On and Off the Needles as we Move into The New Year!

 Trying to get a picture with bad light isn't easy.  Neither of these is quite right in terms of color.  But, the first photo I lightened on the computer and think it's probably closest.  I'm using two color strands that are quite similar in color, just different intensity.  I started this shawl back in July for myself, and it got put away.........which is what always happens when I try to make something for myself.

Additionally, it's not something I can work on easily while watching tv at night.  Two fold, the fingering yarn is so fine, I find it hard to see at night using light vs day light.  AND the yarn is sooooooooo wonderfully soft it easily slids off the needle if I'm looking up to watch tv.  Which is why I only work on it once in a blue moon.  

This is the real color of the fiber/yarn of the lighter section before I did anything with it.  Perhaps the next picture will be better.  Anyway.  Thought I'd work on it for a few days during the day since I had just finished

Earth and Sky a few days ago.  (posted in previous post).  This is prior to being laundered and blocked.  Am pleased as it now is laying out to dry as it's being blocked.  It measures 60 x 65 ish.  

 After finishing above Earth and Sky, I dug out Cardiac Collage.  No doubt most of you will remember it.  I edged each square with the darker blue, crochet them together and ended up with a square measuring about 54 inches, from memory.  It was drying and being blocked yesterday.  After measuring it, I should have written it down, but think I'm not too far off in my memory.

The turquoise in the bottom picture is a bit closer, though the other colors in the first picture look pretty close.  So many gray drab days here in Ohio, it's often difficult to get colors to show up correctly in pictures.  Both afghans will be donated to Bridge and Beyond, my charity focused on helping the Homeless.

I trust you all had a wonderful Christmas with friends and families, I posted some Christmas memories in my previous post.  This picture just seems so appropriate to me.  I hope and pray, 2019 will rid of us of some of these horrible politicians.  So very tired of their ruining this country of ours.

If you're traveling for holiday, please be safe!

Merry Christmas, Earth and Sky Completed

 Without going through multiple files I don't know what year each picture represents

 But, from whatever the year was..............

 Wishing you a very Merry Christmas

 From my family to yours

 I hope you have a wonderful Christmas

 If you're traveling, please travel safe

 Funny, old, faded pictures.  Different hair styles......different

 glasses.........hair changing colors as well, lol

 Goodness, hard to believe we were that young once upon a time.

Look at the big hair.........lordy!

2017.......last years picture.

And finished Earth and Sky last night, got ends all tucked in and now it needs to be laundered and blocked and then can be donated to Bridge and Beyond, my charity.

Working on Earth and Sky...counting down to Christmas

Earth and Sky growing and growing.  On the 2nd to last section currently, the variegated section to be followed by the olive green section.  I measured this yesterday (have added a few more rows since), and it was 45 inches wide x 60 ish, so believe it will be ok size wise when completed.  Plus it will grow a bit when blocked after being laundered.  It like 99% of the stuff I made will be donated to my charity, Bridge and Beyond.  If you knit, crochet, loom etc...please hop over and check out the blog.  Maybe you'd like to help us by donating something you've knitted, crocheted, or loomed etc.

Making more headway with cleaning out, purging, de-cluttering.  Not sure if I'll get much more done before Christmas though.  

If you knew me, you'd know how much I hate winter.  So, when I saw this...had to save it.  Come on Spring.

We've not seen many adults who truly act as bad as a child pouting...but we see this often with this guy, except for maybe when he's playing golf at one of his properties.

Eating, Knitting, and De-Cluttering and

Breakfast is served.  When our daughter is home, we always have her make breakfast because she makes really good omelets.  I'm getting better, but.........no, I don't try to flip them over by flipping the pan.  She does.  We shared a 4 egg omelet with onion, peppers, spinach, mushrooms, and cheedar cheese.  I sliced avocado for the top.  We had some bacon and raisin cinnamon english muffins.

Earth and Sky continues to grow.  Have added the 2nd tan section and am now working with the next variegated section.  I measured it when I took the picture and have already forgotten how wide it is.......geesh, should have written it down.  Oh well...it's growing and looking more and more like it will be an ok size when I get the current variegated section followed by light green followed by another variegated section and then dark green to end.  I'm thinking now, I may not need to find another color of yarn and pick up on the other side.  Fingers crossed.

This looks less complicated then many designs I've seen posted.  Grapes, and cheeses...I don't know possibly this would be worth doing?

I'm making headway with my de-cluttering.  Though actually I've done a few things since editing my calendar.  I ended up erasing stuff that simply didn't pertain to me, things with toys, games, and my car, and then typed in stuff that I'm doing and or needs doing.  That worked better than when I tried to type at the end of the calendar.

