Hurry! Last Day of Project Spectrum

Ever since Aug. 1, I planned to put up a post about the last triad of Project Spectrum ... here I am late as usual.

My participation in PS this summer did lag. I was busy with the new house and had some deadline knitting. I did finish these Monkey socks in Aug.



And I was inspired to shop for PS colors!

Here is some orange Dream in Color sock yarn:



And some purple Malabrigo lace:



And here's an actual purple craft that I made, but it was about four or five Septembers ago:



This was my second quilt and the first that didn't use matchy-matchy fabrics. My mom let me raid her fabric closet and helped me decide what size to cut the strips. I love this quilt! It's a large lap size, big enough to cover me and my legs, even my feet! (I hate it when lap blankets are too short to go all the way around the feet: dude, that's where I get cold!) The colors still thrill me. I am not really a purple person, but every so many years I just crave it. Purple doesn't really flatter me so I rarely wear it. Maybe that's why I was so drawn to it with this quilt. I didn't have enough purple in my life? That must explain the purple malabrigo, above. I am quite certain it will not look good on me, but I had to have that color instead of the blue or green that is pretty on me.

The quilt is a basic strip quilt construction. I remember carefully planning out which strips would go where. I bought the light and dark purple batiks from a wonderful quilt shop in the Milwaukee area.

For the actual quilting, I tried freehand on my mom's machine for the first time and I totally sucked big time. There are lots of very sharp turns instead of the lovely loops, but I got better as I went along.

I have not quilted or sewn anything for a long time, but this is inspiring me to get out my machine, a Bernina! I got it a very basic model (it doesn't do all the fancy embroidery) for Christmas in 2004. It's a wonderful machine and it deserves to be used. L and I started Yellow Brick Road quilts in 2005 but didn't get past the cutting out stage. We need to set a date to work on them!

Project Spectrum Update

June and July were really busy with my move, so crafting was neglected. Thus, I did not create anything in red, black or metallics.

But, I did come across this pillow that I made a few years ago and it fits perfectly! So, I have something to show, even if it is an old project.



I was reallly into sewing before I dove into knitting. It started in 2002 when I made my first real quilt, and then really picked up in 2003 after I broke up with a boyfriend. Though I have sewed off and on since I was a kid. My mom is Quilter. I capitalize it for emphasis. She made her first quilt in 1976, the year I was born. I still have it, though it's in pieces. It was the bicentennial and there was a revival of traditional crafts, including quilting.

The sound of her Bernina zooming along was almost constant during my childhood. She's made hundreds of quilts, for every family member at least once (and not just me or my brothers, but my aunts, uncles, 50-some cousins), for friends and relatives of friends, plus charity raffles. She even made a quilt for a coworker of mine whose house burned down. She had a cupboard full of baby quilts ready before any of us were even married!

It was only a matter of time until I got the sewing bug too.

When it did, my aunt gave me her old Singer and I went to work making her a pillow. I figured since she gave me the machine, then the first item sewed on it should be a thank you for her.

I decided on red to match her family room. And Mom let me "shop" in her fabric closet. I pulled out tons of red and black fabrics, and decided to sew strips. So, I cut and sewed the strips into a larger fabric. Then decided to cut that piece into four triangles, which I sewed together to make a square, which became the pillows face. I wish I had a photo, but this was years ago when I didn't have a digital camera and I didn't photograph my projects.

Well, I had so much red and black strips that I made two more pillows. One I gave to a friend and I kept the one, above.

Wonky Tea Cozy

I finished this tea cozy awhile ago, but never blogged about it. I used a knitty pattern, but didn't follow the directions exactly. I used a different yarn, Noro Kureyon, and once I started the decreases at the top, I did them more frequently than called for. In other words, I did fewer plain rows between decreases, because I was running out of yarn. Also, I didn't do the embroidery.



