WIP Wednesday

 Still working on the Blackberry Salad blanket but I'm frustrated with it as the "bobbles" aren't lining up like they're supposed to.  I don't know if it's just a mistake I made in one row or if it's how I started it out.  Some rainy day when I have the time and the patience I'll sit down with it......meanwhile I just look at it and walk on by! LOL!

On a  good note I have made 7 of the 27 feet of the I-cord for my seat cushion.  I highly recommend this for watching t.v.! Ha! Ha!

I saw a group that cross stitches an ornament a month and was inspired to try it.  I'm too late to join this year I think but I'm doing it anyway.  I was going to order some kits and then I remembered I had pattern books so lo and behold I have my favorite Mary Engelbreit patterns for Christmas ornaments and all types of holidays.  I even found some Aida cloth 14 count that was required so maybe next week I'll have another WIP to show you!  Just what I need...another WIP! LOL!  Hopefully, the WIP's will someday lead to FO's.

Poor bunny baby  has been languishing in a bowl while I landscaped and gardened but hopefully I will be attending to her again very soon!

I'm not sure if I told you but I have one more block left to do on my applique folk art quilt and would you believe I couldn't find the pattern for the last block!  Finally, I unearthed it one day while looking for something else and I'm ready to get started on it.  I will still have the borders to do but it's getting there!  This has been the biggest, longest project I've ever worked on!

and last but not least my socks....3rd pair but this pair is the first pair using DPN's as opposed to Magic Loop and I love DPN's!  What was I so scared of?  For socks I love them better than Magic Loop for sure.  I'm almost to the toe but I keep trying them on as the last pair didn't fit.  I have really big feet! LOL!

I have more yarn coming in and last night I was shopping for material for sewing my pillowcases with the crocheted edging.  Now, if I could just get someone to do the yard work and the housework and cooking and laundry, I'd be set! LOL!

I'm a shameless immitator...........

I'm trying to organize my blog and postings and projects and LIFE! LOL!  So, I've picked up some great ideas from other bloggers and blogs I admire.....thanks to them I might be getting somewhere finally! Ha! Ha!
#1 - Since I blog mostly at the end of the day there will be a list of accomplishments which will hopefully keep me on task and accountable for my many projects.
#2 - Each day, and thus posting,  will be devoted to some specific area that I am working on therefore if you know that every Tuesday I will blog about recipes and you're not interested then you can just check in on the days where we share an interest.
#3 - I will also be joining groups that reflect my interests and my goals.

Sundays will continue to be my posting for A Year of Projects on Ravelry
Mondays will be..........(Ruth from In My Spare Moments participates in this group and I thank you, Ruth!)

I finished reading the following books:

I bought Solitude many years ago as I was curious about my role as an only child and also that I  had received unfavorable comments about me "wanting my space" and the comments made me feel like there was something wrong with me.  Of course, now I know it is healthy for everyone to have time to themselves but at the time I was worn down and tired and made to feel that EVERYTHING was my fault! LOL! 
I learned some things from the book but it was pretty dry and I have a feeling it was a thesis paper that the author wrote for his PhD in psychology or psychiatry.  There were extreme examples of depression in famous artists, authors and creative people and I notice that there is still the opinion that if you enjoy your own company more than you do others there is something wrong with you.  Oh well! LOL!  I would not recommend this book unless you're a student of psychology.    
Fleece Navidad was so enjoyable although out of season.  I love Maggie Sefton and I am slowly reading the whole series.  It is based on a real yarn shop in Colorado and a wonderful group of gals and guys that are all connected to it in one way or another.  There is always a crime and a mystery to be solved by one of the shops frequent visitor and novice knitter.  There are recipes and yarn patterns in the back of each book and I plan on challenging myself to make them all....someday! LOL!  These are great books and give you a warm and cozy feeling!
My non-fiction read right now is this.....it's written by 2 best friends who hit mid-life and decided to celebrate it!  I'm a bit past mid-life but the witty and practical advice they give would be great regardless of what stage of life you are at.  Kathy Kinney was the actress that played "Mimi" on the Drew Carey Show if you ever watched that show on t.v.  I got the book after "liking" them on Facebook and getting their daily "photos" and "witticisms"....love them!

