Showing posts with label Knitting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Knitting. Show all posts

Friday, April 28, 2023

#AmWatching + #Crafting Projects + #Dog Groomers + De-Cluttering + Weather Reports

Since I'm ahead on my reading for this month, I felt like I actually had some quiet time to watch a TV show and a movie on the weekend.  So I worked on my crochet blanket while I watched season three of “The Mandalorian” – which, I admit, I enjoy more for the antics of the baby Yoda than anything, even though I am a Star Wars fan.  And also while I watched the “Cruella” movie which I give a four out of five, since I didn’t think it was nearly as good as “101 Dalmatians” but did think it was a pretty good movie.

 

Needless to say,I’ve made quite a bit more progress on my crochet blanket.  One of these days you’ll get a nice surprise and I’ll be telling you it’s finished.  Not yet though, since there’s still a way to go before that happens.  But there’s progress, and it’s growing.  Slowly.  But it’s growing.

 

In the meantime, I made this little bunny in loom knitting:


 

 

It’s meant to be a wooly representation of the marshmallow “Peeps” you can get around Easter.  At least, people in the US can get them.  Apparently they come in rabbit and chick shapes.  Well, mine is a rabbit shape, and made with a random white yarn with blue flecks in it I had in my stash, since that’s what I grabbed (probably because it was near the top from doing the crochet rabbit appliquĆ© I made a few weeks ago).

 

*~*

 

Last week was the last time the groomer we’d been using for Lilie and Logan could come, because he’s moving, and where he’s moving to is too far for him to continue coming to this area.  But he gave us the number of a local groomer he recommends, and she says she can take us on, so I've arranged their next appointment with her now so I can be sure to get them done when they’d be due to be groomed again in July (I get them done every three months; the vet does their nails if they need doing in the meantime, and I brush them regularly in between as well, so it’s often enough in my opinion).  So they're booked in for Monday July 24th at 10:15am with Nicola at Tailtastic.

 

She’s not a mobile groomer like the previous one was, so we will have to start taking the dogs there, rather than having the groomer come to us, but it’s only a short walk from our house, so it’s not a big deal.  Although, I’ll miss Anthony, who has been an excellent groomer in the time we’ve been able to use him.  I’ll also miss the convenience of the groomer coming to us.  But it can’t be helped.  Better for them to have a groomer we have to go to than none at all, right? And even better if she comes recommended by a groomer we know is good.  I also think "Tailtastic" is a fun dog groomer name.

 

*~*

 

The de-cluttering project continues.

 

I sorted through the contents of a box of stuff of my Dad’s that I was storing in my craft room, since he said I could just put the stuff with my own.  It’s all sewing stuff, with a couple of leatherworking tools among it.  So I did that, and in doing so was able to clear a little more space in my office/craft room – despite still having the stuff in the room – just by no longer keeping it separated.  I was also able to empty a storage box, which is going to come in handy for Kelly to put some of his stuff in when we get to dealing with his office/gaming room, which will hopefully be something we start dealing with pretty soon.

 

I got my braille books put in the right order on my shelves in my office/craft room too.  I sorted them while listening to the audiobook for the book I'm reading for one of the book clubs I'm part of.  Making use of the option of audiobooks while working on de-cluttering and household chores is how I'm keeping up with my reading well enough to be ahead on my reading goal for the year.  I mean, I do also read a little in braille, just to have that quiet time settled with a book in my hands.  But I'm glad of the option to listen to a book while I do other things with my hands.  When the de-cluttering is done, I can make use of that option more often than I currently do to get craft projects done quicker.  That and watching some of the movies and TV shows I want to watch.  I'll still want to make use of my Orbit and read in braille.  Sometimes even read a physical braille book.  But still... Audiobooks definitely make it easier to fit in more of the things I want to do while finding the energy to do what I need to do.

 

Anyway, if you’ve been following my blog long enough, you might remember how we ended up acquiring two sofas last year while waiting for one we’d been promised? Well, we’ve decided not to keep both after all.  I mean, given how often we have company over, and how few people we have over at a time when we do have company over, there’s no real need for us to be able to seat so many people, and we’re trying to do the de-cluttering thing properly.  Plus, as it turns out, Wayne was looking to replace his sofa, which has needed replacing for a while.  So, when he learned we plan on getting rid of one, he asked if he could have it, and I said yes.  I think he was especially glad to learn it’s the bigger corner sofa we plan to get rid of.  I know some people think we should have done it the other way around, but the smaller one meets our needs, and I find it more comfortable.  Not to mention, the corner one takes up a lot more space.  The extra seating it would allow compared to his old sofa is ideal for Wayne’s social habits, but unnecessary for us.

 

The sofa went to Wayne on Tuesday, so we spent Wednesday re-arranging the living room to have things where we want them, and to be able to actually access the DVDs we have on shelves without climbing over furniture to do so.  Now we can actually access the DVDs properly, we can go through them and get rid of any we don’t really want to keep, since I know there are definitely some we’ve acquired that we don’t necessarily want.


