Checking in and a few projects..................

 

Hi my friends.  Looks like I am now down to writing once a month.  I'm sorry about that but I have to admit I am just so exhausted on every level.  Work has been crazy although as of this week I have discharged two kids so that should lighten my load a bit.  Emotional stuff continues and I am busy trying to sort things out.  Life will get easier but I fear for the next six to eight months or so I am just going to be a bit of a mess.  But I know that things will eventually even out and I will find my safe and peaceful place once again.  Hope you can all hold on until things settle down.

Here is my growing Little Buddy, writing apology notes for the second day in a  row. We are trying to make some medication changes with this little boy that might be affecting his ability to be a nice and respectful friend.  Don't let that smile fool you he can be a pistol.  He refused to write notes and told me he is done writing apology notes.  Well that was excellent news for me because that means he is done being a pistol at school, right?  He is growing, and that might be affecting him as well.  There is always so much to think about with this little guy.

I have been very busy knitting.  This is a shorter version of the harebell sweater.  I finished it in the middle of January.  I used Berroco Remix yarn in the color New Leaf.  Just over four skeins of yarn used.  I used size 8 needle for the body, size 7 for the bottom, front and collar ribbing and size 6 for the wrist ribbing.  I started the bottom ribbing at about 12 inches form the arm edge, you can make it shorter or a lot longer like the pattern states. I have already started another one.

Another baby blanket ripple has been completed.  This one for another great niece or nephew. Made with Berroco Pima 100, in the colors mint and Sea Holly, the colors are more vibrant than these photos.  A size H Hook was used and almost the entire 1,090 yards of yarn in the five skeins purchased for this blanket. 

And just for fun because I had this faux fur in my stash a crochet cowl with a big button you can button anywhere you want to create all sorts of fun wearing options.  Made with 48 yards of fun fur, bought to make gnome beards for Christmas presents, but I used pom poms instead.  I used the biggest hook I had, a size S and made it seven double crochet stitches across, until I ran out of yarn.  It is soft and fun.

These two got a quick bath this morning.  It was finally warm enough to do it and they were smelly.  Last week we hit freezing several days in a row and it was much too cold out to be spraying them down with a hose, mostly because I get drenched.

Take care my friends.  I am reading all about your lives and am cheering you on.

Moving forward with grace..............

 

Hello, my friends and welcome to 2022.  Little Buddy and I have been busy on my few days off during winter break and the weekends, going to lots of parks and riding his bike.  It is gorgeous here, please don't hate me as it will be horrible here just as it is getting beautiful where you live.  

Today we went to the park for the playground and went for a walk on the boardwalk of Lake Tarpon and walked far enough we made it to the five-story lookout tower.  Little Buddy didn't even hesitate, up he went, step after step until we made it to the very top.  At the top we were above most of the trees with just a few pine trees still hovering above us.  It was so beautiful outside; I wish you could have all been there to enjoy it with us. Here we are, selfies I never take, but we were happy and having such a wonderful time I wanted to capture the moment, even not showered and make-up free. 

I have been knitting and buying yet even more yarn to really up my stash.  I found out that my favorite yarn store will be closing, they are retiring to spend more time in their home in North Carolina.  So of course, I have been buying more yarn for sweaters and now will go back to get some to make for baby blankets for the future.  My stash is getting quite magnificent!  

I know many of you pick a word for the new year.  I have done this in the past to just forget about it after a month or two.  This year I am picking a phrase, moving forward with grace.  I am moving forward on many levels this year whether I want to or not.  There will be decisions about new schooling opportunities for Little Buddy, selling our home and moving to a much smaller more manageable place.  There are years of things to sort out here before that can happen and a new roof that must be on before we can put this house on the market.  Many other changes are happening as well, but those are all in the future and no need to be discussed at this point.  Right now, one little boy is my priority, making sure he is in the right place for his education and transitioning him to a new home, none of which will be easy.  So, I am asking for grace in my life every day, to handle all of these major changes with grace, peace and ease, none of which I feel I have an abundance of.

I am still here, thank you Barbara for checking on us.  I want to wish you all a wonderful 2022, certainly it has to be better than the last two years.  Stay safe. Two family members of mine have had the latest version of Covid and they have been very ill.  Stay smart and safe. 

