Goofing Off

I have been doing some serious goofing off lately. Mostly I've just been enjoying being home. The weather has been unseasonably warm and precipitation-free. The birds are enjoying the feeder. We've had dark-eyed juncos, our resident house finches and chickadees visiting the feeder. Skip saw his first grackle today.

Last night the Whitby Spinners met (as they do every Monday night) at Coffee Culture in Whitby. I plied some of the red Dyeing for Colour singles I had spun. It didn't have enough twist and just fell apart when I was trying to chain-ply it so I Andean plyed the single and then plyed it on the wheel. I'm enjoying the Woolee Winder but I switched back to the regular flyer when I did the plying.

Today I got the urge to do some sewing so I made a cosmetic bag to test a pattern I found online. I used medium weight fusable interfacing rather than any batting. I like how it turned out, I just didn't make it big enough. I want to make a couple of large zippered bags. One for my cosmetics for when I'm travelling and the other for all my electronics cords, chargers, adapters, etc., also for when I'm travelling. I really like the 'cool cats' dancing.

It wasn't too hard to cut the fabric so the edges would line up.

I trimmed the interfacing 1/8" all around before ironing it onto the main fabric pieces so it wouldn't gum up my iron.

This one is too small for what I intended for so I'll use it for makeup. I now know how to modify the pattern to make the larger size that I wanted.

I then made a couple more earbud cases. One with batting

and one with interfacing instead of batting.

I didn't get a shot of the one with the interfacing but it has the same fabric as the one above but the white fabric is inside, the green is outside and I used a black a black zipper and topstitching.

Back Home

Skip and I got home yesterday after a 3400km (2125 mi) drive from south Texas. We're not people who like to drive for 12 hours a day. We're more like the 7 - 8 hour per day people. As a result, we just can't seem to make the trip in only 4 days. Oh well. We're home now and that is good. We had fantastic weather for the entire drive home. We kept our eye on the weather systems that were going through, particularly the violent one that had tornadoes touch down in IN and TN. But they were well north or east of us. I'll outline some of our escapades in another post.

Since returning home, I've tried out my new Woolee Winder which I had delivered to me in TX and I really do believe it will speed up my efficiency. I did spend quite a bit of time shifting the single to different hooks to wind the bobbin evenly and now I just spin and spin and spin. My spinning group continued on in my absence on Monday nights and we have lots of upcoming events we're planning for including a couple of spin-ins and perhaps even an overnight or weekend retreat!

I've also been doing a wee bit of sewing. I've been doing quite a bit of stash-building and thought it was time to actually make something! I was intrigued by this tutorial for an earbud case. I did it exactly as per the instructions.

My top stitching is a little wobbly. I had to pick out the first attempt and try it again.

I think I will make future ones a little bit bigger - perhaps another 1/2 inch bigger.

 

I like the music print I used for the lining.  It's just random notes.

I used the thinnest batting I had but it was still pretty puffy. However, I think it will protect the earbuds. A little zipper case like this could be used for lots of things - stitch markers, loose change, flash drives, dental floss, gym ID card, etc.

It's an easy, peasy project. I see a few more in my future.

A Stroke of Good Luck OR No Missed Opportunities

So the night before last, I checked my email and I got one from my friend, Suzanne, with whom I taught for many years before I retired. We live fairly close to each other (15 km or so), keep in touch almost daily via Facebook or email, and occasionally get together for dinner or a movie or both. We were both single when we started at our school and have both been through a couple of long-term relationships. She has interesting, creative hobbies like scrapbooking and photography and we both love to travel. We just have never done it together.

So I get this email with the subject: Want to go on the baltic cruise?

I then read on: You can be my roommate! The room would be free for you -- you'd just have to pay for your airfare, insurance, excursions, etc.  

It didn't take me more than a couple of seconds for my brain to scream "Hell, yes!".

Suzanne's parents are retired and like to travel as much as they can. A couple of Christmasses ago they treated their entire family to a Caribbean cruise. I think there were 13 people in total that they paid for. They discovered they enjoy cruising. Helloooo! What's not to like?

