YOP Week #8

How is everyone this week?  We are still in the single digit weeks of YOP and I feel like this might be my best year yet!  I know it's too early to tell but I'm off to a good start!  I have another finish this week!  2 Christmas gifts done!  Using a row marker definitely makes a difference! LOL!  But they both are functional and no money spent!

I also got the heel done on my first ever toe-up socks.  I'm not sure if I care for this method but I will finish this pair and make another pair in order to give it a fair assessment.  I am using Stylecraft Special DK acrylic as Very Pink suggests a DK weight yarn for a first pair.  I understand the German Short Row now although I'm not sure I could transfer it to another pattern that calls for a wrap and turn like the Bird of Happiness pattern I tried.  We'll see.  The shorts rows still leave a 'gap' and more than one compared to my regular sock heel.  I'm almost done and get this......I can do regular knitting without looking now! Can you believe it?  I see so many doing it so I tried and lo and behold.....I was able to do it!  Will wonders never cease?  I amaze myself sometimes!

I picked up some Warm and Natural batting for the I Spy Quilt and also backing material for all 3 quilts..............the baby size batting is just right!

Here's the backing material...............bright yellow with black dots.............perfect!

I was 'out and about' quite a bit this week and next week looks to be the same so I'm not getting a lot done but I manage to work a little bit on projects each evening............Almost done with the bottom half of the Frosted Pumpkin stitchery.

That's all for this week....hopefully by next week I will have the first toe up sock finished and be started on the second one, I'll have the bottom of the pumpkin stitchery done and be working on the top and I will have the first quilt 'sandwich' ready to be quilted or more!  That's my plan anyway...I'm hoping if I write it down here I will feel more committed to making it happen! LOL!
Happy Eclipse tomorrow and Happy Trails all week long!

Busy but productive week!

I had to go back to Mountain Home Thursday to get fitted for my new glasses and frames.....and I knew exactly what I wanted....RED glasses!!!!  I walked in and was immediately drawn to a pair and even after looking at all the others....the first ones were the ones I chose!  I have never been very excited about glasses but this time was different....I LOVE these glasses and will go back to get them in 7-10 days....I can't wait!
The eye doctor is on the other side of Mountain Home so it is an even longer drive than usual.  I had to stop and get gas on the way and luckily it had stormed in the morning but I had clear sailing there and back.  I was pretty tired when I got home and then yesterday I went to the new Dollar Tree store!
I love that store because everything REALLY IS a dollar!  I got some organizational 'tools' after checking all the Dollar Tree pins on Pinterest.

A magnetic white board for my frig, battery operated votive candles, tiny packs of kleenix, and the toothpaste I use.
 I got a candle lighter and a mesh laundry hamper which people use to put over their plants outside...Rain....this one's for us!  I'm trying it in my back yard! 

 2 packages of removable labels, some votive candles and a regular candle in Black Cherry........I also got a few other items but they are for Christmas so I can't show them here..... 

and then the containers.................I think these will be for my linen closet although I need some bigger ones too...........

these will be for my bookshelf................I actually saw one gal who spray painted these to look like metal and then added metal looking name plates on them......they looked just like the pricey ones in the magazines.......amazing!

and these are for under my sink in the kitchen...........they're stackable..............