It didn't felt very well. This is after four or five washings. I first tried to wash it in zippered pillow case, but it wasn't felting at all, so I put it in a lingerie bag and that worked better. I washed it with old towels and used baking soda. I didn't take it out during the spin cycle, but it hardly matters b/c it didn't felt completely.

I've read that Kureyon doesn't felt very well, but I think others say it does. So who knows. Maybe I didn't knit loose enough. In any case, I probably won't be using Kureyon for another felting project.

But, even though it looks funny, it does fit over a regular sized teapot and keep the tea warm. And the colors are pretty! It does, however, need a shave.

So it works. I just probably won't be displaying it in a place of honor.

Gifts for Moi

Look what my brother brought me back from his travels in Tibet? Yak yarn! For some reason, I thought yak yarn would be very scratchy, but this is so very soft. And such pretty colors.



Close up shots:







So cool! I am thinking of making a stripey, lacey shawl. No idea about the pattern yet though.

And, I am extremely late in properly thanking bySarah for these lovely stitch markers (there is a fourth hiding somewhere around here). I heart them. If you want some, check out this store.



And an almost finished project: a not-yet-felted tea cozy made from Noro Kureyon.



With the white stripe at the top, followed by the darker green in the tip, it kind of looks like a boob. But felting will probably allow me to make the tip less nipple-shaped. And if not, a boob-shaped cozy is fine for my tea. Kind of appropriate, really.

I am going to MD Sheep and Wool on Saturday! I am tres excited. It's my first time. Last year I was out of town and the year before, I actually tried to go to a yarn shop but it was closed for sheep and wool and I had no idea such an event even existed! But I am ready and have a plan (well, sort of. Ok, no, not at all. I wrote down the yarn I need for a bunch of patterns that I want to make, but I feel like I'll be so overwhelmed that I'll just wonder aimlessly.) But still, super excited. And, since it's my birthday at the end of May, I suggested to G that he NOT go to all the trouble of buying me a birthday present and that I'll just spend a little extra at sheep and wool. Normally, he likes to be very secretive and romantic and think up a very special gift (like a vintage copy of Anne of Green Gables, my favorite childhood book). And it's so sweet. But I am ok w/ not having a big surprise this year if I get to buy more yarn! :)

Many Updates

I don't know what happened, but somehow it's been a couple of weeks since I updated the blog (not counting my rant earlier this week).

First, I need to thank Jody for helping me figure out new Blogger. I finally have oneof those cool Flickr things in my sidebar. Of course, now I need actually add more pictures to my Flickr account ...

During the past couple of weeks, I have "written" at least three posts in my head, but never got them down on paper, er keyboard.

I meant to write about the fun time I had in Feb. hanging out
with
these
amazing
knitters
for yummy food and yarn shopping...

This blue/green Debbie Bliss alpaca silk is my loot from that day. I am going to make Fetching.



Then, I was going to tell you about the great time I had with G at a Nils Lofgren show at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Va. It was a great acoustic show. I even knitted for a bit before the show and just the tiniest, tiniest amount during the show. :) At the Birchmere, it's general admission where you sit at tables. So everybody gets there early to get in and get the best seat. Like two and half hours before
the show even starts. So, even after dinner, I had a lot of knitting time.

I was probably going to blog about the snow, but now the weather is beautiful and springlike. We actually have our backdoor open. Has spring officially sprung in Maryland, or can we expect one more cold spell?

I am almost, almost done with my wool sweater. I fear I may have missed my chance to wear it this season. Unless, unless I can finish it this week and wear it in Wisconsin, where I am sure it will be cold enough.

I am heading back to the main office again in mid March. And the cool thing is L will be there too visiting her family. We have already made plans to visit at least one of the cool yarn shops in Madison.

I will actually be in Wisconsin over a weekend but my parents are going to be in Connecticut visiting my brother there. So I'll have a weekend to visit other friends, or go down to Chicago and see my brother and his tiny baby. Well, the word is
that O is not so tiny anymore. He takes after my brother who was a very chubby baby. Oapparently gets really grumpy when he is hungry. Funny, Matt does too, still.

