A. B. C. Murders!!

The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie--the read for September!  This is perfect as school is back in session--again, not one of the Agatha books I've read!

The plot contains a serial killer!  Beware--Poirot solves another!

Want to listen?  You can here and read along as well here

What to knit?  Easy--anything that contains the letters A B C!  Only to choose---

abc: alison's beginners cap--sounds perfect!  Artful yarn, beginner, cap!  My ABC's!

a knitting class in a hat*

Techniques:
- casting on
- the knit stitch
- the purl stitch
- stockinette stitch (alternating knit one row, purl one row - but when knitting in the round, knit all rounds)
- 2 x 2 ribbing (*knit 2 stitches, purl 2 stitches* repeated across entire row/round)
- knitting in the round (using circular needles and double-pointed needles to create a round piece of knitting)
- decreasing (knitting 2 stitches together to make knitted piece smaller)
- seaming
- weaving in ends

Materials:
- approx. 200 yds. worsted weight yarn
- 16" circular needle (US7 or US8)
- double-pointed needles in same size as above
- tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Gauge:
approx. 4 1/4 st./in.
If your gauge is a bit smaller, your hat will end up being a bit smaller. Larger gauge = larger hat.

Hat Measurements:
23" around, 7- 7 1/2 " high

Instructions:
Cast on 96 st.
Work back and forth in stockinette stitch for 5 rows (knit one row, purl one row, K 1 row, P 1 row, K 1 row). This will form a rolled edge.
Instead of turning work to continue, join the two sides to form a circle. When forming the circle be sure that 1) knitting is not twisted around the needle, and 2) that the rolled edge curls to the outside of the hat.
Now you will be knitting in the round.
Work 6 rounds in 2 x 2 ribbing (knit 2 stitches, purl 2 stitches repeated across the whole round for 6 rounds).
Continue in stockinette stitch by knitting all rounds until hat measures approximately 6 ½"-7" from rolled edge.
Begin decreasing in order to shape top of hat as follows:
*K 4 stitches, K 2 stitches together*, repeat from * to * for the entire round. (you should now have 80 stitches)
Knit one round normally.
Note: switch to double pointed needles when there are too few stitches to fit around the circular needle
*K 3 stitches, K 2 stitches together*, repeat from * to * for the entire round. (64 stitches)
Knit one round normally.
*K 2 stitches, K 2 stitches together*, repeat from * to * for the entire round. (48 stitches)
*K 1 stitch, K 2 stitches together*, repeat from * to * for the entire round. (32 stitches)
*K 2 stitches together*, repeat from * to * for the entire round. (16 stitches)
*K 2 stitches together*, repeat from * to * for the entire round. (8 stitches)
Cut yarn leaving 6" tail, thread yarn end onto tapestry needle and thread through remaining 8 stitches. Pull on thread to cinch stitches snugly together. Bring needle through the very top of the hat in order to bring remaining yarn to inside of hat for weaving in.
Sew small seam of rolled edge together.
Weave in yarn ends.
Enjoy your hat!

And for the adventurous, change colors as you like by dropping the old yarn at the end of a round and starting the new round with a different colored yarn. When weaving in ends, twist the two colors around each other once to close any hole that might have formed when changing colors and weave ends into their respective color areas.

Fiber on My Needles

Okay, I'm a sucker for mysteries!  This one is mystery to make

mittens--something fun to knit for Halloween;

simple cable knitting, lot of colorwork and optional

beads--designed by  Hanna Kytta--you can find this free

KAL on Ravelry under group "Hanna From Sheep's Alley" 

Another mystery!! Socks is this one--Designed by Heidi Nick--

This is through the group--Sock Knitters Anonymous.

The sock has optional beads

Another free knit and crochet along (above is crochet)

is with Lambtown Festival Ravelry Group, which celebrates sheep, fleece and wool in California 

Life is Cozy--knit or crochet--both are lightweight, asymmetrical shawls

Begin from the corner in the shape of a skewed triangle--fast project and stash

buster!

Those should keep your needles warm and steamy!

StarStruck!

Happy Days from Happy Quilting! begins Sept. 4 

You can create

--Wall Hanging, Baby Size, Lap Size, Picnic Size, Queen Size or King Size, just by how many borders you add on to the center design--this is a medallion--you work from the inside out!

September 4th- Intro, Fabric Requirements, and Prizes Announcement

September 18th - Cutting

September 25th - Wall Hanging Piecing

October 2nd - Baby Piecing

October 9th - Lap Piecing
October 16th - Picnic Piecing
October 23rd - Queen/King Piecing

November 13th- Starstruck Parade and Grand Prize Winners

Sounds doable to me!  Best part--it's free!  

