Advent Calendar

It's that time of year when my mind turns to Advent--time to reflect on the reason for the season.  We have an advent wreath--a circle of life--candles are lit on Sundays before Christmas.

I also like to prepare myself by knitting an advent scarf, which I've

done for the past several years.  This year is no different--

Unkatissima hosts this special knit along beginning December 1--Each day a 'window' will open to reveal the pattern for the day--It is my meditation time--yarn in my hands is certainly a blessing.  The pattern is free--knit along!

About the pattern:

1. This year the shawl has
    7 different consecutive lace patterns which mirror each other harmoniously,
    a 20 stitches repeat which allows you to knit the shawl as wide as you like and
    on day 13 a pattern that you can knit as often as you like to adapt the length of the shawl to your liking.
    
2. The pattern
    is a multiple of 20 pattern stitches + 3 start/end stitches + 2 or more edge stitches, and has a total of 386 rows with the day 13 pattern knitted once.
    The day 13 pattern has 28 rows and can be knitted several times if necessary.
    The daily instructions contain each as well charts as written instructions.
    
3. To knit the shawl you need
    yarn with needles in appropriate size (the shawl looks as beautiful knitted in lace yarn as in fingering or bulkier yarn),
    know-how about knitting yarn overs and different decreases and
    if you like stitch markers to mark the repeats.
    
4. If you want to make the shawl
    broader/narrower simply adjust the number of repeats;  shorter,
   • use smaller needle sizes and/or
   • finer yarn and/or
   • knit less loose;  longer
• knit the day 13 pattern more than once and/or
• use larger needles and/or bulkier yarn and/or knit more loose.

Advent Skalender is another shawl to knit during this period.  It began November 20

Wool Work---

Sleep as I will--wish as I would--

It just doesn't get the job done!

I bought this book for some wool applique

sense--I've not done much wool work.  A few small

pieces but I bought this book to make 

This tea cozy!!  I loved this tea cozy!  I have the book

now.  I have wool too.  I have floss to do the stitching--

BUT............A cold spell came along

AND

My tea pot is still naked!!

Not Early Enough!

Every year I think and believe that I will begin gift making

earlier in the year--but here I am in mid November

and just working on a few--and I mean a few!

Not going to have time to create all the gifts

I thought I could--intentions went by the wayside!!

This pattern by Denton Foreman, Cozy Fingerless Gloves

is a perfect mindless knitting project--

knit in front of TV, in the car, in a lecture,

talking to friends--

I found lots of small bits of yarn that will 

work for this easy peazy pattern.

I divided my yarn into two so I can knit both mitts

as the same time on circular needles--and the best

part--it's all Knit!!

Post Thanksgiving Food.....................

  Gobble--Gobble--Gobble!!!

Are there Thursday leftovers in your refrigerator?  Each person in our family love those leftovers and want a 'favorite'--be it just turkey sandwich or turkey ala king, turkey tetrazzini, turkey salad, turkey gumbo--we could eat turkey for days after the BIG day!  What is your favorite?

Here is my recipe for turkey tetrazzini:  which is my family favorite!

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz dry spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion diced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 1/4 cups chicken broth 
• 1 1/3 cups half & half or light cream
• Juice of one lemon
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 cups chopped turkey
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese 
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, topping
• splash of white wine, if on hand

Prepare spaghetti in boiling salted water.  In a saute pan, melt butter, brown chopped onion in butter, then add flour to make a roux.  Add liquid--chicken broth and half/half, stir till thick; then add chopped turkey, juice of one lemon, salt and pepper, mix in cheese--

place the cooked spaghetti in a greased casserole dish, pour the turkey mixture over spaghetti, mix together; on top sprinkle parmesan cheese--sometimes, I'll sprinkle some fine bread crumbs on top to get a nice crunch.  Bake at 350* for about 30-40 minutes till bubbly around the edges.  Serve to the waiting crowd!

Can be prepared ahead, frozen and then served at a later date.

Enjoy your leftovers or in our house we call it "must go"!

Happy Thanksgiving!

FAll colors will soon turn to Christmas Red and Green,

but before that happens, I'm enjoying the newly fallen

leaves, rosy crisp apples, butternut squash filled with

goodies--

We will continue to Give Thanks for the small things in

our life

We leave you with this tablescape From My Carolina Home

May your Thanksgiving day be filled with many

blessings and riches of bounty!

Can You Help?

There are tragedies that occur everywhere in the world - right now there is utter devastation in Paradise California. There is a call out for quilt blocks and quilts if you care to donate to those who have lost so much.

It breaks your heart to know they have lost Everything!!

Here is how we can assist:

HEART QUILTS FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF THE WILDFIRES:

Complete quilts that are ready to be given to children can be mailed immediately to the address below:

WE CARE
Care of Kathy Biggi
14280 Bar Ela Ranch Rd.
Grass Valley, CA 95945

Donation Quilts website has links to patterns of other heart blocks.  If you have completed quilts or tops, please consider sending those along as well. 

It's That Time Again...................BH Mystery!

Yes!  Time to prepare for the Bonnie Hunter Annual 

Mystery Quilt!  I'm not even finished with 2017 but that

doesn't keep me from saving the clues in this 

China journey!

Beginning the Friday after Thanksgiving and each

week thereafter till all clues have been revealed, you can

jump on the sewing caravan to sew to your heart's content!

The clues will be on her website: Quiltville into February, 2019

Here are the fabric requirements:  not necessary for you

keep this same color selections, but it's helpful if you

enjoy these colors to follow along:

to me, I like my mixture of colors in these

ranges--more variety more fun

Yardage requirements for Good Fortune:

Greens: 1 1/4 yards

Blues: 2 yards.

Reds: 1 3/4 yards

Oranges: 3 2/3 yards

Neutrals: 6 yards