Diary of a Mad Fabri-Holic

Knitworking

Last Thursday, for work, I went to an 8 hour plus seminar on upcoming changes to the US Postal service regulations regarding mailing at the standard (discounted) rate.

Contain your jealousy.

I have to admit, the seminar was really useful.  Dull as all get out, but useful.  And it had yummy food.  So much yummy food, I was beyond stuffed when I got home.  And also, it started at the crack of dawn- which was actually a good thing as on the way home, I hit the Spring Sale at an LQS.  No more fabric for me for ages, now.  I need to go on a fabric diet.  Or start the 2 quilts I've been dreaming about.

But the best thing about this seminar?  I was able to knit my way through 2 of the 3 seminars, and also, at lunch.  All day long, other knitters were coming up to me, saying, "I wish I had thought to bring mine."  At lunch, my table of 10 turned out to have 6 other knitters, a crocheter, 2 quilters, and one lovely gentleman.  My knitting got everyone talking and bonding as only a shared passion for fiber can do.  One of the women, it turns out, had volunteered at my office years ago.  2 others were interested in donating yarn, etc., to our knitting group.  And the lovely gentleman turned out to be part of a musical act, and he would like to volunteer his group to perform for our women.

How cool is all that?  All brought about because I wanted to finish a pair of socks.

Oh- do you want to see them?

Done Magic Loop style, toe up 2 at once, in simple stockinette stitch with a K2P2 cuff. I was going to do a pattern, but I tried a few and didn't like them with the yarn. So, I ripped back and went plain. The yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino, in a "one of a kind" colorway, according to the label. They're rainbow-y.

My favorite part is the way the striping worked on the heels, which you can kind of almost see in the above image...

I hope all you moms out there got to put YOUR feet up yesterday.  My mom got, and loved, her socks and pronounced them a perfect fit.  Hooray!  The Hubby gave me the best gift ever.  I hate almost nothing more than being lost, and think of the millions of Mapquest printouts this will save me per year!  I had time alone to knit yesterday- working on socks for a fabulous co-worker.  And I got taken out to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner.  Foie Gras and steak frites, and my favorite wine of all time.  and the kids were fairly decently behaved- that was the REAL gift.

I promise, sometime soon, to post a photo of the fabulous hat.  Two things have to happen first- The Hubby and I have to be home at the same time AND i have to be having a decent-looks day...

Sensory overload, and going overboard (again.)

Wow, what a Saturday I had. I took me until last night to get the photos I needed for this post good to go, if that gives you any indication!

This past Thurs-Sun was the 3rd annual Denver National Quilt Festival, and my second year going.  If anything this year was even better than last.  (Except that I didn't get to meet up with Deb or Fran this year...  But I did go with Charlotte from my quilt group, and run into several old friends).  There are so many amazing quilts to view, between the actual competition entries and the various shows, that it's darn near overwhelming.  To share the experience with all y'all, I took a few (131) photos...  If you want to see some of the most amazing eye candy ever, go here.

And prepare to be amazed. I have details on some but not all of the quilts in my own files- feel free to ask if you want more info. The most efficient way would probably be to leave a comment on the actual flickr page of the quilt you're interested in.

In the interest of brevity, I'm only going to show my absolute favorite piece right here. Meet Pat, Quilting Goddess.

She's amazing! There are close up detail shots in the Flickr set... you've got to check her out!

And of course, there were also vendors- though less than last year.  This year had more quilts to admire than things to buy, wehich, judging by how much I bought anyway, was probably a damn good thing!

I started with this lovely African basket, intended to hold knitting WIPs at home.

It was empty when I bought it. but not for long! It made a great shopping basket! See?

Gulp! Here's the majority of the contents.

And my favorite pile of half-yards from the day:

I also bought 2 patterns and- a hat. A fabulous hat. The best hat ever. Made from recycled men's suits and ties.  And some X-rated fabric.  I kid you not.  Click here if you dare, but not if you are easily offended.  For a hint as to the content, a portion of the proceeds goes to prostate cancer reserach...  2 of those are for me, one for a friend.  And I made certain to get the store's ordering info, if anyone wants some.  Just let me know- I left the card at home, but can email you the details later.  Now, to keep haunting the mailbox for my Doll quilt Swap 3 piece! 

