Starting A Doll's Sweater

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 17C. This morning it is partly cloudy and 8C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 17C. 

Lifestyle

My first visitor of the morning was the company that does the fertilizing and weed control on the lawn. I talked to the person and he told me my lawn is coming along nicely after a very dry summer. Seeding will be done in the spring. 

Once he left, I headed out to do the grocery shopping. As I was getting into the car, I got a text message from the company who mows my lawn. They were at the house trimming the hedge and were going to do the edging. When I got home, we went over what I wanted, I unlocked the shed, and let them get at it. They had to buy bigger spikes to hold the edging in place. They got the old edging down and most of the hedge weeded by late afternoon. They will be back today to put down the new edging and finish up. I am pleased with how it looks. 

Once I got the groceries put away, I set about washing windows. They are done until spring. I then went under the stairs and started on it. I did not take out the tv boxes and some other things I have to keep and are tidy. The rest of the stuff came out. I let go of my poinsettia tree, outdoor Christmas lights, and a few things in the Christmas tub. I put the outdoor fall decorations into the sell/donate pile and used the wooden crate to hold a metal Christmas tree that holds tea lights and the outdoor projectors. I put what I was keeping back under the stairs along with the two crafting trolleys. 

I kept two empty boxes which I have to keep for another year. One is for the robot vacuum cleaner and the other is for the portable generator. I have 2 cans of paint to take to the depot as it is old and not usable. 

Once done under the stairs, I had a rest. My SI joint was not happy with me crouching so much but I was happy it was done. The rest of the afternoon I rested with some trips outside to enjoy the wonderful warm weather we were having. 

Sewing

Nothing done. I am ready to print patterns. 

Knitting

I did a bit of research on sweaters worn between 1910 and the  mid 1920's. I found these at the Vintage Dancer. 

The light blue and the green and white one caught my eye. I have a pattern for a shawl sweater for the dolls. 

I have instruction (knit along) to do it with a contrasting collar. I can knit a belt if I have to. So the fun began. I started with the navy yarn I knit the beret and scarf from. I did a swatch to get gauge.

It is very close with stitches per inch but a bit out on rows per inch. I am okay with that. I then cast on the stitches and started to knit using the pattern and the knit along instructions. I am going to admit I was having fun though going between the two on the iPad was annoying. But I was learning new things from the knit along. 

I have a few more rows to knit and week 1 of the knit along is done. I love Little Woolens patterns. They are well written and she has some great techniques. The person who did the knit along has good instructions and some great tips. I ended up the evening very happy. I needed something different to knit before I start the next pair of socks. 

Thoughts

    Yesterday was the perfect fall day. The sun was warm and inviting. I was in and out of the house many times enjoying the sunshine. These are my favourite days when I don't have to wear a sweater but I don't overheat. 

    With the hedge being done, I will be able to go to clean the shed some. I need to sweep the floor and move a few things around. It will be nice to have lots of open space to move about. Maybe this afternoon I can do that. 

    I got a call yesterday for making sandwiches. I will be out making them 4 days in a row starting on Friday. I know I will be sore which means I will have to do a lot of stretching to keep my SI joint released. 

Today

I am out shortly for physio and then home to do some things. I am back out at 1 pm for my flu shot. If I feel good enough, I would like to do a bit of work in the shed. Tonight I will knit. 

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

A Productive Day

Yesterday was sunny with a high of 15C. This morning it is cloudy and 4C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 17C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I made buns. I was a bit worried as my yeast is just out of date but has been in the freezer. It worked well for me and the buns turned out great.

We had them for Thanksgiving dinner last night. 

While waiting for the dough to rise, I set about doing chores. I cleaned the bathroom and did laundry. The laundry was folded and put away. I also scrubbed the kitchen windows along with the outside of the bathroom window. 

I had to stretch my SI joint once during the day to release it and then accidentally stretched it again last night and it released again with a good crack. I slept until 4:30 am. 

