Dreambird - On the Needles 10-4-13

All of my knitting projects seem to be taking "Wing" LOL!!!

Dreambird is slowly but surely taking shape - I now have 13 of the 21 feathers done!!!

Joanne has been much more industrious at the needles than I have - as usual LOL!!!  She actually has 17 feathers done now, although this picture was taken at only 16....

I've also begun a new project, Wingspan, so I can have a quick, pick-up-and-go project that requires very little thought for guild meetings, doctor offices, etc.  Dreambird is NOT that type of project LOL!!!

If you look at the upper left area, you can see where I'm just starting the second section.  This is a super easy pattern and I love the striations from the combination of this pattern and yarn together!  It actually has more color variations than I realized just looking at the ball of yarn.

The yarn is soft, light, and fluffy, a pleasant change from the prickly Noro sock yarn used in Dreambird.  The bright warm colors are also a nice change from all the cool aquas and purples I've been working with lately :*D

So what's on your needles?

See all the fun projects being shared at Judy's Patchwork Times today!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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The Blue Screen of..... Uh Oh!!!

Talk about a scary way to start the day!!!   I was just minding my own business this morning, happily enjoying a relaxed Sunday at home by reading some of my favorite blogs, when all of a sudden, the photo I was viewing pixelated in some totally weird ways, and then.....POOF!!!  The Blue Screen of Death popped up!!!  I wasn't quite sure what was happening, but I was pretty darn sure it wasn't good!  Good thing my very own Personal Technical Expert (my wise and all-capable hubby) was in residence and came running when I screamed LOL!!!

Friends, I don't have a clue what he did to our computer - he tried to explain it to me.... something about drivers and service packs and downloading a bunch of stuff (of which I understood not one word) - but in no time flat he had it back up and running - Hooray!!!!

We do have another computer - our desktop system upstairs - but this laptop downstairs is so convenient and only a few years old.  It would have been a shame to lose it.  Plus, I'm pretty sure there are quite a few pictures on here that we have not backed up on CD or flash drive.  You can be sure that will be taken care of this afternoon!!!

So, while my husband worked to keep our laptop from going to computer heaven, I picked up my Dreambird bag and headed out to the side patio to knit and calmly reclaim the peace of my Sunday!

I have 11 feathers done now and this project is really getting into a rhythm.  It's going quickly now that I pretty much know what I'm doing.  Of course, just saying that guarantees that my next feather will develop some sort of problem, right?  LOL!

One of the bloggers who has been instrumental in inspiring me to pick up the knitting needles is Denise Russart at Just Quiltin.  She is always knitting something new and beautiful, and making it look easy in the process too.  She's also a very talented quilt designer and offers some amazing patterns, often for free.  She's got a sale going on right now for a fun set of patterns - Dog Pound Pals Adoption Society.  These are some really adorable dog patterns, so check it out HERE if you are interested.  This past week, I received this fun mousepad that I won from Denise in a giveaway she held last month......

Don't you just love the design and colors?

Believe me, I was pretty tickled when I saw I was a winner!!!

Thanks Denise!!!

This weekend, I've managed to mark off a few tasks from my list....

I finished off the BABY BLUE scraps for the September Rainbow Scrap Challenge, making the above Lone Starburst block as well as my Hatchett blocks and left-over HST's (not pictured).  I'm not sure what I was thinking when I put these together - how is that fabric in the bottom right a "baby blue"???  Oh well... sometimes my brain just goes on vacation!  Thankfully, this is not a block by itself, and all these sections will be mixed up with the other colored sections I've been making all year for a scrappy rainbow quilt, and that darker section will fit in great with the overall quilt :*)

I managed a little slow-stitching embroidery on my Winter Wonderland, but not enough to post a new picture yet.  I also prepared the next pattern for my Summertime wool applique project......

Darva's Daisies by
Mary Lou Designs

I just couldn't resist doing the cat block next!

