catch up post 4 - all about the fair!

So this year for the Tulelake Fair I decided to branch out a little bit. I decided to enter Hortense the mouse and, AND a quilt!  This particular fair the quilt competition is pretty tight.  But, from going previous years I knew that my quilts are a very different style than a lot of the other entries. I decided to enter my Churn Dash quilt.

Here's my stack of goodies.

Ok, first prize was my socks!!!!  I was a little surprised by this one I have to admit.  While I do love my socks I didn't know they'd place that high!  I was a little confused at first because the tag says "mouse" and the tag on my mouse says "socks". But I think that it was the socks that did win.

Second place - my Highway 101 shawl!!!!!  Holy cow you guys!  I was competing against myself because I had entered everything in the same category!   

Poor Hortense, she did not win anything.  But, she did get to have an adventure!  And, reading back over the rules I could not have won again since they were all entered in the same class.  Which really is totally fine!  I did not expect to win first and second in the same class!  Frankly I didn't realize that until I just re-read the rules.   

Here's the exciting thing:  My quilt won THIRD PRIZE!!!!  OMG. I scoped the room as soon as I walked in and saw it across the room on the other side.  I did not expect to feel as proud as I did - I wanted to tell everyone "that's my quilt! I made it!".  Luckily my friend Jan was with me and shared the exciting moment with me.  Here it is up on the wall - and official entry in the county fair.  Mine is the one on the right.

 Jan got this fun picture of me in front of my quilt.

I had a lot of fun entering the fair for myself.  But, that's only half the fun!  The other part is seeing what everyone else is doing.  There were some beautiful hand knit entries. My friend Lilly entered a few of her hand knit baby clothes.  I also recognized some of the names of people I know on different entries.  It's fun when you see someone's name and discover something you didn't know they could do!

I'll leave you with this cute llama quilt I saw - isn't that amazing?!  So fun!

of socks and quilts

Okay, so, I finished a sock!  yippee!  My friend Leigh came out with a set of socks on Ravelry called Louleigh's Simple Socks (click for link). I followed the stitch pattern for the "Socks with holes in" and have really enjoyed it!  The pattern is written for cuff down but is easily modified to do toe up, which is my preferred method. I just have gotten my toe and measurements down so I just figure out the pattern repeat and plug it into my numbers.

For the heel I did the Sockmatician Toe Ups (click for link) by Nathan Taylor. I did that heel on my last socks but didn't quite understand what I was doing so gave it another go.  This time around I think it definitely clicked better and I had left myself a couple of notes that helped as well. My gauge is super tight though so I had to consciously relax my hands.  That's no fault of the pattern obviously! ha!  The yarn is exactly as everyone says about self striping: it is addictive!  I just kept feeling like ooooh I want to see the next color.

In quilting news: I started this donut quilt.  Not sure when? Maybe April or March?  Anyways I had seen a quilt pattern called Donuts which is by Johanna Masko. (click for link) I liked the idea but did not initially want to make it. Really what it comes down to is that I did not want to buy the pattern, which is generally what it comes down to with me and quilt patterns.  

But the idea kept coming back up. So I figured out my own pattern based on the shape.  Really if you look at it you can see that it is a cross between a nine patch and road to Tennessee blocks. I have not seen the pattern in person so I don't know what the pattern measurements and finished block sizes are, so I figured out the size I wanted to end up with and went from there!  Right now I'm not planning a border.  Each square color represents a different flavor.  Chocolate brown, Berry, lemon, blueberry, sprinkles, strawberry, honey, lime.  I think I'm going to do one more row and then call it good.

slow mo socks

So I took a bit of a social media break for Lent. I am not Catholic but I do like to try and do Lent. I find I learn something valuable each time I do.  This year was no different. I learned a lot about my motivations. I found that I didn't really miss facebook except for friends and family who actually post things about their real lives. I did not miss at all, even a bit, the memes and videos and junk that clog up my feed.  That bit I could do completely without.  Which is why Instagram was so hard to give up for me. But even Instagram has a bit of a disconnect sometimes in the personal-ness that I crave.  When it comes down to it, nothing is a substitute for real life relationships! The thing is, in my real life I am pretty limited when it comes to crafty folk that I click with so I try to piece together podcasts, instagram, facebook, ravelry to make up for it.  I think that's pretty common really.

