Spring Green and Gymnastics

It rained on and off today in a strange way.  It poured-loud enough to worry another storm was coming-and then stopped after a few minutes.  It repeated this on again, off again type of rainstorm several times.
During one of these "storms" the Spring Green man did the lawns, front and back, and left a note not to mow.  I will follow that direction and only mow tomorrow if it is super nice.

Here is what I accomplished at Miss M.'s gymnastic session while watching the gymnasts and listening to a Father Brown short story.  You gotta love this I-Phone!

Does it look bigger?  I hope it looks bigger.  Just 1/2 of the skein left now.  I intend to knit until I run out and that's how big it will be.

This is being knit with "junk" yarn out of my stash.  "How did it get in your stash"? you may ask.  I bought it to make AG doll clothes, but tried it and didn't like it so it was stashed.  I still don't like it.  It slides too easily over the fingers and actually makes this harder to knit than necessary.  I like wool, yes, I do.  But, no one out there wants to wash items with care anymore so all my wool yarn is just sitting here.

Rain and No Bulbs Yet

It is raining again today and the grass is too wet to mow.  The weatherman says it should be nice, in the 70's, on Thursday so I plan on mowing then.  The grass will be quite long, but I dislike mowing wet grass.

The tulip bulbs haven't arrived yet which is okay since I wouldn't want to dig in the wet, wet ground to plant them anyway.  Still need to plan spots for them.

A Special Request

Today, I received a special request to knit something.  This almost never happens as others in this household resist wearing anything "handmade" and that is okay with me as I could never knit or sew anything fast enough for it to be worn by anybody.

But, here's the thing.  Today, I was asked if a month was enough time for me to knit an "old lady" shawl for a Halloween costume.  Since I had j..u..s..t started knitting an afghan, I was reluctant to begin another project.  But, my afghan was off to a good start and I began thinking of how I would accomplish this project if I decided to do it.  I thought of the dishcloths I had made for the knitting group at church and decided that a  large needle-which I have-an easy lace pattern-which I could easily find- and a skein or so of yarn sitting around here could do to fill this request.  Besides, it would give me a change of pace from knitting that afghan for the first month anyway.  Variety is the spice of life and I really need it sometimes as I get very bored working on just one project.  (Ask me how many quilting projects I have going and if I wonder if I'll ever get back to them.)

Out came the stitch books again, an easy stitch chosen, a skein of yarn found, a beginning made and approved by the requester and I have variety in knitting projects and a real DEADLINE.  Nothing else has one of those which contributes greatly to the number of UFO's I have going, but also limits stress which is also good, right?

Pink yarn was approved

Size 11 circular  should make it loose and quick!

I picked an even multiple of 9 so the additional motifs can be easily added as the triangle grows larger.

A closeup of the stitch

Finally! Two Beginnings!

Beginning #1:  My Cream Encore is on the needle-for the first time anyway.  I am cynic enough to know that another beginning-or two- may be required.  I have, however, swatched and swatched and am now certain that this will work for me.

Plymouth Encore

Here it is.  I really like this yarn and this will be the fourth one I have knit.  I may add pictures of them later.

On the circular needle-the only way to knit an afghan-240 some stitches-but when you're done, you're done.

The bottom border in Seed Stitch.  I love the way this stitch behaves.

I am now ready to knit in two hour segments while Miss M. has her gymnastics session.  I am ready, but we'll have to see if I can do it with no major mistakes.  If I can't concentrate well enough to do this then I won't as I dislike repairing errors.


Beginning #2: My audio book setup.
In order to aid my concentration in the above mentioned task I wanted to listen to an audio book.  Yes, really!  Listening to a story will drown out the conversations of the observers also watching the gymnastic sessions.  So....... I asked Beth how I could get setup for that since the library has downloadable books.  Looking at me like I just walked in from the Dark Ages, she told me, "You can listen on your I-Phone".  She had given me this more than a year ago and I had never used it for anything but a photo here and there.

So, she got me setup, showed me how to sync and all that good stuff.  I searched on line for a free book and, just browsing for an instant, found a short story I had read many times as a child.  Yes, I remembered the name of it.  You have to understand we didn't have many books in our house, hardly any on an elementary level, and, certainly, no library to go to.  This story, Missing-Page 13, was in a book of my Dad's and was a mystery.  Dad recommended it and I read it many times-no TV in those days-imagining the forbidden room, cemented up door and secret passage.  Oh, it was a favorite and the first of many mysteries I have enjoyed since.  I listened to it and another whole book by the same author and knitted the above.  I am well prepared for gymnastics on Wednesday.  :)

What a pleasure!  It was absolutely wonderful to knit and enjoy wonderfully descriptive language from a time past, an experience that can be repeated as often as I like with other titles.

The only downside is that Miss M. won't be seeing me actually enjoying  r..e..a..d..i..n..g.  As an ex-reading teacher, I feel bad about that because she doesn't read enough and doesn't get herself engrossed in stories.  I would like to see her anxious to finish a book-she doesn't seem to care how stories she starts end.

