The sweaters fit!!

A delightful weekend with the little girls, they have had four birthday celebrations with different family gatherings, friends, daycare and finally us.  The first thing they asked was if I finished the sweaters but I didn’t let them open the packages until after the birthday supper by then the toys were all more exciting than the sweaters and neither one had time to put it on.  Finally the next day they did put them on.  I was glad I ripped and made the sleeves longer and the body and peplum longer too.  We played outside before the birthday supper because it was unusually warm for mid November they wore the sweaters I knit last year, they still fit but not for long.  Darling son said he was so glad I made the button holes bigger on the new sweaters. Wearing a hand knit sweater is like wearing a hug from grandma.  —Ann—

 

Off the needles

 

A double finish for my little girls. The yarn is Cobasi ( cotton, bamboo and silk) fingering, it was not a suggested yarn for the pattern but I knit it anyway after a false start with too few stitches because my gauge was smaller……so I cast on stitches for the 10 year old size but the end result will fit a 3 year old. I started knitting these in August and remember doing a lot of math to get the size right. Fingers crossed that they fit this coming weekend. I have knit this yarn before it’s machine wash and dry!  The pattern is Camille by Mille Fryd. —Ann—

Off the needles

I only worked on this cowl with my afternoon coffee just a couple rows a day. It only took all summer and fall to complete but then I’m easily distracted,  when knitting in circles I can stop anywhere I don’t have to knit to the end of the row.  I pulled off 4 repeats of the color pattern and marked with a slip knit for the bind off, I had 18 inches of yarn to spare. I love it when I use all the yarn. Staying warm —Ann—

The yarn is Dream in Color from Smooshy and the pattern is Geode by Jane Vanselous. Very clear instructions to make the colors pool and spiral. You need a hand dyed hank with definite divisions in color. Click to see what the yarn looked like in the hank, golly I started this the end of basketball season in March and I finished as the seasons opens again.
 

The Roar, the Hum

 

I sat down to do some sewing after weeks of not sewing, the roar of the machine was such a comfort. A couple days later I sat down to sew again the roar was still roaring so I oiled the machine. It’s humming a happy tune now in my happy spot. I cut out these hexes before my little grands were born, now they are ready for bigger quilts but I’m not making them bed size, just bigger snuggle quilts. Looking forward to more time in the sewing room this week.  —Ann—

Reading list #4

1. Thunder Bay by William Kent Krueger book #7 of the series always good. No longer available on kindle thank goodness the library has a hard copy. Patiently waiting for #8.
2. The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick another great story by the author about reuniting with a family member, secrets, learning to love yourself. Delightful.
3. In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen England WW2 spies, code breaking I like the Rose Code  by Kate Quinn much better.
4. Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diane Gabaldon I had to read it again after watching the latest season of Outlander since the series ended on a cliffhanger. There should be a 10th book and 8th season in the future.
5. Red Knife by William Kent Krueger book #8 I couldn’t put it down.
6. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray for book club about the young woman who helped J.P. Morgan build his library of rare books and art.
7. The Address by Fiona David New York end of the 19th century about the Dakota apartment building for the upperclass. A young woman from England is hired to be head housekeeper and immediately promoted to building manager “managerette” was her official title, she worked closely with the architect who is finishing the project, romance follows along with lots of twists. Also a modern day story well actually 1985 setting of a young woman getting out of rehab, trying to stay clean and sober, restart her interior design career and unravel her family roots. Very good!
8. Homecoming by Kate Morton 500+ pages and I read it in 3 days. A mystery from 1959 is unraveled with lots of twists and turns. I figured some things out and then surprise didn’t see that coming. The story takes place in Australia also a present day story of the granddaughter untangling the family history and reconciling with her mother.
9. Heaven’s Keep by William Kent Krueger book #9 another page turner.
10. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus for book club very good
11. Vermilion Drift by William Kent Krueger book #10 I’m going to be sad when I finish this series. It was a beautiful day so I sat outside and read.
12. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke just for fun reads just like the hallmark series. 

• I started reading Call My Name by Jenni Ogden the first chapter was about the main character being “late” and way too much information I’m of the generation that didn’t speak of such things except in euphemisms. We just put our big girl panties on and kept it private. Another book I read by Kate Clayborn, the main character whined for an entire chapter about her monthly cramps. That and bad language put both authors on my don’t bother reading list. Is this a trend with young writers?