Socks and Quilts Galore

I probably knitted about 25 stitches today, but that was putting it on my new needles! I'm going to switch over to Magic Loop Method. Oot-oot!

And speaking of socks....

tshquilts said...
love your quilts and socks. (Thanks, tsh!) What book or pattern would you recommend to someone who has not knitted for many years, but would like to make some socks?
Oh, that's easy! My "go-to" sock pattern is Ann Norling's Adult Socks II: Play on Ribs... funny, now that I look at it, I don't follow it to the letter. I stop the ribbing wherever I feel like it (usually after 2" of cuff) and just do plain knitting (stockinette to those in the know). I'm slow enough already without all that switching from purl to knit. But back to the topic: This pattern not only has sizes for tinies and grups (adults), but it has instructions that accomodate 3 different common yarn weights: worsted, sport, and fingering!

But let me open this up to you all: what's your favorite easy sock pattern?

One more piece of advice: if you have to start over a few times, Baby, know that you're not alone. I've made 18 socks. I've started probably 30 times. You do the math.

Here's the quilt that I had to be so cagey about:

I couldn't show the football fabric without giving it away. My beloved Uncle Don is a huge Buffalo Bills fan, so I found some appropriate Bills colored fabrics in my stash (Stashbuster Alert) and put it together with the football. I titled it, "Are You Ready for Some Football?" When I bought the Football fabric, I thought I'd only need a small amount, for the borders, so I was thinking a yard, to be on the safe side, then I thought maybe I'll just use it for the back, so I said, "Two yards, please." Then something made me say, "No, make that two and a half." Clearly, I was way overbuying and overbuying fabric that was so not me. Well, a picture is worth a thousand words, friends. Here's what's left over:

What's happening today, you ask? Ah, yes. Today I been quiltin' big-time! I finished Cielo: ta-da!

And I started a NEW QUILT. Yes, not one that I started a year ago and not one as a gift, but a genuine new quilt based on the fat quarters that graced my stocking! I had a lovely yard of fabric in the stash that goes very well! Here's what's going on so far:

I've chopped up all the fabric for the blocks--yay!

Today's Blog is Brought to You by the Word "Domestic"

The Gentle Art of Domesticity

I asked for this book for Christmas. I usually prefer to get my books at the library but this is a keeper! The author talks about domesticity vs. domestication. I think that I am quite domestic but not domesticated. I like to make lovely things that make the home a comfortable place, but the day-to-day cooking and keeping house don't ring my bell. The essays are like water to my spirit and the photos are energizing, too.

And speaking of domesticity...

Cielo is nearly finished. What's left to do?

1. Handsew down the rest of the binding.
2. Make a label
3. Handsew it down.

I think I'll be done before New Year's!

Other domestic joys:

1. Christmas Eve with my folks was absolutely lovely. A good, filling, but not overblown dinner of short ribs, baked potatoes, arugula-pear salad, green stuff, spinach, carrots, and pumpkin pie. The stress levels were way down. I didn't bother digging out the Christmas dishes and every single decoration. And everyone seemed to like their gifts.
2. The man of the place made panetone French Bread for breakfast--mmmmmmmmmmm!
3. My stocking was filled with stuff I need: fabric, rotary blades, thread, pins, and socks. (Also a Shakespeare pop!)
4. And my beloved family gave me the knitting needles I asked for! No diamonds, no pearls, just exactly what I wished for.

Oooh, Have I Been a Busy Girl!

I've had burble-gut for a few days so I have been barred from the kitchen, but pretty much stuck at home. Just as well, all I get to eat is the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. What this means is... I've had more time to make stuff!

Playtime at Azkaban socks are finished. When I told Tiny they only took 2 1/2 months to complete, she was noticeably unimpressed. Phooey. My last socks took well over a year! So, if my count is correct, this is the 9th pair of socks I have made!I started a new pair. I'm calling these Soy Toys because that's what the fiber is: Soy! It's in our burgers and our paper--why not our socks? The fiber is a woven kind and it's worsted weight, so the sock will be thicker and pillowy. (10th pair)
The TV show, Fringe, was recommended and recommended to me, so finally I watched the pilot on Hulu last night. It's pretty darn good. I had avoided it because it sounded really violent--it seemed no more so than Battlestar Galactica and Heroes... And, while watching it, I got some work done on the final Red Thread panel. Isn't it shaping up to be cute? Okay, the snowlady doesn't have eyes or a mouth, but her nose is quite distinctive, don't you think?
I'm part of a group that holds me accountable for finishing up quilts and expects at least one every quarter. Well, I haven't done that this quarter so I thought I'd get back to Cielo. Remember, I pinned it and put it away? Okay, maybe you don't, but I did. I put it inside a cupcake box and tucked it away, all ready to go.

So yesterday I pulled it out and started to pin the edges. Then I took a gander. A really good look. Then I went away and came back. It was still wrinkled. Pretty badly wrinkled. I asked myself, "Do I want it done or do I want it done right?" Then I sighed, because I knew I had to iron the thing. I pulled out all the pins in half of it and wrestled it, by layers, onto the ironing board. (You non-quilters may not know this, but you can't just iron a quilt. It may have polyester in the batting or something equally unfriendly to heat.) Then I repinned and unpinned the other side and ironed. After this arduous exercise, arduous because it involved folding down my table to expose floor space and pinning on the floor then putting the table back up to pin the edges and support the quilt for ironing (twice over!), I was finally back where I had started. Minus the wrinkles. Mostly.

Oh, gimme a break. I'm looking for good. Perfect is reserved for the heavenlies.

So I was ready to quilt. Yay! I had a reasonably large spool of blue Guterman so I got to work. I got about halfway done and ran out of thread. Yes. Out. Reasonable isn't good enough. (sigh) So I went out this morning and got more. In the rain. Will this saga never end? (eyes closed, back of hand to forehead)

Stuck in My Head: "Topaz" by the B-52's

Okay. So that last post looked like something I would delete from my inbox. But really, can you believe that the only things I wouldn't try again are salted lassi and Krispie Kreme doughnuts?
I finished up "On the Riverbank." Yay! Now I can put that project to bed. (har!) You see, it's a quilt and I punned on the... never mind.
And here is "Cielo." It's another double 4-patch swap quilt. I made about 4 of the blocks in it. Pictured here it is laid out for pinning. The medium blue back is peeking out around the top. In other words, please don't think I'm putting 3 borders on this!
And here is "Liberty Bears" in progress. I've decided to leave the checked border with just the navy. You can see where I've started in on white, but I'll pull that out shortly.
Gotta big day. I'm going to a moving party, playing mah jongg, and participating in an interview about funny women. If it's as cool as it sounds, I'll tell you all about it.