Episode 16- Special Guest!

This week I had a very special guest. My mother! My mom is an avid quilter, and she mostly machine pieces and quilts. She is very creative in her designs, and innovates many of her creations. She doesn't often work from a pattern, and freehand quilts most of her projects. I hope you love her as much as I do, my mother.

Thanksgiving was this week, and I made stuffing and rolls for the dinner. I cooked at my grandma's house, and they both turned out really good. I'm not sure of the recipe for the stuffing because I made it up with my grandma's help as I went. The rolls I got the recipe out of a Better Homes and Garden cookbook. 

This week I focused mostly on Thanksgiving, because it was the main take-away of the week. Being thankful, focusing on family, all that cool jazz. But this week did not start out that great for me. I got so stressed out, just from working on an extra project at work that I came home early because I felt like I was going to throw up! It made me feel like a miserable employee, but now that I have had a couple days to rest without thinking or worrying about work I feel much better. I even had a dream about my work last night! I was working, and then got fired, but I appealed and they kept me on because I showed how much passion I had for what I do. I think that is a good sign, if even in my subconscious state I really want to work at my job.

I think the kids are really what does it for me. I worry about them, and want to help them to achieve the best that they can. It's a different world when you may not have a stable home, but still come to school everyday. I miss the kids when I am not there, and keep trying to work at making sure that they have a good experience when they come into the program.

This week I finished many things. I finished two pairs of slipper socks to give as Christmas gifts, and two washcloths that are also Christmas gifts.

I also finished a cowl that I will hopefully wear sometime this week. It's longer than other cowls that I have made, but it was flat instead of being a tube, so I think that's why the yarn went further. I made it out of Purl Bee Laceweight, which is the Hobby Lobby brand of yarn, in the Sun Valley colorway, and I held it double with cream sockweight yarn that is acrylic that is from Fabric Recycles which is a crafting consignment store, so I'm not really sure of the brand on it. I made up this design in my head, and completed it without looking at any pattern, but then I watched Amy Beth on the Fat Squirrel Speaks, and she showed her cowl that she made out of handspun using Foolproof by Louise Zass-Bangham. Seeing her explain the pattern I realized that I did almost exactly the same thing, but I didn't buy the pattern or even look at it, so I'm not sure if I really ripped off the pattern, or just had a weird synchronous moment in the universe or knitting patterns.

My mother showed her pumpkin that she made for a pumpkin contest at work, but they didn't really let her enter the competition because it wasn't a "real" pumpkin. So she set it on her desk, and then brought it home and set it up in the dining room. The picture I took is where it is sitting in the dining room, just to get at idea or what it looks like set up. She appliqued the pumpkin pieces onto the background, and then machine quilted it freehand. The pattern was 100% her own creation. 

I am currently working on two blankets for Project Linus, a charity that makes blankets for children that are sick in the hospital, or have endured another type of trauma. I am working on a Tunisian crochet blanket that is orange and black. I bought a Tunisian crochet hook that has a cord connecting two hooks, but I don't like doing that long of a row. My mother thinks that it is partly because of the color, and the yarn, and if I had different yarn I would like doing it better, which I think is mostly true. Working on a bright orange blanket is hard to stay focused very long, but the action of Tunisian crochet becomes very rhythmic and addicting. After I finish this panel of Tunisian crochet however, I am going to switch to regular crochet and just do borders until it is an appropriate size for Project Linus.

The second blanket that I am working on for Project Linus is the Nuts for Neon competition blanket, and it is coming along nicely. I am using different colors of Red Heart Super Saver and working different panel and sections to create a crazy quilt look with knitting. I like how it is coming along, and hope to win the prize this May.

My only other project is my Christmas socks that are just plain vanilla socks that I am making to wear on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I hope to make a second pair to wear on the other day, so my feet will be very festive.

My mother is working on finishing the binding on her fall quilt that is a couch size throw. She used a gradient and put the colors in an order, working out from the center, that represent that different colors that leaves change as they transition from Spring into Fall. I think it looks really cool. It is a French braid pattern, and it was machine pieced and quilted, and she is hand stitching the binding on.