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The pattern needed to be reduced by 54% to get it to the 8-inch square-ish size to fit in with the other blocks for this project.  I will probably not do the dragnfly unless I can find a way to make it fit without distorting the block.  It also occurs to me that it might be fun to have a few colorful dragonflies floating free over the quilt... hmmmm.

My friend Daryl, who blogs at Patchouli Moon, shared a few tips with me about how she works with wool applique.  She doesn't use fusible because she says it makes the pieces harder to stitch.  She just uses an Elmer's Washable Glue stick and no staples.  I think I'll try that with this next block :*)

The rest of this week, I think I'll be busy doing some quilting.  Have to get ready for Oktoberfest the middle of October!  What are you up to this gorgeous Sunday?

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Linking up with:
SoScrappy - Rainbow Scrap Challenge
Kathy's Quilts - Slow Sunday Stitching
Freemotion by the River - Tuesday Linky Party

Dreambird Knit-a-long

I'm only halfway finished with my Dreambird Shawl, but Judy (Patchwork Times) is finished and Denise (Just Quiltin with Denise Russart) is almost there.  Judy has posted the Final Linky Party, so be sure to go over and see the wonderful Dreambird projects!!!  Here is how my beloved Dreambird looks so far....

I hope to finish this shawl in the next couple of weeks, because I have a few new projects percolating in my head - you know how that goes, don't you?  *wink-wink!!!*

I have to admit, this project has been so much fun, I'm seriously considering making another one when I finish this one.  I have some of the colorful Noro Sock yarn in fall colors - wouldn't that be gorgeous in Dreambird?  Gotta finish this one first though :*D

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Final reminder to join me tomorrow for my Crazy About Wool project!  

Here's another little "sneak peek"!!!

Today's participants are:

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Wooly Red Rug

Chic n Fish

Maria do Carmo

Selina Quilts

Sunshine Quilting

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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On the Needles - 9/16/13

Dreambird is taking shape!  I have six feathers done and I just love the progression of the Noro colors in the feather sections!  They are really popping nicely against the black too :*)

The last feather was only the second feather I have not had to tear out and redo.  Can you see this hole?

That's what happens when I don't do the "double stitch" right on the short rows.  And no matter how hard I concentrate, I've ended up making one of these holes most of the time before I'm finished with a feather!  The last feather went very well last night, though, so hopefully I've learned how to avoid these nasty holes and will have much less ripping out in my future :*)

Here are some of the feathers close up.... of course the colors are not exactly true in the picture, but they're close.  Aren't they gorgeous?

The Talkin' Turkey gals are coming today, so no time for a long post!  I'm hoping to share some new BABY BLUE blocks for So Scrappy's Rainbow Scrap Challenge this month. And on Sunday, I have a little bit of embroidery to share tomorrow on Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday, and a really cute fabric I picked up this week to share for Judy's Stash Enhancement, so stay tuned!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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On the Needles - 8/30/13

It's a glorious day in Nashville today!  It's probably going to get a little hot later in the day, but this morning, I'm just drinking in the early morning sun and song of the birds :*D  I'm also looking forward to my friends coming over to play with our Talkin' Turkey quilts for a while today.  I can never thank the Lord and my husband enough for allowing me to be at home and enjoy my life without the hassle of a job!!!

If my Dreambird were finished, I'm sure she would be soaring in that clear blue sky this morning, checking out what's for breakfast :*D  However, it will be quite a while before she can soar.  I do have three feathers done, and it's so exciting seeing how the colors fill the feathers.  This last feather went into the deeper purples, thankfully not so deep though that it hides in the black background....

I can't wait to see what surprises the next feather holds!!!

I had hoped to be further along on this project, but I had to "unknit" this 3rd feather when I was halfway through it because I thought I had dropped a stitch.  By the time I realized that I hadn't, I was all the way back to the beginning of the feather.  So that is the first and third feathers that I have now totally restitched LOL!!!  But as I read about my fellow knitters' adventures on Judy's updates, I'm seeing that I'm not the only one having to knit backwards occasionally :*)  Knit on.....

Have a glorious weekend my friends!!!

