On the Needles Friday

This is actually Off the Needles Friday for me.  Been MIA the past couple of weeks, I was getting ready for Christmas. 

 

On the 11th of December I decided to make my 3 granddaughters scarves for Christmas and needed to have them done by the 23rd.  Two of them I decided to crochet and the other one knit.  The first crocheted scarf I started with one pattern and got a couple of feet done when I figured out that pattern was using too much yarn.  I found a pattern called 'One Skein Chevron Scarf' which worked out much better and used that pattern for both crocheted scarves.  The knitted scarf I used the pattern called 'Simple Lace Scarf'

 

 

Then I decided I wasn't done with scarves yet and knitted myself one too.  Not fond of the yarn but I do like the colors and the gradual changes.  The pattern is called 'Easy Rainbow Scarf'

 

 

The YOSS Group on Raverly is having an impromptu KAL for January.  No set pattern is chosen but you are to choose one of Thea Colman's patterns.  I decided to join in and chose Cherry Vanilla Cardigan and am using some stash yarn that I bought for another cardigan that I cannot remember which pattern I was going to use.  The yarn is Cascade Ultra Pima and I think the color is mushroom.

 

 

Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

 

Mary

Merry Christmas

 

 

On the Needles Friday

I finished my Jen Lucas Mystery Shawl on Wednesday.  Love the way it turned out.  It is on the smaller size (16" x 52") but perfect for around the neck.  Will definitely knit again and will add more repeats on the cable charts and possibly the lace charts too.

For mindless knitting while watching TV, reading or on the computer I started working on some bed socks.  I am using Cascade Fixation, a nice stretchy cotton yarn and am using Travel Socks pattern as my guide.  No rush to get these done, I just pick them up every now and then.

 

 Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

 

Mary

On the Needles Friday

Today the 4th clue of Jen Lucas' Mystery Shawl was posted and I am ready.  This shawl is becoming my most favorite shawl, love the cables and lace.  After last weeks post I ripped it all apart and started over, I wasn't getting the gauge so I switched to size 6 needles from size 4.  It went pretty fast and I was able to finish the 3rd clue on Wednesday to be ready for today.

 

 

I blocked my Summer Wind Cowl this week and am very happy with the results.  The cowl measures 8" wide by 60" round.  The yarn is Lorna Laces Shepherd Sock in London 2012 - wasn't sure of the short color changes but I really like the finished results especially the pooling of the red color.

 

Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

 

Mary

Design Wall Monday

I have finally got the body of my Orca Bay quilt together.  I am now starting to assemble the border and will hopefully have it ready to quilt soon.

 

 

Bonnie Hunter's new mystery quilt - Easy Street - started last Friday.  I have my fabrics selected but not had a chance to start on it. 

 

 

Stop by Patchwork Times to see what others are working on.

 

Mary

On the Needles Friday

I finished my Summer Wind Cowl last Saturday but it still needs to blocked.  That is a nice easy to remember pattern and even thou I casted on 268 stitches the rounds went pretty fast.  Once the weather cools down some more I will be sporting my new cowl.

 

I had real good intentions of knitting Brighton Cowl out of Camp Loopy yarn but I saw the spoiler pictures for Jen Lucas Mystery Shawl I decided to go stash diving and work on it.  I started the shawl on Saturday and was able to catch-up and I have started clue 3which was posted a couple of days ago.

 



 

Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

 

Mary

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mary

Design Wall Monday

I have revisited my Orca Bay this week.  I finished my blue strip squares I was missing and now working on black and neutral half square triangles.  I calculated that I need 200 more of the half squares and once those are done I can finish assembling the last half of the top and should have enough for the border.  Bonnie Hunter is starting her new mystery quilt called Easy Street.  It starts on the 23rd so hopefully that will be enough push for me to finish assembling Orca Bay.

 

Since I last posted on a Monday Design Wall I have finished all my 4 patches (588) I need for my Midnight Flight.  I am now working on the 2.5 x 4.5 rectangles for the block, I have 70 of the 392 completed and throwing in a few half squares every now and then.

 



 

Stop by Patchwork Times to see what others are working on.

 

Mary

On the Needles Friday

I'm making progress on my Summer Wind Cowl.  The yarn (Lorna Lace's London 2012) is a little busier that what I prefer but I think it will look great and add something to my red jacket.

