Goals for this Year

I have been reading on other blogs all about everyone's goals for the year.  Some are quilt related and others are life and quilt related....so this got me to thinking about what my goals are for the year.
As always I am hoping to exercise more and eat less.  This goal is not usually met, but I try!  Other goals include reading more--I used to read nonstop, then I took up quilting and over time have decreased the amount I read.  This past year I found "Wool" by Hugh Howey (thanks Nicole!) and the other books in his series which then led me to find out there is a whole Kindle world about the Silos--so next I read "Greatfall" by Jason Gurley which was just as good and that led to reading about 15 different Silo books!

I really enjoyed all this reading about the Silo and I also got off on another tangent reading a bunch of "Pride and Prejudice" spin off books that were fun too!  All that reading reminded me how much I really have missed reading!  So one of my goals is to take the time to read more, it is such a relaxing activity!

As for sewing goals.  One of them is to get to a Bonnie Hunter workshop and I am already signed up for that in February--I know I can't stop telling you about it!  I want to soak up more sewing knowledge from her and meet more of Bonnie's fans and make some new friends! 

I have been working on my quarter inch seam perfection for several years and I happy to say that now that I have Bonnie's little guide thingy I have it down!  So nice that I can mark every machine accurately and quickly, why oh why did I wait to buy that little thingy!  Quarter inch thingy order form is at the link. 

So now that I have that goal met, I can move on to other goals!  My first quilt related goal is to make a Quilt of Valor to send on to Alycia for distribution.  I did a few blocks this past year but don't think I actually finished one and sent it off!  The year just flew by, so that is a priority for this year. 

The second quilt related goal is to join a quilting bee.  I would love to find a group of gals (either online or in person) to do a first bee with.  I have been hesitant to join bees because I don't want anyone to be disappointed in anything I make and some things seem overwhelming to me!  I did keep a close eye on the bee for the PHXMQG and realized I could successfully make most of the blocks they chose.  I need to just stretch myself and join in one! 

I also really want to knuckle down and start Bonnie and Mickey's Ring Around the Hexies quilt: 

This is Bonnie's picure, I love how this comes out and I got the book for Christmas so I really want to at least get the hexi part of it going asap.  Ros said she wants to make this one too, so that will make it more fun.  Anyone else want in?  We can motivate each other on it!  If so let me know and get the book if you don't have it already! 

In knitting my goal is to finish a pair of socks!  I have two pair with one sock done, or close to done and I need to get a match for each done! 
I also really want to learn to do crocheted granny squares and little flowers too! 

I think these goals should keep me pretty busy into this year! 

Sunday Funday!

 Can't recall if I posted my sock again here or just on facebook!  Here is the first sock I did over a year ago now I believe....and the second sock that I had started..I have now ripped out most of the errors and have started working on it again...slowly.  I pretty much forgot everything I knew so I am kicking myself for putting it down.  Pretty sure I will be taking another class on this personal footprints method.  Meanwhile I signed up for a Crafsy class and was going to start that, but felt guilty for not finishing these..so am working on this first, I think.

 This morning I whipped up two pillowcases (following Weeks Ringle's free pattern) with the batman fabric I bought yesterday on sale at 35th Ave.  These will be for Mac for Christmas.  He loves all things comic so every time I see fabric with comics I get the urge to make him something.  Hope he likes them.

I also forgot to post a picture of the grey pinwheels so here they are and I can link up with SoScrappy's blog.  

Packer game on soon, so I will be handsewing my hexies.  I need to grade papers but just can't quite seem to get there...have been reading lots of books lately, but need to switch gears!

Pink Lemonade Flimsy Done and my First Sock!

My first sock is finally done and I am continuing to work on the second one. I love it!
I haven't weaved the ends in yet, but I have plenty of time to do that while I finish the other one.
I saw that Lori posted the last bit for Pink Lemonade so I decided to cheer myself up after that awful Packer loss. Seriously a sad day here! So it took no time at all to cut what was left and do the four corner blocks. And only a little more time to sew it all together. Not sure how I will quilt it but Lori will post some ideas and I will see if I can copy any of them...lol! I have decided I really, really enjoy making small quilts like this. They go quickly and give fast satisfaction and they look so cute on the wall! I am getting quite a little collection and may have to dedicate a wall for them all sometime soon. At this point I just change out one in a spot by my sewing area, but I think there are getting to be too many for that! YAY. I don't think I am ready to give away any of these little ones yet either!

I was just organizing my pictures and updating my flickr too and I am amazed at all I accomplished at the sewing machine in January. I hope I get half as much done in February!

Sock Knitting--An Adventure I Won't Soon Forget!

Here is what my sock is looking like right now, but let me tell you (or show you) the adventure I have been on this last week to master the art of sock knitting. I really am proud of how far I have come this week (with the help of a teacher at the Fiber Factory) but oh man this is no adventure for the weary!
My first sock was with different yarn. I kept doing things wrong so my teacher had to fix it over and over. Just before leaving the first class I realized I was doing each row instead of each round and that was the majority of my issue. Apparently no one else has done this in this class. LOL, I told the teacher that I was a BEGINNER! I only know how to make one pattern of dishcloth and can manage a scarf. So after ripping out and redoing it three times in that yarn I decided to break into the rainbow yarn and give it a go. The toe takes some doing, and now that I had redone it about eight times it makes sense to me.
So looks like it is coming along...
All week trying really hard...
Then suddenly I realize I have turned it all around and am now knitting on the inside and not on the outside. Makes for a great gnome size cap. Couldn't bear to rip it out, so I grabbed more yarn and started over--AGAIN.

Ripped to the last correct part, or so I thought.

And started the next sock in the same colors. See how my toe is getting better each time? LOL.
I do a lot of knitting in the car as the photos might show. It is one place I can eek out a little more time!
Each color added it so exciting! See the pin? I dropped some stitches and didn't realize it til rows later. DJ ran it in to the shop while I was working to see what could be done. It turns out what could be done was more ripping.
So here we are again with a shorter sock and no hope it will be to the point in which our homework required by class time.
This is about the point I made it to before the second class. The teacher said it is looking good and I have taken to the magic loop. So all is not in vain apparently. I do love the actual knitting, but sure can find the hard way to making ONE sock. I really hope I can get up to the spot we are supposed to be for class next week.
Of course that entails doing the "lifelines" on my own that two other gals did in class today. I should say there were five of us and one didn't show today. Two are doing great (they are experienced sock knitters new to this pattern) and one was really frustrated and ripping at our second class. I felt bad for her. She and I both had headaches and and weren't close to done with the first week's homework. The teacher said we can come early next week and hopefully get caught up!

There will be A SOCK, at least one so I can say I did it! SMILE.