some knitting for craft hope.
the pattern is from here.
makes an quick, easy, but more importantly warm hat, while giving me something to do while watching the national college hockey games in pittsburgh! ok.... i'll call it nervous knitting. (Go QU Bobcats!)

Happy weekend!

what's with the calendar?

it's april. 
what happened to february?

oh, right. work. snow. snow, and a little more work. and, a new sweater pattern; annabel cardigan.
yep, right in the middle of my candide pattern. but i don't have to tell you how that happens, right?
still working on the sleeves. but i do have the buttons all picked out, so i'm ready when the time comes.

and, march? march was nice. a trip with the girls to duluth included curling, and a special meet-up.
then a little more snow, a terrible cold virus, work and knitting. also, four bunnies for easter. this is a dream of a pattern.

in the middle of all of these parts of the whole, come phone calls, a crashed hard-drive, worry, a broken phone, frustration and stress of all kinds. so at the end of many days we just wish to be stronger for the next. mid- may is racing up fast, with college graduation and a soon to be sophomore returning home. and, i can not wait. it's a beautiful thing to have your people home, if only for a little while.

but for now, april.
yard work. 
so much yard work. last fall left no time to properly tend to my gardens. 
raking, hauling, trimming, and uncovering to find plenty of young plants searching for sun. but, there's a little sewing too.

 

i have a few patterns in mind for some easy wear tunics this summer. this one is about half finished and with any luck, i'll wrap it up on friday, after i make an almond cake for D's birthday. early morning sewing works best for me, and i have set aside a few amongst my work schedule.

our warm weather is leaving for a bit. and it's going to be much colder by friday. i needed to bring some of that spring inside. 
so, while the wood stove still burns in the chilly spring evenings, i'll knit. i'm going through patterns for a few hats for this group. 
maybe even get those sleeves done on annabel!

a year of senses

with january coming to a close, i'm wrapping up my first 31 days of a 'year of senses'. i'm finding how much easier this is for me to commit to. perhaps it's the interest in noting life as it happens around me.
anyway, if you'd like a look, pop over here.

today's day off brings a quick clean-up then knitting time and a decision about heading out for half and half, when that's really all i need/want. hmm. it will be a gamble to see if there is enough for tomorrow's coffee.

ps. thanks for the sweater love. next one up, candide cardi. adding a lace detail to this one; top, cuffs, and bottom. oh, and ear warmers for the girls at work.

alpaca and merino love

first, thanks for the help with the dresden quilt question. i've decided to hand stitch. i hope to get to the first top later this week. there is a quiet house here, and i'm looking for some ways to keep busy. the first quilt will fill that time perfectly.

i finished this easy sweater. the details are here. i highly recommend this alpaca/merino blend by cascade yarns. it is a great weight, very soft and so comfortable to wear.

i am not sure how much i like the striping in this yoke style pattern. things tend to lead the eye to lower and lower circles, if you know what i mean. but other than that, the color is yummy and i can see my self wearing this all the time as that extra light layer.

up next on my needles is another candide cardigan. i ordered some yarn from bartlett yarns. i'm going to add some edging details to this one once the body is complete.

stay warm, friends.

dresden quilt help - opinion please.

i have been slowly appliqueing these old dresden plates to a white backing. i bought them a year or so ago. I know that i just want the plates on the quilt top with just a colorful, small print binding on the edge. no other color.

but, i can't decide if i want to hand quilt each square individually then sew together for a quilt top, and finally tie it all together.

or, do i want to sew my top together and hand quilt it as a whole unit with backing included. i feel i'd work on it more consistently if they were individual squares. easy to take somewhere as opposed to sitting with a large quilt in from of me.

but then, there's the whole tied quilt thing. it's not my favorite way for a quilt to go together. i've made one.  i like it, but...oh,  i'm just not sure.

what do you think?

a year of senses.

 i stopped short with my 2012 every day 365 at flickr. this was a 'new' fall, with change in routine and structure. i continued to use my camera everyday, just couldn't get into the groove of the upload. i will go back and add them a little at a time. but as i approached christmas and the girls arrival home for the holidays, i found i had other things to do and prepare for. these days, i find it easier to let things slide a bit. no need to try and keep up a crazy pace. for who? for what? i am what i am, and that's just fine.

i wanted to do something just a little different at flickr. this year i've decided to take my 365, and then, while i'm uploading, add notes of one of the five senses. it doesn't necessarily need to pertain to my photo of the day, though it might now and again. those shots are usually what moves me at the time. rather, i am getting into a habit of choosing one of my five senses in the morning when i wake, then looking for a few specific details relating to it.

i'm simply using this space to note what i heard or saw in my day; hints of what i remembered most. 

it gives me a reason to notice. it gives me a reason to move at a slower pace.

a year of senses.

may your new year be filled with the very best. xo

peeking at christmas.

there is just a hint of slower days ahead. i am looking ahead to some time off with lib during her winter break. anna is abroad for the january break and we look forward to her photographs and stories when she returns. christmas found us all with busy schedules. the girls handled the cookie baking while i was at work. we kept things simple with our gift giving, and spent time enjoying each other's company.

i naturally have needles with yarn strung on waiting in my basket for those quiet winter days.
i hope you all had a wonderful holiday. 
wishing you the safest, healthiest, and happiest new year. xo