This month I was requested to knit a pair of socks for someone to give as a gift. Information: size 9.5; Favourite colour: purple; Taste: feminine.
After conducting some thorough research, I landed on Fairy Maiden by This Handmade Life, because the pattern felt seasonally appropriate and lovely, especially with a solid colour yarn to highlight the stitch texture. The yarn I chose English Lavendar by Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts Socknado.
Huge headway on my hand quilting! I got the scrappy binding sewed up and ironed, and I've started hand stitch the binding in place. I've decided to use a visible ticking and to switch out the coloured threads along the way, because it's more fun.
New socks on the needles, September usually causes me to feel like casting on something fall feeling. So I did! These socks are Cozy Autumn Socks by This Handmade Life and the colourway is Leave a Penny by Crafty that way in a 80/20 Merino Nylon.
A continuation of alternating hand quilting and resting my fingers, wrists, and forearms.
This month, I attempted a very challenging project on my rigid heddle loom. This pattern is the 2 Cubed Tea Towel by The Rogue Weaver and was my first attempt to used two heddles on my loom. I figured if anyone could step me through warping two heddles, it would be Tammy... and I was correct. There was definitely some hurdles and some evident mistakes, all my own fault, mostly losing my place in the weft pattern as I have (documented([!]) challenges with my working memory But that's OK! That is literally how I learn, and I like to think the little bloops that I notice won't be noticed by the kitchen appliances.
I chose pink and green 2/8 Cotton by Maurice Brassard in, I think, Rose Pale 1768 and Vert Fonce 1152 for the first and my plan is to switch out the green for a red, maybe Framboise 5193 to make a set of Christmas themed towels that have a vintage feel of pink, red, and green.
This month I determinedly set up to make some serious decisions so that I could progress on my Triangularity Quilt by Jeni Baker.
With this in mind I ordered some Aurifil 28wt and some fresh Colonial Super Glide Quilting Needles, found a comfy spot to nest in and got to hand quilting. There was some respectable progress made, but after hours of quilting, I am needed to take frequent breaks to rest my hands.
This snowy month, I finished knitting my socks that I knit from a sock blank.
I cast on and finished a second pair of socks this month using a self-patterning yarn I grabbed from the discount bin at Micheal's.
There was a lot of sewing this month! I finished the top and free-motion stippling was done for what might be the best quilt I've ever made. I am very much in love with the fabric in this quilt which is from one of my absolute favourite designers Lizzy House. I again chose a quilt pattern that had large blocks of fabric to show off the prints. The pattern I chose was Flag by Katy Jones. I've got nothing but good things to say about it.
I cast on another pair of socks, I used the pattern They Call Me Pine. Tahoe Pine. by The Unapologetic Knitter. This is the second pair of socks I knit from this pattern, it's a really fantastic pattern that came in a collaboration kit I purchase awhile back.
Just for fun, I sewed up a cute stuffed unicorn from a tutorial in a crafting magazine I purchase.
June brought with it a moderate amount of productivity. My crafting has been seriously waylaid by some budget cuts and I'm trying to figure out a way to be a poor crafter.
Fiona Alice has so many very beautiful patterns and is so talented, I couldn't resist knitting a pattern of hers using some yarn I had in stash. The pattern is called Salt Air and is a really clever design. This scarf/cow didn't take me very long at all and it was gifted to a special teacher who is retiring this year.
I worked on some socks I cast on last month, the yarn is from The Wacky Windmill and the colourway is Dougal, which I think is an Outlander book reference, but I honestly have read the series, so I'm not 100% sure. I am knitting the pattern Double Eyelet Rib Toe-up Socks by Wendy D. Johnson from her book Socks from the Toe-Up.
I managed to get some spinning practice in this month and spun up a fibre dyed in a colourway called Hippy Dippy from The Wacky Windmill.
I finished a pair of stockinette socks in a self-patterning yarn, I think Regia, but I lost the ball band, so I can't be certain.
In an attempt to get better at hand piecing, I have purchased some light template plastic and cut out a number of hexagons to use in place of paper. I think I am having more luck basting the fabric around the homemade plastic hexagons over the paper I had tried previously. I'm just working these hexagons up with a bit of scrap vomit :-)
New year, same me. Here's what happened in January, hold onto your hats.
Worked on my arching theme project, my Leaf Stole by Annie Rowden, started in July last year and it's comforting to pull out once in awhile and just admire the luxury yarn I splashed out for. Might as well make it last. It's not weird to stroke your wool. Ok maybe it is, well call me weird then (one of the nicer things I've been called).
I finished Expanding CommuKnitty socks by Megan William. It's hard to pinpoint what exactly isn't floating my boat about these socks. Perhaps the colour pooling that I was trying to avoid when picking this pattern. Or I simply have realized that I... don't ...like... green.. gasp! I know, it felt wrong saying it. Very controversial opinion. Alas, they are done, they fit. Someone else has claimed them as their own. Moving on.
