Happy New Years

Well it's almost 2013 so wanted to wish everyone a Happy 2013 and All The Best In The New Year.

Will be posting in the next couple of days my 2013 goals and how I did achieving my 2012 goals.

Take care, and if you are out tonight please be safe.

See you in 2013.

Crafting results

Jamacian colour hats

So I finally got the camera out and took some pictures of all the different items that I have completed.  No I didn't put all the items here on the blog because it would have been a rather long and picture heavy blog entry.

What I did was to only put up three of the different items that I have made and enjoyed making.  The first picture was a special order that I took as the father wanted a hat for himself and matching hats for the two boys.  Of course I had to try and fulfill that order and I did even by putting his name on the hat.  (Last time I put a name on a hat.)

The new born set was also an order that I made.  Of course all of these items look a lot bigger in the picture but they were very quick to make and the results were well received.

New born winter set

To finish off the items is a ruffle scarf that I made Monday evening.  The yarn is by Estella and it's called Piccadilly.  The scarf is very easy to make but I have to admit that the fabric is very slippery and at one point the five stitches slipped off the needle and I thought it was going to mean restarting the scarf.  I was lucky and able to get the stitches back on the needle without any major problems so the scarf got completed without too many issues.

Ruffle scarf - yarn Piccadilly by Estella

Now that all the projects that were ordered for Christmas have been completed I am going to take a bit of time and work on projects just because I want to work on them.  You can probably imagine I have already started a couple of items and have other ones the go.

Things are finally starting to slow down for me work wise for the holidays so I think I am going to use this time to enjoy my crafting, drawing and writing.  Don't know how much I will actually get accomplished but at least I am thinking about getting some of the things worked on over the next couple of weeks.  This is all based on no other work issues coming to light.

Time to get the final bits of work completed so that I can then relax for a little bit.

This weekend's progress

Silver Dragon Sampler - Friday evening

This week I decided that it was going to be a cross-stitch weekend.  Well it wasn't a cross-stitch weekend but at least I was able to cross-stitch on Saturday.

Silver Dragon Sampler - Saturday evening

It did feel so good to be able to find and get some stitching done as I haven`t done a lot of cross-stitching at all this year.  I really want to get this pattern done before the end of the year considering it is dated.  I am hoping that I will be able to spend another day or two working on this pattern over the holidays and then it will be done.  I am almost at the half way mark so it shouldn`t be too hard to get it finished if I can focus on it.

So instead of cross-stitching on Sunday I decided to try and finish up a couple of other projects that I had on the go so finished another baby afghan that I was crocheting.  Now to finish up a couple of other items and then take some pictures of everything before they go to the people that requested these items.

Now this week is going to be busy so will see what I actually get accomplished.

Off to work I go.

My project this weekend

Silver Dragon Sampler by Jennifer Aikman-Smith

Well considering everything that has been going on around me I have decided that this is the weekend that I am going to hide and try and cross-stitch.

I think this is the project that I am going to work on but have to admit that it will depend what I actually pick up after having some dinner and finishing up a bit of work that I need to do today.

There are still a lot of different projects that I should be working on but I decided that for one weekend I am going to try and stitch and not think of all the other things that I should be doing.

Planning on taking pictures of where I get each day but will only post the end results after the weekend.  I think it's going to be a nice weekend of stitching and relaxing.

Time to have dinner and then relax this weekend.

Where has the time gone

I was just looking at the calendar and realized that I haven't posted for a while.  OK, I admit I haven't been on the computer as much as normal.  Part of that is once I finished the major project for a client I decided that I needed a few days away from the computer and trying to think of different things to write.

Besides not writing as much as normal I haven't even been crafting as much as normal.  I have actually spent a bit of time just relaxing and trying to figure out what needs to get done before Christmas and what can wait.  The good news is that once I did the thinking about the things needed I was able to start and focus on getting all of those items finished.  Now I just need to take some pictures and will have a few things to show you.

I have been having some fun knitting in the last little while and have actually made three hats for a order that I received.  The hats were to be Jamaican colours and with a pompom so that really wasn't that hard to make and actually I really enjoyed the knitting of these three hats.  (Hopefully pictures in the next couple of days.)

