Josephine's Quilt

Our new neighbours had an adorable baby girl, and finally I finished this quilt for her.

Teacher Gifts

Not much sewing happening lately, with so much study to do.
However I managed a few things before the end of the school year.

This one is for Cameron's teacher.


This one is for one of Alexander's teachers.


This cot quilt is for Alexander's other teacher who became a Dad for the first time a few weeks ago, Arthur.

Clapotis

My second one...I love this pattern!

Clapotis Pattern by Kate Gilbert

wool Evilla Artyarn 8/2 on 5mm needles

(a reluctant model)

Knitting...

with Danish wool, a Norwegian pattern in Switzerland!

I started this top on our skiing holiday...so far so good.

My new friend, Karen, is translating this pattern for me....she is so good to me!

Drawstring Raglan Top

I know I haven't been around for awhile, but I have been knitting. This one I finished off on the weekend, and I am so pleased with it!


It's from Interweave Knits, Summer 2008.

Other things I have been doing.....a pumpkin coloured lace top from Rowan, socks, a green tumbler quilt (or 2), depending on how many blocks there are.

I am also back at Uni this year, so I may be as prolific this year, but I hope to work through the UFO list that I wrote out at the begining of the year, and not buy new supplies.

Sorry, I am not sharing the list with you...it is way too long, and I am to embarrassed to share it with you! ;)

Current Stash of Fabric

January 2009 pictures

January 2008 pictures

looks like all those Tumbler Block quilts really did make a difference! Phew! Still so many tumblers left to sew...and I am on the look out to do something with 2 1/2" strips to use up the strips in one of those large boxes on the top of the shelf!

I made a long list of "To Do" projects that are still to be completed or started..I am not sure I am brave enough to list them here in the sidebar....I need to think about that one!

2008 Quilting Review

1. Baby Cot Quilt, for Liam

2. Baby Cot Quilt, for Enno

3.Baby Cot Quilt
4. Churn Dash Quilt for Ryan

5. Tumbler Quilt for Summerfest Raffle 2008

6. Green Tumbler Quilt for Anne

7. Blue Tumbler Quilt for Michelle

8.Tumbler Quilt for our loungeroom

9.Tumbler Quilt for our loungeroom

10. Tumbler Quilt for Libby

11. Alexander's Churn Dash Quilt

12. Cameron's Churn Dash Quilt

13.Cayley's Tumbler Quilt

2008 Cross Stitch Review

not much this year...hopefully a little bit more in 2009!

2008 Knitting Review

1. Tidal Wave Socks

2. Swirly Girl Socks

3. Ribbed Madder Socks

4. Monkey Socks

5. Little Pumpkin Socks

6. Fancy Silk Socks

7. Shell Socks

8. Waterlily Jumper

9. A Hat

10. Retro Rib Socks

11. Alpaca Drop Stitch Scarf

12. Noro Drop Stitch Scarf

13. Oak Ribbed Socks

14. Spring Fling Cardi

15 & 16. Chemo Hats
17. & 18. More Chemo Hats
19. Scarf for Charlotte

20. Scarf for Mrs Jenkin

21. Scarf for Mr Garrard

22.Scarf for Mrs McWilliam

2008 Beading Review

1.

2.

3. & 4.

5. - 13.
14-17

18-24



(and so many more simple ones that I forgot to take a photo of before I gave them away! Opps!)

2008 Scrap Review

1.

2. & 3.

4. & 5.

6. & 7.

8.

9. & 10.

11. & 12.

13.

14. & 15.

16., 17. & 18.

19., 20. & 21.

22.

23,24 & 25

26 & 27

Beaded Bracelets

Finally got a chance to make up these beads that I bought at the Import Shop back in November!


This is an east thing to be working on while we watch the entire series of West Wing...so plenty of beading to keep me busy, time to work through the bead stash!

3 scarves for Xmas

I have been busy making these scarves for teacher presents, but haven't been able to share them with you until I gave them as presents.

