Biting off more than I can chew

I like doing handcrafts. I started young, learning basic chain-stitch embroidery from my parents (almost the only stitch I remember how to do), then crocheting from my mom (mostly because my little brother was learning, and I couldn’t stand for him to know if I didn’t — same reason I finally started riding a bike without training wheels). Eventually, I added more — knitting, sewing, quilting, and my new experiment, tatting.

Two years ago, I knitted a sweater for my son for Christmas. Finished everything but the sleeves before the big day. Decided last year to start sooner so I could be finished — and then took on lots of projects.

There’s the requisite sweater for my son.

Knit cable detail.

The beginning of the sweater, with cable detailing.

A skirt I was making for my daughter’s birthday.

Crocheted rainbow skirt.

Beginning of the skirt.

A quilt to go downstairs for guests’ use.

Quilt square in browns and purples.

Center block for the guest quilt.

Another quilt from the same pattern for my in-laws.

Center quilt block in greens and browns.

Center block for my in-laws’ quilt.

And a sweater (which I still haven’t gotten around to starting!) for my daughter for Christmas.

What did I actually give? I crocheted up last-minute slippers for the kids and gave my in-laws a partly pieced quilt top that I still need to finish putting the rows together on (then assemble as a quilt). I’m making progress, though — it appears I’ll actually get my son’s sweater done this week, while there’s still a chance of cold weather (in fact, if I can get it done tonight, they’re talking about snow tomorrow morning). My daughter’s skirt is slowly progressing; she might get it for her half birthday. I do need to spend more time on the quilts, though.

So I’m going to post once a week about something that I’m working on, where I am, where I found the pattern, and things I’ve learned. First up — this Thursday, my son’s sweater.