Natural State Knitting

Lost in the land of Counterpane.

2012-01-23T11:51:00.000-06:00

I have been lost in the land of Counterpane. I love counterpane bedspreads and have always wanted to make one, but....................easily distracted by new yarns and new ideas. You know that I have been working on this counterpane idea.
The idea for a counterpane design came from reading a book on Paton, a Scottish missionary. In the book, it mentioned his mother’s counterpane on the bed. This one seemed appropriate to design for a young couple in our church, Douglas and Cami. Douglas is of Scottish descent and it just seemed, in my weird mind, to tie together the reading of a book about a Scottish missionary, the mention of the mother's prized counterpane on the bed, to a new baby of Scottish descent, my need to play with counterpanes and make a baby gift, too. Here are some pics. Enjoy the eye candy!

I would love to find out more on the history of counterpanes.

Hello 2012

2012-01-03T15:26:00.001-06:00

Boy, do I have a bunch to tell!
Okay, here are the Christmas quilts that I could not blog about until after they were given.
This is the one I made for Grace, my son's girlfriend.
I love this one. The pinks and brown had me from the very beginning. It is so perfectly girlie! It was so fun to make and I love the flower squares.

This one was less thrilling as far as color and design. It was very straightforward like the sweetheart that it is for. Ben. It was suppose to be for his 21st b-day. What can I say, I am easily distracted by new yarn..........

This is my GREAT niece Brooke with hers.

My Christmas list was small this year. I asked for these.

The Pursuit of God by Tozer
God's Pursuit of Man by Tozer
The Attributes of God Book 1 by Tozer
The Attributes of God Book 2 by Tozer
Any of these books, mostly the last two.

Handmaiden Sea Silk, I love this yarn. It is probably the yarn I lust after most. I like tone-on-tone colors, like Berry, Blue Lagoon, Moonstone, Salt Spray, Silver, Waterfall, Topaz, and Smoke.

I want a thumb drive plug for the Mica Bug Miata and a cup holder tray for between the seats.
Michael got me these. I love Tozer books!

Ben got me the Sea Silk. I bought me the other yarn. You gotta love a son that gets you Sea Silk!

Michael did surprise me with a few unexpecteds. He bought me this great quilt book that is a kind of history book, too.

He, also, finished one of my shelves for my loom room. Here he is testing out one of his Christmas presents on my shelf. This man can make all the sawdust messes he wants, when I get something like this out of them!

Here it is installed and painted.

Here it is being used!

It goes with the one he did for behind the door.

Friday, the 30th, Michael took off. The weather was gorgeous and we took a nice day trip to my favorite quilt store, Country Corner Quilt Shop in Harrison. Last year, we did the same trip in the Miata and I bought one of their batik cracker jack packs. This is the quilt that I finished using it. I took it with me to show them.

My friend, Kathie, had the leaf border fabric and was getting rid of it. I am so glad she thought of me. I have had it about 2 or more years. I knew that it would show me what it wanted to be. I love it.

Notice that I overlapped the leaves along the border and blanket stitched them down. My Michael did a lovely job of helping me pick out the burgandy that I used betwwen the batik log cabin squares.

This cracker jack pack came home with me. It will grow up to be a baby quilt for our Pastor's new baby that is due in the spring.

Then we took Hwy 7 over through Jasper. We stopped by Ozark Cafe and had the BEST coconut cream pie that I have EVER had!

We stopped for a photo opportunity at the Arkansas Grand Canyon.

Then we continued down Hwy 7 to Russellville and visited my favorite yarn store, Knit 2 Together. It really is a great yarn store and the store owner, Stephanie, is a gem.

Since it is now 2012, my Knitmeter has reset itself.

My yarn usage total for 2011 was 44,759 yards of yarn. That is only 25.43 miles of yarn or 134,277 ft of yarn.

I completed 118 knitted and crocheted projects. 33 Of those were shawls. I did not include any quilts, weaving or sewing projects in that total.

This was my last project of the year. I finished these at about 11:30 on New Year's Eve.

I finally finished this blanket, too. It is going to South Africa to an orphanage.

I cut this one out on Monday and it went together very easily. If you will notice, it is just like my leaf one above. I plan on doing this one in a full sized version for myself.

Do you recognize my hydrangea fabric? It was waiting for the perfect pattern, too.

New year's resolutions: Didn't make any, but I do want to grow in my walk with God. I want my life to honor and glorify Him. That will keep me busy right there. Take the time to go here and listen to the sermon our Student Pastor George Lawson gave this last Sunday. It will really help you rethink 2012. Thank you Pastor George.

Quilts, done........Open House, done..........Houndstooth Design, done

2011-12-19T19:56:00.001-06:00

Last week was a flurry of activity in our household.
I finished the binding and labeling of the two last quilts that I made for Christmas gifting.
I really wish that I could show you them, but Michael says to wait................so,
Here is a pic of our neighborhood cat, Butterscotch aka Butterscratch. This cat thinks that he is ours. Whenever Michael or any of us drives up, here he comes across the street or yard. We had to use the back doors the day this was taken. Michael did not want to wake him from his nap.

Here is my latest design. This is my Houndstooth Set. It includes fingerless gloves, a stocking cap and a headband/ear warmer that doubles as a neck warmer. The model is Grace, my son's girlfriend. I told her that she could take them home, once Ben got me some pics of her modeling them. I will put these up on Ravelry soon.

Christmas cooking, cleaning, knitting, painting..........

2011-12-13T12:02:00.002-06:00

I have been up to my eyeballs in cleaning, painting, decorating for our annual Christmas Open House.

My house is clean.
My mantle is decorated.

My tree is decorated.

My kitchen has a new color.
My pantry, remember?

Now has doors.

Here is what I have been knitting, more houndstooth items in different colors. These are great to keep on needles. I may need to make myself a pair.

This is a Headband/Ear and neck warmer.

And the stocking cap.

Working on my menu today. Making out my grocery list. I am sharing my recipes with you.

CHRISTMAS 2011 Menu List

Savory's
*BABR Spinach Pinwheels
Harry and David Sweet Relish Onion Dip w/tortilla chips
*Chipped Beef Dip w/bagel chips or pita chips

Cookies and Breads
*Sugar Cookies
*Oatmeal Cookies
*Banana Nut Bread

Meats and Cheeses
Sausage and cheese tray w/ritz crackers

Candies
*Peanut Butter Fudge
*Rollo Candy
*Pecan Brittle
* Divinty
*Coconut Bonbons

Veggies
Tomatoes, Carrots, and Broccli tray w/Ranch dip

BABR Spinach Pinwheels
8 ounces of cream cheese
1/2 cup of mayo
1/2 cup of ranch dip or 1/2 cup of sour cream w/1 oz of dry ranch dip
Bacon Bits
4 chopped green onions
2 10 oz pkgs of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
16 oz of flour tortillas

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, mayo; add ranch dip. Mix well. Stir in bacon bits, green onions and spinach. Heat tortillas until pliable; spread mix on tortillas to within 1/2 inch of edge. Roll up tightly. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill. Unwrap and cut into slices.

Chipped Beef Dip
2 8 oz cream cheese
1 bunch of green onions
1 jar of chipped beef
1 can of chopped black olives
1 tsp of accent

Soften cream cheese, chop beef and onions; mix and chill overnight to set flavors.

Sugar Cookies
1 cup of powder sugar
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of butter
1 cup of canola oil
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
5 cups of all-purpose flour

Heat oven to 375.
Cream sugars, oil and butter together; beat in eggs and vanilla; add salt and baking soda; mix well. Add flour slowly to creamed mixture; Chill overnight. Roll into small balls and press down with a flat bottomed glass dipped in sugar.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 10 minutes.

Oatmeal Cookies

1 Box of yellow cake mix (I use butter recipe kind)
2 cups of quick cooking oats
2/3 cup of Brown Sugar
3/4 cup of canola oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring
2 tsp of cinnamon
1 cup of chopped pecans
1 cup of cinnamon chips (http://www.preparedpantry.com/cinnamon-chips.aspx)

Mix all the liquid ingredients, add cinnamon, then remaining dry ingredients; mixing after each ingredient. Add pecans last.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. I take about a tablespoon of dough the size of a golf ball and flatten it onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes, until light brown. Remove to wire rack to cool, makes at least 5 dozen.

Banana Nut Bread
1/2 cup of butter
1 1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp of vanilla
2 large bananas
2 eggs
2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup of buttermilk
1/2 cup of walnuts

Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 10 minutes

Peanut Butter Fudge
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup of evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 16 oz box of powder sugar
1/2 cup of cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup of PB

Melt butter in a saucepan; remove from heat and add milk and vanilla.
Stir in pwd sugar, cocoa and salt into milk mixture; mix well. Stir in PB. Press into an 8" square pan. Cover and chill; cut into squares.

Rollo Candy
Pkg of Rollo candy
small pretzels
pecan halves

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Place pretzels onto cookie sheet, put a Rollo on each pretzel. Place in oven for 3 minutes; press a pecan half onto each Rollo and press down to smash Rollo.
Let cool.

Pecan Brittle
1/2 cup of light corn syrup
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of pecan halves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

In a 2 quart microwave-proof casserole dish, combine syrup and sugar.
Microwave on high for 4 1/2 minutes. Stir in pecans. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.
Stir in salt, butter and vanilla. Microwave another minute. Stir in baking soda until mixture foams. Quickly pour onto a well oiled baking sheet. Cool and break into pieces.

Divinty
2 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of light corn syrup
1/2 cup of cold water
1/4 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
chopped pecans

In a medium saucepan over med heat, bring sugar, syrup, water and salt to a boil and cook until mixture reaches 265 degrees on a candy thermometer. Stir briefly at first, but don't stir any more.
In the meantime, in the bowl of a mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. With mixer running, pour hot mixture slowly into egg whites, rotating bowl as you pour. Add vanilla and mix until it reaches desired consistency. Stir in pecans and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Coconut Bonbons
1/2 cup of butter
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
5 cups of pwd sugar
3 cups of coconut
1 tbl of vanilla
1 bag of chocolate chips
1/4 bar of paraffin

Beat butter and milk until smooth. Stir in next 3 ingrds. Cover and chill until firm (about 1 hour). Form into 1 inch balls and chill again for 30 minutes. Melt chocolate chips with paraffin in a double boiler over low heat. Dip balls into chocolate mixture; place on waxed paper to harden.

Italian Cream Cake
Cake:
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of buttermilk
3 eggs
1 cup of oil (I use 1/2 cup of oil and 1/2 cup of natural applesauce)
1 cup of chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup of coconut

Mix first 4 ingred; add buttermilk, eggs, oil; mix well. Add pecans and coconut and mix well, again. Pour into a 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees until firm. While letting it cool, make frosting.

Frosting:
1 stick of butter, softened
1 8 oz brick of cream cheese, softened
1 tbs of milk/ or heavy cream or 1/2 n 1/2
1 16 oz box of pwd sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup of chopped pecans

Mix first 3 ingred together; microwave for 30 seconds; add in powder sugar and vanilla. Mix well, add in pecans. Spread over cooled cake and store in fridge.

