Month: October 2025

Crochet! · Quilting

10.30: Coloring my world

Vicki8 Comments

It’s my friend’s birthday today & I was so worried that she’d become the newest member of The Bad Birthday Club… but, thankfully, I don’t think that will happen. It’s bleak & agonizing, though, no doubt about that. I hope that peace comes soon.

Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud. ~Maya Angelou

I decided last week that I wanted to make a quilt. Like, right now. I needed something to dive into, as none of my current projects is speaking to me in a satisfying way. (I may now have the reserves & bandwidth to persevere.) I returned from Nashville with a couple of Kaffe Fassett fat quarter collections, adding to the random KF FQs & other cuts that I’ve collected over the past couple of years (see image below), and it seemed silly to just put them away… so a simple quilt seemed to be the thing. Plus, we need something on our bed that actually fits, and hopefully these fabrics will help brighten my world as the dark days loom ahead.

A collection of Kaffe Fassett fabric cuttings arranged in vibrant colors on a green cutting mat.

I found a super easy/fast quilt pattern that seemed perfect for the mostly large-scale prints I wanted to use. I pulled out all the fabric, mixed it all up (accidentally), and then sorted it to find some combinations that worked.

A vibrant assortment of Kaffe Fassett fabric fat quarters spread out on a table, including various patterns and colors, alongside a small iron and craft supplies.

(In the process, other ideas were percolating!)

A colorful quilt in various large-scale floral prints, arranged in a diagonal pattern on a wooden floor.
A vibrant quilt displayed on a floor, featuring a mix of large-scale colorful prints in a patchwork design.

Naturally, I made it quite a bit bigger. And I didn’t mind the long diagonal stripes, but I liked it better broken up. Most of the prints were directional, or I’d probably have done a big chevron type thing.

A vibrant quilt layout featuring a mix of colorful fabric pieces, including floral patterns and geometric designs, arranged on a floor surface.
A colorful quilt top featuring a patchwork of large floral and patterned fabrics in vibrant hues of pink, blue, green, and red, laid out on a wooden floor.

After a bit more rearranging, everything is sewn together. I had to rip & re-sew more than a couple of seams and there are some woefully mismatched corners. I’m not sure I’d be very good at more intricate designs. I’m contemplating finished size, whether to add a border or just binding, and how to actually quilt it. I’ll be taking it to the quilt shop soon (maybe tomorrow) to get a professional opinion.

We live in a rainbow of chaos. ~Paul Cézanne

The crocheted granny square blanket is finished! After all the squares were stitched together, I went around the whole thing with a row of double crochet in each color to finish it off. There was just a small ball of each color remaining.

A colorful crocheted blanket featuring a grid of squares in various colors, including purple, red, green, yellow, and white, with a white border.

The back story of this project is that the yarn was given to me by an Airbnb guest who has stayed with me a few times over the years — the first time was when she brought her dad for his first game at Lambeau Field. She booked early and was very communicative, as her dad was undergoing treatment for cancer at the time; thankfully, his treatment was successful & he/they’ve been visitors a few times since then. The game last year was right around Christmas… she’d asked me, at one point, what my favorite colors were & I said “jewel tones” (because that can be SUCH a hard question to answer). Lo, she gave me a big skein of acrylic yarn in each of the colors you see. I added the “antique white” to pull it together. I really felt that I needed to honor her gift, even though I’d never have chosen that yarn (which wasn’t too bad, actually, outside of being just a tad splitty). I’ve talked about the rest of my process for this project before — and it really was fun, start to finish.

And I’m glad I’m finished.

I hope all is well out in blogland. I am so behind, I may have to draw a line in the sand — “mark as read” older posts and move on.

Uncategorized

10.21: Taking a break

Vicki

I don’t usually announce blog breaks, especially since my posts are way more sporadic than they were “back in the day.” This break might be a while. I can barely write, and I’m not reading, either.

My best friend of nearly 50 years is losing her 44yo son to Huntington’s disease. Things are progressing quickly — even since we spoke yesterday. I just received a GoFundMe update stating that he’s receiving end-of-life hospice care. I’m pretty sure that means that he’s been sedated as his movements were so wild & uncontrollable, it was feared that he’d seriously injure himself.

