Yopping Update #40 - Happiness is yarn delivery

There has been a lot of crocheting this week.  As I was waiting for my Knit Picks order I realized I had some pink cotton to work on Petra's (Black Sheep Crochet) Love is in the air square.  I made three of them.  

Look at all those hearts!

Then on Friday this happened!

A box of happiness

This meant that yesterday I could pick up where I left off on my two squares that were missing their border.  I worked on it all day yesterday, two at a time, so I got both squares through to row 27.  What I am most proud of is now I don't have to look at the pattern all the time, and the stitches and spacing is becoming more intuitive.  I am definitely coming out of this self-isolation an intermediate crocheter for sure.  

squares # 6 and #5

Square #3 is up next -  I was waiting for the green to arrive to start it. Colours are at the ready now.

Square #9 was just published so I am getting close to being caught up

I finished spinning and plying my brown windy hill fibre, and I am half way through another spin - so yay me!!

maybe just right for my sock yarn monkey

I finished my cowl from my homespun - the grey and green - the black and white are leftovers from other projects.  The pattern is free on Ravelry.  It is called I'll Pack a Cowl for Rhinebeck.  One day my sister and I will get there.  

how cute is that little alpaca in the middle of  the sheep?

I did some baking - because I was in cookie withdrawal, and I also made some cornmeal muffins for our chili fest. 

gf peanut butter and oatmeal (no flour at all)

so good warm with butter

I am trying to take on more cooking responsibility while also using up ingredients in our fridge and freezer.  I was emailed a recipe for spanish paella, and I had both the chorizo and the prawns so I gave it a whirl.  

needs more spice, and I think some chicken next time

I have been attending a number of zoom initiatives.  Abotti with Antonietta classes every weekday.  It is a low impact 30 minute workout.  Also my knit group has been getting together via Zoom, and on Thursday there was an instructor meeting for the institute I teach at.  I had already decided not to teach this summer until my hip and arm pain is resolved, but I joined in just to see how everyone was doing and to give some possible feedback on how they will teach this summer via the internet.  

I attended three WW zoom workshops.  It is so great to see all my friends, and we have some laughs (and some tears), and support each other despite not being able to get together in person.  

We had another grocery order delivered on Wednesday.  Otis, the cat, is complaining about the food I bought him - not his usual brand - but hey, we all have to dig in and dig deep during this strange time. 

I am finally getting caught up on the final season of Game of Thrones (no spoilers in comments please), and I subscribed to Acorn TV and I am enjoying The Indian Doctor.  I let my fitbit remind me to get up and move every hour for ten minutes.  So there is that.  

And yesterday I woke up to snow.  Not a lot, but the deck and railings were covered and himself, the cat, was not amused.  

Lots of facetime with dear grand-daughter (and her parents) , but, alas no pics this week for you dear readers.  My son has been checking in by phone everyday and on Friday night we played a card game via the app Board Game Arena.  

Here is himself.  As soon as I go to bed, he comes and plops himself down right by my head. 

and yes, his back end is always in my face - sigh. 

Take care everyone.  I think it was Winston Churchill that said "When you find yourself going through hell, keep going."  Wise words. 

Yopping Update #39 - OMG I forgot a title

Well, it has been a roller coaster of a week mental health wise. I was excited to find a grocery store that would deliver to us on Tuesday and it was like Christmas morning unpacking the goodies.  Again on Saturday we called our local meat/grocery store and he put together two boxes for us that we picked up just as he was closing last night.  Next door is a small pet food store so I was able to get a few cans of cat food.  Not Otis' normal brand, but hey, we all have to make sacrifices in these times.

There have been a few melt downs (me) and a few fretful moments (dh) but all in all we are holding it together.  Himself is fearful to give me anything so he has been sleeping in the spare room, and as of yesterday I moved my toothbrush, etc. to the downstairs bathroom so we can keep each other well just in case one of us catches, or has, the virus.

Last night I woke up at 4am from a horrible dream that I was dying from the virus.  This is my second CoVid-19 anxiety dream.  Not fun.  Then between 4am and 5:30 am I took my temperature 3 times convinced I was running a fever.  Sigh.

On the plus side my CoDA 12 step group had an online meeting yesterday via zoom, as did my WW meeting last (and this) Sunday, and my knit group met online Thursday night.  My son is checking in with us via phone once a day, and my daughter and her precious daughter are video chatting with us every couple of days.

So, now to the knitting - or more correctly the crocheting.  I have become obsessed with all I am learning with the Wrapped in Jamie CAL.  I have completely finished square 1 and 2, and I have square 5 and 6 done up to the border.
I was quickly running out of stash as each square takes about 100 gms so I logged onto KnitPicks site.  It was March 23rd, and there was a notice that if you got your order in before midnight on the 23rd they would ship it, but then they would not be shipping until things settled down with the virus.  To make a long story short I order 14 balls of yarn!  It has been shipped and I am waiting for its arrival to finish the border on two of the squares and to start square 3.

square 2 - Sawny

square 5 - Chess and Manners

square 6 - L'Universitie

While awaiting for the Knitpicks order I needed something to do so after checking my queue on Ravelry I started the Spice of Life blanket.

Now I am done to only a few colours of the correct weight yarn, so the knitpicks order will help me finish this too.

that Knitpick order can't get here soon enough it seems

It is great TV crochet, not so with the Wrapped in Jamie CAL.  It needs ALL my concentration.

I think I will have to cast on a pair of socks that I will knit using bits and bobs of fingering I have around.  I will knit them TAAT (two at a time) so the striping will more or less match.

I did manage to cook one of our meals this week to give my hubby a break from doing all the cooking.

Sauteed chicken breasts with lemon and capers

The highlight of my week was when a book I ordered arrived.  It is The Boy, the mole, the fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy.  Just what my anxious soul needed:

This caption is one I am taking to heart these days.

I also got engrossed in Dan Brown's novel Deception Point.  I stayed up too late last night finishing it so I will have to start my Neil Gaiman book, Anansi Boys,  today.

So there is my week.  Some crochet, no knitting (what?)!

I washed and dried my handspun and will likely start using it this coming week.

292 meters combined - I should be able to make something smooshy out of this

Some reading, some fretting, some tears and lots of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Crave.  I am enjoying Younger on Amazon Prime.  It is frivolous and light and just the ticket some days.

I hope and pray you are all doing well.  And.....

my son wearing the sweater I knit him in January

and.....

look who is learning to sit in a chair

Stay well dear friends, dear readers.  We will get through this.


PS:  I published this and realized I hadn't put in a title.  Who know what it is saved under - but I hope it will work regardless.