Tis the Season................what's new with you?

2011-11-29T16:19:00.001-06:00

Last time that I blogged, I was a bit disappointed that I did not have my Christmas gift making done by the end of Oct. That had been my goal. When I did not meet that goal, I set another one, hoping to finish by Thanksgiving. Well? Did I meet it?
Almost! I decided a couple of weeks ago to sit down, type out my list, do an inventory of where I was on making it happen. It really helped. I realized that I was not as far behind as I felt. It will help me to have a list of who gets what saved on my computer, too.
So, I am going to share with you some of the things I have been working on. Some are just future designs that I started to de-stress. If you are one of my friends from church, you may be getting a peek at your gift, but you will not know which one until then. (Kathie, I am NOT showing yours!).

This is an afghan that I am working on. This is the center. It is a counterpane design. I will do 12 more squares, each one with a different leaf design on it. I will work on this for next year. I love leaves and I love counterpanes.

This is a Houndstooth set. It includes fingerless gloves and a stocking cap. I will be putting this pattern up on Ravelry soon.

This is a quilt for someone special. Won't say who. I love a log cabin square. There is just so much that you can do with it.

Here is another memory quilt, using the pockets from Poppy's shirts.

Here is one of the dishtowels that I did some applique on. These were fun to make.

Here is a Christmas table runner that I found the pattern to make. I had tons of Christmas fabric to use up.

An apron with some more of the Christmas fabric stash. I really love this idea. It was a great, easy project. Very fun, very cute. It is longer than it looks.

More Christmas fabric was used on this hot pad. These are not as easy to make as they looked.

My version of a Scribble Lace scarf. Got a few of these going on needles. Got tons of this ribbon yarn to use up.

Have made a few hats for various relatives. Have another Houndstooth design in the works, too.

Back in July, I started working on a design to submit to Knitty.com. I had this idea that I thought was perfect for them. I submitted it the end of August and had not heard from them. Last week, I could not wait any longer. I emailed and waited some more, only to be told................SORRY.
Will try again, but not for awhile.
Here it is.............It is called A Houndstooth Wrap About Town (thanks Cindy/Labgirl for the name).

My model is Diane Bledsoe, she makes it look even more elegant.
My photographer is Anita Wilson of Anita Wilson Photography. Thank you Anita!

This week, I have begun my cleaning for Christmas (I am ahead on that!). Got two rooms scoured from top to bottom. Tonight, the mantle, tomorrow another room. I am ahead of schedule and it feels SOOOOOO good!
What's new with you?

BTW.............

2011-11-08T13:13:00.001-06:00

Forgot to mention that I am teaching at the DFWFiberfest next year.

March 30 - April 1, 2012

DFW Fiber Fest is pleased to announce
the following slate of National Teachers
for the 2012 Event:

New to DFW Fiber Fest are
JC Briar & Abby Franquemont

And we are extremely pleased to welcome back
Lily Chin & Darla Fanton

About DFW Fiber Fest

DFW Fiber Fest is the premier annual fiber event in the Dallas-Fort Worth community. 2012 will be our seventh event. Held in early April each year, DFW Fiber Fest is a locally focused non-profit organization that offers both vendors and classes. We bring in a juried selection of local/regional fiber vendors (with a few who are from outside of our regional area to spice up the mix). Educationally, we offer a slate of classes from both nationally known and local teachers in the fiber arts - primarily in knitting, crochet, and spinning
This year's event will again be held at the:
Grapevine Convention Center
1209 South Main Street
Grapevine, TX 76051

Check out the schedule here. I will be teaching

Learning Simple Lace - Knitting with Beads

Teacher: Kay Meadors
Skill Level: Intermediate - must know how to knit, purl, and have mastered YO, K2tog, SSK, and Slip one, K2, Pass Slipped Stitch Over
Craft: Knitting
Let Kay Meadors of Natural State Knits Designs and author of I Can't Believe I'm Lace Knitting open your knitting mind to lace knitting with beads. If you have mastered sweaters, but you are dying to learn how to knit a lace shawl with the added bling of knitting with beads, this is the class for you. This class will work you through all of the techniques of a full size shawl in a doll size version. The end result will be a crescent shaped shawl in stockinette stitch with a lovely lace edging. You will receive the pattern for the full-size shawl to start on during class.
Kay will go over chart reading, adding beads to lace knitting and the proper way to block a lace shawl.

6 hours - 15 students max.

Student Supplies:

Size 7 and 8 Circular Knitting Needles - Wooden or Plastic (NO METAL)
Kay will provide crochet hooks for class use when slipping beads onto yarn.

Materials Fee: $5 - Fee covers a kit that includes enough yarn and beads to finish a doll sized shawl for the class along with a notebook containing the pattern for the doll size shawl and the full size shawl.
Homework: none

If you are anywhere near, come and take my class.
I look forward to meeting you Millymom.

RFTC and State Fair

2011-11-07T17:00:00.001-06:00

I know, I know. I am becoming one of those negligent bloggers. But in my defense, I am trying to catch up my Christmas gift making.
This is for you Becky! Thank you for nudging me back to my blog!

I came home from SDC with the goal of trying to get it ALL done by the end of October. Well, I can say that it was an unrealistic goal. I did, however, finish Ben's quilt top (have to schedule time to go quilt it at my friend Sandy's), Got the pink one quilted, got another top done for a niece, have made good progress on some Christmas tree applique dishtowels. Still have much more to do. Perhaps by Thanksgiving, I will have it done. That would be so nice.
Got lots of new designs on needles, will share those in another post.

Since my last post, I demonstrated spinning at the State Fair for two days. My entries both got First Place ribbons. My handwoven shawl, I entered in the wrong category, so not sure how it would have placed for real. But my knitted tablecloth placed First. It did not get the Best In Show ribbon, but you win some, you lose some. You've seen the handwoven Shawl. What you did not see was the lace knitted tablecloth called Lyra. It took me 3 years to complete this, off and on knitting, not constant.

Some of the kids from church did great. It really does encourage them to do even more for next year. I think they are already working on some. These are some pics of Noah's first quilt and his knitted afghan. Both got Best In Show!

Here is Grace's Best In Show. This is the pattern that I featured on my blog here. Her color choices were great!

Here is mine on display.

Here is the one that got Best in Show this year.

My first Race For The Cure!This is me, Diane, Kay (our survivor) and Kay's daughter in law and grand daughter.

My favorite part of the whole race was the survivors parade. I cried, I admit it. I knew that these women were mothers, grandmothers, sisters, friends and I was thankful that they were there.

I saw friends, too.

My favorite picture is of Kay and Coach. What a great time it was to share this day with her.

Lovely Mundane Monday

2011-10-17T14:59:00.000-05:00

You know life is too hectic when the idea of a mundane day is lovely.

Last time I blogged, I was getting ready for a girls weekend to Silver Dollar City and Branson. That was a hectic week. I had to get all my necessary chores done before I left the guys for the weekend and I had to pack all my knitting for the road trip.
We left on Thurs morning, Sept the 29th and came home on Sat, Oct 1st.
Here is a pic of my buddies that I went to SDC with. There is Millie, Nana (Millie's MIL), Amy and Margie. We had a great time.

While at SDC, I realized that I would have to go home and weave my brains out for my State Fair entry.
Yes, I entered a couple of things into the fair this year. I had registered one knit item and one woven item. I had the knitted item done and ready, but when I registered the woven shawl, I did not even have the loom warped. I did it to light a fire under my procrastinating hind-side! It worked.
I had taken a class, a couple of years ago, on how to weave a name draft. I had wanted to do some for our missionaries. I thought it would be a wonderful way to do a pray shawl for our missionaries. I took the name of the tribe that they were ministering to and used the letters to draw out a draft. If you want to know more, let me know and I will go into more detail so that you can do this, too.
Here are some pics of it.

I am very pleased with it. I threaded the loom with a double strand of 2/18 black wool in each dent of a 12 dent reed and then I wove the tabby with 2 strands of the black wool and the overshot with 2 strands of some lovely finger weight rayon/silk blend in a nice natural color. This was a cone of yarn that I bought at Churchill Weavers before it closed down. I adore weaving overshot. It is probably my favorite weaving to do.
I finished that Monday the 3rd and took it to the fair on Wed. the 5th of Oct. On Thurs the 6th, Michael and I went back up to SDC. This trip was an opportunity for me to go and play with Donna. I took my wheel and my outfits and had a lovely 2 days of spinning and visiting with everyone.
Here is me with my wheel, talking to a couple of young ladies.

Here is some lovely silk lace weight that Donna gave me to play with in the future.

Here is Donna explaining weaving to a cute little guy.

Here is one of Donna's friends, and a new friend for me, who was demonstrating spinning, too. Her name is Wilma. We had a lovely time spinning together on Thursday and Friday. The weather was perfect.
SDC had a bird show and these were some pics that I got of the eagle. He was quite a majestic bird.

On Sat, Michael and I did the Springfield MO thing. He took me to one of my yarn stores, Simply Fibers. I bought some more of the roving that I had bought on my last trip there in June. I bought the solid roving to spin and ply with the variegated that I already had. Then we went to his yarn store, Grizzly Tools.

I discovered 2 new yarn stores on this trip. One was in Springfield, A New Yarn. It was nicely laid out and had a great selection of lovely yarns. I bought 2 skeins of Berroco Vintage in a nice dark heathered grey for a houndstooth project. I lovely this yarn. It is one of my favorite acrylic wool blend yarns. I have used the worsted weight and the chunky and love them both.
Then we went to a yarn store that Donna told me about. It is located in Rogersville MO. It is called One City Market. They were having a knitting event for knitting prosthesis' for breast cancer patients. I talked with the owner about coming next year to the event and doing a book signing on that day. My new book will be out by then.
It was a lovely trip, all in all, a very relaxing time.
While at SDC, I decided that I really needed to go home and start right in on my Christmas gift making. So, on Tues and Thurs of last week, I spent most of the day at Sandy's, quilting one of my gift quilts on her quilting machine. Now, I have to finish Ben's top and go out there again.
I have two lap quilts to do, too, but I will quilt those on my sewing machine. They are smaller and more manageable on a home sewing machine. The other two are full sized and too large for me to do that way.
To say the least, all that time away, on the road, gave me lots of knitting time. I finished about 3 shawls. Last week, I had 5 shawls that needed to be blocked. Here are some pics of them.

Lyra's Song in Malabrigo Sock yarn.

Lyra's Song in Jawoll Magic sock yarn.

Lyra's Song, lace weight version, in some lace weight bamboo.
Glorious Hints of Autumn in Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn.

And last but not least, my wedding shawl, called From This Day Forth.

It is made in Knit Picks Shimmer Lace weight.

Now you know why I am enjoying this lovely, mundane Monday.

BTW, I will be at the State Fair tomorrow and Friday. I will be demonstrating spinning in the Arts and Crafts Building. Stop by and say Hi! I will, also, be checking to see if any of my entries got a ribbon. I will let you know how it goes. Until then, have a lovely mundane Monday.

Easily distracted.......................

