Saturday, July 9, 2016

Five Year Anniversary Post

Five short years ago I was headed to Alaska on a mission trip. It was a fantastic trip and I enjoyed every minute. I was just telling sister last night that I'd like to go back and spend time traveling to Denali.

This blog has become a place to share my stitching, quilting and knitting. Occasionally I share a few sentiments. Over the past year I have turned the news off for 85% or more of my media time. I typically watch it for the weather and then turn it off. The news media in my opinion is extreme drama and exaggeration. When I see videos from social media presented as news, I'm totally unimpressed and I devalue that news show credibility.

That said I can't help but hear the news and the horrible things that have happened in the world the past weeks. I'm saddened at the loss of lives and destruction that has taken place. I have nothing wise or helpful to say. My thought is I'm blessed to know where my help comes from and to have a relationship with My Savior Jesus.

My sister says I use that phrase too much "blessed or bless it" and I do use it a lot. I do know the meaning of being blessed and I mean it sincerely. I've had frequent prayer time with the Lord and it is our private code. He understands what I mean.

So I'll close this post that was started as a celebration and took a turn to more somber sentiments by saying:
     Have a blessed day!

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Socks Are Wonderful

I'm loving my summer of socks. I've actually finished two pair and I'm through the heel of the first sock/third pair. I've learned the OMG Heel - One-needle Mock Gusset. I like the heel so far. I've only worn them around the house.



 I am sorry for photo placement. I can't get blogger to lay them out in any other manner. :(

I'm now learning the Fish Lips Kiss heel and I've knit the first sock and I loved how it fit when I tried it on.



I'm working to finish my Drachenfel before I start another shawl. I'm doing Stash Dash again this year and I really want to pull two other projects out of hibernation and get them finished. We'll see how that goes.

Summer has started off well and I have a professional development tomorrow and a two day workshop next week. I'm looking forward to both and hope to learn a lot.

My 2016 reading challenge is a little slow. I've clicked off several parts of the challenge. I've read two books published this year, a book I previously started (several of those actually) and reread a book (more than one actually).

I've planned several books to fill in the other gaps. I plan to read Grapes of Wrath for my banned book, To Kill a Mockingbird as a book suggested by my BFF, and Anne of Green Gables as the book published before I was born. Several books would fulfill multiple categories but I want to read as many books as possible. It is a reading more challenge. :)

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Summer of Socks

Last year I had a summer of shawls. I did a personal Stash Dash (via the Knit Girllls) and knit 3000 meters of yarn with the majority being used in shawls. I wasn't going to try to Stash Dash again, but if I complete the projects on my needles I can easily obtain that goal. Last summer I was casting on almost entirely new projects.

I am planning on participating in Little Skein's Sock School. I purchased two skeins of the Sock School's ode to Pippi Longstocking yarn. One speckled skein from Highland Handmade and a striped skein from Must Stash. I was actually able to order when the presales went up. I've never been able to catch an update from either store. Cast on day is May 15.

I'm also participating in Must Stash's Droid Wars. I was able to get a pre-order of "The Droids You Are Looking For" companion set which included 2 skeins 50g each of different colorways representing R2-D2 and C-3PO. We cast on May 4th.

I've also been working on Hermione's Everyday Socks as my softball park knitting. I had an OMG heel put in (One needle Mini Gusset) and I put it in 1/2 inch too short. So I've ripped it back and planning on putting it in again today. I need to work on the leg tomorrow while we are playing.



Monday, April 25, 2016

Catching Up

Once again, I have let time slip away. I've been working, knitting and sewing. No quilting has been done. It's been a fast moving spring and summer is almost here. School is over in a month!

We are in the middle of state testing and my students are so ready for it to all be over. We are all suffering from spring fever.

I've been knitting away and have finished several pairs of socks and another Weigh It Shawl. I haven't blocked the shawl, so no photos. I have started a special pair I work on when I watch GHS Softball! It is a great yarn I picked up at Stitches South from Twisted Owl Fiber Studio. It has splashes of royal blue along with my favorite beach colors.

 
I made this lovely bag from scraps I had left over from the house quilt and I have several more half squares I plan on making into bags or more needle cozies.



 I've also dabbled in making stitch markers and I'm very happy with the way these turned out. I need more beads. The ones I purchased do not have consistent hole sizes and I had done my research on what types/sizes to purchase for markers.  These are some of the lovely socks I've been knitting. I've purchased my first yarn from Desert Vista Dyeworks and I love her yarn! 




 This is a lovely skein of Star Wars complimentary yarn from Must Stash Yarns. Droid Wars socks will be cast on May 4th. As you can see, it is kitty approved. The last photo is some of the yarny goodness I purchased at Stitches South. 

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Snow Pictures

Here are some of the pictures of the snow in my neighborhood.

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On the right of this photo, behind the building, between the second light pole and the tree is the road to my house. It looks like the snow covered hill. Very little traffic went up the hill. Again, love my 4wd SUV.

Snow Days

Before the snow, I had fun at our local sock club. We meet the third Saturday of the month at Dunkin Donuts and have a wonderful sit and knit. This is a pic of the assortment of project bags that were on the table in January.