 

 

Already looking forward to my next project - Brighton using my Camp Loopy yarn Watering Hole.

This pattern is not knitted in the round and can either be a cowl or a scarf - not sure which way I'll go with it.

 

 

Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

On the Needles Friday

 Now that Socktober is done it's time to start on a new project.  Since the weather has gotten cooler (colder) I decided to knit a cowl.  I chose Summer Wind and I am using the London 2012 colorway from Lorna Lace's. 

 

 

I bound off the last pair for Socktober this morning, I really enjoyed knitting the 2 pair I did in October - I know next year I will do another Socktober either with a group or by myself.

 

 

Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

 

Mary

On the Needles Friday

Still working on my second pair of socks for Socktober.  I switched heel patterns to the gusset heel but still following a Wendy D Johnson pattern simply named Gusset Heel Basic Sock.  Just started on the leg portion today and I am doing a 2x2 ribbing and knitting it long enough to fold over.

 

 

 

Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

 

Mary

Design Wall Monday

I decided to start working on another quilt even thou I have several WIP's that I could finish.

I saw the block in one of Quiltmaker's 100 Block Tours and it's by Bonnie Hunter called Midnight Flight.  I drew my layout in EQ7 for a king size quilt a few months ago and purchased the red and cheddar color fabrics I needed but never started it until now.  I also drew the quilt with pieced borders but I see how I feel about them when I get that far on the quilt.

 



 

Over the weekend I finished half of the 4 patch blocks I need - 294 of the 588.

 

 

I took a break from sewing the 4 patch blocks and Midnight Flight block - now only 48 more to go.

 

 

Stop by Patchwork Times to see what others are working on.

 

Mary

 

 

On and Off the Needles Friday

Went camping this week and that gave me some good knitting and reading time - well actually not anymore time than at home.  I finished my Simple Skyp socks on Tuesday.

 

 

I jumped right in and started on my next pair. I am using Wendy Johnson's Short Row Toe and Heel pattern as my guide.  I do want to make the leg portion in 2x2 ribbing and long enough to fold over.

 

 

Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

 

Mary



 

 

 

On the Needles Friday

SOCKTOBER Continues!

 

Making progress on my Simple Skyp Socks.  Finished the heel turn yesterday and now working on the leg portion.

 

 

And now I'm looking forward to my next pair which will be a Plain Vanilla Sock.  I'm planning on knitting 2x2 ribbing for the leg portion and knitting it long enough to fold down.  The color is Strickanleitung auf der Ruckseite (I think) - if I could read/speak Germany I would know what it means.  The yarn has rich shades of purple, green and tan.

 

 

Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

 

Mary

Design Wall Monday

I haven't done too much sewing lately but I did get back to a quilt I started a couple of weeks ago.  Another Bonnie Hunter pattern - Nine Patch Split.  I decided to do this one controlled instead of scrappy.

 

 

 

Stop by Patchwork Times to see what others are working on.

 

Mary

On the Needles Friday

It's SOCKTOBER!

 

Wasn't able to cast on on the 1st but finally started on my Simple Skyp Socks on Wednesday.

I think this is my new favorite stitch pattern and will definitely knit again.

I decided to knit these toe up which is really my favorite way to knit socks.  The last 2 pairs I did was top down, I like the way the ribbing is this way but I not liking the heel turn - I think it's easier toe up.

 

 Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

 

Mary

On the Needles Friday

I have made some progress on my Skyp Rib Socks and I need to knitting faster since Socktoberfest starts in 2 days and I need the needles I'm using for those socks.

 

 

 

For Socktoberfest the first pair of socks I will be knitting Simple Skyp Socks and using Opal Rainforest #5141

 

 

 

Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

 

Mary

On the Needles Friday

 

We had gone camping this week - left on Sunday and came back today.  I had some good knitting time the first part of the week - it rained all Monday and Tuesday.  I was able to finish my Shur'tugal socks, almost I still need to graft the toes.  I did not have my instructions for the Kitchner stitch and I didn't feel like looking it up on the iphone nor reading it off of that small screen so I left it until we got home.

 

 

Being prepared I brought along yarn for my Skyp Rib Socks in Knit Picks Stroll in Make Believe and Duchess.  I finished the leg portion and have now started on sock #1 heel flap.

 

 

Today my bonus yarn came for Camp Loopy.  The color I choose was Watering Hole.  Not sure what I will use it for - the colors are wonderful and needs to shown off.

