Busy Hands, Warm Heart

Knitting update

2011-04-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting here much, bad me. I may not be able to keep 2 separate blogs, dogs and other, but I will try a little longer. I have a whole big list of books to add to the reading list, but not today. Today I want to post my most recent knitting. In March I had an outdoors activity and I realized the first hat I knit a while back just didn't match my jacket, and is a bit to short to cover my ears. It seemed a good excuse to knit myself something new. A new hat and my first pair of mittens. These were done with a bulky acrylic-the next ones will be a more natural material. Probably wool, but I saw a pair of silk mittens that were sinmply lovely and well, maybe a new experience some time down the road.

I have sockitis now

2011-02-11T06:04:00.001-08:00

I ahve almost finished my second sock. I am addicted to sock knitting I think. I have yarn and 2 different patterns and am going to start another pair as soon as I finish the second sock of the first pair tonight. Pictures to come!

Book Review- Tangled Webs

2011-02-03T13:40:00.000-08:00

I love Anne Bishop's books. Tangled Webs follows the Black Jewels Trilogy, and is almost as fabulous. I wish she could write a new book for me every day, but then I would never get anything else doen. I just cant put them down.

Book list update- review Dean Koonts Frankenstein Lost Souls

2011-02-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been so busy with everything else, I haven't been reading hardly at all, only listening to books. Thats OK actually, it means my normal winter depression is under control, for now and all the dog events and training are keeping me up and moving. Much better than hibernating and reading really.

However just finished Lost Souls and I was very dissapointed. I usually love Koontz, but this one left me flat, almost bored. Its part of a series I think as there is reference to prior happenings and it leaves off without a real conclusion. Not interesting enough for me to bother with the others. Oh well.

last night I got a start on sock number 2. I will be curious to see how long this one takes me. The dog show rush is over, next shows not until later in the month.

Turning the heel

2011-01-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

I guess it was a couple of years back now (wow time flies) but a while ago I decided it was time to learn to knit. So I did. I knit a sweater from my granddaughter, some hats for the family and a few other simple items. Then I decided to knit a vest for myself - done not perfect but a success.

But then it was time to try a sock. Started out great, knit the first leg of sock 1. Oh time to do the heel. HMM, Maybe instead I will knit the top of sock two, great, but now Ihave 2 socks needing a heel. Well, maybe its time to put that away for the summer after all have gardening to do no time to knit. Honestly reading the directions for the heel confused me. Scared me. Easier to just put the whole darn thing away.

This weekend I decided I wasnt going to let the sock win. I went and picked up sone heavier yarn, and some larger DPNs. I thought maybe if I worked with something a bit more substantial, I would be able to see it better. Found a different pattern for an anklet in a worsted weight and cast on. Knit the ribbing, moved on to the heel Read the pattern over and over, got on line found a sock site and looked at pictures. Re-read the directions and picked up my knitting. Turned the heel woohoo, created the gussett BIG WOOHOO and now I just need time to knit the foot. It wasnt really that hard once I figured out and understood the terms, once I learned a little bit how to manage all those needles. I am rather proud of my little socklet.

Book - Christmas with Tucker by Greg Kincaid

2011-01-14T12:10:00.000-08:00

This has to have been one of the best books I have listened to in a while. It's really a pre-quel to A Dog Named Christmas. If you like hearwarming stories this one is for you. If you saw the movie or read A Dog Named Christmas, this book is the story of why the father was so reluctant to have a dog. the story is fabulous, and the reader is perfect. Loved it.

Cold Minnesota Winter + Books

2011-01-09T12:01:00.000-08:00

Its cold outside and I am not an outdoor person. So there really is no better time to grab a good book and curl up. Since i didnt have time to go to the library with the dog show Friday, I chose to reread a couple of favorites. Anne Bishops Black Jewel Trilogy. Adult fantasy wonderfully done. The days just floated on by, with a book in hand and a dog curled up next to me. Hope your weekend was equally peaceful.

Book List

2011-01-03T09:23:00.001-08:00

I decided I am going to track my books read for the year 2011. I have posted a list at the side. If you have any suggestions that I should read, let me know.

Sorry been MIA

2010-09-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Although I havent been quilting, I have been busy, canning and freezing and cooking. I love fall, but it does get busy.

I work full time, so have only a few hours each evening to do my fun activities. But I have managed to get a bit accomplished. Since my last post I have frozen corn off the cob, and several quarts of creamed corn too. Green beans, herbs and zuchinni in the freezer, and dehydrating. More tomatoes canned, including a batch of tomato tang, which is a spicy catsup like condiment. This week we have started on apples, canned slices, sauce, wedges, jelly and also dehydrated rings. Oh, and Davids favorite, Grapplesauce. Might need to do one or 2 more batches of that if I can get more grapes.

But I did get my package of fabric off to my brown bag quilt exchange partner. I hope she doesnt hate the fabrics I chose for her!

Canning this weekend

2010-09-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

Go to the dog blog to see the total counts for the weekend, but here is the photo.

Back to the Garden

2010-08-11T05:27:00.000-07:00

Its been a busy couple of weeks with dog shows, so other household stuff has taken a back seat. This week I am focusing on catching up with the garden, it has become a bit weedy in places. All the heat and rain is helping the garden grow beautifully, but also those pesky weeds. My garden is not huge, living in the middle of a city, I have a space at the community garden. Its not big, but I pack stuff into it pretty weel. This year I planted more tomatoes than before and wow, do I have tomatoes! I wont have enough at any one time to can large volumes, but I do have enough to do a can here and a can there. As well as to eat right now! I am hoping to can my first ones tonightt, but it will depend on the heat index. A hot water canning process in a house with no air when its already 90 and humid is not necessarily the best idea!

However, as busy as I have been, I was able to get the white around 2 flowers this week, so I feel like I made up for the last week.

I have been sewing

2010-07-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

but I just dont have any progress to show yet...soon I hope.

Hex Flowers

2010-07-21T05:22:00.001-07:00

My Garden

2010-07-21T05:20:00.000-07:00

Well one thing about the combination of rain and hot sunny days, my garden has gone wild. The zuchinni in the foreground are waist high. (Sunday night I found 3 club sized zuchini, i do not understand how they hid so well when they are small, but from what i have read, I am not the only one who finds monsters from time to time!)
The tomatoes in the next patch back are chest up to nose high on me. I am short, 5'3" but that makes my tomato plants almost 5 feet tall. And though you probably cant see it in the picture, they are loaded with small green fruit.
The Peas are about done, the heat is not their friend, but the green beans are starting to flower. I love fresh from the garden food.

One Flower and a few 4 patches

2010-07-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

Here is todays one flower, this one has all its white, and I started on the connecting green as well.

I really was in the mood to play with my sewing machine this weekend, so I started a scrap quilt. Using only stash. Its the Schnibbles Plan C quilt, done using up stash fat quarters. I have all the four patches done, and am working on the star points. Although I have dog shows all next weekend, I am hoping this top will still get completed by next Wednesday, but no promises.

Woohoo I love using stuff on hand.

Sorry the photo is a bit dark, and doesn't do the colors justice.

Its time for something different..

2010-07-09T05:16:00.000-07:00

I haven't had the sewing machine out for a while, and today I have the bug. After work tonight I am going to start working on a scrap project. I have been collecting scraps and cutting bricks, 1.5 x 2.5 for quite some time. I have a shoebox full, so I think its time to start putting those bricks together.

And I have a few other WIP's that I would also like to get back out. I am hoping for a weekend of quiet sewing time. I hope to update Monday with some status and progress photos!

One Flower Wednesday

2010-07-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

Well at least one partially completed flower. It was a crazy busy week and weekend for me and picking up a needle for even a few moments rarely happened. However, I do think this one is pretty!

Wednesdays Flowers

2010-06-30T05:03:00.000-07:00

Sunflowers?

Hex Flowers

2010-06-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

My flowers for this week. Its grey and overcast outside, so I had to take this inside, where its also grey and overcast.

BookSneeze

2010-06-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

Well I got my first book to review from BookSneeze yesterday. I am really eager to read it and do the review, but I have a bit of dog business I need to do in my spare time first. But I can say that I will be posting a review within the week!

Due to the dog work I need to get done, I did not have a chance to sew any last night. I hope to have a flower for tomorrow though, I only need to finish a few hex's....

My batteries died!

2010-06-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

Both my personal pbetteries and the camera batteries died. I worked hard this weekend, but have no photos to show for it. I got the garden cleaned up a bit. It was the first weekend with no rain in a while, so there was lots too do. Its not perfect yet, but its looking better!
I started alterations on one skirt, and started sewing another. The one I am sewing is a no pattern skirt. I need a few easy care dog show skirts, so I decided to make my own. Nothing fancy, just serviceable. And cheap-the linen was on sale so the whole thing cost me less than 5 dollars. Hopefully I will remember to pick up batteries for the camera and I can share my progress with both the garden and the sewing.

Reusing hexie papers and white green and more white

2010-06-17T05:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all the nice comments about my flowers! I am really happy I pulled this one back out of storage to work on. the break was good though as I am rejuvenated.

Knowing that I have lots and lots of white to do, last night I started cutting. I think I cut enough white hexies for about 6 more flowers. But, I don't have enough hex papers for that many, so I really will need to start working on putting some of the flowers together so I can reuse the papers that come out after they are joined. I find that I can reuse the hex papers about 4-5 times before the edges start to lose the crispness needed.

What about you, do you reuse your papers?

One Flower Wednesday

2010-06-16T04:29:00.000-07:00

With the start of my new blog, I moved the One Flower Wednesday here! 1 flower with white, 1 partial edge flower and one flower both needing white. Maybe this week. I think I now have almost all my flowers made, but I have a whole lot that stiull need the white. I may have to do a trial layout this week and see.

Busy weekend

2010-06-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

It was a very busy weekend. On Saturday, my nephew had his 4th birthday party. The kids had a great time, it was cold and rainy but it never stopped the little ones. The joy they all had was expressed in each movement and puddle jump, but not shared by all the adults who were cold and wet and huddled up under the awning. When did our joy go? I remember playing in the rain as a child. Where does that abandon go? The kids were a joy to watch, and the smiles never stopped.

I spent part of the time at the party observing nature. There is a cardinal couple nesting low enough in my brothers lilac bush that an adult can see into the nest, well assuming you are taller than me at 5'3". I watched both the momma and poppa bird flitting in and out and taking care of those babies. Unfortunately, the nest is open to the elements, and poor momma bird was soaking wet. But she was pretty good about staying and covering those little ones. I wish we would get some better weather for her though, as it will be hard for her to keep those little ones warm and dry, I am afraid.

Yesterday was a dog show, but in the evening when I got home I was able to go check out the garden. The weather has been so wet that I havent really even gone down to the corner to check on it all last week. I was amazed at how much change the week had brought! Lots of growth, but not nearly the weeds I was afraid of. A little hoeing and it looked much better. Hopefully we will get a good crop of summer vegies this year. I will try to get some photos if we ever get any sun again!

A little bit of piecing last night on the flowers. I am a slow hand worker, but I guess its not a race! Photos of that will come on Wednesday. Enough of an update for today.

Peace to you.

Welcome

2010-06-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog!

My original blog Days at Daybreake was started with the idea that it would be about life, family, friends, of course the dogs and birds, as well as hobbies. But as it has progressed, I find it is primarily my dog blog. The dogs ARE a huge portion of my life, and do take up a huge amount of my time, but I find I still have a need for creativity.

My hope for this blog is to be a place to share my creativity, through books, quilting, knitting, even recipes. With my participation in the One Flower Wednesdays group and my hopes to do more, and present more of my handwork, I hope for this blog to take this out of the way for the dog folk. I doubt they want to hear of my frustration with trying to crochet a round item and have it stay round!

So again, welcome and please stop back again when you have the time.