A quilt, a cozy, a sweater, and a sock

I finished the quilt. All it had lacking was the binding, but it had been that way for almost two months. Way past time to stop procrastinating and finish it. It was the mitered corners on the binding that were holding me back. Well that, and past experience with welting corners on pillow covers. With coaching from Mom, done! (Only took four hours from beginning to end.  Not the speediest process.)

Quilt - finished! 

I had some extra fabric and batting and an idea. I've had this idea floating around for about a year.  I love coffee made in a french press.  I admit to being a coffee snob...I don't like the taste of the paper filter.  And the water should be the right temperature.  Most coffee makers don't get it hot enough, or at least the ones my budget can afford.  I am quite happy to drink all sorts of coffee made elsewhere - but if I'm making it myself, it will be in a press.  I remember the lady at Williams-Sonoma trying to convince me that an insulated french press was a really good idea and worth the extra 30 bucks. It wasn't long before I figured out what she was talking about.  So for the past year, my coffee pot has usually looked like this.  Stylish, right?

 

This time, before all the work to put the sewing machine away, again, I sat down and made a pattern and a cozy for the pot. The entire process took a whopping 30 minutes. I really could accomplish a lot more if my stuff didn't have to be hauled out and put back. Really. (No not really. If I had a craft room, I'd just walk by and ignore it all...probably use the space as a dumping ground from more books and yarn.)

French Press Cozy - now very stylish

I also finished the last of the baby sweaters.  This is the second one from the pattern I wrote.  It came out a lot better than the first version.  I got the shaping on the sleeves right.  It reminded me of a Chanel jacket and one of my students dubbed it "Baby Chanel."  Tres chic.

Finished sweater

And here's the sock. I can't decide whether to keep it or rip it out. This is the case of a great pattern, wrong choice of yarn.  I think the lace pattern is obscured by the colors in the yarn.  It actually doesn't look too horrible here, but when you put it on stretched, it just looks like crap.

Yarn is Koigu KPPM

The pattern in the book used a handpaint...but darker and with less variation in color. 

Almondine, Anne Hanson, from Sock Knitting Master Class, Ann Budd, ed.

 I should have paid more attention.  This yarn is going to end up in a very simple (boring) sock. It's the second time I've tried to knit it. The first time the gauge was off and it was too small.  Now the gauge is right and the pattern is wrong.