Close to home

The middle of winter is central Illinois is normally a little bleak - cold, windy, and lacking in the green fields I've come to adore and appreciate. Occasionally sunny days help, but living in a rural area, sometimes you want to jump ship. To counteract some of the winter gloom, a few friends decided to put together a mini retreat close to home. So, this weekend, I grabbed my knitting and headed out the door...to here:

Isn't it lovely?  Okay, wait.  Before you start to wonder, this is no normal Midwestern barn.  It's amazing - brand new building and outfitted to entertain!

See what I mean?  A full kitchen, multiple bathrooms, plenty of comfy seating, a sleeping loft, and a roaring fire kept us warm all day.

When you needed a break, you could take a brief stroll outside or bird watch through the windows.

 

I worked on my Bayard Hat and would have made more progress, but the conversation was  entertaining and friendly.  In the meantime, I'm back to work and hope to finish the hat tonight or tomorrow evening.  Until then, here's a WIP shot: