YOP Week #31 Year 12

 Well, another week of trial and error!  We had the snow storm but it started at night and by morning there was no power.  It was a heavy wet snow and brought a lot of branches down along with power lines.  I got the fireplace going but no coffee!  I need to buy some instant coffee as I am able to heat things up on top of the fireplace insert.  We didn't get power back on until Wednesday night.  The next day was catch up plus the dishwasher repair guy didn't show but I figured it was because of the storm and it was.  He came Friday and has to order a part but he fixed it enough so I can use it! PTL!  But now my printer isn't working!  

As for crafts.......I finished the word Winter on my cross stitch piece in the light pink but then I realized it would be surrounded by ecru snowflakes which would not look right so..........I tore it all out and went back to the green.   That took a lot of time so not much progress......the fabric is a dark bluish gray but it's not showing up in this photo.  It is dark and cloudy here so I have to have lights on..............

I decided I would work on most of my projects for a week before rotating another in....so this past week was Winter.......this coming week will be the mini-quaker............again I had to start over with this one as I couldn't tell where I was....now I can tell it is the deer with it's legs.........

I did get a final finish in yesterday...a Christmas ornament......

the back of it........

I went to work on Mary Engelbreit's Sweet Cherry Cottage...all I had left was the chimney when I realized they had not sent me a roof.  I called and left a message.  I also was able to find the painted version so I could use it as a guide when I get to that point.  I think it would have been better to paint it before putting it together but too late now!  I'll just have to take my time. 

I tried another Taste of Home recipe using crescent rolls...Apple Dumpling Bake and it uses a can of Mountain Dew which I didn't have but Grayson left a can of Squirt here so I used that and it came out delicious!  Of course, I had to have ice cream with it.  Easy Peasy recipe!

I finished This Is Happiness book....I was not impressed.  Now I'm reading Death at Victoria Dock.  The 4th book in the Phryne Fisher series by Kelly Greenwood.  I am ahead on my Good Reads Challenge...so far anyway.

I also got 1/2 my quilt quilted on my machine.  The walking foot is wonderful.  It is my first time quilting myself  using my sewing machine.  The design is just going diagonally from corner to corner.  At some point the lines crossed and I didn't count on that but at least the lines are straight.  It will be fine,  I think.  I'm sure I'll get better as I go along.  I'll show you when the quilt is all finished, bound, and washed.

This next week I am hoping to finish quilting the quilt, work on the Mini-Quaker, and my Sabbath Stitch today.  I pulled out my granny squares again as I can't work on the  mosaic crochet while watching t.v. and there are 2 football games to watch today!  I also need to order groceries as there are more storms coming Tuesday and Wednesday.....snow, ice, and rain.  I don't think I need much but I know I need instant coffee in case we lose power as I can heat things up on my wood burner insert.  I hope we don't lose power again but I'll be ready.   I brought lots of wood into the garage so it will be there if I need it without having to go outside especially if it gets icy.

I hope you have a great week!

Happy Trails!!!      

 

Winter storm warning, books, and Dollar 25 Tree

 Yes, we have an official Winter Storm Warning for our little town!  So exciting....they're saying 4-8 inches!  Hallelujah!!!  I love snow but I do pray that no one gets hurt and that the power stays on.  We have no real snow equipment here so I always hope everyone gets home through the mountains alright on their way home from work.  I already filled the wood bin and I got groceries and a prescription this morning so I'm all set!

I don't think I mentioned that they've been building a Dollar Tree (everything is now  $1.25 but I digress) in our little town.  I drove by and it was open so, of course, I couldn't stop my car from turning in there.

I got Valentine cards, and little gifts for the grands, and lights for my Valentine tree and my St. Patrick's Day tree........

Yesterday I got back to my Sabbath Stitch...I hadn't touched it since before Christmas but I'm back in the groove now..........this is a big piece but so pretty.  I can't wait to have it framed and hanging on my wall....

I'm ahead of my goal so far in my Good Reads Challenge.......I've read 6 of 52 so far....the most recent read was this book.....very good!  I didn't realize this is the first book in a series.  I'm glad because I really enjoyed it..........

Wicked wolves and a grim governess threaten Bonnie and her cousin Sylvia when Bonnie's parents leave Willoughby Chase for a sea voyage. Left in the care of the cruel Miss Slighcarp, the girls can hardly believe what is happening to their once happy home. The servants are dismissed, the furniture is sold, and Bonnie and Sylvia are sent to a prison-like orphan school. It seems as if the endless hours of drudgery will never cease.

