Finished objects and a few other things!!

To start with this weekend has been back to cold, windy and snow. We were supposed to get the snow yesterday (Saturday) but that didn't seem to materialize until almost dark and today it just will not stop. I am hoping for March to magically turn into this beautiful Spring month - do you think I will get my wish??

First off for the weekend - I now have an Ipod. My son got bought a new one and said I could have his old one. Its not all cute and small like the new ones but it does what its supposed to do and plays music. He has had this one for quite awhile and the new one does so much more but I have never really got into that listening to music all the time type of thing - I don't even play the radio in the truck. I think it has something to do with all those doctors constantly talking at me while I'm working. At my job you dial into what they have dictated and they keep talking for 8 hours - along with coughing, sneezing, belching - you get the picture. Today he helped me download some songs and I am up and running. I didn't download a lot - just to have a few songs to get me going. He is the tech guy in our house and like I said to him - Are you ready for me to be bugging you about how to turn this thing on or get the music to play. What I really wanted it for - is when I'm out walking. When I had Annie she would set the pace - not the leash pulling pace, but she liked to walk at a brisk pace and I guess if your going to walk to get you heart rate up stay you need to be going at a brisk pace. I have noticed that since she's not with me I walk pretty slow. This is the sock that I have been practicing on - getting used to sock yarn. I'm now at the heel so I'll have to read up on that and see where to go next. Starting next month I'm taking a sock class so they suggested you start practicing with the thinner yarn, our last class was a thick boot sock and magic loop. This will be double points and I sure am hoping it works out better. Hard to tell in the picture but the yarn is shades of green, oranges and a mauve looking color. Really pretty but the yarn is not something that I will not buy again. Its Berocco Comfort and I'm a little disappointed. In the 8 inches that I have knit the yarn has had 2 knots in it where it looks like they tied it together. I found the same to be true with the heavier stuff on the last sock. Pretty discouraging if you ask me.

I finally finished this shawl. Its out of Brown Sheep and is a verigated blue and white cotton. Just what I will need for all those chilly Spring days next month - Right???

I also finished the binding on this quilt, which I am ashamed to say has been done since last Fall. Several years ago I did the hearts attached to the squares in a blanket stitch. Then it sat for a long, long time. Last Fall Sara put it all together and quilted it for me. All I had to do was sew the binding - but its not one of my favorite things to do. I sat and wathed Notting Hill last night with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant and only had a little bit left to do this morning.

Tom has been sick most of the weekend with fever, chills and a cough - so its been pretty quiet around here as he's been on the couch sleeping a lot. I have done some more cleaning in the kitchen and in the bedroom. I will be ready for Spring whenever it shows up.

Now I have a big pile of wool that is called me. I want to see what I can get started on with that. I have a couple of ideas - maybe some easter eggs or a table runner - we'll see what happens.

Hope you are having a good weekend....

Yellow - Day 5

Yellow trimmed rooster egg cups. Makes me think of Spring - which we are not having today. Its back to the deep freeze and more snow coming tomorrow.
No knitting for me this weekend. I have some small hand sewing projects that I need to get done. Have a good weekend....

No yellow today - just a blue day.

Today we put down our border collie Annie. She has been sick since way back in July and nothing that we have done has seemed to help. Everytime I would think this is it I'm going to call the vet she would perk up - just like she did this time. He confirmed what I was thinking, she is not going to recover. We adopted her 3 years ago and it seems so strange not to have her here tonight. From day one I was her job, making sure that I wasn't making a move without her. The only time she left me was to go to the barn with Tom - she loved being in the barn and even then she would periodically come back up to see what I was doing. We walked countless miles together - it has been strange going without her these last few months. One good thing though, for the last 3 years she has had a very different life from her previous and I like to think we were meant to come along and make her happy in her final years. Back to yellow tomorrow...

