What’s On My Design Wall

February 24, 2014 7:41 am ⋅ Pam

This past week I finished both Deadline III and Baby Deadline III. It will be some time before I can reveal the quilts.

The month started with 4 definite goals and a bonus goal. So far I’ve met two of those goals. There are only 5 days left in the month. I best get in gear. And somewhere along the way, I need to figure out what I’m going to take to the PhD (Project Half Done) retreat Friday and Saturday — that is if it still works out that I can go. It may come down to the wire before I know for certain.

Be sure to check out the links over at Patchwork Times to see what others have been working on.

Posted in: designwall, UFO Challenge 2014

Stash Report

February 23, 2014 6:39 am ⋅ Pam

Here it is the end of February and I’m still in the black yardage wise — that is I’ve used more than I’ve acquired. Who knows how long that will remain the case.

This week Deadline III was finally quilted and bound. I can’t tell from my notes if I counted the binding when I made it or not. Since I think I made the binding before the first of the year I’m not going to count it. On the other hand I know the backing has not been counted, so that is in today’s numbers.

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added to date: 4.729 yards

Fabric used this week: 4.83 yards
Fabric used to date: 32.577 yards

Net used to date: 27.848 yards

To see how others are doing with their stash, checked out the links over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Stash Busting Report

On the Needles

February 21, 2014 9:11 am ⋅ Pam

This is the what — the 4th or 5th knitting post with very little quilting posts this week? I promise I really am quilting — but it’s on a mystery quilt to be published this fall so I can’t show the quilt.

This is my Easy as Pie Shawl. Last night I think I ripped out the last 4 row repeat 4 times. I’m not sure why I kept dropping a stitch. Perhaps it was because I was actually watching the TV instead of simply listening to it.

By my calculations I’m 4300 stitches into the body of the shawl which puts me right at 40% of the body as written.

To see what others have on their needles, hop over to Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Easy As Pie, On the Needles

Easy As Pie – Shawl

February 19, 2014 3:42 pm ⋅ Pam

Well, I’m well under way to having a knitted project for the first time in years. I’m using the pattern Easy As Pie by Marisa Hernandez, which I downloaded off of Ravelry. Actually, I downloaded several shawl patterns but settled on this one.

I started numerous times with my Admiral Jaggerspun and #3 bamboo needles, but the ~~thread~~ yarn kept hanging up on the needles and I’d lose my place in the pattern. Determined to knit, I grabbed the first skein of yarn I found in the basement – well, actually there were two skeins — a light blue and this gray. I’m not sure what I was thinking. If I had ~~walked~~ wound my way to the other side of the basement I could have had several choices in color of this Plymouth Encore DK yarn. BTW, the pattern calls for fingering weight yarn which I believe would fall somewhere between my Jaggerspun Lace and the Encore. Oh, well. I can’t remember what size needles I’m using — 5 or 6 I think.

Anyway, after 3 or 4 attempts, I finally got the first repeat knitted. Then somewhere I must have lost my place in the pattern and knitted when I should have purled. I’m leaving it and calling it a design element.

I’m a tad over 1/3 of the body of the shawl as written. But since I can’t follow a pattern as written (it’s not just in quilting) I plan on adding additional rows — if I can figure out the repeat on the edging. But before I do that, I’ve got to frog at least 6 rows, maybe 8. I lost two stitches and it will make a difference. Just need to find a good needle to run through the stitches to catch them.

But there is binding to do first. I quilted Deadline III this morning.

Posted in: Easy As Pie, knitting

What’s On My Design Wall

February 17, 2014 8:06 am ⋅ Pam

The quilt is on the zippers and I’m ready to quilt it on Wednesday. In the meantime, I dug out the fabrics I’m planning on using on this month’s Alphabet BOM. I also re-evaluated the yellow batik I have and decided it would work on the flowers. The yellow is just glued in place – I haven’t stitched it yet.

To see what others are up to, follow the links over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: applique, BOM, designwall

Stash Report

February 16, 2014 6:29 am ⋅ Pam

This week was the big “frog”. Not only did I rip out the knitting – well actually tossed it in the trash, I spent a several hours ripping out the quilting on the big quilt. The only movement forward was creating a couple of applique flowers for a quilt I may or may not make. But since I count my fabric when the top is done there no fabric to count.

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added to date: 4.729 yards

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used to date: 27.747 yards

Net used to date: 23.018 yards

To see how others are doing with their stash, checked out the links over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Stash Busting Report

Applique?

February 14, 2014 5:30 pm ⋅ Pam

I do not applique — but I fall in love with many applique quilts. These two flowers are still missing a piece — I need a yellow that I don’t have in my tiny batik collection. These flowers are from Lillebet’s Garden by Beth Ferrier. Just 50 more flowers, 88 leaves and 56 stems — if I decide I really want to make this quilt.

Posted in: applique

First Decision Made

February 12, 2014 5:22 am ⋅ Pam

Well, I’ve made the first decision regarding the knitting. I’m starting over – or at least not finishing the original shawl.

Last night I counted my stitches and had an odd #. There should have been an even number of stitches. Did I miscount? I don’t think so, as this jives with what I remember when I put the shawl down all those years ago. I seem to remember discovering I had lost at least one stitch somewhere along the way and the house being too noisy to concentrate to figure out how to fix it.

As it turns out, it was a good decision.

I hated to throw all that knitting away, so I decided to just bind off. Well over 200 hundred stitches into the bind off I found that the yarn had broken and I simply couldn’t catch it to attempt a repair. So, into the trash it went after all.

I still have a huge cone of the Jaggerspun. Lots of choices. Last night I spent hours looking at patterns on-line. Even printed one out. But I’m not sure it’s the right pattern.

But, I can’t start knitting yet. Between Flappy Bird, the weekend hand quilting and the binding off, I’ve aggravated my tennis elbow. I sure hope ripping out quilting doesn’t do the same. That’s today’s project as I finished my book.

Posted in: knitting

I’m Not Blaming Her Yet

February 11, 2014 7:51 pm ⋅ Pam

No, I’m not blaming one of my favorite bloggers yet, as I haven’t picked up the needles to start knitting yet. Yet, I’m sure you are looking at the picture saying to yourself “What do you mean you haven’t picked up the needles?”

Yes, not only do I have numerous quilt UFOs, there are a few yarn UFOs lurking around — although I’ve done my best to lock them away in the basement. This one — I think it’s called Shaped Triangle from A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen – sat on my nightstand untouched for years before I finally got it to the basement (when working on it I checked the book out from the library.) It stayed there for a while before calling out to me to bring it to the light of day.

How many years? Well, my niece 20-year-old niece was in 1st grade. She, her brothers and mother were living with us when I set it aside. I simply couldn’t knit this pattern with 4 grade school kids in the house.

So, now the questions:

Can I figure out where I am in the pattern?
If not, do I just break the yarn off and start over?
And if I do, do I use this pattern or something else?

The yarn is Jaggerspun Wool/Silk 2/18 in Admiral.

Perhaps with all these questions, I should either put the binding on the baby quilt or rip out the quilting on the large quilt. (I have a new quilting time — next Wednesday).

Maybe I’ll go read some more of James Rollins’ Subterranean.

Posted in: knitting

What’s On My Design Wall

February 10, 2014 7:53 am ⋅ Pam

Friday night I pulled out my Double Wedding Ring quilt and worked on it on and off over the weekend. All that is left to quilt are part of the end blocks.

To see what others have on their Design Walls follow the links over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: 2014 Finish Along, designwall, dwr