Mug Rugs Completed

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 5C. This morning it is cloudy, foggy, and 2C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with flurries. The temperature is supposed to drop to -3C (windchill -10C). 

Lifestyle

Yesterday I decided to dry mop the floors to see how much dust there was under the furniture. Virtually nothing which was nice. I also dusted all the furniture. Not a lot of dust on them either. While doing this, I had to go and crack my SI/back as it was painful. I wondered if I had over extended while doing under the furniture. 

I also cleaned the bathroom and washed the floor in there. I did a load of laundry got it folded and put away. When I looked at the clock it was 10 am. I was finished cleaning upstairs so I rounded up garbage/recycling and took it out. I also charged the batteries for the Dyson vacuum cleaners. 

Sewing

I spent a lot of time in the sewing room. In the morning, I measured the fabric on the bottom shelf. I put 4.7 meters of fabric into the donation box. The orange fabric is gone. I also measured the three pieces of fabric left and there are 2 one meter pieces and one 2 meter piece. I put the heat and bond onto the top of the little drawer unit and took a picture of the bottom shelf. 

Next up was to take all the fusible fleece out of the drawer unit. I have a lot of it and will not be buying any for a long, long time. I also found a bag of cotton batting used for mug rugs and other items you put into the microwave. It is all put away neatly. The bottom drawer was emptied and all the interfacing put on the table. The small bits were tossed and the rest folded and put back into the drawer. That drawer is almost empty which is great. 

My last job before lunch was to take apart two more 9 patches. I got it done plus all the blocks are now cut to 2" square. 

After lunch, I sat and hand sewed the binding down on the remaining mug rugs. They are now done. 

The green ones look really nice also. 

They are pressed and put away. I will put tea and hot chocolate packets into them before I sell them. 

Knitting

I almost procrastinated on the doll's sweater but I set about to finish it. I got it done. 

I need to give it a steam with the iron so the front bands lie flat. I tossed it on to the pillow with the yarn and had to take a picture of how it landed. 

I now need to get ready for March's projects. All I have on the list is a pair of socks and a hat. 

Thoughts

    I am not sure if I over extended my SI joint or if I am having a small flare up. The tissue around my SI joint is tender and sore. Nothing else is bothering me. I am putting lots of heat on it at the moment and am walking around to see if that will help. 

    I have been monitoring what I have been eating and my scales are having me gain 1.1 lbs every couple of days. I even changed the batteries in it. They are very old (15+ years) so I think I need to buy a new set of scales. 

    Marianne, I was sorry to read that you lost your cat, Bobo. I hope that your new cat is giving you some happiness and that it will help you heal from your loss. Elliott has been gone almost a year and I still miss him. I am still okay that I did not get another cat as Elliott was to be our last cat.  

    With the bottom shelf of the fabric stash unit cleaned up, I am going to work on the next shelf up. It is time to deal with the patterns and I am setting a time line to have it done by March 8 - 9. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet, pay some bills, and get groceries. When done that, I am going to finish picking apart the last 2 blocks and cut them to size. I also want to start cutting out the quilt. I am out for dinner tonight at my friends so will not be doing much knitting tonight. I may get the hat cast on and a few rows knit. 

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

Finding A Hidden UFO

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of -1 (windchill -6C). This morning it is clear and -8C (windchill -13C). Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 7C. 

Lifestyle

I had a busy day yesterday. I started out by putting the sheets into the washer and dryer. I then tore my bedroom apart and vacuumed and mopped the floor. It wasn't too bad except for under a chair that Rosie can't get under. I put the bedroom back together and made the bed later in the afternoon. 

While sections of the bedroom floors dry, I cleaned up the couch where I knit. It was getting messy as I wasn't putting things away properly. It looks much better. I also vacuumed the floor in front of the couch as I had put feathers from a pillow on the floor. The pillow needs to be replaced. 

My last job of the morning was to clean under the sink. I removed everything and washed it down. I then filled my spray bottles and tossed 2 containers into the recycling bin. I put everything back in neat and tidy. I am amazed that I have less under the sink than I have ever had. I have met my goal of using up old cleaning supplies before buying new. 

