there are some bargains to be had

Firstly, if you haven't voted on my 500th post yet, would you please pop over there and vote - it's all for a good cause (or three). Voting will remain open until 8am (Sydney time) Saturday 6th August. Thanks heaps.

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Late last week I received an email from one of the two Big Box Craft Stores in my town saying that they were having a three-day-sale. The sale included 40% off all fabrics and 40% off all yarn!

Now, for a knitter who also sews, that was irresistible!

But then, I remembered that earlier in the week I had received another email giving me 10% off everything in the store, including sale items.

Doubly irresistible!

So, on Friday, I took myself across town to the Big Box Store. I went first to the yarn department. I have plenty of yarn in 8ply (DK) weight and really didn't need anymore. I wanted 4ply (baby) or 5ply (sport) to knit a couple of baby blankies for Angels for the Forgotten. I bought ten balls of soft 5ply yarn - they only had four balls of the same dye lot of the blue so I bought an extra ball of the cream; I estimate that I will need about 5 balls for each blankie.


I then went to the fabric department. I find too much choice quite difficult so decided to concentrate on the fabrics that were already discounted (before this three-day-sale); that is, the fabrics which had been hanging around in the store for too long because they weren't very popular.

I decided to be frugal (I'm not working and have just bought an expensive sewing machine; plus the Big Box Store has sales quite often!!), so I limited myself to ten half metres (20 inches) of a random selection of fabrics. I concentrated on finding fabrics with colours I like - notice they are mostly brights and mostly warm colours with some green and purple (my favourite colour) thrown in to the mix. I did not really consider the pattern of the fabric; once it is cut into two inch strips much of the pattern will be lost anyway!

I know this is not really the greatest choice of fabrics to work together, but they will be used to make string blocks for quilts for charity. Somehow those string blocks just work, despite the variety of fabrics used.

I'm not sure if that fabric with the white background was such a good choice, I may use it for the back of the blocks which will be made in a Quilt-As-You-Go technique (found here). I'm not sure if these will go to Oz Comfort Quilts, but they will certainly be used for quilts for people in need.

When I got to the cutting table, I had the first of two surprises. The sale fabric was included in the 40% off sale! That is, fabric which had originally been marked at $12.99 a metre and $l5.99 a metre and was now marked at $6 and $8 a metre, was still forty percent off; making them $3.60 and $4.80 a metre!

I then expected the sales assistant to total my discounted purchases (which also included needle threaders and thread) and then take off the 10%-off-everything-including-sale-items ! For example, say I bought $100 worth of fabric/yarn - with the 40% discount that would be $60, then a further 10% would be minus $6, giving a total of $54. That would have been wonderful!

But no ... I got forty percent plus ten percent off all the fabric and all the yarn! That is fifty percent off all yarn and fabric! I got the 5 metres of fabric for what amounts to 25% of the original selling price! I know some of you will not agree with me, but I have to say it: God is good! Normally, I delete my emails from the Big Box Stores without even reading them!!

I returned to the Big Box Store on Saturday but it was crowded and messy and I couldn't think so I ended up leaving without buying anything. I wanted to buy some fabric suitable for men but I couldn't find anything much on the sales table and couldn't get around all the people to look at the "full price" fabric!

There will be other sales and I'm sure I have more than enough to be going on with!

500th post

Who'd have thought I would make it this far?

This time last year I had all but disappeared and yet, here we are: my 500th post and to celebrate, I'm doing something different!

I have a certain amount of money (the equivalent of collecting 500 "silver" Australian coins of various denominations)  which I will donate to charity on your behalf!

All you have to do is indicate which of three charities you would like me to donate your share to! Simple, eh?

As the percentages of the poll fall, so will I donate the money.

I did have a poll widget here (which I had to get from somewhere else because Blogger will not allow me to edit my layout!) However, the widget would not accept your votes so I must ask you to leave a comment if you want to vote for your chosen charity - sorry!