More Swatching

Here is what I accomplished today at Miss M.'s gymnastic session.

Slipstitch Rib (My Variation)

This is "junk" yarn and not the Plymouth Encore I will be using, but it is very similar.

I had to "test" the panel divider with the twisted purls and the twisted knit stitch between the slipped stitches.  I am satisfied with how it looks and will use it.  I won't be adding other purls unless I need them number -wise.

Ears of Grass next to Wildflower Knot

I am happy with the way this motif is working.  I added an extra stitch on each side of the pattern and used the normal decreases at the edge.  It worked fine going into the next motif, so I will leave it that way.  I never seem to be able to just use something as is, I always have to modify it just a bit.

Drooping Elm and Tanbark again

Well, I had to knit these also just to make one more check at the panel setup.

The Drooping Elm pattern is complete at 10 rows, but the Ears of Grass is only half completed.

I am pleased with the outcome and will do the calculations in my spreadsheet next and type and print the pattern sheet.  Then I hope to cast on and begin the border.


No sewing done today.

Cream Afghan Progress

I have not posted about this afghan project, but it is one I have been working on since May 2011.  I knew I liked Barbara Walker's "Drooping Elm Leaf" knitting pattern, but I couldn't find another to use with it as well as patterns for the other panels.  As usual, I wonder why I am taking so long deciding how to do this afghan, but I do not want to start knitting it until I am sure I am happy with my design.

I have spent many hours reading and swatching various patterns in my stitch books as well as books from the library.  I believe I have zeroed in on four: "Drooping Leaf" and "Tanbark" for three panels and "Leaves of Grass" and "Wildflower Knot" for two panels.  I plan on using "Slipstitch Ribbing" for the dividers, but will purl through the back loop on the purl side to tighten it a bit-hope that works.

Drooping Leaf

Here is the leaf.  It will look better when it is knit in the cream Encore.  I love the size and proportion of this pattern.

Tanbark

 Here is Tanbark!  I like the diagonal overall pattern of it.  It is much smaller than all the trellis patterns I swatched with the leaf and, as a result, it doesn't overwhelm the leaf.  I almost missed this pattern as it was tucked away in the back of Walker's Charted Knitting Designs and I didn't notice she had others back there that are not charted.

Leaf and Bark

I swatched the "Drooping Leaf" and "Tanbark" to see if I liked the two together.  Here are the two together.  My accomplishment for the day.

The panel could be leaf-bark-leaf or bark-leaf-bark or bark-leaf-leaf-bark.  I am leaning towards the first one which would place the leaves next to the wildflower knot on the adjoining panel.  We'll see.

Still to do are swatches for the other panel together, design plan, math calculations and pattern writing so I can actually follow it while I knit.  I don't actually "wonder ????" why I do this instead of following a purchased pattern.  I look but never find a pattern that appeals to me,  so I have to come up with one of my own.  An afghan requires many hours to knit and I have to be satisfied with this design as I was with the last two I knit.

Yard Work

Today was a wonderful weather day and I made the most of it.  After mowing the lawn and doing some minor weeding, I got out the lopper and attacked the ugly, rampant weed of a tree in the north west corner of the yard.  These branches grow faster than anything and get in the way when a person walks to the back of the garage.  I would like to have the whole tree cut down, but because of the fences there it would just grow back.  There is no way any tree guy could get a stump grinder into that spot without taking down my fence and the neighbor's fence-so yearly branch maintenance is in order.

Nine Patch/Four Patch Quilt

After spending one day researching threading problems and fmq settings for the Designer 1, I began again. The Designer 1 Yahoo Group was a big help with hints on settings and needles.   With the bobbin carefully rewound, dental floss through the tension disks, all settings found and adjusted, I began again and was very satisfied with the stitching results.  It will take a few more days to complete, however.  I will be so glad when it is finished totally.

I am keeping this machine.  It is working well for me.

My Designer 1 cannot do FMQ

A whole day was basically wasted today trying to do free motion quilting with the Designer 1.
Here is what I was working on, the Nine Patch, Four Patch Quilt.

The tension was just never right and I didn't notice.  There I was sewing right along thinking it was going great only to turn it over and be horrified.  The stitches weren't locking at all and I couldn't tell that from the front.  Eventually it started making thread nests and I had to stop-that's when I saw it hadn't been stitching right from the beginning.  And yes, I did do a test sandwich that looked fine-what happened?   So I started to adjust and test, adjust and test.  I never did get satisfactory stitches and now I get to remove all the stitching I did on that quilt.  I hate to use the word, RIP!!!!!