So over the next couple of days I hope to take some pictures and show you the different projects that I have actually finished over the last little while.  Nothing big but at least I have been getting a few things accomplished.

Time to do a bit of work and then I can relax tonight with some crafting.

Work and other demands

I have been able to get a bit of crafting done in the last few days but nothing like I would like to have accomplished.  A big part of the reason is I am working on a project that is due at the end of November and it is taking quite a bit of my time.  Another reason my crafting has been limited is because I was told I have trigger finger in four fingers on my left hand and being a lefty means a problem.

The trigger finger is not because of repetitive stress it's because I have very small tunnels in my hands so if I get any inflammation it means I can have problems.  Yes I have already had DeQuervain syndrome in both thumbs and was told that I have small tunnels so could have problems with carpal tunnel or other issues.  The good news is after having cortisone shots in two of the finger tunnels it is a lot better but still could have shots in the other two fingers to make it all better.  It is very frustrating knowing that no matter what I do I can run into problems.  I do my crafts but do take lots of breaks and do take breaks even when I am working and no matter what I could have problems.  So for everyone that thinks carpal tunnel, trigger finger and DeQuervain are just due to repetitive stress, there are other reasons and very small tunnels is just one of them.

So I continue to work on all the items that need my attention and know that I have to watch what I do and will continue to work on the various items.  Now it's time to get to work and finish up the project and then I can work on all the other items that have been piling up waiting for my attention.

A 3 Knight Night

The Red Knight (our knight)

The Green Knight with me

So yes I have been busy with work over the last few days but last night we decided it was time for an evening out and away from work.  I have to say it was a great evening as we went to Medieval Times in Toronto.  The show was a new performance so it was an excellent evening of food, and entertainment.

Of course after the show all the performers are out and about and willing to have photos taken.  There are 6 knights and other performers but I am just showing you the Knights that I liked from last nights show.  

The Blue Knight with me

The Blue Knight was my favourite from the show last night (too bad he wasn't our knight) and he had a great personality and enjoyed hamming it up for the camera as well.  The picture of just him was taken as we were leaving the show and he was standing there alone and of course once he saw the camera I got the big smile from him.

So yes I had a 3 Knight Night last night and then went home with my guy and snuggled up with him and knew I had the best guy.

The Blue Knight

Crafting Time

As you can imagine some days are made for crafting and other days are made for working and getting things done that need your attention.  Today is a day to get the work that needs to be completed off my plate.

I decided that considering everything that needs to get done before Christmas, I figured if I can make a dent in the pile of work things, I might be able to concentrate on the crafting things later on.  Of course getting all the work items completed is a priority today as I have a project that is due at the end of November so need to get it finished.  I am actually loving the project itself as it gives me a chance to do a lot of writing which is something that I do enjoy doing.

Besides working I have been doing a bit of organizing of my craft projects because as normal I have way too many things started so will need to focus on completing the items.  I hope that over the next few weeks I will be able to finish the projects that have been started and just need the finishing touches added to them.  This year I decided that I wasn't going to make any christmas gifts for anyone. Not making gifts has meant a little less stress on me.

So I hope that I after getting all the work done today I will be able to make a bit of time to actually craft and relax.

Sparkle

Sparkle Magic Needlecase - Sunday

 I have added a bit of sparkle into my cross-stitching over the last couple of days.  Today I decided it was a day to hide from the world and do a bit of stitching and that it exactly what I did.

Sparkle Magic Needlecase - stitching completed

The project that I wanted to get completed was "Sparkle Magic Needlecasae" by Jennifer Aikman-Smith.   Now all I need to do is put a bit of interfacing on the back of it and assemble it into the needlecase and it's completed.

So now that this project is completed it's time to look at the other projects that I started at Creativ and see what I will work on next.

I haven't been able to do a lot of stitching lately because work has been keeping me busy.  Sure can't complain when it's work that is keeping me busy.  Now I am going to try and work on a knitting project for the rest of the evening and will see what I do tomorrow.

Classes at Creativ Festival 2012

So last week I spent 5 days taking classes at the Creativ Festival and had a lot of fun.  Have to admit that after 31.5 hours of classes the brain is a little tired and you aren't really sure what you took or what you completed.

