2020 - A Year of Balance

It is the last day of this decade for us. 2019 was a year of good and bad for me.  
The Good - I sewed a lot of fabric this year. It became a forced issue to get the fabric off the stash shelf. I made a consorted effort to use up the fabric so I can buy a few new pieces. 
The Bad - Our basement flooded on April 8 and we didn't get it back for 8 weeks. My sciatic nerve flared between late April and June and all the pain and stress I was feeling gave me a good case of gastro issues. 
With most of the bad behind us, we look at 2020.

2020

This year is a move towards balance in our lives. For me that means balancing sewing, home, and travel.  

Health

• Self care
• Loose 25 lbs. this year through healthy eating, moving more, and drinking more fluids
• Continue going to WW at Sackville as it is a great fit for me at this time.

Home

• Get work done upstairs as we have planned
• Get our front porch boards redone and have the back deck done. 
• Yard work by me. I need to get outside more and enjoy the yard. 

Sewing

• Sew 50 meters of fabric this year from the stash. 
• Continue with monthly to do list to keep focused on sewing down the stash.  
• Sew up half of the Christmas fabrics. 
• Try to complete half of the UFO's in the sewing room. 
• Do 1 embroidery project each month. 
• Test sew for the dolls.
• Finish the sewing room decor. Desk and filing cabinet need to be purchased and pictures hung. 
• Balance sewing with life - sew more in winter, less in summer
• Finish the Couture Sewing (doll) Academy. 

Knitting

• Knit using a variety of yarn weights from the stash. 
• Knit test patterns for the dolls. This is something I enjoy. 
• Do Sweater 101 (child's size) so I can knit myself a nice sweater.
• Think about renewing my membership with the Knitting Guild Association and redo the beginner's class. I'm ready now that I've knit a lot in the past 2 years.   

Other

• Do some exploring during the nice weather once to twice a month.
• Visit Newfoundland if possible. 
• Read a book now and again. 

I am looking forward to 2020. 

A Christmas Tree Skirt Begun

Yesterday was sunny but the wind made it feel cooler than the 0C it was most of the day. Today is suppose to have flurries in preparation for the snow/rain/freezing rain tomorrow. It is currently -3C at 6 a.m.

Lifestyle

I finished one more part of the paperwork this morning. Still more to go but I'm getting there. I hope to be done by the end of the week. 
The laundry did get folded and we didn't starve to death while I'm doing this job. I do take sanity breaks and did quit at noon. 

Sewing

I made a choice not to wash the sewing room floor today. It will get done in the next few days. Instead I needed to do something fun. I chose to make a circular pattern for a tree skirt for our small tree. 

It is circular and quite small looking. But it will have a ruffle on it. I did press the paper pattern and laid it on fabric. 

I had hoped the stripe would be the ruffle but it wasn't happening. I gave up and used the fabric the pattern is on for the ruffle.Got a big no on snowflakes.

I laid the snowstorm fabric down with the check and I had a winner. 

I pressed the fabric and laid the pattern on it. The opening edge is on the straight of the grain. I also made the hole in the center 1/4" smaller drawing it in with a pencil. 

The fabric is folded so I will have an outer and a lining. 
I have cut one of the ruffles and need to make another one. From the remaining fabrics I will make two table toppers for the end tables in the living room. If there is a piece of the snowstorm fabric left, I will make a small table topper for the shelf the tree sits on. 
When done, these projects will have used up 1.5 meters of fabric. I will keep you posted on the steps I'm taking to make them. 
I took my new iron out of the box today. Grandson gave it to me for Christmas so I can press doll clothes. Love it. 

Knitting

I'm making headway on the dress. I'm loving it but will have to knit more rows as I think it is going to be too short. This is not uncommon for me. If I knit to stitches/inch, I am sometimes have to knit more rows. Especially with fine yarn. 

