Business Travel Meets Creative Happiness

I had to travel to Berlin for most of this past week to meet several work collaborators and discuss science.  The people I was meeting with are always kind, smart, helpful and quickly volunteer an idea or two.  These are always great meetings.  However, no matter how beneficial the meeting is I am always missing my evening creating time when I travel for work.

I was stuck in a generic hotel room in the central part of Berlin.  Nothing makes this feel more comfortable than scattering around a few "travel handmade" goodies like zippy pouches or totes for touring town.

On this trip I had two zippy pouches with me, each one containing a different project.  I was super lucky to score both zippy pouches in swaps.  The first was made for me by Kat (pictured with the generic check in desk orchid) and the second was made for me by Di (pictured with the hotel bar tea light and fake plants).

More on that later.  We did get out for one morning and one afternoon to do a bit of sight seeing....

But the only location not to be missed on my list was the local fabric shop.  This trip I went to visit Volksfaden.  Not only did they have a fabulous selection of modern fabrics, but they also created the most wonderful atmosphere in which to shop.  I loved the bits and bobs they had scattered around to keep your interest or inspire you.

I picked up a few goodies, but not too much as my suitcase was awfully full on the way over!  I'd be mocked by my boss man if I was over the limit on the way home due to fabric shopping.  After a bit more sight seeing and dinner, we headed off to the airport to kill time....

Out of Kat's zippy pouch I pulled a knitting project.

That travelled right with me from those uncomfortable airport gate seats into even more uncomfortable air plane seats.  I have travelled a good bit through Europe and to/from the US lately, each time bringing a knitting project.  The needles have never been a problem with airport security.  I do tell the security screener that they're in my bag and usually they can't even be bothered to look at them.

Once I was on the flight and I could settle into my fold-down table top, I pulled out a hand sewing project from Di's zippy pouch.  I am making a cathedral windows wall hanging (if I have a short attention span) or quilt (if I am into a 20+ year project), so I have my little window fabric already folded, pressed and ready to go.  My focus fabrics are pre-cut and ready to use.  Inside my pouch is also a printed version of the instructions (just in case...) as well as a spool of Aurifil, a needle book and....

little scissors!  Yes, they will let you on a flight with small scissors so long as they are less than 6 cm from the fulcrum to the tip.  You might check the detailed information your airline carrier supplies online, but this has been generally true for me time and time again.  I always pull them out of my carry on, show them to the screener and leave them out, free in the x-ray bin.  Again, the screener barely bats an eye.

I finished a few cathedral window blocks on this flight, but more importantly just having to sit here with this project re-ignited my interest in hand sewing.  That alone made carrying these supplies on my travels worthwhile.  Anyway, I thought you might like a little peek into how I bring crafty goodness on my travels.  Might you have another suggestion of how your creative endeavours travel with you?  I am always open to suggestions!

A (Least Favorite) Finish (...Ever?)

A finish is a finish.  Finishing a project of any kind should be celebrated.  However, when I finished this one my first thought was how much I did not like it.  At all.  Not even a small bit.

I found this pattern on Ravelry over Christmas and it just struck me.  It is intended to be a bag for all of your knitting stuff.  The good things about it are: 1) I learned a new stitch; 2) it does feel good on my shoulder; 3) it's a good size; 4) it opens quite widely so everything can fit inside easily.

What don't I like?  Well, it will need to be lined to keep the knitting needles from falling through the holes in the sides.  I did watch Miss Lucy back a crocheted blanket and I don't fancy the idea of putting myself through similar steps. 

I think in the end it is just not me to carry a knitted purse.  I like the color. I like the stitch.  I like all of the things listed above, but I just do not see myself walking out of the house with a knitted bag.  Live and learn, I guess.  I am right back to knitting scarves for now.

Another FAL Q2 2013 project checked off the list!  Next up: Charm Swap.  The last set of charms arrived on Tuesday night so I can't wait to start sorting!

