Yopping Update #34 - What's with all the baby sweaters?

I finished knitting the striped jumper and then I had to contend with this:

omg...all those ends to weave in

However, I picked away at it and....ta-da!

Then I moved on to creating the leather soles for my crochet slippers.  We own a leather punch but I was too weak to use it successfully (plus it hurt my arm), so I went to Michael's and for eight dollars I got a punch that you use by striking with a hammer.  Much better. 

Now I just have to felt the in-soles and they will be done and I have punched out the pieces for the second pair and just need to sew them on. 

I even repaired a pair of twenty-seven year old moccasins I have so I can wear them again. 

I was at a loss as to what to cast-on next and got out some scrubby cotton to make some dish clothes but it was so annoying to work with that I put it in the give-away-to-the-thrift-store basket and got out some nubbly cotton instead.  I have made two so far: one for me and one for my sister.

Last night I cast on another Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Sweater.  I have made two already and they are easy and fun to fold up and put together.  I only have two rows done so a picture will be forth coming next week. 

I went for a whirlwind trip to the island Friday, returning Saturday, to see a concert with my sister.  It was beautiful for both ferry crossings and I even saw orca whales on the way over.  The company, concert and food were all delicious.  A day and a half well spent!

I finished reading "The Art of Racing in the Rain".  It is a beautiful book.  I cried at the ending, and I can see myself re-reading it one day to enjoy it all over again. 

My novel edits are coming along, although I am a week or so behind on my one chapter a day commitment.  Life just seems to have the habit of getting in the way of things I want to do.  I am taking an on-line course on the history of the Indigenous People of Canada with my son and daughter and I am enjoying it very much - learning a lot of history that I didn't know.  Then the three of us can have discussions about it on a Whatsapp group chat.  It is a great way for us to learn something about our country and stay in touch between our three far corners of the world.

I did quite a bit of yoga this past week.  Unfortunately I have been in a lot of pain this week with both my arm and my hip/back.  Sigh.  Some days it just seems a bit too much, but I am soldiering on.  We took advantage of the sun earlier in the week to get some more cedar boughs cut up and binned for pick-up tomorrow.  Progress is marked in wee baby steps these days.

I also, finally, got some picture hangers and hung up nine pictures that have been leaning against walls and windows for far too long.  Lol. Maybe after living in this house for thirty-seven years I am finally ready to settle in!

I made a vision board of things my hubby and I need to do around the house and yard, and we are trying to pick away at it one thing at a time.  It is raining today so I have taken on starting our taxes. 
Oh joy.  Oh rapture.  (Not).

Spring keeps trying around here, and while out in the yard last week I saw this merry little clump of crocuses.

And, my Valentine's lilies have bloomed

My sister and I went to a museum yesterday and they had this amazing spinning wheel on display.  I can't quite figure out how it would work, but I am going to do some investigation on Ravelry to see what I can learn. 

My orchid continues to delight me:

And my amaryllis bloomed!

Okay, I think that is all I have to report today.  Well, except, of course this:

artsy black and white shot!

Yopping Update #33 - One done, one in process

I got the buttons on (easy to find with my organized button jars). 

For my next project I looked over my stash, and my patterns, and it seemed I had the right yarn in three colours that would work.  The pattern comes from Simply Knitting Magazine issue 187 - child's striped jumper.  I have already done the front and back and today will start the sleeves.

making size 2-3

I started to get the leather soles together for my slippers.  I cut out the leather, and sewed one piece on. 

My leather punch isn't working very well, and it hurts my arm to do it by hand with a nail so hubby says he will help me with an electric drill this week.  Stay tuned. 
I have also decided to either needle felt or water felt some insoles to make them extra warm for those Croatian floors. 

On a video chat this week I swear my granddaughter said 'Gramma!'.  That is my story, and I am sticking to it. 

In other news:

Otis is stretching out

my orchid is blooming

my amaryllis is taking its sweet time to bloom

On the health front I had a second echo-cardiogram on Wednesday morning and I see the doctor on March 2nd for all the results.  More waiting.  Sigh. 

But hey, this week included Valentine's Day which meant flowers and chocolates so win-win.  My daughter also told me about a recipe for oatmeal and banana cookies (that's it - oatmeal and banana), and they were yummy and a great way to use up bananas that are getting too ripe to eat. 

especially yummy warm out of the oven

I will leave you with this little guy.  Sloth is my familiar and this little guy made me chuckle.

hang in there, Mary-Anne

Yopping Update #32 - Button, button, who's got the button

First of all the sweater arrived safe and sound and IT FITS!  He promises to send a picture soon. He did send this picture of the little fairy I included in his package:

Then I finished these:

Simple Skyp socks

and decided to use up all my left over Paton's decor to crochet a pair of these Frankenstein slippers (my name because they are made of scraps of yarn):

Sunday slippers (done in two hours)

These slippers and the ones from last week need their leather soles and I got the leather from Michael's on sale so hopefully I will get to that this coming week. I got all these remnants for 5.99! I might even line them with some sheep fleece to make them extra warm for those Croatian floors!