Anyways! Just a little explanation of where I've been for awhile.  I did get some knitting done.  Not as much as I thought I would really.  I started this pair of socks on Christmas Eve to join along with Dani (Little Bobbins) Christmas Eve Cast On.  I decided to try out a new heel on this pair, a pattern by Nathan Taylor called Sockmatician's Toe Ups which you can find on Ravelry. I've also linked the pattern.  

I just have to say that I did not at all get what I was doing in this pattern!!!  I really only followed the heel part of the pattern so that's all I can speak to.  This was my first sort of traditional heel flap gusset type heel and it did not make any sense to me!  I think if I had done one previously it would make more sense because now that I have done these it makes sense.  The first sock luckily I put in a life line, I ripped that heel back probably 3 times. 

At some point it finally clicked for me what I should be doing.  I did knit these concurrently to try out that method, not sure that is really my bag.  I don't get second sock syndrome, in fact, I think the finishing of the first one is so exciting it spurs me to finish the second quicker.  But, I am very, very happy with the outcome on these.  They fit so well!  I will definitely try the heel again, they fit so well and look great.

This next project I actually started while I was at the coast for Scott's 4th Angelversary.  I find it comforting to be on the beach on that day.  It's just a hard day no matter what but going to the beach that we loved makes it easier.  Listening to the ocean is healing.

I had Rocky with me again this year, by now he's familiar with the routine.  He pretty much napped the whole day while I looked for agates, journaled and knit.  I bought this yarn last year at the little shop in Crescent City. It reminds me of the redwood trees all along Highway 101 in Northern California.  I'm calling this shawl my Humboldt 101 Shawl.  The pattern is Whispering Pines by Molly of A Homespun House, I've linked the pattern.  It's been really nice to work on something with a bit bigger needles that is growing pretty quickly.  After the slow mo socks it's perfect!

not getting sick

I'm having that feeling like my body is right on the cusp of getting sick.  Like a tingle in my nose, low energy, a little rasp in the throat.  But, I am not getting sick!  I am telling my immune system it is so strong, there is no virus that can compare!  Oh and lots of  Airborne and water.  So I've been laying low this weekend.  I still got some crafty progress made but not as much as I had planned.

Late this week, maybe Thursday?  I finished my socks!  Yeah :)
So glad to finish these.  I really liked the pattern, which was the Blueberry Waffles pattern, which is free on Ravelry.  The yarn was a Crazy Zauberball, which was really fun to knit with.  Since the yarn was pretty thin I just went with my regular cast on which is 64 stitches.  The pattern calls for 52 stitches on DK weight with 3.75 mm needles.  Sock yarn is quite a bit smaller and I also use US size 1 needles (2.25mm).  It worked out quite nicely, as you can see they fit really well.

 For the last couple of weeks I've really been wanting to be knitting a little animal! But I made myself finish my socks first, I didn't want them languishing.  So last night I cast on what I think will be a little kitten.  I'm using the Mrs. Bakery Bear pattern by Kay Jones and I'll just change the face and ears.  I've done that before, I really like her pattern and it's easy enough to alter.  The yarn is just acrylic, it's very soft and has a bit of a halo.

This morning after knitting a bit I moved into the sewing room.  And so did George.  Here she is taking over the cutting side of my sewing table!  She was quite determined to stay right there.

Eventually she did move and I got some cutting done.  The top row you've seen before but now it's sewn into squares.  The rest of the squares I've been playing with.  On the left, second row, was my first attempt to figure out the  Thimble Blossoms Cheerio pattern. I could tell it was a variation of the "road to Tennessee" classic block but with the little squares and a widened center.  I finally gave in and bought the pattern (!) which usually I'm too cheap to do.  I'm blaming feeling under the weather.  I just didn't have the brain power to keep up the math guessing game!  

I was really really close though on the math!!  Oh well.  So, the circlet with the white center is the official Cheerio pattern.  For me, it's all about those little squares!!!  I just love them.  So, I am debating if that will become a pillow top or maybe a runner with some other fun Fall fabrics?  My first attempt is going to be a Halloween pillow.  It kind of looks like one of those floaty rings on boats!  

