2008 Quilt #1 #2 & #3

This disappearing 9 patch quilt is a great way to use up stash. It's a very addictive pattern. This week I set my machine to quilt the 7 tops I have ready to quilt.  I have 2 friends who are due to have babies soon. Both have been told they are having boys. The 3rd one was from the left over blocks I had made. I only needed to make 2 more blocks to complete the smaller quilt. This is a great stashbusting pattern, and I used up lots of "boy" fabric. One is for Liam McLeish, one for my hairdresser's baby, Enno. The question that puzzles me the most is "Why do I have so much chicken fabric in my stash?" I don't like chickens, and I have never bought chicken related fabric...but there is quite a bit of it in my stash.

Quilting progress

just tops from my stash at the moment....next month I will quilt and bind them all(hopefully). Black and White and a touch of green...(the greens I had to buy this week, but the black and white fabrics I have been collecting for awhile) Pattern is Churn Dash. I love this pattern!

2 baby boy quilts, using that fabulous Disappearing Nine Patch method....all from stash (I love playing with this pattern too!) I cut up all my "ugly" fabrics, and am playing with these tumbler blocks....I am sewing these in between projects, when I am not sure what to do next. I have a huge basket full of them cut out. Instead of cutting the thread after I have sewn a block, I sew 2 tumbler blocks together, and snip the thread in between the blocks. This saves on thread, and I am sewing extra blocks for the next tumbler quilt! Lots of ideas for these Tumblers, that I have been playing with colour patterns on EQ5...stay tuned for more!

Here are 3 I am working on at the moment.

Madder Ribbed Socks

My finished "Madder Ribbed Socks" by Nancy Bush Fyberspates Superwash Merino Sock yarn Size 2.5 needles.

Tagged

So here are 7 things about me... 

 

1. Mum has always tried her hand at different crafts. She tried to teach me to knit when I was little, but she is a left handed knitter, and didn't want me to be the same, so I would sit in front of her and watch. I started quilting when I was about 17 or 18 years old. I picked up a book and cut worked from that....it was years later before I did a course, and learnt lots of great tips. now I have picked up my knitting again, and learning how to knit socks, and do cool patterns, next I need to learn how to do cables properly. I love to do cross stitch, and it's what I enjoy doing when the kids go to bed (they say the sewing machine is too noisy). I have taught myself to "listen" to the TV, and stick my head up when something interesting happens...hubby has learnt to fill in the gaps when I miss the important story line when I am stitching. One day, I hope to learn how to crochet. I am willing to try almost any type of craft, and one day I would like to get back into drawing, when more than 24 hours in a day has been invented! 

 2. The best thing to happen to me: My family, the kids help keep my sense of humour, and "keeping it real" 

 3.I love living: in Australia. As much as I have enjoyed my experience here....the "day to day" stuff can be lonely as an "expat wife". I am trying to fill my days, but I am an Aussie girl through and through! But I love the amount of travelling we can do here, and I have met some amazing friends.

4. I miss: Australia, and anything to do with Oz! I listen to Nova radio via the computer, and get my Aussie music, and traffic reports! LOL. I miss my family in Melbourne, girlfriends in Melbourne and Sydney. I also miss my 2 Nanna's and Great Nana, Brenda and others who has sadly left this world. 

5. Pre children I was: a trained teacher, but after having children of my own, I am less tolerant of "naughty" children. One of the teachers at the school says there are no naughty children, just children with challenges. Well, I am not keen on challenging children either! Office work is what I did as we moved around the country, easier, leave work at the office, and anything that needs to be done after hours was on overtime pay! I am not sure what I want to do when I get back to Oz.

6. My favourite pastime besides quilting is: reading, listening to music, knitting, Xstitch, beading, hopefully scrapbooking soon, and lately I am loving Facebook! I love making lists, and I make lists for almost everything I do, shopping lists, a list of book I have read from Jan - Dec, lists for UFO's, and the latest monthly lists on what I want to complete for each month. Some people would say I am a bit obsessive compulsive, or a bit anal. I have to agree. I hate sitting doing nothing. I doodle with pen and paper while I am on the phone. I keep my knitting in my handbag for when I am on the train, or waiting for the kids, in a playground anywhere. When I bought my new handbag, it had to be big enough to fit in a ball of wool and my needles! 

