THE BEST TIME OF YEAR

Folklore shirt

 spacing button gadget

Yup, it’s January 2023, no denying it any longer. Time is flying by -especially winter, my favorite season! Winter is my season to tuck in and do all the things I love- sewing, quilting, knitting, rug hooking and spinning. Far too many hobbies for this women to get all the projects done that she has planned. But, I have a start;

I have finished sewing the Folklore shirt and I am very happy with the results. I am not a detail anything kind of a person, (depend on my hubby for those skills) so doing buttons evenly is always a challenge here. No more, I have this new gadget and it does all the thinking for me!!!! Also, putting buttonholes in, well my new Bernina does all the math on that as well, all I do is hit a button. Sewing life is good here. Another old invention, new to me to use is Fray check. Sew in a button hole, fill with fray check, let dry and when that button hole is opened it’s perfect!!!! How did I not know about that!!!!

 On the Knitting front;

Ozetta Highland Slipover-Brown Sheep yarn from stash 

Gnome Pun Intended by Sarah Schira  

Hat completed . Planning on a monthly gnome project (will see how many actually get done. Remember I am not a detail, fuzzy anything kind of a person. This will stretch me(thank you Kat, I fell in love with your gnomes))

Several more projects started but we will talk about those later in the month.

January is a great month to eat down the freezer and pantry foods. It’s the month for lots of soups, homemade breads, roasts and …….

I love cooking in January and so far this month we have only spent 4 dollars at the grocery store.  The challenge is on as to how little we will spend this month on food. I am sure we will be doing this in February as well. 

linking up with Kat

unravel Wednesday

UNRAVELED WEDNESDAY

Pin strip flannel Folkwear Shirt

It is a busy time of year here at Little House. No matter how I try to slow down December, I can never slow it down enough. Keeping up with ‘normal’ things and then the decorating, baking, events, etc., I ask myself why oh why don’t we spread all this ‘fun’ across 12 months? This year I am making a consorted effort to remember Christmas is a season, not a day or a week.

I do have one plan for January, we are going to eat our freezer food down. I am planning on a 100 dollar food budget for the entire month of January. This means we will only be buying fresh produce once a week and milk. Eric is on board, we will see how it all works out. 

In the making department, I continue to work on the Hexie quilt (so close, so close.) Of course there are other quilts needing some attention but they are moved to the back till Hexie is finished.

I am going to cut a shirt out for me, a night shirt will be how I wear this, it will be sewn in a flannel that I picked up second hand. I have made several Folkwear patterns in my time and this shirt I have made at least two other times. Hope I remember how to do all the details.

My Christmas/Winter jacket I found at a Flea Market recently and fell in LOVE! Look at that embroidery! Not sure when this was made, but we believe it is fairly vintage (50’s-60’s?)

Knitting: Half and Half is worked on in the evening sharing my time with Groovey. Both of these knits are mindless, which also means boring so easy to get distracted.

Wishing everyone a calm week as we carry on.

Pop over to Kat’s for some great knitting and books.

 

THANKSGIVING WEEK

Singer 401

Halloween 2021

Some serious typing

Day of the Dead

First Trick or Treating

 Lately it seams to take me awhile to write here, not sure if it is because I feel not much is going on in my life. My husband and I don't exactly live an exciting life and the little we do, do out and about has been curtailed by COVID. Our numbers are so high in the county that the Feds. have sent in health care workers to man the ICU's and ER's! That's a first, not sure what it's going to take to convince people that this is serious! Get vaccinated! Betty, has missed more school than she has been in- due to COVID outbreaks in her class. So far she has avoided the virus and now has her first vaccination completed. Gus, his school too, has COVID and RSV. Schools closed early for the Holidays due to low staff , stress and illness. Sure hope the hospitals don't take this route, but then the Feds. are here to help and the kids while home so much have graduated from 'med school', they are ready to do their part. I got my booster, Mederna and I think I will be switching to Phizer from now on. Merderna kicks my butt, worth the trouble if my only choice, but I can get Phizer and get the same results...IMMUNITY.

I did go to a couple of Flea Markets, and I am a real sucker for vintage sewing machines. And this Singer 401 is a gem and only $50. I also bought not one, but TWO Remington Typewriters for $60. These typewriters are running about $175. around here. I know that's crazy.  I like to send snail mail and my sister and I have written letters to each other for years, sometimes several a week and other times once a month, but we write. I also joined some snail mail groups (yes, they are actually a thing!) I love opening a letter and not junk mail. I don't even get bills in the mail anymore due to banking auto bill payer, not that I'm complaining-don't care for bills, though dislike junk mail more.

