Happy Halloween

Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 16.1C. There was frost yesterday when the sun came up but it disappeared quickly. This morning it is 1C and we had frost. We are to have another sunny day with a high of 16C. 

Lifestyle

I didn't get all of my jobs done yesterday as I went to Bedford with daughter-in-law. We had a lovely visit on the way there and back. I did quite well walking in the store and practiced my stride. I think I may have to start walking outside a bit each day.

On the way in to shop, we learned our friend's youngest boy tested positive for Covid. Son with with our friend on Friday night so fingers are crossed we are vaccinated enough to dodge the Covid bullet. We do hope none of none of our friends get Covid for the 2nd time. This had to happen just before Halloween. 

When we got home, I did sweep the garage. I moved the items from the next spot I'm going to clean and swept the wall and window. I put it back until I go in and do the main cleaning. I did look in the tall cupboard and will be sorting things out in there, tossing what we don't need and organizing everything else. I have a plan for it and it should work for me. 

While we were shopping son and grandson came over and mowed the lawn. It was long. I really appreciate the help they have given this year with mowing and weed whacking the lawn. All three were angels. I am hoping to help more next year.

Last night I had dinner with family. I watched as they carved pumpkins and we laughed a lot. I will take pictures of the pumpkins tonight. We are keeping it simple with fewer decorations than normal. We want to be able to clean up quickly so I can put the car in the garage for the night. 

Sewing

I did sew for about 90 minutes yesterday. I now have 2 placemats quilted. Tacking down close to the cut edge of the top piece and using the quilting bar made the quilting go fast. 

The top thread is white and the back thread is cream and I'm happy at how they blend in with the fabric. 

I did a hunt for a piece of fabric and found this instead. Maybe this was the piece I was thinking of. I added the wood fabric to it and am thinking of making a bag for daughter out of it. A very simple one with no piping. 

I'm working out the size each piece needs to be as I need to buy more of the wood fabric. I'm also going to buy more of the backing fabric as I can use it up on other projects. 

I have been thinking of the stole for the Regency era outfit. Most were either fabric or woven with fine wool. Many had a paisley border on them and all seemed to be in brighter colours and were huge. I am going to make the stole out of the satin I made the dress from. The width still needs to be determined but the length will be about 36". I have decided to play with the stitches on the Diamond and do a wide border on each end in a gold/silver metallic embroidery thread. I am thinking the swirly design in the middle though the one on the left side is appealing to me also. 

Knitting

I spent what spare time I had frustrated with my knitting. I spent time counting stitches on the needle and was short 1. I spent time counting stitches in the pattern which was correct. I looked and looked and decided to start un-knitting the sweater row by row and counting. Each row was 1 stitch short. After I returned from dinner at family's, I looked at the sweater again and reread the pattern. I decided I may have made a mistake on the first increase row for making the snowballs. I unknit and counted each row and was still 1 stitch short. When I got back to un-knitting the snowball increase row, I had the right number of stitches. Mistake was in the increase row I had just un-knit. I sat and said the pattern outlaid as I knit the row. I counted once again and all was correct. I did the decrease row and all was good. I knit the next 2 rows and am back to where I was yesterday morning. What a lot of work due to my brain saying one thing and my hands doing another. I can now start the row where I put the sleeves on waste yarn. 

Thoughts

    With my brain still mulling over the budget and what I can do, I've made two big decisions. The car is paid off at the end of November and I will be using that money to pay down the principal of the house mortgage. The mortgage is due in July 2023 and I'm thinking of paying it off and being debt free. Interest rates will be in the 6% range and the Spousal Unit and I had discussed this last winter when he was able to talk finances. 

    I find that I still make decisions based on what the Spousal Unit and I had discussed prior to him becoming ill. I miss those discussion immensely as they seemed to keep us rooted in the present and moving forward into the future. It allowed us to overcome many obstacles in our lives. It is now allowing me to continue on with strength and determination as I think about what we talked about. 

Today

I am going to decorate the garage some for tonight. I want to be ready before daughter-in-law comes to help so she can sit on the couch and relax. Not that it will a long relax as the youngest will arrive around 5 pm. I am going to sew on the placemats but I doubt if I will knit tonight. 

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

A Day Of Thoughts

Yesterday was another lovely sunny day. The high got to 13.5C which was great. This morning it is 3C here in our neck of the woods and where the weather station is located, it is 9C. It is suppose to be sunny again with a high of 15C.

Lifestyle

I got the budget done and have a bit of thinking to do on what I can and can't do. That is okay as I knew this was coming. Once done, I swept all the upstairs floors and folded laundry. 

