UFO day

I've been watching X-Files on DVD from the beginning over the past few months (I'm on disc 6 of season 4!), so you'll have to forgive me the UFO reference. (Can't wait for the new X-Files movie... does that make me hopelessly geeky?)

First up:
A stole in progress knit from my handspun in the colorway Seascape. I got the roving from etsy seller spinswim. I love how it turned out. It's about a sport weight and very squooshy (the technical term) and sproingy (also technical terminology).



I'm using the chart from the Drawstring Chemise in the Spring 2008 Interweave Knits. I like how it's turning out. I plan to use this primarily as a scarf, all bunched up, but it may be nice to have a stole if I ever need one... You know, for all the fancy dinner parties I attend.

Moving on...

The Aleita Shell, also from the Spring 2008 Interweave Knits. I'm using a flat ribbon (?) type yarn that I recycled from a thrift store sweater. As close as I can remember, the fiber make up was part linen, part cotton. At the moment it's in the middle of the slightly-boring body section (I'm knitting it in the round) but I should be at the dividing point soon.

Thirdly...

The Roundabout Leaf Tank from Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan. I picked up this book on Friday, after a truly horrid few days at work. I felt like I needed a treat and I've wanted this book for a while. It's very tempting to cast on for more than one project in this book, but I'm being good and allowing myself just this one (for now).

In lieu of swatching, I decided to just start on the first round of the spiral, since it is about the size I would need to swatch anyway. I'm using a cotton yarn from another recycled thrift store sweater, dyed and overdyed in greens, blues and purple. The dye job came out really wierd and uneven but I really like how it's knitting up and I got gauge (yay!).

And next up, the Leftover Blanket...

I'm working on adding solid colored bands around the leftover portion. I don't anticipate this project being completed anytime soon, but that's okay. I'm still really happy with it and will plug away on it when I get a chance here or there. It's really mindless knitting, just slightly awkward. I'm waiting on 3 new cables for my Knit Picks options set (I ordered one each of the 40", 47" and 60" which should take me all the way to the outer edges of the blanket as it grows).

And, lastly (of what I'll show today anyway)...
A felted sweater blanket for my friend

I made one of these about 4 or so years ago for another friend and always meant to make another. In the years since, I've seen them all over the internet but realized that I didn't ever take a picture of the one I made (it was pre-blog). For this one, I'll be using a tip from Betz White I saw linked to on the Craft blog a few days ago. I'm using roving and a needle felting tool to cover the seams and add some stability to the zig-zagged line.

The Boy keeps telling me to focus (re: crafting projects)... I have no idea what he's talking about... do you?

Changes...

I've had a new tag line in my head for the past few days. I also decided to just give in to the brown and turquoise color palette and spruce up around here a bit. Like it? Let me know if anything is wonky for any of you (let me know what browser you use).

UFO pics this weekend!

Done! Finished Duvet Cover

Whew! Finally done!



I decided to back the top afterall. I figured if I'm going to this much trouble to make a duvet cover, I didn't want to risk having any of the seams come apart. I'm quite happy with the result.

I found a 100% cotton sateen sheet (for $11!!) at Zellers to use for the back of the duvet cover. The top is machine quilted "in the ditch". I think I may add buttons to the open end to close it (safety pins are doing the job right now).



Surprisingly (ha) it matches my new "art"... :D

(almost) FO: Duvet Cover

I finished the top for my duvet cover this evening! Yay!



I'm really happy with it. It does further the color-blocked issue, but I'm okay with that.

I had some challenges with laying out the blocks

I don't have a lot of floor space and had to move some furniture around just to lay it out.

I also don't have a very big table (my sewing machine is on a desk-sized table)

so I ended up sitting on the top while pinning the rows of blocks to sew.

I would have a completed duvet cover, but the sheet that I planned to use for the back turned out to be exactly 4 inches too narrow... :( Oh well. This gives me some time to decide whether or not I should back the top and do some simple quilting for stability before I sew on the duvet cover backing. I'm still undecided on that one...

******

We're in the middle of the Victoria Day long weekend, and the weather has been amazing! Yay! It's finally spring. I spent the day yesterday with the Boy, doing some running around and took his dog to the park so he (the dog, not the Boy) could go for a swim in the river.

Late last night, I was dreaming that someone was telling me to answer the phone. I kept telling them it was nothing, but they were insisting that my phone was ringing and I should answer it. I woke up and my phone was ringing. At 2:45 am.

Now, I don't know about you, but my first thought when the phone rings that late is that there is something extremely serious going on that someone would have to call me that late.

I bolted from bed without thinking and got to the phone just as it stopped ringing. It was the Boy. The hell? He didn't leave a message and I went back to bed to try to get back to sleep. I was a bit annoyed, I couldn't figure out why he called and he didn't leave a message. I had just fallen back asleep when the phone rang again!! This time I answered it and there was no one there.

Apparently I called him back and left a message asking what was going on and why he was calling me. He saw that I had called in the middle of the night and did some investigating: He had forgotten to lock the keypad and had laid the phone on the floor to charge. The dog, sleeping nearby, had hit redial. Twice. Yay. Late night calls from the dog...

Losing track...

The other day on the phone, The Boy asked me what I was working on. I said I was seaming the squares for my Leftover blanket. He asked if that was the one that was a gift for my friend. I had to think for a minute what he was talking about and then I realized that I had started a felted blanket for a friend a while ago (I'll take pics soon) and had stalled out on it. I said no, this one was for me. He asked me how many blankets I'm working on and it got me thinking.

The answer: more than I realized.

-the Leftover blanket
-the felted blanket for my friend
-a gift for my Mom (which I will keep hidden here because my Mom is now able to read my blog! Everyone say Hi to my Mom!)
-the duvet cover/blanket out of denim strips
-a quilted duvet cover that I had totally forgotten that I started!

Yesterday morning, I woke up thinking I would work on the Leftover blanket for a while. Instead I felt like sewing so I got out the pieces for the quilted duvet cover. I started on it at 10:30, and suddenly it was 4:00 and I had this:



I'm using up a bunch of fabric that has been sitting in stash for too long. Some of it I got for really cheap at Value Village (like 2.5 meters for $3) and I can't see myself ever using it in anything else (why did I get it then? Um. $3 for 2.5 meters of uncut cotton? You would have bought it also)(Yes you would have).


Because it's a duvet cover, I'm not using batting, so I'm quilting the pieced sections to each larger background piece. My plan is to minimize the number of seams that could face wear and tear, since the pieced area will not have a backing (or it might, i don't know. Maybe I should... )



I kind of think I should complete the blankets I have started before I start anything else. Ooh, except there's that top I've been wanting to make... Oh, and that cotton sweater I was thinking about... And...

Don't look now, but...

... Spring is here! (upcoming weather possibilities notwithstanding)



... I'm (almost) finished with the leftovers for my Leftover Blanket!



I need 5 more half-squares for the edges but I'm starting to seam the squares today, I couldn't wait.



I used almost every inch of my leftovers, plus one extra ball of sock yarn which was an orphan. I love how it's looking and can't believe these little squares kept my interest for this long! The plan is to knit solid colored bands around the center leftover rectangle. I'm sure I'll be working on this for quite a while yet, but it feels good to have this much completed!