Working on #2

With Kristin's slippers finished, I started on Trisha's.  I have the sole of one finished and the second sole started.  I'm practicing knitting and purling right to left with these.  It is a bit difficult throwing with my left index finger, but I'm getting the hang of it.  My tension is very wonky so I have to stop every few stitches to even things out.  I figure since this is garter stitch, and the bottom of the slipper, a little wonkiness won't hurt.

Winter teased me again this weekend.  This is what Mother Nature was giving us when I got up in the morning.  I knew the weather report didn't call for much, but I had hopes that the predictions were wrong.  Darn it if they weren't right!  By mid-afternoon the sky was clear and brilliant blue.  It is still cold and blustery, but the sun is shining.  I'm still hoping for one big snow storm. 

Ed and I are getting into crunch-time for getting the paperwork completed requesting financial aid for Kristin.  We know we won't qualify for any assistance, but we have to file the forms anyway.  The university Kristin has decided to go to requires all scholarship recipients to file the form so that they can report demographics.  Oh well, I guess we better get started.

Blast of Winter

The weather has been up and down.  Cold air and a wintery mix hit last night.  Here's what it looks like from the back and the front of the house.

Honestly, I was hoping for more snow.  My philosophy is 'if it's going to be cold, it might as well have a lot of snow.'  The whiteness is much better than the grey and dreary.  This snow isn't going to last long.  The forecast for tomorrow is 50 deg F. 

I finished Kristin's slippers in the past week.  Here they are on her feet. 

I think she might have them on the wrong feet, but who really cares.  They got the seal of approval from her.  Instead of slipping them off, she kept them on when she put on her boots to run some errands.  Now I'm off to make a pair for Trisha.

Things are starting to look like they might get crazy again at work.  I really hope not.  This time around, though, I am not going to let it consume me.  I've learned to do what I can and then let go when I begin to feel overwhelmed. 

Part of my plan to not let work overwhelm me is to take frequent days off.  We are planning a get away in the spring and I've decided to go to Stitches South in April.  Two of my friends from work are also going.  It is going to be a great girls trip.  I can't wait!  I have to sign up for classes still.  I'm only going to take a couple.  There are a lot more crochet classes than in the past.  I know how to crochet but I really am not a fan of how it looks, at least in garments.

Oh!  Lastly, today is National Hug Day.  Be sure to hug everyone you love!!

Yummy!

I haven't made much progress on knitting this week.  Work and evening events consumed too much of my time.  When I get the slippers finished, I'll post a picture.

This year my work is starting a new initiative to promote wellness.  I was selected as one of the advocates for this program.  Anyone who looks at me and sees how overweight I am might wonder why was I chosen.  This program isn't just about physical wellness.  It is also about mind and spirit wellness.  As an advocate I feel I should take actions to promote wellness at home as well as work.  In keeping with that I made some healthy, but very yummy, pancakes yesterday for breakfast.

These are oatmeal whole wheat blueberry pancakes.  They were so good, and so filling.  I couldn't finish that plate.  Later in the day when I was with some friends for lunch, I still wasn't very hungry and at only half of my sandwich.  The recipe is one I came across on Pinterest.  (I'm totally addicted!!)  The recipe came from here.  I didn't have buttermilk so I improvised by adding lemon juice to regular milk.  Also, I used quick oats, so I didn't feel like I needed to wait an hour before cooking up the pancakes.  They were so yummy. The rest are in the freezer for workday breakfasts.

Also yesterday, I went to a Sew-In at my work.  Years ago, a group of friends from work and I formed a group to make baby quilts for ABC Quilts.  ABC Quilts was a non-profit organization that donated crib quilts to hospitals and family agencies to give to at-risk children.  We would have monthly Sew-Ins to work on our projects.  Back then my children were little and it was a nice Mom's Day Out.  The group expanded to include people from a local quilt guild.  A few years ago ABC quilts closed shop.  Many of the original members left the company.  My kids grew and got involved in activities that made it difficult for me to go to the Sew-Ins.   As a result of all these factors, plus a transition from quilting to knitting, I quit going to the Sew-Ins. After Dad's passing I felt like I needed to do some of the things I used to do.  I went to the December Sew-In and got to see a lot of the old group who also happened to be there.  At that Sew-In a few people expressed an interest in learning to knit.  So yesterday, at the January Sew-In, I taught a beginners knitting class.  I was nervous at first and not sure I was going to be able to do it.  I think it went very well.  The two ladies picked it up quickly.  The one lady even tried, and loved, continental knitting.  The other lady was having a little trouble because she is having carpal tunnel issues in her dominant hand.  I'm anxious to see if the keep up the knitting.   Sharing my obsession was fun!

Happy 2012

I can't believe it is 2012 already.  This is going to be an exciting year.  My oldest graduates from high school and then goes off to college.  She received an acceptance letter from her #1 choice on Christmas Eve.  That was a nice present for her.  She was nervous about not getting accepted, although her dad and I kept telling her she had nothing to worry about.  She has fantastic credentials:  >4.0 GPA, Honors and AP classes, 2 years on varsity volleyball team, National Honors Society member, academic tutor for the school, works part time, great people skills.  Now all she has to do is decide what she is going to study.  She has narrowed it down to business or optometry.  Not exactly similar interests, but I'm sure she'll figure it out. 

With her moving away later this year, I've been thinking a lot about projects to do for her. I've started two things, one a quick project and the other a longer commitment. The first, fast project is a pair of knitted ballet slippers.

These are the Pleated Ballet Flats from Coco Knits.  It is a very fast and fun project.  They look very tiny when finished, but stretch nicely when slipped onto the foot.  It is very important to bind off loosely or with a stretchy bind-off, if there is one (I'm not sure there is).  I bought the pattern and the yarn from Fiberge in Cincinnati while I was visiting my mom last weekend.  I also purchased the Prairie Boots pattern.  Before I make the boots, I'm going to make slippers for my other daughter and myself.

The other Going-Away-To-College project is a blanket.  Kristin likes greens and browns (which I found rather unusual for a teenage girl).  I fell in love with Curve of Pursuit when I saw it mentioned in another blog.  There are so many possibilities for the color variations.  Kristin asked that I make it with the two colors spiralling out from the center.  She wanted it light.  I suggested starting with a dark center and moving outward in lighter and lighter shades.  In the tradition of a log-cabin quilt, I made the center square red to represent the home and heart.  I want her to feel my love when she gets homesick when she moves away. It seems like a fussy pattern right now and there will be lots of ends to weave in on the backside.  I plan to do the weaving periodically as I move along to keep myself from going crazy at the end.


The Christmas holiday was nice this year.  It was different without Dad.  Mom seemed to enjoy herself during the family gathering.  I occasionally hear the sadness in her voice, but she seems to be coping okay.  Her faith is tremendous, so she knows Dad is in a much better place now.

For myself, I'm commiting to taking better care of myself.  I want to live a long time and see my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Last year was so stressful and it took a great toll on my body.  This year I'm going to try to manage the stress better and take better care of my body.  (Right now is a great temptation because my son just baked some cinnamon rolls and the wonderful aroma is filling the house!)  I want to work up to exercising 6 days a week, eat healthier, practice relaxation techniques, and be more demonstrative with my love for my friends and family. 

So on that note, thanks for taking time to read this blog.  I know there aren't many people who visit, but I appreciate each one of you.  Happy and Healthy 2012 to you!