Wednesday, November 30, 2016

YARN ALONG




Hello Yarn Along knitters!
I am soaking a sweater, Jarred Floyd pattern that I have reviewed in previous post, but look at that water! How can a new sweater never worn be so dirty, or is it dyes from the yarn? Not sure, just very surprised.
The pink hat is going to Washington for the Women's march the weekend of January 20th.
I will be knitting more for people here in my hood to wear on that weekend as well.

Please join me over with Ginny and see what is going on with knitters around the world.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

YARN ALONG








The Holidays are upon us and my wish for me and my family is to be mindful of the season, be kind to one another and slow down! 
Mr.P and I will be making some Christmas cookies, {cut out ones} for my baby, her first Holiday season living far away from her family. She will be missed, but filling our hearts and thoughts!
The knits, well, I love knitting for the little one! I actually get these sweaters done quickly and who doesn't love a baby in hand knits?
A side note about the two sweaters, they have buttons from Little B's Great, Great Grandmother's button collection. I just love that!
I took pictures of books at the library to put on my reading list, when I write them down, I just loose that list...sigh. So I am going to keep a list with photos-at least till I run out of space on the cloud...hehehe!
Happy  Thanksgiving
lets all be grateful for what we have!

Please join me for

Monday, November 21, 2016

SLOW






Life has been slow around here and I LOVE SLOW. Sometimes I have to stop myself and think, "should I be doing something "important"?" Only to remember that slowing down is accomplishing
important things! It's a time to think, do I really need to buy this or that, most likely no.
Would my time be spent well at home straightening up a corner in my house, probably so!, or spending time on that quilt that is in my thoughts every night 
when I lay my head down, absolutely!  What better day of the week for SLOW than Sunday?
I Spent hours downstairs in the sewing room on Sunday working on my primitive quilt. I bought the fabric in Spring Green Wisc. and am smitten with each and every piece of fabric. I like the dark tones, reminds me that we are in the darker side of the seasons. A time when the sun stays low in the sky, darkness comes around 4:30 in the afternoon and I want to tuck in all day doing hand work, reading and perhaps a little cooking. I start getting ahead of myself with this quilt wishing it would  or I would go faster getting it done, then only to remind myself to SLOW down! So much of SLOWING down for me is to learn to enjoy the process, be aware of all the thoughts running through my head {some good,  some funny, some not so much} accepting all and react to only the carefully chosen thoughts. A lovely day for sure, SLOW Sunday I will return.
But, today is Monday and time to get a few things done...like that corner by my chair that is crammed with all sorts of things {treasures}, some knitting, some sewing and lots of reading. A good tiding of this corner though time consuming will result in a lovely corner to do my favorite things. Tidy corners I am finding actually help me stay focus on one to two projects at a time. It is mind calming;-
and since I have the time now to tidy and to tidy often, well it seems to be the right thing to do and I consider it more self care than a chore. Perception is everything;-}
Today, some cooking will be done::
Chicken tortellini soup
Ziti- using up the Italian sausage and meatballs with homemade sauce.
I am also thinking about Christmas cookies, must be the Christmas music on Pandora.
The season is soon to be upon us and I have children that live out of state. Actually more of my kids out of state than in Colorado. They grow so fast.....ugh!
But I do have little B here close to me.
Anyway, with the Christmas season around the corner I need to be aware of the time it takes to send packages across the country. These things must be done soon and the sooner- the better.
I say this every year and every year I am running and paying extra to get a package to a loved one by Christmas day, BUT, not this year!

Friday, November 18, 2016

IT 'S SNOW SEASON







Finally, snow has arrived in Northern Colorado. Generally the first snow of the season arrives in October, but in 2008 it was not until December 3rd. For many{most} of us Northern Colorado inhabitants we wait anxiously for the first snow and if you are a knitter in NoCo the earlier the better!
Come on now, Colorado is synonyms with snow!
On the first snow day of the season soap was made at Little House with DD and a friend of DD. Of course BB was here and she is all set for the winter. I think the soap turned out good, { not sure how it is setting up, left my house for that process}, but the soap coloring was a golden brown and traced was achieved quickly and beautifully. We made a goats milk, oatmeal, rosemary with a hint of lavender soap! Doesn't that sound lovely?

