Let's Learn As We Knit

Solene Knits has created a stranded knitting challenge--I'm 

 ready for another challenge.  Visit the website for 

further information.  The project begins NOW!

 And Away we Go!! 

July Snowflake Quilt

Quilting Jet Girl is hosting a free quilt along July 1-

December 1.  Although not, a mystery, she has revealed

the finished project.

The material list is up now--this is a generous quilt

at 72" x 88"--perfect for some fancy quilting in the

solid areas.  

Recycle--Reuse

these “recycled” denim fibers are leftovers from the “makin’ o’ the blue jeans” at the mills. Fibre Garden has a photo of the waste before it is

processed into roving

I know this fiber was popular many moons ago and

recently when I was stash diving, I found a hank of this 

lovely soft fiber--aha, it was time to spin for my

handspun cotton towels that are on the loom--

they need more blue and I wasn't in the mood

to set up an indigo vat

It spins up nicely--

One bobbin finished and balled!

As you can see, some of the singles plied on itself--

I put too much twist so it was a

challenge to ply and get an even yarn--

but I did it!!

On The Loom...................

From my cotton handspun bin I'm using every one of

plied cottons I have to warp my loom--I had indigo dyed cotton, white

cotton, brown cotton and some blue jean cotton ( recycled stuff)

The handspun cotton bin is becoming empty--

means I must begin spinning cotton again

and SOON!

This warp is tied on from the previous warp, which was

random  commercial 8/2 cotton warp -but, there is nothing

like natural cotton-- love the

look and feel of real cotton

The best part is knowing I spun all this fiber--

There is no rhyme or reason to the way the warp is set up--

just random--I like to do that with my warps--

weft is handspun cotton--right now, a shot of brown

and a shot of white--threaded 1-2-3-4 with direct tie-up

so if I want to do a twill I can.

Plain weave for now--

love it!!

Scratching My Head...................

I've been going through my handspun stash; looking for singles to

ply for future projects.  One major problem--I'm not sure what

the fiber is!  Well, when I spun it and placed it in a special bag,

I didn't label it--I said to myself "I'll remember what this is"

Now, we are several years down the road and

guess what, my memory has failed me!!

Why didn't I write on the bag what the fiber was?!!

Stupid!  So now, I'm playing a guessing game

This is plying up nicely--good feel to the fingers--

can't be linen--I hate to spin linen!

We're going to do the burn test --Maybe,

it's hemp--I do KNOW it's a natural fiber--

all the manmade fibers are in another box...

oh, well...we'll see soon.  

Now, THIS is silk!! That I know for sure--

and it's dyed with indigo!  Singles and

what a mess!  What happen with this ball?!

only the fiber goblins know--

I'll try to ply--if not, I can use it as singles--

silk is strong and almost unbreakable.

I'm off to dig in my stash again--wonder

what finds are there?  

Traveller..................

Do you know the song "The Traveller" by Chris Stapleton?


The words to this song is the way I feel!  We have been travelling lately...........WHY?

We spent several days in New Orleans--traveled there so we could see and hear the above man--along with the King of Country--George Strait!

We stayed in hotel on Canal Street near the Mississippi- River-the view from

our corner room was fabulous--we could see the river, the great chicken bridge,

people walking along the streets below, hear the calilpore from the steamboat, 

watch the rain clouds move in and out as we viewed

barges being pushed into dock.

We had fireworks over the river one night in celebration of the birth of New Orleans--

300 years old!  We heard many jazz songs as we walked the streets and

saw sights we want to scrub from our mind.

The handmade ceramic oyster dishes in Royal street shop window--

lovely!  A visit to Central Grocery for that famous olive salad

for our Muffuletta sandwiches.  

This is not our first visit to New Orleans--we lived in Baton Rouge for 20 years

so made many trips to New Orleans.  

The concert was excellent!  That is a good reasons to travel!

So, we are travelling on to our next spot for the summer--see you down

the road.

Happy travelling!

SOUTHWEST GOURD FINE ART SHOW

What is a Gourd anyway?!! 

Gourds on display at Cambridge, Massachusetts

A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly Cucurbita and Lagenaria or the fruit of the two genera of Bignoniaceae "calabash tree", Crescentia and Amphitecna.

The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. Likely one of the earliest domesticated types of plants, subspecies of the bottle gourd, Lagenaria siceraria, have been discovered in archaeological sites dating from as early as 13,000 BC. Gourds have had numerous uses throughout history, including as tools, musical instruments, objects of art, film, and food.

When you visit this exhibit being held now at Kerrville Arts/Crafts Center you

would never think that someone could take a simple plant and

create such marvelous art pieces!   But, here you have a super

great exhibit of creativity! 

"Tres Amigos" by Judy Richie

"Mountain and Mesa" by Becky Klix

"Butterfly Cannon Ball" 

Artist Bill Decker

"Patina Pachyderm" by Mike Peyton

"Geometric Goose (Lift Off)"

Mike Peyton

Just think of the hours and hours of work on

just this one piece

There are several tables of small pieces--

All gourds don't forget!!

I like that there are a couple that feature

weaving techniques

This is "Hanging Out" by C. C. Rice

"Inspired by Mata Ortiz Pottery"

Yoshie Green

"Red Sunset" by Joanne Tompkins

Dyed, manipulated fabric, coiling and beads!!

This takes your breath away!!

"The War Bonnet"

Becky Klix

Thirty individual feathers carved from gourd

and painted with acrylic dye.  constructed using

traditional methods and decorated with horse hair,

beads and animal pelt--just absolutely smashing 

piece of art!

These are just a  small representative of the

work--a must see exhibit in my books!