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.


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.

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. :)

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!

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.

Clean Sweep

Well, not really. But at least it's cleaner. Many years ago I purchased my dining room table and chairs. The house I was renting had a table and chairs that took up all the space in the tiny kitchen. I knew that I wouldn't always be in this house and when a friend saw this table at a yard sale I purchased it. It is a lovely oak table, one pedestal with a leaf that allows it to sit six. I rarely have the leaf in it. But I put the table in the dining room of the rental and I was using the dining room as a sewing room and there it stayed as a catch all and cutting table.

Fast forward to current house and I think I've eaten at the table less than ten times. I'm single and just never formally sit at the table. It has been used as a sewing center and catch all for a long time and has been (still is) a hot mess. I prefer to use it as a study center. Today as I was doing my last scripture writing for 2015, I was in my sewing room using the big office desk that I currently use as a sewing desk. I was sitting there thinking I really need to make space for my computer and my bible things and it hit me that I have a perfectly good table but it was holding everything under the sun.

Boxes of knitting goodies, project bags, cutting mat from the last time I used it as a sewing center, crafting items from last years Christmas presents and Christmas bags and boxes from last Christmas, 2014 not 2015 were covering the table! Yes, as I said it was a hot mess and I am such a clutter queen. I am the one the book Sink Reflections was written for and the Fly Lady is my friend. I haven't been flying in quite some time. To be honest I've never really gotten off the ground. I have the book pulled out to reread it and I know where my home blessing book is located. I just need to put it in place. I'll come back to this in minute.

I realized that the hot mess had to go and really needed the table to function as my study center, my war room! I spent quite some time this morning putting things away and I'm still not completely finished. I still have a few things to put away but I have bibles out and notebooks out and bible study books stacked and ready to use. I'm actually sitting at the table and typing this blog post! It is a great feeling but as I sit here and realize how great it feels to have most of the clutter gone one thing occurs to me, I don't like this table or the uncomfortable chairs!!!! I'm sitting here laughing. The chairs have issues. Three of the six need to have rungs glued back in place and I need to use some cushions or I need to purchase a new table and chairs. I'm leaning towards the new table and chairs, but I'm a very frugal and why spend money when this table works. I'll be shopping for cushions soon.

Back to Fly Lady and my clutter, this isn't a resolution but a fact of life. I've got to get my clutter under control. My house is a mess and I am embarrassed to have anyone over. I am going to reread Sink Reflections and I'm going to work on decluttering. I have great book shelf in the dining area. But in the move five years ago, it lost two shelves. I either need to get two shelves made or ditch this bookshelf and get one that is functional. I have lots and lots of books and this needs to be a working bookcase. I have a lot of bible study books that are currently boxed in the garage because I don't have enough space for them in my house. Again, clutter fills up the area and isn't functional. I want my dining table to be a study center. As I said in an earlier post, I'm ready for my relationship with the Lord to be back in green valleys and that's not going to happen if I'm studying His Word.

My home isn't going to be open for me to have small bible studies or knitting groups over if it isn't decluttered and usable. When I moved in 5 1/2 years ago, that was my dream, using this home God provided as a place of study and fellowship. The dining room table was the tip of the iceberg, but I'm ready to dive in swim around. I'm ready to use this home as I originally intended.

I'm so blessed! Cluttered, but blessed!

LIFE End of the Year Review

I stink as a blogger and a very good friend tells me I criticize myself too much! It really caused me to stop and think about what I say. I realized I'm very vocal about my inadequacies and I need to stop that.

But I'm going to put a few things here to hold myself accountable. First thing I did wrong was trying make myself blog. I had very few posts in 2015. I don't do well making myself to this blog. I did do a really good job of posting my knitting projects in Ravelry and I'm very proud of that. I'm going to let the blog flow naturally and not force it into something it isn't.

