{Yarn Along} With Vics You Get Eggroll

This (Owlie Socks by Julie Elswick Suchomel, a free Ravelry download) is the most intricate and complicated knitting I've done in years -- and now I get to do the whole thing over again because socks come in pairs.  I'm feeling less than motivated because I guessed wrong on the sizing and these are going to wind up on Teenage Daughter's feet, not my own.




Diane Vallere's Mad for Mod mystery series is a lot of fun. With Vics You Get Eggroll is the latest book featuring Madison Night, an interior decorator who models her life after Doris Day movies. The book opens with a police chase and doesn't slow much after that. It had been a while since I watched a Doris Day movie, but I caught the last few minutes of one on TV not long before reading this book. Having the real thing fresh in my mind definitely added to the experience.

I'd recommend starting this series with the first book. I read the first two out of order and got thoroughly confused. Madison is changing and her relationships are developing. There's one romantic scene in this book that absolutely melted my heart and guarantees I'll be watching for the next one. (That Touch of Ink, the second book in the series, is available as a Kindle download right now for ninety-nine cents. Amazon prices change fast, so make sure to check before clicking the purchase button.)


For more pretty knitting projects to drool over, check out On the Needles at Patchwork Times.


 Disclosure - The publisher provided me with an ARC. 

Lozenges

With everything else going on, this project had completely slipped my mind. It looks like it's been November since I last pulled it out and did some sewing.  Yesterday, I pulled out the box of cut pieces and added another thirty-two units to my collection. 

I think what hangs me up on this project is the pressing. Halfway through each unit, I have to step away from the sewing machine to press and trim away the excess bits. I'm not a huge fan of stitch and flip triangles and this quilt is nothing but those.

But I've got confidence that it's going to be gorgeous (or at least pretty) when I'm done.

This post is linked to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times and Main Crush Monday.

Looking Back

Ten Years Ago This Month...

I was knitting a diaper soaker and pair of Lolita Toes and  thinking about casting on a Clapotis.  I was going to redo the bind off of the socks because the cuff is hard to get over my heel. They're still in the sewing room waiting for me to get around to it.

Instead of hitting the ground running every morning like the Fly Lady said to, I was creeping around quietly in the dark, trying to get stuff done before the children heard me and woke up. I still do that!

Five Years Ago This Month....

I was making lots and lots of scrappy little baby quilts -- 2010 was the year that I made 47 of them. For myself, I was putting together my scrappy Courthouse Steps quilt, the one that I redid a couple of years later as Moab or Sedona?


I'd just finished quilting 38, which was my birthday present to myself that year and figured out that the whole quilt cost me around $30 to make, including thread and batting and backing. Hooray for thrift store quilting!



Weekly Stash Report 

Fabric Used this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Used year to Date: 2 1/2 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 36 yards
Net Added for 2015: 33 1/2 yards

Yarn Used this Week:  0 yards
Yarn Used year to Date: 2400 yards
Yarn Added this Week: 0 yards
Yarn Added Year to Date: 665 yards
Net Used for 2015:  1735 yards

Breakfast Pizza

When I was growing up, my mom made Breakfast Pizza. It was a special-occasion thing, usually while we were camping or on the boat. There were always plenty of leftovers and it tasted even better straight from the fridge.

I've been meaning to make it for my own kids, but never quite got around to it. Then Hubby made lasagna from scratch last week and we had plenty of leftover cheese. I Googled and found plenty of breakfast pizzas, but nothing like the kind Mom used to make. So I improvised from memory.

We've got a big family and I wanted leftovers for midnight snacking, so I used our biggest lasagna pan. If you want a smaller batch, just use a smaller baking dish and adjust the amounts.

Unroll two tubes of crescent rolls and press them into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with a drained can of sliced olives, a drained can of sliced mushrooms, and sliced little smokies, Cover with a mix of shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese.

In a separate bowl mix seven or eight eggs and a dash of milk with salt and pepper.

Pour the egg mixture evenly over the cheese, making sure that it soaks into all of the gaps and open spots. Bake at 375 degrees until the eggs are cooked. Mine took about 45 minutes.

For faking it from memory, I think I came pretty close to the original.

Let's Make Baby Quilts! {4/10/15}

Look at these zebras that Tanya from Tanya Quilts in CO linked up last week --

The back is zebra striped. I can't stop smiling about this one, it's just SO cute! She used the free Zany Zebraz block tutorial from Sew Fresh Quilts. 

Let's Make Baby Quilts Linky Party Rules: 
Link directly to your post or specific Flickr photo. Your post can be about a baby quilt that's finished, or in progress, or you can be writing about what you have planned,  as long as it's about baby quilts. You're welcome to link to baby quilt posts that aren't brand new, but please don't submit the same post or picture more than once. I'd love it if you linked back to my site, either with a text link or the Let's Make Baby Quilts! button.

