Learning new skills (and a link party)

Good project this week and a new skill learned!

The Ongoing Project List:

1. SYS2015 future projects - Nov project shared early this week and missing tutorial skill learned! (see below)
2. Block Swap Adventure - partner assigned, Oct blocks received (see below)
3. Charity quilts - next top done (see below)
4. Zipper pouches - paused for a while
5. Americana QAL - received Nov pattern
6. Applique pictures - done! (see below)
7. Adam's wall hanging - no progress
8. 2016 QAL (secret) - no progress
9. Allietare QAL - no progress

The EverythingElse List:

1. the SK project - no progress
2. the 31000 Xs project - no progress
3. Spirit cross stitch project - no progress
4. Mirror Mirror Afghan - no progress
5. the Ender project - no progress
6. Embroidery calendar - no progress
7. Project of Doom 2015 @ Fandom in Stitches - paused for a while
8. Alice in Wonderland quilt - no progress
9. As You Wish -  no progress
10. Crazy optical illusion - no progress
11. Memory quilt 2 - no progress
12. B quilt - no progress

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These are the blocks I received from Cathy from Australia!
Two great blocks and the most wonderful aboriginal fabric ever!!!

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This is a project that will be included in a Xmas present. I will fill a photo collage with pictures, but I wanted to add something different, so I made these two blocks as we identify with these two characters  :)

This is a project from my long Q4 list of projects! (Project 10. in the list)
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I have to be honest with you: I organized the Stretch Your Skills series basically to "force" myself to learn or practice some crafts that I usually ignore (like crochet) or to learn some that I never tried before (like EPP or knitting).

Here is more of my EPP (this is for a secret project).

And when the knitting tutorial was cancelled, I was super sad :(

I tried knitting about 20 years ago and I didn't really like it because of the "boring" look of knit/purl flat scarfs (that was the only thing I could learn from my mom as she was not a knitter herself). Plus I had to use those long and heavy metal needles and my kids hands really didn't like them.

In preparation of the SYS knitting tutorial, I started looking around for knitting needles and I discovered that heavy metal needles were not the only option. So I bought myself a set of bamboo double pointed needles and a set of bamboo/plastic circular needles... not even knowing what they are used for! :) :)

Having the yarn and needles and no SYS project to use them for, I started looking around for a simple project that used circular needles and not just "boring" knit/purl. Then one day I found a perfect project: small, with a fun design and useful... knitted mitts!

After watching several youtube videos (as I had no idea how the circular needles work) I decided to jump right in and make the mitts! I knew that I was using the wrong size needle but the right size was too thin and my stitches too tight. So I decided to use the first mitt as a "test" project, to practice the stitches, getting comfortable with the process, design and gauge. I will count it as "left done" for the purpose of finishes projects linkys as it is technically done (and not even too big), but it has holes here and there (I don't know how it happened but I got confused several times on which thread to use for stitches increases, so it must be that). I will redo it after I finish the right one.

Pattern by weezalana (knittywhipped.blogspot.com) 

My impression on knitting: I absolutely love it! even if I am slow at it...
The circular bamboo/plastic needles are just wonderful! They are light and easy to work with, perfect for projects-on-the-go, they fold easily and they keep the project safe without the need of needle tops.
I still struggle because I don't "see" the stitches (meaning that if everything is done properly, it's cool... but if I make a mistake, I don't know where I messed up and I don't know how to undo it properly), but I guess this will come with practice (I had the same experience with crochet).

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And last, but not least, I want to remind you that I am working on charity quilts,
and I would love your help!! 

Quilts are for a quilt drive to help the kids in the DC General Homeless Shelter. 

And you can help me by donating orphan blocks, partial blocks, or fabric (scraps, strips, leftover, uglies, whatever). 

If you are willing to mail them to me, I could use them to make more quilts for these kids!!! 

If you are up for a loving donation, please send me an email at tweloq[_at_]gmail[dot_com] or leave a comment here with your email address so I could give you my mailing address. I promise that your donation will be used to make some kids happy and feel more loved!! 

I finally finished another top! In this I included orphan blocks from one donation, with fabric from a second donation, charms from a third donation and fabric from my stash! I really love to include a little bit of love from different people!

Now I have 2 quilts done and 3 tops to quilt... yes, I don't like the quilting part, but I will work on that next week so maybe I will report a finish next week!!

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How about you? What are YOU up to?

Link it here and share it with me!!

An InLinkz Link-up