FEELING BETTER

I added two smaller pumpkins to add to the larger one I made while in Georgia.    They make a pretty trio!

The hats keep on coming--I am using up so many of the leftover balls of worsted weight in the stash.  I'm up to 36 hats and figured I am this close, I might as well hit 50--a nice round number!

And I am going to tackle this sewing project today--I haven't felt up to the task but today is the day.  

I will begin as soon as I am back from voting, that is!!!

 

WRINKLES

I've been having too much fun-yup, that's me getting 17.6 ounces of blood removed to alleviate an overabundance of red blood cells.  

It can account for the perpetual headache, the sluggish feeling and the breathlessness.  A bit of blood-letting can still be beneficial; let's hope so!   I was weak as a sick puppy when finished 

but a bowl of chicken soup and a nap,

 sure did help to feel a bit stronger!

We made a few more hats to add to the pile--

I've got a full box all ready to hand in now!

(2 DOZEN)

I cleaned two windows in my bedroom

-(the abundance of rain has led to a green tint !)

-such a nicer view now!

And Bill was outside, hard at work,

 cleaning up the many branches the wind brought down!

 

ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

Lena and I made some hats today.  

She helps a lot, as you can imagine!

The morning rain let up so I went out to plant in my raised garden bed.  I planted string beans, Swiss Chard, carrots and radishes.  

The hibiscus are sending out daily blossoms-so beautiful! 

 (7" across)

And look at the surprise bloom --it is a starfish cactus flower

 or a Stapelia Grandiflora.  (10")

I am heading back to where you donate blood to try and alleviate an overproduction of red blood cells which is giving me some troubling symptoms.  Bill will take me but I hope to do okay; I have done this before but you never know!  

 

TANGLED THREADS!

So daughter decided to empty some old yarn bins 

for us to detangle and sort for usability.

We matched up colors and got to work.

We put her electric ball winder to work--what a power horse!!!

We caked up all of the yarn;

 separating some to the hat-to-be pile, 

 some to the scrap afghan pile and some to the trash!

Someone looked so sweet one minute and then the next he was attacking the yarn and causing problems!

We made 7 new hats and tamed that dreadful pile into a little bin of perfectly ready yarn!  What a good job done!

 

CAT AND A HAT

Ollie was very curious about the hat making, the yarn (which is a no-no because he eats it like spaghetti) and the new machine!

In between hat making, he gave it all a good inspection!

Isn't he a beauty?  

We got 4 hats made-

tomorrow will be some male appropriate hat colors.

And then we enjoyed an incredible gourmet meal

 called Salad Nicoise for dinner!!  I tried to be a good  sous chef but you know the kitchen isn't my forte'

 but it sure is my daughter's superpower!

It was an incredible eating experience!  

(She substituted the tuna with grilled flank steak!)

 

FRIDAY

All the blocks are completed for this variation of Winding Ways and I will be adding two narrow borders after I get these sewn into a top.  I enjoyed this scrappy quilt!

 

Four more hats are added to the pile; several bins of yarn are being used up instead of taking up space!

Hurricane Isaias has pushed a rain system ahead of itself right toward us yielding about 8" of rain so far;

 a much needed rainfall without the damaging winds

that the hurricane itself can inflict!

HAT ENHANCEMENT!!!

I bought a newly released knitting machine that is electric--it cranks on its own and even makes however number of rows I program and stops when that number is reached--incredible!  The machine also is not as fussy about what yarns are used which is nice to reduce the stash of older yarns, too!

In no time, and I do mean minutes, 

I had a double layered adult beanie!

When it is first off the machine, it is a bit wonky looking ....

but a good stretch lengthwise and widthwise lines up those stitches beautifully!

For the next hat, I added some additional rows

 to have a fully reversible had with a fold-up brim.

I like the reversible beanie style for the donation hats I make for the homeless shelters here in Florida because the normal winter only produces chilly not freezing temperatures 

so this style is warm enough.

I like mixing a variegated with a solid yarn for hats.

But solid with stripes on one side is fun, too.

 I need to concentrate on some guy hats since out county has more  homeless men than women in the shelters. 

There is also a need hats for our local boys' home

 so I will start a production line 

to be sure there will be plenty to hand in by Thanksgiving!

 

MOSTLY UPS

I gathered all of the hats 

(they were part of the fallout in the shelf disaster) 

and separated the newborn from the adult ones to ready them for donation.  When I counted the adult hats, there were only 29 so I had to knit another one for an round number! lol  

I also ordered another paint-by-number kit but this one came as a canvas without the frame.  I stapled it onto one of my already framed canvases so that I could more easily paint it!  

It is a bit saggy but the good news is that I can tighten it after painting using those wedges that no one knows what to do with when they buy a ready-to-paint canvas!

I did the quilting first thing yesterday morning and thinking it only needed a row and a half, I would be done in no time at all!  

Unfortunately, at the END of the row I discovered this!  Ten minutes to work across the row and 45 minutes to rip it all out! 

 I did find the problem with the bobbin , of course, and finished the quilt and have it off the frame and when Mary is working on her quilt today, I will bind this one!!!  

 

BAKER'S DOZEN

I will be turning in the baby hats today.  It has been a nice way to use up scraps and keep me from going crazy!

This was moonrise last night just as I was getting into bed.

 

A GOOD DAY!

I sleyed the rest of the reed and got to the best part of all of the work---weaving!!!  Doesn't this color combo work nicely together!?!

I did a bit of piecing on the top on the left and then decided they will both get attention today!  I also need to load another quilt onto the frame and get to work!

Bill and I went to lunch at Corky Bell's but it was storming out so we sat indoors but could still see the river!  It was so nice to stop and enjoy the feast together!

And yes, I am still cranking out hats!  I have a few skeins left to make before the box is full for the donation trip!

 

WE SPEAK YARN!

We've been making hats-Mom needed a refresher course to make them on her own.  

I've been making my usual dishcloths and was able to share several pairs with my Mom, sister and two nieces!

We are also making all of the parts for this lovely to hand out to the newest baby due any time!

 

A LITTLE OF THIS AND THAT

I finished the mug rugs;  6 of them in fact!  They are 5 x 5".  I am not a coffee or tea drinker but I do like hot chocolate~

I made another kid's hat with the yarn I bought during last week's shop Hop when we made a side trip to JoAnn Fabric's.

I needed a raddle for the WAL I have joined starting April 1st. 

 This helps keep all of the warp threads lined up so I can thread them in the heddles and reed before I can begin weaving!  It is a good thing I have a bin of wood scraps so that I could make it myself--not bad for an hour's work of cutting, sanding, staining, drilling and nailing to save $70!

I am drawing to a close on the quilt on the frame--another 1/2 hour and I will be done!  I just didn't have anymore standing time left in me yesterday! lol

And today is another Shop Hop excursion!  We are not travelling so far afield today but still have 4-5 stops to keep us busy!