 I haven't shared any new series with you all in a while.  This is a must!!!  A Place to Call Home on Amazon Prime, but you do need a membership to Acorn and it's definately worth it.  It's 6 seasons and I was totally addicted to it, staying up late at night watching.

 LOVED it, let me know if you watch and what you thought.  AND if you've not watched............treat yourself to a months membership and binge watch.

**BLOG QUESTION:
There used to be a way to see whom you've visited on your blog log because the link would change color.  It's driving me nuts that feature seems to be gone.  Anyone else having that trouble?  Anyone know how to fix that problem?

Knitting Earth and Sky is Enjoyable

I'm making really good headway with Earth and Sky, this afghan is moving along much faster than the last several I've done because it's just straight forward knitting, which I'm rather enjoying.  I'm not piecing things together or dealing as much with how much yarn I have of this or that color...which is often a thing for me.  It is here, but less so.  Currently am at 36 inches with about 12 inches left according to my striping.  That would make it 48 inches...but, am not sure I'm going to feel like that's large enough (48 x 60), so might need to add something else to each end, pick up stitches on the one side...jury's out on that, but am indeed enjoying these colors together.

This made me laugh.  I don't have any respect for this man, so seeing him as a toilet bowl cleaner somehow seemed appropriate.  I've never in all my 68 years felt that way.  He is not normal.  

I've made some headway with my de-clutter calendar.  I'm not going in any order though and the 3 check marks are things I've done mostly related to emptying out our entertainment center in order to get rid of it.  The 2 X's are things that don't pertain to our household, as we have no toys since there are no kids at home and no grandkids.  Written in red are things I've added to replace to the 2 X's.

Spotted this awhile back on Facebook and saved it, partially for a reminder.  I had, or maybe still have in the basement Mason Jars, and thought I'd give this a try.  Except I don't like drinking through straws...so thought I'd share as a way to re-purpose and or recycle in case any of you do.

Baby It's Cold Outside

Earth and Sky has grown quite a bit since the first picture (2 posts ago). It's just past the half way point, I think.  The middle section is the darker variegated section.  Given the yarn I have that works with this color combination, I may need to add a border when done, we'll have to see if I'm happy with the size when I get to that point.  Currently it measures 35 ish inches by about 60 from memory.

Baby it's cold outside.  Was only in the low 20's again today.  So glad I can sit with the afghan on me as I knit to provide more warmth.  

Was away from blogging a wee bit with catching up on stuff after a short vacation with some girls friends, then my daughter was in town for Thanksgiving.  So, looking forward to making my way around my blog walking list to see what everyone's been up to.

I don't know if people are already in the throws of getting ready for Christmas and perhaps too busy for above, but I also think some folks like to clean out to make room for new and or just clean out before decorating.  I spotted this a while back on Facebook and rather liked how they made de-cluttering a smaller job by breaking things down into manageable pieces for daily advances.  Technically I've already done a few of these this week.  I need to figure out how to mark it.

Since we've had rain, freezing rain, and some snow......this seemed appropriately funny to me.  My husband told me today at lunch when he got in the car to come home, the light that indicates doors are open or ajar was on.  This am, he couldn't get two car doors opened due to ice.  Apparently he's pulling on them popped just enough that when the ice melted...they weren't totally closed.  By the by, I hate winter.

What a cute craft this is.  Made from buttons.  Anyone keep a bag or can of buttons?  I know my Mother who was quite a seamstress did.  I can't say I ever really have, but wouldn't this be a cute use of them?  A way to recycle sorta.  Or if you're looking for a cute craft that maybe the kids can do.

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving.  In my last post I said eat and enjoy and then exercise the day after.  Well....did you?  I managed to exercise for 2 days following ...but not sense.  Guess I need to restart again.  I did though get my membership at the gym updated the other day.  Haven't been there yet mind you, but ....it's ready if I can get myself motivated.  

Happy Thanksgiving, Eat Today, Exercise Tomorrow

Happy Thanksgiving one and all.  Hope you all have a special day planned with friends and loved ones, and if you're traveling for the day, b safe.  

Tomorrow, we'll get back to our exercising off the food we eat today.  LOL  I purchased this recently after trying it out in Hilton Head.  My friend, Jane brought her's with her and I thought it seemed like a good item.  It's quite reasonably priced from 10.00 to 35.00 depending where you buy it.  I got mine on Amazon for 9.99.  She had purchased her's through a Groupon.  It's light weight and very portable so easy to take with you when you travel.  There are 3 bands to increase the resistance as you progress.  You can start with the lightest band which is 15 pounds resistence, and move to 25 and then 35.  You can also put two bands on...not that I ever think I'll get that strong.  This is called Wonder Arms.

