It's Fall and I'm busy

It feels like Fall here. At least it feels like Fall for those of us in the southern U.S. I woke up this morning to temperatures in the mid 50's. Yes! The a c is off for now. I'm a big believer in turning it off if we can do without it.
Over the weekend we planted lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli in the garden. The sweet potatoes are trying to take over one bed and the bell peppers are still producing. I will chop up the extra bell pepper and put it in the freezer for winter use. I also found three volunteer tomato plants in the garden. All the others had died and been pulled up so these were a surprise. I will leave them in the garden as long as possible and then I will see about putting them in pots on the back porch or in the house if I can find room.

This morning I plied my very first yarn. It's not a big skein and it isn't going to have anyone clamoring to buy it, but I made it.












I've begun an Einstein coat for one of my granddaughters,














a ten stitch blanket out of leftover sock yarn just because I can,














and a crocheted scrapghan to use up some odds and ends of yarn and make something useful too.


I also have a half completed teddy bear that I"m going to be sending off to someone who is going to Haiti to help with recovery. I need to finish sewing him up and stuffing him and he needs a face still. I don't have any pictures of him yet. I'm waiting until I get him stuffed. He doesn't want to be seen in his current condition.
I'm still working on my weaving. Right now I have a sampler on the Cricket. It's a turquoise and white color work sampler. I'm loving the way these colors go together, but really, doesn't everything "go" with white?

I'm back on my getting healthier bandwagon. I joined MyFitnessPal.com and I'm trying to remember to log my food and exercise. Hmmm, how many calories does blogging use? Not enough, I'm sure.
Off to have some lunch now. Happy Fall everyone.

June already?

I can't believe it's June already. For those of us on the Gulf Coast that means the start of another hurricane season. That very real concern is complicated this year by the oil spill in the gulf. What happens if we have a storm? How much more environmental damage will there be? The oil spill by itself is horrendous to those of us who live here and get to be concerned about not only a way of life, but about how this will affect the environment for years to come. The threat of a storm on top of that is somewhat mind-boggling. How far would a storm wash the oil ashore? How far in to the bays and estuaries? How far up the rivers? How many species will be affected? How far reaching will this be at the end of the day? How many years will it take to recover (for the people and for the plants and animals)?
On to another subject that is less traumatic. My garden is producing. The lettuce is gone and that is not surprising since it is in the 90's with a lovely high humidity and heat indexes at the century mark. Much fun is to be had when mowing the grass in this weather. I'm getting tomatoes and cucumbers on an almost daily basis right now. The peppers aren't doing as well this year so far. I don't know how much longer the broccoli will continue to produce, but for now I am still getting some. On the other hand, the cauliflower was a bust this year. I have sweet potatoes in and cannot wait to have some from my very own garden this fall. I plan to put out some regular potatoes in the next few days. I should have done it already, but I have been a little busy. I bought what I thought was a squash plant. Imagine my surprise when instead of crookneck squash little cantaloupes started showing up. I love cantaloupe so this is not a tragedy, but I will miss the squash. There is only so much room in my raised bed gardens and I will have to deal with the produce that I do have.
As for my crafty life, I have finished The Everlasting Blanket. Eight hundred forty seven squares later it is laying across the end of my bed where I can admire it daily. It fits my double bed nicely and I cannot get a picture of it all, but did take a halfway decent shot of it just after ends were woven and trimmed and it got spread across the bed.

The Christmas table runner is still in progress and is about 70 inches long on the loom right now. I think I have about 36 inches or so to go. The picture was from a month ago and it was only at 37 inches at that point. There is much progress on it.