Today

 I'm out to get weighed in, do some shopping and get home in good time. I am not sure what I will do in the afternoon, depends on how I feel.
Until the next time......................................

A Day of Paper Work

The temperature has remained between 0C and 4C for the past couple of days. Today the wind has come up giving us a wind chill factor of -5C at 8:30 a.m. while the temperature is 0C. Brrrrr. We are to get snow on Tuesday which I'm sure is causing itself to blow in.

Lifestyle

Yesterday was a day at the table doing paperwork. I took a few short breaks during the day and stopped mid afternoon. Not done yet. 
The combination of stress and onions (my choice to eat them 3 out of 4 days) has caused my IBS to flare up some. It's more of an inconvenience rather than it taking over my life. A few days of bland eating should have it back under control. 

Sewing

I was into the sewing room, looked at the Christmas fabric on the table, got a piece of yarn and needle and walked out. I'm thinking when I have a bit of time about what I want to make out of that fabric. Ideas are forming. 

Knitting

I spent a bit of time sewing on one button, dressing Kit, and doing photos. 
The test pattern is now completed and on the Kit. 

I'm thinking of a skirt either in the dusty rose or white. Probably the white to tie in the buttons. 
The sweater set was also photographed. 

I want to make a pleated skirt to wear with it. Love a plaid but it may end up being a textured looking plain. 
I knit on the dress and am 2/3rds done. Increases have started so it is going to take more time as the number of stitches increase every 4th row. I'm loving the dress though. 

Today

There is more paper work to be done, laundry to fold, and, maybe, the tree skirt pattern drawn up. I will also knit the doll's dress with hopes of getting a few more rows done. 

A Lovely Change of Plans

Yesterday started out cold at -12C and ended up at 3C at 9 pm. During the night the temperature rose to 6C and back down to 3C this morning. There were ice pellets, snow, and rain starting mid afternoon to 9 p.m.

Lifestyle

November's budget is done and I'm happy about that. As I finished up, we got a phone call to lunch in Sackville. A change of plans and a nice one. 
The drive to Sackville was great. Roads clear and we clipped along. On the way home, we came the old highway so we could stop at son's house for a minute. We were about 10 minutes from there and ice pellets started to fall. There was a light coating on the ground when we got home. 
We had to go to town to pick up my parcel at 4:30 pm. The skies had got darker all afternoon and when we left if was just starting to snow. Got home and it was snowing good. Out to the mail as another parcel arrived and it was really snowing. Roads were being plowed and salted. It stopped snowing and then rained. Almost all the snow is gone this morning. 

Sewing

The floor of the sewing room did not get washed yesterday. I will try today to get it done. 
The two parcels that arrived were a surprise as I thought they wouldn't arrive until Jan. 2. 

This placemat pattern had been at the main sorting postal center near Halifax for 7 days before it was delivered. It was caught in the backlog of parcels. I read the pattern and can't wait to make the place mats. If there is enough fabric left over, I'll do the other pieces also (Napkin rings and table topper).
The other parcel moved quickly through the system as it came via other means of transportation. I was surprised that it was delivered yesterday. Nellie arrived and I'm in love with her. 

She is as lovely as they said on eBay. I didn't buy her for the dress so it will be put in the bought clothes bin. Her hair is lovely, her limbs tight and she is clean. Her face is cute and not like the others and she has freckles. 

I will be researching her wardrobe and matching patterns to make her a wardrobe. 

Knitting

I knit on the dress last night and am about half done. Kit tried it on and it fits her perfectly. 

I have been concentrating on the pattern as there have been a lot of decreases through the body. Once we get past the waist, there is increases for the skirt. I will be excited to see it done as it is a cute pattern. 

Today

December's budget is to be done, sewing room floors washed, knitting on the dolls dress, and, if time, making a paper pattern for a tree skirt. 
Until the next time.....................................

The Sewing Room Is Clean

It is -12C this morning and there is no wind. This has been expected as the temperatures have been dropping for the past couple of days. We are to have snow this afternoon. 

