DOWN TO 8 - WEEK 44

Hello everyone.  Welcome once again to my little blog.  Not much to update this week.  Same two projects as the past several weeks.  

The HES socks

Not much done on them other than making them caught up to each other.  I have no idea why the foot of the sock takes me so long to do.  It is the same length as the leg and the leg is normally completed in a week or two.  (That is for both socks!)  I know hubby thinks I have forgotten about them.  I have been focusing more on my shawl.

The yellow dot is where I was last Sunday.  You can now see how the angle of the shawl is becoming trapezoid.  I love working on this and am seeing the end of this project in about 2 weeks.  I should have enough yarn for 2 more "V" stitch sections and one more linen stitch section after the one I am working on now.  And.....to answer a question from last week....Yes the yarn is Scheepjes Whirl in Blueberry BamBam colorway.

Since this is the last Sunday of the month it is time to show my dishcloths..............once again, there are nada, nil, zip, zero to show.  This is bad.  Those quick knit projects are what keep me from getting a bad case of startitis!  I am getting antsy with only doing these two projects and dream of starting something else.  Like a spring/summer sweater or a blanket or Christmas ornaments.  I refuse to succumb to this whimsy.  These two projects need to get done and ready to wear!  I do want to thank all of you who gave me the Rose City Rollers idea for short socks.  That is now in my library to do.

Since my crafting is stalled, I will fill you in on my week.

Monday I went to my Rheumatologist to get the results of my hip x-ray.  NORMAL!  So why does my thigh and groin hurt so much?  Well, without an MRI they can not tell me more than what they see on the x-ray.  Her best guess is my RA has gotten into my spine and is causing presser on nerves that go to my leg.  She has given me an RX for physical therapy to see if it will help.  If that doesn't then she said I might have a labral tear of the hip but that only shows up on an MRI!  I am Mrs. Claustrophobic and they would need to sedate me HEAVILY to get me in an MRI tube.  Then my BFF informs me they have standing MRI's that are totally open!  Now we are talking.  So, will do the PT and see what happens after that.  In all actuality, the pain gets a bit better each day.

Tuesday I got up early and completed 4 loads of laundry before noon.  The clothes were even folded and put away by then too!  That gave me the rest of the day to play around with crafting and decluttering.

Wednesday saw me get a huge burst of energy.  I had an early morning appointment for my nails and then came home and did kitchen work for an hour while hubby cleaned part of the house.  He had Church duties that evening and while he was gone I completely cleaned out my side of our vanity in our bathroom.  I have 2 drawers and a DEEP cupboard on my side.  I threw out a 13 gallon trash bag of 'stuff' and got the top of the vanity cleared off other than my 3 crystal bottle from my mom.  What a difference it made.

Thursday was pretty much a day to do little stuff around the house.  There was the watering of the plants and moving items for hubby so he could mop floors quicker.  There was a haircut involved in this day too.  I had been trying to grow my hair out since August and nothing much was happening with it.  So off to the stylist to get it back into an undercut pixie.  So glad I did as out temperatures have already hit 100F this week.

Friday I decided to clean out hubby's side of the vanity.  Another 13 gallon bag of 'stuff' was thrown away.  There are also items that will be given to charity.  It feels so good to have that area done.  Next week I want to pick another area and focus on that.  I do not want my children to have to deal with 'stuff' after we leave this earth.  

Saturday was a fun day for us.  I made an early morning grocery store run since we were having our Grand and her friend spending the night.  When teenagers are coming over you need things in the house like cookies and chips and dip.  We obtained the girls after Mass and took them out to eat.  When we came home they went swimming for a couple of hours and then played cards until around 11.  I even played Rummy 500 with them for a while.  It was so much fun and there were plenty of laughs. 

Today, we will take the girls out for their coffee and donuts.  Their parents will be by to pick them up at 10 and 11.  The house will be so quiet after they leave.  Hubby is going to smoke a rib eye roast today for our dinner tonight.  YUMMY!  We are trying to smoke some meat twice a month.  It feeds us for several days which makes meal planning for me a dream!