With the help of Simon the gooseboy and his flock, they escape. But how will they ever get Willoughby Chase free from the clutches of the evil Miss Slighcarp?

It is a children's book evidently and it was wonderful....my second childhood?

I'm still reading The Body (non-fiction) by Bill Bryson and it is very interesting but you can only read so much of it at a time...it's a lot  to digest.....LOL!  Good pun, huh?

As for fiction I am reading This is Happiness which I have no opinion about yet.......it was highly recommended by Charlie and Kate Gibson on their podcast.

That's all for today.  I need to go wash some dishes.  My dishwasher is not cleaning them so I called Somebody (that is the name of the guy!)....he's good.  He's repaired my dryer before.

Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #30 Year 12

 Long time no see!  Evidently I took a blog vacation....unintentionally.  I made a lot of plans for the coming year and getting started implementing, and scheduling them all, took time.  I did a budget, a project rotation for crafts and the house and some bucket list items.  I'm still tweeking the craft rotation but I have gotten quite a bit done.

 I finished the sample mosaic crochet mug rug and it turned out okay but the border wanted to curl up

then when I did my SIL' s it really curled up so it is what it is but I think I either crochet too tightly or I need to add more stitches in the corner.  She only called for 2....he can still use it as a coaster or for a place to put change on his dresser.  At least it's Iowa Hawkeye colors!

I also finished the Choose Happy XS piece.........it will get framed eventually when I find a frame......

I finished another one and final finished it too.........a Halloween ornament........another free pattern from Colorado Cross Stitcher......

I made an Iowa Hawkeye pillowcase for my SIL's birthday too but I forgot to take a picture of it before I sent it off in the mail.  His birthday is tomorrow.............

I only have 5 more rows on my heel flap for sock #1.....it didn't get a lot of attention this week.

I final finished another ornament....my goal is one per week until they are all done............

This is my next "close to a finish" project I'm working on.  There was another one but I ran out of floss so it is on order......this one actually has quite a bit to go..............his name is Stu by Teresa Kogut.............

I worked on Elizabeth's Squirrel and Auntie's Sewing Box but there's not enough to show really....I did finally get my fabric dyed for Winter but it took several tries and I ended up adding some brown dye to tone it down a bit but now it is perfect!  The pattern called for a green for the word Winter so I started and got about 3 letters done and it was alright but the picture I fell in love with did not show green letters.  I was going to do ecru but it is used elsewhere in the pattern so...........I tore out the green and found a pale pink and that is what I am using............the green was very bright and I see no green in this photo for the word Winter....

Here is my progress........
 

My next foray into the world of mosaic crochet is this Tree Pillow..........my problem seems to be in the counting...... I hope I have success.  Everyone says it is easy and addictive.....I so want to succeed at it...we shall see.........

here's my progress so far.......

The only other craft I worked on was my Christmas quilt.  I was able to install the walking foot I had with my other machine and it works!  I tried quilting but tore it out because that particular "plan" was going to be too difficult.  I've decided to do diagonal lines across the quilt which I should be able to do without having to mark lines.....we'll see!  I've decided to use weekends for quilting once football is over! LOL!

I've also discovered my piano height is adjustable so I won't need to get a separate bench/chair!  I've been practicing 30 minutes a day except on weekends.  I got a catalog in the mail from The Great Courses.  They're having a sale...any course for $30 until February.  I am signing up for Spanish as learning a 2nd language has been on my bucket list for years! 

Other than that I have been doing some deep cleaning and organizing and plan to continue with that during the week.  It's seen progress!  This week my doctor gave me the go ahead on some additional foods.  I made cookies and also a tuna noodle casserole which was really good and so far hasn't bothered me....yay!  I will still stay away from nuts, seeds and things with skin on them.

I hope you had a great week!

Happy Trails!!!     

 

YOP Week #28 Year 12

 What an exciting week I've had!  I had my birthday on Wednesday; I'm officially 74 years old now....I can hardly believe it but it's true.  I got some lovely cards, gifts, and even flowers for my birthday!  I haven't had flowers in quite a while.  Here is a little rundown.........and thank you everyone for leaving messages on my blog, and Facebook, and email.  I got some beautiful flowers from my BFF.....you know who you are............they brought tears to my eyes as it was such a precious gift to be given.....I can never thank you enough...........

Another great friend sent a darling gardening towel and some gift tags which are great!   Gardening season will be here before we know it!  Thank you so much!

Sorry the photo is blurred.  It didn't look that way when I took it...I should probably read my manual and take a class....lol!  Trust me these tags are very cute and will definitely get used....

