Upside-Down and Inside-Out

Remember this fun project, started in Michigan with an 8-year-old? I worked on it with her in the beginning, 

but over time, she lost interest in the actual stitching...lol! She is young and full of energy! Who can sit still to hand stitch squares in 2024?...

Then hand quilt in 2025? Apparently, that's a job for Pretty, and here's the back of the quilt to prove it!

That little upside-down shot shows that the lines aren't perfectly straight, and I maybe should have taken the time to do one more row of stitches around the perimeter...but it was bound before the end of last weekend's visit, so that's a yay!

Still, I wanted to secure the binding with a little decorative stitching, so I brought it home to do that...

And this Pretty Knitty (and granddaughter) quilt will be reunited with that 10-year-old this summer, when they come to visit ME! 

How will I pass the time until that glorious day? Probably a little inside-out sock knitting! 

I've found it's the best way to control my tension on colorwork socks, and I'm looking forward to getting this pair on my feet soon! (Upside-down and inside-out can be good things, depending on your perspective, but I hope most of your days are more sunny-side up, in general.) I'm sure there will be a reveal in next week's post, so be sure to come back and check it out! 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health! 

Not in Kansas Anymore...

As promised, a photo dump, which I have time for. Why? Well, because we're not in Kansas anymore. Insert sad face here, but I had a great time with the girls in "Oz," which was technically spelled W-a-m-e-g-o.

Pop Pop wasn't feeling super "Ozzy," and our son was at work, so it was just the girls for this part... We visited the museum, 

including a ride in the Wizard's beautiful balloon,

seeing the keepsakes and figures, big and small, 

and marveling at the fact that Frank L Baum practically predicted the TikTok trend of today...

then we had a snack at Toto's Tacos

before heading to the yellow brick road! 

All along the way, we stopped to see all the commemorative Toto statues we could see on foot. 

Note: if you want a photo of a Toto, do not position your head in front of Toto!

It was a hot day, and the dogs were tired, as were my walking shoes and socks! 

Later in the visit, the girls and I went school-clothes shopping, 

Alleigh got a more grown-up haircut, with curtain bangs (which I now know are a thing, and not nearly as traumatic as regular bangs),

made beaded bracelets, 

and even sucked Pop Pop into the craftiverse with some suncatcher painting!

We went on walks, with and without the new puppy, 

and I was able to grab photos of the girls to share with their cousins (and you), and

It was a full trip, punctuated by knitting 

Christmas socks on the needles...

and quilting,

and stressful travel at both ends. 

And now we rest and get ready for a new week, missing them but forever grateful for the time we spent together.

Now, I'm gonna take a nap. I've made myself sleepy again, just remembering all the Kansas fun! Many thanks to our son and his beautiful family for loving us, hosting us, and showing us a great time! 

Well, that's Kansas, Part II the photo dump. Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health! 

My favorite Toto,
an old-school bridge pic,
selfy on the way to the airport.

Less is More?

I generally struggle with blog titles, and today is no exception, but this weekend, I have a little less of the boys and their knitting requests, 

and a little more of the girls, and their fun crafts! 

So, less is more...kinda. ;) I'm sure I'll have more photos by the end of the weekend...but for now, I'm just taking it all in. 

She has a new sewing machine (for kids), and I'm learning that she just needs a regular sewing machine. In the meantime, she's learning how to lay out squares to design her own quilt.

This gives me all the feels, because

1. The fabric comes from the stash of a dearly departed friend from fairly far away, and 

2. My granddaughters take after me, with the crafting gene!

They both like to craft,  and after a little trip to the craft store,  we bonded over Taylor Swift music and beads last night...but my phone was dying (and on the other side of the room to charge), so no photos. And since they craft, there are fewer requests now that they're not so small anymore. 

It is fantastic to watch them grow and see their personalities bloom vigorously! But soon the girls will move a little farther away, so this is a last hurrah of sorts in this location. There will be visits both ways, to be sure, and more crafts, in our future...but today I drink in these moments to cherish. 