Mommy's Monkeys, Mailed for Mother's Day

And now for something not at all completely different...  more socks!  Friday night, I seamed the toe of the 2nd Monkey sock for my mom, and the fabulous Hubby mailed them off for me on Saturday.  (I couldn't make it to the PO myself as I was on a fabulous field trip, details to come in the next post... quilters and fellow fabric hos, stay tuned- it's worth the wait!)

I'm hoping my mom will love them.  I modeled them once before letting them go.

Fabulous shoes courtesy of eBay, where I have been steadily increasing my Dansko collection for the last few weeks. Is the true sign of a sock knitting obsession when you start buying new shoes, just to better show off your socks?

Knitted up in fabulous Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, colorway Jeans. No pattern mods, but I did go down to US size 1s.

Currently, I have 2 pairs on needles.  Some super basic toe-up magic loop rainbow colored socks for me, and a pair of gorgeous earth-toned trekking XXL garter rib socks for a co-worker.  I see no end to the sock madness around here anytime soon.

But I do see quilting in my future.  Really.  Considering how much I spent on fabric this weekend, it would pretty much be criminal for me not to make something, and soon!

Pocket Change

Hey, look, sometimes I really do sew.

Like when I have a swap deadline.  I signed up for Doll Quilt Swap 3, (you can see the Flickr group here)knowing that a sending deadline the week of PG's birthday was probably a bad idea.  It was!  I mailed my quilt out today, 3 days past deadline.  ACK!  BAD swapper.  But, it is safely wending its way through the postal system to... someone!

I took my inspiration for this quilt from some information I was given about the recipient, and that's all I'll say until she has it in her hands.  I am thrilled to be able to say that this quilt is 100% stash.  (90% scraps, too!)  The only fabrics I actually cut were: the green Kaffe spot (from my recent splurge), the Kaffe striped border (from an FQ), and the black batik background (from that going out of business sale a while back...)  The entire back is from scraps and leftovers, hooray!

Okay, except for that one bit of green Kaffe spots. Ah, well, close!

Meanwhile, craziness continues at home.  I've almost finished my mom's Mother's Day Monkey socks.  I'm on the foot of #2.  The Hubby ripped the skanky old carpet out of the basement, and now we need to re-seal the floor and also re-do the walls.  And then put in the new carpet.  I've been purging every single piece of outgrown baby and kid clothing I saved- which was all of it for 7 years- and slowly box-by-box bringing it to my office for our emergency clothing bank.  Some friends and I decided to start a neighborhood book club, and somehow, the first meeting is at my ripped up house tomorrow night.  The Denver National Quilt Show is this weekend- sweet!  I think I need a nap.  I will schedule one for 3 weeks from now.

7th Heaven

Yesterday marked my 7th anniversary as a mom, or, more to the point, Princess Girl's 7th birthday.  As I will tell anyone who slows down for more than 5 seconds, my entry into motherhood was not gentle, and recovering from her birth (physically and emotionally) took a very very long time.

But we've made it this far, and despite the fact that she may be one of the most challenging kids ever, we're pretty damn fond of her.  She makes every day an adventure, to say the least, and everything that makes her challenging is also what makes her special, so we can handle it.

Last night, per her request, we celebrated at a cheesy local steakhouse.  There was birthday ice cream...

I *think* she may have enjoyed it ;-)

Here's hoping all her wishes come true...

Putting my best foot forward

I didn't mean to accidentally take a nearly 3 week blog break!  Life just sort of got away from me... you know how that goes?  We're ripping apart the basement playroom to re-do the walls and install new carpet.  We're FINALLY purging the house of all outgrown baby/kid stuff, now that we are sure we won't be having any more- at least, not on purpose ;-)  The Hubby was working lots and lots and lots of nights...  Princess Girl has started twice weekly martial arts classes.  We've been planning a huge vacation for Halloween (shhhh, it's a secret from the kids, at least for now.)  Plus, we've entered what I like to call "birthday party season", a time each spring when it feels like every spare moment is spent celebrating one of the kids' friends...

