Winter is Coming -- Knit Faster!

Although meteorologically, it's still Autumn, Zero degrees Fahrenheit sure feels like Winter to me!

Yesterday's low of zero, and high of nine degrees, means some colors in my Year in Temperature scarf I haven't used for, well, months!

I'm looking forward to unwinding the entire 10 feet of knitting to see how the colors flow through the year's knitting.

I'm frantically trying to finish this sweater to send to My Little Sailor for Christmas. Now that he's on a shore billet, I don't have to send everything priority mail. But will the box make it to Japan in time if I don't?

I think this Abuelita Worsted in "Mermaid Song" looks like the Navy's camouflage uniform. Some people call that uniform "blueberries." I hope MLS doesn't think this is too "bright!"

The Knitting Bee in Portland offered a free hat pattern with the purchase of Rowan Pure Wool Worsted. I picked the grey-brown for a Hats for Sailors hat, and the turquoise for me. Then I realized I had just bought several skeins of this yarn -- same color! -- at Ewe and Me here in Colorado Springs!

Pure Wool Worsted is an especially good yarn because it's washable -- needed for Hats for Sailors.

Here's the hat pattern -- isn't it a great one? I love how the cables cross at different places on different rows.

(Images from Knitting Bee)

Now I need to ask a favor. A friend is undergoing chemotherapy, and needs hats to withstand this cold Colorado weather. I found a terrific Chemo Cap pattern that calls for Cascade Fixation. I thought I had several skeins of that yarn, but must have given it away in a fit of "de-stashing."  Might one of you have some Fixation that you'd be willing to swap for another yarn? You know with my stash, you could pretty much name your price! If so, please send me a private message and maybe we can work something out.

Keep knitting and keep warm!


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WIP Wednesday: Block Parties

The end of the year is nearly upon us, and the completion of 2014 Block Parties at Ruth's Stitchery looms large.

I've completed two block party quilts (Sample This, both will be shown on TGIF Friday). I'm making progress on two more. First, "Five is Fabulous" from Marti Michell.

The two blocks with green checks are my setting blocks. I only have two more sampler blocks and four setting blocks to go!

My other "near finish" is "Quilty Fun" from Lori Holt. This row-by-row quilt is fun, but some of those blocks have a lot of pieces!

I still have two rows: the row of houses and the row of baskets. Plus 42 border blocks!

How are YOUR WIPs coming along?

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Sunday Stash: 2015 Jelly Roll Party Choices

I always have so many strip patterns, it's hard to choose which 12 to make for the next year! So I get help from the Jelly Roll partiers!

2015 Jelly Roll Party Patterns

Month                  Pattern                                      Designer                           Publisher

January                Strip to Shore                           Gudrun Earle                    GE Designs

February              Solar Eclipse                            Elisabeth Hartman            ohfransson.com

March                   Twirl                                       Joanna Figueroa                Fig Tree & Co.

April                     Drop Diamonds                      Daniela Stout                     Cozy Quilts

May                      Zig Zag Gets Me Everytime   Zen Chic

June                      TBD

July                       Strip Twist                              Gudrun Earle                    GE Designs

August                  County Fair                             Sherri McConnell             A Quilting Life

September            Birch Bark                               Sam Hunter                       Hunter’s Design Studio

October                Olympia                                   Daniela Stout                    Cozy Quilts

November            A Pretty Package                     Susan Marth                      www.SusnQuilts.com

December            No-Measure Bargello              Wendy Mathson               Cozy Quilts

If you aren't close to Colorado Springs, it would be fun to have you party along with us long-distance! If you can't find the pattern at your LQS, contact Ruth's Stitchery and one of the lovely ladies will be happy to do a mail-order  for you.

Patriotic fabrics are always in demand here in Colorado. So when Ruth's got these two jelly rolls in, I lapped them up in a hurry. Both are from Moda. First is "Red, White & Free" by Sandy Gervais:

And one I've designated for the July Jelly Roll Party (and a Quilts of Valor quilt), "Because of the Brave."

