A Hat!

Well, I did finish most of the painting and I have been doing lots of knitting.
I've made a baby blanket for my mentor's granddaughter, and I've made mittens for Middle and Smallest (although I postponed Smallest's second mitten to do some other things).  My latest project has been a hat.

I am excited about the hat because the last time I made a hat, it was made from calculations based on gauge and used purple fuzzy yarn and ended up way to big for the girls, and too big for me too.  This hat was done with a pattern I found on Ravelry, and while I couldn't get the yarn specified, I did get some help from a yarn shop with a good substitute.  It took a little over a week to make the hat.  I started over three times because of issues with the cast on edge, but I really like it.

The hat is for a new friend of mine.  For those in our limited reading audience, Darling and I separated in the spring of 2012 and divorced last year.  So.  I met this friend in 2007, but we just discovered last fall that we were both single, and started dating last month.  He is making me a box for my double pointed knitting needles, and I said I would make him a hat in return, which he was excited about.

I finished the hat last night while Smallest was at soccer practice.  We are not telling Dance Coach about soccer, because we are worried he will forbid such activities because of the potential for injury. Smallest really likes to play, so we are in a more relaxed league than she's played in before, and she's playing with a friend, which makes it more fun too.

So, here is a picture of the hat.  I will have to add the blanket picture when I get to the home computer.  Catherine has finished her quilt at last, so perhaps she will post her picture too.  I think I am winning this quarter so far.  I'm preparing to make a scarf for myself and another baby blanket, so hop too it, Catherine!

Knitrageous

So I realized that Oct. 1 came and went without any fanfare or salsa.  We are definitely delinquent in posting in a timely fashion.

Anyhow, I have been terrible about keeping track of time that I work on things anymore.  However, I did spend a lot of time this summer working on a baby blanket.  I was sneaking time on it while Smallest was in dance class, and then I got a lot of time when we went to Colorado for vacation and our mom had an accident and spent a week in the hospital.

I didn't keep track of time spent there either, but I suspect it was a fair number of hours as she would sleep and I would sit and knit so as not to bother her.  For a week.

I don't think I'll claim any salsa for it, but I do think I probably had at least 10 hours :)

Now all my projects consist of working on my new house (an old house, but new to me).  I have been painting and assembling Ikea furniture and painting for a while.  The chaos is slowly coming under control, but there's still a fair bit to do.

Here's a picture of my new kitchen.  We gutted the old one, as I think the cabinets were original to the 1940s house.  I like the result, and I like my contractor too!

That's what I know.  

Undetermined hours, maybe when I stop painting I can knit again!

Margie

Triumph!

The quilt, I has built it. My guess on March 31 was surprisingly accurate - it took 4.5 hours to sew up the last four seams (including fixing two squares that didn't have enough hem). Now, the big decision: to turn it into a comforter cover (easier to care for) or true quilt (more aesthetically appealing). I'm leaning toward the latter, but also have these buttons and white fabric I bought a couple of months ago when I was leaning the other way... hmm.

Anyway, here is the 12x12 block. Very exciting!

4.5 hours
Catherine

Pig Complete

I finished the pig, now named Sir Oinks-A-Lot, except for his tail and stitching on embroidery eyes and nostrils.  Smallest has been loath to release him, so it will have to wait a bit.  I'll get a picture of it then too.

Last weekend Smallest and I went to the Emerald Ball ballroom competition in LA and had a great time.  I needed a project to take on the plane since the pig was done, so I poked around in Ravelry and checked out what yarn I had handy and came up with a plan for a baby blanket.  Not only do I have all the yarn I need, when I knit my swatch, I got gauge!  That never happens to me.  I used the suggested needle size and it worked.  Amazing.

The blanket is for a friend's new grand baby.  She's very excited about the baby, and it's a nice way to do some knitting, use up some yarn and make a baby happy.

I took it all along with me (plus a back-up crochet project in case knitting wasn't an option) and finished four or fine inches of it.  Smallest and I played a computer game much of the time, so not as much knitting as I expected.  I did get about 1.5 hours in on the way there, and some more time here and there through the weekend, plus the flight back.

I've also promised Middle that I would make her a crochet top for summer.  Not sure how that happened, but I did.  Unfortunately, none of the stores in town have the weight of cotton that I needed, unless I wanted to buy 30 little skeins from the sewing store, so I "had" to go to www.yarn.com and order a big cone of cotton yarn.  I'll have lots left over.  I am sure I will not be allowed to make a matching top for myself.  So, once the yarn arrives, I'll pause on the blanket and get the top done.

Not much else that I know.  Our brother came and stayed with The Boy and Middle while we were off in Dancy-land.  They had a fun weekend.

So, a tally of hours - it took me an hour to finish up the pig parts and sew it together, then 1.5 on the plane to LA, and probably another 2 total on the trip, including the flight home.  I did get in another 30 minutes while waiting at Middle's dr. appt. Monday afternoon, so 4 hours to add.

8.5 hours total

Margie

Hoarding...I did it.

Well, I have to confess that I have been working away on the pig without posting my time.  I've completed the head and have also finished the ears, the nose and two little legs.

I think this covers several dance classes and some appointments, so I'll say another 2 hours.  I know I wasn't working on things all the time at class.

We do have another appointment and a dance class this evening, so I can rack up some more hours.  Bwa-ha-ha!

Big excitement at the house this weekend.  Darling's stuff will be moving to join him to Calgary.  I may have to find a new name for Darling.  It will be good to have that done.  As part of the process, Middle and Smallest's current beds will be moving as well.  Smallest told me she'd like to send her current comforter up to Calgary and use a quilt that I made many years ago as her cover instead.  I told her that since that quilt is a little sad now, I would make her a new one (but she can use it in the meantime).  So I'll have to add that to the project list.  Maybe I can work on Catherine's quilt too...

There are many projects waiting, still! (always!)

2 hours for me, 4.5 hours total.

Margie

Little Pigs

Or as Middle is saying, "Little living pieces of bacon!"

I completed the pig body and have moved on to the head.  I also knit a scarf like Smallest's for her ballroom coach's wife (who is the one who handles all the paperwork and keeps track of everything).  She likes it a bunch, so that's nice!

When I finish the pig, I'll post a picture.

I did a little cross stitch when I didn't have a sewing needle to finish the pig, so there have been lots of little things here and there.  I'm guessing it's about three dance classes, plus the scarf which I did at home and during choir.

So, the first hours on the board for Quarter II of 2013...

2.5 hours

Margie

All Hail the Conquering Hero

Yep, Catherine wins again.

My pig butt is getting bigger though, but still not enough hours to come close.

Fortunately, the class I've been teaching this semester will be over SOON, and then perhaps I will have a little more time.  Probably not, who am I kidding?
Someone who likes to quilt log cabin squares actually owes me some grades for my class.  I think she's been sewing annoying seams instead of working on my class though...

I did make a scarf like Smallest's for her dance coach's wife.  That was fun, and quick.  Middle has decided that she wants to knit a blanket, so that will start soon. She says she doesn't want to end up like me with a box of unfinished projects.  So then I reminded her of her unfinished scarf, and the cross stitch she started, and the purse she started for Catherine's Christmas present, and... she got the picture.  Perhaps it's hereditary?

Margie