Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Seventh Heaven Kaleidoscope.............................


Mary Corbet of Needle 'N Thread is offering a free
embroidery pattern for your stitching pleasure--
There is alot to stitching these Kaleidoscope and
she gives you a step by step method to achieve a
beautiful piece..

cut bonus to hand embroidered projects--
questions?  She has the answers on her website.
Happy stitching, y'all!

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Agatha May Read..................




Another Agatha for May--Hercule Poirot to the rescue!

"Poirot, disillusioned by the "senseless cruel brutality" of modern crime, pays no attention to the sad case of Mrs McGinty, an old woman apparently struck dead by her lodger for thirty pounds that she kept under a floorboard. When, however, he is asked by the investigating officer to take another look at the case to stop an innocent man going to the gallows, he realises that things may not be as simple as they first appear to be."

What shall we knit to this mystery?  I don't know......
Maybe, book mark--simple and sweet
No Wrong Side bookmark by Katherine Vaughan

Another one by Katherine titled Jewel Cross Rib
Don't think I've ever knit a bookmark!

Friday, May 3, 2019

A Belfry of Hats!

Here comes the Kentucky Derby tomorrow!  This blog is about hats--a free study of hats all year long--not the traditional Kentucky Derby Hat, like this one......


but, woolen hats you can create all year long for the winter cold months.
I know it doesn't seem right to be knitting wool hats in the hot summer
months--what better time though?  You'll have a belfry of hats for
gifts or for charity or just for yourself.
check this out---
A month by month free hat pattern from Kelbourne Woolens--
of course, they are selling their yarn to go with the pattern...
I'm just a few months behind finding this site, but the patterns are
there beginning with January

January
February

March

April

Each of these patterns have different techniques--a learning experience for sure!

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Let's Knit!

Socks inspired by the Women Warriors or Shield Maidens of Viking Lore
This pattern has been designed by  Adrienne Fong and can be found 
free on Ravelry.  Adrienne designed this for Sock Knitters 
Anonymous for the May-June 2019 Lace Challenge.

It is meant for solid or semi-solid, tonal or gradient
colorway, which will show off the lace.  Clues will be released weekly-
beginning today!  Then May 9 -15- 22--pattern is both charted and
written.

If socks aren't your "thing" how about this?
Beaded cushions and throw knit along, designed by Martin Storey for Rowan Yarns.  This KAL begins May 13 and can
also be found on Ravelry.


A Gorgeous!! lace shawl designed by Mary-Anne Mace is also
free pattern through Ravelry--have I told you how much I love
RAVELRY??!!
Biophilia is top down crescent shaped shawl that represents the affection for the
natural environment.  The  Motifs represent filament strands of
entangled seaweed billowing in the ocean currents.  Beads are worked at the
edge and drip from each picot.
The pattern has both written directions and charts.  Lace is on
right side and wrong side is purl.

T

Monday, April 29, 2019

Hill Country Film Fest

This past weekend we have been attending Hill Country Film Fest in Fredericksburg, Texas--This is our seventh year to view some outstanding films--some of these films are released to the public, so watch for them; although the films might not play on the big screen, sometimes, you can find them on the small screen.

Here you not only see the film, but there is Q and A with
the film maker and sometimes, the actors are in the theater 
to answer questions.  This year it was David Arquette with
Our houseguests had their photo taken with David after
the movie.
There were over 80 short films, 17 feature films from 12
different countries.  Nothing was shown twice.  you just needed
to check the program to decide what you wanted to see and
when.  sometimes it was a conflict--but decisions had to be made.

Another film, 1989, shown was "Great Balls of Fire" starring Dennis Quaid--
really interesting to hear him speak about the film and Jerry Lee Lewis!




Five years ago, this large screen was set up in the Marktplatz where we viewed some of the short films nominated--a great experience!

Saturday, April 27, 2019

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??

kilt (Scottish Gaelicfèileadh [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.

Thursday, April 25, 2019

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?


Beginnings of New Year Ideas

I'm already thinking about the new year and new beginnings--2024 was a lost year as far as new quilt starts--there was not a one began. ...