nine thousand and counting.

My scarf pattern has been downloaded 9000+ times since posting it last week. i am thrilled. my sister asked for a blue version so i need to get started on hers really soon.

Christmas Day...

was a quiet one at Casa Rico. I had planned to go to North Dakota, but snow curtailed that (along with a foul mood).  I did manage to get my Accuquilt cutter up and going, and made this  little lap quilt for Carolyn (a co-worker struck by a spinal virus which rendered her paraplegic, she is not expected to walk again).She is such a sweet and caring person, that  needed to do something special for her.

Last year I bought a rag quilt for Sue for her birthday, and she uses it all the time, so I thought this might be the perfect gift for Carolyn. I started it about 1:00, by 10 pm it was in the washer to shrink and fluff up.  of course i stopped within the time to have dinner, a few decadent snacks and walk the pups.

My sister convince me that I needed the  rag quilt die to make this and I am so grateful. I never would have made it through the quarter inch slashes on every join and around the perimeter.  The one use of the cutter paid for itself... all blocks were cut within 40 minutes and the  flannel filler took less that additional 20  minutes. I chain quilted a diagonal across each square, then the other diagonal for the X, and began piecing. The layout was a fun exercise in getting things the way I wanted them, and  required some seam ripping and replacing.  My estimates for  fabric requirements for 49 squares (7x7 block set) was a little generous so I have leftover fabric for the beginnings of another one.

Back at work, relaxed and stressed at the same time, deadlines and packages of commissioned garments arriving each day. have to style them and get ready for the photo shoot in South Beach and TNNA in Long Beach, 2 coasts in two weeks.

Off to Carolyn's, the best part of giving a late present is that no reciprocation is allowed!  My story, I am sticking with it!

HAPPY HOLIDAZE!

Today, I get the unwelcome task and responsibility of visiting the tire store, to have a flat fixed. My poor 1994 Cougar had it's first flat in over 8 years.....aaarrgggh

Took me 7 minutes to change the flat....thank you God, for letting it happen on a suburban street, near a parking lot rather than the freeway (they call it the interstate in SD) so that getting on my knees in public was not a traffic hazard.

I have a feeling that rather than the new wheels I asked Santa to bring,I will be getting tires. DAMN! All I can say is that I am glad to be a 2-car household, because I bet the tire guys aren't looking to sell, replace, balance a set of four tires Christmas Eve. Plus I wouldn't expect it to be there best effort either.

Merry Christmas,or happy days off to those of you who do not celebrate this lovely reason to purchase stuff!!!!!!

So I innocently ask.....

the helpful hardware man, "Will these tin snips cut through the tape of this Stanley tape measure."poor man goes totally white, pauses momentarily then grunts "U-huh". Not sure what was going through his head....probably thinks I am an idiot, or ...????

Just wait till I return it saying it is missing a few feet.....lol

From guess who to guess what....

 My favorite model ,Lydia, wears the Miracle Scarf, which has gone on to have a life of its own... read more here.

http://www.knittinguniverse.com/latest_newsletter/xrxinsider_v10i19.htm

Do you knit?

Tomorrow my Holiday letter goes out to our e-mail list--that is if all the Legal is covered-- and in it, there is a simple pattern I designed for a special event. You too, can knit it with 350 yards of  light weight yarn and size 7 needles. I cannot say much else right now, but I will post the link as soon as it is sent.

Modern swappers results are in.....

Ok Krista,
You just blew my socks off....from the perfect enclosure card, and Anthropologie box that held the spools of threads and rickrack ribbons and trims to the incredible selection of gifts.

I love my handmade gifts
The convergence quilt with it's 5-cross trims, and pincushion chair are perfect. The small touch of the scissor charm and felted acorn are ever so special. You really touched my spirit with these. I love chairs, have made a couple convergence quilts, love the cross motif in art, and have a special acorn story from college. So your hands assembled a gift worthy of my total admiration.

The Ricky Tims collection is going to become something for ME? Thanks for the book, the hand-dyed fabrics from his line, and signature threads. HOW did you know that glitz is my neutral???

The large spools will surely become a part of many more projects.

And the added tufted tweets, and AH skeleton, and face fabrics are items I would have bought without second thoughts.

Guess who???

Color Fans?

I am in the process of re-merchandising  a book. Not always a fun  task, but since it involves a lot of color, i am having a great time.

from gold east or west?

After picking out yarn samples, I thought it might be cool to use the pantone color swatches to see where this is going.  The yarn colors are limited by the palette of the yarn line that I choose. of course, it isn't always a personal decision but a business one.  i have come up with two options of 6 colors.

Each color bar represents  the colors  i like for the project.  The golden yellow is in both options: the left side composes the " federal spectrum, and the e right  the "sophisticate combo."

this is a kid project so we might even suggest a pastel version of the colors at the tip of the cards....hmmmm.

now it's time to get the yarn and start the knitting, AAARRRGGGHHH!

Busy week

Can't believe I let the week get away from me.....worked on a couple of
Knitting patterns for Jean's book. Does anyone know how difficult it is to explain and execute custom knit sizing??? Then started arranging the ones for the Magazine.

Haven't gotten a chance to do any sewing but did some swatch verifications. We are going to have a couple of incredible strip based knits in K101!

The Modern Swappers deadline has arrived and I did get my package together and each piece has a little label. Hoping it works out for my partner, who has been quieter than I would have liked, but I did give my creative mind a workout creating fun stuff so I hope she likes them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnittinknam/5245469432/in/pool-modernswappers

I am off to the post office to mail them....priority of course and from what I see on the website it should take a couple days, probably a bit more since it is the Holiday Season...
we shall see.

So off to work....we have an afternoon of Glee planned for Sue, and few other friends.

working on Sues gift

today is sue's birthday....plans to include muffins for the office staff and Lunch as well as some great gifts...mine is not finished but it is going to be special....