Crafty progress

Well how is every body's weekend going? Me? I should be busier then busy, but have yet to actually get anything done. Just to give you an update. The Boy moved to Texas with his mom this summer. He has now decided to move back home with us on a more permanent bases. I have mixed feelings on this. But other than that this is causing us to rearrange a good portion of our apartment. That is on top of trying to get ready for Christmas. Some of the plans for the weekend include the normal errands (library and grocery store), dig out and set up a Christmas tree, put away everything on two folding tables that are in the office (which is now being converted to our bedroom/office), laundry and other house cleaning, and paint a cupboard that the hubby sanded down for me. And well Hubby is scheduled to work OT all weekend.

But anyways I thought I stop by and share a small amount of crafty progress since last time.

First off we have some some cross stitch that I dug out. Now don't think that I got all this down over the last couple of months. The fact is I've been working on this for about ten years. But I know that I haven't touched it for at least five years. Newly worked on is the blue at on the what will be the wall and then tree and Santa in a rain coat on top of the bookcase.

I also add a couple more squares to my crazy afghan. Measuring it out I'm at about the half way point on the first row. So as a note to myself, I need 11 blocks for a total of 22 blocks in the first row.

I've also gotten both sleeves done and have now started on the body of my sweater. Not that one can tell by the picture but the bottom ribbing is down, as well as the pocket fronts. Then I'm about two inches into the body.

Well I hope everyone is has plans for a good weekend.

Not just reading

I know, three book reviews in a row. And well if you think all I've been doing is reading, well it's partial true. But I have been doing other things too.

There has been a lot of  TV/disc watching going on too. The Hubby and I have been catching up on episodes of Fringe. We re watched parts of season 2 that we missed and on are on to season 3. I've also been watching last winter's Downton Abbey that aired on Masterpiece Theater, which I believe will be season 1. I've heard that season 2 is airing on the BBC. Other than that it's been catching some new shows that are starting this fall and the season premiers.

But while we've been watching these I've been knitting. It's slow going, as I get distracted by what I'm watching quite easily. Mostly I've been working on these socks:

Pattern: Hermione's Everyday socks. Which I'm loving because it's simple to remember and pick up but yet not just st st. Yarn is Knit One Crochet Too Ty-Dy sock. Which was in my stash. I had originally picked it up for a dropped stitch scarf, but it didn't look right.

I've also been work on this sweater. Not much to show. But I love how the pattern is written. No more sticky notes falling off and getting lost.

This has been lingering on my sewing table for months now. But have finally started to sew the blocks together.

And finally my other knitting project that you won't hear about often:

I started this crazy afghan. I'm just using scrap sock yarn (fingering weight). Needless to say I don't have a whole lot of scrap yarn right now. So it's already on hold until I can add a couple new colors to the jar. This one is going to years, to get done but I'm okay with that. But if you have any scrap fingering weight yarn that you'd be willing to part with or know someone who does send them my way.

Well I hope everyone is having a great weekend. I off to get ready to go out with my hubby.

January Crafting Weekend

After my last post I got to thinking of all the things I wanted to get done craft wise or with my home. There are so many times that I plan on working on something after the girls get to bed, after I get this chore done. By the time I actually sit down to work on something I'm so tired. So since I can't afford to go on a crafting retreat, I would create my own.

I called my sister to see if she was game. We decide that we would take one day or weekend a month to get together and craft or work on a project of some sort. So last weekend I went up to her house on Saturday night. Then on Sunday morning we got up and I crafted.

I got four Lizzy Dish towels done. I also started on potholders, but gave up on them once I started arguing with my sisters sewing machine. It drew first blood. Time for something else.




I also brought along some of my blocks for my Sweet Pea Quilt. Most of the stitching on these were done. But I recently decided to stitch the flower block instead of appliqueing a flower on. I also decide to skip the circles on the dot fabric as well. What do you think? Me I'm liking it.

I know not a lot done for a days worth of crafting. But it's a start. Now in February my sister is coming over to my house. Hopefully by then I'll have my Lizzy Dish potholders done as well. The Lizzy Dish stuff was going to be for gifts. But I changed my mind. I thought I need something cheerful for my kitchen. They don't match what I have, but I like them anyways. They are so bright and cheerful.

Well hope everyone is have a good weekend. This weekend The only thing that got done, was that we picked up lumber for one of my other projects. Which by the way I changed to a different one.

Goals for 2011

. . . crafting goals that is. I have three goals this year that I really want to try and meet.

I want to finish this:


This quilt is at this same point in doneness. And well this picture was taken in July of '09. My plan is to undo the hand stitching and re-baste, then machine quilting with some simple in the ditch sewing.

I also want to finish this:

This is Squirm's Sweet Pea baby quilt. She's 1 1/2. I know better get busy.

And I also want to finish making my hst blocks from some vintage sheets and a Ikea sheet, so I can turn them into a zig zag quilt.

I'm really good at starting projects but not so much on the finishing part. So my goal is to at least finish these three. I've got lots sitting on my crafting shelves and in my idea book, that I want to make. But I would like to see some finish projects as well.

Here's a small (okay part of my list) of things I want to make this year (okay I realize that some of these are actually on the hunny do list, but someone has to make that list right?):

• Hour glass quilt (like this one) -- I already have some Little Folks fabric set aside for this
• Christmas stockings -- I adore these
• a Hex afghan (this one from Attic24) -- I've got yarn all picked out for this just have to buy it.
• This quilt in that fabric too -- anybody know if there's a pattern out there for this? Otherwise I'll have to figure something similar out myself. But as a treat to myself I plan on buying a layer cake of the fabric.
• a bed for the Monkey
• a bed for the Boy/grown up playroom (and well that not as bad as it sound, it's the office/craft/game room)
• two down and dirty dressers for the girl's room -- this one will call for a little modification
  

And well that just the start of what I wish I could make. I just wish I could find more time to work on things. But by the time I get home from work and do the whirl wind of activity that comes from being a mom/wife, I just don't feel like doing much of anything. Oh well here's hoping for some more energy at night to get at least one project done this year.

Do you have any goals or projects that you want to make or finish this year?