Get Jacked

Go Jacks!!! Our South Dakota State University women Jackrabbits are playing in the sweet 16 for the first time ever in Portland against the Oregon Ducks.  Go Jacks!!  --Ann--

Every row gets longer, longer

I'm knitting shawls for an October wedding.  I'm using Valley Southhampton kid mohair and mulberry silk yarn.  It's just the garter stitch because its squishier and creates more volume than the stockinette stitch. That description would only make sense to a knitter. The yarn is so light and airy that it can be hard to hang onto with size 6 needles.  I've just started the second ball of yarn it feels like a whisper or an ethereal mist.  This just reinforces my feelings to only knit with yarn that you like the feel of in your hand.  If you don't like the way it feels while working on it you won't want to finish it or wear it.  It also sheds like having a white cat on my lap or a small mohair / angora goat.  But it feels so nice.
Our snow piles are getting smaller everyday, they even look like they are tired of winter.  --Ann--

Lady Bug Lady Bug

Fly away home........ I glanced at the border quilting this morning and thought I stitched blueberries in the border instead of Lady bugs.  No they are Lady bugs I had blueberries on my oatmeal.  I just quilted in the ditch between the lady bugs using the blind stitch foot then free motion on the borders.  I think the little girl whose favorite color is orange will like this quilt.  --Ann--

Fall in Ladies

 Line up ladies.  Fall in! Ten hut! What do you call a group of Ladybugs?  A colony, a cluster, a swarm, a loveliness! All of the above.  Do you want us in numerical order??  Do you want us in groups by epaulet color?  No no just stand by someone you like.  Four rows, six columns. Sound off 3, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 2, 5, 4.......oops  which way are we going??  Some days are like that --Ann--

progress on sweater and life

Some progress on this sweater after doing some unknitting.  Hubby dear had a procedure done on Monday one of those things that used to be a big deal but now it's almost routine.  He is doing fine.  Anyway while I was waiting I was knitting merrily along and after a couple interruptions I forgot where I was in the row which I turned around and knit the other direction well a couple hundred stitches later I realize there is a problem, my eyelets are not matching up.  Later when he is resting comfortable and I have given up on a nap I look at my row one stitch at a time until I find the spot where I went wrong, place a marker and un knit one stitch at a time.  I finish knitting the row and oops I did something else not quite right.  I did decreases in the row that did not have decreases.  Unknit again. I didn't think I was all that stressed but maybe I was, I left it until I had a better nights sleep and now all my stitches are correct.  Note to self next time in the waiting room, knit socks not long lace rows.   --Ann--

Lady Bug Invasion

The Lady Bugs are coming..............
I'm making a doll quilt for a little girl whose favorite color is orange.  I didn't want the quilt to look like fall or Halloween, so Lady bug lady bug fly away home.  The original pattern had buttons sewn on for the spots.  I didn't want to sew 60 to 72 buttons on for spots and have a choking hazard for the little girl.  I tried the eyelet stitch on my machine too small,  I tried the satin stitch and turn the little black dots as I stitch too small to turn easily.  Try the satin stitch with the machine quilting foot!!!  Firmly attached dots, round enough and easy to maneuver and a new sharp needle made it so much easier.  Then I got a little goofy with my dots.  She can at least learn to count to five.
We had enough rain to glaze the snow so it can't blow but then we got a little more snow and lots more wind but not like some parts of the state and midwest.  Still warm and dry. --Ann--

Coffee and knitting

I like to knit little projects with my afternoon coffee.  The long rows of that sweater.......my coffee gets cold or I stop in the middle of a row and I have to count stitches so I know where to start again and my coffee gets colder.  Socks or gloves or mittens are my go to for coffee knitting I can stop at the end of the sock or glove or at the end of the row.  I was playing with an app on my iPad to turn the photo into a watercolor.  More snow in the forecast.  Will winter ever end??????  --Ann--

Snow in the neighborhood

 Yesterday was +15 F so I went for a walk around the neighborhood.  The sun on my face felt so good!!!! and no wind.  Top and bottom pics are my house we can still see out our windows some neighbors cannot.  We have very narrow streets and parking on the street is discouraged so there are several parking pads around the loop for 3-5 cars each so there are piles of snow and bigger  piles of snow.  The neighbors say this is more snow than they have seen in the 20 some years that these houses were built.  It's been 5 days since it snowed can spring be far behind?  --Ann--

knitting progress

 The weather has been good for knitting.  Last Friday I watched the snow flutter to the ground okay it was a long way from the ground because the ground has been covered with a couple feet of snow since January.  It fluttered and landed on the existing 3 to 10 feet of snow.   I finished the sleeves of the Hitofude cardigan.  As I was knitting the ribbing it looked like a pair of pants for Tweedledum.  Now I'm working on the lace pattern for the body of the sweater.  Just follow the directions one step at a time and it all makes sense and yes you do kfb a whole bunch of times for the front sections.  I finished the alpaca blend socks, so cozy!! and a slouch stocking cap, that was my airport knitting the week before last.  I had big plans to baste quilts last week and not enough batting to do all the quilt tops but now the backings are ready and the way the weather has been I won't get batting until we go to the basketball tournament this coming weekend.  Staying warm and watching the snow blow today.  If winter weren't to harsh here we wouldn't appreciate the warmth and flowers of spring the way we do.  --Ann--