Another Start

 Here is a sneek peek at my new cross-stitch. This is what happens when I can't sleep and decide to start stitching something at 5 am. Shhh...it's a secret.

You can see my new microwave in the background. I went to use our old one last weekend and it made an awful sound and didn't cook anything. It was giving us trouble every once in a while where items took forever to heat so it's demise wasn't a surprise. The dishwasher has been testy for a couple of years too, so that will be the next appliance we replace.

I have also added a few rows to the variegated Diagonal Bobbles Blanket. 

I am about halfway done with it now. It is weird that the bobble look inverted in the photo. I assure you they are all raised bobbles.

I was in the mood for pizza on Friday, but didn't want Hubby going to a crowded pizza shop during Lent so I made my own. 

This is what was left after we finished. I have only done this a couple of times. I made my own pizza dough from this Pioneer Woman cookbook.

I also made my own sauce. I was limited in my recipe choices as I didn't have any tomato paste, but I tried this recipe for Homemade Pizza Sauce and it was quite tasty. Just a little spicy for Hubby and me for pizza.

Mom will be going home tomorrow. I took the day off to pick her up in the morning. An aide will be coming to stay with her full-time later in the day. I wanted a few hours where I could just visit with her by ourselves as we haven't seen each other in person for 5 weeks. There are still some care issues to work out, but she is happy to be going home and having food that she likes. She has lost weight as she is a picky eater. I got groceries by curbside pick-up yesterday to stock her house. 

I am joining Kathy for some Slow Sunday Stitching. Pop on over to her site to see what other bloggers are stitching. I think I will add some stitches to Three Boats and my new piece.

Thanks for stopping by!

Adding to my future projects

The new kit, evenweave fabric and floss that I ordered have arrived! Now I have even more projects to work on. 

I can't show you the kit for my son's wedding sampler as I think he looks at this blog every once in a while, so that will have to be secret stitching. You can see it peeking out below the fabric and floss. I will give you small peeks at the stitching every once in a while. 

The light blue evenweave fabric and most of the floss is for this Christmas Stocking for my future daughter-in-law. I found this when looking through my magazine stash. She is a veterinarian so I thought she would like all the animals around the tree. I had most of the floss needed in my stash.

I won't be starting that stocking for a while as the wedding sampler is more time sensitive. Today I think I will prep the fabric for the wedding sampler. I may even put in a few stitches. I will have to put October Morning aside once again, as I think I want to use that hoop for the wedding sampler. 

I have been thoroughly enjoying stitching the stocking for my son-in-law. Look at how much progress I have made already.

I am still working on stitching the grey as it does a good job of outlining where all the rest of the colors will go and it allows me to leave the white for a little while longer.  It is such easy stitching and I am reminded that I really like stitching on 14-count Aida cloth rather than the higher counts with smaller stitches. I don't even have to change to stronger readers.

Since I have this week off from school for Winter Break, I have also been very busy cutting more beige fabric. I just ordered some more fat quarters as I realized that I didn't have near enough, but I have already cut up 16 of the fat quarters that I had into the pieces I need. 

How do you like my sorting system? I have written the assigned letter on each baggie as well as the size that I need to cut. I have also included a sticky note in each bag that tells me the number that I need of each and how many I have cut so far. I need to cut up around 17 more beige fat quarters for the entire quilt and 32 green fat quarters also. I may start on the green next until I get the new beige fabric, but they are more fiddly pieces. We are expecting 5-8 more inches of snow tonight, so I will be stuck inside again tomorrow. 

I recently finished reading "Message in a Bottle" by Nicholas Sparks and was reminded of why I don't love reading his books. I had wanted to read a physical book not an e-book and I think my mom has almost all of his books. She hasn't read all of them, but she has kept buying them. I don't love reading these books, because I am always waiting for the other shoe to drop. It always does and I read the book with dread. I had thought I would just keep reading through all the books mom has, but I just don't want to read another right now. Maybe in the summer when the sun is shining and the world is not so bleak, I could enjoy reading another of his books. 

I went on to read "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K.Rowling, just to have something light to read. That is finished and now I am debating what to read next....continue with the Harry Potter series (always a good choice) or "My Life from Scratch" by Gesine Bullock-Prado which my son gave me for Christmas. 

