Sunday, November 6, 2011

Knitted with Beads

Video podcasts 
have become my most recent pastime.  
It's giving me the opportunity
to watch and learn from these
knitters/crocheters/spinners/dyers 
who 
are blogging using video rather than 
the written word with photos.

Gives us the opportunity to see it ALL ! ! ! 

Love it ! ! ! 
You know what they say,
a picture is worth a thousand words .  .
so true with the case of video podcasts.

Many of these video podcasters 
also spin, using spindles and/or wheels,
there are independent dyers with online shops.
Just ask me how I know.
All are sharing and generous 
with their fleece & fiber love & knowledge.
Look Out! ! !   It just may be catchy.

While watching a new-to-me vidcast/vlog 
I saw 
showing a recent completion -  -
 Lexington Waves Knitted Beaded Necklace
you can see the free  pattern here on Ravelry

You know me, 
never a new pattern/technique/yarn Gerry won't try.

Printed out a Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon
and shopped
for beads.
I did limit my purchase to beads
just for this project!!!!

Using leftover sock yarn 
I made my first knitting-beading project.
 Lexington Waves.



Then .  .  .  .  

Using left over yarn from Multnomah Shawl

-  -  -  -  -  -

my second Lexington Waves Knitted Beaded Necklace


opps, I still have beads leftover.
Oh, oh. .  .

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Speaking of Multnomah
here it is 
just prior to going for a soak and 
a session of blocking. 



Flutterby-sort-a- beauty isn't it ! ! ! 

* * * * * * * * * * *

Have a wonderful family-filled Sunday.

hugs

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥



Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Accomplished ! !


Another finish ! ! ! 
Another les Abeilles ! ! !
Took me seven days from start to finish ! !

This is a shawl rather than shawlette.
It measures 58-inch wing span
23-inch spine.

Now this pattern is going to the back of the pile.
Time for another pattern.

But, first here it is spread tip-to-tip.


Now a new pattern.
It's going to be Multnomah.
Actually, I co the first day of September and bo the 28th of October.
Will post a pic as soon as I get it blocked.
I'm warning ya,
it's gorgeous

` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` 
Also, had my haircut this afternoon.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

In the meantime, here's our first Blooming Christimas Cactus.



Looks like there are more to come.


Moving this inside after being outside all summer doesn't appear to have stunted it at all.

Now, if I can keep from over-watering seems we'll have blossoms for a number of weeks.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Today's temp is JUST PERFECT ! ! ! 
Right 'round seventy degrees F.

hugs
♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

les Abeilles & les Abeilles

A comparison of les Abeilles Shawlette blocked
and


les Abeilles Shawl at the end of  Chart A 

Making great progress on this shawl
am half-way through my skein of yarn
and 
knitting like a fiend.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Cold weather hit the other night 
down to freezing
so we brought in the dozen pots of Amaryllis, Christmas and a couple of others
that spent the summer in the shade along side the garage.

The Amaryllis will stay in the garage for the winter as they do go dormant.
The Christmas Cactus and others will come upstairs to help brighten our winter.



Seems as though spending the summer outside agreed with this guy.
Looks like we'll be enjoying blooms from this for a while.

/  / \  \

Another find from the darkroom-to-craft-room.

From my Gramma's collection of books.



Printed 1940

= - = - = - = - = - =

We're listening to this audiobook
on loan from our local library.

We're thoroughly enjoying it.



hugs
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Boneyard

Another FO



Finished this 
[click above to link to Stephen's Designs]

[click above to link to pattern link]

a couple of weeks ago.

Blocked it right off 

have been slow in blogging it.



Wingspan 50"
Spine 22"

Knit with: 


and


Both in Fingering weight

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Making excellent headway on
les Abeilles IV
am on Row 16 of 40 in Chart A

Chart B has about the same number of rows.

However, since this shawl is knit from the bottom edge toward the neck
each and every row is a decrease row.

The cast on for the first three les Abeilles was 242 sts.
the last row of Chart A had 158 sts.

The current shawl had 318 sts cast on.

Chart B is worked for another forty or so rows
and ends with something like fourteen sts
that are grafted together right at the nape of the neckline.

TMI !  TMI ! ! ! 
I know, too much information.

=  +  =  +  =  +  =

A Blast from the Past
Let's go back to the '70s


My handiwork from the 1970s

Yes, the flowers on each arm had one of those little mirrors in the centers.

This is one of a pair that I embroidered,
each daughter was given one.

Peace V Love

hugs
♥ ♥ ♥ 



Friday, October 21, 2011

Unblocked


It's a finish ! ! ! 
Well, almosta finish.
Still needs to be blocked to show off the lovely lace pattern.


Beautiful Tomato color yarn
I bought mine online at

les Abeilles number four is on my needle right now ! ! ! 
I should be knitting rather than sitting in front of this laptop ! ! ! ! 