I'm linking up with other "chicks with sticks" at Patchwork Times!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Ready, Set, Go!

Just a quick reminder.....

Tomorrow is my day for the Hexie Queen Blog Hop - be sure to come back!  I've got lots to share!

And today is the day to start the Dreambird Shawl Knit-Along with Judy (Patchwork Times) and Denise (JustQuiltin)!  I made one feather a few weeks ago .....

- now I have to figure out how to pick it back up and make more without getting lost LOL!!!

Have a beautiful week my friends!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Dreambird Yarn Choices

Judy is posting a link-up today for us to show the yarns we've chosen for our Dreambird projects...  I'm so excited!!!

Here are the yarns I've chosen to work with....

The top yarn is a black fingering yarn, which will pop those blue, aqua, and purple Noro feathers like crazy!!!  Like quilts, like knitting, it seems - I just can't help loving black as a background!!!  And of course blues and aquas are always a favorite of mine. :*D

Here is my inspiration picture once again for those of you who might have missed it in my earlier post - Reminder:  THIS IS NOT MY PROJECT!  It is a picture from Ravelry of another knitter's project that I love and chose colors to make my own as close to it as possible :*D

Go to this link to see this shawl made by Bienenfresser
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/isiss/dreambird-kal

Since our local knitshop, The Knaughty Knitter, held a Dreambird Knit Along (KAL) last month, my friend Joanne and I went over to start our shawl and get some pointers before we get into this project too far.  Joanne has done two feathers so far, and I have completed one 'perfect' feather - after tearing my first attempt out (see post about that HERE).  I'm in LOVE with this sweet feather!!!!

That's where I've stopped so I can start the KAL with Judy and Denise on August 25th.

If you're looking at this project and thinking, "I WISH I could do that, but I'm not a very experienced knitter" - then I encourage you to read Judy's post today!  Last year this time, I was drooling over the socks she makes on her blog and saying that same thing to myself.  It had been years since I had knitted anything, but I was really itching to learn how to make socks.  So I took her excellent advice and decided to start small.  I made a million simple knitted dishcloths to get my rhythm and tension back up to speed - which by the way everyone in my family loves and I can't keep enough of them knitted up!  I started reading a lot of sock-knitter's blogs and soaking up information.  Then I made a couple of scarfs.  Then I bit the bullet, bought some sock yarn and a couple of books/patterns and set off on my grand adventure.  And what an adventure it has been!!!  I've now made two pair of socks and love them!!!  And now I'm comfortable tackling this Dreambird Shawl project. You CAN do it too if you really want to!

Be sure to go to Judy's Patchwork Times HERE to link up if you are doing this wonderful shawl!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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On the Needles - 8/9/13

Just a quick update - not much happening that's exciting.... EXCEPT.....

I'm binding off on my Cloud Illusions shawl!!!!  Just look at that marvelous Picot Bindoff!!!  I can't wait to get this finished and blocked - that's when these little beauties will form lovely points and make this shawl shine!  This bindoff technique only takes off 2 stitches at a time, so it is excruciatingly slow work, but it's a lot of fun seeing each little picot emerge :*)

I'm excited about getting this project done because I wanted to be free to work on Dreambird when Denise and Judy do their Knit-along.  I have done just this one feather ....

...... to make sure I can do it, and now we're waiting for Camp Loopy to finish up so we can do the KAL.  Yippee!!!

In other news.....

First up, I was the lucky winner of this sweet charm pack from my friend Angie who quilts over at Quilting on the Crescent during her Celebration of Sewing to honor St. Anne's Feast Day a couple weeks ago - what fun!!!  Thanks so much Angie - I really enjoyed your Celebration and look forward to it again next year!

Also, happily, we would like to report the "birth" of my daughter's kidney stone!!!  I thought perhaps after all that drama, you might like to see a picture of the new "addition"...