{Yarn Along} The Dragging Around Socks

These socks have been to classes and appointments and everyplace else. I should have added stitches to the cuff (extra annoying because I knew better and still didn't do it), so Teenage Daughter is going to have another pair for her collection. That's okay, because I'm knitting more than enough pairs for both of us to have plenty.



I can't remember how I wound up checking out Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. It was there at the library with the rest of our reserves and I almost put it right back into the return bin because I couldn't remember requesting it and I'd wound up with the large print version by mistake. (The new online card catalog and I do not play well together.)

I took it home and started reading and I'm so glad I didn't put it back because this book and its tangle of events and its conclusion are so absolutely perfect that I still can't get over it.  Don't you love books that make you feel like that?

This is one of those books that opens with the news that something Really Bad has happened and then takes you back to the beginning. I've read a lot of those lately. Part of me enjoys them and part of me gets really impatient waiting to find out what the bad thing even is. In this book, you know that something awful happened at the preschool's trivia night.  Beetween the chapters, little snippets from interviews conducted after the tragedy hint at what happened.

I found myself really liking the three mothers in the book (which is rare for me) and really dreading something bad happening to any of them. I can't tell you any more than that without spoiling the fun.

For more pretty knitting projects to drool over, check out On the Needles at Patchwork Times.


 

I Want One!

Look what the kids and I saw at the thrift store earlier this week: 

If it had been a little bit cheaper, or if I'd had the know-how to figure out whether it was in working condition, it would have come home with us. Because I seriously want an old phonograph. This one would even fit in my house.

The old record player on the left isn't bad either, but I was too dazzled by the older one to see what they were asking  for it.

The iron looked fun, too, but I've got something similar in the sewing room already and I was being good.

Want to know what  I did buy? A stack of inexpensive chapter books for the boys and a three dollar pair of shoes for Teenage Daughter.

This post is linked to Thrifter Share, Ivy & Elephants, Knick of Time, Thriftasaurus,

{Guest Post} Yes, We're *Virtually* Old Friends by Joanna Campbell Slan

I tend to get so caught up in the Kiki Lowenstein series and the Cara Mia Delgatto series that I forget Joanna writes fantastic historical fiction. The Glassblower's Wife is rich with vivid historical details and emotion. If you're looking for a short escape to the past, this one's for you. 

Yes, We're *Virtually* Old Friends

By Joanna Campbell Slan

I have no idea how Michelle and I met, but I'm pretty sure it was online. Looking back over our emails, we've been in touch with each other for nearly three years. I've read about her sons going trick-or-treating, and her daughter returning from a sleep over.

A lot of people complain about Facebook and blogs and social media. I'm not one of them. I'm a huge fan of all these wonderful ways of reaching out and staying in touch. It's true that I'm a bit of a hermit, so I know I'm not in the majority. The island that I live on is practically deserted. Only 300 souls live here year round. My husband travels a lot. Most days a big conversation at my house goes like this: "Wanna go outside and potty? Yummies! Sit! Roll Over."

Yup. That's me talking to my Havanese puppy, Jax.

So I value my online friends like Michelle. Many nights I literally fall asleep with my iPad on my chest while I feed my Pinterest addiction. (A friend once told me with a sigh, "Pinterest is like crack for soccer moms." I'm totally in agreement.)

The sad part is that if Michelle and I were both in an airport at the same time, we might pass each other by. I have no idea what she looks like!

The happy part is that I once posted on Facebook about a problem I was having with my hotel while traveling, and a dear friend I hadn't seen in twenty years was in the SAME town at the SAME time so we got together and had lunch. Wow. Was that ever cool!

A lot of my readers think of my characters as old friends. I'm known for my Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series and for my newer Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series.

I'm taking a chance by introducing Ruth Telfin, a heroine from 1684, in my newest work, The Glassblower's Wife. But Ruth has been tugging on my sleeve for more than a year. She's insistent that her story is worth telling.

I hope that some of you will give her a chance. Who knows? You might meet a new *virtual* friend!

**

About The Glassblower’s Wife –

In the late 1600s, the Doge of Venice sent assassins to kill a group of glassblowers who had been enticed by the French to work on the Palace of Versailles. One by one, the Jewish artisans were picked off…leaving the Hall of Mirrors unfinished, until an unlikely heroine stepped forward and performed a miracle.

Buy it today for only 99 cents!  * 4.8 out of 5 stars rating  

**

Free offer—

If you'd like to learn more about the background of this LONG short story, send an email to TGBWBonus@JoannaSlan.com You're receive a printable copy of the cover, discussion questions, and information about the fact and fiction in this tale.

