First KAL!

I've joined my first Knit A Long!  It's with the Suburban Stitcher podcast group on Ravelry.  I'm off today so I was able to start first thing this morning.  Having a blast!  Color choices are inspired by the colors of our college team - FSU.  I'm really loving chevrons these days.

Pattern:  Monster Cowl by Julia Allen

Yarn:  MadelineTosh Vintage in Charcoal

Chepalopod Beastie in Grassman (the gold)

Chepalopod Beastie in Chupacabra (the garnet)

Needles:  Addi US 9

This is feeling like a fairly quick knit so I should have no trouble meeting the deadline of December 31.    You all know me and deadlines and how they seem to zap the fun out of it for me.  Let's hope that I can stay inspired and finish this on time.  Because I'd REALLY like to!  It would be great to wear it in January to celebrate a certain game!  :)

What is inspiring you today?

Rework It!

Rework seems to be the name of the game for me these days.  This project was a secondary project from my very first quilt out of the Happy Hour book by Atkinson Designs.  Each project had a project that could be made with the scraps.  For this project, the scraps were to be used make a table runner.  I had enough scraps to make three.  I made one in 2009 and the supplies for the remaining two have been languishing in my WIP pile of 19 projects.  The original table runner I gave to my mom and  I didn't really see a need to make two more.  

So I decided to make placemats for my brothers family with them.  I should have just enough to make 4.  Yesterday, I pulled out the box with this project in it and got started.  I thought straight line quilting pretty close together would be a good idea since they'll get a lot of washing.  Super straight lines are not easy especially if your fabric isn't perfectly pieced - first quilt scraps!

I got through almost two of them before I was distracted by something else.  After they're all quilted I'll decide on the finished size.   From what I found on the internet the standard sizes for placemats are 12x18 or 14x20 and I think these will fit in between those measurements.  I'm glad this one will end up being a finish soon.  Reworking can be good!

I was distracted by finishing this stitching project.  It's a Little House Needleworks Ornament from their  2010 Ornament Series.  It's called Pear Tree.   I'm not happy with this finish so I may take it out and do some research.  It's my first pillow finish and I thought it would be similar to the other ornament I've finished myself.  Not so.  I'm finding the pillow finish more difficult.  First off, the size of this ornament probably doesn't lend itself well to a pillow.  It's stitched on the called for fabric which was a 30 count I think.  When filling, it seems the sides draw in and the corners point out.  The channel for the flat finish was more pronounced and therefore easier to apply.  Any tips from the pro pillow finishers out there will be greatly appreciated.  I'm going to visit some pinned tutorial as well.

Another busy week at work is ahead of me and the holiday season is fast approaching.  It's a busy time of the year.  I hoping that as things get crazy that we all get time to do the things that we love and that keep us sane!  May all your stitches be happy ones!