2011-09-27T14:53:00.003-05:00

My intention for the last 2 weeks have been to post, but I have had so many things going, so many irons in the fire, so many oars in the water, --
cooking,
cleaning,
designing,
knitting, (a new entrelac shawl, using Mini Mochi)

more knitting, (these are some fingerless gloves that I am working on)

quilting, (Ben's quilt, a little more done on it)

spinning, (one bobbin full, remember the roving that I bought in June.? It took me about 10 hours to fill this bobbin. Did it at the Spin-In at Mountain View)

crocheting (Made 2 sets of these for expectant mothers and new babies)

and even some weaving.....(My name draft for a missionary shawl. I took the name of the tribe that they are ministering to and grafted it out. I will have to share how I did this, later)

I have so many knitting plates spinning that I don't even know where to begin to tell you what all I am working on.
So, what else has been going on? I just began another Bible study, this one is a Precept study on the book of Isaiah. It is like trying to drink from a firehose! Been exercising every day, seeing no weight loss, but feeling better. Spending time in my carport reading (Just finished "Through the Gates of Splendor" by Elizabeth Elliot), with Butterscratch to keep me company .
He really thinks that this is his home!

Wanted to share with you something that my talented husband built.

It is a pulpit for the Youth Pastor at our church, Pastor George. I am not the only one in this family with talent. I just get to wear mine.
Here is my talented little sweetheart. He's fast asleep with his quilt that I made him. He is going to kill me, but I thought it was so precious!

Okay, so that is what has been going on in my busy life.
Thursday, I head out on my yearly autumn trip to Silver Dollar City and Branson with my girlfriends.

I will end with another favorite quote from the book, Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer.

When Christian theology declares that God is wise, it means vastly more than it says or can say, for it tries to make a comparatively weak word bear an incomprehensible plenitude of meaning that threatens to tear it apart and crush it under the sheer weight of the idea. "His understanding is infinite," says the psalmist. It is nothing less than infinitude that theology is here laboring to express.

Thank you for visiting me today. K

It was that time of year again.

2011-08-25T17:40:00.000-05:00

Kentucky time of year, again......
I have just now gotten the time to post about our time in KY. Remember? We go there every year for the Meadors family reunion?
We left town on Thurs the 11th. The next day found us in Bowling Green, KY. Michael and Ben dropped me off at Crafty Hands yarn store and they went to the Corvette Museum. I enjoyed shopping for yarn and knitting with a group of local knitters. I bought a lovely ball of Jawoll Magic by Lang Yarns. It is lovely shades of greys. So much possibility in a little ball of luscious sock yarn!

When the boys picked me up, we headed to Berea, KY. Lovely crafty town is Berea. I love how artistic it is.
Berea is the home of one of my favorite jewelry makers, Gastineau Studio. Lovely hand made pewter jewelry. I try to add a piece every year that I am there.
Here is a pic of the store that I love to visit in Berea. It is called Log House Craft Gallery. It is more of a place to purchase handmade items from local artists, but they do have a yarn section upstairs.
Then we drove into Williamsburg, KY. They finally have a Hampton Inn!!!!!
We had a lovely time visiting with our relative. Cousin Phylis now has a place there and we all congregated there. It was a lot of fun watching her grands with their pets.

Horses

Baby chicks

Puppies

We left Williamsburg on Monday morning. Stopped in Knoxville for lunch at Pizza Palace. Great old school spaghetti! You got to try it, if you ever go to Knoxville.

Then we headed to Gatlinburg for a night.
Our first stop on the way to Gatlinburg, was a knife shop that Ben discovered last year.

Here is a pic of it, at his request. He just thinks it is beautiful.

The Hampton room at Gatlinburg had a balcony at the back of our room. I sat out there and did my quiet time, drunk my coffee and emailed my fiber peeps.

I visited one of my favorite yarn store, Smoky Mountain Spinnery.

Bought a skein of a new yarn by Kollage, called Riveting. It is supposedly a sport weight yarn, but it really is a very thin sport weight, in my opinion. It is really a lovely yarn, though.
You must visit this yarn store, if you are ever in Gatlinburg.
On our way out of Gatlinburg the next day, we stopped by the Donut Friar . I had the most delightfully fluffy, airy, yummy, bavarian cream filled donut, EVER. I am drooling just thinking about it. It was so light and airy, drool, drool, drool..........
Our next stop was the outlet malls at Sevierville, TN. We shopped till we dropped. The boys found me a birthday present. They had tried to find one on my birthday, but could not find this color.

I had been using Michael's mom's Kitchen Aide mixer. It was falling apart and smelling hot every time that I used it. Ben and I came home and put it to good use.
We headed to Nashville for our last night. Passing through Crossville, TN, we stopped at another new, for me, yarn store. Lovely yarn store, great customer service (trust me, that is sometimes rare). It is called the Yarn Patch. I was at the counter showing off what I was working on and the trouble that I was having with it and two ladies from LA, were buying a book. Not just any book, but one of my books. It was so funny. I introduced myself and they ask me to autograph their book for them.
This will definitely be a must-stop destination for me every year.
We got up the next morning and ate breakfast at our favorite Nashville restaurant, Athens Family Restaurant. They made the greatest breakfast!!!! Mine

Mike's

Ben's

Well, that was where I was, what I was doing and what I was eating.

AND THE WINNERS ARE.......

2011-08-11T10:08:00.000-05:00

#34CottonCandyG said...Jessica B
jessica.butler71@gmail.com
I like in the wonderful State of HUMID, I mean Florida.
Happy Knooking

#5katyquilts said...The Knook looks like a great tool for teaching knitting!
Susan K.
kckoch@centurytel.net
Greenwood, Arkansas

And for all of the rest of you, Leisure Arts has informed me that:
Currently the Knooks are only available in Walmart. If they can’t find the Knook at their local Walmarts, just tell them to call the Leisure Arts Consumer Desk at 1-800-526-5111, ext. 355 or Email us at customer_service@leisurearts.com, and we’ll try to help.
We're hoping that the Knook kit will be in every Walmart by the middle of August and available on our website and in other retail stores in October.

Please let me know what you do with your Knook. Would love to see your creativity.

Day 11 on the Tour of The Knook!

2011-08-04T11:02:00.002-05:00

Many times, while crocheting, I have thought that it would be great to come up with a way to knit with a crochet hook.
Why did I not think of this?
Alas, I am easily distracted by new yarn and new designs..............

Someone had more time and discipline than I have.

What is Knooking?

Here are the details:

A Knook is a specialized crochet hook that has a cord threaded through a hole in the non-hook end. The cord holds the stitches while you work, allowing you to create a true knitted fabric.

The Knook kit contains:
• 3 bamboo Knooks—These new and unique specialized crochet hooks replace traditional knitting needles and come in sizes G (4.0 mm), H (5.0 mm), I (5.5 mm). They look like regular crochet hooks on one end with a hole for holding a cord on the other end.
• 3 – 36" long cords to hold your stitches
• Step-by-Step Learn to Knook Instruction Book—It’s easy to learn to knit with The Knook. (We‘ve included both right- and left-handed instructions!) The book also includes four beginner projects—Infinity Scarf, Spa Cloth, Baby Blanket, and Diamond Lap Throw.

I think this is a great gateway into knitting and teaching a crocheter to knit. Then again, you may love Knooking so much that this is the way you tackle knitting. I am curious to see what everyone does with this craft.

As for me, I took one of my favorite quilt blocks, Log Cabin, and adapted it to Crocheting, Knitting and Knooking. This is the square that I knooked.
This square is a great stash buster and will give you lots of great practice.

Here are some of the things that I really love about this technique--

1. Casting on is so easy, you just chain the number of stitches that you need to cast on,
     then you pick your stitches up in the chain loops.
2. Binding off is easy to do loosely. Sometimes, I have to go up several needle sizes to
    bind off with my knitting, but not with my Knook!
3. You can teach and learn continental knitting. I have never been able to get comfortable with
    continental knitting, but with the Knook, I caught right on.
4. I love the ease that the hook provides in hooking the stitches.
5. It takes away the fear of ALL those stitches being on the two needles. Now you have this
    lovely lifeline holding all yours stitches securely. There is no fear of them falling off one of
   your needles.
6. Garter stitch (knit every row) is so easy to do.
7. It takes away the intimidation of two needles that a lot of crocheters have.

Here are some of the things that you might need to watch when learning this technique--

1. You will need to chain the exact number of stitches that you want to cast on.
     Even though you will already have one stitch on your hook, you will start picking up
     in the second chain from hook.
2. The way that you hook the yarn is different than with crocheting. You go over the yarn
     and scoop the stitch up. Whereas in crochet, you go under and hook it.
     Just warning you. The stitches on my first row were twisted because I did this.

I am glad you stopped by to visit my blog today. Leisure Arts is providing two kits to give away to two winners who leave a comment on this blog post! You could win your own Knook kit!

Here is how to enter:

Post a comment on this blog post. Include:

1. First Name and last initial

2. Email address

3. Your location (State for US, Province for Canada).

Be sure to post your comment by Wednesday August 10th, 2011 at 11:59 PM Central Time. On Thursday morning, August 11th, I will pick the 2 winners using a Random Number Generator. I will contact the winners to get the shipping addresses to pass along to Leisure Arts. If you don't leave your email address, I will not be able to get in touch with you to let you know that you have won.

Check out how it is done here. Happy knooking!

Granny for baby

2011-08-03T13:00:00.002-05:00

CHARITY LOG CABIN Bib to crochet

MATERIALS
   2 colors of worsted weight cotton yarn
   Size I (5.50 mm) crochet hook

Gauge: 14 sts and 14 rows,
             in single crochet = 4" x 3 3/4"

Section #1
With the first color, chain 15 stitches.
Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook and in each ch across: 14 sc.
Rows 2-14: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across.
Finish off and cut yarn. (Your last row is ALWAYS a right side row).
Section #2
Row 1: TURN Section #1 90 degrees clockwise. Join second color with slip st in end of last row worked on Section #1, ch 1, sc in end of same row and in end of each row across edge of Section #1 (this will give you 14 sc).
Rows 2-7: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across. Do NOT cut yarn.
Section #3
Row 1: CH 1, TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise. Working in end of rows along the side of Section #2 that you just completed; sc in end of each row across, working in free loops of beginning ch on bottom of Section #1, sc in next 14 chs to the corner (this will give you 21 sc).
Rows 2-7: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across. Do NOT cut yarn.
Section #4
Row 1: CH 1, TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise. Working in end of rows along the side of Section #3 that you just completed;, sc in end of each row across, working in end of rows along remaining side of Section #1, sc in end of each row across (this will give you 21 sc).
Rows 2-7: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across. Do NOT cut yarn.
Section #5
Row 1: CH 1, TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise. Working in end of rows along the side of Section #4 that you just completed; sc in end of each row across, sc in each sc across top of Section #1, working in end of rows along side of Section #2, sc in end of each row across (this will give you 28 sc).
Rows 2-7: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across. Finish off and cut yarn.