That pretty much covers my week.  It is about time to go and wake up some sleeping girls so they can have time to eat and drink their breakfast.

Until Next Time.............Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!!

And Then There Were 9....YOP Update

Running a little later than normal today.  We went to Mass this morning and that makes my 'day' start 2 hours later than normal.  We normally go on Saturday but, last night was Easter Vigil.  It the night all the new Catholics are Baptized, Confirmed and receive their first Communion.  The service lasts anywhere from 2.5 to 4 hours.  Since it didn't start until 8pm, we knew we would not be home before midnight.  We are OLD people!  So after 20 years of attending the Easter Vigil, I finally attended my first Easter Sunday Mass.  Glorious!  

This week has seen me working quite a bit on my Mimi shawl.  Here is where I was last week.

Here is where I am as of 15 minutes ago.

The extension part of the shawl has been started.  This is such an easy crochet project....as long as you count!  I have a feeling my yarn is not going to last as long as others say theirs did.  My crochet is not tight and in fact, I am a fairly loose crocheter.  If needed, I will order another skein of this colorway and work it backwards colorwise until I get the size shawl I like.  You all know I am always worried about playing yarn chicken though so, this might just be me letting that little fearfulness creep in again.

The HES socks only got love when I was out and about.

Someday, hubby will get these socks in his drawer.  I have another Dr appointment this week so the socks will see some love for sure that day.  My Dr is ALWAYS behind schedule so I will have plenty of knitting time while there.

I am starting to peruse toe up sock patterns.  It has been a couple of years since I have attempted toe up socks.  The idea of that technique is appealing to me again. The other thing I want to do is make 'no show' socks for our sneakers.  Have any of you made 'no show' socks and do they stay up?   Socks that slide down the heel make me a little crazy.  Let me know and what pattern you used or do you just wing it?

We are getting ready to head out for Easter dinner.  This year we decided to go to a restaurant.  There has been so much illness in the family over the past 2 weeks, it did not make sense to expect anyone to cook and clean up for 8 of us.  We will be happy to pay someone to do it!  After dinner we will head to our son's house for a bit of relaxation, game playing and possibly a bit of swimming.  (Not me....the water is still a bit too cool for my liking)

So I will leave you with this message:

Until next time.........................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!

WIP Wednesday

Hello everyone (waves).  I hope you are having a marvelous Wednesday.  It rained here last night so it is nice ans cool today.  The air is so nice and clean.  We had horrible winds yesterday that kicked up all sorts of dust, so the rain really helped clean things up.  Well, other than my freshly washed car which now needs to be washed again.  I get a free wash though, because it rained within 24 hours of the original wash.  How sweet is that?

I have been busy these past few days.  Monday I did a load of laundry, cleaned up the kitchen, took care of a plant that had fungus gnats, and got an Amazon package ready for return.  Then I spent the next part of my day out and about. 

I finally got an x-ray of my painful hip to see what is going on there.  Naturally, I won't know anything until I see my Dr next Monday.  UGH!  That will make it 1 month since the pain started.  

After the x-ray, I got a haircut, turned in the Amazon package for return, and got my car washed.  Luckily for me we had already decided to have leftovers for dinner because, by the time I got home I was barely able to walk.  Those x-ray techs love to twist and turn you in positions that are NOT natural!  

The rest of the evening was spent working on the  shawl to see if I could make some progress on it.  By 10 o'clock I was too tired to even try and count stitches anymore so I went off to slumber land.

Tuesday dawned bright, sunny and cool.  Once again I did a load of laundry to keep us from doing it all on the weekend.  Then I sent hubby out to do some errands for us so I could do some kitchen work.  I air fried a couple pounds of bacon up for our BLT sandwiches we were going to have for dinner.  It is one of our favorite meals to have when we have a busy schedule.

