INTERNET FRIENDSHIPS

Oh my goodness, I had a wonderful opportunity yesterday to meet several of my internet friends. Some of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that I first got in to the internet friendship circles through a Weight Watchers Message Board.  Over the past couple years some of these women have truly become my best friends.

7 of my quilting friends are spending a few days on their own little  "quilting retreat" at a wonderful retreat center in western North Carolina.   I was not able to go for the entire time, but  since I live in East Tennessee, I decided to drive there for the day yesterday.  You'd have thought I'd known these women all my life.  It was a wonderful day.

These women have been absolutely wonderful to  and for me this year with my health challenges--sending me all kinds of periodic  little  "pick me ups".  It was truly an honor to get to meet each and every one of them.  I just wish that more of our quilting group could have been there.  They are all so very generous.  One is involved making quilts for injured service men and women.  I was able to hand deliver some red white and blue fabric to her to help with her efforts.  

Another is involved in making quilts for hospitalized children.  I made a few quilt tops that I was able to give to her personally.

While they were all sewing away on their quilt projects (Yes, they all had their sewing machines with them,)   I was busy knitting like a fiend all day so that I could give them each a dish cloth--just a little something to pay back all the love and care that they have shown me.

And speaking of knitting, I have also been communicating with a Weight Watcher's knitting group.  These lovely ladies got together and collectively knit me a prayer shawl. The weather was perfect for me to wear it to church this past Sunday.  Since the ladies who knit at the beginning of the project never saw the completed shawl, just thought I'd show you all how lovely it turned out!

THANK  YOU  ALL  FOR  BEING  MY  CYBER  FRIENDS!

Sorry about the underlining; I'm still figuring out the commands for this site on my new computer!

IT'S OFFICIAL: AUTUMN IS HERE

I don't quite know why, but somehow in the autumn it seems at my house that it's time for home deocrating.

Maybe it's because, with fewer daylignt hours outside, I'm in the house more.

Maybe it's because I'm getting in gear for the really big decorating season; you know the one I'm talking about.

Anyway, I received a special little gift in the mail a couple weeks ago:  quilters charms.  Just fit the bill to get me in my autumn decorating.  Made perfect scarf for my coffee table, and with the autumn "dish" that my godmother gave me years ago, my living room now seems all spruced up for autumn.

And with autumn in the air Turkey Time can't be too far away.  In Tom Turkey's honor, I made a dishcloth.  But then I had to try something Christmassy too.  Alas no red or forest green cotton yarn in the house so the best I could come up with was a yellow star.  I have downloaded several other patterns that I'm eager to try.

And speaking of Christmas: yes I finally have started on those jammies.  The fabric you see here is now pj bottoms for the two oldest granddaughters that will go with the tops.  

 And there are three plaid fabrics on my cutting table just waiting for their turn for the 3 older boys.  Hooray, I'm gettin' there--and even a little ahead of the game this year, maybe.

More Quilts and Another Beret

Well, after playing around with different commands, I've finally figured out how to do this.  I just hope I'll remember it next time.  

So here it is:   I've finally finished the quilts for my husband's nephew's twins, a boy and a girl.  They will go in the mail next week.  I think maybe they were rolled up and folded in the mailing box a bit too long already, hence the wrinkles.  I promise I really had pressed!

I also have all but the hand embroidery finished on this quilt that's been on my back burner for several weeks.

And I finally finished knitting what I believe will be the last beret I'll be making for quite a while.

And here's a funny for you:  Remember the netting that I purchased for crocheting pot scrubbies?  Well, I'm happy that I  bought a lot extra netting.  My husband needed something for his fish net to scoop up minnows.  OILA, a little ingenuity and we've got it covered:  

Happy to report the minnows that he captured in this modified net helped him catch a couple catfish and blue gills and one beautiful large mouth bass.  He released them so they're back happily swimming in our beautiful Tennessee River!  Maybe next time a couple fish will make it to the frying pan.  I'll let you know.

Hmmm, can't figure this out

Well, I have a new computer and for some reason I am having trouble getting both text and photos in my blog set up window.  I'll be back with you when I figure it out--and with may tech abilities, that may be a while.  HA!

WHAT'S ON THE NEEDLES NOW?

Well, now that I (for the first time in a long time) have a birthday sweater in the mail on time

it was time to get started on some new projects.

This may be a sweater vest for a January birthday; however, if I find when I get to the armhole decreases that there's not going to be enough yarn (I'm doing it double stranded, so I kind of doubt there will be enough.), I'll just keep going strait and make a scarf. Not sure who the scarf would be for, though.


And, something I've wanted to do a for a long time is to try my hand and the nylon net pot scrubber. My mom used to make them and I always intended to have her teach me, but ALAS, I never got around to it in time. I was able to locate a pattern, though (a bit different from hers, but I think I can wing it). As you might imagine, I spent quite a bit of time today cutting strips of netting for this ball of "yarn".


Oh, and the background fabrics behind my current knitting projects are the backs of not quite finished quilts. So you see, I'm still in the quilting as well as knitting mode, too.

STILL STITCHIN'

Well, I am still--slowly but surely--getting some stitching in, both with thread and yarn.

I completed another beret


and am almost done with another sweater for an Oct 4 birthday. I'll actually have this one finished in time!

I have a baby quilt finished except for the binding and I have been a "good girl" and have finally labeled my quilts.




OK, I guess it's time to go work on that binding.

BUTTERFLIES AND BERETS

Well, my picnic quilt is finally completed (minus the label, which I am told by my quilting friend experts is a must!).



The butterflies in the sashing of that quilt became the inspiration for this butterfly baby quilt for the new baby of a young couple at our church:


And, no, it didn't take long to get something back on my knitting needles. It started off with this really neat cast on for a picot edge:


and ended with some fun binding from my daughter's Chocolate Lollipop collection of fabric:


I felt really good, when I wore the beret for the first time yesterday and a young lady complimented me on it and added, "It suits you."


I think that was a compliment too; I'll take it as such anyway. Now to decide which of the stripe colors I want to use for another beret--monochromatic this time, with maybe a contrasting band.