Thanksgiving dinner was at family's and we had a delicious ham dinner. Friends came over so there were 6 of us and we had a great visit. 

Sewing

I played around and made pictures of the patterns I would like to sew for the doll's outfit I want to make in 2026. The main outfit will consist of a skirt and one top for sure. I have included 3 tops and will pick one. 

The outer garments will consist of a coat which I will add gathered pockets and a cloche. 

I have all the patterns for this part of the outfit. 

I have 3 more patterns to buy before the end of the year and will probably get the two top patterns and the bicycle skirt. That way I can make several outfits for the doll. 

Knitting

I finished the hat yesterday. It was a case of knit, unknit, and then knit to the finish line. I am not sure what I did wrong but I certainly wasn't paying attention to my knitting when I realized I had done the decreasing for the top of the hat wrong. 

I am not sure what I will knit next. 

Thoughts

    Thanksgiving was quiet for us as we don't do a big dinner. We have in the past but have done less in the last couple of years. We are thankful for what we have and what we can do. There are no big sales or anything exciting happening in the area around our Thanksgiving holiday. 

    My IBS has calmed down in the past couple of days. I think it is because I am having less pain in my SI joint, eating better, and stressing less about getting ready for our trip. I feel like I am back in control of what needed to be done and have relaxed now that the jobs are done. 

    I have started to do some Christmas shopping for daughter and son-in-law. I have to ship them 2 boxes before we leave, one of which needs to have their Christmas gifts in it. I have told them not to ship me anything until January. 

Today

I have to get groceries this morning. Once home, I hope to finish the windows in the house and start cleaning up under the stairs. I have to figure out what I want to knit next. Tonight I hope to start a new knitting project. 

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

Planning A Doll Project

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 15C. This morning it is cloudy and 4C. Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with a high of 15C. 

Lifestyle

First job yesterday was to do the balance sheet. It is frustrating when you have to move numbers from one month to another due to how the bank processes your debits. Shows I bought items on Sept 30 and they processed it on Oct 1. Once I had that done and my totals updated, the rest of the entries were a breeze. Done until next Sunday. 

My next job was to take some things downstairs and put them away. I did that and then decided to wash the stairs and entry way. Job done in no time and I am happy to say the upstairs is officially cleaned. Now to maintain it which I am doing with tons of reminders. I am hoping it will become a habit that I will do automatically. 

I decided to watch a series I found on Netflix. It is called Sullivan's Crossing and is filmed in Nova Scotia. Most of the scenes are around Mahone Bay but there was one shot at Fisherman's Cove and several scenes were shot in the Dartmouth/Halifax area. Netflix has 2 seasons of the show and I will watch what I want of it. The story line is good at the moment though there are some exaggerations. The last Netflix show I watched that was filmed in the Mahone Bay area was done in the 1800's and was quite good.

Sewing

I cleaned off the cutting table and looked at the doll's fabrics for inspiration for an Edwardian outfit. These are the ones I found but they may change. 

So far, the lighter blue is the coat, the darker is the skirt and the stripe is a shirt. The white is for cuffs and collars. We will see if I make any changes. 

I need to make a jpg of the patterns which will be next. I am slowly getting my ideas together. If there is enough of the lighter blue, I will make a cloche hat. What I need to find is fabric for the lining. I have a grey stripe lining fabric I could use. 

Knitting

I grabbed a part ball of navy blue yarn and decided to knit a scarf and hat to go with the Edwardian outfit. I made the scarf in a couple of hours in the afternoon. The hat was worked on last night and I am ready to decrease the top part now. 

This is a quick knit which I needed after knitting so many pairs of socks. 

Thoughts

    We are in the midst of fall here. Cool with frost warnings. It is almost time to turn on the heat but I am holding off for a few more days. I will start with heat in the mornings only. I let the sun shine in to heat the house during the day. Soon it will be time to run the heat mornings and evenings. I am enjoying the crisp weather we are having. 

