Sew Much Happy News

Oh my.... where to start. I've been away from the blogsphere for a few weeks now, and so much has happened. I've been working on a secret project, and now I can finally blog about it. I made a special quilt for my sister for her birthday. I have been working on it for about a month now. It is called Field of Flowers, and I made it from a Moda Jelly Roll from the Celebrate Spring line. It was so easy to put together, and fun. I just love the colors as they are so cherry and fun. I knew that she would love it! and I'm confident that she is pleased with it. The quilting was a challenge, as this is by far the biggest quilt that I've made. I stitched in the ditch on the diagonals , and then stippled all the setting triangles, and did some little doodles on the center strips.

Mom helped me finish the quilt, with all the hand stitching for the binding, and then I helped her finish her quilt. Hers is a Nautical theme made for my Dad, and their boat. We had a couple of great quilting sessions while working on these quilts. Next we will have to open a quilting shop!


After finishing my quilt, I was sad to have finished, and eager to start another project. I have a project in mind, but haven't been able to find the fabrics. Mom bought fabrics to make a quilt for a friends baby. It will be sweet, with blue dinosaur fabrics and lots of bright colors too. We had a quilting day on Friday, and we actually quilted and sewed all day long, we didn't even get dressed. It was a blast, and we got so much done. Mom worked on her Dinosaur quilt, and I had no project..... but I got my creativity going and decided to give myself a challenge. My Aunt had sent a bag of scraps to my mom, and I went through it, sorted it by colors, and picked out some that I liked. I made 12 nine patches out of 4.5 inch squares, and then cut the nine patches in half again twice. It is really cool. I don't have any pictures yet, but I am hoping to get some today, as I work on it some more.

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day and we (Mom, Dad, V and I) decided to go out for a boat ride. There were 2 huge icebergs out in the bay, and we wanted to get a better look. So we took a cruise out on the bay. Well, we were almost right up to the icebergs, and we were just chatting away, Mom and Dad were up at the front.... and we were sitting in the back. V told me how much he had missed me this past week, and I said me too, then he said "no, I've really, really missed you.... Will you marry me?" OMG...... I nearly fell out of the boat!!!! I AM TOTALLY SURPRISED, EXCITED, HAPPY!!!!! OF COURSE I SAID YES..... SO WE'RE ENGAGED!!!!!! The ring is beautiful, it's a three stone diamond, that matches my necklace. So pretty, and just perfect. We had a beautiful boat ride, and needless to say we spent the evening celebrating with my Mom and Dad.




Whew.... I think that's all for now! I'll have to post again later with more updates of the quilting and knitting. Happy Canada Day to all!!!!

Finally a Finished Project!

It seems that it's been a while since I've finished any knitting projects, but finally I do have something to show! My Monkey's are done. I love them. They are the best fitting socks that I have knit myself so far. The Sea Wool is so nice and soft, and really seems like it will wear well. The pattern goes well with the varigation in the yarn. I will definitely be buying more Sea Wool.


I had a very busy weekend. My mom and I went to a quilting technique class all day on Saturday. It was great. We didn't make anything pretty, but we did learn a lot, and also had fun too, so well worth the 3 hour drive to attend. On Sunday we both sandwiched quilts that we are working on. It's so much better to work together, and well, lets just say I never would have been able to get done what I did without Mom's help. Mom's are just the best! Picture are to come, when the quilts are completely done. I still have some more quilting to do on mine, and Mom has to quilt hers entirely.

Today, I am home from work as I am feeling very yucky. I know I am sick when I don't sew or knit or anything all day. I am up and about now, but can't really commit to any one project, so I'll leave it all until I feel better. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have my creative mojo back!

Life Happens....

Oh my, it's been 10 days since my last post. What happened? life. Anyways, I've been busy, busy. I have no pictures, as my camera battery is dead and I have no idea where I stashed the battery charger. I do that all the time, and I never learn. Hopefully I'll find it soon. I have been knitting away on my Monkey socks, in the Fleece Artist Sea Wool. Love it, so nice.... I've also made an entire quilt top last week. Can't talk about it, it's a gift. I'm going to finish up those monkeys tonight and then I'm hoping to cast on for my Sockapalooza socks. I've been reading the "pligg", and enjoying all the nice socks. I am going to use the pink bamboo yarn that I bought last week. The pattern has not been confirmed yet, but a decision will be made tonight. Stay tuned for that! Also, in stash enhancement news, I got a package today!!!! My order from The Sweet Sheep! First off let me say how very pleased I am with the service. Quick, and very nice packaging (pretty pink tissue wrapping, and a cute little button!, it's really the little things that count!). I also spoke with Michelle, the Sweet Sheep herself, and she was just such a doll. Very informative, and offered assistance with my new drop spindle. Yup, I got a drop spindle. I really want to try it out, and hope that I'll be able to get it right! In my package I also got a skein of Nova Socks from Fleece Artist, and a skein of Collinette Jitterbug, in the most beeeeautiful turquoisy, oceany yarny goodness. I promise to take pictures just as soon as my battery charger reappears! Well, that's it for now. More Sockapalooza updates soon!

