Rested Up

Just a fast note to say that I am having a great time in Edmonton. 

The weather is truly fall here; cool mornings and lovely warm afternoons. The trees are changing color. 

I have rested up and done a lot of knitting. The first mitten of the pair is done. 

I do like the hand but the thumb looks a bit big for a child. Back to the design board when I get home. 

The socks are ready to have the heel turned. I had fun getting them this far. 

The cat and I have made friends and he loves to spend time with me during the day. He is very friendly and has actually climbed up on my lap while I knit. 

Today we are heading out to the yarn shop. I am hoping to get two skeins of yarn for me. Socks and an infinity scarf. Tonight I am looking after our grandson which means monitoring his glucose count, giving insulin and having fun together. He has been reading to me every night. 

I will post again when I have time and more knitting done. 

Until then....................

In Edmonton

I am in Edmonton getting use to the cooler temperatures here. It was gorgeous when I left Kamloops and the flight over was sunny. As we approached Edmonton, we flew into a storm cloud, had rain and even saw two rainbows. That was really cool. 

When I got to the baggage pick up area, Daughter was waiting for me. We talked a few minutes and, was I surprised when Grandson popped out from behind some pillars. 

 I certainly was surprised as I thought he was away for the weekend. They kept it a secret from me. 

We waited for the luggage to come and then headed out for supper. It was a lovely evening with family. 

Yesterday was a busy one for us. Laundry, grocery shopping, and the movie Hotel Transylvania 2 with our grandson and one of his friends. It was in 3-D and extremely funny. 

Last night we decided to head out to watch the lunar eclipse. We thought we would have to go out of town to see it. We drove 2 minutes to the park and stood in the near freezing temperatures to look at the spectacular sight. We came home when it had peaked. We stood out on the deck to watch it a bit more. In actuality, we didn't have to leave the property to get a spectacular view. We could have watched it on the deck. We tried to take pictures and only got a black sky. 

There is a cat in the household and he is quite affectionate. He gives rounds of kisses to everyone and talks to you. The first night I was here, he came into the bedroom, touched me and scared me out of a deep sleep. In the mornings, this is what I see at the bedroom door. 

Today I am alone at the house. I am going to do a bit of laundry, a bit of house work, and knitting on the mittens. I hope to show you a finished mitten tomorrow. It is going to be a quiet day for me. 

Until tomorrow...............

Flight Day

Yesterday was wet and cool. The high got to 18C or 64F. The light rain fell most of the day leaving it grey and dreary here. Today looks to be about the same without the rain.

Lifestyle

We headed out first thing in the morning for the Spousal Unit to give blood and to have a chest X-ray. Two different locations about a mile apart. Two hidden gems where you don’t have to find parking when having the testing done at the hospital (near impossible to find parking there). We did some grocery shopping and got home just before noon. The Spousal Unit got a call from the lab and has to give blood again on Monday morning as they can’t hold the samples over the weekend. Fun and games.

After lunch we did a few things that needed to be done. I packed most everything for my trip. I did one load of laundry. We both found it hard to get focussed as the weather was depressing. One of those days. UGH!!!!!

Knitting

I did knit about 5 rounds on the mittens. Everything is put away and I spent a frantic 30 minutes trying to find the needle gauge I use to size my unmarked needles. I did not find it and am really annoyed. I did find the bag of knitting needles I packed. I absolutely have no idea where I put it. In the end, I took two sets of points for the circular needles and will do a swatch to get the proper gauge. At least I have two tape measures in my kits.

Today is flight day. I have a load of laundry to do, finish packing, and be ready to leave by 11:15 a.m. I will be busy until then. I have a book to read on the flight which is about an hour long. Then it will be visiting time with Daughter-In-Law. Son will be boarding his flight soon and will land in Panama City tonight and catch his next flight in the morning. Grandson is away until tomorrow night so it will be a visiting night for us. I bet we knit while we talk.

I may not post tomorrow. That remains to be seen.

Until the next time……………………….

A Boring Day

Yesterday was another gorgeous day. There were both clouds and wind but we had our fair share of sunshine. The high got to 23.3C or 74F. This morning is cloudy and a warm 13C or 55F. We are suppose to have showers this morning and then it is to clear off and be nice. It did rain during the night much to our surprise. We normally hear it with the windows open.

Lifestyle

Yesterday was boring. I folded laundry with the evil eye watching me.

According to his tail whapping like crazy, I was using up too much space. How could he wiggle around to get comfortable for his 4 hour nap.

After folding the laundry, I headed to the basement and did some clean up in the second bedroom. I folded all the foam sheets the cupboards were wrapped in and boxed them up for a friend to use when she moves. Two boxes of packing material are stored under the stairs.

Once done, I hunted around for another job and all I could do was sweep a bit of floor. Did that and put a coat of paint on the table. It and I are still fighting and it is winning. While I was doing that, the Spousal Unit had gone to buy more items for the apartment plus pick up the doors for the electrical panel.

In the afternoon, I had a hair appointment and while I was gone the Spousal Unit decided to deal with the bathroom fan. He has about half of the exhaust pipe in place. When I got home at 3:30, he called it a day and I started supper.

Knitting

I worked on the second toque and am ready to start the earflaps. Grandson needs to try it on for fit. I also set up the first mitten for him. I will do the cuffs and then decide if I want to change the size of the needles for the hand part.

As I said, a boring day.

Today, the Spousal Unit needs to give blood and have a chest X-ray. Then we need to get a few groceries and home to work on the basement and pack.

Until tomorrow………………………..

Dig Deep and Do a Gauge Swatch

Yesterday was another glorious day. Our mornings are now cool and the afternoons warm. Indian Summer has arrived. We had a low of 2.8C or 37C and a high of 22.4C or 72F. We are also very close to having 12 hours of daylight ~ 7 minutes more to be exact. Definitely fall has arrived.