In the afternoon, son came over to store an item in the shed. I went outside to open the shed and started to finish up the yard. I trimmed the rose bush so it is now ready to wrap in burlap. The cat grass dish and rain gauge were put away in the shed. While having a quick look, I found a missing battery on the hedge trimmer. It has been out in the shed for a year. I brought it in and charged it. 

I practiced striding once again yesterday and it felt good to be walking properly. I did quite well balance wise on the lawn as I'm more steady on my feet. I even strode out quickly on the lawn and didn't loose my balance. I woke during the night with the hot sharp pain in my knee which made me feel sick. I started to stretch my leg and it did subside but didn't leave. This morning I did two exercises in bed; both were stretching my leg and inner groin area. I will continue doing them both a couple of times a day. And I'll keep striding in the house. 

Sewing

I sewed before and after being outside. I cut out the placemat tops, backs, and batting. I got 4 ready with enough left over to make large hot pads for the table. As I put each placemat together, I did 2 rows of cross hatching. 

This is the last one and I tacked it down close to the edge of the fabric and did 4 rows of cross hatching. I will finish up the cross hatching on this one and then tack down the other 3 before cross hatching them. I didn't realize I should tack down the fabric close to the edge until I saw what happened in a reel on Instagram. 

I normally draw lines on the fabric with a Frixon pen and iron them off. I did the first line to get started and realized the quilting bar for the Juki is fabulous. It fits tight on the machine and doesn't bounce up and down like the one for the Diamond. I zipped along with no problems. I'm excited to find an easy way to cross hatch. 

I put away a couple of items off the cutting table but it is still annoying me how messy it is. With the Christmas countdown clock ticking, I live with the mess at this time though I feel it sucking the creativity out of me. 

Knitting

I did one round of crocheting on the parasol. I had to rip it back as I did it wrong. I got it right on the second attempt. 

I am going to work on joining seamlessly in the round as I'm not happy with how it looks. I do a slip stitch from the front and when googling it, you do the slip stitch from the back of the stitch.  

I knit the last two rows on the sweater twice before I got it right. The next 2 rows will be easy as they are both knit. 

I'm sure why I'm having problems with the pattern rows. I'm persevering as I know I should be able to do it without mistakes. 

Upon reflection, I think one of the reasons I'm struggling is that designers feel they need to do intermediate designs for publishing at Pixie Faire. What is needed are some easier patterns for beginning knitters. I'm an intermediate knitter but am finding it more difficult to find easy patterns to knit when I need a brain dead project. 

Thoughts

My daily thoughts are to keep my anxiety and stress levels down. Most become items on the to-do list and a few are goals I want to accomplish.    

    Son and I were looking in the garage re: clean up. We have agreed that I need to keep it minimal for easy cleaning. It will take time but it will get done as for me, less is more. I will putter at it on my own when I can this winter and son and I will do more when he can. 

    I have to call to get the hedge trimmed this fall and I am hoping I will be able to weed it myself next spring. At that point I will have the people back to do the edging and then we will discuss what to do next; to mulch or not. I will be getting the weed company back to keep the lawns looking nice as that is a priority in my books. They looked amazing all summer between what the company and family did. This coming year, I want to help more hence why I'm doing physio.

    My thoughts on the budget went into overdrive for a while yesterday. I am learning to set limits on what I can spend in each category. Some areas I'm on target, others are over this month. I'm hoping in January I'll have most of my limits set. We have always lived within our means and I want to continue to do that. I also need to do some meal planning and getting some meals in the freezer. 

    The sewing room is frustrating me. It is a mess and it needs cleaning and organizing. I am hoping that I can get it done in a month but am willing to extend the time to 6 weeks. I will do some sewing and a lot of planning while cleaning it up. I am hoping that I can keep it cleaner as I can put it on the cleaning rotation. 

Today

My main goal today is to sweep out the garage in readiness for Halloween tomorrow. I will haul out the Halloween tubs so I can decorate tomorrow. Grandson is suppose to come and mow the lawn for the last time today. I am going to sew and knit this afternoon and evening.  

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

A Great Day

 Though very sunny and bright, it was cool yesterday. The high got to 10.2C. By 9 pm, it was 4C and this morning it is -1C. We are to have more sunshine today with a high of 14C. 

Lifestyle

I had physio with a new therapist yesterday. We cut back on the amount of gym work I did due to a week of soreness. Riding the bike helped loosen my knee. I did less of pulling 20 kg while walking but even that felt good. When doing the stretches, we noticed that turning my knee outwards hurts so that will be worked on. Before getting the current and heat, she pulled the sore leg gently several times to stretch it. That was wonderful as the pain was almost gone. 

After getting groceries and eating lunch, I fell asleep on the couch. I was tired and almost pain free so I let myself sleep for 90 minutes. When I woke, I did a bunch of walking the length of the house and noticed my gait was much better. Going up and down the stairs was easier. 