I also went shopping for a new dryer but even the really bare bones one is $300 not counting delivery and installation so I might as well fix mine for $400 but I did get the name of a reasonable and qualified local repair person so maybe it won't be quite as bad?  I realized when I had my RA 'flare up' that carrying a basket of wet clothes down the basement stairs was not too safe plus the time I spend could be better spent doing other chores.  It also causes me to have more ironing and an iron isn't cheap to run either plus so many of the clothes are meant to be dried now a days.  So, I made up my mind that I will be repairing the dryer regardless.  Wish me luck on that one! LOL!
I also went to Walmart and got supplies but forgot to get the paint!!!  Duh!  Two days away from home and all my chores were backing up so that is why I haven't blogged or visited!  Today was catch up with everything  around here and I had paperwork to go through and filing so it's 6:00 p.m. and supper time for me....I've fed everyone else!
Tomorrow is YOP, I need to make a nice dinner and enjoy my day of rest as next week is busy too!  Tuesday I go back to the foot doctor in Mountain Home (hopefully for the last time), Friday Grace (the long haired cat) goes to the groomer and Monday is the eclipse! The last total eclipse was in 1979...this will probably be the last time I see it in my lifetime but I won't be seeing it because I don't have any special glasses!  I assumed I could get some at the eye doctor......but no!  They don't have any and never did!  Hello???  An eye doctor doesn't have eye protection for the eclipse?  That is just not right!  Oh well....it's supposed to be cloudy that day anyway but I will watch it on T.V.! LOL!
I hope you had a great week and I will see you back here tomorrow AND I will be leisurely sipping my coffee in the morning and catching up with all of you!
Happy Trails!    

Got my 3 priorities done and more!!!

I awoke really early this morning and got the girls out which was great because then it thundered and started raining so at least they got out before the storm!  What a cozy morning to lay in bed with a cup of coffee and write in my journal.
Once I got up and got going though I made come cranberry orange cookies..............I got the recipe from All Recipes and there are several out there.  Very good except I did leave off the powdered sugar frosting as that is too much sugar for me plus extra work! LOL!  They have craisins, pecans , orange juice and orange zest in them.....YUM!  My daughter makes these all the time and everyone always asks her to make them for any 'event' they have at school or church so you know they're good!

 I also got the second coat on the back wall of the old entry closet which is now going to be a vestibule?  Anyway, I took the closet doors off and cut out the carpeting and today I ran out of paint!  But it is moving along after a long hiatus!  There will be a shelf and a small dresser in there I think or else hooks to hang coats and leashes and a tray filled with rocks for boots and shoes.....I haven't quite decided yet.  I still have to put 2 coats on those side walls, paint the shelf and the floor.  The floor is plywood so I will paint it with old fashioned gray porch paint.....anything is better than carpeting!  Yes, they even carpeted the closets and right up to the front door...white carpeting no less!  What?  Were they nuts?  These were my parents and yes, they were a little different from me...okay, they were a lot different from me! LOL!

I also finished the foot of my first toe-up sock......now onto the heel!   Wish me luck!

BTW....I've been eating some Johnsonville 3 Cheese Italian Style Chicken Sausage that is out of this world!  I discovered it at my local grocery store and it is so good!  I had it on a hotdog bun with some mustard and roasted red peppers and it was delish!  30-60 seconds in the microwave with a paper towel over it and it's ready!  I highly recommend!  I also was able to get some delicious sweet corn to go with it.....lucked out on that corn..I think it must have come from Iowa! LOL!
I hope you had a great day  and go ahead and have another one tomorrow!
Happy Trails!

It's Monday Book Date!

I am linking to Kathryn over at www.bookdate.blogspot.com

I have 2 finishes this week.  One I posted about yesterday in my YOP group post as it was a craft book...........this is decorating and sewing and some crafting.  There are several items I may want to make from this book so I am holding onto it for now...............If you like the bohemian, eclectic, cozy, vintage look then you would really like this book................

 Amazon states:
" More than just a "how to" guide, Granny Chic offers inspiration to keen crafters hoping to breathe new life into vintage fabrics and second-hand objects. From handmade notebooks to lace lampshades and pinnies made from tea towels, each of the craft "recipes" brings the granny chic look to life whilst allowing you to give them your own personal twist. This selection of 20 projects includes spruced-up coathangers, a "dingle dangle" door screen, a "patched and pieced" lampshade, and a crocheted tea cosy. In addition to the projects Granny Chic offers advice on the granny chic lifestyle, from befriending your local fabric shop to creating a handmade home. Packed full of ideas it will have you rustling in your vintage fabric to find your inner granny chic crafting soul."

