End of the Month Yarn Report

 

 

 

Since I have no new yarn photo to share, I thought I'd show you a pretty corner of the deck.

I did not buy any yarn this week.

I did start using 2 new skeins but won't count those until the project is finished.

I have to admit it is hard not to order any yarn after seeing the gorgeous things that are being worked on.

This week's yarn stash report:

• Used this week--0 (That looks so sad since I have used some.)
• Used this month--2 skein
• Added this week--0 skein
• Added this month--1 skein
• Net this month--1 skein
• Total net--1 skein

See how others are doing with their yarn report at Patchwork Times. 

On The Needles

This is Dreambird Progress #3. I won't have much knitting time until later tonight. So far I am loving this pattern. I get a bit frustrated when I need to be counting and someone needs to be talking but it has all worked out...I think. I love the pink and now I'm looking forward to some lavender.

I will also learn to carry my yarn from one color to the next by weaving it in instead of cutting it. 

I'm terrified of loosing my place on my chart so I've been very diligent with my clicker and my pencil. Maybe obsessive is a better word. Or terrified that I might have to unknit and figure out where I really am...........That lack of confidence is shining through!!

See other great On the Needles posts at Patchwork Times.

Dreambird Progress #2

Not a whole lot of progress to show.

I was more in a sewing mood yesterday.

Today was run around day.

Tonight is sit and knit.

See more progress reports at Patchwork Times.

Dreambird Progress #1

I've taken a giant step out of my comfort zone and I'm knitting Dreambird along with Judy L and Denise. I made the first feather and found lots of mistakes so I pulled it out and started over.

I'm using a row list that I wrote out on graph paper like Denise shows (both gals have links in their sidebars) and I am using the clicker. Slow and steady for me.  I click when I start a row, mark off when the row is finished. Probably too much putzing for most but I know myself.

I love that slight color change in the yarn and am very anxious to get to that pop of bright pink that is in there. So far I am having no problems and that makes me happy.  I'll just keep doing what I'm doing.

See other gorgeous Dreambirds at Judy L's progress link up.

Design Wall Monday

The hexie flowers are moving right along. Of course they are, I'm obsessed with them. :0)  I watched movies and glue basted Sunday afternoon and then in the evening, I had to stitch a couple and add some green.

Do you do that? Get a ways into the project and then have to see what it looks like?  As hard as I try, I can't just do one step at a time unless it's a mystery and I have no idea what comes next.  I have 17 more flowers sewn that I want to get the white ring around before stitching with the prints again but I know myself well enough to know that isn't going to happen.  I will try my best to get the white done and maybe stitch up only a flower or 2 in the process. I don't want to get bored by the white. LOL

But this will now take a back seat to knitting, the Dreambird Project has started and I don't want to be a slacker.

See other great design walls at Patchwork Times.

Sunday Stitching

I am in love with these hexies! I started these about the first of August and have been obsessed with working on them. I think I've either stitched, glue basted or cut shapes every single day.  I know I've talked about them every day. :0)

 

On Wednesday morning, I pressed and cut strips to take with me to my sewing group. I packed up my little mat, cutter, ruler and snack bags to make kits while I chatted. 

 

Yesterday we went out to dinner, then stopped to pick up my white and green (Kona Tarragon) fabric. This morning I woke up super early and quietly got up and started cutting. With too much activity yesterday, today I will rest my knee and work on getting some white rings around these flowers. And maybe some paths will be made too.......

What are you Slow Stitching?  See Kathy's fabulous teeny tiny hexies and other great stitching projects here at Kathy's Quilts.

Playing With Red

This morning I sat down at my sewing machine and sewed. This is the first time my sewing machine has been turned on in 2 weeks! I think maybe I might have sat there too long without moving because my sore knee is kind of cramped up right now and I probably should be sitting with it elevated and I will shortly.

I'm so behind on all my August goals so I decided today, even if it took me all day long, I was going to get my Row Quilt blocks done and my Dresden blocks cut and ready to sew for my Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects.  I now have 4 blocks complete, parts for 2 more ready to sew and this bag below to pull fabrics from.  Originally I said I was going to use a  chunk of cow print fabric but when I pulled it from the box, I see it's a pair of pj shorts. I think I'll see if they fit Elliot and finish them for him.  They will make him laugh.