The three charities are:

• Medicins San Frontieres (Doctors without Borders)
• World Vision
• World Wildlife Fund

To those who read this blog, whether you comment or not, thank you - this blog would not be the same without you.

And a special thank you to those who are listed as followers - who'd have thought that I'd go from three followers to nineteen in a few short months?!

playing with sharp objects

The other day I was sewing the ends of my quilting into the layers of the quilt (sorry, C. but I like it that way) and stabbed myself in the right thumb with my sewing needle (I'm left handed).

I looked around me and realised just how many sharp objects are part of my everyday life. Apart from the needle I had in my hand, in front of me was my sewing machine which also has an extremely sharp and potentially dangerous needle, given the speed at which it can move.

To the right of my sewing machine, my tool box contained long, flat, quilting pins and a container of round headed pins; as well as spare needles for the sewing machine, a pair of very sharp (and pointy) dressmaking scissors, my rotary cutter and a spare blade.

To my left was a pin cushion which is used to hold that one solitary sewing needle when I'm not actually using it, a container of sewing needles, a small pair of stork-shaped embroidery scissors, my stitch ripper and a broken (and therefore sharp) plastic-and-wire needle threader.

The quilting block I was holding also held several curved safety pins which I use to baste my quilts and on my desk was the container of about four hundred open safety pins (my teacher told me to leave them open rather than closing them after use and opening them again when I need to use them).

On the other side of the room, on the back of my cutting table, is my recently acquired Accuquilt Go Baby die cutter in its very own sleeping bag. Not an essential piece of quilting equipment, and certainly not used every day, but the dies are nonetheless sharp. In a drawer underneath, is DD's right-handed rotary cutter.

After dinner, which I ate with a knife and fork (both having sharp parts), I went to the living room to work on the Pinwheel Blanket. On the floor beside my chair was a set of Knitpicks nickel plated tips on a sixty centimetre (24") cord - they are pretty sharp, much sharper than the Harmony wooden needles. Nearby lay another pincushion, this one holding the tapestry needle that I use for sewing up my knitting and several straight safety pins. There was also a usable but broken (and therefore sharp) all-metal yarn threader, a pair of suture scissors (at least that's what my sister-in-law, a midwife, tells me they are), a pair of 2.75mm dpns that I used to graft pieces together, one 2.75mm straight needle and one 3mm straight needle (which I used to graft larger pieces together) and a packet of crochet hooks in various sizes from 2mm - 5mm.

I am very grateful for the person (or persons) who realised that sharp objects make our lives a lot easier!

I thought I could!

The Western Sydney Institute of TAFE is having their blanket collection and afternoon tea next Wednesday, 3rd August. The blankets will then be delivered to Wrap With Love at the ABC Knit In on Friday 5th August.

Each of the campuses in the institute competes with each other and themselves to see who can make the largest amount of blankets and to beat the individual campus and Institute totals from previous years. In 2009 the Institute donated 73 blankets, and in 2010 we donated 118 blankets.

In both 2009 and 2010, I made four blankets for my campus. This year I again made four blankets - I am nothing if not consistent! All four blankets are made from 8ply (DK) acrylic yarn so that laundering is not an issue.

I did push the time limit a little but I've made it with time to spare. Last night, I sewed in the last of the ends and finished crocheting an edge around the fourth blanket. Here, for your viewing pleasure (and my sigh of satisfaction) is the Pinwheel Blanket.

175cm x 100cm (70" x 40")

And here are the other three blankets I'm donating:

a crocheted blanket

Entrelac Blanket #2

and Fibonnaci Strip blanket


Do you see a theme of bright colours in my work? I thought you might!

one month old yesterday

Younger Grandson came into the world thirty-one days ago.

He hasn't changed much - still sleeping most of the time and bringing up every feed (which is still a concern).

photo taken by WM, 10th July 2011

But we love him anyway!

quilting not finished!

I don't have time to write a long post today.

Yesterday I went to my quilting class, ready to join my quilted blocks.

The teacher said, "You need to quilt (in the ditch) around the frame. I'm sorry; I thought I told you that."

