Socks and Stitching

You know that "lone" sock that you throw out because you no longer have a pair, well....now there is a use for them. I recently discovered the world of "stupid sock creatures". I made these funny looking guys from socks. I now have a new appreciation for socks that can be recycled into something cute and funny. I had such a ball making these, cutting and sewing bits of socks. Some of the other girls are "experienced" and made some pretty amazing creatures and much more advanced then my simple guys. My daughters will get a hoot our of these.

I've also done a little stitching over the last few weeks, meet Lilly she's been out in the garden picking flowers. It's too early for any flowers in my garden, so it was nice to spend time with needle and thread. I'm not sure yet if she'll be a small wallhanging or maybe she'll be a pillow.

I'm off to my retreat in a couple of days, I hope to have a quilt finished by the time I get home on Sunday. Keep your fingers crossed I'll get some sewing done. The place I'm going has hot springs so I'll be soaking in that warm water for at least part of the time.

Merry Christmas

Here's wishing you all a fun filled holiday season with family and friends. It's time to relax and enjoy good food with the special people around you.
Both my daughters will have warm feet this season. I really like how these socks turned out. The stripes seem completely random to me, I never did figure out what the pattern was intended to be, they still turned out great. Hand made socks are so comfy to wear, I know she'll will love them.

Thanks for stopping by! I always look forward to reading every comment.

What's This?

I made this little stitchery yesterday while watching nature shows. I'm not going to reveal just now what this stitchery will become until I've got it finished. You'll have to wait a day or two is see the final reveal when it's completed. Eeek...I just committed to a deadline...

Did you see what Susan has been doing? She is working on her needlebook swap using her Crazy Quilting skills. Check it out....the needlebook, it's looking fantastic and guess who her swap partner is? Me...me...me...I'm so lucky to have a swap partner with such talent. I can't wait for her to finish it and sent to me. Susan surely has a very unique talent, I wouldn't even attempt such detailed embroidery.

Here is a finished pair of socks....finally. It took me longer than expected, I think due to the lace pattern in the socks and other project distractions going on around me. This pattern is called "Monkey Sock Pattern" from Knitty. I'm still working on the Pinwheel Star quilt with 30's fabrics, DWR which you saw in my last post and the Needlebook swap. And guess what another distraction....did you see the hexagon mini bag Guorun has posted, I want to start one of these right way...but wait I have to focus...maybe when my little stitchery is completed I can dig in...I'm so weak.

No Name Block

I was looking for this block pattern for months and wasn't able to locate the name of the block or a pattern anywhere. I guess I wasn't looking in the right place because I found it on Libby's blog, check out her baby quilt. Libby is a sweetie and didn't mind sharing the cutting sizes with me. I don't know if you can see but the red is a small check fabric and the cream fabric has tone on tone little egg shaped circles and dots. I've done 7 blocks, 9 more to go. Does anyone know the name of the block? It would be nice to know what to call my block.

My first lace pattern sock is from Knitty, they are called Monkey Socks, I'm using Lana Grossa yarn with cotton and wool, nice combination for a very comfy sock. Still have one more sock to make.

Happy Quilting.

Playing With Yarn

My Double Wedding Ring is progressing nicely, it hasn't fallen off the radar yet...hee hee. I'm finishing a whole lot of arcs to have ready for applique. I think this would be a good project to take on my next retreat. Hey...I'll be heading for Naramata BC (wine country) at the end of the month. Our quilt group plans this same retreat every year at the end of May, this will be my second year attending and we'll be staying the entire week...it's a whole lota fun. Did I mention we will be right in the middle of wine country.


Now on to something completely different. Sock yarns are so yummy and hard to resist. Here are my socks in progress. As you can see I'm on my second sock, which is a good thing. The yarn feels really luxuriously soft by Crystal Palace Yarns "Panda Cotton" made of Bamboo, Cotton and Elastic Nylon for some stretch. I think I'll need to get more of this yarn, I didn't say that...ssshhhh.

Relaxing Weekend

Well the hot water tank got fixed on Friday, so off we went for a relaxing weekend at the lake. To get to the lake we have to drive to the ferry. And the ferry is about 1hr and 40mins trip and then just over one hour drive to get to Lake Cowichan. My DH and FIL got some guy time fishing in each morning. I don't know if you can see them off to the left in the picture. We had fish for dinner last night...yummy.





I made some progress on my redwork ladies, these designs are from Red Brolly by Bronwyn Hayes, really cute. I have 2 more to do. I finished a pair of socks over the weekend but my daughter got them before I could take a picture. Trust me they were a really nice lime green and turquoise variegated yarn. When I was knitting on the ferry one guy said to me "I like the colour of your socks, it's the same colour as my tiles". I'm trying to picture in my head where one would use lime green and turquoise for tiles...hmmm

Quilter's Obsession with Knitting

Here's a fun little tool that KCQuilter showed us a while back and I have just figured out how to use. It's a index card generator, kinda fun to play around with. My list of things to be done, but all I can think about is knitting my socks. I even have my eye on some more yarn to knit the next pair. I have my BOM this Sat and haven't even started on my block and all I can think about is knitting.


My 3rd pair since Feb, almost finished.

Basket Block #4

I've finished 4 of my basket blocks, the one on the right (Purple Pansy) is the latest addition to the completed pile. I really love how these blocks are turning out, each one is different and it's fun to look what the next block will be.

My Birds of a Feather BOM class is this coming Sat and I'm not finished the 2nd block...oh well can't do everything. I've got the vines to applique and 15 berries to applique as well, not looking forward to all those berries. There will be some time to work on the block in class so that's what I'll do.

I had my last class for sock knitting last night and learned to finish the toe with a "kitchener stitch", it's basically a weaving technique. I really enjoyed meeting the ladies in class and we were all disappointed there wasn't more classes. Maybe we could have a "sock reunion" in the coming months, that would be fun to see how many each person has made. I have 1 sock completed and 1/2 of the other one.

Now onto more painting in the kitchen while the contractors work on the wainscoting in the bathroom. Still not working tub or sink....hopefully soon.

Not Much Quilting Going On

Just got back from a weekend trip to Vancouver Island, I was teaching a class at the Sewing and Crafts Show Fri and Sat. The class went well, the ladies seemed happy with their completed "postcard" (see previous post). After finishing the morning class there was time to browse around the show and then meet DH for lunch. I didn't buy any fabric but I was very temped the whole weekend to get a couple of charm packs and jellie roll, I might drop in my LQS later this week to pick up the jellie roll and charm packs I was drooling over. Is that will power or I'm I just postponing the inevitable...

Not much quilting this weekend but I did catch up on my knitting socks while waiting for the Ferries. One sock is so close to being completed. I got stuck at ending the toe, the pattern didn't give directions, I guess I could just cast off but I don't want to do it wrong, so I'll wait for my class on Wed. I want to spend most of the next class practising with the turning of the heel. No fabric but I did pick up some sock yarn to makes socks for both my daughters. I want to knit enough socks so that I will remember how to turn a heel. I figure one or two more pairs will ingrain "how to" turn the heel and if I don't knit for long periods of time hopefully I will still remember.

On the home reno front...the installers will be here today putting in the counter top in the bathroom. Three months without a main bathroom seems like soooo long...Maybe I will have a working sink today, one can only hope. The tub is not in the hallway anymore but it's also not hooked up to running water. Sigh...

Happy Stitching.

Need to Focus

I've started a sock class last week and for the next class we are to have 2 socks ready for the heel. As you can see I've got mine done...yippee. The third class will be finishing the toe, so by the end of 3 weeks I'll have a pair of socks. I haven't knitted in about 15 years and suddenly had this urge to learn to knit socks, I haven't even done a sweater. The urge came from reading blogs with wonderful pictures. I see all the beautiful stuff you guys are creating and I get inspired to give it a try. That's why I enjoy reading all your blogs.

It's taken me about 1 week to finish (or not) this one basket block, I feel not focused at all. I even met with 2 quilting buddies on Friday to get the block done but it didn't happen. Don't know if you can see there are still some pins where I haven't sewn yet. The redwork block again I started a week ago and I'm so close to finishing. I think the socks have interrupted my rhythm and was too focused on getting my class homework done.