Camp Loopy Progress: June done, ready for July

I finished my Camp Loopy project for June on Saturday. I sewed the side seams Sunday and took pictures yesterday. I haven't washed it yet but I am hoping that I will like it more after that. I knit, Bamboo Shell, which is a free pattern.

It feels frumpy, and not in a good way. I'm wearing a tank top underneath which made it feel a bit better but I had hoped to wear this by it self. I don't see that happening unless I make some alterations, like giving it some shape. There are no decreases at the waist and I thought I wouldn't mind but I do. I also sewed the front flap closed halfway since it went low. I like the length and I got gauge but this is my first time knitting with cotton/bamboo for clothing so perhaps that has something to do with it. I wasn't a big fan of the yarn either, Bamboo Pop. Of the 4 balls of yarn I used, one had a knot and one had 2 knots and was splitty. Notching this up to a learning experience.

Now onto July. I don't have much of a break between projects this summer. The big box above arrived at our house about mid June and contained my yarn for July's project which has to use 600 yards. I decided to order enough yarn for 3 projects - sweater for 2 nieces and a nephew for Christmas - so I could get free shipping.

I also earned enough points for the first Loopy reward. Next one is Toronto (at 250 points) so I will have to order enough yarn this year to get the Canada button.

My little bonus were these post-it notes for projects that are going to be set aside.

And here is the yarn. Lots of it. Another new to me yarn - Universal Yarn Cotton Supreme.

I am making them all Flax. The sweater for the youngest (size 6-8) is my July project. I made a Flax last year for my oldest son and like the pattern. The only thing that might slow me down is the sleeves but since it's a children's sweater I am hoping that they will go quickly.

Had a "Gilmore Girls" marathon yesterday and got all the yarn caked. Will do a swatch tonight and I'll be ready to cast on tomorrow. Good thing I have Wimbledon to watch for the next two weeks while knitting. 

Around the Web with a Cup of Tea

     It's been a while since I've done one of these posts. I haven't been spending much time on the internet this summer so I haven't been finding many things to share. I think I'll be doing Around the Web posts only once or twice a month during the summer. We all have better things to do anyway, don't we? Except for yesterday; it poured rain all day here. Bright sunshine this morning so I'm sure we'll be outside soon. Hope you are having a nice day where you are and enjoy the links.

Elise linked to this shop yesterday on her weekend links post but the stuff is so me, I had to share it here as well.

I really want to try dying yarn.

Already thinking about 2016? Here's a free printable planner.

I have metal and bamboo knitting needles. Interesting to learn how needle material affects gauge. 

I really want to make this and hang it above my desk. Although I don't want an orange background. I bet my sister would though.

Canoe Ridge Creations started a Scrappy Irish Chain QAL this month. I haven't joined but love the different layouts she suggests in this post. You should look around her site if you haven't been before. She has some great patterns.

I love trees so I love this little embroidery pattern.

I wish I drank coffee because I would definitely try this Atwood coffee.

A Knitted WIP

     I'm not sure what happened to the first two weeks of summer vacation but they are almost over. My boys were in swim lessons 4 mornings a week and my parents came to visit for a few days, maybe that explains where all my time went. Today is our first day with absolutely nothing planned so it is my catch-up day. Laundry is started and dishes will have to be done before we can have lunch but right now I am blogging about my Camp Loopy project for June, the Bamboo Shell . I took several pictures over the past week or so to show my progress. I had planned on writing a blog post earlier but never got around to it. I have until the end of next Tuesday to finish it and I'm hopeful that I will get it done.

Progress after finishing the first ball of yarn, 14 inches done of the back.

Here is the back at 18 inches and ready for the armholes.

Half way finished the armholes.

Finished the second ball. Back and left front are complete.

Almost done the right front.

This is where I was Wednesday morning.

And this is how far I am as of this morning. The front will be 2 inches shorter than the back but I still have to knit 4 inches of seed stitch which I know will slow me down. I have 2-3 inches of stockinette left to knit before the border and I think I can finish that today. Once done I need to seam the sides. I might sew some of the top flap closed. I tried it on and the flap opens lower than I like but I won't make a final decision until it is completely finished. My husband suggested adding a decorative button if I sew some of the flap close so it looks closed on purpose. My fingers are crossed that I will finish in time and have finished pictures to share here next week.

