Knitting, My First Love

There is a frighteningly large stash of wool in my cupboards that I haven't touched for at least thirteen years.  Somehow having lively children around the house and knitting didn't mix.  Now the children are gone and it is time to clear the house out.  It's a gradual process, partly because knitting my way through a mountain of wool will be a lot slower than just passing it on.  Also, until now, I didn't have any clear idea of what to make.  The solution was to join the knitting group at a local church and see what projects they had.  The choice was between baby blankets or twiddle blankets.  I opted for the latter.

Rather than knit squares to be made into blankets, I am making a small lap blanket with added interest.  The basket weave stitch is quick and easy, has a lovely warm texture, and lies nice and flat.  Here is the method.  You need an even number of stitches.  Instructions are given for a number of stitches divisible by four, with instructions for stitches divisible by two but not four in brackets.

Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: Knit 2, purl 2 to the end of the row
Row 4: Knit 2, purl 2 (purl 2, knit 2) to end of row
Row 5: Knit
Row 6: Purl
Row 7: Purl 2, knit 2 to end of row
Row 8: Purl 2, knit 2 (knit 2, purl 2) to end of row
Repeat 

Now I have finished the knitting and am adding the twiddle factor.

It has been a great thrill getting the knitting needles out again after so many years.  My mum taught me to knit when I was six.  She wasn't a knitter herself, but she was able to teach me how to knit, purl, cast on and off, and increase and decrease a stitch.  After that I was on my own and became a regular at the local wool shop and a tea cosy specialist.  Now my knitting ambition is to be a twiddle blanket specialist and avoid the wool shop.

Linking up with Sarah's blog Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Whoop Whoop Friday.

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 151 - Elephants Cradle Quilt

Flowery elephants called to me when I was shopping a few weeks ago.  I couldn't resist this fabric.  It came in several different colour combinations, but this is the only version I felt I could happily play with.  

The background is a curious shade of not-quite-yellow.  I'm not really sure what I should call it, and I thought it might jar with the paler colours I wanted to use, but once I got home and started trying it against the other fabrics I realised how versatile this design is.

The pink elephant would have settled in perfectly well with a pinky purply girlie combination of colours...

...but this time I went with the blue.  And the spots.

Even the wheels on the trains carry on the spotty theme.  The other theme is tiny checks...

 ...with absolutely miniscule squares on the binding...

...and calming restful beige for the backing.

It was great fun getting back to quilting again after such a long break.  It made me glad that the hot weather is well and truly over.  Am I allowed to say that?  I think I am.  Treadling in a heat wave isn't for the faint hearted.


Here goes for Week 151.

If you love free motion quilting, whether you are a beginner just taking the plunge, or you have reached the stage where you can do ostrich feathers with your eyes shut and still achieve perfect symmetry, then please link up.

Remember, FMQ is FMQ, whether your machine was made last week, or it is older than your granny.

Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:-

1.  Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project, whether it is a work in progress or a finish.

2.  Link back to this post in your own post and/or grab the linky button for your blog's sidebar.
  
3.  Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.

4.  The link up will remain open for four days, from midnight to midnight GMT for the long weekend, Friday to Monday.
So far quilters from the USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, France, Macau, Russia, Ireland and Brazil have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.

Linking up with Sarah's blog Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Whoop Whoop Friday.
and Michelle's Romantic Tangle for Let's Make Baby Quilts
and Amanda Jean's blog Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday

A Pause

A quick break ... Today we are taking a trip to my brother's for the weekend, just fitting in a last trip before the end of August.  So no linky this week, the real fun starts again next week.
I shall have my camera back, so I will be able to show what I have been making.

Until then, happy sewing...

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 150 - Busy Behind The Scenes

Doing without a camera is difficult.  If it weren't for the weekly link up this would be such a boring pictureless blog!  

I haven't been idle, though.  I have four little cradle quilts quilted, one bound and the binding ready for the other three.  At least I will have something to show for myself when I get my camera back.  The problem I am having now is one of self control.  The temptation to buy more fabric isn't easy to stave off when you start making pieced tops after a few months' break.

Here goes for Week 150.

The project that caught my eye in Week 150 is Louise's Peas in a Pod.  If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and have a closer look.

If you love free motion quilting, whether you are a beginner just taking the plunge, or you have reached the stage where you can do ostrich feathers with your eyes shut and still achieve perfect symmetry, then please link up.

Remember, FMQ is FMQ, whether your machine was made last week, or it is older than your granny.

Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:-

1.  Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project, whether it is a work in progress or a finish.

