Happy 4th of July!!!!

 Wishing you a happy and safe 4th of July...this weekend is always a big celebration in my hometown and I sure wish I could have been there.  Here's a view down Main St. in 1920

Some cute vintage graphics and some patriotic crafts................

 Happy Trails!

YOP Week #1

Well, it's here....a new year for YOP!  I have been working on "my list" for several weeks now and I think this is going to work for me.  I have categories and only 2 projects in each category but knowing my amount of interests that still makes for a very full year!  But here goes!  Oh, BTW, I did not include gifts although some of them might be and if I finish something, I may add another project to that category.  There are also some WIPs in there as I am really trying to finish up ongoing projects.  I was also going to do some books but I don't think I'll ever want to do all the projects in one book.  I will let you know the pattern sources, yarn used and where I got it etc.  I will try to be more detailed this year and also keep up with my project pages on Ravelry.  That being said..let the games begin!

Blankets: 
1.  Crocheted Giant Granny Square 
2.  Knitted Bee Blanket

Scarves:
1.  Knitted Noro Scarf
2.  Crocheted Linen Stitch Scarf  

Cowls:
1. Knitted Ronbias Cowl
2. Knitted Causton Cowl  

Socks: 12 pair/year
1. My first Socks
2. Hermione's Everyday Socks  
........
Toys:
1. Giraffe for Grayson 
2. A doll for me

Sweaters:
1. Comfort Cardigan 
2. Ria Baby Vest 

Washcloths:
1. Thanksgiving Washcloths
2. Halloween Creepy Cloths  

Mittens:
1. Michelle's Mittens
2. Lenticular Mitts

Misc:
1. Shirret Crochet Rug
2. Round Table and/or chair mats (these are potholders that I will just make bigger)

Hats:
1.Hudson Hat
2.Bankhead

Shawls:
1. Little House Shawl
2. Multnomah

Other crafts:

Embroidery:
1.  Make It Do

2.  Village

Applique:
1.  Folk Art Quilt (WIP)

2.  Happy Home

Rug Hooking:
1. Sheep (needs repair)

2. Abby Rug

Cross Stitch:
1.Frost on the Pumpkin (WIP)

2.Bob Ross

Quilting:
1. House Blocks (WIP)

2. Sampler Quilt (WIP)

Sewing:
1. slumber beds

2. Dottie Angel tunic/smock

Crafts:
1.  Christmas Shadow Box

2.  Winter Village House

As I was "researching" for these project pictures, I came to the realization that I have more WIPs that are out there....oh boy!  So, in each category, as I finish a project, I will replace it with an old WIP if there is one unless there are pressing gifts that need to be made.  Also, I may alternate WIPs with a new project just to keep my creative juices flowing.  
One last area that I need to include are new skills and techniques that I want to learn.  Again, there will only be 2 at a time although there is much I need and want to learn.
Skills and techniques:
1. Fish Lips Kiss Heel
2. Tunisian Crochet  
Happy Trails and to all a fun and productive Year of Projects!
 

Are you celebrating this holiday weekend?

I went to Walmart yesterday and got myself some "treats" along with groceries.  It was packed in there yesterday.  Evidently some people took Friday off or everyone had the same idea as me to get shopping done before the weekend.  Anyway, remember how I say that I get to eat anything I want on holidays?  Well, I got chips and some great artichoke dip made with yogurt...very good, I already tried it.  They had my Heavy Melon beer I enjoy, I got some blue tortilla chips and salsa and a cantaloupe...first of the season for me.  I love melons!  I usually eat pretty healthy anyway.

 Today I peeled and cut up the melon  and put it in a container in the frig so it will be ready for breakfast tomorrow morning along with my Pillsbury orange cinnamon rolls I'll make.
I had extra "stuffing" left from those terrible "cabbage burgers" so I decided to make them into tacos! The cabbage will replace the lettuce and I added the taco seasoning and I have the shells crisping in the oven.  We'll see how it tastes.  It's got to be better than the "cabbage burgers".

I forgot to show you a picture of my needles yesterday............

I also got these at Walmart...........

Aren't they pretty?

I finally got some stuffing for the giraffe..........

Organic cereal!  At Walmart no less!!!!!