Welp, that's about all the happenings here.  Hope the end of your Summer is going well - Labor day next weekend!  For me, that's like the end of Summer....except when I lived in Chico and it would still be like super hot into October.  Fall is right around the corner!  Pumpkin everything here we come :)

a visit from Mom

There is a point in life that I have been blessed to get to.  That point is enjoying your Mother's company.  I think we can all get there at different speeds, different time frames, but once we do it is so sweet.  I have appreciated my Mom's company, her presence, for a long time.  We drive each other batty-mad-crazy sometimes but she is also one of my best friends.  Why do I mention this now?  This past weekend, Mom came to visit.

I was pretty excited for her to get here.  This would be the first time she has seen my new home!!!  So, of course, I had preparations to make.  I had not put up curtains yet in the spare room where she would be sleeping so that was first on the list.  I had the above pictured fabric in my stash for I'd say 15 years.  10 at the bare minimum.  And the funny thing is that Mom gave it to me!  I think she still has some?  

I had been saving it to make one of those quilts that you can fold up into a pillow.  The faux quilt squares seemed just perfect for that.  But, I never got around to it.  And then I wasn't sure that's what I wanted to do with it.  Last week when I was considering what I wanted that room to look like, I remembered this fabric!  and it is perfect!  Privacy achieved but also lets in lots of light.

Friday morning I was just toodling around, waiting to go meet her and bring her to my house.  I finally finished these purple striped socks.  Which, by the way, turns out that I put the heel in too soon so they are too low and a bit tight on the inseam.  Boo!  I could rip them back....but I think I'll see if any friends with smaller feet might like them.

I met Mom under this flag in a teeny little California town.  It was a beautiful day and I was so SO relieved that Mom made it safely!  Oy!

I didn't get any pictures while she was here - we were just doing stuff!  no time for pictures!  It was a lovely visit.  The weather was perfect.  Funny thing about that - for us here is was hot, like 75-80 degrees.  But she came up from Chico which is like 100 degrees during the day in the Summer so she was chilly a lot of the time!  ha!  

So my neighborhood has an annual yard sale where tons of houses in the subdivision have a sale, maybe 40 sales?  We didn't get around to all of them but we did have fun and found some goodies at the ones we did get to.  I scored two wooden chairs!  I needed one for my sewing room and one for the desk in the spare oom.  Then, we got back to my house and threw together some stuff quickly that we wanted to get rid of.  It was great.

I grilled kabobs that afternoon and then we indulged in ice cream from DQ.  It was like the perfect Summer evening.

I had such a good time showing my house to Mom, and she really loved it.  One thing she commented on was that my house is cozier than it appears in pictures.  I do love a cozy home so that was nice to hear :)

I took Monday off work, and I'm glad I did.  I was the biggest lazy bones in the world!  I did cast on a new pair of socks but other than that was super lazy.

home, nesting and socks

Last weekend I was in Bend with friends for a ladies retail therapy weekend.  I may have gone a little bit overboard at Hobby Lobby, but that's easy to do there!  I want to do a gallery wall in the dining room and I found a bunch of sayings and scriptures and cute stuff!  Once I get everything up on the walls I'll share pictures.

I finished up these socks this week. I'm really pleased with them!  You can't see the sparkle, but the green yarn has silver stellina in it, which made it fun to knit!  These need to have ends woven in but then they will go in the drawer for cooler weather.  

Rocky was extra lovey when I got back from Bend, he was very snuggly.  One thing that really stood out was that on the way home, I was really looking forward to being *home*.  This house really feels like home for me which is such a great feeling.  

One of the fun things about my new house is finding out what is growing where.  I decided that this first year I will just observe.  I've been learning a lot!  This week the rose bushes in the front bloomed and they are beautiful.  So vibrant and lots of blooms.  I have a lily plant in the front that I think is right about to bloom, can't wait!  I love lilies.  So far, the roses, lilies and rhubarb will stay.  I really want to put in shrubs.  I've seen a couple houses in the neighborhood that have nice small delicate looking shrubs and I think I'd like some like those.

So this week after I finished my green and pink socks, I found I had no projects I wanted to work on.  I have one pair of socks on the needles but I didn't feel like working on them, more on that later.  I do have a cross stitch project but didn't feel like that was it either.   

Suddenly I decided I needed to make a pom pom garland for my mantle!!!  Yes!  I super love how it turned out.  I found that wooden whale up in Bend and had just set it there, and once the garland was on it just looked right.

