FNSI? Totally blew that this month!

Wow! Totally blew off FNSI this month! I signed up (I was so excited because I was actually the 2nd person to do so!) then totally forgot. LOSER! But I have been very busy! On a happy note, here's my first picture of the year of a hummingbird getting some much needed refreshment after his long journey!

I managed to finish my 2nd pair of socks this year. I need to get another pair on the needles. If I'm to get 6 pairs done this year, the next finish should be completed by the of June to stay on track. This was really cool yarn I found a loooong time ago online. It starts out looking like the first picture (kind of swatchy), then mine turned into socks that look like the 2nd picture. I've got several more swatchy things in different colors, so no excuse for no more socks!

I also started a very relaxed Ravelry knit-a-long. We are knitting the Rhapsody Shawl by Mary Ann Lammers. It started May 1 and goes through July 31st. Mary Ann describes it as a front porch-sitting project. It's the perfect piece for me to knit while watching Gilmore Girls. My daughter got me addicted to it and I just finished up Season 5. I started watching it while Sarah visited over Christmas vacation. Only 2 more seasons to go and then the recap episode.

Anyway back to the KAL, We all bought Mary Ann's pattern, a skein of multi yarn, and 2 skeins of a contrasting solid. Here's a picture of my yarns and another of my progress so far. Count those colorful stripes -- yup! 12 down & 8 to go, then next pattern to knit follows.

Now hold on because I'm not done. I started another knit-a-long on Ravelry with Joji but this one is a mystery. Got my 5 colors of yarn into balls and started it yesterday. This one she described as a large wrap and it is looking like a shawl so far to me. But don't count on it since I'm only knitting Step One currently and Step Two has already been published. I'll catch up but it'll take a more time. This project promises to be a little fiddly with knit-the-back-loops, purl-the-back-loops, and probably more such things when I get to that point! Here's my progress so far using the first 2 colors with #3 (the multi) coming up next.

That's 14 completed rows so far. Only 62 more rows until Step 2! Go, girl, go!

And just when you thought I was through, there's one more knit-a-long that I'm seriously so far behind that it shouldn't be considered a knit-a-long with me. It's a freebie from Rowan yarns and Kaffe Fassett is the designer. I made these blocks while taking my mother to her 65th High School reunion last month but when I got home, I discovered they were way too big. What did I do? I went and bought more yarn and will start working on this project again with smaller needles. Will probably work on these blocks in the car on my way to Colorado next month (I might start sooner but I surely have enough to keep me busy until then!). My niece has another softball tournament really close to my sister's house in Denver during the last week of June and my nephew, who got an appointment to the USAF Academy, has to report to Colorado Springs during the week of the tournament! It's all perfect timing so there will be a van-full of us heading west!

On the quilting front, I am working the Spring International Quilt Market which is being held in St. Louis this year. It's quite the experience and I plan on getting there early today so I can browse some of the booths. I worked set-up day but it was utter chaos in there! Hahahaha!

I was also fortunate enough to take another class from Irene Blanck. She is FABULOUS! If you ever get the chance, you should also take a class from her. She lives in Australia but she's originally from Africa but her genetic roots are Indian! How's that for a melting pot??? Anyway she taught us a very innovative way to make clam shells. Here's my progress so far:

This project is calling my name 24/7 but I have resisted. Well, I did cut a few more fabrics out but that was all. I can't wait to sit down with this one and whip it out!

Have a peaceful Sunday while I go see what all the excitement is all about at Quilt Market this afternoon!

Kitty Mats & Knitting (of course!)

Wow! Two friends from guild have recently lamented about how time got away from them in their recent blog posts. Made me realize that I haven't posted in quite some time myself! After returning from retreat over MLK weekend, I guess I got caught up in the Australian Open Tennis Tournament and that was the end of me for a while! So, without further adieu, here goes ...

I left off last post getting ready to escape to retreat. Here are a few finished projects from some of my fellow retreaters. Of course I didn't get pictures of all the beautiful projects but here are a few:

 


               

Aren't they beautiful??? I can't take credit for any of these. Rats!!!!






           

I did finally complete all four kitty mats. Yup! Stitched, squared up, bound, washed & dried! They look so different when completed. The picture on the left is two mats needing washing & drying. The right picture has been squirted with water and let dry. 

