But Do Your Socks GLOW?

 I visit Yarn Bits and Bobs when I'm in Pittsburgh hanging out with my mom.  When I was there in September, I saw this display of Yarn.Rehab from Meadowcroft Dye Works.

The really bright one is called Black Light Elvis and it followed me home.  I had no idea what I was going to make, but it was sooooooo bright I just had to buy it.

Look at all that loveliness!

I downloaded Easy Peasy Socks for First-Timers from Ravelry.  I'm not a first-timer with socks, but I won't turn down something easy.

I started knitting, but when I read the pattern calling for size 5 knitting needles, my brain mixed that up with size 8 knitting needles.  Why, brain?  WHY?!?!?!

My first attempt at the sock was GINORMOUS!

Once I switched to the proper needle size, the socks were done lickety-split.  I needed a FaceTime video conference with my daughter to talk me through the Kitchener Stitch to finish the sock, but I love them!!!

I get very cold feet in the winter thanks to an autoimmune condition, so wool socks are a NECESSITY!

These are supposed to glow under black light.  I haven't tested that theory yet, but will report back once I do.

It's the Great Pumpkin!

 In August I attended a Boo-Cation sewing retreat in Connecticut with quilting friends, old and new.  My friend Maria runs these retreats and does a great job.  She put together several Halloween kits we could choose to make during the weekend.

My eyes spied a kit containing Daiwabo fabric and I immediately knew which quilt I was going to make:

I finished the top at the August quilt retreat, but didn't start machine quilting until September's COVID hit.  COVID hits me like a nuclear warhead (we've been through this three times now) but I was bored, so I asked my husband to help me to my sewing room and to help me as I prepped this little quilt for machine quilting.  I hoped I could handle sitting, coughing, and doing some simple walking foot quilting without his assistance, and it paid off!

I used my FabuLux Meditation thread for the quilting; it picked up on the taupes in the Daiwabo fabrics beautifully and the sheen of the thread makes my heart go pitter-pat.

I finally bound the quilt and it's living on my sofa for the month of October.

My Halloween-loving daughter-in-law is coming to visit in two weeks, so I'm not sure if I'll still have possession of this quilt after she departs.  If she does commandeer it, it couldn't possibly have a better home.

Babies Grow Quickly!

 As I was looking forward to the birth of my grandson, I bought some yarn and fun buttons to make him a baby sweater.  

Well... he's 3 1/2 months old now and it was time to get moving on that baby sweater!

I used the Pop! Baby Cardigan pattern and Big Bad Wool weepaca yarn.

I made this as I was recovering from COVID and let's just say my brain wasn't fully functioning.  I started and Started and STARTED AGAIN.  I ran out of yarn before I could finish the second sleeve.  I raced down to Pick Up Every Stitch to grab another skein of yarn (phew!!!) and finish the sweater.

That one ball of yarn cost me about $150!!!!  Please ignore the lovely bag of yarn I brought home to knit myself a striped Tshirt.  Yes, that happens in yarn shops just like it does in quilt shops!

I tucked in the ends, blocked the sweater, sewed on the buttons, and bagged this up with a cute pair of OshKosh overalls and a gingham top for a fun fall outfit for the boy.  Wait, I said buttons.  DID YOU SEE THE BUTTONS???

How adorable are they?  My grandson has two cats, so this was appropriate.  And adorable.

When I finished the sweater and updated my project to finished on Ravelry, I saw that I originally planned to make the sweater in a 3-6 month size.  And I remembered how in my COVID fog I made it in the 6-9 month size.  And now running out of yarn makes a lot of sense!!!  And it was a great excuse to buy some yummy Myak yarn for a new sweater, too!

September Project Round Up

 September wasn't my most productive month.

I started the month on a long-awaited, restful, magnificent vacation on Hilton Head Island.  I wasn't up to much walking that week, so my sister kindly sent me beach photos from her walks each evening.

I finished my Samadhi scarf in September, just in time to show my team spirit.  Go Steelers!

After vacation, I finished quilting my Aloha Spirit Mystery Quilt.  (Watch me quilt this on YouTube)

I finished machine quilting Shining Brightly, August's Color Block Quilt (free pattern and video HERE)

Machine Quilting Shining Brightly: A Color Block Quilt

Do you see fabric scraps everywhere?

This is my fifth year of publishing monthly scrap quilting patterns called Color Block Quilts.  In short, I cut all of my scraps into 2 1/2" squares, group them into color families, stitch them into 16-patches, and then stich them into simple quilts.

This year, all of the patterns are designed for babies!  I made this decision in the summer of 2024 before I knew I'd have a new grandbaby this year (June) and another one coming December/January!  (Build it and they will come)?

My latest finish is named Shining Brightly.  All of the quilts for 2025 are grouped together in a free (for now) class.  Once you "buy" the class (for free), it's yours forever even if a price is eventually attached.

This quilt is great for my hometown sports fans (Go Steelers!) but would look great in whatever colors you choose.

I decided to custom quilt this because I was listening to a good audiobook and wanted something to do while listening.

Head to the class for the pattern and machine quilting tutorial.

Get stitching, because you never know when a baby (or two) will enter your life!

Aloha Five-0 Mystery Quilt: How I Quilted Aloha Spirit on my Home Sewing Machine

Are you quilting along with Aloha Five-0 through your local quilt shop?  I joined through Bits 'N Pieces in NH and had sew much fun stitching along!!!  

I just finished machine quilting this quilt and wanted to show you how I did it!

I love how the Graphic Circles Stencils make the quilt look like it was quilted diagonally!

It's a treat watching a quilt grow from quilt blocks

to a quilt top

to a quilt sandwich

to a finished quilt!

This quilt's forever home is with a retired policeman I know through my church.  I hope he likes it!

If you missed this mystery but still want to make the quilt, you can buy the pattern HERE.  The next mystery begins soon, so check with a participating shop and join in the fun!

Representing the Home Team -- Samadhi Scarf

When I was in Pittsburgh last summer, I stopped in at Yarn Bits and Bobs, a shop near my mom's house.  I stumbled into the middle of a Yarn Crawl (think "shop hop" for quilters).  There was a party atmosphere and a guest hand-dyer with her wares.  It was so much fun!

While there, I bought a cake of Whirl cotton in black and gold, Pittsburgh's sports teams' colors.

I knew I was going to make a scarf to dress up a plain black top.  My go-to scarf pattern is Hitchhiker but I branched out this time and made a Samadhi scarf, a sister pattern to my beloved Hitchhiker.  The pattern is adjustable, so I made it extra large until my yarn was all gone.

This scarf has a fun ruffle edge on two sides:

I knit this at my sister's house, in hotel rooms, on vacation, on a 4-day drive to/from South Carolina, and cast off (i-cord cast off, yuck) as soon as I got home from vacation, just in time for football season!

It was fun watching the colors fade from gold to yellow to white to gray to black.

The scarf is 60% cotton so it won't irritate my neck.  And it's extra big and drapey.

This was my first finish for September!