Missed You!

Linda and I both missed the meeting last week and this week we were the only members to show up. Sometimes it is difficult getting everyone together and we really missed everyone yesterday. Hope to see the ladies next week!

We both brought spinning wheels yesterday and it seems that neither of us can seem to get any spinning done lately. I am trying to set aside a set time for nothing but spinning, and may have to ignore the phone to get anything accomplished!

Time to Re-Group!

Since the guiding force behind this group, Linda (my partner in crime) and I, have recently deleted our Facebook accounts due to frustration and irritation, I think it might be a good idea to utilize this blog to stay in touch with our on-line friends.

To get the (yarn) ball rolling, so to speak, I will share some card weaving with the group and say that I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow at our 1pm meeting.

This sort of reminds me of butterfly wings. I have enough warp to make several bookmarks in different variations of the basic pattern. This version shows a mirror image: just reverse the second half after finishing the first half....sounds easy.....right? Yeah! Right! But, I did manage to figure it out.

Weekly Meeting

It was a small group today: Mercy, Patricia and I were the only ones who could make it. Mercy is crocheting the yoke for a top and will make the rest of it out of fabric and attach it to the yoke: Patricia is finishing up a crocheted kitty cat and I had finished socks and a baby blanket to share while trying to decide which pair of socks to cast on for my next small project.

Cherry Pits with a Twist!

Sorry I couldn't make the meeting... ;o(   I guess Mother Nature is not very happy right now... This took a while to fix... thank goodness for my sweetheart of a husband.  But.... all is fixed... the tree is gone, the fence is fixed and our next move is to move... literally... since our house is finally finished, papers signed... We will be putting shelf paper in TODAY!!!  ;o)

Since I couldn't be there on Thursday and as a result can't really do an update, I thought I would share a tip on a rice hot pad how-to...

A few years ago I made a couple of rice hot pads to help with the arthritis in my hands and the pain in my neck and shoulders.   The pattern called for just half filling a tube of fabric with rice and stitching up the end.  I didn't like the idea of all the rice ending up on the ends and none where I needed it, so I made separate compartments in the tube and filled each one 1/2 full.  Works like a charm.  Today I found something new....

Cherry Pits..

Over on Martha Stewart's blog there is a pattern for the hot pads (I still like mine better!).. using cherry pits as a filler.  I am so intrigued that I just might have to order some.  They are so inexpensive and could be used for so many other things (thinking kids toys here)!  Here's the link... the online site is called  PIT STUFF.  I wonder if they would smell like the cherries... ;o) .. hmmm... doubt it...

There is also a link given on Martha Stewart's site for buying buckwheat hulls.... these can also be used in the hot pads.  I sleep on a buckwheat hull pillow, so I'm thinking these would be a lot cheaper than buying the new pillows...  The site is http://buckwheathull.com . 

Well, must get up and get around.  Going to be a really busy day.  Hope all goes great for you guys!  Have a wonderful day!  ;o)

Picture Album... and Welcome, Mercy!

I haven't been quite as up to date as I would wish, but thank goodness .. maybe... perhaps... the craziness going on with building the new house will be soon be over...;o)

I've missed blogging a couple of meetings so today I will be posting several pics ... Enjoy.. ;o)

We all fell in love with Pat Witherspoon's shawl... 

  This crocheted doggie shrug was the cutest thing I had ever seen.  ;o)

I had the best time test knitting this cable hat pattern for Pat Blankenship.  She's quite the talented lady.. ;o)

I

This camel/silk fiber that Pat B.  carded together.  I'm trying to spin it on my Bossie and it seems to working much better than I anticipated.  It has a very short staple length but  the sheen and perfect color make it a pleasure to work with.

Barbara is knitting dishcloths.  You would never believe that she has just recently learned to knit.. ;o)

 I'm drooling over this crochet hook organizer that Anita crocheted.  With this pattern the hooks are held snugly and don't seem to want to slide out the way they do in cloth organizers.  I must look into this further!