Phew.

Basically no sewing has happened lately, although I did get my scraps more organized.  (While I was supposed to be working on my taxes, but hey, who's counting?)  I know- all that luscious new fabric that I showed off in my last post, and I've used NONE of it.  Sick, sad and wrong.  I'll be back in a sewing groove soon.  Really.

Meanwhile, I've been working on socks galore.  I guess, when your husband is working lots of nights, you have lots of time to knit socks in bed while watching movies he's not interested in...  I'm hoping that doesn't make me too sad sounding!  The results are pretty darn cool, if I do say so myself.

My not-so-evil-monkeys, in Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino. No mods, although, I would go down a needle size next time. They're a tiny bit loose.

My purple Jaywalkers. No mods- though I did add reinforcing thread to the heels and toes. I'd change a bunch next time- longer cuff, shorter leg, one size up in needle, too, probably. Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Amethyst Stripe.

My first magic loop socks, with a spiral rib on the leg only. Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Vera. A learning experience- the toes and heels could be better, and my bind-off will certainly be looser next time, but hey, they worked and the color is fab.

I've also finished one Monkey in a lovely shade of blue for my mom for mother's day, and I've started another pair of magic loop socks in a wonderful rainbow yarn.  With god as my witness, my feet will never be dull again!

Now, if I can just survive this week- what with 2 movie dates, a late work event, and also, Princess Girl's 7th birthday and party, I'll sew something.  Really.  I swear.

Maybe I went a little overboard

Planning for that new quilt, the one I mentioned a few weeks back, left me with the perfect excuse to buy some new fabric.  No, really.  I needed it.

Uh-huh.

Judge me not, lest you be judged yourselves.  Instead, look at the wonders that have showed up on my doorstep in the last few days.

A selection of Kaffe Fassett's Spots. These are absolutely and totally for the French Roses quilt. I love this line of his. So lively and bright. My photo is a little too neon; they're much more fabulous in person. Speaking of Kaffe, there's also this one.

I LOVE his checks and stripes. Can you tell by this pile?

This stack came from Z&S Fabrics. I stumbled onto them from a link one someone's blog- I've long ago forgotten who to give credit. But I will totally order from them again. GREAT prices, fast shipping, and just look how adorable my fabric was when it arrived.

Like getting a present. Albeit one I paid for myself.

I also paid for these presents.

And these.  From Wish Upon a Quilt- another one of those online magical places that seem to always have what I need want, at fabulous prices.  Seriously.

And these as well.

And maybe even these, too.

But that's it. Really.

Now, if I can catch up on my sock knitting, it will be time to start the quilt that inspired all this shopping.

In Like a Lion, Out Like a ... Monkey???

A Monkey sock that is.

After a false start several months ago, and help from a fabulous co-worker a few weeks ago, I now am the proud knitter of one stunning gorgeous Monkey sock!

Yup, I finished my first Monkey yesterday afternoon. It would have been done last week, but, well, I went one lace repeat too long in the toe, and ended up ripping back the entire toe. Ugh. But it was worth it- they were WAY too long before that ripping. And now they are just about right. Kitchener-ed the toe together yesterday afternoon. And then made The Hubby take lots of photos of my one sock-clad foot, poor guy.

Also on tiny little needles right now: the 2nd Jaywalker- at the gusset, and my first magic loop socks, past the heel!  I'm turning into a sock machine, and I love it. Socks seem just about right for a) my attention span, b) the amount of time I have available to knit, and c) my budget.  Even expensive socks pale next to the cost of many sweaters!

And in a total non-sequitor, want to hear about my fabulous Saturday afternoon?  Of course you do...  In conjunction with the Gees Bend quilt exhibit arriving here next month, the DCPA is putting on a play called... wait for it...

"Gees Bend".  I went with the fabulous Judi from my quilt group.  We had a blast, even if we (and by we I mean me- Judi was the innocent passenger in all of this!) may have almost caused a traffic incident when, driving away from the theater, we saw the 3 actresses from the play on the sidewalk and stopped to holler out the window at them about how fabulous they were.  Oh, yeah, I'm classy like that!