Here are some pictures of what I did during my classes.  There isn't a lot of any one project completed because when  you have between 1.5 and 3 hours to work on something you really don't get very far.

Wednesday

Crocodile Stitch - flat

Crocodile Stitch - round

Crocodile Stitch - crocheting - Becky Simmons

 This class was the first one for the week for me and it was learning how to do the crocodile stitch both flat and in the round.

Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Sweater

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket - Kate Atherley
  The Baby Surprise Jacket class was a little different than I thought it was going to be.  Yes we learned all the different techniques for making the baby surprise sweater but now we have to go out and find the actual pattern so that we can make it.



Thursday
Bargello - Carol Storie
  This was an introduction to Bargello class and it is to complete a stocking on linen instead of canvas.  I think for a beginner class the canvas would have been a lot easier.  I am really glad that I had taken Bargello before so I was able to just sit and stitch for the 3 hours.


Introduction to Spinning
My Thursday afternoon class was an introduction to spinning.  I have wanted to learn how to spin for over 10 years so this class gave me the opportunity to finally sit and spend some time trying to get something that looked like yarn out of fleece.  I am pretty proud of my accomplish but still have a long way to go before I am going to be able to actually knit with my own yarn. So lots of practicing is ahead for me but at least with my own spinning wheel I should be able to improve on this ball of yarn.


Perforated Paper: Joy Snowflake - Jennifer Aikman-Smith
My final class for Thursday was a perforated paper ornament with Jennifer.  Well as you can clearly see I didn't get anything accomplished in this class but that was fine.  I was pretty tired by the start of this class and figured that if I tried to stitch I would probably miscount and have bigger issues so as there were only three students in the class we sat and chatted with Jennifer.

Friday
Blackwork & Hardanger - Carol Storie
  I was able to get some of the hardanger started on this design so will continue working on this before I put in any of the blackwork.








Sparkle Magic Needlecase - Jennifer Aikman-Smith
   The sparkle needlecase is a needlecase that we can put all of the needles that we use for metallic threads in.  If you want to see what it looks like complete,SilverLotus has already completed her's.  As you can see I still have a long way to go before mine is finished.

Dragon Boat

Dragon Boats - Carolyn Mitchell
I had always looked at these ornaments and wanted to learn how to make them so this year when the class was offered I jumped at the chance to learn how to do them.  As Carolyn said they are a lot of fun to make and you want to make more and more of them and yes I will be making more.






Year of the Dragon Silver Sampler - Jennifer Aikman-Smith
We normally give Jennifer a couple of challenges each year for her to design and this year I have to say that the Silver Dragon Sampler is so different for Jennifer. The colours are the greys, and silvers and I am so looking forward to finishing this project before the end of 2012.



Saturday

You Add Magic to My Life - Jennifer Aikman-Smith
  This class was 1.5 hours so there really wasn't a lot of time to get much stitching done but it's a start.   I got a few stitches done on the dragon so will see how long it actually takes me to complete this project.

Christmas Needlecase & Scissor Fob - Kim Beamish
  This class was the needlecase and scissor fob that went with the class that Kim taught last year.  Of course I didn't take the class last year but I was fortunate that Kim did bring some kits with her this year so after class I picked up the Biscornu kit so I can have a complete set.


Sunday
Canvaswork Dragon - Jennifer Aikman-Smith

Canvaswork Dragon

  In this class we got to pick our own colours for our dragon so mine is going to be a blueish grey dragon.  Can't wait to get working on this one.



So that is some pictures of all the different classes that I took at the Creative Festival 2012.  Now I just need to find the time and energy to finish all of these different projects.  The good news is I just need to put a hanger on the dragon boat and it's completed and sew the mini baby surprise jacket together.  So those two projects should be completed very quickly.  The other projects are going to take me some time but will continue blogging about each of the projects and I work through them.

Now off to figure out what project I want to work on first.

Knitting for Charity

Baby Sweater

I have been able to get a bit of knitting done in the last few days which is making me feel a little better about things.  I was able to finally finish this baby sweater that I knit earlier this month.  All I needed to do was sew the buttons on so this week I sat down and decided to get it done.

