Wednesday...

That was then....This is now...loved the yarn, hated the sock. I'm just not a toe up kind of girl!
Hey Calvin...can I have the paper when you're done?
Guess what season it is, here in the Pinelands...
But it's also rose time, at last....

I'm still here

but haven't found time to write. What have I been doing? Well there's this...

These are Just Ribbing socks from Apple Laine, made in Schaeffer Heather, Gertrude Ederle colorway from Simply Socks Yarn Company. I wish the photos did the colors justice, they are just so rich and gorgeous. These have already been through the wash (yes, I put them in the washer and dryer!) and are just so soft, I almost wish winter wasn't almost over, they're so warm! I've also started a pair of toe up socks using the new SSYC club yarn that arrived last week. These are very springy and fun to knit! Pictures later...

I've also intended to make some Dear Jane blocks, but so far, all the blocks that Anina has chosen, I've already done. So, yeah, I did all the easy ones first, I admit it. Here is C-9...




This one is D - 3... And B-13, which isn't nearly as out of square as the picture would indicate!

My Pfaff is at the spa for a tune up and defuzzing, so I've had time to work on some applique. More on that when the block is finished...it's close!

Also found out today that my son may be moving back home for awhile, after living at college for the past 3 years. THAT will be interesting! His dog moved in with us today and will probably be here until Andrew has graduated and is on his own. I'm considering giving up my large sewing room (which used to be his room) so the boy has room for all his accumulated college stuff...have to think on that one a bit. And of course, it will all need to be done by next week. Guess I should go get some work done!

And I have the t-shirt to prove it!

I have fulfilled my one New Year's Resolution and I have the shirt to prove it! I didn't chicken out and made it through the donation. We were at the donation site for 3 hours and I still didn't leave! Yeah, now that it's over, I don't know why I made such a fuss...and I'll be doing it again, probably every 8 weeks. Especially if they have Tastykakes every time I go!

I also finished a sock today...here's a picture for the color of the yarn, whose band I don't have handy and I can't remember what it was....

And this one is to show the pattern...Lacy Mock Cable Socks. Now on to the second sock, even though I really want to cast on something different using this!

I hate shopping...

Shopping has to be one of my least favorite things to do. Admittedly, shopping for yarn and fabric is fun, but for clothes? That's the worst! Last Friday morning, I decided to empty my drawers and closet and get rid of everything that didn't fit. I was brutal...when I finished, most of my drawers were empty and except for a few pairs of capris I bought over the summer and a pair of pants I bought 2 weeks ago, it was all packed into bags in the garage for DH to take to Goodwill this week. Back in April, I started going to Weight Watchers and I've lost over 20 pounds. I've gone from a size 12 to a 6 and from XL to M. I held onto a few big sweaters that I can wear over jeans. So, since I'm starting back to work next Monday, I NEED CLOTHES!

I have been all over South Jersey shopping and have only managed to come up with a few pairs of pants and 3 sweaters. Maybe it's me, but I really don't like the clothes that are out right now. Really, do we need to wear high waisted tops that make us look pregnant? Very cute on the younger, skinny girls, but I've been there and done that and don't want to look pregnant ever again! So, I'll be wearing my new, smaller pants and my big baggy sweaters for awhile! I don't want to invest too much because I intend to lose another 10 to 20 pounds.

Maybe I should knit a sweater? I finished the socks shown above on Saturday night. Within minutes of coming off the needles and having the ends woven in, my 13 yo daughter had snagged them and put them on her feet. Apparently she likes them. Yes, those are her feet in my new socks! I think I'll let her keep them. :o)

Finally!

I feel like I've been working on these socks forever! The first sock was done before Christmas and I had hopes of having them done to wear on Christmas day. I'm happy to say they are finally done...in time for Valentine's Day! I'll wear them to school on Monday, we're having pajama day in Kindergarten, so it will be a fun day to wear them.

I did make it to the quilt show today and it's made me think. I was definitely underwhelmed by the quilts I saw there. It was a local show, but it seemed that many quilts were just large chunks of fabric thrown together and the machine quilting paid little attention to the style of the quilt. There was one beautiful basket quilt in 30s fabrics that was hanging upside down and the quilting on it was almost jarring to look at. There were, of course, many beautiful quilts as well and I enjoyed seeing them. It was almost impossible to take pictures because the rows of quilts were very close together. My DH and I were there for less than an hour. This show has made me consider the quilts I make and whether I'm just making quilts to use up stash or if I'm actually putting thought into the pattern. I love intricate quilts but they take a lot of time to make. Do I want to put that effort in? I know that I do, but often compromise for the sake of time. Maybe I'm putting too much emphasis on quantity over quality. I'll have to take all of this into consideration when I choose the next quilt I want to make! I still love the classics, which are simple blocks. I also love the string quilts we're making for Heartstrings. But I wonder if I really want to make more quilts that have you slice fabric, then put it back together with no matching seams and intersections. This could take me in a whole new direction...