He also gifted me this author's cookbook "Let Them Eat Cake"

I want to make something from this, but I will have to wait as dieting is starting with Ash Wednesday. I have put on enough pounds recently that my clothes are uncomfortable and of course I want to be in better shape for my son's wedding. It is so hard when I am in the house so much. 

Well that is all for now.

Thanks for stopping by!

Something New

First of all, Happy Valentine's Day!

Hubby bought me flowers a couple of days ago so the florist wouldn't be crowded and to avoid the ice storm we have today.

As if I didn't already have way too many WIPs, I just started this jolly Christmas Stocking for my son-in-law. He doesn't read my blog so this is safe to share.

I have already made some decent progress on it. There is a whole lot of white which I don't want to get dirty. So I am going to try to stitch as much of the other colors first before I stitch the white. As you can see below, I have started with the greys which are part of Santa's mustache, beard and the fur on his hat and coat. It sort of outlines all the white so I will continue with it for now.

There will be another WIP added to the mix soon as I also want to make a wedding sampler for my son just like I did for my daughter. He is getting married in 2022 so I have a little bit of time to complete it.

Speaking of celebrations, Hubby turned 60 yesterday! We couldn't have a celebration like he had for my 60th last year, but I did a little decoration. I found a banner online.

As well as a couple of birthday stakes. This one is just in the snow on our back deck, but Hubby can see it from where he sits on the couch. 

I put another sign in front of our house. Hubby was adamant that he didn't want a big display like I ordered for our daughter. I had to do something though for such a special birthday. I did get him this special glass for when he wants a bourbon.

I also baked a cake! It was just the two of us, but we celebrated. 

Hubby enjoyed!

 

Our children joined on the computer.

I have spent a little amount of time crocheting some mornings and most nights recently. Only two rows per session, but since I need just 99 rows, 4 a day means less than a month to finish the body of this blanket. Any more crocheting makes my thumb and wrist hurt.

It is looking pretty, isn't it? 

I have been cutting beige fabrics for my daughter's quilt. I need to cut 33 different beige fat quarters into many, many different pieces for this quilt. So far I have cut 4 fat quarters. I don't even think that I have 33 fat quarters. I know that I have more than 20 different fabrics, but I may have to order some more.

Some of what I ordered online was actually white or a much darker beige than I wanted when it came. I have next week off for Spring break, so I am hoping to cut a whole bunch of fabric. I have to cut green fabrics too.

An update on my mom: she will be going home on the 22nd of February. Hopefully, we will be able to have round the clock help for her. I have spent much of the past week signing the appropriate forms as well as getting other people to fill out forms so that she will be eligible for that help. I am hoping it can be settled before she heads home. 

I am joining Kathy for some Slow Sunday Stitching. Pop on over to her site to see what other bloggers are stitching. I think I will add some stitches to Three Boats or the Santa stocking.

Thanks for stopping by!

February SAL Update

It's that time again. Time to show you how much or how little I managed to stitch on Three Boats. 

This is where I was at the last update in January.

I have finished the tree trunk and most of the other tree trunk that goes out to the right side. I have also finished the sand above that trunk. 

I was hoping that by this update you would be able to see the beginning of one of the boats. If you look very closely, you can see the beginning rusty/coral outline of a boat near the bottom of what I have stitched. There hopefully be more of the boat in the next update.

Thanks so much to Avis at Sewing Beside the Sea for hosting this Stitch Along every three weeks.

Please take the time to visit the other talented bloggers below who are part of this stitch-along. They are from all over the world so please allow for the time differences and check back for each post. 

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy,

 Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan, Deborah,

Mary Margaret, Renee, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie, AJ, 

Jenny, Laura, Cathie, Linda, Helen

Stitching, Baking and Snow

We had quite a lot of snow here on Long Island. I was up at 5 am and took this photo. The snow had begun the night before. This is not a black and white photo, just early morning.

Later in the afternoon our deck looked like this. 

Sorry about the funky shadows, but you get the idea. There was a lot more snow!

Hubby and I hired someone to clear our snow this time. We are getting somewhat older now. I did have to shovel a bit at mom's as I couldn't find someone to do her house. Everyone was overbooked. Thankfully her neighbor helped out with his snowblower. I had to check on her house, because her heat went out twice in two days. It appears that the serviceman fixed in with his second visit.

Those two snow days helped me get some crafting and baking done. I also managed to get some little chores completed that I have been putting off.

First, I sewed the seam on my crocheted Breezy Infinity Scarf. 

Isn't it pretty. Ignore the messy night table in the background please.

