Christmas decorating

 In past years my daughter has always helped me decorate the Christmas tree either Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving.  This year I helped her sew snap bags on Friday.  The little bags that have the metal tape measure  that pulls open and snaps shut.  She practiced sewing on this fabric because she doesn't use the sewing machine often.  I finished this bag.  The pattern called for a 3/4 inch tape measure but all DD could find was  1/2 inch or 1 inch.  We used the half inch.  The snap is pretty soft so things might fall out of the bag if it is upside down.  I think I will make a bigger bag for knitting and the yarn should pull out easily. The yarn always catches on my knitting bags with zippers. 

Then DD went home on Saturday and hubby and I went to the college football game.  They won!! so on to the next bracket and play in Sacramento, CA.  We won't go.

The weather does not feel like getting ready for Christmas weather, no frost on the rooftops in the morning or on the still green grass.  Temps hit the mid 50's Monday, a great day for a walk.  I started decorating everything except the tree,  I need help getting it up the stairs and hubby went fishing since it was so warm.  Christmas quilts on the walls and beds next since that was a easiest and biggest beginning to look like Christmas task.  Next decorate the shelves in the study -- they need to be dusted.  Good day to do that since hubby went fishing.  Then to get out the Santas and nativity sets..............The tree will be up by the end of the week. --Ann--

poppies

 

These poppies are so slow stitiching even on the machine.  I am using the heavy buttonhole stitch I did try the lighter version of the stitch which was across and back then forward a stitch, 1- 2 -3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3,  like a waltz,  but the bold version looked so much better:  across and back across and back 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 then forward and back and forward and back and forward 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5.  It takes forever and then all those turns in the leaves.  I keep telling myself all those stitches and thread will be worth it.  In between stitching  time I'm cutting parts from my plaids: bow tie parts, square in a sqare parts -- same measurements as bow tie, 1 1/2 inch log cabin strips and 3 1/2 inch strips for tri rec stars to mix with the log cabin blocks,  goal here is to use all the plaids and be done with plaids until I spy the next round of fabulous plaids in the quilt shop.  --Ann--

off the needles

 Sweater finish and blocked.  The yarn is Iron Horse which is 75% Merino and 25% silk fingering.  I bought it at the Polka Dot Sheep in Montana last summer the color is Crystal Park.  It was wonderful to handle so soft and it feels even better on I may never take it off.  The pattern is Anker's Sweater by PetitKnit. I knit it on size 7 needles.  I started this pattern last summer using 2 strands of fingering of leftover yarns on smaller needles like the pattern said and it was going to be uncomfortably snug.  So I ripped and put the yarn and the pattern away. Then I started this yarn with a different pattern and did not like the fit so I revisited this pattern since the gauge was right I also went up a size, it was only 4 more cast on stitches, and love it.  Now to concentrate on the Christmas knitting.  --Ann--

A proper cup

Sometimes I just need to have my morning coffee in a proper cup and saucer.  Why have pretty dishes if I don't use them!?!?  First snow on the ground late Thursday night and Friday.  The wind finally gave up on Saturday.  Hubby was off hunting again.  DD didn't come because of ice packed and slippery roads.  The snow melted and froze on every horizontal surface long before the ground turned white.  So turned out to be a very quiet restful weekend for me, knitting and binge watching Gilmore Girls which made me miss mother / daughter time even more. It's a very good series and not what I was expecting.  Then the sun came out and the snow melted.  --Ann--

There's the same tree from previous post that was so glorious two weeks ago now completely bare.

Leaves

 The difference of a few days, the groundskeeper picked up leaves one day then the next the leaves fell in a puddle at the base of the tree and now the trees are bare.  --Ann--

Happy Birthday Babies

 

Happy Birthday Baby Girls !! Madeline in pink and Olivia in green.

Starting the tradition of new socks for birthdays.  They match their new snow suits.  --Ann--

On the needles

I like the way this fits so much better than my first attempt, yarn is so forgiving, on to the sleeves. —Ann