April's Projects Started

 Yesterday was wet until late afternoon. The high got to 5C. This morning it is cloudy and -2C (windchill -7C). Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with a high of 3C. 

Lifestyle

Daughter-in-law came for a short visit yesterday morning and then I was out to have my hair cut. I was home by just after 10 a.m. It was down on the floor to do my exercises. Though I am still stiff, it is getting easier to do the exercises. I still have cracks which means joints are releasing and my muscles relaxing. 

As I was getting ready to go downstairs and finish cleaning the area of the family room I had started, I got a text from a good friend asking if I would do something for her. I was out of the house to get it done and didn't have a chance to work in the family room. 

Sewing

I did get to sew and worked on a table runner and mug rugs. They were fun to sew and are now ready for me to put binding on. 

The dark fabric at the top of the picture will be the binding. I am not sure if I will keep it, gift it, or sell it at the craft bazaar in November. The runner is big enough for a teapot, creamer and sugar bowl. 

While doing this project, I finished a spool of thread which was great. I did have another spool of that colour as I use it a lot. 

The cutting table is quite tidy. I do have a small pile of scraps left over from other projects and am deciding on what to do with them. The group I give them to may not be doing quilts after my friend moves away. I don't do scrappy quilts and don't know of any group that could use them. 

Knitting

I watched the video that goes with decreasing the top of the hat I was knitting. I am so glad I watched it as the lady explained why she does it this way. I sat and knit on the hat and got it finished. 

I now need to wind the balls of yarn from the socks I ravelled out and start on them. I will use the same pattern I did before but cast on less stitches so they fit me tighter in the leg and foot. 

Thoughts

    My back was sore yesterday and I was tired. I wondered if my thyroid is low. I am having all the symptoms, including back pain, and have to push myself to do everyday chores. I do have blood work near the end of this month and see the doctor in early May. 

    I pulled out the stakes that show where my lawn is when it snows. I thought it was time to put them away. I would love to put the salt away. I am not sure if that is a good idea as we get freezing rain tomorrow. We are hoping this is it for wintery weather. 

    I thought I saw a robin yesterday but I don't think it was one. Usually they arrive in groups of 5 or 6. This was a lone bird. 

Today

I have launder the sheets today. I want to do some cleaning in the kitchen before going downstairs to work in the family room. I would like to finish the space I started. I will work on finishing the items I started yesterday. I do have wind the yarn and start the socks tonight. 

Until the next time..........................................................

Doll's Sacque Back Dress Completed

 Yesterday had snow and rain with the temperature dropping steadily all day to 1C by 5pm. This morning it is raining and 1C. Today is supposed to be rainy with a high of 6C.

Lifestyle

I did my yoga exercises and it is getting easier every day. I did have 2 or 3 cracks while doing them which means joints are releasing. I was very sore all day due to the weather system we are having. I pushed through the day doing small exercises to stretch muscles. 

My job yesterday was to start cleaning the family room. I finished cleaning the ledge (pony wall) and some spots on the walls. I cleaned the baseboards and furniture in the area I am focusing on. Cardboard from the blinds was put into recycling. Finally I was able to vacuum the floor and mop it. Part of the floor was clean and part was dirty. I didn't take a picture as I am not finished but I am happy with what I got done. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday and got the petticoat for the 1750's outfit done. It went together nicely for me and I did hand stitch the waistbands in place. When I put it on the doll, I thought you tied it up at the sides but you don't. You tie the back ribbons at the front and the front ribbons to the back. The skirt fits perfectly. 

The back looks nice and fits the doll well. 

I got notification that the snaps were to be delivered yesterday and they didn't arrive. When I checked this morning they have been delayed and should be here by April 6. I have to set this project aside while I wait for them. 

I am deciding if I will sell some of my dolls. I have 13 of them and do not make clothes for some of them. I am thinking of putting together a small wardrobe and selling one that I ignore. I think it is time to start downsizing the collection. 

Knitting

I knit on the hat last night and got the main part done. I have added the markers so I can start decreasing the top. I think there are 18 rows to do and it will be done. 

I have to go in and adjust what I will knit during April as I am ahead of schedule. 