Virginia is crocheting edgings on baby blankets.  This is so pretty and reminds me of the many I crocheted for my babies... hmm... that seems like it was just a couple of days ago..lol

And would you look at this!  We welcomed Mercy yesterday and everyone was fascinated by
her wire knitting and button bracelet!







Every Thursday has become my favorite day of the week.. ;o)  It's just fun to see everyone and there's never a time goes by that we don't all learn something new.

Have a really good day!

Welcome Patricia!

Last Thursday was a fun time regardless of the weather.  We were under tornado watch and had some high winds so our group was smaller than usual.  Several live too far away to take any chances when the weather is bad.  Better cautious than sorry...

We learned  a lot last week!  Patricia W. was welcomed to our group.  Her talents are many and wonderful.  ;o) 

With her was her new spinning wheel.  She is a new spinner and she learning quickly. 

It was also great to see a really affordable spinning wheel that none of us knew about!  It's called the Shamrock    and is produced by Bluebonnet Spinning Wheel Company     in Cleveland, TX.   Take a look and see the styles that are offered.  I was especially taken by the Basic Bumblebee that is especially affordable at $199.00.  Wow!

Amber brought her spindle and is really progressing with it.  She just needed a little Pat B. and there she went!  ;o)

Hopefully this Thursday will not be so filled with weather.  See y'all then...  ;o)

Prolific Knitters

It was so much fun to pile up our finished articles and see what we have accomplished so far...the pile on the table includes 16 scarves. Time to work on some hats now.

Linda brought her card weaving to finish up a project....

Caroline was working on another scarf...she was knitting so fast that the photo blurred....

Amber was working out a hat pattern...and there is Caroline again working on her scarf. Can't remember what everyone else was working on, but they were all busy....I was eating and working on a sock.

We had a good meeting as usual and before I knew it, it was time to go!

Thursday.... March 31, 2011

Today at the meeting there will be a discussion of what is happening with the yarn that was purchased at the Woolie Ewe.  This is the yarn that is in the process of being dyed and prepared for projects to be sold at Arts Fest this September. 

Here are some more photos from past meetings.. ;o)

Thanks to Pat Blankenship for this lovely display of several types of wool, alpaca and silk.  This is one of the displays set up for the Herald Democrat photographer on March 10th...(I think..;o)  

The yarn preparation set up by Pat.  It's a wonderful display of ingenuity by our ancestors. 

 Dye pot of cochineal (it's a bug... really!) dye.  The picture just does not do it justice.  Beautiful, brilliant color...

 Not quite finished dyed yarn.  Still requires another rinse to remove bits of dye and to set the color with vinegar. 

This was a remarkable day spent at Pat's watching her throughout the dye process.  Thanks again, Pat!

Everyone....  have a lovely day!

Here we go...!

Red River Fiber Arts... we began this journey on November 5, 2010 and have never looked back. ;o)   What a pleasure it is to share our love of the Fiber Arts with the world.   This picture was taken at our second meeting.  We started this group with 5 friends who enjoy spinning, knitting and crocheting.  It has doubled in size in 4 months! 



Since we have 4 months under our belts, we have quite a few pictures.  Today I will put some random photos up for everyone to see.

Our first Thanksgiving feast that began life as "Let's all just bring something".. ;o)  This is Linda, Carolyn, Karen, Sonia and Amber.  What fun!

This was our 3rd or 4th meeting.  This was a lesson in Tablet Weaving.  Fun...

I'm not sure which meeting this was.
It looks like Anita and Pat are spinning that wool into "gold"... ;o)

I don't want to overload everyone's pc and make the page hard to load, so will add more pics tomorrow...

Our next meeting will be Thursday.  Can't wait to see everyone.. ;o)

Fellow Fiber Entusiasts

Thanks to Linda for starting this blog and thanks to all the ladies who are part of our Thursday get together at the Sherman Senior Citizen Center. It is a blessing to have other like-minded people who share my interests after being pretty much on my own for over 25 years in this area. It is so nice to gather each week to work on projects and share ideas for the future. I pray that our group will be a resource to the north Texas area.