What is to be done with a stupid disease like that? His grandfather, aunts, an uncle, and has dad all either had or have it to some degree. His progression has been incredibly, mind-numbingly fast. Hopefully, recent advancements in the treatment of Huntington’s will continue.

Anyway, I’m going to be scarce, as they say, and I don’t know for how long.

Uncategorized

10.15: Take a hike

Vicki8 Comments

I’ll get back to the Nashville recap soon… October is just whooshing right by, isn’t it?

A couple of weeks ago, Rusty got up super early to take me to the airport, and tomorrow I return the favor. He’s heading to California with Kate, and they’re taking a little walk.

A map of California highlighting major cities, highways, and points of interest, with a yellow sticky note indicating a 'WALK' direction.

From his newsletter this morning (from which I also nabbed the photos):

My daughter Kate and I are about to embark on a walk from Long Beach south to Laguna Beach. We will follow the shoreline as closely as possible starting at the mouth of the Los Angeles River. We will follow bike paths, beach boardwalks and the high-tide line all the way to either Crystal Cove or Aliso Creek Beach, depending on how it goes. It’s about 38 miles all the way, best guess.
I grew up on this coast in the 1950s and 60s, living in Sunset Beach, Huntington Beach and Seal Beach until I moved north in 1970. There is no reason for this trip other than because the place is there, just like Mt. Everest was to Edmund Hilary! It’s something I’ve wanted to do for quite a while.

Map displaying the route from Long Beach to Laguna Beach, highlighting the start and end points of a walking journey along the California coastline.

Originally, Rusty was going to take this walk last spring with Ali, but… life. So I’m really happy that he’s taken the opportunity this fall. Once the stars aligned, plans moved along quickly! He’ll miss a couple of days of teaching, but will share this unique experience with his students when he returns.

They plan to take a few rest breaks from hiking and will visit one of Rusty’s old friends, along with a couple of museums. They’ll both be posting on Instagram (@leemothes & @katemothes) if you’d like to follow along.

2025-Nashville/MDK/Fassett-Mably · Travel

10.10: Hello, hello!

Vicki8 Comments

There is so much to share — I had such a great time in Nashville! But re-entry has been wild, to say the least, as my boss was in the hospital from Friday night until Tuesday afternoon & the office was all but closed for two days (thank goodness for the answering service). I was gone from Friday morning until Tuesday evening, and was unaware that any of this was happening until late Monday afternoon.

So, the dust has finally cleared a bit! This is going to be (haha, was supposed to be) a short post, because there’s still a lot going on (two Airbnbs to ready by tomorrow morning, among other things), but some updates!

When we last met, I had started sewing up the granny square afghan. I hemmed & hawed about bringing it to Nashville — an afghan, even throw-sized, is substantial (and knowing I’d need room for purchases) — but I did, and I’m so glad. I got it all seamed up & did a single-crochet border around the whole thing while I was there — readying for the real border, which I started last night! I spent most evenings in, and it was perfect. My Airbnb host had previously worked as a curator at the Country Music Hall of Fame (CMHoF) and had a small but excellent selection of music documentaries on DVD; I watched:

It was very crochet-friendly viewing (& listening). My only complaints are that the TV could have been a little bit larger and a soundbar would have made such a difference. I remember renting It Might Get Loud back when Netflix sent discs in the mail, and bought my first soundbar in preparation! haha.

Anyway, while I was gone, the Rowan Magpie was delivered, as was the Noro Ito. As suspected, the Magpie is not a perfect match, but it is definitely close enough to proceed with the Farfalle Cardigan as planned!

When I arrived in Nashville on Friday, I stopped at the grocery store so I could drop off provisions when I dropped my bags at the Airbnb, then I proceeded downtown to the Frist Art Museum to see Fabric of a Nation, American Quilt Stories from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston — the exhibit closes this Sunday, so I was just in time!

A mural depicting figures wearing 'Morris Brown' attire, part of the 'Fabric of a Nation' exhibit at the Frist Art Museum, showcasing American quilt stories.

I have a lot more to share, but that’s a separate post. (It was amazing.)

Afterwards, I made my way to Robert’s Western World — the only music venue that I really wanted revisit — and got my honky tonk on!

