White Hot Charcoal!!!

I finally finished the coiled basket for my son. I love how it turned out and so does he! Which is the BEST part!

I used Lion Brand Homespun in Charcoal for the yarn, and trimmed it in natural howlite beads. Looks like white hot charcoal does :)

It is for him to put his wallet, cell phone and keys in and not loose them.

Mini Stockings Away! lol

Hi! I just love making these stockings! Especially the little ones. They give me something quick to do, and something to practice my sock knitting techniques on! Two great things at once!

I used Red Heart Holiday in red silver, green silver and white silver for it. I embroidererd the candy cane on after finishing :) I braided extra yarn to make the hanging loop at the top.

Plum Wine Stocking Done!

Done! Another Stocking! I am on a Stocking roll! lol

I used Caron Simply soft in plum wine for the main color and sage for the accent with red heart Holiday in white for the ribbing and snowflake :) I made this one shorter and changed a few other small things. I made the ribbing ruffled! My son took this picture outside in the cold in a hurry, so he didnt lay it out very well, but at least the light was good! lol

Thinking of making one one reversing the main color and accent color, but keeping the holiday white for the silver thread in it for the ribbing and snowflake.

Mini stocking coming right up!

More Stockings!

I finished my stocking! ( it is the one on the right) I loved making it, and have started a new one already! And I made a tiny one using a pattern from a web site. I will post where the pattern is later, for now, here are my stockings!

Soul Soothing Craft Work!

I started this stocking as part of a KAL last week and it has been a wonderful way of getting back into my crafts! And at the perfect time for me :)

I have learned a new technique which makes Intarsia or multi-color knitting something I can do now by joining in this KAL! And it gave me a chance to practice my sock making.

The pattern is one that Jackie (Knitting Crone from *Cauldronofcrafts* yahoo group) posted in parts for us on the group called *The snowflake stocking*.

I have so enjoyed doing this! Thanks Jackie and Garnet!

A Perfect Day

Got to go outside and play yesterday!!!! Something because I am mainly wheelchair (power chair) bound, I dont get to do much.

But I did!!!! I had my son get my chair out, and I went down the road, got mail from the corner, then went across to the Wild Cherry trees!!!!

They are just past prime, but still great for making jelly with :) So I gathers about a quart, and some twigs for cough syrup. Then rode on around the corner and sat under a tree for a while, laughing with the elements, air was particularily playful!

Then went on around my block, chatting with dogs, cats and even a neighbor lady ;)

Still didnt want to go back inside, so I went back and gathered more cherries :)

Then, slowly came home, but again, instead of going in, called my hubby to come outside and relax a while with me. It was a perfect evening.... Sunny, bright blue skies, stiff cool breeze on a warm day....... awwww........

I wish I could get out more, and get my family outside more! It is so wonderful, and good for us too!!!!!

Wishing you all such beautiful days!!

Coiled Basket Making

WOOOHOOOOO!

I finally got my blessing bowl finished!!!

It is a coiled basket, made of clothes line covered with yarn. An example of how to do this is found here: http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/Sue-baskets.htm

Only I do a variation of this, and instead of having the yarn show on the downward wrap on the outside, I go downward on the inside, then back under the top coil, swing it around and start wrapping again. It makes for a smoother look, but the other way can be more decorative.

I added *bluemoons* appliqued to the outside of my basket, by simply making coiled circles. I still considering whether or not I want to make a lid.

Creative Blessings!
MaryBeth

Long time no post.....

I have been busy, very busy, not only with home life, but with a beloved mentor's death, Shekhinah Mountainwater, author of Ariadne's Thread, has crossed the veil.

Now left behind is what could dissolve into chaos. Even before she died there were members of the community trying to get control over some of her lists, and tauted long relationships with her. But I found it funny, that for all their supposed closeness to Shekhinah, that in the last six months to a year, when she was practically begging for helpers with her online community, they remained silent. As silent as her quickly approaching death.

Those of us who just want to see her work continue are being chastised for not grieving enough. Me? not grieving enough??? I have been on the phone with her many times a week until she decided to end her fight and pass on. I was there working in the background while they were silent.

But I don't want what they want. I don't want to try to be Shekhinah, or even her stand in. I just want to continue to do her work as she asked me to do. Not with power over anyone, just do my job. And for this I am called unfeeling.

I think the unfeeling ones are those who are trying to jump into positions of power, without regard to what Shekhinah said she wanted done. Those are the unfeeling ones. But they are also the ones making a big show of their grief on the lists.

That just makes me sick. I don't know if I can deal with it. I would sooner walk away than see her work disintegrate into petty power struggles by members who want things their way and are quite willing to be the squeaky wheel, whining about how they cant do the work of the list, yet seem to have lots of energy to shout their grief from not only our lists, but every list, including Witchvox there is on the Internet.

So for now my hands are tied, I cant preform my duties or I am evil, and if ppl like that gain control, I will be gone. And then I doubt the lists will last more than six months with folks like that in control.

Warning, RANT!

Happy Birthday to me.........

Yeah right.

Having an arguement with DH, son is finally finishing the dishes, after I fussed.

No one has mentioned my birthday.

Why is it asumed that *I* am to do all or most of the cooking?