In the meantime, I have cast on some socks that are bringing me much joy. In a lighthearted blue colourway called Ethereal...sigh.. from Northbound Knitting...sigh again. And the pattern is just as delightful to look at and to knit. I fully expect to trot around town with these adorning my feet to the adoration of my fellow townspeople. To that end, I give you Hedera by Cookie A.
This month I sewed four bags, or rather Baggy Pouch by the darling Aneela Hooey, who melts my heart with everything she does ♡
I liked my first embroidered flour sack tea towel so much that I decided to embellish two more! Both embroidered images were templates from Wild Olive.
Unfortunately had to do some major ripping back on my second attempt at a sweater. Not sure where I went wrong, but my Antrorose sweater by Shannon Cook was going to be about four sizes too big for me.
After petting my Liberty of London fabric for as long as I desired, I finally started cutting it up with plans for a new quilt project.
I dabbled a bit in handmade children clothes, sewing up a couple of Pleated Spring Skirts and Bubble Pocket Shorts by Elegance and Elephants.
Broke out my Little Stitches book by Aneela Hooey, I really, really love this book. I completed the project Cherry on the Tree Swing and am SO HAPPY with her. Aneela's book really makes embroidery approachable for a beginner like me.
Another pair of socks was cast on and finished this month in a colourway called Starry Trails by one of my favourite independent dyers, Lynai Yarns. I love the yarn so much I decided to just knit a plain stockinette sock that let the colours in the yarn shine.
Ok so... almost always, after knitting socks, I am left with two small balls of leftover yarn, so when I saw that there was a Monster Sock knit along, I jumped right in to participate. Monster Socks essentially are just a plain stockinette sock but the yarn used is uncoordinated and used, in my case, in a random order to kind of Frankenstein them together. It was pretty cool to see everyone's completely different versions.
If you are familiar with me, you may know that I made a sampler style quilt using Katy Jones' 25 Patchwork Quilt Blocks and when she published volume 2, I had to jump on it.
I cast on two new pairs of socks this month. The first is Garter Rib by Charlene Schurch using Candy Skein's yarn in a Caribbean Cocktail colourway and the second pair I cast on is Hermione's Everyday Socks by Erica Lueder in The Wacky Windmill's colourway named Scarlet which has glitter in the base :-)
Also, had to hop on Bunny Nuggets by Rebecca Danger and knit up the sweetest little guy with some leftover sock yarn.
I finished the quilt on my Sampler quilt and have gifted it. Unfortunately the new owner doesn't love the fussy cut hedgehogs as much as I do.
I cast on a new pair of socks. I am really in enamoured with this yarn from Lynai Yarns in a glittery version of Sugarplum Fairy. The pattern I paired with this yarn is Simple Skyp Socks by Adrienne Ku.
This month a new baby is expected in the family and I sewed another set of flannel baby blankets and crocheted the edge. I absolutely adore how they feel christmassy for a December baby, but not too much Christmas so they can't be used year round.
I've seen some mini zippered box bags floating aroung and I just had to try to make one myself. There are a ton of generous people who have written tutorials and patterns for box bags in every shape and size, the options seem endless.
For fun, I knit up a quick pattern called 2023 Soldier Hats by Channah Koppel using some The Wacky Windmill worsted weight yarn I had in a colourway called Orange You Glad. I gifted this one to someone's whose favourite colour is orange. This gift was a miss, perhaps the recipient likes to look at the colour orange, but not necessarily wear it on their head.
I had a request from someone to make a baby quilt. I was able to use up some fabric scraps and turn them into a lovely quilt.
Sewed up some more bags that will hold school supplies :-)
This month I finished up Wild Olive's Fall Seasonal Sitch-A-Long and got a very cute pillow cover out of it!
Tried out some hand-piecing for a potential quilt using some scrap fabric. I found it enjoyable but I struggled a bit using paper. Even the cardstock I used, which was nice and heavy, I just had difficulty with the process. I'm sure practice makes perfect but for now, I might investigate using some light plastic instead of paper and maybe even acrylic templates so I can use my rotary cutter.
I made a second Have It All Wallet by Straight Stitch Society but used a some of the alternative options for fun. This wallet is will be gifted.
I soaked and blocked my Candy Corn socks and they are delightful.
New socks were cast on new socks, which I am using the pattern Paper Moon Socks from Knitty, Deep Fall 2011. I am using a skein from The Wacky Windmill in a colourway called The Hofstadter Insufficiency.
Cut, pieced, and completed an entire quilt! Just the binding needs to be done to finish it off. My mom requested a quilt for my aunt with her favourite colours which happen to be turquoise and orange. I put together a Sparkling Cider quilt, because I've always wanted to make one.
I finished the binding on the Girl's Best Friend quilt I improvised out of the cutoffs from the half square triangles of my Pow Wow quilt. It's been in the wash and dryer to get that divine crinkling installed.
Found a fun new sew along that involves embroidering on hexagons. More to come...
Made a Teapot Cozy and whipped up a little hexagon mug rug with scrap fabric to give as a set to a friend.
There is an adorable pattern that I've been tempted to try for awhile now and had some time to put it together and it was so much fun, but also really hard to commit to a colour palette. The project is The Have It All Wallet by Straight Stitch Society.