Neck Triangles
First Side
Row 1: With right side facing, join first color with slip st in first sc of last row worked on Section #5, ch 1, sc in same sc and in each of next 8 sc on last row of Section #5: 9 sc.
Row 2: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across.
Row 3: Ch 1, turn; pull up a loop in first 2 sc, hook yarn and pull through all 3 loops on hook (this is a beginning sc decrease), sc in next sc and in each sc across to last 2 sc, pull up a loop in each of the last 2 sc, hook yarn and pull through all 3 loops on hook (this is a sc decrease): 7 sc.
Rows 4-8: Repeat Rows 2 and 3 twice, then repeat Row 2 once more: 3 sc.
Row 9: Ch 1, turn; pull up a loop in each of the 3 remaining sc, hook yarn and pull through all 4 loops on hook; cut yarn.
Second Side
Row 1: With right side facing, skip next 10 sc on last row of Section #5, join first color with slip st in next sc, ch 1, sc in same sc and in each of last 8 sc on last row of Section #5: 9 sc.
Rows 2-8: Work same as First Side Rows 2-8.
Row 9: Ch 1, turn; pull up a loop in each of the 3 remaining sc, hook yarn and pull through all 4 loops on hook; Do NOT cut yarn.
EDGING
Ch 1, do NOT turn; working in end of rows along the side of Second Side that you just completed; sc in end of each of the 9 rows across, sc in end of each row across Section #5, sc in each sc across top of Section #2, working in end of rows along side of Section #3, sc in end of each row across to last row, skip last row, working in sc across top of Section #3, work 3 sc in first sc, sc in remaining sc, working in end of rows along side of Section #4, sc in end of each row across to last row, skip last row, working in sc across top of Section #4, work 3 sc in first sc, sc in remaining sc, working in end of rows along side of Section #5, sc in end of each row across, working in end of rows, sc in each of the 9 rows along the side of First Side, ch 35, sc in second ch from hook and in each ch across, sc in each of the 9 rows along the remaining side of First Side, sc in next 10 sc along top of Section #5, sc in each of the 9 rows along the remaining side of Second Side, ch 35, sc in second ch from hook and in each ch across; join with slip st to first sc at the beginning of this Edging.
Finish off and cut yarn.

Decorate or embellish the center section, in desired manner.
Here are some pics of them made.

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow. I am the next stop on The Knook Blog Tour.

Charity knitting, one square at a time, too.

2011-08-02T11:09:00.004-05:00

CHARITY LOG CABIN SQUARE to knit

MATERIALS
3 colors of worsted weight yarn
Size 10 knitting needles

Gauge: 14 sts and 28 rows in garter st (knit every row) = 4"

Note: Any weight of yarn can be used and any size needles, just try to keep the row and stitch gauge as square as possible. Start with a different color for each Square that you make. When sewing them together, make sure that no two Squares end with the same color. Lay them out on the floor and arrange them before sewing them together.

Section #1
With the first color, cast on 14 stitches.
Knit 27 rows (This will give you 14 ridges on the right side of work. Your first row will be a wrong side row.).
Bind off all sts, cut yarn. (Your bind off is ALWAYS done on a right side row).

Section #2
With second color; turn the piece 90 degrees clockwise and picking up one stitch for each ridge along side of Section #1 (this will give you 14 sts).
Knit 11 rows (this will give you 6 ridges on the right side of work). Your first and last row are both wrong side rows, this means that you next row, which is your bind off, is done on a right side row.
Bind off all sts loosely, leaving the last stitch on needle. Do NOT cut yarn.

Section #3
TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise and pick up 6 sts in the garter ridges along the side of Section #2 that you just completed; then pick up 14 sts along the cast on edge of the Section #1 to the corner (this will give you 21 sts).
Knit 11 rows (this will give you 6 ridges on the right side of work).
Bind off all sts loosely, leaving the last stitch on needle. Do NOT cut yarn.

Section #4
TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise and pick up 6 sts in the garter ridges along the side of Section #3 that you just completed; then pick up 14 sts in the garter ridges along the side of the Section #1 to the corner (this will give you 21 sts).
Knit 11 rows (this will give you 6 ridges on the right side of work).
Bind off all sts loosely, leaving the last stitch on needle. Do NOT cut yarn.

Section #5
TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise and pick up 6 sts in the garter ridges along the side of Section #4 that you just completed; pick up 14 sts along the bound off edge of the Section #1, then pick up 7 sts along the side (one for each garter ridge) of Section #2 (this will give you 28 sts).
Knit 11 rows (this will give you 6 ridges on the right side of work).
Bind off all sts loosely, cut yarn.

Section #6
With third color; turn the piece 90 degrees clockwise and picking up 7 stitches along edge of Section #5 (this is one stitch at the bind off and one st for each ridge), now pick up 14 sts along the bound off edge of Section #2, then pick up 7 sts long the edge of Section #3 (this will give you 28 sts).
Knit 11 rows (this will give you 6 ridges on the right side of work).
Bind off all sts loosely, leaving the last stitch on needle. Do NOT cut yarn.

Section #7
TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise and pick up 6 sts in the garter ridges along the side of Block #6 that you just completed; then pick up 21 sts along the cast on edge of the Section #3 to the corner, then pick up 7 sts long the edge of Section #4 (this will give you 35 sts).
Knit 11 rows (this will give you 6 ridges on the right side of work).
Bind off all sts loosely, leaving the last stitch on needle. Do NOT cut yarn.

Section #8
TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise and pick up 6 sts in the garter ridges along the side of Section #7 that you just completed; then pick up 21 sts along the cast on edge of the Section #4 to the corner, then pick up 7 sts long the edge of Section #5 (this will give you 35 sts).
Knit 11 rows (this will give you 6 ridges on the right side of work).
Bind off all sts loosely, leaving the last stitch on needle. Do NOT cut yarn.

Section #9
TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise and pick up 6 sts in the garter ridges along the side of Section #8 that you just completed; pick up 28 sts along the bound off edge of Section #5, then pick up 7 sts along the edge of Section #6 (this will give you 42 sts).
Knit 11 rows (this will give you 6 ridges on the right side of work).
Bind off all sts; cut yarn, leaving a long end for sewing.

Here is a picture of a Baby blanket that I made using this square.
Tomorrow, a crocheted bib using the Log Cabin Square technique.

Granny Square, too.

2011-07-29T21:48:00.000-05:00

Granny Square
Finished Size: 11 1/2" by 11 1/2" Square
MATERIALS
3 colors of worsted weight yarn
Crochet hook, size K (6.50 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge

Gauge: In pattern, three 3-dc groups = 3 1/2"

Color Sequence:
Note: When joining a new color, stagger which corner ch-3 sp that you join the new color in so that all your new colors do NOT end up in the same corner every joining.

BODY
With first color, ch 5; join with slip st to form a ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 3 (counts as first dc, now and throughout), 2 dc in ring, (3 dc, ch 2) 3 times in ring; ch 1, sc in first dc to join (this will be considered your last ch-2 sp): 4 3-dc groups.
Rnd 2: Ch 3, 2 dc in first corner ch-2 sp, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in each of remaining 3 corner ch-2 sps; work 3 dc in beginning corner ch-2 sp, ch 2, join with slip st to first dc, finish off: 8 3-dc groups.
Rnd 3: Join second color with slip st in any corner ch-2 sp, ch 3, 2 dc in first corner ch-2 sp, skip next 3 dc, 3 dc in sp between next 3-dc group, * (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-2 sp, skip next 3 dc, 3 dc in sp between next 3-dc group; repeat from * 2 times more; work 3 dc in beginning corner ch-2 sp, ch 1, sc in first dc to form ch-2 sp: 12 3-dc groups.
Rnds 4 and 5: Ch 3, 2 dc in first corner ch-2 sp, skip next 3 dc, (3 dc in sp between next 3-dc group, skip next 3 dc) across to next corner ch-2 sp, * (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-2 sp. skip next 3 dc, (3 dc in sp between next 3-dc group, skip next 3 dc) across to next corner ch-2 sp; repeat from * 2 times more; work 3 dc in beginning corner ch-2 sp, ch 1, sc in first dc to form ch-2 sp: 20 3-dc groups.
Rnd 6: Ch 3, 2 dc in first corner ch-2 sp, skip next 3 dc, (3 dc in sp between next 3-dc group, skip next 3 dc) across to next corner ch-2 sp, * (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-2 sp. skip next 3 dc, (3 dc in sp between next 3-dc group, skip next 3 dc) across to next corner ch-2 sp; repeat from * 2 times more; work 3 dc in beginning corner ch-2 sp, ch 2, join with slip st to first dc, finish off: 24 3-dc groups.
Rnd 7: Join third color with slip st in any corner ch-2 sp, ch 3, 2 dc in first corner ch-2 sp, skip next 3 dc, (3 dc in sp between next 3-dc group, skip next 3 dc) across to next corner ch-2 sp, * (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-2 sp. skip next 3 dc, (3 dc in sp between next 3-dc group, skip next 3 dc) across to next corner ch-2 sp; repeat from * 2 times more; work 3 dc in beginning corner ch-2 sp, ch 1, sc in first dc to form ch-2 sp: 28 3-dc groups.
Rnds 8-10: Ch 3, 2 dc in first corner ch-2 sp, skip next 3 dc, (3 dc in sp between next 3-dc group, skip next 3 dc) across to next corner ch-2 sp, * (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-3 sp. skip next 3 dc, (3 dc in sp between next 3-dc group, skip next 3 dc) across to next corner ch-2 sp; repeat from * 2 times more; work 3 dc in beginning corner ch-2 sp, ch 1, sc in first dc to form ch-2 sp: 40 3-dc groups.
EDGING
Ch 1, 3 sc in first corner ch-2 sp, sc in next 3 dc, (sc in sp between next 3-dc group, sc in next 3 dc) across to next corner ch-2 sp, * work 5 sc in corner ch-2 sp, sc in next 3 dc, (sc in sp between next 3-dc group, sc in next 3 dc) across to next corner ch-2 sp; repeat from * 2 times more, work 2 sc in beginning corner ch-2 sp; join with slip st to first sc: 176 sc.
Finish off and cut yarn, leaving a long end for sewing.

Sorry to post so late, but today has been a full busy day. I baked a cake, had my hair done, put chicken in the smoker, went to my senior knitting group, came home, made mac n cheese, squash casserole, baked beans and enjoyed Kathie, Richard, Bob and Kay's company. Good food, good friends. It doesn't get much better than that.

Charity crocheting , one square at a time

2011-07-28T13:50:00.005-05:00

CHARITY LOG CABIN SQUARE to crochet

MATERIALS
   3 colors of worsted weight yarn (try to find a soft yarn)
   Size K (6.50 mm) crochet hook

Gauge: 14 sts and 14 rows,
             in single crochet = 4" x 4 1/4"

Note: Any weight of yarn can be used and any size hook, just try to keep the row and stitch gauge as square as possible. Start with a different color for each Square that you make. When sewing them together, make sure that no two Squares end with the same color. Lay them out on the floor and arrange them before sewing them together.

Section #1
With the first color, chain 15 stitches.
Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook and in each ch across: 14 sc.
Rows 2-14: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across.
Finish off and cut yarn. (Your last row is ALWAYS a right side row).

