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Friday, January 28, 2011

Pair #8!

The 10 pairs of handknit socks in 2010 are a bit (ahem) overdue. But last night I finished up pair #8 - Leyburn Socks in a springy Koigu KPPM yarn.

Leyburn socks
On to finish pair #9, which is about 40% complete.

Melted Snowmen

Babysitting today - which means there are 5 little boys in the house and one girl. And it's too rainy/muddy to play outside. What to do with all that energy!? The girl and I banded together to make these fun melted snowman cookies, and the boys were glad to help eat them!

Melted snowman cookies

They're super easy - just your basic sugar cookie with white frosting, then microwave a marshmallow for about 5 seconds, just long enough to soften it up. Then gently smoosh it on the cookie and pipe on the details. The marshmallows didn't even get that hot, so little hands were safe and could help (remind them to GENTLY smoosh the marshmallow, or you will have a lot of gooey fingers!).

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Project crazy

Arcadia honey bun quilt

Another quilt top is in the making. I'm using two honey buns of Arcadia by Moda, strip piecing. Aren't the colors refreshing after long, grey January days?

This is the baby quilt featuring Verna fabrics by Kate Spain. I liked the charm squares so much I didn't want to chop them up. This quilt is now basted and waiting for quilting, but I need to buy the proper foot for my machine first. I better do that quickly before the unfinished projects stack up to the ceiling!

Verna by Kate Spain for Moda

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Birthday!

We had a birthday in the house this week! A special breakfast with Star Wars pancakes (found here at Williams Sonoma) made for an out of this world start to the day. Here we have a storm trooper, Yoda, and Darth Vader.
star wars pancakes!
I'm still perfecting my techniques working with these molds, but not bad for the first try, eh? I did feel a bit strange nibbling on Yoda's ear.
Star Wars pancakes

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Instant Gratification

This little baby quilt was a much needed dose of instant gratification, both for a quick project AND for some burst of color in these gray January days. One charm pack of Verna by Kate Spain for Moda is in there, plus some bits of Kona solid. Of course I forgot to measure this! Approx 30x40"? I'm still debating what I should use for the back.... order more Verna fabric, buy a coordinating solid, or use some bright turquois Minky-type stuff I have on hand??

Verna baby quilt

It's become very clear to me that I can whip up quilt tops faster than I can finish them. My bottle neck is the quilting. I don't have a good foot for my machine yet to do this. Put that on the Valentine's gift list, right?

Verna baby quilt

These tulips are among my favorite designs in this line! I'm ready for spring!!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Creative blahs

It's the new year, a time when most people are energized by new resolve and determination to alter their lives in some way. I'm just not feeling it this year. Perhaps it was 2 months or more of creative sprinting that has me feeling worn out. It's like the post-Christmas blahs have set in. The ol' brain just isn't getting those creative lightning strikes that keep me up, scratching down ideas on my sketchbook in bed.

So I figured I might as well get some old projects finished. There's nothing as UN-creative as digging up an old project, something that has lost all love and therefore been cast aside and is now a wrinkled mess in the bottom of a work basket, and trying to figure out where you left off and how on earth you're to proceed (not to mention where the rest of your supplies might be!).

Here are my Leyburn Socks - one sock neatly finished, lonely like Adam in Eden. Pretty, yes, and not even that hard to knit. I did cast on the second sock this week, and all went just swimmingly until I messed up the heel flap and had to rip back. Ugh. Old projects AND mistakes. Oh well, it's a lesson in perserverance. At least I have the fond memory of getting a parking ticket while purchasing this yarn in Philadelphia. I hope to finish this pair in the next few days.

Other creative pursuits require my mind to get back in gear: a wedding, some historical org charts, and SCHOOL. Yes, it's time for the kids to hit the books again, which means this mom needs to get prepared. I start my last kid in Kindergarten tomorrow, which means four kids K-4th grade, and about 25 separate lesson plans each day to teach them. Now if that's not a creative challenge, I don't know what is!