Lifestyle

We had a fabulous Christmas this year. Good food, good people and lovely gifts. The food was simple this year so no one person spent all day cooking and we ate off paper plates at noon and dinner. We laughed and enjoyed the luxury of having family together. I texted daughter while we opening gifts and she snap chatted with grandson. 
Yesterday we were home all day relaxing. Elliott was happy to have us home and he did let us know he was upset with us being away so much. He started to clear off the puzzle table. 

The lid and some pieces landed on the floor and the rest was on the chair. 

He came running up the stairs, said he was helping to sort puzzle pieces, and sauntered off to bed for the day. 
I spent some time getting Netflix up on the basement TV. It took some doing but its ready for us to watch when we want some movies. I also tried to set up My Cloud but need a special cable to hook the machine to the internet box. I want to put all our files on it. Lastly I tried to get the Mac to work on the TV and failed miserably on that. I have to find the Apple TV box and try again. There was successes and failures in the technology department. 

Sewing

With my back feeling better, I tackled the sewing room and finished cleaning it. Two bags of garbage left the room, all surfaces were wiped, the floor swept, and things put away. 

I need to hang a picture above the cube. But all is neat and tidy. 

The doll's cube was cleaned up as was the sewing machine cabinet. Not a lot was tossed from this area as I use it all. Just a few pieces of paper or wrapping and a couple of scraps of fabric. 

Pressing area is tidy and organized. A few items put away or out to be sewn. The cutting table is clean and a pile is on one corner to be sewn up and then shipped to daughter. 

That area has acquired a box for items to go to the thrift shop. It is about 1/4 full. I'm ready to wash the floors and do my list for January which is developing in my mind. 
One of the things I wish to do in January is sew down the Christmas fabric. I want to make a tree skirt for our tree and I found this picture on Pinterest (no website to share)

I need to dig out a pice of fabric for the skirt and buy some stripe fabric for the ruffle. I'll gather rather than pleat the ruffle. I'll use up some odd fabric to line the skirt, put on ties and love it to death. I'm sure I will use up 2 pieces/meters from the stash for this project. 

Knitting

I am still working on the doll's red dress. I've cast off the sleeves and cast on under the arm. One more row has been knit past the cast on row. 

Today

I have books to do and then wash the sewing room floor. I also would like to finish cleaning the family room if possible so I can wash that floor in a day or two. Knitting tonight. 
Until the next time..............................

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone

It is another cool day here with little to no snow on the ground. We may see flurries during the day. 

Lifestyle

We have been busy the last little while. Getting ready for Christmas, cleaning house, and out for dinners at family. We are ready for the big day today. It's well planned with no one person in the kitchen all day. 

I headed into Sackville yesterday to weigh in and lost .4 lb. I am happy with that and will try to loose again for next Tuesday's weigh in. I headed to get a few last minute items and each of the stores I was in were not crowded. I got everything done and was home before 1 p.m. 

I have been having issues with my hips, back and knees for quite a while now. I stretch the aches out but they always come back. While resting yesterday, I wondered if the insole I'm using are wrong for me. I removed them, put in the original insoles and I felt some relief. It is going to take some time to know and time for everything to realign if that is the reason. We wait and see. 

Sewing

I have been cleaning the sewing room and got the fabric stash cleaned up. I put the curtain up to keep the sunlight off it. 

I have about 75 meters of regular quilting cotton to sew up, 30 meters of Christmas fabric and this pile of fabric to make into piping. 

Next up is the cleaning part - surfaces need to be cleared, wiped and reorganized. I will be busy for a good week at that. 

Knitting

The little vest has the buttons on it and needs to be blocked. The bottom is curling up. 

I'm knitting away on the red dress and it is coming along nicely. I am paying attention to the pattern and knitting without back ground noise. It is helping as the pattern is unique. 