Sewing

I have decided it is time to really look at the fabric on the shelving unit. It has been a point of frustration and high emotions for me. I am building a plan on how to tackle it. My first job was to look at the bottom shelf. I thought it would be easy to deal with. Not so. The first item I touched was the foam interfacing and I tossed it. It was a bunch of scraps that were useless. I found the fusible webbing for a project (good) and a roll of paper that I will put into the donation box. The fabric sits as I need to buy fabric for projects. I did find my apron patterns (good). 

I found a small project that I worked on last year. I was using up the Morris fabric from my quilt for a doll's quilt. I hated it. I had stuffed it away and forgot it was there. A UFO that needs to be dealt with.

I sat for 45 minutes and started to rip it apart. I got 2 blocks completely done. I found the remaining fabric from the quilt. Not shown is the white fabric which I will use in another project. My goal is to use up the fabric I have shown below. 

My plan is to cut the squares down to 2" and make Irish chain toppers for the bedside tables. I will work on it when I have a few minutes here and there. It is one of my extra projects for March. I will have to buy backing fabric which is okay. 

I sewed the red binding on the 2nd mug rug, then made the green binding and bound the last 2 mug rugs. I took my hand sewing out to the family room and started to hand sew. The first mug rug is done and ready for a good pressing. 

I got half of the binding sewn down on the 2nd mug rug. 

I was happy with what I had gotten done in the sewing room yesterday. 

I am still thinking about the fabric on the bottom shelf. One piece has western boots on it. I may make placemats and potholders for daughter out of it. I will have to buy fabric for it but I am okay with that. It can be a birthday or Christmas gift for her. 

Knitting

I had a bit of time before dinner to sit and sew the shoulder seams on the doll's sweater. It was perfect timing as the room was bright with sunlight. After dinner I finished knitting the sweater. It is now ready to be sewn together. 

I now need to get my supplies ready for March. 

Thoughts

    I have decided to focus on the bathroom for the next couple of months. I want to do some upgrading in that room. My first job will be to paint the trim. Then I will upgrade the towel bar, etc. I have to look into getting a price for the counter top and taps. Then it will be towels, pictures, and maybe a curtain or blind on the window. I still need to pick a colour for that room besides grey, white, and blue. I may go with a soft green. 

    The snow is slowly disappearing with the sun and warmer temperatures. It is nice to see it go only to read we get more snow tomorrow. Winter is not done with us yet even though we are done with it. 

    My back was sore from using the vacuum cleaner and mop. I tried not to over extend but somehow it happened. I did have a fair amount of discomfort from it. I woke at midnight and when I did some stretching and rolling, I had a huge crack in my back. Something released. I did a few more stretches and had a few pops and a small crack. The pain was gone. Just some sore muscles this morning. 

    I am happy with how much I accomplished this month. The upstairs has been cleaned. I got door handles on 2 doors and the stoppers on 3 doors replaced. I have decluttered every room. I sewed all the projects I had planned. Knitting has been done and I have finished projects that were to be completed in March. I should be done all the projects planned for the first 3 months by the end of March. 

Today

My goal is to dry mop the floors and dust furniture. I want to wet mop the bathroom floor. I hope to take apart 2 more 9 patches from the doll's quilt and cut down some of the squares to 2". I also want to finish sewing the binding down on the mug rugs. I also need to wind yarn for socks so I can start them in March. I will sew the doll's sweater together and get the buttons on it. 

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

Working On Mug Rugs

 Yesterday was more sunny than cloudy with a high of 5C. This morning it is clear and -5C (windchill -8C). Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 1C. 

Lifestyle

I was out early to pick up daughter-in-law on the way to make sandwiches. The lady who cut the sandwiches did them perfect (green with envy) and after I had made 2 loaves of sandwiches I put them on the trays for her. I was home before 9:15 am. 

Once home, I sat on heat and had my 2nd cup of coffee. I was sore which was to be expected. I then got up and got busy. I cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen. I folded laundry and put it away. I generally was busy and when I stopped well before lunch, I was surprised that the house was tidy and clean except for my bedroom floor. I wasn't touching it while I was sore. 