Lone Rider--Patriotic Mystery

This is a great way to begin a new month--

Alycia of Quiltygirl  is hosting another one of her

fabulous mysteries for Quilts of Valor--

her series of mystery quilts are always outstanding

examples of red, white and blue.

This quilt will finish at 64 x 80--just the right size to present

to a veteran! 

Dark 1 – Navy Plaid in my Case :  7/8 yard

Dark 2 – Red Plaid – 1 ¼ yard

Light 1 – 3 ½ yards

Other Colorways to try or give you ideas:

Dark 1: Cream

Dark 2: Navy Blue

Light: Light Blue

Or:

Dark 1: Hot Pink or Red

Dark 2: Cream

Light:  Navy

Or

Dark 1: Dark Blue

Dark 2: Light Blue

Light:  Light Grey

Labor Day--Summer's End!

Here comes the end of summer----no more wearing white pants or shoes or carrying a white purse (The Rule 'No White After Labor Day' Has Historical Roots. One of the most time-honored fashion traditions is to retire your white clothes after Labor Day. Historians think this maxim stems from class divisions at the turn of the century when lightweight clothes were a symbol of the leisure classes.)  Heaven forbid, that I think I'm elite--no white after Labor Day is sure a Southern thing!  Anyway, let's celebrate the last days of summer--certainly fall is just around the corner--let's BBQ, swim, do picnics, be with family, just enjoy this last hurray for end of those hot, humid, dreary days of summer!

Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social contributions of workers to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of the country. In the United States, Labor Day is a federal holiday observed on the first Monday of September.

In the United States, Labor Day is customarily viewed as the end of the summer vacation season, although school starting times now may vary.

Labor Day has its origins in the labor union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. In the United States the first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country. Oregon was the first state to make it a holiday on February 21, 1887. By the time it became a federal holiday in 1894, thirty states officially celebrated Labor Day.

To Do List

My To Do List just gets longer and longer!

Here comes some fun things though!

If you like to do some wool work--jump on this bandwagon!

This is block #1--join "The Little Red Hen's Wooly Mystery" 

group on Facebook--this one is called "The Case of the Battered

Snowman"-

Love Blues?  Here is another adventure into the world of quilts.

My Quilty World is hosting this Blue mystery--

Introduction is on the website--pull out those blue fabrics!

first clue goes live September 1 

And while working on these projects, listen to podcast

Craftlit--great literature read to you by Heather Ordover--

"Treasure Island" is the book for now--you can also

find past episodes if this one doesn't interest you!

Used Bookstores and LIbrary Finds

For many years, I would browse through used bookstores--

I could lose myself in the aisles of musty old paperbacks.

You could always find a bargain in those racks or

an author that is hard to find anyway else.

Now days, it's hard to find a used bookstore--

For a time, I used Paperback Swap--

it was a way to trade books with other readers--

lately, there are more "post" than "order" books

that I would like to read; still an option to begin there

on occasion. It's free to join and the sender pays the postage.

Recently, I walked into a local bookshop to look--just look.

I came across more from Mike Blakely.  My husband snatched

the latest from Mike

"A Sinister Splendor" out of my hands after we met the author;

he finished the book quickly--and recently spoke with Mike

about this book--I'm anxious to begin the journey through

the Mexican-America War-Mike does extensive research and

has won Spur Award several times.  He is also an excellent

songwriter and musician 

These three books I found at a library used book sale--

I enjoy John Sandford's characters; don't know anything

about "The Dress Lodger" but sounds interesting 

And one of my favorite authors, Nicholas Evans with

"The Divide"--maybe, it's a tear jerker? 

Happy reading!

My August Reading List...........

It's time to give you my August reading list--little late

Reading takes me places I'll never travel too;

it also gives me time to reflect on those places I've visited before

I've decided to read an oldie but goodie author--Robert B. Parker

I've read "Resolution"--western theme by Robert also--fast paced

and entertaining so I picked up two of his first Spenser books--

"Godwulf Manuscript" and "God Save The Child"--we'll see

how Spenser solves his cases--of course, I'm quite familiar with the

televised mysteries with Jesse Stone.

"The Shepherd's Life" by James Rebanks, a memoir, as well as family

portrait of his family and their lives as shepherds--interesting read

about Lake District of England--one place we loved to visit.

I've finished reading Alexander McCall Smith--"My Italian Bulldozer"

"The Department of Sensitive Crimes"--both delightful reads

Another visit to Big Bend, Texas through third book in series by Elizabeth

A Garcia's "Darker Than Black"--love, love this read!  