As good as the play, if not maybe better based solely on calorie content, was the afternoon tea we indulged in before the show.  Seriously, afternoon tea may be my favorite meal ever.  Teeny tiny sandwiches, scones with REAL Devonshire cream, and chocolate pastries?  What else does one need out of life? 

Yum yum yum.

And now, to prepare for the annual April Fools shenanigans at my office.

Bella's Babyface Quilted, done and delivered!

Grumble, grumble the Internets ate my last post.  In which I showed you a lovely baby quilt and waxed poetic about how, even after holding a perfect newborn in my arms yesterday, I am certain that I do NOT want any more of my own.

Take my word for all of that?

Meanwhile, I will still show you Bella's Babyface Quilt, finished Saturday night while watching a movie with the family.

The back is the babyface fabric as well as the baby footprints I picked up during my recent crazy shopping spree.

The quilt was well received by Bella's family, although she herself at 6 days old seemed pretty non-plussed.  Ah, well.

Easter Brunch was lovely, and if you want to see my kiddos hunting for eggs in their finery, you can go here.

Meanwhile, I am eagerly awaiting some deliveries of fabric.  I may have caved and ordered some new Kaffe, and oh-my-god, have you seen Midwest Modern yet???  The pink dahlia color way makes me all tingly.  And maybe I even ordered some Tina Givens on clearance from Hancock's.  Maybe.  It seems to be expensive when I get my quilting mojo back!  Yesterday, The Hubby also helped me install the sewing cabinet my folks gave me for Xmas, and some night soon, I'll get started on that new project of mine, at the new cabinet, and it'll be very exciting.  Meanwhile, though, I have to take PG for a major haircut.  She has the finest, thinnest hair possible (from Dad, not me!), and she wants to grow it out, but it tangles terribly.  After a year of screaming over tangles and painfully slow growth, she has agreed to go back to short.  Tonight should see the return of my pixie-girl! 

Wild Wednesday

I'm out of my sick slump!  I have so much energy for crafty goodness right now, it's crazy.  You know when you have 6 things you want to work on all at once?  That's me right now!

I have not one, not two, but 3 pairs of socks on needles.  The Jaywalkers, the magic loop socks for my class, and the Evil Evil Monkeys.  They are so named by me because I yet again confounded myself with the rather simple lace.  A wonderful co-worker un-confounded me yesterday, and it turns out I was adding a stitch with every YO.  Duh.  Now I can finally make these socks!  Hooray!

I have been buying yarn like it's going out of style, and have practically doubled my stash lately.  It's a little scary in my craft room.  Yarn could attack at any moment...  As such, there are several projects waiting in the queue, with the yarn just sitting there, tempting me.  But I will be good.  and finish at least one pair of socks before casting on for anything new.

But before I can knit away to my heart's content, I have the matter of an unfinished baby quilt to resolve.  Bella can't be quiltless!  Especially as we are spending Easter with her family- her mom is the only person I know who can have a baby Monday morning and on Sunday, entertain guests for a holiday brunch!  I figure the least I can do for a woman like that is show up with a dish to share AND a baby quilt!  So last night I parked myself in front of a movie (on the laptop!), and quilted Bella's quilt.  The quilting took five minutes more than the length of the film- not bad!  Here's a preview:

I'm hoping to get the binding on tonight. As long as it is done by 12:45 on Sunday, I'm golden.

Aside from wanting to get the quilt to the babe ASAP, I'm also racing through it because I have my next quilt all planned out.  you know when you have an idea that just has to happen right now?  Well, I've been watching Amandasan on Flickr work on this one for a while.  Isn't is fabulous?  Now imagine it on black, with jewel-toned flowers.

Can you see it?  Hopefully, soon I will have it to show to you.  that is very much next on the list.  Of course, i still need to finish The Hubby's laptop bag.  I got stuck on a zipper that wasn't working out.  But he's dropped a bunch of not to subtle hints, and I do kinda love him, so, I'll try and figure it out...