Section #2
TURN Section #1 90 degrees clockwise. Join second color with slip st in end of last row worked on Section #1, ch 1, sc in end of same row and in end of each row across edge of Section #1 (this will give you 14 sc).
Rows 2-7: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across. Do NOT cut yarn.

Section #3
CH 1, TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise. Working in end of rows along the side of Section #2 that you just completed; sc in end of each row across, working in free loops of beginning ch on bottom of Section #1, sc in next 14 chs to the corner (this will give you 21 sc).
Rows 2-7: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across. Do NOT cut yarn.

Section #4
CH 1, TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise. Working in end of rows along the side of Section #3 that you just completed;, sc in end of each row across, working in end of rows along remaining side of Section #1, sc in end of each row across (this will give you 21 sc).
Rows 2-7: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across. Do NOT cut yarn.

Section #5
CH 1, TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise. Working in end of rows along the side of Section #4 that you just completed; sc in end of each row across, sc in each sc across top of Section #1, working in end of rows along side of Section #2, sc in end of each row across (this will give you 28 sc).
Rows 2-7: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across. Finish off and cut yarn.

Section #6
TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise. Join third color with slip st in end of last row worked on Section #5, ch 1, sc in end of same row and in end of each row across edge of Section #5, sc in each sc across Section #2, sc in end of each row across edge of Section #3 (this will give you 28 sc).
Rows 2-7: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across. Do NOT cut yarn.

Section #7
CH 1, TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise. Working in end of rows along the side of Section #6 that you just completed; sc in end of each row across, sc in each sc across top of Section #3, working in end of rows along side of Section #4, sc in end of each row across (this will give you 35 sc).
Rows 2-7: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across. Do NOT cut yarn.

Section #8
CH 1, TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise. Working in end of rows along the side of Section #7 that you just completed; sc in end of each row across, sc in each sc across top of Section #4, working in end of rows along side of Section #5, sc in end of each row across (this will give you 35 sc).
Rows 2-7: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across. Do NOT cut yarn.

Section #9
CH 1, TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise. Working in end of rows along the side of Section #8 that you just completed; sc in end of each row across, sc in each sc across top of Section #5, working in end of rows along side of Section #6, sc in end of each row across (this will give you 42 sc).
Rows 2-7: Ch 1, turn; sc in each sc across. Do NOT cut yarn.

EDGING
CH 1, TURN your work 90 degrees clockwise. Working in end of rows along the side of Section #9 that you just completed; work 3 sc in end of first row, sc in end of each row across, sc in each sc across top of Section #6, working in end of rows along side of Section #7, sc in end of each row across to last row, skip last row, working in sc across top of Section #7, work 3 sc in first sc, sc in remaining 34 sc, working in end of rows along side of Section #8, sc in end of each row across to last row, skip last row, working in sc across top of Section #8, work 3 sc in first sc, sc in remaining 34 sc, working in end of rows along side of Section #8, sc in end of each row across to last row, skip last row, working in sc across top of Section #9, work 3 sc in first sc, sc in next 40 sc, skip last sc; join with slip st to first sc: 176 sc.
Finish off and cut yarn, leaving a long end for sewing.

This is how they look sewn together. I added a granny square to the center in the top photo. But for now, you can start a Log Cabin Square. Tomorrow, the granny square.

Ready for a slow down

2011-07-25T13:38:00.001-05:00

I am ready for a slow down, but this week and next, it will not happen.
Week before last, we had to make a quick trip to Kansas City, MO. Michael's last living aunt on his mom's side passed away. Aunt Wilma was 90 years old. It is such a shame that it takes a death or a wedding to get family together. Why are we like that? We have a family reunion once a year on Mike's Dad's side in KY. But on his Mom's side, we don't and we need to do something about that! Anyway, we drove up on Tues, drove home on Wed night. Long drive!
This last weekend, Michael and I, went to Hot Springs to our favorite B & B, Spring Street Inn, to celebrate our anniversary. We went a little early this year, our anniversary is not until Sunday. We will be celebrating our 29th year. What a blessing that God has given me this wonderful man to share my life with. I am sure that there is no one else who could put up with me and my crazy, crafting self.
This week is my birthday week. I would love to say that I am going to take it easy, but I have a long list of to-dos. One of them is to post a Charity Log Cabin Square pattern on this blog, this week. I am going to do it in knit, in crochet and then a baby bib to make using the technique in crochet. Then next week, I hope to show you a new craft, a new pattern to go with the craft and a give away. So, check back often.
Off to go dig in my yarn stash for some yarn to demo with.

Ta-Da!

2011-07-07T15:23:00.000-05:00

I have been a lean-mean-organizing machine!
Last week, I worked a little on my LOOM ROOM. Just doing a little destashing and organizing, trying to clear a path or two. I love too many crafts! Quilting, knitting, spinning, weaving, dyeing yarn......
Monday, July 4th, we did not have any plans, so Michael fixed me a pantry. I had been wanting the odd corner in my kitchen to be made into a pantry for a long time. That corner just stayed junked up and really needed a purpose. And what better purpose than storage for small appliances and foods. I love to cook, so I always have a lot of stuff to cook with. Michael still has to frame it in and put doors on it, but until now, I am content.

Doesn't it look lovely. I need to go buy more groceries. I wish that you could have seen a BEFORE picture, but I was too ashamed to take one. My counter tops look so nice and bare.
Doing the pantry really energized me this week. I got started back on my tearing down wall border in my loom room and painting a wall in preparation for some cabinets to go above my looms. (I dropped a beater bar from one of my looms on a toe and now it is really lovely shade of purple). My buddy, Nancy, hooked me up with the cabinets. Her sons now own the company.

Which leads me right in to a shawl that I finished last week. This is my new design called Intrigued Shawl. I made it for Becky, who is the wife of one of the sons.

I have gotten a little more done on Ben's quilt. I have a little ripping to do on a corner or so. I have put it away until the cleaning-freak-organizing bug goes away. Please stay with me for a long time!!!!

Then the TA-DA from my title, I finally finished my Bradford Leaf Throw and I love it!
I came up with a glorious leaf edging that just made it even more lovely.

I am so thrilled with the results. I can't wait to get the pattern up on Ravelry, but hope to enjoy the cleaning bug a little more.
I want to sign off today by recommending a book to you. I am reading a book called, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs. What a great book and so eye-opening to our continual discontentment and how much of a sin it is. This is not a touchy-feely book. Be prepared to have your heart's toes stomped on, but it will be a great blessing to you. Buy it, read it and pass it on.

Lovely family time this weekend

2011-06-22T16:40:00.001-05:00

Well, we took a few day off and went to Branson last weekend. Talked the lad into going with his ole mom and dad. It was nice to get away for a few days. Branson holds so many wonderful memories of family vacations. Of course, Kid's Fest was going on at SDC and we are just not at that stage in our lives. But the dog show was wonderful and the high wire act was good, too. We did that Friday and on Saturday we did Springfield. The boys took me by the quilt store at Ozark. I got a new quilt book, that I will try out on one of my great nieces for Christmas.

Then they dropped me off at another quilt store in Springfield while they went to a coffee shop. I got to talk to one of sales people about the quilting machine that they had to offer. Not sure I want to go the route that they showed me. Still saving money for one, though. Got a long way to go.
Then we went to the Bass Pro Shop. The boys shopped while I sat, knitted and people watched.
We went to this pizza place in Reed Springs that was great. I got the Reed Springs Special. It was garlic, cheese and fresh basil.

They had a farmer's market in the lot beside it and I could not resist this mug. Coffee tastes so much better (if that is possible) in hand made pottery.

I took 6 knitting projects with me on this trip. You don't want me to run out of knitting on vacation. I took a reknit of my Intrigued Shawl. I planned on knitting it to the part where I started the beaded edging. I got it to that point and picked up the next project. The next one that I picked up was a lovely green bamboo lace weight shawl that is called Lyra's Song. I got it to the bead part too. The next project was a pair of cotton footsies for Grace, Ben's girlfriend. Finished those and then picked up the ribbing for a Keyhole Wrap that I am doing in a Houndstooth pattern. It was 12" of lovely mindless K2, P2 ribbing. Got that done, too.
In between those, I was working on a really lovely cardigan called Vitamin D. Love this cardigan. I only brought 2 balls of yarn for that. I knew that all the other projects would be ignore if I brought more yarn for it. I ran out of yarn on that one.
The boys took me to the yarn store in Springfield. I found some lovely Evilla Preyarn. People actually knit with this stuff and that is wild. I am spinning it into lace yarn. I bought Cindy some of it, too. She came over on Monday night and we had a little spinning session. She is going to knit with her preyarn, I will see how it does spun up and make a decision on the other colors that I got.

This week, I have given in to the quilting bug. I am working on a quilt for someone special. It is a rather straight forward quilt, nice and manly. After the lovely pink one, it is rather dull, but it is a down-to-earth kind of quilt, just like the person it is meant for.
My Bradford Pear tree stump is gone now. Park Hill Baptist rented a Bobcat to remove the stumps of all the trees that they lost in the storm and kindly removed ours. We are going to have to lay sod, but all that grass was just weeds. We needed some sod, it just gives us a good excuse now and the old grass/weeds are already removed.

I lack 36 blocks on my Entrlac Bradford Leaf Throw. I need to get back on that, but have had many other project that are keeping me distracted.

Let's see, what did I do last week?

2011-06-14T17:02:00.001-05:00

It seems that I am busier now than ever before. How did I ever find time to do that book?
Well, this is what I finished last week,
A quilt top for someone special for Christmas, must get to Sandy's to quilt it.

A new shawl. This one is called Intrigued Shawl. I could not think of a name for it and Denise/Lost City Knits emailed me. I asked if she wanted to knit my latest and she said that she was intrigued with the description and offer to knit it, but was up to her eyeballs in have-to knitting. It hit me that it would be a perfect name for this shawl. It is crescent shaped (my favorite shawl shape) and has about 550 beads on the edging. It only takes 450 yards of sock weight. I am in the process of doing a solid one now for a dear, sweet friend and blog encourager. Everyone that has seen this shawl, thinks that it is my best design, yet. I think it is the color and all those blingy beads.

Summer heat has hit here in AR with a sledge hammer. I have melted on my morning walks. My flower beds look great, though. I changed out my pot sculpture last week. Lowe's had lots of great clearance buys on flowers. The heat had just killed the pansies. This is the BEFORE pic.

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

My roses that Ben got me for Mother's Day a few years ago.

Here is a little gecko that Ben found outside. He is still my little nature boy.

I will end with another favorite quote from the book, Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer.

"And to us who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope that is set before us in the gospel, how unutterably sweet is the knowledge that our Heavenly Father know us completely. No talebearer can inform on us, no enemy can make an accusation stick; no forgotten skeleton can come tumbling out of some hidden closet to abash us and expose our past; no unsuspected weakness in our characters can come to light to turn God away from us, since He knew us utterly before we knew Him and called us to Himself in the full knowledge of everything that was against us."