A close-up of the pretty lacy pattern.

I will probably wear it next week when the weather is supposed to be frigid again and my daughter's bedroom where I work will be cool despite having the heat on.

I also spent some of each day baking. On Monday I made the sponge needed to make Ciabatta bread from Brown Eyed Baker. I finished the breads on Tuesday. They came out somewhat flat (probably because I left them to rise on a counter that was cold), but they are delicious.

They were a great accompaniment to my homemade Beef Barley soup. Yum!

I also made some apple muffins. They are tasty, but a little dry. I think I will find a different recipe next time. 

I have also had plenty of time to stitch on October Morning. I have added grass and red and blue flowers along the bottom.

Here is a close-up.

I also made some progress in cutting out fabric for the quilt I want to make for my daughter and her husband. I needed to cut out 392 rusty red diamonds. Here are just a few of them.

Next up is cutting all of the beige pieces. There are 784 diamonds as well as lots trapezoids. 

Here's hoping for a few more snow days this winter!

Only kidding.....or not.

Thanks for stopping by!

Frogging and free time

 Obviously my brain was not really engaged when I decided to start my baby blanket. I was well on my way to finishing the first skein of yarn, when I realized that there is no way that I have enough yarn to make this blanket. I checked the pattern and realized I needed almost double the amount of yarn than I had. So a few nights ago I frogged the 18 rows that I had completed. So sad....

I think I originally chose this pattern for another yarn that I had purchased. I have started the blanket over with that yarn. 

I should have enough to finish the blanket this time.

I found another knit pattern, Textured Blankie, that I like where I can use the pastel baby yarn. I have to order circular knitting needles for it though. I don't have the correct size.  I just received a coupon from JOANN in the mail and I have a gift certificate so I am going to go shopping online for some treats.

I have my first finish of 2021! It has been a long time coming. I finished crocheting my Breezy Infinity Scarf. It is a very lacy pattern.

Yes, I know, it doesn't look much like an infinity scarf, but it must be blocked prior to sewing the seam. 

That will only take a few minutes once it is dry, so I am calling this done!

My son had his hernia surgery on Thursday. Turns out he had a hernia on each side not just one side as he thought. Hubby has been staying with him in PA since Wednesday night and I have been home alone....which is why that scarf got finished.

I have had a bunch of free time all alone the last few days....except for work, having Mom's carpets cleaned and then dealing with her burner which wasn't working as it should. Other than that, I went down a memory lane rabbit hole this weekend. 

First, our daughter turned 30 on Saturday. This is Hubby with her just after she was born.

We surprised her with a Card My Yard display to help her celebrate!

Then while I was home alone on Saturday, and had some free time, I listened to a very old album. I think I have all of his albums, vinyl of course. Still remembered all the words to the songs. 

Then I found the Final Osmond Family Concert which I "watched" while scrubbing an oven rack. Oh man, was I a fan of the Osmond family growing up. I even managed to go to a couple of their concerts as a kid. 

Hubby is due home today and we are supposed to get socked with snow tomorrow. I wonder if I will have a "snow day" from school? More time to craft!

I am joining Kathy for some Slow Sunday Stitching. Pop on over to her site to see what other bloggers are stitching. I think I will work on Three Boats a little bit today. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Slow Sunday Stitching

I will be enjoying some stitching and reading today. Maybe a little organizing also.

I have added some stitches to Three Boats. You should be able to see that the tree trunk has a few more stitches and I have finished the sand on the left except for one lone stitch along the edge.

I have also been busy adding stitches to October Morning. I finished stitching the orange/yellow color of the tree. Now I have to fill in the empty spaces.

I will probably fill that in today..

Our daughter went home yesterday. We enjoyed having her visit for a week. It was a nice distraction. 

Ruby enjoyed playing with her new squirrel house.

She also spent some time chewing on her bone. We went for a lunchtime walk around the neighborhood most days and she convince Hubby to play ball with her in the backyard several times a day. 

Hopefully they will be able to visit again some time soon. Originally she was supposed to visit in two weeks to celebrate her birthday (30) and Hubby's (60) with dinner and a Broadway show, but well........COVID. So many milestone celebrations have been cancelled, but at least we have all been relatively healthy and have avoided this dreaded virus. 

I am joining Kathy for some Slow Sunday Stitching. Pop on over to her site to see what other bloggers are stitching.

Thanks for stopping by!