YARN ALONG

Boy, oh boy, having trouble uploading pictures to blogger. Computers, love hate relationship, that is how I feel about these machines! it must be an age thing.

Things I have been doing this past month:

cooking

bread baking

We are digging deep into the freezer for meat, experimenting with homemade salad dressing and cooking up dried beans that have been hanging around far too long in the cabinets.

Sewing, a spinning dress for the girl. She has decided she likes dresses and they must pass the spinning test! We have been having sleepovers every Friday night that have turned into dancing/spinning fest, and all to music that I grew up with...way back in the day;-/

Working on a REAL scrap quilt, using scraps that most quilters would just throw in the bin. I use telephone book pages for the base and willy nilly pull scraps from a HUGE plastic bin filled with every size and colors of fabric. One person's trash is another's treasure!

What I have finished that I can't upload the pictures :

Notice: the first summer shirt I have ever knitted for myself.

Triangle Quilt: finished the machine quilting.

Knitting:

TTL Mystery Shawl

Books:

Valentine  *****

Story of race, small community, Hispanic community, rape.

Pecan Man *****

You have to read this!

The Second Mrs. Hockaday *****

Civil War, women, South, rape, forgiveness, love marriage, redemption

Westering Women *****

Women, The West, Friendship, Redemption, Abuse.

America's First Daughter****

Jefferson, US Politics, Revolutionary War, Family, Slavery

May was a month of reading about Women!

Reading Now:

Tightrope

The American Plague

Nothing to See Here

Eleanor Oliphant

In the NEWS:

A new low, Trump now GASSING peaceful protestors, in AMERICA!  This man is EVIL, has no regard for the Constitution and will be removed from office in NOVEMBER!

YARN ALONG

UNRAVELED WEDNESDAY

KNITTING and READING

Halloween was cold here this year and we looked more like an advertisement for 'all things knitwear' than Cat Girl! Mom and Grandma had on far more knitwear to walk around with the littles and we didn't stay out long or go far!

I completed 3 sweaters and a pair of socks last month, not bad for me. Also, working away on my wool rug, this is a slow process but I love to do mindless things over and over again. 

Books I have been reading: Just Mercy.  This book is an eye opener , very disturbing read on our justice system, yet so important to read and change the corruption with in our system. The racial discrimination is nothing short of criminal and heart breaking!  Just Mercy is a book I have to read slowly, it gets overwhelming for me.

FALLING UPWARD: A SPIRITUALITY FOR THE TWO HALVES OF LIVE.

I'm giving this a 5 star. Having become discouraged to down right angry with American Christianity over the past 3 years, this book looks at Christianity from a total different viewpoint. Richard Rohr a Franciscan priest is refreshing to read. 

I'MSTILL HERE: BLACK DIGNITY IN A WORLD MADE FOR WHITENESS:

Another hard read but needed read! I find it is good to look at issues through others' eyes. So much to think about and learn.

I must say though, I need to find a fictional escape book, I'm feeling overwhelmed with the above much needed reads. I need time to percolate and reframe much of my previous ideas and learn ways to move forward in more meaningful ways. 

Please join me over at Ginny's blog

YARN ALONG

and Kat

UNRAVELED WEDNESDAY

It's been busy here at Little House. We had MORE SNOW, so this past week I have been planting like a crazy gardner! To be just starting to plant the first week of June is late for me and the Front Range of Colorado. Now, if my garden can dodge hail storms, I will be a happy gardener. However, I keep lots of buckets next to all my tender plants just in case I need to dash out there and cover the babies.

Lots of finishing up crafting projects going on as well. I must say, I have never liked the term 'crafting' for all my knitting, sewing, quilting, etc. projects. I consider these to be needed, useful items that I make. I rarely make an un-useful item, I have no room to display or store such an item. No, not even a wall hanging quilt!

My 2nd Phoebe sweater for a little girl in New York!

A finished hooked rug that I started years ago. I joined a rug hooking group and finished the last half of this project in 3 weeks. It helps to have people show you how to do the craft 'correctly'. I love it and am ready to start another rug. It's like doing a paint by number picture, but I get to choose all the colors. This will be placed on the floor,(it's large) in the guest bedroom.

I also finished a Bulle sweater top for my little gal, she loves it and took it home before I got any pictures...ugh!

It's go go all day long and by 6pm I'm tired! I have almost given up all TV in the evening to read.  Books that I have enjoyed the past few weeks:

Karen McInernary- these books are mindless murder mysteries, nothing too scary!

The Ragged Edge of Night- an alright historical novel

An Icy Death- mindless murder mystery

Choosing Simplicity- Great Book, highly recommend.

Happy Spring and Planting!

Please join me with Ginny for Yarn Along.

APRIL_YARN ALONG

April already, WOW! 

Soon the garden work will begin and only light weight knitting can be done on back porch, hot sun and wool yarn-no no no, not for me. I have finished 3 sweaters since Jan.1 thus far this year. Two were started in 2019. I would love to be one of those prolific knitters, but I get side tract all the time with new cast ons and fun yarn. I guess I have difficulty staying focused on just one project.

The sweater in this post is Humulus and a fantastic knit. I really made this for my youngest but when I had Caitlin try it on, I realized it would need about 4 more inches to fit Erin properly. So, Caitlin loves it and with her, it will stay. I get to knit Humulus again! I do not mind knitting the same pattern twice or even more if it's a good pattern and Isabel Kraemer's patterns are always good.

I joined the National Rug Hooking Association. I have always been intriqued with rug making and I'm going to try this art form again- now that I have time. Oh, and I have a pile, (several piles) of wool to use up!