I know, gross, right?  LOL!!!  She went way past her "due date" - one and a half weeks after the doctor said he thought it would come out, but it finally did!  Thanks so much for all your wonderful support and prayers for her my friends!  =^..^=

And I had to share with you a cute quote from Adam, one of our grandsons in North Carolina who is 6 years old.  His mom is a really creative type, and she is always rearranging things in their house to freshen up the decor.  I made this quilt for their bed several years ago....(yes, I made shams to match!)  It's not a great picture but you get the idea....

They have really enjoyed the quilt, but she decided she needed a change.  Yesterday, she sent me a text telling me that she had totally changed the look of the room simply by turning the quilt over and getting new curtains....

While she was doing all of this, she noticed Adam inspecting the quilt and overheard him saying to himself, "I just don't know how Grandma does this ... It's like magic!"  Isn't that the cutest thing????  Oh yeh, he wins Favorite Grandchild of the Month award!!!

That's it for me.... what's going on in your world?

I'm planning a lot of actual QUILTING this coming week - so stay tuned!!!

Want to see more wonderful yarn projects?

Go HERE to Judy's Patchwork Times

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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I Made a Feather!!!

My first attempt at Dreambird was a failure.  You remember this picture I showed you of the shawl I am planning to make?  (remember too that this is NOT my shawl, just a picture of one of my favorites from Ravelry!)

Beinenfresser - HERE on Ravelry

I knitted and knitted and tried my best to keep count on all those dratted short rows!  But after half of the first feather was completed, I was supposed to be at the end of the work, but I had 7 stitches left over..... had to rip it all out!!!

My second attempt has been much more successful!  See how my stitches came all the way to the end here?  This was a very good sign that I had worked this one correctly!!!

Here it is at half of the feather complete....

And then here is the full feather - completed and correct - whoohoo!!!!

Ask me how excited I am - go ahead!!!!  

Yep, I'm like a puppy with a new chew toy!!!

Also today, a couple of my sewing buddies, Joanne and Mary came over to my house armed with sewing machines and lots of red & neutral fabrics, and we sewed some more on our Talkin Turkey quilts......

!

We each did 60 of these string blocks, trimmed them to 5-1/2" and cut them diagonally.  These sections are done now, so we'll be working on the nine-patch centers next.  After that we get to enjoy the pleasure of making over 400 flying geese!!!  Yeh, I'm not that crazy about making flying geese, but I suppose I can handle it for this quilt :*)  Bonnie Hunter sure does like to design quilts with a ton of little pieces, doesn't she?

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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On the Needles - 8/2/13

My needles have been pretty busy lately!  I've progressed really well on my Cloud Illusions shawl...

I decided not to go with the Extended Lace section, so I have started the Lace Border section - only 11 more rows to go, including the Picot Bind Off row - yippee!!!

I love the lace on this shawl - it will be even more beautiful once it is blocked!

I'm also really glad I bought the second skein of yarn when I did..... this is all I have left of the first skein!

Also On the Needles, last night I tried the first feather of the Dreambird Shawl - my first feather looked great but it was 7 stitches short of the end, so I had to tear it out and start again. :(  But I really enjoyed learning a new cast-on method using a crochet hook...

This is how far I've gotten on this attempt.....

I'm going to a KAL tomorrow, so I wanted to see if I had any questions before I go.  I'm really loving the look of these colors so far - are you surprised???

YUM!!!

Linking up with On The Needles at Patchwork Times =^..^=

I also wanted to steer you over to Cat Patches - she's have a wonderful giveaway that you won't want to miss!  Go HERE to check it out!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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On the Needles ... and on the road again!

What a wonderful visit we had with our family in North Carolina this past week!  I really enjoy the trips where I don't have to drive :*) While hubby drove for 8+ hours there, and then another 8+ back, I knitted... sometimes with Gypsy on my lap!  She loves to look out the window, especially when we are in the mountains - they fascinate her.

I finished up two dishcloths for my DIL who fell in love with the one I gave her during my last visit.

She said she uses it, then washes it really quick so she can use it again! I was happy to know I was giving her something she really likes and can use :*)

I also got quite a lot done on my Sugar and Cream Cowl. (Click on the name to see it or find the pattern on Ravelry) This is a fun project! It has been years since I worked a cable stitch, and there are eight each front and back cables on this cowl, so I had a ball playing with cables! I still have quite a ways to go, and I'm enjoying every stitch :*)  This is the yarn I'm using...