Yellow - Day #3

This is perfect for today. Its been a cloudy, rainy, windy and cold kind of day and these would definitely cheer anyone up. I think its time for the snowmen to go - I am so ready for some warmer weather.

Have a good evening........

Yellow - Day #2

Here is day 2. The barn on the left is yellow - it was hard to get a good picture. They sit up on the window ledge at the very top in the family room. These barns were put out by Farm Bureau for Ohio's 200th birthday. A barn painter went around to every county and painted what you see on all the barns. The yellow one is Cuyahoga County - the county Tom and I grew up in and where my mother and brother still live. The one on the left is Medina County. Actually this one is only about 3 miles from our house on the main road and we pass it all the time. Ohio's bicentennial was in 2003 and the Medina County one is starting to show its age. I hope they don't pain over it.

This was a spur of the moment yellow - I was talking on the phone with Kris this afternoon and just looked up and it hit me - I have something else yellow.

See you tomorrow!!

Ice Festival

Thought you wouldn't mind seeing some pictures from the local ice festival. It was cold but not as bad as some years have been and the sun was out. This was was huge. Jessica and Tyler are standing on the street just off the curb - so gives you an idea how tall it was.

The picture below is in front of Studio Knit. Its a kangaroo complete with hat and scarf and knitting needles and yarn in its pouch.

Its always a fun time and something to do on a cold February afternoon. Now we can onlyhope that Spring is not far off.

Enjoy you evening....

Yellow - day 1

I'm participating in houseonhillroad yellow week. This is going to be a challenge for me as I don't have a lot of yellow things. If it were blue - we could go on for a month - even orange or green.
This is one of the yellow areas on the quilt that Kris made me for Christmas from bed sheets. Its my Saturday afternoon nap quilt - I love using it!!

I'm in a hurry right now but hopefully I'll be back later with pics from the ice festival. Kris brought Jessica and Tyler over for a quick tour of the square and all the sculptures. Right now, I have to go find more yellow things.....

A few finished knits

Finally....I got another cropped cardigan done. This one is Sara's. Its a heather brown made out of Lopi by Reynolds. This one came out better than the first - so there is hope that someday I'll be knitting sweaters like crazy. I am a little bored with this pattern so thus I won't be making mine anytime soon - maybe for next Fall. I have my eye on a couple of other patterns though - and there is still plenty of sweater wearing time here in Ohio. Next up is Jessica in a hat pattern from over at a-friend-to-knit-with. The yarn is Lion Brand - I had in my stash. It came out really good but the next time I think I will try to make it on double points - I really don't like sewing up seams. Tyler got a neck warmer that is on tiennie knits. She put out several patterns for hats and this neck warmer. This one is brown and out of Mission Falls merino superwash. I can see me making more of these for next year - just right for when you don't want a scarf. Thanks to both of those girls for publishing the patterns - they are well written and easy to follow. Just what I was looking for!!

That's all I have to show for today. I have one more thing to finish - Kris still needs her fingerless mitts. I will get to those this week because I did start a pair of socks and so far so good. I'm taking a toe up sock class next month so I needed to start practicing using double points and sock yarn. My other socks have been magic loop and with heavier weight yarn. Problem is with magic loop I knit way to loose. The socks were way to big. They were to big for Matt and Tom even - plus they didn't like the color even if they did fit - a nice soft blue stripe was not what they had in mind.

I am also participating in yellow week over at houseonhillroad. This will be a challenge. I have learned that I am not a yellow person - I have only come up with 3 things to show. I'm going to have to keep looking, I have to have more yellow.

Our town is having an ice festival this weekend so were headed off this afternoon to go look at all the neat ice sculptures. The whole town gazebo area is filled with them and a lot of shops have them in front of the store and they are usually themed to what they are selling. I'm hoping to get to Studio Knit to show you the one they have. On my way to the grocery store yesterday I saw it was wearing a hat and scarf.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.....

Official Heart Day

Have a good day!!

