I finished my Strawberry Shortcake and it was delish...

I am proud to say I have completed my strawberry shortcake socks. They were fun to make and I even have another pair started for myself...Same pattern different yarn. I am making them for myself in Kroy Hip Hop Jacquard. I have the 1st pattern repeat of the first sock complete. I think for myself I am going to make them a bit shorter. The pattern calls for 2 1/2 repeats of the pattern, I am going to see what they look like after 1 1/2 repeats. I like my socks shorter than these came out, but they did come out very pretty. I wish I had enough yarn in the SS colorway to make another pair for myself but I guess I will have to make a pair of baby socks out of the leftovers...

On the quilting front I made good progress on the Chris Porter Northern lights quilt top. I have named mine "I'm back from over the rainbow". It is the first quilt top that I have completed in a very long time. The quilting is going ok on this. I am going to make this quilt again someday in another colorway - shades of blue and green maybe.
I also bought a new book - Blending Photos with Fabric - -I have an idea for a quilt top that I want to make using a photo I have. More investigation needed there. Also I am thinking about purchasing EQ5. I think I would like to do some design work and that would help.

more afghan samples

here is another sample of afghan blocks...i think i feel a small blanket in the making...
this is the book i have been using for the patterns, i think it was a bargin at $14.95 from B&N. The block i have in process is Little Lace Diamonds on page 246.

I am stalled on the sock 2 and need to get that finished, I think I had better stop making blocks until the sock is done. Then maybe the yarn will be in for the block.

Knit around the Block....

I finished the sample block for the afghan square and blocked it to 12" last night using foamcore and my quilt pins. it stretched ok and then i steamed it. It is still still pinned to the board. I will take it down tonight. I am going to check out another pattern to see if I like it better, maybe a cable design or a different lace pattern.

Tuesday Morning Info

I purchased a book of knit stitches last night at Barnes and Noble "The Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns" and I am working on a gauge swatch for a block in the NETA afghan which will be raffled off in February at the SPA. The first attempt is Winding Trail - here is a picture of it. I posted a copy earlier but the color was way off. I think I like this pattern, its not to hard to do and I whipped through this last night. The bartletts yarn is easy to pull back when you miscount. I am thinking about trying another block too. But I want to see the actual yarn I will be working in (its a natural color) and check out my edging again. I am also going to post this picture to the group area to get comments.

Quilting Weekend...

I really did plan to post to the blog every day, but life got in the way. I did take the class with Chris Porter on Friday at the World Quilt Show in Manchester. It was a lot of fun and I actually acomplished quite a bit. Here are pictures of what I did in class. I am really pleased with my version of Northern Lights. I am in search of a name for it - any suggestions? I used Moda Marbles for all the brights and a solid black.
On another note, the show was very good, I spent too much money - no expensive machines, but a handy quilter (hope it works for me) and a kit from a quilt shop in concord (Peggy Sue) its Bento Boxes pattern done with Kaffe fabrics. The predominent colors are purples and beiges. Here is as picture of the finished quilt top (its 45" square)
The Bento Box quilt top was finished on Sunday it was fun to make, I have to do another one with blues and greens - i need to work on matching up lights and darks for more contrast....Guess I had better start sorting that stash.

Thursday is Travel Day

Today we leave for a weekend away in New Hampshire again. I am going to attempt to sign up for a quilt-workshop at the big quilt show in Manchester. The show starts today, the workshop I would like to take is Friday. I have purchased all the fabrics I need to take the class, so hopefully there will be room when I get there to signup today. The class is called Northernlights and the teacher is from England. The picture of the sample is great, I bought way to many colors cause I could not decide. The quilt calls for 12 plus black and I found 17 different colors and 2 different blacks (could not decide). So we leave after lunch to go to NH. It is about an hour from home to the quilt show venue.
I will knit on my sock today too, good driving knitting (Wayne will be driving, I am not crazy). Ellen is going with us today, hopefully she will be in a good mood. Teenagers you know.

