TWO Completed Projects!

Okay, this 'retired' business is starting to pay off.

Last Monday, I went through all my surviving bins and buckets and made a list of all the projects contained therein. Actually, I was looking for (and still looking for) the pair of Gingher sewing scissors and rotary cutter I KNOW I replaced after the fire. I put them somewhere 'safe'. Really, really safe apparently.

Anyway, it's a LLLOOONNNNGGGG list of quilting and knitting projects. And I won't even go into the project bags I want to make and the clothing.

But...

While at The Sewing Palace looking at the quilt for the Block of the Week program this summer, I found a 'kit' for a fox-themed quilt-as-you-go throw.

Texter was all for it, clearing off her computer table (she uses it for school work) so I could set up my sewing machine. My very, very basic sewing machine. 

Now I shouldn't be complaining about my machine. It's a Singer and does what it is suppose to do. However, for a 'beginner' machine, why the hell do they have a bobbin you have to dismantle the machine to put in? It's enough to make someone stop sewing before they ever start! Secondly, the tension isn't self-adjusting to any degree.

And that was my initial problem. Tension. I started sewing this 'beast' and the thread on the bottom looked like the cat threw up a hairball. After a frustrating hour, I set the project aside until I could figure out my problem.

Then in the middle of the night (of course!) it came to me and the next morning I dropped the tension in the bobbin and it sewed up like a dream.

I am going to keep the pattern and probably reuse the design. It was quick and easy, something I could do in a day basically. And since it's a quilt-as-you-go, once I sew the top strips together, it's done, except for the binding!

Yes, it is a bit tricky since you have two layers of minky, which is thick enough, but I also added a layer of batting (suggested by The Sewing Palace). Texter is always cold, even when it's 90 outside! It makes a nice, hefty throw and the minky makes it soft and cuddly.

The kit is by Shannon Fabrics and I only had to supply the batting, backing and thread. There is enough in the kit to make a matching pillow, which will probably be made in the next day or two, before I clean all the lint out of the machine.

The current power struggle - who will use the throw - Texter or Lady K?

Project #2 was finished about a week behind schedule. It was suppose to be done by Mother's Day on the KAL, but I got distracted by the Joji Mystery Wrap.

The Colorwash scarf has been a fun knit. An easy project with lots of yarn-overs and swapping out yarn every two rows. I was a bit hesitant about the combination of yarns, but wanted to use my stash.

It knit up all 'curvy' and you can't really see the 'holes' in it. Pretty dinky as far as a scarf goes in my opinion. But then you block it.

I will admit, as much as I am not much of a 'swatcher', I am also not much of a blocker. But I did block this one. And what a difference!

It's 2 or 3 times larger and you can see the lovely holes in it. What is interesting are the little 'bubbles' of light in it where the two yarns became very similar in color.  Great pattern and I would make one of these again.

So two projects marked off my list of to-do's. Now back to the Joji Mystery Wrap. I am still on week one and week three was just released. And I have a quilt and sock-a-long starting June 1!