Yopping Update #4 - No surprise here - still knitting and spinning and swimming (not necessarily in that order)

 

I felt like I didn't do much this week (except mope) but now I am doing the weekly update I can see I have been quite productive.  

I washed and thwacked my spin - 

412 m - 167 gms

I finished my fingerless gansey mitts - 

I started spinning backward long draw directly from fleece - I almost have two full bobbins 

I started a gansey beanie with my left over frangipani yarn that I used for the toddler and my gansey.

I found a new sock pattern called Sunday Best that I can cast on now because my KnitPicks order arrived!

yummy Stroll sock yarn

I also got this cute tote with Kitchener Stitch instructions and lotsa pictures of pretty little socks - 

 

Plus I order two stitch holders.  I don't like the ones that look like giant safety pins because sometimes my stitches find there way off, and or they are too bulky.  I like these simple ones that are a straight pin that locks on both sides.  They can also double as a cable needle.  Win-Win. 

Most importantly I ordered some canvas boxes from Amazon thanks to a tip from LeftyCrafter's post last week.  I now have my fibre/handspun/yarn organized and labelled!  I still have some wool to put in the bins but it is in the freezer right now preempting any moths or larvae or eggs that might have travelled with it when it was mailed to me by my dear friend who said it had been in her stash for some years. 

Otherwise this week I did get in three pool swims, but no walking.  My back is not happy.  Yesterday we spent 7 hours working on our truck and camper.  Hubby was installing something I don't understand and I was there to hand him the tools while he lay under the truck.  Needless to say we ordered dinner when we got home - watched a bit of the Olympics (saw the Canadian Women's 4 x 100 relay swim team get Silver) and went to bed very, very tired.  Just before bed our daughter and grand-daughter video called us so that was a lovely end to a l o n g day. 

A new flower bloomed on my back deck.  I don't know what it is called but it is so delicate and lovely.  It came in a packet of seeds that is said to attract bees/butterflies and hummingbirds.  

blossom about the size of a quarter

Okay, that is it for my week. 

How I wish I was on that beach with her

I better go fill the Hummingbird feeder - those little birds get so bossy when the feeder runs dry.  Until next week, dear Readers - take care, be brave and find joy that is all around us if we only take the time to look. (Are you listening to yourself, Mary-Anne?)

If you want to subscribe to this blog you can go to Bloglovin  It is a great site where you can subscribe to any blog you want and when there is a new post it will be emailed to you.   You can find Breathing Life at https://mary-mann.blogspot.com

Yopping Update #3 - spinning and swimming and knitting too

 

First up this week is a finish!

Strandwanderer scarf

This meant having NOTHING on my needles for two whole days, so I turned all my attention to finishing this endless spin.  I divided my remaining fibre into equal(ish) portions so I would be finished by today 

However, yesterday I was in a mood, and decided just to spin and spin and spin.  I finished all the fibre and then plied it all.  Today I will get it on the niddy-noddy and measure it so I can post my final amounts in my Tour de Fleece group.  Today is the last day of the tour - stay tuned next week for my totals. 

3 full bobbins of 2ply handspun

My wool order hasn't arrived yet so I decided to cast on some gansey fingerless mitts.  I changed the cast-on and cuff but the pattern and thumb gusset are Beth's.

pattern by Beth Brown-Reinsel

Hopefully the Knit Picks order will arrive next week as I am itching to cast on some socks. I am going to start picking colours for my Advent socks - maybe even today!

There were lots of firsts this week.  I went into Winners and bought some pjs and capri pants.  This is my first time shopping in person since March 2020.  (I also bought some salt and vinegar potato chips - just sayin!)

On Tuesday I went for a swim at the pool.  You have to book in advance so they limit the number of lane swimmers, and no change rooms are open so you arrive ready to swim, and then after the allotted forty-five minutes you go home to shower and change.  It was amazing.  I swam and swam and swam for a total of 1100 metres.  Then I went on Thursday (and also this morning) to do it all over again.  It feels so great to be back in the pool.  I have missed it so much.  I even went into the ocean for a short swim on Wednesday - (my dh knew it was what I needed to boost my mood - smart man).

With all that swimming I did some more on-line shopping and ordered a new swim top and swim capris for ocean swimming.  I hope to swim well into the fall and think the long sleeve and long legged swim suit will be useful.  Maybe I will even swim through the winter.  Stranger things have happened. 

The weather has been much cooler this past week, but I haven't done much walking because my back (and my mood) has been on the fritz!  As my mother used to say "This too shall pass", and I am sure it will, but there have been some low days this past week - back pain takes the fun out of just about everything!

Yesterday I managed to do a small repair on my car by changing the bulb for the turn signal.  On Friday I tried but gave up, and then yesterday I managed it in less than five minutes.  Oh, the difference a day can make!

I was up early to swim on Thursday and the sky was so beautiful. 

Mother Nature doing her best to cheer me up

And then, of course, pictures like this always make me smile.

best friends

Until next week - happy crafting to all you yoppers out there, and to all my dear readers thanks for the comments and may your week have beautiful views and time with friends and family.  

Oh yes, and another first - I bought an ice cream cone yesterday.  So good!

If you want to subscribe to this blog you can go to Bloglovin  It is a great site where you can subscribe to any blog you want and when there is a new post it will be emailed to you.   You can find Breathing Life at https://mary-mann.blogspot.com