2019 Planning

January 2019 brings new challenges!  

It is time now to plan for those upcoming projects .

One of my favorite designers, Elizabeth Ravenwood, aka

dogyarns on Ravelry is hosting another lace knitting

venture in 2019--a different pattern each month--I

finished my 2018 lace scarf but it isn't blocked yet--

Another 2019 knitting adventure is one coming

from Toni L. Lorenz, aka 

stlorenz on Ravelry (oh how I love Ravelry!)

This is going to be an exciting learning experience!

I've begun to spin while watching playoff football games

This fiber is very well aged!  It has been in my stash bin

for years--it's lovely to spin

The singles are doing well but I'll ply singles for 2 ply before

the knitting begins.  I have attached a small piece of velcro

to the wheel and when I stop spinning I can put the

loose end of the yarn to the velcro and it sticks!!

This lovely fiber comes from my friends at

Sky loom weavers.

I sure there isn't any more of this fiber--I love the

name--it comes from her animals, which are all

named wonderful names.

I still need to decide on another fiber to spin........

Mistakes..................Can Be Corrected............

It must be my month to make quilting mistakes--oh, yes, I'm making mistakes in other routines of my life too; But, do you know, all mistakes can be corrected?  Thank goodness!

When I have a few spare minutes, I've been sewing on Bonnie Hunter's 2018 mystery--I'm liking the color combinations.  So far, I've worked on two clues--making mistakes on both clues--oh, well.......I should read the instructions more carefully--really!  Take my time!  Read thoroughly!

Okay--what does this read to you?  2.5" unfinished--my brain

glazed right over that the "unfinished part" and went to download my sewing papers

for half square triangles

Now, what does this say at the top of the page??

2.5" FINISHED!!  (You can find these free half square papers

at quilting and what not--there are several sizes--)

Yes, so wrong!  I sewed several of these papers and the

brain kicked in----oh, no!  these need to be 2" finished!!

So back to the drawing board--I need to square up all these already sewn

to 2.5" unfinished!!

Thank goodness, I have this tool to make that process go quicker:

You line up on the stitching line that size you want the 

square to be--not pressed yet--and trim.

This tool is product of  New Leaf Stitches--it even trims the

'dog ears'!

Oh the joys of a mundane brain working overtime!!

Whew! Finished...................

Well, I thought I was finished---------then, I took a photo of my "finished' quilt top.  The next day I looked at the photo............................guess what??

And there it was!!  a glaring mistake!  A big fat mistake!

Can you see it?

Well, this is the way it's suppose to be--that meant lots of

ripping--goes to prove--you're never finished until you REALLY

look at the finished project!

This was a free project from Fort Worth Fiber Studio and measures

33"X 33"

All About Socks!!

Oh My Gosh!   Free patterns and tutorials on Socks!

I'm in heaven--sock heaven, that is!

You too can become a sock knitter and enjoy

these free patterns--Knotions has this just for you!

How can you resist??

I can't decide which one to knit first.

Then the other day, I discovered this interesting pair of sock knitters

and oh my--the yarn!  where have I been all this time??!!

Taste Driving---Recipes!

Let's Party!!  We are spending the holidays at the Hill Country house this year!  Yeah!  This will be an adventure--it's a much smaller place but we'll have a grand time with the family.
I'm in the food tasting mode now--found some interesting recipes that family might enjoy but first-- there is the taste driving test!

Damn Delicious has this tasty treat for your mouth!  It sounds so yummy!  and Costco had a special on croissant rolls!  Bam!  we're in business! 

I bought this book just for this one recipe--have you ever done that before?

There are many other good recipes too to try but the one below is one of our

favorites

And we have already taste driven this one!  But, I think whipping up

another batch is a go!

Don't they look delicious! Well, they are!

Had to try this recipe, just to use my Instapot, that I received last

Christmas!  Adventures of a Nurse gives us the copycat recipe

of Applebee's artichoke and spinach dip.

when making my list for grocery, I realize that ingredients for

Dip and rolls have the same things!! 

Wonder which one the family will like the best!!  At least,

they will be eating some spinach either recipe!

Advent of Kindness!

Here is a perfect way to celebrate Advent each day--it takes nothing but

Kindness!

Today Is The Day To Begin....................

I know you're not busy today--Right?  NOT!

Busy with cooking, shopping, gift wrapping, etc.

But, here is one that you might want to save

for future sewing times!

Jan Daly Quilts will share the steps on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from the 3rd through the 21st.  The final project is a mystery that will be constructed and revealed in stages throughout the month.  This year there will simple machine piecing (with some smaller patch sizes) making this quilt along suitable for most quilters, including confident beginners.  Check their website for past mystery QAL

I'll be saving these steps along with Quiltville's 2018 mystery

and Temecula Quilt company Secret Santa steps.  So much to sew

so little time--but we'll be ready for 2019 Christmas season!