I found the dish I wanted for the Christmas decoration. I was excited as it is white and a different shape than I had anticipated. I'm glad I was hung up on a certain idea for the dish as this one is just perfect. 

The house was 16C this morning so I put on the heat. Elliott got up on his dining room chair and is enjoying the warm air blowing over him while he sleeps. 

Sewing

The shoes are done and I'm quite proud of them. They fit the doll a bit on the big side so I got out the socks I knit about 7 or 8 years ago. Yes, they have a turned heel and gusset. They are a bit rustic which goes with this outfit. 

I am really happy that this outfit is now complete. 

It took a long time but I got a lot of satisfaction working on it piece by piece. 

Next up is to finish the Regency Outfit. I will be puttering on it over the next while. I need to make bloomers, knit a shawl, and crochet a parasol to complete it. 

The fabrics for the placemats were ironed but not starched. I'm still deciding if I will starch them but probably will. The board fabric is amazing when laid out. They will look amazing on daughter's dark table. 

Knitting

I spent a lot of time on the sweater last evening, mainly unknitting as the pattern was right. I didn't do yarn over to make the lacy pattern in two areas throwing the pattern off. Once corrected I got that part done and am now increasing for the arms. I wonder how many times I have to redo the next pattern. No pictures of it at this point. I didn't crochet on the parasol as I ran out of time. 

Today

I have to do the budget, fold laundry, and sweep upstairs floors. I want to start the placemats today and knit tonight. The goal is to stay home for the next couple of days as I don't need anything at this time. 

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

A Lot Was Accomplished

 Yesterday was another warm day with a high of 20C. There was one small shower and it was mostly cloudy with sun. This morning it is 5C and we are to have sunshine and a high of 11C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday it was head down to the family room to clean morning. I hung 6 pictures with a lot of swearing as I didn't have a clue what I was doing on the pony wall. I have 2 holes to fill and touch up when the upstairs is painted. 

The area shown was easy to finish up. I added an afghan my mother crocheted many years ago as a lot of the colours go with the pictures. The pictures were levelled on the wall above the table. 

The long pony wall was a bit more of a problem. Once the pictures were up and levelled, it still looked empty. I hunted out some antique kitchen items and put them on the ledge, something I said I wouldn't do. But it needed something and they all can be wiped with a damp cloth. 

I should make some squares of fabric to go under the items to add some texture to the ledge. That ledge runs the length of the family room and seems to stretch on for miles when nothing is on it. 

Once that was done, I tackled the last window in that room. Easy I thought as it was cleaned in the spring. Not so. This window gets a lot of rain on it so moss was growing on the screen. There was a fair amount of mud to clean out from the screen track. I scrubbed and scrubbed and finally got it cleaned to my satisfaction. At that point I stopped for the day as it was past noon and I was tired and sore. I was also frustrated as I need to find 1 more plastic ring so I can repair the last blind. I found 4 rings had broken off due to sun damage. I did close all the blinds so the sun stays off the pictures. 

My knee and hip are still bothering me so I'm going back to do the exercises I was given on week 1. I need to stretch everything well as it has tightened up this week due to me not being as active. The flare up I had most of the week has set me back some. 

Sewing

I decided I should sew the shoes for the Isla Girl outfit. I spent a lot of time making sure the uppers were put onto the insoles correctly and evenly. Two hours later I was done and happy with them. They need the soles glued on today. 

I'm getting better with each pair I make. I have found that not rushing and thinking about each step makes for nicer shoes. 

I did get the placemat fabric out ready to press today. I have to starch it before I start cutting. 

Knitting

I started the sweater pattern and the first 11 rows were easy. The 12th row almost did me in. It took 3 attempts to get it correct. Row 14 would not work so it was unknit and fix the mistake. In the end, I found my mistake which was a stupid one. I now have 15 rows done. 

The yarn colour is Baby Denim Marle. It is blue and white yarn twisted together and perfect for this sweater. 

Thoughts

    I figure I have 2 more days before the family room will be finished. It will be nice to have this room done and looking the way both the Spousal Unit and I would want it. Once done, I will add some toppers and pillows to the furniture to give it some colour. The goal is to have it easy to keep clean and minimal in look. 

    I have started to think about the Christmas decoration I want for the dining room table. I need to get a couple of things to make something similar to this idea. 

I may have to get a few items from the dollar store for it and use some items I have in the Christmas tubs. I have a cute little tree that has battery operated lights in it to sit beside the bowl. I will hunt for the bowl when I'm shopping. 

Today

I am out for physio this morning and will get some groceries on my way home. I would like to finish cleaning the ledge area in the family room if I can. Then it's sewing this afternoon and knitting tonight. 