My friends stopped at a yard sale a while back and bought this for me, along with a Singer 99K (for $10!!!) that needs some work. I have the best friends.  So I will empty this bag and see what I can with this fabric.

Now I'm going to see what everyone else is doing with their red scraps over at SoScrappy.

Knitting Report and Knitting Bags

Yesterday Judy L showed her knitting bags.

I thought it would be fun to show mine.

These are my to go bags.

This is one area in my life where I feel like I'm organized.

The purple bag has my dishcloth patterns with

2 balls of yarn and my patterns.

Included is the nail file, scissors and darning needle.

The green bag is my sock sack with a 

pair of Plain Jane, no thinking socks in progress and

the stuff I might need for my sock making.

 

This is the bag that stays by the recliner.

It holds the Rivel Cardigan and

the Hitchhiker in a separate zip bag, 

along with the little zipper bag of supplies

(and a place to drop the cable needle into so I can find it)

and the clip board with the pattern.

 

 

This is the bag full of Dreambird supplies.

It too will pretty much stay beside the recliner.

I'm sure there will be more things added to it as this project gets going.

  

I do have a few more project bags 

but they aren't working projects right now.

So I'm keeping them a secret.

This week's yarn stash report:

• Used this week--1 skein on Rivel Cardigan
• Used this month--2 skein
• Added this week--0 skein
• Added this month--1 skein
• Net this month--1 skein
• Total net--1 skein

I'll be linking up with Patchwork Times whenever Judy L is ready.

On The Needles

I've been spending most evenings working on the Rivel Cardigan. I am ready to attach ball #3. I love the V cables that go up the center back. The yarn is so soft and is really nice to work with.

I've also knit a few more rows on Hitchhiker. If you look look at last week's OTN post, the shawl looks the same, the cardigan, not so much. Progress is very noticeable.

These will be put on the back burner for a bit while Dreambird gets going. Today I am going to make a chart like Denise did here. I am a mark off row by row and clicker user. Denise shows a fabulous chart that will be perfect for me. Or confuse me beyond belief! LOL

See other fabulous needle projects at Patchwork Times.

Dreambird Yarn Choice

This is the yarn I am using for Dreambird.  It's Chroma from Knit Picks. I've read a bit of the pattern but now I need to sit down when it's quiet and I can concentrate and maybe practice a feather. There are videos to watch and a new cast on technique to learn.  I am excited and can't wait for the Knit Along to start.  Read all the details at Patchwork Times or Just Quiltin', both blogs have links on their side bar.  Links to so fabulous information!!! 

See other gorgeous yarn choices here at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday

August is a sad, sad month in the sewing room. Barely any activity at all. Poor lonely room. My sewing time has been spent on the deck or in the recliner. Time in the recliner is a toss up with the hexies or the knitting project.

I'm hoping this week to find some mojo and spend some time in the sewing room. Until I find said mojo, I will continue to hand stitch and knit. Because it all counts, right???

See what others are doing at Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.

Slow Stitching

This week I have spent quite a bit of time slow stitching on the deck.

Thursday afternoon, Taylor learned how to glue baste.

She did a really good job.

The power company was working on our lines so we 

were without power for a while.

We don't know how long, we were pretty busy

with yakking and hexing.

Fun times!

This was my view today until it got too warm 

and my water glass needed refilled.

I saw this on Facebook and had to have it.

It makes me giggle.

Knitting Report

Judy L has started a weekly Knitting Report much like the weekly stash report.  While I don't think I buy too much yarn, I do have a bit of a stash of yarn, mostly sock yarn.  Lately I've been buying for future projects.

In July, I bought yarn for 3 shawls and the Rivel Cardigan. I bought the extra yarn for Hitchhiker and it arrived Tuesday. I'll count that.

So here goes:  I'll start mid August.

• Used this week--1 skein on Rivel Cardigan
• Used this month--1 skein
• Added this week--1 skein to finish Hitchhiker
• Added this month--1 skein
• Net this month--0
• Total net--0

This is going to be fun...........

On The Needles

I'm working on Hitchhiker again. I had to unknit 2 rows because instead of binding off 5, I chose to bind of 10. I don't know why I do stuff like that. I was able to go to my sewing group on Wednesday for a couple hours (and boy did I need some friend time) and took this with me to work on. Easy to chat and unknit with friendly encouragement. It wasn't long until I had those 2 rows like they should be and few more added.

