Trick or Treat!

Trick or Treat!  A cry that will be heard across the nation tonight

Will you trick?  Or Treat?

We are usually away from the house on this all Hallow's Eve,

so the big candy pumpkin sits on the front porch--

who knows how much candy the first kid takes?

Do they have good manners to take just one piece?

All I know--when we return, the pumpkin is empty!

Fir Good Measure Quilt Mystery

Want to join in a mystery quilt along??

Then join this FB group--Fir Good Measure

sponsored by Fort Worth Fabric Studio.

The pattern clues will be free on this group

beginning November 4

I have sewn three of their mysteries before, two with

their kits--quite good measure of fabric.

There is a wonderful fabric kit available on their website--

but first, join the FB group--the following from the group announcement.

Announcing our 2019 Christmas mystery quilt along, Fir Good Measure! 🌲🎄🌲

This sew long begins November 4 and will run for 4 weeks (completing November 25).

 We will be making a lap size quilt you can enjoy for the holidays! ❤️ Size is approximately 48” x 60“.

 All fabrics in our kit are from Moda and colors are traditional red/green.

 Since this is a lap size quilt, we will have backing sets available separately at a good price! (Backing set is Moda Grunge in White Paper – 108” wide, so there will be no seams!) 

Kits will ship by October 28, but you know we always try to beat our deadlines! 👍🏼 We are excited to sew along with you again! We can’t wait to get started! 🌲🎄🌲

Get your kits & backing sets here:

https://fortworthfabricstudio.com/pages/search-results-page…

Wheels R Turnin'!

During the days of the World Series, the wheel was turning!

So Fast!  It was to keep my feet and hands busy so I

didn't get upset about missed catches, bad calls or

runs for the other team--may the best team win though!

I remember World Series from my teen years--games

were Yankees and Dodgers always, it seemed!

The games were even played over the speaker during our classroom

times--how about that?!!

Anyway, here is what I'm spinning:

Luxury--for sure!  nice in the hand--lovely finish and perfect

for knitting project, that's whirling in my brain

Here are the fibers:  Merino, silk and yak--how

fancy is that!  Roving from Gale's Art--

There are these short dark fibers mixed into the roving--

easy to pull out and set aside and there aren't many

of them

Bobbin is almost full and ready to ply--will keep my toes

a tappin'

Here's the other bobbin I finished--Need

to wind off and ply

This is the colorful roving--named Abode

From this lovely lady in Oregon--she puts amazing

combinations of colors in her dye pot!

This one is waiting in the wings--we'll see if I get to it soon.

Loving this time to spin to my heart's content1

Knits for Binge Watching!

Oh My Gosh!  I have sooooo many TV shows I want to

binge watch--and I hate to have idle hands--let's make

something.............

ski swirl hat Craft Yarn Council

This body is worked flat, from side to side;

with a vertical stripe pattern.  Decreases are worked on one

end and increases on the other side--once the hat is a

parallelogram (use your math here!)--you sew the sides

together and the stripes swirl around the hat!

how fun!!

 

I hate when ads pop up on my news feed! But, this one

time I was happy--look at these cool knitted FLG (fingerless gloves)

Of course, they were advertised to be purchased--my brain is

saying "I can knit these!"  There are lots of leftover yarns in my

stash that would be perfect for these--

Here is recipe from Martha Stewart's site (Yes, Martha of all people!)

It's a basic pattern but you can add the necessary knits and purls

where needed.  

Strata Scarf from Purl Soho is absolutely a stash buster!

They have a lovely selection of yarns if your stash

isn't loaded.  Follow their suggestion in order not to have

twenty zillion ends to weave in when finished!

Gobble, Gobble

Thanksgiving quilts are usually overlooked!

