Quilts and thrift and knit-thrift too....

I really love useful things. I love to take some piece of nothing, and make it into a functional object of some kind. Fun or beautiful or warm, it doesn't really matter as long as it has a use. In that vein, I just love this quilt

I love that she has used all the matching fabrics from one collection together in such a simple way!!! I have so much fabric, my stash is bursting at the seams. The saddest thing is, I'm trained. I'm trained to buy. More fabric when I see it. Yikes get a load of that stash....


Sadder yet is that I'm trained now to buy yarn as well. Gulp. I live in a 900 square foot home with 2 guys and 2 large dogs. What am I doing stashing?!!! (Hint: I'm trained. It's all about the training, people.)


Back to the topic: I love using bits and pieces to their fullest. For this reason, I am really into the mitered 9 patch washcloth on Mason Dixon Knitting. I'm having a blast with this.

I've made only one other miter, just a big mitered square washcloth from this pattern, but did not use a stitch marker to keep track of the center point.



So the miter jogs around instead of being in a straight line. Plus it's not as defined as the MD miter...So it's a wonky miter. And I don't like the propensity for the miter technique to end with a smaller than 90 degree point.



But the Mason Dixon miter gives better directions for a more defined miter.

I figured out that if I switch to one needle-size smaller on the second half of the miter, it will not be quite so pointy. It will in fact be more like the 90 degree ending I'm looking for. I like this...I'm starting to analyze my knitting. Cool. Here are some pics:



And on another note, I just learned how to pick up stitches along the sides of garter stitch by doing this project.



I learned that the wrong side should be facing away from me when I pick up stitches, for the look I want. A great learning experience, this washcloth. PLUS, IT IS USING UP MY WASHCLOTH LEFTOVERS that are too small for other pieces. Fun. And useful too. :)