Tumbling Cats

This is the latest picture I have of Tumbling Cats. I have since had it blocked, applied rug tape and label and will post a picture soon. I really enjoyed hooking it and looking forward to the next project.

Newest fascination(s)

I really didn't need to be fascinated with anything new but rug hooking reached out and hooked me along with dyeing the wool fabric for the same. These are my latest pictures of the latest project:

"Tiger and Leopard" design by Dahlov Ipcar
"Tumbling Cats"
Rug adaptation by Patsy Becker

Twenty Things About Me

This has been something popular to do for a few years now. I saw one blog with 100 things. I don't think I would ever think of 100 things about me but, here are 20.

1. From these parts, it is said, "American by birth, southern by the grace of God." True, but I prefer "Southern by birth, Christian by the grace of God."

2. Don and I have been together (counting dating time) 32 years. We had known each other by sight for 6 years through our careers in music. We will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in 2011. We have no children except for 2 four-legged babies that have gone over the rainbow bridge.

3. I don't understand boredom. I have always needed a challenge and because of it, a jack-of-all-trades. No challenge and I'm gone. So, on to #4. (;

4. I was a professional vocalist in my twenties for 6 years. I worked all over the U.S. and enjoy the memories made in those years.

5. After those 6 years, I was vocalist with Don (pianist) and was vocalist in the 41st Army Band (MS Army National Guard) and full-time supply technician with the MS Army National Guard.

6. I served as a color and design consultant and picture framer in a cross stitch/frame shop.

7. I was an administrative assistant for two divisional merchandise managers (with 13 buyers between them) for a major department store followed by administrative assistant to an independent sales rep.

8. I have been a knitter since 1964 and a weaver and dyer since 1987, and loved a multitude of other methods of color interaction. In the last year, I have begun rug hooking. I have been and am a member of various crafts-related guilds.

9. I love all colors but prefer rich, saturated color.

10. I finished up the last 15 years of my working career by establishing Heritage Yarns and wore all the hats that owning a business entailed including dyeing most of the yarns.

11. It is a joy to be retired and dyeing, knitting, weaving and hooking for my own pleasure. Not to say anything about how wonderful it is to take a guilt-free nap or have lunch with a friend.

12. I don't like beets and that's about all except I may be allergic to mangos and something in Margaritas.

13. I love spicy foods and have made chili so hot we had to open the doors in January. I wish my stomach liked spicy foods as much as I do.

14. I love cooking for friends and family. When I can't, I cook too much for two people to eat.

15. I love riding on the back of one of Don's two tour bikes. We've toured all over; I've been riding behind him for 32 years and pray the Lord sees fit that we can ride many more years.

16. We live in the same home that my daddy and mama built in 1964. They were self-employed with a home office. Who knew I would use their office for my business?

17. We still play music monthly at no charge for our local senior adult daycare center. They love it and we love them.

18. New friends are wonderful; old friends are best. We stay in contact with our musician friends, some of whom span back 48 years.

19. My only brother passed away a few months ago. Heaven is an even sweeter place now. His two sons are good men with sweet wives and children.

20. There is not enough time in this life to do the things I want to do. I wonder what our Father, our Creator, will have us doing in heaven.

After the Rain

We had the pleasure of a visitor that stayed for quite awhile the other night. He crawled up and down the door, disappearing occasionaly and then returning. Is he a baby bullfrog or a rain frog. Regardless, I love to hear them after rains.

Redbud Tone-on-Tone Colorway

This is one of the last tone-on-tone colorways that I designed after the Redbud tree. Theresa, this picture is the small skein; I have one of those left and 4 of the larger ones.

Happy Easter! Happy Day!

He is risen! It has been a beautiful day here to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you and yours.

More Knitting Projects Finished in 2009 - Installment 2

Begun on October 18 and finished on November 11, this project is for our guild's Think Pink show to be held next month. I've named it Celebration of Life Shrug. Although the shrug design is my own, I followed Jane Thornley's stitches in her Paua Shell Topper. It is very warm and can be worn in 2 directions. One direction is longer in the back. It makes a nice shawl collar worn that way.



Front worn the long way



Detail of the front worn the long way



Back worn the long way



Back detail worn the long way



Front collar detail worn with shawl collar



Detail of the front worn the short way



Back collar detail worn the short way



Detail of the back worn the short way

More Knitting Projects Finished in 2009-Installment 1

I knitted a lot in 2009 and seldom stopped to mark progress with blogging during the busy fall season. Rather than postiing all today, I will post all in the next few days; stay tuned.

The first that I finished on October 29 was the Sea Island Shrug inspired by Jane Thornley's Autumn Grasses Caped Cardigan.

I knitted a medium-sized bodice from using Jane Thornley’s guidelines. I wasn’t satisfied with the way the stripes were looking on me and so I changed the directions of the stripes. Rather than increasing for armholes, I decreased until I got to the cuff and did a k2,p2 ribbing. On the other side, I took out the cast on, put it back on the needles and repeated the decreases that I made on the other side. I finished off with a k3,p1 ribbing for about 6”. The binding is lying flat mostly except for the collar which probably will not due to the weight of the shrug. When I get the nerve, I will steek the collar as Christie suggested.




The bottom 2 pictures show how the garment is made to lift the collar to wear.