Shawl Progress and a Sewing FO

This weekend, I put in some serious crafting time. My Swallowtail Shawl (shawl #5 of 2010) was in hibernation for months, but resurfaced a few weeks ago. I'm now working my first nupp row (by the way, nupps really are annoying, but I'm hoping they get easier).

I'm further along than this photo shows, but I wanted to get a picture before I lost daylight yesterday.

Additionally, on Saturday I decided to make myself a pincushion to match my sewing room. My current pincushion is heart-shaped (it's pretty ugly and generic) and came from Joann's when I first picked up sewing again. After a couple of crafting hours, here is my result.

I used scraps from the pillows I made Rhonda last month. The Deer Valley line by Joel Dewberry is one of my favorites.

I love the little triangles, which are from a charm square I've had forever. When I first started sewing again, I bought a box of charm squares on eBay, which I never really used, but I've pulled some of my favorites for scrappy use. I like the black contrast stitching as well. I used bamboo stuffing, but next time, I think I'll add some beans or beads to give it a little more weight. I've also read that walnut shells are a good natural additive. It feels sturdy as is, though.

I love it, and I'm hoping to make more.

Slowly progressing

This quilt is such a big project, and my free time is somewhat sporadic. The result is that I don't feel as if I'm moving very quickly through this process.

The bright side is that I'm nearly done with my nine-patch squares. The next step is cutting my solid suares and then sewing together the top. I picked some coordinating thread colors that I'm contemplating for the top-stitching. My solid top squares will be gray (either Kona medium gray or coal). For the binding, I'm planning to use Kona Daffodil or Bubble Gum (seen in the picture above).

Does anyone have an opinion on the binding and/or thread color? I may use more than one thread color, since I sort of love them all! I may use one within the squares, and then use the other on the binding.

I'm already dreaming of my second quilt, using these orange and blue fabrics. Ithink I'll wait to dig into it, as two giant unfinished quilting projects would just be too much. It's fun to plan, though!

Progress: Pebble

This handspun, purchased from Whimsy Knits, didn't stay in the stash very long. I bought it originally for a hat or scarf, but after seeing the Pebble vest (inspired by Cobblestone), I knew it would be my next gift to Oliver, Elliott's nephew. He's about four months old now, and he'll be visiting Texas for the first time this month. I'm excited to see him again. I'm hoping he hasn't grown too much, so that he can fit into this vest! This is a DK weight yarn, which is what the pattern calls for. I didn't add any width, but I added about 12 rows to the length.

I'm a few inches past this picture, and I plan to start the straps tonight. This yarn has Shetland in it, and my plan, should I run out, is to purchase a skein of Jamieson's yarn to finish. At this point, I'm pretty sure that won't be necessary, but it never hurts to be prepared.

If it doesn't fit the little guy, I'll knit another in worsted weight while he's in Texas, and I'll save this one for another baby gift.

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