I received some lovely cards too........

I fixed myself a great dinner and topped it off with Dulce De Leche ice cream.....yum!  I spent the day crafting and reading and watching t.v.  It was great...thank you all for making it so special.  You never know when it might be your last one! LOL!

Now, for the crafty part of our program.  I made great progress and so far have been able to stick to my goals in all areas....we'll see how long that lasts.....

My sock got some love this past week.........I'm on round 56 and  only 5 more to go before I start the heel...these are my Christmas Eve cast on socks that I will wear next Christmas.

I figured out my rotation but just not how often, and when I will work on each item.  For cross stitch, I will work on Elizabeth's Squirrel as my big focus piece, another will be to work on a WIP that is close to being finished, a medium sized WIP, and a small, plus I might put my Sabbath stitch back in the rotation.

Here's Elizabeth's Squirrel which got quite a bit of attention this week.....

I chose pumpkin alphabet as a WIP that was close to being finished and I finished it.....

The next one I chose that is close to being finished is Choose Happy which was a free chart from Hands On Design during the Covid crisis......

For a small, I am working on Baby Jesus which isn't as small as I thought or it's just a lot of stitches........

 I actually did 3 final finishes this week as I did the 2022 collectible ornaments for the grands with one for myself........these were a bit fussy to finish and I didn't do very well but I tried.........this is mine......

Sam's.........

and Grayson's...........

I bought a Mary Englebreit wooden cottage that I worked on, on my birthday.  I just have the chimney left and then the painting...it was fun putting it together and the painting should be even more fun if I don't mess it up!

I finished my second book of the year, Plum Island by Nelson Demille...........he can be crass but funny, not gross. He's a good writer and keeps you interested through all 687 pages!  It is a suspenseful mystery.  I will be reading more of his books.  He's written a lot of them.  This one was written in the 90's.  I was reading it when I went to the eye doctor Friday and he said he had read that one and really enjoyed it, and has read quite a few of his books.  It was recommended by Charlie and Kate Gibson on ABC's Bookcase podcast where they interviewed him. 

I'm now reading Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood who's character, Phryne Fisher is a series on Britbox or Netfliz...I can't remember.  The t.v. series is very good.   It's mysteries....one of my favorite genres.

For next week, I will do another Final Finish, continue working on Elizabeth's Squirrel, hopefully finish Choose Happy, and work on Baby Jesus.  This afternoon I am going to start quilting my Christmas Quilt from last year and watch a football game.....probably not at the same time! LOL!  For my birthday I did something I've never done......I joined a Block of the Month quilting club starting in February.  It is for a red and cream quilt with all the fabrics included, even the backing.  It is from Stitchin' Heaven in Texas.  They have lots of BOM clubs so join in if you want to....I think it's a beautiful quilt and it's a nice way to go if you don't want to pay for all those supplies all at once.

I hope you have a great week ahead and I hope I didn't bore you with this long post!

Happy Trails!!!

 

Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!

 Yep!  I turned 74 today and although I definitely look old, I feel young so that's all that counts in my book!

I  had a great day so far....I read, did some cross stitch, made my cinnamon twists for breakfast and pork chops, potatoes and gravy for supper.  I also started putting together my Mary Englebreit Cottage.......I'll paint it at some point but I need to look at hers to see what colors she used.  I've always loved her style and bright colors.....this is fun gluing it together.  I haven't done anything like this in years.............

Last night I was going to watch Top Gun Maverick as "they" keep talking about what a great movie it is. But then I thought I should watch the first one....so I did.  It was like watching a video game with all those planes flying every which way.    It must have been a guy film as it did nothing for me and the camera angle must have been weird because it seemed like he and his girlfriend had very large teeth.  Not sure if I'll watch the Maverick one as the first one didn't impress me.  Maybe I'll watch Little Women.

FYI......I'm having Dulce De Leche ice cream for dessert...oh baby, oh baby!  It's by Haggen-Dazs.  I should have bought 2 pints as I don't think one will be enough! LOL!

Happy Trails!!!

I have a couple finishes!

 I'm off to a good start so far.  We'll see how long it lasts! LOL!  I finished my Christmas ornament for this year so this Friday I will final finish all 3....mine and the grands....

I also finished my first book for the Good Reads Challenge......one book read and only 51 left to go!

I started this book in 2022 but finished it in 2023.  This was a delightful book of short stories about Christmas by Louisa May Alcott.  I might have to read it every Christmas it was so enjoyable.