I also finished this fiction children's tale....book #1 of 2 from what I can gather..............this a a series for children from ages 8-18 although I thought it was a bit grim for some of the younger set...........very well written and interesting....I might even read the 2nd book as there are only 2 in the series right now.........I must admit there were times when I couldn't put it down...........

 Amazon states:
"Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world. Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants ascend and terrors threaten. Betrayal beckons, and loyalty is a broken road with peril around every bend.Where will Heather and Picket land? How will they make their stand?"

As for my magazine....still reading this and to be honest I have not picked it up....too tired and too involved in the books! LOL!  But what I've read I have enjoyed.............

For my non-fiction I am still reading this one and thoroughly enjoying!  There was  a section I read the other night about a 'green' hire that had me laughing so hard in bed that my dogs woke up and thought something was wrong! LOL!  It was so funny that I think I will copy it to read whenever I need a good laugh!

  Amazon states:
"The term fisherwoman does not exactly roll trippingly off the tongue, and Linda Greenlaw, the world's only female swordfish boat captain, isn't flattered when people insist on calling her one. "I am a woman. I am a fisherman... I am not a fisherwoman, fisherlady, or fishergirl. If anything else, I am a thirty-seven-year-old tomboy. It's a word I have never outgrown." Greenlaw also happens to be one of the most successful fishermen in the Grand Banks commercial fleet, though until the publication of Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, "nobody cared." Greenlaw's boat, the Hannah Boden, was the sister ship to the doomed Andrea Gail, which disappeared in the mother of all storms in 1991 and became the focus of Junger's book. The Hungry Ocean, Greenlaw's account of a monthlong swordfishing trip over 1,000 nautical miles out to sea, tells the story of what happens when things go right--proving, in the process, that every successful voyage is a study in narrowly averted disaster.There is the weather, the constant danger of mechanical failure, the perils of controlling five sleep-, women-, and booze-deprived young fishermen in close quarters, not to mention the threat of a bad fishing run: "If we don't catch fish, we don't get paid, period. In short, there is no labor union." Greenlaw's straightforward, uncluttered prose underscores the qualities that make her a good captain, regardless of gender: fairness, physical and mental endurance, obsessive attention to detail. But, ultimately, Greenlaw proves that the love of fishing--in all of its grueling, isolating, suspenseful glory--is a matter of the heart and blood, not the mind. "I knew that the ocean had stories to tell me, all I needed to do was listen." --Svenja Soldovieri"
Linda Greenlaw has written several other books about her life at sea and I think I will be reading those too!

My new pick for a craft book is a book I read when I first started knitting and want to revisit just out of curiosity to see if my view or thoughts changed..............I remember it being a pretty funny book and who can't use a good laugh! She has another book out besides this one. 

 Amazon states:
"If you've ever been dumped, duped, or three minutes from crazy, you'll love Crazy Aunt Purl. Side-splittingly funny and profoundly moving, Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair is the true-life misadventures of Laurie Perry, aka Crazy Aunt Purl, a slightly neurotic, displaced Southerner trying to create a new life after her husband leaves her to 'get his creativity back.' (Whatever that means.) But will she get her groove back in a tiny rented apartment, with a mountain of boxes, visible panty lines, and a slight wine-and-Cheetos problem?"I was a thirty-something woman living alone with four cats. I was probably going to be divorced. I was on the short bus to crazy. I pictured my grandmother making hoop-skirted yarn cozies for the toilet paper. I pictured myself making doilies for furniture that I did not own. I saw my cats wearing knitted hats with lace appliqués. From my vantage point, knitting seemed like 100 percent of some road I did not want to walk down."Yet, surprisingly, it's knitting that saves her and emboldens her to become fully engaged in life again--to discover new friends; to take risks, however scary; and to navigate the ins and outs of the modern dating scene."Dating has changed in a decade. Now there is a higher chance of meeting someone who has an internet porn addiction than someone who has a job. In Los Angeles, your dinner companion might have served time in Pelican Bay or run a meth lab. Or, worst of all, he might spend all night talking about his agent, his craft, and what it means to grow as an actor. Then he'll ask you to read his screenplay."And such is life in this quirky, irreverent memoir, a spin-off of the blog phenomenon, www.crazyauntpurl.com, one of the most successful online diaries in history, exploding to an international fan base of enthusiastic readers. But don't worry, you don't have to knit to love Aunt Purl. You just have to know what it feels like to have loved, to have lost, or to have taken a leap of faith. We've all been there: Pass the wine."