Lifestyle

We had a busy day yesterday. We got the upper cabinets installed with a couple of problems. We survived it. We quickly put the bottom cabinets in place to get an idea of what the kitchen will look like when done.

We are happy with what it looks like. There are approximately three small and one medium sized job left to do in the rest of suite and the rest is in this kitchen. Not hard jobs. Time consuming jobs.

In the afternoon, the Spousal Unit fixed a plug in and a light switch. While he did that, I cleaned the fridge we were selling. Got pictures of it and posted on a site called Kijiji. Less than 10 minutes after posting, we had a call and 40-45 minutes later the fridge was loaded and gone to another basement apartment. We were happy and now I can start the final wiping of the living room area.

Knitting

I finished the last three rows of the toque I was crocheting for our grandson. I was a bit worried about the size and the gauge. I had gone up three crochet hook sizes to a 6 mm hook as I have a very tight tension when crocheting. This toque felt very loose, not what I wanted for this project. It needs to be a bit tighter.

The tension was out when I looked at the gauge on the ball wrapper. I had 12 stitches in 4” and needed 14 stitches. That led me to find out what the tension was for the toque. Nothing in the shark instructions. But there was a clue on doing the flaps so I went to the puppy pattern. That led me to the owl instructions. There I found not only the gauge but the spacing for the ear flaps. In the end I was using too big a crochet hook.

I decided to try again using a size smaller hook (5.5 mm). I did a gauge swatch. Perfect tension. I also looked at the owl pattern instructions and pictures and followed them carefully. It is full of tips that are not in her other toque patterns. I am half done the second toque.

It looks much better in my eyes. The moral of the story is -- do a gauge swatch.

I lightened the pictures and this one is close to the colour of the yarn.

Today, we will continue to work in the basement. I would like to paint the table and then will clean the second bedroom ready to wipe the floors. We kept all the foam sheets from the cupboard boxes and I will fold them into a packing box for a friend. She will get all our boxes when she sells her home. I have to be out after lunch for a hair cut. Another busy day in our household.

Until tomorrow………………….

A Quick Trip to Kelowna

Yesterday was gorgeous outside; sunshine and warmth. The high got to 18.6C or 65F. Perfect for driving. The low temperature yesterday was 2C or 35F. Yes, there was frost here and there in the city. This morning is warmer at 4C or 39F. It looks like another sunny day.

Lifestyle

I used my light therapy lamp for the first time yesterday and was amazed at how much better I felt all day. No tired feelings in the afternoon. So I am using it for 15 minutes daily until the beginning of June.

We headed out to Kelowna in good time yesterday. The drive was lovely with fairly light traffic. We made good time until we came to the one and only light between Vernon and Kelowna. The traffic was backed up and had to merge to single lane. That lovely line up was about 2 miles long. A highways crew was working on the intersection. Not only did you have the long line up from merging to deal with, you had to deal with the light changing.

We got into Kelowna in time to have lunch in the mall. We walked the full length of the mall to get the cramped muscles loosened up. We had been in the car for 2.5 hours without getting out. Lunch was eaten and we walked the full length of the mall again to get back into the vehicle.

We arrived at the cancer clinic with about 7 minutes to spare. We got in to see the oncologist in good time. The check up went okay this time. The CLL is progressing slowly and we are nearing the time to take action. The Spousal Unit’s white and red blood cell counts remained fairly stable from last year. His platelet count is at 89 and normal starts at 100-150. Strangely enough he is still clotting well when he has a cut and hasn’t shown much bruising lately. He needs another blood test done on Friday, chest X-ray, and ultra sound of his spleen done early in October. Next visit is the end of October and we will find out if he needs to start treatment or not. Treatments can be done here in Kamloops.

We are both not surprised at the outcome. We knew he would get to this stage sometime. I have come to terms with it and the Spousal Unit had a bit of denial but knows in his heart he will need the treatment. He won’t refuse the treatment, he needs the time to fully accept the time has come.

On the way home, we stopped at a quilting shop to get a piping foot for Daughter. I got her a new zipper foot and was shown how to use it as a piping foot. While there I asked about the sewing machine repair man. He works in their shop on Tuesday. We connected and I get my sewing machine back when we go back at the end of October. I really can’t wait to sew on it again. I didn’t get to look at fabric as we wanted to be home in good time. We knew we had to deal with the rush hour traffic using the only route to get to our area of Kamloops.

Knitting

I decided to crochet a prototype of the hat Grandson wants. I confess that I have a tight tension when I crochet. I chose to go up several hook sizes and began the hat. It is an easy project to do and in no time flat I was over half done. I have one more increase row before I decide if I make the child’s or adult’s size hat.

I won’t do the ear flaps until he tries it on. If it fits, I can finish it up quickly. I am not sure what I will work on next as I do have three nights before I leave.

Today, we are working in the downstairs kitchen. I have to pick up an item for Daughter and deliver it to her at the union office at noon. I really don’t want her to have to buck the rush hour traffic to pick it up at the store a block from our house. I will get back in time to help some more. It is push day as we only have two part days after today prior to me leaving.

Until tomorrow…………………………………..

Progress Is Being Made

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day. It was warm but not hot with a high of 19C or 66F. I did sit outside for a while soaking up the sunshine. This morning was a cool 3C or 37C at 7 a.m. The Spousal Unit thinks there is frost on some of the roofs on our street.

Lifestyle

We spent most of the morning in the basement. I am Helper Joe to the Spousal Unit. So between helping, I did the little touch up painting in the two bedrooms and washed the floor in one bedroom. It wasn’t dirty, just dusty. Then it was putting two coats of paint on part of the table for the sewing room.

On the other hand, the Spousal Unit was busy. He spent a lot of time getting the pieces ready for one top cabinet. Then it was on to the bathroom fan while glue dried and finally back to the cabinet.