Flying Geese Christmas Quilt : A Quilt WIP

Linking up at Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday for the first time in a long time. It's been a while since I've had a WIP to share but I hope that changes as there are several quilts I'd like to make some progress on this summer.

Today's WIP is the second of 3 Christmas quilts my mother requested. She would like quilts for 2 full size beds and 1 twin. They are just going on top of comforters so they don't have to be big enough to get tucked in. I already finished one, a Log Cabin quilt which you can see here.

I finished cutting all the pieces for the second quilt this weekend. They made a nice stack.

And here they are. Lots of triangles for 60 flying geese blocks. The black with the cardinals is the centre, with 36 blocks having the green holly fabric for the corners. 24 will have red. I have enough red leftover to do a small border and binding. The blocks will finish at 6 x 12 inches.

I have 12 blocks of each colour done but only a few pairs sewn together. 

Layout with all the geese going the same direction.

Here they are with the red row flying south. I think I like this layout the best.

Go over to Lee's blog to see some more WIP's.

Made in Cherry : A Finished Quilt

I gave a sneak peek of my finished quilt on Friday but wasn't able to get more pictures until today. We had lots of rain this weekend and my daughter and I snuck out between storms this morning trying to find a dry spot to take pictures.

If they weren't calling for rain later today, I would have waited until my husband got home to help hold the quilt up. 

Free-motion quilting all over.

The back.

We've been using it for several nights now and love how light it is. I used polyester batting instead of cotton. I love walking into the bedroom and seeing it. 

This quilt was designed by Sarah Fielke and is free. I started making it as part of a QAL hosted by Pins & Buttons.  She offered several sizes and I picked the biggest one. It's a great pattern and really helped with the large amount of green in my stash.

Good start to Summer Vacation

Today was the last day of school here. We were supposed to take the bus downtown and go out for lunch but its raining so we're staying in and watching lots of tv instead. My older kids finished seventh and third grades. I was able to finish something today as well.

Binding is on my Made in Cherry quilt. Finished this morning, just a couple minutes after it started raining so I'm not able to take it outside for more pictures. Going to wash it this weekend and then put it on our bed. Hopefully the weather will clear and I'll be able to get some pictures taken this weekend to share next week. 

Not sure yet what our summer schedule will be like so blogging may slow down a bit the next few months. Or with the two older kids home to play with Floyd, maybe I'll get lots done to share here. My monthly reading posts will continue (and I have several things to share this month - finished reading 2 good books this week) and there will be knitting WIP posts about my Camp Loopy projects. Bought my yarn for July's project this week. I'll share that next week once it arrives and what I plan on knitting. 

What are your plans for the summer?

Knitted Works-in-Progress

I've made some progress on my two main knitted works-in-progress. I've been doing lots of quilty stuff this week too, which has cut into my knitting time.

I finally finished the 6 inches of seed stitch at the bottom of my Bamboo Shell and now it's knitting up much quicker. This is my June project for Camp Loopy and I need to finish it by the end of the month. I'm still optimistic that I'll get it done in time. I'm a little unsure about it though and spent some time this weekend trying to find something else to make with this yarn but decided to keep at it. The colour worries me (since I have a toddler who often hugs me with food or dirt on his face). And I'm concerned what will happen to it once I wash it. I'm hoping for the best though.

Yesterday I put all the lace pieces of my Low Tide cardigan together and picked up over 200 stitches to start the body. It's really hard not to just work on this since I think I am going to love it. Even now it's sitting beside me and I just want to pick it up and ignore everything else that needs to get done today. And I finally looked up how to pick up stitches properly (since I had to pick up so many) and these are the best looking stitches I've ever picked up. I really should have done that a few years ago. 

What are you working on this week?

What do I do next?

Do you notice anything about this picture?

How about no quilt on the table?

Yeah, I finally finished quilting my Made in Cherry quilt yesterday. I love having so much room on my table now.