I picked up the Grand from school and she looked so sad.  Come to find out her entire class went to a funeral.  It was for one of their classmate's mom who passed away from breast cancer.  She was only 36 with 3 children the oldest being 14 and the youngest 2.  (Josie goes to a Catholic school which is why they were able to stop classes for the funeral)  Since she was so sad and still a little weepy, I decided some retail therapy was just what she needed.  Off to a couple of Thrift/Consignment shops we went.  She was able to find 2 dress and 2 shirts to make her feel better.

After I got home and ate dinner, I picked up the shawl and worked on it while hubby and I watched some of our recorded shows.  Let me show you where I am at now.

See that Yellow dot?  That is where I was on Sunday for my update.   The counting of stitches happens on every row as I am crocheting them.  There have not been anymore issues since I have started doing that.  The yarn is making me quite happy.  Gradient yarn is so fun to work with.  Watching the colors blend from one into another makes a tedious project seem to go by much quicker.  There are 9 more rows of the linen/moss stitch and then I will start on making this triangle turn into a trapezoid.  How fun this has been once I learned my lesson about assuming I did not need to count stitches.

Today I will be doing a load of laundry, picking up the grand from school again, going by my BFF's to see her new counter tops being installed and then going to dinner with our DIL and grand, and playing some trivia with them.  That should make for a full day for this old lady.

Tomorrow starts our 3 high Holy Days of Holy Week.  We will be busy with church and other religious activities until after Easter Mass on Sunday. SO.....................

Until next time..................happy crafting!!!!  

Let the Countdown Begin T-10 Weeks

 It is week 42 of this years YOP.  We have 10 weeks left to complete all those projects we talked about in July of last year.  I so love this challenge we put upon ourselves each year.  It has really helped me to improve my knitting and crocheting skills.  This past week was a tough one craft wise for me.  Let me give you a little photo story of what happened.

Last Sunday I showed you where I was on the Mimic Shawl.

I talked about the fact the top edge was kind of uneven and was hoping it would block out.  Well,  I realized I had not counted stitches for a while.  I actually was further along than the photo above when I decided to count to see where I was.  OOPS!  Someday I will learn to keep track as I go along and not 30 rows too late.  Yup, I was way off on my count and had been since the first pattern section.  So, what do you do?  

You do this:

Frog it all the way back to where the stitch count was correct.  It hurt so much to take all that out but, I could not figure out a way to make the count correct again.  I could not add enough extra stitches in a row without it loosing its triangular shape.  Adding extra rows to catch up was not an option either because of the yardage used in this shawl is exactly the yardage I have in my skein of yarn.  I just sucked it up and did the painful job of ripping it back.  

I have worked on it a bit since that great sad day.  At first, I was so distraught I did not want to even look at it but decided it was not going to crochet itself.  So here is where I am as of this morning.

Nice straight edges on the top.  That ball of yarn is what is left from my frogging.  Once that is all used, I will be where I was last Thursday morning.  Hopefully, that will happen yet this week.  The V stitches are the easiest since the chain 1 spaces are much easier to see LOL.

As for the HES..................they saw a tiny bit of love.

As you can tell from the progress keepers, they only got a tiny bit of love.  That darn shawl took most of my attention.  Here is something that might help me with the socks......I bought a new purse this week that is large enough for me to carry one sock in it at all times.  This way I can grab it and work on it whenever I have a few spare minutes.  I normally carry a small handbag,  After realizing how much time I spend waiting, it dawned on me I could be using that time to be productive instead of just hanging out.  It only took me how many years to figure this out?  

Last night we got a gift.  We had a sleep over at our house with our Grand.  She is so much fun to have around.  She and I played card games all night.

We played several games of Rummy as well as Phase 10.  By 11pm I was all tuckered out so off to bed we went.  We got up bright and early this morning and have been watching the Masters Golf Tournament.  We did go to Dutch Bros for her Golden Eagle Freeze (With whip) and then on to Dunkin for her Strawberry frosted doughnut with sprinkles.  She has been sitting next to me while I have been working on this blog post and has been showing me some hilarious dog memes.  It is always good to have a few good laughs in the morning.  As soon as I post this blog, we are going to play more rummy.  More fun!!!!