Live music performance at Robert's Western World in Nashville, featuring a band with multiple musicians playing instruments, surrounded by vibrant decor and an engaged audience.

I caught the last part of Jesselee Jones & Brazilbilly and the first part of Kelley’s Heroes, bands that I saw there in different iterations last time, and that I was very happy to see again.

A fried bologna sandwich served with Lays potato chips, a MoonPie, and a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, presented on a checkered paper tray.

A girl needs to eat, so I ordered up a Recession Special at Robert’s — a fried bologna sandwich served with chips, a MoonPie, and a PBR — for $6! (I believe it was $5 when Annie & I were there last, but we did not partake then.) Other than lunch on Monday at the CMHoF, that’s the only meal I had other than at “home” or at MDK.

A lively scene in a Nashville bar, featuring four people interacting around a table. One woman is smiling and leaning forward while two men engage with her, and another man is taking a photo.

While I was at Robert’s, there was a little hubbub up front at the table that’s reserved for any VIP that might walk through the door… and it turned out to be Tanya Tucker! I have been aware of her since she first burst on the scene (Delta Dawn) and, though our lives have been very different, you could say that we grew up together — she’s less than a month older than me. Her birthday is today!! (I didn’t know that off the top of my head… had done a quick google search while I was at the bar… and wished her a Happy Birthday as she walked past me on her way out.)

Stay tuned, there’s more to come…

Unraveled Wednesday / Knit & Read

10.1: Unraveled Wednesday

Vicki10 Comments

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

KNITTING CROCHETING:

Phase 2 of sewing up commenced last night.

A partially sewn crocheted blanket made up of colorful granny squares in various patterns, laid out on a concrete surface.

I don’t know if this is normal procedure, but I seamed it all “vertically,” and now I’m doing the horizontal seam. It’s just a little fiddly at the “intersections,” but not bad, and there are only five more to go. Then border.

Close-up of a partially completed crochet project featuring colorful granny squares laid on a concrete surface with wooden planks in the background.

It’s starting to get a little leaf-y outside.

KNITTING:

There is some actual knitting content! I’ve been a fan of Amy Christoffers’ wonderful “Pressed Flower” mosaic knitting patterns, but this or that has kept me from actually making any of them. The other day, she dropped a new mosaic design — the Farfalle Cardigan — and that one ticked some boxes: it’s worked bottom-up in pieces & seamed, which is my preferred method for knitting cardigans (or any garment), and it uses Aran-weight wool.

A close-up of several skeins of dark burgundy yarn, neatly arranged and showing their texture.

I have had a small stash of Rowan Magpie in the cupboard that was my sister Sharon’s. Her intended project was a “smoking jacket” using the Magpie & Chenille — she’d started it, but it was daunting, to say the least; it was a charted pattern, but there were no repeats… every single row was different. She didn’t have the head space for that, so it had been sitting for quite a while even before she died. (Almost 15 years ago, if you can believe that. I can’t.) I had no interest in continuing that project, but really needed a knit-worthy project. Whatever that is… I just need to honor my sister by making something that’s not ordinary. Her first knitting project was a Sasha Kagan cabled wool cardigan with intarsia chenille leaves… she never knit anything ordinary!

Other than the Donegal Tweed that I used to make Fib, the Magpie & Chenille were the only other yarns in substantive quantity that Sharon had in her stash. “Substantive” being a relative term… I used every single bit of those seven hanks of Donegal Tweed for Fib! There’s even less of the Magpie, since it was going to be combined with the Chenille, so not a sweater’s worth… but almost!

So, Farfalle has come along. I don’t have enough Magpie for my size, and the yarn was discontinued over 10 years ago, but I have found some of the same colorway on eBay — not the same dye lot, though. By nature of the design — the body & sleeves worked in mosaic with a color-changing Noro and a deep, ribbed front band, hem & cuffs — I think I can get away with two different dye lots. Unless they’re vastly different (which can happen), and then, well, I’ll have to recalibrate. heh.

All the yarn is on the way & I plan to start (swatching) when I return from Nashville. It’s been over six years since I knit a sweater for myself! I’m excited!

READING:

I’m reading a bit of World Travel: An Irreverent Guide (Anthony Bourdain) every night… it’s enjoyable. I keep hearing him in my head while I read.