Focus... Diane... Focus

I want to do so many things for my soon-to-be grandaughter, due in October that I have started too many things at once.

Black socks, they never get dirty,
The longer you wear them the stronger they get.
Sometimes I think I should wash them,
But something inside me says No, no, not yet.
Not yet, not yet, not yet...

First there are those cuddly socks knitted out of bamboo yarn in bright luscious colors. Is it my imagination or is the left sock bigger?  I did knit them several days apart so my tension may have changed.  All the more reason to try that technique of knitting two socks at a time on one circular needle that I referred to in my previous post.  That post also shows the socks in turquoise and pink. These old eyes are having a hard time too with black yarn but I thought it just pops against the shocking pink.  It brings to mind the lyrics to that old camping song...

New topic: (...lack of focus...) I bought the following book full of items to crochet for baby and started a hat and sweater set. I am a more experienced knitter than a crocheter but can read directions and figure it out.  This pattern keeps me on my toes! It is only made with single and double crochets but what drives me batty is that the sweater body does not just go from one side to the other.  Sometimes when you change colors you go back to the beginning of the row and crochet across again in the same direction instead of just attaching the yarn and reversing directions.  The same thing with the hat. It is not just crocheted round and round but sometimes (but not always) reverses direction with a color change. I guess it must have something to do with the look of the stitches but I really do not think the average viewer can tell the difference. That is the right front just getting started and the hat need strings sewn in and a decorative button in the center of the flower. Cute though. I am about to fly out to visit my daughter in two weeks. Do I work on it now or save it for the plane?  One crochet hook is certainly more manageable than four double pointed knitting needles.  Do I dare attempt learning the new two-socks-at-a-time-on-a-circular-needle technique on a plane?

New topic: (... again, lack of focus, but after all this is a quilting blog- sort of...)

In cleaning out my sewing room to prep for hardwood floor installation I found this pack of 30 Moda pink fabric squares.  what better quick and easy mini-quilt for a baby girl.  I have a quasi-stripe-y print in mind for the border and backing that has just the perfect pink, and sneaks in some chocolate brown, but I am not revealing that to my daughter and you readers just yet.

My favorite squares are the ones in the center with all the swirls and squiggles and of course the sentiment "Love"

My last post was titled "Visit a Little, Do a Lot" and I was very distracted, pleasantly, with my sister's visit.  Now we have dear close friends from college, that we have not seem in eons, visiting and we are having a blast.  I am snatching a few moments to post this after feeling guilty about missing last WIP on the 4th of July.  I realized too late I had an extra day. We went to see the fireworks in the evening but spent most of the day prepping for their arrival on July 5th. Maybe when company leaves I will get back to quilting.  But wait, I have to pack to fly out to see my daughter. Focus, Diane, focus...

New topic: (... alas, more non-focusing...) Dare I share my works that are not in progress?  That is because I bought them already finished.  I just thought these were adorable and wanted to share pix with you. I already shipped them to my daughter and we Skyped while she opened the box.  Once gifted an item counts as complete.

I really do need to prioritize all I want to do.  I am so excited about this baby! My first grandchild! A first daughter of my first and only daughter! 

FOCUS... Diane... FOCUS...

Completed projects:

1. Pink/black baby socks
2. Buying and shipping Skype-ing about baby clothes
3. Fireworks attendance- Yay!

Ongoing projects:

1. Having a great time with college friends
2. Crocheting baby hat and sweater in white, pink, lilac, mint
3. Pink squares baby quilt
4. Little witch girl quilt to be.. sneak peak here hidden in June 20th post 
5. Duck, Duck, Goose - completed binding- change mind, will quilt by self
6. Doll quilt - attach binding

I want to start:

• Peach/lilac/pink baby blanket
• More baby socks
• Baby crocheted dress
• Presents with Bows quilt kit
• The Ghastlies- strip quilt

No progress (but re-listed here so I do not forget and leave buried in closet):

• Hexagon Mask Quilt - layout begun but overwhelming
• Fire and Ice Quilt- sitting in closet awaiting decision on backing
• Grinch Quilt - ripening on the design wall
• Pumpkin/Iris/Blossom square wall hanging- needs backing and binding

This week's stats:

     Completed  projects - 2 (I brazenly counted ready made since it was gifted)

