Monday Making

This week I managed to finish this toddler sized sweater.

Weaving the ends in 

and putting all the parts together took some DOING!

I used this pattern

and deleted the pockets.

This week I hope to add some buttons.

I dream of BROWN buttons...

but....

Wouldn't you know I have every OTHER color???

:)

(the buttons shown are just laying on top there for the photo shoot)

What are YOU making this week???

Monday Making

What are you making this week??

I'm getting to the very end of a small vest for my 12 year old.

The pattern was written for a one skein shrug...

but I found lots of knitters had lengthened it

and made it more of a vest.

The pattern is HERE.

A whopping 1439 people have made it! 

;)

I'd LOVE to be quilting...!!!

but life has me away from home more frequently these days.

Knitting is so much easier to manage.

Link up and share any creative pursuit.

Kitchen table Crafting

My kitchen table has been BUSY!

When my son's weaving doesn't cover it....

My knitting does!!

Then once in a while we EAT!

LOL.

I'm not complaining!

I love a MESSY creative table!!

Don't you??

(I'm so PLEASED my son caught the weaving BUG!)

What are you up to this week??

A teeny tiny trip

I began a journey yesterday.

Let's call it a HUNT!

I'm in the midst of finding the PERFECT pattern

for knitted baby socks/slippers.

I know this journey will be delightful!

It will involve trips to the library to find more knitting books.

It will include trips to the knitting shop to ask advice

and POSSIBLY purchase something appropriate for this quest.

It may or may NOT involve learning to knit a heel.....

and double pointed needles!

Isn't that called turning the heel??

Want to come along???

It would be so nice to travel with YOU!

If you happen to have any

"Traveling" advice on patterns...

Drop me note and I'll include it my

Wanderings with needles and yarn!!!!

**************

The moccasin-like slippers above

are a twist on a basic baby booty pattern

that I've had for a while.

(something like this one)

It's a pretty basic KNIT, fold and add a seam pattern.

I added a ribbing to the cuff.

Monday Making

When I am not at home...

I'm knitting.

There are doctor appointments....

camping trips.....

evenings visiting with family......

waiting here....

waiting there....

If it is HANDY...it gets DONE!!!!

Knitting projects are all in little tote bags ready to go!!!

Making little beanies seems to be one of my

"GO TO" projects.

;)

What are you up to this week????

This is ONE knitting project that challenged me.

The TREETOP lace rows were QUITE a STRETCH for this novice knitter!!!

I purchased this soft yarn and pattern

on a recent anniversary trip.

It's fun to celebrate with a NEW project!

Two of the challenging rows are now DONE.

They have BEEN conquered!!!

Now I get to knit and purl...

knit and purl....

for a LONG time.

I have this little knit project "at the READY "

for the next appointment....

the next long CAR ride...

the next meeting!!!

I look forward to using this SOFT wrap when the weather cools off.

Link up and join the party.

Hope you're able to fit some MAKING into your week!!!

Monday Making

I'm getting into a habit.

;)

Posting a Monday Making linky party the DAY BEFORE!

I don't know....

Guess I like being On TIME.

Early is even BETTER!

So friends...what are you making this week???

I'll be knitting.

I fell in love yesterday.

This yarn has EVERYTHING a quilter like me enjoys.

A lot of color....

and even some pattern!!!!

I bought only two skeins

and am DREAMING of owning every color available!!!

I told you.

I'm in LOVE.

Please don't judge.

Link up and let us know what YOU'RE BUSY  WITH this week!

;)

Three

Knitting little hats is sort of addicting!

You finish one...

You want to make another.

Yarn is so FUN!

and...

Hats are easy.

I can no longer watch a movie

without knitting needles in my hands!

Typically I'm working on more than ONE thing!

This weekend I had THREE finishes.

Two little.

and...

a BIG one!

Sweaters are NOT addicting.

They go ON and ON...

and you wonder if you're going to enjoy wearing

the item you are laboring OVER!!!

Instead of button holes...

(I'm a beginner)

I crocheted some loops.

It fits.

That's a relief!

After ALL those HOURS!!!

But.....

There's a little bit of cruelty to the knitting bug.

When you're old enough to have TIME to knit something warm....

You're body is telling you IT's TOO. TOO. HOT!!!

Some of you ladies will understand.

;)

Little Knits

I've been making little things over here.

It's finally getting chilly 

and I can imagine MAYBE someone using

these little knits!

There are.....

Headbands for the girls.

Pattern is called "twistin the night away"

Free ravelry download.

I used different yarn....

Different sized needles.....

Different number of stitches.

:)

Hah!

I am SO not a pattern follower!

I always use them as a JUMPING off BOARD.

(Instead of chunky yarn I used worsted weight.

Instead of casting on 14. I cast on 22.

Instead of K2 P2...

I opted to K1, P1

Instead of casting ON stitches in the middle

I DIDn't cast on.)

See?  I tend to veer OFF the path.  LOL!

The gray one was my first attempt.

I changed the pattern a bit on the pink one

and like it better.

Watching someone make something like this on youtube

really helped me visualize the TWIST!

There are also Beanies for the boys.

Simple-simple pattern found in a knitting book...

One skein wonders

;)

I'm on the road to a homemade Christmas!

