Counting Days til Spring

This is not my idea of a pretty day, I want Spring.  I basically start counting down for Spring almost as soon as fall hits.  I used to like fall, but now all it does is make me sad summer is over.  Fall is always too short and I know what follows......scenes like above.  BOO!!

Some people like snow, some think it’s pretty.  I did when I was younger.  I do think it’s ok to look out if you have to go no where and you can watch the kids next door or across the street making a snow man or something along those lines, but like it.......NOPE!!

Just thought I post the picture, as I reminder of what winter in Ohio looks like.  I know some who visit the blog are from the South and wonder about snow.

Winter is a good time to read, to knit, to crochet or do other indoor activities.  If you scroll back, you’ll see some of the projects in the works for me during my inside time.

Works in Progress - Project Bags

Some time back these stripes were donated to Bridge and Beyond.  They are crocheted and were intended as scarves.  However, they weren't really large enough to meet the needs of homeless that are served on Bridge and Beyond, so they were laid aside for awhile.  My daughter helped me design future afghans from these stripes.  As always, we name afghans that made from various peoples donations.  I like the blue, green and purple which made us think of mountains, and thus the name of Mountain Haze.  The stripes aren't all equal size, so will need some edging to make them all fit nicely together.  Then there will be a good size border to make the afghan a good size.

This  future afghan is called Orange Julius and comprised of both knitted and crocheted squares, and rectangles.  Like the stripes above in Mountain Haze, they are not the same size and will be fitted together after edged.  It too is resting in one of the project bags below with the necessary yarn and crochet hook.  I've packed these 3 projects bags in hopes of completing these 3 projects soon. 

How many projects and or projects bags do you keep at the ready?  The green and brown are more stripes which were intended to be scarves, but weren't large enough.  People mean well, but sometimes they donate items without reviewing the requirements and guidelines.  In order to be sure the donations get used, I try to be creative.  We've titled this one Rolling Hills. 

And below is an afghan I've started knitting after raiding my stash.  I found burgundy, gray, teal that you see below, but also have orange, lavender, and gold that are the same type and weight of yarn.  I'm calling this one Eclectic Afghan...unless someone can come up with a better name. 

My idea for the new year, 2018, is to have a project bag for each day of the week.  But, I've not yet gotten there.  I thought by having a bag a day (7 project bags), I could have both large and small projects, some knitted and some crocheted to constantly be making progress.  That might keep things moving along vs trying to work on a large project, then starting others and having too many things laying around without reasonable progress.  We'll see how it goes.  I hope with having small projects that be worked on without being home and larger items for home, we'll make progress.

A YEAR in Review

Today is January 1, 2018.  Happy New Year to you all.  We stayed in last night, had a good dinner, then popped the cork at 12 mn, watched a bit more tv as we were enjoying the bubbly and called it a night.  I hope if you were out and about you were safe and warm.

That's the last completed projected, emphasis on the word completed for the year 2017.  This knitted afghan wasn't yet laundered or blocked in this picture, thus it's not laying out super nicely.  Once blocked it will be added to the donations for the homeless through my blog, Bridge and Beyond.

This afghan was completed just prior to the one above.  Was pushing hard at the end of the year to get them done.  The center pink was a small square someone had donated to Bridge and Beyond, and I added to it, to make an afghan.  It too was laundered, blocked, and donated.

This was a cute ferry garden we saw while traveling in Ireland in the fall.  The trip truly being a highlight of the year.

You can talked about Ireland and Scotland without thinking about Castles!  WOW and then some.  I've posted some, and will continue to post about Ireland and Scotland on my travel blog, Traveling Suitcase.  Please enjoy traveling virtually with me.

In some respects this has been a good year, I traveled to Ireland and Scotland, as mentioned above.  I returned to a favorite spot, Hilton Head and Park City in Utah for vacations both with hubby, daughter, and girl friends on different trips.  I love to travel.  But, it's also been a difficult year.  I've lost a cousin rather suddenly that took me by shock.  Somehow we all think we have endless time and can do tomorrow, or call someone tomorrow.  Just isn't always the case.

