Remember

I am posting early today.  No special reason, just was up early and wanted to get a few things done quickly so I could have lots of crafting time today.

We had a very enjoyable time, yesterday, at our son's home.  There were not as many folks there as he had predicted.  That made it quite easy to physical distance.  We spent 99% of the time in the backyard.  Thank goodness for the great shade they have back there.  Otherwise, we would all have been the color of lobsters.  The 3 teens stayed in the pool for most of the day.  My hubby got thrown into the pool by our Grand Daughter.  He played with the girls for quite a while too.  I stayed on dry land and enjoyed the laughter and fun.  Around dusk, the mosquitoes decided I was quite delicious.  That was my cue to head home.  

On our way to our son's home, we stopped at Sam's club to pick up a camp chair for the hubby.  We ended up with 2 camp chairs.  The were under $20 each and hold up to 325 pounds!  We do have some heavy people in the family so we were happy to see ANYONE could sit in these chairs without an issue.  I like them because the seat is not all sloppy and does not sit low to the ground.  It is a nice firm flat seat and the arms are sturdy.  That makes it quite easy for me to get in and out of the chair.

By 9pm last night, the day finally caught up with me.  Having gotten up at 5am and then spending 5 hours out in the heat................yup, I was toast.  I went to bed and read for about 20 minutes before I turned out the light.  Next thing I know, it is 5am and I am wide awake.  It does not bother me to wake up early.  That gives me quite a bit of quiet time to do things around the house without interruptions.  This morning I got the dog's chicken in the crockpot, washed up some crystal wine glasses by hand, cleaned the kitchen sinks, got my crafts ready to work on today and fed the dogs.  

I found this little tidbit today and thought it might be good to post it here.

I know, before I had a child in the military, I thought all these days were for the same reason.  Have you had any relatives in the service?  Have any of them not made it home?  Hubby and I have been blessed to have had all our family members 'survive' their time in the service and war.  Hubby's Uncle was actually in the Bataan Death March in WWII.  He made it home but it changed him forever.  We both have had uncles, dads, siblings and children in the military.  We will never be able to fully understand all they went through in wartime.  But we will forever be thankful for their service.

So, for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for my freedom..................my thanks goes out to you as well as my prayers for you and your families.  RIP

WEEK 47 OF MY 10TH YEAR

Hi, everybody!  It is another glorious Sunday here in the deserts of Arizona.  Today will be one of our last days below 100F for a while and we are going to enjoy it.  More about our plans later on.  

Let's talk about knitting, stitching and treasures.  Okay?

First up.......................treasures I obtained this week.

Grand Daughter and I went to Hobby Lobby for a bit of retail therapy this week.  I love this sock yarn and hubby is thrilled when I make him crazy colored socks.  I think these should just about be crazy enough, don't you?

This counted cross stitch kit was marked down from $29.99 to $7.49.  Who could resist such a deal?  We have 'cross walls' in our home and this will be perfect to hang there when completed.

This is Sugar Wheel Cotton yarn.  It is so darn soft and knits up perfectly.  It does not split either which made me quite happy.  The skein on the bottom left will be featured in a few minutes.

There also, were treasures, that came from my online shopping.

A sweet little owl to help me keep track to my needle when doing cross stitch or sequin sewing.  I had never heard of these until I read Sam's blog and she showed the ones she had.  Thanks Sam!  It is a wonderful little gadget.  Now I want more of them!  (Just because there are so many different ones out there)

My favorite tool in my notions bag is my fix it tool.  Or as I call it, my "awe sh*t" tool.  These will be perfect for me to have in my purse with my traveling project.  No need to carry a project bag and notions pouch all the time.  I ordered a double set as I am always misplacing my gadgets.  

With all that 'shopping' my crafting time took a bit of a hit this week.  Here is what I did this past week.

Only one sock got worked on.  It is now caught up to the other sock.  The heels are completed and I can now work the pattern all the way around the sock.  The leg will be as long as there is yarn left in the skein.

Remember that skein of yarn I told you to look at in the second photo?  These are the dishcloths I got out of that one skein.  It was a center pull skein and the cloth at the top is the first one completed. They are laid out in the order they were knit from the skein.  The one next to last looks a lot bigger and that is because I switched from purling Portuguese style to knitting English style.  They all have the same number of stitches other than the last one.  I started the decreasing rows, two rows earlier than the other ones, so I wouldn't run out of yarn.  I barely made it.  So...................one skein of that yarn makes 5 dishcloths on a size 7 needle.  Next time I am going to go down to a size 6 needle and do them all purl using the Portuguese method.  (It is so much easier on my hands and wrists)  I should not have any problems getting 5 cloths out of a skein when I go down a needle size. (might even be able to get 6 cloths) This means I can go ahead and increase to 54 stitches on ALL the cloths and not sweat out the last cloth.

I worked on my Jim Shore sequin project this week too.  All the green and gold sequins have been sewn on.  The white sequins are now being worked on.  I am really enjoying this project.  It is so different from anything I have done in the past.

Here is a close up shot of the main part of the wall hanging.  I have two more colors after the white is completed and then it will be done.  I figure it will be a few more weeks before completion.

