October 2013

October might be the best month of them all. Here's what I got up to:

Last month I bought a book called 25 Patchwork Quilt Blocks by Katy Jones and I started scheming. With the leftover scraps from my Vintage Bear Paw quilt and the half-square triangle flannel quilt, I started at the beginning of the book and worked my way through the pages until I had done all 25. Then I picked 5 of my favourite blocks and redid the so I had a nice 30 blocks in order to made a fun sampler quilt with all the blocks. I haven't done a quilt like this before and I really loved it. 

I finished up my Hummingbird knit socks by Sandi Rosner and good thing, because I had to return this book to the library. 

I completed the free motion stippling on my Pow Wow by Cluck Cluck Sew quilt, got the binding on and it's been through the wash and dryer to install the delicious crinkling. I was really nervous that the red would bleed onto the white fabric, but my old way of adding vinegar to the wash must work. Or it was never going to be a problem. We will never know. I am not someone who washed fabric prior to using for quilt. Part 1 because I like how the shrinking makes it even more crinkly, and part 2 because I'm lazy, and I guess there is a part 3 because I had the additional ironing required and never have luck getting straight cuts on stubborn un-unwrinklable fabric. I rest my case.

I cast on a knit an entire pair of socks. This yarn colourway really made knitting these up so enticing. The yarn is absolutely amazing. For starters, its glittery, secondly Halloween themed, the colourway is Goblin by Lynai Yarns and I knit Vanilla Latte Socks which just flew off my needles. 

I finished(!) my Horatio and Oren mittens. What I learned. Bamboo based yarn is a bad choice. They are super smooth, silky, and soft but so floppy and not really water repellant. Not sure these will be keepers.

Knit some very bold yarn up and I think I really nailed the yarn/pattern combo here. I knit the colourway Candy Corn by Candy Skein yarn into Pablo Blue socks by Knitting Pixie. Don't the socks actually resemble little candy corns. I was a bit nervous for this high contrast yarn but please as a peach with how the combo worked in my favour.

Then I whipped up a quick hat in a book I also picked up at my local library. The book was Knitting 24/7: 30 Projects to Knit, Wear, and Enjoy, On the Go and Around the Clock by Veronik Avery and the pattern I chose was the Pinstripe Slouch Hat.

That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