She then showed me how to join two blocks together so that I can work on my quilt at home.

So, that's it, friends; the sun is shining for the first time in ages and I have loads of washing to do

...and I have to quilt those fifteen blocks!

ready for blast off

Seventeen month old Older Grandson (OG) doesn't much like having his nappy (diaper) changed. He has long since outgrown the change table and is usually changed on the floor by his parents or WM, or on a bed by me.

OG squirms and wriggles and tries to escape. Usually that's okay, we're bigger and stronger than he is, but there are some nappies (diapers) that need an octopus to change them!

In 2007, long before we thought of our little girl getting married and having children, we bought beige carpet! Yes, that's right, beige! It stains very easily (despite being marketed as "stain resistant"). To protect this expensive (read: not to be replaced for a long time) asset, DD and I made two play quilts, one 36" square and the other 50" square, to catch the dribble, milk-chuck and other stuff that comes out of babies' mouths (and lower ends).

But quilts take a while to line dry so I wanted something that could be laundered more easily. (Yes, we have a dryer but we hardly ever use it; line drying is normal in Australia - this is the land where the rotary clothes hoist was invented!!)

On Saturday I cut some of this flannel

and some of this flannel

and sewed them together to make this

87cm x 55cm (35" x 22")

... the first of two change mats for an active, growing, not-yet-ready-to-be-toilet-trained boy.

I had such fun quilting this using my walking foot and having the machine on very slowly (I got faster as I went on); I also used Jan's ability to drive herself leaving me to concentrate on what my hands were doing!

I only wish I'd used a different coloured thread so I could see my work! LOL

a note to the Cruise Director

ETA: progress on my to do list is at the bottom of the post!

One of the followers of this blog has self-styled herself as the "Cruise Director" (hi, C!)

In the interests of keeping the ship afloat (so to speak), I bring my latest report on the progress of the Pinwheel Blanket.

The finished blanket will have 112 units (5" x 5") joined together to make 28 blocks (10" x 10").

So far I have joined 80 of those units into 20 blocks.

I then joined those 20 blocks into 10 pairs of blocks.

Four pairs are joined together to make a group of eight (seen on the left of the photo below) and six pairs are joined to make a group of twelve but the twenty blocks (8 + 12) have not yet been united.


Before I ran out of yarn, this was the pile of units I had knitted.


Because there is a mistake in the joining of two blocks in the photo above, and because I would have to rip out 200cm (80 inches) of grafting to fix the mistake, I have decided to let sleeping dogs lie. (Are sleeping dogs allowed to lie around on this ship, Cruise Director?)

The good news is that having made that mistake, I can now make a deliberate mistake and fudge one more block for the yarn I couldn't get!

So now I have to do the following to be finished by next Sunday:

• finish knitting two units which were started but couldn't be completed because of the absence of purple yarn (done - Sunday 24th July)
• join 28 units into seven blocks (done - Sunday 24th July)
• layout the units to see which two colours will work best for my fudge block (done - Sunday 24th July)
• knit four units for the fudge block (done - Sunday 24th July)
• join those four units to make one more block (done - Sunday 24th July)
• join the last eight units into four pairs (done - Sunday 24th July)
• join the four pairs into one large group of eight (done - Sunday 24th July)
• join the group of eight to the other group of eight to make a group of sixteen (done - Monday 25th July)
• join the group of sixteen to the group of twelve (done - Monday 25th July)
• sew in all the remaining ends (started - Monday 25th July; finished Wednesday 27th July)
• crochet a border around the blanket to finish the edges neatly (started - Tuesday 26th July; finished Wednesday 27th July)

Do you think I can do it?

Country Houses quilt update

I have finally finished quilting each of the fifteen blocks for this quilt.

that shadow around the house is caused by the quilting line

close up of quilting 1/4" from the applique house

They are now laid out on the design wall (aka the living room floor) awaiting WM's and my "approval".


On Monday my teacher will show me how to join the quilted blocks together.

