a finish

 I finished this pair of socks with the Wool and the Gang Yarn specially dyed so the splotches of color would clump together meant to be knit cuff down.  I knit them toe up and made some changes to be able to knit them toe up.  This is how they worked out, I was right on with the stitch gauge.  They are done.

Progress on reknitting pullover for hubby,  I got the extra yarn over the weekend.  Can you tell where the new yarn starts?  The color is ever so slightly different I was just glad they still had the same color.  He won't notice unless I point it out to him, which I won't.  The lumpy texture of the kinky previously knit yarn will disappear when its blocked.
We changed the routine over the weekend,  we went for a drive one afternoon to see how little snow was left and to see how wide the Big Sioux River is and getting wider.  Also drove up to the lake  still covered with ice.  We will go for a drive again in a few day.  Sunday night we played Bingo and a word game on out phones with nieces, daughter and friends. That was fun.  But my ears hurt because some people who talk on their cell phones a lot always talk really loud and rather than taking turns to be heard they talk louder.  I will stick ear plugs in the next time we play.  Hope you are staying home.  Its a good place to be.  --Ann--

Life continues at a new address

We have moved into a 20 something year old house in a development that is mostly retired people.
 I thought by bringing things over to the new house one car load at a time I would place everything where I wanted it and just continue life as normal............WRONG!  I brought things over starting with the non essentials and placed them where I thought they should go and now I am moving everything to fit in the essentials.  I really need to get rid of more stuff,  I thought I would break lots of dishes on the granite countertops in the old house but I didn't.  I did learn to appreciate that nothing shows on the granite; coffee rings, coffee grounds, pepper specks, toast crumbs, water spots etc. These are almost white formica which shows everything and then some.  I am forever wiping the countertops.  Before I could make my coffee enjoy it.  Now I need to tidy up before I sit. The kitchen is also set up ass backward to what I am used to.  The only thing in the same orientation is the drawer with the potholders which is to the left of the stove.  Everything else is in a different place.  The work space and sink are to the right of the stove with the disposal on the left side of the sink. Thinking back I believe I have had to make that adjustment with every move,  I just had more cupboards, counter space and newer appliances than this move.  The chore of relearning everyday things.  I understand how my little dog must have felt with every move and the door hinges were on the wrong side for her to got out. Its cute when its happening to someone else.
I still don’t know what switch turns on which light.  The tree has been in place since the day we moved in but not decorated until after Thanksgiving,  Christmas quilts are on the walls and beds.
The really great thing with this move is I lost 5 pounds.  One day I did over 14,000 steps and barely went outside.  I've been too busy organizing things to snack.  Between the Sanford Profile weight loss program and a fitness app I put on my phone I've been eating the right things.  No more salty sweet junk in the house.  I wish I had learned how fast extra carbs, mostly breads, stick to your body when I was in my 30's.  My new mantra is and this is probably from the fitness app "nothing tastes as good as the feeling of skinny"  I love it when there is room to breath in my jeans and there are fewer rolls under my sweaters.  --Ann--

Quilts on the Walls

Quilts on the wall it feel like home. I had a great week and weekend.  My oldest son took me out for supper and I had him all to myself, (hubby was off doing stuff).  Its such a treat to converse with my kids one on one like when they were little. Cherishing and making memories  --Ann--

Thimbles Found

It seems I spent half the weekend looking for the thimbles, I found a couple in little go bags of sewing tools and finally found the jar of thimbles wrapped in bubble wrap in my Grandma Elsie's sewing basket complete with her spools of thread and tape measure.