Thoughts

    I pushed through yesterday doing everything I had planned even though I was very sore. The pain did subside in my knees first and then in my back which was wonderful. I did do some research on activity and one thing I found out was not to do bed rest. In honesty, I did want to go back to bed and rest but knew it wasn't the right thing to do. It was recommended to alternate between movement and resting which I did all day. I made sure I went up and down the stairs several times, stretched my body, and rested when I needed to. 

    Spring is coming slowly but surely. Some of the trees are starting to have their leaf buds swelling and are ready to open soon. I haven't seen the robins yet and am waiting for them to arrive. We have seen some Canada geese but think they may have stayed around here all winter. 

Today

I have to get my hair cut this morning. I am hoping to fit in my yoga exercises before I go. I would like to finish cleaning the area of the family room I started yesterday. I am going to work on a small sewing project today as I need to cook myself a good dinner. I will knit tonight. 

Until the next time...........................................................

Another Trip Around The Sun

 Yesterday was started out sunny and was cloudy with a few drops of rain mid afternoon. The high got to 11C. This morning it is cloudy and 5C. Today is supposed to have showers this morning and rain (possible freezing rain) this afternoon with the temperature dropping to 4C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I did my yoga exercise and I had 3 cracks while doing them. I was a bit less stiff than the day before. I even got up off the floor easier. In 24 hours, I have had 8 cracks in my right side. I was so stressed that I had tightened my body up causing joints and muscles to react in a bad way. 

I went out for lunch with my friend as it was my birthday. I wasn't celebrating even though I turned 75. We had a lovely lunch and she got 75% off my meal. We did have some good laughs and talked about a lot of things. 

I got these beautiful flowers from daughter for my birthday. 

Sorry about the mess you can see but I have cleaned it all up. 

I was over to see family for a bit. They are doing well and their sense of humour has returned. Daughter-in-law said I will get my birthday gift on Friday and son said I could have it now. He picked up a beanie chair with the cat in it to give to me. We all howled with laughter over that as he is always trying to give the cat away. 

My back cracked several times in bed last night. I was happy that it did that. What surprised me was the loud crack from my knee. It released and has much more flexibility today. It allowed me to have some restorative sleep last night. My back is sore this morning as we have a storm coming in today. 

Sewing

I did sew a bit yesterday morning. I gathered the waist on the front of the skirt and I spent more time cursing at the thread. It kept slipping as it is 100% polyester. I did get the waist band sewn on but had to rip back a small piece as the top of the skirt folded over and peaked on the outside. I did learn a lesson about using Glide thread for gathering a seam -- don't use it. I didn't take a picture as I had to get ready to go out for lunch. 

Knitting

I knit 10 rounds on the hat last night. I now have about 5" knit on it. 

It is definitely going to be a warm hat. 

Thoughts

    After doing my yoga exercises, I laid on the mat and cried my eyes out for a good 10 minutes. It helped release all the feelings I was having. I was able to park everything into what I call my neutral zone and move on with the things I need to do. I have to let daughter and grandson solve their own problems individually without me interfering. Daughter and I chat during the day and grandson will chat with me when he is ready to. 

    March is going to go out like a lion. There is a storm coming in today and tomorrow. We are luckier than parts of Nova Scotia who will get snow and freezing rain. I did look back at the weather for the end of March and it has ranged from being very warm to cool and wet. Not pattern can be found. 

Today

I have to do yoga this morning and then I will go downstairs and start cleaning part of the family room. I can do one area as it is ready for me to finish wiping the ledge, vacuum the floor and mop it. I want to finish the doll's skirt/petticoat this afternoon and will knit tonight. 

Until the next time............................................................

Doll's Jacket Completed

 Yesterday was a day of sunshine with some clouds. The high go to 2C. This morning it is cloudy and 0C. Today is supposed to be a mix of snow and rain with a high of 6C. 

Lifestyle

I did my yoga exercises yesterday morning and half way through the 2nd exercise I had a crack somewhere in my right hip area. Continuing on with the exercises I had 2 more cracks in my right hip area. I finished up with less pain though I a still stiff and a bit sore in my center waist. I had at least one more crack during the day and one after I got into bed last night. 

My next job was to do the balance sheet. I met my goal for the first quarter of the year and am pleased with that. It was another low spend month as I really didn't need anything big or fancy. 

I got a load of laundry wash and dried and it is waiting for me to fold. It will get done today. 

