The Scrap Queen Strikes Again!

Yay! Sleeves without a Sweater are finished! The yarn is silk so the sleeves are, um, silky. And a big thank you to Delores, my model. These will now get tucked away with the Christmas pressies. (Ooh, that reminds me: I need to start Christmas cards! Hmmm... what should I do this year? Better make something with stuff on hand... and I've got a lot of stuff on hand!)

As the reigning Scrap Queen of our quilting group, I usually get first dibs on any scraps that come in. (You might think that Yuki is my co-Scrap Queen, but I think that she's become the Shred Queen, 'cuz she creates masterpieces with bits that even I can't use!) Back on track: a small bag of scraps came in and these were inside. I said to myself, "Hey, I know what these are! I even have a template for this. It's the QiD Triangle in a Square!"

So I jumped right on that project, even though the colors are so not me. They are classy, though, and coming together quite nicely. Bethie helped me figure out that the double-pointed star, which I have used before (here's a link!) with this element wasn't going to work as well as a four-pointed star. See? All the star centers are out of the same Asian print with a navy blue background and the sashing will be a plainer Asian navy blue. It's coming together!

Shake Your Bootie!

You don't need a good memory if you've got talent. --Chris, whom I met today

I'm just going to keep telling myself that.

So you can see that the Baby Needs New Shoes project is done. The skateboard shop owner was very surprised when I asked if I could use one of their boards to photograph a pair of booties!

And, um, they didn't catch me at the grocery store... So, tada! Sleeves Without a Sweater! One is actually done and the other is a few inches in.*

And I got a little progress on the Scrap Trick prayer quilt. (yay!) I will go through the scraps and cut up 3.5" pieces for a second border.

* Yes, I know I ended that sentence with a preposition. It's a stupid rule and only meant for the romance languages and the guy that proposed that it be applied to English took it back, so there!

Got a Squishie!

Squishie (n. SKWI-shee): a soft package sent or received through any of various federal or commercial agencies, usually known to cause a squeal of delight on the part of the crafter involved. May contain fabric, yarn, quilt squares, beads, or fiber of plant, animal, mineral, or chemical origin. On rare occasions, squishies have also been known to contain completed items, promised up to twelve years ago.

Progress on knitted objects: The Red Herring Purse

Sleeves Without a Sweater

And a completion: Home Sweet Home scrap quilt

"There is no wrong way to knit. The debate between throwing the yarn and picking it, using circulars or straight, choosing Fair Isle or intarsia... it's all a moot point. If you get something knitted at the end of it, you are doing it right. We should all agree to stop correcting each other and deal with the more important issue. How wrong crochet is."

--Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, At Knit's End

Disclaimer: I have actually been known to crochet. Not much and not often. And not well. But for those of you out of the yarn loop: there is a fundamental difference of opinions between those who use two sticks and those who use one. Go figure.

Listening to: "On the Sunny Side of the Street"

Whoa. I begin to realize that I'm not just blogging for me. I love being part of the online crafting community! Valerie asked that my "Way Too Many Projects" section be converted to something clickable. I put it off because it seemed like a real time commitment. It wasn't. But I had to think it through. So feel free to click away, kids!

I sat in the window this morning and sewed on the binding for "On the Riverbank," below. You can see I'm almost halfway done. I provided a pic of the front, because it's honestly more interesting. And during another "Escape From the House," I went to see "House Bunny." As the socks are doable without any attention (PLEASE don't say boring--I'm trying not to think it... Oh, now you've done it), I knitted through the flicker. It was just what I had hoped: innocently crass and even a little charming. So I've completed the gusset on sock #2. (Click for the definition of a gusset) So I'll call 'em 60% done on my ravelry page.

And here's the first pic of Sleeves Without a Sweater. Okay, Sleeve Without a Sweater. It's pretty basic: stockinette in the round until the last six rows where I'll put some ribbing.

Liberty Bears got a little attention, too. I added some backstitching to the bears. All that's left is the numbers and finishing. I think I may finish it soft. What I mean is that I'll make it into a mini-quilt for the wall. Border, back, binding, and some kind of stiff batting to help it keep its shape. I'm thinking of sewing two little rings on the back for hanging it up. Has anyone done that? I'd appreciate any tips on the subject.