 

 My fiction read is..........

I picked this book up at a library book sale because I read The Bobbsey Twin series as a child.  I guess I'm at a age where I am revisiting my childhood! LOL!  This particular book was published in 1918 and someone wrote inside "Bud Cone 3906 2nd Ave So. Minn" .  No, I'm not that old but my Mother would have been about 3 years old at the time.

I also started reading another fiction book as I wasn't sure The Bobbsey Twins would keep my interest for very long at a time plus I've had a set of "classics" I've drug around with me for years that are on my "bucket list for books"...........

This is one of them, Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. 
Another challenge to myself is to read through my magazine collection.  I've stopped subscribing except for a couple but I have plenty to go through!  So now I read a magazine (part of it at least) every evening when I read my books.   I just started this one that came in the mail.

 

So, if you like books join us and Sheila over at Book Journey

Today's accomplishments were stifled by a 5 hour power outage but I did manage to:
clean up the house
load and unload the dishwasher
take my Enbrel injection
give the dogs their Frontline Plus and Heart Worm medicine
Clean Nitty's ears with the ear wash the vet gave me
watered plants outside
did a load of laundry
emptied all the garbages as tomorrow is Garbage Day
knitted 10 more rows on my I-cord for the chair pads
started a new Granny Square blanket and did 2 squares to test out the pattern (this is really scheduled for my YOP list starting in July but I couldn't wait to try the new yarn and pattern! LOL!)
Blogged and read a few
and the evening is still young!  But of course, Dancing With The Stars is on tonight and Castle!  Toodles!

YOP Update

My yarn came in, more on the way and I am onto a new project and yes it is on my YOP list for this year!  Amazing huh?  I've started the "situpons" which are really just chair pads and for now just one chair pad.

 I decided to go with just one color as opposed to a "rainbow" effect as  my kitchen is already pretty colorful and busy.  I've never done an I-cord before but it's easy except the first stitch you have to do really tight or you end up with a loop instead of a stitch.  I did a good job but like the Double Down potholders it is a bit hard on my hands.  Great for watching t.v. though as it is pretty mindless after a bit.  I need 9 yards of it before I can wind it into a circle and stitch together for a chair pad and with the needles and yarn it cost about $30.00!  I could have bought one for less but then that's not why we do this.  At least I can order the yarn one chair pad at a time.
Here's the I-cord......this is the same thing I made as a child with one of those spools with the nails...remember those?  I'm wondering if the spool would be easier on my hands? LOL!

I also finished my chicken...one of them anyway and no, it wasn't on my original list (I'm SO bad) but it was FUN!

See the tail in the back?

I also got some other yarn when I ordered the chair pad supplies.  More yarn you say?  Yes, I had to order enough to get free shipping! LOL!  This will be featured in my next YOP list.......I call them "Coming Attractions"......and yes, of course it's for a project, you don't think I just order yarn for no reason do you?  LOL!  I ordered from Deramores as I love getting Royal Mail!  Happy Mother's Day to all and I hope all your fiber dreams came true!  If not, the internet is open 24/7!  You go girls!

Writing some letters tonight............

 I worked outside all day. I've had supper and taken a nice bath and I am going to retire early and write some letters on some pretty stationary.  Do any of you write letters? 

I have always loved beautiful stationary.....

This is the back side but the other side is "writable"............

Beauty is inspiring and maybe it will help me to write beautifully too..........

Some things are just worth spoiling yourself for........

Good night, sleep tight!

YOP Update

I had my post all written but tried copying in my Ravelry projects from there and it messed it up so I will just show you what's changed.  I've been spending time outside so not a lot of progress but some..........
This isn't knitting or crocheting but I have to show it to you anyway as I have other "loves".........I finally sewed my little Cath Kidson purse together and was really pleased that the zipper went in so easily!  I haven't sewn a zipper for over 40 years! LOL!