I'm Back.....

OK, so I have been absent lately, but I have an excuse. I have been doing a lot of gift sewing, so I haven't been knitting much, and I've been doing lots of gift sewing for blog readers. So now you can see the reason for my lack of blogging. I have gifted all my projects so now I can post pictures and talk about them. My last post was the lap quilt that I made for V's mom. She has received it and it thrilled with it. Whew! I'm glad because I really didn't know what colors to choose. She's not a real girly girl, so light pinks and pastels really wouldn't cut it. So, I went with a darker palette, colors that I loved.

The project that I was working on for my Mom is this quilted wall hanging. I really loved making it. A friend of mine, had made one and showed me. As soon as I saw it I knew it would be perfect for my Mom. She loves lighthouses, and boats and stuff. It will be really nice at their summer house on the ocean.

Yesterday I had a fun day, shopping for scrapbooking stuff, and I also went to the LYS. Yay! I did well, and I didn't spend too much and I got lots. I didn't photograph my scrapbooking haul, but this is what I got at the LYS. A skein of Fleece Artist Sea Wool in burgundy, a new set of US1 bamboo DPN'S, and two balls of gorgeous Italian bamboo yarn. It's so soft! which I found hard to believe, as bamboo is so fibrous. It's so nice and cushy. I'm not really sure what I'm going to make, but I am thinking they will be for my Sock Pal, as she does live in a warm place, and like natural fibers. We'll see. Maybe I'll really spoil my pal and make two pairs. Who knows, there's so much knitting on my to do list, and I also have another quilt to make. Busy times.

In knitting news, not much happening. Roza's Sock #2 is progressing, but slowly. I had to frog once. Yesterday, after my trip to the yarn store I had almost 2 hours to kill and Roza's sock was with V in the car. So naturally, I had to knit, so I cast on for a pair of Monkey's with my new Sea Wool. I don't know if it's the yarn, or the new needles or a combination of both but OMG, I'm in love. The yarn is so soft and squishy, and the needles are nice. They are shorter than I usually use, but so much easier to knit with. They are nice and warm, and the yarn slips on and off them nicely. Good purchase. I am loving the Monkey pattern too. Fun, easy to remember, and pretty to look at. The pattern shows of the perfect dying as well. Look's like Roza's socks may be on the back burner, or at least the side burner.

Well, that's it for me, hopefully I will be a better blogger now. Happy Mother's day too!

I do Still Knit

Really, I do. It just seems like I don't. Actually if I were telling the truth, I'd say I haven't been knitting much this past week or so. I haven't been doing much of anything actually. Well, no that's lie... I've been doing some secret sewing. Secret sewing is sewing projects that I can't talk about cause well you know who might be reading!

Anyways, on a more exciting note, and hopefully one that's helping me get my mojo back..... SOCKAPALOOZA 4 has begun!!! Ok, seriously. I am so excited about this, it's unreal. Imagine how cool it is that there is a sock swap going on that has over a thousand participants, in 26 countries in the world. I think it's pretty cool. I missed out on the last Sockapalooza, and was so bummed. I stalked the blog and ooohh'ed and ahhh'ed about all the socks, and all the fun.... So, I did not miss this round and I'm in! Yay!!! I have my pal, and her sock info and preferences, and now I'm trying to decide on a yarn she will like and then a pattern. I have been stalking her blog, and trying to get a feel for what to do. I'm thinking about getting some Fleece Artist Sea Wool, which I hear is awesome, but now I've also discovered Handmaiden has a new yarn, Mini Maiden, a 50% silk and 50% merino sock yarn. Very luxurious, but I feel like I want to spoil my pal. Pattern wise, I'm not sure yet. I think I may have to have the yarn first, and then decide. I'm not in a rush. the socks don't need to be sent till August, and I do have about a hundred other things to knit and sew first. I've already got an e-mail from the pal who has me!!! I feel so special! She wanted to ask me if I had a favorite Cookie A pattern!!!! Yay!!!! I love them all so much, and I told her any of them would make me happy. Also, it will be so much fun now, checking out the blog and try to guess which socks will be mine. Fun.