Wacky Wednesday

I should have known that today will be a little different. I woke up at 4:50 a.m. to hear the TV beeping that they were doing some sort of test. The next thing I know they were playing Country Western music but still showing the images of the news. That went on until 5:50.

Next I tried to start working at 6:00 a.m. only to find that the system was acting strangely. I got one job to type after much of trying to get into the system and then only to get bumped out until 10:00 a.m. It was company wide so there was really nothing to do about it.

So what should I do from 6:45 until 10:00?? Knitting came to mind but when you don't know if your going to be working in the next 15 minutes its kind of hard to concentrate. I have been working on cleaning up the house - actually doing Spring cleaning in February. This way though I will be able to be outside when that warm weather comes and not stuck cleaning out closets and washing curtains. I decided to tackle the linen closet - it was interesting to say the least. What did I find - 15 navy blue pillow cases - mind you we don't even own 15 pillows and I must have been on a navy blue kick. Two bottles of doe urine - left over from my son's hunting days. Medications that date back to 1983!! Five bottles of hydrogen peroxide - I hardly ever use that stuff but if we do need it we are well stocked. Needless to say I had a pretty big bag of trash.

Its a gorgeous day, in the 60s but a little windy. So for the rest of the day I'm off to do some errands and get some walking in. I have walked 2 days already this week and I feel so much better already.

I will leave you with some more hearts.......

Saturday Hearts..

Hope your weekend has lots of hearts in it......

It's a heart day!!

I'm ready to get started on my heart pictures for the month now. Today was so cold (-6 this morning) but the sun was out and it makes it look so much better - at least for me. I started taking pictures of all the heart things that I have and although I don't have enough for every day of the month - I do have enough for for every couple of days. Why don't you join me - I would love to see your heart decorations.

The picture above is of a little quilt that Kris made for me long ago. I think it was the first Christmas that she and Todd were married that she made this. It has spent most of its time on this quilt rack shelf above the couch in our living room. It was probably one of my first handmade quilt pieces.

When Tom gets home from work later we are going out to get some wood. The wood we have been getting is just to unreliable to get going - it seems to be wet and all it does is sit and hiss instead of getting toasty warm. Thus it was a very cold house this morning. So I'm off to make supper, do some washing and sit and knit for a little bit. I have a feeling after we get done loading the truck with wood I will be going to bed a little early tonight.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOM!!

Today is my dear sweet husband's birthday!! He's been a great husband and father, always working hard to make sure we had the things we needed and wanted. Always making sure we are happy before thinking of himself. We started dating when we were 16 and hopefully have many years left of growing old together. This year we will be married 39 years!! One thing I can say about being together for so long is that at this point we can tell what the other is thinking before its said. Here's to many more!!

Love You!!

It's Heart Month!!

Here we are - its February already. January seemed to go by pretty fast this year - I think because it was non stop snow and cold that kept us busy. Today was beautiful though - sunny and 40!! Now 40 probably does not sound like warm to most people but around here it was like a heat wave. I checked the weather though - it won't be lasting. Back to more snow and cold.

This is one of the heart pieces in my house. Its a counted cross stitch I did at least 15 years ago. It still sits on the mantel and I love looking at it. I used to do a lot of counted cross stitch and would really like to do it again - for right now though I'm a knitting person. This month I'll show you all the heart things in my house - stay tuned for that..

Today was a busy, busy day - not what Tom or I planned. Good thing we slept in this morning - until 7:45!! For people who get up at 5:00-5:30 every day that is really late. We went and got our trailer from Rich and Sara, then we went to Kris and Todd's to pick up a horse that we are bringing to our house to keep Cooper company and Tom is giong to work with her since they are doing cows this year and probably will not get to do anything with her. Then I went into town and treated myself to a Latte - Ahhhh - that was good. Now I'm going to put on my PJs, watch the Super Bowl and knit. Sounds like a good evening to me.

Hope you had a good weekend......