The Big Black Thing

Bert has made a discovery the past couple days. He's been watching me leave in the morning for quite a while and finally figured it out. I take the big black thing every time I disappear. So his answer to that is simple. If he sits on top of the big black thing, I can't disappear.  He's done this the past 2 days. I come into the dining room to grab my purse and there sits Bert, on top, watching my every move. Pretty logical for a little kitty but there's one flaw in his logic. A really tall Mom can pick up little cute kitties and then get the big black thing to disappear all day. Sorry Bert.

I wonder what his next move will be to prevent me from disappearing?!

Snow, snow and for a change snow

The past month has been really depressing. I go to work, come home and knit while watching TV and go to bed. Repeat. It's been a month of waiting for spring to appear and mostly just waiting for the sun to appear. I've decided the weather has affected me more than I thought it would. Friday morning they hadn't plowed my street before I headed to work and I even got stuck in the street briefly as I tried to get going in the morning. There's also been some things at work that have not been pleasing and they also caused a less than cheery mood.

Anyway, this isn't an all sad story. This weekend two things happened. The sun decided to come out on Saturday. What a glorious event. We've been waiting for it forever and it was a welcome sight. The other thing that happened was a family gathering. My cousin's daughter and family came up from Chicago for a visit. We all got together and met the newest member of the family - Layla's brother Jaydeen. He's now 6 months old and a very happy little boy. We had all sorts of little kids running around playing & making noise and who can feel down when all that is going on.

Now they're talking possibly more snow/showers on the way but I've had my little vacation from the snow and depressing weather and now I'm a ready for the week to come.

But, really, I AM ready for a long term sunshine and nice weather. Please.

Catching Up on Things

I haven't posted pictures of projects for a while. There's been knitting and quilting but no pictures. Time to catch up. Nothing is finished but progress has been made.

First up - Precious Metals Scarf.
I started this one Feb last year out of Happy Hands Hand Dyed Yarn - fingering weight. I pull this project out every once in a while and lately I decided it's about 70% done so I should get a bit more serious about finishing it. The yarn is soft and much prettier than the pictures show.

 

Where I was at last time I posted this project.

Precious Metals Scarf today - about 70% done

 

Ten Stitch Afghan  Jan.1, 2011 I decided to take my leftover worsted weight yarn and make an afghan. It gets pulled out for knit night whenever I don't have something I can work on that's easier enough to sit and chat while knitting. It's currently large enough to be a lapghan but I'll keep going until its nice and big and cozy warm. After all - this is Minnesota and we need our warm afghans!

 

Ten Stitch Afghan March 2011

 

Afghan today

 

 

Garter Rib Sock.  This one hasn't been posted before. I always have to have a sock going just in case I need to throw a project in my purse to have for waiting room and other public down times. This one is Opal Cotton. No pattern - just my generic sock I make when I want something simple to work on.

 



 

 

The Giving Quilt.  I posted this one a few weeks ago. Back then it was a lot of fabric and a few blocks. The pattern is a free download on Jennifer Chiaverini's web site. It's going to Project Linus so I wanted bright fun colors. The border fabric is Teddy Bears, Bunnies, and Elephants while the background is pale yellow and blue and pink blocks.

 

 

Right now the quilt is pieced together except for the outside border. When I set it out on the dining room table to take a picture my quilt inspector appeared as if by magic to make sure all the seams are straight and that the quilt will be just prefect for a little girl.

 

 

Meanwhile, Chief likes to sit on the arm of the recliner and get cuddles. This is the face of one happy kitty!

 

 

So, no finished projects at the moment but old projects have been worked on and kitties have bee cuddled and played with. All in all life around here is good...... if only spring would figure out how to get here!

And the Big News is....

Godson is back from his vacation and I saw him this evening so the big news is official. Godson is now engaged to the sweetest girl. They are the cutest couple (of course, I'm not bias at all!) They went on a short vacation to Arizona and the Grand Canyon. They walked down one of the trails and halfway up he stopped at a little private ledge area and proposed to her. Is that romantic or what!

So now, we've got a fall or spring wedding. He's pushing for fall but, as I told him, his job is now to say " Yes dear, I think that would be wonderful." He agrees so I think they'll be good. ;-)

Wish I could tell you the big news!

This is my best friend's family a "few" years ago. The boys have grown up a little bit - they're now in their 30's. Laurie passed in 2004 and their Dad has lived out East since well before then. That left the boys on their own since their early 20s. They've done a remarkable job cause Laurie and their Dad were/are really great parents.

Why do I put a picture of the Boys up today? Cause the younger one - the one in front is my godson. There's something happening this weekend that will change his life a lot. Something exciting and I'm really hoping it goes well. I love these boys as if they were my own and I can't wait to hear everything went as planned and I can tell you all.

Sadly, last night they also lost their grandpa. Laurie's Dad lost his fight with cancer and is now at peace. He lived over 90 years incredibly active and healthy and will be missed by us all.

Goodbye old friend

My life flashed before my eyes on the way home from work tonight. I drove past the house and headed over to get some gas before the car ran out and I was stunned.

Suddenly I remembered my first kiss (Kevin in the AV room); the time I was a patrol captain and one of the 1st graders grabbed my hand and dug in his fingers (I still have faint scars from that); being on stage for a PTA program about what we learned in German; being on the competition girl's volleyball team; meeting my best friend forever for the first time. So many memories. All leaping to mind as I tried to absorb what I was seeing. Sometime this past week someone (without my permission!) torn down my elementary school. The place I walked to for 6 years. The place of so many wonderful memories.

Cavanagh Elementary School - you will be missed!

 

 

 

Part of Cavanagh before demolition

The Giving Quilt

I read a lot. I read at lunch and I listen to audio books when driving to and from work. I love books. The latest books I'm reading involve a little old lady hunting for a killer while hiding from a mini-mafia (Ivy Malone series) and the latest book in the Jennifer Chiaverini Elm Creek Quilt series. This book has the latest group of quilters spending a week at the Elm Creek Quilt Camp creating quilts for Project Linus. Jennifer Chiaverini was kind enough to write up the quilt the campers make and put the pattern on her web site.

At the same time I was looking for something to get me quilting again. I have too many ideas and keep staring at all the fat quarters and yardage of fabric in my stash. Sometimes making a decision is harder than the actual quilting. So, I decided I'd make the Giving Quilt.

Yesterday I headed over to the Mill Ends Fabric store near my house and grabbed 4 fabrics for the quilt - a border, a background and 2 block colors.

Last night I cut up the fabric to get ready and sewed the long strips. The strips were cut into 2 1/2" lengths and added to the background rectangles.

These squares were added to the bigger square and these rectangles were sewn together to create the final block square. It's called the Resolution Square block in the book but I couldn't find it as a block mentioned anywhere else. Whatever - I like it and it's sewing together quickly.

Once I'm done with the 32 squares they will be sewn together on point and create (what I hope is) a fun quilt for some child who gets it from Project Linus.

If you want to sew one for Project Linus, check out their website to find a chapter near you or a quilt shop you can drop off finished quilts.

Link to Giving Quilt Pattern

In the meantime, while I sew today (and a little knitting) the boys are busy doing their Sunday projects.

Chief is adding a fresh layer of fur to his favorite chair and

Bert is doing quality control to be sure the pillow in the guest bedroom are good and soft.