I also showed my next Project Linus blanket that I am going to tackle, which is going to be to finish a blanket that I got in a bag from a thrift store. I am just going to keep adding crazy colors to the granny ripple pattern until it is big enough to be a blanket. The yarn will be all old acrylic from donations and other random places.

I also got some spinning done this week, both on my wheel and on my Turkish spindle. I finished a skein on the wheel, it was a 50/50 blend of alpaca and wool, in grey and white. Then I am spinning a 50/50 blend of mohair and wool on my Turkish spindle to be plied with another single of handspun that I spun on my wheel. 

Thanks for watching and I'll see you next week with more progress on more projects!

Episode 13 - The Great Outdoors!

This is a week late, but I still wanted to give it it's own post. This is episode 13, and it was shot at the lake. The lighting is a little funny, but I still manage to talk about my different projects. There weren't any FO's, but I did manage to make some pretty good progress on some projects.

Before I get to the project photos, which are phenomenal, I have to give a shout out to my brother, the one I am making the epic cable sweater for, who caught a pretty good sized fish, and I snapped a quick photo of him. 

Another shout out has to go to my mother who was also crafting at the lake. She was making quilts for Project Linus, a charity that donates blankets to children that have experienced trauma, whether they are in the hospital, or are in other trauma. I just thought it was fun for how she could transform the kitchen table into a miniature crafting area. 

Then I went on a photo shoot, the next morning, it was pretty epic, all on the back deck of my parent's house down at the lake. I have first my not-quite vanilla socks that are almost ready to turn the heel on. 

Then I have the short row shawl that I am completely making up the pattern on, and it was almost ready for a lace border on it. 

Then I have my cowl that I started, that I am putting in different fair isle patterns on from a pattern book from the library. I am thinking that I will need to buy this book in order to complete the project. This is all being done in Knit picks Palette Fingering weight, on US size 2 needles, 16 inch circular Karbonz needles. 

Then there are the two Project Linus blankets that I am working on. There is the orange tiger striped blanket that is turning out more "Halloween" than I hoped for. It is tunisian crochet, and I am making up the pattern. 

Then lastly there is the mitered square blanket that I am making out of left over acrylic yarn and I am working it on US size 10 needles. I added 7 more squares this week. 

Thanks for coming on my adventure at the lake. I hope you enjoyed this little look into a different aspect of my life. Join me next week when I will be at home, and it will be my birthday. 

Episode 7: Lightning Speed

This week my computer decided that it needed to update, which today was an excellent day to update, but it meant that I was a little pressed for time when I was recording. Because of this I kind of speed through my projects at lightning speed!

While I was waiting for the computer to update I picked some wildflowers from outside, that just popped up by the deck steps. I was amazed at the different shades of colors that they were and how delicate they were, I just thought that I would share.

I talked about my past week, and about my mom's birthday that was this week. I made her this great mixer cover for her kitchen aid mixer. I really loved the chicken print, and it goes really well with her kitchen, which is all chicken themed, so it worked really nicely. After the photo shoot I made sure to put it back in the kitchen so it can keep the mixer cozy.

Next I talked about all my great finished objects that I had this week. I finished G's socks. They are men's size 12 or so, so it was a fair bit of knitting. I made them 88 stitches around on US size 1 needles. I worked them two at a time toe up, magic loop method. I worked them in JaWoll color for the mottled green, and Cascade Sock in green for the toes, heels, and cuffs.

I also finished a pair of socks for myself. I striped two different self-striping colorways from Berroco Sox. One was various shades of green, and the other was red, pink, peuce, green, and blue (which probably doesn't sound very pretty, but it turned out really cute. I worked them 72 stitches around on US size 1's. I worked them one at a time using the magic loop method. Last week I was just above the heel on the second sock, and this week I finished all the leg and cuff. All that is left is for them to have the ends woven in.