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

A Lot Of This And A Little Of That

Yesterday wasn't nearly as humid as Tuesday. In fact there was no humidex reading at all. The high got to 19.7C and we had a fair number of showers during the day and evening (1/2"). This morning it is cloudy and 19.9C. It is suppose to be about this temperature all day but we are not to have any showers. 

Lifestyle

I finished cleaning the upstairs. It is nice to have it clean and presentable. But it was a lot of hard work due to the fact that my hip and knee hurt up until this morning. The weather seems to be the reason it hurt so much. Now to keep it clean by a) not being messy and b) tidying up after myself. 

Once the house was tidy and the garbage out to the curb, I sat on the couch and dozed. It wasn't easy as I was really hurting. But, I needed the time out to try and recuperate from the pain and hard work. 

I looked at the news and saw that grandson can get his covid booster. I let family know. This is something we do so we can keep up to date as we don't want covid. 

Sewing

I sewed in the afternoon. I decided to be stupid and not pay attention to waist and legs and the first pair ended up in the trash.

The second pair went much better as I learned from my mistake. They fit well and I'm pleased with them. 

Historically, the people of the era and area went barefoot. If they wore shoes, they were similar to the Plain Jane shoes. I am going to make a pair of them in the skirt fabric for this outfit. 

I looked at the sewing room in disgust, put away the lace and elastic bins and walked out. 

Knitting

As I looked at pictures of the shawl, I saw they could have ties on them so they tied at the back. I grabbed the shawl and crocheted two strings for it. 

It is perfect as it holds the shawl in place. 

I was asked by Little Woolens to test another sweater for her. Of course I said yes and now need to get the yarn and needles out and start. With both the gussets done on the socks, her timing was perfect.

Thoughts

     Having the upstairs cleaned as made me feel happy. Next is to get it painted so I can do some decorating. It is also making me think that having the house clean and tidy is helping me feel more relaxed.

    My goal is to get the basement (except the sewing room) cleaned up in November. I have to tackle the storage room which means several trips to a thrift shop. Once that room is done, I'll have the bathroom to do and then it will under the stairs. I'll putter in the garage when I can. 

    I will be sewing in the mess for another month. In December I plan on taking the room apart and

    Clean the walls and trim

    Wash the floor

    Declutter and purge the stashes

    Finalize the sewing/knitting plans for 2023

I have started to think about what I want to make next year. I will be sewing up the stash as I want it gone. But, I won't be whizzing through 100 meters in a year. Those days are gone as I want to focus more on each project rather than racing through the fabric or yarn. 

Today

The goal today is to do more cleaning in the family room. I need to hang pictures and then start on the next part -- the TV area. I'm looking forward to getting this room cleaned. I want to start on the placemats and knit tonight.

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

Warm And Humid

 Yesterday was warm and muggy. There were a couple of showers, the one in the afternoon being about 15-20 minutes in length. The high got to 21.3C with a humidex of 28C. This morning it is foggy and 16C. We are to have showers today with a high of 20C and a humidex of 26-27C. Tonight it is going to be warm and wet. 

Lifestyle

My goal yesterday was to do the bedrooms. I actually did more but started in the bedrooms. In my room, I dusted, vacuumed and washed the floors. I dusted the top of the doors and windows and they were really dusty. They hadn't been done for quite a while. In the guest room, I made the bed, dusted everything, vacuumed and washed the floors. Above the doors and window wasn't nearly as dusty as my room. 

From there, I vacuumed the rest of the upstairs, the stairs and the front entry. Garbage was taken out and I called it a day. I was tired and sore due to the weather system. But I was also happy to have done so much more than planned. 

With the high humidity, I was wilting so I put on the dehumidifier to remove humidity in the house and lower the temperature. It felt good having the house cool enough to recover from feeling like a limp piece of lettuce. 

I did get one Christmas present wrapped and out in the mail using the last Free Shipping Tuesday label for it. Walking to and from the car at the post office was a chore as you felt like you were walking in a sauna. Everyone was walking slow. I did linger in the garage when I got home as it was cool in there. Didn't do anything but cool down. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday as I had no energy. I did think about the pantaloons though and hope to get them started today. I was in the sewing room to pick up long strips of backing fabric to shove in the parcel so the empty spaces had some padding in them. 

I did do a bit of planning on the placemats for daughter and will be getting more of the stripe to do toppers for daughter-in-law's tea towels. Other than that, my brain wouldn't think. 

Knitting

I got 8 rounds on the second sock done. I had to put it down as it was just too humid to knit. 

Today

The goal today is to clean the bathroom and kitchen. Both don't need a lot done as I've done some to them already. I will be running either the a/c or dehumidifier up and downstairs so I can sew and knit. I really want to function better today. Tonight and tomorrow are going to be brutal with the humidity and warm temperatures. 

