How To Wear a Kilt!!

Recently we were at an outdoor event and I met a young gentleman wearing a kilt--that is something you don't see often in United States. We got into a discussion about his clan and the tartan--Each clan has their own


tartan--I've done extensive research into tartans; have numerous books too--our name is related to MacFarlane tartan but since our name is Mc--that means it's Irish--that's whole other topic. I've woven several tartan swatches--never a complete yardage of tartan!

Wearing of the tartan is always an interesting topic--so when I came across this video--I had to share--wait to the end--you might find out the answer to another questionable topic--what do they wear under their kilts??

A kilt (Scottish Gaelic: fèileadh [ˈfeːləɣ])^[1] is a type of knee-length non-bifurcated skirt with pleats at the back, originating in the traditional dress of Gaelicmen and boys in the Scottish Highlands. It is first recorded in the 16th century as the great kilt, a full-length garment whose upper half could be worn as a cloak. The small kilt or modern kilt emerged in the 18th century, and is essentially the bottom half of the great kilt. Since the 19th century, it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland, and more broadly with Gaelic or Celtic heritage. It is most often made of woollen cloth in a tartan pattern.

Although the kilt is most often worn on formal occasions and at Highland games and sports events, it has also been adapted as an item of informal male clothing in recent years, returning to its roots as an everyday garment. Particularly in North America, kilts are now made for casual wear in a variety of materials. Alternative fastenings may be used and pockets inserted to avoid the need for a sporran. Kilts have also been adopted as female wear for some sports.

Weaving with Natural

My loom has been warped for months now with another set of

handspun cotton dish towels.  I had finished one set last year and

thought it would be great to use up all my handspun cotton that

has been in my stash.  Besides, I could just tie on another

warp and pull through--lazy me!

There are small bits of this and that--some brown cotton

plied with white.  Some with white cotton and hand dyed

indigo cotton.

And then--you would think there would be enough yarn

for the loom--but, my brain doesn't function that way--

I thought I had enough--and I did to WARP but

not for weft--oh bother!  There are times more needs to 

be spun--here is a small ball of handspun brown and

blue dyed cotton--don't you have any idea how long

it takes to spin a bobbin of cotton?  Neither did I--

of course, I'm an optimist and yes, there was enough

in the stash for weft--NOT!  

it takes time to spin and ply what is needed... 

Here is woven areas--looks great!  Loving the feel 

and the pattern that is generated just with plain weave.

A bobbin of handspun white cotton ready to throw

Behind the loom there still seems to be miles and miles

of unwoven warp--does it multiply during the night or

when I'm away from the loom?

Eggs! Eggs! Eggs!

Here it is couple days passed Easter and we still have several

hard boiled eggs in refrigerator!  If you are like me before the big

Easter day, you boil eggs for dyeing--I did a dozen and half--

I use my Instant Pot--great way to get all the eggs

finished at the same time and they peel so easy!

Anyway, now I'm left with all these eggs--so what do you

do with them?  Of course, I deviled some--then my brain

went off the deep end--why are they are called

deviled eggs when they taste so good?  Everyone has

their own special recipe to make these delicious foods.

But, deviled they are--here's what Chowhound states:

"It turns out, the history goes back further than you think. The first documented usage for the word “devil” as a culinary term dates back to 1786 when, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, it was used to describe a “(highly seasoned) fried or boiled dish.” By 1800, the term “deviling” caught on and was primarily used to refer to the process of making a spicy or condiment-laden dish, like ham or even kidneys, as was common for the time.

The OED claims,”the term was presumably adopted because of the connection between the devil and the excessive heat in Hell.” This association makes sense. Even while the spice level of deviled eggs can definitely vary based on filling ingredients, they certainly have the potential to pack heat. I mean, you can literally put anything in a deviled egg. Beyond mustard, mayo, and paprika, you can throw in cayenne, kimchi, and even wasabi to kick it up a notch. At their mildest, they are still heavily seasoned and chock-full of condiments, so the original “deviled” definition still holds up."

Okay, that answers that question--but, you know what?  No one has ever asked me why they are called 'deviled' when they are digging into that richness!

Before Easter, I was having a discussion with a friend who said they were attending a potluck in their community--"what are you bringing?" I asked.  "Pea Salad", she answered--"it's what I always bring for potluck".  She said a friend was bringing funeral potatoes--"what are funeral potatoes?" I asked--

She replied "a potato casserole of shredded potatoes, sour cream, cheese,

and condensed soup--topped with crushed potatoes chips"  Never have

I called them "funeral potatoes"--the name comes from these casseroles

being served at funerals--or they sometimes are called Moman potatoes

since the dish is very popular in Utah and brought to many LDS functions.

Okay, folks-- my brain is back to so called "Normal"!!

and I'm back to deviling the rest of the eggs!

Easter...................................

Dishcloth Mayhem!

I'm loving these dishcloths--wish I could knit them all

from my handspun, but the blues, browns and whites

are going into my handwoven towels.

Oh, a little story of the way a couple of my skeins are not really

balls but wound so irregularly--

Years ago (you can tell I've not used these Sugar & Cream

products much lately)  our grandson would visit our

house with his friend--they found my sugar and cream

stash and thought--"wow, these would make great

fighting balls!"  And so, they proceed to wind the yarns

super tight so when they threw them, they wouldn't come unwound!

Clever, if you are using yarn for ammunition--but, not so

great when you find these balls all over the house!  Guess there's

nothing like soft 'bullets'! 

My friend and I sometimes get carried away with yarn 

buying--all my Sugar and Cream were bought at North

Carolina outlet when we were traveling though that area.

One of us said--"let's stop!" and that's the rest of the

story...............

I'm working on forgotten patterns--nothing fancy for

me-- An Almost Lost Washcloth

And the Crazy Eights Dishcloth

I use a smaller needle size when I knit my dishcloths--

American Valor Wall Hanging

You can never have enough Patriotic quilts in your house!

I found this kit at Missouri Star Quilt Company

I'm not one for buying kits--but when I looked at purchasing

the panel and fabrics to surround it--it was a no brainer

to go with the kit.

Pattern is there along with all the fabrics except the backing--

cut and sew.............

Love sewing this hanging!  

Odds And Ends

Camilla, one of our expatchers, made this lovely pastel

quilt from birthday fat quarters she received over the

years--she wanted a spring time throw for the living area

The pattern comes from Stashtastic by Doug Leko

I thought I was a genius--then I reread the instructions--

make 4--yes, FOUR! blocks, not just one, but four!

I decided to use my hand dyed fabrics for this quilt from

Fort Worth Fabric Studio--A Day in May Spring Mystery.

I thought I was so smart to finish--well, the second

clue was issued and now, I'm way behind!!  Don't

think this will be finished for that day in May!