First finish of 2014

There's no use in making predictions of what your first project will be, because you just never know what is going to lure you away from that plan !

I thought that I should try out the optical illusion blocks before cutting out an entire quilt.  The inspiration for those blocks was this quilt by WhatComesNext on Flickr.  The dimensionality of this quilt of hers blows me away, and I am wondering if I can achieve the same look with my fabrics.    So, I cut out blocks to make a pillow, but I didn't use a white background because my blocks were in an off-white fabric.

  I don't think the experiment worked, and it definitely didn't do a thing to prove my project.   Oh, well, I got a new pillow-cover out of the  time spent, and it reminds me of my granddaughter's first big Christmas present, a rideable stuffed painted pony !  Thanks to Jodie Ann for the pony print !

  My second project just kindof fell into my lap. While grocery shopping,  I went nosing around our little WalMart's new yarn section and I found a yummy-soft super bulky yarn by Lion Brand.

Old-lady-style.....yup, that's me !

I bought one skein, and then I did an internet search for a knitted head-wrap pattern.  I came across this one that sounded really easy.......it's called "It's a Cinch" headwrap pattern, by Elisa McLaughlin.  It was so simple ! 

I changed the number of stitches from 20 to 16 because of my thicker yarn, and it still came out wider than I need; so when I knit it again, and I'm sure I will, I will try maybe 12 stitches with my size 13 needles.

I'm really tickled with this yarn, though......it's super soft and squishy for an acrylic........and I like the look of the wrap from the front.  The back is a bit strange looking in this width, but it is so warm that I'll put up with that.

So, we're preparing for the single digits in temperature, a rare thing in this part of the south, but I'm praying that everyone will be warm and dry, and that this storm moves on out of here quickly !