May was an incredibly productive crafting month. Here is the run-down.
I bought the book Little Stichesby Aneela Hooey and quickly became enamored with every single detail. This book is amazing and I am thrilled. I sewed and embroidered a little needlebook and a little baggie to hold clothespins and am thrilled with each item.
Also from Aneela Hooey [huge fan over here], I made her Project Book Pouch and immediately put it to use.
I sewed a set of flannel baby blankets and hand crocheted around the edging, when I had my first baby, someone gifted me a used version of this blanket, very pre-loved and it lasted so well and was so very hardy that I reverse engineered the design and have started making my own versions. I find it very fun to pick out the flannel and chose a coordinating or contrasting thread for the crocheted edging. I love challenging myself to come up with creative crochet designs.
These cute teacups got my attention and I decided they had to be stitched up right away. I almost always say yes. Fancy a Cuppa by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.
A huge project, way out of my comfort zone and knowledge circle was a piece of freakin' luggage. That's right. Luggage. This is The Weekender Bag by Amy Butler. Admittedly, the fabric probably wouldn't have been my first choice, but the heavy fabric require was a out of my budget and because there is a decent amount of notions required, I chose the lesser of all the evils from a hugely discounted section of the store. I can not believe I successfully made this durable, useable, perfect bag. The lining, the pockets, the heavy duty zipper, and even the Pellon interface stuff that is very stiff.
Cast on a new pair of socks this month.
Sewed a little Coffee Mug Rug and learned how to paper piece, a bit of a learning curve, but I can see how it opens up so much in terms of sewing.
Got even more miles on my sewing machine by whipping up a SockSack by Ramona Rose. I already love how this sock sack keeps my yarn from getting tangled. Probably my favourite feature is the snap buttons to feed the working yarn through.
Knit and finished some plain stockinette socks in a fun colour called Swamp Fox by The Wacky Windmill
I completed a whole entire bag with interfacing, a lining, a zipper and I'm beyond pleased with it. The bag is The Art Student Tote by Anna Maria [Check out her AMAZING quilt patterns]
Acquire some very exciting new skeins of Yarn from Candy Skein
I decided to just sew a Happy Birthday banner that can be reused. We celebrate A LOT of birthdays in my house. And they seem to happen every year for some reason ;-)
Made some marmalade (!), I've never canned anything before in my life but learned everything I know from Food in Jars. I even bought Marisa McClellan's first cookbook. The recipe I used from the cookbook is Three Citrus Marmalade which uses oranges, lemons, and grapefruits. Kind of weird that I chose to make marmalade because it's not something I've ever enjoyed, but I happen to have a huge mixed box of oranges and grapefruits. I was quite shocked how amazingly delicious the marmalade turned out.
Worked on my Fruit of the Month cross-stitch project and completed July and August.
Finished cutting fabric and sewed a while pile of half-square triangles AND sewed the entire top together for my Pow Wow quilt by Cluck Cluck Sew
This month I tried wet felting with a super cute slipper pattern by Tiny Owl Knits called Hopsalot using some Wacky Windmill yarn.
Finished knitting my Van Dyke Socks by Wendy D. Johnson. Loving the purple.
Got finished with the month of June on my Fruit of the Month cross-stitch by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.
Finished hand-quilting a little quilt in a postage stamp style with sashing. Made with a cherry themed fat quarter fabric bundle from Pink Castle Fabrics.
Started cutting fabric for a quilt for a pattern by Cluck Cluck Sew. The fabric I chose is a fabulous bundle from designer Laura Gunn and features poppies.
Stitched up Latte Love by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.
Sewed up a little kindle case with adorable hedgehogs.
I finally took the plunge after lusting over everyone's knit socks and taught myself using Socks from the Toe-up by Wendy Knits. I purchased fingering weight yarn from The Wacky Windmill in the colourway Creek Bank. The pattern I chose for my first sock knitting attempt is a pattern from the book called Lacy Ribs Socks.
There was a lot of progress made and a happy finish to a quilt that has been a long time in the works. This quilt was made with fabric that my mother picked up at fabric stores alone the way when out on motorcycle trips. I followed the tutorial for the pattern Modern Plus by In Color Order. Instead of my usual preference for free-motion stippling, and the squares laid out a perfect grid, I decided to quilt this using a freehand version of an orange peel and I am ecstatic with the result.
During this month, I took some time and sewed myself a little notions pouch using some stash fabric, I used the pattern Open-wide zippered Pouch by Noodlehead.
I decided to make a little lap quilt as a gift and knowing the recipient loves the soft feel of flannel, I decided to purchase a little layer cake fabric bundle. Since there was a bit of a time crunch, the layer cake was perfect to whip up some half square triangles and an entire quilt top in almost no time at all. The gift has been given and was very well received.
I finished up a colourful quilt that was also a gift and a bit of a rush order as well, so chose a relatively simple bar pattern. It was a natural fit to quilt this one by simply following the lines and it came together really quickly.
As treat, I cross-stitched my way through December with a super cute little Kawaii Winter Wonderland by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.