That is it for crafting this week.  On life itself.................................Hubby and I went to Mass this morning.  Yup, our church has opened up.  We were notified 2 weeks ago they were going to start having services in the church again starting this week.  They are only allowing 25% of the church to be used at this time and asking us to wear face masks while in there.  I didn't care.  It was so nice to be back in the building again.  We had dearly missed it.

This afternoon, we will be going to our son's home for a bit of a get together.  There will be more than 10 people there too.  Am I uncomfortable with that many people?  Kind of.  I won't lie.  Their home is not huge and putting 18 people in it will not allow for much physical distancing.  I do know, quite a few of them will be in the pool so that will help.  I am unable to go in their pool as I can not get out of the pool.  Their steps are very deep and my RA has weakened the muscles in my legs.  Going up steps is a real chore for me.  (Going down is easy!)  There will also be games of corn hole going on in the backyard which most of the men love to play.  So, actually, there are ways to add distance between people.  I will let you know how it goes.  Hand washing will be my best friend today.

BTW...........I got my lab results back already.  I am very healthy and all my blood work looks wonderful.  That is always a nice way to start a 3 day weekend, right?

Not too many plans for the rest of the week.  I want to get back to our pool for my water aerobics.  I finally found the float I wanted and it will help with the leg exercises which will help strengthen my upper legs.  (We have a stair railing in our pool to help me get out)  With it heading to 111F (44C) this week, the pool will be my best friend.  

We do not have any plans for tomorrow, which is Memorial Day here in the US.  I think hubby and I will just enjoy the day at home with our dogs.  OH!  Speaking of dogs.  I got a text from our daughter yesterday letting us know she and her hubby adopted a puppy.  This makes #4!!!!!!!!!  I told her, they need to find a home with some acreage around it so they could just become a rescue! (that was after I told her she was nuts)  They live in a little 2 bedroom condo with a postage stamp sized back yard.  The 3 dogs they have are all small, but, the one they just adopted is a husky/shepherd mix.  Not thinking it is going to be a 10-12 pound dog.  Granted it is the runt of the littler but still.........................this is what happens when you have a soft, loving, heart of gold.  I have to admit.........the puppy is darn cute though.

OK, I do believe that is all my news for this week.  

Until Next Time........................Happy Crafting & Stay Well!!!!!!!!!

Friday Already?

For several hours I thought today was Thursday.  Oh my, now I am loosing track of the days of the week.  Senior moments for sure.

I am a happy camper today.  First thing this morning, I was able to get a haircut with my favorite stylist!  It felt weird wearing a mask while getting my hair cut.  The shop is requiring everyone to wear a mask.  No problem.  

Since the shop is next door to a Walmart, (and I already had a mask on) I stopped in there to see if I could find a floating chair for the pool.  Everything we have is a chaise lounge type of float.  Those are so hard for this old lady to get on and off of.  I found a lovely chair that can also be used as a chaise lounge.  Perfect!  The best part, it was not expensive.  Happy camper here!

When I got home, hubby was in the middle of cleaning.  Far be it from me to stop his progress.  I went into my craft room and zigzagged the edges of one of my cross stitch aida cloths.  I also pressed it as it had some really deep creases in it.  

Once we put the house back together (he moves EVERYTHING to clean) I was able to sit down with my knitting. I am still working on my first skein of cotton yarn.

Guess how many cloths I have made from this skein, so far.  Answer is at the end of this post.  Let me just say one more time.....................I am in love with the feel of this cotton yarn.  I seriously can not believe it is 100% cotton.

I got treasures today..................again.

I used to have a single mini hook attached to my purse.  It got ripped off, from a shopping cart.  These mini hooks are much stronger and will not be able to be ripped off.  I was smart and ordered  2 sets because...............well, I am sure I will lose one at some point.

I had never heard of a needle minder until I read about it on Sam's blog.  What a great idea.  I found this one on Amazon.  Isn't it cute?  See how tiny it is?  Perfect for me since I have some small projects lined up.  It attaches to the material you are working on, with magnets.  I love magnets.  Sure wish I was the one that invented them.

Have you guessed yet?  You know, about the dishcloths.   Here is a look at one of them.

I am working on this one right now.

Here is what is finished.

So, that means there will be at least 3 cloths made from that skein.  Looking at it, I can guarantee there will be a 4th made from it too.  Not sure if I will get a 5th one or not.  Time will tell.  Come back on Sunday to see how many I finally got out of it.  Remember, Sunday is the day I wrap up my crafting week and anything else that is of interest.

It is time to sit back and enjoy some afternoon crafting time.  I would prefer to be swimming but the water has cooled off too much for me.  It will get warm again next week with our uber hot temps coming back into play.

Until next time............happy crafting & stay well!

Here I Am!

Hi there.  Whatcha doin'?  It has been very busy at my Casa today.  How about you?

