2014 ~ Taking Stock ~ Embroidery, Quilting, Knitting and Crochet Projects

Post 4 of 4 ~ be sure to scroll back to older posts to see them all! 
Embroidery

It wouldn't take long to finish this embroidered dresser scarf if I would just sit down and work on it.  It's over half complete.  I am having trouble matching the variegated purple thread to what I used originally on it though.  But I think I've got a fairly close match and hopefully enough thread to complete it!  Once the embroidery is complete, I'll crochet a simple edging in off white around it. 

This was part of a challenge I was participating in.   The goal was to complete a one inch square every day for something like 40 days.  As you can tell, I never did finish.  Hoping to pick this project up after Valentine's day and get closer to completion! 

Quilting

This is one of my long term projects.  It was inspired by my Woodland Bunny Purse that I finished a few years ago.  I loved how tactile it was and wanted a small lap quilt to snuggle under.  There are MANY blocks to go before this one is ready to assemble.  Then there will be many hours of stitching.  And eventually, it will have a woodland border, four season trees in the corners and a soft backing!  Many hours/days/weeks/months/years(?) to go on this one.  100% hand stitched. 

My great aunt, ChaCha Mary pieced these log cabin blocks many years ago.  I put them together and started hand quilting them.  It needs to be finished.  The hoop broke in my many moves during the past couple of years, so I need to repair it before I can finish this one as I don't quilt very well without it!  Because of the vintage fabrics, it will probably get used as a wall quilt. 

Remember these?  I inherited a box with all these quilt blocks and more in it from my great Aunt Anna.  There were SO many of them! Enough of two different types to make at least 3 1/2 quilts. Well, I knew I would never finish that many of them, so I kept 9 of this pattern aside for me to make a wall quilt and sent the rest off along with the other set of blocks to the best quilter/crazy quilter I know ~ Ali Aller!  She's doing such wonderful things with combining traditional and crazy quilting lately.  Can't wait to see what she decides to do with them!  This little wall quilt will be another long term project.  So many other already started projects in the works that this one is at least a year or two down the line.  

This quilt top was made by my great Aunt Anna.  I'd love to do some embellishing of some sort on it before getting it quilted and finished.  My daughter and I are thinking it needs flowers at the corners of all the white blocks and maybe some embroidery on the little sunbonnet girls.  

Knitting/Crochet

Yet another long term project that I started back in Flagstaff a few years ago.  To complete this project, I need to finish spinning the yarn for it!  I'm nearly there, but will have to refresh my spinning skills before I tackle this one as my spinning wheel hasn't gotten much use lately!  Eventually, this will turn into a knitted shawl in a leafy pattern. 

I started knitting this shawl a very long time ago.  I love how soft it is and the simple pattern.  It takes me a bit of concentration though.  I don't knit well while watching TV/DVDs, etc, so I rarely pick this one up.  

Another long term project that languishes at the bottom of my knitting basket.  I love the yarn, the color and feel of it.  But it is BORING knitting.  I'm so over garter stitch.  The yarn needs just enough attention that I can't mindlessly knit this.  Then I discovered that I miscalculated and I'm one skein of yarn short... just after they discontinued it.  Aargh!

I started this hat this summer.  Thought I would have it finished for winter.  After all, it's just a hat.  A nice small quick project!  But I spend most of my free time at the computer lately scanning slides, negatives and photographs.  Not much time for knitting.  I NEED to finish this one soon!  I could use it, it is winter after all!  When I'm done posting this, I'm going to go knit on it and see if I can get it finished this weekend!  

Another simple knitting project that's almost done, but languishes in the knitting basket.  It will be a cover for my iPad, if I ever get it done.  It just needs the flap and tie knitted now.  Then it will get felted in the washing machine and stretched to fit my iPad.  I'd use it all the time if I ever got it done!  

I've started this Field of Daisies afghan not too long before I left Flagstaff.  It got interrupted by my Mother's passing and then moving, then getting a job, buying a house, etc.  By the time I got back to it, I couldn't remember what size needle I was using.  

Now my daughter is playing around with it and we might both be working on it to get it finished!  I can't decide if I like this side or the other best.  

Another project that my daughter is thinking about working on is this ripple afghan I started a couple years ago.  She loves to crochet and loves having a big project in her lap when watching movies.  We don't watch much TV, but we do watch a lot of movies!  Since I have so many things I'd rather be working on, I think this will become her project.  She can crochet while watching better than I ever could and has completed several afghans in the past year!  

This is the knitting project I wish I was working on right now.  But in the move, I've managed to lose it!!!  I love the yarn ~ a silk cashmere blend that is so soft.  I love the pattern too, which is simple and easy for me to knit almost mindlessly.  Even though this has a pattern, it has a rhythm that I can get into and just knit easily... even when watching movies.  Now if I could just find it.  

So, that finishes up my "Unfinished Project" basket.  Lots of things to work on.  Plus I hope to keep painting this year with the goal of doing one fairly large painting a month and a smaller plein air type a week.  

Then there are the BIG projects like finishing scanning slides/negatives and photos from my folks, then finishing mine.  Then there are Blurb Books to make to preserve all those memories for the family. 

There's a wedding happening in the back yard in June ~ and lot of yard work that needs to happen before then.  

Then there are a couple of trips planned with my oldest son to go take photos.  We are thinking Zion, Sequoia and Yosemite!  Hope it works out.  I'd love to attend the CQI retreat in the fall as well as another painting workshop.  And of course, I still have to work through all of this!  

I do have another BIG crazy quilt project that I hope to start in the near future, but I'm waiting for a clearance before I can share what that is!  No, it's not a book... just an personal project I want to do.  Hoping to hear back on that in the next week or so!  

Here's hoping that when the year's end arrives, I'll have much to show for it and many projects out of the basket completed!