UFOs Finished!

UFO (unfinished objects) or in this case--unfinished projects. It always feels great when you can finish up a project that has been sitting around for awhile. A goal for the New Year is to finish up two UFOs before beginning a new project.

This the project for January from Patchabilities that I receive each month from Cedar Chest Quilt Shop.  I make two of these each month--one goes to brown headed kid in Colorado and the other goes to my mother, who at 92 is hard to buy for.

This is the small hanging for February.  My mother says she looks forward to seeing what each month's pattern will look like.  I'm relieved that she likes this gift!

These jockeys and shirts were a swap with other members from Scratching Post on Fatcat Patterns website.  It's free to join the group.  This long line of clothing will hang in brown headed kid's laundry room.

Finally, almost finally anyway, caught up with mystery blocks from Carol Doak yahoo group.  All are paper pieced--this one seemed to take the longest to work up.  So many pieces but it's looking good.

Another UFO finished--this one went quickly. 

This laundry hanging will go in my laundry room where I just have a small space--but what fun it will be to see these hanging on the line!

This was a swap from Denise Russart's site.  Only problem--I didn't make it in time to make the swap, but figured out a similar pattern to use.  Looks like this will be a Binky Patrol quilt. 

These were good stash busters too and easy to assemble.

FINISHED! after a year long project--the chicks are ready for the quilting needle.  Really enjoyed making these wonderful whimsical chicks from designer Sindy .  although the patterns are no longer available you can order from her site.  Now up for the next few months are colorful fish--fun and another stash buster. 

  So glad to have some UFO projects finished and ready to be quilted.  And if you think my goal of finishing two UFOs before beginning another is right on target--you are so wrong!  It ain't workin' for me--too many other things to create in order to have more UFOs!

Handspun, Handknit

A few things are off the needles--hurrah! Still working on a couple of other handspun knit items. One is a cowl for our annual January Spin-in later this month. Our theme is 'circles' and a cowl fits perfectly into that theme. Just begun Downtown Abbey (love that show!!) through Jimmy Beans Wool.  It's a mystery knit along!  Great fun as we watch the show each week, we have a clue to knit.

So here is listing off the needles and ready to wear.  This small shawl (do they still call it a shawl when it fits around the neck or maybe, it's a scarf?)  Anyway, this was a piece knitted from very well aged wool.  Doesn't look like much just off the needles

I just amaze myself sometimes!  This yarn was spun from a multi-dyed skein of wool/silk blend (don't remember where I bought it--) I don't worry about stripping it, just go with the way it comes in the roving.  Then I ball the bobbin and when plying, just ply on itself--taking outside and inside yarn to ply.

It always comes out when knitting in stripes--go figure!  anyway, I really like the way it turned out.  I used the rug in my weaving room to pin it out for blocking.  Really must get some of those wires for blocking.

It's on the small size, just right for the bandana look.  The pattern came from Ravelry group and Designer is Rachel Henry and the pattern was Crushed.  She has some pretty nifty patterns on her website.

Another handspun shawl--now, this one was really a shawl but I quit before doing all the pattern.  This time to block I used my cutting board--pinned it and spritzed it with water and left to dry.

Lots of lace and beads added, but I ran out of yarn.  Once again, this was aged wool blend and it striped nicely for this pattern from designer Atalante, who likes Fairy Tales and her patterns are designed as such.

We haven't seen 'green head' for awhile--mainly because we haven't been knitting hats--got 'burned out on those addictive Gap Hats last year.

This is handspun wool, silk, mohair blend and the designer is one of my favorite, Woolly Wormhead.  This was her fall mystery pattern.  Darn if I didn't have trouble with this pattern.  In this yarn, the little cables don't show up much, but for some reason, I just couldn't get the pattern through my head!  I must have frogged (ripped, ripped) the thing out 10 times.  But, I wasn't going to let it defeat me--no, trudged on and finished.
What's on or off your needles? 

WOW! At It Again!

There goes 2012 and here comes 2013! And the WOW (Way Out West) Weavers have a jump start on the new year! This group never fails to encourage and insight us all to do better weaving!   There was business discussion and then "what to you have for show & tell?"