**

About the author—

Joanna Campbell Slan is the national bestselling and award-winning author of twenty-eight published works. She loves history and traveling, but most of all, she loves walking the beach. Joanna and her husband David live with their Havanese puppy, Jax, on Jupiter Island, Florida. Visit her at www.JoannaSlan.com

**

Giveaways

There's a giveaway for a $50 Amazon gift card over at the tour page. You can find that by clicking here.  And I've got a copy of the ebook to give away to one of my own readers. To enter, just leave a comment below before 11:50 PST April 13.  I'll randomly pick a comment and notify the winner.

Starting this week, my friend Joanna Campbell Slan will be giving away her work several times a month. To find out WHAT and WHEN, you must be on her mailing list. Go to http://www.JoannaSlan.com and sign up.

More Dingbats!

I'm making progress...

This post is linked to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times and Frontier Dreams.

I don't remember this stuff...

Most of the time, when I pick up something from my stash, I could tell you where I bought it and what I planned to do with it. Except for some of the fabric that came from Grandma or Craigslist. If I bought it new, though, I usually know where it  came from.

This stuff, I don't remember. But that's okay. I've managed to completely forget quilts and sweaters. If I can forget a project that I poured hours of my life into, I'm not going to feel bad about forgetting an occasional skein of yarn.

The important part is that I know exactly what I want to do with this yarn.

How good is your memory of you own stash?

Weekly Stash Report 

Fabric Used this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Used year to Date: 2 1/2 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 36 yards
Net Added for 2015: 33 1/2 yards

Yarn Used this Week:  0 yards
Yarn Used year to Date: 2400 yards
Yarn Added this Week: 0 yards
Yarn Added Year to Date: 665 yards
Net Used for 2015:  1735 yards

Civil War Remembered

The gals from Country Threads have a new book out and it's got me drooling. Civil War Remembered: 19 Quilts Using Reproduction Fabrics by Mary Etherington and Connie Tesene is full of pretty little quilts. I've been a fan of their quilts for quite a while now, and I'm adding a bunch from this book to my "to stitch" list.

The Devil's Claw block has intrigued me ever since I saw it and heard that name.

The story behind these two little doll quilts both horrifies and fascinated me -- they're  called Scorched! for a reason.

Let's Make Baby Quilts! {4/3/15}

If you haven't seen it already, check out how one of Bonnie's readers used her Grand Illusion pieces to make SIX baby quilts! 

Let's Make Baby Quilts Linky Party Rules: 
Link directly to your post or specific Flickr photo. Your post can be about a baby quilt that's finished, or in progress, or you can be writing about what you have planned,  as long as it's about baby quilts. You're welcome to link to baby quilt posts that aren't brand new, but please don't submit the same post or picture more than once. I'd love it if you linked back to my site, either with a text link or the Let's Make Baby Quilts! button.

{Yarn Along} Lemon Drop Socks

One of the things I love about sock knitting is that you can use absolutely any color that strikes your fancy, without worrying about how it will look in your house or whether you'll look good wearing it, or if it'll match anything else you own.

These are bright, even brighter than the yarn was in the skein. The stitch pattern is Double Garter Ridge and the yarn is Sock-Ease in the Lemon Drop colorway.



I'd pre-ordered Shotgun, Wedding, Bells by Joanna Campbell Slan, but life got in the way and I didn't get a chance to read it until a week ago.

Here's the Amazon description:

In Shotgun, Wedding, Bells, a very pregnant Kiki Lowenstein and her fiancé Detective Chad Detweiler are trying to race the stork to the altar. But their vows are interrupted by a shoot-out. With the help of her nanny, Bronwyn Macavity, Kiki vows to track down the man who ruined her wedding and put her family at risk. Even a big belly bump won’t stop this intrepid amateur sleuth!

I've enjoyed all of the books in the Kiki Lowenstein series and this one is no exception.  In this one, the action starts early on and doesn't let up. (I think it's the only book in the series where Kiki hasn't found time to craft.)  I did find myself wondering if Kiki went just a little too far in this book. It'll be interesting to see what happens in Glue Baby Gone.

For more pretty knitting projects to drool over, check out On the Needles at Patchwork Times.


 

I've found the strangest things at garage sales...

This platypus is probably one of my first garage sale finds. I don't know how old I was when I bought it -- nine or ten, maybe younger. Definitely not much older. It was either a quarter or fifty cents.

The neighbor girl told me that it was from Australia and real kangaroo fur. The tag on his belly reads "Made in Queensland, Australia Koala & Joey Toys Pty. Ltd." I've Googled everything I can think of and the closest thing I can find is this ebay listing. The eyes and little rubber claws look the same as mine, but that one looks either much newer (my guess) or much more carefully preserved.

