Friday, April 24, 2015

Trees--Searching for Roy G Biv 4 - Green

Well, what do you know--Today is National Arbor Day!  So, we are writing about Trees!  You know those tall green things that shed their leaves in the fall, gives us lovely yellow pollen in the spring!
Are you ready!  Let's go--Green is calling my name!  And we are searching for.................................

Roy G. Biv, also ROYGBIV, is an acronym for the sequence of hues commonly described as making up a rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet.


I feel for those who are colorblind--my husband is one--he can't see green--what a pity!  Green is so refreshing to look at--green is new growth in the springtime.  Green means money!  Green is a young cowhand--I'm celebrating Arbor Day with Green

Here are the greens from my yarn closet--
 
 

Just look at the different greens you can see in the field

Did you ever think there was this many greens in one place?
There are greens in my floss collection

Greens in my fabric stash

I stopped in the local paint store to pick up greens, but these cards certainly didn't photograph green.
close to brown is green?
Check out more greens at  

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Spring/Autumn

Even Spring brings some knitting time for the Fall.
Here is a delightful, easy pattern to knit now and
be ready for the fall cool temps.
I think this would be suitable for any age or gender.
 
How about this cute BaaBaa hat?  How many do you think you will knit?
check out this free pattern, designed by Donna Smith, at Shetland Wool Week
Heads up! This is a winner!


Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Happy! Happy! Happy!


I Love Cookbooks! The more colorful the better!  This one makes me very happy when I browse through the pages.

The photos make the foods look so tasty and the stories along with recipes make the food come off the pages.  Do I cook these recipes?  Not hardly!

I enjoy the staging of the foods, the decorations highlighting each recipe--and looking for weaving designs--like this one with blue and white stripes.  It looks so refreshing and you just want to head to your loom and begin warping! 
Here's another featured recipe placed on different striping sequence

How about these red and white plaids?  Adds some cheery notes to the dish.


and another blue and white cloth, using the blue stripes as edging!
Okay, I'm getting hungry looking at all these recipes.
hope you'll join me and look through your cookbooks--not only for  the recipe
but how the dish is staged.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Learning a New Technique

Even though I've been knitting for several years now, there are so many techniques I do not use or even try to learn.  But, when it came time to work on our Springtime in Paris pattern, the first cast on line was "With MC, using a Provisional Cast On, cast on 196 sts"!  Say What?!!  I haven't the foggiest idea how to do this.  As all good instructors do, they include a YouTube video that is very helpful.

and now, I can do a provisional cast on over another needle!  Hurrah for me!



A cast on designed to create live stitches on both sides of the cast on. There are several options for working it but my preference is the circular cable needle style.
Video:
https://youtu.be/8XIr2GiqjQg
At first, it was very awkward--two needles side by side--cast on over one stationery needle--okay--did it--not once but twice!  Practice makes perfect, right?! 

And I'm diggin' this pattern--lots to keep one's interest as we knit.


Oh, we're adding beads too.  I'm behind with the clues, of course.  Almost finished with clue 2 as clue 3 comes out.

At first, I used a needle that didn't have the thingie attached at the ends--big mistake!  So, I got up from my chair and marched upstairs to find the stoppers--am glad I did--no more stitches falling off! 
And we are knitting....................................

Monday, April 20, 2015

I Live Here

Here is where I live................
 
I live where hot air balloons float over the house on a cool morning.............


I live where the bluebonnets take to the fields in the spring time.............


 
I live where longhorn steers are common.................

I live where crawfish is a party on a weekend...............

I live where you can find the best BBQ joint just around the corner..........
I live where you can that perfect pink cowgirl hat............

I live where the greatest rodeo/show happens...........


I live where cowboys still exist.............
I live here where my family and friends are!
How about you?
 

Sunday, April 19, 2015

OOPS................................

Yelp! OOPS says it all!  I'm working on April block from
Pat Sloan's mystery QAL 'Vacation Time'
and I'm using western fabrics
My brain was definitely in a fog when I made this block!

Here!  This is much better--I think!
The pattern is quick and easy (if your brain is in the right gear!)

Here is the second block==really not too sure I like this one either--just might change those 1/2 square triangles out--after my brain fog clears! 

 


Saturday, April 18, 2015

A Group of Friends Create...................................

Here we are--750+ knitter friends!  All working and designing our own shawl pattern through the efforts of designer Maria Rosa Spighetti.  We have worked through
  • yarn weight (fingering weight was chosen)
  • how many colors (two)
  • what shape (crescent)
  • how to obtain that shape (short rows)
This has been fun adventure!  Maria Rosa is an excellent designer so she is taking our voting choices and designing this shawl pattern for us.  You can check it out on Ravelry under the group Maria Rosa Knits Away.

Wait!  You're not a member of Ravelry yet?  No problems--it's free!  Just go to the website and join in the fun!  Lots of exciting things happen on that website for all textile folks--knitters, those who crochet, dyers, quilters, surface designers--I guarantee you--a great time surfing!  so join in the fun!



It's Time--

 It’s time to think about greeting cards I’ll send out this year.  Most years, if I’m not feeling pressed, I’ll create my own cards.  One ye...