This one was for Cameron's teacher.
One Row Scarf by Stephanie Pearl McPhee
made from Fibreworks Merino on 5mm needles, colourwave #17 "Rain Forest"
This one is for Alexander's teacher from Mon - Wed
Diagonal Lace Scarf by Helena Frank
made from Fibreworks Merino on 5mm needles, colourwave #15, "Bush Flame"
This one is for Alexander's teacher from Thurs - Fri
Knit 2, Purl 2 scarf.
Made from Fibreworks Merino on 5mm needles, colourwave #9 "Blue Gum Greens"
(the photo of this one does no justice to the gorgoues blues in this yarn!!

Scarf for Charlotte

A quick trip over to England to visit some friends, and it happened to be Charlotte's birthday (my pempal for nearly 10 years)
So, I bought some gorgeous Noro Kureyon yarn and knitted this one up for her while we talked!
It was a great visit, and the colours in this scarf will go with pretty much everything that is in her wardrobe!

Drop Stitch Scarf by Christine Vogel
knitted on 4.5 mm

Berlin Knitters

Through Ravelry I have met some other obsessed knitters, and there are plenty of opportunities to get together.

Most of these are in the evenings or over the weekend which is near impossible for me to manage, so I suggested a morning/lunch meeting on the last Friday of the month! A few people said they were interested, and our Last Friday of the Month get together was born.

This group saved my sanity here in Berlin, I can sit with other obsessed crafters and talk about the stuff I love to do. So, here we are....

We meet at an American Coffee Shop with big comfy chairs and chat, knit and then frog when we make a mistake! Today I remembered to take my camera.

Here is a great Dr Who doll in progress and a knitted Dalek.

Scrapping Pages

A couple more pages completed this week.

Skiing from 2006 in Werfenweng, and some more Pixie photos.

There is knitting being done as well....will try and take a photo of that later this week, a scarf and a cardigan. On the quilting side...well the machine is set up, but all that has been used for is hemming school pants!

Danish Wool

I was thrilled to find a wool shop in Hirtshals open on the north coast of Denmark.

The owner of the shop was very charming, and helped me with the Danish wool. She spoke very good English.

I bought these 2 balls of wool. She explained how the vest that was modelled on the mannequin was made from the same wool, and the pattern came free with the purchase of the wool....the only problem...the pattern was in Danish.

Who am I kidding....I have enough trouble with the German language. But I took the pattern anyway, and I am determined to give this pattern a go...it's a gorgeous vest!

I will have to find a nice Denmark Knitter in Ravelry to help with the pattern....that won't be hard!

I think I can at least start it by myself...I can work out which needles to use, which size and how many stitches to cast on...so that's a start!

Hats

I have been knitting.....

These hats are simple to knit up, but serve a sad purpose. We have 3 friends going through, or about to go through chemo treatment.

There isn't much we can do to help from here, but I can at least knit up these hats to send to them as the weather gets colder here.

Here is the link if you need to make some too! No Hair Day - Hairy Chemo Hat

2 very reluctant models with these hats, and I was only allowed to take photos from the back (but you get the idea of what they look like!) I have a few more to knit so I can send a few each.

more scrapping

I finished off these 3 groups tonight while watching George Clooney in the movie Michael Clayton.
Michelle and Tony's wedding....the purple card is over the info I don't want to share. The small card behing the group wedding photo is an update of their growing family.
More Pixie photos that get put away in a box and never see the light of day again as they are replaced with more recent photos.

Scrapbooking pages

I have been busy with these pages (and working on another 7 other double pages as well.)

Finally found a reasonable scrap shop here...and can get some nice papers and other bits and pieces as well.

Steph's wedding

Bridge Climb

Kelly and Theo's wedding
Karen and Steve's wedding
Pixie Photos
these 4 are a work in porgress. They are photos of weddings we have been to over the years, I am currently tracking down old friends to update "where they are now"


Knitting is still happening, working on some hats for friends who are going through some health issues at the moment....post of that soon.

Quilting....lots of thoughts...but nothing on the machine at the moment.

Cross Stitch...that St nicks is still mocking me...but until the ringing in my ears is resolved I can't cope with having my head at a 45 degree angle for too long!

Spring Fling in Autumn

Here is my latest knitting project complete (and I wore it today).

Spring Fling by Jordana Paige

Mine is knitted from Lana Grossa Asia Wool

another hobby...

...because I really don't have enough already....