Today

We have gifts to open at home, add the finishing touches to lunch and take it over to families to celebrate Christmas. 

We hope you have a wonderful day. 

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

Cleaning The Sewing Room Begun

Yesterday was a nice day. The temperature got to 2C. This morning it is -2C with a slim chance of flurries. Tonight is suppose to get to -7C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I started to clean the basement. The bathroom got done except for the floor. Then I started in the family room. I moved the puzzle table around to see if it will be better in front of the windows. That area is cleaned except for the floors. Once the whole basement is cleaned, I will then wash the floors. 
I do have some tubs in the family room that need to be returned to daughter-in-law. I also have a box I'm packing to go to the thrift shop. The area is coming along but there are some messy bits. 

Sewing

The big clean up of the sewing room started yesterday afternoon. I started in the area where the desk is to go. 

It had less in it than when we reloaded after the basement was done but I had ignored these long enough. 
The blue tub is in the family room as it is full of pictures. The green tub has been emptied with some items in the family room until I find a box for them, some on the cutting table waiting to be put away and some into the trash or donate box. The tub is ready to be returned to its owner. 

The file holder in the corner has doll clothes patterns in it. I sorted through them, organized them and got rid of a few. They are pdf patterns that I store on the computer. The empty area will have a desk and filing cabinet. It is my work station area. The corner desk will be emptied and used only to display a few items on the top. The floor has been swept and ready to be washed. I was happy with what I got done. 
I spent a bit of time playing with my new embroidery software. I did a wall hanging that will be pieced together. I learned how to save each of the 4 designs (they spell snow) and how to make a picture of one. 

The snowflake is a free design I picked up a few years ago and the lettering is one I bought last week. I still have to do color changes but so far I am happy with the results. Next up is to find the fabric I want to use from the stash.

Knitting

I tried the dress I'm knitting onto Kit and it is too big. I'm fussy about fit. 

I will start it again on one size smaller needles. It was a toss up as to which needles I would use when I started it. 
I started the next test pattern and have knit 9 rows on it. It is an easier knit than the last test pattern and should knit up quickly. 

Today

This morning is to make buns and do some housework. This afternoon is working in the sewing room. The closet is the target area today. If it is done in good time, I will clean off the cutting table. This evening will be knitting. 
Until the next time....................................

A Day In The City

Yesterday's forecast of flurries turned out to be more than that. At least it wasn't snow or periods of snow. Snow stopped before noon which was nice. The temperature is cold this morning; -11C with a windchill of -16C. 

Lifestyle

I headed into Sackville to Weight Watchers. The trip was a bit slower than normal but not bad. I lost 1.9 lbs for a total of 11.3 lbs since restarting. I'm getting closer to the 25 lb mark that I lost before. I'm not sure where I am at with the group -- restart or old but I'm taking the old. That way I can work towards my big goal which I would not reach if I did restart. 
I did a lot of driving in the city and when I started the drive the roads were slushy. On the way back, the roads had improved. The temperature had gone up to -2C, the salt was working and the roads bared up quickly. I was home by 12:30 p.m. with no problems. 

Sewing

The sewing machines were taken to the store and go out today for servicing. The store's staff is wonderful and friendly. 
I upgraded my embroidery program so I can run it on both the Mac and PC computers. I will keep the old program on the oldest laptop as I can use it once in a while if necessary. 
I bought one piece of fabric from that store to make a back drop for the nativity scene. It is a lovely blue batik with stars on it. Under $10.00 for that. I will have enough left over to make something else. 
I went to Fabricville and got buttons for the sweater I made. I am one short. Also got buttons for a dress I'm knitting and am 2 short. Not a good button day. I also found some fabric I wanted and got it for the dolls. I was surprised to find one line of fabric still in the store as they told me it had sold out. The other piece is one I love and will be making a couple of items from it. 

Knitting

I worked on the doll's dress and finished row 28. It is a fun pattern that is easy to follow. I know I'll be a few days knitting it as I'm not quite 1/3 done. The next test pattern won't be out until January. 

