Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Another Baby Berry Cap

The first baby berry cap was such a hit (with my quilting friends!) that I was asked on the spot if I would make one for a soon-to-be born great-grand baby. I don't usually do production knitting, but I said yes.


She loved it.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Another Jingle Ball

Small knitting projects are so satisfying! I love it when I can finish something in just a few days.


I was given a nice collection of wool remnants, in bright colors. I used some of them in the felted flower bowl. I gave it to the local hospital boutique fund-raiser.


So I made another clutch ball, using a different color on each side, also for the hospital boutique.


It didn't shrink as much as the flower bowl, but the fabric got tighter. It has a great hand to it, perfect for a small child's toy.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Points of Procrastination

You know, every project them. You're happily tooling along, making decisions, choosing colors, piecing successfully; and then you get to a point where you aren't sure what to do next. I mean you know what to do, but not how to do it.

This quilt top has been together, minus the first border, for weeks. All I needed to do was apply an unpieced border with mitered corners. But I dragged my feet, did all sorts of other projects and procrastinated, because quilters grumble about mitered corners; they might pucker, or have a gap in the center or not lay flat. The last time I mitered a border was four years ago, for my son's wedding quilt. But that was a mirrored miter, this one should be a lot easier.


When I finally got down to it, the miters themselves only took about a half an hour. 3 out of 4 turned out spot on the first time. DH says I need to trust myself more.


Then I needed to figure out how to make the pieced chevron units for the second border. I avoided the project for another month or so, while it stared at me from the design wall. I started something else, a Log Cabin quilt, with easy no-thinkum sewing. When I finally took a Sunday afternoon of uninterrupted time to focus on the problem, I solved it in an afternoon. Bam! That was so satisfying.


I've been motoring along ever since, piecing 82 - 2" x 1 1/8" chevrons. Last night it was time to lay them out.


It's good for me to write these things down. I can see my progress better over time. Maybe it'll build confidence!

Monday, April 18, 2016

Felted Flower Bowl

On a lark I decided to try this felted flower bowl. I didn't need to make it, but felting knitted projects is fascinating to me.


Here is it before it's felted; sort of lumpy looking and floppy.


And after. I love how the fabric firms up and holds its shape. A perfect bowl for displaying yarn.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Berry Baby Cap

A friend of mine from the community garden is due to have her third child this month. I just had to knit something for the new little one. This is Berry Baby Cap.


Blocking on a pint canning jar.


With a rolled brim.



The crown decreases are worked every round, which creates these fun leaf shapes.


Such a fast, fun knit and so cute!