Another finished object is not really knitting or crochet or spinning related, but it is still technically fiber. I finished sewing a top for a Project Linus quilt. Project Linus is a charity that donates new, handmade blankets to children that are ill or traumatized. They are handed out at hospitals, and police and firemen can carry them around with them. This one was a kit that was already cut for the most part and step by step directions were included. My mom helped me out quite a bit, she did the second cuts, and helped me press the pieces, and gave me pointers about how best to assemble to quilt. (The middle block is supposed to be sideways, I did it on purpose).

This week I had a few Works In Progress (WIPs). I started and worked a lot on a chevron cowl that will be worked until I run out of yarn, and then kitchener the two ends together. I provisionally cast on 100 stitches and then am working a chevron pattern on the tube. I am using Lang Yarn Mille Colori Socks and Lace yarn and Berroco Comfort sock weight, held together. It is being worked on US size 4 needles, and I think it is turning out pretty nicely.

Confession time, for the past three weeks I have been working on a project and haven't shown you, because... well, I'm not really sure why, maybe I was embarrassed at having so many projects on the needles? At any rate, I'm coming clean. This is going to be a pillow for the Design Challenge Aug/Sep Challenge on Ravelry. It's a group that just runs bi-monthly challenges on their forums. This two month challenge is to make a pillow that uses cables and has texture. I am using short rows to make wedges that will form a circle that will then have a strip around the outside of cables, and the other side will be in a gradient that I dyed around this time last year. Anyways, I'm working it on Jaeger Gabrielle with Mohair held double on US size 9 needles. I am taking good notes, and I plan to work up the pattern, and have a blog post devoted to it, so that if you want you can make your own little cushion. Here's what it looks like so fair.

Also this week I decided I needed a crochet project, since I hadn't crocheted in about two weeks, and I was really itching to get my hands on a hook. So, I decided that I was going to make a "crazy quilt" afghan, so I am letting it grow organically, but still making sure that it is staying rectangular as I work it. That way when I'm done it will be a really unique blanket. I worked the center square, and then I did a couple rows of border around it. Then I did triangles around the center square to set it on it's corner, striping the triangles randomly. Then I added a border with puff stitches to give it texture and interest. I plan on making log cabin stripes on two of the sides, to make it a bit asymmetrical, but still rectangular. I will also be using some other stitches, such as bobbles, V-stitch, and Cross post stitch to give the log cabin stripes some texture. I'm pretty excited about this project, so hopefully it comes out as nicely as it sounds like it will in my head.

Lest you think that I am being neglectful, or that I have Project ADD or something else, I would like to acknowledge that there were three projects that were not featured this week. First was the Hippy-hippy shawl which is by Gabrielle Vezina, which was not seen, because it did not receive any work, mainly because the fingering weight on US size 2 needles is pretty small, and I just didn't make myself sit there and work on it this week. Then there is the Project Linus blanket that I am knitting with the ball band dishcloth pattern. I did work on this, but it felt like there was a lot going on in this podcast, and so that project just didn't make the cut. Finally, my brother's sweater, the Hedge Fence Pullover, by Elinor Brown, was not worked on, mainly because this is the first week in the past two or three where I could sit and knit as long as I wanted without my hands killing me, and I just hadn't sat down and cranked out a whole pattern repeat at any point in the week.

So, anyways, this week I also spun. Both fibers were from vendors at the All-MO Spin In in Chillicothe, MO that I went to this May. The orange and pink skein is wool that I plied with metallic sliver thread, and one spool of brown thread with beads, I got 368 yards, and am planning on making a shawl. It's very airy and was spun from an art batt. The blue and green was sold in a hank of roving, and I wasn't sure about the colors when I bought them, but I really like them now that they are spun up. I like how the different colors play together, and I think it will make a very nice hat. I split the roving into strips lengthwise, about six strips, spun them end to end, and then plied the whole thing back on itself. I am also still working on drop spindling the mohair and wool blend that I got at the MOPaca festival that I went to earlier this year as well. I'm spinning that on a turkish spindle that I got in a swap package last year or so.

