On The Needles Friday

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for On the Needles Friday.

This is my little finish from last week that I wasn't able to share as I hadn't taken a picture of it. This is for my mom, as she requested. Definitely a quick knit. Might have time to make some more.

I finished one of the cardigans for a niece, all it needs is buttons. Feels great to have this done. I love the stitch in the bodice that I might make a scarf or something else using it.

The other cardigan is almost done. All seams are done, except pockets which the pattern suggests to leave to last. Need to do the neck and button bands but they shouldn't take me too long.

And I was so thrilled to almost finish both cardigans that I may have cast on a little something last night that isn't necessarily a Christmas present. I might keep it, I might not. We'll see how much I love it and if I can get it done by December 24th.

This week I made a list of all the things I would like to make for gifts this Christmas. There were 19 items on the list, including the two cardigans above. That leaves me with 17 left to make - some are started but not many. Some are really small and would probably take less than a hour and one of them is a cardigan for a nephew. I numbered them in order of priority but for some reason I don't feel like working on any that are in the top 10. I guess I need to wait until December 15th or so to work on those. Then I remembered teacher gifts which brings the list back up to 19. I will have the kids help with those and I'm trying to think of other gifts they could help make. I was trying to do a complete handmade holidays this year but I don't think I'll be able to . I guess I should lower my expectations in a year with a move across the country and a pregnancy:)

On The Needles Friday

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for On the Needles Friday.

Here is the only finish I remembered to take pictures of from the past two weeks. I have another which is a gift so I'll post it another time... and I forgot to take a picture of it. This hat is also a gift but I don't think they read the blog so I'm sharing it.

Finished clue #3 of the mystery shawl while watching the parade yesterday morning. This knits up pretty quick if you are interested in joining. The last clue will be released next Friday.

Finally forced myself to start putting this cardigan together. Yesterday I was able to get the shoulder seams done and one sleeve attached. I then decided to do the sleeve and side seam on the left. I hope to add the right sleeve today. Then all that remains is the neck and button bands. This is a gift for a niece.

This is a cardigan for another niece. I have made some progress on it. I finished the right front and have the back on the needles again ready to be worked. This is a pretty fast knit, I don't know why I've slowed down on it.

I didn't post last week for On the Needles Friday as we were headed out of town for a wedding. This is the quilt I finished last week to give to my cousin and his bride. Pictures aren't great. I threw the quilt on the living room floor just before wrapping it up. It's perfect size to cuddle under on the couch together.

This is the main quilting I did in each black square.

The back. 

A UFO Finished!

Yesterday I finally finished another quilt UFO. I started this quilt last summer when we got home from holidays and just wanted to piece something. I used most of a Just Wing It layer cake.

I finished the quilt top before we moved this summer. I even basted it but never got around to quilting it  in Idaho. I finally quilted it last month during Friday Night Sew-In and even though I had the binding sitting there waiting to be put on, I didn't get it attached until yesterday. 

As soon as it was done, I tossed it in the washer and never got pictures of before it got all crinkly. When I started this quilt over a year ago I wasn't sure who it was going to be for. As I finished piecing the top a few months ago I finally decided to give it as a birthday present to someone very special to me so they will get the quilt this weekend. A little late but hopefully still appreciated.

The back.

Something that is starting to become normal for me is to write the "label" directly onto the quilt back. I use to hate stitching the labels down and they never looked as nice as I wanted them too. This way the information can never be separated from the quilt.

After I finished this quilt yesterday, I basted another and started quilting it. It's also a gift I need for this weekend. Fingers crossed I get it done on time.

On the Needles Friday

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for On the Needles Friday.

I finished all the pieces of the cardigan for one of my nieces. They are currently blocking downstairs. They should be dry by tomorrow and I can start putting them together and weaving in ends.

I started another cardigan for another niece. A smaller size than the first cardigan, it is working up really quick. Have about 4 rows left before I divide the fronts and back. 

My kids return to skating lessons tomorrow which means sitting in the rink for 2 hours every Saturday. I cast on this hat to take with me. Not sure who it will be for yet as there are several men on my Christmas list that I don't know what to make or buy for, so figure this hat will go to one of them.