    I have started to make a list of some meals I want to make for the next few weeks. I am trying not to go overboard as I want to leave only one or two meals in the freezer for when we get back. I also need to use up the meat I have in the freezer so am looking for recipes. I have been cooking very bland foods while my IBS was flaring up. I can now eat a wider variety of foods. 

    I hope to start cleaning under the stairs this week. I have looked under there and know it will be a big job but I have the time to do it. 

Today

I have to make buns for Thanksgiving dinner tonight. I will do a load of laundry and try to clean the bathroom. I would like to look for the video on how to bind the book and see if I can do it. I don't know if I will be knitting today or not as I don't know what time I will get home from dinner. 

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

A Proud Moment

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 16C. This morning it is partly cloudy and 4C. Today is supposed to be another sunny day with a high of 15C. 

Lifestyle

I was out the door and at the community hall to make sandwiches before 8 am. As we had an extra person who cuts and arranges the sandwiches only, I made up 3 loaves of sandwiches. I was home by 9:30 am. 

My Fitbit died yesterday. I put it on to charge and when I took it off the charger, it was dead. I called Fitbit and it seems as if the battery is no good. I am in the process of doing a warranty claim to have the battery replaced. I do miss having it as I used it as a watch as well as a Fitbit. Back to using my phone as my watch. 

I spent time cleaning the front hall closet. It is now clean. I also cleaned the floor at the top of the stairs. After lunch I vacuumed the stairs, the door entry, and the basement floors. Lots of fluff to be found along with some crafting and sewing bits. It is done once again and I can now wash the stairs and front entry way. 

I had to be at family's just before 11 am. Grandson's team was playing (Uruguay) and we were hoping he would get some playing time. We enjoyed the game as the players were playing a good game and were scoring. We could see grandson warming up and were hoping he would play. Ten minutes before the game ended I spotted him and asked for his number. We were excited as he was on the field playing his first professional game. He showed maturity, confidence, and great skills. He definitely can play at this level and even a level above this team. We were super proud of him and were literally yelling and cheering him on in the living room. 

Sewing/Crafting

None done yesterday as I was busy doing other things. If all goes well, I may get something done this week. 

Knitting

I sat and knit last night to keep busy. I was feeling bored and would have wandered the house looking for something to eat. I did get the 2nd sock finished. 

I now need to decide what I want to knit next. Will it be socks or something for the dolls. 

Thoughts

    I decided to get weighed this morning to see if I had lost weight this week. I lost 1.5 lbs which is a lot more than I had thought I would. My first goal has been met as I am down 10. 6 lbs in 9 weeks. That is 44.4 lbs of pressure off my hip and knee joints. I have set my next goal which I hope to reach by the time we leave on November 14. 

    My determination to loose weight has been complex. I know that I can't eat certain foods as they trigger compulsive eating. I still crave potato chips but don't allow them in the house. I am doing a lot of portion control but have to monitor that as I will eat less than I should. I know that being at the weight the doctor set for me is ideal for my joints. I move easier. I will still have sore days but not from being overweight. I also know that loosing weight is each person's own journey. 

    Upstairs is almost cleaned and I am trying to keep up on the job. I have a few things to put into a box (I found one) and a few things to put away. I am hoping I can start under the stairs this week. It is a job I am not looking forward to but I do know it needs to be done. 

Today

I have to do a bit of grocery shopping as I need food for lunches. I want to do the balance sheet and finish cleaning the stairs and the entry way. I need to decide what I will knit next and hope to start printing patterns for the doll's outfit I want to start sewing in January. 

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

Plans Changed for Shopping at Ikea

 Yesterday was mainly sunny with a high of 11C. This morning it is 6C (up 4C between 5 and 6 am). Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 17C. 

Lifestyle

My plans for the morning changed. Daughter-in-law and I went to the city so we could get some things at Costco and Ikea. Costco was very busy for 9:30 am and people were buying for Thanksgiving dinner (Monday in Canada). We got through the store without being hit or hitting someone. I got coffee pods, some soup I love, a square, and some Tylenol. We found some lovely pants for daughter-in-law in colours she loved. 

