The Secret of Chimneys

Audio here

Miss Marple investigates in this Agatha Christie murder mystery

" It introduces the characters of Superintendent Battle and Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent. At the request of George Lomax, Lord Caterham reluctantly agrees to host a weekend party at his home, Chimneys. A murder occurs in the house, beginning a week of fast-paced events with police among the guests.

   The novel was well received at first publication, described as more than a murder mystery, as it is a treasure hunt. Later reviews found it a first class romp and one of the author's best early thrillers. The most recent review says the novel requires a hefty suspension of disbelief. The later reviewers note that descriptions of characters use the terminology of the times in which it was written, and might be considered racist decades later."

Diamond Mitts designed by Elaine Jones

I still have handspun yarn from the 'waves of hope" hat--

Casting on and watching...............or maybe, listening

Oh Woe Is Me-----

On top of all this virus stuff, wearing masks, washing your hands till they're raw, social distancing--I have NO sewing machine!!  So, Woe is Me!  

"This phrase means I am in trouble or I am struggling. People might say woe is me when they are going through hard times, when they are sad about something, or whenever obstacles befall them on the path of life. The phrase is archaic, and today it is mostly used ironically or in self-deprecation."

Am I really that bad off?  Not really!  There are many who have suffered more distress than I'll ever know--we think our personal situation is awful--when we can't do the things we like-

But, I do have other projects to pull out and finish.  Here is one that I"ll begin tonight as I listen to live streaming country music

Proximity Hat designed by Orange Smoothie is the winner for my

needles!  

I just finished plying this handspun wool/silk blend and it will make a nice hat--

think I'll need to do 4 ply for this hat; otherwise, it will fit a small head

and believe or not--I have a big fat head!

No more Woe is Me! 

It Finally Happen.......................

I was breezing along with all my sewing projects; even

finished these two UFOs below--

got this quilted and the binding sewn on

then quilted this one, put the binding on

and THEN it happen!!

My Bernina machine went bonkers!!  It stalled out on me!

Fabric would not feed through the needle--

can we say flustered--changed the needle, pulled out the bobbin

and cleaned all the parts underneath--changed thread several times,

still no results--

still had trouble with the fabric feeding through, it just sits there

and churns in one spot!!  Read all the internet suggestions and

nothing changed a thing.....I give up........

Time to get it to repair shop!

Only problem--Bernina shop isn't open!!  But, you can drop them

an email and then drop off the machine--outside their door with

note attached to machine with all the information--they'll pick it

up and send you a receipt!

Guess that's what I'll do--

since I don't have another sewing machine--

I will not be sewing anytime soon--

Let's just go to another project and finish up

these knitting projects

Chunky yarn makes a perfect hat and quick knit

Finished! Complete! Hip Hip Yahoo!!

This is a hat from my previous handspun mentioned in blog--I liked knitting this pattern--

really enjoyed the feel of my handspun in my hands

Another one bites the dust—from the stash of UFOs!!

That panel has been around for years—attic windows framed the

Tree nicely!

There was no black fabric in my bins!  And every internet 

Shop I contacted had none—zero, zilch, nada—

I settled for this black with trees—cut lengthwise 

For sides to keep trees in the right direction—

Every time I sewed the top borders on—

I put them upside down!!

Ripppppppp do it right! 

Fiber, Fiber, Fiber

Okay--digging away in my fiber closet, I turned up a bin of my hand dyed

wool from many many moons ago!  At one time, I taught a workshop --

Dyeing Fleece in the Grease--a fun workshop--truly loved the way

the wool locks came out of the dye pot--I'd forgotten that I had this

bin--and it was with pleasure I took the bin out to sort through the colors

I even found a half full bobbin and a finished one!  Gee whiz!  why did I stop working with this gorgeous stuff--I think the wool was  BFF--but don't hold me to that!  The locks are so

wonderful to touch and look at.............. 

So, in the evenings as we sit on the patio--I'm teasing the locks for spinning--

I can't find my flicker brush--doesn't matter--feels so good on my hands.

I decided to spin from the lock instead of teasing the fiber out--

Hubby says it will take me six months to do that whole bin--

bet he's wrong!!  If only I stick to it and don't get distracted by something else!

At least one bobbin has been plied and another waits its turn!  The Bin is just a little less full!

Picnic in Style!

Fort Worth Fabric Studio has the perfect recipe for this summer's picnic cloth!

I'm ready to spread out this colorful quilt and set out my best

fried chicken, pickles, potato salad, deviled eggs and share with my

family!!

Here are my blocks from the scrap bin.  Below is the ones made with

their kit.  Waiting for the next step---

And below is step 2--interesting what you can do with your stash!

 Here are some tempting recipes for a picnic!

Yum! Yum!  Fried Chicken!  Finger food on a skewer!

How about pickled radishes? everybody loves a good Deviled egg-- and everyone

has their favorite recipe too!

For Our Vets Comfort

During these days when we all need some comfort and warmth from the outside dings--here is a way to make your days fuller and also give to a military person.  Groups,io has a group that ventures to the world of fabric and sewing adventure.

 The first two clues were posted--easy to sew to make 13.5" block--there are 9 blue blocks and 4 red blocks.  I cut all at once, then got some of them mixed up--in the end all blocks came together!

Using up my stash--once we come out on the other end of this 'shut-in' phase, 

I'll feel good about buying more fabric!!

I decided to use gold for the sashing and random spacer blocks--

Setting on point is not my favorite way --

I've added my triangle points--going to trim and then add borders

Think I did a good job getting corners to meet :-) 

And off it goes to the Chair of Quilt of Valor for quilting!

Here A Niddy, There A Noddy

Sounds like a nursery rhyme--just  piece of equipment every spinner uses

in their spinning adventures 

As I was wanting a niddy noddy to wind my yarn on--I found this one!

not sure where I got it--maybe a gift--it fits neatly together but

not easy to use for winding yarn; slips and doesn't stay separate

It does store nicely though. and winds a 1/2 yard around--easy to count yardage.

One on the right is my pretty niddy noddy!  Just love this delicate one--the pin pulls out to disassemble.  The one on the left is my oldest niddy noddy--I've had it for years--

it will wind two yards--

I placed them together just to see the difference in size. I know I have a couple more somewhere--but they are in hiding now.

Now, if you are wondering what is a niddy noddy--

A niddy-noddy (plural niddy-noddies^[1]) is a tool used to make skeins from yarn. It consists of a central bar, with crossbars at each end, offset from each other by 90°. The central bar is generally carved to make it easier to hold.^[2] Either one of the crossbars will have a flat edge to allow the skein to slide off, or will be completely removable. Niddy-noddies can be constructed of many different materials including wood, metal, and plastic. Wood is traditional, and most quality niddy-noddies are still made of wood. Budget spinners occasionally use niddy-noddies made from PVC pipes.

Finally--Agatha For The Win.............................

Finally!  I need some Agatha!

Time to do some mindless knitting, fix a cocktail, sit back and

enjoy!

The Audiobook can be found here.

E-book can be found here.

And you can find the movie on Youtube!

Stones of Tintagel is the pattern I choose--would look nice for a man wearing

a brown suit!  It is basic seed stitch, knit lengthwise--cast on number of stitches

you think that would be long enough and go for it!

change colors as suits your fancy.

This one was designed by Catherine Ann Sheridan

Can't Stop.................

Wish I could knit 24 hours a day!  There are so many great FREE patterns

available now for us house bound folks.

Here are just a few I'm going to try and work into my day-

Designed by Nikki Ross Patterson-- love me some socks!

This is a pattern that is suitable for top down or toe-up construction. Knitters can use their preferred toe and heel construction, and I have provided helpful links to different heel and toe treatments.

Stitches used are Knit, Purl, Yarn Over, SSK, and K2tog. Toe-up construction will need M1L and M1R. Pattern is both written and charted for each size. Please note that even though the stitch pattern includes Yarn Overs, it is still suitable for men OR women.

The sock is available in 4 sizes:
Teen fingering/Adult sport,
Adult Medium,
Adult Large

Materials: Fingering weight yarn, 400-460 yards to 100 grams (56-stitch Adult Sport requires 200-250 yds)

Needles US size 1 (2.25mm) for fingering weight or size US 3 (3.25mm) for sport weigh

Another mystery designed by Nikki Ross Patterson

Suitable for a solid, color-changing, subtly patterned yarn, or scraps if they will do approximately 5 rows.

Mystery Item is One Size Fits Most teen - adult, and Unisex suitable. Possibly could be made to fit a middler child if done in DK weight with size 4 (3.25mm) needles.

Gauge isn’t crucial, but must be ballpark to ensure fit. Go up or down a needle size or move up to Aran or down to Worsted weight if necessary to ensure fit. DPNs recommended, but will work on a 16” circular, though DPNs will be needed for decreases.

The project will take almost the entire skein of yarn. If you want a pom-pom, I would wait to make it until after the rest of the items are knitted, it ensure you will have enough yarn to finish the knitting.

Specific, easy-to-follow instructions take the worry out of construction, and so this pattern could probably be knitted by a fairly new knitter.

Stitches used in hat include: Knit and purl, K2tog, SSK, P2tog, Sk2P, and also M1L, and M1R.

Road Trip designed by Christy Becker--

What fun! Found on Ravelry, of course

Little detours and car damage have all been worked out. But, until it is all polished and while we are all staying safe at home, you can enjoy this pattern for free!

Stay home, save lives, knit on and smile!

Your gauge may vary and so will the size. Adjust your needle size to achieve a fabric you like! If you are using yarn from your stash, you can easily rearrange your colors as you travel along.

I recommend 250 to 300 yards of each.
Color A = Dark
Color B = a medium Pop
Color C = Light (you may like a tonal, tweed or lightly variegated

‘Katie’s Kep’ is a free pattern from Shetland Wool Week, which has

been designed by Wool Week Patron Wilma Malcolmson

I  don't do much intarsia knitting but love the looks of this one!

Meal Plans........................Retro!

Most days I don't mind cooking--just hate to think of WHAT to cook!

Someone give me a suggestion and I'm okay to step into the kitchen.

Getting bored we cleaned out some of the boxes in the garage and I found this cookbook that

was mother's.  We moved her into Assisted Living five years ago and some of her things were just 

stored away--there were several old cookbooks in her kitchen--mostly, ones

that you wouldn't use today as our cooking has evolved from the days of

molded Jello!  This book is from 1952 when we lived in Georgia

Let's Go Retro................

And the best retro cooking blogs for your entertainment!

Look what I found!  Menu plans!!  Oh joy--could I adapt these plans to our meals now?

It plans out breakfast, lunch (dinner) and supper for a whole week!!

And the book contains all the recipes indicated!

I could do stuffed tomato with tuna salad or

creamed chicken on toast or

Stuffed Frankfurters with mustard sauce!  

and I love the idea of lemon refrigerator pie!! 

And here is some retro cooking music for your enjoyment!