Busy time of year.

I know that everyone is busy at this time of year. So am I
And a bunch of things are gift sensitive, so I haven't been posting..... things on the internet have a way of getting around.

You know how it is. In the case of the two photos here... one has been given already (the felt Calcifer)
and the Christmas stocking is for a baby..... and they never check blog posts.
So here is hoping that all your gift crafting is going well and I hope to have a plethora of images and tales for you after the gift giving season is over.

A few finished things.

This week was a busy one, and boy did it go fast. I am a bit at a loss for what to say so this will not be a long post.
I was a lucky gal and my husband bought me some lovely beads when we took a day trip to Granville Island this summer.

It was wonderful of him.... and I promised that I would use them up.
So I did. Yay!

I am wearing the amethyst ones right now. Thank you Husband! Seriously they make me smile, just being done.
Also completed this morning a new cowl for my Dad, I used a Knit Picks alpaca blend in a light grey. It's just drying,and I have to tack in the ends, but other than that complete! Not a really exciting photo ad it's not a real pattern per se....so no photo.
Also completed this week are the baby burp cloths....
You may recall.

All done. Yay. Sorry for the post short on words..... long on photos. Hope you had a great week and I hope I can be inspired to write a more interesting post this week.

Hello Sunday!

The view from my door is calm and wet.....

for the most part a calm and grey day. Fall is like this around here. Nice to have a break from the rain.
So as it is not sunny and compelling outside the house..... this is what I am up to inside. (so far)
I have already done some tidying, and laundry folding while watching a nice movie is on the list as well, but that is not really interesting, so no photos of that. Sorry.

So here is something I am enjoying at the moment......

tea in a space mug. I love this mug, I got it from the Science fiction book club. Remember that? Does that even still exist or has it gone the way of the CD clubs of the last century.... lol. Oh my goodness..... it still lives!(well in the USA it does.... I wonder if I can join it? hmmmmmm oops, moving on)

I have been making great progress on the Jeweled Cowl, and honestly I stand by my earlier statement that this is going to be a multiple project pattern! Love this! It just grows so fast. Seriously I am not making time for this knit... and I am working on other projects, I swear. But I may have mentioned I have mentally planned at least TWO others and I think my mother-in-law likes it too.

The potential is endless, or it seems that way. Every time  I hear about another person's project it sounds AMAZING so I can't wait to see how everyone else in the KAL is doing. Oh, I had a question about the beads. I am using size 0/6 beads, and I love the colour. The weight is a bit of a concern though, I know some people are using a size smaller, 0/8 beads and I am wondering if that is better. This cowl has WEIGHT, as in the beads give it a space that drapes. It seems pretty heavy, so I think another project may have my choice of beads change. This one is fine the way it is. I always have a tester. lol

I have been knitting away randomly on a  mustgo afghan.  It's out in the TV room so I can work on it if I am sitting and have nothing else within reach/appropriate to work on.

Called a Must- go because I have a bunch of Homespun leftovers from various baby blankets and random projects when I was less interested in fiber content than I was in just knitting something I liked in a nice colour. It's washable and handy lots of big boxes have it. Anyway, it was just sitting there and I thought I should do something... so I have wound it into balls it's in a box covered by an opaque bag and I have my husband grab a random ball for me when I am finished the one I am knitting. Random is good. No real formula here, just making a "dishcloth blanket" increase by yarn over two stitches from the start of each row and continue until you think that it's big enough across then decrease the same place. I have had my own stash supplemented by some of the swap yarns from the guild and donations as well..... it's hard to teach a newbie how to knit on boucle yarn. So it got added to my box. I even had a donation from the guild meeting. LOL and now everyone knows my little project is collecting scraps..... so I may have more coming.

Sam seems to think it's OK, so I must be doing something right. Other than that my day should consist of more laundry and hopefully some sewing. Updates on that if it happens, we shall see.
Be safe on the East Coast, I hope the weather is calm enough to be safe. Have a great day!

The Jeweled Cowl KAL

This past week at the FVKG meeting I taught the gang about beaded knitting with a crochet hook.... I think it went well.

Several of my pals and I also agreed to a Knit-a-long. We are making our own Jeweled Cowl each. It's a easy project that I hoped to engage the other guild members with. The beading is in the same area along the shawl and the lacy part is not super detailed. I love beads and knitting so I am really just trying to spread the addiction! LOL

So here is a beginning shot of my cowl. 

I am using one of my favorite colour- ways of Knit Picks Shadow lace weight yarn "Oregon Coast", it's a complicated colour. The base looks like a brown grey but, it's got so many facets to it. So to pick up on one of those colours, I'm using a purple centered iridescent bead. This is potato chip knitting at it's finest. 
The pattern is so easy to get around and the yarn is so lightweight, I can pack it in my day bag easy. You can see the beads in a small purple container, it's hinged with a lid and locks closed. Awesome for keeping a small amount of beads with me. 

If you haven't tried beads and crochet hooks, I recommend it. This is a great project already...... and I know that I am so going to be making more. The combinations are rushing past me every time I see my bead collection, or my lace yarns. Especially for those single skeins that I just had to have but had no plans for. This could be a great thing to do!

Anyway, hope you had a good weekend. Welcome fall!

Updates! Yes, more!

It feels like I am posting an awful lot lately..... but what can one do? Finishing things here and there, trying all sorts of new stuff! It's really fun and I just need to share it all!

Completed is the most recent Christmas Stocking, made from the Fireside Stocking pattern. I DO like this teal and white combo a whole bunch. There have been many admiring comments on the colour.
I already have a red and white one on the go as well. Seriously kids, this is not a chat and knit pattern. I have made more mistakes on these two stockings just trying to knit at lunch with my co-worker. Yikes!

Luckily I am happy to tink until it's right. Thankfully, all I have to do is tink, there has been no massive rip back and I plan on that NOT HAPPENING. Next up is a forest green and white stocking for my BF's baby boy. Yes, I do always pair with white. So far it keeps them looking classic and hopefully will prevent them from looking dated in five or ten years.

Couple of updates for inquiry's. I buy my oils locally at a Voyageur Soap and Candle Company but you could order from them online if you so desire. I have also seen some fantastic oils in town at a health food store, Nature's Fare Market including the peppermint oil (which I believe was an excellent price for the Now brand). The health food shop doesen't sell all the amazing oils that the soap company does, but they have a solid selection.

Updates still to come on the shower puck experiment as well. Hope you have a great weekend!

Hey there, and thanks!

Hi to all the folks who have been stopping by to leave me comments lately.It's so nice to hear from new voices as well as returning ones. Thanks for taking the time to comment, it means I am not talking to myself. LOL

I have been posting up a storm it seems..... I guess I just have so much to say. It seems a bit crazy to do jumbo posts, so I have been breaking things into reasonable size and posting more frequently.

Oh, and if your into the lip balm.... the three main ingredients are beeswax, coconut oil and honey. Check out the blog Frugal By Choice she was the inspiration and directions for that as well as my new experiment. Experiment?

For the moment, I will mention that I tried another DIY recipe that pintrest directed me to. (LOL It's all in there!)

I made shower discs for colds and congestion. The photos are pretty boring, but I will give a overview of what I did.

One cup of baking soda, half a cup of water or so... to make it a pudding-like consistency.

5 drops each of  Tea Tree Oil, Rosemary Oil, Eucalyptus Oil plus 2 drops of Peppermint Oil.
Then I spooned the mix out into the muffin tin that I had ready with liners.

I did put it in the oven for a bit on a low heat (200 F) as they seemed fairly moist. Even today, they are stable and I pulled them out of the tin..... but they still feel damp on the base.With strange indentations and everything! 

As you can see they liked the extra crinkles in the cups.

The idea behind these little pucks is; when you are having a shower and have a cold you drop one on the floor and enjoy the aroma as it helps clear your breathing up. Not tested yet.... so I am unsure what the result will be, but so far the scent is very clarifying. LOL We shall see. I will keep you posted on that. There were other adventures this week...... but I will post about those later.
Tried anything new lately?
Have a great one!