ICAD--Oh Yeah!

The Index-Card-a-Day challenge, affectionately known as ICAD, is just days away. No matter what your time zone, your longitude and latitude, your GPS coordinates on the planet, the phase of the moon, the sunspot activity, your level of origami expertise and your mindset, it's zipping toward you and will be here, on your doorstep, before you know it.

What is ICAD?  It's simply--designing one index card a day for 60 days!  you can do that!
I can do that!  Break out those index cards, pens, pencils, brushes, paints, etc.  

Yarn Bowls

Do you have one of these?

A Yarn Bowl!

I never thought about using one of these until I received this as a

Christmas gift from blond headed daughter.

It did sit around for awhile, buried in a corner of the work table--

no yarn inside, just sat lonely in a corner.

The other day I was winding a warp on my warping board and I had

balls of yarn to use and my brain kicked in..............

well, dud--you have a yarn bowl that will assist with this!

This bowl has several holes that I can use while winding my warp.

and the best part of this ceramic vessel, it sings to me as the yarn is

flowing through the holes!

oh yes!  perfect gift BH daughter!

Giddy Up!

I AM THRILLED!  This quilt is finished and back from the quilter, Sandy!

She did an outstanding job, giving this quilt the needed

stitching details.

And 

now, it's up to me to do the binding and 

hand stitching to complete.

and a Happy Birthday!

This was the latest free quilt pattern from Pat Sloan

I used western/cowboy prints for my cowboy grandson, Josh.

And to use up all those blocks that didn't make the front, I put them 

on the back along with western fabric.

It is finished in time for his 23rd birthday, May 20th!

Giddy Up--Saddle Up

53 Years!

Today is our 53rd wedding anniversary!  Yes, 53 years with the SAME man!  unbelieveable!  If someone would have told me when I was younger that I would have been with the same person that long-I would have laughed in their face!  "Me?  Not me!"

It has been ups and downs over the years, but I think that is what makes us stronger--celebrating each day to the fullest, even when he throws his dirty laundry on the floor, doesn't take out the trash, falls asleep in front of my favorite TV show, grumbles about shopping, and says "whatever" when asked what he wants for dinner.  Sometimes, he irritates me to no end!!  Of course, there is no way I can irritate him~~ I'm perfect!! Yes, he has his faults, but he's always there for me and the family!

We have grown comfortable in our skins together--
                                                                      Happy Anniversary!

Wednesday Yarn AL

I love knitting lace patterns!  And this one is no exception.

Clue one of Gerda by designer Bethany Hait went smoothly--

no problems, no errors

and we waited for clue 2........

Here is clue 2 finished--but, in some patterns, this clue had some errors.

you knit and find that there is a correction, so you rip it

and wait for the right correction.

Finally, all was cleared and you're off to the races.  my needles aren't long enough to

spread out the pattern, but it's going to be lovely once blocked.

Now, I wait-----for clue 3, which can't come soon enough!

Dubbelmoss?

I stumbled upon this when searching the web for something completely different--but, that's what gets me into trouble!  I should stick to the game plan instead of detouring, but

I do learn something interesting things while roaming.

Point in case, is this interesting construction with great strandwork.

Hence, you have Swedish Dubbelmossa. Dubbel means double and mossa means cap so Dubbelmoss is a doubled-hat. It is worked from the provisional cast-on out on both ends in a tube. The lining end, the blue side in this case, is much shorter in length to accommodate for the turned up brim or cuff. The cuffed part of the hat is actually four layers so it is a very warm hat. 

Susan Anderson recommend the Dubbelmossa pattern. It is not difficult, very straightforward, really you are just reading simple charts. It is a great way to practice stranded colorwork.   
I know I won't be knitting this anytime soon--no way we can use this type of warmth in Humid TX--but, it was great lesson learned on another knitting technique.

Mystery KAL= True Love=Shawl

What a perfect opportunity to knit another mystery and practice my Spanish?!! Woo Woo! This KAL begins June 1 but you must register by May 21 on her website in order to get the pattern free or pay at a later date.

Mystery KAL +True Love+ Shawl

Let’s start 1st june. 4 Clues. To register HERE
Free pattern only for MKAL participants!!
Deadline 21 May. Join us in my group (Ravelry, of course!)

ONLY English version

Bottom-up lace ending and short-rows construction

Dimensions/Weight Blocked
Large: 71 inch x 19 inch (180 cm x 50 cm)

Medium: 62 inch x 19 inch (160 cm x 50 cm)

Yarn
fingering weight or lace
600 m – 700m / 656 – 765 yds

Needles
US #5 - 3,5 mm and US #7 - 4,5 mm (cast on and bind off)

Other Notions
stitch marker, tapestry needle for weaving
Cast on, short-rows, increase and decrease

Gauge
28 sts x 32 rows over 10cm/4” in stockinette stitch (before blocked)

The pattern contains written and charted instructions