Multi-Tasking

Over the last couple of months I have been working simultaneously, or almost simultaneously, on three different quilt projects:
• a small log cabin quilt with blocks of about 2.25 inches square
• my guild's challenge quilt with blocks that are 8.5 inches square -- conveniently the block size I use for making potholders
and
• a theoretically twin sized quilt made of excessively colourful six inch snowball blocks

With three quilts underway there was a long period when I felt I wasn't making any progress on on any of them. It was kind of depressing. But gradually things are looking up. I think I now have the challenge quilt laid out. The challenge was to work in neutrals, browns and one other colour, the colour I was assigned is indigo. And a big challenge it has been for me working in blues and browns.

Here's the challenge quilt as I laid it out a while ago before I made the last of the blocks



After staring at it a lot over the course of a few days I decided to make first one and then several more substitutions and as a result I now have a bunch of blocks to use as potholders. Then it occurred to me that some of the castoff blocks were all blue and that I had told a friend I would make her some blue, cobalt blue, potholders.

Is it possible that I can use the same blues, in two projects and call them indigo in one and cobalt in the other?

The New Green Shawl

A couple of days ago when my cold had really gotten me down and I was absolutely not up to making quilting decisions -- decisions which seem to take oodles of brain power, I began a new shawl. (I am knitting it as participation in a group making them to donate to those in need.) I started a new one although, my previous shawl, which I have been working on practically forever, is still not finished. It still has lots of ends to sew in, which is incredibly annoying as I bought one of those pound balls of yarn specifically so I would not have to sew in ends. Despite all the ends I was going to buy another ball of the stuff, when I came upon a steal of a deal. I got 7 balls of Lion brand olive green wool ease yarn for something like 6 dollars. So far I am enjoying knitting with this yarn -- which has at least a little bit wool content.



I am a little uncertain about how wide a shawl should be. This one is about 18 inches wide with the ribs collapsed and about 20.5 inches wide as shown in the photograph. Although I am uncertain how wide it should be, since I've already started this thing three times, this is how wide this one is going to remain. I think it will work.



The stitch, Vertical Drop Stitch, is basically a 2x2 rib, except that every 6 rows in every other rib on one side you make an extra stitch in the middle and on the other rib you drop a stitch. At some point I will need to spend a little time making sure all the dropped stitches have really dropped -- unless I just plan on tossing it in the washer when it is done -- that should do the trick

Fall Colours

I have been ill again, but between naps, short walks and bouts of coughing I have been doing some quilting and knitting, and I will get back to making more craft posts by the end of this week. I swear I will.

Autumn is Here

The rains seem to be settling in and the leaves are changing colours, but the temperatures are still moderate, so it is not too bad yet. But I am seriously not fond of splitting wood in the rain.