Some of the hair has rubbed away and he's stuffed so tightly that those stitches make me nervous. I can easily imagine a seam failing. But considering it's a toy I bought during my own childhood and it might not have been very new then, I suppose I can't complain too much.

This post is linked to Thrifter Share, Ivy & Elephants, Knick of Time, Thriftasaurus,

Dingbats!

I spent Saturday morning at quilt guild, learning how to make Dingbats!  The pattern is meant to be done in striped fabric, but I'm trying to stick to the fabric I already own. "Dingbat" is a printer's term, so I decided to go with this inky grey and do mine without the accent bits.  (My first choice was the same grey I used for Little Letters, but I couldn't lay my hands on it at the last minute.)

Mine didn't look anything like the others, but I like it. Once the quilt is done, I think it'll be great for the boys' room.

I've got to admit that I wouldn't have picked this pattern up on my own. Those colors and stripes aren't my style (although now that I know how this works I think there are some garish stripes in my sewing room that may become one block baby quilts.)  It looks like it has curved seams, but it doesn't...and I'm a quilter who goes out of my way to look for curves.

But I'm glad I gave it a try. I really like the way my quilt is coming out and this is such a neat technique.  If you get a change, I definitely recommend taking this class from Sam Hunter. It's all kinds of fun.

Oh, and she's got a book, Quilt Talk: Paper-Pieced Alphabet with Symbols & Numbers 12 Chatty Projects. I bought a copy and I'll be gushing about it just as soon as I get a chance.

I'm Giddy Again

You know, it's kind of ridiculous how giddy I can get about old hot iron transfers...but Mom found more in a drawer and they came home with me last week and I've been happily sorting through them and planning which ones should go in the quilt.

I've seen these big landscapes on Pinterest, but I didn't have any in my own stash. I don't think they're going to fit into this quilt....but I know I'm going to stitch one sooner or later.

Weekly Stash Report 

Fabric Used this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Used year to Date: 2 1/2 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 36 yards
Net Added for 2015: 33 1/2 yards

Yarn Used this Week:  400 yards
Yarn Used year to Date: 2400 yards
Yarn Added this Week: 0 yards
Yarn Added Year to Date: 665 yards
Net Used for 2015:  1735 yards

This post is linked to Patchwork Times.

Doodling and Practice

I absolutely love the quilting that Lori over at The Inbox Jaunt does. Last week, she posted a tutorial for the cutest free motion sewing machine.

I pulled out pen and paper and started to practice.... 

I think I might be getting worse instead of better, but at least I've memorized the steps.  And I'm going to keep trying. Maybe it's time to take a deep breath and doodle on fabric.

In Friday's post, she started a series of Doodle Lessons. I couldn't keep up with her Quilt Notebook series, but hopefully life is going to stay calmer than it was last year.

Let's Make Baby Quilts! {3/27/15}

If you haven't seen it already, check out how one of Bonnie's readers used her Grand Illusion pieces to make SIX baby quilts! 

Let's Make Baby Quilts Linky Party Rules: 
Link directly to your post or specific Flickr photo. Your post can be about a baby quilt that's finished, or in progress, or you can be writing about what you have planned,  as long as it's about baby quilts. You're welcome to link to baby quilt posts that aren't brand new, but please don't submit the same post or picture more than once. I'd love it if you linked back to my site, either with a text link or the Let's Make Baby Quilts! button.

{Yarn Along} Yarn Over Cable Socks

The Lemon Drop socks are almost done and it was time to find another  stitch pattern that I could keep in my head while watching TV with the  family. 

I've learned from experience that it's best to cast on a new project while I've got time to figure it out and deal with false starts. That was a good idea with this project, because the first line of the chart has an error and I misread it in the written instructions.

I've never slipped one, knit two, then passed the slipped stitch over the two knitted ones before, so my brain saw "slip on, knit two together, pass slipped stitch over" because isn't that how it's always done?  (And because that was the symbol in the chart.)

Now that I've got it figured out, I'm loving this stitch pattern, the Yarn Over Cable from Sensational Knitted Socks.




I love haunted house stories. The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie has some seriously creepy moments and does a great job of handling the whole issue of "if there's enough going on in the house to make the book scary, why on are they still living there?" It's based on a YouTube channel that I'd never heard of until I picked up the book. After I was done reading, I watched season one while I was casting on the new socks. It was fun and I hope I'll have time for another season soon -- and I'll be watching  for the next book.

For more pretty knitting projects to drool over, check out On the Needles at Patchwork Times.


Disclosure - The publishers provided me with a review copy.