The bathroom fan has kept us thinking to the point of exhaustion. Yesterday, it was completely removed from the bathroom ceiling. Our fingers were crossed that we can install a bigger and quieter fan. Yes we can. Then the Spousal Unit started from the outside to see how this was put together. In the end, he has to replace the flex hose as it was in two pieces, put on a new end piece on the outside wall and hook the hose to the new fan. Easy to say, but it could be somewhat more difficult to do, especially the flex hose. I will leave him to do that while I am away.

While the bathroom fan was being dealt with, I removed the flattened packing boxes to “Grumpy’s Garage” and stored them up on a top shelf. I also cleaned up around the fridge so I can wash it out and list it for sale on Wednesday. Progress is being made. We seem to be 2 weeks behind though.

I decided to charge the SAD light as I find I am tired and dead feeling part way through the day. I also set the thermostat so the a/c would run part of the afternoon. I did notice the air in the house has been stale lately. With the cool air blowing, I did feel somewhat better. I may end up having to open windows to allow the air to move in the house though I need to be careful I don’t get the house too warm. Our daytime temperatures at still warm enough to make the house hot if we aren’t careful.

Knitting

I had some time yesterday to knit during the day and then again in the evening. I got 30 rows knit on the first sock and then cast on and knit 30 rows on the second sock. Not hard to do as you go around and around and around.

The orange yarn is waste yarn. It’s job is to mark the beginning of the round (BOR). I need it as I knit 2 stitches from the left needle to the right needle so I don’t have ladders (loose stitches) between needles. The blue and orange safety pins are used to mark each 10th row. Saves me counting from the beginning when knitting a specific number of rows.

I love this yarn as it is soft and lovely to knit. What I dislike is how many yards there is between colour repeats. You can’ afford to start your socks to look exactly alike with this yarn. Our grandson doesn’t care as long as they keep his feet warm.

These socks are now set aside until I get to Edmonton. I will decide if I want to do the ribbing down to the heel and then on the top of the foot.

Today, we are heading out to Kelowna. The Spousal Unit goes to the Cancer Clinic for his yearly check up. We have a couple of stops in Kelowna and we have to be home by dinner time. It is going to be a busy day.

Until tomorrow………………………

Thinking Through The Stash

Yesterday was an unusual day. The weather people said cloudy, showers, and strong winds. We were sunny for most of the day and hit 23C or 74F. It finally clouded up later in the afternoon and we had showers. Unlike Ashcroft were friends and family reported strong winds and rain (1/2” to be exact). This morning we have cool temperatures and clouds. The clouds are breaking up for a sunny day.

Lifestyle

Yesterday we headed out to get some groceries and to get the mini blinds and bathroom fan for the downstairs apartment. That bathroom fan is starting to become a long story and it still hasn’t been bought. UGH!!

The mini blinds we bought had to be cut shorter. The lady who was cutting them was talking to a couple of us customers. One person was buying the white faux wooden blinds like we have in our house. When that person left, the lady told me to ditch the blinds room by room as they do not keep the rooms cool in the summer or warm in the winter. She told me to put up the room darkening honey comb blinds as they work wonders in our climate.

I am going to start in the sewing room and do that window first and maybe add curtains as it is a south facing window. The goal will be to have the three south facing windows replaced this winter and maybe all will be replaced by summer 2016.

In the afternoon, we hung the mini blinds and a curtain rod. I also moved useless stuff out of one bedroom and then stopped for the day. I was tired and am thinking I need to charge my light to use in the mornings to combat SAD. This is the latest I  have gone without using it. More time outside this fall.

Sewing Room

I had a wander through the sewing room thinking about the room. It was a two fold thought process.

First of all, I have decided to paint the walls of the room one colour. There will be no feature wall in a darker shade of gray. If the floor goes, I will be putting in some type of flooring that is easy on my back and legs. It could be cork or a flooring with a nice cushion underneath it.

Second, I thought about what I want to make when the room is done. It seems so long ago that I sewed anything. It has been almost a year now. I then wandered out and looked at all the packed boxes in the living room and a lot of them are marked sewing room. There is a quite a bit of fabric in those boxes.

This sewing room is 10 x 10 feet with a closet. I have lost about 32 square feet from what I had in my old sewing room plus another smaller room for craft supplies (aka the Exercise Room). I really don’t have a lot of space, other than the closet, for the stash. So I must think how to downsize the stash to a workable size.

Each month, I want to sew on the days I am not updating a room. We have said a room a month with some months having no updating. Those off days will allow me to sew both garment and craft fabrics. I want to decrease the down to next to nothing and then begin to buy project by project. Ultimately I could have a bit of a stash if I go to an out of town fabric store. There will be limits though due to the limited storage in the house.

Knitting

While in the sewing room, I looked at the yarn in the stash. I am nearing the end of charity knitting for a couple of years. Though I have a fair amount of yarn to knit for us, it isn’t a huge amount. I will continue to knit my way through it. I know the sock yarn is going to take the longest to knit through but knit on it until it is gone. My goal is to bring in only the yarn for one project plus the yarn for the courses I am taking.

I did knit the last swatch of the beginner’s knitting course before dinner. It was a quick knit for me.

This swatch show cased eyelets and decreases. I may get a note on the eyelets when I send the swatch in to be reviewed. I knit them on the tips of the needles but they look too big to me.

I set up a pair of socks for Grandson. The wool is a lovely discontinued yarn from Michaels. I love it and have enough of another colour to knit 2 more pairs of socks for him.

These will go with me to Edmonton so I can fit them on the feet for length. I am thinking of doing 30 rows of ribbing and then switching to plain knitting this time. The blue plastic safety pin marks 10 rows knit. When I get the ribbing done on this sock, I will start the second sock. I love to knit socks like this as they end up being the same length all around.

Today is work in the basement kitchen day. We have top cupboards to finish hanging and would love to get the bottom ones in place to level. I have some of the floor to wash and have some touch up painting in the two bedrooms. It will be a longer day for us.