Two new books that were recommended:  "The Escape Room" by

Megan Goldin and "Girls Like Us" by Cristina Alger--both

are reported as page turners--can't wait to indulge it that fancy!

Tartans

I've been pursuing my book stash--do I keep or give away? There are many quilt books; knitting books; dyeing books; some sewing books; many weaving books and stitching books. I love my books!

 Sorting through them, I might place one on the give away pile and 15 minutes later,
 I'll put it back on the shelf.  The books I treasure the most are my tartan books--

These are books I researched when I was working on the family tartan--

I poured over every one I could get my hands on--

How does a tartan look?  What is the right tartan for the clan name?

How to weave a tartan?

I loved loved this book!  So warm and interesting to read!

I was weaving our family tartan for gifts--after some research,

I decided on Gunn Clan to weave--after all our name doesn't have

a specific tartan for their name--

that was--20 years ago--

this is now--just plug in Tartan authority for Handweavers and you get

all the information you want at your fingertips--you can even get

a full copy of Mary Black's tartan book online---too bad I'm not

weaving tartans anymore!

But, such a joy to look at the books and all the history available

now.  I could write a 'book' about my tartan adventures!

Enjoy a brief look at tartans!

.

Crochet A Rinske Square.........................

Felted Button is offering this free crochet pattern for

Rinske Square-- Susan Carlson is outstanding colorist when it

comes to crocheting--just take a look at this

This is pattern you can purchase on her Etsy site.

Each week, Julie Yeager offers a different pattern from

unique designers--with instructions to complete a crochet

square--what a great learning experience.

Pool Noodle Sandwich

Pool Noodle Sandwiches--sounds interesting, doesn't it? No, I'm not eating those pool noodles but using them to sandwich my quilt tops with the backing and batting-- Never would have thought of this on my own--thank goodness, for youtube!! You can find everything on youtube--next, I'm looking up how to machine quilt my tops--not just stitch in the ditch either!!

There are several other videos that offer the same technique--each one is little different in how they use the noodles--one uses spray adhesive while the above one uses pins--straight and curved safety pins--give this a try and see how you like it!

Linen

As I am now on holiday, visiting the brown headed daughter in Colorado--it's her birthday week,  I won't be able to post while I'm traveling, I'm leaving you with some interesting information I found on Youtube--

This one is on linen. My chosen fabric to wear--whenever I shop I'm looking for linen garments--I know it wrinkles and needs to be ironed after washing and drying--but, it wears comfortably and will last for many seasons--always fashionable. Hope you will enjoy this video on how linen is processed. 

:Port Pillow

I've never thought about the use of a port pillow before--hopefully, I'll never need one--but so many people go through chemo or other infusion processes where a port is inserted to make it easier to administer meds.

Recently, we shopped for items that were needed at a local residents home for those who were going through treatment at the cancer hospital.  They live in these residences as long as they need--the community supplies food and other sundry items.

My hubby and I took our purchases over one morning and were greeted by one of the residents--she held the door for us as we brought in the supplies--she said she couldn't get over how generous the community was--I placed the items on the floor and turned around to see her in tears--she was so thankfully for our touch of assistance--with one big hug, we were one in her journey.

Our small show of help was a happiness to her. 

Just think, we take it for granted when we buckle up our seat belt--

no problem!  But, for those we have ports, that crossed belt can cause 

discomfort.

Here is a couple recipes that you can use to make a few pillows--I've even

thought it would be good for my comfort too, even though I don't have a port.

It takes just a few scraps of fabric, some stuffing, velcro, a stitch here and

there--

If you would like to knit or crochet one--here is another pattern.

Sometimes, ignorance is bliss--but sometimes, it will open your eyes!

Calling All Crocheters!

It's Granny Square Day 2019!!  Break out those hooks

and yarns to participate in Granny Square Day!

Granny Square Day begin in 2014 by Susan Regalia, who uses Instagram's

iconic grid format to replicate patchwork arrangement of classic granny square

blanket online.  Others followed and granny square day was born!

This brought worldwide crochet community together in

celebration of design and color!

Here's how to be involved:  On or before August 15, take a photo of your

granny square and crop the photo into square shape--so it fills the entire

space.  On the day, upload onto your instagram account and

be sure to hash tag it #grannysquareday2019--

your square will be added to the virtual blanket!

To see the blanket, search #grannysquareday2019 and you

will be viewing in Instagrams' standard three wide format

to get the full effect.

Not a Crocheter--check out the finished blanket at the same

hashtag and pick your favorite granny square.

Altogether Spooky Halloween SAL

You might know!  I'm behind!  This popped up on my

FB feed yesterday--everyone has a jump on me--

but, that's not unusual....

I have sewn two other Fort Worth Fabric Studio's

sew along--those two times I purchased the kit--which was 

nice--had all the fabric you needed, including the backing!

This time--no way will I get this ordered at this late date--

so, I'm using my own fabric.

Join in--even though it's a day late--you have time to

catch up, just like me.

2019 Altogether Spooky Halloween Mystery Quilt

--It's Free!!

Under the Needle

I'm not much at machine quilting fancy stitches, but

I can stitch in the ditch!  

I use spray adhesive for the layers 

and it works well--no need for lots of pins.

I'd finished this fall wall hanging--last fall!

it's a small piece and easy to put under the needle

This is Valentine table runner--of course, it was finished

last fall--I tried to stitch it with my regular foot--you

know what happen--one big mess!

I had a walking foot; just couldn't get the darn thing to 

work until I stopped into Bernina shop and they told me

it wasn't assemble correctly--well, darn!  no wonder!

Now, I'm sailing through these tops that have lingered

too long.

Just in time for Christmas--!!!

All three of these pieces need some hand stitching--but so happy

to have them out of the stash bin and out to see the world!

Helping Hands........................Charity Outlet

Our theme for January spin-in 2020 is "helping hands".  I've been stockpiling my knitted items for the past five months and I have a nice batch of hand knit items to send to a charity.  Since I live in the south there aren't many charities that need woolen items--if you have a charity that wants/needs these items, let me know.

Two pair of woolen socks

scarf

another scarf

Hats galore!

Big hats!

Little hats!

Here Comes Fall!

I know it's coming!  It might not feel like Fall, but it's just

around the corner--I'm gearing up with lots of fall theme

projects plus pulling out my stash--

One of my favorite hangings is one I made years ago--fall leaves--I can feel the gentle cool breeze that makes the leaves weave in the air.  Jenny shares with you her quick way to make leaves!

Check out the blog for this awesome Autumn Stars quilt

Fave Quilts has some pumpkin theme banners, table runners

All People Quilt has the pattern for this lovely quilt.

There is no excuse for leaving fall on the cutting table--

sew, sew, sew!

August Agatha Read

Three Act Tragedy or Murder in Three Acts

"Sir Charles Cartwright should have known better than to allow thirteen guests to sit down for dinner. For at the end of the evening one of them is dead, choked by a cocktail that contained no trace of poison.

Predictable, says Hercule Poirot, the great detective. But entirely unpredictable is that he can find absolutely no motive for murder."

The question that needs to be solved--what to knit with this read???

I certainly like these 'Movie Theater Arm Warmers" designed by

Johanna Di Stefano--

Or

I was intrigued by this tea cozy from

TeaHouseTheater--

Winter is coming on and I do like tea so a

nice cozy would be perfect to knit.

Knitting Facts, If You're Interested!

• 

Here it is August--the real 'dog' days of summer!

Here is aside: The Dog Days of summer are the hot, sultry

days of summer, were historically the period following the

heliacal rising of the stay system Sirius--the Greek

and Roman astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden

thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs and bad luck.

What else do you do in the hot summer--knit, of course!

It's time to knit up those socks, mittens, scarves, hats--:}

You might be interested in some knitting facts--

Knitting is centuries old--usually knitting fabrics dissolve over time it can be hard to actually date knitting.  It seems to have been brought by the Crusaders from the Middle East.  The term "knitting" is mentioned in the 14th century for the first time. 

A Former Type of knitting was done with only one needle.  a cross between knitting and crocheting was being practiced by Ancient Egyptians.

In 16th Century in France, knitting was practiced only by males!

The first knitting machine was invented in 1589 by Williams Lee, under the rule of Queen

Elizabeth I.  

During WWI women had the national duty to knit socks, scarves and caps for

fighting soldiers across the battlefields--some sent to their family members,

while others knitting for every soldier in the land.

Knitting can reduce heart rate, blood pressure and it relaxes the body to fight

illness better!

In the beginning, silk and cotton yarns were used most often

In 1611 Johann Siebmacher published the first documentation of 126 knitting patterns

The first knitting needles of record were made from ivory, tortoise shell or bones

Excuse me-- I'm off to relax my soul......................

Summer Stitchery

During these hot steamy summer days, why not stay inside

and stitch away?  This Scrappy vintage kitchen stitchery

by Elefantz is perfect!

The first two blocks have been posted--you

can download the free patterns till NOvember 15--

plenty of time to gather your supplies and 

stitch away

This is the first block--super cute for the kitchen!

Block #2--always did enjoy her pattern style--

She is using her stash to make a quilt--love it!

Happy stitching!