New skill for year

Fair Isle knitting is the new skill I want to learn this year and I hopped right to it after the gift knitting ended. These mittens are from one of my favorite books "Kristen Knits." As of now, I have just drooled over the pictures and read the book cover to cover. But now, I have knit something!! These are her dots and checks mittens and the pattern was very well-written. This a before blocking pic after blocking the Nashua Julia yarn blossomed and is very wonderfully soft.
I am now looking at all the fair isle patterns in my books and mags with new confidence. The year is potentially full of color!!
Oh, yeah, these are going to be a birthday present for my bestest friend! Not a secret, she knows!

BBQ Quilt

First finished quilt of 2010. Boring, Brown Quilt for Trey. Brown is his favorite color and the only color he wanted in his quilt. It was certainly a challenge for me to quilt shades of only one color. But by the end, I liked the quilt, it has a nice weight and feel to it. The pattern was a split rail with solid brown strips on the ends because I ran out of fabric. All the fabric was given to me, most of it from my mother-in-law, Trey's Mimi, and some from my bff. I like that aspect of the quilt, that it is from people that I love. I quilted each block and then did very small quilting on the ends. All done by machine.The next quilt of 2010, grandson Kolby's, has been giving me fits all because of my own mistakes. But it is at the binding stage and soon to be another learning lesson.

Belated holiday greetings

From my family to yours, may 2010 be full of peace and love!

As you can see we have a new little blessing from heaven. Emerson Rose was born Dec. 8th and greeted with lots of love and of course hand knits and quilts. I was in such a flurry of knitting that I was very remiss in picture taking and note keeping. But hopefully I will be able to get a few pics of her in her homemade lovelies.
Thing have relaxed on the homefront since the holidays have blown over. I have experienced a birthday (49) and am enjoying relaxed crafting without deadlines.
Several knits are completed already and a couple of quilts - pics to follow. My goals for the coming year are: to learn to knit fair isle, to continue quilting, to learn to accept what I can not change, and to love my family and accept their love for me.

Belated birthday

Happy belated birthday, Mike! Good intentions are not always the best intentions. This was embroidered a month early and the front was pieced in time but then it sat as I tried to quiet my inner critic who whispered in my ear that it was not good enough. I really dislike that little person who snipes and snaps at my creations. So it took me a month after the birthday to finish and give away. Sorry, big guy, but here he is "Buffalo on a stick!"The pattern is one of badbirds free giveaways with a wonky log cabin around it. Simple one piece back and then quilted in a spiraling square and hung on a piece of Sasser farm tree for that artsy-fartsy look. I hope you enjoy a reminder of that wonderful vacation to Yellowstone. Thank you and Martha for the memories and many more happy birthdays for you!

Giant Granny Square (forgot to post)

The fact that this blanket has not been blogged about does not mean that I don't absolutely, completely, and totally love it. It was so much fun to crochet and gave me great pleasure. I is laying on a king size bed for size reference. I had the hardest time stopping this project, I loved the weight of it on my lap and it just grew and grew.
Inspired by attic 24 and all her crochety goodness, I just had to pick up the hook again. I had not crocheted since home ec class in the 70's, but I quickly remembered the basics. How about this for weird, my home ec teacher is now my mother in law. I love her dearly but sometimes she chides me gently for not remembering something she taught me.
Oh well, back to the blanket. I definitely see more hooking in my future. And this blanket makes me very happy every time I look at it.

Pretty in Pink

This is my third quilt and I am so pleased with it. It is bigger than the first two so I feel a better baby quilt. This is for our granddaughter, Emerson Rose, to be born in December. Her bedding is black and white.
I used log cabin blocks with the flower in the center hand quilted. The rest of the quilt was quilted in the ditches except for a swirly stitch in the outside border.
The back is pieced in strips from leftovers.
I love everything about quilting but especially the ability to play with colors in a faster method than knitting. I am all about instant gratification or at least quicker gratification.
The fourth quilt is going to be twin size for our teenager son and he has picked out all browns (boring) but I will persevere with the monotonous colors to please him.
Thanks again to all the quilters who post on flicker with their amazing quilts. You give me inspiration and brighten my day.

2nd quilt, same song

The addiction is complete. I am officially a quilter. Second quilt finished, and next one on cutting board. This is so much fun!!
Another crib quilt from leftover charms of Tula Pink's Hushabye line. I used a disappearing 9 patch as the block design and quilted in a spiraling square inside block. I purposely kept it wonky to add movement to the quilt.

Close up of quilting.

Back of quilt.

Next quilt is crib size also, then on to twin size. Next one will be a log cabin version, it may not be traditional, still playing with design.
Flicker and quilting blogs, once again, are totally to blame for enabling my OCD side and keeping my brain totally overstimulated. Thanks!