Last but not least.....my new fiction book which I will start tonight...........this is from my printed page personal library of books.............

 Amazon states:
"A #1 New York Times bestseller by Kim Edwards, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is a brilliantly crafted novel of parallel lives, familial secrets, and the redemptive power of loveKim Edwards’s stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964 in Lexington, Kentucky, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognizes that his daughter has Down syndrome. Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split second decision that will alter all of their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child herself. So begins this beautifully told story that unfolds over a quarter of a century—in which these two families, ignorant of each other, are yet bound by the fateful decision made that winter night long ago.A family drama, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter explores every mother's silent fear: What would happen if you lost your child and she grew up without you? It is also an astonishing tale of love and how the mysterious ties that hold a family together help us survive the heartache that occurs when long-buried secrets are finally uncovered."

As for what I have been listening to and watching?
Brooklyn Knitfolk knitting and sewing podcast on You Tube
Father Brown mystery series #1 on Netflix
Chicago Cub's games on the radio online
Daily Hope by Pastor Rick Warren podcast

That's it for this week!  What have you been reading, listening to or watching?  Happy Trails!

YOP Week #7

Howdy folks!  Another YOP week and I am happy to report...I am on a roll!  Not sure how long this will last but I am thrilled to say the least!
I have another finish!   A gift hat is done....YAY! 

 I made the mistake of not using a marker thinking that I could tell by the starting cast on tail where the next round started...........NOT!  But this hat is mistake proof....there are mistakes as you can see the pattern change but it doesn't really matter...this is the hat pattern for me! LOL!

and not only that but I have started on another one...............this time I am using a marker....duh!

Erin mentioned this hat pattern in her post last week and thank you, Erin!  It is the Man Hat by Haven Leavitt and it is a free pattern on Ravelry.  I used size 8 U.S. circular 16 inch cable needles and then size 8 DPNs at the crown of the hat.  The yarn is no longer made, I don't think, unless they changed the name to Hometown U.S.A.?  It is Lionbrand Chunky U.S.A. that I got years ago in a scarf kit.  The recipients are knit worthy but not wool worthy as they would wash and dry it without hesitation! LOL!  This is acrylic and totally machine washable and dryable.  The skein had 155 yards and there was plenty for this hat.  It calls for a long tail cast on and they're not kidding......make it very long as the bulky yarn takes up more yardage.  The author of this pattern calls it a 'no-fail' hat and she is exactly right!
 I also finished a 'flimsy'.  A 'flimsy', in case you didn't know, is a finished quilt top that has not yet been quilted.  I am making 3 I Spy quilts for the grands for Christmas and this is the first 'flimsy' finished.  I'm not sure if I will make the other 2 flimsies first or go ahead and finish this one completely.

  I got the idea when a friend of mine was selling I Spy quilt kits in her shop Daisy Patchwork
I don't think she has them anymore but you could ask as she does custom orders, I think, but right now she and her husband Chris are in France refurbishing an old farmhouse.  She is on my sidebar called "Brambling in Brittany".   I love her fabrics that she carries and her free-form quilting style.  She's also on Ravelry as Daisypatchwork.  They are 5 " squares that were pre-cut (charm pack) and I sewed it 8 squares by 8 squares.  I want to get some soft fleece to use for the backing and also print out the rules of the game I Spy to include with the quilts. 

