stitchingmystressaway.com

I’m usually not a huge fan of new years resolutions. As cynical as this might sound saying “I’ll eat healthier or go to the gym more” just seems to be forgotten by Valentine’s day. I’m a victim of it just like a majority of people.

But with knitting and crafts in general, I find that it’s a hobby of mine that I get very excited about. I always want to learn new things about it and see new patterns and learn new techniques and even the history! My mother got me a book for Christmas No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting and in it, the author talks about how the importance of knitting changed in American women’s lives as their roles in society changed as well. I know most might read that and go but as a history major interested in minorities and women, this interests me a great deal.

I know I made a resolution a few posts ago. But I have some more to add so that I may become a more well round knitter.

1. FINALLY finish hand quilting Courtney’s & Dwayne’s wedding quilt. Mind you they got married in October of 2006. (The hand quilting a QUEEN sized quilt was such an ambitious goal then knitting started to take over my life.) Here’s a picture of the top: It’s about 60% done handquilting. The ladies on the Quilter’s Knitting group on Ravelry has certainly been an inspiration to me about the enormity of this undertaking.
   
2. Knit Christmas stockings for Jermaine, me and and smaller ones for Layla and Luna. Every Christmas, we begin to decorate the apartment and I wonder why we don’t have them. Then I go “Do’oh…it’s cuz you haven’t made any yet.” teehee
3. Knit more socks for me
4. Finish a shawl for Granny for her birthday in late April. I started a few weeks ago so here’s hoping I can make it! I chose Large Rectangle in Leaf and Trellis pattern from Victorian Lace Today
5. Learn how to do socks two at a time and finally do a pair toe up. I honestly don’t know what’s taken me so long too! Because I’ve done far more challenging knitting techniques.
   
6. Finish a sweater for an adult. I’ve done plenty of baby things but now is the time for a sweater for an adult, ideally, me. I think I’ve decided to make Rogue in Patons Classic Merino, burgundy.
7. I’ve started this very bizarre trend. Finish something wintery in the summer time and something summery in the winter time. I feel that this will happen to my Indigo Ripples Skirt. It’s been “in hibernation” for some time now and I’d REALLY like to wear it this summer. Watch I finish it in February and when I pose for pics in it, I’ll have the biggest sweater on too. Here’s the latest photo of it.

That’s it I guess. I think I’ll be busy for 2008

I’m hand quilting Courtney’s quilt. It’s going to be circles in circles in circles. (FYI-Courtney knows the link to this blog so I’m not going to post a picture) I tried doing a circle on my walking foot and it just was not happening! very loopey. Imagine asking someone who’s really really drunk to draw a circle. That was the result.

so then I started on the huge endeavor of hand quilting. I knew I’d enjoy it but I couldn’t say I was all that great at it. I posted a question to all my yahoo groups I’m a part of and asked them for hints on the rocking stitch. I was using a hoop and was having the HARDEST time getting a stitch going. I could go in and out with each individual stitch but the quilt is queen or double sized. That would take forever! That’s why I was adamant about learning rocking stitch. One of the women on the quilting group suggested using no hoops or anything. At first I was like but then I said to myself “who am I to say that suggestion was odd?” I tried it and it worked so well! I’m so happy now! I love hand quilting. My stitches have turned out so well to. I used to hate thimbles but now I love them. It’s just terribly relaxing for me to hand quilt in front of a movie. Occasionally Ms. Luna comes by to help me. That little cutie pie!

One of these days, I would like to do a whole cloth quilt. They’re so beautiful. I see all these whole cloth quilts for babies and the hair on the back of my neck stands up. Not because I think they’re tacky but because I think they’re so beautiful and babies “have leaks” on blankets and the thought of that happening to a wholecloth quilt just makes me sad.

My days at work are rushed and sometimes filled with drama. It is so nice to come home, pop in a movie with my honey and see the kitties giving Courtney’s quilt their final quality controls and just hand quilt all night. I have a blister on some of my fingers. It’s my war wound and because I’m a sap, I’m so proud of it!!!

Hello there!

Happy Memorial Day! Hug a veteran!

I must confess something. I have completed only two quilt tops! Can you believe that? And I’ve been quilting for a year and a half! Granted I know that there are folks that have been quilting longer than I’ve been alive but you would think I’d have more to show. HAHAHA I just find that humorous. As I work on my many many projects, I have developed a list of projects that I want to do…eventually. Here it is and this is by no means complete.

• A Baltimore Album quilt (That might be my mothers wedding present…haven’t decided on it yet)
• A Star sampler…I’m obsessed by stars
• A Bargello quilt…It’s an artsy fartsy quilt that I might make for my artsy boyfriend for graduation
• A Rail Fence quilt. It’s so simple but there are about a million different ways to play with it
• I would like to increase my Civil War reproduction fabric stash and make a Civil War quilt…now what kind? NO IDEA. heheheh
• I want to finish the Triple Irish Chain I started for Timmy
• Finish Courtney and D’s quilt. She was telling me about how she and D were going to register at certain places for their wedding and she kept saying “the wedding is four months away” outside I was thrilled. Inside I was thrilled too but I was also saying “laura, you gotta get a move on”

thats just the list for now…i’m definitely going to add to it.

Laura

Helloooooooooooooo!

This was Granny’s Christmas gift, 2005. She was quite honored to be the first recepient of a quilt of mine. Grannys are so great—-she woulda loved it if it were just 4×4 12 inch blocks!!