I Finished A Pair!

I have had the 'one sock syndrome' for ages.  In North Caroilna, in storage, is an unfinished pair, I'm sure.  But last night I did it!  I conquered the single sock and actually made a pair and have them on as I type this.

The pattern is Fiber Trends Railroad Rib Socks using Plymouth Yarn Encore Colorspun Worsted Weight Yarn in a purple variegated.  The pattern and yarn were recommended to me a couple of years ago by Pam at Pam's Knit and Stitch in Great Falls.  Luckily, I don't get to Great Falls often, otherwise I would have a ton more knitting projects on hand.

While this was done in a Plymouth Yarn, I just bought a really cute hat kit for Lady K, also from Plymouth Yarn.  The eyes, nose, and ears are already done for you and you knit the hat.  Really cute.  But the worsted weight yarn is, well, thin.  I started working with it and am really, really disappointed with the feel of it.  It would do for a hat for someone in Florida, not in Montana.  And in talking to Plymouth Yarns about my disappointment in the weight of the yarn, I was told to take it back to the place where I got it.  Problem is, it's two hours away and don't think I will be back there anytime soon.  When I advised them of this, they told me to call the store and make arrangements to mail it back.   No more Plymouth Yarns for me.  

So will have to pull out a Lion Brand yarn in a similar color I have on hand (I think) to knit the hat.  But that's for another day.

(Note:  this is also a project off my goals list for this quarter!)

Fibers and Fabric This Past Week

Despite feeling under the weather (or maybe cause I was under the weather), I have managed to get some projects moving forward.  

The first, and one that had a definite deadline, was my block for the January Bee Hive Swap.  

I made two blocks, one to send, one to keep.  Mine, I sewed together and used the less than perfect blocks for it.  This way I will have a second quilt top by the time the swap is over at the end of the year.  One that is all my blocks and another one block from each month I sent out.  I love the deadline requirement and the color requirements the other "Queens" will come up with.

The second challenge I am involved in is the Rainbow Scrappy Challenge 2016.  The first month is blue and a Twinkle Star.

My shadow is involved with the picture and I was too sick to care.  My center block is a dark blue batik with the words 'create', 'imagine', among others on it.  Then the dark points are a purple/blue batik.  The light points are a blue/grey batik.  I wanted/needed to do six blocks for the quilt and I ran out of the light blue and subbed a darker blue on one block.  This was a fun block to put together once I got the measurements right.  Now I need more white background fabric for next month.  And I want to make another block with the white a dark color and the blues a light fabric in color.  In other words, swapping the light/dark in the block to see what it looks like.  May this week.

Another item I am working on for my goals for this month is this piece of knitting which I started, abandoned and have picked up to finish up in January.  I now have one sock finished and the second one started.

The picture of the sock on my foot is the true color of the yarn.  It's a worseted weight yarn and the pattern is Railroad Rib Sock by Fiber Trends and was recommended by my LYS in Great Falls as a go-to sock.  The pattern, so far, has been fast and easy, even finishing off the toe with a Kitchener Stitch which I have not done before.  Texter thinks the yarn is too stiff for her, which means I might be able to keep them for myself.  They will make a good pair to wear around the house to keep my feet warm.

While I hadn't planned on adding to my stash, I did pick up a hat to knit this weekend.  It's going to be a fun knit, and hopefully, a quick one.  At the yarn store they had some of the Plymouth Yarnimals which are super cute and I can knit it in an adult size.

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It comes with the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and ties already made.  All you have to do is knit the hat.  Can't wait to get started on it.  They also have an owl one, but Lady K wanted the monkey.  

Another fun thing coming up is I have a couple of friends who want to learn to knit and have asked me to get them started.  Can't wait!  More people speaking my language of fibers and needles.  I need to round up the rest of my needles I have 

The Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt is still in pieces.  Pieces being combined to become larger pieces.  I am so tired of pressing and trimming and trimming and pressing.  Since I feel like I want to 'get it done', I have set it aside for a couple of days and then push forward again.  Hopefully, this week I can mark it off my to-do list and move it to the next stage of 'needing border fabric'. 

Another thing I can't wait for and I will be lending a hand on (so I can take advantage of it), is my friend Kathleen is setting up a studio.  A studio! For Quilting!  And a large design wall!  And access to it!  And to her expertise! And a possible long arm quilter in the future!  It's like saying I have access to Aladdin's Cave.  But I have at least one quilt I need a large design wall to set out the pieces on and ask for suggestions on how to get the pieces 'together'.  My Geisha Garden Walk quilt I have designed for Savvy has the background fabric being cut on the bias and panels set into it.  A bit tricky on that part and will need some guidance and a large design wall to put it up on to mark and view.

Also, this week starts the Modern HST QAL.  Hosted by Alyce of Blossom Heart Quilts, who is also the host of the Bee Hive Swaps.  I have a lot of this owl fabric collection and will use it for the QAL. I will probably need to buy some solid background fabric, but can't wait to get started.

So are, 10 days into January, I am pleased with how my fabric and fiber tasks are being accomplished.  And I'm having fun doing it, they are not just things to check off a list.  The end of the month should be fun recounting where I am with my goals in this category.

100 Day Challenge

Since I find I work better with goals and breaking down projects into steps, I decided to join in with yet another challenge.

Sponsored by Jen at Quilter in the Closet, is a 100 day challenge to get three projects done and off your to-do list.

My three projects are as follows:

• Finish the Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt top.  Right now I am about halfway through and really so close to the end it hurts.  But, knowing me, I will let other projects get in the way.  So I want the top finished so I can start looking for borders and backing. 
• My thick purple socks.  The first sock has been in a state of suspended animation for a couple of years now.  I want them done so I have them to wear around the house this winter.  Texter doesn't like the yarn, says it's too rough, so hopefully they will remain on my feet.
• "Harley Quinn" cosplay outfit for Texter.  I have the pattern and I want to do a muslin rough draft before I cut into the fabric (which I have, but some incidentals I still need to get).  And it's something I need to have finished by the end of May, but I also want to do a cosplay outfit for myself and for Lady K (and probably Savvy).  So I need to get sewing on this one first.

With reference to my sock project, the couple of socks I have started already...well, I have second-sock-syndrome.  So hopefully this challenge will cure me of it.

So 100 days and three projects.  Wish me luck!