Snowed In

Piles of dirty snow adorn the parking lot . They are about waist deep to me. The skies are gray and dull ...... and my toes are cold.

Snow is still falling softly, like misting rain. I love the quiet it creates. I feel insulated from the world. It is wet heavy snow. Perfect for the making of snowmen. It does cross my mind as I stand here looking out. Unfortunately I have still not located my snow boots. I have two pair and one is a bright shiny green. Really shouldn't be hard to find. I realize that I have probably looked right at them without recognizing them. I am sure I will stumble on them when the grass is green outside and I have no need of them.

Can't locate the snow shovel either. I think maybe it is the back of His truck ..... He Who is about the business of helping stranded motorists. But, I used a dust pan and made a narrow little path there. As long as you put one foot in front of the other. The snow is heavy and I broke my dustpan! I paid $1 at the Dollar Tree for that!

While the snow is falling, I am still harvesting what is left of the blue jeans I cut into squares. The quilt is done. It is warm and heavy, just like I thought it would be. I have three trash bags full of pieces left. I am determined to use every bit!

This is a rag rug made of 6" by half inch strips. I love this one! I am using a tapestry needle with a big eye and a blunt end. You just thread the needle with the strip and go down and back up so that the two ends are on top. Then tie a knot. Simple. Each one of those blue squares on the grid of rug canvas represents 100 holes. My rug will be 30" X 72" and there are 132 of those squares. That is 13,200 strips of denim.

I have been working on it for almost 3 weeks and have about 1/3 of it done. I have altered my technique as I go. At first I was carefully measuring the strips and cutting them all to size. Then I started to worry that I would run out of material. I still prefer the 6" strip, but I am using 4" strips, too. They are harder to thread and tie, but will help fill in. I found that I could cut on the bias and have a little stretch and that I could cut thicker and thinner than my half inch, so I am no longer measuring and I am not cutting my long strips, but threading them in first.

I am moving a little faster now and this is the perfect project to do in front of the TV by the fire. The rug canvas is from JoAnn's and I used a 50% coupon. It will actually make two rugs of that size. I cut it in half length-wise and then used duct tape to re-enforce the edges. I tried masking tape, but it didn't have staying power.

I am still adding to my oval inseam rug as I harvest new material. It is not big yet. Maybe big enough for a door mat. It would be nice if it turned out to be big enough for an area rug.

In an effort to keep the house warm, I am baking a cake. Really, it is to keep the house warm! It is a healthy cake. Oatmeal and coconut and nuts ..... and butter, And sugar and spice and everything nice!