One Crazy Fiber Lady

At first I wasn’t going to blog this, my first sewing project with the new machine, a failure.  But I fessed up in couple of emails so I figured it was out anyway, might as well come clean entirely.  I started Kat’s blanket Sunday night after washing and pressing the fabric.  The flannel was just so cozy and the sheep so cute.  I was planning on 12" blocks, 3 across and 4 down for a 36 x 48 or so finished quilt.  Simple.  Quick.  Would get the job done.  Same thing for Alexander, just different fabrics.  I cut the sheep and the yellow companion fabric.  I started assembling and after putting together two rows, I learned that flannel shreds.  Terribly.  With just a little tug, certainly less force than it would face in a quick match between the twins, the sheep fabric shredded and the panels came apart.  Great.  I’ve decided to go for whole cloth quicky blankets and bought some bias tape for the edges while buying more sheep fabric.  I’ll add stitching for loft and call them done.  In the meantime, I bought fabric to make a totebag or two (picked up a pattern when I bought the machine).  I might start on Alex’s blanket and get the stitching done and just have to add the bias tape when it gets here.  Kat has the old crib comforter so she can wait.  I figure i’ll make nice quilts for them for either the spring or when they move to real twin beds, whichever comes first.  I have to say, I like Maryellen’s suggestion of the Hidden Wells quilt pattern.  I’ll start checking my stash for appropriate fabrics.  I used to subscribe to the Fat Quarter of the Month club and don’t remember using 99% of them.  There, I feel better having gotten that off my chest. 

While I don’t have any fabric pictures to show yet, I do have a progress picture of my fingerless lace handwarmers for the contest over at EZasPi.  I did some major work on them last night, finally hitting the thumb and working past it.  I experimented with a couple of patterns for the top border, but wasn’t happy with them and tinked back.  I’ve instead gone for a few rounds of garter stitch to keep the top happy.  I bound off this morning on the train and am now working the thumb.  This has been a very satisfying project.  Because I thought I lost one of the DPN’s, I switched to the sleeve for Twist on the Path Train.  Fortunately, I found the needle lying on the floor of the car as I moved my bag to let someone sit down next to me.  Whew.  I have no more spare needles in Rosewood in this size.  I snapped one at Rhinebeck pulling the glove out to show someone and am already using the fifth for the set.

While I’m coming clean I might as well fess up to this purchase.  Lest someone think that I’m all about acquiring toys, I honestly am not.  It just looks that way recently.  I did pick this up, rather cheaply I might add, on eBay.  It’s a Brother KX-350 mid-gauge knitting machine.  I don’t think its in production anymore so you can only get them used.  I had one of these babies about 5 years ago and snapped the bed one day when it slipped.  I tossed it in a fit of rage.  I probably could have fixed it, but that’s neither here nor there.  I’ve been thinking about getting a new one since and after the Knitter’s Review article, I decided to do it.  I also have a standard gauge and a bulky machine, both with ribbers.  I think they’re both Brother/KnitKing punchcards and I have the garter carriage for the standard. Oh and yeah, there’s another machine hidding in the closet, a Singer standard gauge with ribber, but this one instead of punchcards reads mylar film.  I know, collecting is a problem.  I’m ready to part with the Singer, just would hate like hell to ship it.  Damn thing weighs a ton and hell to find a box for.  Interested?  Let’s make a deal The mid-gauges are perfect for the handknitters weights of yarns.  With the fast(ish) growing toddlers about my house, being able to whip out more for them is the primary reason I picked this up.  But I bet I could also whip out Clapotis finally.

Craft on!