We haven't had the kids since Halloween, but are going to make up time this week...it's PIE season at the shop. I believe they will be making somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 pies for Thanksgiving. And....that means the kiddos will be here everyday till Thursday when we all gather for a Thanksgiving dinner at the shop. Caitlin decided that dinner will be at the shop where we can all spread out more, yet be together. Eric and I are in charge of the mash potatoes,( I am Irish after all).  Looking forward to a smaller Thanksgiving feast and a return to some normalcy.

Knitting has been a hit and a miss, hats a hit, fair isle sweater is a miss thus far. Gauge correct but size wrong...oye vey.  Also working on Felix Sweater, a gift a think. And the Tess shawl, this is just a long knit. Some sewing going on and I did take a class on 'fixing the Serger' and mine is running like a dream.

Books: Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters.  

Mary Lincoln I find a very interesting American Women, very misunderstood and a women with many sides. She also dealt with some mental health issues that were misunderstood in the late 19th century.   

The Taking of Jemima Boone.

I have just started this book, lots of history.. American Indian history. True American History really needs to be taught in school or we will never get past our 'White Privilege!' The TRUTH, why are white people so afraid of it?

Fall is waning here in Northern Colorado, our first measurable snow happened early this week and it was a welcome sight. Fall has been beautiful this year, a little on the warm side but the colors -beautiful.

Hope your Thanksgiving is peaceful and everything you need it to be this year.

ITS THAT TIME OF YEAR

Alleys in my town

Picking these on the side of the road soon, for dying yarn.

     Holy Smokes, (and yes, I mean that literary), it is so smokey here my lungs and head hurt today. No outside, non, nada, nope, not today. I have to say, all these issues we are facing,(fires, environment, political, COVID, etc...) are beginning to wear on me, and yet their is really little I can do about any of it! 

On to things I enjoy doing. I am working on a (reproductive fabric) hexie quilt, all done by hand. I have not bought any fabric for this quilt... yet, and hope not buy any. Use it up or do with out! 

Canning season has started! Caitlin and I have put up 6 cases of peaches the past week, equaling 52 quarts! That is a record canning peaches for me. I hope to have pepper jelly done this week. Canned 16 jars of blueberry jam and it is over the top good.

I bought a new sewing machine! Yes, it is an antique hand crank machine that sews like a dream. I have a real soft spot for old sewing machines. 

Other things happening here at my house: sorting out photos, lots of photo memory making paraphernalia. I use do so much of this stuff and make loads of photo books, cards and invitations. The 'stuff' just kept making its way into my home and today I went thru boxes and draws full of stamps, paper, cute stickers, more paper, cutters, pen and stamps. I blame my obsession with collecting and playing with all this on the fact I went to Catholic Schools and we really did not have art class, I was making up for lost time.

Well, its all organized and now I want to start cropping again.

The last picture of Eric and the kids melts my heart. The three of them watching the lake and bobber for a fish to rise and bite. They had no luck on this trip, but sure did enjoy the experience.

A NEW DAY.......IT IS TIME TO EXHALE! AND SEW!

My girl LOVES to sew! Spent Tuesday afternoon making plush flannel PJ pants.

And darn, this girl is a good sewer, she can do curves and stay on line. 

I use that small iron for travel, (remember that, ahh!)  worked great for my girl. She told me: 'I can't touch plugs Mimi". Got it! 

Fabric on the way, picked out my the newest, youngest, sewer in the family! Next up, a simple twirling dress!

Well, we made it America, tr*&%&** is gone today. I hope not to see him again in the news til he is on his way to jail.

BREATH.......EXHALE

New Beginnings.

PS: Yes, I am knitting, hopefully an update soon.

Head over to AsKatKnits

STAYING IN

Hyphen Sweater/Rios, Lettuce

Last week again due to COVID, ( numbers rising, we are now in 'high risk' ) and all the smoke from the fires, I stayed inside. It was a busy week though, I had some really good books-

The Winthrop Women

This House of Sky

Along with good reading came another Hyphen sweater ( Rauma Yarn) cast on from the stash.

The Lettuce, Rios Hyphen sweater was finished 2 weeks ago. Guess I am in a little kids sweater mood. They are fast and satisfying to be sure.

I had a rather large order arrive from Isee Fabrics and dove right into sewing up little sweat pants using Oliver & S pattern. I LOVE, LOVE this fabric, organic and naturally dyed! And it is very reasonable priced! My order was large but as soon as I sew it up, I am ordering more!!! 

  Cold weather, I am sure is on the horizon and with restrictions in place, COVID, I am determined to make these cold days ahead profitable to my mental health. 

Sewing, knitting,  quilting, rug hooking and perhaps a little spinning? Reading for sure and lots of audio books. 

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

Out and about.