7. My favourite colour is purple and yellow together. I never know what to do with blue and green in a quilt, and have a huge pile of both colours, and just no idea how to use it! I love bright colours, stripes and black and white fabrics. My stomach churns at the sight of pastels in my stash! I love playing with colour waves in my quilting. As a kid I loved my 72 set of Derwent pencils, and they always had to be in the right colour order...not just stuck back anywhere!

Lizzie Kate April

February Xmas Ornament

February Xmas Ornament Challenge.

Peyote Beaded Bracelet

This one was made in one evening....the tension still isn't great, but I am getting  better. I think I need to change the thread I am using. It's using the peyote stitch with rectangle beads. I really liked doing this one. I especially like the toggle bead fastener! 

Peyote beaded bracelet

I finished my first peyote stitched bracelet. I need to get smaller jump rings, and find a soldering iron to keep it from pulling apart. It's not bad for a first attempt...but I am hoping to get better at tension. I haven't quite mastered that yet!

Lizia Kate April

One of my goals is to get at least one of these designs done every month....by 2009, I should be able to hang them up.

January Xmas Ornament

The Aussie Cross Stitch Internet group I belong to are doing a challenge this year, from the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament 2007 magazine. Each month we vote for our favourite 2 ornaments from 8-10 ornaments. Once the voting is over, you can stitch one of the top 3 designs.

Here is my ornament from The Sweetheart Tree, called Noel Xmas Bell pull. I don't know anyone called Noel, so I changed the name in the middle ;)

The design calls for beads as well, but I am trying to use what I have, and not buy any extra stash for these projects, using left over fabric, and threads I have. So I used french knots instead(white...hard to see in the photo)

It's a very late Xmas present for my friend Anne, I hope she likes it!

Tumbler blocks

playing with Tumbler Block pieces...using up ugly fabrics, and fabrics I want to remove from my stash. I need to add a few extra rows to each quilt...currently they are a bit narrow! Note to self :- Iron quilt tops before taking photos of them!

Swirly Girl Socks

This is the first skein of wool I have used from Tausendschon, and I will be back to buy more! It is lovely to work with, and the colours are fabulous!!



Needles:2.5 mm Yarn
Indian Spices from Tausandschon, Saarbrucken, Germany

The Pattern is from an Australian magazine called Yarn.
A swirly patttern without using cable needles, pattern designed for Tofutsies Yarn, Southwest Trading Company.
I really love these ones, and they are great on my feet!

Tidal Wave Socks

I bought this great ball of wool in Melbourne, the lady said I only need one ball for a pair of socks….I was not convinced! But this pattern says it only uses one ball.. YIPPEE! I had lots of wool left, and I did an extra 2 pattern repeats!….I could have even done another 2 pattern repeats and had wool left over! These are comfy to wear! Pattern Tidal Wave Socks by Deby Lake http://soysilk.com/patterns/free.html Needles: 2.5 mm Yarn: South West Trading Company Tofutsies

The things you can knit

This was a poster on the side of the bus stop at Theodore Heuss Platz. It translates to "Grandma means well" I won't be knitting one of these in the near future...but it made me laugh. The other people at the bus stop looked at me oddly when I was taking this photo! Some days it just pays to have your camera in your handbag!

2008 fabric stash photo

Each January I take a photo of the current stash...slowly, it looks like I am making space in here. There are some photograph size boxes up the top of this shelf hiding lots of fabric strips too.

Merry Christmas goodies

Santa gifted me more yarn things.  My umbrella swift and wool winder are fabulous, and I can magically wind a ball in less than 5 minutes! YIPPEE!!!! If only I could knit socks that quick!

Socks #5 Phil's Socks

Phil's socks, completed just in time for Xmas Day.

The pattern is from Knit Today magazine, called Rugged Rambler Socks

Made from Aragon Yarn Classic Romney Aragon Yarn, on 4.5mm, 5mm and 5.5mm needles.

Phil says they are really warm and soft!

Isle of Skye scarf

A simple knit row, purl row scarf, for the handspun yarn I bought in the Isle of Skye, Scotland, at Easter. Knitted on Size 8mm needles, with the yarn wrapped around the needle once after each stitch, and dropped on the purl row,to create longer stitches. I can't explain it any better than that. I was practicing doing another stitch, made a mistake in the pattern, and came up with this, which I thought would look great in this yarn.

Teacher presents

For Alexander's teacher, a scarf to keep him warm during our cold Winter. For Cameron's teacher, a table runner for her lounge room (she got a scarf last year when she was Alexander's teacher).

