A Day of Being Busy

 Yesterday was a wet day with a high of 7C at 5 pm and 10C at midnight. This morning it is cloudy and 10C. Today will be a mix of sun, clouds, and showers. The high will be 11C. 

Lifestyle

I was busy yesterday morning doing a few small chores before my friend arrived with coffee. She is moving to Ontario at the end of July and wanted me to see pictures of her condo and help with furniture layout. She is going to be living in a 500 sq. ft. space that is spotlessly clean and freshly painted. She has done a great job of figuring out her furniture arrangement so she can sew in the living room. She is moving to be closer to her sisters and their children. I will certainly miss her when she moves but in the meantime we will be visiting lots. 

Daughter-in-law arrived just after lunch with some fabric tubs for me. They do not fit in the yarn cube -- too big. Can't put Ikea tubs into a Home Depot cube. I will sell the cube and get an Ikea one on legs. 

While here, she took pictures of the corner desk in the sewing room and will put it on Facebook to sell. She also looked at the old gramophone and if they don't take it, she will put it up for sale. We also talked about the yard sale (I have us registered to be put on the map) and she will be bringing her stuff to sell soon to put in the shed. We are making our plans for that as the garage needs to be cleaned and I need to sort items for sale in the shed. My wagon is going to be busy moving stuff around. 

Sewing

I got the placemats done. It took me about 20 minutes to finish up the 2nd one as I sew very slowly when doing stitch in the ditch. They do add some colour in the dining room.

I am ready to hand sew the binding down on a 12" square. I am not sure I like it but I will use it on the table. I think I should have made the blue part smaller. 

I have one piece of the print left and I am going to sandwich, quilt and put blue binding around it. It will also be on the table. I will have a bit of the blue fabric left for another project. 

Knitting

I finished the gusset on sock #2 with no issues. The mistakes I thought I had made were only caused by me being very tired. 

I picked up sock #1 and knit half of the foot on it. 

Thoughts

    Spring seems to have arrived in the past couple of days. The nights have been above freezing which is our first sign. I am sure the trees will have leaves and the spring flowers will be blooming soon. 

    I had a good day mentally yesterday. I was busy all day. I had company and I moved a lot more than normal. I also had very little pain. I know that I need to be out more and amongst people in an environment that I enjoy. I am thinking on that and wonder what I could do to have a day out a few times a week. 

Today

I am going to do a bit of housework upstairs and then work downstairs getting more areas cleaned up. I want to hand sew the binding down on the square and maybe start the last one. Tonight I will knit on the socks. I want to be busy today. 

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

New Placemats Almost Done

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 10C. This morning it is cloudy and 3C. Today is supposed to be rainy with a high of 8C. 

Lifestyle

I started the morning out doing the balance sheet. I had to get myself oriented as the print out had amounts added between the last two amounts I had entered last week. All was good until it didn't balance. I hunted and looked and found out I had made a mistake when doing my subtraction. I did my little bit of statistics and put everything away for another week. 

Next up I folded the laundry. It was 2 loads and it took a bit longer than usual. All was put away and I declared that job done. I then put Rosie to work vacuuming and mopping and I escaped to the basement. I took down a couple of western items to put on top of the cube. 

I didn't take pictures of the items on the cube. I had put a piece of fabric on it and it was too dark. I need something lighter. It is just one dark piece of monotony. I did grab the blanket and pillow case off the chair in the sewing room and laundered it. It was full of Elliott's fur. It is now folded and put away to sell or give away at the yard sale. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon sewing the placemats. I have one done and the second one needs me to stitch in the ditch. 

I used the Inside Out Placemat pattern that I had bought a few years ago. 

I am struggling if I like the pattern or not. It was easy to make and I like how it allows you to showcase a lovely print. I think what I am struggling with is no binding around the outside edge. I did top stitch it almost 3/8" from the edge to get that look. 

I have cut out a 6.5" square of the pink fabric and will add navy blue borders to it so it is about 12" square. It will be used on the dining table. I still have navy fabric left along with the other pink fabric I used in the quilt. I am thinking of making a table runner for the little buffet out of it. I want to use up as much of the fabric as possible. I am not buying any more fabric for this project. 

I have some fabric in the stash that I will buy fabric to go with it and make a set of placemats and what ever else I can to use up that fabric. It will be a present for her. 

Knitting

I knit on the gusset of the 2nd sock last night and am about half done it. 

These socks are not being cooperative. I am struggling with the pattern when knitting the gusset. I am doing it correctly but my brain doesn't think so. It is probably because I am knitting them for the 2nd time.  