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

Venturing Out

Yesterday was cloudy though it brightened up some in the afternoon. The high got to 18.5C. The rain they were calling for was minimal - a few small short lived showers. This morning it is 15C and we are to have a high of 22C. We could have sunshine, showers and clouds. A mixed bag on a very warm day. 

Lifestyle

I took grandson to school and we talked about what he is doing one day on the weekend. Halloween activities with his friends. 

Once home, I got ready and headed into Bedford. I haven't been to the city since Sept. 4. I went into one store to get a couple of things for myself and a few things for Christmas gifts. One item they didn't have which surprised me. Then it was on to another store to get groceries. When done with those 2 stores I was really tired and very sore. But I had two more stores to go to before I could head home. 

The next stop was in Lower Sackville (on the way home). I got the one item I couldn't get at the other store and dropped daughter's parcel off at the post office and got some supplies there. I headed home after that. My knees, back and shoulders were aching leaving me feeling almost exhausted.

Once home, I put away as much as I could and sat down on the couch. I had lunch and fell asleep. When I woke up I felt much improved as the reaction to the flu shot was done. Even the injection site wasn't very sore. I rested, applied heat to my back and knee and spent time recovering from 3 days of being sore and achy. I did have supper and even cleaned up the kitchen. I practiced my stride as I couldn't while feeling so sore. When I tried, it would be so painful. I went back to smaller strides even when shopping. I also made sure I was standing erect and not bent over with the pain. Late yesterday afternoon I was back to striding like I was. I was happy. 

I didn't sleep as well as I had hoped last night due to the nap plus it being warm in the house. The temperature went up with this "heat wave" coming in. I'll struggle along today and try not to nap.

Sewing

I didn't sew but did think a bit about interior decorating. I found this picture which I love the cushions. Thinking winter pillows upstairs but we wait and see. 

I like the softness of the colours in the pillows and they do remind me of Christmas and winter. I'd like them in blue but that remains to be seen. If I do the red/grey idea, I can remove them from the pillow forms and tuck them away in a tub for another year. 

Knitting

As it was somewhat brighter after I woke up, I picked up the stitches for the sock gussets. Having the brightness really helped seeing the stitches. One sock has the gusset knit and ready for the foot. I have three rows knit on the second sock. 

I'm happy with the progress I made once I started to feel human again. And the lime green stripes are making me feel happy. 

While shopping for groceries, I went looking for page protectors but found none. I did find the crochet cotton I wanted to make a parasol. On the website, this store is selling the ball for about $16.00 and it was in the store for $4.97. I need to see if I have a 1.75 mm crochet hook as it is my next project. 

Thoughts

    I was a bit concerned about shopping in the city but did okay. It was my first venture alone for quite a while. I'm going to do another shopping area next week so I can get a few more things. Maybe my neighbour will come with me for a day out.

    I have to start getting ready for Halloween. I need to get the decorations out and a plan put together. I'm not sure what we are doing but it needs to be safe for all of us.

    I have to get my head wrapped around Christmas. I have decided to be minimal - no Christmas tree as I will spend Christmas with family. I have a couple of displays to put out which were the Spousal Unit's and my favourites. I need a small display for the table. I have a tiny Christmas tree for it but nothing else is popping into my head. 

Today

The goal is to vacuum floors and start dusting and washing the floors in the bedrooms. I will plod along as I want these rooms tidied up some more. I want to start sewing a pair of pantaloons for the Isla Girl outfit and I'm knitting tonight. 

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

A Day Without Sewing

 Yesterday was more overcast than expected but the high got to 19C. This morning, it is 10C and cloudy. We are to have rain and a high of 15C. 

Lifestyle

I felt marginally better yesterday as I've been reacting to the flu shot. My knee and back were sore but I could push through and do things slowly.

My main job was to clean the living room and dining room. The living room got dusted, swept, tidied up, and the floor washed. I unfolded the blankets and put them on the chairs as it is suppose to be fall. Elliott thought I was a nut case but he'll sleep on them in the winter.

The dining room got the table cleaned up and washed. It was coated with a layer of dust from the work going on in the field across the road from us. I swept the hall floor and washed both the dining room and hall floors. I still need to dust but that is easy to do. 

Laundry was done and some folded. The bed was made and I was tired but not done. I donned my gardening gloves and planted garlic cloves. 38 of them to be exact. I covered them with burlap like the Spousal Unit did, weighed them down with bricks and was happy that job was done. I checked on the rose bush but it is still blooming so can't wrap it in burlap yet. I brought down the snow shovel and hung it in the garage. I called it a day and rested with heat on my knee and back. 

Sewing

As I was packing the box to ship out today, I went down to grab some narrow pieces of batting to fill up the box. The fabric I wanted to use for table toppers is too narrow. The decision now is whether to buy a half meter or not. I'm thinking on it. I do like the fabric a lot.

