Honey badger socks

Hooray I finished my honey badger socks using stranded dye works oasis base in fingering weight in the colour frost bite. Unusually the socks were knit cuff down and when I tried them on I found the cuff a little unyielding. So once I had kitchenerstitched the toes, I unpicked the cast on and did a stretchy bind off.

I am waiting impatiently for a delivery of fabric so that I can cut some blocks ready to take to the simply solids retreat this coming Friday. I am nervous that the delivery won't arrive and I will have to sort out a completely different project to take with me.

Once upon a time sampler – October

The end is in sight for the sampler. I have finished the October block and although there is little work already done on the November block, the December block is half done. I am not sure even what fairytale is the pictured in the mid-November block!

This project will now be put away until next month and I will try and finish my honey badger socks before the end of the month. 

Stitched sewing organisers

I love a good sewalong but dithered about joining this one based on the book by Aneela Hoey. My friend Jane offered to purchase the book for my birthday but I decided on another book so I only bought the book just before the sewalong started. There have been two projects to complete so far. The first was the handy fold up pouch and the second which I completed on Sunday was the green tomato pincushion.

I sewed the handy fold up pouch in the fabrics that I used for Lizzie's going to university quilt. I am not sure what she will use it for but it might be useful to pop in to a handbag if she ever used one!

This week's project was the green tomato pincushion. Mine looks more like a flat peach! I used some Tula Pink fabric and a scrap of felt from a felt kit. This project was very fiddly for something so small.

This week's project is the project tote. I have chosen some Essex dyed linen and Alison glass fabric and ordered the interfacing needed from sew hot. My order should have been dispatched on Monday and I have photocopied the pattern ready for when it arrives.

Progress on honey badger socks

I wound a skein of frost bite yarn by stranded dye works' Amy on her oasis base ready for our week in Spain. I had spent the previous week finishing my what the fade!? Shawl.  Unfortunately that has left me with an inflamed bursa in my shoulder. My physiotherapist has advised that I take it easy with my knitting.

I did very little knitting on the socks during our week in Spain but I have made steady progress with them since our return. My plan this week is to do one pattern repeat each day so as not to aggravate my shoulder but hopefully it should be enough to finish the pair of socks this month.

12 days of Christmas sampler

I'm getting excited to see this sampler finished. I have now finished seven blocks out of 12 and the border is also complete. I should have it finished for Christmas 2017.

I did take this project on holiday to Spain with me, however we went sightseeing for eight or nine hours a day and by the time we got back to the hotels, we were ready for bed. I started block 12 after finishing the border and had most of the hat done. So I worked on this one on Monday.

Block six was also almost complete and I only really had the nest and some details to finish. Now I have finished one block for last week and one for this week, it is being put in storage and I am going to work on the once upon a time sampler block for October next.

Working on one project at a time at the moment and being focused on finishing one item is working for me. It may seem strange to put this sampler away after finishing just two blocks, however I prefer to do a small piece at a time and not get bored with the project I am working on. I am stitching the sampler one block per week and by my calculation I should be finished by the end of November which gives me time to have it framed for Christmas.

What the fade !? Clue five

Happy dance! My huge what the fade shawl is finished. When I say finished I mean I have bound off and will block it on my return from Spain. I have loaned my blocking mats, wires and pins to a friend so I need to get those back first. I'm delighted with the change I made in the colour order and will now have more confidence in choosing yarns for the faded sweater.

I didn't immediately start clue five on Thursday as I was a little unsure about the I cord binding. However I am really pleased with it and happy that I decided to do as the pattern instructed.

Time now to cast on my holiday socks!

Butterfly quilt along

After the disappointment of not getting the Butterfly kit on my birthday due to the incompetence of the shop and their computer system, I have been waiting for the release of Alison Glass's fabric line called diving board. This was released at the end of September and I received a fat quarter stack last week. I dived into the stack and started with some easier blocks as the sew along started on 1 August.

I a, already out of some fabrics as I haven't realised that fat quarters wouldn't suffice. So I have to reorder some fabrics and others I have changed to similar fat quarters from my stash. I hope this gives it an eclectic look rather than a messy look.

Block one called intersection and I included a screen printed fabric from Helen Steele which I purchased at Festival of quilts.

Block 2 is called Chunky cross and I have finished eight of the 10 blocks. Again I need to order some more fabric to finish these blocks.

And finally block 11 called flying geese #1. I love the neon pink on cream background fabric for this block and I am sure I will order more of this one even if I don't need it for this quilt. It comes in a couple of other variations.

One tree Heel socks

As the end of the month of September approached I decided to focus on finishing one pair of socks this month. I had already cast on the one tree heel socks as a toe up sock. I did five repeats of the tree branches in a yarn by fondant fibre called dook dook dook. It's amazing what you can achieve when you focus on only one project. I used this yarn for my first pair of socks which had sat at the back of a cupboard for a year or two and I decided to rip them back and remake them into a pair of socks but I would use (and fit).

These socks have now been soaked and are blocking on my sock blockers. I think my next job is to choose a pattern for my October socks, ready to take on holiday in a weeks time. Then I am going to spend some one day on the what the fade?! Clue five. I'm not sure about the find of used at the end of crew five so I'm going to wait and see what other peoples sure Space look like.

Q4 Finish along

Well Q3 finishes from this list were sparce and I missed the link up deadline again. Never mind, Q3 is upon us and I am going to list those items that I will definitely work on and should get near to finishing:

Quilts

1. It's a small world 4 out of six panels are complete apart from some appliqué. This progressed a little in in quarter 3 and I should at least get it pieced this quarter.

2. Lion abstractions quilt - all of the foundation piecing is done, so I need to sew it all together, order some threads and quilt it.

3. The Thread House retreat quilt which is over half way quilted but I need to do some unpicking first.

4. Tula Pink butterfly quilt which I have just started for the sewalong in Alison Glass fabrics.

5. Everything in its place bag for which I have all of the supplies.

6. Retreat tote as we are doing a Sewalong at JMQG in November.

Knitting

7. October socks which are ready for our holiday in Spain

8. Mini mania scarf which just needs the ends of the rows tidied and the fringe trimmed. This stalled as I had no recipient in mind, but a friend has asked for scarves for shoe boxes for Romania so I will finish it and pass it on.

9. What the Fade shawl which I am on the final clue for and working on it today.

Cross Stitch

10. Once Upon a Time sampler which I am doing one block a month and have three months to go. Once finished I will get out another cross stitch UFO and do the same in 2018.

11. 12 days of Christmas sampler which is progressing well and the border is finished, so again I plan to do one square per week which should see it framed in time for Xmas.