begins the day-after-tomorrow. It already feels different… better? I dunno. We can only hope!

Uncategorized

12.24: Unravelish

Vicki8 Comments

Details will have to wait.

Ginny wore her beret all evening.

And so did Malina. They both fit wonderfully.

Oh my god, aren’t they the cutest??

Junah’s hat was finished this afternoon, washed & is drying… jury is still out. It’s a little small, which isn’t the end of the world because it will definitely fit someone else… and it was a SUPER quick knit, so I can easily whip out another.

I didn’t get to the cuffs of Davy’s mittens, but he “tried them on” and they fit… just wound some yarn this evening to get going with that. One of four mittens caught the fancy of Kai, so I’m glad I made extra!

Our big holiday hullabaloo was this afternoon/evening, so the next four days are all about relaxing, finishing some things, packing away most of Christmas, readying the Airbnbs, making scalloped potatoes & ham (with the leftovers from today) (yum), and connecting/spending time with each other.