FNWF ~ January 10

Been working on quite a bit this week...Kona EPP needlekeep, my socks, a new lace scarf, my cross-stitch mini for Smalls 2014.

You can see my progress on my socks in my previous entry, as well as the picture of the scarf I'm doing.

This is a finished cross-stitch, but I have not included the full stitchery as I will be posting it again at the end of the month for the Smalls SAL 2014. Also, I'm not sure whether or not my ds has begun reading my blog on the sly and as this is for him, I don't want him to see the finished project just yet. I believe I'm making it into a notebook cover for him...but don't quote me on that just yet. LOL

This was a really fun project, and I just finished the last bit of backstitching this morning. Phew!

Was fun sewing with y'all. Looking forward to joining you again next month.

Linked up with Cheryll at Gone Stitchin  I'll do my visiting tomorrow morning after I finish work. Have a great weekend!

Friday on the Needles ~ January 10

Still working on the first sock, but pleased with my progress...

I certainly feel as though I am achieving a better rhythm.

I have/had a couple of ladders near the beginning, but rather than frogging (as I normally would have rather than learn to repair) I pulled tighter and forged on. This time around, my goal is not to achieve perfection, but rather, just to complete a pair of socks!

I am also working on a new project by knitheartstrings.com   Jackie's patterns are amazing!
Love this beautiful yarn...merino and silk. Does not frog well though LOL

Does the fact that this has already been on and off the needles three times count?

My ort jar for TUSAL is also filling LOL

Wake up to Kona - Day 2

Hello and welcome to my tiny corner of the world. I have been learning a lot during the last couple of months!

1. I learned of a Canadian fabric store called Sew Sisters.

2. I learned Sew Sisters has a couple of monthly clubs, one of which is a small 4 x fat quarters per month.

3. I've met many amazing sewers/quilters out there in blog land which continually amaze and inspire me with their creativity. (Have you seen the length of my blog list...and it continues to grow)

4. I caved to temptation and joined the Sew Sisters fat quarter club and...received my Kona solid cotton in avocado, spice, putty, and paprika.

5. I learned about and drooled over the hexihop of Mdm. Samm's last year.

6. Learned about english paper piecing.

7. Fell in love with Debby Kratovil's EPP Pin and Needle Case and purchased the pattern.

And finally...joined the Wake up to Kona hop by Mdm. Samm with encouraging head cheerleader Carol of Just Let Me Quilt.

When my fabric arrived from Sew Sisters, I just  loved it. It was just so pretty, I didn't know what to do with it...I was afraid to cut into it. LOL

Any way, this was my first time doing EPP...love it!

A small project to get my feet wet for the hugs & kisses upcoming hop with Soma. I absolutely love this needle case. I am beyond please with these results; sometimes it is all about simple pleasures. I'm also still getting accustomed to my new sewing machine.

I love these colours and am going to finish up the leftover pieces for some other sewing objects. The first of which is a wrist pincushion, and if enough leftover fabric, the pin cushion for the arm of the sofa. The wrist pincushion is about half way complete...if I don't have enough time to complete it, will finish it up on FNWF.

The lineup for today is: spread some comment love!

January 8

Stitchin’ By The Lake

That’s SewJulie

Living With Purpose  (you are here)

Nini’s Patchwork Blog

Quilts My Way

Jane’s Quilting

Quilt Matters

A big THANK YOU to our sponsors:

Amanda Murphy, Robert Kaufman, and Aurifil threads!

A late Friday on the Needles

We had someone here working on our electric baseboards yesterday so I had plenty of time to sit here knitting. With -30ish degree celsius weather over the last three days, the fact that we had no heat in the basement was really beginning to show. We had also unhooked the heater in the living room when we installed the wood stove, just until we could put in a shorter length heater. Suffice it to say that it was chilly, but more than bearable, we did not use the portable plug in heaters this year because of the wood stove I guess. All the same, it is nice not to have very cold floors. Oh and the basement wasn't as bad as all that, because my potatoes and things I store down there did not freeze LOL.