All of the ends will need trimming and weaving in at the end of the project after it gets a good wash to set things. I'm looking forward to it being complete, because I have several more ideas in my head for the loom and it's next project.
I also completed the Scraps No More Afghan. I'm sorry to say that I still have scraps of worsted weight yarn left in the stash. To combat that issue, I have started a crocheted afghan to (hopefully) use up the rest of the current batch.
Is it frightening that I am seriously considering starting another sock yarn blanket? DH has asked for one to go in our camper and I'm really thinking about it. I do know if I do it that it will be another long-term project and something that I work on between other projects. I enjoyed seeing the first one come together.
I am over halfway through my Mission Possible 2010 list. I still need to complete the Landscape Shawl (not started yet), the Dishcloth Baby Blanket (about 1/3 complete), another 2 or 3 hats for MT25 to make the listed goal (I have the yarn for another 7 I think), and a dishcloth that I have not begun. That's not bad for the beginning of June. I have over 6 months to complete those last few things. I have a list of another 6 things that is the beginning of the next crafty to do list.
As far as my personal health goals go, I am still exercising on a fairly regular schedule and still trying to watch what I eat. It's hard for me sometimes, but I know it will be worth it in the end. I want a treadmill, but won't buy one right now. the one that I want is more than I want to pay right now so will stick with the Leslie Sansone walking videos. I love those things. I can pretty much do them anywhere that I have a dvd player and I don't need extra equipment. I work up a good sweat and when I do a new one, I can feel the muscles talking to me the next day.
Off to have some lunch and maybe get a picture of the Scraps No More afghan while the sun is shining.

New Month and Mission Possible Update

So my list for Mission Possible 2010 was:

1. Momof4’s Everlasting Blanket over 500 squares so about 2/3 done.
2. Bella’s socks. not listed on my project page yet, but have started second sock
3. Momof4’s Scraps no More barely started.
4. Momof4’s MT25 hats I want to get at least 12 done this year. I’m on #6 so that one’s good to go.
5. Einstein coat from the yarn I got for Christmas
6. Landscape Shawl also from yarn for Christmas
7. Aiden’s socks
8. Heather’s socks
9. Dishcloth Baby Blanket
10. 2 Woven scarves
11. Dishcloth
12. Momof4’s Black and White on the loom now.completed 1/20/2010

Since I posted the list I have hat number 10 of my 12 that I wanted to accomplish on the machine now so that means that I will get more than 12 done this year. Yea! The Einstein Coat is moving right along. I have almost all of the bottom done. There are probably about 30 to 40 rows left to do on that part and then I'll move on to the bodice. (Side note: Granddaughter asked if I'd make her one too. At least her's will be smaller than mine.) I'm decreasing for the toe of Aiden's first sock so I'm almost halfway done with that. I've picked out the yarn for Heather's socks and just want to clear one of the projects off the needles before I go full tilt at that one. I'll be working on the Everlasting Blanket for Ravelympics. There is some WIP Dancing in my future. That will be what? a ten or twelve day push on the Blanket? That should help it along nicely. I'm still deciding what yarn to use for the edging on it, but I have some here and will choose from what I have. I also completed one of the two woven scarves that I had on my list and Bella's socks are completed. How am I doing so far? Let's see of the 12 items on my list two items are complete, five are at about halfway, four are not started at all, and one is barely started and might as well be on the not started list. Still, it's only the second of February so I'm still in the game even though half of my projects are large projects.
I've been watching my grandchildren so that has cut down on my knitting this week. On the other hand, I have been exercising and I rewired a lamp today. I've also used my Dremel tool and a wire brush to clear off some rust so I can paint the cover for our stove in the camper.
On the exercise front, I bought Jillian Michaels 30 day shred and it's been kicking my butt. I have no upper body strength so push ups are killers for me. I'm doing better aerobically though and I'm still breathing at the end of my workouts. I'm down 5 lbs since the beginning of the year and working on the rest of it. I may have to increase my workout time to get the results I want. That will be easier when it warms up some. I'm not fond of being cold. Did someone say "Southern Girl"? Yep, that's me.
Off to get some work done. Maybe another workout since I only did my walking workout today.

