Where has the time Gone?

Well it maybe a bit late for this New Years Follow up (see my last post), but I had this cute graphic and still wanted to share with you all.  How perfect is this yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks and a Martini Glass!  In my last post I talked about getting back on the wagon with walking more, recording my food again, and being a virtual walking buddy to anyone wanting or needing friendship and encouragement.  I have walked more (being out of town 2 different times in warmer weather helps), I only managed to record my food for a couple of days and fell back off the wagon, and no one contacted me here to connect on facebook and or fitbit.  I've added lots of new friends through friend requests on fitbit and will be following up with Karen and Barbara who left comments on my previous post.

This is most recently completed work in progress.  I love the color green and enjoyed working with this yarn, Uptown DK, but did have some issues with getting this finished, thanks to the hungry vacuum, posted story HERE   The shawl was for a friend of my Daughter's who's going through chemo.

Recently started this shawl/scarf.  I say either or, as it might not be large enough for a shawl?  We'll see when completed.  The pattern calls it a shawl.  I started this long ago and frogged it.  The handspun just wasn't showing up very well in the original pattern, and it's better here .......though still not great.  Plus the color is off a bit, it's really more gold then the picture shows.  Strange how that happens sometimes.

Started this knitted stripped ghan for Bridge and Beyond, but had to frog about half of what you see here in the picture.  Kept having issues........pathetic since it's just garter stitch, but somehow my fingers and brain weren't playing nice together....typically in the evening after a Martini....hum...So, haven't taken an updated photo, but it's currently about twice this large with the colors stripes slightly different.  I do like the color combination.

 Another case of colors not being right.  This ghan is called Pink Persuasion.  It's not this pink, nor is it as muted as the picture belong.  The real color is somewhere in between.  These pictures were taken 2 different times, no doubt lighting different, and I actually think it was 2 different cameras.  The picture below is when I first designed it from donated squares, named it and added it to my collection to work on later.  The current picture shows 2 rows edged and assembled, how much the edging and joining is increasing the size and is actually the back side of the ghan.  Apparently when viewing the picture to know the color design on my ipad...the picture got flipped several times, so now to get things correctly laid down and connected, I'm looking at the back side, lol

Both ghans, and the shawl/scarf were projects I took on the road during January and February when hubby and I traveled to Hilton Head, SC.  Love going there in the winter.  No worries about a sunburn, but you also don't have to shovel snow.

 This is a perpetual calendar, a gift from my Darling Daughter at Christmas.  I've set up the first quarter of the year with dates and cards and dividers.

I began using it on January 1.  The idea is to use it to record a short sentence or two each day, about what you doing, feeling, what you're grateful for, anything really.  A calendar with more of a diary twist.  Each card is a day and once you complete the year, you start over using the same cards.  I was really enjoying using this...this was going to be my 2nd post of the year, the day after my New Years Post.....well, as you can see that didn't happen.  I've been gone 3 wks and had intended to actually make notes while away to fill in on my return.........that didn't happen either, so now my debate is pick up anew, or try to go back and fill in?  It's hard to know what thoughts you were actually having on any given day, so think I'll record where I was to remember 2 or 3 years from now why I didn't have anything, and start anew.

That brings me sorta up to date.  While away I did yoga for the very first time and enjoyed it.  A beginners class at the resort where we stayed.  I don't remember it all, and wonder if doing just a few things still is good...or if doing things in a particular order is part of the benefit?  Anyone know?  I also used exercise equipment for the very first time.  A couple of days were  too windy and wet to walk outside so I did some walking on the treadmill, road the stationary bike, and used an elliptical.  I also enjoyed that and wished I had a reasonable or predictable schedule enough to perhaps get a gym membership..........or maybe buy some equipment for here at the house.

Hoping to get back into blogging more in 2015, and hope you all are doing well.  Tell me what you've been doing.