I have to share this lamp shade that I bought.  A coworker had an estate sale this weekend and had a couple beautiful stained glass lamps.  I technically did not need another lamp, but I saw this dragonfly one and had to have it!  She gave me an amazing deal on it.  I swapped out the shade I already had on this lamp and I really like the way it looks.

This is the pair of socks that I was avoiding working on the other night.  See, the thing is, I had them on magic loop two at a time.  I had already finished past the heels even!  But I've come to realize I just don't like magic loop.  I've also realized that I accomplished what I set out to do which was learn how to knit two socks at a time but I don't have to keep it up if it's not a pleasure. 

You can see a progress keeper, that is how far I've gotten since Friday!  Also, I had been using size 0 hiya hiya sharps, but did not have that size in DPNs.  Well, no, technically I do but the ones I have are too long for my liking.  This set of Knit Pro Zings is the next smallest size I have.  I had ordered them awhile ago and when I got them they were a disappointment.  First, I bought the wrong size.  Then the color was not what had been pictured.  Further, they seemed to have too much drag.  There was like a powdery coating or something and I just did not like them.  So, I set them aside.

But!  Guess what?  I thought I'd give them another chance since I didn't have too far to go to finish these socks.  And the powdery coating has come off the more I knit with them.  And now I really like them!  The funny thing is that my gauge is the same as when I was using the zeros.  So there you go.  

My sewing room is still a disaster zone.  It's really bothering me but I also feel like way overwhelmed by it.  I have too much stuff.  But, it's stuff that I may use and hate to give away because then what if that day comes for that project and I have to repurchase.  The struggle is real.  But I need to get it sorted out quick because my creative energy is getting that pent up feeling and it needs an outlet.  Knitting doesn't do it, it's more just relaxing for me.  I need to sew and quilt and MAKE!  I need to just buckle down and do a little at a time.

long weekend projects

Today is the last day of my long weekend.  It was Memorial day this weekend but I took today off as well to take George into the vet to get her kitty boosters.  I had made the appointment a couple weeks ago, and made the appointment around a lunchtime.  I still have the mindset sometimes that I only live a mile from work and can just run home, the vet and home again on a lunchtime.  My new house is about 20 minutes from the vet's office so a lunchtime would not work!  I have to say I am SO proud of George!  I was wondering how she would do and she didn't try to bite, scratch or anything at all!  Awwww turns out she's sweet after all.

So!  Long weekend!  I had mentioned that I wanted to put shelves in the closets of my sewing room and I thought this weekend would be the perfect time to do it.  I almost chickened out a few times.  So, advice.  I've heard it said before "measure twice, cut once" and that is very true!  I did not measure twice and therefore ended up with too small of shelving pieces.  Boo!

Also good advice: know what setting your drill is on.  There is a button on mine that has forward and backward.  The first screw I attempted I had it on backward so it just kept flipping the screw out instead of screwing it in.  So frustrating!  Until I noticed I had pushed in the backward button.  Doh!

After that it went fairly smoothly.  One piece of wood for the side brackets split down the middle when I screwed it, so I think it must have been a defective piece of wood, or I hit it just right to split it.  I did buy cheap plywood.  Which is strong, but uggggggly!  Initially I thought painting might do the trick but it was so rough and knotty that it wouldn't have looked nice.  Next thought: fabric!  

I covered the shelves after securing them to the side brackets and used my staple gun to adhere the fabric.  It's not perfect, but looks nice and won't snag my stash.  Yesterday I worked on unpacking boxes of fabric and putting them in color order on the shelves.  I have a TON and I do mean a ton of little scraps.  Like two tubs worth.  I didn't have the energy to figure out what to do with those so unfortunately the sewing room is still looking like a disaster zone. Uggg.

I did sort out some fabrics that I don't want and put them in a box.  Stuff that is too thin to quilt with or I just don't really like.  One good thing is that the subdivision I moved to has an annual yard sale, like almost every house has a yard sale and the whole town knows about it.  So, it's free advertising and gets lots of traffic.  I am thinking I can put up a table or two of stuff.  Plus Mom will be visiting that weekend so I let her know in case she wants to pack anything up here.  It will be interesting, for sure!