Besides this sweater I have been working on a couple of other sweaters and even a baby afghan so yes keeping busy.  The run part of this is I keep working on different projects instead of focusing on one project and getting it completed.  Currently I have five baby sweaters on the go and two baby afghans. That is what I can think of that I have on the go.  I probably have a couple of other things on the go but currently can't think of what they are.

The reason I have so many things on the go is because the charity that I work with has asked if I could make some baby items for them.  Of course that isn't a problem as they are normally pretty quick to make.  My problem is I can't seem to decide which project I want to work on at a given time.  I am having fun bouncing between the different projects as well because when I get tired of working with one colour I can quickly change colour by picking up a different project.

So now that I have finished a couple of things that needed to be done today I am going to try and work on at least one of the sweaters for a little while and see how much I can get done on it.

Before knitting can be started it's time to finish the cauliflower soup that we are making.  So better go and get that done.

Knitting, crocheting and work

Yes those three words really don't work well together right now.  I have been busy with work so it has meant I haven't had a lot of time to knit or crochet.  The good news is I am getting some work done so that is good.

Now, as for my crafting I have been getting a bit of time to knit or crochet so have a couple of baby sweaters on the go right now.  No picture right now as I forgot to take the pictures last night.  One sweater just needs buttons sewn on it and the next sweater is still in pieces.  I am really glad that baby sweaters don't take too long to knit so I can see some accomplishment quickly with limited time.

I am hoping that over the next few weeks I will be able to make a bit of a dent in my stash but we will see what actually happens.  I am trying to start to get organized for the Creativ Festival as it is just three weeks away and yes I am taking classes again.  The classes mean I end up with a lot of started projects that of course I will want to try and finish as quickly as possible.  (Well, some will get finished quickly while others will hide for a while).

So now to see what I can get accomplished this week.  Maybe I will try to sew some buttons on the sweater and will see what else gets done.

Now off to work.

Planes, planes and snowbirds

Plane taking off

 This past weekend was the labour day weekend and it does mean something to me.

As we don't have kids' it's not the back to school routine or going to the cottage but it's a chance to see planes flying overhead.  It's the weekend of the Toronto International Air Show so we get to see planes fly around Toronto three days if the weather cooperates.  This year was a great weekend weather wise as it meant the air show took place all three days.

Snowbirds taking off for air show

This year instead of going down to the lakeshore and watch the show we decided it might be fun to go to the airport and watch planes take off and land.  This is the first time we have done that during the air show and I am really happy that we did it.  Another reason we went to the airport instead of down to see the show is because I knew what the announcer would be saying when some of the planes flew by.  I think we have been to the air show a number of times.

Showing off over the airport

So we had a lot of fun sitting at the end of the runway watching planes take off.  We got to the end hoping that we hadn't missed seeing the Snowbirds take off but weren't sure.  Well about 10 minutes before they were suppose to be flying over Lake Ontario we spotted them getting ready to take off from the airport.  Of course I had the camera ready for that as I am a big Snowbird fan.  The Snowbirds take off in sets of three which is a lot of fun to watch because you never know what is going to do overhead.  The picture here is of the first three that took off.  The last three that took off were the soloists and they did a bit of a display overhead which was nice to see.  After taking the take off we decided it was time to move to the other end of the runways in hopes to see the Snowbirds come back and land.

Landing back at airport

We knew the show ended around 4:30 so they might be back quickly after that and sure enough they showed up over the airport not long after 4:30.  Thanks to my sister sending a text message we knew they were heading our way.

The snowbirds did a bit of a demonstration right over the airport which was really nice to see and then they got ready to land.  Where we were standing it meant that it was a great chance to see all of the Snowbirds land.  The Snowbirds land in sets of three similar to how they take off so it meant that I was able to get lots of pictures very quickly.

So the Labour Day weekend is over and now it's back to routines for everyone.  Children are heading back to school and the rest of us are getting back to work after three really nice days off.

Crafting time

Preemie hat

So it's almost the Labour Weekend which means three days of not working for most people.  I for one will be doing some work this weekend as I want to get some work completed that really needs my attention.  Besides doing some work I plan on spending some time with either my knitting needles or crochet hook.

The picture is of a preemie hat that I made a while ago but I do hope that this weekend I will be able to make a few preemie hats and a few baby hats. 