Scrapbooking, is something I have been meaning to do for a long time. I want to get the photos I have taken into some sort of order and make them easier to look at, and cull them down a bit.

I have been buying bits and pieces for many years, and this week I actually got a couple of pages done.

Some of my scrapping friends and I are doing a challenge by using the same layout each month. This is what I came up with for my October challenge.

Our Ski Trip to Austria in Feb 2008.

Now I have finally done a couple of page layouts, I am keen to keep going...now can someone tell me how to squeeze in an extra couple of hours in each day?

Osnabrück Nadel und Faden Fair

I went to Osnabrück for the craft fair again this year.

I love Osnabrück, this is the second time I have been there, and it is so peaceful (on reflection maybe it is so peaceful, because I am by myself).

I had a great couple of days at the craft fair, and enjoyed looking around and talking to other crafty people!

I bought some gorgeous fabrics and yarn for some future projects. There were some interesting quilts on display, mainly art quilts for wall hangings.

Osnabrück is a town that had a large wall around it (some of it still exists). The cobbled streets and building are lovely to wander around.

After the craft show, I went into town to have a look around and get something to eat. All along the footpaths, people were sitting on garden/outdoor chairs. I was a bit confused by it all, but thought perhaps later on there was going to be a concert or something.

I went back to the hotel, and after 9pm, I went back out to see what was happening.

An enormous Trödelmarkt. Flea/Second hand market. The Trödelmarkt was an all night, family friendly event. Start at 9pm, and went all through Saturday night and all day Sunday.

People were claiming their places during the day with their seats, but they were not allowed to bring their tables and stuff to sell until after 8.30pm.

So, no concert. Howver it was interesting to see what people were selling and what other people were buying. There were 2 spinning wheels that perhaps I would have looked at a bit closer, if I didn't have to carry it on a train back to Berlin.

The "die hard" buyers had their torches, as it got dark they would use the torches to look over the tables to make sure they didn't miss any bargains!

Peacock Feathers Shawl progress

pattern by Dorothy Siemens

currently up to Chart 4, and it is the first shawl, and first lace project I have ever done.

I can only manage to do about 4 rows in one sitting. I am scared I will make a big mistake in the pattern, and this yarn doesn't frog well at all!!!

Beaded Bracelets

I bought some beads at the Melbourne Quilt Show, and I made some bracelets when I was in Melbourne. Then I went to Harmony Beads in North Balywn (opposite Coles on that scary corner with the trams and 5 roads all joining together), to match up smaller beads with the larger beads that I had bought!


These ones were done with a clover "knitting nancy"..I don't know the correct name for it. They were fun to make, and I have bought some more beading wire is different colours to try, and also some different clasps.

Oak Ribbed Socks

A 6 week break in Oz, and I managed to get a few things done (but not too much)
This pair of socks was a simple project that I could work on without needing to look at a pattern very often!

The pattern is by Nancy Bush, from Knitting Vintage Socks Book

knitted on 2.5 mm needles
Yarn Tausendschön Handgefärbte Sockenwolle

Quilt #13

...and another tumbler...It's for a baby girl, just a little bit bigger than cot quilt size.

will these tumblers ever end????

No idea...but I am hoping that by the end of the year, the box of tumbler pieces will be finished....and I have found a super cool pattern to work with 2" strips that I want to tackle next year...stay tuned!

Quilt # 12

Cameron's Blue Churn Dash.

Cameron's favourite colours have always been green and yellow, but he has now changed to blue. So this one had to be altered from my original plan.

He is thrilled with it!

Still there are plenty of black and white fabrics, probably for another 2-3 quilts! They will have to wait...I have another couple of tumbler block quilts on the go (again)

Quilt # 11

Alexander's Red Churn Dash.
I have been collecting these black and white fabrics for about 10 years, and finally had enough variety to make these (also the green churn dash back in Feb/March - see previous post for that one)

Red is Alexander's favourite colour, so this is perfect for him!

June Xmas Ornie

The June Ornament for our stitch along with our internet group.

The design is called Merry and Bright by Little By Little Design Co.

I am trying to use smaller pieces of aida cloth for these ornaments. I am not sure how I will finish this one, but the hearts on the edges will not be seen.