Let the Baking Begin........................

Somehow, and don't ask me how, I got in a baking mood--

didn't matter that the house is a wreck--workmen coming 

and comiing--

I decided to make my Christmas cookies! and

the best part of the recipe is the fresh grated nutmeg

Just something about that little bit of nutmeg that adds to

the flavor, also could be the bourbon aged vanilla that added also.

Dough is resting in the refrigerator--these are cut out cookies

Yum!  Yum!  A plate goes to our grandson!

Another saved recipe that I found in the bottom of

my shopping bag is one that I'm recreating too.

This recipe comes from one of our award winning

local bakeries--Ooh La La--Oatmeal chocolate pecan

cookies!  Delicious!  

We took a plate to our grand-daughter's office as

they have been slammed with all the Hurricane Harvey

damage remodeling.  They deserve a cookie break!

One Year Long Challenge-----Completed!!

Finished!  My year long challenge for Elizabeth Ravenwood's Estonian Lace Scarf (found on Ravelry) is finished!  

Every year Elizabeth has a new challenge--I try to have handspun

each time--I used this wool/silk blend

I had already spun--you can see the bits of brown

and then when it came time to spin up more, I decided

I didn't want the brown so took our the brown areas to get a

nice clean look with blues and greens

I like to use beads, although the pattern calls for nupps

too--I just replace the nupps with beads

Another year long challenge is complete and ready to wear!

Dishtowel Weaving Adventure Continues

AT November monthly weavers study group meeting, we enjoyed

looking at handwoven towels from our past to learn about

our future weaving.

We continued our conversation about hems.  Interesting how each

weaver approaches the task of hemming our handwoven items

Here is one way to put a decorative edge--hem stitch and then turned

up to finish the hem

Hems are all sizes

Here is hem stitched towel for great look--this technique

is done on loom

Here is an extra wide hem

Hem that is embroideried after hemming

An example ofa really bad hem, done on the sewing machine

No care was taken on finishing--don't let htis happen to you!

Neat hem sitched down with needle and thread

We looked at many different types of woven towels

to learn about techiques that would give us a good

hem

How do you decide on the width of the hem?

should it be narrow?

Or wide?

Skinny?

Some hems include hang tabs woven in 

How will you handle the next hem on your handwoven towel?

Two more samples of woven in tabs.

Our next discussion will be on warp setts and fiber content.

Countdown to Christmas--Moda Style!

Just four days late--but never too late to begin or

collect these patterns for your Christmas quilt!

Countdown to Christmas!

December 1

December 2

December 3

check out the website to find December 4

and be sure to sign up to receive each day in your mailbox!

Ringo Lake Begun

And so it begins the day after Thanksgiving--2017-18

Quiltville mystery

Here is step one--all my 1.5" strips are cut and ready to assemble--Browns,

Aqua and neutrals

Just when you think you have enough strips cut, nope--

not enough--

Mission accomplished!!

50 nine patch 3.5" blocks--whew!

Just a little late!  The new clue

came out Friday, December 1--

and I'm behind...............already!!

Sweet Shoppe Quilt Along............

Christmas Candies + Fabric = Quilt Along!

The inspiration for this year's quilt-along is Christmas candy—candy canes, peppermints, anything sugary and sweet, as long as it's red, green and white.

Cutting instructions came out December 1--sorry, I wasn't on top of this

sooner!  But, I love the fabric choices of red and green.

I have NO red and green quilts--can you believe?!!

That's a good excuse to begin this treat.........

Jen Daly Quilts website has step one

and Monday will be sewing instructions.

Happy fun!

Preparing for Advent............

As I prepare for the Advent season, I knit at least one of the advent patterns

that are published on Ravelry.  This will be the sixth year I've participated--

each day during the 24 days of December, you receive a section of the pattern.

Come join me--knit each day as you prepare yourself for the season.

an Advent calendar shawl  designed by Unikatissima  is symmetrically patterned in length and shows different lace diamonds, harmoniously distributed over the whole shawl.

The stockinette parts make as well the pattern as the knitting experience calm and relaxed - just the right thing in this busy time :)
The pattern has a repeat of 14 stitches which allows you to decide on the width of your shawl to your liking.
The pattern of day 12 can be repeated as often as you like to make the shawl as long as you wish.