I've started Rivel Cardigan. I'm getting comfortable with the cables. This yarn, City Tweed from Knit Picks, is so yummy to work with. I am hoping by the time this is finished, I will be comfortable with purling. I knit continental style and can breeze through the knit stitches but the purls, not so much. I watched a good you tube video so I'm hoping I can pick up the pace a bit.

See what others are working on at Patchwork Times. Can't wait to see Camp Loopy progress reports.  Someday I'll go to camp, maybe.

Work That UFO

I'm still trying to not do too much and keep off my knee and I'm becoming bored with my hexi flowers and my knitting. I woke up around 4 this morning thinking about my Getting it Done Challenge for the month. I'm never going to get my stuff done if I can't sit and sew for a while. Wah, Wah!  Then I remembered my hexi wall hanging that isn't done. I got it out and layed it on my bed and started to arrange the flowers.  It needs more.......

I got out my basket, filled it with supplies and headed out to the deck. It was such a nice quiet morning for stitching.  Then the power company started working on the lines, the neighbors down the road are building something, the chickens and roosters are having a fun day, a siren up on the highway, a lot of traffic on our little road....so much for quiet. As I stitched, I absorbed the sounds of the day. It's getting warm out there now so I came inside. Time for some lunch and maybe a nap--that's what the dogs are doing!

Design Wall Monday

I got to sew this weekend! Only for a few minutes but I got to sit at the sewing machine and make a block.  I wasn't going to start anything new, my plan was to make a block for my Row Quilt but...Kathy posted again about Nabby's Dowry Sew Along and then Mary posted about being tempted and then we kind of challenged each other and that's all it took!  I printed off the 5 blocks that have been posted and pulled out my little bin of 1 1/2" HSTs and put together this cute little block.  Isn't that what friends are for? To get you to jump off the bridge with them???

I kitted up a few more hexie flowers and stitched a few more rounds. Today I will take it a little easy-too much activity this weekend-and stitch a few more rounds and knit a few more rows.  But honestly, I am tired of that darn recliner! I want to play outside but I won't! I'll just sit out on the deck and be a good girl.

Want to see fabulous design walls? Check out Patchwork Times where everyone is linking up. And check out Judy L's new quilt along!!!

Sunday Stitching

I've had a lot of slow stitching time this week.  With a knee injury and instructions to stay off my feet with my leg elevated, what's a girl to do???  After the pity party, I settled down with some projects. I've knit some but mostly I've worked on my hexies.

One day I played with EQ7 to make my design and to know how many hexies I need to make.  While working on these with granddaughter Mae, she asked if this was for her so I named it Mae's Flower Garden.
I decided I needed to use a smaller bin so I kitted some flowers up into snack bags and put my supplies in a plastic pencil box. With flower #9 almost complete, I only have 29 whole flowers left to stitch. And then there are all the half flowers and the filler hexies but I have a plan so I'm all set, right???

I stumbled across this blog post from Jo Morton the other day so now I need to get my white and green fabrics soon so I can use her method. I like the tip about not getting bored with the paths.

What are you stitching?  See what other's are doing at Kathy's Quilts.

On The Needles

Please forgive my sad cell phone photos.

My good camera was dropped on it's head one too many times.

I'm spending so much time sitting in the recliner with my leg elevated and the ice pack on my knee that I should have all my knitting projects completed. But I don't.  I worked as far as I could on Hitchhiker but my new yarn isn't here yet so it's been set aside. 

I started Leftie but I'm not happy with it so it will come undone today and I'll start over. I don't like the 2 tone--whatever these are called--flower. And the dark grey one is an obvious mistake.  So why did I keep going? Who knows. :0)  I know already this one will be set aside as soon as I get measurements from a certain someone so I can start the Rival Cardigan for her birthday.  Soon, she says, soon. LOL

**2 hours into this morning and I have started over on Leftie and that makes me happy. It looks much better without that 2 tone flower. I have enough of the self striping yarn so I don't have to have those 2 tones flowers. Simple pleasures. 

What's on your needles today? I'll be linking up with Patchwork Times.  Be sure to ready Judy's knitting poem. It's pretty cute!!

I'm Kind of Pouty

No, I'm not kind of pouty, I'm really pouty. That blue ice bag is sitting on my knee. The one I can't seem to get healed up. I finally went to the Dr yesterday when I could no longer put any weight on it and couldn't walk around. I was miserable. It appears I have a torn meniscus (?). So now I am sitting with my leg elevated, with a compression bandage on, sporting my ice bag and having a pity party.

