First

This was a first for me.  My Mother always knit the mittens for us as kids and the Grandkids.  I have knit mittens before, but for me.  (I love a mitten.)  Never little ones.  

Our Granddaughter is now almost two and in need of mittens.  Here is the first pair that was knitted out of left-over wool yarn.  To evaluate the gauge, the mitten on the left used a 3.25 needle where the one on the right used a 3.75 needle.  (The pair measures at 6 inches long, cuff to tip and about 2.5 inches wide.)  Little one won't mind the slight difference, and Daughter can tell me which she thinks is better.  

Since I was knitting and looking at yarn bits, here is a pair of what I call a left-over sock.  Left over bits of sock yarn.  They will still keep the foot warm.  I have more left-over bits to use up.

Both are now on their way to Maine.

Only one Laurel Ridge applique block is left to finish.  That will happen during today's football games. 

Sewing machine came home from the spa on Friday so I will get back into piecing shortly.

Enjoy your day with threads, yarn, fabric, needles......etc.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.
 

Another project done

Monday was a trip to Boston and back.  It is a 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive depending on traffic and road construction.  It is best for all if I can keep my eyes off the road and the other cars if I am not the one driving.  This set of socks were only half done so they came along as my diversion (and they also needed to get finished).  One was completed by the time we arrived at our destination, even the heel.  The other was completed by the time we were home.  The threads were run in today (Saturday) while watching college football.  I am a toe up sock knitter and knit both at the same time.  When they are finished, they are totally finished.  No second sock syndrome.

Laurel Ridge, a BOM quilt by Lynn Wilder for the Quilt Show, has been worked on again.  Here is block #6 (I am behind).  There are eight #6 blocks to applique.  As you can see, all are being worked on at the same time.  This is a flower grouping of three.  The plaid flower still has its center flower part to be stitched on and then there will be a circle for the center of each flower.

Then, leaves need to be stitched on each grouping.  When the leaves are done all eight blocks will be done.  It would be too hard for me to finish one block knowing that seven more were waiting.  It is easier for me to repeat a part eight times.

My slow stitching for Sunday will be to finish the flowers and then prep leaves.  I am usually a needle turn applique person.  Shall have to see how the leaves will be done.

Enjoy your threads today.  
 

Squirrel and Frog

On January 3, 2024, Jo at Jo's Country Junction announced that she is starting a Stitch Along.  It is Kind Words Never Die from Heartstring Samplery.  This is a small that I really like.  So, I have joined in.  The Stitch Along begins on 1 February but I started mine on Friday.  That is the Squirrel.

The Frog.

As I said, this is a small.  Stitch Count: 74 x 73.  On Friday evening the words and five flowers were stitched.  Yesterday afternoon I stitched two more flowers and found out I was off one stitch, and it wasn't going to match up.  I had to look over the entire pattern to find out where I was off.  See the circle to the left.  The flower was one stitch to high.

So, the Frog went into action.  Thank goodness for football.

It has been restarted properly and I will keep better track of my stitches (she says as her fingers are crossed).

This was a more productive week.  I made two mug mats using a postage stamp background with a snowflake applique.  I gave them to my Tuna Quilter friends and forgot to take a picture.  Still thinking of that quilt.

My socks have been finished and have survived a wash.

 

My Slow Stitching today will be finishing my small and then I have another stitch waiting to begin.  The sun is out, a bit windy, and we are starting our day at 3 degrees.  I know other parts of the USA have it worse.  Please all be warm, safe and enjoy your threads.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

Postage Stamps, Finish

Mary Etherington at Country Threads Chicken Scratch has been showing gorgeous postage stamp quilts.  Kari Schell at On Point Quilter Blog has an entry on the making of snowflake mug rugs.  The mug rug background was the postage stamp.  Postage stamps have been fascinating me since.  I decided to try it out with two mug rugs.  Yesterday I cut my strips, sewed them together, cut them apart and sewed them together again.  Here is my start.  The snowflakes will be made today, fused on, batting and backing.  A bit of machine stitching and they will be done.  

The idea of a postage stamp quilt fascinates me still.  Thinking, thinking.

This table topper from Shabby Fabrics was made last year.  The hearts were only fused on, and it needed to be finished.  So, I decided to machine buttonhole stitch around each heart.  My machine was making skipped stitches, and I didn't like it.  It was taken out and while watching the first football game of the day, I did the buttonhole stitch by hand.  

Haven't decided if I like it but it is done and done is always better.  I need to keep remembering that.  And, to remember, as my Tuna Quilter friends and I say, it is not going to Houston (as in the International Quilt Festival).

When the six hearts were done, I still had time on my hands.  I have been knitting myself a pair of socks (traveling project).  I am a toe up knitter for socks.  Back in 2020 I found an article from 1999 about the Sherman Sock.  The toe is started flat and then it turns into the toe cap.  I have it printed out and guard my copy very carefully.  Then I knit as a tube and put it waste yarn for my peasant, or depression, heel.

I knit both socks at the same time.  Here is the other one with the heel made.  

The heel was made before the leg was finished as I want to use up all this yarn and wasn't sure how far to go to not run of yarn for the heel.  The other end of the yarn ball was my start for the heel.

Knitting time was over and the second heel will be the first thing I do with football today.  

Enjoy your threads today and stay safe.  

We have been rainy, dark and gloomy but not the blizzards found out west (would like to have some snow) or the waves that were hitting the coast of Maine causing flooding and taking out buildings.  

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

Traveling Socks

Good afternoon.  Today we woke up to 30F at 6am.  We are now up to 60F and it is sunny.  I am happy and my poppies are happy.  This is a picture of them from last Saturday when we had snow.  Thankfully it was not the 2 inches that they were talking about.  That snow lasted until the afternoon.  

My traveling socks have been finished.  Here is how I make my Depression Heel or Peasant Heel.  As I remove the waste yarn I pick up the stitches with my needles.  I like using five needles; four to hold the stitches and one as the working needle.

When I have done the decrease stitches for the heel, I place the stitches on two needles.  From these two needles I do the cast off or stitch off using the Kirchner stitch.  

After all the stitches are worked off and the ends woven in, I have a pair of Traveling Socks.  They began as a travel project and now they will walk with me where ever I go.

That was weird.  The only place that they will go is to the grocery store and back.  May this find you all happy, healthy and warm.