I started this quilt with one teacher who advised me to make the blocks 12" square. I made fifteen blocks, giving me a layout of 3 x 5 or a finished size of approximately 48" by 72" (with sashing, border and binding).

But then I changed to another teacher and in the process decided to make it by the "quilt as you go" method. Because the appliqued houses were only one inch from the sides of the block, my new teacher suggested putting sashing around each block to give me room to quilt - now they are seventeen inches square!

So, I hope the quilt shrinks in the process of joining the blocks - it is enormous! That means a fair bit of it will be hidden down the sides of the bed! *sigh*

Ah well, it'll be nice for the Grandbubbies to snuggle under, even if it is too big for the intended bed!

I live and learn!

ponchos

I made this poncho while DD was in hospital after having Younger Grandson.

There was almost no sewing with this poncho; in fact, there could have been none but I decided to turn the edges and hand embroider blanket stitch around the neck and hem

using a variegated 8ply (DK) acrylic yarn.


I had thought about it and researched online before cutting the fabric but I still got it wrong!

I feel that the length of the poncho overall is too small and the neck opening is too large. Therefore I have been reluctant to cut into the second length of polar fleece which I bought for the same purpose.

The ponchos are going to a group home for disabled adults. They wear ponchos to ward off the winter cold while they are waiting for the bus for their outings. These ponchos needed to be made of a fabric that is warm and easily laundered. Polar fleece, which is 100% polyester, can be thrown in the washing machine and will not unravel. Under the circumstances, a good choice.

I wonder whether the poncho should be more rectangular than square-on-point, the long side of the rectangle being the length of an adult arm span (i.e. about 60 -70 inches) and the width of the rectangle one and half times the length from the neck to the waist. After all, the poncho won't need to keep their back warm if they're sitting, just the arms and the chest. The hole for the head would be one third of the way across the width of the fabric so that the shoulders are covered.

Shirley, using polar fleece was an inspired idea - so much faster than knitting!

I can't visit the group home and ask for advice so has anyone got any suggestions for size?

getting to know your machine

It's been a little over three weeks since Jan came to live with me.

Last night, I had the first of my two "getting to know your machine" classes.

First, we were told about needles and threads. Ball point needles separate the threads and go between them, sharp needles just piece the threads. Did you know that it is the sharp needle pushing through your fabric, splitting the warp and weft threads that causes all that lint inside your machine?

Did you know quilters use cotton thread because it has no give? Quilts don't need to give at the seams like clothes do, which is why garments are generally sewn with polyester thread. And rayon thread is used for decorative stitches.

We were shown how to wind a bobbin and insert a bobbin correctly. All nine participants had top loading bobbins, so that made it easier for the teacher. In fact, seven of the nine participants had Janome machines (the other two were Husqvarna).

We were shown how to thread a machine and then we had to wind our own bobbins and thread our own machines. We were then encouraged to try out the stitches on our machines while the teacher came around and explained the various features of each individual machine to its owner!

After some time spent playing with stitches, the various types of foot and their purposes were explained. We were then shown how to sew a buttonhole which we had to follow up with a button hole of our own. How easy they are these days; a far cry from the four step process of my old machine!



Finally we were shown how to blind hem. Since there is little call for blind hemming on my quilts, I asked the teacher if she would show me how to attach the free motion foot correctly. I have broken one needle in three weeks (actually it was in the first forty-eight hours) by incorrectly attaching this foot.

So, while the other participants sewed blind hems - should that be blindly sewed hems? (LOL) - let's try:

So while the other participants practised sewing hems using a blind hemming stitch, I practised sewing free motion circles (not as easy as it sounds) and attempted to free motion quilt my name.


I think more practice is needed!!

Next "getting to know your machine" class - 21st September, in which I learn to use the "memory" on my machine.

upcoming workshops

Thanks C. for sorting out my UFOs! LOL

Here is my tutoring schedule for the rest of this year and what I need to do to be ready for each workshop:

20th August    mini-workshop: no sew grafting
sample needed - will probably take about half an hour to knit and graft two squares

17th September    all day workshop: socks from the toe up
sample needed - plus I need to make sure I know I can do it!