Fluffy Sheep Knitted Hat

Finished!  I knitted a hat from fluffy sheep hand-spun wool.  Months and months and months ago the amazing Judy saw that I was just learning to knit and was struggling to find a natural wool to knit my first cap.  I looked high and low and I just could not find the type of wool that suited me.  The kind and generous Judy created an amazing blend of natural wools and spun them into the most gorgeous, soft, warm, perfectly tactile wool I have ever worked with.  Amazing.

Anyway, I set off knitting a little hat.  And then I just barely ran short of wool.  I was missing all of 5-6 feet of wool to finish off the crown to my little cap.  Judy to the rescue!  She had a second skein of wool sent to me over Christmas to finish off this little project.  It took the past five months to get myself together and finish this project.  I packed it up and brought it on the flight with me from Dublin to Copenhagen this week.  There was no way I was returning to Ireland with this hat unfinished.

Want to finally see the finished hat?  Ta-Da:

It's quite hard to find a place to photograph a brown hat.  I first tried the picnic table as at times the weathered grey and lichen look nice with darker colored stuff.  Not so much today.

Now, as many of you know, brown is not at all my favorite color when it comes to fabric.  This brown, however, is just a beautiful chocolate brown that matches my brown leather gloves perfectly and compliments my orange winter coat like they were made for one another.  I even have a little brown and orange striped scarf to tie the look together.  Love it.  

And off to a traditional-looking West of Ireland rock with green little moss.  The only thing not traditional here is the ray of sunshine.  Where did that come from?

And finally here in the grass.  This had to be a fast shot...before Molly the pup became interested!  

Anyway, there's my finished cap.  Another finish for the Q2 finish along, making it my third this quarter.  It fits my head so perfectly, covers my ears to keep them warm and isn't so tight it messes up my hair.  Judy, thank you.  I love it.

Finish Along Q2 Goals

And we start off a new quarter with high hopes.  Here's what I would like to finish between now and June:

1. Rainbow Charm Swap
With 56 lovely ladies waiting, I aim to pack up and deliver an extra large charm pack to each one of them.  That means cutting nearly 3,000 charms and packing up over 6,000!  I have lots of yardage cut, so I just need to get down to business.

2. Pezzy Pizazz
The top is finished, she's layered and the quilted has begun!  I just have to finish the final 2/3 of the quilting and bind this cutie.

3. Tote
I have half of a tote made using this tutorial.  You see, it was to be a replacement Mouthy Stitches tote, but it was no longer needed.  I have the lining made using Summersville (with a little pocket) so I just have to make the exterior (out of Echino) and pop on two handles.  Easy peasy you'd think, but it's been sitting around my sewing room for months and needs to be finished off.

4. Liberty Love
Again, the top is done.  I even have most of the backing fabric here at home.  I need to do a little piecing, layer it and quilt like mad.  I was thinking of quilting it like this, then binding it in Liberty.  That's the plan at least.

5. Modern Stitching Bee
I have the most gorgeous bee blocks piled up here in my sewing space.  I so love them.  It's time to start assembling the top and get this pretty finished off.

6. Knitted Cap
I have a knitted cap made of the most beautiful home spun yarn, sent to me by Judy.  This cap is 95% finished.  I just have another little bit of knitting to do to finish the crown.  If only you guys could feel this...it's so soft, fuzzy and warm.  Gorgeous.  I can't wait to break it out next winter.

7. Knitted Purse
I have a green knitted purse that has been an on and off project for me since Christmas.  I have both handles done and one side.  The second side is 1/2 finished.  I just have to finish that last side and assemble.  I love this project.  I'm not sure why it's taking me so long to finish it.

8. Dorky Science Cross Stitch.
For those of you who may not know me well, I'm a total science dork.  When I saw this cross stitch pattern, who could resist?  I am about half way finished. It is not a masterpiece, but it makes me happy.  I can't wait to finish and hang it above my work desk.  Wouldn't that be hilarious?

I think those are the major UFOs that I can plan to finish in the next three months.  I had better get stitching!