I kept an eye on the driveway and deck as about .5 -.75" of snow had fallen. The deck cleared off quickly and the deep snow actually went down in height. The driveway was slower and I thought I was going to have to shovel it. At 4 pm, I looked to see and it was clear and dry. Even the snow drifts were getting smaller though there is still a lot of snow left to melt. 

I spent a good hour prepping and making dinner last night. I enjoyed myself immensely. I cleaned up the kitchen for the 2nd time and had 3 meals; one to eat and 2 for the fridge. 

Sewing

I took the fabric I had bought to the sewing room when I finished cleaning upstairs. Before I knew it, I had it all spray starched. I put it in a plastic bag to soak up the starch evenly before I put it on the drying rack. The 4 pieces of fabric took one can of spray starch. I will be using this method when I starch quilts. I can buy spray starch at one store. I can't buy liquid starch in our province. 

I looked in the container I keep the quilting fabric in. I have all the fabric for 1 quilt plus the starts for 3 others. On the shelving unit I have the fabric for another quilt (donation). I will put it into the container as I have an empty drawer. 

I decided to make 4 mug rugs using some Christmas fabric. All of it was given to me. I had fun choosing the fabrics to go with the bird print and then sewing them up. I made binding from the left over red print and will make binding from the left over green print. 

I have a lot of the bird print so I used it for the back of the mug rug. 

I want to get the binding on all 4 before I hand sew. 

Knitting

I did knit on the doll's sweater last night and it is ready for me to sew the shoulder seams together. This pattern is unusual in the fact that I had to do baby cables up the armhole of the left side. It is a nice touch. 

I will have to wind sock yarn soon so I can knit the yarn daughter sent me. 

Thoughts

    It was nice to have a warmer day yesterday. There are a few more of these days forecasted which I will enjoy. We do have some cooler nights which will remind us that winter is not over yet. We still have March which can have snow and cold weather. 

    I felt better yesterday though my pain level was higher than I wanted it to be. Everything was still settling down after physio. I also probably kept everything upset as I spent a lot of time walking up and down the stairs correctly, walking all over the house, and doing a lot of stretching, especially my knee. This morning my back cracked and I am feeling less pain. I am sure I will be sore after my osteo appointment on Wednesday. 

    I have decided to start making some Christmas gifts. I will be incorporating them into my monthly sewing and knitting goals. I also want to spend one afternoon a week doing crafts using my Cricut. My first project will be a Christmas ornament for daughter's new puppy. 

Today

I am going to finish cleaning my bedroom this morning. I have dust some furniture and clean up my knitting area. This afternoon I want to work on the mug rugs. Tonight I will work on the doll's sweater. 

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

Fabric For A Quilt Purchased

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 0C. It snowed after midnight and the temperature rose to 2C at 3 am. This morning it is cloudy and 0C (windchill -4C). Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with some flurries or showers. The high is to get to 5C. 

Lifestyle

I had physio first thing and it was quite the session. I am aligned with my SI joint being released and relaxed. I was flexible bending forward and to the right. Somewhat tight leaning backwards and to the left. Better than before but still tight. The physiotherapist decided to start targeting areas. She worked on my left knee and broke up scar tissue around the joint. She did the long leg traction and got my back to release. She pulled so hard she had my shoe coming off. My back cracked and released. When she finished that, she opened the leg to 45 degrees and pulled again. That I felt in left hip. I had to do some windshield washer movements and my knee cracked and released. I did my gym exercises and had current therapy. I was sore when I left as everything was flared up from the treatment. 

At home, I sat on heat while I had coffee. I made myself get up and do 2 loads of laundry and a few things that needed to be done. I sat when I was too sore to keep going but as soon as I rested some, I hobbled back to doing things. 

By 9 pm I was exhausted from the soreness. I did take tylenol and slept for almost 6 hours. I did stretch and my back cracked and released. That felt good. I am a bit sore today but I know it will ease off. I have better mobility in my knee which is nice. I am hoping I'll be much better when I go back in 7 weeks. 

Sewing

I decided to go to the quilt shop closest to me. I knew I could turn around at exit 8 if the roads got bad. They were clear and dry the whole way. 