Socks #4 Cameron's Socks

Here is Cameron in his first pair of knitted socks! He is really pleased with them, but says they are a bit scratchy...hopefully the first wash will sort that out! Cameron says all wool is scratchy!

The wool is called Schoeller + Stahl, Fortissima Socka. Colour 523. A simple ribbed pattern, knitted on size 3 needles. 

Table runner and tumblers

Table Runner :-Some blue and silver/grey triangles. quilt 2 :- Lots of blue tumbler blocks together... Current Quilt :-Colourful tumbler blocks together...

Socks #3 Alexander's Socks

Alexander is pleased with his first pair of hand knitted socks.

The wool is Lana Grossa Meilenwelt 6 Fach Special, colour 8862

Knitted on Size 3 needles

Socks #2 Child's French Child Sock

From Nancy Bush's book, Knitting Vintage Socks, New Twists on Classic Patterns. Page 57, Child's French Sock in Citron and Diaper Knitting. These socks knitted up really nicely, once I worked out how to do the pattern! 

The second sock seemed to knit up quicker, maybe because I could remember the sequence off by heart. I added extra pattern repeats for the length of the sock, but had to do 2 less pattern repeats for the length of the foot, because my feet are smaller that the pattern size. This is the first lace pattern I have ever attempted. There are a few mistakes in there, but nothing too noticeable (thank goodness for multi colour yarn. 

 The wool is Lana Grossa Meilenweit Cotton Fun and Stripes, Colour 353, on size 2.5 needles. The photo doesn't really show up the pattern well, but I love them! 

Next is a pair of children ribbed socks for Alexander, on size 3 needles, so they should knit up a bit quicker than these ones! Sock knitting is very addictive!

2007 Quilt #11

I booked the long arm machine at the quilt shop, and it took about 4 hours to do.....long arm professionals, do not look too closely at the quilting! It was great fun, and I got to talk to some different people throughout the day. 

Lizzie Kate April

Taking a small break from St Nick, so I can say I have finished something.  Here is a small Lizzie Kate Flip it design. I will try and work on these little charts once a week. So, after 2 weeks, here is the first of the April ones, not very exciting, but at least I can cross it off as finished. Sorry for the photo, it isn't very clear, although the colours stand out OK on the fabric, must be the light, or flash? 

 Can anyone explain Halloween to me? Why is it that kids throw eggs at people's homes and leave the egg cartons all over the ground. The streets around here are littered with egg shells....I thought Halloween was an American thing...not in Germany?, and why would you let your kids beg for food from strangers? I know I am going to cop a lot of flack from any Americans reading this...but I just don't get it?

1st pair of knitted socks

I have finally learnt how to turn the heel and finish the sock with kitchener stitch. I didn't do it well, even after 3 attempts! But I am happy with my first attempt.

This is a simple knit 2, purl 2 ribbed sock Wool :- Lana Grossa, Cotton Spirit, colour 3005. There are a few mistakes in them, but overall, I am really pleased with these...I think I have come a long way from scarves and hats! :) I am going to wear them today! I have already started my second pair, a more complex pattern for the main part of the sock. Also, the boys and Phil have put in an order for a pair too! My German knitting is coming along well!

St Nick: 100 hours

I am loving how this is evolving.

2007 Quilt #11 Tumbling Colours

I just realised this is my 11th quilt for the year...so I am really pleased with that. Apart from the quilt for Miss Pollock, the rest have been made from my stash, with very little extra fabric being bought, so I am really pleased with this. There is a quilt shop not far from home (20 minutes on the bus). They have a long arm machine set up in the store. You can hire the machine for the day for a small fee. I am thinking about taking this one up there to have a play on the long arm quilting machine....that will be fun!

Stricken und Rechte glatte

My first German knitting class...I am determined to learn how to knit socks on 4 needles, and having trouble doing it myself from a pattern. So I booked into the local knitting shop for some lessons.

I printed off a English to German Knitting Vocab list, and with that and my English pattern, headed off to the shop to work out how to turn this heel


I had to unravel the heel twice, before I got it right, so I don't have much to show for it!

I managed well in my limited German, and will be going back again next week, and hope to have almost 1 sock finished! I learnt the word for turn "drehen", see this is good for my German!

Tumbling Colours

The current quilt laid out on the floor of the study/sewing room. The kids are under threat not to walk on it...

Here is part of the pile of blocks I am working from at the moment.