I am now really trying to work through some of my stash because I do have way too much yarn so need to figure out projects that use up the yarn quickly.  I also need to start working on some mittens for a local charity.  I guess considering the heat I just can't seem to think about mittens right now.  Hopefully that is another project that I can at least look at over the weekend.

Now time to wrap up work for today.

Life is very busy right now

So I haven't posted for the last couple of weeks and that is basically because I have been extremely busy with other parts of my life.  Work has gotten busy for me which is great in a lot of ways.  It does mean that I am getting paid to do a lot of the things that I love to do.  The down side is that I haven't had a lot of chance to sit and write or even craft.

Yesterday my big project was frogging a bunch of preemie sweaters that I had partly completed.  I didn't know where the pattern was and figured I would use the yarn for baby hats so frogging it went.  The good news is I now have a bunch of balls of sports weight yarn ready to be made into some baby and preemie hats instead of sitting as partly completed projects.  The bad news is I am seeing how much yarn is now sitting waiting for crocheting up.

I did work on another project over the last couple of weeks and was really happy on Saturday when I was able to cast it off the needles.  That was as long as the happy feeling lasted because the shawl was a lot smaller than it was suppose to be.  OK, I didn't knit a swatch before starting the shawl which I should have but I used worsted weight like the pattern called for.  That was also the problem as there seems to be different weights of worsted weight yarn and I had the thinner yarn that I should have been using.  Now I have a shawl that is about 6 inches shorter than it should be.  So now I have a shawl that doesn't fit me and am trying to figure out if I am going to frog that project as well.  I know that I could use this yarn to make a wrap for myself so that might be what I end up doing.

The pattern for the shawl is still sitting waiting for me to work on it again but I just need to find the yarn that I want to make the shawl from. 

So I have lots of projects waiting to be worked on and this morning while sitting and watching the early morning news I started a cardigan for myself.  Now that is the project that I will be working on and hopefully in the near future I will have a picture to show.

Work calls so off to get some of it done so that I can craft this evening.

Hearing the words "Thank You"

Baby hats

As a crafter I do a lot of things for charity and hearing the words "Thank you" mean so much and they are really appreciated.  Over the August long weekend I was able to deliver three bags of baby hats and a couple of small blankets to a hospital that needed hats.  Normally I give the hats to a friend and he does the delivery for me but he wanted me to do it myself this time.

I am so happy that he told me to do the delivery while we were in Sudbury myself.  Hearing the words "Thank you" and seeing the reaction to the hats really does make a difference.  Of course after dropping off all the hats that I had with me, I had to start making some more for the next time we can coordinate a delivery.  Knowing that the hats and blankets are appreciated really makes it worth my time.  I love making the hats as they give me something to do while sitting as a passenger in a car or even while waiting for dinner to cook, etc.

So hearing the words "Thank you" may seem very small but those two words do make a big difference.  Knowing your effort is appreciated can really help motivate someone to continue what they are doing.

Now before it gets too much later it's time for me to try and relax for a few minutes and think of what my next yarn is going to be for the hats.

Baby hats and such

Baby Hats

So what have I been up to lately?  The basket in this picture was used to collect a bunch of baby hats that I wanted to get made by the end of July.  I found out one thing, the basket wasn't big enough to hold all the hats that I had aimed to make between June and July.  Early yesterday I finally put the crochet hook away saying I wasn't going to make any more baby hats in the month of July.  The good news is I got more hats made than I expected and the final number was 80 hats instead of the goal of 60 days in two months.

Besides working on the baby hats I also had to work on a few more projects to ensure I didn't get bored.  Now I have a few projects ready to be finished and that is what I am going to be concentrating on over the next few days.  I have a baby afghan started, a child's hat, a pair of children's mittens and I think there is something else on the go.  See I now am going to work on trying to make a bigger dent in my yarn stash as I do want to be able to meet my 2012 goal of how much yarn I have used.  The thumb splint didn't help me get yarn used but now I am back to normal and happy with that.

I have been spending some time watching the Olympics and that has helped me work on the various projects that I have started.  Now I just need to work on getting the projects finished instead of starting more and more things.  Oh, yes the other thing I have started is a pair of tube socks.