Until tomorrow……………………..

A Day Trip

Yesterday was a damp day in Kamloops. The high got to 17.6C or 64F. The low this morning is 16C or 61F. Today is suppose to be another damp day and then it is to clear off for the next week.

Lifestyle

We headed out yesterday morning to visit with Daughter. We took Jill with  us as she loves to travel. When we got there, she jumped out and trotted off in her stiff fashion to great Daughter’s dogs. It was quite a hoot watching them. Simon, the male, ran around and covered the most ground in the excitement. Sage, the female, did okay with her running. She is heavy and doesn’t like to move a lot. Poor Jill, brought up the tail with her stiff trot/walk around the yard. She did well considering her age and stiffness.

We spent a good hour outside looking at the yard and telling her how to prune the two cherry trees for shade purposes only. We went inside for a lunch of delicious pea and ham soup. We had a good visit and left around 2:30 p.m. We were tired when we got home but it was a good tiredness.

Elliott was happy we got home and greeted us at the door. He spent the evening sleeping beside the Spousal Unit. He only visited with me when he decided to walk over me to the Spousal Unit.

Knitting

I finished up the swatch I was working on and knit another one. One left to go and they are done.

These swatches are not blocked. The first one is a basket weave and lies flat at the cast off edge as it is bound off using both knit and purl stitches. The next one is an increase block using two different types of increases. It is bound off in a knit stitch hence why it curls towards the knit side of the swatch. The last swatch is a 2x2 ribbing with a knit top. Bound off in knit and it curls towards the knit side. Blocking will fix the curling.

Today, we have to do some grocery shopping and then I will work in the basement suite. I need to do some clean up and paint the table the first coat. I would love to finish up that suite as quickly as possible. I am ready to start upstairs.

Until tomorrow………………………

Gnashing Our Teeth

Yesterday was a lovely day. Warm and sunny. The high got to 21C or 71F. This morning it is 14C or 57F. We are having light rain showers though. Not complaining as we need the moisture.

Lifestyle

We were tired yesterday to the point of grouchy. I headed down to paint one area in the kitchen. I tried to be extra careful not to get paint splatter on anything and it happened. I gnashed my teeth together. The Spousal Unit went to work on a spacer for one cupboard and the new spacers are different than the old ones. He gnashed his teeth together. He headed out to find out if he could get some more of the old spacers and I worked on the table for the sewing room.

I sanded the table to try and get the drips of primer off. It isn’t perfect as the primer stuck like glue to the table. I put another coat of primer on and got paint on the floor four feet away. Not one drop but lots of drops. As I washed the paint off the floor, I kept brushing the table to get rid of the drips that were forming. The Spousal Unit came home without the old type of fillers and in a bad mood. We both went into time out mode. Each to our own corner to get over it. No talking. It worked.

After lunch, we headed outside to dig up plants for Daughter. She got 3 bag full which we will deliver today. Two other plants were left as they were full of aphids. There are more plants to come out and head to the composting site in the city. We are only keeping 2 delphiniums and the Val d’Or lilies. We are adding a weigela bush, hostas, Dolce, and a hydrangea to the flower bed. Simple and easy to care for.

We bought the weigela bush on Thursday. We love it for the colour of the leaves. It will grow to the height we want -- 6 to 8 feet tall.

This bush has its spot chosen and several bushes no one new the names of had to be removed. Most were dead or near dead so no big loss. One bush was thriving and no one new what it was. I thought it was a Spiraea but was told it wasn’t that and it needed to be tossed.

The Spousal Unit reached into the bush and found a tag -- the first one to be found on all the plants in that flower bed. It is a Minuet Weigela of which we are thrilled to keep in the flower bed. The Spousal Unit pruned it to give it shape and to thin it out for better growth.

In the end, he removed about 50% of the foliage. In the spring, he will fertilize it to keep it healthy. Though it only grows to 30 inches in height, we will add it to some other plants near the front of the flower bed.

We had just finished up that little job when the person who was to a risk assessment of our place for the insurance company arrived. We were confused as to why he was coming but it was to assess the downstairs apartment. We are pretty much up to standards with the grandfathering of certain things. We have to buy 2 fire extinguishers and 2 smoke detectors that talk to each other. As we are anal about everything being up to code, permits drawn, and neat work, the house got a pass.

The person was interested in what we are doing with the house and feels the hardwood floors have been sanded once and due to their thinness they will have to be replaced. It didn’t surprise me at all. We will get a person who does hardwood floors to give us their opinion but we won’t be surprised if the floors are toast.

Knitting

I finished knitting one swatch and started another one. Two left after that and I will be done. Once they are blocked, I will send them off to be reviewed. No pictures last night as I was too busy knitting.

Today, we are heading out to our Daughter with the plants and a TV. We will spent a couple of hours visiting with her. She wants us to tell her how to prune her cherry trees and we will help her plant the flowers we are giving her. A day trip for us even though it is raining.

Until tomorrow……………………

A Long But Successful Day

Yesterday was warmer with a high of 20C or 68F. The sun actually shone and felt warm. We did have a bit of rain fall in the afternoon. Not a lot. Today is a repeat weather wise.

Lifestyle

I hurried downstairs and primed the wall where the stove is going. I then looked at the table and need to take the mouse sander to it so left it be. I helped the Spousal Unit put a light up in one of the bedrooms.

After a quick shower, the Spousal Unit and I headed out. We went to the library for help with the settings on our Library to Go account. We had to come back in the afternoon. After a quick lunch we set out on our afternoon journey.

We went to the one hardware store to return the doors that were the wrong size and try to get new ones. No such luck. We thought about making our own and the cost was unreal. The tool to do the European style hinges was 50.00. Got the primer we needed and headed out to the next hardware store.

