BSJ

I took a knitting class on Thursday night at Heindselman's to learn the Baby Surprise Jacket.  That's the first five rows hanging on the refrigerator.  I don't keep it there but it is hard to take a picture of anything identifiable because the circular needles coil themselves at the smallest of opportunities.

Yesterday, I ripped out the first three rows I did in class because my count was off by one.  It was marker confusion on my part so I started it over and now I have completed 6 rows.  It's pretty easy knitting but I say that before I have gotten to the M1s.  They concern me because I am not sure how they are supposed to look in process and so they always look wrong to me.  The M1s happen on row 11 so even though I wanted to stay in today, it might be best if I knit like crazy and then run over to Heindselman's and have someone watch me and verify that I am doing it right.  The class is four weeks but I think it would be good if I had more than 10 rows completed by next Thursday.

I'm using some new needles called Velocity made of nickle coated brass.  I think that's why I am zooming along!

There will be stripes!

An Icon... Gone.

It's a sad day.  I'm pretty sure there are not many out there that use their iron everyday, probably only quilters and other sewists, so the news that Hasbro had chosen to replace the iron piece was not really a surprise.  Still, I think I am going to have to buy a Monopoly game today before the irons are all gone.  I'm looking at it as an investment, not really, I just want one of those irons for a charm.  First I'll check at a thrift store or two.

I've never cared for the intensity of Monopoly players but I did laugh though to read a player's comment that he will continue to use the hat as his game piece, turning it upside down and calling it a toilet.

W.O.T.D.

Procraftination noun: sewing, knitting, quilting, etc. to escape from dusting, mopping, cleaning or doing your taxes.

Okay, that's my definition and maybe I posted this w.o.t.d. before but I ran across it again and it makes me laugh, ruefully, every time.

The Happiness of Wool Socks

I could have titled this post, The "New" Laundry, but really, my wool socks kept my feet so cozy during our long frigid winter weather spell.  I am grateful so I take a bit of extra care with them so they will be at the ready when next winter rolls around.

One of the bloggers I follow said she washes all her wool socks by hand and I was ready to do that but my sister the knitter said nah, throw them in the machine.  Not wanting to be sorry about it, I tested machine washing with the grey socks, not the handmade gold/brown socks.

They washed up like a dream and even though Carol says she puts hers in the dryer, I prefer to hang them.  I did have one pair of the grey socks accidentally get into the dryer and I was semi-hysterical when I pulled them out but they survived just fine.  I looked them up on-line and they should not be in a hot dryer but low to medium is find.  In fact, all the care symbols on the labels had me so confused, I googled it for some definitive definitions and found a wonderful table here that can be printed.  I have a copy in a sheet protector hanging in the laundry room.

And speaking of laundry, I have become a convert to this:

Specifically to the spray which removed what appeared to be a grease based stain on the back of my white fleece jacket as well as a tomato based dinner stain on the front.  The jacket was purchased with the stain on the back and had a note attached that because of that stain it was a crazy bargain and a white jacket that came with a stain would be low stress.  Hahaha!  So true!  Of course, now it is a stainless, sparkly white.

IMHO, the OxiClean is superior to Shout, etc.
 

A Thrifty Baby Quilt

This quilt is made from scraps left from a quilt top I donated to a humanitarian project in Jan's ward many years ago but the fabric was originally moved here from Illinois.  Heavy sigh.  Because it all coordinated, I was determined to get a baby quilt out of the scraps without having to buy any additional fabric.  It looks like it could be a boy quilt but the prints all have flowers or leaves.

 

What appears white is actually a cream color.  The borders are muslin.  I was short about a 12 inches when I sewed on the binding and found a solid blue scrap that matched remarkably well.  One block has triangles that are pieced as I had less of the cream prints than the others.  Still I am pleased with the way it turned out.  Even the batting was a scrap and it is also pieced, as is the back.

The quilt had been sitting in a pile, pin basted and just waiting to be quilted.  When I was finishing the quilting around the outer edges I found an uh-oh.

 

The dark blue piece on the left is too short by about an inch and a half and one of my roommates was snacking!  Name begins with D.  I patched the short section and the chewed edge was still long enough that those ragged edges could be trimmed off.  Honestly, they are not starving, those big dogs.

Quilt is 39"x39". 

Finish #2.  Off to a good start!

BG and FF

I feel like singing!  Ok, I just did and the boys were happy to go outside.  Spots of blue sky, a Birthday Girl and the First Finish of 2013.  So I sang and the boys wagged.

I am very happy with the finished quilt and so is Amy.  The pattern is Cloud Nine by Villa Rosa Designs.  Easy peasy and a $2 pattern!  The fabric is Figgy Pudding and Fruitcake by Basic Grey for Moda and because we had scoured the internet, we secured more than the pattern called for.  That was pretty amazing given that both fabric lines were several years old.  The quilt finished 64x84 and has a bamboo batting.

On the design wall

The pieced back didn't even use up all the fabric

Quilting close-up

My friend Sheila did the quilting, free hand on her long arm quilting machine.  It looks fabulous and is nicely spaced to make the quilt soft and drapey.  We both love the look!  Thanks Sheila!

Happy birthday to my girl who is a fabulous and amazing woman!

"Top Stories"

From the Daily Herald this morning:  "Giffords pleads for gun curbs; NRA fights back".

I don't get it.  I know everyone, it seems like everyone in this state at least, is waving the the 2nd amendment/founding fathers flag so I looked up to see exactly what the amendment says.  I am embarrassed to say how long it has been since I actually accessed the Constitution and I truly expected something much wordier given how often and fervently it is invoked.

 Amendment 2 - Right to Bear Arms

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed,

 http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_Am2.html

That's all there is, one sentence.  Easy enough to memorize. 

I'm appalled that a woman, damaged by gun violence, gets up to beg for change and it is the NRA who, once again, gets all the time.

It doesn't make any sense to me and that's when I remembered.  When something makes no sense at all, look for the money.  I haven't heard one word about the gun industry, just the gun lobby.  I think if there is a lobby that means there must be money close by.  Hmm.

Update:  Here is a story that ran on NPR's Morning Edition this morning:

Should Gun Owners have to Buy Liability Insurance?