Today

We have to go to the Kia dealership to have the car checked. The low pressure light on one of the tires won't reset. Once we get home, I hope to do a few easy things here. 
Until the next time...................................

Knitting Up A Storm

We've had cooler weather the past two days and during the night it snowed about an inch of powdery snow. It will continue to be cool for the next several days. 

Lifestyle

The upstairs got a bit of cleaning done with the floors being washed. Laundry was done and I'm almost ready to clean downstairs. It will get done. 
Yesterday I spent a bit of time with the Spousal Unit working on the puzzle. We are so different on how we do puzzles. I worked on the name of birds while he worked on the birds. He sees the pieces one way, I see them another way. 

Sewing

The sewing machine and embroidery unit are both in their cases ready to go. The serger has to be packed out by itself as I never bought a case for it. Once done, I walked out of the room without touching anything. I start cleaning it Friday afternoon. 

Dolly World

I put an offer on 3 dolls that are local. The lady said too low. What I offered her is what most dolls are going for so I wouldn't up the offer. I went online and found Nellie for sale at a great price and bought her. 

She is usually hard to find due to popularity so when I saw 8-10 Nellie dolls ranging from a decent price to almost $500.00 for sale, I know the market is low. She has been shipped and may arrive before the end of the year. 

Knitting

I finished another sweater and hat set last night. All it needs is buttons which I hope to get today. 

I need to look for fabric to make a pleated skirt to go with this set. 
I set up the dress pattern I was gifted and got 10 rows knit. It is going to be cute. The color - red. I will look for buttons for it today as I don't have 10 red buttons. 

Today

I'm off to Sackville for Weight Watchers, take my machines for servicing near Bayer's Lake, back to Bedford to shop, and home. I'll probably do a bunch of knitting today. 
Until the next time.............................

2019's Accomplishments

I was going to post what I enjoyed sewing in 2019 but decided not to. I enjoyed making it all. I had a lot of favorites and there was nothing I didn't like. I decided to look at the big picture instead.

Accomplishments

My biggest accomplishment was sewing almost 90 meters and keeping my purchases to about 30 meters. After the middle of September I went 30 days without buying fabric and have bought only 8 meters of fabric since then. Of that, only 1.45 meters remains for dolls clothes. One is a piece left from grandson's pajama pants and the other is 1.2 meters I bought as a reward for my year's sewing accomplishments. 

Reasons (The Why)

The main reason I sewed so much fabric was challenging myself to sew from fabric I owned for the local fall fair. I made a list of what I wanted to make and paired stash fabrics with each item. There was a real sense of accomplishment when I entered my items in the fair. The reward of sewing from the stash was greater than winning prizes for what I put in. I also challenged myself to quit petting my fabric and start sewing it. 
The second reason was creating a to-do list. I mapped out October and used 24 meters that month. 6.5 meters was sent to daughter. The rest was sewn. November and December saw less as I focused on Christmas presents which required pattern making, testing and then sewing it with the good fabric. I have a new pattern for future sewing projects. 

Now What

I am closing down the sewing room on December 17. I take my machines in for servicing on December 18. From then until Jan. 2, I will be cleaning the sewing room. Every bit of the room will be dusted, wiped, and scrubbed. The embroidery hoops will be cleaned. A tub with warm water, Dawn dish soap and several hours to soak them in. I can handle that nasty job as I love clean hoops. 

And Next (2020)

I hoping to pick up my machines Jan. 2. My 2020 goals will be set, January's to do list done, and the room clean and ready to start sewing again. 
Oh and be prepared to see the sewing room as I clean it up. 

Christmas Decorating is Done

With Nova Scotia having the hot spot in Canada on Friday (Greenwood at 17.4C), the weather has started to cool off. Yesterday saw the temperature drop all day and this morning it is -3C. The wind is howling and we may see snow flurries today. 

