apples in the park

It feels like a very long time since I finished a quilt, but here is Apples in the Park –

It turned out as a lap quilt, and came about just because I wanted to sew some squares together.  Seriously, the patchwork top took me about 15 minutes to make.

It’s scrappy in every sense.  The top is made from leftovers of my recent projects and those of my buddies, the binding is five leftover jellyroll strips and even the wadding inside is a bit of jigsaw puzzle.  I forgot to photograph the back, but it’s some simple Ikea fabric.

I can’t believe I’m writing this, but I started making this as a quilt for my sister’s puppy.  Then, halfway through the quilting I looked over from my sewing machine and Ruby had her cheeky puppy face in my knitting basket.  My handspun Flukra no longer has any yarn attached, though the shawl itself is fine.  Thankfully Ruby is ok too, and produced some handspun this morning on her walk.  I quickly saw sense about the recipient of the quilt though, and its currently on the way to my mum.

Penny is disappointed that yet another Handmade Thing I Could Lie On has left the house.  I tried to take photos of her beside it for scale, but instead got a ‘you can take a photo with one hand and rub my belly with the other don’t you know’ pose…

stranding and smugness

I have a new obsession.  Yesterday I sat at my knit night working away on my socks, but thinking about nothing but cake and starting these mittens.  Within five minutes of getting home I had the yarn wound, and before I gave in for the night I was past the first thumb –

I am loving this pattern, its the End of May Mittens by Mandy Powers.  And look! – there is a matching hat…  I added a picot edge and I’ll be lining these with some laceweight cashmere for added loveliness and then giving them away, as usual.  I know they’re going somewhere nice and appreciative though, don’t worry!  The yarn is delicious, Shilasdair‘s Luxury 4ply, a lovely light, soft and smooshy lambswool/angora/cashmere blend.

And with these almost all my Christmas knitting is done (mwha ha ha.)  I am especially smug about it this year, it just doesn’t seem to have taken as long as I thought it would.  I just have a couple of pairs of simple socks to make, the finishing on my sister’s quilt, and then I can sit back and make things for me that absolutely will not be given away (or allowed to be stolen by my sister.)  Whoops.  I already started a sweater…