Anyway, this summer they are booking a 12 day cruise and paying for Suzanne and a roommate to go. And lucky me gets to be the roommate! I'm not sure how many were on her list of potential roommates, but I got to be the lucky one who said 'yes' first.

We're going to be sailing out of Amsterdam (which I last visited 31 years ago). Suzanne and I will fly over a couple of days ahead to do some sight-seeing. Then we'll meet her mom and dad (M & D) who will fly in a day before sailing and board our ship which will stop at: Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg (2 nights), Tallinn, Berlin (actually a port on the Baltic Sea with an excursion to Berlin) and Copenhagen.

A Baltic cruise has been on my bucket list for a while so I'm thrilled with this opportunity to do it so affordably. A trip like this would have been completely out of the question this year otherwise. I even have some left-over Euros from my last European vacation (before I retired even) that I should be able to make good use of.

Skip will be in the middle of his golfing and grass-cutting seasons, so will just have to muddle along without me for a couple of weeks. I'm sure he's somewhat jealous and would love to be able to join us, as he loves cruising as well, but he understands that Suzanne doesn't need 2 roommates.

I have been knitting on and off but mostly have been pursuing other activities lately. I know I've been eerily absent from blogging but all will be revealed in a week or so. I'm working on a second of two socks that I started on a car trip a few weeks ago. I also started Evenstar Gloves using some red KnitPicks City Tweed DK yarn from my stash. The yarn is really soft and squishy. I'd like to knit some other projects with it.

Tina at Soper Creek Yarn put a post on her blog about the classes I will be teaching there in April and May.  I need to finish one knitting project and get it blocked as well as blocking another I recently finished - both versions of the Dianna shawl. Then I'll get them over to her so she can display them in her shop and drum up interest in the classes.

Every day I am grateful for what life has laid out for me at this stage of my life. I don't take it for granted because I know it can all change in a heartbeat. As retirees, we know we are only 1 doctor's appointment away from some nasty diagnosis so I will certainly be availing myself of as many opportunities that come my way. I am a very, very fortunate person. This I know. It more than makes up for other periods in my life which were not quite as blissful. I'm certainly receptive to any good fortune that comes my way. And having a good friend with extremely generous parents, doesn't hurt either.  :-)

Happy Leap Day!

Quilts and More

Yesterday, I picked up a 'simple, fresh & fun' publication called "Quilts and More" - a Better Homes and Gardens publication.

It had lots of easy, achievable patterns for projects. One in particular that intrigued me was a 2-in-1 Reversible Quilt designed by Kate Spain.

Basically, each side of the quilt is pieced and then they're quilted together. This particular project uses the same pattern on both sides, just different colourways on each side. Each side can be created with one 26-piece strip pack or 'jelly roll' (2 1/2" x 42" precut strips or equivalent) alternating with solid white strips.

There are so many things that could be done with this idea - same colourways on both sides with contrasting patterns, sampler on one side and strips on the other, etc. etc.

I also did some stash-building at the discount department store that had a large fabric department. Most of the fabrics were on clearance for between $2 - $4 per yard. I bought 1/2 yd. of each (mostly).

These 4 fabrics would work together.

Of course, I couldn't resist these purples and blues.

These 4 might also work together.

I just thought this was cute.

And I grabbed a yard of this kitty cat fabric for Mo.

Next up - a variety of projects that I'm planning to make...  Stay tuned...

Checking In

I`ve been on a holiday from blogging lately but thought I`d check in with my latest efforts.

I continue to work on the Every Way Wrap, a comfort shawl for a friend who recently lost her husband. I'm on the last ball of yarn and repeat 13 of 16 before starting the ribbed edge. Forgive the crappy photos - it's nighttime and the lighting is horrid.

I finished a sock and have started a second one. The pattern is called Katwijker Frok by Erry Pieters-Korteweg and it's based on a Dutch fisherman's sweater pattern from Katwijk, a coastal town in the Netherlands. There are only 4 rows to the pattern so it was great car knitting.

I started another Dianna shawl - a store sample to promote a couple of classes I'm teaching. This one is using Noro Taiyo Sock Yarn. The feel of it is like the Sekku yarn I used on two previous Diannas but the Taiyo Sock Yarn is thicker. It should block out nicely.

