Niche in Blue Sweater

I've taken on more ambitious knitting projects this past year.  This latest project uses the pattern Niche by Norah Gaughan.  The yarn is Berroco Maya™ in blue,  color 5632.   The sweater is knitted from the left sleeve cuff to the right.  I have made it past the boat neck to the right shoulder region. I love the way the yarn feels.

Here you can see the cable a little better.

I am looking forward to wearing this one. 

Fantasy Footwear Quilt-- the Beginning

This quilt story will be told in multiple posts as I progress from the beginning to the quilt's completion.

The inspiration for this quilt came from an old Stuart Weitzman shoe ad that I tore out of a magazine (don’t recall which magazine or the year) and saved.  Recently I decided it was time for this photo to become a quilt. 

First step was enlarging the original photo.  This was done by using FedEx Kinko to enlarge the origin 400% onto one large piece of paper.  Here you can see the sheet with the enlarged photo in black and white and the origin in the upper right corner.

The next step was to use my living room window as a light box to transfer the drawing/sketch to the white background fabric.

 

As this quilt will be used as an “art piece” or “wall quilt” I decided it would be okay to use a raw edge fusing technic for fabric “puzzle pieces.”  I used Pellon EZ Steam II for my fusible web.  I used freezer paper to make a pattern for each individual piece.  I quickly discovered I really needed to think “ahead” so that the background pieces where added first.   It is best not to have to lift these small pieces and reposition them too often. 

 

 

I had to lift and trim some of the background green stems/leaves so they wouldn’t show through the light flower fabrics.  That was just a bit tricky, a little scary, but I managed to do it.  Those forceps you see in the above photo was a huge help.

 

All the fabric “puzzle pieces” are now in place.  Next stage will be doing some detail stitching before I make the quilt sandwich.

The quilt name – fantasy footwear – popped into my head as I was getting started late summer and football season was getting ready to start too.  Several stories regarding fantasy football were in the news.  It seemed so appropriate. 

Modified Girlie Mitts

I liked the cuff and back of this fingerless mitten pattern.  I didn't like the way the thumb was done, no gusset.  So I changed it.  I "rewrote" the pattern (Girlie Mitts by Kristle Chester) to include a thumb gusset and to add the trim at the palm edge that mirrors the cuff.   I knit them using two yarns knit together:  Lion Brand LB 1878 and Rowan Kidsilk Haze Glamour (has sequins).

They fit nicely though I wish they were just a bit snugger.

Here are my changes to the pattern as per left mitt.  The right mitt changes would mirror these.

Round 25:  p1, K29, *p1, K4* to end.

Round 26:  p1, t4b, *K1, t4b* 6 times, *p1, t4b* 3 times

Round 27:  p1, K34, *p1,K4* 3 times

Round 28:  p1, K10, Fishtail Lace panel, K7,  *p1,K4* to end

Round 29:  p1, K10, lace panel, K7, *p1,K4* to end

Round 30:  p1, K10, lace panel, K7, *p1, K4* to end

Round 31:  p1,K10, lace panel, K7, *p1, K4* to end

Row 32 is where I started the thumb gusset.

Row32:  p1, K4, place marker, M1R, K1, M1L, place marker, K5, lace panel, K7, *p1, K4* to end

Row 33:  p1, K12, lace panel, K7, *p1, K4* to end

Even rows now will be same as row 32 until there are 17 stitches between markers.  Do next row in pattern (ie like row 33, knitting all stitches between p1 and lace panel section), then the next row (not sure what the number is as I ended up repeating the lace panel pattern a total of 4 times by the time the gloves were finished rather than twice as called for by the original pattern.  Anyway on the first even row after getting to 17 stitches between markers, p1, knit 4, remove marker, place 17 stitches on waste yarn, remove second marker, add 1 stitch by using yarn to “cast on stitch”, K5, lace panel, K7, *p1, K4* to end. 

Continue in pattern to end of the 4th repeat lace panel.

Repeat Round 1-4, then bind off.

Thumb:

place 17 stitches from waste yarn on needles and pick up 3 stitches where inside of thumb joins mitt for total of 20 stitches.   Knit 3 rounds.  Knit round 1-4, then bind off.

Top Down Red Sweater

I surprised myself by actually managing to complete this sweater.  I am very pleased with how it turned out.  My only regret is that I didn't invest in a nicer yarn as I was afraid I would screw up this project.  This yarn is on the scratchy side.  The yarn is Lion Brand LB 1878 in dark red (or Razorback red).  The pattern is Alina Top Down by Lankakomero.

And the back

Purple Stars Lap Quilt

The purple stars lap quilt is done.  I have mailed it to my friend.  It is machine pieced and quilted.  It measures 42 in square.

A close photo

Another close photo

Two Works in Progress

Currently I'm working on two projects.  This first one is a knitting project.  It is a lace sweater knit from the top down.  A challenge to me.  I made myself do a swatch to try to decide which size needle I needed to use to obtain the correct finished garment size.  Gauge swatches are something I still don't feel completely comfortable with, but I did two using both size 3 and size 4 needles.  I choose to use the size 4 needles.  The pattern is Alina Top Down by Lankakomero.  The yarn is  Lion Brand LB 1878 in a dark red.

