Advent project - Habitation throw

I finished my habitation throw on 27 December and added a couple of extra mini skeins. It has now been washed and blocked and is ready to be entered into our local eisteddfod. I must start filling in the entry forms for this as they have to be handed in at our next guild meeting with the physical entries being handed in at our February meeting.

My main Christmas present was an evening class to learn to knit a jumper. I have several jumpers started which have stalled so I'm hoping  class will give me the skills and confidence to complete a whole jumper.

I may start a pair of socks for my hubby next as my January knitting project as he has worn his hand knit socks expensively since his op. I bought the wool in a destash so I need to find the wool and work out how many stitches to cast on.

Perfect HST BOM finished

I was thrilled to get this WIP finished in December. I did run out of a couple of fabrics near the end, but I just substituted from the same FQ stack from Moda Fabrics designed by Elizabeth Hartman.

I quilted the quilt on my Handiquilter mid arm using a swirly pattern with stars as the quilt is all about the stars in a grey thread.

I even put a hanging sleeve at the top of my quilt. I didn't have the heart to point out to my quilt model that the quilt was wrongly held. It is now five weeks since his partial knee replacement and the scar is fading quickly. He can drive as it was his left knee an he drives an automatic right hand drive. Today is his first day back at work, but he is coming home for lunch as there won't be enough work to keep him going all day.

December knitting goals

My hubby had a partial knee replacement on 25 November and whilst the knee is doing really well, other bits are showing signs of age so he ended back in hospital fo ive days. This has totally thrown me off my plan and another op is being scheduled for January in Cambridge. I googled and there are at least three fabric shops in Cambridge.

I set myself a few goals for December and I have been keeping up. My advent project of the Habitation throw by Helen Stewart has ben calming and I have started most days, opening my advent calendar, sharing a photograph on Instagram and then sitting down for 90 minutes to knit the yarn into the throw. We are now at day 21 and I am keeping up but think I may need to add at least one mini skin into the mix to finish the project.

I also found the pattern for a bandana cowl on Ravelry which I knit from some stash yarn purchased in Barcelona. It was the correct yardage but I had to finish the pattern about four rows early. It will still be useful for a Midlands cold winter on a motorbike. And I don't think Matt can complain about the colour.

For the traditional Christmas Eve cast on with Danni from Little Bobbins, I plan to cast on socks for my hubby as he has used the previous pair I knit him a lot whilst in hospital.

Scrap bag sampler - sorting your scraps

Do you love a good sewalong but don’t want to commit to another large quilt, spend the £s on a pattern or buy more fabric? Then this is the sewalong for you. We are going to use the scraps that we have accumulated and make small blocks every week to make a panel for a bag. These small blocks are perfect as a leader and ender project and to try out new techniques. Think of it as a spring clean for your scraps.

The sewalong will commence on Friday 10 January, but join us on Instagram today to see how we each organize our scraps (or not).

I have had a simple system for several years which I shared at our Modern Quilt Group. My system was that I stored my scraps by colour in a plastic bag in a basket. I blame Sue (@cotefleurie) who improved on my system by pressing her scraps. Miraculously they take up half the volume when pressed so I had to follow suit. I also have separate baskets for Xmas, Alison Glass, Kona and Tula Pink scraps. For an ongoing project I store all scraps with the project. I am in the process of finishing my HST BOM using an Elizabeth Hartman FQ stack and as they are already together, I am going to use them for this project.

My system was very useful or the recent snowflake sewalong with Modern Handcraft as I could just pick out the bag of turquoise scraps and use my Accuquilt to cut the scraps into squares and triangles.

Designers include: @cotefleurie @getahashtagkim @JustSewSue @lisasew @metroquilter    @picosailors @pippaspatch @quirkyhannah @therunninghare

#scrapbagsampler

December goals

I have found it useful over the last few months to set realistic goals at the beginning of each month and also review the success of goals set for the previous month. This month's plan is:


Quilts
I have two BOM WIPs that I don't want to become UFOs. I only have the December blocks to make and then finish the quilts along with about six customer quilts waiting to be long armed.

Quietplay BOM

Perfect HST BOM

Knitting

I made up my own mini skein advent calendar and I am spending about 90 minutes each day knitting the mini skeins into the Habitation throw by Curious Handmade on Ravelry. It's a nice way to spend some time before the activity of the day. My hubby has some follow up appointments over the next two weeks at our local hospital following a partial knee replacement so I think I will take this project along with me to work on.

Cross stitch

I started a small Xmas cross stitch and making hard work of it, but thirty minutes a day and it might be finished by Christmas.

Any spare time and I would like to knit some socks for my hubby and a cowl for my son for Xmas, but that's possibly not realistic!!

Sunday stash - 1 December 2019

One very modest purchase from a destash this week and my Quilter's Planner 2020 has arrived. The rd spotted fabric is thicker than rgular quilting cotton so I think I'll use it for a bag or cushion back.

I also received the metal sliders missing from a previous order and they are in the bag for the Mr Domestic's cross body bag along with the pattern to work on in 2020. 

Less modest - I have booked for the Modern Quilt Club retreat in May 2020. Last year we were in China so I missed out, but I am now booked and will book my flights this week too. Living on an island you have to book early to get the best price and that is also a bank holiday weekend so it needs to be booked.