Thoughts

    I did look at what to clean next in the sewing room. I am thinking the doll's clothing to see what I need to make for outfits. I know that some of the Gotz doll outfits will be simple patterns and I may go that route with the 18" American Girl dolls. I will need to make a list of what is needed and start using scraps for those items. These will be on the list when I finish the Edwardian wardrobe. 

    I have had a bit of pain with the weather systems going through but nothing like I had. That was one of the worst flare ups I have experienced. I am still recovering from it as it left me exhausted. I am making myself move more as I want to sit and rest. That does not help the joints and muscles. 

    My front lawn looks sad. I think it needs to be reseeded. I am going to have to do that this week as the nights are going to be warmer now. I will do where the vegetable boxes were and  a few spots that are dead as can be. I hope we don't have a bad drought again this summer. 

Today

I have a few small things to do this morning before my friend comes over to visit. This afternoon I will finish the place mat and work on the square. When that is done, I will put the fabric away and work on it only when I have time. Tonight I will knit on the socks. 

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

Family Room Cleaned, Placemats Started

Yesterday was either cloudy or rainy. The high got to 8C. This morning it is clear and 1C. Today could be sunny and windy with a high of 9C. 

Lifestyle

With the rain coming in, I was a bit sore yesterday. It wasn't too bad so I kept going all day. My first job was to finish cleaning the family room. I did a lot of sorting and moving items in that area. I cleaned the baseboards, vacuumed the floor and mopped it. It was done and I was happy. 

The cube hold items for the printer and paper shredder. It was full of cubes that were empty. I have it down to 2 cubes at the bottom. The other ones are now in the sewing room with yarn in them. I have to find a picture to put on top of the cube. 

Sewing

With the cape done, I put away the left over fabric for other small projects. I got out the fabrics for 2 place mats and started to cut them out. I was short the dark blue fabric so went to the quilt shop and bought a meter of it plus a new rotary blade for my cutter. I didn't snoop shop as I wanted to get home and work on the placemats. 

Once home, I starched the fabric and it is ready to press and cut today. I then did a bit more cutting of fabric, pressed the trim piece, and sewed it onto the border pieces. I laid out the first place mat to see what it will look like. 

I now need to cut fusible fleece and the backing plus one border strip and I can finish these up. They are not done in the traditional sense as the edge pieces are sewn onto the back of the placemat and folded towards the front and then stitched down. 

There was no video on Making Space To Make this week. It is her scheduled week off. With the family room cleaned, I will putter in the sewing room doing small things that need to be done. 

This month, Sewing With Cinnamon is about harmony. We are to make a 2-3 piece capsule focusing on what we have learned so far. I am going to use pieces from the Edwardian wardrobe as I have lots of pieces to choose from. 

Knitting

The four black tubs I took out of the cube in the family room are now housing some of my yarn in the sewing room. I have to buy 5 more at Ikea. The lime green ones are being folded up and will be sold at the garage sale. 

I knit on the sock last night and finished the gusset on sock #1. I did have some moments when knitting last night as I thought I had screwed up the pattern. I didn't. I was just over tired from lack of sleep. 

Now to do sock #2's gusset. 

Thoughts

    Though I was sore yesterday, it wasn't like before. Just mild soreness that was annoying. I kept moving around resting while I waited for the floor to dry. I wasn't going to let it stop me from working. 

    There are two scams going on in our area right now. One is a text message about working remotely which means the scammers want to have access to your computer and data. They targeted me twice yesterday. I deleted them and reported it. The other is scammers phoning as police officers. They targeted daughter-in-law. She called our local police and found out more about it. After months of nothing, the scammers are targeting us once again. 

    Our community yard sale is on May 16. I will have to sign us up and then spend a day cleaning the garage. I have a lot of stuff to move around in preparation for it. I will have to park my car outside while I get things organized. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet, fold laundry, and do a quick tidy upstairs. I want to spend time sewing the place mats and I may even cut out some reindeer and work on them. I want to knit tonight. 

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

No Pain Means Lots Got Done

Yesterday started out sunny and then became a mix of sun and clouds. The high got to 17C. This morning it is cloudy and 7C. Today is supposed to have showers with a high of 9C. 

Lifestyle

I was out to get groceries. I was going to go to New Minas and then decided to shop locally. I was glad I did as the local grocery store wasn't busy and I was able to shop without crowds. Once home, I got the groceries put away. 

My next job was to sit and work on my knee. I did about 10 minutes and it is really helping. The outside part of my knee cap hurts which I will enquire about at physio. I had very little pain in my hip, back and knees all day. I think I had inflammation which caused everything to be so sore. I have a bit of pain this morning due to the rain coming but it is not affecting my walking, etc. 

Once the knee was dealt with, I was downstairs to do more cleaning in the family room. I worked on the area where I sit and do hand sewing. I moved furniture, cleaned, wiped, dusted, vacuumed and mopped everything in that area. I took out the recycling and have more to go out today. I am pleased with how it looks. 

