Peas In A Pod

Knitted Mittens and Socks--Yes, I also knit!

Remember last week when I said we had cleaned out the garage?  Well, I was very happy to find a box with my knitting supplies in it.  I had been feeling bad because that stuff hadn't turned up yet, and I was wanting to knit.  I found a couple of projects that were all but done, so I finished them up quickly:

On these, one was all done except for tying off the thumb, and the other needed the thumb knitted.  So, I finished this project in less than 30 minutes!  I then felted them in the washerd.  They are really nice, thick, warm mittens for Sweet Pea this winter.  I gave them to her, she put them on, and said, "Thanks, Mom!  These will REALLY help me on the monkey bars!"  Huh?  Oh well, she loved them.  They sort of came out different sizes (meaning they don't quite match in size) after felting.  But they turned out pretty well, overall.

One of these socks was done, the other only needed the toe and instep part finished.  So, I quick finished that, wove the ends in, washed them, and they turned out so cute!  I really love all the self-striping yarn that is out these days!  It's such a nice suprise exactly how the socks will turn out.  I am totally hooked on knitting socks.  They are small and easy to take along when you are going somewhere.  They are an "accomplishable" project.  There is no finishing.  And the sock yarns are so cute!

Not the greatest photo, sorry.  Sweet Pea took it for me.  It felt good to put on handmade socks today.  They look great, huh?  (My pants are not high waters!  I pulled them up so you can see!)

I cast on these.  I had this yarn laying around, and it's wool.  (The orange and pink socks are cotton.)  I am liking how these are turning out.  For me, knitting is a great car project...better than sewing.  And I like doing it in front of the TV, too.  Socks are somewhat mindless to knit, because you are knitting in the round.  No purling.  I made good progress on these over Thanksgiving, so it's almost time to go get a couple more skeins of sock yarn.  I like having a good sock wardrobe!

If you like to knit and haven't tried knitting socks yet, you should.  You'll get hooked, too.  Sweet Pea wants some now.  I have to figure out how to adapt the pattern for her small feet.  :-)

Until next time,

Mama Pea

 

Baking for the Boys: Inside the Cookie Box-Lime Meltaways

via bakingfortheboys.blogspot.com

Here is your weekly installment of Christmas cookie recipes for your cookie exchange or cookie plate, courtesy of my friend, Melissa at Baking for the Boys. I don't know about you, but I love anything lime...lime bars (just like lemon bars, but lime). I am going to make me some of these! Hope you enjoy. Hop on over to Melissa's blog and check out her tried and true recipe for these Lime Meltaway Cookies! Yum Yum.

Here is the link to the recipe:
http://bakingfortheboys.blogspot.com/2010/11/inside-cookie-box-lime-meltaways.html

Oh, and don't go trying to blame those extra pounds on me this Christmas!  haha!  Talk to the thigh.  hee hee.  I've got my own issues with the extra pounds!

Molly's Sketchbook: Felt Christmas Tree Pins - Felt Christmas Tree Pins - the purl bee

via www.purlbee.com

You know, I sure wish the folks over at The Purl Bee would just stop it! (NOT!) They just have the cutest ideas. Here is another fun little project that would be pretty quick and easy to do. Why can't I come up with these things?!  I could see these as little gifts for guild Secret Santas or something to tuck into a gift bag or as a stocking stuffer. Hop on over there for a tutorial on how to make them. Too much fun.

Here is the direct link to the project:
http://www.purlbee.com/felt-christmas-tree-pins/2010/11/27/mollys-sketchbook-felt-christmas-tree-pins.html

Baby Quilt Top Finished, Thanksgiving Revisited

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  We did!  Our trip to Wisconsin was excellent, and I'll tell you about that in a minute.  But first, a quilty item.

I finished the baby quilt top I have been working on!  Good thing!  My "date" with the quilter is December 1, so I had to get her finished.  And here she is in all her glory:

I am SO happy with how it turned out.  I think the wide white borders really help control all the color and pattern inside.  I think it's just adorable.  And I think those bows in the border are just great.  When it gets layered on quilt batting and the backing, you won't be able to see those bits of stabilizer on the back, I think.  (Thanks, Maggie, for your comment on that.)

I need to run out today and get some fabric for the back.  I'm thinking I'll do a white flannel.  I was thinking of white Minky, but that will limit the amount of quilting the quilter can do (or else she'll just matt down the batting).  I might bet both and ask her opinion.  I can always use the one that isn't chosen for something else.  I am also thinking about the binding.  I have some fabric from the colored squares left, but I'd have to do it scrappy, because I don't have enough of any one fabric.  And I'm not feeling the vibe for a scrappy binding on this.  I am thinking of getting some deep red Kona solid to match that red in the squares and in the embroidery.  I have also thought of yellow or green Kona.  But I'm liking the idea of the red.  What do you think?

I'll be sure to update you when it's quilted and bound.  