My special treat this week is the new "Downton Abbey" collection from Andover. Around the Block Quilts in Cheyenne, Wyoming hosted a Downton Retreat last Winter. When Barb announced she was ordering fat quarter collections of the entire line, I called her with my credit card number the very next day.

Don't those colors look yummy? I'll open the ribbon and play with the fabrics sometime soon -- and I promise to share more photos when I do.

Tomorrow is BOM (Block of the Month) day. As you can see from my checklist, I need to sew like the wind if I'm to have all my BOMs Away by the end of the year!

From the desk of your

Friday Finish: Jelly Roll Party Day

I really missed hosting Jelly Roll Party at Ruth's Stitchery last month. But spending the time with My Little Sailor made it worth missins!

Today's Jelly Roll quilt is Parallel Universe from Cozy Quilts.

My version is made with "Elementary" from Sweetwater. Two of my favorites -- pattern designer and fabric designers -- in one quilt!

This is a super-quick sew using the Strip Tube ruler, also from Cozy Quilts. Go to the link for a demo on using this clever tool. It makes sewing HSTs from strips a breeze!

Enough tease. Here is the finished quilt:

Today is the day partiers vote on the strip quilts they want to make next year. Do you have a favorite strip/jelly roll quilt? Share in the comments, please!

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Thursday's Yarn Day

It's the time of year when Hats for Sailors knitters finish up "just one more hat" to mail to the HFS coordinator. We don't yet know which ship will be the recipient of our stitches, but I know the Sailors aboard will love the hats!

We have two "deadlines" to send in hats, Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. My goal is always to knit one hat per month. My friend and long-arm quilter, Cornelia, also knit hats this year. A friend and member of the Front Range Modern Quilt Guild (and graduate student at Colorado School of Mines!) Emily, knit hats too.

Here is the stack I mailed yesterday:

I printed a little label on business card stock to attach to each hat. It reads:

Thank you  for your service to our country.

You are remembered and appreciated

by someone in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

 

I'm also hosting the Knit-Along (KAL) on the Ravelry group "Hats for Sailors." Go to Ravelry.com for details. 

The Dishcloth Diva, Deb Buckingham, designed a new hat pattern just for us. It's called "Fair Winds and Following Seas," I've already shared a photo, but here it is again:

I have some special skeins of yarn to give away to knitters who finish a hat this month and post a photo of their finished hat on the Ravelry group forum. 

Each is a unique, hand-dyed yarn -- but 100% washable wool, as required for Hats for Sailors!

I hope you'll consider joining us to knit a hat! 

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Sunday Stash -- On Monday

I didn't get yesterday's Stash Report posted, because . . . well, read on, and you'll see why!

During my whirlwind trip to Idaho last week, I made only one quilt shop stop. On my way to the airport, I dropped by my favorite Boise Shop, Quilt Expressions. It's the only shop I know that is even larger than Ruth's Stitchery. And they always have something unique!

In this case, it was a good selection of Aboriginal fabrics. I owe a quilt to the DH of my Idaho hostess, and I think these will make the perfect quilt for him!

The pattern is a Quilt Expressions original, "Neighborhood Association." 

Only one more addition to my fabric stash this week. This is "A Field Guide" by Moda. I scored this bundle on Gotcha Covered Quilting's Instagram de-stash.

It will be perfect for my next "low volume" quilt.

And now, the reason nothing is getting done at my house this week!

My beloved Siamese, Prince Chulalongkorn, died two years ago. We have two other cats, but neither one wants to cuddle me. So for my birthday, a friend offered this little cutie!

I usually give my cats "food names: (i.e. Marmalade, Chutney, Chocolate Mousse) so this little guy is named "Samosa." For my favorite savory pastry!

It's been a hard week, but one simply cannot be sad when one has a purring kitten on one's lap!

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UFO: November Assignment for 2014

This is how people get to be old and wonder where their lives went! Only one more UFO project for 2014 after this month! The November challenge is number:

I did finish my October UFO, but I posted it yesterday!