 I made very little progress on the Blackberry Salad blanket as I kept starting over because the bobbles were every other one until I would get to the end of a row and then they were right on top of each other.  Did anyone else have this problem when they made it?  I MUST be making a mistake but I keep counting  my stitches and there's 3 in between each bobble stitch so I have no idea what I'm doing wrong.  Should I start over or just ignore it?

I finally ordered the chair pad supplies (Sit Upons), at least for one.  The yarn and needles are on their way and hopefully I'll have something to show next week.  I'm still knitting socks as time permits and there will be LOTS on my list come July.
I am also going to be crocheting this blanket.......(YOP 2014)

It's in a book I bought by Nicki Trench (English designer,crocheter and teacher). This blanket will allow me to order yarn a little at a time since there are about 7 colors and they're not next to each other so dye lots will not be a problem.  They are individual squares that are crocheted together later.  I am looking to start or join a group for this book, for the first Mason-Dixon knitting book or any suggestions you all might have.  I think it would be a challenge to crochet and or knit an entire book!  Or we could all do different books.  Let me know what you think.
That's all folks!  I'll stop by later! 

Rain plans and sun plans...................

When my children were little I used to make rain plans and sun plans.  For example, if we planned a picnic for outside on a sunny day we would also plan something fun to do if it happened to rain.  It alleviated any disappointment and since I was a systems programmer I was a big proponent of "backups".  LOL!  I've done this all my life and it has served me well.  Now that Spring has arrived (in fits and starts) I am doing the same thing again.  If it's a nice day I am outside landscaping and gardening.  This is ongoing until next Winter as any homeowner will tell you.  But if the weather prevents me from being outside I have plenty of other projects to keep me off the streets and out of trouble!  Such as............cleaning the grout in my bathrooms! Ha! Ha!  Nothing gets done in one day around here....it is ongoing...remember the bedroom painting....it's still there where I left it but I cleaned my bathroom and was getting ready to wash the floor and just couldn't stand the dirty grout anymore.  Look at this and you'll see why.......... 
BEFORE:

 AFTER:

Since I try very hard not to use any chemicals anymore for cleaning (when you know better you do better, hopefully) I looked on Pinterest as I had seen a couple recipes and pinned them to my "cleaning" board.  One was to use Bartender's Keeper, a cleanser.  I tried it and it worked pretty good with lots of scrubbing and the other recipe was 1/4 cup of bleach to 3/4 cup baking soda.  Again, it worked pretty good with lots of scrubbing.  But there is no way around the fact that it is hard work!  Some people used it on moldy grout around their bathtub wall tiles and evidently it took it off easily and bleach will do that to mold.  But mine was on a floor and just plain old years of ground in dirt.  It is still not done and every day I go in and scrub a bit on my hands and knees and it's a like a paste and you leave it sit on there for about 20 minutes and come back and wipe it up.  I've had to do each area about 3 times before it's really clean looking and of course, some areas are worse than others.  It's hard on the knees so I have a towel I kneel on.

On a more fun note, I got some goodies in the mail!  For me, from me! LOL!
There isn't one project in this book by Nicki Trench that I don't absolutely love!  Her style and projects are right up my alley!  There is something about the style and creativity and color sense of my gal pals across the pond that I just LOVE!  I also have resorted to buying my yarn from Deramores in the U.K. in order to get the same colors.  I must admit their prices are great, free shipping over $50.00 (which usually isn't hard for me! Ha! Ha! ) and same day dispatch.  I have received packages from them faster than I have companies here in the States!   So, yes, Nicki Trench is a U.K. crocheter, teacher and designer and has other books out also.  I think I'm going to crochet the whole book!  In fact I was wondering if anyone else loves her work and would want to join a crochet group to do just that?  We could either do it from my blog or on Ravelry.  Let me know if you're interested.

 I also got this sweet vintage looking kit of personal products related to the sewing mistress of the home.  I heard about it from Alicia Paulson 
on her blog when she carried it in her retail shop.  Imagine my surprise when I found it on Amazon!  I thought it was so precious.  This is the front.......

and here's the back............

 

It's so cute I may just use it as a decoration in my sewing room or not.