At Ikea, I was buying a few items for daughter's Christmas box. We only did Market Place as that was where everything I wanted was. I gave myself an hour to look and buy. We walked a lot of the store and I got everything I wanted. I was an hour. From there we headed home as it was getting super busy in the stores and the traffic in that area was heavy. We were home by noon. 

I bought two stems of fake hydrangeas. They were 79 cents each. I am hoping they will have more when I go back later on. They are perfect for my bedroom. 

Crafting

I spent the better part of the afternoon cleaning up the crafting materials. I sorted, bagged, and put a lot of stuff into the donation/sell box. I put a tub on the shelf of paper I kept. Not a lot. I sorted out the cart and tidied it up. The last job was to take out the garbage and sort it. That took a while but the job is done and the family room is ready to vacuum. 

I didn't look at how to bind the book yesterday. I need to do a search on YouTube for it. I also need to price it at the office supply store. My biggest fear is the cover for the book. I will have to ask about that when I go. 

Knitting

I did a lot of knitting last night as I was bored. I got the foot knit on the sock. 

It could be done tonight. 

Thoughts

    My weight dropped slightly this week. I think I am not eating enough and my body is holding onto the weight. I did eat a bit more yesterday to see if this is the case. I am loosing inches as my clothes are fitting looser. At this time I will not be going back to see the dietician as I know what I need to do and can do it on my own. I know that loosing the weight I gained is better for my joints. 

    I bought soup yesterday as it is one I love. It is one I don't make so I buy it as a treat. I am going to make soup when this is gone as I enjoyed a bowl of it last night. I also like it for lunch. It is cool enough to start thinking about soup, especially chicken soup. 

Today

I am off to make sandwiches this morning. When I get home, I want to start cleaning the front entry starting with the closet. I have to be at family's at 11 am to watch grandson play soccer (YouTube). This afternoon, I would like to do find the videos on how to bind the memory book to see if I can do it myself. Tonight I hope to finish the socks. 

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

Memory Book Pages Completed

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 10C. This morning it is clear and 3C. We have frost. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 11C. 

Lifestyle

As I was getting ready to go out to shop, I had a phone call. It was the doctor's office letting me know I am booked to get my Covid vaccine on October 29. One vaccine a week for the next 3 weeks. 

Our trip to New Minas was fun. We got the pool water tested so daughter-in-law can get the right chemicals into it before it is closed down for the winter. 

Next stop was to Walmart where we got some little things plus groceries. Our last stop was Giant Tiger where I got some fruit and a Christmas present. We were home just before noon. 

As I was making dinner, I decided to close some tabs on my computer. The first one was the one I go to looking to get my vaccines. I hit refresh not close and it came up that covid and flu shots are now available at pharmacies. I texted daughter-in-law to let her know and she has booked their appointments. 

Crafting

I decided to take my new glue sticks and finish the center fold of the memory book. I love using a brand new glue stick and this comes from when I taught school and made a lot of items for the classroom. I got caught up in the moment finishing the page. 

Satisfied with the page, I started on the page I was having problems with. I had out all the things I wanted to include in the book. I looked through the first 2 signatures for ideas. I decided on what to make for the page I was avoiding. 

I was on a roll and the next page came together quickly. 

The last page I knew would have a pocket to hold a mini sized puzzle. I cut the picture off the box and put it on the pocket. 

The pages are done and I was pleasantly exhausted from getting it done. I just have to put paper on the inside of the front and back covers so I can add something to each of them. I am going to look at how to bind this on my own as I have lots of time to do it. 

Before I start binding it, I have to clean up the crafting area and put everything I don't need into a container to give away. I am done with paper, stickers, etc. I collected for this project. 

Knitting

I knit for quite a long time last night as I wanted to snack rather than knit. I finished the gusset and I didn't snack. 

I have 39 rounds to knit on the foot and then the toe. It is close to being finished. 

