WIP

Any guesses?

Twitchy fingers

First up: New variation on the toe-up socks I've been churning out recently, this time in Berroco Comfort Sock, a 50/50 blend of superfine nylon and superfine acrylic. These are going to be a Mother's Day present for my mother-in-law, who should like the yarn color that Liza picked out for her.
I'm pretty pleased with how these turned out, and the pattern is easy enough that I may try writing it up to share. I don't have any knitting patterns written out yet, so it would be a nice change of pace from what I've been working on recently.

And: the triumphant completion of Eve, the sweater I made using the wrong size yarn and different size needles, but still ended up mostly the right size. And I didn't even have to frog the aborted previous sweater to get enough yarn to finish this one! How's that for awesome?

And before I get any snide remarks about my photo skills, let me point out that when one is taking photos of oneself sans makeup at 1am, it's important to make sure that the camera IS blocking your face. Trust me on this one, okay?
Hmmm, is it drafty in here, or is it just my sweater. Yeah, I thought so.

Next up: ???? Wait, I don't have a project. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! The horror! And to think, I was less than a mile from Susan Yarns today, and I didn't have time to stop by. Bad knitter! Bad knitter!

How lazy am I?

Yesterday my daughter and I spent a half an hour making construction paper bunnies and chicks with cottonballs glued on to make them fuzzy. And today we made these:
Four days after Easter, using raw eggs, which ups the Laziness Quotient logarithmically, I think, sort of like the Richter scale. And we may not get around to putting the princess stickers on them until tomorrow. That's how lazy I am.

Finally finished

I proudly present ... the Octarine Socks!
These socks have been an effort, let me tell you. First of all, I decided to try the toes-up method again, only this time I wanted to add a little bit of a pattern to them. I decided to just throw a purl stitch in every so many stitches, which ended up in a multiple that was one stitch larger than the number of stitches in each round, so the rows of purls would spiral. Great in theory, not so great when I got to apply the math and ended up with wonky sized rows at the end of the round. See how most of them are seven stitches wide, only about 2/3rds of the way down it's only four stitches wide? Oops.
Figuring that the color would blind anyone to the initial problems with the pattern, I forged ahead, making great time and getting to the first heel turn pretty quickly. Only, I forgot that I was working on larger needles, so I had fewer stitches per round than most patterns, so when I worked to where they recommend and started the heel, the length of the foot from heel-to-toe was shorter than it should have been. I could get the sock on, but that sucker wasn't going to be comfortable. But did I notice this early on? No, I noticed it when I tried it on to decide where to start the ribbing ... you know, the LAST THING you do on the sock. Gah.

Faced with a short sock with a Frankenstein pattern problem, I did what any sane girl would do ... put it down and worked on other stuff for a while. And decided not to make the same mistakes on the second sock, which indeed was much closer to the right length and pattern.

So, when the first sock is too short and wonky, and the second sock fits, what's a girl to do? Frog the first one and start over again? Nope.
Now I've got a backup, and I didn't have to admit defeat on the wonky sock.

On the positive side of things, I have now knit enough socks with this pattern to have worked out most of the kinks with turning the heels. Not only did I not have to go back and close up any huge holes, a couple of the heels look like this:
Go me! Go me! Go me!

Oh, and the Holy Alpaca sweater is done, except for sewing and blocking. All I have left are sewing the arm and side seams, but with the weird pattern to this fabric, it's going to take me forever, so it may be next year before you get to see it. And unless I can block it down to be much smaller than it seems to be, I'm going to look like I have Orangutan Arms when I wear it.

Shop message

****SHIPPING ALERT****
I will not have access to my shop for the next few days, so anything ordered between 3/19/2008 and 3/24/2008 will ship on TUESDAY 3/25/2008. In order to make up for the inconvenience, I will upgrade all US shipments to Priority Mail at no cost to buyers, so you'll probably get the package the same day you would have if I was able to ship with my normal diligence and speed ;) Have a great Easter, everyone!