The picture on the left was machine-washed & dried. The picture on the right is of all four machine-washed & dried. Check the binding fabrics to see which is which. Totally different looking!! This was such a fun project!

I call this picture "Princess Polly & the Pea". Remember that fairy tale? Well, here's the princess sitting on her stack of mattresses ... well, sort of! Hahaha!!!

And another picture of Polly enjoying a rest in a basket we received at Christmas. Of course, there's Gracie keeping an eye on everything in the background!

I'm also sharing an in-progress picture of a cowl I'm knitting. It's called Contour Lines by Laura Aylor. You can find the pattern on Ravelry 

HERE! Laura writes difficult patterns in an easy-to-understand way and they are such FUN knits! I'd also like to add that I LOVE the color of this yarn! It's Mrs. Crosby's Steamer Trunk in Spicy Habanero. So many beautiful shades of warm orange in this cowl! Can't wait to wear it when it's done!

That pretty much brings you up to snuff here, except for the shawl I finished the other day but haven't had a chance to get a picture. It'll wait until another post. Until then ... make it a great day!

APQ 2017 UFO Challenge, Knit-A-Longs, & More

Happy 2017! And so starts a new year! First things first -- I was waiting for the announcement of the American Patchwork & Quilting 2017 UFO Challenge number to start the year. Seems it was announced early and it is #6. Turns out it is my Jamestown Sampler quilt which looked like this at the start of the month:

So I decided to see what the status of this project was exactly. I laid out all the finished blocks on my kitchen floor and it looked like this:

Pretty, huh? Weird though. I tried to concentrate my 2017 UFO list to consist mostly of completed tops so I could have 2017 be the year of quilting finishes! Wouldn't you know the first project selected is one that I have to assemble the top and then decide & sew on borders before I can even think about quilting! I have retreat this month so I hope to get this top together then.

While roaming through Ravelry, I decided to join in a couple of knit-a-longs. The Loopy Ewe is probably one of my favorite yarn stores. I love their yarns, programs, blog, and incentives -- basically everything about them! I decided to join in on their 2017 Sock Challenge. Thank goodness they're a loose group because this challenge involves knitting a pair of socks each month. I decided to join halfway, choosing to have a pair of socks knitted every other month. Here's what's on my lap yesterday morning:

I am knitting Cadence Socks  by Very Busy Monkey using yarn purchased at The Loopy Ewe. It's called Fibernymph Dye Works. It's a hand-dyed yarn that the colors mirror each other. They have all sorts of colors but I chose a neutral combo. Loving the pattern so far but I haven't gotten far along yet. It also double-duties in a Very Busy Monkey knit-a-long, which only challenges you to knit a new or in-progress VBM sock pattern. Perfect! One project = two challenges. I can do this!

I also decided to join the Warm Woolies Club through TLE also. Around the middle of December, January, and February they will send me (for a fee, of course) a skein of yarn plus extra goodies. There's a Group Page where they suggest Ravelry patterns to use that skein up. FUN! Another skein I need to wind up. They sent me a skein of Blue Moon's Fiber Arts Super Sparkle in pinks to purples with silver sparkle flecks throughout. I plan on knitting a Reyna cowl with this. You can find the pattern here .

My third knitting project-to-be  means getting another skein of yarn wound up. I got a free pattern when I participated in the One for You, One for Me KAL where, if we knit up 2 or more of Laura Aylor's cowl patterns by a specified date, she gave us a free pattern. She is a wonderful designer and I have the yarn, just need to cast on!

I did manage to FINALLY finish wool applique pillow kit. It's called "Farmer's Market" by Timeless Traditions, aka Norma Whaley. It was a FUN pattern and I thought the pillow turned out cute! 

I've lately been trying to work more diligently on my Mosaics applique project. I was so inspired by my friends' progress that I thought I should also get a move on it. Loving it also and will share pictures at a later time when there is some real progress to be shown.

And because that's not enough, I plan on pulling out a cross-stitch project to work on too! Nothing like a new year, a new slate, and I may need a new brain! Did I also mention that I want to start a new bed quilt? I think I'll quietly work on Split 9-Patch by Bonnie Hunter. I should be able to do this in between my other projects. I'd really like to use up some of my scraps this year! High hopes, right?

Happy New Year!