Necessary Distractions

Last week I mentioned to my husband that my laptop seemed very sluggish. Although we do have slow internet (we live in the sticks!), he reminded me that it was purchased in 2013, had an outdated operating system, and probably needed replacing. He suggested we look at a new one for me, so on Monday off to Best Buy we went. We got a dream of a deal on an open box HP Pavilion 360 14" Touchscreen and got it for 18 months with no interest! Very important when you are retired - hah!

I got a pretty little mouse too!

This beautiful sky greeted me from our deck this morning

After hubby got everything set up, I spent the last two days staring at the screen while transferring and setting up files, programs, and internet bookmarks. And everything is so fast! Late this morning I finished and now look forward to getting back to sewing room projects.

Speaking of fast, this yarn was ordered on the 16th, and it arrived this afternoon. It is "Re-Tweed", a new yarn by Lion Brand, and I'm not yet sure what I'll make with it. I love the look of it, so I ordered a few colors to try. I need more yarn like a hole in the head, but all their yarn was on sale at 45% off, so what else could I do but buy more? The sale is still on, so if you need yarn go to their website and use the code NOV45 at checkout. (I'm receiving no compensation, just want to pass on a good deal.)

Now that the laptop situation is resolved, I'm ready to get back to this little project, a table runner for Christmas. Although it looks giant in the photo, the final size should be about 50x25.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

My Fabric Love/Addiction History

I love this cartoon from The Big Book of Bobbins by Julie Icenogle!
My love of fabric began in junior high school, when Mom let me choose patterns and cloth for my clothes at Ellard's, the local "dry goods" store in our tiny town. Mom was an excellent seamstress and made most of my dresses. I think I learned the rhythm of sewing by watching her, first at her pedal sewing machine, and then at her fancy new cabinet Singer.

When I was a freshman in high school, our home economics teacher introduced us to sewing. Our big project was to make a dress. After we assembled our dresses during class, we took them home to measure for the hem, then had to hem them by hand. I still remember neatly spacing the slip stitch we were required to use. My stitching was so good that my teacher did not believe I had hemmed the dress myself and thought my Mom had done it. Mom got very upset when I told her about this and made a trip to the school to set that teacher straight!

Before I learned to sew, Mom made two particularly memorable Palm Sunday and Easter dresses for me from the same pattern. One was a full skirt and jacket in lilac, and the other was a slim skirt and jacket in turquoise. Both had bolero jackets over a sleeveless dress. Mom and I felt very chic saying the word "bolero". She helped me choose the fabric for each dress. At age 13, I felt very grownup wearing these to church, with my first high heels. The pattern pictured above (which can be found here) is very similar to the pattern Mom used, except the dress was sleeveless.

After I got married, I began to buy fabric to sew for our home and family. I loved sewing clothing (I even made my husband a plaid suit!) and house decor, Halloween costumes, etc. A lot of my fabric was purchased at Hancock's, but there were a few nice local stores I loved to frequent. If a particular fabric caught my eye, I splurged and bought a few yards, even if I only had vague plans for it. Some of the fabric got put to good use, some of it just got admired.

During my husband's career, we followed his jobs in Oklahoma and Texas, and the moving process helped keep my yardage in check. When I packed, if I hadn't used it in 5 years, I gave it to Goodwill. Now I wish I still had some of those beautiful fabrics I gave away (I can still remember many of them!)

My first quilt stash and sewing room in 2012

My current fabric stash on hubby-built shelves

After I started quilting in 2010, my fabric purchases became quilting cottons instead of clothing and decor fabrics. I had no clue how to build up a good stash with neutrals, small prints, solids, and blenders. Instead I bought what appealed to me, purchasing many charm packs and bundles. Now that I have a few quilts under my belt, I buy yardage; but I'm still a sucker for a pretty bundle (see the two new Christmas bundles on the top shelf!)

So there you have a little history of my fabric love, but I did not include my love affair with yarn. That I will save for another post!

Cozy Crochet Afghan

In spite of our warm humid weather, I'm dreaming of a cold winter night with a mug of hot cocoa snuggling under this warm afghan.

I used 6 skeins of Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick in Oatmeal, which is a nice creamy beige with tiny strands of chocolate and black. This yarn is thick but soft, with a comfy blend of acrylic and wool.

I love crocheting while watching TV, and using the same stitch throughout with no color changes gave me some satisfying mindless crocheting.

Using a size N(9mm) crochet hook, I did half double crochet stitches in the back loop, which created a ribbed effect. I elected not to add fringe because I only had about 2 yards of yarn left over, but I might at some point.

The dimensions are 56" x 56", and as you can see my rows are a bit "wavy". I find it challenging to make the same number of stitches in each row without counting (that would take away from "mindless!) and to keep the edges straight. I did not block the afghan, but I'm sure that would have helped even it up.