2.  Link back to this post in your own post and/or grab the linky button for your blog's sidebar.
  
3.  Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.

4.  The link up will remain open for four days, from midnight to midnight GMT for the long weekend, Friday to Monday.
So far quilters from the USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, France, Macau, Russia, Ireland and Brazil have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 150 - Quilting Again

Normal service has resumed.  Today was the day I finally started quilting again after a gap of nearly four months.  I have started a mini production line.  Yesterday I made four sandwiches for cradle quilts, and quilted the first one this morning.  It is good to get back into the swing of things, especially after such an enjoyable break.

Still no photos, though.  In theory I could take photos with my husband's old mobile phone, but I'm far too attached to my camera.  It has the advantage of only taking one photo at a time.  I press the magic button on a mobile phone and take at least fifteen.  Too much technology.

Here goes for Week 150.

The project that caught my eye in Week 149 was Yanicka's fractured image cat, which is quilted with the three feathers pattern that she has demonstrated on a video here.  If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and have a closer look.

If you love free motion quilting, whether you are a beginner just taking the plunge, or you have reached the stage where you can do ostrich feathers with your eyes shut and still achieve perfect symmetry, then please link up.

Remember, FMQ is FMQ, whether your machine was made last week, or it is older than your granny.

Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:-

1.  Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project, whether it is a work in progress or a finish.

2.  Link back to this post in your own post and/or grab the linky button for your blog's sidebar.
  
3.  Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.

4.  The link up will remain open for four days, from midnight to midnight GMT for the long weekend, Friday to Monday.
So far quilters from the USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, France, Macau, Russia, Ireland and Brazil have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 149 - Hooray for Rain!

At last!  Sewing weather!  It was bound to come.  Day after day of rain, no bright sunshine to lure me outside and a cupboard full of colourful fabrics screaming at me to get sewing.  This week I have pieced two tops for cradle quilts, and I might just get cracking with a third today so I can do a little quilting next week.  As for photos, my camera is still at my brother's house.  By the time I collect it later this month I should have something to show for my efforts.

 Here goes for Week 149.

The project that caught my eye in Week 148 was Gwyned's glorious quilting on Picking Up The Pieces.  If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and have a closer look.

If you love free motion quilting, whether you are a beginner just taking the plunge, or you have reached the stage where you can do ostrich feathers with your eyes shut and still achieve perfect symmetry, then please link up.

Remember, FMQ is FMQ, whether your machine was made last week, or it is older than your granny.

Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:-

1.  Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project, whether it is a work in progress or a finish.

2.  Link back to this post in your own post and/or grab the linky button for your blog's sidebar.
  
3.  Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.

4.  The link up will remain open for four days, from midnight to midnight GMT for the long weekend, Friday to Monday.
So far quilters from the USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, France, Macau, Russia, Ireland and Brazil have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 148 - A Page-Turner

Suddenly life seems to be returning to normal.  It has been raining.  A lot.  So instead of gardening I have been busy in the house all day, gradually sorting out the chaos that I have grown a little too used to.  I have cropped all the blackcurrants and have a freezer packed with fruit and a stock of clean jars ready for jam making. 

Also I have been gripped by a book.  Why has it taken me so long to get round to reading Jane Eyre?  Just because I saw the series on TV in black and white in the 1960s it doesn't mean I don't need to read the book.  This morning I was quite swept up in a tete-a-tete with Mr Rochester in the orchard.  And the other day I read the perfect description of this summer in the opening lines of Chapter 23:-

" A splendid midsummer shone over England: skies so pure, suns so radiant as were then seen in long succession, seldom favour even singly, our wave-girt land.  It was as if a band of Italian days had come from the South, like a flock of glorious passenger birds, and lighted to rest them on the cliffs of Albion."

I couldn't put it better myself.  Albion is now back to its usual wave-girt self.

Here goes for Week 148.

The project that caught my eye in Week 147 was Olena's summer quilt.  If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and have a closer look.

If you love free motion quilting, whether you are a beginner just taking the plunge, or you have reached the stage where you can do ostrich feathers with your eyes shut and still achieve perfect symmetry, then please link up.

Remember, FMQ is FMQ, whether your machine was made last week, or it is older than your granny.

Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:-

1.  Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project, whether it is a work in progress or a finish.

2.  Link back to this post in your own post and/or grab the linky button for your blog's sidebar.
  
3.  Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.

4.  The link up will remain open for four days, from midnight to midnight GMT for the long weekend, Friday to Monday.
So far quilters from the USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, France, Macau, Russia, Ireland and Brazil have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.