1st October   all day workshop: entrelac
samples already made from former workshop, but I would like to make some more!

I don't have time to be employed elsewhere; so much to do, so little time!

don't look around - you'll be overwhelmed

Well, you may not be - but I'm beginning to feel like I'm drowning in UFOs - again!

I'm generally very focused. I don't mind taking on the big crafting projects - knitted blankets, bed sized quilts.

But, when I'm learning a new craft, I get very excited. I want it all - right now!

On 4th June I went to a quilting workshop intent on learning as many ways to make half square triangles (HST) as possible. I got really excited about HSTs - for a few days!

9" block - one of two - destined to be a drawstring bag

Then I saw a blog with a disappearing four patch block. I really wanted to give that a go. I waited. I forced myself to focus on HST. But eventually I caved and I made one!

8" block - probably destined to be a drawstring bag

Yes, that's it! Just one 8 inch block. And I was ready for the next thing!!

A friend suggested I'd better make sampler quilts rather than confine myself to the same block over and over - and I think she's right!

I don't have a short attention span. I can focus on the same knitting project for weeks on end. But I have been knitting for forty plus years and I've tried most of it! I won't say I've done it all but, well, I've done a lot. There is rarely anything that excites me to think, "I must try it right now"!

Patchwork/Applique/Piecing/Quilting has a different excitement. It's new. It's untried. It's unknown. And I want to do it all. Now. If not sooner.

I can be very disciplined. Yesterday I got a new toy. I unpacked it and took photos to show you. WM and I cut a single shape with it and then I put it away - for later!


When I have finished some of these UFOs (in order of how long they've been hanging around):

I don't know what I'm doing with this. It started life as a scarf but I felt the fabric was too dense for a scarf. Then I thought it would be a bib for forthcoming Grandbubby the First (who's now seventeen months old). It's acrylic and non-absorbent - no good for a bib. I'm thinking I might use the ends for a scarf and knit garter stitch between but I'm not entirely convinced. Any suggestions? (Rip it?)

After attending a knitting workshop with Liz Gemmell last month, I have found a way to deal with all the ends of this blanket so it will get finished - one day; right now it's not a priority!  

Second Sock/Mitten Syndrome is alive and well.

Ambassador of Love mitten - waiting for a mate!

This sock was finished but the cast (bind) off was too tight and I put it in the naughty corner in late April - it's still there!

toe up sock for WM - also waiting for a mate

I would block this shawlette - if I could figure out how! It's not flat; the centre is flat and then it ruffles! Hard to explain, even harder to photograph!

waiting to be blocked

Eight out of fifteen of these blocks were completely quilted until I got sick last week and couldn't focus to sew straight!

Country Houses twin bed quilt

I ran out of red yarn (136 stitches from the end of the last block). WM went to the Big Box Store but it seems they are not carrying that colourway anymore! I have to redesign my blanket to work with the colours I have.

Pinwheel Blanket

This fabric was bought to make two change mats for Older Grandson and drawstring bags for Angels for the Forgotten - once again, I was too sick last week to sew straight!

flannel fabric

This blanket is the thing getting my attention at the moment - the weather has been cold and I have had a cold; these two things combined mean my favourite activity has been knitting, curled up under a rug, in front of the television. This is coming together very quickly - despite me not feeling the love for the combination of yarn and stitch pattern!

Feather and Fan Angel Blanket

I did warn you not to look!! LOL

a parcel came today by courier

At about half past ten this morning, there was a knock on my door. I'm not usually home on Monday mornings; I should have been at sewing class but didn't feel well enough to go today. I don't usually answer the door if I am home alone but I was expecting a parcel (albeit later in the week).

I signed for it and was told, "be careful, it's a bit heavy."

The box looked like this

I patiently waited until 3pm; a little while after WM got home from work - I had to share it with someone and he is always supportive of my crafty habits. When we opened the box, this was inside:

some of you know already!