There are soo many more patterns 
for this gal to knit
-
fer instance


As you can see
this yarn comes from Fibernymph Dye Works on Etsy.
It's in her Bounce base which is
superwash merino.
Oh, so, soft and squooshy.

The pattern - Reversing Leaves Sock is out of
this wondrous sock design is created by Cat Bordhi

I'm still working on converting my darkroom and it's moving along ~ ~ ~ 

Found this in my files.



Am enjoy this lovely weather while it's still here.

hugs  

♥  ♥  ♥



Thursday, October 13, 2011

Lazy Afternoons

Hubby and I spent two afternoons on the river bank.


This is the week of the Missouri River 340
One hundred-fifty canoe/kayak paddlers
race from Kansas City, Missouri to St. Charles, Missouri - 
they'll travel 340 miles from start to finish.


This is the check-in station here at 
the Jefferson City Carl Noren Access 
across The River from our State Capitol.




We were invited to join our friends Leisa and Steve to spend the afternoon along side the Missouri River.  
Mother Nature provided wonderful weather - 
except for last night's rain/lightening storm. 
A few of the canoeists were caught on The River during the downpour.

However, we enjoyed
Two Glorious Autumn Afternoons!

All that fresh air made for a lazy end to the day

and Max The Puppy is the master of the art of napping.



 hugs
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Friday, October 7, 2011

Yarn, I've new Yarn ! ! !

The Loopy Ewe Ravelry Group is having a
4th Quarter Challenge
*  *  *  *  *
The Challenge:
" You can knit anything you’d like, 
as long as it uses at least one full skein of Madelinetosh
in any of the Tosh yarn bases that we carry at The Loopy Ewe 
(Sock, Merino Light, Vintage, Sport, DK and Pashmina). 
You can knit up more than one skein in your project, 
but not any less than a full skein."

My 4th Quarter Challenge yarn order from 
arrived ! ! ! 

I Love It ! ! ! 

Before I show you

Let me explain,
 one of the perks of shopping online at The Loopy Ewe
is that after your fifth order one becomes a 'Loopy Groupie'
and all the perks that go along with it.

This order put me over the top ! ! ! 


My Loopy Groupie welcoming gift

arrived inside this lovely vinyl project zippered bag



+ + + + + + 

I received a skein of
Dream In Color
Everlasting
8-ply Sock Yarn
420  yds
100% Superwash Austrailian Merino Wool
Spun and Hand Dyed 
in the color DIVE
a dark green varigated with navy and teal ! ! ! 

plus a very cool sock pattern
designed by Debbie O'Neill
photo below


And, of course my 4th Quarter Challenge yarn
was included in the package.

Here's my Madelinetosh skein of Hand Dyed yarn
Merino Lite
100% Superwash Merino Wool
fingering weight 
420 yards
in the color Tomato ! ! ! ! 






Hubby and I will wind both these yarns into cakes tomorrow.
However, 
before I start any new project
I am going to finish the Stacy Shawl that is already in progress ! ! ! 

There !  I've said it .  .  . now does this mean I have to stick to it????


# # # # # # # #

Today's weather was the most, the absolute MOST beautiful day of our calendar year ! ! ! 

hugs

♥  ♥  ♥

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Came Across These

Came across these photos while straightening 
my darkroom-turned-craft-room.


My photo of our older Granddaughter
***
now in her thirties.




And my photo of our younger Grandson
***
now in his twenties.


I am making headway putting my 'new' craft in order.
Though nothing was accomplished this afternoon.

Spent this gorgeous Autumn afternoon 
on the
back porch of 
The Old Brick House Deli
having a dee-lish lunch with
wonderful friends
[including daughter Debbie for a bit]
chatting about everything under the sun.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Hope to snap a couple of photos of
my newest yarn stash enhancements
and at least one completed knitted project
so I can post them by week's end.

Enjoy this delightful weather while you can.

hugs

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Who Doesn't Love Maxine ! !

Waaay back in May I was lucky enough to be picked the winner of Chris' big giveaway on
go check out her latest blog post, you may be THE lucky one this time ! ! ! 

This gal knows how to pack LOADS OF GOODNESS into any ol' box you put in front of her.

Chris sent me Maxine Fabric and I made drawstring project bags with some of the fabric.

My Multnomah Shawl 
sits atop of a pink bag :*)


I found that these pink bags holds
my knit projects
more than any of the others
except perhaps maybe the green.



I've been busy painting my ex-darkroom
and now in the process of returning all that's been stored in the garage area back to whence it came.
Though I do hope to toss a bit here and there.

Spent a number of hours knitting on
my Boneyard Shawl
designed by Stephen West.
Should have this off the needle this evening
so that tomorrow I can give it a soak
and blocking.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Enjoy this wonderful Autumn color display !


hugs

♥   ♥   ♥