I went through my stash and decided to make a child's sweater with some Bernat Wool-Up I got on sale at Walmart last fall.

Simple Toddler Cardigan (with cables)

If it fits my grand-daughter then it will be hers.  If not it will go in the hope chest for the next baby to come along in my life.

I was at my Croatian lesson this week and I noticed my teacher, who is a fantastic quilter, had her buttons organized by colour.  So.....yesterday I went from this:

to this:

Wouldn't Marie Kondo be proud

I did finish Knit Two (a relaxing, easy read) and passed it along to a friend.  I am currently reading The Art of Racing in the Rain.

I did edit six chapters of my novel and I am glad to be working on it again. It really is coming together thanks to the edits and comments from my beta readers.

I spent a lot of this week at doctor appointments.  Mostly follow-ups and everything is fine to date.  More watching and waiting and 'we will see how it goes'.  I did have to go to the hospital for a blood test that cannot be done at a drop-in lab so there went my Thursday from 9:30am until 3pm.  (this is also how I was able to finish Knit Two!)

This coming week I am working in the morning from Monday - Thursday and then I will be done any work contracts for quite a while (she says optimistically).

I got a new fitbit - the Inspire HR - which I can wear while swimming and it tracks my distance.  It also tracks my resting and active HeartRate which just makes me feel better to see that my old(ish) heart is ticking along as it should be. 

We finally have some sun - so I am going to head out and trim some branches so they will fit in the compost container.  It is our first not-rainy day in a month. 

And, I have learned dear readers that, I cannot do a Sunday post without one of these.

love her pigtail!

OMG the Oscar's red carpet event just started.....Talk to you next week!

Yopping Update #31 - It's in the mail

Ta-Da!

This went into the mail on Friday (along with a few treats) and I hope to receive a picture of my son wearing it sometime early next week.  Stay tuned.

I then decided I had the perfect wool to make a pair of socks - but it took me a day of looking at my queue and other ravelry patterns to finally settle on simple skyp socks.  The pattern knits up quite quickly and I am happy with my progress.

Prior to starting the above socks I decided to get out my crochet hook and make some Saturday slippers from a pattern I have had in my queue for some time.  These are all done except I am going to sew on some leather soles to make them less slippery.  I am going to start another pair today with some more Paton's decor I have left over.  I am crocheting them with two strands of worsted and a 6.5mm hook, which seems to get gauge whereas the pattern calls for super bulky and a 9mm hook.  I didn't have the right yarn or hook in my stash but it all worked out in the end.  These were a quick make - about an hour and a half - including the embroidery!

I haven't told you dear readers about Charlotte.  She has been happily living in my kitchen window for about two months now.

she is on inside of window, feeder on outside

I don't really like spiders when then surprise me, but she seems content to make her web and hang out in the window.  She has even caught a few winter flies.  I am kind of hoping she will have babies - and when they start to parachute out I will scoot them outside.
Not much else is new.  I wore the heart monitor all day Tuesday and turned it in on Wednesday afternoon.  The tape they used to secure the electrodes left a terrible rash on both sides of me, but it is slowly healing.  Sigh.

I did get to the pool a couple of times, but on Wednesday \\\I had quite a dizzy spell in the change room so I am sticking to Tai chi and yoga at home until I talk to the doctor on Tuesday.

I did label and put away some handspun that has been hanging in my craft room since....August.  oops.  I hope to get out my spinning wheel this coming week because that is one of the main things left on my YOP list for 2019-2020.

I have joined the KnitPicks stashdown this year and have committed to no fibre purchases (I have so much to spin already), and also to knit up  or give away at least 13,200 yards of yarn.  I managed just  3300 yds already to date so I think this is doable.

I am committed to more reading this week.  A good friend got me a book called Knit Two, by Kate Jacobs which is a light and enjoyable read, and last night my great-nephew gave me his copy of The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

This week I am also planning to edit one chapter a day of my Novel.  At that rate I will be done the edits by the end of February (and maybe sooner).  Then I will be ready to start sending it out to publishers.  Big step. 

Snow is predicted this week coming - we will be ready with the car on the main street, and lots of coffee in the cupboards (after last month's fiasco).

I will leave you with this angel.  Have a good week dear readers.  Be kind. 

sleeping like a baby