Here is the lovely quilt, roughly folded and set aside. Need to trim off the extra and put the binding on but I'm giving myself a little break from working with something so big.

Here are a bunch of little projects that have been quietly waiting. There's fabric for placemats, pillow covers, a project that only needs its binding put on, fabric for the next quilt for my mom, washed and waiting to be ironed and cut. There's also the fabric for the Made in Cherry binding waiting to be cut, as well.

And I felt so ambitious after finishing such a big quilt that I got out my box of scraps and started cutting some up for charity quilts. The little container holds my 2 1/2 inch squares and strips. There's still a lot of scraps to go through but at least the box isn't overflowing anymore.

When I cleaned up/ organized a few weeks ago, I moved the scraps I did have cut into this container. They had been in individual containers but this keeps them out of the way a little better. I also have a pile of 4 1/2 squares started too. I pulled a pile of scraps out of the box yesterday and once I'm done it, I'll work on something else. The plan is to put the binding on the Made in Cherry quilt by this weekend, wash it and put it on our bed. Somewhere in there I'll take pictures of it. Feels so good to have it almost completely finished. This is the last week of school for my kids so I have no idea what kind of time I'll have for myself once they're home for the summer.

Finished Pair of Socks #7

Finished my first pair of Frankensocks this year. I used yarn leftover from two pair of socks I made a few years ago. Made from the toe-up, I used all the yarn with blue stripes but still have some of the pink striped yarn leftover. Think I'll be making a few more socks like this too use up leftovers.

Finished comfy socks.

I enjoy knitting toe-up socks, except for the cast-off. I've struggled finding a cast-off that was comfortable but think I've finally found one. Knit 2 through the back loop, put the stitch back on the left needle and repeat.

A finished pair always makes me want to cast on another pair but I resisted this weekend. I think I have enough other knits in progress.

I also finished all the lace pieces for my Low Tide cardigan this weekend and blocked them. Now to put it all together and knit the body.

Around the Web with a Cup of Tea

Here are some of the interesting things I found on the internet this week. Enjoy.

First some crafty links:
Crazy Mom Quilts is starting a Scrappy QAL.

I couldn't stop thinking about this quilt, so I bought the pattern (on sale until the end of today). Think I will put it on the to-make list for 2016.

Free pattern to knit a chocolate chip cookie.

Another amazing poppy display.

I'm still searching for podcasts to listen to. Here's a list of a few I might try (I already listen to the first one).

Elise talks about what to do when you have "too many ideas".

And now for some not-so-crafty links
Writing competition with Margaret Atwood.

Seems like an interesting idea to clean the oceans.

I might need to plant some of these. Although, I planted marigolds last year and I spent all summer chasing squirrels who would dig them up and run away with them.

Do you need this for Christmas, mom?

A Couple Finishes for Friday

Two little finishes to share today. I also finished a pair of socks but I still need to weave in ends and take pictures so I'll post them tomorrow or Monday.

My daughter turned 13 on Monday. She's been part of the computer coding club this year at school and picked the little computer out of Anna's book Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi for me to make her.  Definitely tricky knitting such a little thing but it was fun. Used some playmobil to take a cute picture.

Little computer sitting in my hand. I think the mouse kind of looks like a snake. My son wants one too. Going to give it the black screen of death and red eyes as it will be an evil computer.

And I finished another hat for Halos of Hope. 

New WIP's

Since last Thursday I have started 2 new projects (I finished 2 as well, but you have to wait until Friday to see them).  Yesterday was the beginning of Camp Loopy. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to cast on since it was also my daughter's birthday (I'm now the mom of a teenager! Ack!) and I still had a couple things to do, like wrap presents.

But I got everything done and was able to cast on and do the first row yesterday afternoon. The pattern is 8 pages long, with no pictures, so I haven't printed it off. Not sure I will. The body is pretty straight forward, I really only need the pattern for the armholes and neck.  Pattern is Bamboo Shell and is free.

As of this morning I had 4 rows done. I did a few more rows today while watching the French Open.

May was the first month this year that I didn't finish a pair of socks. Thursday evening I started the toe of my second FrankenSock. Perhaps these will be finished in time for Friday?