Until Next Time...................Happy Crafting!!!!

WIN SOME, LOOSE SOME

This header actually says it better.  It has been one of those days.  It started with me getting up early.  Well earlier than normal.  My DIL has been sick since Monday.  She finally got a Dr appointment for 7am this morning.  I had the privilege of taking the Grand to school this morning. (Daddy is out of town on business)  I actually enjoyed to time we had in the car to talk about things that interest her.  The early rising also gave me a chance to enjoy some early morning cool air.  It was lovely.

This is the day hubby cleans the bathrooms and kitchen.  I get things moved out of his way so all he needs to do is vacuum and mop without having to move a bunch of things.  It took a bit longer since my hip/leg is still acting up.

I did make a call to my Rheumatologist and left a message about the pain in my hip/leg asking if I should get an x-ray to make sure I am not bone on bone or worse scenario, have something broken.  It has been 2.5 weeks since the fall that led to the pain.  I can walk, but it is with some pain and I have a very noticeable limp.  Not normal for me at all.  It is now almost 5:30 and I have not heard back from the Dr office.  I will call again tomorrow.  If I do not hear from her I may just go to urgent care and get the dang x-ray done on my own.  

I did make a loaf of bread today.  I tried a different recipe this time and man, it really got big!

That is a 2 pound loaf.  Look at what it looks like inside.

I used 1/2 spelt flour and 1/2 bread flour.  It is so yummy.  Hubby even liked it!  Finally, I have homemade bread he will eat.  Spelt flour is a very hard grain to make bread with due to the small amount of gluten in it.  I refuse to us xantham gum or gar gum.  They are both GMO products and that pretty much defeats the purpose of me making my own bread with natural ingredients!  This was my win for the day.

My loss learning for the day was on my Mimic shawl.  Remember this photo?

See that uneven top edge?  I thought it was just a tensions issue.  NOPE!  I was working on it all week and today when I counted stitches, I was WAY off.  Not a small amount where I could just add a stitch here and there to make it right.  So here is where I am now......

Yup, ripped it back to the very beginning of the first pattern repeat.  I managed to work 10 rows of linen/moss stitch only to find a mistake AGAIN in row 3.  I just finished ripping it back again and was working on it and am once again off in my count.  This time I am only 1 stitch off on one side so I will be able to  fix that as I crochet along that side without it being noticeable.  Thank goodness this shawl is meant for me.  There is no big dead line on getting it done.  I would like to have it by Mother's Day to wear when we go to Las Vegas. Those casinos have cold and hot spots in them.  If I do not complete it by then, I have a couple of others that will work just as well.

It is time for me to go and start our dinner.  Bacon wrapped chicken thighs cooked in the air fryer.  Then cut them up and they will be laid on a bed of lettuce with other veggies surrounding them.  It has become salad weather here in Arizona.

Until next time................happy crafting!

WEEK 41

It is that time of week again to sit down and review what happened in the life of a left handed crafter.  I did make some progress this week on the two projects I was working on last week.  

First up are the Hermione's Everyday Socks for my husband.

As you can see, the heels are done on both pair.  As usual I did the FLK heel.  Hubby and I both think it fits our heels the best of any of them I have done.  Trust me, I have done several different types.  I think the only one I haven't tried is the after thought heel.  Since this photo looks like the stripes are off, I took another one to show you they are still matching.

Also, you can see my progress keepers showing where I was last week.  These are going pretty quickly now.  I am hoping to see the end of them in the near future.  

The only other item active at the moment is my Mimic Shawl.

As you can see, the color is starting to change already.  When this color first started, it looked like I had worked it with dirty hands.  I even went and washed them to make sure I was not soiling my yarn.  This pattern is fairly easy to do but, and there is always a but, you do need to count and watch your tension.  If you will notice, the top edge is not very even.  Fingers crossed this will block out.  Hence the tension and counting advise.  I have one more repeat of the 2 section pattern and then it starts in on the length.  This is not a fast crochet since it is done in fingering weight yarn.  The yarn I am using is light fingering weight yarn.  

