winter is here

The ground was green, the ground was white, the ground was green. The ground was white and green again. The snow flakes come sideways and then disappear, I hear something hitting the windows and then I don't.  Sometimes the snow comes without making a sound.

I finished putting this together with our first snow over a week ago.  I'm ready for some brighter colors.  --Ann--

Happy Thanksgiving

Gobble gobble --Ann--

On and Off the Needles

The wind came yesterday then rain and the snow late last night. Today my world is white with blowing snow.  I sat in my spot in the sunroom drinking my coffee and knitting and pulled all the blinds open to let in more light and to watch the snow.  The snow swirls differently in town surrounded by buildings than it does on the open prairie where it just blows with nothing to interrupt  its course.  In town the snow comes in whirlwinds when the wind hits a building and flinches back hitting the next incoming gust. The little snow twister spins until a bigger gust pushes it away.  The evergreens are flocked with white as are most of my windows.  I'm wearing my sweater from Iceland today, it feels so good.  I finished another Baa-ble stocking hat and my reading mitts so I started a scarf to match the pattern is Different Breeze.  I will knit until I run out of yarn.  Its a good day to knit.  Linking to Judy's OTN --Ann--

November Walk

Another glorious sunny day here in South Dakota,  I have met my 10,000 step goal almost everyday since the beginning of November.  There is an established neighborhood not far from my house that has sidewalks that wander through the neighborhood backyards instead of in front of the houses, in fact there are no sidewalks in front of the houses.  There are 2 places where the sidewalk goes under the street.  Its almost like walking through a park, well there is a park with a playground and a pond and lots of trees and beautifully manicured yards. The serenity of walking a path with grass on both sides and not a narrow strip of grass followed by an asphalt street.  Anyway I walked one of the paths from the other direction I hate to get in a rut and always walk the same route except in the grocery store when it saves time to go the same direction all the time until they rearrange the aisles.  Walking the other direction I saw some beautiful red roses blooming! in November!.  Another day I walked on the streets and saw some snapdragons in bloom! in November! There are a few leaves still clinging to the trees, the carpet of leaves has been raked or more accurately pulverized with a mower and bagged. The photo is from my file because I didn't take my camera along because I prefer to walk without any baggage which is also why I have no interest in taking up golf.  Walking without baggage.  --Ann--

On and Off the needles

I finished the sweater over the weekend and love the way it feels,  I may be ordering more of Mrs. Crosby's Train Case yarn.  It is always interesting how the colors pool together in a variegated skein of yarn, the yoke has subtle stripes and the sleeves have no stripes just texture then the body of the sweater has definite stripes and look how they changed when I decreased or increased for the waist.

Socks for son are coming along. I had him try them on and they fit just right.  He asked me something about the socks for his brother so I showed him those socks which have 2 x 2 ribbing because he has skinny chicken legs the 2 x 2 ribbing makes them stay up.  Then I said to oldest son that he has turkey legs, domestic turkey legs.  He laughed and laughed as he likes hunting wild turkeys. There is a huge difference between domestic and wild turkey legs, wild turkey legs hang over the edge of the roaster and have all those tendons which are as tough as bones and a bugger to separate from the meat. 

 I started the reading mitts for my new jacket, there have been a few mornings or evenings when I have gone out that mitts would have felt good.  Our sunny warm days are numbered and coming to an end.  It is always interesting how the colors change after a skein is wound into a ball and then knit, the blue that matches my jacket has melted into the purples.

The first stocking cap is finished except for the pompom. I have a couple more of these to knit before Christmas.  I'll see how much yarn is left to determine how fluffy the pompoms will be.  Happy knitting.  --Ann-- linking to Judy's OTN

Break from Reality

My break from reality and the election.  Soon it will be over, lets hope whoever wins chooses wise advisors.

1. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes  tear jerker have not seen the movie
2. A Single Thread by  Marie Bostwick quilt shop story
3. The Guest Book by Marybeth Whalen  light romance
4. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Ann Bronte a classic which I read when I was in my 20's  didn't love the book as much this time
5. At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier loosely about Johnny Appleseed and the giant redwoods and sequoias of California
6. Ross Poldark: A Novel of Cornwall, 1783-1787 (The Poldark Saga) by Winston Graham
7. A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman for book club everyone loved this book!
8. Between Heaven and Texas by Marie Bostwick quilt shop story
9. Demelza by Winston Graham  continuation of the Poldark Saga
10. Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon  book 4  of Outlander series
11. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown about 1936 Olympic rowing team really good!!
12. After You by Jojo Moyes continuation of above book
13. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrick Backman
14. The Last Woman Standing by Thelma Adams about Wyatt Earps woman 
15. When I'm Gone  by Emily Bleeker tear jerker
16. In Praise of Bees  by Kristin Gleeson  takes place in Ireland in 6th or 7th century love story and early Christianity 

I'm looking for a new book to start tonight.  Happy Reading!! --Ann--

On the needles

A new jacket is always a good excuse to buy yarn because every jacket should have a pair of gloves or reading mitts in the pocket. And maybe there will be enough yarn for a narrow scarf.
The yarn feels wonderful but then Malabrigo always does!



I also bought yarn, Cascade super wash aran weight, for stocking caps and thought it was time to learn something new like knitting with more than one color, real fair isle rather than self striping yarn that sometimes looks like fair isle in spots.  I cast on while watching movies with DD last weekend and it was not difficult at all....... the pattern is Baa-ble on Ravelry.

 

 Progress on the sweater, the world series was great for knitting and what a game!  overtime and by one run! Isn't that really the way a world series should be won?!?

Little by little the socks are being knit.  The sweater just keeps calling to me and another 3 or 4 inches before the ribbing and I'll be wearing it while I finish these socks.  --Ann--  Linking to Judy's OTN

Design wall

Not much progress on the design wall except that the 4 patches and half square triangle units have been sewn into blocks.  Maybe when the weather really changes to how it is supposed to be in November I'll finish this quilt top.  Monday afternoon the sun came out and the wind went down the little ones got to show off their Halloween costumes and the sunny warm days have just continued.  It makes it hard to spend the day downstairs in the sewing room instead of outside on a long walk.  --Ann--