neutrals

I'll be shipping out this special order for boot toppers this week.

 

 

If it seems like I knit with a lot of neutral colors...

you would be right.

 

Warm earthy colors...like autumn.

 

“What you take from the earth, you must give back. That's nature's way.”

Chris d'Lacey

 

 

Shades of brown...

like coffee beans!

 

 

~b



foul

or is it fowl?

 

 

Daughter Knit and Pearl mentioned half bibs for her little drooler.

 

"Who? Me?"

 

 

This owl fabric is a super soft flannel.

 

 

They are all backed with an absorbent yellow terry cloth.

 

 

This bib is a bandana style,

 which will gap some in the front of the neck.

 

At some point I began to see a fowl theme here.

And maybe a little more blue than I should have used for a girl?

 

 

Drool bibs allow baby to play with toys without

the bib always in the way.

 

 

Brilliant idea...

not mine however.

 

~b



Take 2 aspirins and go to bed...

You know there's no avoiding it...

you know it's coming...

because it's everywhere!

I'm talking about a dreadful cold

and I caught it.

 

 

I could use a good nurse.

 

 

And yes you guessed it,

this is what Emma and Rose do by day...

 

 

to be able to afford their sweet party dresses.

 

 

The granddaughters named their dolls

Emma and Rose...

such pretty names don't you think?

 

 

They chose the same career as their mama

who is a neonatal nurse.

 

I found a free pattern for these scrubs on pinterest.

Free is a very good thing

 considering the amount of patterns I buy on-line.

 

~b



A good moment

Winter months are the best time for me to sit back and knit.

 

 

 

My knitting basket definitely runneth over this time of year.

This scarf is turning out to be a lot of fun to work on.

 

I never have less than three projects going at the same time.

Right now I am surrounded by a fox dress, wool mittens, a cowl and this scarf.

 

We have floor to ceiling windows facing south and west to sit in front of.

 

Watching the birds and squirrels at Mr. b's feeders

while sipping a cup of

Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea

and knitting...

 

 

life is good here.

 

~b

 



peggies

Painting peg dolls satisfies my urge to paint.

An artist...I'm not

 

 

I had painted a set of Halloween characters

for the granddaughters last Halloween

and they seemed to really enjoy playing with them.

 

 

 

 

They aren't too difficult to paint and the granddaughters aren't fussy.

 

 

I like that they really get to use their imagination when playing with them...

no blinking lights, no loud whistles and best of all

no batteries needed.

 

 

I included grandpa in this project...

he's making a cage for them.

 

~b



Name your beans...

Go ahead...

name your beans after yourself.

 

 

As you recall Thursday I was making crockpot beans.

I was looking through my Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook

for a quick and easy baked bean recipe

 when I discovered it must be fashionable

 to name your bean recipe after yourself?

 

 

There is Frances' Slow-Cooker Beans,

she uses turkey bacon.

Kelly's Baked Beans,

using white corn syrup.

Mary Ellen's Three-Bean Dish with sausage AND ham.

Nan's Barbecued Beans with ground beef...

Betty's Calico Beans includes a can of corn...

Roseann's Baked Beans with bacon and ground beef...

Carla's Baked Beans has kidney beans in hers...

Char's Calico Beans says to use Boston baked beans...

Casey's Beans calls for black beans...

Allen's Beans has ranch-style beans and smoky link sausages in his...

Lauren's Calico Beans uses green beans with her butter beans...

are you confused yet?

Lizzies California Beans also calls for green beans...

Marcia's California Beans has six different beans in hers...

LeAnne's Calico Beans says to use French-style green beans

Then there is bean recipes by LaVerne, Joan, Pat, Doris, Carol, Ethel,

 Sara, Linda, Ann, Mary Ellen's and Nancy!! Whew!

 

I made it easy on myself and picked out

Barbara's Calico Beans to begin with.

 

 

They had to much vinegar for my liking.

Today we added ground beef to them

 and called it Wash Day Stew.

 

 

And now I have to go do some laundry.

 

~b

 



Keep calm and carry on...

Easier said than done right?

 

These are a few of the things that can calm me down

or keep me calm.

 

A new stack of coordinating half yards.

Purchasing pre-assembled stacks saves me so much time.

Standing in-line at Joannes cutting table...

does NOT keep me calm.

 

I purchased this stack at a quiet quilt shop 20 miles away.

We always get to share a few laughs and gossip a little.

They also sell our favorite Dark Canyon coffee beans.

Have I told you Mr. b is a huge coffee snob?

 

 



 

So cute...cats and fish.

I may have to cut into these yet today.

 

Reading is always relaxing...

 

 

...with a cuppa tea.

 

I'm getting the hang of knitting mittens

and always love the finished product.

 

Trying out a new recipe is always fun.

 

 

Crockpot beans served with a piece of ham

 sounds perfect for our supper tonight.

 

Movies

 

 

This movie was even better than I expected.

 

 

This cd is on my top ten list of music.

"Walk My Way" is my favorite soundtrack on the cd.

 

And of course...

 

 

 

...granddaughter hugs are good for blood pressure.
Can you believe those smiles?

 

~b

 

 

 

 

 

 

designer bibs

I was tidying up a bit in my sewing room

when I came across a leg of Mr. b's work pants.

I looked at the piece with it's holes and paint stains,

he works for a communications company

 and uses orange paint to locate underground cables.

It's really hard on pants and shoes by the way.

The battery acid they use is worse yet...

 

 

 

Where was I with this story?

Oh, I thought granddaughter #3 wouldn't mind a few stains

on her bib from grandpa...

after all she will be eating carrots and beets while wearing it.

 

 

I couldn't send her just one bib.

 

 

 

You be the judge...

is she cute or what!

 



 

I ordered new appliques for her bibs yesterday

and can't wait to put something together with them.

I call them designer bibs.

 

~b

 

A dear aunt of ours passed into heaven this week.

She was my mother's sister and was 92 years of age.

This nasty weather kept us from

 saying our goodbyes at her funeral today...

she most definitely will be missed.

 

~b



basket case

I enjoy making baskets...

I think these cloth baskets came out pretty cute.

 

 

You know how I love chickens and sheep.

I'm going to hate it when I use up

 the very last few inches of this fabric.

 

 

So cute with the top edge rolled down.

 

I saw a basket like this on etsy and wanted it...

$25 plus $10 shipping from England!

 

 

I immediately headed out to my sewing room,

dropped my feed dog and went to work.

 

 

I think they would be adorable filled with our handmade

 bibs and burp cloths for a new mother.

 

The wise man

puts all his

eggs in one

basket and

watches the basket.

Andrew Carnegie

 

~b

 

 

 

 



Season 5

Did you catch the season 5 opener of Downton Abbey last night?

 

 

I'm wondering if there will be life for me

 after this show goes off the air for good?

 

It isn't just the story lines...

it's the castle

 

 

the clothes

the manners!

 

 

I hope you're watching to see what life was like in this era.

 

I started knitting this Downton Abbey sampler scarf.

Each square is a different pattern and color...

a great stash buster.

 

 

There is tons of Downton Abbey knitting patterns on Ravelry...

all reminiscent of this era.

 

 

 

 

If I were a cast member on Downton Abbey...

 

 

Yes, I'm quite sure I would be head cook Mrs. Patmore.

She hates substandard food too.

 

~b