We got to the next hardware store and scooted through a small aisle that had lovely backsplash tile. No doors. I looked at bath tubs for our bathroom while the Spousal Unit measured cabinet doors. A lady came out to talk to us. She knew exactly what we wanted and took us out to their odds and sods cabinet doors out in the warehouse. We found two matching doors that would work. Add in the hinges and we were excited. Cost was just over $40.00. The store will be putting in the holes we need for the European hinges early next week. Yes!!

We headed back towards home and went back to the library. Got the setting corrected on Library To Go and left happy as can be. At home, we measured and marked where the hinges were to go on the doors, hopped back in the vehicle and took them back to where we bought them. On our way out, we looked at some flooring. It has a cushioning substance on the back to cushion you and to muffle sound upstairs. We are interested in it but have to wait until we know if the flooring in the house can be redone.

On our way home we stopped at our favourite gardening shop. We were wanting to look at the weigla bushes and hydrangeas. The best looking hydrangeas were sold and what was left wasn’t worth taking home. A young fellow helped us with the weigla bush and we bought one for 30% off. It is small but will grow to the size we want. Pale pink blooms in the spring and red leaves in the fall.

We got home shortly before supper time. It certainly was a busy day with very little time spent at home. We were both tired as there was heavy duty problem solving to get the door situation sorted out. But so worth it in the end.

Knitting

I did knit a bit on the swatch and started crocheting a slipper that some friends are having a problem with. I could barely keep my eyes open so quit. I fought to stay awake for the rest of the evening.

Today, I have some painting and some housework upstairs to do. I also have to sand the table and put on the last coat of primer. We have an inspector from the insurance company coming this afternoon to look at the house. We are not worried after having done all the work we were told to do done.

Until tomorrow………………………

A Day Out

Yesterday was a cool one all day. The low was 3.5C or 38F and the high was 17C or 62.5F. Cool enough I wore a coat most of the day. This morning is warmer so we hope for a bigger number for our high.

Lifestyle

I headed out to meet with the new literacy person. She had been through most of the materials I had left and found the plan for this year. She was happy to have that and we went over it. We had several good discussion and parted around 12:30.

As it was my day out, I headed to the mall for lunch and to look at running shoes. I met a friend at the store where I buy running shoes and while her daughter tried on runners we chatted. Then I had my serious talk about runners. The young lady was super awesome. She suggested I wear the runners I bought for running as every day shoes and try on a specific shoe when in Kelowna next week or when in Edmonton and use them for running. My old shoes will become shoes I wear when painting. A great discussion.

On my way out through Sears, I spotted this freezer and snapped a shot for Daughter as a laugh.

I headed to the craft store to find the beads I need for the cowl I plan on knitting. After a lot of searching I found them. I also got some crochet cotton and a tiny crochet hook for getting those beads on the yarn.

On the way home I decided not to go to the quilting and yarn shops as the traffic was heavy. I can go another day at a time the traffic is lighter. It is a 10 minute drive from our house.

When I got home, the Spousal Unit and I looked at what he had got done and I am back to painting a wall. Whey dry, we can put up more cupboards. After he installs the light in the one bedroom, I can clean out what is not to be in that room and mop the floor. One room will be done to completion. I also scraped off the paint drips from the table legs and recovered those parts with primer.

Knitting

Last night was sew on buttons and ribbons night. I methodically worked through the pieces and was finished at 8:30 p.m. I bagged them without taking pictures. I then got the swatches out and started working on them. I will photograph when done the swatch. I enjoyed knitting on the swatch last night as I realized that what I have learned since starting the beginners course has transferred to my regular knitting.

I got out the yarn I want to take to Edmonton. Three balls of yarn for Grandson’s mittens and toque. One ball of yarn for the jewelled cowl. Yarn for two pairs of kid’s socks. I plan on taking more than less as I won’t be shopping during the day. No vehicle. Next is get out the needles I need for each project. I may put in an extra ball of yarn just in case I run out yarn.

Today, I have to prime where the Spousal Unit patched above the stove area. I will put the final coat of primer on the table at the same time. We have to head out and return the doors for the electrical panel and get the right ones. I will also get a pint of primer for an antique dresser I want to paint. We also have to take our iPads to the library and show them an error we are getting when we try to search for books. Our set up shows we are mature readers and we can’t get the books we enjoy reading. There must be a glitch in their program.

Until tomorrow…………………….

Wires Need To Be Connected

Yesterday was cool and sunny. It got to 16C or 61F. This morning it was a cool 3.6C or 38.5F. I guess Fall has announced it is on the way. Time to find my jacket for the morning.

Lifestyle

We headed out in good time to give our vials of blood. The Spousal Unit sees the Oncologist next week and I see our family physician the day after I get home from Edmonton.

From there we went to get more supplies for the basement. I decided I could paint furniture during my wait time. I picked up some great natural white paint for that. I used the same paint on the fireplace and mantle and it has an iron finish. While waiting for the Spousal Unit to get his items, I looked, once again, at paint samples. I picked out a grey and bought a litre of paint to test in the sewing room. I will start in the closet and if it is too light, I will do the room in the next darkest shade. I have a feeling all the closets will be done in this light shade of grey (second from the bottom).

 

Once home, we both got to work. The Spousal Unit worked on the opening for the electrical panel. He got it all cut out and was ready to frame it at noon. I hauled down the table and got the first coat of primer on it. I would call it ugly.

The second coat is somewhat better but somehow paint drips appeared after I was done and left the room. Some scraping needs to be done and a third coat of primer put on prior to the paint being applied.

While I cleaned up the kitchen (where does all the dust come from?), the Spousal Unit worked on the light in one of the bedrooms. He dealt with a junction box and fixed up how the new ceiling light goes on to the drop ceiling. When done, we noticed the living room light switch didn’t work. We would get a new one.

We then headed out to get cupboard doors for the electrical panel and the light switch. It was raining, there had to be an accident as traffic was backed up, and we were in rush hour traffic. When we came out from the hardware store we saw a beautiful rainbow.

And continued to see it while we finished up our shopping. It was quite bright.

When we got home, we discovered there was no power to the fridge. Not a good sign. The Spousal Unit went down to the junction box. He had taken all the wires apart and put merits on each of the four wires prior to covering the junction box. He had to put the wires back together as he had cut the power off to the living room light and the fridge. Whew!! it was a quick fix.

Knitting

I finished the second mitten last night. These ones go to Edmonton with me as a prototype for our grandson’s mitten.

I am happy with them knowing how I can adjust the pattern to fit his hand. I have now hauled out some knitting that needs buttons and ribbon to finish them. When done, I will meet my friend who delivers them to the hospital’s neo natal ward. I remain anonymous. After that, I am going to work on swatches and try and get them out to be evaluated.

Today, I am out of the house again to meet the lady who has taken over my literacy position. When done, I am having lunch out, getting new runners and then heading out to look at supplies for a scarf I want to make. I need to get a tiny crochet hook and see if they have the right size beads. On my way home, I may zip up the road from our place and look in the quilting and knitting shops. It is my day out. If I am home early enough, I will work on the table as I would love to put the first coat of paint on tomorrow.

Until tomorrow………………………………

Demolition in the Kitchen

It was cooler yesterday but we did see a fair amount of sunshine. The high got to 18C or 65F. This morning it is a cool 10C or 50F but that is warmer than yesterdays low temperature of 7C or 44F.

Lifestyle

First thing yesterday morning, we had an electrician in to tell us what we needed to do re: electrical in the basement. The fellow is a quiet person who did an amazing job of going through the unit. He checked wiring, told us what “we” needed to do and basically how to do it. He needs to do one small job in the electrical panel. All we can say is “WOW”. So different to the  electrician who came in on Friday.

After the electrician left, the Spousal Unit started making a list of what he needs to get. Then he fixed the range hood wire and started mudding the hole in the wall. I washed out the corner cupboard and cleaned the kitchen window inside and out. While outside, I redid the other windows in the basement.

At that moment, I had nothing to do in the basement apartment. Though there are small jobs to do in each room, I have to wait until they are done. After writing a lengthy email to the Spousal Unit’s distant relation about the family tree, I decided to investigate the noise in the basement. The Spousal Unit was busy in the kitchen on job #2.

When we bought the house, the basement kitchen looked like this (July 29, 2015)

On the wall beside the glass door upper cabinets you can see two white doors. The electrical panel is behind them. The access is too small to work on the panel. Here is what that wall looked like yesterday.

And it isn’t done yet. It needs to be bigger. We hope to put white kitchen cabinet doors on the opening so they can be easily removed for easy access.

While this demolition job was being executed, I quietly retreated to the laundry room. Time to unpack and clean it up. I swept, emptied a box into a rolling cart, put items under the stairs, filled up the garbage can, and scrubbed up tubs from painting. It looks great. I have a box with some interfacing for reusable grocery bags and some other sewing interfacing down there. Otherwise, it is done and ready to be a shared laundry room.

I set up the ironing board in the sewing room to iron a shirt for the Spousal Unit. I really have to get over my dislike of the ironing board jutting out in front of the closet. I am thinking about the layout and may move the sewing machine cabinet so it faces the wall.

Knitting

As I had no project planned for the rest of the afternoon and the Spousal Unit was out, I sat and knit on the second mitten. It is went smoothly. I got the gusset done and then realized I have an error. I counted all the stitches and followed the directions and have too many stitches for the gusset; like 3 too many. On both mittens. I have to rewrite that part of the pattern before I make the next pair of mittens. I kept knitting and have started on the hand section. It should be finished tonight.

I also read more on the book Knitting in Plain English. It is such a good read and I have learned some new tricks to try on the next mittens. I just need to wrap my head around those tricks so I will be packing the books with me.

Today we have to both be at the lab for blood tests. After that is done, I want to get a few things for the basement apartment and finish up a couple of things. I plan on painting a couple of pieces of furniture and can do it down there. Primer (have), paint (buy) and I can spend some time doing them.

Until tomorrow………………..

Missed Post But A Lot Got Done

I missed posting yesterday. I wrote and then forgot to finish up.

Though Saturday was warm and sunny, with a high of 31C or 88F, Sunday was cool. We saw a high of 22C or 72F. There was a cool wind and at 5 p.m. it showered. Today is sunny but the high is suppose to be less than yesterday. Are we moving towards fall weather; probably.

Lifestyle

On Saturday, we shopped and then put the sconce lights up in the downstairs’ living room. When on, they make the room very bright.

They are not exactly where I would have put them but we weren’t fooling around with electrical. I think if a large mirror or picture goes above the fireplace it will look better.

Yesterday, I entered the basement with a goal of not emerging until I was finished all the touch up painting. I emerge to have lunch and went back to it. Touch up paint day entailed 4 cans of paint and a tiny paint brush. I started at the fireplace, did the trim around it, then did about 70 feet of baseboard. With my head crammed against the wall, I touched up the top of the baseboard and then painted over the nail holes. That wondrous job was finished at noon. In the afternoon, I did more touch up painting in the other rooms - ceiling and more trim. I was sore at the end of the day and happy it was done.

Sewing Room

Saturday afternoon I went into the sewing room to try and figure out how to deal with all the internet/modem/TV junk/boxes and cords. It was a snarled up mess and I was quite vocal about that. I hate cords being in a mess and these were tangled good. I unplugged it all and diligently untangled it all. An hour later I was ready to organize. When I started to untangle, I had pushed the cube away from the area so I had lots of room to lay out the boxes and cords. When done I pushed it back into place. Carefully, we put the TV box on the top with the TV. The modem, one fibre optics box, and who knows what the other box is was put on a shelf in the cube. It all fit but the power bar and the fibre optics box that has the delicate wires coming from the wall to it. I had to set that onto a cardboard box between the cube and the wall. It worked.

