Advent Knitting

I love knitting for Advent!  It is a daily evening event

for me as we prepare for the joyous celebration of 

Christmas.  This Advent knit along is designed by Julie

Kubitsky in the group For the Love of Haps

This is 3/4 circle shawl with 42" wingspan and 21" depth.

You can either use one solid or low contrast multi yarn,

or 4 coordinating colors of 50 grams each; long color block yarns

or scraps with random color switches. 

First clue is released daily beginning today through December 24

An Advent scarf designed by Tricia Weatherstone--one of my

favorite things to knit this time of year--

This scarf is based on Gansey stitch patterns with lots of knits

and purls and simple cables.  You can find the free pattern on

Ravelry, either in Sock Madness Forever or Mountain Knits and 

Pearls groups.

Black Friday Shopping.........NOT! But Sewing Instead...........

While others are planning their shopping strategy today, I'm enjoying a nice

cozy day in my studio working on Christmas projects--oh yes!

it's time to sew!

This quilt is named "Simpler Times", featuring twenty-five 8" blocks; will

finish at 70" square.  A block pattern will be posted once a day, 

beginning December 1st @ AQSblog.com--today I'll be gathering

my fabrics.  You can also join their facebook group--AQS Christmas

Countdown--lots of clever ideas. 

And of course--the first clue for this mystery was released today!

how exciting to be sewing something so colorful.

This is from Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville

Thermoweb is hosted a Joy Sew Along with patterns

that are quick to assemble--the grouping will make a small

wall hanging 50" x 58"--Here are a view of some of the

patterns:

Gobble, Heck Yeah--

WHY?  Yes, why is Thanksgiving so late this year?

 there's a reason the holiday is arriving a little on the tardier side—and it's downright historic. In fact, the story dates all the way back to 1939 when Franklin Roosevelt decided to shake up the tradition a bit in the name of capitalism.

Thanksgiving had been celebrated on the last Thursday of the month since the time of Abraham Lincoln. But, according to TIME, during 1939, the calendar had been unusual, as the month started on a Wednesday, so there were five Thursdays as opposed to four.

To restore some order, Roosevelt moved the national holiday to the second-to-last Thursday of the month (a change that many were unhappy with). Instead of focusing on the negative, Roosevelt attempted to justify his decision with a pro-shopping response: merchants would now have a holiday further from Christmas to allow for more shopping time. In a way, this birthed the consumer craze known as Black Friday nearly 80 years ago.

Oh Well, here comes the turkey and all the trimmings tomorrow--  what does your dining room table hold on this festive day?

We're gathering at our daughter's ranch--she's cooking!  which means I'm left to do the clean-up--ugh!  

                                                  

Put On This Hat!

In our lives we put on many different hats--

here is one hat that will feel really special!

A hat for hosting!  Or make one to give

as a gift for your party hostess!

Designed by Susan Rainey

It is a very quick knit and the perfect project to learn how to do beaded knitting!
you can find it on Ravelry.com

Hat is knit from the brim up, in the round. Beads are added to create the bold snowflake motif. Bead motif is charted only.

Instructions are also included for the tassel and the Peppermint Stick Twisted Cord.

Sizes
Small S (18”), Medium M (19”), Large L (20”), Extra Large XL (21”)
Slouchy Hat: Overall length is approx. 9-9 ½ inches

Materials
Two colors needed: red and cream or white
Sample shown in Cascade 220 MC (main color) Ruby 9404 (50 gms, about 110 yards) and CC (contrast color) Natural 8010 (25 gms, about 55 yards)

Beads
Size 3 silver lined seed beads (61 total, approx. 17 grams), one source Fusion Beads; two tubes will be needed.

Slow Stitching!

Stitch Along with "Words of LIfe" is necessary for this time of year--come stitch with everyone as we mark these beautiful sayings on cloth.  It's a six week project and it's free from Elfantz!

Add this stitch along to your December calendar, beginning

December 2--The Merry Little Christmas Stitch-Along continues every other day through the month of December, wrapping up on the 22nd.  There's no sign up required for the stitch-along—as we progress, there will be each pattern or set of instructions available on the blog and on the stitch-along page.  The patterns will remain on the blog/website throughout the month of December and in January I'll make a complete pattern available in her Etsy shop.   This from Jen Daly

Design Delight!

Texas Furniture Makers Show on display through December 13, 2019 at Kerr Arts and Cultural Center is the show to see!  Every year we are thrilled to see the designs by woodcrafters--how can they do that with hunks of wood?  It's amazing to say the least!

From small tables 

to large center attractions

somehow, the woodcrafter finds the perfect piece of wood

to create master pieces!

Elegant lines

to small pieces on a board

a carrying case for the pieces

and their small display for their business cards

Two exhibit spaces filled with delightful warm wood designs!

We look forward to this exhibit every fall and it never fails

to give us several moments of  marvels--all in the depth of

a hunk of wood. 

Can't See The Trees Due to the Forest......................

I'm into two clues to the Fort Worth Christmas Mystery quilt--

"Fir Good Measure"

both are TREES!  After awhile, you just can't see anything else,

but trees in my sewing room!  It took lots of green and to make them

look like a forest, I used as many different greens I could find in my stash.

Finished the first two clues

Here is the last clue--you can find video tutorials for the first two clues.  Next week will be the big
reveal or layout of the blocks we have made.