Hey there. Nice of you to drop by today. We are getting some much needed rain today. I love a cold rainy day. They happen so seldom, I relish the ones we get. I am hunkered down with a blanket, my hot tea and have a dog cuddled up with me. Perfect scenario to do some blogging.
This was a very productive week. Both in knitting/crocheting and in decluttering. First, the knitting/crocheting.
The Havana is completed and now resides with it's new owner. (My daughter) She text me last night to say she took a nap under it yesterday and WOW! It is certainly not a blanket she will be needing to use this summer. She said it felt like a lightly weighted blanket and was VERY warm and comfy to sleep under. I very much enjoyed making this blanket. I intentionally made it wider than the pattern as I wanted it to fit a queen bed.....and it does. Instead of doing a crocheted border, I choose to do the twisted fringe border to save on purchasing more yarn. I already have plans to make another of her patterns. The next one will be made with DK weight yarn and it will use up most all of my DK stash. Does this mean I can purchase more yarn? Hmmmmmmm........
As you know, I started on a Rose City Roller sock a couple of weeks ago, when I was dog/teen watching. Once the Havana was completed, I turned my attention to the sock.
One sock is completed and the second one is just a wee bit past the heel. The bright colors make these seem like they are flying off the needles. I have teen/dog duty again this week so I am sure sock #2 will most likely get completed. I only have one worry.......running out of yarn for the second sock. I do have another skein of this yarn but matching up the striping will be interesting. I hate cutting into a skein to make that happen. We will see how far I get though. As you can tell, the stripes do not match up 100% as it is. My thinking is the toe is where I will need to attach the new skein of yarn so it may not make much difference since that part will be in a shoe. These will be going to my daughter, also. She picked out this yarn and another yarn so I could make her two pairs of socks as her others have finally worn out. (10 years of wear is pretty good.)
As far as decluttering goes..................We actually are further along than the scheduled list. Most everyone in the group will be starting week 4 (the laundry room) but hubby and I have already done that. (We are over achievers) Since I am going to be gone 90% of the week, hubby is going to attack the office. He is the one that uses it 90% of the time. Therefore, I will let him organize it the way that makes him happy and he knows what needs to be thrown out and what needs to be kept. I will say, in October, we did a pretty big clean out in that room so it should not be too hard for him.
This past week we worked on decluttering our guest room. It had become a dumping ground for all sorts of things. We decided to turn it into am exercise/guest room combo. Hubby was great in helping me in there. Our main area to go through were 2 six foot tall bookcases. Those were gone through in 2 days and then hubby was on a roll. He also went through the 2 built in bookcases on either side of the fireplace as well as a barristers case in the office. In total we moved 447 books out of our house. 
As you can see, we still have books in our house. I still need to go and straighten up the books in the cases on the left photo. I have a feeling I will be able to get them all into one bookcase.
As more and more items leave our home, I feel lighter and lighter. It is amazing how having so much 'stuff' can weight you down.
Today I will be making a loaf of bread, planning menus, emptying the dish washer and knitting. That is all I have on my schedule. There is left over enchilada soup we will be having for dinner tonight. Oh, and there are a couple of championship football games to watch today too.
What is on your list of things to do today?
Until Next Time................................Happy Crafting and Stay Well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All these posts about decluttering are inspiring me. Now if I can just put it into action when I return home in April!! I know that cleaning out my gardening area in the garage is a top priority project when we return north. The socks are so cute and I agree that any mismatch at the toe is going to be fine. I too hate losing yarn due to trying to start the socks at the same point. But I do it because I do prefer my socks matched or at least closely matched. Enjoy the football games. That's what I plan to do this afternoon too.
ReplyDeletewell done on the decluttering - and just one small sugegstion, ebooks are an incredible space saver!
ReplyDeleteReally loving your afgan, it is gorgeous!
Ebooks are used here quite often. A lot of these books were text books from back in the day when text books were not online. Also, my husband teaches classes at our church and many of these books were used in that endeavor. Novels are on our kindles and also on our audio books area. We seldom purchase pleasure reading books anymore.