I hope you had a wonderful day today and thank you so much for your comments  they mean so much to me. TTYS!

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

 I got a surprise visit from one of my sons and he was here for a week to help me get the house ready to sell!  What a Godsend he was...literally!  I've missed all of you and I'm sorry I didn't blog but as you can see.....we were pretty busy and focused!  Plus, I hadn't seen my son for several years so I wanted to spend every minute with him that I could.
  Below is my landscaping project gone awry!  I started this project using landscaping fabric and 6" of mulch but that didn't stop the Bermuda Grass....one of the Top Ten most noxious weeds,

but down here they call it "grass".  I had started back using cardboard and newspaper but had only gotten a little ways when my son showed up.  After a week of he and I working on it (he doing the heavy lifting and toting) .........

This is what we created..........

 

This is where I had gotten to before he came down.......plus I hadn't mowed yet this Spring.  

My lawn mower started but wouldn't move.....he fixed it!  So, I mowed and he trimmed trees and brush.

Then we removed all the rocks I had laid and started over, laying cardboard and news paper I had been saving.

We had also taken the lawn trailer and gone off and collected bigger rocks in the woods....yes, they grow out there in the woods.  Sometimes I see people throwing rock seeds out there too and fertilizer so they grow bigger.  My son did all the rock collecting while I kept the trailer moving.  LOL! 

 

 Here's our assistants who guarded us while we worked...

....

 Then it was off to Wally World for mulch, flowers and not much else as you can see the Tahoe was pretty full! LOL!

 There I am in all my glory with a beautiful path FINISHED FINALLY.....thanks to my son!  I've only been trying to finish this project for a few years now!  That's the only thing I don't like about getting older is I don't have the energy or the strength I used to have and that makes me mad, dang it!  Benjamin was always my "gardening" sidekick when he was little and we always worked well together and still do.  It was a true joy to have him here.

 Then we started landscaping from the corner where I had started........

 We moved the octagonal raised bed to around the tree......and he reinstalled the edging better than I was able to do with a rubber mallet!  We put in another raised bed I had for my veggies.

 I planted 3 types of tomatoes here and 3 types of peppers and mulched with straw.

 Snce we had to fill in the raised bed with dirt but didn't want the dirt on the bark of the tree my son took a plastic pot and cut a slit in the side and cut out the bottom and slid it around the trunk to keep the dirt away from it.  Brilliant!!!  I planted marigolds around the tree and placed a little leprechaun there to protect them!

 And what's a tree without a birdhouse?

 I had 2 old sinks I had gotten for free.  The one here I planted with snapdragons.

 I have old tools and paraphernalia from the farm I used to have.......and I utilize it whenever I can.  There are my Rosemary and Oregano in the old washtub and an old pick axe, a hand pump and some watering cans.

Over the course of the week we did this little bed also with my solar fountain and some "odds and ends".  Unfortunately we had a frost and it took it's toll on my plants so I'll have to see what needs replacing.  Who knew at this time of year!?!?!  The orange pot had a nice healthy zuchini that was going to trail over the pot and leave nice squash throughout the mulch.  The old sink had Gerbera daisies I had overwintered from last year and some geraniums too.

Not only did we do all this but my son cleaned and fixed all my gutters, trimmed my trees, flipped my mattresses for me and cleaned up my garage so I could get the  mower and the SUV in there at the same time.  He took me out to dinner several times and wouldn't let me pay for anything and we laughed and had such a great time together.  It was THE best Mother's Day present I could have ever asked for and it was all a total surprise!
  I have missed you all so much and it's like I've been on vacation but it's always nice to come home too!  Bless you all and I'll be stopping by to see what you've all been up to while I was "away"!  TTYL!
P.S.  Here's a picture of my son, Benjamin.  This was taken up North last Fall I think.  A lot of the men grow beards in the Winter to stay warm and then shave them in the Spring.  I didn't get a picture of him while he was here as he was taking all the pictures!  Duh!  I should have taken pictures of him but I think I was in shock most of the week and thought I would wake  up and it would all have been a dream! LOL!