RUG HOOKING

As so often happens when I am looking for something else,

 I found a project I had started years ago!

I cut a few more strips with this Fraser cutter (1/8" strips).

And hooked for an hour.  I found my technique in no time

 but I had completely forgotten how long this takes 

to workm an area only 3" x 1" !!!!! 

 I was a bit discouraged by this discovery.

(which is probably why it was stuffed into a bin in the first place!)

I did find an old project that was completed but needed to be bound so it is ready for sewing into a pillow, 

wall hanging or footstool which is what this will be.

  I hope to build the footstool myself 

and turn the legs on the lathe! 

 How's that for ambition?

  I think I would prefer building to hooking any day!

 

TOPPED!

 I did it!  I pieced the two extra rows

 and put it all together and then added the borders.

  I will be turning this in on Quilt Group next week!  

    I also bound, washed and dried the MQAL that Alycia designed                         this year in Long May She Wave.

I will also turn this one in 

to the local QOV chapter. 

 A good feeling to be finished

and a prayer for the ones who will receive them.

PUTTERING AND PROGRESS

Bill 'rescued' this table and yesterday I decided it was going to get repaired or removed from the garage!  I tightened all of the joint screws and then painted the wrought iron.  I painted the top portion with grey paint and will now sand the top to give it a  driftwood look.  I think the legs need about 2" cut off so that the table is level with the window ledge.  There are rubber stoppers in the bottom so that I can replace them when the leg is sawed off.  I am pleased with the look!

When it began to rain, I decided to add the two rows of blocks (to the top and bottom) with the similar but different print.  Since the original 'kit' from QOV Day was for fewer rows, I have improvised with at least the top and bottom different but matching. 

I will piece the blocks and finish seaming all of the rows today.

I like the look of this--it is 56" by 72" when completed. 

 It will need borders to the sides 

because I like to make these quilts in a generous size.

I hope to apply the binding to the other QOV I finished recently. 

 It is supposed to rain again today

 so I need to make good progress on the piecing! 

FO AND FELINE FRIDAY!

 

The Gneiss Sweater (pronoun) is finished!  I had a lot of mis-starts and recounts but I got there eventually.

  The yarn is Premier Basix Mosaic in Zebra. 

The pattern is Yarnspiration 'Caron Top Down Knit Pullover'. 

It looks great with a pair of black jeans. 

 I have a few wintery days to still wear it!

I made the ribbing longer in the back by an inch

 and left it split so that it won't draw in.

Time to wash our faces and get going!

Ready for the day?!  Me, too.

 

SITTING PRETTY

The mild temperatures here while I was in NY has produced a lot more azaleas!  There are pinks, very pale pinks and some whites so far.  The other side of the driveway takes longer to bloom because they are in the shade side!

I hung my cow in the dining room.  It is a good spot to see it all the time and enjoy the calm colors, too.

I knit a headband without a twist for anyone to wear but especially for men who wouldn't enjoy the twisted version!  

I will be making several of them this way and some more twisted ones, too.  The two hats are for newborns--one is lined in grey because I used up the end of two skeins!

  It was nice to be home!  

Today, I will be doing some time in the Studio!

 

HOME, SWEET HOME

I am home, received much love from Bill and the cats. 

 I will find my legs around here again and empty my suitcase.

 Oh, and open my rock tumbling barrels today! 

 I will enjoy going outside without hat, coats, scarves, mitts, socks and shoes--look out short sleeves and flip-flops, here I come!

 

IN SUMMARY

My niece makes these wooden cow faces for wall art--they are 12" tall and full of character!  I'm bringing one home with me-they will soon be for sale in her Etsy shop.

We played at 'Dots' and made two hats in between family visits!!  

We also made this Valentine heart 'basket'.  You know how you have plans to make a bunch and then you find that even making one was a stretch?  Yeah, that's how this idea turned out! 

 We made one and were done! lol

Sadly we are packing up today and flying home.

I have my DH and kitties to welcome me home at day's end. 

 So grateful for a wonderful whirlwind of a visit!

 

DIAMOND DOT DOINGS!

We worked on some quicker projects of Diamond Dots, each of us making a key chain or purse sparkly.

We had a very relaxing few hours talking and enjoying the girl time!

Excuse the selfie but here we are-my sis, sis-in-law, Mom and me!  The weather was a balmy 46F !

 

LOST AND FOUND

Here's a family picture-my brother, sister, parents and me!  

I began the day yesterday with a sad cindy moment!  I dropped my ring down the second floor register and heard it drop  A L L  the way down to the basement!  When it warmed up a bit (-13F is very chilly) the men headed down to the basement to look things over.  They tried snagging it from above and it didn't work.  So went down with the plan to open up the vent pipe.

They drew the 'trap door' mark to use the grinder to open it up...

then the battery died on the grinder.  They (my brother in law, brother and dad) ended up just unscrewing the pipe from the stringer and pulled it out of the other end and were able to find....

my ring (front left) and another ring we have never seen which is sterling silver, an initial ring with a V on the front!  The other items are just fun, too.  The other good thing they discovered after living in this house since 1970, that there was a damper to this heat register upstairs and it has always been closed--the upstairs is much warmer now! lol

This was the arctic-like scene we woke up to yesterday morning!  Brrrr!

But did it stop my Dad from bundling up and heading out to get the mail at 10am?  Not at all.  

Mom and I worked on our mittens 

to match the hat we made the other day.

I managed to whip off another hat-red on the inside and grey on the outside, or vice versa as desired!

Church by remote today! 

WINTRY CELEBRATIONS

All day the weather did this~  blowing snow and high winds.

 The temperatures were brutal.

And they will be like that again today! 

 The winds make the below zero temps even worse!

And in spite of it all, family came for the big 90th birthday celebration.  Here are four of the thriteen great grandchildren! 

DIAMOND DOTS

We enjoyed opening this new project, Diamond Dots. Since it only came with one tool for placing the dots, we raided the pencil box and found a pen with just the right opening so I could play, too!  

My brother and his wife arrived to join the gathering;  we now have a full house!  The birthday party will commence tonight. 

 The sunset was glorious last night but too cloudy for me to sight the Green Comet!  I keep trying!  Have any of you seen it?  

A QUICK YARN STOP

It was a very chilly morning when I woke up yesterday, but seeing the sun was shining and the snow was not falling, we took a drive to the nearby store for yarn!  Did we need more, no, but I wanted to work with my Mom to make some hats on the Sentro Knitting machine and the right yarn makes for a good experience!

We each filled a bag with I Love This Yarn colors of worsted yarn to turn into hats when we got home!

The first hats went off without a hitch.  It is nice because we sat at the table and cranked and talked away the morning; 

 a very happy time.

The first of two new hats we will make this week!  

This morning we will make mittens to match the hats! 

 It's good to build skills!

 

HAPPY BRRR FEBRUARY!

I watched a clever YouTube tutorial on how to make thses hearts (3") on the 22 needle Addi knitting mavhine and thought I could put some of the appropriate colors to use!  The are a quick knit.

I sprayed them  with water and then pinned them to the design wall and steamed them and gave them a good smash to flatten because they are made from acrylic and blocking isn't their favorite position!

They dried overnight and then I looped the yarn over a chain I made that was wider then the doorway of my home to hang them temporaily.  When I get home from this Nordic trip, I will hang them a la Tammy in a local park!  I can't wait!

For now, they will fill the doorway with the love I have for my home and all it encompasses....

And safely arrived for the birthday visit--no drama while traveling and that is saying a lot!