Randomness and a Finish

Last week I told you about my sewing slump. . . which happens to continue in full force. . . and how I picked up a crochet hook for the first time in well over 20 years. So after a short update of what's been happening around here (because let's face it, not much has been happening!), I'm going to show you the awesome infinity scarf and slouchy beanie I made for my niece :) 

First up, Spin was juried into the regional quilt show in Payson, AZ! Excited you ask? Maybe just a little!! I mailed her off yesterday and next week I take a little drive and go see something I made hanging in a quilt show! I can't wait!! Which one is Spin? Here she is, so you don't have to go searching :)

Darn it, in my haste to get her in the mail I forgot to take a new picture. . . I did ad quilting on the stars. Took some of that baggy saggy out of it :)

How exciting is that?? I'm excited. Who knows, I might hate the entire process once it is over but I thought I would give it a whirl :) 

In other news, I finished putting my stash on comic boards and putting them in my new ironing table! So I have been doing something fabric related. . . I've been folding and petting fabric. . . does that count? This was an interesting process. . . first, I found yards of flannel (very good flannel and very cute BTW) at the bottom of my magic fabric chest.... I have no idea when, where or why I bought it. . . Has that ever happened to you? Nah, I bet not ;) I say my stash isn't that big - and it really isn't because most of it is in fat quarter size. Recently I have been buying larger quantities of yardage to use as background fabrics. Anywho, I had 200 comic boards... I ordered 200 more and have used over 100 of those! Who knew there were that many different cuts hiding in that magic fabric chest??? It really isn't that big!! :) And I might have recently placed a relatively sizable order with Pink Chalk. . . did you hear? The store is closing - major :( Pink Chalk was my go to store for everything. I am rather sad about this. Everything on the site is 20% off. . . if you need anything ;) Oh, and just in case you haven't noticed. . . there are lots of sales happening! Contemporary Cloth has 30% off everything! Cuts of Cotton has 25% off the entire store (code FALL25)!! Man, major restraint has been used over in this corner of the world because I have refrained from buying anything. . . so far ;) I'm not affiliated with any of these shops - I just like to spread around the happy fabric buying bug! Your welcome ;)

The top right cube will be used for known future projects, second for rulers, the second row both cubes are filled with solids, the bottom cubes are mostly batiks and some Kaffe Fassett at the end.  Barely visible, in the cube that sits further back are the few prints I have collected.

In the cubes that you can't see, I have put yardage that is too big to put on boards. Solids, the mystery flannel and some sketch in various colors. The solids and sketch will be used for backgrounds. Mostly grey, some white and a few creams (not sure what I was thinking when I went on that cream color kick. . . whatever it was I was thinking big. . . I bought a LOT ;)

OK, thus ends the fabric portion of this post. On to crochet! This is going to be short, sweet and to the point :)

As I mentioned, I made an infinity scarf and slouchy beanie for my niece (she also happens to be my Goddaughter). For the scarf, I didn't have a pattern.... surprised? LOL I found this video tutorial on how to do the basket weave stitch (oh, and there is a lefty version too!)- LOVED. Double crochet? I can double crochet!! Here are a couple of shots of the scarf in progress.

First couple of rows.

This is one skein of yarn. . . this scarf is DENSE :) I used 5 skeins of 100g chunky acrylic/superwashed wool yarn. G O R G E O U S

For the slouchy beanie I followed this video tutorial - it took me about two hours to make the beanie. I don't have any pictures of just the beanie. Here is my niece in her new scarf and beanie :D

Beautiful no? Oh, and the scarf and beanie look pretty good too ;)

Here's my pretty failed attempt to take a picture of the back of the beanie while it was on my head. . . do you have any idea how hard it is to take a selfie of the back on one's head??? You can kind of get the idea of the back and just how hard taking this kind of picture without a mirror really is ;)

This is the only picture out of about 20 that I got even close! hehe AND it was over 100 degrees out that day. . . I was melting!!

The colors in the picture of my niece are most true. So there you go. My first foray into crochet after not having a hook in my had for over 20 years. . . not bad huh? :D

OH, that new button on my sidebar, the very first one at the top? It's for the Snowalong over at Canuck Quilter! Click on the button to find out all about it! How fun! Snow in AZ in October! I'm in!! :)

Linking up with NTT and Finish it up Friday. 

Until next time, keep on quilting!!