Monday Meanderings 1 - 29 - 2018

Yikes, how can we be 1/12th done with 2018. (Or at least almost 1/12th done.  Don't count on me for super math skills.)  I worked hard this week to complete the goals I set for myself last week.  I considered myself successful although one item is being moved to this week. 

I finished the sweater that has been a UFO since the 1980s (think early 80's.) To truly appreciate this sweater you have to go back to a post I did in 2015, Knitting UFO Revival. I'll wait for you; done yet?  Well, some of my worries were spot on.  For the most part the stripes lined up pretty well.  Except, er, somehow the left sleeve and front has an extra row than the right sleeve and front.  Never noticed it until I was burying yarn.  Go ahead, count them.  7 rows on the sleeve and 7 rows on the left side.  Luckily the 7th row on the front was only a partial row so people aren't going to notice the extra row in the front.  

The sweater is a bit tight at the bottom and big at the top.  The sleeves are definitely big from the cuff up.  I think I must have gotten the neckband a few rows too many. After staying up half the night last night I was able to bury all the loose threads and sew on 11 buttons, which don't stay buttoned all that well.  I'm done with it.  I'll probably leave it in the studio to put on when I'm chilled.  It is definitely a warm sweater.  So a few things about this:  The pattern is hitting the recycling bin asap.  I not only did NOT run out of the main yarn I have a complete skein left.  These buttons don't stay closed well.  I'm too tired of this to do anything else on it.  I still really like the color although this pic isn't showing the color all that well. This sweater is an acrylic yarn but way thicker than the current yarns I've seen at local stores. Anyone have an idea for a one skein project? 

TRUTH -- I have another unfinished sweater with a poinsettia on the front.  I can do about 2 rows of it and then I have to stop because it is such a pain to keep the various yarns straight.  Maybe I'll try to work on it next fall-winter.  But definitely not now!  

So, what is your oldest UFO?  I've got some mini blocks from the same time as that sweater mid 1980s.  I was on Prodigy and the quilting group had lots of exchanges. Some day, maybe I'll do something with them. But don't hold your breath.

Because I don't want anymore UFOs, I finished making the backing of the alphabet challenge quilt.  I had to figure out the math (see note at beginning) to see how I could use all the leftover pieces of doggy fabric and fabric from the bag I was given. Believe me, I do not want to add any of that fabric to my stash. Here it is before I sewed the rows together. 

I made this with multiples of 8" (finished size) fabric.  It's a little busy but I'm tickled to use up some of my own fabric, some of which is 20 years old. (And of course, I still have a piece or two of that despite my best intentions.)  The navy fabric that looks like it has white dots on it came from the brown bag.  The rest are dog prints or dog paw prints from my stash.  The center bright blue print has a few cats along with dogs on it -- just to spice the whole thing up.  I'm hoping to get this quilted this week. 

Here's the goals list from last week. 

January 22, 2018

Get borders on Alphabet Challenge√

Make backing for Alphabet Challenge quilt√

Finish up sweater√

Make more half triangle squares and string blocks√

Take small border off charity quilt√

Cut out Taps quilt hasn’t happened yet

And this week: 

January 29, 2018

Quilt 1^st Rainbow Color Challenge Quilt

Cut Out Taps Quilt

Pick a new project, preferably a UFO to work on

Make 10.5” string blocks for Covered in Love

Quilt Alphabet Challenge quilt

Now it's time to get on with this week.  Here's where I'm linking up with: Oh Scrap, Monday Making, Main Crush Monday, and Moving It Forward. As always I hope you can take some time to see what's going on around the Internet -- we all need new projects, don't we. (wink, wink!) Today I'm going to my Monday stitching group, where much of this sweater was worked on. I've some repair work to do and then I'll get back to hand quilting a couple of quilts.  (yes, at one  time I thought hand quilting was perfectly acceptable. What was I thinking?)

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie