Category Archives: finished object

Hey, are you still out there?

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Hello, yeah, it’s been awhile.

Not much, how ’bout you?*

We’re into Day Five of rainy weather. If you’re in the Mid-Atlantic area of the USA, you probably have the same weather. We had a bit of a reprieve yesterday with just dampness but the clouds just couldn’t hold it in all day and night. At least we don’t have to water the vegetables and flowers! How did Noah do it with forty days and nights of rain?

You’re not here for a weather report but where to start?

Let’s begin with January.

Last year ended and this year started with cold/flu/the bat-poop virus. After ten days of dealing with it, I finally got in to see the doctor. He wasn’t sure what I had but started me on the road to recovery with medicine. I lost eight pounds when everyone else was gaining from all the holiday goodies. I lost my sense of taste, so why eat when I couldn’t taste anything?

I finished a sweater for Pepper with odds and ends of acrylic yarn. The yarn is Caron Simply Soft and it is super, super soft and stretchy. I knit it twice as it kept growing and growing. Ripped it out and got a better fit the second time. She still hates anything that goes over her head but we managed.

Coats from old/new quilts has been a “thing” for a few winters. I bought a pattern (from See Kate Sew) to make one and finally decided to give it a try using one my my M-I-L’s quilts. When she died, Mr. Aitch and his two brothers found her quilt stash and started tossing them into three piles without looking at any of them. Ten made it to our house. Some beautiful, some not so much. I used a not-so-much pretty quilt to test out the pattern.

I made the large and it fit perfectly!

Even though it is not much to look at, I did manage to match the seams and finish it, though these pictures are not of the completed coat. I used snaps for closures but one kept falling off so I made a buttonhole and sewed on a button. It’s warm enough to take Pepper outside. That’s about as far as I’ll go in wearing it.

With that success, I was ready to make the “real” coat to actually wear in public!

Shannon Fraser Designs

My first idea was a total patchwork quilted coat. After I got the back pieced and quilted, I threw that idea out the window. The back was perfect for the patchwork and the rest would be a solid. Red.

See my inspiration to the right.

iPad Aunt loved reds and purples. I used fabric scraps from her, my mother-in-law, my BFF, and me. Plus I had enough solid red for the front and sleeves. I wanted the inside to look just as nice so I pieced one large quilt block from some of the reds and grey from my stash for the back panel.

I quilted each piece before assembling it all together.

I LOVE it! I get lots of compliments on the coat.

  • Fabric from stash = $0
  • Batting, leftover from another quilt = $0
  • Buttons, from a top I made in college = $0
  • Thread from stash = $0
  • TOTAL COST : FREE (except for my time and electricity)

I will definitely make another one of these coats…Not sure if I will use pre-quilted fabric, a quilt, or start from scratch.

On another note – Today is Memorial Day in the US. A day we honor and remember our fallen soldiers. We must remember that our freedoms are not free. They were bought with people’s lives. Thank you and God Bless America! 🇺🇸🪦

Patti nona

*England Dan and John Ford Coley

Broken Seed Stitch pair

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I finally finished the Broken Seed Stitch socks last week. I love how the dark green of the Knit Picks Stroll in Aurora Heather toned down the bright green, aqua, and yellow hand-dyed yarn.

The broken seed stitch looks like fish or mermaid scales that illuminate and glimmer.

The yarn color pooled a bit on the first sock (below left) that is more noticeable on the sole.

My tension changed with the second sock (below right) as I tried to tighten the stitches where the color changes. The seam isn’t as visible even if I can see it. Will it make a difference when worn? I doubt it.

I prefer the Eye of Partridge heel flap as I think it is more durable. (I must say that I’ve never had to reinforce or repair any of the heels on the socks I’ve knit whether it’s the standard slipped-stitch or Eye of Partridge heel flap so it’s just my personal preference.)

I found this sock “recipe” by Hanna Levämiemi to be a great stash buster for an ugly-duckling ball of yarn as it can be transformed into a swan with the right contrast color.

I’ve already got another sock on my needles.

Patti

Thanksgiving week – Part 2

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Monday of Thanksgiving week (November 26) Mr. Aitch made coffee. Not a rare occurrence but since he retired, he doesn’t make coffee everyday. I’m not much of a coffee drinker but I do like a cup of hot chocolate made with half mike and half coffee. Plus a generous mound of whipped cream drizzled with caramel and chocolate syrups. If you are familiar with Bob Evans Restaurants, I copied this Caramel Mocha recipe from them.

(C) Bob Evanshttps://www.bobevans.com/menu/beverages/caramel-mocha

I’m not exactly sure how they make it but my version is just as good. And I can have it any time I want in the comfort of my own home.

I carried my cup of deliciousness to my “knitting chair” and drank more than half of it when I had to get up to do something. Pepper decided to try it. Fortunately she couldn’t her snout down to the mocha part but she did get to lick some of the chocolate syrup on the inside of the cup. The rest of the drink went down the drain.

Gratuitous turkey dinner picture.

All of the side dishes are gone now and only some turkey remains. I froze it in small 2-cup portions for turkey pot pies later in the winter.

Drum roll, please……

I finally finished my Easy Mosaic Socks by Winwick Mum!

I started these socks way back in February, hit some snags of my own doing, but managed to finish these beauties within the year! Click here, here, here, and here for the snags/snafus.

This pattern looks difficult but only one color of yarn is used on each row.

The socks turned out beautifully and even with all my issues, I’d knit another pair The soles are striped and fun!

The Regia 4-ply tweed yarn in charcoal is a workhorse yarn and Knit Picks Chroma Twist in Surf’s Up (discontinued yarn) has a subtle color change that is had to see though one sock has a more greenish tint than the other.

I love these socks!

Finish anything lately? Knitting, crocheting, sewing, quilting?

Patti nona

Thanksgiving week – Part 1

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I know I’m late posting about our American Thanksgiving week. What’s new?

First up: I finally finished a puppy sized quilt for our Mini-schnauzer Pepper. I used leftover scraps of fabric in reds, blacks, and whites. I tried to go with an animal theme so I had some paw-prints, cows, and one flamingo fabrics along with flowers, some kites, polka dots, and miscellaneous red, black, and white prints.

I framed it with solid white and charcoal. The back consists of two different pieces of grey flannel that I had to piece together to get the right size. Boring so no picture.

I didn’t bind the edges but simply sewed the front and back together leaving a 4-5 inch open section to turn it right-side out. Then I machine quilted about a 1/4-inch inside each block.

I keep it on the ottoman that Pepper likes to sit/lay/jump on to try to keep it cleaner.

I spent the night with a friend (who lives an hour and a half away) so we could get a jump start on a craft show in her city on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. She used to always bring a plate of homemade cookies or her delicious buckeyes to me whenever she was in the area, so I thought I’d make something edible as a hostess gift for the weekend.

With one decorated sugar cookie success under my belt, I made and decorated some autumn inspired leaf cookies.

I forgot I had these leaf shaped cookie cutters that must have been a gift with purchase or something similar from Nutella some years ago. (Confession: I am not a huge fan of Nutella, so that means more for you!) Perfect for the season.

I think these turned out pretty nice. I’m still learning how to use Royal Icing and practice makes perfect. I plan on making more cookies this week for our church Christmas Party next Sunday.

Stay tuned for a sock update!