The case of Hungry Vacuum and my Knitted Shawl

Been such a long time since I've written a blog post on this blog.  Where does time go?  I love this shade of green and have made more headway on this project since I took the photo a week ago.  It's made with Uptown DK Universal Yarn.  It's not a yarn I've used before, but am enjoying the feel of it.  The skein suggested size 6 needles, but I'm using a 7.  Actually now my 2nd set of size 7 thanks to my sweeper.

The project/shawl was laying on the footstool where I had been sitting the evening before.  Yarn was dangling down which I didn't see as I was vacuuming.  Sadly, the vacuum did snare it.  Tried quickly to get the thing turned off, but ...the yarn including needle (the bent black lovely Knit Picks Wooden needles) included.  Had to cut the yarn close to the sweeper to free my shawl...thankfully the shawl itself didn't get sucked in, but the needle did.  The needle also shattered...errrrrrrr, really liked those needles, so am now using a back up pair with a shorter cord.  After unwinding all the yarn the hungry vacuum had eaten, I resumed cleaning......though not happily.

The shawl pattern calls for 2 skeins, but I've purchased a 3rd, as I'm concerned it's not going to be long enough.  Currently fairly close to the end of the 2nd skein.

Working on stuff....and

Working...
Pink booties, got 3 knitted, need a 4th and need to stitch them together. 2 Different sizes, one newborn, one larger newborn. Probably will go to....? Must check my list,

Pink short sleeve sweater, crocheted....will go to.........wherever I send booties.

2 tone blue scarf, knitted nice and thick and warm for The Bridge Project. Wish you could see the design, doesn't show up in pictures.

Purple cap, I made for my daughter; but it's not quite large enough for her...fits me pretty well.......though purple isn't the color I needed to go with a red coat. It might go to one of the charities. Still thinking.

The fun super soft orangey shawl was a Christmas gift for my great-niece. Knitted with Red Heart, bright and lofty. Fun yarn to work with.

The black, white, and grey scarf is one my daughter is working on for The Bridge Project. She might get it done in between working on lesson plans and cover letters for job applications. Love the yarn.

My Octogenarian--My Mom

Webster's list the word octogenarian as a noun, a word from the latin word octogenarius which means containing eighty. My mother, is far more than that simple definition.

I finished the yellow shawl. Knitted with double strand Caron Wintuk. Using double strand made a nice cushy feel to it, plus I think it will help to hold it's shape better than many lighter weight yarns. A silver claps holds it on her shoulders. The picture of her unwraping it is from her special 80th birthday surprise luncheon.




My 2 brothers, their spouses, and my oldest nephew went together and got her a ruby ring. She was quite surprised. It matches the ruby bracelet we got her for her 70th quite nicely.



My younger nephews and their wives blew up and framed a picture of Mom and Dad taken at last years 60th Wedding Anniversary Party, everyone signed the matted area. This made a nice gift.

Everyone had a good time and mom was truly touched by the families love.

Been super busy with work, and working in the yard (man things have gotten overgrown). Even the muscles in my hands are sore.

Projects:
80% done on blue and green crocheted baby blanket
60% done on knitted blue and ? maybe pink baby blanket
301% done on crocheted candy corn ghan

Heading out of town again tomorrow. This trip will be the family vacation with both hubby and daughter! We're going to Williamsburg. Driving, so there will be no flight troubles this time. Taking yarn to work on squares for several groups, yarn for scarfs for people with cancer, maybe some odd squares to stitch together for hats or ???

Adding one final picture of our traditional cake my sister-in-law always makes when we're all together for the family 4th of July cook out.

Pigeon Point LightHouse--Hostelling

Built in 1872, still active though in need of repair and closed to the Public, Pigeon Point Light House--Historic State Park---Hostel.

This lighthouse is 50 miles south of San Francisco, between Half Moom Bay and Santa Cruz on The Beach Road. A rugid 115 feet tall lighthouse. Rooms-hostels- $20.00 a night. This was one of the tallest lighthouses in America, a good place for whale watching, hiking and relaxing. Care to help the preservation effort...there's a campaign to Save the Light.






You can see in all these pictures how cloudy, cool and grey it was while we were on vacation. Surely no need for sun screen, but I hadn't expected to need a hooded sweatshirt and a coat while in sunny California.

