Sunday 17 April 2016

Playing catchup!


I thought that I'd done quite a good job at blogging over the Easter holidays and keeping you up to date with the various projects I've been working on. But it would appear not to be the case! Just award me a big fat 'F' for fail!  I'm not quite sure how I managed to miss out so many things, I'm putting down to being so over the moon about getting all those blanket squares blocked!  Here's a quick trip back in time to show you what else I've been working on recently.

On the very last day of March, I squeezed in sewing my March Sugar Block Club block. I misread the pattern and cut the centre square too small, so added the pink border as I'd already appliqued on the flower petals. Despite this, I think it looks ok! 


March sugar block (1)


I decided to strike while the iron was still hot (quite literally!) and sew the April block almost as soon as it was released! I think that this one is my most accurate one so far. The tutorials are so clear, it's a lot of fun making each block. And by the end of the year, I'll have enough to piece together for a quilt! 


April sugar block


Here are all four blocks that I've made so far. Putting them together like this is good as it's shown me that I need some red in the next block. Do any other colours leap out at you as missing so far?


Sugar block club Jan - Apr


I also rediscovered the fabric strips that I'd started sewing together with the vague idea of making a quilt! I'd seen my blogging friend Gilly's quilt and admired it last year. She explained to me how it was made, so I bought some fabric and got started. I hadn't got very far when it got put to one side, so I spent a morning sewing the remainder of the fabric together and then cutting strips. I laid them out on our bed (yes, it's king size, nothing like aiming big for your first quilt, eh?!) to make sure that I didn't have the same fabrics next to each other. 


quilt in progress


Since then, I've made a start on sewing the blocks together and have three strips out of ???? (who knows?!) done so far. Once they are joined, I will have to do some online research as I have no idea how to actually turn it into a quilt!


quilt in progress 2


Of course, throughout my sewing, I have been under the eyes of the ever watchful Flo, who wanted a fuss made of her at the most inopportune moments! Having a cat try to nudge you for a stroke while you're wielding a rotary cutter is not to be recommended. I'm surprised she didn't end up with trimmed whiskers!


assistant Flo (1)


Remember Mr JK's Zebra Head hat? The one without a pompom?! I finished mine and made a spectacular pompom which I then needed to trim - with some trepidation I might add. It's like when you cut your fringe as a child and it's not level, so you keep cutting off more until you're left with no fringe whatsoever, just a few sad  wisps and tufts where your fringe used to be! Anyway, I did stop while the going was good and I still had a nicely rounded and plump pompom left. The only thing is, now I've made it, I can't help thinking that I'm too old for pompoms!! The pompom's days may well be numbered!


pompom zebra head


I've started a shawl using some handspun yarn. Entries for this year's spinning and weaving competitions at Fibre-East have to be in by the end of May. I'm not entering so many classes this year, but am entering a shawl knit from handspun yarn. The pattern is Brickless and I like the shape. I don't wear traditional shawl shapes, but this asymmetric shape works well for me. This was the yarn, spun during the Tour de Fleece in 2014. 


Briar Rose BFL TDF 2014 handspun (10)


I've almost finished knitting up the most green skein of yarn and am looking forward to more purple in the next section I knit. The colours are gorgeous, it is BFL fibre that I won from BriarRoseFibers - Chris is a bit of a magician at the dye pot! Here's a photo to show the progress so far and then a close up so you can see just how beautiful those colours are.


handspun Brickless WIP (1)

handspun Brickless WIP (2)


I have a number of new knitting projects underway too, but I will save those for another blog post. I'll leave you with a little tease though - a photo of the yarn I've picked out for a new sock design. It's a skein I bought last year when Mr JK and I were in Dublin, from an Irish dyer, Life in the Long Grass. I just love the colours, they sing of 'spring' to me! It's been a lovely spring day here, I hope the sun's shining where you are too. xxx


spring sock ideas

6 comments:

snoopydogknits said...

I just LOVE that be d quilt and the monthly blocks. Your quilting looks wonderful. Looking forward to seeing both projects when they are completed. Love the handspan too! Have a good week. xx

SuzB said...

Never too old for a pompom!

VeggieMummy said...

Great blocks - I think the pink border that you had to add makes it. Pompoms are very in this year and it seems the bigger the better too. Love your strip quilt and new yarn; you've lots to keep you busy this spring. Happy crafting. xx

Claire said...

Looking really good. That pink border really looks good and you can't make mistakes in patchwork, only different ways of doing it :)

No one is too old for a pompom, leave it on the hat please, it looks really nice.

Your strip quilt is looking really nice as well. At that size you might want to consider sending it off to be long arm quilted. Pricy but more than worth it. Trying to quilt a large piece of work on a standard machine is a feat of endurance for you and the machine.

Good luck with everything

Jennyff said...

So much lovely stuff on the go. Its 11.30 here and I haven't even washed the breakfast pots yet, maybe I should do a bit of knitting.

Lynne said...

Your quilt top looks brilliant. There's a free quitling class on Craftsy which is fantastic, it's called "Piece, Patch, Quilt: Basic Quiltmaking Skills". It's how Ilearnt how to quilt.

http://www.craftsy.com/class/piece-patch-quilt-quiltmaking-skills/369?_ct=sbqii-sqjuweho-dum&_ctp=6&rceId=1461180169704~r65n9ni8

Also, no one is too old for a pom-pom!