RV "camping"

This is an admission of fake camping.......I realize that often I tell people that I am going camping-well...... you decide if this kind of "roughing" it should be classified as camping:

This sofa opens up to be a bed. The sofa

is part of a "slide" or a movable floor that is electrically pushed out from the main rectangle shapeof the RV. You push a button once you are parked at a site to broaden the living area inside.

Below right is the kitchen area. At the far right is

the refrigerator/freezer (yes we do pack ice-

cream!)

You can see the fridge on the left, closet doors back left, bathroom door and the spot where we place the TV.... ;) .....above another storage space.

So I guess you can stop thinking of me as an Adventurous naturalist...........I must say that I have paid my dues-tent camping in the rain and mud...............now I enjoy luxury in a campground........or a Walmart parking lot in a pinch (but only for a stop-over on a long trip).

Well, another season has passed-there will be antifreeze in the pipes soon and we'll hope that all the snow stays outside and there are no leaks. Springtime will come soon.......I hope!

SUNSET

The weekend was bitter sweet for so many reasons. We were able to get away because my daughter Rachel covered for us. You see, the night before we left my mom had a crisis evening with confusion and fear. A friend called us to alert us that my mom was in need of help. Upon arrival at her condo, we found evidence that she needed to be at home with us. There will be doctor appointments etc. in the near future. We are all pitching in to make sure that she is safe and happy. Please pray to our Creator who has a plan for my mom and loves her more than we do. I am praying that she will know we love her and will accept help, look past any embarrassment and just enjoy the next phase of her life.

Bill and I enjoyed walking through the trails and watching the lake especially when the wind picked up.

I thought I would show you an applique quilt that I have been working on while RV camping over the years.

YES, I LOVE CHICKENS!!

The pattern came with pictures like a paint by number diagram. I had a photo of what the chicken should look like. I then tried to match the many layers of colors with my stash of colorful fabric. The center wing of the middle chicken is actually fabric with the the head of a zebra turned on it's side. Some day.......... over the rainbow, I will finish all the chickens and the vines and flowers that will complete that quilt top .

I began my copper cardigan (from my last post) and although I had to unknit or "frog" about 4 inches, I did make a good headway in the back piece. I will share more of that in future posts.

Last chance for RV knitting

Before our world looks like this.......................................

.............We will be spending one last RV weekend enjoying the lake and the autumn chill around a campfire.

Not to worry you craft stalkers-Look what arrived in the mail today-yummy copper yarn: Swish super wash merino wool!! I'm thinking of making a cardigan and am considering a pattern that looks like fun. This sweater will be washable...... or so it says on the label.

After this weekend of knitting on the lake, we will have to winterize the RV (so the pipes don't freeze and then the season of fun camping will be over:(

I will take my camera with me and hope to share the lovely sights and knitting progress next post.

Ready for fall

Well, the house was 65 degrees all weekend. I had to close the windows yesterday because starting out at 65 indoors, and dipping down to the 40's outside at night.............Yeah-trying not to go to turning on the heat just yet. BUT I DID FINISH THE COWL....so my neck will be warm.

Yesterday, I realized that the leaf pattern was morphed and decided to "unknit" back to the spot where I was confident that I was following the pattern exactly. Basically, I had to RIP out the "skirt" at the bottom. I also realized that each line of the printed pattern had the number of stitches in the REPEAT so.................I methodically placed little markers between those repeats. It took time to get it set up But .....was a great saving of time ("UNKNIT"

time) in the long run. I knew that the stitches between the markers had to be the same number. If there was a mistake, I only had to RIP out a few stitches to get back to a marker.

I blocked the finished cowl and let it dry in the sun. How does it look??? I love the way this fiber feels on my neck -great way to dress up a plain sweater or long sleeve Tee.

I am so blessed to have the resources, interest and ability to create.I am grateful that God has led me to friends who have taught me how to craft so many things. I love the quiet time while I am working and so many times, God meets me there... right there, in the process of creating.

He as our Creator has shared the process with me and made me realize how amazing He is, in His genious-creating you and me for a purpose, bothering to put spots on a ladybug, changing the seasons and then of course creating heaven-a place He has prepared for us.

