Socks!

Well - sock knitting apparently was still very important to me in 2011.

That is only a few of the pairs that got finished.

Some have been given away already. 

I think the final number was 25.

I knit up 8 of the 12 brown bags that got packaged at the beginning of 2011.

In fact, I just started the snowflake socks last night.

And I haven't pulled and caked yarn for 2012 yet - not sure if I will.

So - what did you knit?  Do you knit socks?

Do you wear handknit socks?

The Favorite Gift I Made

I did not make a lot of gifts this past year. But my favorite one has  been floating in my head for a long time.  See The Musical One made a piece of a tumbling blocks quilt way back when she was in middle school.  It was an extra credit project for geometry. 

Ever since then I've saved the top that she made and the remaining fabric with the intention of making placemats - someday.

Well - since she's buying her first house, someday is now.  

I pulled the top out of the plastic bin and took it to the fabric store.  I had to find coordinating fabric for the back and fabrics to make reversible napkins. 


I spent two days making more blocks (she had only made enough for two placemats).  I picked a dark navy with lime green and then bought 4 different fabrics to make 2 sets of 6 reversible napkins.


After I finished the piecing, cut out placemats and batting, sewed them rights sides together and then turned them right sides out. 

Then I quilted around the tumbling blocks.  Using purple thread on the pieced blocks and lime green on the solid fabric. I made 2 sets of 6 napkins. One set matches with the solid side and the other with the pieced. They are reversible. While there are only 4 placemats (that's all her table will seat), I made 6 napkins because I believe you should always have spares to rotate in - just in case something happens - like a horrible stain or a tear.

Anyway - I'm tickled pink with this gift.

Welcome 2012

I am not doing a look back.  I had a good year - with the exception of some good friends having health issues with their dogs and then saying good bye to a few dogs. 

I got more sewing done in 2011 than I have in a long time.  I did not, however, knit as much.  It's all a balancing act. 

In 2012 and I went to spend more time with friends.  Get back to developing relationships with "virtual" friends - something I've let lapse with my job change.  Sew more, knit more, blog more, cook more, exercise more - enjoy more. 

Thank you for stopping by and saying hello.  I really do appreciate each and every comment.  g