Merry Christmas

 

Merry Christmas my friends.  Hope all of you celebrating have a wonderful and peaceful day.

Checking in..................

 

I am checking in to tell you all you are missed.  I really miss the opportunity to visit and have a bit of a back and forth conversation in the comment section.  Life continues to baffle me and create great stress and fatigue.  This little boy brightens most of my days and gives me a real run for my money on others.  It is a good thing he is cute because that far out weighs the bad times and all the stress his many complex issues create. 

 Eighteen of these cuties were made last week and put together last Sunday.  They are for friends, teachers and therapists all of whom take great care of Little Buddy.  They are super fun to make and very easy.  I made them last year as well.  You can find the pattern for these here at Crochet Gnome Christmas Tree Ornaments by Ashley Parker.  I used Big Twist Twinkle Yarn in the color silver and a size G hook.  The 380 yards of yarn made all 18 of these hats with just a smidge to spare.  The pom poms were purchased at Joann's over the year, when I saw one this color I would pop it in my basket.

Harebell #6 is off the needles as of yesterday (sorry for the wonky photos).  After playing yarn chicken with my last Harebell made of Berroco Remix I decided to make this one an inch shorter in the body and arms, yet I failed miserably and lost the yarn chicken game.  I had to take out the ribbing in a finished sleeve, feed the yarn into the next sleeve and find a way to make it all work.  I added dark stipes of a deep purple wool I had in my stash from projects to the wrist ribbing, and added deep purple flower buttons to match, also from my stash.  Is it a major yarn deficit or a creative design element?  You choose.

Made with size 8 needles for the body, 7 for the bottom ribbing and front ribs as well as the collar, and size 6 for the wrist ribbing.  Five skeins of Berroco Remix in the color Periwinkle, all of the 1080 yards of yarn were used, if indeed there were 1,080 yards of yarn in these skeins.  Another one is getting started today, but this one will be more waist length so there is no chance of running out of yarn again. 

For years I have used up as much of my stash as I could.  Weaning myself from buying yarn unless absolutely necessary.  But now I am on a yarn replenishing project with a vengeance.  Yarn makes me feel safe, I know that might sound silly but in all the turbulence of my life right now yarn is making me feel safe, and more in control.  So here is my yarn cabinet full as can be.  There is a basket of cottons and another with a bulky velour type yarn from Lion Brand not seen in this picture and that is it, my complete yarn stash.   A stash that I just might keep adding to.  There is no rule on how much yarn anyone can have and if I calculated this right I have about 20 sweaters to make over the next several years and a few shawls and cowls, oh and one velour type crocheted throw.

And just in time for the holiday's my various Christmas Cactuses are thriving.  You know this is not my favorite time of year or my favorite holiday, yet I only have two more things to purchase and everything to wrap.  I have been pushing myself to get it done, which is not easy with my current work schedule, all of Little Buddy's many complex needs, and my current state of mind.  Still I am calling it a win that my boys and their significant others should be happy with their presents, and Little Buddy with his many surprises.

I miss you all, I really, really do.  I wish you the very best as you travel through this holiday season.

A lost tooth and a new sweater........

 

Just popping in for a quick hello. I hope you are all enjoying Autumn or Spring depending on where you live.  Life continues to be really busy and challenging for me right now.  I feel sometimes I am holding on by my fingernails, which are very short by the way.  So for now and for the foreseeable future I will pop in to read your blogs and post a quick post now and again. Not the way I like it but it has to be this way for a while, I hope you all understand.

Little Buddy lost a surprise tooth last weekend.  The Tooth Fairy paid a visit but I believe one of his coins was knocked behind his bed.  He is a coin man right now, sometimes its bills and other times coins.  The Tooth Fairy has to have a stash of options, just in case. He can tell you to the penny how much money he has, he is a smart one.

I had another finish.  While I am not blogging much I am knitting like a maniac.  Knitting soothes my soul, it helps when things are overwhelming to me.  

This is Harebell number 5.  Every time I make this sweater I get off count, I think there might be a problem or error with the front increases on the size small because making this one, and a new one I have gotten far off stitch count.  When I made the size medium with thinner weight yarn it all worked out perfectly.  Still I am knitting on and adapting as much as I can.  