I also worked on my cross stitch a  bit...........finished  up the pumpkin except for some tiny bits which I will put in later and started on the bottom area.............

I also finished a book on Granny Chic which is decorating and  sewing............boho style if you like that which I do to a certain extent..............there's a couple projects in there I would like to try after Ms. Claus's workshop shuts down for the season! LOL!

Oh, I almost forgot....I ordered this PDF pattern which was like $16.00 and you don't get all the sizes but I did get from 5 to 12 childrens which is what I need.  The only problem is when I went to print it off it was 69 pages!!!!  Holy Cow Batman!  It seems a bit pricey since I already paid $16.00 and I still have to tape it together...I hope it's worth it!  Have any of you used their patterns before?  I think they're pretty well known/liked but I could be wrong.  Now comes the hard part......getting the parents to measure the grands for me....they keep forgetting............I should have started in the Spring! LOL!  Of course, they're all busy trying to get everyone ready for school which starts next week in Iowa and one had a 3 day garage sale and the other was attending the Iowa State Fair .....one of the best in the nation and we can't forget all the sweet corn festivals up there and I am missing it all!  Hopefully, I will get back there soon.

I plan on making these pj's in flannel.  Who doesn't love flannel pajamas in the Wintertime?
That's it for this weeks Year of Projects.  I will be working on these projects today along with a painting project...my entryway............I need to finish........I am behind on my Index Card a Day art project but I did do a couple this week.....this one was Day #3 and the prompt was  'vintage' and so I did a self-portrait! LOL!  Pretty accurate too, I might say!

Day #4 was 'lavender'.........it's fun and does get your creative neuron's firing whether the creativity flows through your fingers or not is not the issue.....it is for your total enjoyment and remember...practice makes perfect.....I wonder if I will be improved by Day #61?  We shall see or not! LOL!

Have a great week everyone and if you would like to see more YOPer's projects just visit this link
Happy Trails!!!!

Working Wednesday!

Monday I had a doctor's appointment in Mountain Home.  It was supposed to storm but it didn't, thank goodness!  I didn't run into a single drop of rain there or back but it was overcast which is really great for driving...no sun in your eyes.  The doc said the toe is healing good and no more antibiotics needed (one less pill 3 times a day!) but I still need to soak and change dressing once a day.  I go back in 2 weeks.  He said it will take 3-4 months to totally heal and for the purple color to disappear.  Boy!  When they say it takes longer to heal when you're older they aren't kidding!  But it doesn't hurt or crimp my style at all so I'm happy.
While I was there I stopped at Hobby Lobby.  I was looking for some ornament kits that I had seen (Bucilla Ugly Christmas Sweater ornaments....too cute) .......

but they didn't have them but they did have this yarn on sale..........so I got these 2 to make doilies.....

  They also had watercolor pencils on sale.....we're talking 30% off ...............I've wanted some of these for awhile now.............

I also picked up some tags for decorating for upcoming Christmas gifts.............

When I got home I was "toast" so I kicked back and knitted on a Christmas gift except for a few chores that I could force myself to do...lol!  I was going to stop at Lowes in Mountain Home but I was already too tired by then so home I went.
Yesterday was garbage day which I was so pleased as I had 2 full containers out by the street and usually I only have one.  I have been forcing myself to throw out 10 things a day not counting regular garbage. By the end of the week I had a full garbage can!  I  did laundry, hung clothes out, went to the store for a few items to make dinner, cleaned the litter boxes and made dinner.  I am trying to eat healthier so I have pinned some recipes to my Health board on Pinterest.  This one was healthy, good, and inexpensive to make.  Here's the link to the recipe
I thought it was very good but I did use some parmesan on it and a bit more salt........ here's the veggies just before roasting in the oven...........

Here's the final dish.......

