Land o’ Sunshine

Wow, November 1st was the last time I even looked at WordPress.   There are reasons, most of them not worth the time to write out.   All is forgiven, move on!

Completed objects since last blog:

• Gave Dad his felted slippers.  He says he wears them all the time.   I do believe him.  Gifts of the wearalbe type have been known to languish for YEARS in this man’s closet.   Never one to use a gift before its time, Dad is making me feel good about making this gift. 

• Hats for the men in the family.   ALL OF THEM are too big.   I won’t bore you with the pictures, but here are the deets: variation of the Seaman’s Cap but for giants or least giant sized heads!   Sunshine Dad’s hat has been frogged.   He is coveting one of Mandy’s hats, but he better pray the Giants go to the superbowl in 2009, because there won’t be a Giants hat for him in 2008 (unless he can bribe/beg/plead/pay Mandy to do it!). 
• Angelina Ballerina was completed and given to Sunshine daughter.   Her clothes are a little wacky looking and the slippers are missing, but I love Angelina and hopefully, so does SD.   I used the mouse pattern from Knit2Together and then made the clothes, tutu, and shoes myself. 

• Sunshine son #1’s Wallaby was completed.  It is big, the yarn is pilling and looking particularly craptastic, but he likes it and wears it.   Considering the abuse it gets, the price tag for the yarn–$7.47 for the whole sweater, one big hat, and two mittens with LOTS of yarn leftover–is perfect.  

• My cousin’s baby is due in the next month or so and the Baby Yoda sweater is complete for little Master F. to arrive.   I hope she likes it, because I LOVE it.   Is it normal to be SO enamored of ones handknits???
• Pair of Saarjte’s are finished.   Confession, there are THREE done.  bootie #1 and #2 were not the same size.  Too many garter ridges.   Bootie #3 matches #1, so there is a matched set.  
• The Quinn purse is finally lined.   I used an old pair of jeans and some pick striped fabric for a cell phone and pen pocket.   The handles are bamboo attached with chocolate velvet ribbon.   I love it.   The handles look a bit big, but I don’t care.   The cables came out awesome.   The lining was a witch to get in and no you can’t see the inside (does that say something).   A fellow PTAer said she like the purse, so I’ll take that as a compliment of the highest order.  
• I made another crown for a princess birthday.   Anyone need a crown?  I LOVE making those things.   SO QUICK!!!
• Mini sweaters for the christmas tree.   They were fun and I did each one a little different, but three was enough.   I used my sock yarn samples from Cider Moon and my sockapolooza pal.  The hangers were pipe cleaners chenille stems.  These are my kind of sweaters!!!   :) 

More regular posting, because really, what else have I been doing?   See ya!

The Quinn purse is almost complete!   I have finished the actual knitting and now comes the time for the finishing work.  What a phrase.   It sounds dreary to me.   Unfortunately, it is the finishing work that makes a project look the best.  Most often, my finishing work is sloppy and not thought out.  

This is the side panel, as viewed from the front.   How do I know?  Well, from the mistake(s), of course!    I’m sure you don’t notice those mistakes, though, right?   Ha!   It does need a blocking before I do the lining, but I’m an impatient sort of gal (hence my finishing work problems), and I don’t want to wait for it to dry. 

Speaking of the lining, I am currently trying to decide about the fabric I should use.   I have some scraps to use up (read, I’m too cheap and broke to buy new fabric for such a small project).   I’m leaning toward the green.   Or maybe the butterfly?   Or maybe the stripe.   Obviously, I am undecided, so I guess I better block it and that will give me some time.  What do you think?  

Here is my latest sock.   I ended up choosing Gentleman’s Fancy Sock from Vintage Socks by NB.  The yarn is a dream to knit, the pattern is cool and easy to knit.   The picture makes this look better than it really is.  Strange, its usually the other way around. 

I  looked at my sock collection this morning and it is amazing how many blue socks I have.   When I finish these, 50% of my socks will be in the blue family.   I think I had better branch out a little.   The LYS is getting a shipment of Lorna’s Laces soon, so my credit will be going toward more sock yarn.   Maybe I’ll let one of the kids pick. 

Ha.   The title of the post is so hard….  

Friday night…sewing. 

Saturday night….sewing. 

Sunday night….sewing. 

Monday morning…sewing. 

I can now see why people become addicted to making bags.  Wow.  Here are the pictures.   I will keep my mistakes to myself.   Before I do any more, I need to get an ironing board.   Using the table just doesn’t cut it for ironing those pesky seams.

This is the Charming Handbag (Bend the Rules Sewing, ROCKS!).  I stopped by a thrift store on Saturday afternoon.   I was really looking for yarn or a sweater to recycle, but I found fabric instead.   The floral and pink stripe were $1.00 and $1.50 respectively.   There was a 1/2 yard of the floral and 1 yard of the stripe.   It is Waverly fabric–decorator stuff I think.    The velvet ribbon–chocolate brown I got at Hobby Lobby for full price (gasp). 

