FO Friday 6/27/14

I mentioned in our last post how I got 2 larger projects done this past week.  These looming deadlines kicked my butt into gear!  After 8 months of on again, off again stitching, I FINALLY got my Spooky Sampler done!  Now I can frame it and be ready for Halloween!  

Halloween Spooky Sampler pattern by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

Not only did I finish my sampler, but I also finished my June socks and I am so glad they are off the needles and safely tucked away in my sock drawer.  
The pattern is easy to follow, the yarn was lovely to knit.  About halfway through the leg on the first sock I was ready for it to be over.  I think I had so much going on  in my world that following a detailed pattern was too much for my brain to handle.  On Sunday, I went to see the Iron Pigs play (That's our local minor league baseball team).  I had just started the second sock and managed to knit 2 pattern repeats during the game.  After that, I went into beast mode to get them done.  By the time I got to binding off the cuff, my brain was dead.  I stupidly cut the yarn to pull it through the last stitch when I realized that I wasn't done with my bind off.  I still had another needle to go.  D'oh!  So, I joined the yarn and continued binding off.  I moved on to my afterthought heel.  No big deal.  I've done this like twenty times before, right?  Yeah...about that.  While I was kitchenering the heel, I was singing along to music playing on Spotify.  Somehow, I got so into it that I forgot that I was even working on my sock.  I looked down and the stitch count on the two needles weren't the same.  So, at this point I fudged it and went on my merry way to the finish line.

Rainbow Explosion pattern by Lauren McMordie  Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Slushie Facial

I have a few knit FOs this week and a sewn one as well.  The first I have to share is another Voodoo You Love me  by Susan Claudino.  There are two Puffs who are expecting their second child, so I am sending a softie for each of the older brothers.  That way when mom gets a big box for baby there is something for the big brothers too.  

Voodoo you love me - Susan Claudino - Dancing Dog Dyeworks - "Jenna"

I brought this little guy up to Glen Onoko so he could bask on the rocks there.  I love how bright and colorful he is.  I have made two of these toys so far, but think I need one to hang out in my craft room in the new house.  I am so excited that I will have a room where my sewing machine can be set up all the time.  I can also have my spinning wheel there instead of hanging out in my living room.  
The other FO is a shawl knit in some gorgeous yarn dyed up by the Three Irish Girls.  This colorway is called "You are my Sunshine" and they donated part of the proceeds to a group called SHARE that supports people who lose pregnancies and babies.  I loved the colorway when I saw it and love donating to a worthy cause. This was a limited colorway so I have been holding on to it trying to find the perfect pattern. I decided to knit up the Holden shawl by Mindy Wilkes. I knit the smallest size and left off the picot hem and I really like it.  It is an easy knit and I finished it up in a little over a week. 

This week I also sewed up a little pouch with a zipper. This is the first time that I have put a zipper in all by myself! I think that it turned out pretty well. I can see a few things that I can improve the next time that I sew one up. I am just glad that I am not as scared of zippers anymore.  My projects survive better from the chomping kitty in house in zippered bags, and if I can make my own, I will have one for every project on my needles!

I followed the tutorial found here. It was really easy to follow. The only thing I would make sure to add is before you top stitch on your zipper you should iron the fabric back away from the zipper.  That way you wont get the fabric caught up in your zipper when you use it later.