Round Again


Last winter I knitted for Son#2, Son#3, and Son#4. So this winter it was time to knit for Son#5 and the above photo is the result. It took a little longer than anticipated, but it's finished now and he seems to like it.

I should also knit for Son#1 but the only pattern he likes is fisherman's rib and no one ever wants to knit that for him because it takes so long! Perhaps one day I'll relent and surprise him.

On the subject of finishing things, I now have an enormous patchwork quilt that I'm making for Son#2 and his wife-to-be to hand quilt. It has not been a good start. I've pricked my finger so many times and have bled - yes bled! - on the quilt. I've struggled with the weight of it and I don't know if it's because I used a cotton/bamboo batting instead of wool (which I usually prefer) or whether I've just forgotten how big and cumbersome a quilt this size is. Whatever the problem, I've almost been tempted to put it away ... but that certainly won't help me to get it finished.

Here's a sneak preview:



I've worked out how many patterns I have to do each weekend to get it finished in time for the wedding. I just hope I can do it. I'm hoping too that as I move out from the centre that it will be easier to manage and the quilting will go more smoothly. That's the plan anyway.

And while I'm still on the subject of finishing, today I finished the first draft of my second novel. In recent weeks I've not had time to write so I decided that these holidays (we're between school terms at the moment) I would try and write every day. Yesterday I sat down to write for 1-2 hours and was still there 5 hours later! The boys cooked dinner (yummy high-fat lasagna and self-saucing chocolate pudding) for me otherwise the family would probably still be waiting to be fed.

Today I wrote some more and to be astonishment and joy, I've finished. Now comes the editing. I just hope the publisher likes this one as much as the last one.

Comments

busymomof10 said…
You are a woman of many talents! Haven't I read about you somewhere before?? Like in Proverbs 31???

Congrats on finishing your first draft of your second novel! I'm so excited for you!!

Blessings,
Elizabeth
Noel said…
Where can we find the first novel?? I love the sweater, it's hard to imagine that your in the throes of winter when we've been in the 90's for the past several weeks. The quilt is beautiful. Did you design that pattern yourself?
Jules said…
Elizabeth, lol! Im sure that comment was tongue-in-cheek. If not, look out for my next post. I am definitely challenged when it comes to cooking - especially for a large family. I'll be dropping by your blog for some recipes!

Noel, the quilt pattern is an adaptation of one I saw in a book. I wanted to do the Double Wedding Ring Pattern but wanted to include daffodils because they are the favourite flower of my lovely daughter-in-law-to-be. I saw a similar quilt with tulips so replaced the tulips with daffodils. I also changed the pattern to reduce the amount of curved piecing (this was the first time I'd attempted to do curved piecing apart from an occasional block for a sampler quilt). The quilt actually looks more 'yellow' in this photo than it is in real life.

My first novel is due to be released in September. I'm just waiting for the cover design to be finalised and then I'll advertise it on my sidebar. For my US friends, I'm hoping it will be available through www.arkhousepress.com (the publishers).

Blessings, Jules
SchnauzerMom said…
That quilt is gorgeous! I would hate to have to cook for that large a group of people. I'm not all that good of a cook either.
Daisy said…
That quilt is GORGEOUS! Oh Jules what a lovely present that is going to be!
Unknown said…
Jules, you amaze me. You write, you knit, you make quilts, you bake. You are a woman of MANY talents!! That sweater and quilt are both beautiful!