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

KNITTING:

My knitting time has been limited, but I have been plugging away on my Farfalle Cardigan! Unfortunately, with the changing of the clocks, I didn’t have an opportunity for a picture in daylight. I’m just about to the third increase on the first sleeve, and then it’s straight mosaic garter stitch until I reach the specified measurement. I’d be a bit further if I hadn’t sailed right past the second increase… I had to rip out & redo about a half-dozen rows. Così è la vita!

QUILTING:

The quilting has been a bit slower, too, but somehow I’m only one block away from the required number. Here are the latest two:

This is a block I found online called Sunset Trail (the sample looks more like a sunset).

This is the one I showed last week as a concept of a block. It’s made from all of the corners that I cut off (and saved) while making previous blocks. I sewed the cut-off triangles together to make half square triangles & then arranged them in a way that I liked (it reminds me of the Economy block). The squares are small, so I had to do some math to add a border to make the finished block the correct size… and I did it wrong, so there are two borders. Quilter’s Math is different than Knitter’s Math, but my biggest mistake was thinking I could do it all in my head!

The last block will also be made up of half-square triangles — some of these & some others — I’m using scraps! I sewed & pressed a bunch of them at class last night, now I need to trim them. I’m sure I have enough for three blocks… choices, choices! Most everyone else in class had their quilt tops assembled with sashing & cornerstones, and were working on the border — it was so fun to see them all coming together! Soon… I’ll be there soon!!

READING:

No change… (bedtime pages): No Time on My Hands by Grace Snyder. I think I’m at the point in the book when she really starts getting into quilting… she just got a sewing machine!

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

KNITTING:

I’m so close to finishing my Sophie scarf — I can’t wait to show you, but if you’ve seen Kym’s latest, you already know what it looks like! In some weird coincidence, we were both knitting the SAME SCARF in the SAME YARN and the SAME COLORWAY at the SAME TIME!

Blinders are on in terms of other/new projects, as I really want to get back to the Farfalle cardigan.

QUILTING:

Sawtooth Star & Patchwork Chain

Ohio Star & Log Cabin

I can’t tell you how many Log Cabin motifs I’ve embroidered or knit over the years, but I can tell you that this is the first one I’ve ever sewn! I’ve been enamored with quilt designs/patterns for years, and I really am delighted to finally be doing this.

There are only two blocks left to make: Postage Stamp & Chevron. I’ve already chosen my fabrics & would like to get them sewn up over the weekend… because now comes the hard part!

Choosing fabric(s) for sashing, border, backing & binding. We started auditioning last night. The sashing will be a “frame” around each square, and a contrasting (or not) square at each intersection.

But I’m also considering adding to this — duplicating a few of these blocks or adding new ones — in order to make this a usable bed-sized quilt. Y’know, because the one currently on our bed isn’t bright enough?

READING:

Same/continuing (bedtime pages): No Time on My Hands by Grace Snyder.

BUT, ALSO, HAVE YOU HEARD?? (Yes, I’m shouting!) George Saunders has announced that Lincoln in the Bardo is going to be made into a movie & an opera! OMG. I am dying. If that’s not enough, Tom Hanks is one of the producers and is going to play Abraham Lincoln in the movie! And while I can appreciate opera, I would not say that I’m a fan… but, boy, I sure am interested in this one! Hm. Maybe there’s a birthday trip to NYC & my first visit to The Metropolitan Opera in the cards this year.

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

KNITTING:

I sat down to watch the Olympics and something was missing… KNITTING! I dipped into the yarn cupboard, looking either for a couple of skeins that would play nicely together for a Hitchhiker or for something that could be a Sophie scarf.

I came up with selections for both, but Sophie won… mainly because it’ll travel better. I can’t capture how luminous this yarn is in photos! It’s richer & brighter & just beautiful — Pashm, 80/10/10 superwash merino/cashmere/nylon, from Wisconsin’s Ewetopia Fiber Shop, in the “Tapestry” colorway. I likely purchased it at Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, which I haven’t been to in a few years, so I’m happy to be using it!

I would be much further along — I was much further along — and then realized that I was making the increases in the wrong place and likely counting wrong (even with the loopy yarn row counter… maybe if I put that in a different place? I’m hoping that I’ll eventually catch on.). Anyway, it’s fun. I finished the other Sophie-esque scarf that I was knitting and, oh boy, is it ever scratchy. I didn’t choose wisely for that one & don’t know if it’ll improve with soaking & blocking.

Can you believe that the first Knitting Olympics were held 20 years ago? Did you participate?

I was on the USA Cable Team and earned a gold medal for Williamsro !

QUILTING:

I sewed together my sixth quilt block at class last night and, as I’ve been doing every week, sent a photo to the family chat… or thought I did!

I was thinking, “What’s invisible, Alison?? What new method, Kate?? Is there something wrong with my quilt block??” I was also busy, so obviously not thinking too hard! Then, a couple of hours later, Ali made a comment about one of the fabrics & I realized that the photo hadn’t gone through. haha.

Anyway, this is Friendship Star. I then chose & cut the pieces for a Sawtooth Star. I have double homework, since I won’t be back from ABQ in time next week, so sometime in the next two weeks, I’ll be working on Patchwork Chain, Ohio Star, and Log Cabin blocks — choosing & cutting fabrics, at least, if not sewing. There will only be two more blocks left to make, then, and only four more weeks of class after next week, so I imagine we’ll be moving on to putting it all together — layout, sashing, batting, backing, quilting & binding.

READING:

Same/continuing (bedtime pages): No Time on My Hands by Grace Snyder.

TOO GOOD NOT TO IMMEDIATELY SHARE

Say hello to Ginny The Greek. Her class made self-portrait Greek statues!!! I can’t get over it.

Citius, Altius, Fortius — Communiter, or Faster, Higher, Stronger — Together.

Have a wonderful day.

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

KNITTING:

Nothing new here.

QUILTING:

I made my sewed together my third & fourth quilt blocks last night which were previewed the other day!

Here’s how that Disappearing Nine Patch sliced up & got rearranged.

And the Squared In pansy block.

The day I can both cut and sew in a straight line will be one worth celebrating. haha.

Here are the four blocks that I’ve completed so far! They won’t be arranged like this & they won’t be all jammed up together in the end, but it really helps to see them all together so I can make fabric/pattern choices for the next one or two or three. I have homework!!

READING:

Continuing (bedtime pages): No Time on My Hands by Grace Snyder.

George Saunders’ Vigil on audio. I have one more chapter… and then I might start all over again!

It’s been a weird week, y’all. I ended up going to work yesterday morning because of a domain expiration due to a credit card expiration and because of such, we were getting no email. So, I ended up going to work on all three of the days I would normally have had off last weekend! Oh well. On top that that, Rusty returned from a long (work) weekend in Todos Santos & his flight didn’t arrive until 11p — last night! So, after quilt class, I drove down to Milwaukee, arriving at 9p, and snoozed in my car for a couple of hours — well, an hour, maybe — after I caught up on all my Crossplay games & messages. I must have actually fallen asleep, though, because my alarm woke me up! And I didn’t have to work ALL day yesterday, so I was able to get in a little nap in the afternoon, too.