It's cold but sunny out there today. My plans are to go for a walk sometime today but this morning I'm not sure if I even want to get out of my warm PJ's! I think I'll watch a BBC murder/mystery show and knit on Brassy Dress.
Stay warm and enjoy the day!

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

KNITTING....REFLECTING


















Wondering if their was a dump here in years long ago and these pipes allow the gases to escape.
Anyone know anything about these kind of pipes. They are an eye sore on this beautiful high dessert prairie. A good visual reminder to me; "be careful what and how much I throw away. For away is only out of my house, though not out of sight!"










Handsome paint!







Life has been very full lately with miles of walking in the foothills before the snow flies. It has been very unseasonably warm and dry here in Northern Colorado that is becoming very concerning for us that remember the drought during the entire 90's. Hope is eternal, and the rain and snow will come, our walks over and on the foothills trails will stop and progress to snow shoeing...Mr. P rolled his eyes;-}
Knitting has lived up to  the anxiety medicine I need in large doses these strange/sad days post election. I am shocked that the tyranny yoke of "good adult behavior" has been cast aside by our new leaders in Washington. It is a wait and see time, a prayerful time that will be loaded with LOTS of knitting. A time to think and reflect where I can use my talents, time and money to care and nourish my family and all people in my community.
Hat-Rambled, a free pattern and extremely easy, fast and satisfying knit for the my little grand daughter!
Sundotttir sweater completed! A Jared Flood design that I am sorry to say I am not impressed with at all. I left out several of the shaping instructions and an entire section of short rows. I have come to the realization, a bottom up sweater that has more than 2 pages of instructions is to be steered clear of.
I need to do all the finishing work, not my favorite thing to do and then a good soaking and blocking.
I am very happy with how this sweater turned out with all my " I hope this works" changes in the pattern.
Congrats to Ginny and her new home!
It's YARN ALONG WEDNESDAY!




Thursday, November 3, 2016

THE GOAT IS DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!

CUBS WIN!!!!!!CUBS WIN!!!!!!!!CUBS WIN!!!!!!!!CUBS WIN!!!!!!!!

THE GOAT IS DEAD AND GONE!

CONGRATS TO CHICAGO AND ALL THEIR LONG SUFFERING FANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MOM AND DAD.... IT'S DONE.

THEY COULD NOT HAVE MADE IT ANY SCARIER.
CUBS 2016 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

QUILTS, SWEATERS,WALKS,etc.















Hey, hey, I'm a Monkey!


BB pretending to be a Lion




Is not this Fall just simply BEAUTIFUL! Mr. P and I have been out on walks/hikes in the morning and are loving our time outdoors before the snow flies. Speaking of snow flying, well it is way behind schedule here on the Front Range of the Rockies. Our first snow fall should have happened about 15 days ago. The evenings and nights continue to be too warm for me, I want cold weather to snuggle under quilts at night and wear all sorts of knitted goodness during the day. Besides we really need the moisture here...badly.

Some happenings here at Little House:

:: finished a quilt I started 15-20 years ago. I was hand quilting my reproduction Bubble Gum Pink Quilt( circa:late 1800's), but I used 100% authentic cotton batting (wadding)! How did they do it? Quilting through that batting I needed to pound the needle with a hammer. Hence, why this quilt ended in the back of a closest! I decided-finished is better than authenticity-I machined quilted the Pink Beauty. That cotton batting sure does shrink and pucker up after being washed and dried, an affect I like!

:: Bike Trail pictures heading West. Walked west to beneath the Foothills. That gorgeous horse would not lift his head for me to take a picture. Usually he will let me pet him and always wants a treat, (though NEVER give a horse a treat before asking owner permission).

:: My sweet BB loves people food, will eat about anything offered to her except, formula and baby food. She wants the real deal! Dill pickles, why, yes please!

:: Caitlin took me to this GREAT consignment store in Wyoming and I purchased a hand knit Aran sweater from Killarney Ireland for 13 dollars!  It's a size Med. so will be going to my youngest as a gift! It would be waaayyy to warm to wear here,  but not in Minnesota. Also found at consignment shop was the monkey Halloween outfit for wee one, cost $5. We are returning to the shop this week!

:: Reading- Finished Louisiana Longshot. Very entertaining, great book to read while walking on the treadmill at 5am. Starting another of hers in the morning.

It's been a full week here at Little House, though the perfect pace we are able to maintain.

Please join me over at 

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