more sock pictures and my misty too

I am going to post a few more pictures of the sock, the one finished sock...I had better get off my duff and work on sock 2... I feel a case of SSS coming on. It can't as I want to finish the socks and get them washed. I really like the way they are coming out. Hope my sock pal likes them too. Guess I had better start looking for a postcard to go with them, and a few other small goodies. Gotta go lurk on her site to see what she might like. I know she has a rescue dog as I do, hope hers is better behaved that mine can be.
and here is a picture of misty - my bc/aussie shepard baby:

My Strawberry Shortcake Sock again...

Here is a picture of the sock again. I was not thinking when I added the lingustics link and I do want all to see the sock...

Pretty much a Yankee I guess...

Had to do it:

Your Linguistic Profile:

60% Yankee

25% General American English

15% Upper Midwestern

0% Dixie

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Strawberry Shortcake...its all in a name

Strawberry Shortcake Sock and a Cookout too...


The swap sock has been officially named The Strawberry Shortcake Sock...one is done, two has been started. I like the way it came out, the toe looks a bit pointy but when it is tried on it fits pretty well. My sock pal has a bit smaller foot than I so I should be very comfortable for her. I was going to post 2 pictures of the sock, but the other one is just not as good. I guess I need to practice my sock photography - I wonder if anyone has a class on that.

In other news, we had our neighbors cookout at the campground saturday night- I made macaroni salad (a standby), my girlfriend E made potato salad and mashed potato, her husband made burgers for the kids and our other neighbors Dusty and Al made smoked turkey (yummy), gravy for the mashed potato, asian coleslaw and Rootbeer cake (but it was orange this time as she was out of rootbeer). We also had fresh corn from the local garden center in Center Harbor.

quilt along fabrics and sock progress

This is a sampling of the fabrics I have begun to choose for the modern quilt i am planning on making. I am going to follow the advice in the book and do a sample quilt before I purchase all the fabrics for a queen bed quilt. I have purchased fat quarters and will work on this over the weekend.

I am also working on the Japanese Feather sock. I have completed 2 repeats of the lace design and am starting on the final 14 rows...then on to the heel.

I do like the colors of this Kroy yarn. I have enough for the pair at least. I see a pair of these for myself too later.

sock2paloza - japanese feather socks

the photo is not the best, there was not enough natural light and I was too lazy to figure out how to better light my newest sock. I think this will be the one for my sock pal. It feels light enough for the south (in winter maybe) and the colors of this yarn are very pleasing to me. I sure hope she will like them. I am going to provide this Blog info to Alison so that I can be linked. That way I may write more frequently. There is just over a month till the socks need to be done and in the mail. Hopefully I won't stall yet again. The pattern for these socks came from the internet (free) japanese feather socks the knitlist is a great place for sock patterns and this one is a winner so far. The repeat is pretty easy and I have not had tons of problems with it.

joining modern quilt along...

I have decided to join the modern quilt quiltalong. I have quilted for years and have not been doing much of it for a while. I will post my quilt progress. I purchased fabric for a sample quilt - I love batiks and am working in a blue/green colorway. I have also started another lace top sock, the Japanese Lace Sock its pretty easy so far. I am one repeat in, there is 1.5 more repeats.

Sock News

I am working on my sock for sock2paloza and having fun doing it. I have taken a picture of the sock in progress and will attempt to post it here. The yarn i chose to use is Patons Kroy in a pretty pink/purple and red colorway. I sure hope that my swap mate will like them. I am now to the knitting on the foot. It is more fun knitting the foot with a pattern to follow instead of just plain stocking stitch.

In other knitting news I finished a pair of baby socks for the grandson of one of my co-workers.

the yarn is some self striping primary color yarn I purchased at The Fabric Place in Framingham on sale for about 1.50 (it was a partial skein- perfect for a baby gift).

More later