I realized the other day that it is the same yarn I used for the Hisbuscus socks :*)  It has a nice soft feel, as well as a denseness that I like.  I think it will make a lovely soft cowl.

Go to this link to see this shawl made by Bienenfresser
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/isiss/dreambird-kal

Next week is the Dreambird KAL at the Knaughty Knitter in Murfreesboro, and I'm really looking forward to going with a couple of my friends! You can find this pattern on Ravelry by clicking HERE if you are interested in making one yourself, perhaps in the KAL that will be going on in August with Judy and Denise. They both have information on the KAL in the sidbars of their blogs - you can go there by clicking on their names.

There is one possible cloud on the horizon, though, that might keep me from getting to take part in this KAL. My daughter in Savannah TN has been pretty sick the last few days, and they are telling her she needs to see a specialist for a kidney stone - the size of a lima bean!  YIKES!!!  I am traveling back to her house tomorrow (Friday) to see how she is doing with my own eyes and to help her make some decisions. Hopefully I will be able to come home early in the week but we will have to see how things go with her.

Are you working on a fun yarn project? 

If so, please share it at Judy's Patchwork Times! 

Hugs & Blessings 

Teresa 

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On the Needles - 7/5/13

I hope everyone had a safe and joyous 4th of July!!!  We are enjoying spending lots of quality time with our children and grandchildren this week.  And in the spirit of the season, I finished up my bright RED socks!!!  With a white t-shirt and blue jeans, I was well prepared for celebrating the 4th!  Well, at least I would have been if it had been cold enough to wear socks LOL!!!

These are  my second finished pair of socks.  They were done with Hibiscus Serenity Sock yarn, and I used the Toe-up, Two at a Time, Magic Loop method.  My only complaint is that they are a tad large on me.  I'm hoping they draw up a little when I wash them.  But they are really soft and comfortable - I'm going to enjoy wearing them this winter :*D
More pictures of my new socks ... (you can see how they are a little baggy around the heel on this picture)

Isn't it funny how they look like three different colors in each of these pictures?   The true colors are closer to the bottom picture.  I learned quite a few new techniques doing this project - stitch wrapping and the special magic cast on, for instance.
Now that this pair of socks is done, I'm thinking I'll take a little break from socks and work on a couple of other yarn projects.  I'm really excited about doing Dreambird, and today I went with a friend to visit the Knaughty Knitter in Murfreesboro - my very first visit to a knit shop ever!  It was amazing!  So many wonderful yarns and in every possible color!  Reminded me very much of my first trip to a quilt shop LOL!!!
Here is a picture of a Dreambird shawl - not mine of course!!! But you can get the idea of what it looks like...




And here are the yarns I chose for my Dreambird....

The yarn on the left is solid black Heritage fingering yarn and there is a lot of it there, perhaps about twice as much as the fancy Noro skein on the right.  The Noro is a rougher texture yarn, also a fingering weight.  It has the nice long color changes that are needed for this pattern.  As you can see from the picture below, there are lots of these color variations - I'm hoping to get some lovely feather colors for my Dreambird with this!

The Knaughty Knitter is hosting a Knit Along (KAL) on the 16th for anyone working on Dreambird, so I plan to go with some friends and take part in that.  I had planned to make this shawl during the KAL with Justquiltin and Patchwork Times, but I've decided it will be a good idea for me to go ahead and start it with this local knit shop and have the opportunity to get assistance face-to-face if needed.  Perhaps I'll get good enough that I could start a second one with Judy & Denise!
In the meantime, while I'm waiting for the KAL, I'm going to start my Cream and Sugar Cowl.  Mine will be all black, which will mean I can wear it with anything...

Picture taken from Ravelry website - Cowl made by nevernotknitting

If you have something taking shape on your needles, be sure to share it with us at Judy's Patchwork Times!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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