 This weekend being Memorial day weekend, I knew I wanted to go visit Scott at the cemetery.  Part of his cremains are buried at the National Cemetery in Eagle Point, which is roughly an hour drive from me.  I discovered the first year that they put up little flags on all the headstones.  It is stunning.  It's beautiful, it's sobering.  Also what I discovered that first year is that it is a busy day!  So, I drove over Sunday night when it would be the quietest.  It's been 3 years and I still feel so much better after I go and talk to him. He was my best friend, my confidant.  I used to chatter on about everything to him.  And God bless him, he was such a good listener!  I really miss that.

This is right inside the entrance.

Yesterday I decided to tackle a project that I've kind of been avoiding.  I had a stack of socks that needed either end woven in or holes fixed.  I discovered the hard way that you should not machine wash hand knit socks with other regular laundry items!!!!  Just don't do it.  I have 3 pairs that I had washed all at the same time and something must have caught at each one and ripped a hole in all of them.  I think maybe one sock made it out unscathed...

But, I had never darned socks before.  I found a tutorial online and started to it.  I think, um, it must be an acquired talent?  Yikes!  Mine turned out super rough!  But, I guess the main point is to fix the holes and I definitely did that.  Thankfully I still had leftover bits of all the yarns I used.  The only one that I didn't have the color was the top left sock.  You can see in the beige area the bright pink patch.  Meh.  No one but me is going to notice.

The rest of the afternoon I am just going to chill out and knit or cross stitch!  About cross stitch.  It's funny, I noticed that I really have been wanting to stitch but I'm almost done with my second rhubarb sock - oh yeah, that's what I've started calling my newest pair of socks! - but anyway, I have been very strict with myself that I must finish those before working on anything else.  Why?  I don't even know!  But, I am going to reward myself for mowing the lawn before taking George to the vet with some stitching :)  

I hope you all have a great day, week, and do something that brings you joy!

jelly beans socks

I'm totally procrastinating right now.  I really need to deal with the overgrown grass in the back yard.  But!  I can find so many distractions in the house that I'd rather do!  All things that need to be done...

I finished the Bickersstraat socks I had been working on.  I started these at the end of February and finished them on Thursday at lunch.  I have yet to weave in the ends but otherwise they are done.  I've been referring to these as my Jelly Bean Socks because of the speckles.  So, I have a confession about these socks.  I almost didn't finish them.  I got just past the heel on the first sock and felt like I could not stand one more second knitting them! uggggggggggg.  But I love the yarn so much and wanted the finished product so I knit on.  I cast on the second sock just as soon as the first one was finished so I would not be tempted to quit.

You can see in the top corner of the above photo some lilacs.  Last weekend I clipped a nice big bouquet of lilacs and enjoyed them all week.  So you know how they say that memory is tied strongly to scent?  Yeah, I proved that with these lilacs!  I used to fill the house Scott and I shared with lilacs in the spring - lilacs basically in every room!  I haven't done that in years and had forgotten how fragrant they are.  So beautiful and a reminder of "us".

I finished the Jelly Bean Socks and immediately cast on a new pair!  I've been wanting to try a pair of socks with contrasting heels and toes.  I also wanted to use the yarn that I just got at the coast.  So!  I've picked the Mrs. Weasley's Family Socks pattern by Molly of A Homespun House.  So.  A bit about the pattern.  I'm really just using the texture.  The pattern is cuff down with a traditional type heel.  That's just not my style so I'm doing toe up and plan to use the fish lips kiss heel pattern that I have been doing.  I will confess that the cheapo in me hated paying for a pattern just for the texture which is like just finding out where to put a purl bump.  Which I had guessed by looking at it but felt like a turd and like I should just buy it already.  Which I did.  

I really tried to get a picture that shows how vibrant and beautiful this yarn is and it sort of comes across but not really.  It is vibrant and rich and tonal and pink!  The contrast color is one that I have had in my stash for like, ever.  It is Colinette yarns Jitterbug and the colorway is called Cherry.  It's one that I saw and gasped and HAD to have.  And I've been hoarding it for just the right thing.  

I wasn't sure if the two yarns/colors would play well together but I had to try!  I am loving how it looks so far!!  Loving.  The main color yarn is from a company I have not heard of called Kraemer, it's their Sterling silk and silver blend.  I will say that both yarns are sort of crunchy.  Which means that they are very woolly, not as soft, don't slide through my fingers as easily.  But!  as a knit fabric they are super squishy.