My knitting stash, books, and notions are in the six tubs. The two empty cubes have empty tubs in them.

The brown table has been moved over to beside the cutting table and is suppose to hold the press. The ironing board still has to be placed in the room but it will fit in there nicely. With a bit of fiddling, I hope to pull the cutting table into the middle of the room when I cut patterns.

The nice thing -- we didn’t have to buy any furniture to put in the room. A big YES!!

Knitting

I worked on the mitten for the past two evenings and got it done. It may be a bit long for the grandson but we won’t know that until I get there.

I am deciding if I am going to make him the Crochet Shark Toque or if I will knit a plain toque for him. I will go armed with patterns to show him.

While in Edmonton, I will type up the instructions adding the pictures as I knit our grandson’s woollen mittens. I have to make him a toque and I hope to knit on the swatches for the course I am taking. And, if I am lucky, I would love to go to River City Yarn store. I want to buy some yarn to make a cowl with beads knit in it. I have some acrylic yarn to do a prototype for Daughter-In-Law. Now, to find the size 8 circular beads in black.

I am also reading a great book on knitting Knitting in Plain English by Margaret Righetti. Her approach starts with looking at pictures of knit items and then moves to instructions, gauge, notions, and what you need in your knitting bag. I have learned a few things along the way that I will be using. First of all I have to buy a couple of things and then find a couple of things. I have her second book Sweater Design in Plain English. I look forward to reading that one also.

Today, I am washing the downstairs kitchen window and the corner cupboard. After that, I plan on tackling some jobs that should be/could be done in our part of the house. The second mitten will be started today also.

Until tomorrow…………………………

Testing A Furniture Arrangement

Yesterday was quite warm and sunny. We had a high of 30C or 86F. It did cool off to 14C or 57F, which is perfect. Today we get the same type of weather - sunny and quite warm. We will be sitting outside some again today to soak up the sunshine.

Lifestyle

The bathroom got the last bit of paint put on where the mirror was hung and then I started to scrub the floor. It is done and looking quite nice. Then, I caulked about 70 feet of baseboard to cover the gap between the baseboard and wall. Put on caulk, smooth, and clean up so I didn’t have to do any extra painting. Took me about 3 hours but it looks great. My butt and thighs are sore from that job.

We had the first electrician in and he is recommending we have a new electrical panel put in. Bigger so we don’t have to have a pony panel. The next electrician comes in on Monday morning but we will have a few little things done before he arrives that we got the okay to do. If we go with the new electrical panel, the kitchen is on hold until that is done.

I had a bit of a rough day yesterday. I was near snapping at the Spousal Unit at noon and the glucose test showed 5.2 -- hungry. As we were late for dinner and it was hot, we headed out to get something for dinner. I was biting off the Spousal Unit’s head and really had to watch myself. Test done and it was 4.8. My grouchy number was on the meter.

Sewing Room

I had a bit of time to play in the sewing room. I placed the sewing cabinet out from the wall and then went to move the cube storage unit to its place. I put felt pads on the bottom so I can slide it. The Spousal Unit came to help and Elliott supervised.

I had to take all the Fibre Optic/modem, etc. off the brown table and it is now on the floor.

What needs to be standing up is now standing up. But, it is still on the floor. The biggest piece won’t fit into the cube. It is just bigger than the cube.

I suggested a 15” wide tower against the wall and I am not too sure if that suggestion was well received. I would remove the baseboard and screw it to the wall. Leave it there as a permanent fixture and put the cube unit beside it. We wait and see.

Knitting

I did knit on the mittens last night. They are looking good this time.

As I look at the mitten I see two things:

1. The ribbing should be knit on a size smaller needle (I did mention that).
   
2. I will have to look at the number of rows between the top of the ribbing and where I start increasing the gusset. It looks like it needs more rows. That will be decided upon when they are tried on.

I have about 2.5 inches left to knit on the hand before the top is decreased. These will be completed before I leave.

I felt like this from having low glucose readings. As a result, I fought the urge to fall asleep while knitting.

Today, we have to grocery shop and look for ideas for the sewing room. I am wanting to scoot around the floor and touch up paint nail heads in the baseboard and trim in the afternoon. After that, I will have one more day of touch up and one day to fix up around the new electrical panel area. 

Until tomorrow………………….

The Basement Renovation is Coming To An End

Yesterday was a gorgeous day with a high of 27.6C or 81.7F. The a/c ran in the afternoon but we expected that. This morning is a lovely 12C or 54F. That is perfect as we are to get to 32C or 89-90F for the next couple of days.

Lifestyle

Yesterday I painted the 2nd coat in the bathroom. My big issue is how pink it looks in there compared to the other rooms. I am changing the light bulbs as the ones I have give a true daylight look. They can go in the sewing room.

After the room was painted, we decided to get out the door knobs and put them on. We had a bit of a gong show as we both do it differently. At times it was down right painful. But they are on. I had some wait time so I cleaned and put the switch/plug covers on where I could. Light shades in the kitchen were washed and put back on. The Spousal Unit did a clean up of tools, fixed one heat vent and put its cover on, and got me tools and “notions” that I needed.

Though it didn’t seem like a lot, we worked a full 5 hours in the basement. At that point, the new appliances arrived and the old ones left. We called it a day for working in the house. Our backyard neighbour came over to let us know that he is having the cedar hedge between us trimmed on Monday and will be over on Wednesday to clean up the mess it makes in our yard. He is a co-worker of a friend’s son we found out. Small world.

Sewing Room

I have pretty much resigned to the fact that I won’t be painting the room until I get back from Edmonton in early October. I am back to deciding if I want grayed taupe or just pale gray on the walls in the house. This is driving me nuts. I need to get a grey paint swatch and do some deep thinking. It also allows me to look, once again, at our son’s house. Their whole place is painted gray and they do have brown furniture in the TV room.