While cleaning the coffee table I found a lot of Command picture hangers in one of the drawers. I had forgot I had bought them a couple of years ago. They will come in handy when I hang more pictures. 

The box on one chair has to be mailed to daughter. I am done putting items into it and just need to add a layer of batting to the top. 

I have one more part to do in this room. I did do a tiny bit on it. I now need to pull it apart and do the deep cleaning. It will be nice to have this area cleaned up. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon finishing up the cape for the rabbit. After giving it a good press, I hand sewed the turning hole closed and then did the arm and ear openings. I added a hook and eye at the neck. 

I did clean up after myself as I am working on good habits to keep the family room clean. 

I have the fabric out on the table to start making placemats using up the left over fabric from the quilt. I will probably have to buy fabric for it as I think I am short of the darker blue. I am looking forward to making them. 

Knitting

I knit on the socks last night and got the gusset stitches picked up on both socks. Sock #1 has 15 rounds done on the gusset. I am about half done the gusset. 

Thoughts

    I am certain my shoes are not the main problem for my soreness. I wear expensive running shoes and alternate between 2 pairs. I will be buying new shoes in the fall as I only wear them for a year and then replace them. For the pain to disappear overnight means I had inflammation due to stress and weather. What was surprising was how long it lasted. I've never had this happen for so long.

    I was thrilled at how much I did in the family room yesterday. With little to no pain, I was able to do things quicker and easier. The space left will take me less than an hour to do. Once done, I will move on to cleaning the rest of the basement. I do want it clean and tidy. 

    I think the robins are back. I am sure I saw one on a neighbour's lawn.  

Today

I have to do my stretching exercises and work on my knee. Once that is done, I will be downstairs to finish cleaning the family room. This afternoon I want to start cutting out the placemats and see if I need to go and buy more of the dark blue fabric. I do have to make dinner tonight so I have a couple of meals in the fridge. I will knit on the socks tonight. 

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

A Busy Day Volunteering

Yesterday was sunny and 11C. This morning it is clear and 2C. Today is supposed to be sunny and 16C. 

Lifestyle

I was out the door before 8 am to the community hall to make sandwiches. Daughter-in-law finished mixing the fillings while I made the cucumber sandwiches. I got them made, cut, and on the tray before anyone else arrived. Once they arrived, we made 17 more trays of sandwiches. We cleaned up and headed home.

At home, I sat on heat as my hip and knees were sore. I am not sure why they were aching but they ached. I keep thinking they are worn out but other times I wonder if my muscles are acting up. I did do the rubbing around and behind my right knee. It seems to be helping it bend much better. 

I was back at the hall at 1 pm to help serve at the celebration of life. Daughter-in-law and I served coffee and then did the clean up. The people were wonderful bringing most of the dirty dishes to the kitchen. We were done by 4:15 pm and I was home by 4:30 pm. I did another session on my knee and ate dinner. 

I did not sew or knit yesterday. 

Thoughts

    It seems like spring has arrived. Though the temperature did not drop below 0C last night, there is frost on the roofs and cars. We will have frost for a while but it disappears quickly. Frosts can occur until mid to late May. 

    I have had a bad spell with my knees and hips. I am sure that part is stress and part is the weather. I also wonder if my muscles are acting up though most of the pain is in the joints. I had thought maybe the pain was from sleeping poorly but it isn't that. I am getting enough restorative sleep. I am puzzled as to why this has gone on for so long. This morning I do feel less pain but who knows if it will get sorer as the day goes on. 

Today

I need to grocery shop and once home I want to do a few things in the basement. I also want to sew and knit today. I also need to make sure I do the massage on my knee twice so it does not stiffen up. 

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

Tidying Up The Thread Before Sewing

 Yesterday was sunny with a north wind. The high got to 5C. This morning it is clear and -4C (windchill -7C). Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 11C. 

Lifestyle

I got the sheets into the washer and did a bit of tidying up. I then did my exercises. I can feel the difference when doing them even if I missed 2 days. When done, I sat on the couch and massaged my knee. I used my knuckles to rub outwards from the knee cap and went around it several times. I also rubbed behind my knee at the joint. I was trying to break up scar tissue. I sat with heat on my knee afterwards as it was a bit sore. 

I got the sheets into the dryer and while they dried, I did a bit of research on my family tree. I am doing a bit on my mother's maternal line. I do know some about them but when I went back a bit further than before I found out they lived in Switzerland before moving to France. 

After I put out the bag of garbage for pick up late in the afternoon, I sat and did my knee again. I am going to have to do it once or twice a day for several months if I want to get the scar tissue broke up and my knee bending like normal. 

