Here is how far I have gotten on my sweater. It really isn't ruffely its just that there are well over 300 stitches on that 40" cord. I need to knit 8" before I can begin separating the sleeves and working on less stitches. I can't wait.
I am still knitting dishcloths. I find it very relaxing and easy.
And I am refinishing a hat. Readers may remember that I knit a hat for DH for Christmas. Well then we got "destructo dog" who ate part of the ribbing off of it. So last week I pulled all of the pieces of yarn off and found the last full row of knitting: the stitches were holding well so I threaded them on the needles and began reknitting the top and now the ribbing. I am going to have a long rib and then double it under for warmer protection for his ears.
And just so everyone knows, I am finally quilting DH's Boots quilt. I have only started the first row but hope to get more done this weekend.
Dropping in to say hello. Along with everyone in the East, we had snow days almost all last week. Actually, we had freezing rain and sleet.
Or, as DH put it, I had him 24/7 for 6 days, expectantly. We were ice bound for 4 days and had no water for 2 days but we had heat and food, TV and sewing, so all was well.
During the forced confinement DH and I put the TreadClimber together. Above you see the new shoes I bought just for this. My plan was to begin slowly, only 10 min a day for the first week and then work my way up to 30 min three days a week. Monday I began my new exercise experiment. Funny thing: the first time I got on the TC I only walked on it for 2 1/2 min. Tuesday I was up to 4 1/2 min and this morning I got all the way up to 5 1/2 min. This may not seem like much but remember I am 71 and way out of shape so I reviewed my plan and decided to begin at 2 1/2 min and work my way up to 10. So far the plan is working. 
I wanted to show the knitted hat I made last month and seemed unable to remember to get a picture of it. I didn’t use a pattern but loved the yarn I had bought in MD in Sept and needed to see it made into something.
And with all the cold and ice and everything, this little had has sure come in handy. I am thinking that maybe I will be making one of those slouch hats I have been seeing online.
My studio does not have central heat so I directed my space heaters to the sewing area and spent a lot of time appliqueing owls. I had really gotten behind that part of this BOM. This is the last of the owls that I had completed and it got me caught up. However, on Feb 1 a new block came out it it, again, has 3 owls on it. I hope to get to it later this week.
Saturday I suggested to DH that we start looking at a sectional to replace our two recliners that were literally falling apart. I thought a sectional would be better in that it would provide puppy space so we would all be comfortable. Interestingly DH was on board and we began our search. While looking we decided that instead of a sectional we could use a couch and loveseat and accomplish the same thing. We found this set that has 4 loungers and they are electric, no more pulling on a lever. This picture shows all four dogs fast asleep (one is under the brown log cabin quilt). And there is still room for the 2 humans. It has really made evening TV viewing and computering much more comfortable.
Tomorrow in mug rug day with the hope of BOMs on Friday. Gotta keep moving or I will fall behind, again. 
Besides, I keep warmer when I am moving. And this winter I have needed to move as much as I can.
Have a great week, Gari
We decided to open our gifts on Christmas Eve this year and after that made the decision to move the stockings up onto the desk. Why, you may ask. Well, we have found that Santa usually brings more and bigger gifts than the socks can hold so there needs to be room for all that “stuff.” In years past we have used our lounge chairs for the stockings but, again, with Sherlock in attendance we felt the desk was the safer place. Boy, am I glad we found that desk when we did!
In the living room is the traditional Christmas laundry basket. What? You don’t have a traditional laundry basket for Christmas? Well, when our children were young and we were visiting my parents my mother provided laundry baskets for each of the children. As we opened gifts we were to put the wrappings in the baskets. At the end of the gift opening we emptied the trash and the children put their gifts in their own baskets until it was time to go home. So, with great glee, DH arrived in the living room with this basket which we more than filled as we shared what we had bought and/or made for each other.
The last gift he got was this hat that I had been knitting that day. I hate to see him outside in the cold with his “little” bald head uncovered so I whipped this one up. I was very proud of it as I finished it while we were watching Magoo’s Christmas Carol, another family tradition, just prior to opening our gifts.
And lastly, I do have to share one of the gifts that Santa brought me (it completely filled the sock).
This represents a very exciting day as Auburn, my alma mater, again became SEC champs.
After all that excitement DH woke up Christmas morning with a pretty severe stomach flu-like problem. He spent the whole day and evening in bed and/or the bathroom. He was unable to eat or drink anything so it wasn’t until yesterday that we finally were able to have our traditional Chinese Christmas dinner. One thing I have learned is that traditions change and wise is the one who is able to bend with the changes.
On the quilting front, I have been making units for Celtic Solstice but it is very slow going. I am beginning to think that I will be making a table runner and two placemats instead of a whole quilt. There are two new BOMs I have been looking at that I want to do and I have a quilt top that needs to be quilted soon so I think CS will have to be a smaller project.
And my knitting has been coming along nicely. I am on the heel of the second sock for my purple/blue socks and started a dark blue pair yesterday. Of course I ventured into the hat making process with DH’s hat and may make a couple more. I really want to knit a sweater but have not found a nice yet inexpensive yarn I want to use so that idea is on hold for now.
I hope everyone reading this had a wonderful Christmas filled with family, friends, and fun. Gari
