Sewing Room

I started a privacy cape for a gift......need a overall buckle to finish it.
                           
Still working on the small quilt on the frame.

But I made this table runner as I continue the stash buster projects and wanted to quilt it now....so I am doing it free motion on my sewing machine.  Hmmm, there was a learning curve to use different muscles this way again!  It is definitely more stressful on the body so I only work on it one motif at a time!

 (I draw the feather wreath and then stitch it-see one has most of the wash away lines removed.)

I am making progress on the Percy shawl.  It is slow going but it is growing. 

Sunset

We do have the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets in northern Florida.  This was the awesome show on the way home from church Wednesday night.  Bill graciously pulled the car over so I could try and capture the colors!  'Red sky at night.......sailors delight' is really a transliteration of a Bible verse-did you know that?
Read it yourself in the book of Matthew 16:1-3

In All Their Glory

My Dad said I needed to be patient....there was so much vine growth and no buds.

Well, he was right!  The morning glories are doing their thing every morning......incredibly beautiful!

We went to Lake City; the guys to golf while I sit and enjoy the solitude and cook a feast for the returning warriors!

The kitties were in their fiber frenzies........when I used the restroom,

they wreaked havoc on my knitting-I was too shocked to take a pic of the livingroom completely strewn with 800+ yards of laceweight yarn....An hour later, I had wound the yarn into three balls; usable but no longer continuous.  The great news is that the knitting, while abused , was intact.  Naughty kitties....

I spun up two skeins of corriedale/romney cross.  This is destined for the loom-a sampler of the different yarns, some overshot and a purse....

Caleb won the golf game; he has come into his own on the course; we stuffed ourselves on the roasted chicken dinner and headed home!  Lovely day, guys!

A Week of Projects Together

We brought the garage sale find upstairs after we made the repairs in the garage.  It was too hot to try and paint outside so we came into the air conditioning!  We had lots of help from the kids and the kitties!

After a trip to JoAnns for fabric, we got it in place in A's room!  The fabric on the bed it the soon to be made quilt for her, too.  Sew, Marsel, sew!

Bill and David did all the trimming of the front yard bushes and shrubs.  Looks great guys!

I finally finished all the fringe and got the bamboo shawl washed and hung to dry.

After a heavy downpour, this little guy did some drying out!  So cute!

Some good girl time!

I actually got to do some knitting on the car ride home.  Kitties did a bit more sleeping because they were tired out after their fun visit with their fur cousins, too!

Thanks for the great week my Georgia family!

It's Good!

It is so relaxing to be here......my daughter has the knack for making you feel right at home.

We have fun every afternoon at the neighborhood pool.

We had a visit to McDonalds while Bruce and Marsel went to a charity dinner.  Love to get to do the grandmother thing and tuck the kids in at night! 

I have knit up my 12" square for a group afghan.  (Targhee wool handspun yarn)

I started a new shawl, Percy, a free pattern here.  I need to get some stitch markers on the needles cuz it is easy to lose my place with interruptions!  (Using #6 needles and knitpicks shimmer yarn)

Bill and Abigail shared a silly time.....

The cats are getting along fine after a bit of pussy footing the first few hours! (Sorry for the pun, I couldn't resist!)

I loved the new yarn from Sugar 'n Cream Stripes....it worked up great for the pinwheel dishcloth.

Off to help with dinner......

Doing That Georgia Thing

Heading up for a week's visit. 

Will be posting from there!  Nyki and Puff Daddy are going with us so hoping they will travel well together!

Oh, So Pretty!

The shawl blocking was an early morning project.  Cats, helpful as always, helped me spread it out.  It soon became apparent that I did not have enough pins to make all the little points along the edge.  My last pi shawl didn't keep its little points after use, so I just  spread it out evenly and left it to dry in the sunshine.  I only had to readjust it twice due to cat ministrations...

It is beautiful!  60" across, only weighs 110grams-very light indeed!  I started this in the Fall and have worked 7 months on it;  1600 yards of cobweb lace yarn!  I can't wait to wear it!  This pattern is called Triggy, a Norwegian Doily pattern.

One quilt off the frame,

another one loaded and ready to go.

Just a Few Finishing Touches...

I think it takes longer to make a fine fringe finish than it does to weave the whole shawl!  I am plugging away...haven't even begun to think about the beads yet.

I did the last row on the Norwegian Doily shawl.........crochet bind off all of those stitches and it is currently being inspected by the feline duo!  I will block it tomorrow; I am too tired tonight!

This afternoon I wound off two skeins of the alpaca I have been spinning.  Nice, soft little nests which will be used for some wrist warmers/fingerless mitts soon.  Hmmm, that pic just isn't the true color, try this:

Yes, this is a much better indication of the warm brown yarn!  (250 yards of fingering weight yarn)

Endings and Beginnings

I am almost done with the bamboo shawl........I just have to twist the fringe and it will be complete!  I think I will add some beads to that area, too, for extra bling.  I just love the actual weaving... after the warping.

I am on row 205...binding happens after row 209--so close! 

Puff Daddy slows me down when he helps me by holding the yarn as it pulls from the ball!  He gets so frantic with his play and then he conks out for a long nap.  I have learned to endure his help, knowing a nap will be my reward!
(I got a bit behind when I couldn't knit yesterday afternoon or evening-I suffer every time I eat pork.  I love the way it tastes but I will definitely avoid it from now on.  I used to suffer from eating everything but after having my gall bladder out, very little bothers me anymore.....except for pork.  I might be thick about some things but this is a done deal now-no more oink for me!)

I have a new quilt on the frame.  (My neighbor has been busy and brought me two lap-sized ones to quilt for her.)

I received this in the mail today-there is nothing like a 'fiber' thank you!  (I love it, Benita!)

Bill has gotten all the lawns mowed today and is now playing on his tractor.

The rains and heat have hatched a new wave of these fellows-sand lizards.  Cute!  (1 3/4" long is all when they are newly hatched!)

Warped and Ready

Warping up the loom is hard work! 

A lot of patience and a lot of chocolate gets the job done!  (I recommend high doses of both!)

I bit of hemstitching and I am on the way!

The weaving is so good.  This pattern is from HandWoven (budget bamboo shawl Sept/Oct 2009) using Aunt Lydia's Bamboo crochet thread.  I made one for me last Fall with an allover lace pattern but this time I am using the blocked lace option.  I like it!

Thank you , Benita, for pointing out that while I only have a few more rows to go on the lace shawl, it does mean that I have >16,000+ stitches to knit before completion!  In spite of these facts, I am knitting like a horse headed for the barn!

Is anyone joining in on the spinner's Tour de Fleece?!  Alpaca yarn is on my wheel.