Recent Knitted Items

I have completed several knitted items and realized that I have not blogged about them.  My knitting has been getting alot better and I am loving trying out new techniques.  Just last weekend I learned to do short rows on a shawl I am making.  The specifics of the project is on my Raverly page, where I am known as KNITDEMON.

Completed in 2012

Something Lacey Shawl 03/31/12

Miami Beach Shawl 03/31/12

Queen Head Wrap 03/15/12

Kudzu Shawlette 03/06/12

Basic Stripy Sock 01/30/12

Ishbel Shawlette 01/28/12

Completed in 2011
First Time For Everything Socks 12/11/11

Summer Mystery Shawl 12/06/11

Fresco Cowl 11/13/11

Citron Shawl 11/12/11

Neckwarmer 10/31/11

Happy Knitting......

First Yarn Club

I decided in December 2011 that I wanted to join a yarn club.  With my knitting, I was always toooooo scared to purchase the more expensive yarns (anywhere from $20 on up per skein and some skeins only had about 200 yards and most projects needed more than that) because I did not know what to buy.  I don't like itchy yarns are those that sparkle.  So I went on the scout to look for a club that would give me different yarns each month so that I would have a taste to know what I like for future purchases and to help me when I am in a physical store.  The yarn club is called Into The Whirled.  I am doing what is called a "double dose" I am getting 2 skeins each month.  I am really loving the yarn types and above all the color selections.  Per the website...

Yarns you can expect to received: Gloucester Sock - 80/20 Merino/Nylon, Pakokku Sock - 75/25 Merino/Nylon, Ulundi Sock - Merino, Saginaw Sock - Merino, Manchester Sock - 80/10/10 Merino/Nylon/Cashmere, Bukavu Sock - 75/25 BFL/Nylon, Bordeaux Sock - 80/20 BFL/Nylon.

I know for a fact if I was in a yarn store that I would not have picked these colors.

Below are the yarns received to date.  So far I don't have a reason to end the club and the good thing about the club is that you can cancel anytime and join back up anytime....great relationship.

If you did not guess by looking at the names of the yarns they are so far from the "Dr. Who" TV show.  I never knew nor watched the show, but don't worry the club is changing to a new theme, I think this will happen every few months or so.  I have heard that "Firefly/Serenity" is next.

December It's Bigger on the Inside - Gloucester Sock Yarn

January Snow angels with an Ood - Manchester Sock Yarn

February Mercy Hartigan - Ulundi Sock Yarn

March Children of Time - Saginaw Sock Yarn

Happy Knitting.....

New Beginnings Mini Quilt Swap

I signed up last month to participate in the New Beginnings Mini Quilt Swap.  I received my partner's name and blog address.  I checked her out for a few weeks and based on what I saw and her response to the questionnaire this is what I came up with.  I also included a few goodies.  I hope she likes it.  The package went out in the mail Monday.

I actually had most of the items in my stash (go figure).  I used part of a 1930's charm pack, some red and white fabric and I only had to purchase the binding.

I am just waiting to receive my package from my partner (since the person I sent it to is not the partner to send me my package).

Happy Quilting......

I WON Fabric

Back in January I came across a website Form & Fabric and I checked out the site and really liked the fabric selections available.  I noticed they had a registration for "free fabric", who could pass up the possibility to win FABRIC (not me).  Can you BELIEVE I won the fabric bundle by Felicity Miller.  The fabric is beautiful and I have no clue how I am going to use them, but I am planning.  They have registration each month for different fabric to win.  You should go over and take a chance, you never know....you just might win.

Below are closeups of the 4 fabrics I received.  Wow the richness of the colors and the designs....YUMMY!!!!!

Happy Quilting.....

New Ideas For The Garden

I am always looking for new things to try in the garden to try and make things better (mostly I like to experiment).  Today while reading through my favorite blogs, I came across Annie at Annie's Kitchen Garden and her recent post on her garden status.  I noticed these two posts on the right side of her blog and I read them again and thought this would be the year to give them a go.

The first one is making your own seed mats.  I have seen this all over the internet and mentioned in the various gardening classes I have attached and since I have plenty of seeds I will give this a try (also I did a cost comparison between standalone seeds and seeds already on plantable paper strips and there is a big price difference).  I think I would try it also with carrots as I tend to over plant and then I have to thin and I hate throwing away food only because they were planted to closely.  I figured out this year how to plant my onion sets and get them planted with good space around them.  I will know more at harvesting if I get bigger onions this go around.

The second one is bottomless tomato buckets.  This is the first time I have seen tomatoes grown in a bucket in this way before.  Last year I tried to grow a majority of my tomatoes in containers with only a few actually being in the raised beds (to tell you the truth I did not have enough real estate for ALL the tomatoes I started from seed).  I did notice that with the bucket method (which I placed on top of weed cloth outside the garden) that I had to water more often (I did get a few tomatoes, but not enough for what I put into it, also we had a drought last year).  I wonder if by sitting the buckets on top of the soil and allowing the plants to root into the soil below the bucket level, if it actually allows the plant to be more sturdy and allows it to take in more water and keep the soil moist (not sure, but will know for next time).

Thought I would share some new techniques from fellow gardeners.  I will soon be posting about my garden status and the plants that I started from seed and they are ready to go in the ground.  I should be able to start planting this weekend (knowing that there may be at least 1 or 2 more freezes possibly through April).

Happy Gardening......

Quilt Festival Coming To Austin

So excited to have this quilt convention come to Austin.  Look out for it 02/21-24/2013.

Since I am a newbie quilter and one who loves to work from scraps and (not necessarily designing quilts), but putting them together with what I have and making adjustments, I think the convention will give you great ideas.  Above all you can spend time in the presence of other quilters right in your own city.

Happy Quilting....