Well, now back to Thanksgiving.  We drove to Wisconsin to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Pea.
Sweet Pea had a lesson from Grandma on how to make candy cane cookies...Papa Pea's favorite Christmas cookie.  Sweet Pea loves them, too.  They are labor intensive to make, so Grandma wanted our help.  (When I took this photo, Grandma said, "I suppose this will end up on your blog or something."--real sarcastic-like.  Yep.)

This is one proud kid.  She had a great time doing this with Grandma.

This was truly amazing.  Grandma and Grandpa Pea live in this cute little cabin on a lake (thanks to our wonderful sister-in-law).  The lake froze over earlier last week...right in front of Grandma Pea's eyes...Literally!  She said everytime she looked out there one day, another section of the lake was frozen.  Anyway, as we were sitting at the kitchen table  These beautiful white snow geese flew in, landed on the frozen lake, and sat down.

Then, they just laid there on the ice, sunning themselves all afternoon.  It was quite a sight!

Papa Pea's family is big into playing cards.  Sweet Pea gets to feeling bad, because she doesn't know how to play Sheep's Head or Up and Down the River (the two most often played card games in the family).  So, Papa Pea (left), Grandma Pea (right) (and Grandpa Pea over her shoulder), and Uncle Larry (front-Papa Pea's brother, in case you couldn't tell) taught her to play Crazy 8's.  She was very proud (can you tell from the photo?!) and did GREAT!  She won the majority of games.

And since Sweet Pea's birthday is tomorrow, Grandma made her a cake, too.  She was so surprised.  She said, "But my birthday isn't until Tuesday!"  Of course, she was thrilled!

It was a great time.  I am so thankful for inlaws whom I just adore.  I love spending time with them.

I have other goodies to show you...some wonderful gifts from my SIL, some Christmas decorating, and some other projects I'm working on.  But, that will have to wait for later this week.

I do hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I have so much to be thankful for:

• Health and general happiness in my own little family, as well as in my extended family (parents, inlaws, siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles).
• A good job with good colleagues.  (Can't tell you how much that means to me.)
• A wonderful hobby that keeps me engaged creatively.
• The beauty of nature for inspiring us all.
  
• Friends both far and near and in cyberspace.
• That someone invented jeans with lycra in them (especially at this time of year am I thankful for that).
• That I actually started my Christmas shopping early this year and am almost done already!

How about you?  What are you thankful for?

Here's something I'm NOT thankful for...I went to order that fabric on Fabricworm.com (for that New Wave quilt), and you guys bought it all!  You were supposed to leave some for me!!!!  It's all sold out!!!  Well, rats.  I hope they get more in stock!  Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise.  I need more fabric like I need a hole in the head!

Until next time,

Mama Pea

Progress on Baby Quilt, A Surprise Gift

Just a quick post before we head out the door to drive to Wisconsin. 

I wanted to show you a little progress I made on my bright baby quilt:

I managed to get two of the four borders embroidered.  I have the two short borders left to do, and they only have one ribbon motif on them, so they should be faster to do.  I know some of you are machine embroiderers out there.  I have a question for you...

I have done some machine embroidery on quilts, but they have tended to be more dense designs (like the ones I have done on the blocks).  These have a lot of intricate areas inside the ribbon loops, above the little purple swag, and inside the filagree in the center above ribbons, as well as the little filagree out on the sides.  You might be able to see that there is still stabilizer in those areas.  It's hard to get out, and I'm afraid if I use my scissors, I'll cut the fabric.  How important is it that I get it out?  I think once there's batting behind the fabric, and backing, the stabilizer won't be as visible.  Am I right?

This was really fun, because I had to use the Megahoop.  I had not tried that hoop before, so this stretched me a little further in my skills.  The hoop is fascinating, because it has three different positions, which allows you to embroider a fairly large design in one hooping and everything is all lined up perfectly.  Just very cool.  And I think these borders are going to be really pretty on the quilt.

Thanks again, Mom, for gifting me this embroidery machine.  It is such a pleasure to work on!

On another note, I had the nicest surprise the other day.  Elizabeth Hartman sent me a little thank you gift after seeing my book review of her new book, The Practical Guide to Patchwork.

She sent me a pack of petal templates to make this quilt, which is one of the ones in her book.

And she sent me this template for making the New Wave quilt, which is a pattern she sells and for which I posted that fat quarter pack that Fabricworm.com has.  You can see pictures of the finished quilt here and here, and if you want to get the pattern, click here.  Remember, I said I wanted those fabrics?  Well, now I guess I HAVE to get them so I can test out these templates and make that quilt!  Right?

(By the way, if you buy the fabric bundle from Fabricworm.com, you get both of these templates with the fabric bundle right now!)

What an incredibly nice gesture on her part!  I was so pleasantly surprised and so tickeled to receive these.

Well, this will be my last post until Monday, I think.  I was hoping to post a "What I'm Thankful For" post tomorrow, but I just haven't had time to put it together.  Maybe when I get back.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!  If you are traveling, have safe travels.  Stay warm, and have a wonderful time with your family and friends.

Until next time,

Mama Pea