Today also marks the beginning of a Mystery Shawl KAL by Jen Lucas of Knitting Like Crazy on ravelry. First clue was posted this morning. I have the first four rows done and am looking forward to completing the rest of the clue this week. 

On the Needles Friday - Nov. 2nd

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for On the Needles Friday. I have a couple finishes to share from this week and a few from last month that I've been waiting to show off.

First what is actually on the needles right now is the cardigan for one of my nieces. I finished the right front and cast on the sleeves this week. When I need a break from the sleeves, I'm going to block the back and two fronts and get them together. Glad this is child's cardigan and not an adult, sleeves really slow me down, even if I knit two at a time.

My first finish this week was this pair of socks. I used the free Faux Cable Socks pattern by Jen of Knitting Like Crazy. She is starting a free mystery shawl next Friday on ravelry if you are interested. I love this sock pattern and might have to make it again and again.

I had enough yarn leftover from the socks to make a little hat. Here it is on my fist. It is the Easy Peasy newborn hat pattern you can find for free, here.

Here it is on one of my son's buddies. 

And here are the finishes from October that I have been waiting to share. A baby cardigan. Pattern found here.

A hat. Pattern found here.

And another Easy Peasy Newborn hat.

So, if you haven't figured it out, we are expecting a baby. Due the end of April, I am finding it hard to focus on Christmas knitting. I just want to knit cute little baby things. And they work up so fast. I'm already planning what baby patterns I'm taking with me on our Christmas holidays, because once the gift knitting is done, it will be all baby stuff. This is our third child and although I knew how to knit, I never knit my other children anything when they were babies; I did crochet them both blankets. I'm really looking forward to knitting all the baby patterns I've put in my ravelry favourites just in case. I've made a deal with myself that for every gift I finish, I can cast on a baby project but I don't know if I'll be able to follow through with it.

Friday Night Sew-In Results

With the kids home from school yesterday I was able to sneak in a little sewing time during the afternoon and even more after supper for Friday Night Sew-In.

During the afternoon, I pieced this quilt top. Took only about 30-40 minutes with only minor interruptions from the kids. The black is from a layer cake so I cut the other fabrics into 10 inch squares. This quilt will measure around 66 inches square and will be a gift next month. I was going for a modern look and hope I achieved it. 

After supper, I was able to sneak away to the sewing machine again and quilted this quilt. I did an overall free-motion loop. This quilt is also a gift and is slightly smaller than the first quilt.

Close-up of the quilting. Have the binding picked out and hope to get it on this week.

I was able to do a little knitting as well. I cast on the right front of a cardigan for a niece. 

Go to Heidi's blog to see what others did last night.

On the Needles Friday

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for On The Needles Friday. I missed linking up all of September, but did a post earlier this week with some knitted finishes, which you can see here. Today I'm including 2 works in progress. I have a few more finishes to share but I think I will save those for next Friday when I hope to have at least one, if not both of the following projects finished.

I am finally getting some work done on the second Faux cable sock. I finished the first one in July just before we moved. I then used the needles to make a pair of socks during the Ravellenic games. I cast on the cuff and finished it but then the sock sat for over a month. I just didn't feel like following a pattern and wanted easy pieces to knit. Now that the weather is finally getting cooler, I really want to wear the socks so I've been motivated to finish them. I have two faux cable pattern repeats left to do and then a partial one and then the toe. 

Pattern can be found on ravelry. The original pattern calls for 3 faux cables down the front. I made a pair like that for my mom. I altered the pattern a bit this time to fit 8 faux cables around the leg and four down the top of the foot. 

I started this cardigan for a niece. This is the fourth one I've cast on for her, I frogged the other ones as they just didn't seem right. Think I am happy with this one. I have the back and left front done. I have the wrong side facing up so you can see that it isn't plain stockinette but has a slight ribbing. There are also pockets. I'd really like to get all the pieces finished by next Friday. This is a Christmas present.

Pattern is from the book: Easy Kids Knits by Claire Montgomerie. 