I guess I should get busy and do my chores.  Yeah.  I'll feel better once it's done.  Right?

Whovian bags

Have you ever been suddenly overtaken with the *need* to make something?  And not just like, oh at some point, some day, I'd like to make that something, but, like right then!?  Well that's what happened to me yesterday.  I went to zumba in the morning and afterwards was leisurely perusing facebook.  And that's when I saw on my news feed a Doctor Who knitting project bag at the Rose City Yarn Crawl in Portland, which is happening this weekend.  BAH!  Suddenly, I had to find Doctor Who fabric! And order some! and make a project bag! for my knitting!  I googled and found that my local Joann's store carries some Doctor fabric.  So, I immediately put Rocky in the car and zipped down and bought some.  Once I had safely acquired said fabric, Rocky and I went to Petco which is right next door.

I bought 3/4 yard of both prints they had and managed 3 project bags!!!   This first one s a drawstring bag, which I gave as a gift to a friend that I was meeting for dinner last night.  The lining is fun, it's a red backround with different London destinations in white.  The grosgrain ribbon are converse sneakers which is what Doctor Who wears.

 I made two lined zip-up bags today.  The one on the left will be mine, I had to add some of that ribbon around the panel of exploding tardis fabric.  The other I'm going to gift to another friend who also knits and is a Whovian.  As a bonus I finally remembered to add a little loop on the side to carry. 

As I mentioned I took Rocky with me to the store.  I've been trying to include him in outings more since Joey is gone, to help his loneliness.  He had never been to Petco before so I thought it might be fun!  I have to say it was so stinkin cute, it was almost too much!!  First off he didn't want to get out of the car into the parking lot, he knows that's a no-no.  Once I convinced him, he was a low crawler and a little shaky.  He was super nervous walking in the store, the farther back we had to go the lower to the ground he got.  

Thank goodness I found the Chuck-its that I went in for, I thought he was going to lay down completely like he does at the vet!  Once we turned around and headed for the register he was like, cool! and had his bouncy step back.  He even made a friend with a lady coming in the store.  It was so great.  Once we got home I threw the ball with the Chuck-it like twice and then he was pooped!

I feel like I'm making good progress on my socks.  This is how far I've gotten so far.  I really like how the yarn is striping.  I don't remember if I mentioned casting these on?  So, I have another pair of socks I'm also working on so I didn't think I was going to participate in the Bakery Bears Spring into Socks KAL because the socks had to be started on March 1st and the other pair I already had going.  March 1st I was sure I wasn't, March 2nd I had cast these on!  Baha, whoops!  Oh well.

So, a word about socks.  I have been knitting all my socks with US size 1.5 hiya hiya sharps.  I realllllly like the Hiya Hiya sharps.  But, my socks have been sort of too loose?  And I've had a tricky time getting a good fitting length.  So that's why I wanted to try out the two at a time so I can get same length socks.  For these new purply socks I am using US size 0 needles.  I was going to cast on my usual 64 stitches but chickened out and CO 68.  I'm just experimenting to get a good formula.

sock finish

So!  I finally finished my Hermione's everday stitch Albus Dumbledore yarn socks!  I finished the second sock last night while watching Jane Eyre.  I attempted pictures this morning.  The first one has a kitty leg in the backround, hee hee.

The right sock is actually about 1/2 inch longer than the left sock.  After finishing the right one it felt too long and I thought possibly after being worn would be too loose.  So, it's an experiment I suppose.  Next pair I may also start off with more cast on stitches as I have consistently wide feet and my toes don't really go into a point.  You know, some people have a long big toe - not me.  Scott and I used to joke that I have Flinstone feet!

So, my work schedule has shifted a bit.  I'm closing on Mondays instead of Fridays.  Which just means 9-6 instead of 8-5.  I rather like the extra hour on a Monday morning!  Except today I ruined my coffee, I tried out some stevia on the recommendation of a friend and I find it pretty grody! UGGG.  Trying to eliminate the load of sugar I take in but I don't know that my first cuppa coffee is the place to do it!

and then I stitched some more

This weekend I was scheduled to work on Saturday, which meant that I could take a 1/2 day one of the other days of the work week.  When given the choice, I usually will pick Friday afternoon so I can pretend that I'm getting a full weekend.  So Friday I came home and got to watch the newest podcast from DancingGeek, aka James.  His podcasts are quite lengthy so I usually will watch a bit here or there as I can.  Friday I got to watch the whole thing!  It was really a funny episode.  I had to get a picture of George, who has to be right in the middle of everything.  In fact, right now as I type she is laying across my right arm.  For typing this is fine but if I need to use the mouse she'll be disturbed.