Today is beautiful so I will be working outside cutting limbs and dragging them to the burn pile.  I have more laundry, ironing, some cleaning, bill paying and ordering of some supplies.  Ms. Claus's Workshop is in full swing!
Happy Trails!
P.S.  Preseason games are on for NFL and I'm trying to stay abreast of baseball also as my grandson, Uriah is really into that but alas.....there is nothing I can watch as I have no satellite and you can't even get the games on the radio to listen to without paying a monthly subscription fee.  If anyone knows how I can listen to the games please let me know.  The sports teams will regret being so greedy as the future generations won't go into sports they cannot follow or afford and more and more people are getting rid of their cable and satellite.  Thank goodness they haven't started charging for podcasts.....yet! LOL!

YOP Week #6

Happy YOP Sunday everyone!  It's raining here (I went out and cut these flowers before it rained) and the Chicago Cubs are playing today which I hope to listen to so it's a great day for cozying up with some crafting!

 This is a very special day for me as it is the first time in 6 years of YOP  that I have 2 finished objects!  I know!  I can't believe it myself but here's the proof!

After seeing Simply Summer Street's post on her charity 'making' for Hooking for the Homeless and their wonderful website, I decided to crochet a scarf and I did and it's done............I used the exact yarn and hook size they recommended (there are crocheting and knitting patterns on their website) but as you know, I tend to knit and crochet tightly so it is narrower than I thought it should be and not as long as I thought it should be.  You cast on 181 stitches with 1 stitch for turning and I used Stylecraft Special DK.   Hopefully a child can use it although it breaks my heart to think a child is homeless in the Winter in New Hampshire.

There are no ends to weave in as you braid the ends together....not sure if that takes any less time but since I am not a fan of fringe I think the braiding looks better.

I have lots of acrylic in my stash which is perfect for this as it can be washed and dried....not that the homeless can afford that but you never know what might be offered at the shelters.  I figure I will make one item a month along with the Mother Bear Project but the bear I have to concentrate on while this was a great t.v. watching project.

The 2nd finished item is the Kitty blanket.....because I ran out of yarn it will be a little blanket for the back of my chair.  My furniture is old so anything to improve it will look nice!

 I used Becki's edging instructions that she did but instead of the 'front post' (?) stitch on the last row I did a scallop edging.  Excuse the photos....with the rain today it is quite dark and artificial light doesn't seem to help much in photos. 

.This week I also started my Very Pink   knitting tutorial for toe-up socks using German Short Rows.  She has wonderful patterns and tutorials and I highly recommend her.  This a pay for pattern with supporting videos on You Tube.  So far so good and I am knitting the foot now......good t.v. watching!

  I did work on my cross stitch a bit this week too............I finished the right hand side of the pumpkin and am now working on finishing up the left side of it.  Don't ask me what those orange stripes are on the fabric....the camera did that?@?#?

 I finished reading this book which I really enjoyed as I am wanting to get into sewing again...the last time I sewed was when I made my children's clothes.  Now, I want to make for the grands!  This is a great book on not only how to organize your sewing but also how to organize your time so you can sew.  She also has a blog called The Fabric Mutt

I am ordering this pattern from Oliver + S pattern company to make pajamas for the grands...........I've never tried them but I wanted 2 piece pajamas not just a bottom and t-shirt.  I want to make them out of flannel for their Christmas Eve boxes.  The pattern cost about $16.00 but it has all their sizes so I will probably be able to use it again and again....if I'm that ambitious! LOL!

This week I'm reading Granny Chic which is a way of decorating but also making things.

 I'm also doing an art challenge for 61 days where you get a 'prompt' and draw what it brings to mind on an index card.  You can paint or decoupage or anything you wish..........here's the LINK
if you're interested...this was day #2 for me and the prompt was Lost and/or Found......

Not sure if I will have a finished item for next week....we shall see but I definitely will be working on gifts!

Happy Trails!