 

 

Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

 

Mary

On the Needles Friday

Making progress on my Shur'tugal socks.  I finished the leg portion last night and started the heel turn this morning.  I always have a hard time deciding how long to make the leg portion - these I knit 7 inches but I think most of the time I do 6 inches.

 

 

Yesterday my Knit Picks order arrived.  I think the purple with the green/purple hand-painted yarn will be next - I think I will use the Skyp pattern.  Or the brown and blue tonals using the

Slipped Striped Socks pattern.

 

 

My Opal yarn arrived yesterday too!  So I'm all set for Socktoberfest which I plan on knitting 2 pairs of sock, don't think I can do 3 pair in a month.

 

Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

 

Mary

Design Wall (Floor) Monday

I'm making progress on my Patches and Pinwheel quilt.  I finished the pinwheels this week and now I just need to sew the rows together.  I am undecided about what colors to use for the border - suggestions are welcome. 

 

 

Stop by Patchwork Times to see what others are working on.

 

Happy sewing!

Mary

On the Needles Friday

Today JudyL wrote a sob story about the socks she is planning for her son.  Well, I too have a sob story of my own.

For the past few weeks I have been dedicating my knitting time to working on my Rockefeller shawl and Thursday I was getting ready to bindoff the body of it and start on the sides - and that's when I discovered my error.  For whatever reason I was viewing my projects on Raverly I went onto West Knits and was looking at his finished pictures of the shawl and that's when I discovered I missed knitting the last 4 rows of clue #2.  Those last 4 rows really set off the look of the border, so this week I will be ripping out the 20 rows I just did - 330 stitches!

 

 

For the past week I have been fighting off the notion to start a pair of socks, today I gave in and casted on a pair to drown my sorrows.  The pattern I started is Shur'tugal and am using Knit Picks Stroll Fingering and the color is Wonderland Heather.

 

 

And still distraught I ordered more yarn this morning from Knit Picks.

 

Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

 

Happy Knitting,

Mary

Design Wall Monday

Continuing on my Scrappy theme I started working on another of Bonnie Hunter's pattern - Patches and Pinwheels.  I was able to complete all the patches I need for the quilt and now on to the pinwheels.

 

 

 

 

I am also almost done quilting last weeks finished top - Rick Rack Nines. 

 

 

Stop by Patchwork Times to see what others are working on.

 

Have a Great Labor Day.

Mary

Design Wall Monday

 

I put together this lap quilt in the past week.  It's from Bonnie Hunter's Leaders and Enders book the pattern is called 'Rick Rack Nines.'

 

 

Quick quilt to put together especially since I have a bin full on 2 inch squares.

 

Stop by Patchwork Times to see what others are working on.

 

Happy Sewing!

Mary

On (and Off) the Needles Friday.

On Monday I finished my Color Affection.  What a great summer at Camp Loopy, I can't believe what I was able to finish.  I never thought I could knit over 800 yards in a month but I did it - twice!
 

 

 Now I am back at my West Knits Mystery Shawl, which is no longer a mystery.  I am still working on Clue #2 and hope to be on the 3rd clue by next Friday.

 

 

Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

 

Mary

Design Wall Monday

It's been over a month since I posted on Design Wall Monday but I still have nothing on my Wall, Floor, Lawn.  I have been gone knitting but now that it's no longer 100 degrees outside I'm getting in the mood to sew.  The last time I was at my machine I was working on binding a quilt - I still have half of it to go and once I finish it I will be starting on another quilt and it will probably not be one of my WIP.

Stop by Patchwork Times to see what others are working on.

Happily sewing again,

Mary

On the Needles Friday

Still working on my Color Affection but I am nearing the end - only 11 more rows on the border and then on to the never ending bindoff.

Already looking forward to my next knitting project.  I was able to get Lorna's Laces Sock in the London '12 colorway that they dyed in celebration for the Olympics.  I ordered it from Jimmy Beans Wool and their promotion during the Olympics was to deduct money from the price for each of the medal the US won.  The promo deducted 5 cents for gold, 3 cents for silver and penny for bronze - so I was able to save $3.46 on the skein.  I have decided to knit Summer Wind Cowl with it.

But before I start the cowl I must finish my West Knits Shawl.

Take a minute and stop over at Patchwork Times and see what others have on their Needles.

Off to work today.

Mary