Happy Heart Day

Just had to share the love...

It brings some Spring into our frozen season.

Crazy Cat Placemats

Sometimes fabric just jumps out at you to be taken home, even if you don't know what you are going make. When I saw this bundle of hilarious kitty prints, I knew I needed to make something for my aunt, uncle and their family of cats.

It was also a nice small project to try out modern quilting as I was inspired by the book "Sunday Morning Quilts" by Amanda Jean Nyberg and Cherly Arkinson.

I love the color saturations she uses and the very geometric shapes, also the concept that the quilt is not made up of little blocks, its more like they are pieces of a big painting. When you quilt with this thought in mind, I think you are more able to study the fabric and work With it rather then snip it up and turn it into something different.

After feeling the inspiration build for a few weeks, I began playing with fabric and folding it into shapes that fit together, sewing as I went. I chose one fabric that I wanted as the focal point for each placemat and went from there. Yes, I did tear out some as I went but thats ok.

It didn't take long to have a placemat! I made four in all and trimmed them up to be the same size...relatively. When I put the batting and backing together with the top I then decided to be even more daring and learn about machine quilting. I am very hands on, so instead of reading up about dropping your feed-dog or adjusting the tension, I just started sewing. Since this was a small project it turned out great. I did learn later on a big quilt that it helps to make some adjustments.

Instead of adding a seperate binding, my sister suggested I simply fold the backing up and around the top of the quilt. It was a good idea since a placemat will be washed a dried a lot more than a quilt and less pieces to come apart.

Ready for dinner to be served... Fun idea, if you make some placemats you can stitch a pocket on one side to the silverware in. I like how each placemat turned out differently but they all go well together.

Quick Knits

Technorati Tags: Knitting,Magazine

I bought this magazine at Christmas time. I liked a lot of the patterns in it! I will share some of my favorites with you! “37 Fabulous patterns for wraps, socks,hats, and more!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Fresco Beaumont

 

I Love Love this one, going to knit myself one someday ! Have the yarn all picked out too!

There is also instructions for a  beanie version.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Fluffy Mittens

 

I love the color pattern on them, my sister also likes them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grove Mittens

 

I had this pattern before and have knitted one mitten, just need to knit the other one now! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anchor Mittens

 

The age old mittens on the string! Did you have them when you were little? 

 

 

 

 

 

Avery Socks

 The classic red socks!

 

 

 

 

Legwarmers

 

These look fun to knit, a little bit of ribbing and lace pattern.

 

 

 

 

Bohus Socks

These sock look like a simple Fair Isle socks to knit. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wavy Scarf

Looks fun !

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresco Legwarmers

I like the stars on these!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lace Tube Scarf

A nice cozy scarf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresco Lace Cowl

I think you could wear it over your head like a hood.

 

 

 

 

 

Cozy Blanket

It does look like a cozy blanket! You make squares of Garter Ridge, Seed Stitch, Double Moss Stitch, Basketweave and Reversible Cable.

 

 

 

 

Sunshine Bag

Another Fair Isle pattern, I like color patterns can you tell?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basketweave Blanket

Looks very easy to make, just knit and purl!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paintbox Frog

He is to cute for words!
He is worked in Seed Stitch.

 

 

 

 

 

For Ravelry  users a link to the magazine.

Vintage Puzzle

 

I don't usually buy old puzzles as they can smell musty and are always missing a piece... But this was in fine condition and was bundled up with a note claiming it had ALL the pieces and it smelled fresh and new!

Don't you love the picture? It looks like it would be a scene from a Nancy Drew book. I am guessing the puzzle is from the 50's from the look of the lady's hairstyle.

Here are all the pieces just waiting to be put together!!

 

I don't know how well you can see, but its a jigsaw puzzle and a lot of pieces are not interlocking, they simply rest together. Makes it a little more difficult, but the perfect thing to do inside when its cold and wintery out, the summery scene is also nice to think about.

