Back on the Horse

I'm back in the saddle after a small holiday. I was off to an event with 200 talking women. That is, as opposed to 200 women determined to experience silence. Not this group. Wahooo was the word of the weekend. Luckily, my roommate wasn't too much of a Wahooo kind of gal. We were snug in our beds by 10 each night, reading and chatting quietly.

While there, I worked on this little doll blanket, sewing all the bits up. It is made from the remains of sock yarns donated to me by other knitters. I knit booties for my mom's out reach program, Happy Hands. These are the ends of ends.

It was inspired by the first two I ever made.

This was made for Phoebe's softy animals, Stella Luna (a bat) and Nalla (a lioness). It is quilted with small 2" sqaures turned on point.

This one was made for Lucas' stuffed bear, Baby Bear. Perhaps Bubba Bear used it also. But then Simba came along and there wasn't room for all three. They had to get under the covers with Lucas. This one is made up of remnants of wool used on sweaters, doll clothes, and mitts made for the kids when they were little.

Several years ago, I did a similar pile of squares from odd bits of wool, from many different places, but there is wool from Steve's socks, Phoebe's vest and a misguided attempt at a poncho. I sewed it up at the crazy women's gathering.

Now, there are four doll blankets to add to the secret stash I have of an Oma's hope chest. There are booties, 4 little hats, 4 cat toys, and now these blankets. I won't be all exercised if grand children don't show up, but I do like the knitting of little things. I can always dress up the cats.

The sustainability thread on this blog has thinned out to nearly nothing this winter. Steve has been cooking all winter, using up the produce we prepared in the summer and fall. The Dark Days of Winter event didn't take place, no one was very inspired to take up the challenge. And I was in a dark place myself most of the winter with the concussion. So...... I am very excited to show you these photos.

This is a part of the yard that has been unresolved for 15 years. It has held a few versions of compost piles, none of which composted well. It has held firewood, bikes, a row-boat for the last few years and now.... with some luck and planning, there will be an exciting change. The shadow from the clothes line makes it look a bit weird. There is a year round bird bath in the middle of the right (yours) edge. Just over your left shoulder as you look at this is a year round bird feeder that we can see from the dining room window. The mess of the garden bed has spring tulips and perennial geraniums, hostas and day-lillies. And lots of moss.

Here you see the remains of a tree fort, a stone fence we are sort of pulling down, a bed or Solomon's Seal and to the far left (yours) is one of the two wood sheds. I can't reveal anything about the change yet. There is a giant oak with a lovely climbing hydrangea going up it and a very old but awful Norway Maple. Each year we try to lop of more of the maple. We are now at the stage when we will have to pay someone to come and do the rest.

I hope I am not jinxing myself by letting this out before the inspection, but I am so very keen.