Yeah!

Friday

Sometimes it's fun to give yourself a challenge.

Today I gave myself the finish it up on Friday challenge. ;)
aka...crazy mom quilt link up and Sarah's whoop whoop link up on fridays.

I had lots of other things to do......

But challenges are FUN!

In my orphan drawer I had the borders shown here....thinking I'd use them column style in a baby quilt.

There they sat.

Instead.....

I made a nice big square and surrounded it with the long strips of pre-sewn scraps!

Happy scraps!

Yeah for a finish!

I also have a knitting project going and have learned something about myself.

I'm a quilter at heart.

Choosing just ONE yarn to make a sweater does NoT come easy. 

Throwing LOTS of scraps together does!

Anyone else have that problem?

I told my friend after yarn shopping recently that I really need PRACTICE buying yarn! 

Think hubby will go along with that one?

hAh hah!

I have a great knitting book I've been enjoying. She loves knitting like I love quilting. ;)

What a treasure of a book!

Have a great weekend friends! 

Maybe it will include sewing, knitting, reading......OR.....all three!

Snippets

The last few days have been full!

Made a little bag at the very last minute for a friends birthday. That's when I usually get things done. ;)

The hand quilting didn't take very long at all and adds so much.

Worked on a knit dishcloth for my daughter as we drove all day for a short visit. Busy hands helped the miles go by.

She lives in a beautiful part of Northern California.

One highlight was a visit to a farm.

Lots of vegetables and flowers. Oh my ! I love country living!

I even snagged a recipe from my daughter's friend.

Mmmmm......

This Dutch oven recipe has me intrigued!

Gotta love fresh baked bread!

Pink please

Here's A teeny tiny sweater knit up during the last few days as I sat with company. 

It was nice to have handwork as we visited together.

The sleeves are short mainly because I had only a partial skein of pretty soft pink yarn!

I like the short sleeves. :)

Don't you?

Pattern for this was based on the 5 hour baby sweater free pattern on ravelry.

No. I could not finish in 5 hours.

Nothing close to that !

Thursday Thoughts

'

Love harvesting vegetables from the garden.

This little bunch doesn't overwhelm me.....

But......THESE bunches do!

Last year the grape harvest exceeded my

ENERGY level.

;)

We'll see how this year goes!

 

My husband is trying to help keep the work at BAY

and has dried TWO BATCHES of raisins already!

 

LOVED finishing up the border on this one today!

 

All those 2" squares give this quilt some pizzazz!

 

I wasn't AT ALL sure how big this quilt would get.

It was ALL a work IN PROGRESS.

 

Amazingly enough it's ALMOST a TWIN size!

It'll be SUPER fun to throw this over one of the kid's beds this Christmas!

:)

Yep....

It DOES need to be quilted first!

 

 

This baby sweater, finished last week,

gave me CONFIDENCE I could maybe knit something for MYSELF!

 

I'm THIS far and

STUCK already.

:/

HELP!

Youtube....

HERE I come!

Sweet Sweater

I've finished a SWEET sweet SWEATER.

Super tiny.

Super CUTE!

 

The beautiful yarn was purchased 1/2 price

at a fancy yarn shop.

(yarn is classic elite, liberty wool)

There was only ONE ball, of course.

But I bought it ANYWAY!

 

I added some PINK from my stash to the sleeves

and some more to the bottom.

I LOVE the way this project turned out.

NOW....

to figure out how to do some kind of closure on this thing.

 

The pattern is called

5 hour sweater.

HAH!!

 

It took me that long to READ/FIGURE out the knitting LINGO!

Knitting patterns are written in

a language I haven't MASTERED yet!

;)

And...

there's so much COUNTING!

That slows me down sometimes.

LOL!

Hope you're enjoying your summer!

 

I am.

The Barbecue is BUSY at my house

and we eat OUTSIDE every eve.

 

Zucchini, hamburgers

and Eggplant burgers for the adults!

YUM!

Friday

Yeah!

Quilt for Granddaughter is finally complete!

 Vacations, wedding stuff, family stuff

ALL got in the way as this one sat folded up

WAITING to be quilted.....

and BOUND.

I used some gingham for the binding.

LOVE that piece of fabric!

I'll be sad when the LAST of it is used up!

Now my granddaughter can be

COVERED UP

in her new BIG girl bed!!!

 

 

 

I've also been knitting rows

on this baby afghan.

This is the kind of thing that TRAVELS!!

Gotta LOVE handwork!

 

One of these days....cough cough sputter sputter....

it'll be done too!

 

*****************

thoughts on how to GET things done!

*****************

I was asked about how I get so much done

and WHEN do I find the time??

 

I FIT it in.

I give myself DEADLINES.

I give myself GOALS.

I don't watch Television.

I DO knit in the evenings (recently)

and solve crime with netflix.  ;)

I can usually solve the mystery in about 45 minutes.

LOL!

I have 2 children with special needs.

I take handwork to every Doctor appt.

I'm home more than most, I think.

I don't do as much housecleaning as I should.

Making stuff is IN ME!

I have to MAKE.

BLOGGING about what I MAKE

adds to the PLEASURE!

It adds a FRIENDLY aspect!

Thanks for being my friend here.