Been working on mom's yellow shawl some, alternating with working on the pink and blue baby blanket/bunty. Finding it hard to do work much on either knitting or crocheting with the warm weather. Yarn stitcks to my hands.

Switched last night to working on some squares for a Patriotic Project/Charity. Little of this, little of that.

And now, time to do some ever popular laundry (NOT so popular withe me and some yard work).

In The Air, On The Road........AND

This is the yellow shawl I started on the plane on my way to California. I'm using a very pretty yellow, double strand..good ole Caron Wintuk, such nice yarn. The basic dishcloth pattern with a slight variation to have a widder edge (using 3 stitches before I do my yarn over). Using size 11 circular needles. Worked on it coming home on the plane also, and managed a few rows after work last night, so think I'm about half done. This will be for my mom's 80th birthday this month.

This is the baby blanket I started while on vacation, as we were traveling in the car. Using both blue and pink so it will work for either a little boy or a little girl and will go to one of my charities. Not sure yet which one, need to check my list once I get it done. Probably about 1/4th done with this. Bulky Modea yarn, 13 circular needles...again variation of the dishcloth pattern.


Haven't done any work on my multi colored ghan, or my Candy Corn ghan since returning from vacation. Candy Corn maybe 1/4th done, and multi-colored ghan probably 10% done. Both of these are crocheted projects.

Here are a few more pictures from vacation. We left Desert Springs and traveled up the beach road, hubby loves to drive and some of the scenery was quite pretty. Some hard to see due to the haze. I thought the wind farms were facinating. They went on for miles and miles! We stopped at a state park on the beach to dip our toes. But, in the process I burned the bottom of my feet -----------the sand was really really hot. You can see not that many people were on the beach, very windy and a bit cool I think. This was day 2 of our vacation. Takes time to drive up the beach road, it's much slower!!

Candy Corn, a beginning

I have several squares like the small one you see. The colors are soooo bright and frankly pretty hard to match, these squares are from the mish mosh pile. Not colors or squares that would go well with other items, which explains why they were leftovers. However, their beginning to take shape. Started out, as if I were working on a triangle with some very bright yellow I had on hand and did just a few rows (not too many wanting to tone this down a bit), then one row only with the bright bright orange, the the full square of a different shade of orange. Since this picture I've completed several other rows, then added a gold which picks up nicely the small amount of gold in the original square. I've added a single row of sc with maroon/purple. Depending on the light the color looks one way or the other...

Now adding a row or 2 of the bright yellow, but again on 2 sides to bring out that triangle idea I started with and to minimize the bright. My plan is to do the same with the bright bright orange. Then 2 sides in gold, the other 2 in the other orange with the 4 corners the original squares. Playing it by ear as I see how it shapes up, AND based on the amount of yarn I have.

This mutli-colored yarn is fun and fast to work with, has enough to it, that you really don't need any fancy stitches. I'm using the ever popular V-stitch, but....I'm not sure if I'm going to continue or frog it. Still thinking. First thought was it would make a nice ghan for a young girl, it's so soft and with the colors and all. But, I only bought one skein when I nabbed the yarn (the problem with buying yarn cause you like it---before you know what you're going to make or how much you're going to need. It's bulky weight and so even though it's 615 yards (Rainbow Classic JoAnne's Sensations), it's probably not enough to do what I had first planned.





This is the knitted project in the works. Red Heart Symphony, fun yarn to work with. I have ice blue and dark forest green, the yarn while fuzzy and warm (mohair like texture), is thin and so I'm knitting with 2 strands. This is the start to a shawl, worked corner to corner. Since I'm using up odds and ends of the blue (must see if I have more in my stash), it may end up being striped.........I have a couple of neat claps that will be sewn on when completed. A favorite is on the green wool shawl I made my daughter, which I've blogged about previously--if interested scroll back for picture it's a sage green color.

LOTS of yard work yesterday, good exercise, some sun. Promises to be another really hot one here today. Drink lots of water folks.

Have a great week.