Holiday Gifts

 My holiday gift creation was in full swing this afternoon.  I was supposed to be resting, however I figured since I was sitting down while working that was the same as resting.  I got one set of gifts completely finished and in a box waiting for December.  Another one only partially finished due to broken and missing pieces from the kit. A trip to the craft store is in order.   By the way they wanted a review on the kit, I gave it a one star.  I very rarely do that.

I also spent the morning with friends. It’s always nice hanging out with friends.  Since this was my crafty group I took my oak shawl and added a few more rounds.  

A First for Me

 Today I had to have a root canal. Normally they make me cringe and then I get all tense. Making the experience trying.  Today I did something different, I started taking slow deep and relaxing breaths.  I kept taking slow deep breaths. It seemed like just minutes later the dentist was pulling out all the gear. I had actually slept through the root canal.  I’ve got to say that was the best root canal that I have ever had. I highly recommend sleeping through your next root canal. Also the dentist did not mind at all.  I think it made it easier for both of us.  

Also not a drop of knitting was done today. I promptly fell asleep after dinner.  I will have to try again tomorrow.  I am calling it quits for the night.  

My Tunisian Crochet Shawl

 Tonight I am working on a one of a kind shawl for myself.  With the work I did tonight, I have enough of the next section done to show off a little bit of the silk.  The orange and green silk work well together.  The orange and green combination helps bring out the color of the gold Llama yarn.  

You might have noticed that I filled in the corners using some of the techniques that I learned in the Tunisian hat class.  I have still not finished that hat yet.  I am getting closer.  I just have to be at full spoons to work on that project.  

Since I am giving myself some grace, I will not be writing a pattern for this shawl for many reasons.  The first being that I have not kept notes on the project as I have been working on it. The second being that this is a stash dive project, all the yarn in the project has been discontinued.  Third, I just don’t have the spoons to do the hours of back end work to get a pattern out.  Forth and foremost is that I wants one of a kind pice of wearable art that no one expect me has.  This is the artist in me speaking out.  Last but not least is that I am using some of the most expensive yarn in my stash for this project. I am at least $150 USD in and I am only halfway through.  I like to make my patterns affordable and this one is in the I am not affordable for the majority of knitters.  

So it’s time to take a peak.   

R & R

 I am taking a few days of R & R.  See you on the flip side.  

Be productive for me.  

Shiny New Things

 If you are anything like me, you like shiny new things. For me this includes yarn. Sometimes I am right in the middle of a project. I have the rhythm of the pattern down pat. My audio book is playing.  Then just in an instant I notice a skein of yarn.  It is saying hug me. Cuddle me. Make me into something beautiful.  Put down that project, just find a bag for it and finish it later.  However, I have a very bad track record of repeating this cycle over and over again.  

I am currently in a cycle to finish UFO’s.  I was really excited when I made it through a whole basket of UFO’s.  Then started organizing the knitting room.  I found 2 more baskets and a very large bag of UFO’s.  I have since made it through most of the huge bag. I am also slowly moving through other projects.  So with the exception of car knitting, crocheting or class work. I am trying very hard not to start more projects.  

I also need to take photos and log them in my Ravelry account.  Then I will have at least 4 bags of finished projects will leave the house.  

I guess it is time to go back to pencil and paper for my to do list.  Here is my attempt from 2023. I am still going to try again.

Making Progress Everywhere

 My body is still trying to adjust to more activity due to cardiac rehab. I am finding that I had adjusted to less activity better than I thought. My calorie intake had adjusted to my activity levels.  I have just sent that out the window.  This has lead to eating at odd times and falling back asleep because my body is still trying to heal and manage calories.  I find that I can not eat as much as I use to.  I got up at 6 am for breakfast and then got sleepy. I slept until noon.  I had really intended to be at the mall around 10am for my walk.  I did make it there by 1:30pm. Take today for instance, I tried walking at the nearby outdoor mall.  I have not yet been cleared for graded walking so no walking around the block yet. I found that after 20 minutes of the 40 planned minutes I was very tired. I was walking too fast. I know this because my mileage was too high.  I have to figure out a way to walk slower and obviously it was not my current audio book.  I guess that I will have to ask what beat of music I should be walking to and creat a playlist. 

In Tunisian crochet, my Skill Builder Hat by aklori designs has picked up its pace.  I finished round 11 of the crown.  I am now have begun round 2 of the body.  Having never made a top down hat before has left me wondering when the body will turn into a tube. I can say with certainty that it will not occur in the first few rounds.  The body is the easiest part of the hat so far.  The body is also much faster to crochet.  

Time for tonight’s progress picture. When it is finished, if the orange is not the right color for me, I have the perfect friend to gift it to. It is starting to look very orange to me. 

Happy Halloween

 I don’t know about your trick or treaters post pandemic, we have had noticeably less trick or treaters.  Since I tend to offer candy and non candy items for the children I have found that they love the following items in order of what goes faster.  

1. Pencils and erasers. #2’s go the fastest followed by colored pencils, lastly pencils that are anything else. The animal erasers that you can switch the parts around, go the fastest. I never buy them around Halloween, but other times in the year when they’re on sale.

2. Candy - it does not matter which kind, just not marshmallows. 

3. Crayons  and bubbles for the younger children. 

4. 3D printing errors and benches.  All the benches come from printers that have left the house.  

5. Various Halloween items. 

This year to get some extra ice packs out of the house, I gave away sets to parents who were with their kids.  I still have one set left and it comes with its own canvas bag. Let me know if you want it.  

Have a good weekend.