Ahhhhh, vacation knitting planning

2011-06-07T10:53:00.000-05:00

Nothing makes me more ecstatic than to plan knitting for vacation or a trip. Whether it is short road trip knitting or long road trip knitting—I love planning it. I know you may be thinking that it is too soon to be planning for a trip that may be a couple of months away, but I love the anticipation! What better way to anticipate rest and relaxation than planning your knitting ahead of time.

For me, it is a long and fun process--

How many projects can I take (better too many than not enough)?

How much yarn can I pack (if you are flying somewhere, it makes a big difference--if you are going by vehicle, you can take the kitchen sink)?

What kind of project do I want to knit?

Is an intricate pattern going to be too much?

Will this project relax me (or will I throw it overboard and cry because that was the only project I brought)?

Which set of needles do I need to bring?

Which set of needles will be less likely to be confiscated as lethal weapons?

How many hours am I going to get to knit?

What knitting would make my vacation more of a vacation?

See what I mean? It is NEVER too early to plan vacation knitting.

I am at the planning stage for vacation knitting. I am not sure how much knitting time I will have, but I cannot be unprepared. I am leaning heavily on an easy lace shawl in sock weight yarn.

Lace knitting is perfect for vacation knitting, especially if your packing is restricted. You can take a lot of yardage in a really small ball of yarn and you have a great choice of fiber options.

I always treat myself to some really luscious yarn, like the yummy Schaefer Trenna or the irresistible Handmaiden Sea Silk or LittleKnits Indie III, as part of my vacation. I pick something that I would not normally splurge on and I make that the beginning of my vacation preparation.

For this trip, I am leaning toward knitting up a couple of new patterns that I am working on.

What about you? Have you seen my pattern “Simply Pi” or my pattern "Piece of Pi", both are free downloads on Ravelry. You will love the simple ease and elegance of these designs.

"Simply Pi" is done in the round, it is all knit stitch. The only pattern stitch that it has is on the last 48 rows and 24 of those are just “knit around”. The pattern does give you the option of using some size 8 seed beads on the last 48 rows, but beads are optional. If you get to the last 48 rows and decide that you have changed your mind and want beads, just thread them onto the other end of your yarn.

Or then, you may just want a simple shawlette. Let me recommend Ladawan. It is a lovely little shawl that is so easy to knit and it only takes 450 yards of yarn. Or try a new technique, such as short rows, and knit my Eyre of Romance Shawl. It only takes 450-500 yards of worsted weight.

One of my favorite things about vacation knitting are the memories. The knitting that I do on vacation becomes a part of the pleasant memory of that trip for me. I’m one of those weird people who can tell you exactly what trip I was on when I knitted a certain project or design. Each time I wear it, that vacation/event/trip and the wonderful time I had plays for me again……..ahhhhhhh vacation knitting……

Now, get out there and start planning that vacation knitting!!!

Long Time No Blog

2011-06-02T14:06:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe that I have not blogged more recently. I thought that I would be more faithful to stay update once the book was done, but alas, I am easily distracted by new yarn and ideas. What have I been up to?
Well, I have resurrected a few old projects that I had lost the knitting love for. One of them I started the end of 2007. That was a big accomplishment. I will have to share more about that one at a later date.
Then, I picked my Bradford Leaf Throw back up. I had time to contemplate the design and went back to the drawing board on it. I wanted it to make it a little more knitter friendly. I now have the leaf squares on the odd tiers and only in the middle of the Throw. I added a couple more colors and did away with a couple, reworked the Bradford Leaf Pillow to have only one leaf in the center of the 3 x 3 entrelac front. I am thrilled with it and am already on the 9th tier of the remake and finished with the remake of the pillow, too. I guess this will now be my mourning Throw. I started it a year or so ago in celebration of its gorgeous color, now as I knit it, I mourn its loss. It was a glorious tree, worthy of song and dance.

I, also, have finished a couple more shawls. One a remake of the latest free pattern, Ladawan's Shawl, and the other a remake of my Two-Color Crescent Shawl. On the Ladawan Shawl, I used some fingering weight bamboo sock yarn that is just incredibly soft and has wonderful drape, the colors are great, too. It is Happy by Wendy yarn.

On the Two-Color Crescent, I used some of the new Knit Picks Chroma finger weight yarn. The website and catalog show it dark in color, so I was disappointed to find out that the solid the I had gotten to go with it did not match as well as I wanted it to. It is still lovely, but I will remake it in their Stroll sock yarn on the next remake.

I, also, have finished another Sweet Lace Cardi. I love it, but wish that I had found out that there were no buttons for this color of yarn. Note to self: Choose buttons first! I ended up making my own buttons and I am not real pleased with them. I may end up working on them a little more.

Our garden is in a glorious state of bloom. Poppy's Lincoln rose, that the Waldeners got us, is perfect.

Ben's mist flower and his cone flowers are beautiful.

The tropical milkweed is vivid.

The sedum is ready to bloom and the crepe myrtle has never been more lovely.

I see all this breathtaking display of color and nature and I am so thankful for the beauty that God has blessed this earth with. I hope all this eye candy makes up for my long silence. I will try to be more diligent on my blogging from now on.

I will leave you with another favorite quote from the book, Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer.

"Purity of heart is to will one thing," said Kierkegaard, and we may with equal truth turn this about and declare, "The essence of sin is to will one thing," for to set our will against the will of God is to dethrone God and make ourselves supreme in the little kingdom of Mansoul. This is sin at its evil root.

New patterns are available and I forgot to tell you........

2011-05-16T15:53:00.002-05:00

In my usual unfocused way, I forgot to let you know of three new patterns that I now have for sale on Knit Picks. The first one is Cindy Lou. It is a cute, tie in the front, shrug/short cardi. It looks great over a sundress or over a tank top. It is the perfect clothing item for the coolness of Spring and the heat of Summer.
It is written in 5 sizes, from X-Small to X-Large, 32.5" to 48.5" and worked at a gauge of 18 sts and 24 rows = 4" in Stockinette Stitch. Any of the worsted weight cotton or cotton blends would be perfect for this design.

The second design is my Crocheted Baby Sneakers.

Knit Picks finger weight Comfy is the perfect yarn for these adorable Crocheted Baby Sneakers. Who can resist a pair in all the colors that Knit Picks carries.
They can be used as a corsage for a baby shower, as the bow on a gift wrapped package, or as the topper on a cake. They work up quickly and are irresistible.
The last on is my Leaves Budding and Blazing Shawl. Whether Spring or Autumn is your favorite time of year, this Shawl will be a favorite knit. This triangular Shawl is the perfect knit for just one yummy ball of Knit Picks Stroll Tonal Sock Weight Yarn (462 yards). It features a line of leaves along the side edges, a double line of leaves down the center and ends with a wide cascade of leaves on the edging. The instructions feature both written instructions and Chart for both types of knitters.

Free at last.....almost!

2011-05-11T11:49:00.001-05:00

One more proofing and my book will be ready to deliver to Leisure Arts. It seems that this book has taken me so long. My buddy, Cindy, thinks that I have cranked it out really fast.
I, also, have to write the introduction for the book. That is always hard. One page cannot describe the birth pains of a book.
I will take all the models with me to my senior knitting group for a showing. I wish I could share it with you too, but that will have to wait until it is time for the book to be released. I can promise that you will love it, though!
On to other things in life. This is a shawl that Ladawan, one of my senior knitters, designed. Our group wanted the pattern, so I wrote it up for them. It is a free download and you can get it on Ravelry here. My sweet friend, Cindy, is always accommodating when I need a model.

This is how I blocked it. I was not sure how to do the ruffled edge, so I pinned out points every 3-4 inches. I love the way it makes the color change scallop. It only takes 450 yards to make and is a great take-along project to always keep handy. This will probably be a project that I will do over and over for my comfort knitting. Perhaps by the end of the year, I will have enough for all my friends. It makes a great neck scarf, too, as you can tell in the last two pics of it. In the winter, it can serve two purposes, one as a elegant, classy neck scarf over your coat and then on your shoulders to chase away the chill.

This is a picture of the baby blanket that I finished for Baby Hamline. I love the color combo and the eye-catching geometric-ness of it.
Here are some pictures of my workshop that I taught to the Franklin County Fiber Guild in Union, MO. What a great group of knitters. I thoroughly enjoyed my teaching time there. They were an easy group to teach. They were so down to earth and made me feel right at home. I look forward to teach them many more things.

I had 15 students and the workshop lasted from 8:00 to 4:00.

Here are some knitted sheep that one of the knitters had made. I thought they were so cute.

And here is a bobble head sheep that she had made out of gourds. She is quite an imaginative creator.

Sat night found us a UALR. Ben had the honor of being inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. Here he is with Grace, his girlfriend.

Here he is with his Phi Kappa Phi daddy.

Here he is with his proud momma and equally proud dad.

Life has been busy and full here. I look forward to a slower pace after this week. I want to get back to finishing the painting in my loom room and back to my quilting. I hope to soon have room cleared out for a new quilting machine. I have to destash and sell a loom or two first. I, also, want to start redoing all my flower beds. Ben and Michael bought me a composter for Mother's Day. I hope to soon have rich compost to put in my herb garden. Thanks for sharing my world today.

I will leave you with another favorite quote from the book, Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer.

Yet so subtle is self that scarcely anyone is conscious of its presence. Because man is born a rebel, he is unaware that he is one. His constant assertion of self, as far as he thinks of it at all, appears to him a perfectly normal thing. He is willing to share himself, sometimes every to sacrifice himself for a desired end, but never to dethrone himself. No matter how far down the scale of social acceptance he may slide, he is still in his own eyes a king on a throne, and no one, not even God, can take that throne from him. Sin has many manifestations but its essence is one. A moral being, created to worship before the throne of God, sits on the throne of his own selfhood and from that elevated position declares, "I AM".

Wowzer!

2011-04-20T11:37:00.005-05:00

March is supposed to be the month that comes in like a lion or lamb and goes out the opposite, but....
April seems to be that kind of month.
The 7th of April found Michael and I driving to DFW for the DFW Fiber Fest.

The Blue Bonnets were just glorious. I love the wildflowers that grow along the TX roadways.
We spent Thursday night in Mount Pleasant, drove into DFW area on Friday, ate lunch at Chef Point.

Luscious food, not Weight Watcher friendly.
I had this. I did not eat all of mine. I could have. It was that delicious, but I knew better.

Michael had this.
I had two lace knitting classes that I was taking by Anne Hanson.

I finished two shawls on this road trip. One on the way there and one on the way back, two NEW designs. The first one is a replica of the shawl worn by Jane in the new Jane Eyre movie. Michael helped me pick out the name, Eyre of Romance Jane Shawl. He is good with play on words.

It is all garter stitch with lots of short row shaping. I love it and the ruffles on the edge. I even criss crossed it Sontag style. I am sure short row ruffles will be in alot of my future designing.
We spent Sat night with kinfolk, James (Bubba), Patti and Jason.

Jason had this adorable cat, Maynard, that he had adopted while away at college.
He loved grabbing at my yarn.