I do have couple of older hangings that were pre-printed fabric panels

The other day I was looking at You Tube TV and

found these two Turkey hanging tutorials--both really

good turkeys.  The top one is this year turkey--

the bottom video is dated 2010, but the pattern is still

available quilting tutorials

Both are made with Dresden plate patterns

Turkey Wall hanging

Quilt in a Day has a whole farm of animals free or $5 for kit

Head, Shoulders, Hands, Feet

Keeping warm is a high priority when winter weather arrives--

I enjoy finding interesting patterns that will keep us

cozy during those chilly days!

Warmlix --loved this website!  Such cute models and

the patterns are a delight

Chelsey Clammer

This is a slouchy version of the Slip Stitch Stockinette

Beanie (Ravelry ). This version is very adjustable as long as you work

with multiple of 2--The decreases are just K2tog

Kristina Smiley designs for Expression Fiber Arts

I really like all their patterns! Tamsyn is the name of this

lovely pattern

Monkey Socks by Cookie A is one of my favorite socks to knit!

Always nice looking footwear!

Happy knitting!!

Möbius?

What is a Mobius? 

 Mobius band is one-sided, ... There are existing technical applications of the Mobius strip. Mobius strips have been used as conveyor belts that last longer because the entire surface area of the belt gets the same amount of wear) and as continuous-loop recording tapes (to double the playing time).

Mobius knitting is where maths geometry and knitting meet in quite an extraordinary way. ... If you put the short ends together, you will form a loop but if you twist one short end through 180 degrees before taping the ends together you will create a moebius loop 

Patterns in knitting are below.  Followed by a video on how to cast on for this continuously knitted strip

Knitty/Justify designed by Lynn Vogel

Knitty/Knoop by Danny Ouellette

Easy Moibus designed by Haley Waxberg

Lacey Moibus by Cat Bordhi 

Leaf, Leaves, Leaf--

My brain is working overtime--trying to graph a 4" maple leaf block for the border to use on my Autumn in America quilt--I've come across many leaf patterns, both in knitting, crocheting and quilting

Knitted Leaves in three sizes 

Crochet by  Katherine Laight

Diary of a Quilter has a nice tutorial for her fall leaves

Generations Quilt has a different look at leaf pattern

Myblueprint has a totally different aspect to fall leaves--

this one is paper pieced-nope, not doing it!  But there are 

several others that are intriguing on their site.

At this point, I'm redesigning that Autumn in America border to include large leaves!--who says I need to keep to the pattern??  Not me!

Through the Eye of the Needle--

Working with textiles, we can tell many stories--this is one story that needs to be told over and over again.  Her work through stitching is outstanding!

Paper Piecing Headache!

I'm working on a pattern called "Autumn in America"--bought it

a zillion years ago --when I saw the front cover, it looked

like a really neat quilt, especially to display in the fall months--

and of course, it was on sale--another reason to purchase!

Little did I know--that the pattern included MANY

paper pieced blocks!

Several months ago, I pulled out the pattern and begin

to do the ones that were actually pieced--put the whole thing

away for some time until recently I began work on it again

The paper pieced blocks--some are only 3' or less--and for the

border--56 four inch (4") maple leaf blocks are required--

all to be paper pieced!!  I'm thinking on that block--

in the meantime, I worked on these star blocks--you get

lots of loose scraps of paper and little bits of fabric

are used--so time consuming!

Thank goodness, there were only 3 of these small blocks--

I'm still thinking on those 4" maple leaf blocks---

maybe, redesign the borders----

hmmmmm

Think FALL..........................................

Okay--Fall has come to the South--

and I'll be ready with this comfy wrap!

It looks so warm and soft--how could one resist

knitting this? Flurries in the Wind Wrap

I'm breaking out my chunky yarn for this!!

There is also a crochet version--

Snowfall on the Bowery Wrap

Here is the yarn to use!  Or I was thinking--how about a nice

chunky handspun brown cotton!!

Heritage Wave Shawl looks so soft and why not?  Such lovely yarns
Cascade Yarns Heritage Wave

2 Skeins for total of 437 yards

US 4 (3.5mm) knitting needles or size to obtain gauge

10 stitch markers
Yarn Needle

Finished Measurements:  74" wide x 13" deep

Gauge:  28 sts x 32 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch

Purl Soho has a wonderful no cable pattern!