Lifestyle

It was decorate the house day yesterday. We hauled the tubs up and got busy. 

Our tree is small and is full of cowboy/country decorations. The pops of red are cardinals. Under the tree sits Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore.

 I made them 40 years ago and they have sat in or under our trees ever since. 
On the shelf on the table is the Lego Santa Workshop. I bought it 5 years ago and it is made each year by grandson. Not this year as he is busy studying for exams. 

The small buffet in the eating area has cardinals on it. 

The nativity scene is on a table in the eating area also. 

Most of the pieces are 60+ years old and are from my childhood. 
The tubs are put away and we are enjoying what we got done. 

Sewing

I spent almost 2 hours in the sewing room trying to get a design ready to embroider. It was total frustration so I quit and am done. It could be the mess the room is in is causing me to feel more frustrated but I just think the design didn't want to be done. 
While doing the Christmas decorating, I have decided to look for a piece of fabric in black with stars on it. I want to put it onto a painter's canvas, add some hot fix crystals and use it for a back drop for the nativity. They are so easy to make and are very effective. 

Knitting

The beret is done for the test pattern and I am pleased with the set. 

I will dress the doll today and do a photo shoot. 
I finished up one sleeve on the sweater I set aside. Second sleeve and hat and it will be done. I need to find buttons for the sweater and fabric for a pleated skirt.

Today

I need to bake, do some housework, and pack my sewing machines. I may go up to the fabric store if I have time or it may happen tomorrow. Depends on the weather. 
Until the next time..................................

Test Pattern Sweater Completed

Friday was our coldest day at -12C. It warmed up to 3C by late afternoon. Yesterday morning it was 3C and it warmed up to 5C with lots of rain. By 8 p.m., it was 16C, windy and raining. A tropical storm came through. This morning it is 13C and it's going to cool off to -5C during the night. Back to cooler weather. 

Lifestyle

Friday morning saw the Spousal Unit and I head out to Coldbrook to get apples and books. We stopped at the Kia dealership as one tire sensor is showing low pressure. It still remains on so I will take it to the car wash to see if the sensor is dirty. If not, it goes in to be checked. 
Friday afternoon's trip to the city was postponed to yesterday. We took the Niro in and 2/3rds filled it. Toilet paper and paper towels. It was a great trip with lots of laughs. 
Once home, I spent a few hours putting together Lego's Santa's workshop. It was a case of crawling on the floor for pieces that popped off, redoing sections, and wondering why I had about 15 pieces left over. It's done correctly and on the tree table. 

The reindeer, sled, trees, and characters are all bags ready to be put out. 

Sewing

I haven't been in the sewing room for a couple of days. I may not get any more sewing done as I'm done Christmas presents for this year. I may pack up my machines for servicing as they go out the door on Wednesday. 
I ordered the placemat pattern I wanted. 

I have to buy the fabric for the trim, the borders and back. I'm waiting until it arrives before I buy. 

Knitting

I finished the test pattern coat on Friday. It is actually a great pattern if you concentrate, count the stitches, and pay attention to what you are doing. It certainly is not a beginner's pattern but it isn't advanced. It's an intermediate knitter's pattern. 

The hat is half done and should be finished tonight. Then it's back to finish a sweater I set aside to test. 

Today

It's going to be a cookie baking and Christmas decorating day. Oh....laundry and a bit of housework needs to be done also. 
Until the next time...............................

I Love Christmas Fabric

Yesterday remained cool. It was windy in the morning and calmer in the afternoon. It was clear until this morning (the full moon was beautiful) and the temperature is -12C. Warming up to -1C today and raining tomorrow. 

Lifestyle

As I did some housework and laundry, the Spousal Unit went out to clear the driveway. The wind was blowing up the snow and we had a couple of good white outs while he was out. He came in happy and cold. Coffee warmed him up. 