I didn't spend much time in the sewing room but I did think about the placemats I have to make. First I am going to make pantaloons for the Isla Girl's outfit. That will take me part of an afternoon. Then it will be starching the placemat fabric ready to cut them out. 

Knitting

I finished the heel on the 2nd sock and am ready to pick up the gusset stitches. 

I am happy that I will be back using the striped yarn and loving the green stripes that will be showing up on the foot. 

Here is how Elliott knits. It isn't as bad as he usually does it so I didn't have to wind the yarn into a ball. 

Thoughts

    I am disappointed that there isn't enough fabric on hand for the family room. Decision time and a visit to the quilt shop. I'm hoping there is some left on the bolt. 

    I'm trying to figure out a good cleaning schedule for me for upstairs. I want to be able to clean 3-4 days and have the remaining days free. If I push myself, I can clean the upstairs in 3 days and the family room will take 1 day once it is properly cleaned and decorated. The sewing room will be done in the afternoons in Dec./Jan. and I will have to clean it up after every sewing day. 

    The garage and shed will push me to my limits both physically and mentally. But, if I spend an hour or two at a time at it, I think I can get it done. I did look at the next small part I want to clean and I can move most of the items out of the way, clean it and put them back. I'm sure there are some things that can go to the trash and others that need to be stacked for son to look at. 

Today

I have to take grandson to school and then I'm heading into the city to do a bit of shopping and mail the parcel. I'd like to be home shortly after lunch so I can do a few things in the house. 

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

The Breeder's Bags Are Completed

 Yesterday was another lovely sunny day. The high got to 18.4C. This morning it is 4C and we are to have another sunny day with a high of 17C. 

Lifestyle

It was a day in the sewing room. But, I did look at the news and it's kind of scary. More variants are emerging with Covid and now flu season is coming. I'm glad I have had my shots but I am still concerned. It will be the heavier masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing again this winter. This way of life continues for me.

I cleaned up my cleaning stuff in the family room and it looks much nicer. I looked at it thinking what I wanted to add to it. I grabbed the left over backing from daughter's quilt and laid it on the table and it works perfectly. Table toppers will be made. Color will be added somehow. 

I had to call the internet provider yesterday afternoon. I had no internet and even after I rebooted the system it still didn't work. The person helped me for 30 minutes and we finally had to do a factory reboot which worked. One of the apps was giving me an issues during that time but it did come back on. It was slow to pick up the internet when it finally worked. 

When I finally relaxed last night, I realized that I had sat too long and my knee and back was stiff and achy. I need to remember to move more when I decide to sew for hours on end. 

Sewing

I spent a lot of time in the sewing room. The pocket for the last bag took me 60 minutes to make and put on the lining. Yes, I added a band of print fabric to it to jazz it up. 

I sewed up the lining, attached it to the bag, turned it, pressed, and topped stitched it all before lunch. 

After lunch, I took my hand sewing and sat in the family room to watch TV. I made the button and hand sewed the lining shut on each bag. 

I forgot how long it takes to finish each bag but I'm pleased with the custom look they have when done. I carefully folded them and put them into bags that I labeled as to who gets which one. 

Ikea's zip bags are perfect and very cost effective. It was when I was done that I had to call the internet provider so I did get to watch TV while sewing. 

The bags are in the box and ready for shipping. Hurrah. I'm not sewing for a couple of days as I need to limber up my leg and back. And I'm only going to sew a couple of hours a day for a while. 

Knitting

As I sat and applied heat to my knee and back, I decided to knit. I took breaks and hobbled around the house to try and limber up. I got the heel flap knit and turned the heel. It wasn't a lot of knitting which was perfect. 

The flap is knit down to the bottom marker and then it's the turning of the heel. Very hard to see when you use black yarn. I will be picking up the gusset stitches on a bright day so I can see all the stitches. And I will be doing a lot of counting to make sure I've done it right. 

Thoughts

    The family room is looking good and I'm excited to start on the next part. I'm glad that I can use up left over fabric to make table toppers. If I have to buy a half meter to finish up, I will do that. I'm also thinking of making Hudson Bay pillow covers like the one I found at Under the Redwood Tree. I can use up the pillow forms that are stored in the sewing room closet. 

This way I can do both western and Hudson Bay blanket theme in this room. Win-win as I've wanted to add Hudson Bay blanket ideas to the house for a long time.

    The sewing room will get a bit of a makeover this winter. I need to make a decision on the colours I want in that room. It won't be western but more traditional in its look. I need to get blinds on the windows and then change out the lime green containers that hold yarn. I keep thinking turquoise blue. I could keep the lime green/white striped blanket and pillow on the chair and add another colour like burgandy to the mix. We wait and see on that as it is in the beginning stages. It needs to be cleaned and organized first. 

