Hodge Podge Glimpe Of My Life Recently

We don't have much snow on the ground because it melted away in a recent thaw. But it sure has gotten chilly in the last day or so! Last night the temperature was several degrees below zero. And on the hill where we live the wind chills were pretty extreme.

I know it doesn't look like a hill from this direction...

Just looking at the picture makes me chilly! We have had a bit of sunshine and that has been wonderful to see. It goes a long way in cheering everything up.


This here is a little red work quilt that Mother and I made as a gift for Grandma. We had started it about five years ago, but never finished it. Time, and the busyness of life kept getting in the way. We finished it this week and gave it to Grandma last night for her 80th birthday.

I loved doing the red work. I would like to make one of these for myself someday. Isn't it such a dainty picture? I wonder what she is working on?

Hollyhocks and Daisies.

There were fresh eggs out at Aunt Sarah's. I could not resist taking a picture. This is several days worth of eggs. The lighter colored ones are really blue, although they don't look it.

We are hoping to get chickens come spring. We've been doing a great deal of research on the different breeds. I am looking forward to having chickens. Keeping chickens is not too difficult, not time consuming and you end up with a healthy and wholesome food. Plus you know right where your eggs came from and what the chickens were fed.

Grandma's 8oth birthday party was lovely. We are blessed to have so many years with this sweet and wonderful lady. Grandma is truly a gem. :)

Since I have been sick all the last week ( I still am as a matter of fact), I have not had much knitting done. I have several projects in the works. And many more that I want to start! But we'll see what happens this week. If only I could shake this nasty bug that has settled in my throat. I have not spun in awhile either. I have some beautiful silk roving that I am spinning. It was a gift for Christmas from my parents and is a dream to work with.

So long for now!

Baby Blanket

Sort of my own pattern. I just knit up 20 -7 inch squares then seamed them together.

It's a gift for a friend. It's a nice easy project and a good way to use up leftover yarn. I used a worsted wool yarn.

More Knitting News

When Christmas was over I was not in the mood for knitting at all. I had done so much in such a short time. I'd rather not knit when I have a close deadline.... it is too stressful! However after a day or two I was back in the mood for knitting, but I wanted to do something fun. So I decided to try this fair isle hat from Louise Harding's book "Knitting Little Luxuries"

Actually I had never done any sort of fair isle before. This is a good beginner project because it is worked on straight needles. There is a three needle bind-off at the top, and then the side is seamed up.

Lastly the tassels are made and attached. This picture shows both tassels at the corners.

View of the back.

My first few rows of fair isle was a little tight but once I got the hang of it things went smoothly from there. It is made with a worsted weight wool yarn. I can't wait to get another started. It is such a warm and cozy hat! I'm also making a pair of mitts in the same color. I didn't think about it until I finished the first mitt, but I should have incorporated the motif from the hat into the mitts. Ah well, maybe next time.

Remember the little quilts I posted back when I first started blogging? Well, here they are again, but now there is a proper bed for them to lay upon. My brother made this doll bunk bed as a gift this Christmas.

And of course we couldn't part without leaving you all a shot of my bedroom window the other day. It was covered in all sorts of gorgeous designs. It was kind of difficult to take a picture of the frost because there is a layer of plastic over the window, but I did my best.

They remind me of ferns in the forest...

Wintery Weather

Collecting Eggs.

The woods at my Aunt's place.

This was after a night's snowfall.

Beautiful!

Ephriam the Hippo

Happy 2010 Everyone! My, it seems like in one way 2009 flew by!

I'll have to do a post of all the projects I did in 2009.

Here is the little hippo that I made as a Christmas gift.

He is from the new book, "Itty, Bitty, Toys" By Susan B. Anderson.

I used one 100gram skein of sock yarn. Plus a little extra for the feet, ears, and paws.

The yarn is double stranded. I loved making the little hippo. He is so sweet. I like how Susan recommends sewing each piece on as you go. That way when you have knit the last piece you are pretty much done with the project, and you also get to see it come together as you work.

Now I am looking forward to making some of her reversible toys!

More on Christmas projects coming up!