Tan and White...afghans and goats

I do appreciate the comments and suggestions on the Swedish woven afghan.

Last night, I spent a good two hours in the sewing room with the afghan spread out on the cutting table; searching and studying, counting stitches, and with yarn and needle tried every step, but nothing fit or worked.

I did see lots of mistakes made by me several years ago, trying to finish the afghan without mama's help...it had to be me!  So, I'm thinking about taking out all stitches, back to where mama left off. 

Then I looked at the back side of this afghan  and goodness, those long stitches (some of my work) are not supposed to be there!

Anyhow, with time to think last night in the sewing room, with just me and memories of mama...I recalled just how much of the afghan mama actually did. After supper, she would say, "while you wash dishes. I'll work on your afghan, if you don't mind".  Had mama been able, she would have been right there with her hands in the dish water, but she was using a walker then and having problems with her legs. I was tickled to have her work on the afghan. 

Looking back, mama was probably shaking her head and thinking..."Melba will never learn to do this Swedish weaving"! and she was right. 

So, I do appreciate the offers of help, and hopefully will get the afghan finished.

Okay, enough on that...

Have you wondered about little Rosie lately? Rotten Rosie. Wondering if she was lonely?You know, she has been alone since Asa, the other little black goat died. 

Well, lonely no more...meet Heidi...

Heidi came home from Durham with me on Tuesday. 

Does Rotten Rosie appreciate Heidi? No! Rosie has been very ugly to Heidi, butting her and pushing her around.

and Heidi is a very sweet humble little goat who would not hurt a flea. 

Eli likes Heidi. Worried, I called the girls, friends of my sister Shelby, who gave me Heidi and they told me not to worry, Rosie and Heidi will work things out. You just stay out of it, they told me.  So I've been trying. 

Can you believe we have the heat cut off and the back door opened?? It may reach 70 tomorrow, with a chance of thunderstorms!

Thank you friends, if you have managed to stay this long.

Hope to be back soon.

Love,

Henny

  

Feeling happy

Dear friends,

Today has been wonderful!! We woke up to a cold 18 degrees, but by lunch time the temperature was above freezing. First time in 209 hours! By 4:00 it was a wonderful warm 45 degrees! 

There was sunshine too a good part of the day. I hung Eli's damp frozen blankets on the clothesline to air and dry out.

  Even the birds seemed happier.

Back on November 20th, Sandra at prairiepatchquilts.blogspot.com did a post on Swedish Weaving. I was so excited because I've never known anybody except my mother who did Swedish Weaving, or as mama called it, Swedish Darning.

I have searched the house over looking for the red Swedish Darning afghan mama made for me, and cannot find it, but I do have the one I was working on before mama died. She was teaching me...

It was so close to being finished...just 6 or 8  inches left at the bottom, then make the fringe.  

The sad part is, I can't figure out now, how to finish it. The instructions are very difficult...to me, anyhow. Let me show you. These are in mama's handwriting...

Mama used to cut all the lengths of yarn she would need and put the yarn in envelopes marked Row 1, Rows 2 & 3, Rows 3 & 4, and so forth.

Many many times while working on my afghan, a row would get to looking off. Mama would notice it and say, here, let me go back to where you made the mistake...she would sit and patiently take out stitches and get me going again. 

It has been at least 12 years now and I could never figure out from these instructions, how to make those last rows of stitching. 

Mama also made Shelby an afghan, and made all of her granddaughters afghans, and several of her nieces. 

I hope that you will check out Sandra's blog. She has made several beautiful afghans, or throws, (mama always called them afghans) using pretty colors and patterns.

Guess that's about it. Oh, except for this...

This clean white bedspread was washed and dried and put on the bed this morning. But that's okay. These kitty cats earn their keep. Why, Smokey brought us a little mouse one day last week. Left it right at the front door. Made me feel really sad, but I didn't tell him. 

Love,

Henny