At the store, I looked for specific fabrics for quilts. I wanted teal for the horse wall panel but only found this light neutral. 

I also found fabric for a piece of fabric daughter sent me for Christmas 2024. It is another hard piece to pick fabrics for. I struggled as I had thought pink and brown which I didn't want. I put a lot of fabrics with it and finally got a combination I love. 

I am going to make this quilt out of it. It is a trial run for when I use the horse panel. 

My next outing will be to the other quilt shop to look for fabric for the horse panel. 

Knitting

While I sat on heat in the evening, I decided to knit to stay awake. I got the front of the sweater knit. 

It was tricky in spots as I thought there were mistakes but there wasn't. I also attached the yarn to the back part and got a few rows knit on it. 

This doll's sweater is coming along but it certainly has kept me on my toes. It is a project I will be happy to have finished. 

Thoughts

    I haven't been as sore as I was yesterday for a long time. I would say the pain level was an 8. But, on the other hand, I have more flexibility which I didn't have before. It is great to be able to move my knee more. It is great to be less stiff in my body and to have better balance. I have osteopathy next week so I wait and see what will be targeted at that appointment. 

    We had a bit of snow fall last night but I am not going to deal with it until late in the afternoon. I will let the warm temperature melt it first and then will do some clean up if necessary. It is going to be cold so I don't want ice on the driveway during the cold snap. 

    I am back to wanting to do things in the house. I had a bit of a funk with my knee hurting so much. I will start by doing some tidying up upstairs and then work in the basement. 

Today

I am out shortly to make sandwiches. Once home, I will finish cleaning my bedroom and do some tidying up in other areas. I would like to sew but need to deal with the fabric I bought first. I will knit tonight. I do have to make dinners and plan on making Koren chicken. 

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

Thinking About Quilts

 Yesterday was cloudy with a tiny bit of weak sunshine in the afternoon. The high got to -1C (windchill -7). This morning it is clear and -8C (windchill -13C). Today is supposed to be a mix of sun, clouds, flurries, and more snow tonight. The high is to get to 0C. 

Lifestyle

Here is what one person wrote about our weather. 

  Well… your friendly neighbourhood snow shovel operator is finally off duty. 
    That Nor’Easter didn’t just knock — it kicked the door in, ate the storm chips, and left us all questioning our life choices.

His sense of humour is fabulous as he describes what happens. 

I was out the door early to shovel snow. I pushed snow down from the garage door so I could get out and then did a part of the driveway so I could shovel the little sidewalk and front steps and landing. The snow was heavier than I thought it would be and it was packed tight into drifts. I left the majority of the driveway to be cleaned by the person I hired. The roll of snow (berm) at the end of the driveway was over 2 feet high. 

After a brief rest (less than 5 minutes) I tackled the back deck. The snow had drifted in there and it was between 18" and 2.5 feet deep. I shovelled about 2/3rds of the deck and did down the stairs. I was beat by the time I got that done. The snow was heavy and I have to throw it over the railing. I put everything away and had a rest. I was finished. 

It was noisy outside with people snow blowing, equipment moving about clearing out driveways, and voila, there was noise in my driveway. It was being cleaned. I now have snow piled up between 3 and 6 feet along side the driveway as do other people in our area. The worst part - we have more snow coming tonight. Not as much, but it is supposed to be heavy wet snow. 

After a brief rest and fluids, I made a pot of turkey soup. It is nice to have soup in the fridge for lunches. I spent some time cleaning up the kitchen and then had to have an early lunch. My blood sugar was going low. My breakfast was used up shovelling snow.

Sewing

I tidied up the cutting table in the afternoon and hauled out fabric for a quilt. Daughter had sent me this panel and I would like to make it into a quilt. 

I am in decision making mode about it. I have a pattern I want to use but I think I need to buy fabric for it. I would love to do it in teals which I don't have. I have mainly browns set aside and am not sure if I want to do in with browns. This is the pattern I have chosen. 

A quick look tells me I have 4 quilts to make and then I will have used up all the fabric I have. I do have a pile of dog fabric and I need to find out if and when I have to make a quilt for an auction. I am at 5 quilts which I could get done if I keep 3 of them simple in design. 

