I know it probably seems like it’s all quilts all the time around here, but I promise you it’s not. I am knitting…. and I’ve completed another pair of socks! And man socks at that!

Our anniversary is just around the corner , and it wouldn’t be an occasion if I didn’t give him a pair of handknit socks! I was using another skein of Rowan’s lovely striping yarn (Sea and Sand), but I didn’t want to do another pair of boring old vanilla socks. So I spiced it up a bit with some slip stitches.

And as a result – I give you Vanilla Extra!… a fun, FREE, slip stitch sock pattern in two sizes.

All you need is a self-striping yarn and a coordinating colour for cuffs, heels and toes. I had some leftover Alley Cat in a light yellow that was remarkably close to the yellow in the stripes.

This pair came together exceptionally fast – especially for man socks. I had them done in just nine days, which I think is a record for me! Those slip stitches give it a really good rhythm! I may just have to make a pair for myself.

In the meantime, feel free to download the pattern – and tell your friends!

I found some time and finally got a Fish Called Rhonda top together…

Well… I had to move the cat several times but…

Isn’t it just the cutest school of fishies? To ensure the fish were floating (swimming?) within the border of the binding (once it’s quilted of course) …

… I had to add a background border to the left side, bottom and top. The right side didn’t need one because the tails are already set away from the edge of the blocks.

And I didn’t make a mistake with the layout…

There’s one fish going the opposite way on purpose. That’s Rhonda, a sweet little red-head who’s not afraid to do things her own way!

I need to get something for the binding, but I already have a nice big chunk of the whale fabric for the back . I also have a fantastic idea for the quilting… I can’t wait to get started!

It’s true! I love big blocks. You only need a few of them to get a good sized quilt!

I made another block for Celtic dreams. They are about 24″ square – nice and big. From start to finish (cutting included) one of these takes me a couple hours to complete. They are a perfect afternoon project! I’ve got one left and then I have to get some more fabric to finish this quilt off.

Moving on….

I finally settled on a block for my crazy Pinkerville fabrics. (Don’t you just love that Nessie???)

It’s inspired by the star block in MSQ’s Nightsky quilt. I’ve made some minor modifications, so mine is about 22″ square. I plan to make at least eight of these big baddies, for one wild quilt!

Sometimes bigger IS better!

As you can guess from the title, it’s another spider post! Feel free to skip if it gives you the heebiejeebies…..

 

But me… I love spiders, and this summer has been exceptional for them!

I found this little cross orb weaver hanging out on a Sunflower leaf.

There have been a lot of Grass Spiders around. They build a very neat type of nest…

They lay sheets of web with a funnel opening. They hang out at the base of that funnel and run out when something lands on their web…

Peek-a-boo!!!!

Out front, a very smart  Grass Spider has made her web on my fairy house. And she’s using the window as a place to hide… can you see her little legs sticking out?

Occasionally I find her hanging out in full view.

The real exciting spider was the Spotted Orb Weaver that made its home on my Cana Lilies.

It was almost invisible amongst the seed pods on the expended bloom stem. I only noticed it when it came out on its web.

I even got to see it wrap up a bit of lunch!

Which it then took back to the seed pods for leisurely snacking.

I just love nature!

Although I’ve been very excited about fall, there’s still plenty of summer left in the garden…

In fact, my back yard looks positively wild!

The Physostegia I bought at the Milton market has finally bloomed, and it is so pretty. I noticed my neighbour has some too. His is VERY tall (like more than 5 feet), so it will be interesting to see what it does next year.

Chicago Peace is blooming again. Her colours always seem to be extra vibrant in the cooler weather.

Every year, I always add a few annuals as filler. This year it was mostly petunias, and they’ve just gone crazy!

This is another beautiful annual I have in a pot – an African Daisy in the prettiest shade of pink!

The catnip has started to bloom too. I grow it in pots now to keep it under control (it really spreads) and to keep the cats from flattening my gardens!

My Chrysanthemum out back is enormous and absolutely covered in buds.

I have one out front too, but it doesn’t get as much sun, so it’s much smaller and not quite ready to bloom.

And last, we’re still enjoying some lovely backyard produce, and will until the first frost comes!

It’s been a while since I showed you any pictures of Winnie, so here she is!

She’s all grown up now, but she’s not a huge cat – just a little bit bigger than Rupert.

She’s not a lovey dovey cat (except with my Dad) – some days I’m not even allowed to pet her.

But she’s always up for some mischief!

Unlike other cats, she doesn’t even pretend to be helpful – she just goes head first into trouble.

Incase you don’t recognize it – that’s the bottom of my dress she’s grabbing!

But she certainly is a beautiful beastie.

There are no babies in the works here (that I know of, anyway), but I can’t seem to stop making baby quilts!

This one started with a charm pack (the grey and white fabrics in the middle). I still wanted to try some more pinwheels, and I had a good chunk of the lime green leftover from the binding on Rowan’s quilt. It just so happened to match the little lime bits on the flowers in the fat quarter pack.

But as you can see, I still didn’t make those pinwheels. As soon as I got the HSTs done, I started to wonder how they’d look in the Starburst layout. And well, once I went down that path, there was no turning back.

You may be wondering about the blue and red borders… well it’s hard to see (I should have gotten better pictures) but those shades are in the white and grey fabrics as well. I  promise close-ups when it’s quilted.

That will have to wait a bit though, I don’t have a back for this one, and I’m trying to refrain from shopping. With no babies in the making, there’s no rush to finish this one.

After casting of Rowan’s Undines, I turned my attention back to the Mojito socks instead of casting on for something new. Being that they are worsted weight, it didn’t take long to finish them up.

Nothing fancy here… just basic sock math and a 3-1 garter rib. The colours are so bright and cheery though. The simple rib really lets the yarn shine.

First…. I’m sorry I didn’t debut Rowan’s socks in my shoes… Her feet are just a bit smaller than mine so the socks are tight. I didn’t want to stretch them out before I gave them to her! But I promise… as soon as my pair are done, I will model them properly!

Now.. onto business!

Yep… it’s another “where did that come from FO?”!!!

What can I say? Baby quilts are fast! I can cut and sew a top in a couple of hours, and it’s only another hour or so to sandwich and quilt her on Mom’s machine.

This one if from another charm pack with some peach stash fabric thrown in.

All the prints were directional, so I had to get clever with the piecing, and make sure all those little critters were pointing in the right direction as I sewed.

I had a chunk of pink dotted flannel from the clearance bin in the stash. And a dark blue floral for the binding tied in nicely with the navy blocks.

As soon as Ursa was off the needles, I cast on for something new. I could have turned my attention full-time to the Mojito socks, but a ball of Rowan’s yarn was calling to me.

The “Mermaid” skein was a favourite for both of us, so  I decided to see if I could make us both a pair of socks from it. Our feet are almost the same size, so as long as they are both anklets, I should be able to manage it.

This pair is for Rowan. It’s my Undine pattern, because I just love the waves it make in striping yarn. My pair will wait until all the gift knitting is done. In the mean time, let’s take a closer look at Rowan’s dyeing.

I just love those those subtle shifts in shades. I need to get her back here to dye up some more!