Taste of Spring

I sit here looking out a window and listening to the birds sing. I'm sure that winter will have to make another appearance before spring is really here, but it's nice to feel, just for a while that it's over. The sun is shining after the rain of the morning and there's a really nice breeze blowing. I peaked at my garden this morning and the strawberries are starting to poke up as are the onions. I cut some broccoli for dinner and looked in on the tomato, cucumber,and bell pepper seeds that I started in the house last week. Looks like two of the four types of tomatoes are peeking up as are the cucumbers. The bell peppers are holding out for last, but I know they'll be up soon. I'm looking forward to fresh veggies from the garden. Lettuce and spinach should be starting to be picked in three or four weeks. Cabbage will be coming in around that time too.
Inside, the Eleanor socks are coming right along. I'm almost to the heel of the second one and would be further except that I had baby duty yesterday. My granddaughter (the youngest one) would steal the socks if she could. She had to try them on. When I pointed out that they didn't fit her she asked for pink socks. Of course, I don't have any pink sock yarn so I will be adding to my stash before I can make her some pink socks.
Later in the day I had my grandson. He didn't try on the socks because we were to busy playing tag, trains, baseball and football. He's three and sports are his thing. I didn't get any work done on my knitting yesterday because grandbabies trump knitting.
I started a scarf (pattern by the Yarn Harlot) this morning to use up some alpaca yarn that I got at Knitting Today at retreat last year. I dont' really need a scarf right now, but since winter is bound to make another appearance (probably before spring really is here) I thought that it would make nice almost mindless knitting for when Elmer and I are traveling. I can talk to him and knit and not do my usual freak out thing with the traffic. Knitting is calming for me.
I need to seam some hats that I've gotten made so that I can give them to the group from church that helps the homeless. Too many people on the verge of it these days and "but for the grace of God..." It's a little thing I can do to help. Doesn't take much time with the knitting machine and people need to be warm. I can help with that.
I need to start on Lauren's sweater and on my twinset. Her's is pink and mine is a really dark purple. I've swatched and used Knitware to make a pattern so it's ready to go when I finish the edging on the purple afghan. Next week for sure as Elmer will be in this weekend and we have a birthday party to attend.
Off to watch the birds at the feeder. I'd get a picture, but brown birds against brown grass don't show up so well.

When will Spring be here?

I have completed an afghan that I started sometime last year. I jsut called it the Purple Afghan. Creative, right? It was fun to try to remember what I'd done because I didn't make good notes. I suppose when I took it off the machine the first time I didn't expect to be away from it for so long. Where does that time go? All I had was a note pinned to it saying 400 rows. No tension settings, nothing; not even what I planned for the other panels to be. So I was flying by the seat of my pants this go round. I figured it out and now all I have to do is weave in some ends and decide whether I want to add a border to the ends. Leaning against that at this point. I think I'll wash it and see how it looks and make a final decision.

I also started a pair of socks for the February challenge of the Sock Knitters Anonymous group on Ravelry. They are (should say it is) coming right along. The pattern is quick to memorize and so it makes a good project for watching tv.

I'm also looking at that yarn and thinking about how it will look in the Everlasting Blanket. The blanket is coming along slowly. I'm waiting for some yarn to show up from a swap and getting a bit impatient. I don't really think the yarn is late, I'm just ready to see it and add it to the blanket.

What do I do while I'm waiting for it?I've put in lettuce and spinach in the garden this week. I've cut some broccoli which will be in a salad this evening. I bought another compost bin and have it partially full of leaves that I raked yesterday. I picked the pine trees out of the garden. It's amazing to me how many have seeded themselves into my garden. Why do they want to grow there? Of course, I know it's because the soil is really easy to plant in in my raised bed garden and apparently the pine trees like it too. I have onions and garlic planted too along with the broccoli, strawberries, cabbage, lettuce and spinach. I just started seeds for tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers inside in preparation for spring planting. Spring will show up, won't it?

Since I'm participating in a Stashalong this year, I'm trying not to buy more yarn and to use some (hopefully a bunch) of what I already have. I have one free day a month. I used January's , but I'm really going to try to skip February. June will be fun because of IWannaKnit. I'm making a list of things I want to get when I go. I really want another gauge ruler. I hear that there is a green one for Silver Reed/Studio standard machines and it would work with my Artisan. That would make life easier in a lot of ways. I'll have to check on that while I'm there. I don't have any yarn that I just have to have (yet) so that's not an issue. If I can save enough money, I want to buy the Fair Isle carriage for my Lk150.

Oh well, that's all for the future. Right now I need to go swatch for a twinset for myself and for a sweater for one of my granddaughters.