So Over It---Solar Eclipse!

Yesterday's blog post was about the solar eclipse--I'm so over it now!  We didn't see it--didn't even go outside to look--Our school principal daughter bought those special glasses for all her students--they had a teaching moment with all 500 students--everywhere you can view photos of the eclipse.
I feel for those who drove many miles to be in the path of totality and then it RAINED!  Rained big time on their parade--so, what are they doing now--looking at photos on TV, Facebook, etc. just as we are!

the path for 2017 took it across the mid section of the US--but, just wait,

in 2024--we'll have it in our region!  

and I've asked the daughter to save all those 500 special glasses for

us to use...............

Monday, April 8, 2024

Marled Yarns = Project

Have you ever knit on a piece and decided halfway through, you didn't like it--maybe, it's the pattern, yarn, or needle size.  Well, it seems to happen to me more often than not--I'm more than half way through this year long project and I don't like it!!  Just plain and simple!  I don't like the way it's turning out

now, I have that I've spun this marled yarn and I'm thinking this might work just fine for that January 2018 deadline plus I'll finish my year long texture project--kill two birds with one stone!  There is one of those weird sayings again!  Anyway, today it means I'm getting two projects done at the same time.............

This is textural pattern from Elizabeth Ravenwood

Ravelry, of course!

Okay, I'm liking this pattern now--looks more manly

to me and it needs some softening effect

I'm thinking I'll need to add some color along the way

or maybe, I'll just dye it when completed--

four more months to go before any

decision is made though

Marled Yarns

The challenge is to spin this fiber into yarn--and present

a completed project in January 2018 at our annual spin-in

I'm looking at this fiber thinking--I don't want to spin each roving

separately--I'm going for that marled yarn look

Spin a little white, spin a little black, spin a little tan--no

rhyme or reason to the pattern

Then ply--here is the look on the bobbin

and in a ball--Now, let me tell you--I have been spinning this

'marled' yarn for years!  Every since I was spindle spinning silk and

had all these little balls of spun silk--how do you use them individually?

you take 2 or 3 or 4 and ply them together and get

Marled yarn!!  

Marled yarns are formed by twisting together plies of different colors. The result is a single strand of yarn with multiple colors winding around one another.Marled yarns can be made from any number of plies—two, three, four, etc.

Oh My! Flower Pots!

Esther Aliu is offering the most gorgeous flower display of all times!

This begins today--15th of each month, through November, a

different section will be revealed!

and it's FREE!  No strings attached!

just download and create to your heart's content!

This wall hanging will finish at 38"x48".

"Images" "Trees"

The current exhibits at Kerrville Arts and Cultural Center are diverse--there are three in the gallery now, through August 27.  One is presented by Dinah Bowman with artwork inspired by geological formations--

sorry, I didn't take any photos of this exhibit

One of the other exhibits is "Trees:  Artistic View" by

Hardy Lewis

The Quilted Tree

Painting of Tree Trunk

Steel Tree #1

Weeping Willow Tree

Panel of six trees

Bloodlines

Untitled

The Hanging Tree

Close-up of Hanging Tree

Trees, in my opinion, have always been nature's art form--

elegant, mostly stable, winging towards the sky with

upward swinging branches

The juried show by Kathleen Cook

There were many interesting pieces in this exhibit--paintings,

mixed media, etc.  but being a fiber person, I looked for

those presented in that medium.

Above is stitching work by Kim Paxson:  

"Mary Oliver's Question"

This piece won blue ribbon in the category 

"On Butterfly Wings" by Kathie Carlson

Weaving of textures--and here is the butterfly

"Texas Toast" by Ginger Collins

Stitchery along with painting

"Waiting" by Ginger Collins

Painting on fiber with stitchery

This colorful wall displayed winners with their ribbons.

Excellent representation from Kerrville Arts and Cultural members!

Summer Solar Eclipse QAL

How exciting to have this quilt along to coincide with the

upcoming eclipse!  This isn't a mystery--the reveal is here

and step by step instructions will be given

All the blocks are Ohio Stars!  I love Ohio Stars!

well, I like anything that is a star in a quilt!

There will be lots of Flying Geese...............

here is her video to show how to make four geese

from two squares of fabric.

What's for dinner.

What's for dinner?  Always a dilemma--sometimes I like to cook, but in these hot days of summer, I just want to lounge, drink a glass of ice tea (unsweetened, please) and wait to see if the dinner fairies show up--never have, never will!

On this particular day I pulled some shrimp from the freezer and thought about what to prepare-- the first day, hubby said let's go for a burger--who am I to say, but honey, I need to cook those shrimp.  So, I put the still frozen shrimp in the refrigerator to thaw--they'll be good tomorrow.
Tomorrow comes, and we had a late breakfast and mid day meal--no shrimp there either.  Finally, the third day, I KNEW I had to fix those shrimp.  Besides, they were completely thawed--what to make?

We really like Paula Dean's Fiery Cajun shrimp, which takes butter and Texas Pete hot sauce--good ole Texas Pete was nowhere to be found in the pantry.  Alexa--add to list--Texas Pete.

Another shrimp dish that is easy peazy is just to boil them--or sauté with butter and garlic,but I wanted something different-- how about shrimp and grits?  Never made that before and I'm in a cooking mode.  Gather ingredients, which I do have on hand!  Here is the recipe from Bobby Flay

• 4 cups water
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup stone-ground grits
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 1 large clove garlic, minced

Yum, Yum!  

Now, I'm back in my mode of not cooking again for awhile!

Dished up and served and 15 minutes later--all gone!