Mango socks are complete

These are nice socks. Very soft, very cozy. The pattern was good to me again and I am happy with the result. However, my search for a new sock pattern has begun. I wanted something simple and basic since this yarn had such dimension to it already. It didn't really need any design work to make it pretty. But these socks have left me feeling a bit...underwhelmed. Not that I need to be totally 'wowed' by everything I make, but since I'm investing the time and energy why should I settle with just, "these are nice"? I also wish I had made the leg of the sock a bit longer - this length leaves me feeling a bit like I should be attending a sock hop or something. I am sure they'll be great for winter lounging, with tea and the NYtimes. But next time I go for a sock it's on to something new.

One thing I did learn from making this pair - and from every book at the local library on knitting socks - is that I am likely using the wrong size needles. To make a true, functional sock I probably need to go down to a size 2 or 1 needles. This pair was made on size 5. While at my LYS I saw a sample sock knit up with the same yarn on a size 2. What a difference it made! My sock is certainly softer, and lighter, but the other seemed more substantial - like it would survive a winter in my clogs. These socks, not so much.

Quilt-a-long: Week 10

Week 10: I don't think there is a color that can describe this block. Is busy a color? Too busy?

What great feedback I have received from all of you about the quilt top on thread color, backing and batting! I feel that I can move forward on it. I am getting really excited to do the final piecing and quilting on this one.

But, there are other quilts begging to be finished first. And, since it is quilt month (ala Mr. Monkeysuit) I have other mountains to climb.

By way of introduction to any new readers: I am a new quilter. I am learning how to do it by trial-and-error and by the grace of all of you that have been kind enough to share their wisdom. I love cutting and piecing tops. In fact, I have four pieced tops ready to go. I am scared of the actual quilting and haven't really gotten into that part of things yet. So, in an effort to create some sort of quilting curriculum for myself I set out to follow Crazy Mom Quilts quilt-a-long. Her original one started well over a year ago (she's done two others since), and everyone else seems to have done it when she was posting about it. But she still has all the links to the original and I just decided to follow them on my own. I've been posting about my progress for the last 10 weeks and have three more weeks to go until that quilt top should be finished. But, I am going to leave that one on its original timeline and move onto others that have been sitting for an embarassingly long time.

Here is a photo of one of the first quilt tops I ever pieced (original post on the collaborative blog here). It was supposed to be a baby quilt for our youngest. But the top was pieced and then it sat. And sat, and sat and sat. Then I used some of the batting on this project. But, now I'm ready. I am going to forge ahead and give it a try (and buy some cotton batting). Wish me luck and stay tuned. I've decided that I will finish this one within the month!

The matching no-cash wallet

Blogged about here. It still needs a button to finish it off, but I don't have just the right one. I'll have to keep my eye out. Also, the night this gem was finished I took it out to dinner with me. The waitress recognized the Amy Butler fabric immediately and we struck up a conversation about the fabric, patterns and sewing (i.e. hoarding lovely fabric). My husband was blown-away. Apparently he doesn't understand the extent to which Midwestern, 30-something, fabric-inclined, women are obsessed with Amy Butler design (as origninally proclaimed by the salesladies at the local quilting shop).

Gifts (1 for me and 1 for another)

Last week I received this bonnet as a gift from Ten Finger Workshop. She found this one at a garage sale and passed it along to me. What a lovely present! The pattern for this one is different from the other bonnet and seems to be a knit rectangle, that was worked in the round at one end to close it off. Some additional stiches were cast on to make the border and cording. I love the colors and pattern and might try my hand at recreating something like it. Has anybody else come across a bonnet like this? Any hints as to it's origin? Maybe I'll draft a tutorial for it as I go. This would make a great gift for either a boy or girl (depending on color choice) - at least for those of us who reside in the colder climates.

These next photos of are of a wallet that I made for a friend. She wanted something that would hold her cards and cash, but that was the shape of my checkbook cover. Something simple, slender and light. After exchanging some e-mails with fabric choices she settled on an Indonesian print for the exterior and the ever-popular Ghanaian adinkra cloth for the pockets. I love how it turned out and am very happy to have made something for someone else. It was also my first try at designing something. I started from the basic checkbook cover, but branched off in many different and new directions.