Linda pulled out this gorgeous tea towel made from 8/2 cotton, sett 20 epi 

She used the pattern from this leaflet from Interweave.  This leaflet is in digital format now, if you are interested and it isn't already in your library.

Marian had this draft to work up--as a challenge to her for presentation at the 2013 state conference. 

The back

The front--now, the real challenge--how to reduce this to 6"x6" for the challenge?

Marian is always pushing herself to the limits of weaving.  Here is M&O pattern from a workshop that she attended at Southwest School of Art in San Antonio.

She used variegated embroidery floss for the color contrast in the spacers as well as the weft

And practicing her skills at doubleweave pick up--these are her samples!  We say she is darn good but she wasn't pleased with this outcome.

With an interest in Crackle Weave, several of us are eyeing this new book

Fairly new weaver Lisa jumped at the chance to take a workshop with Jason Collingwood to learn rug techniques

This smallish rug (just perfect to place at your feet while sitting at the loom) was soft and dense.  Lisa used Jason's brand of rug yarn for her weft.

This colorful handspun wrap comes from the hands of our newest member, Kyla who is an art teacher.

Kyla likes to work with bright colors and by doing her own dyeing on her fibers she can achieve that effect

We like the orange!

She was knitting on this brilliant red handspun scarf.  Why is it the camera doesn't like red??
We have 2013 plans to assemble a raffle basket for Contemporary Handweavers of Texas.  We pack lots of goodies and handwovens in our basket, which makes it a hot item! 
Off to the loom..............................................................

Snowmen!

A New Year, a New Beginning and time to take down all those festive Christmas decorations to be stored away for another year. And now the house looks and feels so bare. All the color is gone and everything just looks dull and we don't need that during these winter months! How to decorate in January while we wait for February and hearts galore? Ah, YES! Snowmen--not so colorful as holiday decorations of red and green but we can spice them up a bit, so here we go..................gather all the snowmen (and women) patterns up we can find and begin to create.........

This was a very looooooooong hanging!  14"x54"

The Quilt Patch was the source of this pattern.  We bought it at Quilt Festival in the fall.  There were other seasonal ones

This was a wool kit

Look!  All finished and framed!  Love these gals' work!Primitive Gatherings has become my new BFF

And yes, they have a subscription to their magazine where I found this snowman pattern.

I'm using some 'stash' fabric.  This wool piece was naturally dyed at a workshop about five years ago during Taos Wool Market.  We used stamps with natural dye extracts   so, why not put it to good use?

Here is another stash find!  Years ago, I took rug hooking workshop and began this tree (along with other unfinished projects).  It was time this little tree came out of hiding and put to good use on this pillow.

Another natural dyed wool piece--what a sense of accomplishment to finally use these hidden and well aged fabrics!

Nothing like working up Indygo Junction Inc designed by Pat Sloan.  "Seymour"  was worked up a little different by friend Judy M

Yes, another one of my favorite pattern people, Bird Brain Designs!  Lots of good stitchery patterns.  Now, this pattern has been sitting around for a few years......................

Judy added some interesting touches to Seymour--gave him a larger hat, bowtie and a friendly redbird as his companion.

 

Yes, we are building a snowman--without snow!



This is another 'aged' pattern!  Out of the closet and onto the sewing table.......



We even found a snowman mat for the kitchen.  The house is revolving around snowmen!

Okay, he's not a snowman, but why not let this cold weather penquin be part of the fun?  Justquiltin' blog was the source of this pattern--another aged pattern from 2011.  Nothing like finishing up some 'aged' pieces! 

Do you have a favorite snowman pattern?  Let me know--we can always add to our collection.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And a New Year Approaches--2013

Bring on those New Year's Resolution!  I'm ready and willing to accomplish whatever the world is ready to offer!

I'm willing to drink more wine!

Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables!

Take it slow through the mainstream!

Write more interesting blogs!

Watch the sunrise and the sunset

 

And celebrate the little things of life!!
Happy New Year!