As it turned out, it was a good thing we did get to work on the living room on Wednesday, since on Thursday morning the landlords sent someone to look at - and give a quote for - the work that needs doing that we mentioned to them back when we had the inspection.  They did call first and check Thursday was fine for them to come, but I was glad I was able to say, "Yes," since we've been waiting more than a month for them to start dealing with it.  Now we have to wait some more, and maybe soon the work will get done.

 

*~*

 

The weather here still can’t make up its mind, and keeps switching from chilly and damp to sunny and warm.

 

They’re predicting another scorching hot Summer.  I hope they’re wrong, but can’t help agreeing with their predictions.  Maybe we won’t get as many hot days as last year, or it won’t reach quite as high temperatures.  But I’m pretty sure they’re right that we’re in for another hot Summer.  It'll be hot by my standards at the very least.  Ugh!

 

I think I’ll make the most of the cooler days while they last.

 

*~*

 

So, that pretty much sums up what’s been going on around here over the past couple of weeks, besides routine stuff like household chores, regularly scheduled Zoom calls - mainly, but not exclusively, crafting related - I like to attend, etc.

 

What’s been happening in your world lately?

Friday, April 14, 2023

Decisions + #StormNoa + #Easter + #Crochet Projects

This is going to be one of those posts where I jump from topic to topic to catch you up on a couple of things, so bear with me.

 

*~*

 

I’m no longer part of the morning crew that does ACB Presents for the ACB Community calls.  I decided to step down so I can focus my energy – what I have of it – on helping out in other areas, in particular the crafting and cooking calls.  Though I enjoyed being part of the morning crew, crafting and cooking are passions I had long before the ACB Community was even a thing, and I feel like it would be better for me to focus my energies in those areas.  My last day on the morning crew was this past Saturday.

 

*~*

 

On Wednesday we had one of those named storms: Storm Noa.

 

From what I can tell we only got a mild dose of it where I am.  But even here there were pretty strong winds, lots of rain, a fair bit of hail, and some thunder.  It was impressive and kind of fun to listen to.

 

I know some people would disagree, but I can’t help it.  I enjoy listening to storms.  Even if part of me feels guilty for enjoying listening to them knowing what damage they could be causing out there – especially in the areas that have it worse than we do.  But they always sound so fascinating, and there's something soothing about listening to howling winds and other storm conditions while curled up in a blanket indoors - bonus points if a cup of tea or cocoa is also involved.

 

*~*

 

Since we focus our celebrations on the Spring Equinox, Kelly and I don’t bother with Easter.  But the rest of the family likes to at least acknowledge it, and Carl was in Wales for the Easter weekend (he hasn't been back here since this time last year) so some of us got together anyhow.

 

On Easter morning Carl and I spent some time with Mam.  Carl took us for a McDonalds breakfast (hash browns, a fruit pack with apples and grapes in it, and some orange juice for me) and then we hung out at Mam’s house with Mam, doing a whole lot of playing with Izi and Cai.

 

In the afternoon Carl and I hung out at Dad’s house with Wayne, and we played some word association games like we sometimes used to on long car journeys.  Then Dad made us a roast dinner (I had roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and onions, served with sprouts) after which Wayne and I went home.

 

It was a long day, and I’m sure you can imagine how excited Lilie and Logan were when I got home, especially since I’d been gone for most of the day.  Even Artemis seemed to be excited to see me come home, judging by how he was trying to get through the glass at the front of his vivarium to get to me.

 

*~*

 

I’m still working on my crochet blanket, and have tried a new to me stitch pattern or two lately in both loom knitting and crochet.  Like with needle knitting, this just means using the stitches I already know to create a certain appearance.  I never bothered to keep the pieces where I was learning the stitches to be honest, but I had a go at them, and have the instructions, so I can make use of them for future projects.  Maybe when I’ve finished the blanket I’m working on I can do one of those fun kinds of blankets where you use different stitch patterns for the different squares? I could do one all crochet, or one all knitting, or – since it would work as long as the yarn and size of the squares were compatible – maybe one that’s a mixture of the fibre arts? We’ll see.

 

In the meantime, I did finish a couple of small crochet projects.

 

The first was this coaster made to look kind of like a cheese pizza:

 


 

The pattern we were learning from had an option for adding toppings to it, but I didn’t want to.

 

Anyway, the other thing I made was this white and blue bunny appliquƩ:


 

 

I haven’t decided what I’ll sew it to just yet.  Although, I’m considering taking the bunny and a couple of other little things – some shamrocks and some flowers – and stitching them to a cushion cover or something, so as to make a tactile throw pillow.  Again, we’ll see what I actually end up doing.

 

I did start working on a needle knitted scarf too, but I was literally only doing it to do it along with the group, and – since I actually wasn’t ending up working on it while on the calls anyhow – I decided not to bother with it for now after all.  I’d done very little, so I just frogged it, put away the needles, and put the yarn back in my yarn stash.  It's one less project to worry about for now.