Sewing

My first job when I went into the sewing room was to sort through the threads in the tall set of drawers. I did the Glide thread first and made sure all the loose ends were caught in the base. I have thread that still has the plastic wrap on it. I am buying no more of it for a while as I have a good variety of colours. 

The next drawer was the thread I use more often for sewing. It was a bigger mess so I made sure all the ends were secure. I have a small tub that has the silk and cotton threads in it. The rest are rolling around in the drawer. I need a few tubs to contain them. I have lots of black, white, navy, grey, and cream thread in big spools. They are my go to when I sew. I have enough spools of coloured thread that I can match to fabric in the stash. I will buy the small ones when I need to match thread. 

I worked on the cape and got the seams on the plaid part ripped apart and sewn with the right seam width. I struggled with the hood but got it on. I then put the plaid and the lining pieces together and sewed them shut leaving a turning hole at the center back. Once I turned it, I rolled the edges and pinned them in place. It is ready for me to hand baste and then press. 

It will be reversible which is nice. 

I have to hand sew the opening at the back along with the arm and ear openings. A hook and eye needs to be added to the front. 

Knitting

I knit last night and got the heel flap done and the heel turned on sock #1. I then worked on heel flap #2 and got a lot done on it. 

I haven't knit socks in this manner for a long time and am enjoying watching the pair grow at the same time. 

Thoughts

    I was surprised at how cool it was outside yesterday. The wind was from the north and went through you. Hopefully it will be nicer as they are forecasting warmer temperatures. I need to plant grass seed where the vegetable boxes were. 

    I am thinking about what I will plant in tubs on the deck this summer. I have a pot I could plant a bit of lettuce in for salads. I would like to do tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers again. I do enjoy having the fresh vegetables during the summer. I will do some flowers at the shed but probably none on the deck. I will decide when the time comes. 

    I looked up to find out when the town's garage sale is going to be. Nothing yet so I will have to keep looking. I will be spending a morning in the garage cleaning it up before the sale. I know I will have a lot of work to do in there after ignoring it all winter. I also have items to bring down from the shed for the sale. Family has their items to bring. 

Today

I am out shortly to make a double batch of sandwiches at the community hall. We also have to set up the hall for a celebration of life. I will have a bit of time at home before I go to help serve tea and coffee. I don't think I will have time to sew this afternoon but will knit tonight. 

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

A Day of Being Busy

 Yesterday's weather was a mix of sun and clouds with a bit of snow blown in for good measure. The high got to 6C. This morning it is clear and -1C (windchill -3C). Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 5C. 

Lifestyle

I had to make a double batch of cookies yesterday. I started out early so I could get them done in good time. The first batch went into the compost bin. I forgot to put the leavening agents into it. The second batch was made and done by 11 am. I was out the door to get flour and margarine so I could make the last batch of cookies. I had them done by 1:30 pm. I made about 6.5 dozen cookies. 

Daughter-in-law called shortly after I had cleaned up and asked if I would like to go to the city. I said sure and off we went. We went to Bayer's Lake which is just outside Halifax. Our first stop was the Asian store to find bone broth for son. I do like looking at all the different Asian foods in that store. Once done, we headed to Costco. 

At Costco we got all the items to make sandwiches tomorrow. We have to make them for 2 funerals. Costco was busy as usual. I buy a few items there but not a lot Most is too much for one person. I did get myself stuffed peppers for dinner and ground pepper as I was almost out of it. We got into the line up and was out of there in fairly good time. 

We got home about 5 pm and I was tired. I cooked the peppers and had a late dinner. 

Sewing

None again yesterday. I didn't even look in the sewing room. 

Knitting

I did knit last night. I finished the leg on sock #2. I started the heel flap on sock #1 and as I was finishing row 12 I saw I had a dropped stitch in the heel flap. I unknit to the dropped stitch row, picked it up and knit until I had 20 rows done. 

Thoughts

    We were supposed to get up to 2" of snow last night and we got a skiff. Not enough to make anything white. It was nice the storm missed us. Hopefully this was the last snow for us this spring. 

    I walked a bit of my property yesterday and picked up a downspout that had blown off. I am hoping I can get out and pick up stuff off the lawn. I want to see if I have to reseed my lawn this spring. It isn't look very good at the moment. Did last summer's drought do more damage than I had thought. 

    I looked across at the house that has a lot of daffodils planted in the front. The leaves are up so we can expect to see blooms in the next few weeks. I will have to check the plants at family's and see if they are coming up and will be blooming soon. 

Today

I am planning on being at home all day today. I have to do some laundry, some house work, and my exercises. I want to sew this afternoon, take a small walk in the yard, and knit tonight. 

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