WIP Wednesday

     It's time for another edition of WIP Wednesday. I have a few knit WIP's to share this week and a quilt WIP. I've been trying to focus on just a couple projects at a time to get more finished. It's working as I have several finishes to show you this Friday.  Let's get started.

     The Flower Garden shawl has been my main knitting focus. I would like to get this finished as soon as possible. I force myself to knit several rows before doing any selfish knitting (see WIP's below). I'm on my fourth pattern repeat. There's suppose to be one more but I might add an extra repeat (24 rows) since I have enough yarn. The yarn is dark green and almost impossible to take a picture of.

I've done a few more rows of the MKAL since yesterday. Still have lots more to go for this clue.

     And one of the finishes I'll share on Friday is an Astrid hat. I still had some yarn leftover from it and the Beacon Hill cardigan so I altered the hat pattern to make an Astrid cowl. I added extra stitches and will do at least 8 pattern repeats before doing the top border. This has become my take along project since I have the pattern memorized. 

      Last week was a crazy one. I spent 20 hours working on a fundraiser at my older son's school. So, I spent the weekend trying to get in some selfish time. Saturday afternoon I had a 4 hour nap (yeah, it was pretty great) and that evening, I sewed the Cuzco Corners quilt blocks together into a quilt top. The quilt is lap size, roughly 57 x 66.5 inches. Above it is laying on our full size bed.

Love the little pops of colour on the black background.

More pops of colour.

     Today I enjoyed the afternoon sunshine in the living room and basted it. Pins are at a weird angle as I plan to quilt this with diagonal lines. I placed the pins so they won't be in my way. Or at least that's the plan. We'll see what happens when I get the quilt under the needle.

What have you been working on this week?

A New Knitting Book and MKAL time!

     I should have titled this post a Jen Lucas Designs/Knitting Like Crazy post since that is all I'm going to write about. Last month, Jen went on vacation and asked those who are part of her ravelry group to help answer any questions knitters might have while she was away. I helped answer two questions and as a thank you...

... Jen sent me this book. Totally unexpected, it arrived on my doorstep last week.

Above is the hat designed by Jen. Of course, it's my favourite from the book.

But I like this hat, too.

     And this smocked one looks fun to knit. This book arrived just in time for some holiday knitting. Thanks, Jen.

     And Jen usually does a Mystery Knit-Along (MKAL) in November. This year she moved the start date to October as some have commented that the MKAL was too close to the holidays. The first clue was released today so there is plenty of time to join. Go here to find out more.

Floyd helped wind yarn yesterday.

Hoping there is enough contrast between the two yarns.

This isn't much of a spoiler but I couldn't resist casting on today. 

WIP Wednesday

     A few WIP's to share today. This week and next are pretty busy so I'm not sure how much crafty time I will have. Hoping the second half of October calms down and I can complete projects and start new ones. Is it wrong that I'm already thinking about what I'm going to knit myself once I am done all the holiday gifts I need to make? I'm sure I'm not the only one.

       I finally kept the living room floor free of toys long enough to decide the layout of my Cuzco Corners quilt. It's a pretty simple block. Using a charm pack (of Cuzco fabric, thus the name of the quilt), I cut each charm into 2.5 inch squares, then sewed a square on each corner of a black layer cake square. I think this would also look neat with a patterned layer cake and a solid charm pack. This quilt will be a gift. And for those who don't know, a charm pack is 5 inch squares, while layer cakes are 10 inch squares. The quilt will be 6 x 7 blocks, roughly 57 x 66.5 inches finished.

     I've finished the first pattern repeat of the Flower Garden shawl and started the second. This is also a gift. 

      And 3 repeats of the Nosbonsing socks have been knit. These are going slow. I might frog them and go down a needle size as they seem a little loose.

      They've been sitting out drying for 24 hours. I'm hoping they are dry by tomorrow so I can take pictures to share here on Friday. 

What have you been working on this week?

Friday Finishes... Kind of

      It's been a long, long week. After bragging to my sister when I talked to her on Sunday that my back seemed all better, I hurt it Monday and Thursday and today. Needless to say, I'm moving slow this week and blogging and all forms of social media have been ignored. It's not as bad as January, no pain pills really needed, but it's been a rollercoaster of feeling good then feeling bad that has me really frustrated.

      Here is my stack of finishes waiting for modeled shots. From top to bottom there are, a red scarf (for charity), a cowl (for me), Cuzco blocks finally trimmed and ironed, Beacon Hill cardigan blocked and waiting for buttons and Spin Cycle quilt blocks pieced and ironed and ready for me to decide the final layout of the quilt.