The second shawl that I finished was my Two Color Crescent. I have been experimenting with using solid and variegated yarns for color effects and this design has been marinating in my mind for a long time. I cast on before I left AR so that I could work on it on the road. I love road trip knitting.

We got home on Sunday night and on Monday morning, our hard drive on the desktop computer crashed. We ordered a new hard drive and an EXTERNAL hard drive and had it the next day. Thankfully, I have my own geek squad. Ben was able to save all my documents. I had all of my patterns that I have not gotten around to publishing and all the patterns for the book that I am wrapping up on the old hard drive. Crisis averted!
Thursday night/Friday morning about 2:00, storms hit us. This is what we woke up to on Friday morning.

This is what is left of my beautiful bradford pear tree. I sat on the porch watching Michael cut it down, knitting on a red silk shawl and mourning for my tree. It was a Mother's Day gift when Ben was about 7 or 9. Zill (Athena's husband) and Jim (Ginger's husband) helped to dig the hole to plant it.
This is what it look like December of 2007.

I know, it is just a tree. And I knew that its days were numbered, but I miss its beauty every time I step outside. I miss the sound of the birds in its limbs all day. I will miss its shade this summer. I will miss its beautiful fall color. I will miss the beauty of its naked limbs in the winter.

Here are some pictures of the red silk Seasons of Life Shawl that I finished while watching Michael take it down.

Well, see what I mean about April!?! And it is not over, yet. Still a lot more things happening this month. I will save that for later.

I will leave you with another favorite quote from the book, Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer.
"The yearning to know What cannot be known, to comprehend the Incomprehensible, to touch and taste the Unapproachable, arises from the image of God in the nature of man. Deep calleth unto deep, and though polluted and landlocked by the mighty disaster theologians call the Fall, the soul senses its origin and longs to return to its Source."

My brain is fried!

2011-03-31T16:03:00.000-05:00

My brain feels fried today! I just printed off all 19 patterns for my book, 47 pages in all! Now comes the hard part, proofing. I still have a few more remakes to knit up, but that should be easy.
Tues, I got a lot of knitting done. I went with my Michael on a day trip. He had a meeting in Arkadelphia and there was a yarn store that I had heard about and wanted visit. It is called Knit Unto Others. It had some really lovely yarn and was a great roomy place to come and browse. I held back and only bought 2 skeins of yarn. One was some Plymouth Select, which is a worsted weight Merino Superwash wool in a soft pink. I need to remake some fingerless gloves and headband, for my book, at a tighter gauge. It is a tightly twisted yarn and gives great stitch definition. Then I bought a skein of Plymouth Zino. It is a sock weight yarn in a slow variegating color of dark greens, greys and blacks. I had been wanting to try this yarn and a skein was in the half price rack, so it followed me home.
Well, back to the old grindstone!

I will leave you with another favorite quote from the book, Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer.
"When we try to imagine what God is like, we must of necessity use that-which-is-not-God as the raw material for our minds to work on; hence whatever we visualize God to be, He is not, for we have constructed our image out of that which He has made and what He has made is not God. If we insist upon trying to imagine Him, we end with an idol, made not with hands but with thoughts; and an idol of the mind is as offensive to God as an idol of the hand."

So far behind, so much to tell..........

2011-03-28T16:06:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am behind of blogging. The last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. So, this post is going to be like drinking from a fire hose! Here goes!
On the 14th, I was getting ready for a workshop.
On the 15th, I went with the group of ladies that I was teaching the workshop to on a day trip to Knit 2 Together in Russellville.
I helped them pick out their yarn for their workshop full sized shawl.
On the 16th, I taught the workshop and continued it on the 18th and on the 22nd. Here is one of my students holding up her doll sized shawl that she made in the workshop. I had 13 students in the class.

In the meantime, I have been plugging away on my book and got distracted by new yarn and two new designs.This is the Emma's Shawl. If you love Larkrise to Candleford Series on PBS. You will recognize this shawl. I had to make it. It is a free download on Ravelry. You can get it here.
Then there is a new Cardi called Sweet Lace Cardi.

I will let you know when that comes out. I am having it test knit.
On the 19th here in AR, the temperature was close to 80 degrees. That weekend the daffodils on Wye Mountain were bursting forth. We did a quick drive to pick some.

Here is some granola that I have been experimenting with.

Kay's GRANOLA

7 cups oats, old fashioned or rolled

1 1/2 -2 cups almonds

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup of flax seed
1/3 cup of canola oil

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup maple syrup (the real kind)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1- 12 oz bag mini chocolate chips

1 -2 cup of dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, blueberries)

1 -2 cups of unsweetened coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix together oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt, flax seed, and cinnamon in a very large bowl. On stove, warm honey, syrup, and oil. Whisk in vanilla. Slowly pour over mix while stirring well. Spread in 2 large cookie sheets. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 10 min. Let cool. Add chocolate chips, coconut flakes and dried fruit.

This is GREAT sprinkled over vanilla yogurt!

Another favorite quote from the book, Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer.
"Wrong ideas about God are not only the fountain from which the polluted water of idolatry flow; they are themselves idolatrous. The idolater simply imagines things about God and acts as if there were true."

Daily living?

2011-03-12T09:21:00.000-06:00

I just had to share the daily devotion on this site. It really gives you a lot to think on.

In Memorry of Poppy.

2011-03-09T09:59:00.000-06:00

Cecil (Poppy) Shelton Meadors

BORN: February 12, 1922
DIED: March 9, 2010
LOCATION: North Little Rock, AR

Cecil Shelton Meadors, 88, of North Little Rock went home to be with the Lord Tuesday, March 9, 2010. He was a member of Community Chapel Pentecostal Church of God where he was a trustee. He is survived by his son, Michael Meadors and wife, Kay, of North Little Rock; step daughter, Sherry and husband, Doug Gambrell, of Sherwood; step son, Walter Mashburn and wife, Cynthia, of Indianapolis, Indiana; brother, Edgar Meadors and wife, Eileen, of Camden, Ohio; sister-in-law, Ruby Meadors, of Hamilton, Ohio; sister-in-law Wilma Brassfield, of Kansas City, Missouri; brother-in-law, Walter Hamilton, of North Little Rock; brother-in-law, Harold Thatcher of Conway; grandchildren, Benjamin Meadors, Spencer and Christine Gambrell and Jason and Amiy Gambrell; and great-grandchildren, Brooke, Kaitlyn, Tyler, Bailey and Parker. He was preceded in death by his wives, Rosetta Bell Meadors and Catherine Meadors.
He was born in Williamsburg, Kentucky to John and Martha Meadors. He was a proud United States Army veteran of World War II. He served in the European Theater of Operations and saw combat in the Northern French and Rhineland Campaigns as a cannoneer with the 813th Tank Destroyer Battalion. He was severely wounded in January 1945, near Haguenau, France when his M10 Tank Destroyer took a direct hit from a German Tiger Tank’s 88mm gun. He was the recipient of a Purple Heart. He attended Arkansas Polytechnic College (now Arkansas Tech University) in Russellville where he graduated with a diploma in woodworking. After graduating from Tech, he built custom church furniture, first for Leird Church Furniture and then later for Central Manufacturing Co. In 1964 he started C.S. Meadors and Son Cabinet Shop. Cecil built a great reputation as a craftsman and forged a great number of friendships with his quick wit and easy manner.
We miss you often Poppy.

Finally, I can spill my guts about something!

2011-03-08T16:06:00.001-06:00

I hate keeping secrets about things that I am working on. It kills me. I want to share. The fact that I cannot show the items for my book, yet, has driven me crazy. I, also, had another project that I was having to keep quiet about. My Michael reads my blog and I was making this for him and I wanted it to be a surprise.
Here it is. It is called "Pockets of Memories".

When we were cleaning out Poppy's clothes, I secretly kept back his best shirts to use for a quilt for Michael. When your husband comes home for lunch every day. It is hard to have a good block of time to drag out all the stuff that is necessary to do a quilt. I had to be careful that I did not leave scraps of the flannel shirts on the LR rug, that I buried the throw away pieces deep enough in the trashcan to not be peeking out. It is just not in my nature to be secretive. I get too excited and want to blab it all out.
As it was, I left it on the couch yesterday afternoon. I had just finished the binding and Michael called to ask if I had baked him a cake. I put it down and went to get that done and forgot all about it being out. I was wanting to wait until tomorrow to give it to him. I still needed to stitch in the ditch on the binding. I did that this morning.
Here is a baby blanket that I am knitting. It is patterned after the Log Cabin quilt concept. I hope to write a tutorial on how this is done and post it here on my blog for one of the little knitters at church to do. The Square on the right is made in 4 little squares and sewn together to make a full size one. The big square is easy to make, but the small ones are quicker, but have way too many yarn ends. It really is worth the extra effort for the WOW factor that small squares give.

Another favorite quote from the book, Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer.
The idolatrous heart assumes that God is other than He is--in itself a monstrous sin--and substitutes for the true God one made after its own likeness. Always this God will conform to the image of the one who created it and will be base or pure, cruel or kind, according to the moral state of the mind from which it emerges. Food for thought......

For Sale Ashford Traveler

2011-03-04T09:55:00.000-06:00

I have my Ashford Traveler back and she is now for sale.

Here are some photos of my Ashford Traveller spinning wheel and bag.
If you are on Ravelry, you can see more pics here.
It is a double drive, double treadle in a cherry/red oak finish. She has a total of 4 bobbins and comes with a custom made bag that has pockets for your hand cards and niddy noddy on the front and back of the bag. I am wanting 350.00 for her and the bag.
SHE DOES NOT INCLUDE THE WOOLIE WINDER IN THE PICS.
If you are interested in the Woolie Winder ONLY, it is 215.00.
She is lovely wheel and has been loved much, but needs a new home.
I am not wanting to ship this. I am preferring a home here in AR.
You can contact me here on my blog or on Ravelry. I am Naturalstateknit.
Thanks for looking.

March, March, March.........

2011-03-01T10:26:00.000-06:00

Goodness! March has marched right in! I think the first day of the month always jolts me! I am never ready for it. But here it is...........ready or not!
This weekend, I had lots of knitting time. Michael and I drove to NE AR to see my mom. Thursday was her b-day. She turned 71. We look her out to lunch and then, she and I, went shopping at the mall. We did not buy anything, but looking is free and fun. Michael did find himself a really nice sports jacket and I found him two dress shirts.
I finished a few more of my designs for my book. I am working on the last 4 designs. I have 3 of them on needles.I just love progress.
Here is a picture of my Traveling Shawl. I am reknitting this in some lovely Kidsilk Haze. I have added a crystal bead in the center of the diamond for a little bling. It will be really lovely when it is blocked, very wispy and delicate looking. This yarn is a bit of a challenge to knit with, but it is worth the effort.