Recreating Avalon

Sorry I havent posted in ages.

I have done some knitting and crocheting, but my main focus has turned inward. I have been doing some intensive spiritual studies and awakening things inside me I thought were long dead and beyond my current reach.......

But it seems Goddess can revive anything!

My current passion is to rediscover Avalon. And all the versions of Avalon from all over the world, such places where women gathered together to live, learn, and worship the Goddess in her many forms.

I believe such places can be rebuilt, first in our own hearts, home, then local communities.

If we but not only believe, but act on that belief and make it happen!

Do you have what it takes to step up and become part of Avalon?

Asking the hard questions,
MaryBeth

Sistrum/Systrum

I made one of these before, but, alas, as with many of my things it got lost in my move north. So I had been wanting to make another, and finally I did!

A Sistrum is an ancient musical and magickal instrument. It was used in Egypt and before. Priestesses of Hathor used them in their offices.

They are now used to both help raise energy and disperse unwanted or blocked energy.

They can be made of wood or metal, can have wire or wood that the bells, clappers are on. I like the beads on this one, I like the fact that it makes a *shhush shusshing* sound along with a gentle clinking.

My next one I want to find more bell like clappers for it, and perhaps make it differently.

Triple Moons

Greetings One and All!!!!

I finally got my triple moon doily and brought it back out for pictures! This was a first for me, knitting a design in two colors, it is different than just doing rows of different colors. I hope you all like it. I made the design by drawing it on graph paper first, then redid it several times in places and still not happy with my smaller crescents. But I will work on them again later. Another project for another time.

I also included a picture of the back, feel free to tell me what I did wrong! lol

Beware the Guardian of the Sacred Shawl!!!

Beware all ye would be evil doers!!!!

For Furball, Mistress of the Guardians of the Knitting is on duty!!!

She guards it so well, not even her knitters can get to their knitting!!!!

LOL she really didn't want to let me get to my knitting, when I tried she swiped at me and grabbed my hand. I really should make all the cats something, they love laying on my knitting!

Sorry it has been so long since I Posted

Having some trouble getting my pictures uploaded. Hubby worked on the computer, now some files are missing :(

I just didn't want to talk about what I had been knitting without showing pics too!

Happy and Blessed Spring Everyone!

Class Sock Success! ! !

I did it! I have two socks done using the *Class sock* instructions via *Sensational Knitted Socks* that I recently purchased :) I call them my first *Dobby Socks* or House Elf socks because they are so small.

Can you tell which one I did first? lol

The bottom one with the kinda pointy toe. It was my first time to do the kitchener stitch when I made it. I practiced some more before doing the second one (the top sock was done second) .

But now I have the confidence to do REAL socks for REAL ppl!

But I have also started my Deep Ocean Prayer/Ritual Shawl. I will tell you more about it later.
Have a great day!

Ist Class Sock done!

And I am working on another class sock just for the practice. Then I will do some for my guys. I did have to go to www.knittinghelp.com for help on some of the things I had never done before. (Goddess I LOVE that site, such a big help to me and so many others!

I will post a pic soon :) OH, and I am planning on making some House Elf Socks as part of my Harry Potter KAL ! I might do a pair of them first, before making some for my guys. More practice hehehe!

Ice Gardens in my Windows

Every year, when it gets cold and drear, there is one thing that continues to cheer me.......
The lovely Ice gardens that grown ON my windows up here.

Down south, we could buy plastic that resembled this, but up here they grow......
And each day there is a different garden that has grown over night.....

A beautiful moonlight garden....that vanishes as the sun grows in the sky.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I got Sensational Knitted Socks Yesterday!!!!!!

I ordered it from B Dalton, it came in very quickly!

It looks like it is gonna be the perfect instructional book for me. EASY to understand, detailed instructions!

Now all I need is more needles and more yarn!!!! LOL

Finally have more pictures added!

Well, I finally got pictures of most of my fiber works posted! As well as got most of them to their destinations :)

The smile on beautiful Cassie's face makes all the time spent knitting well worth my while! I love it when something I have made makes someone happy.

Days with no knitting?

I guess I did need a break.

I finished the scarf for my friend's daughter, still need to take a picture of it, maybe with her wearing it?

Then tried to make hubby some slippers with no pattern.

Can I say it was a BAD idea? as in VERY BAD IDEA.

I did get to practice a couple of ways of starting socks from the toe up, and one worked pretty well, so it wasnt all wasted.

Now I cant wait to get my first sock book! I have had it on order at the book store, my son was supposed to pick it up today, but he forgot my gift card : ( I may just have to send him back to town tonight!

Hack Cough Ugh

Sure, I start a new blog and get sick. Not really coughing sick, just feel cruddy. Still knitting tho! Something I can do when I dont feel like doing a dang other thang! lol

Almost done with my last Harry Potter scarf for my friend's daughter.
( www.knit.atypically.net/scarves/azkaban/pattern.shtml )

Amazingly, I am running out of yarn. Doncha just hate a tight budget when you have things to create???? Doent help that the store is also out of the yarn you need!

I need to get pictures taken of the other things I have made, and date all my pictures. I forget to do little things like that. Kinda of a scrap book of creative journey.

Testings

LOL

b logging......... just to post my knitting? Why not ?