Sewing

While the machine was doing its thing embroidering, I hauled out all the Christmas fabric and measured it. I have 29.2 meters of it. 

Add 2 kits....

And 2 UFOs.......

and I started to feel horrified, overwhelmed, and somewhat angry. I had to set those feelings aside and start planning how I am going to sew it up. 
I see at least 3 to 4 reading pillows, a tree skirt, table topper and runners, and placemats for sure. It's a good thing January and February are indoor months and I think I am going to challenge myself to sew up a lot of that fabric in those 2 months. 

Knitting

I knit and unknit yesterday and am finally finished the area of concentration. It is 16 rows of knit 1, purl 1. 

I am hoping it will be done by tomorrow night and the hat started. This has been quite a knitting ride with mistakes in the pattern (why we test), forgetting to concentrate, and getting your head around the sleeve markers (which are between knit 2). But, it is looking gorgeous. 

Today

We are heading out to buy apples, books, and cat food in the morning. In the afternoon, I'm heading into the city with daughter-in-law to do a bit of shopping. Tonight I will knit. 
Until the next time............................

A Christmas Fabric Obsession

Yesterday started out at 1C and rain. It changed to snow for the most of the day. This morning it is -6C and cool out. 

The start of the snow. No panic as the kids came over and shoveled the driveway for us. Three kids, 15 minutes and they were done. 

Lifestyle

We were out for haircuts in the morning and then again in the afternoon for a few groceries. I bought the Spousal Unit Storm Chips as a joke due to the snow storm we had. I'm putting them away for Christmas lunch. 

Sewing

As I needed to launder two tea towels for embroidery, I added 7.5 meters of fabric to the load. I grabbed Christmas fabrics. 

I have fabric to make next year's reading pillow, a wall hanging or table runner and who knows what else. The orange piece will be piping or a doll's dress.
With the plaid on the chair, I grabbed the rest of the fabrics I have in that fabric line. I like them and will probably be done up to decorate the basement over Christmas. 

That is about 11 meters of Christmas fabric. And there is more that hasn't been dug out and photographed. I think I have a Christmas fabric obsession. And it is a bit overwhelming. 
I'm putting these fabrics together when I redo the stash. I have to figure out ideas of what I want to make and follow through on it. 
By the way, I am going to measure how much Christmas fabric I do have. A reminder to myself not to buy any more even if I love it. 

Knitting

The knit-unknit saga of the test pattern continues. I knit one row 3 times and it looked wrong. I mulled over it and realized it was wrong, corrected it (and reported it) and am moving on to getting it done. I'm hoping it is going to be smooth sailing to the finish. It is going to be cute when finished. 

Today

I have some housework to do, bring up the table the tree will sit on as I want to start decorating. I have to embroider the second tea towel and knit on the test pattern. A busy day as we want to be out tomorrow. 
Until the next time..........................

Beginning Thoughts for 2020 Sewing

Monday night was blustery with rain. The temperature rose to 14C overnight. The rain stopped yesterday morning and the high got to 16C. The remaining snow was melted by rain and warmth. This morning it is 1C and at 8 a.m. it has started to snow. 

Lifestyle

With the wind hitting the house with wind up to 80 km/hour, I slept horridly. I hate the wind and we've lived in windy areas for many years. I lack sleep from it at times. 
I headed out to WW yesterday morning, a day early. I lost .8 lb. and was happy with my loss. I hope to have lost 10 lbs. total by next Wednesday. The leader is inspiring as she talks to us about falling off the wagon, how we can check in and not weigh, and how to get through certain times of stress, etc. I'm enjoying it very much as it is different than what was discussed at my old meeting. 
I did some shopping and was home by 1:30 p.m. I was tired and had a nap which was only 20-30 minutes long. 

Sewing

I finished up 3 meters of piping for daughter. Used up half of the piece of satin she sent me. 

