Save the Children

This little cap will be sent to Save the Children "Caps for Kids". They are put into birthing kits for third world countries to try to reduce the infant mortality rate. I think it's a good way to make a difference. The cap doesn't take very long at all to knit. The pattern is on their website and there is a crochet pattern also. I think I'll be making a lot of these and they are great for using up bits of yarn. The starfish is just something I felt like trying. I made one a long time ago with perle cotton and tiny beads - it was beautiful - then I lost it! I'll make another one with beads some day. Maybe I'll add some pearls to this one and then sew it onto something. 

Morning Glory

Finished at last! I thought I was not going to have enough yarn to finish the front bands, but actually had plenty left over.






A nice surprise for me. It goes well with the dress I will be wearing to a wedding this coming weekend.
As you see in the picture I took a while back, it is now "blocked" a lot better. Well, hate to admit it, but after really working at pining and blocking, it still didn't look just right. So I ironed it! Shhh, don't tell anyone.... whatever works. 

More!

I put a backing , rod pocket and a border on "Puzzle Man" also. I thought he'd be good on a black tote.








This is a very poor picture of "Morning Glory". She needs some more blocking to make the points real long. You wouldn't believe how much of it is behind the chair! It is very very full. There are 66 points!
I found perfect clear crystal buttons that are irridescent. They sparkle with bits of purple and green - in Walmart of all places! I love Walmart! They have just about everything I need or want. 

I Forgot These Two!

Here is my new Fish Purse (with Chicky) It even has two pockets on the underside. I found the rhinestone buttons in my mother-in-law's button box - I guess they are pretty old, but perfect for Fishy.





This Geranium is made up with a lot of 3D petals that are each sewn on with 3 french knots . I basted it to a tote bag so I can enjoy it "on the go", but it also has a rod pocket on the back. When we get back to Florida my husband will build a little quilt display rack. It will have a shelf on the top and then 3 or 4 rows of horizontal dowels for hanging these little wall hangings so I can also enjoy them in my new sewing room instead of storing them away. 

Beachside Knitter

Now You Did It!

On The Needles (just a fraction)

Well, there are plenty of things on the needles. I had to do an inventory to see where all my Denise Needles have gone to (2 sets!). But, here are 3 projects I'm trying to work on right now. I'll probably stick to this one the most because I want to give it to my daughter when we get back to Florida. It is called "French Lilac", a short sleeved, collared cardigan. The pattern is in Knitters Summer 2006 and I'm using Lion Brand Microspun in "lilac" which is really what I call periwinkle. It's nice but being a yarn snob I'd really like this in a nice merino.

This is Cabin Fever "The Tank Top" which is ribbed front and back and will have coral I-cord looking armholes and split neckline (Size 3 needles!) I'll be doing this for a while. Except for the armholes and neckline, it is another "mindless" project.
And, finally, here is another Guideposts sweater in Simply Soft.
Yes, I've been real productive here in Hague Prison for Women Crafters. Soon I will have a picture of my "Morning Glory" shawl. I just have to add the button bands and sew on the buttons. 

Diagonal Blanket

I knitted this blanket a long time ago. It has been in my "Grandma's Hope Chest". I used up a bunch of leftover Plymouth Encore worsted. It is nice yarn to work with and is reasonably priced.
Hole, what hole? It must be your eyesight, there's no hole in the yellow stripe. 

Hoodie

I finished this hoodie a while ago but never got to taking a picture. It is Bernat baby yarn and the pattern is on the label. See, this is a Knitting blog, I really do knit, even though I've been doing a lot of sewing lately. 

Peachy

This is a charity sweater for Guideposts in Pawling, NY (near where I used to live). I used peach Caron Simply Soft and the same yarn in a multi. It is a good carry along project, "mindless" knitting, and you can experiment with stitch patterns and use up odd bits of yarn. I also have a blue/tan one on the needles. 

Free at Last!!!

I can't believe I finally finished this sweater, it's been hanging on for a reeeeeaal long time. Er, well, yeah, there is supposed to be another button at the top, but if I did buy another card of 2 buttons, I CAN'T FIND THEM! Of course I bought the buttons at JoAnn's which is a day trip from here. If I ever get out of here again I hope they still have them. I hope Jill likes it. 

Chicky Chic...

Here is my new favorite mug "Chicky" surrounded by the new fishy coasters I made, and the two lavender filled eye pillows (for my headache days). That's the back of the mermaid pillow. 

Yummy!

Here is our first tomato. It didn't get too big but it was very red so we decided it was time to eat it. There are 4 more green ones coming. The basil is out of control. I guess we ought to eat some of it... 

Mr. Stubborn who thinks he is 20!