And this magazine............I haven't bought a magazine in several years now but this one was a premier issue of a new magazine by Taste of Home publishers so......it was my 4th of July celebration present to myself! LOL!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend and treating yourself like you deserve to be treated!
Happy Trails!
P.S. Remember...tomorrow is the first Week of Year of Projects 2016-2017!  The first week we reveal our plans and projects for the coming year...so exciting!

I waited and waited and today was the day!

My treasures arrived from the U.K.!  Royal Mail no less!  Before I forget, I want to wish all my Canadian friends Happy Canada Day!!!!!!  Yay!!!!!  I love you guys, your country, and your fine looking and liberal thinking Prime Minister and his family.  Could you clone him and send him here?  Anyway, I hope you have a great day and weekend and just keep celebrating with us on Monday! LOL!
Okay, now for the treasures........my supplies so that I can get off to a rip-roaring start on Year of Progress 2016-2017 which starts this Sunday.  If you want to join in please do!  Here's the link
If you don't have a logon id you can set one up for free and then once you have your id just click on the link again and it will take you to the YOP page.  It is so fun and we do it all; knitting, crocheting, sewing...you name it!  So please come join us.
Okay, now really, here are my treasures.............I know it's a bit early but here is my Christmas sock yarn.  Little Bobbins podcast has a Christmas Eve cast on for socks every year and this year I am joining in!  I saw this yarn and thought it was perfect so these will be my Christmas Eve cast on socks. The yarn is by West Yorkshire Spinners and I have heard many good things about this yarn.  Everything you see today I purchased at Deramores in the U.K. and I qualified for free shipping!

 I also purchased this yarn for my Sandra Paul socks but I cast them on with my Kristen Nicholas self-striping.....but...........I may cast on with this yarn as Sandra's pattern (Cherry Heart is her blog and she is also on Ravelry) has a pattern and it is not going to show up very well on the self-stripping.  This yarn looked a little heathered but we'll see as now that I have it in my hands it is not as "heathered" as I thought.  But the pattern will definitely show on this yarn for sure!

 

In addition, I got this sock yarn for my Summer socks as it reminded me of watermelon. 

 These yarns are Stylecraft Special DK in the first colors of a giant granny square that I want to do and also some cream colored yarn to finish my Maybelle blanket.

 And last but not least more needles! I have wanted to try some Karbonz needles for awhile now and so I ordered them for sock knitting and I ordered a set of dpn's and also circulars in a 40" cable.  My dpn's are a size 2 U.S. as I evidently knit tightly and the size 1 was to small a gauge for my socks.
What a wonderful treasure trove of knitting delight right before the holiday weekend!  Guess what I'll be doing?  Along with cleaning for company and working on birthday gifts for others! LOL!
What are your plans for the holiday weekend?
Happy Trails! 

 

Working along on birthday presents.............

My daughter said she would not look at my blog until after the birthdays and their visit so I am free to share with you...........it looks like a deflated balloon right now but actually it is Grayson's giraffe I'm making for him.  I need to go buy some stuffing as I am out.  I made Sam one last year in blue with navy blue and Grayson's will be yellow with orange. 

I think you might have seen some of these squares before but my daughter had no idea they were for her.  She is an art teacher and one of her favorite artists is Frieda Kahlo.  In fact, during college she went for a 6 week school art session to Mexico and visited Frieda's house.  These squares need blocking for sure but they are large...almost 12" square.  It is called Frieda's basket and it will be a basket.  I am on the 4th square and then I need to block them and assemble.

This last square i goofed on and need to take back to the black...I  missed a row or 2.....oh, boy!
There is a fabric I saw that has Frieda Kahlo on it that I want to get to line it.  I hope it turns out.
I also goofed last week on my sock.........I was on the heel when I noticed the pattern wasn't right so....you guessed it.....I had to start over.....me and knitting!  But rather something for me than a gift for someone if I'm going to mess up.

This is another kristen Nicholas self-striping sock yarn..........love!
I finished Black Coffee audio, an Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot mystery and it was really good.  I started listening to this one today.......it's good but they talk fast with a thick English accent which is hard for me to assimilate that quickly.  Maybe I'll get used to it.  I hope so otherwise I will miss out on the story line and the jokes.

This bird was out on my neighbors fence today and I have no idea what it is..do any of you know?

It was like a rusty red color with a long curved beak and I think there was some black on the wings and a spot of white.
That's all for today.  I hope you had a great one!  Happy Trails!

