Oh, I love to see these throughout daughter' yard!  The prednisone has been great to give me a boost;  a boost so good that I haven't been able to unwind to sleep more than a few  hours at night--I don't do well with staying up all night, you know!  I never did when I was young and that was a long time ago! 

We are going to tackle watercolor time today;  I am very excited to have a partner for inspiration!

 

BON VOYAGE

I think it was the easiest trip we've ever taken to visit daughter and family!  Travel was light the whole way.

I managed to finish the knitting on the shawlette/scarf from the superwash wool I had spun.

We always approach Atlanta with much trepidation but it was also light traffic!  Hooray!

We used the EZ Pass from Florida and stayed right in the pay lane and passed by the 6 lanes of crazy traffic heading north out of Atlanta and laughed at the ease of the 8-hour trip for us!  It was so good to hug my daughter and family in person--

I haven't done that in over a year!!!!! 

 Today, we will hang out, talk laugh and rest up !

 

HEADING NORTHERLY

After Bill took me to the doctors again....I am put on a high dose of prednisone which got me out of bed and upright!  We decided to head off to my daughter's 600 miles away because I had to cancel due to this Covid!  Upright is so much better!

I was able to finish these socks last night--just in time to wear on the way up!

 

A NEW STITCH

I've  been playing around with a few new stitches and fell in love with the linen stitch or moss stitch and have made many using it but this is the same stitch in the round!  I also love using the peaches & cream variegated yarn- it is soft and smooth and a bit finer in grist than the solid colors that are hard and harsh to crochet with in my opinion!  In the YouTube I watched, she called it Moss stitch to Infinity by working each round and ending it with a slip stitch, I changed it just a bit by working around and around without ending and turning each round--it was very relaxing!

I've also been doing a lot of weaving!  I work on this while the loom is on the stand and also propped up on pillows on my lap when I have to be back in bed!  It is likewise working up well and is very relaxing!  

I went to the on-call doctor on Saturday morning since I was having trouble with pain in my right lung.  She said that Covid had triggered an inflammation which my immune system overreacted to and she put me on a higher dose of steroids and a different medicine for my nebulizer.  They helped a lot and I feel like I just might be well again!  I am off today to see my regular PCP and see what he wants to add or take away from the plan!  It's been a month today.....
 

SOCKS ON SUNDAY

I thought it was time to finish this sock before the end of the month!  It's going to be close since the month is short

 but we do get an extra day this year, at least!  

Bill finished building the raised platform for my lounge corner.

And we (I watch, he works!) put the furniture back in place.  

You can see on the left side, there is a gap for the water to run UNDER the deck so the rug will not be sitting in the water after rain or pool splashes!  I enjoyed a nap there for an hour 

and when I headed back to the house, I tripped on the low step! 

 It will be a bit of a learning curve in this brain! 

 Bill offered to put up some accident tape to give me a warning 

for next time.  Thanks but no thanks; it won't go with the decor! 

 

WARPED ALRIGHT!

I measured out my 120" for the warp for my 24" Knitter's Loom by Ashford and began threading! 

Of course, there were a few setbacks out of my control! 

 The few of the plastic spacers that hold the take-up beams both in front and in the back broke apart in pieces when I put some tension on them while warping!  Thankfully, I had emptied my loom bag to make sure I had everything I needed to work before I began and I remembered seeing 4 new ones which is just what I needed to replace the broken ones-two in the front and two in the back!

The warp wound on without further mishap and I was glad the next step was performed sitting down even after my break for lunch.  I then tied on all of the yarn to the front 'beam' and was able to begin the weaving.

 

I was a bit shaky at first but after 4-5 inches it smoothed out. 

I even had to repair a warp thread that broke because it was a thin spot in my handspun!  (Sock weight Coopworth wool)

I piled a ton of pillows behind me so I was comfortably seated and watched Poirot while a storm raged outside! 

 So much wind and driving rain!  The cats enjoyed my company in front of the fire again-I have been in bed for so long they missed our fireplace room time together!

When I had 10" done, I knew I needed to lay down again!

  Yes, the meds are helping  but I am pretty pitiful still! 

 I'm glad I powered through the warping and have this ready to weave now.  It should provide some good therapy! 

 (Thinking of the convalescent homes 

and their many handcrafts to heal body and spirit!)

FINISHED OR NOT FRIDAY

I'm a bit behind on the Stars Like Spaghetti MQAL but the last clue is out so I know what I am aiming for now!  How pretty is this?!

While laying in bed, I organized each block to get a variety of colors already decided and in the order I sew them together.  It worked well because I could make the last three blue blocks I needed.

(Yes, Lena was determined to lay on the blocks...)

I did the same thing for the red blocks so I can finish them over the next few days!  I can make a block in about 15 minutes which is a reasonable time to be up still!  Only a few more to go!

Of course, we all know the way we eat an elephant--

that's how I am sewing right now!  

 

COMBINING TWO LOVES

I dug out a favorite straight skirt pattern and took measurements of the length and width of each piece. 

 It will be lined, with a zipper and no waistband.   

And why is there a heddle sitting in the front of this picture? 

Because I am going to weave the cloth to  make this skirt!!!!  I dug out a bunch of wool --not sure I am going to use the rose yarn but it might make a good mix using only one strand at a time in the cloth.  I figured out how many threads to get the width I need and how long the warp needs to be.  I could do the figures but not enough oomph yet to warp the loom.  I am hoping to do it in a few days!  Until then, I will just keep watching YouTube! lol  

I did find this skein in the bin of handspun but I knew it was superwash and that wouldn't wash the same as the 100% wool so I grabbed it and cast on for another easy scarf like the teal one I made last week.  Garter stitch is just my speed!

 

FRESH AIR

Just before lunch yesterday, I took a walk around the driveway loop;  it was 62*F and there was such warmth in the sunshine!

Bill pulled a chair out for me and I ate my lunch right here! 

 It was wonderful!

Lena was happy to be with me outside; 

 she even walked around the loop with me!

She took a bit of a wash--

and then a good roll!

No, I didn't sew all of these blocks but after a good long rest,

I did sew the bottom left blue one--finally!  

(I am back on an antibiotic which is giving me the boost I needed to fight the swollen tonsils and pneumonia in one lung.  My body has been working so hard to fight the Covid, it got overwhelmed!)

 

I TOOK A WALK!

It was a short walk, just around the driveway loop, 

but it was a walk!  I had seen the azaleas from the house

 and just had to go out and see the fluorescent beauty of squatting right down with them!

There are all kinds of blooming bromeliads to enjoy, too.

Lots of calliandra blooms still.

The camellia bushes are still full of flowers!

Even the big pink ones.

The Turk's Caps are pleasing to the hummers--yes, we have a few all winter.

I came in after the one loop but I did love the fresh brisk 49*F air!  I was ready for the recliner and some rest!

(Today was week 3 of Covid pleasures.  I had to call the dr about the swollen, goose egg tonsils and they called in some antibiotics for me.  I'm hoping this will be just what I need to edge ahead of this virus!)

 

FEELING GREY

 The rows are  V  E  R  Y  long but I have made a full repeat of the pattern on the Delicate Shells Shawl!  

Only another 40 rows to go!

JUST GARTER STITCH LOVE

Kate of The Last Homely House says this pattern for homespun yarn is not really a pattern because you just cast on 1 or 3 stitches and then increase in the first and last stitches of every row until you run out of yarn!!!!  So I used the yarn I had just spun last month which is 200 yards of DK weight in Merino/Silk blend.  I used a #9 needle and used all but about 25" to make this scarf!

It is so soft!  Just right to keep your neck warm when the weather hits a chilly spell again with lots of rain! 

(That is If I was up and about which I am not! lol)

I walked to my raised bed garden and picked some radishes and baby green beans!  I chopped them up and put them in a salad for lunch.  Since my stomach has been tender, I used a mild vinegar/oil dressing and enjoyed it immensely!

 

PIECES

I worked hard with the last of the whites to make the pieces needed for Clue #5 of the MQOV.

I've added it to the pile of the other two week's clues which are piled up and waiting for me!

 

INGREDIENTS

I'm eating fresh grapefruit for the vitamin C!

I did finish the borders.  It is a nice size now-36" x 48".  I'm not sure about the tassels so I made three and I will think about it.  It is still not blocked yet but as soon as I get upright longer, I will give it a good steam press.

My daughter sent me some love--she painted it in watercolor and filled the inside with love--she and her husband and son all had Covid in the Fall so she knows the only way to feeling better is patience.  Next week will be the portal to getting back on my feet!

 

FROM SCRAPS TO COMFORTS

This was my view off and on yesterday;  watching YouTube (The Last Homely House) and bringing all of the pieces

 of the hexagon crochet units into a blanket!

It takes some attention when working the pointy ends which I kept in the hexagon shape while the sides were straightened by adding half-hexies.  I will be making tassels for the points when I am done adding all of the layers of bordering rows.  I really like the contrast of hdc rows followed by a sc row in the back bars. 

 I want to use up all of this yarn! 

 I will show the full photo when I have it completely completed!

 

YARN, REST, REPEAT

I finally got enough courage to try and find the matching point to make the second sock.  Those greys/blues and spots all seemed to blend together!  When I had wound a good sized ball, I thought I saw the right spot and it worked out perfectly the first time! 

 Good thing.  I don't think I would've tried a second time now!

I used up the last gob of yarn from the granny square skein and made a second ear warmer head band.  Who knew you could get out of breath laying on your back and doing some crochet!