I hope you are also enjoying time with the ones you love when you can, and I'm glad to see you here. There is no comparison to loving companionship, and no better use of your time than loving your loved ones! 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health! 

Baby hat for road-trip knitting!

Unfinished

Yesterday, I was talking with a new friend, as one does when one makes new friends. This friend knows some of my story, of course, but I always struggle with how much of my story to share with new friends, and when. I am sure that we all have the same struggle, because we all come from some kind of crazy...sooo, how much crazy does one share at the first lunch?

In my experience, as of late, the first lunch is a perfect time to talk about struggles with food and other addictions...for me, that means all of the crafts! Hahaha! Yesterday was no exception, and my old quilting habit came to mind as we talked about the things we have started in our crafting rooms and never quite finished...like this piece:

You see, back in the mid-90s, I thought I was a quilter. Well, I was a quilter, I have made at least 5 honest-to-goodness quilts...with pieced top, a layer of batting and backing, all quilted (stitched) together and given as gifts. In recent years, I have made t-shirt quilts with fleece backing...super cozy, and less actual quilting required. The t-shirts were fun, and I will probably do more of those at some point, but my heart was really stolen by my first quilts and sewing projects early in my marriage. In 1997, I decided that I liked quilting so much that I would make a "signature quilt" to record family history and hang on the wall, and this is what I came up with:

I know. It is not hanging on the wall. It is not even finished. As a matter of fact, you can see that, while my intention was to stitch over all of the sharpie signatures, I fizzled out in the middle of my own name!

You can also see that green corduroy holds onto dust pretty securely. 

How can you wash an unfinished quilt that has been sitting, folded, on the banister for at least the last 10 years? That's right, you can't...at least not until someone finishes quilting my name...but I digress. That green corduroy was from a pair of overalls I stitched for a stuffed bear when the kids were small. The pink and blue sashing, where the names are signed, is from an Elvis quilt I made for my mother.

There are Elvis fabrics in there, too...Wal-Mart had a sale, and I bought 5 different fabrics for her quilt. Wal-Mart also sold gambling fabrics, which I used for my mother-in-law's quilt...she likes to go to Vegas.

One Christmas, I brought the quilt with me to the family gathering, and I got a lot of signatures...nephews (my kids' cousins):

Siblings, aunts, uncles:

And even my hubby's Grandmother, who was a crafter herself!

Fun fact, Grammie was the first person to teach me to knit. That lady will always hold a special place in my heart, and her handwritten name will always be on my quilt.

Circling back to the crazy of sharing over the first lunch with a new friend, the reason this quilt came up is that we were talking about all our stuff...you know, the stuff the kids will either want to keep or toss when we are gone, someday far down the road (I am sure). I have no way of knowing what their decisions will be, on this piece or any of my stuff, but I thought it would be nice to take some photos and tell the story of where this started anyway. Once upon a time, Mom thought it would be cool to have a permanent record of the family, in quilt form. Crazy? Maybe. Crafty? Definitely. Will she ever finish what she started? Only time will tell. Hmmm...I wonder if the story of the quilt can be finished if the quilt itself is not...? 

Stories of where we come from are cool. Knowing the players makes the stories better, and we are all writing a story with our lives every day. Some are sweet, some are crazy and some are tragic at times. Whatever your story is, remember that it is yours. The milestones, the memories, the mannerisms your family shares (or tries to overcome)...they are part of your story, and they shape who you are today. 

The greatest thing about your story is that you are in charge. Knowing where and who you come from is just the start of your story, but you have the power to really change it up as you go. So think about it: What is YOUR story? Does it need to change? How? What is one thing you can do today to start to make that change? Change is a challenge, to be sure, but you can do it. In fact, you are the only one who can change your story. Go for it!

That seems like enough photos and unsolicited advice from me today. If you read to the end, thanks for sticking around. Thanks for stopping by at all! I hope that your day is a good one, and I look forward to hearing more of your story.

Now, Knit in Good Health!