So I finished the first sock of this set.  The yarn colorway is called Dumbledore and I used the stitch pattern Hermione's everyday socks with a fish lips kiss heel.  I've realized that even though I'm following the FLK pattern measurements, my socks are still turning out 1/2 inch too long.  So, I'm going to deviate from the pattern and see what happens.

I haven't cast on sock #2 yet.  I wanted to finish up another project I've had in the works which was this little cross stitch pattern!  It turned out so cute!  

I used embroidery thread that I already had in my stash so the colors are different from the pattern but I like how they turned out together.  The only thing I'd do differently is the turkey body - I'd do a lighter brown.  As it is he's too dark and so I had to give him green eyes because you couldn't see the black eyes against the dark brown body.  I haven't decided if I'm going to frame it or make it into some sort of patchworky goodness.

In other news I'm back to not sleeping through the night!  Uggg. ggg. gggg. aaand faceplant.   I had about a month or so of completely sleeping through the night.  Every morning I'd wake up and be like yes! I slept through the night.  I was starting to feel like maybe I was back to 'normal'.  Ha!  I think it's a combination of work stress and just normal grief not sleepingness.  But dang it felt so good to sleep.  Also I need to get serious about going back to the gym.  I know I say it every single day and then don't do it but for reals now I need to.  I've gained 40lbs since Scott died.  I'm not exaggerating.  I wish I was!  I weigh in every Monday - somehow I always hope I've lost something even though I do the same exact thing, which does not include salads or any form of exercise.

So, I've done pretty well with the spending freeze for craft items and I think I can add a new item to my "disciplines" which would be going to the Y at least 2 times this week.  I know that sounds like nothing but I need to make a realistic goal and I think I can accomplish that.  Will revisit next week.

Fall socks

Yesterday was the day to take in fair entries to the Tulelake Fair.  I had been planning to take my neon socks as my entry.  Buuuuuut I was so close to finishing the second sock on these Fall socks that I thought I could finish it in time......and after knitting like a mad woman all day I realized it just wasn't going to happen!  I had 3 rows left and the bind off and ends to weave in at 4:05 pm and Tulelake is about a 40 minute drive from my house.   And entries were due by 5pm.  So, I went with my original plan and entered my neon socks.  I should have gotten some sock forms for them or made some but - eh.

I'm really happy with how these socks turned out!  The striping matches up so well.  The one sock looks taller in the picture but I think I just tugged that one a bit more getting it on.

So, today is a bit cooler and feeling like Fall is right around the corner.  I have a minestrone soup in the crock pot.  One of the ladies at work has a prolific garden and brought in fresh green beans, zucchini, yellow squash and armenian cucumbers.  So, in the soup I have fresh beans and zucchini!  Yum.

chatting

I've been knitting, knitting, knitting!  Here is sock #1 of my plum medley socks.  Plum Medley is the actual colorway name.  I felt like it was very Fall and Halloween.  I started this sock on August 10th and finished today, the 22nd.  So, 12 days mostly knitting 1/2 hour a day and the last couple days my internal alarm has woken me up earlier than my alarm so have knit about an hour each day.

I went with the Fish Lips Kiss Heel (FLK) again and it went very smoothly.  I still have a teensy gap on one side so I will just add a couple stitches there but no gap on the other side.  I will have to pay more attention to try and figure out just why I'm coming up with a gap.

Today I had a half day of work since I'll be working Saturday morning.  Even though I know I'll be working tomorrow I still feel like I'm getting a vacation day somehow!  Isn't that funny?  The boys love it, I came home at regular lunch time and they haven't had to get back in their kennels.  Joey has a vet visit in a bit to get more sutures removed from his ear.  His ear is healing so well from his surgery, I'm really hoping there are no setbacks once all the sutures have been taken out.