  The next few days were spent sitting on the floor sewing these rag rugs together.  I saw some at Skansen the historic village in Sweden a couple years ago and they were actually tacked to the floor.  I could sew until my left foot fell asleep and if I kept going then my left leg would fall asleep so I had to get up off the floor and jiggle my foot awake.  Or my fingers hurt from pushing and pulling the needle, the thimble didn't  protect all the fingers.  I found corduroys that were overalls that I sewed for my little boys, sheets with stylized florals that I used as curtains in the first house that hubby and I lived, yellow flannel sheets that didn't hold up very well, floral blouses and shirts from college days before the designers on TV said that is so little house, a blue and white batik print that I sewed a dress that fit me oh so nice before children, and lots of plaids from shirts and tops. And lots of blues and pinks that were slacks and skirts.  Clothes were so much more fun 30 some years ago.  There were yardages of fabrics that I screen printed in college and some that I dyed.  I counted 15 sheets that were mine and who knows how many sheets that were my mother's or aunt's.  My mother made such good use of worn out and out of date fabrics.  And I get to use it some more.  Walking on memories.  --Ann--

Ann's Spot

 This house has a sun room that faces north.  It has east windows and west windows and of course north windows.  I cleared the boxes out over the weekend and tested this arrangement.  I am still waiting for blinds to be installed.  When that is done I will clear everything out and lay down a thin carpet padding and sew these rag rug strips together into a carpet.  My mother was a weaver and always wanted to weave some rugs long enough to use as a carpet.  The house I was living in 30 years ago had hard wood floors in the bedrooms that were not all that pretty so she wove these strips for me and I sewed them together and they were wonderful.  Then we moved and I ripped out the stitching and rolled them up and moved them a couple times.  Now they are out for a good stretch and get to relax in my sun room for many years to come. 

This will be Ann's spot for breakfast and morning coffee, still drinking green tea, and knitting and reading and drinking afternoon coffee and sewing and knitting and reading on football days and football nights, and even on no football days, and watching the seasons change and the leaves fall and blow and drinking hot chocolate and watching the snow fall and blow and enjoying my pretty dishes.  Cheers!  --Ann--

I'm gonna miss this view

(taken in early summer a couple years ago)

I'm gonna miss this view when I sit on the patio in the morning with my cup of C and get a little vitamin D.  Watching the prairie grasses in the breeze is as mesmerizing as watching the waves on a great body of water.  The moving truck and packers come today.  I have sorted and tossed as much as will fit in the dumpster every week plus a couple trips to the dump with big things and numberous trips to the places that take used items.  And I spent a couple evenings with the chimnaria burning papers because we had a little rain and there was no wind those nights.  It was very liberating to watch old papers and small scraps of fabric burn.  The movers gave us a considerable discount if I would pack my sewing room.  I'm free of old projects and have made a list of things I'm going to do anymore:

1. Calligraphy
2. Cross stitch
3. Crafts
4. Canning
5. Camping
6. Composting
7. Gardening
8. Collecting containers
9. ??
10. ??   

I left 9 and 10 open because I'm sure when I unpack I will look for something and when I can't find it I will add it to the list so then I can refer to the list when I need a reminder that I don't do those things anymore.  Odd most start with the letter C  the only C thing I'm keeping is Coffee.  I could just say I don't do C things anymore,  kinda like the guessing game where the cook only cooks peas.   The list will save me time looking for stuff!

I'm simplifying and specializing  I will still 

1) Quilt  2) Knit  3) Needlepoint  4)  Sketch  5)  Read.  Isn't 5 really enough things to do?!?

The movers will pack the rest of the house the books, needlepoint and baskets of yarn and necessities they will all put in a box labeled living room so when I start to unpack I can put all those things right back by my favorite chair.  I'll pack the socks I'm working on in my overnight bag.  I'm ready!
The next post will be of my new front door.  --Ann--

Happy Thanksgiving

My Turkey Leftover Quilt this was made using the fusible interfacing with the grid, the squares and half square triangles were arranged on the grid, fused then sewn.  Everything stayed in the right spot.
the menu for tomorrow:

10 pound Wild Turkey on the grill 

and 

Domestic Turkey Breast for Gravy

Blue Mashed Potatoes from the garden

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Wild Rice Dressing 

Steamed Broccoli

Fresh Fruit Plate

Cranberry Sauce with Clove and Cayenne Pepper

Cranberry Sauce with Fresh Ginger and Onion

Dinner Rolls and butter

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Crustless Apple Pie aka apple crisp

Ice Cream

Chokecherry Wine and Zinfandal Wine and Coffee

I have dinner rolls to make and pumpkin cheesecake bars to bake today and a few housekeeping chores.  Happy Thanksgiving!! --Ann--

Santas and Christmas Tree

 --Ann--

Six Decades of Christmas Trees

Six decades of Christmas trees......