My dishwasher wasn't cleaning very well so I got some dishwasher cleaner and ran it through.  I hope it does the trick!  I know you're supposed to clean your filter but I have an old dishwasher and I'm not sure it is removable.   I've tried but it doesn't budge.  Yesterday I made a menu and grocery list and ordered my groceries.  I picked them up and did the usual routine of disinfecting and putting them all away.  

 I put together my list of cross stitch projects to rotate and work on until done.  I replaced the ornament with another small; the Mill Hill Baby Jesus which I will work on now until done.    The others are a focus piece, Elizabeth's Squirrel; a piece that is close to being done, the pumpkin alphabet; the mini-quaker which was my New Year's Day start, and Winter which was my New Year's Eve start but I have to wait for the material and dye which is on the way.

Last night we had a humdinger of a storm and a tornado watch and flood warnings.  We didn't lose power and it was a great evening to read my Plum Island mystery!  Today, I have the windows open and it is 70 F!  But not for long evidently. It will be going down into the 50's soon.  But it was a great day to be out and about.

I hope you are having good weather.

Happy Trails!!! 
 

YOP Week #27 Year 12

 

I am excited to start a new year and all the  plans, goals and great intentions that go with it.  I am hoping to blog more regularly and not miss any YOP posts either.  I have much to show you today so let's get on with it!

My Christmas Eve cast on sock is coming along nicely.........I'm really enjoying getting back to sock knitting and this yarn is so pretty!

I am sticking to my Final Finish Fridays and this past Friday I finished this little pillow.  It was my first attempt at dyeing fabric and I might have overdone the tea/coffee part but I'll keep it anyway......

I'm working on my 2022 Christmas ornament and after Christmas I zoned out and forgot about the grands ornaments!  They need to be final finished but I will wait until mine is done so I can final finish them all together.  It shouldn't be long now.............

For my New Year's Eve XS start, I ended up having to use my birthday start as I had ordered the wrong size of material for last nights start.  Also, I can't find the material I want in the size I need so I ordered cream colored 18 count Aida material and some Rit dye.  Rit has a website with color formulas that will make your head swim!  It's awesome!  I will experiment with small bits of fabric first until I get the color I want.  So, I started this gem...........which will be a long term project as it is a big one and almost full coverage............it is a reproduction of a tapestry type needlework........I love it!

this is what I got done yesterday..........the colors are gorgeous........

My start for New Year's Day is a mini Quaker Sampler called Winter is Coming......

I have a lot to do today with a new planner, and with my first book of the new year; Nelson DeMille's Plum Island; a suspense mystery.  I started listening to The Bookcase; an audio podcast produced by ABC starring Kate and Charlie Gibson.  They interviewed Mr. DeMille and it was quite interesting so I chose one of his books as my first read for 2023.  My absolute favorite book podcast is Miranda Mills on You Tube.  She is from the U.K.  I was able to get Plum Island on Thrift Books as it was written back in the 90's.....

My word for this year is ORGANIZE although in reality is should be clean and organize as the two go hand in hand.  The same with decorating....I cannot decorate, like for Christmas, without cleaning first and I cannot organize without cleaning but since I can only choose one word I went with organizing.....knowing full well there will be cleaning along with it! LOL!  I used to be very organized and kept a clean house but I think I was sick a lot longer than I thought.  I'm not sure if it's the weight loss or the healing of my colon but I feel like I've drunk from the fountain of youth.  Don't get me wrong. I do not LOOK like I have but I feel like I have.  My back no longer hurts and I have energy like I did when I was much younger and stamina too!  So, I think this is going to be a very good year!

I'll be entering the Good Reads Challenge also with a goal of 52 books this coming year.  Unfortunately, Plum Island is 687 pages!  I'll be behind from the get go! LOL!

Oh, I just finished watching 1883, the series, on Paramount Plus.  It was very good but it does have violence, nudity, and swearing.  I managed to keep an open mind and stick with it and I was glad I did. 

I  have yet to figure out my rotation for all my crafts.  Now that Christmas is over, I want to get back to mosaic crochet, quilting, sewing, wool applique and more!  I should have my rotation to share with you next week.  These new starts will be the last for a very long time if I can resist temptation.  I am wanting to work on WIPs for the rest of the year.  For next week I  want to have my ornament done and all 3 of them final finished.  More work on my sock, I have 2 little mosaic crochets to finish, and start quilting my Christmas quilt plus XS.

I wish you all a wonderful New Year filled with good health and happiness!

Happy Trails!!!