I am having a good year at work. That cats and the sister are good! I'm enjoying my fairy granddaughters and the kids are about to add a fairy grandson and another grandaughter to the mix. I'm so thankful I have a dear friend who let me be a part of her children's life and the kiddos love me and still include me in their grown up life. Thus the fairy grandchildren who I treasure. Honestly, it can be hard to be mid life and realize not only am I not having children but I'm not going to enjoy grandchildren and family in my life as I get older. I'm hushing before I get really emotional! :)

I have really enjoyed my church family this year. Last year I joined a life group - thanks to Priscilla Shirer and Beth Moore. I listened to some of their simulcasts and realized I was missing the connectedness of bible study group. I asked one of my media co-volunteers about his life group and was immediately added to his group. Just like family, whoosh, I was apart of their group and doing life with them. This year they've added four babies to the group so we've not met really regular, but we are doing life together, praying for one another and studying the word together, doing meals together. Holding one another accountable and just loving on one another and it's awesome.

The past month I've been doing a scripture writing plan from Sweet Blessings and she just posted a January plan. It was something I saw on facebook and decided to try. I love it! It is truly just a few short verses a day and I've not been really consistent. Life happens, BUT it is truly such a small time commitment that I am totally caught up and really want to stay caught up. There is something about writing the Word that is amazing and I am going to continue. I started a new spiral bound notebook in December and I want it to be filled with my handwriting and His Word throughout the year.

Honesty moment - since my mom died in 2009, I've been in a really odd place with God. Actually, it goes back further to Dad's passing in 2006, but really grounded in deep after 2009. I've worshiped the Lord, studied and prayed but had an overall dry time. I'm not saying it's totally desert, there have been some lush river time and great springs of joy, worship, and prayer. But I'm really tired of the desert and I want to be back in the valleys and on the mountain tops. I want the Holy Spirit to be teaching me, rebuking me, loving me and laughing with me. I want a refreshed relationship. It has been growing for a while and I've had some heart to heart talks and listened the Him. I'm still not sure where He is taking me but I'm ready to hold on for the ride. It feels good.

Today wasn't really about the stitching and was totally about the sentiments. I'm good with that.

Blessings to whoever reads any of this.

End of the Year Review

I can't believe it's been over six months since my last post.

As the title says, I'm going to do a review and it's all about knitting today. This was a year of firsts for me. Being fairly new to knitting that isn't hard to do but I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone. I started the year with a lace cowl and when I gave it to sister I knew I was making progress. She commented on how nice it was and I know she loves anything I make but she's also honest about what things look like.

The next really big first was my first pair of completed socks. I finished those in February and they are wearable. I reworked a heel over the summer and I'm still not happy with the fit but again they are wearable and I will wear them if we ever have cold weather. Today's temperature is 70+. I had started and ripped out several socks before completing the first pair. This included a successfully made diagonal lace sock that took months before I decided to create its mate. The mate still isn't finished.

I entered Stash Dash 2015 and it was the first time I've pushed myself to knit so many projects. I did knit 3000 meters from the beginning of summer break to the start of school. I did my first side to side shawlette - Saroyan and my first applied edging on Piper's Journey.

I completed my first lace shawl - Pebble Beach and I love it!!! I started a second shawl as apart of a mystery knit along. But school was wearing me out and I needed to have an alert brain to knit the second one - Summertide.

I knit my first colorwork at the end of November - beginning of December. I finished my first ever sweater - 5 Hour Sweater. It did take more than 5 hours. I followed it up with a Newborn Vertebrae that went so fast I didn't have time to make a project page while working on it. I knit it in 4 days, really more like two. I started it Christmas Eve and finished it early on the 28th.

I'm going to spend the next few days reading and giving my hands a rest from knitting. I hope to post again tomorrow about my year of Bible challenges and for the most part failings. More on that tomorrow.

KAL Update

just a little knitting update

Sometimes I really don't like working on my iPad or on blogger. They often don't play nice together. I'm having trouble loading photos. So we'll see if these work.

As you can see I've been knitting on my Piper's Journey and it is blocking now. It has been very cool here in TN and it has taken a little while for this shawl to dry. I finished it and it counts towards the Knit Girllls Stash Dash 2015 KAL and the Around Your Neck KAL in the Suburban Stitcher group.

I also got very creative this week and ordered my own custom designed labels for my project bags. I used Winchester Lambourne on Etsy to design my label and I purchased labels from Ananemone. I am so excited to about them. I am waiting on delivery before I start making a few more project bags.

This a my Pebble Beach Shawl. It's had very little knitting because I've been focused on my Yowza Shawl.

The Yowza Shawl is almost ready for the ruffle and bind off. 40 grams more to knit before I begin that part of the shawl.


That's my Update. ;)