HI HO! It's Off To Visit Hill Country!

It's a day trip but we are taking three days to taste our way through some fabulous wineries located in and around Fredericksburg, TX.  WHAT?  You've never been there!  I'm shocked!  It's a great location to kick back and enjoy some good Texas wines.  We have rented a two bedroom, 2 bath house from Absolute Charm, but there are plenty of other accommodations to suit your needs.

We're staying in the Creek Street Retreat!  When it was just two of us, we stayed in the 

back unit.  We have a full kitchen, but why bother to cook though when you receive breakfast

coupons for local restaurants.  We are only two blocks from Main Street, where

all the action takes place.

Last night on our way into Fredericksburg, we visited William Chris, Hye, TX, on East 290 

We are Hye Society members of this winery, so it's a pop in to see what's new--

take a glass and sit under the large oak trees and enjoy the breeze, birds whistling their

tunes, and good wine! 

We had dinner at the Crossroads Saloon, just a short walk from our little bungalow.

Since it's Thursday night we enjoyed their $20 specials plus 1/2 price on a bottle of wine!

This is the perfect way to begin our adventure in Fredericksburg! 

We are spending our morning with our builder--yes, we are going to build a house

in Hill Country--more on that as we progress!

Scrappy Hat Along

I'm sorry that I was traveling during this scrap along with Woolly Wormhead. 

But, it's not too late to go back and begin now.

She has a detailed step by step way to use your scrap yarns; in fact,

the hat looks better if you do use different yarns.

The above photo is of the finished hat--

~Sign~  Guess I can't participate in every knit along,

but it sure would be fun!

can I be a clone??

Oh No! It's Wednesday AGAIN!!

It's okay--I'm going to try my hand at another one of Erica Jackofsky's design, Fiddle Knits

It's the final design in the Elements collection

This is not my work!  I hope to achieve this with my yarn.

And now, I wish I had some of that gradient yarn everyone is talking about!!

Off to knit this creative design clue one!

Fun In October!

It's that time again!  I'm was so excited to receive this notice about Taos Wool Market!  It has been one my favorite places to attend for workshops and other activities.

It is the BEST time to visit Taos!  Cool weather!  Great workshops!

Great instructors!  Great Shopping!

This year will feature Franklin Habit!  What could be better??

Knitting & Crocheting Workshops Spinning & Weaving Workshops Dyeing & Felting Workshops Make N Take Workshops

Special Presentation Friday Night Kickoff 7-8:30 Franklin Habit B IS FOR PURL

Mordants??

Are you a dyer?  Either Chemical or Natural dyer?  There was a great blog post about using mordants in the dye baths recently and I thought this answered many a question about how these chemical mordants assist in dyeing.

For years, I used chrome in my natural dyeing baths--it gave such sharp colors

to some plants--it was only necessary to use a very small amount.

But, after much research, I safely discarded my chrome products.

Iron--well, why not use an old iron pot or skillet while dyeing?  That's what

I use now--no need to have the mordant on hand

Copper--I used a old copper pipe--

Read the post.  

Happy Birthday!!

Today is my mother's 96th birthday!  Happy birthday Mother!  We are visiting with her and sharing memories of our childhood.  Both of my brothers are here as well.  We are taking mother out for brunch.

You're looking good mother!  She can't believe the good Lord has

let her live so long.  

Knit Those Knockers!!

What a great volunteer opportunity for knitters or crocheters!

For anyone who has undergone a mastectomy or knows someone

who has lost their breasts to a disease, this is a way

we can give some of ourselves to make them

feel more comfortable!

Join in--and knit those knockers!

The website has patterns for both knitted and crochet, 

along with tutorials and instructions.

Perfect!

Check it out!

Knitted Knockers are special handmade breast prosthesis for women who have undergone mastectomies or other procedures to the breast. Traditional breast prosthetics are usually expensive, heavy, sweaty and uncomfortable. They typically require special bras or camisoles with pockets and can’t be worn for weeks after surgery. Knitted Knockers on the other hand are soft, comfortable, beautiful and when placed in a regular bra they take the shape and feel of a real breast. volunteer knitters provide these free to those requesting them. Knitted knockers can be adjusted to fill the gap for breasts that are uneven and easily adapted for those going through reconstruction by simply removing some of the stuffing.