Made with Berroco Remix in the color smoke.  Size 8 needles for the body/sleeves, 7 for the ribbing at the bottom, fronts and collar, and size 6 for the ribbing on the sleeves. I made the arms a bit too long, and actually ran out of yarn on the second sleeve ribbing and had to use a similar color for the last 4 stitches of the bind off.  I should have been paying attention and realized bigger needles makes the whole thing work out much faster, thus my lack of attention at the sleeve length.  Still no one will know and that is the closet I have ever come to running out of yarn.

Five balls were used for a total of 1080 yards of yarn.  Remix ix a super affordable and lovely yarn.  I am using it again to make number 6, in periwinkle.  Each yarn choice makes this sweater look completely different even though I am using the same pattern.  It is my favorite pattern by far.

Hope you are all well, I miss you!

Happy Halloween Weekend

 

Happy Halloween Weekend to all of you from my Minecraft Creeper. This Creeper had a party this morning at his social gardening club.  Apparently he didn't have all that much fun and didn't want to participate very much. I guess that is just how Creepers are.  We came home and immediately washed that itchy green paint out of his hair and he was back in pajamas by 1:00.  Today will be a quiet day.  It is the first coolish day we have had so far this Autumn.  It isn't even 70 degrees out!  Add in a bit of cloudy skies and I feel we are full on into cooler weather but I am sure the joke is on me there, this is Florida and it always seems to be warmer than it should be.  The boys and Luna were not thrilled with the photo shoot.  Well the boys are used to this sort of thing, but Luna did not want to be a bunny for Halloween that is for sure.  Look at her grumpy bunny face!

I wish you all a good weekend whatever you do.  And I thank you for visiting even with my lack of commenting on your blogs. I am still dealing with a whole lot and my energy levels are almost as low as they can get.  Stay safe my friends and thank you for  visiting here in this space of mine. 

And a Happy Birthday to my oldest son tomorrow.  Halloween has always been my favorite holiday and his birth on this day was an extra special treat.  He will now be known as Mr. 28!

Pumpkin Patch and park............

 

Just popping in quickly to show you my very own pumpkin patch.  I made the first 12 last weekend and 9 more this weekend.  The first batch were made with a 3/2 rib, so knit 3 and purl 2, the next side is knit 2 and purl 3.  I varied the stitch count, 35 being the largest, knit until it was 9 inches.  I liked the 25-30 stitch range working to 6 or 7 inches.  I even did a smaller version of 15 stitches knitting until it was 5 inches long.   After making the rectangle of your preferred size, sew up the side seams and then catch the bottom stitches every other stitch so you can pull it all together tightly. Next turn it right side out and stick that long tail through the bottom, right at the center, it will look like a little hat at this point with a tail sticking out the top.  Stuff your pumpkin, place the long tail on a needle and pop it thorough the stuffing right in the middle.  Catch the top stitches and pull tightly, use a bit of a knot to hold it all together and there you have a pumpkin shape.  Be sure you leave long tails of yarn at the beginning of the cast on and after casting off for sewing up the sides and shape making. I made 4 stitch I-cords of various lengths for the stems.  You could also use bits of sticks, crochet a stem, whatever works for you.  Sew the stem on and there you have it, a fun pumpkin.  This weekends patch consisted of 5/5 rib.  Five knit, followed by five purl, following the pattern on the alternate side.  Most of these were 25 stiches and about 6 inches long, but there were a few smaller.  I have given almost all of them away, just a few left for myself.  Pumpkin making is so much fun and a lot less messy than dealing with real pumpkins.

I used Lion Brand Wool Ease for this project.  Two skeins each of Mustard, Spice and Kale.  Size 13 needles for the body and size 11 double pointed to make the stems.  I-cords are super fun to make.  So just shy of about 600 yards of yarn used over two weekends to make my pumpkin patch that is no longer in my house.  

Funny, I was watching Gilmore Girls this weekend and happened upon the episode where Stars Hollow has a Knit-a-thon, perfect episode to knit to!

Little Boy and I had a trip to the park today.  It was the first day that it wasn't horrendously hot and humid.  We went on the playground and then took a walk by the lake.  It was a beautiful day to be outside.

Have a good week my friends. I am still not really pulling it together so know I am reading about your wonderful lives, just not commenting or spending a lot of time on the computer.