We removed the protective packaging, and this is what we saw:

And here it, unpacked from the shipping box:

the cutter, three dies and two cutting mats

It came in its own sleeping bag!

Here it is, closed up, ready to travel (that's why it's called Go! and this is the baby - small - version)

Here it is, ready for use (and that's another post)!


Thanks, Accuquilt, for offering the Go! Baby as a give-away on various quilting blogs and for getting this one to me (from USA) so quickly!

Thanks, Nova, of A Cuppa and a Catch Up (an Australian quilting blog), for hosting the give-away.

What would you do?

Before I explain my latest dilemma, I must tell Jessica (and any one else who's wondering) the answer - there are 63 different yarns used in the the intarsia jumper shown in yesterday's post!

Also, as far as the Pinwheel Blanket is concerned, WM was only able to get one of the two colours I need so I have to rethink the blanket design. I really don't like when someone sticks a bit of "nearly the same colour" yarn in and hopes no-one notices! I'd rather redesign the top and bottom edges than have it look 'tacky'!
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So, dear readers, please indulge me: what would you do in this situation?

I have worked on my Modified Feather and Fan Baby Blanket for about eight hours and knitted about 33cm (13 inches).

I am not feeling the love. I don't like the way the colours pool in the variegated yarn. It's not that I am so naive as to think that the colours shouldn't pool, I just don't think the pooling works with the Feather and Fan pattern. I think they are competing.

Generally, I have fairly simple rules for knitting:

fancy yarn + simple stitch pattern **or** fancy stitch pattern + plain yarn.

What do I think is a simple pattern? Well, obviously stocking (stockinette) stitch, but also garter stitch, moss (seed) stitch or even basket weave.

Stocking (stockinette) stitch isn't good for blankets, it rolls towards the 'right' side. Stocking stitch, moss (seed) stitch and basket weave all have 50% purl stitches, and that means slowing down the speed of my knitting - so I opted for a pattern which has only knit rows because I wanted a quick knit in this situation.

So, why did I break my own "rules"?

I really don't know!

After knitting the Feather and Fan for about 30cm (12 inches), I decided to knit plain garter stitch for 30cm. I want to knit the other side of the blanket separately and graft the two pieces together.

Why?

Because Feather and Fan has convex (curving outwards) scallops on the cast on edge and concave (curving inwards) scallops on the cast off edge. As "out there" as I sometimes am in my colour choices, I find asymmetry hard to live with so I want both edges to have convex (outward curving) scallops. This necessitates casting on twice and grafting the two pieces. Because both pieces would curve in opposite directions - the nature of the pattern - when trying to join them, I have decided to put plain garter stitch between them.

So, having made that decision, I found that the plain garter stitch not only looks better in my opinion (not that I have knitted enough to know how the colours will pool) but is also softer than the part of the blanket knitted in Feather and Fan.

Last night before I went to bed, I decided to rip it all off the needles. But I was too tired to do it there and then so left it on the lounge (couch/sofa). This morning, before I got up, I had decided that I would rip it out if the blanket was too wide; that is, greater than 100cm (40 inches)

What would you do?

After taking the photo, and without measuring the width, I have decided to leave it as it is! I can live with it - and some people at Knitters' Guild yesterday thought it was pretty (even if I'm not entirely convinced).

an old jumper

I knitted this jumper (sweater) back in the dark ages, before I had a blog. I finished it in 2003 and I think I worked on it (on and off) for about three years.

taken in artificial light but reasonably true to colour

It was inspired by Kaffe Fassett but is not one of his designs - it's one of my own. The theory is the diagonal patches of light colour would cause the eye to travel up or down rather than across as horizontal stripes would. I wanted something more interesting than stripes anyway!

I'm proud of this jumper but I don't love it. It's very thick and heavy; it's made mostly from 8ply (DK) weight yarn - with some 5ply (sportweight) and some 12 ply (chunky). It's mostly wool with a little bit of mohair.

I don't wear it very often - whenever I do, someone always wants to talk to me about it - it's not a jumper I can wear when I want to be "invisible"!

