In Praise of Libraries

 I discovered libraries when I was about 8. I loved them. You could go and get books, read them, and take them back to exchange for more books. By the time I was 15, I was spending so much time in the library that they hired me, and I started making $0.90/hr. to hang out at the library! It was a tiny branch, with a staff of 2 at any given time. In our free time, we were expected to read, so I always had a book under the counter. 

I went to university, where libraries became a place of research, or a quiet place to work away from my residence room. 

As an adult, I took my kids to the local library, I volunteered at the library, I even served as a Library Trustee for a brief period. I love libraries.

In these interesting times, I have been ordering lots of ebooks from the library. They are great because they return themselves.

Last week, on another blog, the author mentioned an article in the new issue of McCall's Quilting. My first thought was to try to buy a copy. Silly because I have been recycling all kinds of quilting magazines, lately. So, I decided to see if they had a digital copy at the library.

I now have a digital copy on my tablet, that I can read for three weeks, then it will check itself back in. I can even set a notification so the library app will tell me when they get the next issue. I think my magazine buying days are over!

Meanwhile, the weather has been really hot here (well for Canada). Last week, we got to 30.5 C. Quite a stretch from there to our February -25C. So, I have been knitting.

Baby socks take no thought and go together quickly, and a friend has a new grandbaby. Before long, babies will need wool socks again.

I also bought some yarn for Christmas gifts.

Ancient Arts was having a sale on some misdyed skeins. They look okay to me. I see these as a shawl/scarf and a pair of Border Collie socks.

I disn't post my last minute pretrip sewing.

I made a bunch of hand santizer pouches to give as hostess gifts. I like the Tula Pink teacups. I think I may modify the pattern to make cell phone cases.

Another UFO Complete

 Back in the days when life was open and free, my church quilt group agreed to quilt two quilts for an organization building accommodations for homeless veterans.  The tops were already made. We put one quilt onto the frame and were making good progress, when Covid lockdowns began. When it became obvious that it would be a very long time before we could sit around the frame again, I got permission to go into our closed building and rescue the quilt from the frame. It became the travelling quilt, moving between quilters to get it finished. I put the last stitches into it last Friday.

It is a large quilt and is folded in four in this picture. It was picked up by the person in charge of decorating the sanctuary, and on Sunday morning, it made its first completed appearance, during Zoom Church.

This photo is courtesy of the AV volunteer.

However, we had agreed to finish two quilts, so instead of driving ourselves crazy, we are donating one we finished awhile ago, and hung in the church, last January.

Not as long, but wider.

And the other quilt top that we were suppose to finish?

It has been upcycled into three quilts that will be used by the service dogs that are expected to live at the facility. They got a doggy backing in flannel, and were quilted by machine, with no bindings.

Sometimes things work out better than we expect.

A few years ago, a former minister started hanging our quilts in the sanctuary so they could absorb the prayers and hopes of all the people. The congregation loved it. They were thrilled to see a new quilt this week.

Meanwhile, I was asked to make a couple more hand sanitizer pouches, for a friend. I finished them today.

I was asked for one dog and one cat. This is what my scarps produced. I like them. This is the 100 ml size.