This was made by my Maternal Grandmother in the 1960's every year I glue something back in place.

Triangle tree was made my my great aunt, sister of my maternal grandmother a note on the back to my parents says thank you for hosting 50th anniversary party in 1976.

I did the cross stitch in 1980's and I see that I didn't date or initial it.

a weaving my mother did in the 1990's

 A Christmas quilt I made in the 2000's I believe it is a Sandy Gervais pattern.

 Machine quilting on the back of a quilt 2010's, custom quilting for a friend and the only picture I have because of the great computer crash of 2011 at my house.  Six decades of Christmas trees and some will never go out of style.--Ann--

                                                                                                                                        

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I have a collection of miniatures this little turkey is less than 2 inches tall and is very old; it was my Grandmas along with the black pots, 2 squirrels and  plaster turkeys. 

On the menu for tomorrow:

Brie Cheese With Hot Pepper Raspberry Preserves on Pretzel Chips

Small Smoked Wild  Hen Turkey Shot by Son

Domestic Backup Turkey

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Wild Rice Dressing

Asparagus

Spinach Salad

Cranberry Chutney with Ginger and Onion

Spicy Cranberry Sauce

Relishes

Homemade Dinner Rolls with butter

Apple Pie, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pecan Tassies

Coffee

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving--Ann--

a favorite color combination

 I love pink and green together  I found some more in the yarn shop.

Come back tomorrow to see the quilts and Friday to see what the yarn is going to be. Until then blissfully happy with sticks and string.--Ann--

It's easy to get lazy

It's been easy to get lazy this winter. Too lazy to walk because it has been so cold for to many days in a row. Too lazy to write blogs posts. Yesterdays post was written weeks ago and was to lazy to push the publish button. That's lazy.

 The only thing this weather is good for is curling up with the knitting needles or a book, warm socks and a quilt. I moved my chair in front of the fireplace to get the full effect of the warmth and could gaze out the window. Watching the snow fall is mesmerizing and meditative so I started counting my blessings.........

1.  that I live in a draft free house
2.  that we haven't had freezing rain
3. that we have a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in our little grocery store
4. that I have a car with a heater that works
5. that hubby fixed my little snow pusher
6. that I have a number of projects and interests to keep from getting cabin fever
7. that I can enjoy a hot beverage at the touch of a couple buttons
8. that I have an education
9. that I have a wonderful family
10. that I live in America  

Have you counted your blessings lately?  It's time for me to get out of my lazy rut maybe spring will come next week until then stay warm.--Ann--

advent quilt

We had snow and blowing snow the way it usually comes yesterday so between watching the snow drift and pile I put up Christmas decorations. The Advent quilt is a favorite, it has three times as many buttons as it should so each of my kids could hang an ornament everyday. Then the boys got big and thought they were too big to hang an ornament so daughter hung them all and now I don't even take them off the tree. That's what happens when they grow up and leave home. I should count my blessing here that they did grow up and leave home.  It seems like decades ago ok it really was decades ago I found a Christmas fabric with old fashioned ornaments that were perfect for and Advent tree so I rough cut them and fused them to backing fabric and fussy cut them  and attached a loop. I hand quilted with a gold metallic thread around each of the Santas and under the trees in the background fabric. And no label on the back I think I made it in the early 1990's. I miss the dark reds and dark greens of Christmas from 20 some years ago. --Ann--

the blue door

 

My blue door is finished. My front door has a western exposure and our summer sun can be brutal, it was stained brown but the color faded and pealed and the molding warped. Its been a year since our carpenters and door manufacturer looked at it and ordered a new window and molding. My uncle did the stained glass he did such a wonderful job. It is finished and really looks much nicer than my photos. Anyone coming to visit has to use the front door!!!  ~~Ann~~