Charming

I volunteered to make 12 quilt blocks for Nancy's Quilts of Valor challenge.

I am not a quilter.  Putting different fabrics together really stresses me.

So what do I do?  Rather than using just a few red, white and blue fabrics?

I make charm blocks using 36 different fabrics.

Some of them don't belong - but I think they look okay.

11 of the blocks have a white rectangle that is 3 blocks long.

I will embroider a word on that white block to represent thanks to the wounded soldier.

What would you say with one word?

Circle of Socks

I've been making a pair of baby socks from my sock yarn leftovers before starting to make hexis with the leftovers. 

Most other knitting has taken a backseat.  I currently have 3 pairs of socks in various stages for me.  I also have 2 cardigans that are so close to being done, a pretty wrap and a pattern to finalize.  Can I retire yet? 

Madrona

The Madrona Fiber Arts Festival is really the only fiber festival in my backyard.  On Saturday two of my girlfriends and I got together and went shopping.  Some year we're going to sign up, take classes and stay there!

I knit 27 pairs of socks last year and did not replenish all that yarn.  I did a fair job restocking the stash on Saturday.  I got 3 hanks of Socks that Rock - 2 lightweight and 1 medium weight to make a pair of socks for JB.  Some Koigu - which I love and is getting hard to find around here.  And 3 other hanks of hand dyed yarns from indys that I had never heard of.  That's enough for 7 pairs of socks.

My new plan - buy good yarn now when I can afford it but don't have tons of time to knit it up.  But I'll have to good stuff to use when I finally retire someday and have the time, but not the money to afford it.  Let's just hope my eyesight holds out and I can still knit socks at the gauge I love.