I have 5 more days to decide if I want to keep it or not.  Tomorrow, I will try again after researching a bit on the Internet.  First, a new bobbin, carefully wound following the directions I saw on the Web and not in the Manual;  then another new needle, just to be sure;  then an attempt to clean between the tension disks;  then an adjustment to the bobbin screw; then straight stitch sewing and if that works, back to fmq.  If it doesn't work right, I will begin to pack it up to return it.  I haven't had it that long, but I will miss it.  There are many features I like.

General housekeeping angst with no man around.  Today, Beth and I filled the sump pump battery backup with distilled water!  A first for us and Beth actually did quite well.  She is slowly taking more responsibility in the upkeep department.

Another bad showing by Serena today at the Open and I'm not referring to her tennis.  I am very happy Samantha Stosur won!  Sam has come back from what could have been a career ending illness, Lyme Disease.  Way to go, Sam!

Wish me luck tomorrow, please.

My Day Off

From sewing that is...


This break involved shampooing the living room carpet and mowing the lawn, followed by my 2:30-6:00 pm stint picking up Madeline from school and taking her to gymnastics.  Needless to say I didn't do anything else.

All matches cancelled again at the US Open.  And a Sunday Final is still in the works.  You gotta feel for those players.  Rest fast, Rafa.

Another Row

I was really tired today and didn't do much.  I cleaned up a little and rearranged some fabrics into project packs.  I have way to much to do and wonder why I'm doing it.  I do enjoy learning some of these techniques.

One technique that I like is the Tube Method for making these strips.  The second Checkerboard strip for the wallhanging went together so easily today and that was great since I was tired.  Now it is joined to the Apple Row.

Checkerboard Row added

Autumn Wallhanging so far...

Next row involves learning to do a Dresden Plate.  This is going to be a small one so the blades are cut at 2".  Now I am sewing and experimenting to figure out how this template works.  As with most everything, I don't want to do it like it is designed.  I want to use a 5 inch square and the blades are working up to a 3 inch circle for the middle to be placed on a 14 inch square.  Way too big!  So tomorrow I will be playing and changing my design again.  But here's what I have so far.

Two Inch Blades

Oh, no!  Tomorrow I have to clean the carpet in the living room.  Dickens threw up again after eating something he shouldn't have of the plastic variety.  And I have to mow the lawn-sewing time will be severely limited.

Today, all the matches for the US Open were canceled :(   I wonder how they are going to make them all up.  I'll be outside for part of the day, but will have to remember to check on what's happening.

Go, Rafa!!!

Autumn Wallhanging: One More Row

The wallhanging got another row today even though it hasn't been joined yet.

Planet Applique Apple

I changed my mind about the previous apples I stitched and started over-nothing new for me.  I am really happy with the way these apples turned out.  Of course, I sewed the Pumpkin on the wrong side.

This is my design, so I wondered why I felt I had to go with my plan and not my mistake.  But I did  redo that too. Overall I felt it was a successful day.

Next row is a Dresden Plate Flower Row and I get to use my new Template and fool around with sizes, etc.

I also worked more on the Christmas mug rugs.  It will be some time before I start another mug rug project-too time consuming.

I am anxious to get these projects completed so I can quilt three 1930's quilts waiting.  I want to see how the Designer 1 works tension wise and if I can manage to keep to my FMQ plan.

Happy sewing!

New sewing machines

My "new-to-me" Designer 1 has kept me involved through the last several days.  I intend to get some pictures posted of what I have been working on, but I really wanted to check out a new fabric store that also sells sewing machines.  So, I went for a 1/2 hour drive to Bensonville.  The shop wasn't hard to find and I did check out the machines, especially the one I was interested in.  The Elna 7300 has a nice amount of throat space,  the floor model was available, the price was right and the size seemed very close to being right.  I will have to make a template of my cabinet space as it might be a very close fit.  Anyway, they will be checking on the availability of a new one on Tuesday and I will call about it then.  But, one of the cabinets on the floor was a perfect fit for that machine and it would actually work out better than mine, so I am thinking of ordering it. The cabinet has a wonderful extension on it for when you are sewing large quilts that will be a real advantage to the Koala I have. The price is half of what I paid for my current cabinet-which I will either keep or give away with my Viking Rose.  If none of my nieces or grandnieces want the Rose I will try to sell it.

I worked on more decorative stitches on the Designer and am getting the hang of them, but remain unimpressed.  They stitch out okay, but the backward and sideways stitching on them is not good.  See these mug rugs I used for the experimentation.  Yes, a Christmas UFO that might get finished after 3 months.

The next experimenting I did was on FMQing with the Designer.  I really like it!  Of course, the mug rugs were small and easily managed, but the stitches were very even I thought, considering I didn't even warm up or have a glass of wine.


Binding is next and I hope to find a stitch I will be satisfied with for tacking down the binding eliminating all that hand sewing which takes me forever.

On the way home I wanted to stop at JoAnn's to get a Dresden Plate template and found they had moved their store to a site previously occupied by Hancocks Fabrics and closer to home.  I will be shopping there more regularly now since it is only 10 minutes away.

All in all good stuff!!!