FREE PATTERN - Very Vernal Placemats

I developed this pattern as a free giveaway for Birds of a Feather in Avon, Ohio. If you're in NE Ohio, I can highly recommend that you stop by and say hi (and pick up a pattern while you're there spending lots of money on cool fabric and yarn). If you're not in NE Ohio, you're in luck, because I'm posting the pattern here!

Directions:
1. Cut one 13”x17” rectangle each from front fabric, back fabric, and batting.
2. Lay batting flat on a work surface, smoothing out any wrinkles. Lay back fabric face-up on top of the batting, smoothing out the wrinkles and matching the edges.
3. Lay the front fabric face-down on top of the back fabric, smoothing out the wrinkles and lining up the edges as best you can. Secure all three layers around the outside of the rectangle, using straight pins or quilt binding clips.
4. Using a 1/2" seam allowance, stitch around the perimeter of the rectangle, pivoting at the corners and leaving about a 4” opening for turning.
5. Trim the corners on the diagonal close to the seam to eliminate the extra seam allowance. Turn the placemat right-side-out through the turning opening, finger-pressing the seams flat and making sure the corners are completely turned.
6. Pin or binding-clip the edge of the placemat all the way around, folding the extra seam allowance inside at the turning opening. Topstitch about 1/4" in from the edge all the way around the edge of the placemat.
7. Trace desired template from the end of this post onto paper or cardstock (you'll need to size it up, since I can't get it to show as full size - the egg is about 7" long and the flower is about 5" long). Cut scrap strips to be 2 1/2" wide or narrower, using a pinking blade if desired. Sew the long edges of two scrap strips together with a 1/4" seam, holding the wrong sides together as you sew so that the seam allowance ends up on the right side. Press seam open. Repeat, adding strips on to the ones you’ve sewn until you have a block that’s at least as large as your template.
8. Cut appliqué shapes from the strips you’ve sewn together, pinking the edges if desired.
9. Use temporary spray adhesive to adhere the appliqués to the placemat in desired locations.
10. Use a free-motion foot or darning foot to stitch around the edges of the appliqués, stitching about 1/4" or less inside the edges of the shape.
11. Complete quilting as desired.

Coming soon to a blog near you

Gotta finish the editing on the new FREE PATTERN, but it will be up sometime tonight or tomorrow, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise. Here's a peek to hold you over until then ...

Well, that worked surprisingly well

I managed to get all four borders on and corners matched before the end of LazyToddler's preschool. The four corners don't all look identical, but each meets in a tidy fashion, so I'm happy. Wait until you see the rest of this one ... it doesn't look anything like whatever you're imagining, I can almost guarantee you that!

Pray for me

I'm going to attempt a mitered fancy border on a quilt pattern. Heaven help me, it's going to be ugly in here for the next hour or so.

Not getting much done

I made the executive decision that the best way to get LazyToddler to bed on time after the time change was to grit my teeth and not let her nap for at least the first few days this week, as this usually makes her so tired that she passes out face-first in her dinnerplate. So instead of a nice two-hour stretch of time to work on my projects during the afternoon, yesterday I had five minutes to check my e-mail while she worked some puzzles, and a few minutes to get some quilting done on the double wedding ring table runner while she watched a video on the portable DVD player in my office.

After 10 or 15 minutes, LazyToddler said in the sleepiest, most pitiful voice you can imagine, "Mama, stop sewing. I want you to come watch this video with me. It's really good - please stop sewing." So I did what any self-respecting crafty mom would do - I shut off the infernal machine and snuggled on the floor with my daughter, watching a tap dance video from the library.

(And I sketched a few ideas on a scrap of paper, which I was mean enough to not let her scribble on afterwards ... crafty moms have to be firm once in a while, you know.)

The shop update is complete!

For once, I'm early with something big!

The shop has been updated with a ridiculous number of new SWAK swaddling blankets, plus some quilts and the Linking Rings pattern. I probably won't be doing another big shop update until after Easter, so now is a great time to buy. Go check it out (and buy something)!

Linking Rings Table Runner pattern page

Linking Rings Table Runner pattern

A little bit of misdirection and simple sleight-of-hand creates the illusion of interlocking rings on this quilt ... but when your friends ask how you did it, just tell them, 'It's magic!'

