Finished Summer Shawl

I'm so pleased with finishing this. The yarn is really 50/50 cotton/ acrylic like Tshirt material, well-worn. This is going to be great to throw over tanks or t-shirts this Summer and the color really goes well with denim jeans.

 

My Comfort Summer Shawl

With a simple tie in the front, this will be a staple in my Summer casual wear. I also have a silver ring I can use instead of the tie method and just scoot it up front to be a nice touch with silver jewelry.

I really didn't use any particular pattern. I just gartered mostly with adding knit front to back stitches to increase gradually. I cast on about 15 stitches to start.

I will not block this one as it's stretchy and soft and already is how I like it with airy spaces. I stitched this Sensations yarn "Boardwalk" (from Joanne's Crafts) with a # 15 inch circular 19in. It was quite full but held all the stitches until binding off.

I used only 1 skein which has 379 yards on it. I had about 30 yards left. I did that on purpose to make Miss Abbie a matching piece.

I don't have a swimming pool but if I did, I would imagine I could use this as a lower bathing suit cover by tying it to the side.

This was certainly fun to stitch as it was the kind of mindless stitching that even watching a movie or TV show was possible while working with it.

On a more somber note, I have been watching the pictures on TV of the deadly Oklahoma storm and my prayers go out to all affected. I hope my stitchy friends from Oklahoma are not hurt.
Watching this, reminds me I should never complain for I'm blessed more than I realize.
I can't imagine how frightened it was for parents not to be able to find their children. Just devastating.

Dear God,

I love you and praise you for all you have done in our lives. I specifically pray this morning for the victims and families of the people in Oklahoma touched by the devastation of the storm yesterday. We cannot fathom what this storm left to the victims, what they went through and still going through in its aftermath.
.
We praise your name and thank you for our blessings. We don't always understand, dear God, why these tragedies happen, but we put faith in you, to minister to all the survivors and their families. Please help them find the recovery they need and embrace the rescuers as they expend massive amounts of energy to save those still trapped. We will pray without ceasing for hope for more survivors.

We pray this prayer in your name,
Jennifer

My Morning Muse

Almost like a sampler.......just a peek at a pattern I found on Ravelry and I'm stitching it in 100% cotton in a auburn color.

 

I frogged out 4 quite tricky rows about 3 times but I bet you can see the picture already forming.

Using my Addie needles # 6 and they are sweeeeeeeeeeet!

 

 

Hope your Monday is going well too. The sun is finally out here! Yay!

Got lots of Monday day things on my to-do list so I best get busy.

 

There's one thing I know for sure. I'm eating something chocolate today. Craving chocolate for 2 days now. Yummilicious.

 

Jennifer

 

Wrapping up the week!

What a fast week! I can say it was just about a good balance of everything. I went to knitting group again and had alot of fun. I brought this project with me to work on. It's a giftie. (Without glasses the word giftie, looked like girafe. Oh my!) Well, it is a long scarf. I have to laugh..........

 

The ole' Feather and Fan stitch all the way to the end! I'm using Universal Yarn Batik 100% luscious soft cotton in the color Blueberry Jam.

 

I'm about half way done with this one. It's been a joy to work on it for many reasons. One because it's for a special person that means alot to me and two, I get to practice over and over the feather and fan stitch. You can find this in many variety of scarves and items on Ravelry.com

I'm surprised by how much mileage I'm getting out of this soft cotton yarn and hope the recipient likes it.

 

Other WIPS put to the side are this true red color cotton One Row Lace Scarf. You can als find this on Turvid's pattern on Ravelry.com. I made another one of these in March and April.

 

 

 

I have quite a bit of this as I got it on sale a while ago so I should have plenty of it to make a nice, soft, breathable scarf in Fourth of July color---RED!

 

 

I'm using number 8 straights needles for this one.

 

Just in the last 2 days, I've started a simple Fall burgandy red shawl. Again I had plenty of sale yarn in my stash. This is acryllic.

 

 

 

 

worked on number 11/ 32 inch circulars, Knitter's Pride Dreamz

 

 

There is more brightness in this pic than the yarn really is due to the flash but you can see the little wee bit of gray in it (appears blue with flash).