Books that have been read since last month's Yarn Along:

Whistling Past the Graveyard

this book is a very good, a story of friendship between a white girl and a black woman during the 60's in the deep south-nough said!

The Patch Work Bride

I have read all of Sandra Dallas books, this one not so good. The story was interesting, but the ending a total flop!

A Seat By the Hearth

A mindless read with a feel good ending.

Mending Matters

A great reference book with some wonderful ideas.

 Trying to stay home and cook more for meals. I think I'm a better cook than most meals we get at resturants and I can make meals for much less money. Homemade pizza that Eric and I both enjoyed, with "whatever" salad. It is time for me to start experimenting with salad dressing recipes this spring, I plan to grow all different kinds of lettuce.

I'm still having trouble with creepy people looking at my blog site. Wish I could block them! Any ideas?

Please join me over at Yarn Along

YARN ALONG 2019

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

YARN ALONG March 2019

Hello! Yes, I will be blogging on my 'other 'blog that has been dormant for years. The reason, too many ugly trolls were on Little House Quilting blog and I was SICK of them. I tried to block them but they always found a way back. The internet is a 'love/hate' thing for me, but I love YARN ALONG!

I have favorite blogs that I check consistently, Small Things for example, and I want to share too. If this fails to work, I am afraid I will be forced to close both my blog sites....sad. I keep in contact with lots of people around the country through blogging, and hope this works. Any suggestions, how to keep trolls and awful people from viewing my blog will be most welcomed.

Now on to YARN ALONG!

I finished Phoebe sweater and I love this knit, as does this sweetie! This was an easy fun, fast knit! Living in Colorado where the temps and weather conditions change on a dime, Phoebe will serve many weather conditions,( but rain and blizzards.) A win, win in this family.

Books that I have read in last month and now reading:

White Rage- Great book, though disturbing! I'm so discouraged with the continual laws that keep discriminating POC in this country. Come on-it's 2019 and we are better than this!

Depth of Winter- I love this series of Sheriff Longmire and have read every one of these books.

My other favorite Mystery writer is C.J.Box and his new book is out!

Wolf Pack

CJ Box and Craig Johnson are two authors that I can read regarding crime, they are not too scary and often times humorous, plus I know the country where these story lines take place.

Please, Join me at

YARN ALONG

  

YARN ALONG 2019

Welcome 2019

It has been a WONDERFUL Christmas season at my house, with all my children home! The week went by WAY to fast with enough business and calmness in the mix. We had a big sleepover on Christmas Eve, a slow Christmas morning with a wonderful breakfast made by Caitlin and Jason, (lots of coffee in the mix as well.)

I completed several knit projects for gifts, along with one sweater, one sweater that I need to rip back and add length(ripping done, knitting up fast), there shawls, one pair of socks, and one pair of fingerless mitts! Whew, feels great! Also, everyone received a handmade quilt! I love that my children love all my knitting and sewing projects. They are really good people!

Reading- Rising out of Hatred  

Very good book, hard to put down and a must read!

The World of Laura Ingalls

I have been a Laura Ingalls fan since third grade before her books were even popular! The World of Laura Ingalls has some great information regarding the Ingalls family.

On to 2019

I have several knitting projects in my head- with the yarn in my stash, (that's impressive to start the new year.) 

My NY hope; to remember to photograph my finish knitting projects ;-{

We all have colds here in Colorado, so I made chicken stock over the weekend and today it is chicken noodle soup. Homemade stock is over the top in taste and nutrition, I doubt I can ever return to store bought again.

Join YARN ALONG over at SMALL THINGS

YARN ALONG--August

My sweet boy, whom is teething, drooling (all the time) and is loosing more snot from that noggin of his...but, I love him so!

Comes by this activity honestly, (her Poppa was a drummer for a band traveling the country and parts of the world). She is good too! 

Knitting:Ella Funt for my little man, wish I could say I am enjoying this knit, but sadly I'm not. It is most likely the yarn I chose.

I loved Moosewood Cookbooks in 'the old days'---(late 70's early80's) , saw this at the library and had to pick it up. I have spied several recipes that I'm going to try before summer is over.

On my walk yesterday morning.

Making mud cupcakes and holding a worm on a lettuce leaf.

That cat is the bane of my dogs existence! It's not ours but comes over and drives the dogs 'to drink' and me wanting to something unkind to it, (no, I would never hurt an animal, owner...maybe). That cat digs, poops and sprays in my garden and teases the dogs daily. I have found it in my house, in my car and under the car, ( thankfully before I backed over it). She belongs to a neighbor whom we like, but cats should not be allowed to roam and cause so much confusion and frustration. If I allowed my dogs to roam like some cats I would be given tickets and picking up the dogs from 'doggy jail'! 

Enough said about that! 

Hope you all are having a lovely week. Join me and lots of other knitters over at Ginny's and Yarn Along

I must confess, I was stunned this morning when I saw it was Yarn Along Wednesday again. What happened to July? And how can it be August all ready? 

3 APRIL 2018 (YARN ALONG)

WOW, Yarn Along already. When Ginny said YA would be once a month I silently cried;"no, that's not enough!" And yet, the once a month sure comes around FAST. It's not that I am all that busy, though I really do not let much grass grow beneath my feet. 

Knitting: Skogafjall 

Petite Knits Anker sweater

Yarn: Rauma  4tr.Strikke Garn in Blue (light) and Off White (Skogafjall sweater)

Petite Knit Anker sweater( very old >20yrs Dale Yarn)

Reading: The Tao of Inner Peace

I am really enjoying this book. Very helpful in these very chaotic times our country is presently experiencing. 

Gardening: Peas planted and Garlic is up!!!!! Also daffodils and tulips are coming up. Spring is on the way!

Go on over to SmallThings.