Here's a little humor for you.  This made me smile when I saw it.  Do you make lists of things to do?  I do and love marking them off the list, however sometimes.........I decide something on the list doesn't need to be done.

New Knitted Afghan, a Turkey Made of Fruit?

Earthy?  Land and Sea?  Earth and Sky?  These are the names popping into my head for this in the works afghan.  This was started just last week while traveling in the car with 2 girl friends to Hilton Head.  We have girls week twice a year, once in the Spring and again in the Fall.  Though Cardiac Collage isn't yet finished, I needed to take something that wasn't so big to work on in the car.  Cardiac Collage needs to be edged and joined...stay tuned on that score.

But what of this latest one?  What shall I call it.  Currently it has 2 shades of green, a tan, and a variegated tan, blue, green.  It measures 60 inches wide (cast on 200 stitches)  and since photographing here measures 14 inches deep.  The green you see next to the tan is completed and I've got about an inch of blue which picks up a bit on the blue in the variegated.  No fancy stitches...just stripes/sections of good old garter stitch.  Love to hear you thoughts on the possible name.

Trip was fun, but I came back with a cold.  Dang it.

Last year I shared a photo of a turkey made from veggies for a beautiful center piece.  Several people I know made it, thought it looked great, but was lots of work and people were afraid to eat it, didn't want to ruin the look, lol.  This is a fruit turkey you might want to try for the up coming Thanksgiving Day Holiday.  However........my question is how does one keep the banana's from getting dark?  If you make this, please let me know how it went.

I don't post about politics as often as I used to, and certainly not as often as it's on my mind.  But, when I saw this on Facebook...I couldn't help but think how sadly accurate it is with depicting "don the con".

Need to catch up with stuff around the house, and blogging since I've been away.  Looking forward to visiting everyone on my blog log and catching up with your activities.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloweena, that's how my little princess used to say it when she was young.  

For a Halloween laugh...........yoga needed after too much candy?  LOL

My Princess as Mother Superior in a HS production of the very very funny Nunsense.  

This wasn't really a Halloween picture......this was a class assignment.  Freshman or sophomore year in college?  I don't remember which year.  But, clearly my little Princess above still liked to play make believe in her collage years.  But......couldn't this be a good Halloween idea, just need costumes to go with.

Everyone loves to dress up, age isn't a factor in that.  It's light hearted and fun.  Adults attend Halloween Parties.  I've seen some extreme things posted in recent days on Facebook (from the far right) about why you shouldn't let you kids go trick n treating, how it's the Devil at work and such.  I say...........lighten up, have a good time and don't eat too much candy.

Knitting Continues on Cardiac Collage, Vote !!

I'm a bit delayed in posting the next stage of this knitted afghan, Cardiac Collage.  It's named (for those who may not have been to this blog before), Cardiac Collage, because I started it while sitting in the ER while my husband was having a cardiac event.  The first square made is the middle top.  You can see each square is different in what colors are used, how many colors were used, as well as how big each section is.  Truly no pattern...much like an unpredictable cardiac event.  Since this photograph was taken, the 9th and final square has been started.  As I'm working on it, am trying to decide what color I want to use to edge and join the squares with........AND whether I want to stitch them together, or crochet them together.  Leaning towards blue...the medium blue you see in the middle square bottom row closest to you.

Yesterday by way of my absentee ballot.  I like voting from home, where I'm not rushed, can double and triple check myself and look up issues and people on anything I'm not sure about.  Did you know?

• You might be able to track your vote? Through on line registration in your county.  I was able to see the date my absentee application was accepted, the date the ballot was mailed out, in a few days I should see the date my ballot was received, followed by the date my ballot was accepted
• PLEASE remember if you have any trouble when you try to vote with your name, being listed, address etc.  Ask for a provisional ballot.  They must be law give you one.  Don't leave without voting.
  
  I was surprised to learn this a few days ago.  Time is getting tight; but please check what the situation is where you live and vote.  It's important, even if not a Presidential Election.  Many people have sacrificed for us to have the privileged of voting.  Don't shirk your responsibility.

For my cross stitch friends.  This counted cross stitch was a Christmas gift for older brothers wife many many years ago.  Just came across a picture of it.  It's so appropriate for her, she loves kids, her's and others.

**Hey did you notice, I added a game for you in my right sidebar.  Try your hand at Sudoku