 

 

This shawl pin came from Looped in Washington, DC in March.

When I look at this yarn color, I think of Lady Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey. She wore burgandy or dark reds quite a bit. I may even call this shawl, The Mary.

 

 

Yesterday morning, I started this Tshirt cotton, airish, lovely wrap that I can envision covering a summer tank inside the cool air-conditioned inside or even in the late evening here in the mountains during the Summer. Sensations, Boardwalk Cotton. It's 50%cotton and 50% acrylic. Feels exactly like a nice, worn t-shirt material! I'm sure this could equally be used for a tie wrap over a bathing suit bottom too.

 

I've made progress on this since yesterday and in fact hope to get done with this one in the next 2 days.

 

 

Denim and pool colors for the summer!

 

 

 

Summertime to me also means more READING!!!  I went to the library this week and checked out a few books. I have my Kindle which is forever charging as I'm reading alot with text to speech enabled while I knit.

This book, though, I pickup and read passages which puts a smile on my face. I never tire of Jane Austen. I'm lucky to have a hard copy of this one.

 

Yesterday, while stitching away, I put on text to speech mode on the Kindle and read a really good book written by Jeanne Cooper last year. Her autobiography. It is very good, alot better than I imagined. If you are like me and have stayed in tune with Y & R over the past 30-40 years at some point, please get this book on your Kindles. It's worth every page.

 

Very sad that she recently passed away and Katherine Chancellor will be no more. CBS plays all the daily episodes on their website which I catch on alot of evenings.

 

 

224 pages long. I read it in 5 hours from start to finish in one sitting. It was that good!

 

If you go to Amazon.com, you can get it for your Kindle or in whatever form you like best.

 

I think Jeanne Cooper could definitely classify as a heroine herself , in real life and REEL life.

 

The weekend. Again. Cloudy and rain off and on which really makes me lazy. Methinks I best get busy finding out what dinner will be, including some kind of dessert and I suspect it will be chocolate in nature. I'm craving that and I know Mr. Darcy will like it.

 

I'm in the process of gathering up my overdyed threads as well, to finish out model stitching the sampler Forever Hope. Pics of progress to come soon. The frame is already made and I just need to put down some knitting to get into cross stitching mode again. The designing desk is still churning sometimes when the inspiration hits. I'm hopelessly an introvert it seems. :)

But this is how I feel at peace and know and search my heart. Stitching grounds me and reminds me that I can and do contribute something to the world.

You know that feeling that God is about to do something big in your life?  I am feeling this but do not know of which direction. I seek His will only though, and trust and pray for discernment every single day in the middle of worldy chaos.  

 

Stitching helps me turn off the chaos and be receptive to what direction He wants me to take in all things.

 

 

Purl of Wisdom~~ Life can change in just one instant sometimes and then again, it requires of us to be very patient and mindful that we can be at peace knowing it's all in His hands and best to lean on Him, and not our own selves. He knows the whole design. We sometimes only see part of it.

 

Till later,

Jennier

 

The Abigail Shawl

 

 

Little miss Abbie got a new shawl made this morning just like her mommie's!

 

 

 

She is enjoying the very cool, 60 degree weather but sunny this afternoon on the back porch.

 

Just a note to say, I hope you have a very

Happy Mother's Day

Sew Thankful to be Almost Finished with the City Shawl

Since taking a Craftsy.com class online in December, I have really loved alot of Stephanie Japel's patterns. She is a great instructor and designer. Some of her patterns are free. I did splurge last month and got the pattern for this City Shawl on Ravelry, inspired by my visit to Washington, DC for a work meeting.

This is where I found the yarn shop Looped!

 

I just finished binding off!!!!! What a happy dance since this is going to block 7 ft x 3 ft.

There are sections of lace, big lace and garter sections which will be blocked out with the help of Mr. Darcy this weekend.

 

This morning I was on a mission to finish this to Bind off stage.

The yarn is from Bumbleberries in Clarkesville, Ga.

(3) 100 yard balls of yarn used. This yarn is considered bulky and I used a number 11/36 ft circular needle.

This is Universal Yarn, Inc. fiber. It does have a slight tweed in it that made the K2tog's difficult at times; however I love the result.