Politically, I am extremely dishearten by the person occupying the White House when he's not playing golf at one of his private clubs and charging The American Public for it.  

I hope 2018 holds some improvements for people suffering from illness.

And tomorrow, will be another day, January 2, 2018

Hope you noticed a new badge I added to this blog to join a blog linky party that focuses on yarn!  Oh lovely yarn.  Check out the badge upper left, Ginx Craft.

From Socks to Veggies at Christmas

 Do you sport fun Christmas socks?  This is a pair my Darling Daughter got me a few years ago.  LOVE them.  Please click to see the Martini Glass.

 This is a pair I've had for awhile, but hey...no holes yet soooooo

 Cute, Cute idea for a veggie tray.  Perhaps less variety than many veggie trays though.  Might give some thought about how you could change it to use a bigger variety of veggies!!  Thoughts ideas?  I've never made this, but saved the picture from Facebook either from last year or the year before.

And did I mention Kitties at Christmas?  

Totally off topic, does anyone know how to change the font, the default font on blogs?  I know I can highlight and select after the fact and change to what I like .....but, how can you do it without having to change it each time you post?

Calories, Crocheting, Charity and Wine

 I have many friends I know personally who use a Fitbit, plus I have a ton of on line friends who wear a Fitbit.  I love the little device and have met face to face with several of my Fitbit friends after knowing them on line.  I consider that a real plus.  It's really lots of fun meeting up with people you chat with on line.  My steps have been way down though lately.  I don't enjoy walking outside in the cold.  It didn't used to bother me.  Last winter I went to the gym and used the treadmill, but I haven't even gotten back into doing that.  I need to.  A couple of those pounds have found their way to my waste again.

 Aren't these cute?  Colorful too.  When my daughter was home for Thanksgiving she and I made these.  Well actually, I made a couple and she made about 10.  I took the picture early in the process.  These are water filter covers.  She's part of a group that sends water filters to Uganda.  Trouble is they are rather fragile and break easily, so they came up with the idea of making a filter cozy out of cotton.  These crocheted cotton cozy help protect the much needed water filters.  I've got a good mound of cotton in my stash and we'll no doubt make more when she comes home for Christmas.  My problem is you need to crochet quite tightly which is hard on my arthritis, so I can't make as many as she can.  I had to switch projects, to something that would bother my arthritis less; and I was trying hard to finish a couple of afghans for my charity, Bridge and Beyond.

This is a wine rack.  Can you tell?  LOL.  It was a kit.  Hubby and I've been looking off and on for one that would fit our space, so we could save space in the kitchen cabinets where the wine and wine glasses have been.

AND.....here it is all put together in corner in the dining room.  It holds 2 cases of wine, though you can see we have some empty spaces.  It holds a dozen wine glasses.  We're pretty happy with it....and it was on sale!

Are you getting ready for Christmas at your house?  I've barely begun.

Setting the Table

 I don't really decorate for Thanksgiving, or really any holidays beyond Christmas.......except I do like to change napkins and placements to be seasonally appropriate.  I purchased these probably last year, and have never used them.  Was actually looking for ones I have that are more Thanksgiving Looking with a pumpkin...but in the process came across these.  Pulled off the price tags and decided this would be a good time try my hand at the napkin folding thing.

You might remember me posting about it a few posts ago.
I choice what appeared to be best match for what I was doing, as I wasn't putting dishes on the table.  This is the 2nd or 3rd from the end of the video, as I recall.  Pockets for your silverware.  I only added a spoon that day, as we were having chili for dinner and only a spoon was needed.

Even though I didn't find or use the Thanksgiving Placemats, I was happy with these very fall like placemats.  LOVE the colors.  Plus my flowers from work for my birthday were indeed a good match color wise.

We did not do Thanksgiving at my house, we went to my older brothers.  Believe there were 19 of us for the feast.  Hope you all had a wonderful and safe holiday and enjoyed special time with friends and family.