Lot's o' Time

As I mentioned in an early post, one of my dearest friends is battling an aggressive form of lymphoma.  This situation brings with it many challenges including food prep, appointment scheduling and medication management.

It also provides some great opportunities to examine one's life, to sit quietly with the people you love and to commit time to those people/things that are important.  For me, it has also provided a lot of sitting around time, whether at the doctor's office, the oncology floor (or recently ER).  Usually I would knit during these intervals, but my knitting mojo and I are working through a very strained patch in our relationship (a bit of a seven-year itch).


I carry my Ishbel (ravelry link) shawl around with me and it is coming along nicely.  I think I missed a yarn-over a few rows back and I'm trying to decide if I care.  The vine pattern seems to be a bit forgiving and damnit, this is supposed to be fun.  Getting it "right" sucks all of the fun out.  Take a look-see, it's hard to tell anything and in order to spread it out I've gotta take 100+ stitches off the needles...that ain't happening...any thoughts?

Semi-solid dark sock weight yarn on size 6 needles...very hard to photograph.

Also, I have been plugging away on my hexies quilt.  Through the flickr group I have already agreed to swap 2.5" squares with several quilters even one in the UK.  I have purchased several bundles. I'm especially excited about this one.

Nevertheless, I have finished all of the squares in my possession.  I'll take some time to cut up my stash and continue.  It's my plan not to repeat any fabrics.  I never thought that I would be into hand-piecing, but I love it.  And all of the people who say that a hexie quilt is addictive, believe it.  I plowed through these in no time flat.

Behold hexies in progress.

I'm looking forward to continuing on the crafty path.  It's a welcome respite from my crazy work and personal lives. 

Saved by Jo-Ann's Fabric

I would not consider myself a fabric/craft snob by any stretch.  While I have yet to incorporate thrift shopping into my crafts, I frequently check out what my local thrift stores have to offer.  I am, however, not partial to large chains.  I like my fabric stores, moderately-sized like here and here, where the staff use the products and know the craft.  I tend to not find that at the larger stores.

So imagine my surprise when I, desperate for a project but unable to travel the 45 minutes one way for the nearest to me quilt shop (that meets my criteria), begrudgingly went to the local Jo-Ann's Fabric.  I don't think I've ever been in a Jo-Ann's this big.  I mean huge-so huge, there is an independent sewing machine dealer inside of it.

I was desperate and I was satisfied.  I bought several items to get me started on what will be my next long-term quilting project.  It's a 1" hand-pieced hexagon quilt top...or at least it will be.  I have been following Texas Freckles blog with the very helpful videos and tips.

 I might not go insane on this family vacation/visit after all. 

I don't know how big the finished quilt will be, but I like the idea of piecing and then laying them out in a gradual color spectrum.  The only problem with that strategy is that you have to piece a whole heap-a-hexes in order to get the color layout right.  Let me get piecing and see how this goes.  ~ksp