Sewing

I got the 2nd cuff onto the doll's jacket. It wasn't quite as hard as the first but it took quite a bit of time. 

I also started the skirt. It is ready for me to gather the front and back sections separately and put on the two waistbands. The waistbands will have ribbons attached to them so they can be tied at the waist. 

I don't think I will get 2 pieces of piping done for daughter. I cannot find fabric I want to use for piping. I will have to have a good look and see what I can find in the stash. 

Knitting

I finished the transition row and knit 11 rounds on the hat. 

This hat is a quick and mindless knit. I have enough of the yarn to make the scarf and then do the set again. 

Thoughts

    I was very relieved that what ever was tight in my right hip area released and left me with a lot less pain. It is now tolerable. I do know some of the pain is muscles rebelling but I am not sure why my back is sore. It might be rebelling also. I will continue with the exercises to see if it helps stretch the muscles and stops the back from being sore. 

    The electric blinds are needing to be charged one by one. Yesterday was the middle blind in the living room. Today it is the one beside it. I will move the charger over to it this morning. I do leave the charger on for 18+ hours. I am sure we didn't fully charge them when we put them up. 

Today

I am not sure what I am going to do today. I have a few little things to do before I go to finish the doll's outfit. I will knit tonight. 

Until the next time.....................................................

I Am Sore Once Again

 Yesterday was clear and cool with a high of -3C (windchill -10C). This morning it is clear and -10C. Today is supposed to be a mix of clouds and sun with a few snow flurries thrown in for good measure. The high is to get to 0C. 

Lifestyle

I did my yoga exercises yesterday morning and I am stiff. I will be continuing them on a regular basis. It was good to do them even if I was stiff and sore. 

I also got the kitchen cleaned up. It needed my attention as I haven't been as diligent at cleaning it as I had been. It is now clean which makes me feel much better. 

I was at the community hall at 1:30 pm and helped to peel potatoes and get the food ready for the dinner which we served at 5:30 pm. I helped with clean up and left at 7 pm extremely sore. We had a good crew helping but it ended up that 4 of us (family and friend) were left to finish the job and I wasn't able to stay until the end. 

At home, I sat on the heating pad to see if it would help. I had muscle cramps and a large amount of pain. I hobbled into bed and fell asleep fairly quickly. I woke around 3:30 am and after a bit of stretching I had a crack somewhere in my right side. A lot of the pain I have been having is from stress and the weather. 

Sewing

None done yesterday.

Knitting

I am working on the transition row. It takes time as I am moving stitches from doing a knit 2 purl 2 ribbing to a knit 1 purl 1 ribbing. 

Thoughts

    Thank you Marianne for the article. I read it and it is exactly what happened. Another person gave us some words of wisdom last night which was similar to the article. At the moment, we know he is safe and we are satisfied that he did that. 

    I am still sore today but not as bad as yesterday. I do know that I am using muscles that are rebelling as I am walking down the stairs correctly. I am going to be doing more exercises to see if it will help me as I may need to strengthen my muscles more. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet, yoga exercises and a bit of housework. I am hoping to sew on the doll's dress and to knit tonight. I may even try to walk a bit outside on the driveway. 

Until the next time...............................................................

One Cuff Is On The Jacket

 Yesterday as rainy, snowy, and sunny. The temperature dropped to 0C (windchill -5C) at noon. This morning it is partly cloudy and -8C (windchill -15C) Today is supposed to clear off and be sunny with a high of -3C.

Lifestyle

I was out in the morning to help set up the community hall for dinner tonight. Four of us got it done in just over an hour. That included putting up the tables, setting them, and getting some food jobs done. 

Once home, I had a very short break and headed out to get some groceries. The store was busier than I like but I got everything I needed without too many problems. Once home, everything put away and I had a rest. With so much stress, my back is really bothering me when I pack the groceries into the car and house. I did so some stretching which helped for a while. 

We do know where grandson is and know he will be okay. Daughter-in-law was able to track his movements on his phone. That was a huge relief for us and I could feel my stress level go down. I did text him. He is reading the texts but is not replying to me. He is limiting his communication with everyone which is hard on all of us. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday afternoon. I got one cuff on one sleeve. The instructions leave a lot to be desired and you have to guess at what they mean. It took me several attempts and I am still not sure if the cuff is on right. 