Read John 14:2-6 for such wonderful HOPE.

Knitting everywhere

Thought I would let you into a behind the scenes knitting project. No, I am not knitting in a closet but I always carry a little project with me -everywhere- just in case I need to wait in a waiting room or get a minute at lunch and of course if someone else is driving.

I had an itch for knitting after making two baby sweaters but didn't have enough yarn in my stash for a sweater. So, I looked on Knitty for a cowl pattern and then hunted through the stash for my favorite color and a soft enough fiber for my naked neck. I came up with the "Poinsettia" pattern and "Kathmandu" yarn from the Queensland Collection DK weight. It is 85% Merino Wool, 10% Silk and 5% Cashmere.

I am working on a circular needle but may have to block it when I am done because it looks a little thick in the middle. Looks so snug on the model and although I'm just guessing that my neck IS bigger than hers-it may be looser than I had intended. I promise to model it when I am done.

In another post, I'd like to tell you about the transformation I had in the last couple of years: that is evolving from my former American or convention knitting to the European or continental knitting method. The American holds the yarn on the right and the Continental holds the yarn on the left.

Ta Daaaaa!!!

The quilt top is completed! I am pleased with the results although each time I look at it I wonder if there are areas where some color is too concentrated.

I WILL be quilting with a bright blue thread so some of the white areas will be toned down and the green areas will move to a shade closer to blue. I am considering a "pebble" pattern which I have recently seen demonstrated. It's simple and not entirely feminine like my usual preference- flowery quilt patterns.

My next task is to decide what to back the quilt with. I have three quilt blocks left and some of the original 10 inch (solid color) squares. I am considering incorporating these into the back rather than using a solid color. I also will design a quilt label with some important facts documented including the occasion, signature, year and place created..................you never know-it may be an antique someday and I would want my great grandson or daughter to own a proven piece of history.

chain piecing CHOO CHOO!

I'm busy working on the blue quilt and I wanted to share a tip that I learned at my last "quilt spa" in Geneva. For years I have Chain pieced sections of the quilt by running the sewing machine at a steady purr and feeding the face to face fabric pieces under the pressure foot. The pieces are then connected to one another with a twisted thread. You end up with the joined squares or triangles forming a type of connected-flag like the ones seen outside newly opened car dealerships etc.

You then cut the thread to separate each joined section, open the seams and press with an iron. The beauty of this method is that you can sew continuously without having to stop and reposition each section under the pressure foot.

There has always been the irritating problem of hanging thread from each block. I guess you

would expect that I had cut those threads

off...but I never did...and it is true that when the quilt is sandwiched and quilted, the threads are enveloped by the other fabric or batting layers.

But it is messy and the threads sometimes work themselves out.

Lisa showed me that if you start and end your seams by feeding a scrap piece of fabric (I call them thread eaters) under the pressure foot,..........then when you cut those scraps off the chained piece AND the unwanted thread tail is now embedded into the thread-eater.

I have to admit that I tried this method because of WHO suggested that it was the way to

go..............seemed like an added step without any apparent benefit...UNTIL I pressed the pieces and saw that the seams were free of the fuzzy tangle on the back. I really think that I saved thread and also prevented the loose thread from ending up on the floor and the innards of my machine.

The blocks you saw in the last post were arranged on my queen-sized bed into what I hope will prove to be a random arrangement pleasing to the eye. I concentrated on differing the block formation, colors and light and dark balance. I sometimes find that if I squint my eyes I can see the dark and light pattern better and then go about swapping one block for another until there is a balance of color and light and dark in the arrangement.

There were 9 rows of 7 blocks across. I sewed the 7 blocks to each other and pinned a paper square to the strip with the number in the order 1-9 so.......... I would be able to assemble the stripped rows together in the order that I had laid them out. WHEW!!

I will be sewing those 9 strips together this evening and should be able to show you the finished top tomorrow. I hope you are enjoying the process...........I know that it may seem complicated but it really isn't. I would love to hear what you think about this quilt and/or entertain questions about the process. Please leave a message-love to hear from you!