 

I can see this with a white long sleeve T shrt and jeans in about September here!

 

This is the stage I'm at and next I will weave in the ends. Then off to a mild handwash and wet block it on my blocking board that my hubbie made for me. This should block really large.

 

I had been using the dining room table for pics but it was too big to show the whole shawl, so here goes:

 

It all started with one stitch!

 

The bind off was loose. I will be so happy to block and really open up te lacy part.

 

Remember the mess when I frogged out this and started with this new pattern?  All in a shawl now!

 

Needless to say, I love it and can't wait to the final finishing.

As far as other homesteading here, we had a week of daily rain followed by a few days now of sun and it's so refreshing to open the windows and let in some fresh air. Mother's Day gifties have been sent and I hope they like them. I made them with my heart in hand.

 

After this, I'm hoping to organize my "studio" of which I will show you pics later. Right now, there are 2 tables in it, waiting for a stitch group to form, after much cleaning out of stash. I feel blessed to have this space and I have much cross stitching, buttons, threads, patterns, and such to organize.

Oh. And yarn. :)

 

I hope you have a beautiful Mother's Day tomorrow. Miss Abigail says she loves her mommy!!!

I love reading your comments and I so thank you to all readers who take a part of their day to see what's happening here on Fox Mountain. 

Thankfully,
Jennifer

Just FYI for nest feather planning

 Hey ya'll!

What a week in the North Ga mountains and so glad it's Friday!

Just some housekeeping shortly and later I will put some pics on of progress, the homestead and such......anyhoo, the Nest Feathers Shoppe will be in business again. I looked at my blog and saw that I ended on Mother's Day 2011. WOW! 2 years. But, I will be putting some neat things for you to use doing your crafting or antiquing.

I'm mixed between where I'm going to put my designs that are not freebies. Stay-tuned. I have decided that I will be my own model stitcher and put my hands to work and heart to God with my talents to share with others. So designing will be increasing and I'm already working on one from a request from Matthew (in the Bible). I love knitting and will continue and balance out my needlework better.

I have a request for an order for some ribbon on the blog and just noticed it. So sorry..........but definitely will  fill orders and using Paypal only.

I just feel the hand of God moving me in this direction to use my talents right now in my life. With the full support of Mr. Darcy's encouragement, I can't be happier.

I will get a tag on the side bar later for you to click on to check out my Nest Feathers Shoppe in the coming days. Then when items are sold you can see that the amount changes at the bottom of the post.

I hope you are having a great Friday and until more info and later.........................................stay cool!

Jennifer

Coming Undone

 

A new start but put to the side right now to finish a shawl. I couldn't help but see what this feather and fan lace design would look like in BLUEBERY JAM in Universal Yarns, Inc. BATIK, 100% cotton yarn.

I love the variations of color. Just like Blueberry jam.

 

 

I'm using number 10 needles, not my faves but will work here. I would love to have Knit Pics Dreamsz straights in 10.

 

 

 

But knitting onward to see the effect, I put it to the side to work on my shawl I had started.

I eventually had to TINK the entire project and made a mess on the dining room table but found a Stefanie Japel pattern on Ravelry to restart.

 

I am on row 50 and it's getting even almost too long for a 26 inch cable # 11 needles. So,

I hope to get me a pair of 40 inch as this shawl is approximately 7 feet by 3 feet UNBLOCKED.

 

You can find the pattern on Ravelry. It's called City Shawl, by Stephanie Japel.

 

Coming undone.

 

 

Starting anew with only one stitch cast on.

 

 

at 50 rows now. Hoping this will block into a much wider shawl as I go.

The second section is beautiful with color.

 

 

Working on the dining room table. I'm so glad I don't have any visitors now for eats.

 

It's all in the process, isn't it?  Definitely, helps my stress AND creates something wearable.

 

And so in keeping with that thought, I will watch my undone yarn become a new shawl. Hopefully without as many mistakes as the other one.

 

Purl of Wisdom~~~Never tire of creating something beautiful from something that had way too many mistakes in it. Just start over. It's the process of creating that brings joy.

 

Sew thankful,

Jennifer