Now Friday's are my day when my dad goes out for a seniors socialization group, and then I pick him up afterwards and take him to visit my mom (who has Alzheimer's and lives in a nursing home). It's always a nice visit, and when we leave I swing by the grocery store to pick up something quick for supper and come home to cook. Now when I got home yesterday, I took photos of my lovely project on the needles...a (drum roll please) sock. Good, that done, I wanted to upload my photos and link up to Patchwork Times for Friday on the Needles. WELL! Enough battery juice to take photos, but not  enough to import them. Ugh! I think it is time to purchase new rechargeables cause these just ain't holding their charge long enough for me!

Ok, enough chitchat...bring on "The Sock"...

See Vickie M. even my couch has roosters in the print lol!

 I cast on Friday morning. Frogged at least five times just the cast on. I'm really not good at calculating for the "long tail cast on".

I've never knit a sweater either, but I assume this is how I would do lovely cuffs as well. Loving my yarn, nothing fancy...Patons Kroy Socks in muslin. I'm also using the free pattern: Patons Kroy Spiral socks (to knit).

Feeling a sense of accomplishment just here at this point. That may very well change to "oh, and now I still have the second one to knit" once I manage to complete the first one lol. At least that is how I am with slippers.

So for what it's worth, here is my Friday on the Needles, just on Saturday. Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Oh and 's first hop of 2014 starts Monday. Let the fun begin!

Wake up to Kona!

of Just Let Me Quilt has us all cheered up and ready to go!

I took the pledge...

MAKE THE 7 STEP PLEDGE

I, Shari, will try my utmost...

To always swap on time.

To always email a THANK YOU to my partner.

To be considerate and thoughtful, when choosing a gift.

To give my partner the quality of gift that I would like to receive.

To communicate when it's required.

To NEVER over commit and let a partner down.

To advise the swap mama when I receive my gift.

This I sewomly pledge....

~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~

Swap partner information was sent out...and HAS BEEN received! 

Lurker research has begun...look out swap partner cause I'll be watching you v.e.r.y closely buahaha...to discover a bit more about you before I get to crafting you a lovely heart. 

In order to be in the mail on time, I also pledge to get it to the post office no later than Friday, January 31 for the February 1 swap deadline!

Fresh new year

Taking it easy today and tomorrow as I worked last night and will work again tonight (graveyard shift as nurses' aide). So like my empty ort jar, I'm totally useless till I readjust to day shift lol.

Many plans for projects and sign ups for stitching QALs and skill builders...but this is just not my day to be coherent...wait till Friday, I should be back to normal...in the mean time I'm linking up to...

 

Previous work.... my first quilt will be going to a new home...it will be inherited by my four-year-old granddaughter; with much love from my SIL Cathy.

I plan to complete the quilt top for my son's Dr. Who quilt. Totally missed out on giving it to him for the Christmas special, for Christmas Day, and now for the new year. Trying again for Valentines day...that should give me plenty of time lol. But I will complete the stitching of the quilt top in January.

I have sew many new projects beginning; you can see many in my sidebars. Pick any one...I will easily add another next month lol.

TUSAL - January 1

 This is my first ever posting for TUSAL...visit here for full explanation of what is considered an ORT and also to understand the fun and silliness of this stitch-along. I plan to save my ORTs for the birds later this Spring...and the rest that is accumulated for next Spring.

 I have been tossing my threads into the trash because I've been so hit and miss with my sewing, BUT, have you seen the projects I have signed myself up for? I'm going to be very busy this year...learning, sewing, knitting, and other miscellaneous stitching. Yay!

So, without further ado, here is my ORT jar for January 1. Empty, but that is only because I have been trashing my beautiful cast off threads...new year, new jar...a clean slate.

 

Here are the 2014 TUSAL posting dates...they fall on the "new moon".

January 1
January 30
March 1
March 30
April 29
May 28
June 27
July 26
August 25
September 24
October 23
November 22
December 22