Another quilt finished

I spent yesterday at a carnival at my school doing face painting so I had to get up very early to put the finishing touches on this quilt because the shower is at 12:30! I still want to make a handmade card to go with this and I bought an envelope template at the flea market sale yesterday so I can make a nice matching envelope much easier. Early Bird is finished, just one more Sat. Enrichment class BUT we are heading into the final planning for next year AND closing the school year craziness so I will have to struggle to fit in some quilting and knitting. I did get my new STR club pack yesterday. I love the yarn the pattern has to grow on me.

Just checking in

I keep meaning to write in this blog but somehow after I read everyone else's blog, think about what I want to post, work on my various projects, I don't get it done! I spend Mother's Day with my mother, grandmother and my two children. We went out to eat, then my daughter took us to see her new apartment. She is moving out of the dorm and sharing a condo with a friend. Very cute place and so neat. It seems that the roommate can get her to to be neat---something I certainly never had success with! There is a river and water falls behind her building with a tennis court and swimming pool. Not bad for a struggling college student. I wore my new shawl made from Blue Heron Rayon boucle. I love the way it feels and looks BUT it kept getting caught on my earrings! I finished the STR club socks and already wore them. I still need to take a picture of them. I already started on another pair in Koigu, just my generic toe up sock. I'm amazed about how much quicker I can work when there is no pattern just mindless knitting with the yarn doing the work. Now I need to ignore the socks and work on the quilt I am giving my friend for her wedding shower. It has to be ready for Sunday and still need to pick threads, and hand sew on the binding. I should clean up the threads as go but I never do.

Check out these slippers!

One of my knitting girls has been working on these slippers every morning. She finally got them finished this morning and boy was she proud of them. The pattern is very simple but comes out totally cozy. I am a few rows away from finishing my STR club socks. I really want to finish them before I get my next club shipment! I'll post a picture as soon as they are done.

Knitting Hands

I have not been posting much BUT this is what I've been doing. I've been working in Early Bird Knitting and teaching an Enrichment Sat Club at my school. I love it BUT this work is cutting into my free time. Commuting into Brooklyn one extra morning is such a drag! The Sat. Club is really fun. We have a small but steady group of girls. I teach knitting and quilting and another teacher teaches dance. I work with the girls on their projects but I also show them mine and in spare moments work on my stuff. We are working with all donate supplies and I'd like to thank Southwest Trading for their generous donation of yarns. The pictures here show most of the girls working with their cottons.

24 questions about myself for my secret pal!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?I love to knit with wool, mohair or wool blends. I hate to knit with plasticy acrylics. 2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?I have needles in pottery crocks, a drawer in a storage unit, my pocket book, various tote bags etc. 3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?I was taught as a young child by my grandmother but didn't really knit much until I was in college. I am 54 now so I've been knitting for a long time! I would consider myself an advanced intermediate knitter. there is still lots for me to learn. 4. Do you have an Amazonother online wishlist No 5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Patchouli, karma, lemon verbena 6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I love candy, and especially chocolate. 7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I play around with spinning but I have not had a working wheel for about 20 years. Sometimes I do spin a bit with a hand spindle. I love to quilt, hand piece and do red work. I also make cold process soaps, lotions, creams and scrubs. 8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I love classical music, folk music and I don't even know what a MP3 is! 9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? I love blues, greens, yellows, red. I'm not a brown or orange lover. 10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I'm married with two children, a son 23 in college, and my daughter is 21 also in school. My husband is retired on a disability. We have two cats and dog. I'm the cat lover and my husband is the dog person. 11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wear hats, scarves and mittens. Ponchos I leave to the younger thinner set. 12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I LOVE to knit socks! 13. What are you knitting right now?Right now I am working on a pair of socks, the club pattern for SocksThat Rock and a tank/vest from black chenille yarn and Blue Heron Rayon Boucle yarn 14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes, I do! 15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Addi Turbo circular OR Bryspun straights 16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? I own a winder not a swift. 17. How did you learn to knit? My grandmother taught me. 18. How old is your oldest UFO?about 20 years 19. What is your favorite holiday ? Christmas 20. Is there anything that you collect? Boleslawiec Blue Polish Pottery, silver bracelets, blue wedgewood, fat quarters. 21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? Right now I'm getting Spin Off. I've let the other subscriptions lapse. 22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? backwards purl 23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I am an addicted sock knitter.My foot measures 9 inches around, 10 inches long and 6inches from the tip of my toe to my ankle. 24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) 08/05