Looks like fun knitting!!

Agatha October Read

Appointment with Death (1938)  "Among the towering red cliffs of Petra, like some monstrous swollen Buddha, sits the corpse of Mrs. Boynton. A tiny puncture mark on her wrist is the only sign of the fatal injection that killed her.  With only twenty-four hours available to solve the mystery, Hercule Poirot recalled a chance remark he’d overheard back in Jerusalem: “You see, don’t you, that she’s got to be killed?” Mrs. Boynton was, indeed, the most detestable woman he’d ever met. . . ."

And so it begins!!.............................................

 Now, what in the world do you knit with this adventure????

Since it's October--I'm thinking I don't want to burn my hands 

to Death  this cup holder would be fun to knit--

it's a quick and easy cable design by Evan Middleton (found

on Ravelry).  Appropriately named "Pumpkin Spice"

 It's adjustable too!

AND since it's October.........

Happy Birthday to ME!

Playing Around..........................

I should be working....on various projects,

BUT

I'm playing around with other stuff--

Like these cute snowmen from Fatcat Patterns.

Her designs always cheer me up!

There is a large bag filled with these squares--

don't have the foggiest idea when or why I made them--

there they are--ready for layout, so I'm playing around

with sets--these blocks are 2.5"--could make a tiny 

quilt, I guess

What wonderful blocks--all 5" of them!  I was playing

around with making coasters--

backing, a few closing stitches and

whoa! We have some nice useable items!

Oh, yeah--I like playing around!!

MKALs

Oh Good--another mystery knitting adventure for

fingerless gloves!!

FRIENDLY DRAGON--Fingerless gloves designed by Sabine Kastner

Clue 1: Tuesday, 1 October
Clue 2: Sunday, 6 October
Clue 3: Sunday, 13 October
Clue 4: Sunday, 20 October
Clue 5: Sunday, 27 October

Notions you will need:

• 3 mm (US size 2½) circular needle, 80 cm/32’’ long, to work the magic loop technique (or size to obtain the desired gauge). If you prefer other needles for working in the round over a small circumference, you will need an extra short cable needle of the same size for the cast-on.
• 6 seed beads (4 mm beads work well with sport-weight yarn)
• Fine crochet hook (must fit through the hole of the beads) or dental floss for applying the beads
• Cable needle (if you need one)
• Waste yarn, stitch markers, darning needle

The pattern includes information on how to adjust the measurements of the mitts by varying yarn weight and gauge (note that this will influence the yardage required).

This sounds so spooky--"Ghost of the Moon Shawl"

Hosted by Meghan Jones--you'll find the free pattern

on Plymouth Yarn Magazine website beginning October 1--

there will be spooky poems as well as weekly clues along

with tutorials to make this Autumn accessory

Wooly Adventure Begins.........................

Wooly Begins

How Wooly Works

• The 2019 theme is "holiday Celebrations"
• Each participating shop will design their own 8" wool applique pattern to go with the theme
• Visit any Wooly Block Adventure shop to receive one of their 8" patterns free
• Patterns and kits can be purchased online or mail order during the event, which runs October 1-November 30, 2019
• Patterns are only sourced in PDF and not mailed unless you order the print copy

Participating Wooly Shops 

Want to Waste Time?

I'm really into this--Exuberant Color--has the best ways to clean up your time wasting habits!!  Was glad to run into their blog to find these ten (10) ways to give you more time in the studio while you are quilting--

Time Waster One--disorganized fabrics--oh YES!  

my fabrics are all over the place--look how neat this

stack above is!

Time Waster Two--cluttered working area!

You bet!  mine looks terrible; just making your

working space less messy, you will find it is more desirable

Time Waster Three--wrinkled fabric scraps!

Mine look like you'd never use them at any time!

I think all these are absolutely perfect for any type of 

fiber work--check out the blog to read what the other seven

time wasters are--you'll be surprised how you can clean up

your studio to work more efficiently!