And don't forget about the New Year's Day 2019

quilt along with Merry Mayhem--every hour a step

is revealed and by evening you'll have a wonderful new quilt--

if you keep up!

AQS Christmas Countdown

Just another reason to sew during the holidays

of if you're like me

save for future stitching.

Join this group through Facebook--

AQS

Each day from December 1-25 we will be posting a block. Please use your preferred construction technique.

Share questions and process images along the way. Be sure to show off your finished blocks with lots of pictures! We may even use your shared images on AQS Social Media platforms: AQSBlog, OnPoint, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, & Facebook. Always giving you credit, of course.

The full projects along with the finishing quilts for 2015, 2016, and 2017 can be found on AQSBlog: http://www.aqsblog.com/2017-christmas-countdown

Our 2018 Christmas project starts here: http://www.aqsblog.com/get-ready-for-the-2018-christmas-cou…. You can even combine all the blocks and make a 100 Block Christmas Quilt!

Blocks are shown in red and white. Please feel free to make your blocks in any color. If you would like to use the same fabrics we are using, look for active links to ShopAQS.com within the blog posts.

Joining this group means you agree to abide by the AQS Social Media Terms & Conditions found here: http://www.americanquilter.com/…/social_media_terms_and_con…

Advent Calendar

It's that time of year when my mind turns to Advent--time to reflect on the reason for the season.  We have an advent wreath--a circle of life--candles are lit on Sundays before Christmas.

I also like to prepare myself by knitting an advent scarf, which I've

done for the past several years.  This year is no different--

Unkatissima hosts this special knit along beginning December 1--Each day a 'window' will open to reveal the pattern for the day--It is my meditation time--yarn in my hands is certainly a blessing.  The pattern is free--knit along!

About the pattern:

1. This year the shawl has
    7 different consecutive lace patterns which mirror each other harmoniously,
    a 20 stitches repeat which allows you to knit the shawl as wide as you like and
    on day 13 a pattern that you can knit as often as you like to adapt the length of the shawl to your liking.
    
2. The pattern
    is a multiple of 20 pattern stitches + 3 start/end stitches + 2 or more edge stitches, and has a total of 386 rows with the day 13 pattern knitted once.
    The day 13 pattern has 28 rows and can be knitted several times if necessary.
    The daily instructions contain each as well charts as written instructions.
    
3. To knit the shawl you need
    yarn with needles in appropriate size (the shawl looks as beautiful knitted in lace yarn as in fingering or bulkier yarn),
    know-how about knitting yarn overs and different decreases and
    if you like stitch markers to mark the repeats.
    
4. If you want to make the shawl
    broader/narrower simply adjust the number of repeats;  shorter,
   • use smaller needle sizes and/or
   • finer yarn and/or
   • knit less loose;  longer
• knit the day 13 pattern more than once and/or
• use larger needles and/or bulkier yarn and/or knit more loose.

Advent Skalender is another shawl to knit during this period.  It began November 20

Wool Work---

Sleep as I will--wish as I would--

It just doesn't get the job done!

I bought this book for some wool applique

sense--I've not done much wool work.  A few small

pieces but I bought this book to make 

This tea cozy!!  I loved this tea cozy!  I have the book

now.  I have wool too.  I have floss to do the stitching--

BUT............A cold spell came along

AND

My tea pot is still naked!!

Not Early Enough!

Every year I think and believe that I will begin gift making

earlier in the year--but here I am in mid November

and just working on a few--and I mean a few!

Not going to have time to create all the gifts

I thought I could--intentions went by the wayside!!

This pattern by Denton Foreman, Cozy Fingerless Gloves

is a perfect mindless knitting project--

knit in front of TV, in the car, in a lecture,

talking to friends--

I found lots of small bits of yarn that will 

work for this easy peazy pattern.

I divided my yarn into two so I can knit both mitts

as the same time on circular needles--and the best

part--it's all Knit!!

Post Thanksgiving Food.....................

  Gobble--Gobble--Gobble!!!

Are there Thursday leftovers in your refrigerator?  Each person in our family love those leftovers and want a 'favorite'--be it just turkey sandwich or turkey ala king, turkey tetrazzini, turkey salad, turkey gumbo--we could eat turkey for days after the BIG day!  What is your favorite?

Here is my recipe for turkey tetrazzini:  which is my family favorite!