Let's see, what else is new?  Honestly not much.  Temps are dipping back down into the 40's at night but still warm during the day.  I'm glad not to have to turn on the air conditioner, which I really just have for the boys to be comfortable during the day.  This is the sweet time during the year where my electric bill relaxes.  No air and no heat, it's pretty perfect!

I realized some time this week that I haven't done any canning.  Usually by this time I've made strawberry rhubarb jam and at least one batch of pickles.  The thing is last year I didn't eat all the pickles I made!  I still have 4 or 5 jars.  I made a triple batch last year because I had gone through them so quickly the year before.  So, I'm still deciding what I'll do.  If I decide to make some pickles I will only make one batch.  I think I want to make jam for sure but rhubarb isn't ready yet.

My Mom and I have a trip to the coast coming up!  I can't wait :)  I won't say when we're going in case any creepers read my blog. (I don't think so but must be careful) I'm really needing some beach time.  Some just sit and soak in the sound of the waves.  Some knitting in a chair in the sun or even overcast fogginess.  Just ocean time!  And, Mom time.  It's going to be good.

making and finishing

I have a few finished objects to share with you!  I have been busy testing out my new machine!  And knitting!  I'm going to go in order of finishing, so first up is my neon socks!  These are super bright and I love them!  I also love that Rocky is in the backround looking at me like I am ca-razy!  Could be.

Here you can see that the colors didn't quite line up, which I'm okay with.  The way the yarn is in the ball I couldn't tell what colors would be coming next and I didn't want to unravel the whole thing to get them to line up.

  Also, for information purposes, it is hard to get a picture of your own feet!  For the top one I held out my camera like taking a really low selfie and that seemed to work the best.

Friday night I made this cute little zipper pouch.  I really like the way it turned out!  I love the fabric, it was just a scrap that Jan had left over from a project that she had given me.  I'm hoping that Joann's has more.  I also made a little beaded zipper pull for it that I think turned out cute.  This is currently in the mail on it's way to a friend.

And then, dun dunna dun!   My first finished quilt with my new machine!!!!!!!  This worked up really quickly!  I used basting spray and safety pins to baste the layers yesterday morning.  Flannel is so fiddly that I literally at one point wanted to chuck it!  But, glad I didn't because it's so soft and preeeeeetty :)  This was a large piece that Mom sent me.  She had gotten a super good deal on it at a yard sale or thrift in Chico.  And, bonus, it was already sewn into a large backing for me!  Altogether I think the quilt is about 72 inches X 72 inches.  The quilting only took about 3 hours.  Then I'd say another 1.5 or so hours to make the binding and attach it.  Which I think is pretty good! 

I really am appreciating the features on this machine that make it obvious it's for quilting.  There is a button to push that makes the needle stop in the down position every time (love!) and the auto thread cutting is nice.  There is a separate motor for the bobbin winder so you don't have to unthread and stop in the middle of whatever you're working on.  Nice!  Also, there's a button that automatically makes a little knot at the beginning or when you stop sewing.  And the tension and stitches are just nice.  You still have to control it yourself with moving the fabric around but it seems easier with this machine compared to my old machines.  I'm thankful I had those old machines to learn on though.  Is it sad that I feel loyal to an inanimate object? LOL

Here's a close up of the front and you can see the binding.  I had this really fun, funky toadstool fabric in my stash for awhile now.  I kept trying to put it into a project but it never quite fit.  So, I was pawing through fabrics yesterday after I had finished stippling and grabbed it up.  It's a different choice for sure but I think it works.

Here is the whole quilt view.

And look out!  Dog with a cone coming through! Dog with a cone people!   Inevitably whenever I'm taking pictures of one of my projects one of the boys needs to be right in the middle of it!  This time it's Joey.  He is in the cone from his ear surgery.  Which is going really well, healing really well.  This week we'll start taking out sutures.  

This is my favorite fabric probably in the whole quilt.  It's a fun little vintage print that Mom had in her stash.  She shared a piece of it with me so I put a few squares of it in this quilt.  It's all little items that represent luck.

So, that's it so far.  I did also hem up a tshirt for Jan's husband and it turned out well but that's boring, right?  I did get to try out the twin needle top stitching and I lurve it!  Like super love it.  I had big, big plans for today making zipper pouches but then house cleaning kind of had to happen today so you know.