We got a new car on Tuesday (I've been waiting since then for a bright enough day to get a nice picture and it's gotten a bit dusty in the mean time). It's cute. It's red. It has the following very cool features (compared to our old car):

- it starts! Without any extra tools, batteries or people; you just turn the key and the engine goes.

- it goes backward! To be fair our old car went backwards too ... it's just that you usually had to wait for a bit and go into park first.

- it warms up! So we'll be able to see out all our windows - all winter - without ever scraping the inside of the car.

It has some other nice features like a cd changer and cup holders in convenient to reach places but really those top three make it completely worth it.

The quilting is done and the binding's prepared. Things still to do: tack down the edges and square up the quilt; make up a label (I recently discovered printable fabric sheets and have to say they are awesome for label making); sew on the binding; and hand stitch it closed. Oh, and maybe run the iron over it once before I take my "look, a finished object" pictures.

I might have this done in time for Christmas! Wish me luck.

We went for a walk on Sunday morning. It started snowing just as we left the house and as we walked around the lake we could see it gathering in places and drifting around on the ice that covered all the still water (moving water was still open and sounds particularly cool when everything else is frozen). We got hot noodle soup downtown before heading home again. When we got home I cast on for a knitted blanket.


It's the Hemlock Ring blanket and so far I really like it. I'm using Patons Classic Wool; it has a nice sturdy feel to it, so I know this blanket will stick around, and it's the colour of chocolate. I knitted until I couldn't fit anymore stitches around my needle. I will have to wait until I can get a longer one to finish the blanket. In the mean time I've been working on a quilt.


You have seen this quilt top before though it was a while ago. I'm really very proud of it but had never got around to piecing the backing together. I finally did it this weekend and carefully cleared space on the living room floor to lay out the quilt sandwich. I started quilting Sunday evening - just a basic stitch-in-the-ditch so far but I might add some extra lines when I'm done.