This is the simple tote (Bend the Rules, again).   This was actually the second one.   It is a gift for my s4 pal, note the little “A”.   Pink Waverly stripe with recycled jeans–one leg and back pocket.   Although it has its own set of loveable quirks (read flaws), it also has a great feature…everything lines up–seams, stripes.   I am so proud of myself.  

Simple Tote.   This was originally for my S4 pal, but I loved it too much, so I’m keeping it!   The flower fabric was a single napkin/hanky found in the thrift shop ($0.50) and the green paisley was a scrap from a totally non sewing related project.   This will be my new knitting bag.   LOVE IT! 

I will be knitting tonight.   I am trying to pickup 144 stitches for Quinn.   I have 132 and I’m not really sure where those other 12 stitches are.   It looks like I have them all….   

What am I going to do with all these bags? 

I finished the first section of Quinn.   I took it to the Thursday night knitting to ask a question about blocking it before picking up the stitches.   The consensus was to block it.   So here is Quinn being blocked.   Keep in mind I don’t know what I’m doing. 

Now to wait for it to dry and keep the kids away from it! 

At the Knit Night, there were some fabulous FO’s.   Mandy had her leaf lace shawl which is some major green goodness–it is even better in person.    Cindy completed the invisibility shawl from Charmed Knits.   It literally shimmered.   Anne finished one ballet slipper from a Knitty pattern I think.   Pam had an awesome bathmat in dishcloth cotton.   I wished I had my camera to take a picture of some of those finished objects!  

Hopefully tonight I can graft the edges of Quinn together and pick up 144 stitches around to start the big portion of the bag.   Away we go! 

Since the Wallaby is finished, I started on Quinn.   

The color is off on this one.   Since it is all cables, all the time, I bit the bullet and learned to cable without a needle.   I did the first 12 rows with a needle and it sucked.     I jumped on-line and learned from Grumperina’s tutorial.   I have to admit I didn’t get it, so I just started moving them and then it clicked.   I was going along for a while not really understanding what was happening and then…ding…light-bulb moment.   Slip stitches in front, the cables go to the left!  AHHHHHH!!!!    Even so, I wrote out my little cheat sheet.   The 3 stitch cables are intuitive, but the 4 stitch ones threw me a little, so I wrote it out.  

The color is better on this one.   Anyone know how to fix the wonky cable syndrome?   You know where that last moved stitch is big and baggy?    Will blocking fix my cable woes?   Do I block befor I pick up the stitches to work the rest of the bag in the round?? 

I am on the 6th repeat.  I need to do about 5 more before I graft the edges together.   Do you see that blue yarn?   I also learned how to do a provisional cast on.  I’m a little concerned about taking out that yarn, because the first row has a cable in it, but I have 60 more rows to worry about that!  

Knitting to Do/Done: 

1.  Mason-Dixon Potholder Rug.   I was checking out some yard sales two weekends ago and I came across a 16 oz bag of cotton potholder loops.   The loops and a hardcover coffee table book about America’s baseball stadiums was $2.00.   The bag of loops sells in Hobby Lobby for $3.50.     I came home and taught the kids how to link all the loops together and then rolled them into a gynormous ball of many colors.   I bought the size US 35 straight needles (and contemplated buying more loops, but didn’t) and started knitting.  It looks fabulous.   It would be better slightly longer, but it is so cute.  Right now it is by the kitchen sink.   

2.  Wallaby.   This is the bane of my existance.   I am almost finished with the hood and will commence the Kitchner to finish it up.   Weaving in the ends is a daunting task, but I need the size 6 needles for another project, so I MUST finish it today.    Then I will wash, block, and let dry and PRAY it somehow transforms to fit hubby’s shoulders.  

3.  Scarf.   Sunshine Son #1 has been bugging, begging, asking to learn how to knit.   We started yesterday.   US 8 needles with superwash wool in a green color.   He is making a scarf for his brother and announced he would make one for his sister as well (pink, if you please).

4.  Retro Rib Socks.  These are for hubby.  I am using the Cascade Fixation for them.  They are working up quickly, but he nubbly nature of the Cascade doesn’t really enhance the pattern of the retro rib.    I hope he likes them.  

5. Quinn Purse.   A cable purse that I am hoping to start tomorrow.   I will be using bamboo handles rather than the knit handle.   This is the project I need the size 6 needles for.   

 Non-knitting to do list.   I am going to try to do some sewing tonight.   I have the following I’d like to get done this weekend:

1.  Pajama pants for hubby.   They are a blue flame fabric.   Pretty basic, I just need to get cutting and sewing. 

2. Pillowcase dress for Sunshine daughter.   I don’t have any ribbon for the it yet, but I think if I can get it measured and sewn, then the ribbon should be a peice of cake.   Now, anyone have ideas on how to get her to wear the darn thing?  

3.  Bend the Rules Sewing.   I purchased this last night with some birthday money from my MIL.   I think a purse and some placemats and napkins are up first.   I am going to look through my limited piles and see what I can come up with for those projects.   If you haven’t checked out the book yet, GO DO IT.   It is a great book, especially for the novice sewer or sporadic sewer.  

That is all the news here.  Monday I should have some pictures of the list above!  Our new camera arrives on Monday.   Have a great weekend!