Oh, no - we aren't going to have the tree service put the branches into the wood chipper and take away the humongous logs. No, we are going to take 3 or 4 days and move it all around the property ourself - hopefully without having a heart attack. Hmmm actually it looks pretty clear here. That big log is small compared to the twenty others!
A pretty view out my sewing room window - but I took this picture from the side deck.
So now what is Mr. Stubborn going to do next? Well, the estimate for painting the house didn't come yet, so we'll be taking a trip to Lowes this week to buy stain. What? go out in the boat?... naw, that'd be too much fun. Painting in the hot sun is better fer sure. Some people don't know how to relax. Screaming with leg cramps at night is way more fun. 

....And the trees came tumblin' down

Here's the first one - just getting started.
Here's another guy starting the next one.
Can you see two tree climbers? One is way over on the left.
They were amazing. They worked very safely and were all done in only 2 hours! Pretty scary profession I'd say. 

Raggedy Flannel Baby Quilts

Here are three quilts I finally finished and put into the commercial washer & dryer today. That makes them fuzz up more. (oops, there sure was a lot of lint in the machine!) I cut out the flannel about 3 or 4 years ago and never got to putting them together. Well, that's what Hague Prison for Women Crafters is for! I get a lot of UFO's done here. The one in the middle is the back side. I'm glad I made 3 at one time because I doubt I'd feel like doing two more. They were a lot of work even though I didn't have to be careful about any of it.
One is for my son's children (to be someday) and one is for my daughter's children (to be some day) In other words, they will go into my Granny Hope Chest. The third one can be a nice gift and I think I know for who... 

Needle Turn or Machine Applique?

This is one of the blocks for a "Florida Album" quilt. Some of the other blocks are Palm Trees, Pelicans, Alligators, Manatees, Spoonbill, Orchids, Orange Trees and Sea Turtles. Machine applique is faster but not sure it is the look I like. I love the way needle turn looks, and I love hand sewing but that is such a time commitment - and I have so many other projects. What do you think? 

Captain Willie

One more picture! Here's Captain Willie. He's getting old now, he'll be 14 in Oct. He is still as fearless as ever. In the past he went flying off the front of the boat into the water as we pulled into a restaurant dock. Last year he took one too many steps backward off the dock and had a very cold surprise. It didn't seem to bother him in the least. I've never seen him afraid of ANYTHING! He loves people, especially children but he hates dogs. The bigger they are the more aggressive he is. He doesn't realize that the BIG dog he's going after might eat both of us! Fortunately, the big dogs have been sweet and gentle. They are probably laughing at the little Napolean. 

Not Pretty, But Functional

( Penny, see my new swift? I love it!) We've been building this house for about 20 years. Last year my husband finally finished the drywall and primed it, but this year I'm giving him a break - he should be playing with his boat, which hasn't been in the water in 7 yrs due to lots of stuff going on in our lives. But, until he can get to painting and flooring, I asked him to put up a couple of little shelves, etc.
I've had some sewing themed fabric for a long time and decided this would be the place to use it. We don't have closet doors yet, so I made a curtain to hide all the storage (crib, wedding gown, toys, etc) I don't have to get into the closet at all, and now I don't have to look at all the stuff I'd like to be rid of and he won't let me.
I only had so much fabric so the valances are the way they are. I had fun one day sewing all different colored buttons along the bottom. I made "pants" for my sewing table on wheels. It looks a little beefy, but I love having it on wheels. This is the place all the "leftovers and castoffs" came to live, but they are working out nicely. There is an 8' island in the kitchen nearby, and it is great for laying out and cutting.
I wish it was a better picture of the view out both windows - it's very pretty and a cool gentle breeze comes down the mountain behind us.






So, pretty it ain't, but very productive atmosphere. When we go back home to Florida in late Oct., I will be setting up my new sewing room in the great space my son vacated. I hope to put more stuff on wheels - it is so convenient to be able to move things around to suit the project I'm working on. The room is tiled and I have already found it easy to move things, but wheels rule! 

Puzzle Scape

Our hurried trip back to Florida last week to see my son off to Texas was a marathon of packing, cleaning, and a parade of service people coming and going. But, I did make time for my beloved Knitting Group and the Quilting Group "TGIF" This is what we learned this time. Using a line drawing and cutting up puzzle pieces in wild and crazy fabrics, this is the result. Since I had no computer, no cable TV, etc, I spent the evening playing with some fancy threads. It was fun. Now, what should I do with it? My daughter suggested framing it and hanging it in the sewing room. I could also put it on the back of a denim shirt. I thought it would be fun on a black tote bag - even if I do have waaaay too many totes. As my mother used to say "We'll see..." 

The Brook

This is one of the little brooks around here. Usually it is just a little trickle over rocks, but with the enormous amount of rain we've had, it has turned into a river. The day before this picture, it looked like Niagra Falls, but I didn't have my camera.