That is all for my crafting this week.  Hopefully I can get more accomplished this coming week.  I never got started on another prayer shawl.  In fact, I did not go to the meeting this past week.  Hubby was not feeling well and I stayed home with him.  My hip was hurting quite a bit (and still is) and the idea of sitting on the hard folding chairs was not something I wanted to do for 2 hours either.

Hubby and I are getting ready to head out to the grocery store for this weeks veggies and a couple of needed items for this week's menu.  When we get back I want to work on my WIP's and relax.  

Until Next Time.......................Happy Crafting!!!!

Wacky Wednesday

Half way through the week and I am already looking forward to the weekend.  Even though I am retired I still continue to try and do all my errands, laundry and housework during the week so my weekends can be free to spend with my working friends.  Here is a little run down of the past few days.

Monday- I finally got to see my Rheumatologist again.  It has been since December of 2017 since I was able to see her.  My insurance changed and she was not a provider until January of this year.  It was so good to be back there again.  I am starting a new/old drug regimen!  It is a drug I had taken 25 years ago and we are hoping it will work for me again.  I really do not want to start on biologics!

  

There was a bit of concern going to see her as my right leg has been in horrible pain for about a week.  Come to find out it is just muscular and possibly a bone bruise from falling while cleaning an inside window.  (Step stool flew out from under me. OUCH!) 

 After spending two hours at the Dr's office, hubby was kind enough to take me to lunch at our neighborhood family owned Italian restaurant.  It was super yummy!  I could eat Italian several days a week. 

 

Tuesday- My to do list was a full page in my journal.  Luckily, I got up early and was able to get three loads of laundry completed before 11AM.  Then I grabbed my car keys and took off to run errands.  I only had three stops to make and yet it still took me 2 hours to complete them.  The longest was at the pharmacy.  My Dr had only called in a 30 day supply of the new/old drug.  My insurance pays for a 90 day supply.  Of course, the pharmacist had to call the Dr to make sure it was OK to fill it that way.  Sheesh!  Good thing I know what my insurances covers!  

Today- I went to my nail tech appointment only to be told my tech was not in town and if I wanted, another lady could do it for me.  WHAT?????  I do not have acrylic nails as most women do.  I have liquid gel and it is a specialized type of training to be able to apply it properly.  This other lady did it for me one other time and it was a mess.  I politely declined her offer and told her I would call later to reschedule.  Trust me, she is aware I was not happy as I have had this standing appointment for over a year now.

I called hubby and told him to hurry and get ready for a fun day out.  Today is 10% off your total bill for senior day at our Kroger store.  This is the day we will do our major shopping for the month.  We also went to Winco and Costco.  After 5 hours out and about, we are finally home and I am resting my leg.  It is very sore from all the walking.  I refuse to let a little discomfort stop me from enjoying a day with my hubby though.

There is a loaf of bread in the bread machine, chicken wings are defrosting for our dinner and we will also make bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers to go with them.  Our version of junk food LOL 

Both of them will be done in the air fryer.  Super easy for both cooking and cleaning.  No grease splatters anywhere in my kitchen.  

My Gourmia 6 qt air fryer is one of the most used small appliance in my home.  I never wanted one but the prayer shawl ladies got to talking about how easy it was to cook a meal in one and the rest is history.  

Speaking of which, tomorrow is Prayer Shawl Group.  I have the 'To the Point' shawl to turn in.  There is not another prayer shawl in the making right now.  Maybe I will start one tonight.  Trying to start one during the meeting is really hard.  There is so much conversation going on, it is hard to concentrate and count.  We now have almost 20 ladies in the group and we meet in a small room, so the noise level can get quite high.

Time to watch the news and then make dinner.

Until next time.................happy crafting!