Gemini

I posted the beginnings of my Gemini top the other week, so now that the KAL for which I started it is over, I figured I'd share a quick update.  I'm still not done, but I'm making good progress and I'll definitely be able to wear it this summer.

I tried it on the other day and it's great so far!  The fit is just right, with the perfect amount of ease. I'm about halfway done with the body.  I'm a bit nervous about running out of yarn, but I saw it at my LYS the other day, so worst comes to worst I'll have to get some more and hope that the dye lot isn't noticeably different.

Blogger's Quilt Festival

This is my first time participating in the Blogger's Quilt Festival. I'm entering the baby quilt I finished in April, Eli's 2D Zoo. which is only the fifth quilt I've ever made, and the first I seriously FMQed.  I think that's my favorite part about it.  It's definitely not the best FMQing in the world, but I really like how the design works with the quilt, and I saw marked improvement in my stitches as I worked.  I also embroidered a label with the baby's name a birth date - my first time labeling a quilt and embroidering.  Ha, there are a lot of first in this quilt, though I guess that's bound to be the case when you're still new to the trade, if you will.  Anyway, I hope you like it!

Front

Back

Quilting close-up

Label close-up

Quilt Stats:

Quilt Name:  Eli's 2D Zoo (I'm bad with quilt names...)

Quilt Size:  43" x 43"
Pattern:  Improvised by me, inspired by this quilt

Fabrics used:  Riley Blake Small Chevron; Robert Kaufman Spot On Tiny Dot and Small Dot; Oliver + S Roundabout Dots; Joel Dewberry Modern Meadow Herringbone; Violet Craft Madrona Road Haystack;  Kona Bone and Navy; Bella Platinum

Binding:  Violet Craft Madrona Road Broken Herringbone in blue
Backing:  Design by me, same fabrics as above

Quilting:  All over meandering square FMQ done by me on my home machine

WIP Wednesday

I haven't participated in WIP Wednesday for a while, so I figured it was about time I joined in.  Life has been crazy busy the last few months, so I haven't had that much time. I've been trying to focus on smaller projects that only take a few hours over a week or two to complete. I have had a couple finishes that I hope to show in the coming weeks, but for now we'll highlight the WIPs.

 1) Fabric cut and ready to go for my February and March Lucky Stars BOM blocks.  Yes, I'm ridiculously behind.  I have a few sewing days with my guild coming up and these will be my main project.

2) Envelope Clutch by Anna from Noodlehead. I have a few events coming up and need a good summer clutch. (I actually don't have any clutches, so I see a number of these in my future).  What do you think of the dress fabric for the lining?  I LOVE this fabric, but I'm wondering if the scale of the print is a bit too large for this project...

3) Coasters for a friend. These are on my FAL Q2 list, so I'm on a deadline. I only have the bindings left, so really it shouldn't take too much longer.  And there are 6, not 3, but the others look just like these so it didn't seem necessary to photograph all 6.

4) Gemini Tee (on Ravelry) - I'm making this as part of the Tops, Tanks, and Tees knit-along hosted by Shannon from luvinthemommyhood. The deadline is next weekend. Clearly, I'm not going to be finished (I've knit a few more rows since this photo was taken), but I'm determined to have it complete (and blocked!) in time to wear at least once this summer.

Naturally, I have a few more things going on that this, but these are the ones to which I'm giving the most attention.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday with Lee at Freshly Pieced!

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival

The other weekend I went to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  I'd been excited for this for over a year, ever since my friend told me about it, and I'd had the date marked on my calendar for a good 4 months.  Originally, a group of knitty friends were scheduled to come, but after a few last minute cancellations it ended up just being me and Mr. T.  I was able to lure him into coming by telling him he could pet sheep (never having been, I wasn't actually sure this would be possible, but thankfully it was!).

The Sheep and Wool Festival is really a two-fold event.  There's the animal husbandry side, with livestock and equipment for sale, as well as sheep shearing contests. And the other part is a fiber enthusiast's paradise, with countless stands selling yarn, fleece, spinning tools, etc.  A few weeks earlier I had watched a free lesson on Craftsy called "Know Your Wool," so I was excited to examine different sheep breeds and determine the length, crimp, etc. of their fleece.  I also was also hoping to buy hand-spun, hand-dyed yarn from someone who also raises the sheep, but in the end I was too overwhelmed by all the yarn and didn't buy anything.

The best part by far was the sheep dog demonstration.  It's amazing how well trained the dogs were, and how fast they can run!  They literally blurred as they sped by us going to collect the sheep.

All in all it was a cool experience, though I'm not sure I feel the need to go again.  If I did, I'd be sure to have another enthusiast with me.  As much as I love Mr. T, and as tolerant and patient as he is, I think it'd be slightly more fun to go with someone who understands the appeal of a room full of yarn.  Though it might be quite a bit tougher on my bank account...

And now, for photos! (I was a terrible photographer and didn't get any photos of the yarn...)

Bah bah black sheep, have you any wool?

This one was HUGE!

Clearly the weekend of excitement wore her out!

Mr. T waiting for the sheep dogs!

Corralling the sheep

Herding the sheep to the other end of the ring.

Shorn sheep! Missed the demonstration though : (

Very hairy ram

Little lambs. We were thinking about buying one. They were only $125!

Nom nom

  

This guy was pissed. He kept bleeting at us!

He looked feisty too. He had FOUR horns - two up and two down

 

Little goats - only $50! They were about the size of my cats.