    Upstairs needs to be thought out also. I am looking at blues upstairs as I need it to be calm and relaxing. But there is a lot to do up there before I can really think about colour choices. 

Today

The goal is to clean upstairs -- vacuum, wash floors and dust. It needs to be done. I may go into the sewing room to do some planning but no sewing. Or I may go and plant the garlic. Knitting tonight. 

Until the next time. 

Jabs Done For 2022

 Yesterday was another lovely fall day. The sun shone and you could feel the crispness in the air. The high got to 15.9C. This morning it is 6C and we are to have more sunshine and a high of 17C. 

Lifestyle

I was out the door to physio yesterday where I did 8 minutes on the bike set at 5. I could feel it but the goal is to ride 8 minutes rather than 5. Once done that, I went to a new piece of equipment. I hold onto a bar and push it out as I walk forwards then backwards. I did a lot of that before I did the thrusts on each leg. I was pooped when I got that done as I was pulling 20kg of weight when moving forward. The goal is to strength not only the knee but my torso and arms. 

Son was waiting for a visit when I arrived home. We talked about the garage clean up as he has surgery on his shoulder Nov. 10. He wants the saw horses and plywood for a table while we sort through the Spousal Unit's items. 

After lunch I was on the dead run. I headed out and stopped at the lawyers to get an envelope from her, then to the bank to do some banking and talk to the financial advisor, down to the doctor's to get the flu shot, out to the quilt shop to get a spool of thread, and back to get groceries. I was done in by the time I got home.

The doctor opened up the flu shot clinic early. I was there early and walked in, talked to one of the receptionists who marked me as arrived, then on to the second receptionist who had me follow the doctor's daughter to the hall where we go into his wife's dentist office and stop to wait for the jab. There was one person ahead of me. The doctor and I spoke for a few minutes before the next person arrived. It was quick and easy as the doctor has a great system in place. No more needles for 6 months when I get the next booster shot against covid. 

After I put the groceries away, I sat down on the couch and realized the flu shot was making me tired. I gave in to it and rested until I ate dinner and then fell asleep on the couch for an hour after I ate. I went to bed on time and slept really well all night. 

The house was cool this morning (17C) and I turned on the heat pump. The warm air blows over one chair and Elliott is up on it sleeping in the warmth. This is his morning routine when the heat is on. 

Sewing

After son went home, I headed down to the sewing room and got the 2nd bag done ready to the button and the back seam hand sewn shut. I was really focused as I need these done and gone. 

I took a quick look at the sewing room and cringed. It is a total mess. I am embarrassed with how it looks. I'm not touching it right now as I have so many other things to do but I will be cleaning it to within an inch of its life in December/January. I am taking it back to minimal and well organized. 

The fabric I bought this month is being sewn. I bought 8.5 meters of fabric and have sewn 3 meters of it when the bags are done. The placemats will take 2.5 meters which will leave 3 meters to sew up before Christmas. Not too bad considering I thought I had overdone it on buying fabric. 

Knitting

Elliott helped with my knitting yesterday. He got one of the balls of yarn and scruffed it up some. 

I didn't knit last night which was okay. I may have made a mistake as I was so tired I couldn't think. Even after a nap, I still couldn't think properly to knit. 

Today

The goal is to finish up the bags ready to ship them out. Once they are done, I will do what ever I need to do including heading out to take them to the post office and get some items I need including one or two Christmas gifts. It depends on what happens this morning. If I stay at home, I will do some cleaning upstairs. It is a flexible day for me. 

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

A Long And Busy Day

Yesterday was a sunny day with a bit of wind. The high got to 14.6C. A quick look at the rain gauge and we had 2" of rain fall the day before. This morning it is 6C and we are to have a mix of sun and clouds and 17C. 

Lifestyle

Carol, there is no harm or extra work in making suggestions. My fear is someone would take the sawhorses and use them for fire pit wood (that is what happens up here) and throw the parts that hold the wood in place away. The plywood either our neighbour or son will use in a project. We are going to sort and list items for sale or put them into a yard sale in the spring. It is going to be a lot of work no matter what we do. The Spousal Unit has a lot of things all of which he used. 

I spent another day off and on in the family room. I finished cleaning the walls down to where I wanted to stop this area. I found dirt that the cleaners didn't clean up. I washed the last window and dealt with mud rather than dirt due to the rain hitting the window. And I washed the floor. The area is clean. With the table pulled from the wall to wash the floor I hung three pictures. I wanted them above the table. And I spent a long time reading and calculating and praying. It worked like a charm.