Leanne, thanks again for hosting.  You know I love a good to-do list :)

Quilting And Camping Do Not Mix

I am sure many of you realized this long ago.  We were out camping for the past 5 days at a music festival called Electric Picnic.  We heard amazing music, soaked in the sun, chatted with friends and had a generally fantastic time.

Being an optimist, I brought a bunch of fabric with me that needed to be cut.  I brought a small cutting board, a ruler, a rotary cutter...and it was never used.  It was just too windy.  When ever I cut a square I was off chasing it through the grass.  What was used, though, are my knitting needles.  Boy, they travel well.  They kept me occupied when we were driving to the camp sight and travelled with me around the festival to be pulled out when we were just lazying around.  How great is that?
 

What am I making?  My other half wants a hat.  I have no idea how to make a hat, but Leanne convinced me I could work it out.  I found a pattern on Ravelry that I understood, which is half the battle.  I kind-of figured out how to use 4 double pointed needles at once with the superb help of Ger from Pippablue.  And finally I sort-of found the wool my other half wanted....as close to pure, unprocessed wool as possible (hence the "natural" brown).

What's better is that the wonderful Judy of Fundamentally Fiber seems to have SERIOUSLY helped me out in the quest for natural wool.  I'll give you more on that story later!

I am really not sure if it will fit, but it seems like it will stretch a bit when it's off the needle.  Worst case it will become a tea cozy.  Or a wool ball cozy.  Seems to fit my ball of wool better than my other half's head right now.  Can you see that it's ribbed along the edge and then goes into a pure knit stitch.  So far so good!

At the festival there was a vendor selling wool from her wool wagon.  If you have a chance, check out Winnie's Craft Cafe.  She has a great shop!  These wool beauties were going for 2 euro each!  I don't have a plan for them yet...they're the beginning of my wool stash!  Like I need another stash....

And finally, what was waiting for me on my return home?  A care package from my Mom and Dad.  I'm in my mid (ahem, late?) thirties and my folks still hook me up!  There are few things I miss about the states, but Dunkin Donut's hazelnut coffee and Skippy peanut butter are absolute must-haves.  Thank goodness my parents keep me stocked up!

That's the news!  I'm off to cut a bit of fabric, ponder Leanne's Mod Pop QAL and package up a few FQs worth of scraps for swapping.  Life is good.

Non-Quilty News

I do tend to focus the blog on quilts or stitched crafts, but I thought today I'd tell you a bit about the other bits and pieces going on around here that make me super happy.

Two lovely ladies have moved into the back garden.  That's right!  We have two totally free range hens.  They're named Dora and Penny.  Penny is the confident leader and Dora the sweet but shy gal.  Together they are best friends and the spend every minute within 2 feet of one another.  They even sleep cuddled together in one nest box.  They are about 4 months old now and have just started laying eggs. That's right....we're collecting two eggs a day and already are overwhelmed with the number.

Penny knows snacks usually come in the orange tea cup.

Once Dora saw Penny checking out the cup, she came out from under the tree to look for herself.

Yep.  Dora agrees that's the snack tea cup.  Indeed.

So they finally had a look around the grass to find the corn.  Happy, happy chicks.

In other news, I've had the urge to knit again.  I just wanted something portable to go with me camping and on long drives.  I find stitching hexies a little much for my eyes when the car is moving, so the knitting needles become my best friend.  If you remember, I did try knitting once before.  It was a super basic repeated knit stitch that didn't give defined pattern.  Still, I like it and enjoyed the process.  That scarf is still not finished only because I don't know how to get it off of the needles.  I'll work that out eventually.  In the mean time, I've started another scarf.that has a basic rib pattern.  The ends will be stockinette stitch and the a repeated knit two, purl two to get the rib.  So far I'm loving it.  I do really need to get into a class or something...You Tube can only take me so far.

Here's a small bit of semi-quilting for you.  Jennifer of the Knotted Thread is hosting an I-Spy charm swap through flickr.  Come join in the fun.  You just have to follow this link to flickr and join in the group.  Post a photo of the fabric you're tossing into the swap and Jennifer will take care of the rest.  Easy peasy.  I am using the wellies print from Fluffy Sheep Quilting.