Knit, Purl, SLP, PSSO

Can we say--we're knitting.......slowly, we are knitting!

This project will take all year--definitely, all year long!  As it is project from Elizabeth Ravenwood and is called 2014:  A year of lace scarf--so far, I've done three of the patterns--makes sense, it is late March after all.  This is in the group--Big Comfy Doghouse--on Ravelry.

I'm using handspun wool that has beads spun with the ply yarn.  I'm not happy that the beads aren't showing up, but you can see them up close and there is the hint of sparkle

I needed a hat--special reason I needed a guy's hat too.  Waffle Hat pattern is free from Gail Bable.

 

It's an easy knit pattern and I used another handspun wool for this comfy hat.

Love these mitts!  These are from Ravelry Group, Ryan Eejits And Those That Fit In The Group (I know--crazy, but fun group!) We are doing Christmas in 12 Months.  Each month we receive a new pattern--so far, I've knit scarf, hat and now these mitts.  The mitts are single silk yarn--soft, cozy and very warm! 

Westside Weavers Discuss Turkish Towels, ETC

Recently, one of our weavers, Scharine, had an extended visit to Turkey and she brought back various sundry textiles she found.  As weavers, our eyes are always on the search for different and unusual textiles.

Scharine had her bowl of bath supplies--and she described how you take a bath at the Turkish Baths

She was privileged to visit with weavers on her visit and she found this delightfully soft cotton Turkish towel to add to her collection for her redo of her bathroom

Along with the colorful towel, she found other woven wonders to add to her bath collection

Once home, she was looking through her stash of hand-woven towels and came across this one she had woven last year--bingo!  excellent color to match her colorful towel!

And here you have the label of the towel weaver, Jennifer Shamam

Cotton Towel

The combination of Scharine's hand woven towel with her Turkish towel will brighten up any bathroom 

She also found this colorful towel in her stash--

In this February issue of complex Weavers, you can see Scharine's hand woven heritage cloth on the cover and inside you can ready about her technique

While in Turkey, Scharine took a felting workshop--

Silk on wool!

Susan had finished knitting this lovely shawl

and she also had this Pear shawlette to show off.  I thought it looked at hearts--nicely done Susan!

Ex-patchers in March!

It has been a few weeks since expatchers had been together--so nice to see them! It was time to catch up on the latest and greatest news

Debby is calling this 'practice' work!  Seated near Debby is Judy C, who is visiting after hip replacement surgery--we were happy to see her up and driving

I think she's doing a good job at 'practice'!

Judy M was stitching on her Bra series-she is doing her ninth (yes 9!) Avon walk in April and these little mug rugs are gifts for her fellow walkers--what great memories of a job well done. In the background is Linda, gearing up with her coffee cup, and Brenda who is pressing

her grandmother's flower garden block.  Near the tea cup is Annette's handiwork that she is stitching for her flower block

Sandy had quilted this Texas wall hanging for Linda--WOW!  Texas looks good in fabric!

And as usual, Judy's studio is set up with great quilts--since she doesn't like pastels, there are no spring quilts so she goes straight to patriotic!

nothing wrong with being patriotic any time of the year!

The FatCat Rolls Around Again!

March brings us completion on two of Fatcat Patterns.  I'm sorry to see them come to an end.

We are still working on the owl series and this 'horned' owl is staring at me with his google eyes

I'm 'diggin' these little creatures!  So much fun to see them come to life!

The Afghan Hound was quick and easy to make and now we are finished with the dogs and will assemble

And the fishes of the sea are complete too!  Oh, my what will be do with our time now??

Are You As Warped As I AM!

I AM a weaver! I began my fiber path as a weaver, then moved onto spinning, dyeing and embraced many other fiber techniques. No matter how often I might venture away with another interesting technique, I always return to weaving.   Even after 30+ years weaving, there is no way I can learn all weaving  has to offer!  There are different patterns, unusual structures, colorful yarns, etc. 

There are peaceful times spent at the loom and moments of insanity too!  No One tells you that you need a list of credentials to be a weaver--

You need a background in sight reading

You need to have a level head when threads go awry

No one tells you what to do with broken warp threads

Or how to deal with uneven warp tie-ups--these are things you learn as you discuss with fellow weavers tricks and trades of the loom 

And when I speak to young students--I tell them you need MATH in a big way as a weaver!  Most days things go well at the loom but then there are those days--I feel more warped than the loom!!!

The Quilt Show BOM

I have been a charter member of The Quilt Show although I really don't take full advantage of all the benefits that the website offers. There is the daily blog to read; lessons to learn; projects; quilt gallery; a shop and many other features. One summer I attended a taping of the show--which was  interesting. I almost didn't renew my membership for 2014--then I saw the 2014 BOM (Block of the Month) designed by Janet Stone.

This really caught my eye!  How much fun this would be to recreate in my colors--okay, I renewed for another year.  Each month I go to the BOM feature on the website to save/print the instructions. 

Guess I never really thought about block size, but these are smaller than I expected, but Janet's instructions give you plenty of leeway for trimming.  And interesting instructions there are--I'm learning new techniques as I sew. 

Here goes the A--all the applique has been reversed so there is no corrections needed there.

Flying geese a different way! I should be an expert by now.

F--where is the B??  I'm confused..............Janet makes these blocks right though.

Onto G.........

And then we put these blocks together!  Okay--now, I see method to the madness!

And here is February blocks are neatly together!  We are keeping up so far......

March's pattern brings us to I

and H!  These were two quick blocks to complete.

 

The Quilt Show

What's On and Off the Needles.......................

It has been a slow winter for knitting-- just couldn't get my "mojo' going to do any knitting.

This was a mystery FLG (finger less glove) pattern that popped up on my radar in January--I found some handspun wool/silk blend and cast on

And then they just were put aside

Finally!  picked them up and finished them off--nice warm mittens

I like the design

I began this 'swing' cowl just because--to see what all the fuss was about this technique

Not handspun, but stash yarn--this is an different technique of doing short rows, but I lost interest after I knew how it worked.  Has that ever happen to you?

I requested this book for Christmas gift and it got buried under all my other paperwork until just recently, so we began with lesson One

which was to string 150 beads onto your ribbon (thank goodness for stash yarns!) It took awhile to string all those beads and I learned a short cut way of doing it after several other unsuccessful means........................take it from me--dental floss is the way to go when stringing beads!