It would be very cool to spend the weekend in Chicago. Matt and company live downtown, right across from Navy Pier. It's a fun spot.

And, as you see, I've been taking lots of blue pictures.

Project Spectrum Update

I finished the first sock for G! And it happens to be blue, so I am half done with a PS project. I must say, I am not rushing out to start the next sock. This one took me about a month. Blah. But it's pretty, isn't it? G loves it.







I also finished the back of my green sweater. I saved the front for last. Yes, I have been avoiding the short rows. It is not the how to that worries me, but the placement and how many to do. What if I end up with cups coming out the side of the sweater or at the top of my books, or just under them (which would give me sort of a four boob effect, wouldn't that be attractive?)? When I took the short row class at Stitches East, I think the teacher said that you just need to do a couple of rows of short rows. But I am "luckier" than the average girl in that area so I kinda doubt a couple will be enough for me.

So, I have two things I should be working on. But of course instead I want to start a hat, wrist warmers, something lacy and a tea cozy (I really do. I drink tea every day and I want it cozier!).

Ah, nice lazy day. I have the day off. But not because it is snowing with freezing rain forecast for the evening commute. Considering I telecommute, that would be pretty funny. No, I get a comp day for the weekend work I did in Aruba. Sweet! I didn't even sleep in. Ten years ago (probably even two years ago), I would have slept til 11:00 then watched E! for hours. But now I don't want to miss any of my precious day off! Of course, when I say I didn't sleep in, I should disclose that I normally wake up at 9:00 because I work in the next room on CENTRAL time. Thirty minutes is plenty of time to get up, wash my face, make my tea and yogurt and be in my desk at 8:30 in Wisconsin. Tee hee hee. I love it.

Oh, and I updated my blog template. I was tired of the green. I had started calling it "eek green" cause it was so bright and clashed with so many colors. I played around with new Blogger today and I like some of the new features.

Project Spectrum and 2007 Knitting Goals

I joined Project Spectrum this year. I think I have enough yarn and fabric to participate.


In Feb/March for blue, white and grey: maybe a gray or two blue hats (perfect way to use up the baby blue yarn I got). Or starting a blue sweater, or a blue tank top. I could also do something with the cream (which is after all almost white) alpaca that I have. Could start my Tess socks in the blue, purple, green color. And if I don't finish, they would transition me into April/May.

April/May (green, yellow, pink): work on a lace shawl for my mother with yarn that has pink and green and maybe yellow in it. Also could start a pink lace shawl for me. Plus finish up those Tess socks.

June/July (red, black, metallics): start a red vest for my father for Christmas or his birthday. Also use my goldish mohair for leg or arm warmers (I think there is an armwarmer pattern in One Skein that would be perfect). Also could make a red hat and red fingerless gloves.

August/September (brown, orange, purple). I have some brown Manos cotton. But I might want to use it before Aug. Well, of course, I'll want to make a little summer sweater with it before Aug., but it is likely that I won't get to it, especially if I really do even a few of the above projects.

Oh, but the perfect Project Spectrum project will be this entrelac tote bag with colors from almost every section that I want to start soon.



When I look at the list of projects that I want to complete in 2007, I think I have them mostly covered in the above list. And, I'll be working on gifts that I wanted to do for last Christmas (ok to be honest the Christmas BEFORE last). If I finish, I may give them away before next Christmas. I just want to actually finish a couple of gift knits this year.

While I am on my 2007 knitting goals, I also want to learn to do two socks at a time, do toe up socks, do a cable project, use some of my stash (but not knit ONLY from stash), attend Maryland Sheep and Wool (sadly I've been out of town for the past two years. But so far, the calendar is clear that weekend), and attend more knit meetups and knit nights. I really enjoy the camaraderie of knitters. I may need to work smarter on those days. But I know I can do it, I just need to do it more often.

So that is it: a nice solid list of projects and goals, ambitious w/o being impractical.