This week's stash enhancement included some fiber, two different sweater quantities, and sock yarn, as well as sock yarn to dye. I'm pretty excited about all the possibilities that these new additions bring. The thought of the week this week was about the Bullet Journal idea that I'm trying to see if I can organize my life a bit more. I am making lists of different things that I want to do, and how to do them. I think that it will help me. If you type in "setting up bullet journals" into YouTube there will be a bunch of different tutorials about what a bullet journal is and how to set it up. I think that it seems to be a good idea.

Thanks for watching and reading, and I hope to see you next week!

Finishing Things

I have been quite busy working on things. I finished several things, including one of the books that I was reading. I finished reading Against Calvinism by Roger E. Olson. I thought that it was a good argument against Calvinism, hence the title, but I'm not sure that it totally convinced me, but it didn't really provide very good explanations of alternatives to Calvinism, but just presented problem with the Calvinist theology. I recommend reading it if you are interested in Calvinism, and haven't made up your mind about it, but don't really know anything about it. (This is where I was coming from). It's very informative and good at explaining things, and at a few points almost feels repetitive, which really helps to drive the point home for me personally.

Now I'm reading For Calvinism by Michael S. Horton. Which is the other side of the coin as far as the Calvinist debate goes, just presenting the Calvinism theology with a more positive light, whereas Against Calvinism was an argument against it at every turn, and it was hard to picture why anyone would believe it in the first place. For Calvinism I hope is going to answer the question of why people believe and embrace Calvinism, not that I have decided which side I fall down on, but it's still important and interesting to learn about.

I'm also reading A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans. It's a book about how she spent a year following all the biblical laws literally and how she discovered things about herself through following the laws. I think that it's interesting, and I'm learning a lot about different Biblical women that I had never heard of, and I am interested in the Bible, and finding someone that scoured the Bible and found all references to women in order to figure out what it means to "live biblically" is really interesting to me. She writes in a very approachable style, and has her own blog, where you can read about different things. She links different pages of her blog in the book, so I think the two are coordinated, but since the book was written several years ago she's probably not writing about being "domestic" anymore.

In other news I finished a scarf that was two strands held together, I'm calling it "Dirty Snow". It was a strand of white boucle with bits of color and then a strand of lace weight that striped between light blue to white to dark blue to tan to brown and then all the way back again. I like how it turned out. It's just a strip of garter stitch, but I thought that any patterning would be lost in the boucle, so I thought it best to just keep it simple, and not have a lot of complicated things going on.

And then here's a close up of the scarf, where I hope you can see the strand of the lace weight. It had a pretty good halo and was also metallic. 

I also finished a hat, knit with mill ends of sock yarn, and it was striped, and I knit it on my size US 2 Karbonz 16" needles. I did about 2.5" of ribbing, 2x2 ribbing. Then I did a simple mesh stitch that I made up. It was a row of eyelets, and then three rows of plain knit. It was knit in the round, and then I did my normal round decrease at the top to close up the hat.

And then finally I made a baby quilt for Project Linus. It was a along time in the coming, and in the last two nights I finished piecing, put on a border, and then quilted it and put on the binding. And I learned that while I am not terrible at long-arm quilting (my mom has a long arm quilting machine), I am absolutely terrible at sewing straight enough to put on binding. It's quite challenging for me and I'm not really sure why. It's a bargello pattern, made by Jodie and some of her other patterns are available at the Project Linus Kansas City Chapter website. 

And then here is a close-up of the back just so you can see some of the quilting a little better. There are little flowers traveling all the way around the border, but because the border is so busy you can't tell that it's quilted at all unless you are feeling it.

So there you go, everything that I've finished in the past few days. I also cooked up a storm yesterday, and now have enough food for several days. Today I'm going up to Angelika's Yarn Store, and I'll be seeing some new friends, and then I'll be going to Matthew's Ministry, which is a ministry for adults and children with special needs. I'm really looking forward to it, I enjoy it a lot.