What I Read in April

      It seems that these monthly wrap up posts keep being written later and later. Hard to believe the first week of May is over already. I'm not really sure what happened to April. I was editing for Camp NaNoWriMo in April which took up a lot of my reading time. My goal had been to finish editing my novel and have it be 90,000 words. By the end of April I had edited 16 chapters (about halfway) and the word count was just shy of 77,000 words. I added almost 8,000 words, probably closer to 10,000 as several paragraphs were deleted and rewritten. So, I'm still working on it.

Here is what I read in April:

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

      I really resisted reading this one but decided to read it after I heard so many good reviews of the book. I enjoyed reading it, even if I didn't agree with everything in it. I liked it as a writer, to hear about the struggles of getting published and how many of her books came to be. I think anyone would like this but creative people might get more out of it. I wish I had wrote down my initial thoughts of this book after I read it because I'm struggling to remember what I really thought of it. I know there is a podcast that goes along with the book, but I haven't listened to an episode yet.

Fables: Happily Ever After

And April marked the end of reading Fables, for me. They set up two sides to have a major battle, where one would have to die but of course that isn't how it ended. I don't want to give too much away so I'll leave it at that. I enjoyed this series and thought of starting over once I was done. It's always neat to go back and see the little clues you might have missed the first time. Not thrilled but okay with how it ended. I guess I kind of wanted the big battle.

Fables: Farewell

A History of European Art with Professor William Kloss. 48 lectures, 30 minutes each

     I watched this series with my daughter, mainly after school. We enjoyed the professor but the beginning of the series was heavy in religious art. This made sense as the Catholic church sponsored a lot of the artists but I don't think all the altarpieces that were shown were necessary. It would have been nice to have more lectures on art created in the past 300 years than 500-600 years ago. There was also not one female artist mentioned. This kind of pissed us off. 

From Monet to Van Gogh: A History of Impression with Professor Richard Brettell, 24 lectures, 30 minutes each.

      My daughter and I both enjoy Impressionism, so we enjoyed the paintings shown in this series. However, the professor was a little boring sometimes. At the end of some lectures my daughter and I would both be lying down and almost asleep - the art kept us awake.  This series did include two female artists; Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot. The Van Gogh episode lacked since the lecture was about Gauguin's visit with him in Arles for a couple months. I know Van Gogh isn't really thought of as being an Impressionist but if his name is in the title of the series you expect more. Of course, I might be a little biased since I adore him.

     My April bookmark. I've already finished reading two novels this month. I think I might start a draft of my What I Read in May post so I can get my thoughts about them written before I forget.

Have you read anything good lately?

WIP Wednesday - A Quilt and a sock

     Still not 100% sure how to quilt Floyd's quilt. I started doing free-motion stippling but disliked it and took it all out. I had only done a little bit so that didn't take too much time. 

     I eventually decided to do some "ovals" in the borders. Using my free-motion foot, and with Elizabeth's tutorial in the back of my head (I didn't refer back to it, was just thinking about it), I started at the beginning of a row and would "S" down. I would then go back up, doing the other side to complete the ovals. Using transparent thread so it doesn't really show up in pictures. It's also overcast here today and trying to rain, which isn't helping. Still deciding whether I will fill in the ovals once I'm done, or do something in the middle squares. The design is still very much up in the air but am enjoying this first step. 

Design shows up a bit on the back.

     Yesterday, the kids had a day off school so we drove down to Ohio to do a little birding. Almost an hour both ways, I was able to get a little sock knitting done. This might be done by the end of the week.

     We went to Magee Marsh in Ohio, which is on the shore of Lake Erie. I found this rock on the beach. I think it is destined to become a necklace. 

Oh, and to help me procrastinate, my sister blogged about a free quilt pattern she designed. I think I might quilt along. My plan is to use solids and just do the center as a wall hanging. Or I might just do the whole thing. We'll see what happens.

Getting Ready for the Week Ahead

     When I wrote down my three priorities for this week, number one on the list was finishing Floyd's quilt for his birthday next week. I spent most of my free time this weekend getting the quilt top ready.

     Saturday evening I spent a couple hours playing with the block arrangement. I had to move the dining room table to have enough room. I decided to do 11 rows instead of 12 - I don't know why I was making a quilt for a twin 96 inches long, it will now be 88. Having 8 extra blocks allowed me to play with the final layout a bit more. My husband and daughter also gave their two cents which helped, as an earlier layout lacked black bordered blocks in the middle.

      I did myself a favor and labeled all the rows. This really helped Sunday morning when I sewed the quilt top together. I don't always do this and often spend some time with my seam ripper.

     Last night, after the kids went to bed, I basted. The backing fabric was given to me by my sister-in-law. There was enough to do the whole back and then some. I might be able to make a matching pillow case. But now I'm stuck. I have no idea how to quilt this. I currently have it sitting on the floor in front of me, waiting for inspiration to strike.

     But it wasn't all quilting this weekend. I was able to squeeze in a little outside knitting, on Saturday. As you can see by the water gun at my feet, there were also some children joining me. I only got sprayed a few times.

Friday Finish - 96 Quilt Blocks!

     There are about 10 days until Floyd's birthday. My quilting focus for the next week will be finishing his quilt. This is the first quilt I've made him since the baby quilt I made him 3 years ago. 

Wednesday afternoon I finished 16 blocks.

Then just before dinner tonight, I finished the last 32.