Now that I've seen the photos - it looks more like a man's jumper, doesn't it?

Today it formed the centrepiece of a workshop I gave on "colour theory for knitters". How did it go? I felt it went okay but it fell a bit flat! But you'd have to ask the participants for the real story, wouldn't you?


Can you guess how many different yarns are in the jumper?

a new project on the needles

I ran out of yarn to finish the pinwheel blanket (afghan)! I'm hoping WM can get some for me on his way home from work this afternoon.

Last night, I should have been grafting all the squares I have knitted but my head is still not clear (from my head cold) and I was having trouble seeing to pick up the stitches on the dark triangles!

Well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

A few posts ago, I mentioned a group called Angels for the Forgotten. They are trying to collect 1,000 baby blankets and 3,000 bags by the end of August. These items are given to "the forgotten" - children who are going into foster care. I want to help and have bought fabric to make some bags but don't feel well enough yet to sew.

Knitting is a different story - I can do that, even with my eyes closed. So, last night, I grabbed some 4ply (fingering) yarn and my 4mm (US 6) needles and cast on several times because in my dopey state I can't count!

After the fourth attempt, I had what I thought was 192 stitches. I knitted six rows for a border then began my modified "Feather and Fan" (aka Old Shale) pattern. I got twelve stitches from the end of the first row and realised I didn't have 192 stitches! I had 182. I had to unpick the whole row. Finally I did what I should have done in the first place - I went and got some stitch markers! I don't generally use stitch markers for such an easy lace pattern but my head is obviously thicker than I thought!!

Anyway, in case you are interested, here is my modified Feather and Fan pattern. I modified it so that baby's little fingers wouldn't get caught in the larger holes created by yarn-overs and it would be faster to knit having no purl rows.

Note: Pattern is done over a multiple of eighteen stitches. (my extra two stitches are now edging stitches - I was going to have a border of six stitches but I wasn't pulling all my knitting out and starting yet again).

Row 1: *K2tog 3 times, (M1, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times*, repeat from * to * till end of row
Rows 2-4: Knit

M1 = make 1; pick up thread between next two stitches from back to front and knit (this creates a small hole and doesn't twist the stitch)

And here is a photo of what I have done so far - not much, is it?

14 rows

all's well that ends well

Thanks for your supportive comments regarding yesterday's kitchen cupboard fit out.

The poor young bloke who was here to install the cupboard (which he estimated would take an hour) was here nearly all day. After his morning tea, he was sent to the local hardware chain to buy the needed wallboard and paint, then he had to remove the old wallboard and install and paint the new board. Finally, he was able to install the cupboard!

Several hours after he had first come to disconnect the pipes, the plumber returned to reconnect us.

By three thirty it was all over! We had a new cupboard and a new tap (we paid for that, it wasn't part of the insurance job).

If the insurance company had been willing to send us a cheque, WM would have attended to the wallboard, the painting and the cupboard himself but no, the insurance company would only subcontract the work to their preferred project managers who, in turn, designated their preferred tradies.

Now we are waiting for phase 2, having the floorboards ripped up and relaid. There is damage to about two square metres of flooring but sixteen square metres has to be ripped up and relaid because of the location of the damage!

As Pinkadot Quilts blog says: "Everything will be all right in the end, if it's not all right - it's not the end!"

things are sometimes more complicated than they seem

On Easter Sunday, DD, SIL and GS#1 came for dinner. We put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher - something we very rarely do (maybe two or three times a year).

Two days later we went away for a week. The day after we returned was FIL's funeral so we weren't home for most of the day.

The day after the funeral, I noticed that something didn't seem quite right with the floating timber floor boards in front of the kitchen sink. They moved in a most peculiar way. WM called the guy who installed the floor in 2007; it turns out the boards were literally floating. There was a puddle of water under them.

We called in a plumber; he sourced the problem to the 25 year old dishwasher and he and his off-sider removed the dishwasher for us.