I`m also working on a rectangular one which will be 3 squares x 20 rows of the Jawoll Degrade sock yarn I`m using. It should block out to about 9``x 60`` when I ever get it done.

I found a WalMart with an extensive fabric department and picked some inexpensive items for my little fabric stash. I then noticed several shelves with cute cotton fabrics at between $2 - $4 per yard. I'm definitely going back for more. I have no idea what I'm going to make with all these random fabrics. Perhaps a pieced quilt of some kind with an eclectic collection of fabrics? Some more project bags? For now, I'm going on cute/whimsical designs I like a lot.

I recently learned how to download movies to watch on my computer and have been having quite the Downton Abbey extravaganza. Skip and I have been watching it on Sunday nights for a couple of months on on PBS. I downloaded all of Season 2 and the Christmas special and have watched them all. Then I went downloaded all 7 episodes of Season 1 and watched them, realizing I had seen the first one but had missed several episodes of Season 1 when they were first aired.

I was surprised to learn how many of my friends (Facebook and otherwise) and cousins were watching it. We`re all really enjoying it. Tonight PBS aired the last two episodes of Season 2 (Episodes 7 & 8) back to back and next week they`ll show the 1.5 hour Christmas special which resolves some story lines and opens some others. Season 3 will be aired in the UK in the fall and on Masterpiece Theatre Classic on PBS in the spring of 2013. We`ll have to wait a whole year to watch it (unless I download it after it airs in the UK).

Constant Quest

My yarn and fibre stash got the better of me last year. It was to the point I didn't even know what I had on hand nor where to find what I needed. Sound familiar? I am not a person who obsesses about a neat and tidy environment but I do need to be able to find stuff when I need it. And I like leaving my house in pretty good shape when I go on a holiday.

From what I can tell, the key is to find a system and stick to it. So this week at Canadian Tire, 9L bins were on sale (half price) for $1.99 each. They're stackable, see-through and have clear lids as well. I bought 8 of them and may drop in for more today. I dug out my label maker and started organizing in my office/craft room. You can see my shelves need some work. The paper bag on the sofa is where the cat sleeps.

These bins really only contain the 'overflow' from most of my stash, which are on IKEA shelves in another corner of the room. (That is an old photo. They cubbies are now 80% full of yarn and books). And yes, there are still piles of stuff but the most of them are organized now, too. I have lots of room in my house and adequate storage space, I believe. I just need to keep purging to make room in the spaces I have for the many things I'm going to keep or am not yet ready to throw away.

I have tried to make good use of the space under my desk as well. I like having everything within arm's reach. The binders hold printouts and patterns in various categories and the laundry basket is my paper recycle bin that gets emptied every month or so. The boxes in the top right corner are my beading stuff (they could use a bin, too).

Like most Baby Boomers, I now realize I have been very 'acquisitive' and now am always looking for things I can discard. I am on the constant quest for both simplifying my life and things and storing/organizing them so I can easily access what I need.

Alas, being ultra-neat and tidy will never be a trait of mine, but I have been working on getting things in better shape around the house, in general.  I feel sorry for the person who will have to go through my stuff when I am no longer able to take care of myself or I die. But I'm hoping to make it a little easier for them. Watching "Hoarders" has shown me that I'm really not that far from the 'slippery slope' to being a true hoarder. This awareness (and having more time to explore more domestic pursuits) has really helped get me moving in a positive direction.

Trillium Embroidery Guild - January

I enjoy the meetings of the Trillium Embroidery Guild. I am not a very stitcherly member and lately I've been taking my knitting to our meetings but I do enjoy seeing what the other members are working on.

This month was our garage sale, at which members bring charts and accessories they no longer want and display them for sale for only $1 or two. One of these years, I'll make a contribution but this year I only bought some stuff.

One of my favourite things each month is to see the finished projects people bring to display.

Norah's stitching was displayed on the lid of a beautiful custom-made wooden box.

This is the sampler project guild members (except me and a few others) worked on last year.

I really like these 4 Jeannette Douglas samplers.

Tara brought a couple of items she had woven on a lap loom and a beret she embellished with needle-felted yarn and beads.