I get the daily devotion of this website everyday. This is the one for the day. It gives you a lot of food for thought.
Another favorite quote from the book, Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer.
" The man who comes to a right belief about God is relieved of ten thousand temporal problems, for he sees at once that these have to do with matters which at the most cannot concern him for very long; but even if the multiple burdens of time may be lifted from him, the one mighty single burden of eternity begins to press down upon him with a weight more crushing than all the woes of the world piled one upon another. That mighty burden is his obligation to God. It includes an instant and lifelong duty to love God with every power of mind and soul, to obey Him perfectly, and to worship Him acceptable. And when the man's laboring conscience tells him that he has done none of these things, but has from childhood been guilty of foul revolt against the Majesty in the heaven, the inner pressure of self-accusation may become too heavy to bear."
In light of that, Matt 11:28-30 says:
28Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Sometimes, silence is pink......

2011-02-24T13:31:00.005-06:00

Sat, I had good knitting time. Our local Miata Club had their annual Polar Bear Run. I can tell you this, the polar bears were sweating. It started out as a brisk day, but when the sun came out, everyone was peeling off the jackets. I wore one of my Sontags and I was just right. I love these things. I wear them all the time. This one is my Simple Colorplay, perfect for any hand painted, variegated dk weight yarn.Well, I am plugging along on my book. Everything in this book is pink. Am I weird in thinking that pink is a happy color? Well, it is for me. Here is a pic of all the shades of pink that I am using. I have now added another design to the book. Now, I am at a design count of 17. I have now completed 9 of the designs. Most of the ones I have left are smaller knits. I wish that I could share more about the book, but it will not come out until next year. Until then my silence will be pink.

Another favorite quote from the book, Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer.
"A right conception of God is basic not only to systematic theology, but to practical Christian living as well. It is to worship what the foundation is to the temple; where it is inadequate or out of plumb, the whole structure must sooner or later collapse. I believe there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God."

Silence is golden.....

2011-02-17T11:22:00.006-06:00

Okay, I know it has been forever since I posted projects, but I have been so busy and obsessed with the book that I am working on that I have neglected my blog. It seems that I am making great progress on some fronts. Then when I think about the fact that I have a total of 16 designs for this book, I freak out. Yesterday, I made myself a chart to keep track of projects written/projects finished. Seeing it in black and white help calm the panic. So far, I have written 8 of then, finished 4 and about to bind off on my 5th. Next week, I will try to do more of the smaller ones that can be cranked out and add to my comfort on the progress of this book.
On the just-for-personal knitting/designing/sewing front, I have pics.This is my buddy, Cindy's Majacraft Rose. Here is the cover that I promised her a couple of eons ago. She had bought the fabric way back when. Our schedules and lives just made it a thing that had to be put on the back burner for a while. I am pleased with it, overall, but if I ever/NEVER make another one, I will tweak it some more.

Here is a new design that I have been working on for the fall and winter. The design idea thanks go to Diane Bledsoe. Cindy modeling it for me.
My Lacy Crocheted Bohemian Cardi design.
Here it is in red!
On a very personal note:
I just finished up reading the book that I started at the beginning of this year. I is called The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer. I highly recommend it. It is a life changing book.
Now, I have started Faith Works by John MacArthur, Jr. I recommend anything by him.
I am going to start sharing some of the sections that I highlighted in The Knowledge of the Holy. These sections really struck a chord in my heart and when I share enough of them, you will understand why you need to add this book to your reading list.

"Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God."

Greater love?

2011-02-14T12:44:00.003-06:00

John 3:16 and 17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 15:12 and 13This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Considering His love for us, how is your FOCUS doing so far this year?

This is a new website that you can subscribe to. I love all the Jerry Bridges books, so to get a daily devotional by him is butter on a hot blueberry muffin.

AND THE WINNERS ARE

2011-02-07T13:13:00.003-06:00

Cyndi said...

Wow, those are beautiful!

ccaj - ravelry

February 6, 2011 9:28 PM

I had 25 comments. So, I put 1-25 into the random number generator and comment #23 came up, so Cindi/ccaj, congratulations! I will contact you on Ravelry to get your address.

Now for the winner of the most comments last year.............
I totaled them up and the two people with the most comments was
Delighted Hands with 56 comments
and
Boo4baby with 22 comments.
So, Delighted Hands you are the winner of the black Elizabeth Shawl for being my most constant commenter/encourager. Thank you for all your words of encouragement to me last year.
And Boo4baby, thank you, too. I will think of something else special to do for you soon.
Thank you to everyone who commented on these give aways. I really enjoyed it and almost hate to see it end. Maybe, I will have other give aways periodically this year, for the fun of it.

FIFTH AND FINAL GIVE AWAY

2011-02-04T11:19:00.005-06:00

NO ASSEMBLY REQUIRED!
This give away is for my fifth 10,000 yards of yarn used last year. It will be awarded to TWO blessed people. It will be my final give away and requires NO knitting ability.
The first one is a completed First Shawl.
It is a triangular shawl made in a creamy natural colored finger weight yarn of 65% Merino, 35% Bamboo. I have used pearl seed beads on the edging. This one will go to the person chosen by the Random Number Generator next Monday after 12:00 noon.
The second give away is a completed Elizabeth Shawl. This shawl is one of a kind, since I designed it and have not released the pattern or even written the pattern for it, yet.
It is a triangular shawl made with Knit Picks finger weight Gloss in Black and uses smoky gray, silver-lined seed beads throughout.
This one will be awarded to the person who posted on my blog the most comments last year. I will be counting those this weekend.
It is a very dressy, elegant shawl.

One of these shawls could be yours.
Sorry, but if you have already won during these give aways, you are exempt from this drawing, but I still would love your comments.

Leave a comment and you will be put into the drawing. If you are on Ravelry, please put your Ravelry name on your comment.
By the way, this applies to USA residents ONLY. Sorry, unless you want to help defray the shipping costs.

AND THE FOURTH WINNER IS.................

2011-01-31T12:28:00.003-06:00

boo4baby said...

Me, me! Pick me! Loved seeing you yesterday. And your shawl was beautiful!

January 31, 2011 8:38 AM

I had 22 comments (one from Angela who emailed me between Jani and Stephanie and could not remember her google acct). So, I put 1-22 into the random number generator and comment #20 came up, so boo4 baby, congratulations!

Please check back for the fifth 10,000 yard goal give away later this week. It will be awarded next Monday after 12 noon.

I will give you some hints on the final give away, there will be 2 give aways and NO ASSEMBLY REQUIRED!

FOURTH GIVE AWAY

2011-01-28T11:37:00.004-06:00

Another give away!
This one is for my fourth 10,000 yards of yarn that I used last year. It is a goody bag of delight. It includes the two crocheted kits, one for my Crocheted Apple Hat, the other for my Crocheted Pumpkin Hat. Then I have two skeins (250 yards each) of hand painted yarn in shades of gray with hints of lavender and my Larkrise To Candleford Shawl pattern. Lastly, a small skein (375 yards) of hand painted sock yarn in shades of gray, smoky lavender and deep purple. This can be used for a small lacy scarf or shawlette.

This ALL could be yours.

Leave a comment and you will put into the drawing. If you are on Ravelry, please put your Ravelry name on your comment.
By the way, this applies to USA residents ONLY. Sorry, unless you want to help defray the shipping costs.
Next Week? Look for a real special give away!!

BTW

2011-01-26T13:00:00.004-06:00

For all those who are wanting to pick my brain on how I made the bag for my Ashford Traveler...when I get it back or get a chance to take more pics, I will.

Also, I am selling my Woolie Winder for my Ashford Traveler Double Drive, too. This is what the website says........
ASHFORD DOUBLE DRIVE Woolie Winder
This WooLee Winder fits the double drive Traditional, Traveler, Elizabeth, or any Kiwi. The whorl that came with your wheel is used with the WooLee Winder, so the ratios remain the same. The wood can be ordered unfinished or finished.
The Woolie Winder is unfinished and has 3 bobbins with it. I am wanting $215 for it. That includes shipping.
I plan on buying one for my new Sonata.

Quick Post

2011-01-25T16:20:00.004-06:00

Saturday was the Spin-In at Mountain View, but I just did not really feel like going out of town for the day. I just wanted to be home. Yes, most of the time, I am a recluse. I like being home. Sometimes, I don't go anywhere all week. I am a home body.
Anyway, Saturday, I really wanted to spend the day spinning, so I called my BFF Cindy and we spent a lovely day just spinning and visiting. It did us both so much good. I think we need to have one a month, at least. Here is a pic of my bobbin full of lovely wool, hand painted by Wicked. It is called Memories of Virginia. I bought it at Mtn Magazine at the Fiber Extravaganza.
I have a renewed zeal for spinning. At the Fiber thing last month, I bought my dream wheel. Not just a Kromski Sonata, but a mahogany stained Sonata. It is a dream to spin on. It is portable, folds up into a easy to carry bag and I love it.
I feel so guilty for loving it so much. It is a good thing that my Ashford Traveler is at a friends or it would be so jealous and I would feel even more guilty. I will soon be selling it, so let me know if you are looking for one. She is a double drive and a wonderful warm cherry/red oak shade and comes with a lovely hand made bag. The friend who is borrowing her may buy her, but if not..... she will need a new home.
I finished 2 more squares on my Tulip Twist Quilt. I lack only 3 more squares, then I will get to put it all together. This is a Christmas present for someone next year. I won't even hint who. They don't read my blog, but just in case....I am keeping it a secret.
I had an appt this afternoon with Susan at Leisure Arts. I pitched another book idea, so now I have to get in knitting and writing mode. More later.
Seasons Of Life Shawl? Teresa, I hope to put it out soon.

THE THIRD WINNER IS................

2011-01-24T13:11:00.002-06:00

Sarah Kate said...

What a beautiful shawl pattern! You are so talented!

~Lori

January 22, 2011 10:10 AM

I had 26 comments (one from Faith/Millymom who emailed me between Cindi and Sara Kate and does not have a google acct). So, I put 1-26 into the random number generator and comment #15 came up, so Sarah Kate, email me on here or Ravelry and let me know if you live close or if I need to mail this lovely kit to you. Congratulations!

Please check back for the fourth 10,000 yard goal give away later this week. It will be awarded next Monday.

THIRD GIVE AWAY!

2011-01-21T16:07:00.005-06:00

Another give away!
This one is for my third 10,000 yards of yarn that I used last year. It is a Seasons of Life Shawl Kit. It includes the pattern for the shawl (this has not been released to the public, yet), some lovely hand-dyed light finger weight, mohair/wool blend yarn and 2 bags of size 8 seed beads.
This yarn is a lovely semi solid yarn of mulberry, smoky lavender and lilac, with hints of claret. The beads match the smoky lilac.

This could be yours.

Leave a comment and you will put into the drawing.
By the way, this applies to USA residents ONLY. Sorry, unless you want to help defray the shipping costs.

AND THE SECOND WINNER IS?

2011-01-17T12:18:00.003-06:00

tishknits33 said...

I am a spinner and I could just crawl in that basket of roving and go sound asleep !!!!

January 14, 2011 8:00 PM

I had 14 comments and put 1-14 into the random number generator and comment #7 came up, so tishknits33, email me on Ravelry and let me know how I can get this to you. Congratulations! It looks like you WILL get to crawl into the basket of roving and go sound asleep!

Please check back for the third 10,000 yard goal give away later this week. It will be awarded next Monday.