This afghan will reside on the 12-year old dilapidated extra large recliner in our TV room. Our grown kids fight over that worn out chair when they come to visit and won't hear of us giving it away - hah!

Next up on the hook: a scarf using striped socks yarn. I bought 2 skeins of this yarn thinking I would make a pair of socks, but after a failed attempt, I quickly decided to make a scarf instead!

I am belatedly linking this to Cedar Fork Stitches Finish-Along as the only 3rd quarter goal I finished out of this very ambitious list I made back in July! But I'm glad I finished at least one, considering the fact I was sick during the month of August!

Autumn Sky Crocheted Scarf

Just in time for winter (ha-ha it's 85 degrees outside!) is this crocheted winter scarf. It finished at a hefty 10"x64", almost qualifying it as a shawl! I think it will look great with boots and jeans.

In 2012 I purchased 3 skeins of Yarn Bee Aurora Borealis Mustang Twist. I loved the variegated colors but had trouble deciding on a pattern, so I hoarded stored it. I recently reorganized and purged my yarns, selling many skeins on eBay and giving a few to Goodwill. Fortunately these 3 skeins did not sell, and after my success with another crochet project, I found a pattern that would showcase the puddles of rust in my favorite turquoise.

I employed a new-to-me "moss stitch", which is a series of simple single crochet followed by a chain stitch. This was an easy, mindless stitch, which enabled me to watch television while crocheting!

I can't wait for the first cool nights of autumn!

Winter Sunrise Crocheted Scarf

This summer has been a wasteland for my WIP quilts. Either we've been busy with gardening, trips into town (20 miles one-way), house projects, or I've been lazy/unmotivated. So I've turned to doing something at night in front of the TV (we've recently discovered and binge-watched "Poldark"!). I found two skeins of Red Heart Unforgettable in Parrot in Michael's sale bin and crocheted them into a neck scarf for winter.

I found a free pattern online that employed a simple half-double crochet stitch and stitched away. If I had applied myself, I would have finished much more quickly, but I tended to forget about picking it up at night!

The kitties were very helpful while I was trying to photograph the finished product.

I love the texture and feel of this particular yarn and have already ordered a different colorway for another scarf.

Hopefully at some point in the next few weeks I can post a finish on one of my quilts!

I am linking with Crazy Mom Quilts Finish It Up Friday.

Moorland Blanket CAL 2017

Instagram is going to be the source of bankruptcy for us. I see many creative ideas and opportunities to purchase patterns, fabrics, and most recently - yarn! One of the quilters I follow is also a crocheter, and she had purchased yarns for a Crochet-Along with Lucy who blogs at Attic24. Lucy is a crocheter from the UK who features gorgeous photos of crochet projects as well as scenery from one of my favorite places - the Yorkshire Dales.

(Attic24 photos)

She created a pattern with yarns reflective of the colors of a summer moorland vista. The yarns she chose for the project were available as a set for purchase at Wool Warehouse in the UK. They were reasonably priced even with shipping, and I loved all the colors so I ordered them. They arrived in incredibly fast time!

Jack can't wait to get at the skeins and play with them!

The yarns are soft and supple, and the colors are gorgeous! The ripply pattern looks pretty simple using double, half-triple, and triple crochet stitches. In spite of having at least two quilting projects in the works, I want to maintain my connection to crochet, and the CAL seemed like a good incentive. The tutorial is available here. The CAL is featured every Friday on Lucy's blog. I am already two weeks behind, but I have good excuses (LIFE!) and I'm not pushing myself.

Harvest Button Napkin Rings

Sometimes when I'm in my closet gazing at fabric, I glance over at my yarn stash and feel sorry for the yarns waiting for the projects for which they were intended. This week I decided to get moving with these harvest button napkin rings (free pattern by Jennifer Dickerson). Measuring about 2" x 6" and stitched with a "K" (6.5 mm) hook, they come together quickly and utilize half double crochet stitches. Just add a button to finish.

From my stash I chose Vanna's Choice (Lion Brand) yarn in the harvest colors of rust, beige, mustard, honey, chocolate, and purple.

My crochet muscles are a bit unpracticed, but I really enjoyed the familiar rhythm of crocheting while I watched TV.

For the buttons I Modge-Podged bits of fussy-cut fabric onto plain buttons (the cutting wasn't too fussy - I think a ragged edge looks cute) and let them dry overnight. I used a tapestry needle and wiggled it around slightly to open up the holes through the hardened fabric. Then I secured the buttons to the rings with a needle threaded with matching yarn.

These are a gift for a friend -I hope they arrive in time for Thanksgiving!

Here is an excellent video on how to make these napkin rings!

National Yarn Day

I thought it might be appropriate on this day to share my yarn stash.