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz dry spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion diced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 1/4 cups chicken broth 
• 1 1/3 cups half & half or light cream
• Juice of one lemon
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 cups chopped turkey
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese 
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, topping
• splash of white wine, if on hand

Prepare spaghetti in boiling salted water.  In a saute pan, melt butter, brown chopped onion in butter, then add flour to make a roux.  Add liquid--chicken broth and half/half, stir till thick; then add chopped turkey, juice of one lemon, salt and pepper, mix in cheese--

place the cooked spaghetti in a greased casserole dish, pour the turkey mixture over spaghetti, mix together; on top sprinkle parmesan cheese--sometimes, I'll sprinkle some fine bread crumbs on top to get a nice crunch.  Bake at 350* for about 30-40 minutes till bubbly around the edges.  Serve to the waiting crowd!

Can be prepared ahead, frozen and then served at a later date.

Enjoy your leftovers or in our house we call it "must go"!

Happy Thanksgiving!

FAll colors will soon turn to Christmas Red and Green,

but before that happens, I'm enjoying the newly fallen

leaves, rosy crisp apples, butternut squash filled with

goodies--

We will continue to Give Thanks for the small things in

our life

We leave you with this tablescape From My Carolina Home

May your Thanksgiving day be filled with many

blessings and riches of bounty!

Can You Help?

There are tragedies that occur everywhere in the world - right now there is utter devastation in Paradise California. There is a call out for quilt blocks and quilts if you care to donate to those who have lost so much.

It breaks your heart to know they have lost Everything!!

Here is how we can assist:

HEART QUILTS FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF THE WILDFIRES:

Complete quilts that are ready to be given to children can be mailed immediately to the address below:

WE CARE
Care of Kathy Biggi
14280 Bar Ela Ranch Rd.
Grass Valley, CA 95945

Donation Quilts website has links to patterns of other heart blocks.  If you have completed quilts or tops, please consider sending those along as well. 

It's That Time Again...................BH Mystery!

Yes!  Time to prepare for the Bonnie Hunter Annual 

Mystery Quilt!  I'm not even finished with 2017 but that

doesn't keep me from saving the clues in this 

China journey!

Beginning the Friday after Thanksgiving and each

week thereafter till all clues have been revealed, you can

jump on the sewing caravan to sew to your heart's content!

The clues will be on her website: Quiltville into February, 2019

Here are the fabric requirements:  not necessary for you

keep this same color selections, but it's helpful if you

enjoy these colors to follow along:

to me, I like my mixture of colors in these

ranges--more variety more fun

Yardage requirements for Good Fortune:

Greens: 1 1/4 yards

Blues: 2 yards.

Reds: 1 3/4 yards

Oranges: 3 2/3 yards

Neutrals: 6 yards

All Wrapped Up in Dogs!

Years ago, this quilt top was sewn just for fun--it was a month by

month pattern from Fatcat Patterns.  It was quilted by friend

Sandy.  About the time, Sandy had finished the quilt

and I had done the binding, there was a fund raising

auction for an animal shelter.

I had no purpose for the quilt--just a fun project

to do--Sandy recommended the quilt be given as an

auction item--

what a great idea!

And the quilt was purchased by an animal lover.

So time goes along and the person who purchased the quilt

contacted me in regards to making a doggie pillow for her

Mother--well, I'm not one to jump on that bandwagon.

I thought about it and said Yes, I would make her

a pillow for gift giving--there is no charge as the pattern

is copyright.  

She sent me photos of her doggie--

I thought long and hard about this--what should I do to make this

pillow actually look like this puppy?

First, I made the face as in the above pattern--

that didn't cut it for me.

Then I stumbled upon this pattern

"Dogs in Sweaters" by Elizabeth Hartman--this is

perfect!  I could make the pattern to resemble the photo

and here is the finished pillow.........

Isn't he cute?  And he's wearing the mother's favorite color

sweater--blue!  Pillow is 16" x 26"

Here is the back--I found this great dachshund fabric

and just knew it was the backing!

All finished--

Sock Challenge!

You would like hand knit socks?  Here is your chance to learn how 

to complete that perfect pair as Solene Knits is offering this

free class beginning November 18--

You will learn these basic steps in creating a wearable sock: 

• How to do an elastic cast-on
• How to work a sock in the round with double pointed or circular needles
• How to work the heel flap and turn the heel with short rows
• How to shape the gusset of your sock
• How to work the toe and use grafting at the end for a perfectly seamless finish

Challenge schedule

Sunday November 18th - PART 1: Start your sock with a german twisted cast-on, learn about the different techniques to knit a sock in the round and work the cuff.

Monday November 19th - PART 2: Knit the leg of your sock and the mystery textured pattern starts to unravel!

Wednesday November 21st: PART 3: Learn how to work a reinforced heel flap and to turn the heel using short rows.

Friday November 23rd: PART 4: Work the foot of your sock with even more texture!

Monday November 26th: PART 5: Work the toe of your sock with decreases and graft the end together.