Almost Only Counts in Horseshoes and Handgrenades

I'm almost on Cloud9...I finished the sweater with the exception of the button band. I picked up stitches last night and knitted two rows but I don't have buttons yet so I do not want to go further. I think I shall go pick out buttons tonight and get this sweater into the FO pile! I'm so excited to be able to wear it...I've put off finishing it for so long and I'm glad the weather is going to be cool enough this week to wear it!

***So, I didn't get buttons last night, but maybe I will tonight...I'm so close to being finished but it looks as though a trip to the store is going to hold me up.

Soon it Will be Buttons Away...

So...this may be a bad close up, but you get the idea, right?
Well, I finished the sleeves and got them connect to the rest of the body. (The body that has been knit for nearly a year)....but it's FINALLY getting there and I'm pretty excited about it. It's all downhill from this point--but downhill in a good way. The next pic I show you of this sweater will be buttons away from finished.

Trying to Finish an Old UFO

Sleeve one done, sleeve two started.

Pillow Talk

Okay, so I didn't work on my quilt...and here's why: I sat down after I ate a delicious cucumber, tomato, and red onion salad to work on it...and realized I didn't have the right color thread. So, I walked to the store, because they used to have a fabric/sewing section. Key phrase there is "used to." As in, not anymore. So, I had to go to the fabric store...and I came home with stuff. I happen to love stuff. And some of that stuff made these:There are only two. Each have a green side and a reddish side. I love them! And I still have two more to make!

I Promise I am Almost Done

I spent last night over a Leslie's pinning my quilt layers together. It didn't take as long as I thought it would. You are probably sick of hearing about my quilt, I know others are as well, but I can't help it, I'm so excited about it! All I have left to do is quilt it and bind it and I'm DONE!! I was going to take myself out on a "date" tonight, but I think I will work on this and maybe take myself on a "date" tomorrow night. This quilt is one of the coolest things I have ever made...and that's saying a lot because I REALLY love knitting.

**Edited to add knitting content**

I have been knitting on this again. I think it should be done rather quickly. The body is waiting for the sleeves and I have one sleeve half done. I'm already in the planning (thinking) stages of my next sweater using a beautiful yarn from Briar Rose...I will try to remember to take pictures of the yarn soon.

Here it is with the borders....

It's getting there!

Here is the quilt. I just have to add the border, quilt it, and bind it. I have to say, it's going very well! I just love all the colors. The border fabric isn't straight black. it has blue and green swirls with brown under tones. The border was not part of the pattern, but I think it will draw the eye to the center of the quilt and it just makes the colors pop!
Is this not just the coolest quilt you've ever seen? Leslie is a wonderful woman whom I recently taught to knit and whom has helped me get started quilting. She made this for me! She knew my love of frogs....and you know what the coolest thing about this quilt is? The line of fabrics feature knitting "stitches"!! How cool is that? She is really a great friend!

Here are some fat quarters I bought when I was buying my border fabric. I spotted these a few weeks ago at The Back Door and have been thinking about them ever since. Purple and gold look so great together! This is going to be an awesome quilt as well!
Here is my new sewing box. This is sooo me. I just had to show it off. I bought some other stuff as well, but I haven't taken pictures yet.

There hasn't been an actually knitting, but there has been a lot of thinking about knitting. I am going to finish my Dream in Color sweater and start another sweater in a beautiful yarn from Briar Rose. We'll see pictures of those soon.

Quilting....almost there.

This is a picture of the half of the quilt that I have completely sewn together. I am currently working on the other half and hopefully will have a picture by tomorrow of it all finished. I must say...not bad for my first quilt! It's very exciting! And I LOVE the pattern, Shade Cascade.

Look at what I've gotten into now

There has been knitting, sometimes. I went to a friend's for a "craft" day in which I was the only kniter amongst quilters. Around lunchtime, we ended up in a quilt shop. It was a very modern, beautiful shop. I bought a quilt kit. I am sewing my first quilt. I am ecstatic. Here are my firt ten blocks:

All of the blocks are the same, except in varying colors of blue and green. It's going to be gorgeous....and not bad for my first quilting project! More to come.