I have to find my tiny level and make sure they are level. I chose these three as they reminded me of Ashcroft Ranch. The milk can I cross stitched while living on the ranch. The middle picture is a copy of one from the 1860's and the right one is the pivot we looked at from our living room window. I put the table cloth on the table and candles to finish the look. I was going to buy a grey cloth but I'm not sure now. I may press the table cloth and use it for the base when I take pictures. I do need to add something colourful to the table though. 

The pictures are grouped for the other side of the room and I'm ready to measure the wall, do the calculations and hang them. There are no pictures of the area as a whole as I left all the cleaning supplies on the ledge. I was tired when I finished cleaning the window as I did it last.

When done this area, I know the Spousal Unit would approve. It has our pictures displayed which was important to him. It has that western look that we both love. And I know I will enjoy being in the room once it is done. I won't get back to it for a few days. I need to do some cleaning upstairs first. 

I took out the recycling yesterday and my knee was hardly sore walking down the driveway. It was really sore walking down a slope prior to physio and is getting easier as time goes on. I tested it again bringing in the green bin and the same; little to no pain. I have noticed I am getting stronger and am able to do more at one time. The only time I have to stop is if I bend over for a period of time. It makes my back sore. I'm hoping that will get better as time goes on. 

Sewing

While the floors were drying and furniture moved around, I sewed. I got the piping sewn onto the loops and then shaped them. Once shaped, I pinned them onto the bags. By the time I was ready to hang the pictures, the bags were ready for me to start the linings.

After lunch, I worked on son-in-laws bag. I added a pocket to it that closes with velcro. Once it was on, I shaped the lining, cut off 1/4" from the top, and sewed the bag together. After bagging it, I pinned the top so I could press and top stitch. My break from the bag consisted of washing the window. The bag is ready for the button and have the opening in the lining hand sewn together. 

And the huge pocket inside the bag.

The next bag won't take as long as there is no interior pocket. The last one is to have a pocket in it so will take longer. 

Knitting

I got the socks ready to start the heel flap. It took a while as my hands started to cramp and I had to apply heat and sit on them. Once the cramps left, I could knit until they cramped again. It happened twice. My hands were tired from all the work I had done during the day. 

Today

I have physio this morning and the flu shot in the afternoon. I am going to get groceries after the flu shot. I know that I will be tired so I'm going to buy something for my dinner. I hope to sew on the second bag today and get it ready to do the hand sewing. I may be able to knit on the heel flaps tonight. It depends on how tired I am from the flu shot. I'd like to have bag #2 done today.

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

Decisions In The Family Room

 Yesterday was a grey day with heavy rains during the day. The high got to 20.9C and it was muggy. At 9 pm, it was raining heavily and still 18C. There was a good inch of rain fall. This morning it is 9C and it isn't raining. We are the blue circle and the green is the storm. There was actually more yellow showing last night indicating the heavy rains we were having. 

Lifestyle

The saw horses and the plywood are for son or our neighbour. I won't be touching them until a decision is made as to who gets them. I had promised the Spousal Unit a long time ago that the three of us would go through his things when he passed away and make decisions. Putting them on the side of the road at son's would work but up here, we get none of the people who look for those items. 

I worked in the family room. I dusted walls, wiped down baseboard and scrubbed 2 of the 3 windows in the area I chose to clean up. The windows were a big job but the rest of the room was kept clean by the cleaners. 

I put the leaves under on the table and pushed it against the wall. It will be used for photographing items as I have a white science board that I use for that. I'm trying to make it into its own area as the family room is weird in design. The previous owners used this area as an office. 

I am going to hang a bunch of the pictures and put some away in a box. They are for daughter to have. At the moment, I need to get the last window scrubbed and start down the long wall. Once I get to a certain point, I will wash that part of the floor and tidy it up. As the walls are grey, I am going to add colour to this room. I would love blues and yellow but am still thinking on it. All I know is the ledge will have no items on it. I want it minimal so I can clean it easily.

My knee and back did really well going up and down the little ladder I use. I was up and down it a lot and had very little pain. I am calling this a success and am getting stronger. 

I did call two companies and had the Spousal Unit's name removed from the bills. It was hard to do but I got it done. I think I have one more to do and I think I'm done. Wait and see - another one will pop up in my face. 

Sewing

I had a long afternoon in the sewing room. I cut the handles for the bags and then went on to make the piping. I thought I had lots but will have about 6" left over. I then started sewing piping to the handles. Making the piping is relaxing. Sewing it onto the handles went well as I use the zipper foot that comes with the Juki.

I did a pair of handles at a time and pinned them onto the bag before starting the next pair. This way I knew I had the correct pair on each bag. 

I was happy to have them all done by 4 pm. 

Knitting

I now have 75 rounds knit on the legs of the socks. Almost ready to start the heels. I am happy about that. 

Today

I'm out the door in a minute to take grandson to school. I would like to work in the family room, sew, and knit. 

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