A New Hampshire Knitter

I recently got the quilt back from the quilters! Wednesday afternoon, I got the call that it was ready and I went and picked it up. And it was GORGEOUS. So today, under the watchful supervision of Molly (above), I attached the binding.  Even though handsewing, in my opinion, looks better, it comes out all sucky when I try. So machine sewing it is.  (Doesn't that quilting look fabulous? I'm really happy with it.)

Orange and blue are not colors I would have instinctively put together. In fact, the (perceived) contrast) was why I bought the fabric- I planned on doing a specific quilt, and I thought the contrast would have looked REALLY good. (and, let's admit it, different than my usual color schemes.) But when I went to print and start the planned quilt, the pattern had disappeared. DRAT! I had to come up with something else to do with all this fabric. Which didn't work with ANYTHING else in my fabric stash (except, of course, the black and gray I bought for the original quilt.) But I had decided I didn't like the gray with the orange and blue. But then I saw this other quilt. To be honest, I'd seen pictures floating around Pinterest before. It was interesting, using half square triangles (which was a new concept/technique for me), and maybe a Someday quilt, but I was seeing it in a different light. I was seeing it in Orange and blue. Keep tuned for the re...

My kitty, Molly. Who is an absolute sweetheart. Don't you want to just rub that belly?

Here in New Hampshire, we were just hit with an average of 30 inches of snow. That was last Tuesday. Today, it was snowing again. Just flurries; enough to be seen, not enough to accumulate. I was leaving my office this afternoon, running some papers to the courthouse, and a guy next to me mused; "It's snowing. That's different." Completely sarcastic, but it still rang a chord. Usually I love winter (usually, winter means I can deck out in handknits), but this year? Totally over it. The snow, the gray skies, the dry skin... I'm done. Just keeping my eye on the prize: which is, a cruise to the Bahamas, leaving May 31. This is only the second time in my 29 years that I've looked forward to leaving winter for warmer climes- the last time being after a week of no electricity. I know I'm not the only one with these feelings. Therefore, I have decided to share with you. From now until May 31, 2015 I am running not one, but two sales. First, my stitch marke...

It's September 10th. There are now 105 days until Christmas. Holy crap, only 105? Sure, 105 days seems forever away- after all, it's triple digits. But for a crafter, 105 days is nothing, It's under four months, and most crafters, even the "selfish" ones, feel the urge to make something for everyone for Christmas. Normally, I quelch the urge. My handmades go unappreciated, and unused. And I make things to be used. And appreciated. This year is different- I'm broke seven ways to Sunday- I can make my expense, but that's about it. So I'm crafting if I can. I still got a chuckle and an appreciation for this article though: The Ugly Truth.  Because even to the broke among us;  some people deserve coffee cups.

I'm not sure about the amount of coverage this story is getting nation-wide, or even world-wide, but here in New England, the story of Market Basket is dominating the news cycle. It has been since June 23rd, when Artie T, or "the good Arthur" was ousted as CEO of Market Basket. Why was he ousted? It wasn't for the reasons most CEOs are ousted. He was let go because of greed, pure and simple. He was let go because his cousin, Arthur S, is full of greed, hatred, and revenge. The warehouse workers and truckers were the first to stand up and fight for our way of business, and our way of life- because at Market Basket, we are a family, and we feel like our family is being destroyed not from within, but from outsiders. While I don't have much in the way of spare money, I do have yarn- and I do have (some) free time. That is why I am proposing this- I am knitting a stuffed giraffe, and placing it up for auction/bid/whatever. Proceeds go to the warehouse fund, whic...

I hate binding quilts. Hate it. I know hate is a strong word, but that's how I feel about binding quilts by hand. It's tedious, and they end up loose and floppy. However, I didn't think I had a choice. However, I had a stack of quilts all done, ready to go. All they needed was the binding to be done. I had already attached the binding, it just needed to be sewn down. That's it. Well, like any crafter on a budget, I watched a couple youtube videos. And I found one that really worked. And, within hours, I had all three quilts bound, washed, dried, and posted onto Etsy . I was SHOCKED at how easy it was. Any quilters out there? It really is amazing.