DeleteWow, the Havana is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteYour finished Havana is amazing, Marsha! I love how the twisted fringe looks. And those socks are fun. Love the colors - they almost look like they could match the Havana! :)
ReplyDeleteYour Havanna turned out so gorgeous! You and your husband are doing great on the de-cluttering! I am simply cleaning but throwing out as I go or bagging up for Goodwill. Those socks are so cute in that yarn! Is that from Hobby Lobby? Yes, I can get one game to watch...the Chiefs and the Bills? I love Mahomes! I cleaned up the house, dried and folded a load of clothes and cut out material for hexies. I also worked on my Betty Glover XS. It's time to go sit down for good! LOL! Have a great afternoon watching the games!
ReplyDeleteWow! You are so productive! Kim also got rid of hundreds of books. I can't seem to do a big batch. I get rid of 5 to 10 per week. I know. I need to pick up the pace!
ReplyDeleteI have not gotten much decluttering done. Work really wears me out. But one of these days, we will find the right house -- and then I'll have to spend every waking moment decluttering!
Woo hoo! Congratulations on finishing Havana, I love it. Someone in our Guild was saying you can buy a very cheap hair braiding tool that is battery operated and use it for twisting fringes and it is much cheaper than the official fringe twisters and doesn’t hurt your wrists like doing it by hand. I’m so impressed at the pace you are working at. I did make a small start on the utility room but the cupboards are the horror ground. The cupboard under the stairs is a nightmare. I asked my husband about badminton and tennis rackets and he said we should keep them, and wasn’t up for discussion and the only negotiation I could agree was they move to the garage loft with his 2 rubber boats that haven’t been used in the 15 years we’ve been together. I am definitely getting rid of my tennis racket, it is small headed and wooden and weighs a ton. If we at some mythical date in the future take it up I’ll want a new style one with a big head to make it easier and will be way lighter. I sooooo wish your husband’s attitude to decluttering could filter over to mine. You are keeping me going though seeing all that you are managing to get through.
ReplyDeletegorgeous blanket and how wonderful to receive a glowing review from your daughter!!
ReplyDeleteWOW. Just WOW!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, the blanket is really fun. I have her Queen blanket pattern. I am excited to begin it, but must finish the blanket I am working on now first. Secondly, I really like this blanket with the twisted fringe. I have done twisted fringe on weaving projects. It adds a lovely element for sure to this blanket. I will need to remember that.
And your clutter project! Gosh. 447 books. That is a whole lot of books. My husband is a great reader and he had a sizable library at one time. Now, sadly, he is blind, and he sold off his library. Over time he has developed a large audio library. I have a pretty good idea of what a big deal 447 books is. Great job!
And finally ... "Does this mean I can purchase more yarn? Hmmmmmmm........” Whatever do you mean? Are there rules when you can buy yarn? I say go for it NOW. Oh.My.God. Girl. Buying yarn is half the fun of our craft! You remember the large library that my husband downsized? What do you think sits on those shelves now? Right. Yarn. Knitting, crochet and weaving tools. Books about knitting and crochet and weaving!! I say ... go enjoy your self and don’t give it a second thought (says a yarn hoarder!). Ha!
Wow. so impressed with your decluttering and so jealous your hubby is helping! I love your havana! I too am going to tackle another of her patterns...not sure which one yet...have you decided? I think my next one I will do the fringed border - just to shake things up, and as you say - use less yarn. Love the socks - I think I will be casting on yet another RCR - they are such an easy knit and fit so well
ReplyDeleteYour Havana is STUNNING!!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome progress on decluttering! I have considered enlisting my spouse when I do my declutter efforts. However, I know him, and he would get rid of EVERYTHING not actively being used at this present moment. Extra pens? Get rid of it, we have a pen that works. Seasonal Cookie Cutters, gone. Dress shoes? I only use them once a year, donate. Why do we have so many blankets?!?!?!
But the pros: Our house would be VERY clean.