knitting

A lot of time has been spent knitting in the evenings.  The sweater is Firefly a linen and viscose yarn by Classic Elite Yarns and the pattern is Ricky for all Seasons by Vera Sanon Ravelry link.  I have knit her patterns before and I am always pleased with the fit and the easy to follow instructions.
Socks are finished from leftover yarn.  --Ann--

buggy barn stars

I went for a walk yesterday because the sky was blue and the sun was shining like spring has some catching up to do.  We had 8 inches of heavy wet snow over the weekend and after yesterday I think its down to 4.  All I could hear as I was walking was the snow melting, dripping off trees and houses and gushing down storm drains.  It was a wonderful sound along with the birds chattering in the trees.
I turned all the plaid and stripe blocks upside down because all the block were leaning to the left now they look like they are dancing in pairs.   Back to the sashing.  --Ann--

Wool Quilt top

 I went to my sewing room one day last week and said I can't come out until this top is together.  I loved working with these wools but barely put a dent in the box of fabrics maybe I can sew a quilt top a year for the next 5 or 10 years ha.  I have a neat stack of strips for log cabin blocks and a short stack of squares for half square triangles for a broken dishes quilt.  Its done and folded on the stack ready to be basted.  --Ann--

Something new on the design wall

We have had four gray days in a row here I needed to work on something with cheerier colors and something that didn't take a lot of thought.  A Buggy Barn pattern fit the bill, just pick out 16 fat quarters or cut a half yards cut in half and stack and cut and sew.  No hours spent pouring over books and magazines or fabric or cutting strips.  I need to trim and add sashing and cornerstones and maybe a border.  And instant feeling of success.  --Ann--

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

So sad the Jackrabbits got beat but they put up a good fight.

1. The Throwaway Children  by Diney  Costeloe orphanages in England and Australia after WW II.
2. America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie for book club about the oldest daughter of Thomas Jefferson.  I learned a lot about Jefferson.
3. The Daughter of Union Coutny by Francine Thomas Howard. Arkansas after the Civil War to beginning of WW II
4. Everything We Left Behind: A Novel by Kerry Lonsdale
5. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan feel good story takes place in Scotland
6. The Story of Grenville King by Jean Grainger another great story takes place in Ireland
7. We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh contemporary immigration story
8. Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole a love story beginning in 1912 Scotland to write and receive letters like those that tell the story...........sigh............
9. The Nut Hut  by Kathleen Taylor for book club I read this a couple years ago about state institutions in the 1970's fiction but has a lot of truth
10. The Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor about flower girls during Victorian England
11. A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner a ghost story 
12. The Baker's Daughter by  Sarah McCoy another WWII story

May there always be work for your hands to do.

May your purse always hold a coin or two.

May the sun always shine on your windowpane.

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.

May the hand of a friend always be near you.

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day  --Ann--

sock knitting

 I've just been knitting socks the last few weeks mindless in the car knitting.  The top are a slip stitch pattern every time the color changes I would start the slip stitch pattern.  The orange brown is cascade duo color knit on size 7 needles so only 40 stitches around they knit fast! and so soft wool and alpaca.
And a pair of socks from odd bits of leftovers  I wanted a small project to fit in my purse during the basketball tournament.  I could put the small ball of yarn in the sock.  Watching my team is one thing but the others............it got to be a long day.
Go Jackrabbits  --Ann--

Dust Bunnies again

The dust bunnies were in my sewing room again, they got out all the DMC thread and wool thread for this little guy while we were away for basketball.  Our South Dakota State University Jackrabbits won the Summit tournament!!! and we broke the attendance record for most fans at a women's game in the country!!!!  We love our rabbits here.  Need to tidy up the sewing room before I can do anything else. Our world is white again with another 6 inches of snow but the forecast is for warmer days.  Can spring be far behind?  --Ann--

new yarn

 My two little purchases on our trip a refrigerator magnet and some yarn. The blue is a locally hand dyed fingerling which just happens to be one of DD's favorite colors.  They had a pair of socks on display at the shop made out of Cascade Duo color wool and alpaca yarn so I started another pair of socks on size 7 needles. They will be very soft and squishy.  The shop had lots of wonderful warm weather yarns of cotton, silk and linen in various blends.

Progress on birthday socks for DD.  --Ann--