Bird Bingo

Love a little boy who can put on his own pants! Inside out and backwards!

Smoke  from Cameron Fire, Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park.

Thanks Julie for photo, My Sister Knits.

Sunrise Sunday

Smoke cloud over house

Our weekend was full, with the littles for a sleep over on Friday. This is the kids favorite day and they know what Friday means...."Sleep Over at Mimi's house". We eat dinner, (and a not very healthy one at that), then it's bath time, popcorn (their favorite), a movie and the grand finale; "sleep over".  Pretty simple stuff makes a 2 and 4 year old happy. Saturday, out for a walk, (before the smoke moves in), and Gus mastered the balance bike. Bird Bingo was a BIG hit as well.

By Saturday afternoon the smoke from the Cameron Fire was covering Northern Colorado. Window closed and the air turned on, it was also 100 degrees outside. Yes, I am soo over these high temps and the smoke clouds covering us are also dropping lots of ashes. I have had a sinus headache all weekend. But, the BEST news, SNOW! Yes, I will be like a little kid this afternoon with my nose glued to the window waiting for a 60 degree temperature drop, and the.....glorious snow! Oh, how we need this, 1) it will help the fire that now has crossed into Rocky Mountain National Park on the NW side and has moved further down the canyon, 2) we need a break in these ridiculous high temps. Besides isolating from people with COVID, lately I feel like a mole hiding in my basement from heat and smoke! Tuesday morning I will be outside with woolens and boots on, looking up and being grateful for cold-wet snow! 

While holding up in the basement on Sunday, I started this twilling dress for Betty. Today the buttons will go on, after I watch a You Tube tutorial on using Bernia button system. Buttons are my nightmare in the garment making adventure, I just cannot seem to master this much needed technique. Any help would be appreciated. 

 

FILLING TIME

Time has become almost surreal 6 months into this pandemic, a National Disaster for sure, that just keeps cycling around with more bad news. In the West, the more bad news - the fires! We have two burning, one within 10 miles from us, the other 40 miles. Both are burning hot enough for the smoke to block out the sun, almost daily. It's nearly impossible to sit for 20 minutes on the porch, fresh air, not at this time! Daily temps. are hanging around 99-100 degrees, we need cold and snow! The RNC is not helping my mental health

 with all the HATE they are spewing on TV! Oh, 2020 you have been one hard year!

But, a little break yesterday....Caitlin and I canned Roma Tomatoes. Jason first roasted them,    (4 cases in less than 10 minutes), never again will I do the blanching method to remove skins.

I thought we were going to make tomato sauce, the kind that is ready to pour and use for pasta dishes. Caitlin wanted to can whole tomatoes, because they are so much more versatile, open a jar, make sauce (by adding garlic and spices), open a jar and use the whole tomatoes poured over a roast, or make soup, spicy V-8 juice.......

You get the idea! So whole tomatoes it was and it was fast. We started at 1pm and I pulled the last jars out at 6pm. Not bad for a winter supply of deliciousness! 

The Brown and Pink quilt is on the machine and it is going to be slowing going!  Though it will be beautiful when completed and I have the time! 

Reading: 

~Caste: This is a hard read for me, but a much needed read for me! Please, if you are interested in Race and Race relations, this is the book you are looking for, get it, read it slow and digest the information. 

~The Mountains Sing- Is about a family in Viet Nam that survives the years of wars from the French through the Americans and last-the Communist Party. WOW. 

Connecting with Kat and Unraveled Wednesday

HOBBIES

Deep End

The first, started and finish during COVID19

Scrap quilt using scraps most sane quilters would toss out...not me!

Eric's flying tying in full swing. He is making a few dozen for a friend.

Easter snow.

Anyone need some blue food dye? Oye Vey!

Amish quilt hand quilting.

Snow clouds building in over the Rockies, expecting 4-9 inches tonight and through tomorrow. We will see.

How has your week been? I feel calmer this week, getting out walking is soo helpful. Also, coming to terms and stop fighting-what I have no control over is helpful. Sometimes it is difficult to work out what I can control and what I cannot control, and lets face it, we really have so little control  in this world. The control I have, is how I react to situations that is thrown in my path.

I have been thinking a lot about when this 'stay at home' and life returns to normal, (whatever that looks like), what things have been removed from my daily life and what things I want to bring back. I have moments of feeling this isolation thing is a real gift (not the part of sickness and financial instability), but the gift of slowing the outside world down!  What else but a virus could do this and who ever thought in their life time this could happen?

Not me!

 I want positive lessons to be learned from this situation.

We all have time to ponder :

what is good in our lives

what to not let back into our lives

what to let in occasionally

what to change personally

what to work toward.

You?