I have thought on it and will go back in and do a couple of hand stitches to make the back part look better. 

I watched the next video on Making Space to Make. This one was directed to those who sew in a space that is used for another function. She gave some good suggestions though they did not apply to my situation. I have decided to look at my sewing table this week as it needs to be cleaned up and wiped down. 

Knitting

I downloaded the latest version of the yarn stash spreadsheet. From there I did fix up a few things on the old one and then copied it all on to the new one. I then transferred the yarn I have knit to the Out tab. I had to do a bit of work figuring out how much I had used of one ball of yarn and then put the remaining back into the stash. I was surprised at how much yarn I knit in the first three months of the year. 

I have knit or donated 16 skeins of yarn which is 1224 grams. Half of that yarn is being donated which is 633 grams. I am happy with what I did knit. And I am happy that it didn't take me that long to calculate. 

I set up the hat using a different yarn. I got the cuff knit and am starting to do the transition row. I am much happier with this yearn than I was with the other yarn. 

I still have to go in a fix up my goals for knitting down the yarn stash. I have finished projects that were to be done in April and need to put them in March. It will take me a couple of minutes to fix it up. 

Thoughts

    I am working on accepting the fact that grandson has not and is not coming home. My next step is to make sure I support family and take care of myself mentally and physically. I am working towards doing some things for me. One is going to be doing the yoga exercises on a daily basis. There are a couple of other things I am mulling around in my head that are easy to include in my day. I may cut back on how much I sew but I do know I will knit at night as it is relaxing. 

    Our deer are back. We saw 5 at noon on Thursday and I am sure they are visiting everyone's yards to "prune" the bushes and trees. They should be having their babies soon as we didn't see any with the 5 we saw. I am sure they will be inspecting the bush by my front steps but it will be slim pickings as they pruned it while we were in Montevideo. 

Today

I am going to do my yoga exercises this morning and then do some cleaning in the kitchen. I have to be at the hall this afternoon and will get home later in the evening. I may knit a bit before I go to bed. 

Until the next time.....................................................

Why Oh Why?

 Yesterday was a mix of snow and rain in the morning and rain in the afternoon. The high got to 7C. This morning it is raining and 6C. Today is supposed to be wet and cooling off to 4C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning was tough. I got the news that grandson was on his flight from Korea to Toronto to Halifax. As he boarded the plane, he told his parents he wasn't coming home and that he had a plan. He has cut off communication and we don't know where he is. The only given we have is that his luggage will be unloaded in Halifax. I will try to reach out to him sometime today. 

With that stress under my belt, I headed downstairs and scrubbed the living daylights out of the 4 family room windows. They are sparkling clean with no mould to be seen. 

I spent the afternoon in Halifax with daughter-in-law. We had to get the groceries for the dinner at the hall on Saturday. We talked all the way in. We thought we would need an hour in one store as it is usually busy but we were in and out in about 20 minutes. It was quiet in there. 

We did walk the Halifax mall. We did a couple of stores and left. We stopped in Sackville to get a few more things for the dinner and headed to Upper Sackville for daughter-in-law's osteopathy appointment. There was still fresh snow on the ground there. 

I bought dinner for family and we headed home to eat. 

Knitting

I cast on the next project which is a hat. I got 2 rounds done. 

I do not like the yarn as it is 50% cotton and 50% polyester. All the yarn is going into the yard sale as I know I will not knit it. There are several balls another in another colour that will also go into the yard sale. 

I watched Knitty Natty's video on her stash update. She has updated her template and showed how she is tracking the yarn she is knitting. I have downloaded the new template and will use it. I have a bit of back tracking to do on the old template and then will copy all the information into the new template. I will need a bit of time to do that. 

Thoughts

    My stress level is very high at the moment. I have not had any anxiety or panic attacks. I am close to having them but keep doing self talking. I am worried about my son and daughter-in-law as this has been very hard on them. Add in daughter's issues and I know I need to keep strong to support them. 

    Our weather has gone from snow to rain. I am hoping that the rain means our weather will be warmer and the spring flowers will start to peek through the ground. I am so looking forward to seeing colour once again. 

Today

I am off to the hall to help set up for the community dinner tomorrow night. When that is done I need to go grocery shopping. I may get to sew a bit this afternoon and I will knit tonight. 

Until the next time............................................................