My yarn diet is officially over, and not because I lost any of my stash, because I have absolutely zero self control and I just can't stop acquiring yarn. So, it's over. I'm not even going to try any more. What's the point of being on a yarn diet when you make so many exceptions that it just takes more time to keep adjusting the rules, than to just buy the damn yarn and knit it up! I bought more. Last night, I was surfing (my porn as V calls it) yarn sites, and I got the bright idea to call Make 1 Yarn Studio in Calgary to ask if they carried Fleece Artist (see I am trying to source Canadian yarn, and for the best prices!). They actually don't carry it, but I spoke to a really nice person, who just had to start telling me about the new sock yarn that they just got it, and right now there are like 30 yarn crazed knitting ladies (like myself) fighting over it. "Hmmm, really, well, tell me what colors you have, oh yeah, ok yeah, I'll have two of each of those, ya!!!! Grab em, get em..... Oh did you get em? Yes!!!!" - that was me. It was like all of a sudden I was there, in that store, in all of the excitement. Crazy! Yes, I am, and I really think yarn is a disease. But guess what, I don't want to be cured! I love it! I love yarn! So what I got was this:

and this:


Yummy. Blu, and Poppy from Ocean Wind Knits. Yay! and they shipped it to me for free! So, I really gotta get cracking... I have fallen victim to second sock syndrome. Yes, it's true! I finished sock 1 of Roza's Socks last week, and I still haven't cast on. I'm going to start it tonight, I swear just as soon as I stop rambling on..... So here's my goal: I have to finish my Roza's socks, finish my secret sewing project(s), and do some serious scrapping (cause Saturday is National Scrapbooking Day), all by the end of the weekend. We'll see.

Post Easter Update

Well, I'm back from my long Easter weekend, and have lots to report. There was some knitting, lots of eating, some yarn buying.... yes I bought yarn. I am supposed to be on a major yarn diet, but the more I try not to buy any, the more I buy. How can this happen? Anyways, it does and I can't stop it. There must be a cure for this disease. If anyone knows just let me know!!! In any case the weekend was great. I spent some time with my Mom, we ate tons of mini eggs (see specimen A on the left). I LOVE mini eggs, it's usually the only thing I want for Easter. I guess I love them so much that I took a picture of them, maybe so that in a month or two, or even six months from now, when I may be longing for that sweet, chocolaty goodness I could go back in my blog archives and look at my yummy mini eggs. And guess what! Just looking at them won't put any excess weight on my butt either. So feel free to save this picture, so you too can have your own calorie free version. I must be crazy! As I mentioned I bought yarn. I bought some nice brown sock yarn, for the Clessidra socks from Knitty. That is not a pressing project, but some time in the next year or so. I also bought yarn to make the Dots and Stripes baby blanket from Adorable knits for Tiny Tots. I didn't get the exact yarn, as my LYS doesn't carry Rowan yarns, but I did find a nice cotton blend DK weight, in some very pretty colors. The intended recipient is still in the womb, but due to arrive late in July, so I have time. However, that is if I decide to actually go ahead with this project. I don't know if there's anyone out there that has actually knit this blanket, I am really starting to doubt it. It's crazy( see picture to the left for proof). You need to have like a million little balls of the yarn for the intarsia charts, and it just gets messy. I mean really tangly. So, being me and with my obsession with all things organizational, such as Ziploc bags, I decided to try to get it in order. I did. Then I looked at it for a while thinking about if I really want to proceed with this madness. I decided I would try it with the little balls all in the little baggies. I knit about 3 more rows and the #$%^&$#$ thing was so tangled I just threw the whole works of it inside my ottoman/coffee table where I couldn't see it. I have thought about it many times today, but did not feel compelled to even take it out and look at it. Actually it totally turned me from knitting. I did not knit even one single stitch today. This project may not materialize. On a positive note I did finish the Rib and Cable socks for V. He loves them and says he wants more. They were fun to knit, but the dark gray is hard on the eyes, especially at night knitting sessions, but the results were so worth it. He even got complimented on them today from his Chiropractor. The picture doesn't really do them justice, as again the dark gray was really hard to photograph. Here they are anyways. I am planning to work on the Jane pullover tonight, not much progress on her over the weekend. Hoping to get that one finished up soon. I am really wanting to knit some more socks, some really nice socks, just for ME. I have been coveting a skein of Sundara hand dyed yarn in a gorgeous amethyst color. I am trying to decide what pattern to do. I think they will be Jaywalkers, as I haven't tried that pattern yet, but really like it. The Pomatomus socks are also a possibility but, not sure I want to read charts.... I'll sleep on it. Oh!!! and on the subject of socks. Sign-ups for Sockapalooza 4 are supposed to be sometime today. I have been checking The Blue Blog like a crazy lunatic all day, just so I can assure I get signed up. Hopefully soon.... otherwise I'll be dreaming about it all night. Oh my, this is such a disease. Is it normal to have yarn dreams? Maybe I should mention this to a professional?