Tonight is also Friday Night Sew-In. I didn't participate last month as I didn't have anything ready to work on (except the quilt in the picture below that was basted but I didn't feel like quilting it). This week I ironed and cut out the above fabric and laid it out on the floor downstairs. Shouldn't take too long to sew this all together into a top. This is a gift for next month. 

And I need to finish this quilt. It has been basted for too long. I moved it basted and have done my best to keep it rolled up during the process. I unrolled it and it still looks fine. I just need to sit down and quilt it. This is also a gift.

If you'd like to join in Friday Night Sew-In, head over to Heidi's blog to sign-up. 

Knitted Finishes

Since I haven't been able to get my act together on Friday to link up with Judy's On-the-needles, I thought I'd post some of my knitted finishes from the past month during the week. Above is the Berkshire sweater. Basically a bulky sweater in stockinette stitch. I made this for myself.

I had bought some faux fur to make a Christmas gift for a niece. However, the project didn't turn out how I wanted so I frogged it and made scarves instead.

So far I have made 2 scarves for nieces and have enough to make one more.

Made this beaded bag for a niece. I placed one of the faux fur scarves inside to give it some body for the picture.

I hope she likes it. 

I have a few more finishes to share, but they can wait until Friday. 

September

I'm not really sure what happened to September, but it seems to be over and I don't really have much to show for it. I haven't written anything. I haven't finished any quilts. I finished knitting one cardigan but I don't like it and probably won't take a picture of it. I've been working on some other knitted things but since they are Christmas presents, I'm not sure how much of them I will be showing here.

This is the only quilty thing I did all month. I made it one morning using a Central Park charm pack and some strips from a jelly roll. Not sure yet what I am going to do with it. I thought of adding borders to make it a bigger baby quilt to donate but I also thought of keeping it for myself and hanging it on the wall. 

I did have a birthday this month. I was able to see my sister this past week when we returned to Canada for my grandfather's funeral. She gave me my present at the hotel we were all staying at. Included was a fat quarter of the fabric pictured above. It looks better in person.

She also included these, too. Thanks Sarah.

Hopefully October will be a bit more productive.

Fabric Choices

On my sister's blog the past couple weeks, she has gone through the steps of a quick table runner. It only required 2 fat quarters for the top and she mentioned the other day that she's going to make a second one to use as the back so it's a reversible table runner. You can find her posts about it here.

Well, I wanted to play along and either keep the table runner(s) for myself or give as Christmas gifts. I spent a little time last weekend going through the stash and setting aside several fabric combinations. Then Monday evening, I missed the last stair when I was going downstairs and ended up spraining my right ankle - my sewing ankle. Yesterday morning was the first time it felt a bit back to normal and today is even better; perhaps good enough to stand on for awhile, so I can iron and cut some fabrics. If only I could decide which fabric combinations to use! The actually piecing might have to wait a few days until my ankle is feeling better. So, here are my choices. Opinions welcome.

I couldn't get these fabrics to look right no matter where I took the pictures. The middle fabric would be  used as the complimentary fabric. What I can't decide is which fabric to use for the main fabric. I might have to go back to the stash for this one. They all look horrible together in this picture.

For this one, the sewing fabric would be the main fabric. I like the black with it but the beige/tan looks good too. It looks better in person.

I also grabbed this stack of fat quarters from my SIL. She gave me some beautiful fabrics a few years ago and I have finally been letting myself use them. Which 2 to use? I guess I could make more than one.

Then I found these 2 blues that kind of go with them as well. What to do? Any thoughts?

On the Needles Friday - August 24th

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for another On the Needles Friday. 

It only took me one day this week to make this scarf for one of my nieces. Her birthday was this Tuesday but I didn't get the gift mailed out until today. Oops. My excuse is that I was also able to mail her brother's birthday present, which is in a couple weeks, as well. One gift will be late, one should be on time.

My daughter was kind enough to model it for me.

I hope she likes it. It has a bit of sparkle to it so I thought a 9 year old would enjoy it.

I also cast on another cardigan for me this week. It's the Ditto cardigan and the pattern can be found here.

I also got some work done on the first sleeve of my Berkshire Pullover. I will need to get some dpn's as it getting too difficult to use the 16 inch circular needle. Once I pick those up, I think this should be a quick finish in the next week or two.