     This is as close as I got to an in progress shot. My empty cereal bowl holding yarn scraps as I wove in the ends of the Beacon Hill cardigan.

     I do have some new stash to share. Jen, of Knitting Like Crazy, gave everyone who finished something from her latest book, Cozy Stash-Busting Knits, during the KAL earlier this summer, some yarn. This is what I received and it's so soft and the colours are so me. I love it. I've already wound it and started a little something for myself with it that I hope to share soon. Details about the yarn here.

     And my prize for finishing all three Camp Loopy projects. I've been wanting a speckled yarn and I'm happy to finally have one.

      Trying to decide what to pair it with.  My daughter likes it with the variegated yarn on the left. I kind of like it with the blue on the right. Maybe I'll have to make something with all three?   

What have you been up to this week? Fingers are crossed here that next week is more crafty with less pain.

WIP Wednesday

     Made progress on several projects this week. I started a couple new ones but almost done an old one. Several WIP's got ignored last week but hope to get back to them this week.

     Has anyone else found it harder to find the time and energy to craft with the kids back in school? I'm definitely out of the house and doing more this month, than I did all summer. Guess that is what happens when you say yes to volunteering at your kid's school. I should circle September 23rd on the calendar. That will be the first day that I will have a couple hours to myself, all the kids will be at school/preschool. It will be great. Already trying to decide what I will do that day. Yoga? Quilt? Knit and watch a movie? Read? Sleep-in? I can hardly wait.

Anyway, here's some of what I did this week.

     The quilt I pulled fabrics for last week, is coming together. Fabrics are all cut and piecing has started. Time to pause and iron before moving onto the next step. These will become a Spin Cycle quilt.

     And my Beacon Hill cardigan is almost finished. Two sleeves. Two button bands. Just working on the collar. Think I will have to go to the store this weekend to find some buttons. 

Cast on and knit the cuff of some Nosbonsing socks. 

      Started a Flower Garden shawl. Think this is the third time I have started this shawl and have always frogged it. Loving the colour of the yarn this time with the pattern.

     I need to finish these up as Jen announced her Mystery KAL today. It starts October 7th. Need to decide what stash I will use and get it ready.

What have you been working on this week?

WIP Wednesday - Some Quilts and a Knit

I have a few WIP's to share this week. 

     I'm not even sure when I started this quilt. Either last year or the beginning of this one.This will be a snowman wall hanging,  - just keep reading to find out more. I had almost 2 rows quilted before I set it aside for months. I finished it yesterday. (Found it - started it last December.)

Close-up of all those pebbles. I'm considering them snowballs for this quilt.

      And the whole inspiration for this quilt came after I bought a set of carrot noses and black buttons to make snowmen. Originally, I had enough buttons to give every snowman a carrot nose and two eyes. But I think the bigger ones need smiles, so I need to buy more buttons. Above they are just placed, not sewn on yet.

I got 6 carrot noses sewn on yesterday. This might take me a few weeks to finish.

The second sleeve of my Beacon Hill cardigan is coming along. 

Pulled fabrics for another quilt yesterday. Hope to iron and cut them today.

      I put a charity quilt under the needle yesterday, too. It's nice to do some free-motion stippling after making all those little snowballs. This is the 2 inch quilt top I finished earlier this year. Hope to get several charity quilts finished before the end of the year. 

What have you been working on this week?

A Friday Finish - Quilt Top

     After several hours of piecing yesterday, I have a finished quilt top to share today. A fun, scrappy project I was inspired to make after seeing photos of my sister's on her blog and instagram. Pattern was Patchwork Olympics and was meant to be made during the Olympics. I joined late and then changed the pattern to make it bigger. The original was 48 x 60 and used 1.5 inch squares for some of the blocks. I had 4.5 and 2.5 inch squares cut and ready to be used but I really didn't want to cut hundreds of little squares. I also wanted the quilt to be twin size, since this quilt will be going to a charity that prefers that size. I had to cut more 4.5 inch squares when I decided to make the quilt bigger. Lucky for me, I had a bunch of charm squares leftover from several different charm packs that I trimmed down and used.  Mine finishes at 64 x 80. 

     Finished quilt top. Took this picture, standing between houses to try and block the wind. You can see, instead of using the 1.5 inch squares for the bottom right corner, I added more 2.5 squares in the middle and then put 4.5 inch squares on the other side. Doesn't have the same effect as the original but I still like it. And it used up a lot of scraps.

Tried to take a picture in the backyard but the wind kept taking it away. 

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

I also basted 3 quilts yesterday, so maybe I'll have a finished quilt to share next week.