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We had a wonderful 9" snowfall at the end of last week and this was after a brief icy snowfall on Wednesday. We've been out of school for 7 days. Even though my roads were clear Monday night, county roads were still iced over three days later. It was one of those winter wonderland snows and I enjoyed watching it snow all day long. The snow and ice did cause us to miss one night of the Redeemed taping. I can't wait for the bible study to come out. I know it will be wonderful.

My church has an always open policy and I was slotted for media team on Sunday. They decided to have the later service so I had plenty of time to drive in. I left extra early because I wasn't sure of the road conditions. There was a freezing fog that morning and it was gorgeous to look at but not quite fun to drive in. Once I was on the state highway all of the roads were clear. Driving down the interstate was just amazing. The trees were absolutely gorgeous.

Lots of volunteers and staff had come to campus on Saturday and cleared the south parking lot. The road leading to the church was completely clear of snow. The city road leading to the church campus was icy but I had no trouble getting to church. It was the first time I had ever put my car in 4wd and I have to say I'm very proud of how well my Nissan Rogue did on the iced and snowy roads.

While I've been off for the snow, I've done lots of knitting. I finished a pixie hat for the new fairy grandbaby, made my sister a new hat, made a pair of baby mittens, started a new pair of socks and started the Yowza Weigh It Shawl in Miss Babs Perfectly Wreckless colorway. My hands are wrists are a little tired from all of the knitting. But that's ok. Here a few pictures of my accomplishments.

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Sunday, January 17, 2016

Mid January

The month is speeding by and back to school has made my brain numb as well as my body tired. I've only done a little knitting and reading but it feels good. I'm about to start a new knitting project. I wear my Yowza shawls all of the time and I need to knit a few more to add to the rotation. So I'm going to start the Yowza Weigh It Shawl that started the collection.

I'm knitting it in Perfectly Reckless colorway and it is a gorgeous hot pink with grey, green and black shot throughout. I can't wait to get it on the needles. I finished the simple socks with yarn by Kaleidoscope Dye Works and I've worn them once. I think they should have been knit with a larger circumference. They felt fine, but they really stretched out. I'll see how much they bounce back after the first wash. I have put a few pieces in hibernation. I'm actively working on my Drachenfels, my sister's pedicure socks, starting Yowza, seed stitch cowl, and a simple rib hat for sister. I just realized that's three things for sis! She does have a birthday coming up next month. :)

UntitledUntitled The baby sweaters were a hit and one new baby has arrived. I finished the binding on his quilt the day before he came. He was early. Everyone is doing well and he stole my heart the minute he was put in my arms. I cried more than he did. He is the grandson of my dearest friend. She has four children and I've been blessed to be a part of their lives for 20 years. I've watched them grow up and spent a lot of time with them. I don't have an honorary title, but I call their children my fairy grandchildren. He is the first boy with three girls before him and one more arriving in 20+ days.

Next week I am taking part in a Lifeway taping for Angela Thomas-Pharr. This will be my third time to take part in one of her book sessions. The tapings will produce the video session for her new study Redeemed. I was in the audience for Brave and Stronger. I can't wait to her watch she is teaching on Redeemed. We will tape for three nights. She will be doing more taping throughout that time and it's always a powerful time. Then next month I'm going to see Priscilla Shirer and Anthony Evans. I know the night will blow my socks off. The last time I heard Priscilla in person she was with Beth Moore and Kay Arthur.  I just realized I've listed my top four bible teachers. Love these ladies and the gift of the word they bring to my life!!!

Off to start the Yowza!

Friday, January 1, 2016

Reading Challenge

I don't normally do well with challenges, but I saw this one on Facebook and decided I liked it enough to try it.
 I'm a reader, a voracious reader. I laughed privately at some of the folks who talk about their reading goals on podcast, blogs or other social media. I know the book numbers seemed high for them, but I was like Pssh I read that many last month. That being said, the list for this challenge will by absolutely no means be the only books I read.

I also have a habit or rereading books. I reread Dee Henderson, JK Rowling and Dana Stabenow often not just annually. I tend to reread Dana's Shugak series more than her others, but I've reread Campbell's series several times and I currently have her science fiction series ready to go in my iPad. I'm not a science fiction fan, but I like her writing a lot.

My GoodReads books list really needs to be updated. I don't do a good job listing what I'm reading. I will go through two or three rounds of books from the library and never put them on any list. I may try to put all of my 2016 reads in this year because I'm curious as to how many books I read a year. I need to figure out how to put in books I'm rereading and how to tag books with a year read. I've been unsuccessful in getting books that I've stopped reading off my bookshelf in GoodReads. I've created a shelf that is just for that purpose, but apparently I have to also have the book on one of the default shelves.

I already have the first book from the challenge picked out. For some reason I started  Robert Galbraith's The Cuckoo's Calling when it was first published and when the news came out that it was actually JK Rowling, I stopped reading it. As I said, I reread her Harry Potter series every summer, it's usually how I start my summer break. But I really didn't like her first adult book The Casual Vacancy, it just had too much cursing in the first few chapters and I wasn't impressed at all.  I was afraid to continue with the book. But a friend who isn't a Rowling fan suggested I read what is now the series. She'd picked it up not knowing it was writing using a pseudonym. I am going to restart the book tomorrow.