Several UFO finishers have been very productive this month -- Debra finished three quilts in October!

UFO #2 - Bonnie Hunter, Love Shack. Bonnie came to San Diego and we had a Love Shack workshop at Paradise Sewing on October 14th. It was a very fun class and we learned a lot - wonky houses, hearts (string-pieced), marverick stars, and letters. The Love Shack workshop cannot be found in any book and is only available by workshop - so if Bonnie is coming your way you may want to have the Love Shack workshop. It is loaded with information and Bonnie, as usual, is an awesome teacher.

Debra, I'll be watching for a workshop with Bonnie!  This quilt looks like so much fun!

My second picture is the finished Marcus Fabrics Designer Friends and Companions Sew-Along. There were 9 instructors who submitted there blocks and the last part was the actual "how to put the quilt together" instruction. This was such a fun sew-along. It was a mystery and blocks were provided on a weekly basis. I am not a very good picture taker, but the actual quilt is much prettier - it has reds, blues, greens, cheddars, blacks, and whites. Take a look at Red Crinoline or Heartspun Quilts blogs to obtain the instructions on how to make the quilt.

And -- there's another one in my UFO pile! Love your borders, Debra!

My last entry is Bonnie Hunters, Scrap Crystals. Bonnie also visited Sunshine Quilter's Guild in El Cajon and had two workshops at Memory Lane Quilt Shop. The first was Winston Ways and the second was Scrap Crystals. I signed up for Scrap Crystals and was so excited from the Tuesday night lecture and getting prepared with my fabrics for the Thursday workshop I think I got myself into a frenzy and couldn't attend because of horrible back pain and a headache. I did complete my Scrap Crystals - I even added another row so the quilt is 5x5 and 88"x88" large. I love it.

Debra, I'm so sorry you didn't get to attend the workshop. Your quilt is gorgeous!

 Arianna sent a photo of this sweet baby quilt:

There is quite a story behind Arianna's quilt, I'll let her tell it.

I finally finished a quilt - my first one!  In our area, women who have children or are pregnant and who are convicted of crimes must take their children with them to jail if they have no family members to care for the children.  Many are taken to jail with little more than the clothes on their backs.  As a result, our church runs a ministry that collects blankets, clothes, etc. for a local women's prison.  This baby quilt will be going to them.

Arianna, I will be sending some fabric to you. I'll try to keep it to a large envelope-size package.

Reyna also sent a photo of a charity quilt. It's called "Sunrise, Sunset," and you can read the details on her blog Yarn In, Yarn Out. 

It's a great story, you should go to Reyna's blog and read it!

Sandi swapped out the number of her finish for this month. Here is "Kaptain Khorous."

Details on Sandi's blog, KwiltnKats, plus a sneak peak at her next finish.

Can't wait to see it, Sandi, it looks intriguing!

Heather also sent in photos of two finishes for this month. First up is a jewel-toned beauty, "Happily Ever After."

Her second finish is her "Leaders and Enders" project, "Charming Stars." 

Go to Heather's blog, Peachy Pages, for details on these two lovelies.

Hey, Heather, is that a new quilt on your blog header? I love it!

I am absolutely in Love with Gill's October finish. This Halloween throw is perfect for snuggling under between answering the doorbell for trick-or-treaters!

Irene finished an oldie-but-goodie for her October UFO. She says she's had this quilt "in the works" for about five years.

I don't see this one on Irene's blog, A Serendipitous Retirement, just yet -- but you'll want to follow her to get the whole story! 

Ten finishes for October. That's pretty good! Arianna is our first-time finisher this month, so I think she should win the giveaway prize. Arianna, I'll be emailing you to ask for your postal address. Thanks for playing along with "12 in 2014 Finishes!"

Between traveling with My Little Sailor and a quick trip to Idaho for emergency leave, October was an overwhelming month.  I worry that I might have missed someone's UFO Finish email. If I did, please let me know so I can update this post!


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