I did see a sewing room layout that I liked so am going to play around in my room when I have an hour here and there. I am sure that something will come out of the play time. I may get a layout I like.

Knitting

I knit on the mitten last night, got the gusset done and am working on the hand. I am writing the instructions as I go. I am seeing that I may do the cuff in a size smaller needle if and only if it fits our grandson. No pictures last night as I just knit.

Today, I have to do some painting, scrub the bathroom floor, and try to wash the basement kitchen window. Throw in a couple of loads of laundry also. We have an electrician coming late this afternoon to look at the electrical in the house. I am sure it will be another busy day but the work in the basement is coming to an end. It is a nice feeling to have.

Until tomorrow………………………….

A Day Off

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day. The high got to 23C or 74F. It was warm enough to start the a/c. Today is suppose to be warmer and the next two days are to be even warmer. It will be nice to have a bit of heat prior to the next system coming in.

Lifestyle

We didn’t work in the basement yesterday. We stayed out of not by choice but by our schedule. We had to go get prescriptions and that set us back 90 minutes. Their computers were down at the pharmacy. So we headed back to get items for the basement then back to the pharmacy. That little jaunt took us until noon.

After lunch, we had the fireplace people in to put the missing front part in. Then we had to get the roast onto the BBQ and the vegetables ready for under the meat.

By then I didn’t want to change and head out down to paint for just an hour. So we sat out in the sunshine and soaked up the rays. It was great to have a day off.

We Skyped with our grandson last night. He wasn’t at his best as he has had the flu. We hope he is over with it as he and mommy are tired. He did tell us what he is learning at school as he has been going for a week now.

Elliott is thrilled that we have the couch. He chose to sleep stretched out on the love seat beside the Spousal Unit last night. He doesn’t have to wiggle his way in between us pushing us almost up onto the arms of the love seat. Win-win for all of us.

Knitting

I had a wonderful evening of knitting.

The pattern is being written in draft form and I got the mittens set up to start increasing for the gusset.

Once this pair is made, I will tweak the pattern for our grandson’s pair. I will decide if I want to do the cuffs in 4 mm needles after he tries on this pair. I want to write up the pattern to see if I can get it done correctly.

Today, I have a bit of housework to do and then I will paint the downstairs bathroom the second coat. After that, I plan on changing door handles and putting on the new ones. I have to do some of the small jobs between helping with the kitchen. Washing windows, mirrors, caulking baseboards. If I do those it will get us done quicker. Yes, I am ready to be done with the basement in make it into an income suite.

Until tomorrow……………………

Upset the Apple Cart

Yesterday was a wet one. It rained most of the day and early evening. The high was 17C or 62F. At one point, the Spousal Unit took the dog out to do her business and both of them stood in the carport watching the rain come down. The sun is suppose to shine sometime today and it is to get warmer for the next 5 days.

Lifestyle

It seemed as if yesterday was “upset the apple cart” day. First we slept in as were tired. We had just finished our coffee when the phone rang and the store called to let us know they would be delivering our couch and side table in an hour. What a wake up call.

The couch arrived and the guys were fabulous, once again. As they had delivered our love seat, they knew the house layout and what to do. Done in no time flat and off to do 39 more deliveries.

As we are not unpacked, it really isn’t in its right spot. But, Elliott gave it a 10/10 for napability.

As we were heading down to the basement to work, I got an email that upset me and I spent the next 5 hours working through it. I call it the “demise of the rodeo queen seamstress”. Orders have been cancelled with comments of “off the rack” clothing to be worn. I called the lady in charge and she was shocked to hear that. I told what she needed to fix the situation. I then find out the committee she is on is in a fragile state. She is the only executive member (the rest quit) with a few directors. I think she has a lot of things happening including this one. I did the best I could but it really left me stressed out. This morning, I am over it.

Hence, it took me most of the day to paint the downstairs bathroom. It is done except the wall with the mirror on it. The room looks good now and once the second coat of paint is on and the floor scrubbed, it will be a really great bathroom. We will add a back splash at the sink for a bit of extra.

The Spousal Unit worked on kitchen cabinets. He got two made and has one left to go.

The cabinet beside the sink is made but we didn’t move it as the glue was still wet.

Knitting

The ribbing on the mitten is about half done. I was slow last night as I was tired. And stressed.

Today, I have to do some shopping and then paint the bathroom the second coat of paint. It seems to be a busy day but I get to go out.

Until tomorrow…………………….

Progress In The Kitchen

Yesterday was a glorious day with lots of sunshine and a high of 23C or 74F. This morning, we woke to it raining at 4:30 and it has been raining ever since. It was dark enough that we slept in this morning. Thank you rain for that.

Lifestyle

We were tired yesterday and started work in the basement a bit late. But we put in a full day. First up was to get the corner base cupboard finished and in place.

That corner cupboard was like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. We then took stock of the sizes of the four cupboards left and while the Spousal Unit made the next one, I finished painting the bathroom ceiling. I had started it prior to helping with the corner cupboard.

The second cupboard was made and I helped move it out and into place. I continued painting the trim and bathroom door while the Spousal Unit finished the cabinet and did a few outdoor chores.

Those chores included cutting up cardboard boxes to fit into the recycle bin. We both finished at about the same time. While have a big glass of water, we soaked up the sunshine. In fact it was so warm, we both started to doze off.

Knitting

In the evening, I knit on the mitten. It is done.

And Prototype 3 is on the needles. The next size up which is 4 stitches more.

Same pattern but with a few changes. I am ready to tackle this one for our grandson to try on. I still have a lot of yarn left (about 8 ounces) so I plan on making a toque and, maybe, a scarf for a child. I really need to use up this yarn.

Today, I have to head out to shop and then will paint the bathroom walls the first coat. I know that I will be on call for more kitchen cupboard installation. I want to knit on the mittens tonight and write up the changes I am making. Our grandson ordered his mittens and a toque in gray.

Until tomorrow………………….