Approximate finished dimensions: 14"x34"

A person with average sewing skills should be able to finish this project in less than three naptimes (6 hours).

Photos from the pattern directions - cutting the rings:

Basting the rings:

Pattern includes illustrated directions and suggestions for additional variations on the project. It is packaged in a resealable plastic bag (6"x9"), ready to hang and sell.


Wholesale price: $4.00/pattern


Suggested retail price: $7-$9, or whatever the market will bear in your area


Free shipping on your first order! Shipping charges for subsequent orders will be the actual charges for USPS Priority Mail to your destination.


I am willing to make free samples to display in your shop, if you are willing to provide the materials. Please contact me for more information on this service.


For more information or to place an order, please contact Gretchen Woods at Lazy Mama Designs: lazymamadesigns (at) yahoo (dot) com.


NEW!! You can also place orders through my shop at etsy.com - just convo me with a request, including the number of patterns you'd like to buy, and I can post a custom listing for you at the wholesale price.


Thank you for your interest, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Whetting your whistle for the March 10th shop update

Six new SWAK fabrics! New craft patterns! New quilts for tummy time! It's gonna be a party on Monday! I'm going to end every sentence with an exclamation point whether it needs it or not!

Preview of things to come

Oh stash fabric purchased in Lancaster this summer, how I love you!

Showing some love

Found at Huntington Beach this afternoon

With love and admiration to my fellow Cleveys who are obsessed with beach glass and stones:

Lake Erie Beach Glass
zJayne
Kimberly Monaco Designs
stonz

... and possibly some others, but those are the ones I remember off the top of my head.

TGIF (Thank God It's Finished)

A week or so ago I plowed through the last of the piecing on the throw-sized double wedding ring quilt I'm making from leftovers from a previous project.

You can tell I really was paying attention to detail throughout the process... which is why this is now a personal project, not something that's going to be for sale.

And then I hit a wave of massive productivity this weekend, including almost two days without a toddler underfoot (thanks, LazyHusband!), and I completely finished piecing the tablerunner I'm making out of more leftovers from the same project.

This time, though, I split up the work so that I wasn't rushing to get through all the hated parts, doing them five minutes at a time and doing them as right as I'm ever going to. And it looks freakin' awesome.

And I finished two tummy-time quilts (one completely from scratch), and a bunch of SWAK blankets, and got started planning a couple more, and I finished the pattern for the YoMama quilts, which I just sold the first of today. I'm telling you, I was on a roll.

So now I can go and knit some socks for myself, right? Because I'm running out of wool-sock-wearing-weather.

YoMama Baby Quilt Pattern page

YoMama Baby Quilt pattern

Finally, a baby quilt that doesn’t keep you chained to the sewing machine for hours! This project combines some machine sewing with a lot of very portable handsewing, making it great for crafters on the go. This quilt is great for tummy-time!

Approximate finished dimensions: 36" square

A person with average sewing skills should be able to finish the machine sewing in about one naptime (2 hours). This project requires several hours of additional time for handsewing, but this time can be squeezed in whenever you have a few minutes.

Photo from the pattern directions - making the yo-yos.

Attaching the yo-yos.

Pattern includes illustrated directions and suggestions for additional variations on the project. It is packaged in a resealable plastic bag (6"x9"), ready to hang and sell.

Wholesale price: $4.00/pattern

Suggested retail price: $7-$9, or whatever the market will bear in your area

Free shipping on your first order! Shipping charges for subsequent orders will be the actual charges for USPS Priority Mail to your destination.

I am willing to make free samples to display in your shop, if you are willing to provide the materials. Please contact me for more information on this service.

For more information or to place an order, please contact Gretchen Woods at Lazy Mama Designs: lazymamadesigns (at) yahoo (dot) com.

NEW!! You can also place orders through my shop at etsy.com - just convo me with a request, including the number of patterns you'd like to buy, and I can post a custom listing for you at the wholesale price.

Thank you for your interest, and I hope to hear from you soon!