Thoughts

    It was interesting to see fall, halloween, and Christmas decorations out all together in the stores we were in. I didn't stop to look at what they had for sale as I am not doing any decorating. I have a plan in place for next year. I am thinking that I will make some simple items using fabrics. My first colour will be yellow as I can use it for spring and fall. My idea is to have a combination of a light airy print with yellow in it matching either a yellow gingham or a textured solid. I like that better than having sunflowers for fall or Easter bunnies for spring. The idea has developed watching a lot of people decorate for the seasons. I am looking for items that I can use twice a year and are easy to store. 

    It is time to start thinking about making soup. I need to look at which ones I want to make and start making them. I know I will make fish chowder and chicken for sure. I would like to add one or two more so I can have a choice to thaw from the freezer. 

    We have had so much wind lately that the colourful leaves are almost off the trees. The colours were vibrant but short lived. I enjoyed them every time I went out in the car. 

Today

I am going to clean the front entry way and fold a few clothes this morning. This afternoon I want to clean up the memory book paper/sticker/etc. and get them ready to give away. It is going to take me a bit of time to do that job. I also need to empty the garbage I made while doing the job. If I have time, I will do a bit of work cleaning in the sewing room. Tonight I plan on knitting on the socks. 

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

A Difficult Day

 Yesterday was cloudy and humid. The high got to 24C (humidex 28C). It rained hard starting around 5 pm. This morning it is cloudy and 8C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 11C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday I cleaned the spare bedroom. I did get it done by noon. I laid down twice to stretch. Once the crack was between my shoulder blades and the other time I eased my muscles. The room was dusty but not as bad as the other rooms. The window rarely gets opened as it doesn't provide much air flow. 

The bed in the room is pretty much cleaned off. The clothes for the trip are in the suitcase and back pack. I have a few things I need to put away and what is left needs to be packed for the trip. The floor was vacuumed and mopped. The only thing I didn't do was the window. I forgot it but need to do other windows as it was too hot to wash them. They get streaky if washed when the sun shines on them. 

After lunch, I felt horrible. I was struggling before lunch but it hit me hard after lunch. I wanted to sleep but couldn't get comfortable. I was blaming my exhaustion on a lot of things; poor night's sleep, muggy weather, soreness, falling barometric pressure. 

I pushed myself out the door and went to the dollar store for the glue sticks. The store was busy and I hate being in a small store that is crowded with people. I got a few things, paid for them and left. I lounged on the couch until it was time to get a bowl of soup from family. 

I enjoyed the soup very much and it seemed to make me feel better. At 7 pm, I knew why I had been feeling horrible. I was having a bad IBS attack. When it was over, I was exhausted but I did feel better. What caused it, I do not know. 

It rained starting about 5 pm with light showers. When the rain arrived, so did the wind. It blew the storm in. There was a good amount of rain fall which was welcomed. It did cool off a lot and the air was starting to feel fresh when the showers started. 

Crafting

None done yesterday afternoon but I am ready with glue sticks. 

Knitting

I knit the heel flap, turned the heel, picked up the gusset stitches, and did 5 rounds on the gusset. 

Thoughts

    I watched Knitty Natty's video on how self striping yarn is made. She watched the process being done at Polka Dot Creek's studio in Alberta, Canada. It was an interesting video which makes me appreciate self striping yarns even more. The two pairs I knit last year were a lot of fun to knit. 

    I watched a very short video on how green tomato chow (relish) is made. The small factory making it is not that far from where I live. I remember my mom use to make it and it was okay but not my favourite relish. We did eat it on meat sandwiches and with pork. Now I know it is a Nova Scotia classic and eaten in the Maritimes. 

    I have the entry way and stairs to clean and upstairs will be done. It has been a lot of work but I am happy that I will have accomplished my goal. Once it is done (tomorrow), I will start cleaning under the stairs. 

Today

I am going to New Minas with daughter-in-law this morning. Once home, I will work on the memory book and will knit tonight. I am having a day off from cleaning house. 

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