WM called the insurance company. We are insured with one of the largest insurance companies in the state. They were helpful and had an assessor around within a couple of days.

The assessor looked at the floorboards and the skirting, took photos and left. He didn't open the kitchen cupboard or look at the walls in the space where the dishwasher had been.

WM was not satisfied. He called the insurance company again. It took more than a week, but eventually another assessor came. He looked in the cupboards and took more photos and left.

WM got a phone call from the insurance company. The claim had been approved and the work could commence. But the repair company had only quoted for a laminated floor ($30 per square metre) and we have a full timber floor ($80 per square metre).

Another assessor came out - looked at the floor boards, took more photos and left.

More phone calls ensued and finally we thought the matter was settled.

The joiners came in today to remove the damaged kitchen carcass and install a new one. We would be keeping the same doors, sink and benchtop because they had not been damaged. No problems.

Fortunately, WM is still off sick (I never thought I could say that!!). He noticed that they were about to install the new carcass but had not yet dealt with the damaged and mouldy wall board behind it! He spoke to the young guy who had been subcontracted by the repair company. He called his boss who tried to call the boss of the repair company - no answer.

So now, we have a dismantled kitchen cupboard, no sink and a young guy caught in the middle sitting outside having his morning tea while he waits for some idea of what is supposed to be happening!

WM could have managed this whole project much better than it has been handled!

What is the old proverb: "too many cooks spoil the broth"? Or is "too many chiefs not enough Indians" more appropriate?

the start of a new project - a counting book

In March, DD and I attended a craft fair at Rosehill racecourse. I bought four panels to make cloth books.

Yesterday, I had an appointment at the hairdresser's before my quilting class. I didn't want to take Jan and leave her on view in my car (she won't fit in my boot and has to travel on the back seat with a seatbelt for protection).

So, I took DD's Brother with me and one of the cloth book panels.

First, I had to iron the panel. It had been folded for at least four months so it took quite a bit of convincing to lie flat!

Then I had to cut the book with scissors because the printing was not square.

As a left-hander, my cutting skills are not good (even with left-handed scissors). Take a deep breath, Lynne (and another and another).

I finally had the book cut and was able to put the six pieces together in book form. My teacher then showed me how to semi-block them so that they were the same size and shape. This involved pins and steam from the iron and some gentle stretching of fabric. If it had been any worse, we may have had to resort to full blocking (which is similar to wet blocking knitting; who knew?)

Then I cut the interfacing and ironed it to three of the six pieces.

Not much in three hours, is it?

I realised that a lot of class time is spent waiting for the teacher or the shop owner (to cut the interfacing) or in negotiating my way around the classroom. Although there were only six of the eight of us there yesterday, my work table is as far from the ironing board and cutting table as it's possible to get, so I always have to manoeuvre my way around other people and their chairs. No wonder I can achieve more at home, alone.

Brother didn't even get used! I hope he's not feeling neglected! LOL

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Today, I'm feeling light headed so I don't think there'll be much sewing. First step, though, will be to iron those six pieces again because I had to fold them to bring them home! *sigh*

lurgy

WM has come down with URTI and bronchitis.

He keeps saying, even told the doctor (yes, he was unwell enough to go to the doctor), that he is not sick, he just has a "slight inbalance in the immune system"!

And now I cannot stop sneezing!

Hope the grandboys didn't catch anything from us over the weekend!

I think I can ...

I think I can get my Pinwheel Blanket (afghan) finished before the end of July.

During the past week there has been some no-sew grafting. Most of the units that I have knitted so far have been been joined into four-patch pinwheel blocks.

four units grafted together (no sewing!)

All the yarn ends that met in the centre of each block have been darned in.

All the blocks have been steam blocked (see yesterday's post) - the "star" shape in the previous photo would make joining difficult so blocking was necessary.

straight edges from blocking

A layout has been decided but I don't want to spoil the final reveal so no picture just yet!

24 more blocks need to be knitted and grafted and then I can join all the blocks together, starting like this:

four blocks grafted together (still no sewing of seams)

I think I can!