I am now ready to start an embroidery project. It will be a fun one that I'm excited to start. 
I've been thinking about the fabric in the sewing room. I'm pleased with what I've sewn this year. Two of the shelves are in a mess and it's stressing me out. I can't wait to organize them after next week. 
The stash still gives me feeling of guilt and anger. But I'm working on looking at it positively. 

• It's inventory and I can shop from it daily if necessary saving me money towards the embroidery software I want. 
• There are some gorgeous fabrics in there to sew for next Christmas. I have 12 months of to-do lists to put those fabrics into and sew them up.  
• I've dug deep and have fabric to make next winter's reading pillows for the library and for sale. 
• I can sew for the fall fair from the inventory. 

When I clean up the sewing room, I am going to put all the UFO's in a pile. I want to finish one per month and have them out of the way. 

This has led me to thinking about making my list for the year. What will I make each month using up the stash and finishing a UFO. I'm excited to start next year's journey. 

Knitting

When I finished knitting on Monday night the jacket looked like this.

I had the sweater on 4 double pointed needles and stitches were slipping off and I was in frustrated mode. I found I had a 2nd circular needle in the same size so I got the right number of stitches and knit it on those two needles. It's quite easy to do. 

I knit 3 rows and unknit 3 rows as I was out 2 stitches. Found I had miscounted by 1 stitch and was missing a yarn over. Fixed it up and am ready to move forward. I need to talk my way through the patterns. There are two of them. Lacy for the sleeves and a different lacy pattern for the body. I also have to count repeats so I can do the raglan sleeve decrease. It is quiet knitting at this time. 

Today

We are out soon for hair cuts, home to do some cleaning in the kitchen, wash tea towels in preparation to do some embroidery. Knitting tonight. With it suppose to snow most of the day, it will be an inside day. 

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

Almost Done Christmas Sewing

Yesterday was cool and sunny. The wind was cold though. Woke up this morning to 3C. It is suppose to rain starting at noon. And it's going to be a warm one 9C. 

Lifestyle

I tore apart the living room and wiped window ledges and baseboards. The floor was washed on my hands and knees. The furniture was polished and all is ready for the Christmas decorating later this week. 
I've had quite a bit of knee pain with the storms coming in. I've been stretching and doing everything I should be doing. Hurts but I keep going. 
I've done a bit more sorting out of my trigger foods. I'm reintroducing onions slowly to see if I can have a taste in our food. One thing I have noticed twice now is wheat used as a filler in sausages and on a coating for chicken. It could be the chemicals used with the filler. I have a feeling it is a combination of both. As I eat those foods, I feel bloated. I can eat one piece of bread in the morning and have something with wheat in it at night. I have to control what wheat products I eat. 

Sewing

I headed down to the sewing room after lunch and cut out grandson's pajama pants. I serged the seams that needed doing and started sewing them together. Serged more seams and did more sewing. When I shut down for the day, all I needed to do was hem the legs and do the waist elastic. If I didn't have to make dinner, they would have been done. 

Please notice - the cutting table has been cleaned off. It gets a pile on it after the pants are done. I'm doing piping for a few days. I can send a box of stuff to daughter that will arrive after Christmas. 
The light I have on the sewing cabinet died yesterday and I don't think I can get a bulb for it. It's an unusual bulb and I'm not spending time looking for a new one. Instead, I'm going to be looking for a new light and will be getting one for the Spousal Unit to do puzzles with. Both will have LED light bulbs. 

Knitting

The test pattern is moving along. The second sleeve was finished and I got the sweater on double pointed needles. The number of stitches was correct so I knit 2 rows before calling it an evening. 

The next row is the buttonhole row and the start of decreasing for the shaping of the shoulders (raglan sleeves). There is a big collar to be done and then the finishing of it. It is a lot of work but a very nice pattern. 

Today

I have laundry to fold, bedrooms to clean, sew, and knit. I may or may not go to the grocery store as I will be grocery shopping tomorrow in the city. 
Until the next time...............................