Dino DNA Finished

My June Camp Loopy fabric project  – finished sewing the binding last night.  If you’d like to make your own version of this project, scroll down the right sidebar of the blog to PAGES, FREE PDF PATTERNS, and find DINO DNA.  That will give you the link to download some simple instructions.  This was  fun and super easy one to make with all those bright batiks.

There’s a couple types of meander quilting in it.  The background is actually quilted with a light yellow thread that went well with the cream/tan batik print and the colored sections are quilted in hot pink.

Harvest Bread

Over the weekend I made a loaf of Harvest Bread – recipe is on the King Arthur Flour website which looked like this after being mixed up and then it had to sit out on the counter overnight to rise a bit.

 

It has raisins and cranberries and walnuts in it.  The recipe called for pecans – but I was out of them, and yellow raisins which I can’t get so plain old raisins were used.

The only thing I would change is cut down on the amount of raisins, cranberries and nuts in it.  Even tho I baked it until it got to the internal temp called for in the recipe, it could maybe have gone a bit longer due to the denseness of all those goodies inside.  But that would have made it too brown on the outside.

 

So next time I’ll probably use half the amounts of goodies that go into it and it should be perfect.  I had some fresh while it was still warm but I think I need to go toast a slice and test it out with my dinner.

 

Happy Hooker Badge

Yes that’s right – my happy hooker project for the ESK Yarnathon badge is finished  – “happy hooker” meaning crochet project (shame on you for what you were thinking!) 🙂

 

 

 

 

I love this Salty Tales colorway.

 

I made the braided sections a bit longer and also lengthened the tabs that join them so the braids hang a bit longer than the original pattern design.  I want it more as a fashion accessory than an actual cowl that keeps you neck warm so longer was better for that – plus I had plenty of yarn.

Found a button in the button bin that would work and its finished – which is good because crocheting is very hard on my wrists.

I was also doing a bit of planning for my other Yarnathon projects today too.  One of the badges is for a blanket – which I really don’t want to make one for me but I found a cute baby blanket (which I can use as a gift) called Wild Kingdom.  Checkerboard center and cute reverse stockinette zoo animals around the edges.  I’ll be making it in Cascade 220 superwash in Daffodil – good for boy or girl blanket.

 

Now to go finish sewing down a quilt binding so I can call that project done.

Cosmic Rift Shawl Finished

This is a test knit I did for Laura Aylor.  The weather finally stopped raining so I could get some pictures  The pattern is called Rift and I believe she plans to release it on July 1.  I let you know when it’s available.  It’s a fun knit – all squishy garter except for the veins of color.  The test knits are all turning out so fun – some are dark backgrounds with bright veins, some used scraps so each vein is a different color – so many possibilities.

 

I used Madelinetosh Eyre Light – which is a lovely soft yarn in Cactus Flower (the pink veins) and Cosmic Wonder Dust – the specked – hence the name I gave my shawl, Cosmic Rift.

Dino DNA Quilt

One of my fellow Loopy Groupies asked about the Dino DNA quilt which  reminded me I had written up a cheat sheet of sorts to post to the blog so you could make your own version if you like.    The EQ image of the quilt is below (I still need to finish stitching the binding down on my version which is on this week’s agenda… or maybe the weekend…)

But, scroll down the right sidebar of the blog to the PAGES section, then to FREE PDF PATTERNS, and you will find Dino DNA listed there.  Click the quilt name in that list to get to where the pdf is stored.  And if you make a project from this pattern, I’d love to share a picture of it on the blog.  🙂

Could I be more indecisive?

I think I have changed my plans for my Camp Loopy July project… well more times than I can remember.  I need it to be July so I HAVE to start on it and can’t change my mind any more.  But this is it – the final plan.

The yarn I had gotten and posted here with the toddler sweater I was going to make, isn’t going to work the way I want.  I was winding some yarn last night and decided to wind that yarn while I was at it.  However when caked, it looked almost like a gradient yarn.  It was decidedly all darker shades of color on the outer third than the colors in the inner part of the cake.  Since my sweater is knit side to side, that was going to be very weird looking.  Hence the change of plans.

I do plan to use that yarn for a different project which is actually designed for a more gradient look and I think it will work well but doesn’t meet the criteria for the July camp project (not enough yardage used and too recent a pattern – camp patterns must be published 2014 or earlier).

So…….new plan, new yarn ordered.  This is the yarn and I’ll be making a super simple garter stitch toddler sweater called Kelcema.  Once the yarn arrives I need to go searching in my button tin  – I think I have some brightly colored buttons that will work.

Absolutely no more changing my mind.  I love the yarn, I’ve read thru the pattern, and I can’t wait to pick out some fun buttons.  This is definitely my July Camp project!

Everything is better with….

