Woo hoo!  Got a new Knit Picks catalog in the mail yesterday.  I have a LIFETIME supply of yarn, especially sock yarn, but, oh, it’s so much fun to look!  And this is the perfect catalog for a gray and white winter season, just full of lively colors and patterns and gorgeous yarn…no, will NOT buy more yarn…

I sewed my barn-raising quilt together yesterday, too.  It’s about 37″ by 42″, which I think is a bit skimpy for a lap quilt, so I will be adding a border.  I want to use up the last four blocks in the corners, which means the borders will be about five inches wide.  That should make a nice size small quilt.

I’m considering how to do the borders.  I have LOTS of 1-1/2 inch strips, so I was going to seam a bunch together, and just do strips.  But now I’m wondering about doing it in little squares, to match the blocks.  I would use the Scrappy Trips Around The World directions from Bonnie Hunter’s Quiltville.  This is how I made the blocks to start with, but my scrap quilt sure didn’t look as good as the ones on her site!

It would take longer to do that, but the idea of slow cloth is calling me.  Why am I always in such a rush to finish stuff?  I’m learning to slow down and let the quilt lead me where it wants to go, instead of trying to force it to conform to an idea in my head.

I stopped quilting for a long time because it was such a struggle.  I couldn’t get my seams to line up nicely, projects came out awful, sewing just wasn’t fun any more.  I realize now it’s because I was trying to control the process too much.  I had the idea that the more I controlled things, the better my quilts would be.  But the paradox is that the more I let go, the more I find enjoyment in the process, and the better my work is.

On a different topic, we’re in the midst of the fabled January thaw.  It was actually above freezing yesterday, and the sun was out.  In the afternoon, I finished scooping mushy snow out of the end of the driveway and took off for a walk!  I love to walk, and I walk up the beach near my house nearly every day when the weather is nice.  It’s hard to motivate myself when an arctic gale is blowing, though, so my walking tapers off during the winter months.  It’s nice to get out when the opportunity presents itself!

Here are a few pictures from my walk.  Click on the image to make it bigger, and click on the magnifying glass icon when it appears to make it bigger yet!  Enjoy!

Ice build-up on rocks by Picnic Rocks. You can see the ore dock at the Upper Harbor in the background.

Ice build-up on rocks by Picnic Rocks. You can see the ore dock at the Upper Harbor in the background.

Icy build-up on tree at Picnic Rocks. You can see the Presque Isle lighthouse and the Upper Harbor breakwater in the backgroun.

Icy build-up on tree at Picnic Rocks. You can see the Presque Isle lighthouse and the Upper Harbor breakwater in the background, along with the ore dock.

The beach I love to walk on when it's warmer. Too cold today, with an icy wind coming off Lake Superior!

The beach I love to walk on when it's warmer. Too cold today, with an icy wind coming off Lake Superior!

I snapped this picture while walking along the bike path. The white birch against the blue sky and blue water caught my eye, but the giant multi-trunked tree is really the star here.

I snapped this picture while walking along the bike path. The white birch against the blue sky and blue water caught my eye, but the giant multi-trunked tree is really the star here.

I love how the bike path meanders through the trees here...just inviting you to go further and see what's around the corner!

I love how the bike path meanders through the trees here...just inviting you to go further and see what's around the corner!

Snow bridge at McCarthy Cove. This is open water in the summer. It's shallow enough to wade, but there's always a strong current there.

Snow bridge at McCarthy Cove. This is open water in the summer. It's shallow enough to wade out to the rocks, but because of the ever-present strong cross-currents, most people don't venture out there.