     New projects - 3 (crocheted set, pink squares, + doubled counted completed socks) 

     Currently in progress - too many to count

Visit a Bit, Do a Lot

My sister was here visiting this week and we had a blast.  We yarn shopped.  We spent hours drooling over baby knit books and scanning stuff for each other to share.  We Babies R Us'd, she a five times experienced grandma and me a first timer, come October. We went to the county fair and admired quilted, knitted, and crocheted items.  We also watched the Alaskan Pig Races and "rooted" on our favorite.  We laughed a lot at the musical Xanadu. So, did I produce many crafty items while she was here?  Not a lot but we did inspire each other and started some projects for my first grandchild. My sister started knitting the bonnet from a hat and sweater set for my daughter (who is also her godchild).  Pink, of course.

We sat at the kitchen table and talked and knitted away.  I knitted a pair of infant socks.  Yes, I know you can buy them much cheaper but there is something tactilely attractive about a soft cotton bamboo fluffy pair of socks for a baby girl that just urges me on.  Here they are.  Can other colors be far in the future?  I dare say there will be more.

Admittedly dealing with four double pointed needles in size three for such a small item took a bit of finger gymnastics but I prevailed.  I intend to try a circular cable technique to knit two at once for my next pair.  If anyone has experience with this, let me know. The book I plan to consult is

Then I bought these three colors for a baby afghan.  Don't they just go together is a luscious sherbet-y way?  More on this project in the future, once I have started it.

My daughter reminded me to take some pictures of my newly upgraded sewing room. We took out the carpet and it now has lovely hickory hardwood floors so I can roll my chair my in and out more easily to get up from my sewing machine. Also I wanted to be able to sweep rather than vacuum up thread and scraps.

I might note that like most projects there was a definite scope creep.  I want to expand to the adjacent bedroom in case I get a quilting machine.  So of course the two rooms should have the same flooring.  And of course, you do not want to have to deal with a threshhold to pick up and sweep over, so the hall connecting the two rooms should also change to hardwood.  To make a long story short, we ripped up carpet in four bedrooms and the hallway and put in hardwood.  Of course this made the bathroom look shabby so we replace the old linoleum in there with vinyl planking that looks like hardwood.  Disassembling the rooms, emptying all the closets, and reassembling the rooms all took place the week before my sister arrived.  Whew! What an undertaking!  But the results are sure worth it.  See the pictures of my sewing room.

My newly refurbished sewing room did get a quick workout.  About 10 pm the night before my sister is to fly home (last night), I decided she needed a pillowcase.  At the fair she bought a super-duper fancy pillow that is absolutely positively touted (and guaranteed!) to cure all your sore neck and spine nerve frazzled ailments and keep you in REM sleep for all the  nights for the next ten years of your life.  Something that awesome needs a pillowcase, of course, so while she was packing I set out to make one. I do not have a picture of the finished product. After all, when you go to bed at 1 am to get up at 5 am, the lighting is not the best and the completed item does still need to be packed.  But here is the source fabric combo in my sister's favorite colors.

This is WIP Wednesday and I feel pretty silly re-listing things I have not worked on but here it is none-the less.  Seems like other wanna-do's keeping cutting in line to the head of the list.

Completed projects:

1. Turquoise baby socks
2. Completed yarn purchases for next 3+ projects
3. Had a great time with my sister
4. Quilting of doll quilt by MaryAnn is complete

Ongoing projects:

1. Little witch girl quilt to be
2. Duck, Duck, Goose - completed binding- change mind, will quilt by self
3. Doll quilt - attach binding

No progress (but re-listed here so I do not forget and leave buried in closet):

• Hexagon Mask Quilt - layout begun but overwhelming
• Fire and Ice Quilt- sitting in closet awaiting decision on backing
• Grinch Quilt - ripening on the design wall
• Pumpkin/Iris/Blossom square wall hanging- needs backing and binding

I want to start:

• Presents with Bows quilt kit
• The Ghastlies- strip quilt
• Peach/lilac/pink baby blanket
• More baby socks
• Baby crocheted dress

This week's stats:

     Completed  projects - 4 (I count generously)

     New projects - 1 ( doubled counted as completed socks) 

     Currently in progress - too many to count