Waking up to an alarm is not my idea of fun.  The alarm was set for 6am.  Because I am slightly OCD, I woke up quite a bit all night long in fear of missing the alarm.  At 5:30, I finally decided to get up and start my day.  (I turned off the alarm too).  I fed the dogs, took a shower and headed out of the house by 6:35 to go and have fasting blood work done.  (Also not my favorite thing to do first thing in the morning).

My new Doctor wanted blood work pulled just because I am new and he wanted a baseline for his own records.  Wow, how exciting.  I get to have another blood draw next month for my rheumatologist.  Naturally, they did not want the same tests!  I will say, the person stabbing me with the needle was EXCELLENT!  I never felt a thing.  Actually, getting blood work done has never bothered me.  When I was on my other RA meds, I had to have it done every 3 months.  That went on for almost 20 years!  

After the vampire finished with me, I stopped and filled my car with gas and picked up the last few items for this weeks groceries.  I managed to complete the shopping list other than parchment paper.  Lucky for me, hubby was getting pool water tested and said he would stop by Walmart and pick it up for me.  That takes care of this weeks shopping. 

Just so y'all know..............................YES, we are wearing masks when we are out in public.  I just wish more people would do the same.  Me wearing a mask does nothing other than to protect others from my germs.  Seems like it should protect me but who am I to question it.  I am just trying to be considerate of others who may have a worse immune system than I do.  NO!!!!!!!  I do not feel it is infringing on my rights to do this.  After being in the medical field for over 45 years, I get it!  OK, getting off the soap box now.

When I got home from my adventures I started a loaf of bread in the bread machine.  I am craving a sandwich and we have been out of bread for almost 2 weeks!  I have been quite lax in that area lately.  The dishwasher got emptied, counter tops got a good cleaning, The air fryer got washed and put away, dishcloth # 2 got a bit of love, towels are in the washing machine and now I think it is time for lunch!  (the bread is almost cool enough to slice)

Tonight we are doing beer brats.  While going through the freezer to take stock of what we had, I came across quite a few items I forgot we had.  Brats was one of those items.  Hubby will make them on his wood pellet barbecue.  Yum!  All that good wood flavor with the beer.  So looking forward to it.

My hands feel much better today.  I am lucky, when I have a flare in my RA, it usually only lasts for about 24 hours.  Silver linings everywhere!

Time to have some lunch and then my laundry should be done.

Until next time..................happy crafting & stay well!

Working Wednesday

 

Snoopy and Woodstock have always been one of my favorite cartoons to read.  Do you have a favorite?

When we last 'talked',  I was getting ready to head out to pick up the Grand and go to Hobby Lobby for a little shopping therapy.  We got there and it was not what I expected.  Granted, all the employees were wearing masks but...............it was crowded and no one was practicing physical distancing other than at the registers.  Even the employees were crowding the isles while putting stock out.  That being said, the Grand and I picked up what we had come for and then left.  Walmart practices better physical distancing!  It will be a while before I go back in their store.  I can order what I want from them, online, and that will be fine with me.

I did pick up a few treasures though.

 

This yarn is the main reason I went.  It is Sugar Wheel Cotton and so so so soft.  I have already grabbed the bottom left skein and started working with it.

Are you able to see the color change?  It is quite subtle and I love it.  I am just doing the Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth pattern at the moment.  My hands are acting up and since I can do this in Portuguese Knitting using all purls, it is quite nice to my hands and wrists.  It will be fun to see how many dishcloths I can make out of one skein.  It is 5 oz of yarn and was on sale for $4.39/skein.  If I can get 4 cloths out of it, then it is well worth it.

Of course I had to have this too.

I have already made a pair of Rose City Rollers out of this brand of yarn.  Hubby says they are super comfy.  He loves crazy sock colors, so he will be the person to get socks out of this yarn too.  Hmmmm, I wonder if they will glow in the dark, LOL.

My biggest find was this:

A counted cross stitch kit!  It was on sale from $29.99 marked down to $7.49!  The finished dimension is 9.625 X 12.5 inches.  Not sure if I will frame and hang or maybe try and make it a wall hanging without a frame.  Our dining room and living room walls are called 'The Cross Walls".  This will go on one of those walls.    But first, I have several other stitching kits to work on. 

I made a loaf of sourdough last night.  Not a fan of how hard the outside was.  I think it cooked waaaay too long.  The inside of the loaf tastes yummy though.  My next loaf will be sourdough sandwich bread.  Will probably start on that either tomorrow or Friday.  I will continue to try making the sourdough bowl type bread but need to look at other recipes then the one I used last night. 

The overnight oats finally got made today.  They are my favorite breakfast now.  I made that while doing a load of laundry.  Hubby went to the grocery store as there were some awesome deals on steaks and chicken breasts.  Not to mention, I needed tomatoes for tonights dinner.  We are having BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado) sandwiches.  One of our favorite summertime meals.  Since I cook the bacon in the air fryer, I no longer dread making them.  No messy stove to clean up.  The air fryer only takes about 2 minutes to wash after it cools off.  Win, Win!

Time to get back to my dishcloth.  Hopefully it will be completed in a little while and I will start on another one.  I certainly hope my hands settle down so I can get back to the socks and shawls I have going.

Until next time.................happy crafting & stay safe!