Sparking Glittery sugar!    I bought a container of the glitter sugar with the intent to sprinkle it on top of iced sugar cookies.  I haven’t made any cookies yet but I have to say that blueberry muffins are even better with a sugary sprinkle on top.

These were fresh from the oven this morning. But on my list of things I want to make which use that sparkley sugar – this was on the front of my recent King Arthur Flour catalog.

Now that looks absolutely delicious and easy to make.  I may have to make some and take it into the office.   It’s just now starting to be fresh strawberry season locally so I may have to hit the farmer’s market later this week.

It’s turning out to be a lovely day here – the temps have cooled a bit, the humidity is much lower and the sun is shining with a breeze.  Perfect to sit outside  – I’ve got just one last repeat section to knit on my test knit shawl and it will be done so I may have to head out to the patio for some knitting after I get some laundry going.

 

July Camp Loopy projects

It was Camp Store Week recently to order our supplies for the July Camp Loopy projects.  You can join in on Camp any time – this year the rewards are handled differently so you don’t have to do all three projects (or six in my case since I’m doing both yarn and fabric camps).  If you missed June, you could still join in for July and/or August and the info for July is on The Loopy Ewe Blog.

I still need to hand stitch the binding on my quilt for June and then it will be finished (probably tonight so I don’t forget about it) and my knitting project is done and submitted.

For July, I’ll be making a toddler’s sweater to add to my gifting pile.  The theme for July is spelunking so we’re assigned to caves/cavern groups this time – I’ll be hanging out in the Carlsbad Caverns for my knitting group and I think the Lost Sea Caverns is he sewing group.  We need to use  patterns published prior to 2014 with at least 600 yards yarn / 3 yards fabric.

My project will be the Sideways Sweater published in 2012.

It looks like it will be a fun knit and I hope will look good in the Nicki’s Lucky Penny Loopy Legend colorway.  I had bought some of this colorway for a different project and you know how I love fall colors.  Had to get more and since they are 600 yard hanks, I can use some of my other one to make up the little bit of extra yardage I need.

For quilting – again a pattern published prior to 2014.  I’m going to use a pattern of my own I published to my blog for NQD in 2012 – Five Square Pattern – which you can find in the PDF downloads on my blog.  I’m not going to add the pieced borders since I want this one to be a bit smaller.

Here are the fabrics I will be using – Kona solids and part of a new Moda holiday line – Merry Berry (the focal print and the great stripe) and Riley Blake, Comfort and Joy (the wreaths).  I think it will be one of those projects that works all winter long – not just a “Christmas” looking project.

 

 

The blocks for this quilt are really easy to make – especially if you DON’T use a one way print for the focal print.  I just have to remember to make half my blocks one way and then reorient the pieces to make the second group of blocks since some of the blocks get turned in the final layout and I don’t want my trees/deer upside down.

 

Beach Glass Shawl – Camp Loopy June project complete

My first camp project is completed.  Beach Glass Shawl – a unique feather and fan variation with scallop sections with picots along the edge – a very fun knit.  I used the Camp Club first shipment yarn – Stanley Stegosaurus – which includes all my favorite fall colors.  This one will be getting a lot of wear once the weather cools down.

I have changed my mind several times about what pattern to use for the July project.  The yarn was an easy choice but what to make.   I thought I had settled on a simple scarf for my new winter coat since I’m using another great fall colored yarn, but realized I would have been bored to death knitting a scarf as long as I wanted with only two pattern rows repeated over and over.     I’ll share what I decided on and the fabrics I chose for my July fabric camp project soon.

I had to get the shawl above finished early because I’ve also been working on a shawl pattern test knit due the end of this month.  I’ll get a new photo of my progress later today on that.  It’s a Laura Aylor pattern, and I love her shawl/cowl designs.   But, I’ve taken a vacation day today and the weather is not so hot and humid as it has been so I think I’ll take my coffee outside on the patio and knit a while .

Sweet Twisters

I was perusing the Quilty Pleasures blog at Quiltmaker magazine and look what I found.

The cover quilt is called Sweet Twisters and it’s my design!!   I haven’t gotten the advance copies yet so was surprised to see it on the blog since I wasn’t really sure what issue it was going to be in.  I of course can’t take credit for that lovely quilt since I had nothing to do with the actual sewing or quilting of it (some talented sewist/quilter Quiltmaker uses actually made it).   There’s also a large quilt layout in the magazine as well as this smaller version on the front.  You can see the other quilts in this issue at the link above.  Some really cute ones.

Things are a bit hectic around here and when I unbury them  I will show you the blocks I am working on.  I’m making a small wallhanging of them out of a much more subdued pallet and I’ll show you the original EQ drawing – which is also I the bright colors like the one above.  In the larger version the blocks that go around the edge remind me of fringed carpets.

And of course once I get the issues in the mail, I’ll have an extra copy or two to give away. 🙂