The other project is a quilting one.  It is a lap size quilt using purple fabrics, the ones from the Memory Lane quilt and others from my stash. I have basted the finished top and have begun machine quilting.  The finished quilt will be 42 in square.

Here is a close up to show some of the quilt marking.

This is the stencil I plan to use for marking the border area.

Fingerless Gloves and Surgeon's Cap

Two small projects recently finished.  The first one is another pair of fingerless gloves using some leftover yarn from an old project. The yarn is Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine and the actual color is a darker blue, more navy than seen in these photos.  The pattern Light as AIR Fingerless Gloves by Nathalie O'Shea.  I altered it slightly by using the cuff detail at the thumb and palm edges too.

Here you can see the detail I little better.

The second small project is another surgeon’s cap.  It was made using Dr. Seuss cotton fabric.  The trim was harvested from old bow ties.

There are two inches between each whole number on the trim.

My Poncho

I made this one for myself.  Ponchos are coming back (or maybe never went away).  They were popular when I was younger though I've never had one.  I have mixed feelings on the yarn I chose.  Part of me wishes I had gone with a neutral solid color, but the colors of this yarn drew me in at the shop.The yarn is Berroco Boboli in color #5340.  It took 6 skeins.  The pattern is Hugo by Gosia Grajdek.  Here I am modeling the finished poncho.

The reason I sort of wish I had used a solid is this yarn doesn’t readily show the detail in the center front/back and along the edge.

Here’s a view of the back.  The poncho isn’t asymmetric, it’s just the way I’m wearing it.  I’m ready for the cooler weather of fall so I can wear it.

Scrappy Baby Quilt for T.A.

I made this baby quilt for my niece who is due to have her second child and her first daughter this November.  Her son was born two years ago.  Here's the quilt I made for him.  For this one I made 6.5 in X 9 in rectangles sewed together using cotton fabric scraps in a "crazy quilt" fashion.  I then sewed strips of gray flannel dog print to each rectangle.  A darker gray cotton was used for the strips with a red print used for the squares on the outer edge.  The finished quilt measures 40 in X 45 in.

 

As with my other scrappy baby quilts this one has many items of interest to make up stories or just play “I spy” – dog, bone, feet, angle playing a horn, steamboat.

 

And in these – motorcycle, dog, car, fireflies, cat.

 

In this photo find the cow, the football player, the owl, the girl, the cat.

 

In this one – giraffe, robot, car, dog.

 

The back is an old-fashioned flower print.

H's Baby Quilt

I want to make it clear right up front -- I did not make this quilt.  I only had the privilege of sewing on a sleeve so it can be hung up.

This lovely quilt was made by Connie Coenen in 1989 for H who was born in 1988.  She is the daughter of a friend and colleague.  This quilt is done using both hand and machine work.  It measures 58 in X 68 in.  There are many different type of fabrics used giving it a tactile feel in addition to the visual picture.

Here is a closer view of the center scene.

 

 

This photo shows the sun and the ocean waves.

 

 

These trees are made from a fine wale corduroy.  They have a lovely feel to them. 

 

This flower is embroidered.  I wish the photo was better so you could really appreciate the work.

 

Rather than sewing on a label, Connie embroidered her name and the date here.

Forget-Me-Knot in Vase

I made my friend @organicgreendoc a small "bonus" quilt for his auction.  It is machine appliqued and quilted.  The glass beads are sewn on by hand.  It is 10.5 in X 12.4 in.

I used the applique forget-me-knot pattern from the book Mountain Mist Quilt Favorites, page 68.  I used my quilt stencil (the one used in the memory lane quilt lavender blocks) for the heart-shaped vase.

And here's the back.  I used the “quick triangle” method for the “sleeve” to allow hanging.

Memory Lane Quilt Finished!

The "Memory Lane" quilt is finished!  As you may recall I made it at the request of my friend & medical school classmate  @organicgreendoc asked me to make a quilt for a silent auction.  He has early Alzheimer’s and blogs about it here. 

I named the quilt “memory lane” as a play on the quilt pattern I used called country lanes from the book Mountain Mist Quilt Favorites, page 121.I added 3-dimensional leaves and forget=me-knots after I finished the quilting.  My first layout meant to represent a path did not work.  I ended up placing 42 flowers around the border.  It works much better.  The finished quilt measures 54 in X 72 in.

I added 3-dimensional leaves and forget-me-knots after I finished the quilting.  My first layout meant to represent a path did not work.  I ended up placing 42 flowers around the border.  It works much better.

The quilting is difficult to see over the lavender squares, but it's three tulips, leaves, and hearts.  Easier to see in the photo in my earlier post.

Here are two photos to show the three dimensional forget-me-knots and leaves around the border.  Instructions for making the flowers and leaves can be found here (pdf file, 3/2017--;link no longer active) and a photo of one being made.

And at one corner