     Here are all 96 blocks. They still need to be ironed and trimmed, but then it will be time to play with layout. I've been using Cluck, Cluck Sew's Stack n' Whack tutorial, but I've been thinking of ways to alter the pattern. If you want to avoid cutting 96 blocks to start, use layer cakes and end up with a 9 inch block. Or, if you don't like trimming the finished blocks, use charm squares for the middle and cut jelly roll strips to the right size. You would need two, 2.5 x 5 inches and two, 2.5 x 9 inches for each block (I think). A quick way to use up the precuts in your stash.

Linking up at Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday!

WIP Wednesday with a Finish

A late Wednesday post as I don't have much to show today except for a small knitted finish. 

     I finished my second Stormy Harbour hat yesterday. Pattern is by Sarah of Imagined Landscapes. This is a test knit but the pattern should be released soon. This was made with less than a skein of  Caron Simply Soft that can be found at JoAnn's (and maybe Michael's) for around $5. I think it's probably the best, cheap acrylic yarn. I have a couple skeins in this colour because I had planned to knit Floyd a sweater out of it, but that didn't happen.

On my head. The cabled section really pops. Love how it grows out of the cuff.

     The teen/adult small and medium adult hats together. I was going to gift the grey one and keep the teal one. Instead I'm donating both to Jen's KAL/CAL that goes until the end of the month. 

     I have enough yarn to make myself another teal one later. It's a very addictive knit. I thought of starting a third one as soon as I cast off the second one.

     I've knit maybe an inch or so of the sock since the last time I showed it here. A couple more inches until the heel. Sometimes the leg of a sock feels like it is taking forever.

     And a couple of inches done of the back of the shrug for my daughter. I'm not 100% sold on this pattern yet.

     And since I was such a good girl and did 3 test-knits this month (we're not going to mention my lack of editing my novel),  I pulled this yarn and pattern out to knit. Took three attempts to get gauge yesterday. Ended up going down 3 needle sizes. Need a refresher on provisional cast on, then I'll be starting it.

A Knitted Hat and Some Quilt Blocks

I was able to get in some crafty time this weekend. 

     I finished the first third of the blocks for Floyd's quilt. It needs to be done for his birthday in 2 weeks! There are 2 of each block in the picture above. They still need to be ironed and trimmed. I am using the Stack n' Whack block tutorial by Cluck Cluck Sew.

     I have been doing the blocks 2 matching pairs at a time. For the next few blocks, I cut several pairs and have them stacked beside the sewing machine. It would be nice to just sit and sew a bunch together instead of cutting them one set at a time. Hopefully I won't get confused.

     And I finished the hat I was test-knitting. This knit up very quickly. Same yarn I used for the neck warmer last week and the sweater I knit earlier this year. Pattern has not been released but is by Sarah of Imagined Landscapes. I think I'll be gifting this, along with the neck warmer to a niece for Christmas. Now to decide which one of seven nieces will get them.

     I test knit the teen/ adult small size. I had my teenager try it on for pictures. She looks pretty grumpy. Bees were attacking us and her brothers were shooting us with water guns while we took pictures.

     Here it is on my head. A little tight and a little short but it shows off the cables and twisted stitches.

And Floyd got to model too. Way too big but still cute.

     And since the size I knit doesn't fit me or match my winter coat, I started one that would fit and matches every coat I have. It's a great pattern. There is just the one small cabled section and the rest of the texture is from twisted stitches.

Hope you were able to get some crafty time this weekend.

Friday Finishes

I have one knitted finish to share today and two quilt projects that have made some progress.

Here is the neck warmer right after I finished it. I didn't take any measurements at this stage. 

     You can see from this picture that the yarn was still very stiff. I used this yarn to knit myself a sweater earlier this year so I knew the yarn would soften after blocking.

     What I did forget was that if you air dry this yarn, it stretches like crazy. I let it air dry and the neck warmer stretched to 25 x 10.75 inches. Finished size is suppose to be 23 x 9.5 inches.

And the yarn had definitely softened. (Sorry for the bad picture, we had rain all day yesterday and I lost count how many times I tried to get a decent picture inside.)

Here Floyd is modeling how stretchy it was. I put it around his neck and it slid down.

So I threw it in the dryer with a load of laundry (it was still damp) and after an hour it looked much better. It now measures 23 x 9.5 inches. Perfect.

     And it sits up like a neck warmer should. The rain had slowed to a drizzle so my daughter and I ventured outside for pictures. This is a test knit so I am not able to link to a pattern right now but I'd recommend it once it's published.  I think I'll be gifting this to someone only because it doesn't match my winter coat. Or maybe I need to get a new coat? The test knit was for Sarah of Imagined Landscapes. You can find her blog here and her designs on Ravelry here.

      Now onto some quilting. I finished cutting all the fabric for Floyd's quilt. Fabric is Barcelona and bought a couple years ago. It can still be found. I'm hoping to have this done for his birthday next month. I have just over 2 weeks to finish it. I used a fat eighth bundle for this quilt. I was able to cut two, 9.5 inch squares from each fabric. I then matched each pair of squares with a solid. I am using black, cream, orange, blue and green. This should be a bright, fun quilt. 

I am using Cluck Cluck Sew's Stack n' Whack tutorial. I did the first 2 pairs this morning to get the 4 blocks above. Now to repeat that 23 more times. The blocks are finishing at 8.5 inches. The final quilt will have a layout of 8 x 12 blocks. Finished size will be 64 x 96. I already have the backing and batting ready. Just need a quilt top.

And I cut and sewed the fabrics for my final dresden. Now to sew them into a plate after ironing.

Did you finish anything this week?

Linking up at Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday.