What's New?

What's New?  That's the age old question......actually, nothing is new; just recycled, regenerated, rethought...............................But, in our world here is what's new (or ongoing newness!)

"In Greek mythology, Ananke, also spelled Anangke, Anance, or Anagke (Ancient Greek: Ἀνάγκη, from the common noun ἀνάγκη, "force, constraint, necessity"), was the personification of destiny, necessity and fate, depicted as holding a spindle" according to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  So, we continue to knit on Ananke, which is a pattern from Shannon Squire.

And from the creative mind of Little Miss Shabby comes Birdie Stitches Block #9.

"Henrietta Whiskers" finally block--just little more stitching, then all nine blocks can be combined.

Stitching Captions for the ongoing "Peaceful Path" quilt designed by Esther Aliu.  It's not too late to jump on the ride and join in on the excitement.  This is through yahoo group.

Peaceful Path requires many, many half square triangles but in the end this will be a lovely red and white quilt.

We have been traveling through the vastness of the Southwest.  The colors of the sandstone mountains and canyons is quite the inspiration.  One can not help but be awed by the hand of nature. And this is definitely not new!  For over 700million years or more, this land has been formed and it keeps reinventing--only we will not be here to witness the new.

OH NO--You Didn't??!!

Afraid so--after denying that another 'gap cap' would be started, this yarn appeared in the stash pile.

The yarn was a single handspun, so had to be plied but once it was plied and the lovely colors popped, thoughts begin to rumble in the brain.

And then this yarn was 'discovered' in the stash bin too--and it's Easter egg dyed handspun .  And the brain worked overtime.............................what would these two yarns look like if they were combined in one of those 'gap caps'?  Yes, we said that we wouldn't do another 'gap cap' for some time, but the needles and yarn just happen to begin their magic.

And this is what burst forth!  Works good together and makes a nice hat.  We ate our words to create another charity hat.  Now, the brain is thinking again...........................

There is some of this colorful yarn left, so what would happen if it was combined with black?  Hmmmmm.........................

Off The Needles! Blocked! Ready to Wear!!

Finished!  An awesome word to say!  Having worked on these items for a few days and or weeks, we are happy to report that the yarns have been bound off, the item has been blocked and is ready to throw over our bodies.

This shawl was the genius design from the mind of Stephen West, and was a mystery project on his Ravelry group this past month.  What a fun knit!

The yarn was 'stash' yarn, mostly wool fiber but some novelty thrown in for an accent.  The pattern is called "Earth and Sky" and can be purchased through Ravelry.  Keep your fingers crossed that Stephen will host another mystery KAL (knit along) in the future.

This 'Ode to Jo' shawl has been completed.  This was also a mystery KAL sponsored through Ravelry group--you can find all kinds of groups to get you in trouble there!

Handspun green cotton as it's finest--in memory of Jo, whose green cotton from her garden created this wearable.  This shawl will be worn with many thoughts of Jo and the good times we shared.



On one of our summer quilt shop outings, we stopped in Snappy Quilts and while browsing through the patterns, came upon this super apron.  Hmmmm, one of those jelly rolls should work nicely for this and we certainly need an apron in the kitchen.



Quite an easy sew this Vanilla House pattern is.  And now, we have an apron to keep those grease spots off our new shirts. 

Please Throw a Lifeline!

We can throw out a lifeline to a drowning person, purchase a medical alert item that will give a lifeline to someone in need; there is even a lifeline for dog rescue or someone in despair and in knitting there is also a lifeline...................................and this is an insurance you do not need to purchase.  It's one that you need if you make a mistake in your knitting!

Oh, boy! Big time mistake!  Just knitting away--thinking the pattern was being followed.  Oh, it looked so simple to follow those directions when the eyes first 'glanced' over the instructions.  Knitting happily away--going to finish that clue #10 (being behind in the clues doesn't help either).  Yes, we are finished and then clue #11 and there are way toooooooooooo many stitches!  What to do?  Well, first read over the pattern again--duh!

Okay, nothing to do but--dare we say it--ripppppp it out!  Groan! and we do not have that insurance that most intelligent lace knitters use.  That Lifeline Insurance so described by Heartstrings.  Why do we think that our lace knitting can survive any mistakes!! Stupid for sure!!  and now, we must rip back to the end of clue #10.

And pick up stitches!  Don't anyone touch this till all those 150+ stitches have been put back on the needle.  Slowly, now--don't drop any of those yarnovers.

Whew!  a sign of relief--all stitches have been recovered and not one stitch was dropped.  Okay, we have learned our lesson--throw in a lifeline while knitting lace!

A Stroll Through Rocky Mountain Quilt Festival

Another good day spent with knitter friend Judy.  On our drive to our destination we have time to share our thoughts, our ideas, learned techniques since we last met and goals we hope to meet.  We are taking the short drive to Loveland to attend the Rocky Mountain Quilt Festival, We have personalize service when a volunteer arrives at our car in his little golf cart to take us the last few steps to the door.  Thank you volunteer! 
We enter to find vendor booths and off to one side is this "Icicles" display from the Road to California quilt conference. 

Fiber artists from across the country were asked to create a dimensional icicle from six to ten feet in length and no more than 18" in width.

The requirements of the challenge was to use an artistic vision of quilted icicles in blue, white and silver.  The exhibit is called "California Ice Storm".

Hoffman Quilt Challenge 2011 show pieces were on display.

You, too, can work with the featured fabrics for 2012 challenge.

This show winner was crafted by Sherry Reynolds of Laramie, Wyoming.

Entitled "My Wyoming Home"

Don't you just love this bug jar quilt?  There are a couple of gals in our ex-pat group making these--what fun to look for all these bug fabrics!  Jan Weber of Centennial, CO made the quilt and Karen Farnham did the long arm quilting.

Bunny Hill Designs is the creative mind behind this pattern.  But, the hands of Elizabeth Purkett, Longmont, CO did all the work.

This was a block of the month, entitled "Le Jardin"  from The Fat Quarter Shop and the quilting was accomplished by Kim Waite Dreamcatchers Quilting, Mead, CO.

Nancy Pennington, Fort Collins, CO used "Legacy of Stars"  pattern from July/August 2002 Quilter Newsletter.  This quilt uses over 600 half square triangles.  Nancy completed the quilt in 2009.

This quilt is made by the hands of Nancy Pennington--what a quilter!  This was a mystery from Bonnie Hunter's website Quiltville.  This pattern is called "Roll Cotton Boll Roll"--quite the challenge too as there are over 600 1.5" half square triangles!
We didn't purchase much.  Judy did find wonderful new fabric (new to us anyway) to make a great bag.  Other purchases were minimal--hope those vendors didn't rely on us to make a profit!

Rocky Mountain High!

A journey into the natural................................a journey into Rocky Mountain National Park brings you lovely skies, cool temperatures, peaceful settings, lovely wildflowers and roaring streams as they tumble toward the great rivers.

Mixed Bag of Tricks!

There comes a time when we must pull out a bag of tricks to keep things rolling--what tricks?  Don't you have your own bag of tricks?  Ideas, thoughts, creativity, just plain "stick-to-itness".......doesn't everyone have those things just waiting in the wings for the day when it's right for the picking? 

Let's pull this one out of the bag and catch up with the others in the group!  The knitting on this handspun shawl is so far behind, we really need some of that proddin' or jabbin' to pick up the needles and begin on clue........where did we leave off?

It really is going to be pretty when (and IF) it is ever finished.  Just can't seem to stick to the needles on this one.

And what do we have here?  A real mixed bag---of yarns.  and what do these yarns all have in common?  Well, they are going to make up a mixed warp for a weaving challenge.  Now, just have to pull out one of those 'tricks' to figure out how to measure the warp and then how to sley.  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, this will take some thinkin' for sure.  Guess we'd better let that one rest.

The loom already had a warp from (mumble under her breath) summer...........okay, it was summer of 2009--that's not all that bad, is it?  Anyway, we'll just tie on and pull through--one thread at a time.

This is what happens sometimes when you try to pull through the reed and heddles--threads get lost and we have to pull out another trick to rescue them.  The loose yarns are weighted and the feet are ready to tromp the treadles.

Here is the first sample--not good!  Too close of a sett--back to rethreading--we do want those ribbons and bumpy yarns to make an appearance.  And the handle of this--awful!  Feels like sandpaper.......................

This is much better--at least, that trick of spacing the warp makes a difference; but, still not too sure this is what we want to see and feel.  Okay, this little project will wait..........................................we'll need to go back to our bag of tricks and see what we can magically pull out!