Sweater Update-Heide's Sweater or What To Do When You Run Out Of Yarn!

 

Yes! Crisis! I ran out of yarn! I know too many exclamation points, but when you are talking crisis, you have to have them.

I really should have know better. As I stated in my first sweater update, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it with only five skeins. But that is me, the eternal optimist. I really should have know better. First of all, the yarn is cotton. Cotton is heavy, that means less yardage per skein. Second, the pattern I picked out takes EXTRA yarn then a normal sweater. It is a longer, fuller length, there are tucks and pleats, the sleeves are full and it has cute pockets. Those are all features that use up yarn. So now that you have heard the full story,

What does one do?!?

 

1. Tear the whole thing out and bury it in the bottom of your yarn stash until you can come up with another brilliant project to make with it.

 

2. Comb the internet and all remotely local yarn stores for a few more skeins in your dye lot.

 

3. Incorporate a new color of yarn in your sweater, design your own sweater!

 

4. Unravel something. Make it short sleeved, three quarters sleeves. Take a bit of length off the bottom. Decrease a bit somewhere.

 

I know some of these options sounds a bit crazy and you might be thinking yes, she is an eternal optimist, but I have actually used all three of these options on projects gone awry.

Once you think about them, they are not as crazy as they seem. For the first option, of course you are not just going to chuck your whole project in the trash. Yarn is way to expensive for that! And letting all the emotion and worry die away before you think about it again helps. On the second option, it is not as hard to find matching yarn as it once was. The internet is a huge place and now with Ravelry you can even see if another knitter has a few skeins in her stash she is willing to part with. The third might take more brain work then anything. Maybe you could use a contrasting edging or different colored sleeves or knit a few stripes into the bottom of the body and sleeves. Option four is pretty self explanatory. And if you are just a wee bit shy, this is better then hunting down another skein to end up using 3 yards from it.

 

I am sure by now you have figured out I found more yarn. It took a bit of hunting and there was a scary moment when I found out it was a discontinued color.

It is not very visible in the picture, but another thing I had not realized until my hunt, there is no dye lot. This yarn is kettle dyed (which means each skein can vary in hue). Naturally, I did not notice this until half the sweater was knitted up. But I am not letting it worry me, even though you can tell where I started a new skein and one sleeve is lighter then the rest, I am embracing the whole look! The best way to avoid this look (so they say), is to knit one or two rounds with one skein and the next one or two with another skein. This method drives me nuts. Once I am settled in watching a movie, who remembers to change yarn after every row?!

Aside from the slight set back of lack of yarn, my sweater is coming along fine. I am working on the icord bind off around all the edges and then the pockets and it will be finished!

Pineapple Tablecloth

 

We can't talk Pineapples without Carmen Miranda!

 

I often need a little a tropical flair to my day, especially in the dead of winter and I fell in love with this fabric at Neff's Country Loft.I didn't know what I was going make out of it so when all else fails....

 

 

A Tablecloth! I had a great time using a fancy stitch to simply hem this wonderful material. While I eat or craft or whatever I can stare at the beautiful fabric and envision something greater. All I did to the fabric was hem it, if I think of anything better to make, I can simply snatch the material off the table and start sewing!

 

The ivory and yellow shades really compliment my cherry dining chairs, I suspect this will remain a table cloth for a long time.

Check it out: Neff's Country Loft

Update on Mandy's Sweater

 So I got done with all my Christmas knitting and decided to start knitting my sweater again! 

I'm on my second ball of yarn and have been knitting it non stop since then! 

 

 

I love the pattern (Do I keep saying that?) and the yarn the way it self stripes. 

 Last night I tried it on and it fit very good, I think it will be perfect when it's done.

  

  Don't you love the cables? They started at the neck and they will go all the way down the sides. 

 Just enough to keep me from getting bored with it!

 

What are you knitting after the holidays?

 Or are you picking up were you left off after knitting your Christmas gifts?