The good side of all of this......I am able to work on my hexies without guilt. I am able to knit and read if I want. But I had a hard time focusing today.  Today was supposed to be fair day with the grands. I missed out on seeing the chickens and turkeys and ducks and horses. Most of all I missed out on seeing the great big stinky pig! A highlight every year. Big pout!

So now I am headed to bed. I'll try to read for a while but I'm hoping to fall asleep pretty fast tonight. Tomorrow will be a better day.

Design Wall Monday

The sewing machine has been busy this week.

The needle and thread have also made an appearance.

Not a steady busy, just a few minutes here and there.

I've been using my timer, sew, move, sew, move.

I added the 2 blocks above to my Grandmother's Choice BOW Sampler.

Yes, I am way behind because the last block was revealed Saturday.

But it is now out where I can see is 

so I've been working on it. 

I don't even know how many blocks I have left to work on,

but they are all printed and ready to go.

The log cabin blocks are starting to really come alive.

I am so glad I jumped into this project.

The new leader/ender project is taking shape.

I love these blocks.

And my hexies! 

The ones I wasn't going to do.

Yesterday 2 of the grands helped me work on these

while we sat outside around the table and chatted.

It was great fun to punch papers while Gramma stitched.

I love times like those!

See other fabulous design walls at

Patchwork Times.

I've Caved To The Little Hexi Craze

I wasn't going to do it. Really I wasn't. I'm not even going to blame anyone. I've always love them. I've made a couple hexi projects-well I've finished one and am working on the applique on the other.  My friend Jody brought her hexi project to Binding Friends group one day and when I got home, I pulled out my 30's fabric bin. That's all it takes for me.

Then I remembered Bonnie Hunter did a tutorial on her hexi project. You can read that here. So I started searching for the Creative Memories punch only to see I could only find it on eBay and the prices were just to much for me to justify buying it.  Then someone--maybe Bonnie--posted about the Fiskar's hexi squeeze punch.  Armed with a 40% off coupon, I headed to JoAnn's--lucky me, they had it on sale for 50% off and only one on the rack.  If you want to find your own squeeze punch, they are in the scrapbooking section of the store.

So I came home and started pulling inserts out of magazines and punching hexies. Then I started stitching. One day, not too long ago, someone posted a link to Sue Daley's video.  After becoming totally absorbed in all the videos, I am now a convert to glue basting. I am punching a smaller hole in my papers to make it easier to pop those papers out with a bamboo skewer . But you really don't need to. I just like using my little heart punch. And that glue pen and glue sticks, sale/coupon items from JA's.

I've played in EQ7 and looked at Google images to see how I wanted to set mine.  There are so many designs, it made my head spin. I am going with a nice, simple green path for my 30's flowers. But first, I need to sit quiet and stitch.

After a long absence, I'm linking up today with Kathy's Quilts Slow Stitching Sunday. It's nice to be back.

Red Rover, Red Rover

Send those red scraps right over!!! 

It's red month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

This month I chose the Hour Glass block for my row quilt.

August is a busy month for me so I wanted 

easy, fast, and fun.

This is my red scrap box.

It will be fun pulling fabrics for this block.

See that reindeer on the right?

Under this pile is a chunk with cows on it.

Yes, they will be included.

See other fabulous red projects at ScrappyHappy Saturday at SoScrappy.

On The Needles

I love this Hitchhiker scarf! 

Love it!! 

I know I will be making this pattern again.

I am at tooth 33 and

will knit until I run out of yarn,

then call this finished.
(Afternoon change of mind, I ordered another skein.
I'll work on it until I run out, then wait for the mail.)

And I'm calling it mine!!

The yarn for the Rivel Cardigan came a couple days ago.

I'm using City Tweed DK Yarn from KnitPicks.

The color is called Orca. 

It is yummy!

55% Merino wool, 25% Superfine alpaca, @20% Donegal tweed.

It's so soft, I couldn't resist starting the gauge swatch.

It's a multi sized pattern so I need to take some measurements before I can start.

That's a good thing,

maybe Hitchhiker will get done sooner rather than later. 

See other fabulous On The Needles projects at

Patchwork Times.

I'm hoping to see what's happening at Camp Loopy.