Best Spinach Quiche evah!

I've made some bad recipes lately!  No more Pinterest recipes!  Thay make it sound so good but most just aren't.  I made these cabbage burgers which the gal said her grandmother used to make and they were wonderful.  Really?  Do they not have taste buds?  This was so BLAH I ended up with more salt and some worchestershire sauce just to give it some taste!  I dirtied every pot and pan in my kitchen too and the work?  Holy cow, it took all afternoon!  So if you see a recipe for "cabbage burgers" pass it by for sure!

There were a few others these past few weeks which I won't go into but now I'm going to give you a real WINNER!  This recipe for spinach quiche is the best I've ever had and I've tried several over the years.  It is easy and not even any chopping to do.  Absolutely delish!

It is Green Chile Spinach Quiche from All Recipes  
It is the first one on the left 5 stars by Nica36, I think.  The recipe makes 2 pies so I only made one but it was so good I ate 1/4 of it last night!  I will be making 2 pies from now on! LOL!  I have used All Recipes website for years and I should have never "strayed".  They are the best!  I'm off to heat up another BIG slice for supper tonight.....

 Happy Trails and Happy Meals! (Not the McDonalds type either!  LOL!)

Tidbit Tuesday

I have a bunch of miscellaneous items to share that never seem to make their way into a full blog post so here they are..........some interesting websites I discovered ........
Kathy Schmitz
who has such pretty embroidery patterns
Boys and Bunting
has some darling crochet from the U.K.
www.CraftyQueens.nl
a great crochet blog from the Netherlands
Joybilee Farm
celebrating a natural handmade life
Free Pretty Things For You
Just what it says!  Lots of printables and papers....so pretty!
Ginger Schatz
She doesn't blog regularly but she has some great crochet projects if you scroll back through her posts
Coco Rose Textiles 
another blogger who no longer posts but her archives are awesome for crochet
Handy Crafter
Okay, more crochet....I guess I'll quit for now

I ordered the grands birthday gifts today....part of them.  I ordered subscriptions to Ranger Rick magazine for Uriah and Sam and Ranger Rick Jr. for Grayson.  These magazines are put out by the National Wildlife Federation and are wonderful publications for children to learn about wildlife and nature.  My Mother subscribed to Ranger Rick for my children when they were little and they remember those magazines with great fondness and I have to say, all my children grew up to be nature and outdoor enthusiasts.  So, today, I continued the tradition.  I'm sure my Mother is smiling.

What?  A blog post with no pictures?  I guess there's a first time for everything!
Happy Trails!  

It's Monday...what are you reading or watching or listening to?

I finished this book...do you remember when it was all over the bestseller lists?  I think I'm past the stage where transformational literature has an affect on me.  I'm not saying I can't learn but at my age I figure if I haven't learned life's lessons there's not much hope for me. 

 I decided I'm going to read library books too.  Simply because I go in and pick up books I wouldn't necessarily read if I had to pay money for them.  It allows me to step out of my reading "box" and do a little exploring.  I have read this author years ago and he was very good and so far I am enjoying this book.  It is like confirmation of my own personal beliefs that have been with me all along.

The other library book I got was a book I spotted that Diane over at Lavender Dreams 
had recommended to me a while ago.  It started slow but after the first chapter I got into it and I am really enjoying it!

 My current fiction is this old book...........I was watching The Bakery Bears podcast and Kay was talking about her favorite book of all time...........I knew I had it somewhere but had never read it and I found it!  This was a popular series several years back.  Probably while I was going to school, raising 4 children and/or reading stacks of technical manuals for work.  There were years in there when I really had no time for "reading for pleasure" so I am now reading all those books that were bestsellers "back when"! LOL!  So far so good...........there are quite a few books in the series too but I only have the first one....we'll see.

I'm almost done listening to this audio book and it is really good...you can't beat Agatha Christie and the reader for this one is very good.  I'm on the last of the 4 tapes.

Still reading this magazine...........hopefully I will finish it this week.......

and my non-fiction..........not so interesting as I think she assumes you have knit a lot of sweaters.......I have never knit a sweater........ the title is deceiving but she is very famous and is now passed on and her knitting books are considered classics.  Maybe some day it will make more sense to me but right now.....not so much.  I should finish it up this week too and then what?  Oh, the possibilities!

Happy Trails!