Knitting

I worked on the doll's sweater and have divided the sweater into the 2 fronts and back. 

The pattern is showing up nicely now. Excuse the row marker. 

The problem with the pattern is that it states to cast on 96 stitches but proceeds to be designed for 92 stitches. I have 4 extra stitches in the back that I will have to decrease when I get up to the next. I am sure we told the designer but I am not sure if she fixed it and if she did, I didn't get the updated version. I will be making a note to only cast on 92 stitches the next time I make it. 

Thoughts

     I have figured out how much fabric I need for the quilt but I haven't decided on a day to go shopping for the fabric. I have also thought about trying the pattern out using fabric I have in the quilt fabric drawer so I know how to do the pattern before I have to adapt it to the horse panel. These quilts will be done when I have time. 

    We are in for some more colder weather over the next 5 to 6 days. After tonight's snow, there is very little snow in the forecast while it is colder. We are all hoping March's weather will be kinder to us as we really do not need more snow. 

Today

I am out for physio early and once I get home I need to do laundry and some housework if I am not too sore. If all looks good, I may go to the closest quilt shop and look at fabric this afternoon. I do need to get out of the house and go further than the grocery store. I will knit on the doll's sweater tonight as I am hoping to get it done by the weekend. 

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

And It Snowed Once Again

 Yesterday was snowy and windy with a temperature of -3C (windchill -11C) at 3 pm. This morning it is cloudy, windy, snowing lightly, and -2C (windchill -8C). Today will be cloudy and windy with a high of 0C. 

Lifestyle

I was out first thing to make sandwiches at the hall. I got to spread the filling onto the bread yesterday. I did 3 loaves of bread which is what others do. We were done just after 9 am. 

I had to go into town to pay a bill and pick up some groceries just in case we lost power. The grocery store was busy as people were buying for the same reason. I got some healthy choices that I could eat if the power went out or if it didn't. I hustled getting my groceries so I could get out of there. 

I was home by 10:30 and after putting away the groceries, I put a half of a turkey breast on to cook. I folded the last load of laundry and put it away. I also cleaned off and washed the dining table. I then picked the meat off the turkey breast and put the bones into the freezer to make soup. The meat will added to the broth and used in a stir fry. 

The snow started at 1 pm and it picked up to become heavy very quickly. Visibility was minimal as the snowfall was heavy. The wind blew and there was drifting. It was exactly what they had predicted. The snow plow did the roads just before 4 pm. I put on sweat pants over my leggings and got my outer gear on: winter coat, boots, 2 pairs of mitts, and a toque. It was time to clear out the snow the plow had put into the driveway.

It was quiet outside as there were only a few people out shovelling snow. I shovelled my path to the street and started shovelling the snow out of the driveway. The snow was relatively dry so it was easy shovelling. I had the snow cleared out of the driveway when my neighbour joined me and we started to do the main part of the driveway. We kept moving along and before we knew it, a third person joined us. We finished the driveway in no time flat. I did the front walk and landing and went inside. I wasn't tired, I really felt good. I will do the front landing and walk and the back deck this morning. I have someone coming in to plow the driveway with his truck. 

The barometric pressure dropped a lot yesterday and I wasn't sore at all. I am not sure why but I sure enjoyed being pain free. Usually these storms have the tissue around my knees and SI joint swollen and sore. I am going to take this as a win for me. Am I getting into a better place with my left hip/SI joint. I sure hope so. 

Last evening I saw this on Facebook. I had a good chuckle over it. 

Sewing

I did not sew yesterday. 

Knitting

As the lighting was perfect for grafting the scarf together, I did that in the afternoon. It took me a while to do as I was being very careful. I am pleased with how well I did on my first attempt. 

It is ready to be put away. My first Christmas present is done. 

Before heading out to shovel snow, I cast on the stitches for the body of the doll's sweater and knit the first row. After dinner I knit the ribbing and am now ready to start the body part. 

Though not on the list, I am going to cast on a hat using the remain yarn from the scarf. I only have to finish the doll's sweater and knit a pair of socks in March so knitting a hat is doable. 

Thoughts

    It was lovely outside shovelling yesterday. The only loud noise was a person on a four wheeler clearing two entrances to people's driveway. The rest of the time was quiet. There were only a few people out shovelling so all you heard was some people talking as they shovelled. I did see one person out at 9 pm shovelling his driveway. The other people probably watched us "crazies" out there wielding our shovels. 

    We were very lucky and had power through the whole storm. The wind had moments of blowing up to 50 km/hr but it didn't reach the 90 km/hour as predicted. I am grateful that we had power all night. 

    I did a bit more research on Acadian clothing in the Maritimes. I found out that they wore mainly wool and linen clothing as they had sheep and grew flax. Cotton would have been a luxury as it had to be brought in by ship. Probably not worn often by the families who live on farms. They wore, it seems, clothing that was more durable. They also knit items which probably was mainly socks and mitts. With large families to cloth, I am sure there was little time to make fancy clothing and hand knit laces. 

Today

I have to shovel the snow from the back deck and front landing. I would like to make a pot of soup. If I am not too tired and have time, I will start cleaning up the sewing room. I will knit if I am too tired. I will also knit tonight. It is a day that will develop as I see now long the shovelling takes. 

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

February's Sewing Completed

 Yesterday was wonderfully sunny with a high of -1C (windchill -4C). This morning it is cloudy and -4C (windchill-7). Today the snow is to start falling this afternoon and the high will get to -2C (windchill -10C). The snow fall from this storm could be up to 25 cm. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I did the balance sheet and I have not spent a lot of money in the past week. I got the numbers to balance and put it away quickly. 

I made cookies yesterday morning. These are to go with the sandwiches we make at the community hall. I have not made them as big as they requested so I made one that weighed 25 grams and another that weighed 30 grams. 

Daughter-in-law came over to see which one was the right size and to have her fix as she loves them. She weighed the cookie dough for me and I made the cookies. I was done by noon which included cleaning up the kitchen. I will make the next batch on Friday. 

I did fold the towels while cookies were baking but didn't get the other load done. I am behind on that and need to get it done quickly as I will need to do laundry soon. 

Sewing

I found an embroidery design I liked and finally got it printed. It was too big for the stomacher. I decreased the size and still too big. Third try was perfect. I chose the colours I wanted for the design and got everything ready to stitch out. 

I was a bit nervous about stitching out the design. My last attempt had issues. I changed the needle and decided to give it a try. It stitched out beautifully. It was well digitized which was a bonus as the design was free. I was excited when it was done. 

I cut out the backing and sewed the stomacher. I turned it and hand sewed the opening. The little dots on the sides are for the snaps which will be here in a week or so. 

I thought I would play with some lace on it but have decided to leave it plain for now. I can easily hand sew it on if I decide to go that route. 

Knitting

I looked for yarn online for the doll's sweater. Nothing in the deep purple I wanted. So I decided to knit using the yarn I had. I got the 2nd sleeve done. 

I will knit the body, sew it together and see if I like it. The tension is correct both in stitches and rows. If I don't like it, I will choose another yarn and redo it. 

Thoughts

    To the person in South Africa, we dress for the cold which can get to -20C. We have proper outdoor wear which is lighter than I wore in northern BC. I wore outdoor clothing rated for -50C. If we have no wind, I will shop in -10C. I do understand how you don't do much at 5C. When in Montevideo, we watched people bundle up in warm clothes at 16C. We were wearing a light hoodie and enjoying ourselves outdoors. The people enjoyed the 30-34C temperatures and we were overheating from it. 

    I am finished my February sewing and it feels good to have it done. I will spend some time cleaning the sewing room and laying out a quilt. It is time to work on it for a few days before I start working on March's projects. 

    I am almost prepared for the storm that will hit this afternoon. I need to get a few items from the grocery store just in case the power goes out. Everything is charged including the portable generator. I have blankets ready and will have a thermos of hot water boiled tonight and wrapped in towels. I can reboil it in the morning if I have power. 

Today

I am out to make sandwiches at the hall first thing. I have to go get a few items at the grocery store to have if the power goes out. I want to vacuum my bedroom, make spaghetti sauce, and work on the scarf this afternoon. I will knit on the doll's sweater tonight. 

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