So one more project to finish up today for work and then I am going to try and focus on my crafts until next Wednesday.  I figure I am taking a small break from work or at least as much as I can over the next few days.  A fresh start next week will mean that I will be able to focus better on the things that need my attention.

Time to finish up the one project and then turn off the computer and relax.

Where did weekend go?

I am sitting here at work and realized that this past weekend went way too fast for me.  I didn't get a lot of crafting done and I think part of that was because of the heat and humidity.

I am still working on some baby hats and I want to try and use up some of my stash because it takes over everywhere.  The good thing about the baby hats is they are small and when it's hot out they aren't too bad to work on.  The other reason I keep working on the hats is because I had set a goal for myself between June 1st and July 31st and that was to make 60 baby hats during that time.  Well, over the weekend I completed the 60th hat but am still working on hats as I am interested to see how many I will have completed by July 31st.

Other than working on the hats I have been working on a large project that I really want to get finished.  I am making an afghan for a friend and would like to see it completed by mid-August.  The afghan is 108 granny squares so have been working on the squares during the heat and then in an air-conditioned room I have been joining the afghan together.  As of yesterday I have only 18 squares to join and then the border so hopefully it will be done soon.

Now off to get a few things completed today so that I can head home at a reasonable time and maybe craft.

Weaving loom that travels

Weaving loom that travels

 This past weekend DH and I took off and there was one thing that wasn't going to stay at home on this trip and it was my weaving loom.

Yes because my loom is a smaller size it means that I can take it places with me and it doesn't have to just sit at home.  The loom I have is the Cricket Loom.  On the weekend I worked on the shawl that I had started before leaving home which is in the picture and once this one was completed on Saturday evening I started a narrower scarf.

The little guy that is sitting beside my loom is named "Stash" and his job is to help me keep an eye on my stash and to try and assist me in using it up quickly.

Good location

Besides working on my loom on this trip I had a great excuse to leave the hotel room on Saturday.  Our hotel was located in the same parking lot as an outlet mall and what girl wouldn't take the opportunity to do a little shopping.  It was extremely warm out so it meant that I didn't do as much walking as I would have liked but I was still able to get out and pick up a few things that I found on sale.

The weekend went way too quickly but I did have a good time.  I met up with a friend that I hadn't seen for a couple of years which was nice. 

I also was gifted with another weaving loom which I can't wait to try out.  My mother-in-law had a weaving loom and she gifted it to me on Saturday which I really appreciate it.  I know that it is going to take me a bit of time to learn how to use the new one as it is bigger but I know I will. (picture to follow)

So the weekend is over and it's back to reality but at least I know that I did made a bit of a dent in my stash this weekend and I also have a great trip with my husband.

Long Weekend accomplishments

1st Weaving attempt

This weekend was a three day weekend here in Canada and it felt so good to be able to relax and know that I had three days to try and get a few craft things done.

So as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago my DH bought me a weaving loom.  He had put it together a week ago but considering I had a couple of work deadlines I waited until this weekend to attempt my first project.

Closer look at 1st scarf

My first project was a scarf which ended up about 4 inches wide and about 5 feet long.  Yes I aimed big on the first one.  I also decided that I wasn't going to do it all one colour so the warp is 4 colours.  The warp isn't a lot of fun to do but once you get it done you know that it's time to sit down and start weaving.  So on Saturday evening I started my first scarf.

I really enjoyed weaving and before noon on Sunday I had completed the first scarf and had the warp on for a second scarf.  (Sorry no pictures of completed scarves yet.)  Can you say I loved my loom considering the second scarf was also finished on Sunday.

After finishing the second scarf I figured it was time to do something different for a bit so I worked on a couple of baby hats and got them finished on Sunday.

Monday, being another day off meant that I could sit and relax again.  So late Sunday I put on the warp for a third scarf.  That scarf was quickly completed while sitting on our balcony Monday afternoon.

 c

Cricket Loom ready for first 10inch project

After completed three scarves all about 4 inches wide I decided it was time to attempt something the full width of my loom so I set up a shawl/scarf for myself Monday afternoon and got it started.  The first attempt didn't work out too well as I pulled the weave a little too tight and it ended up a uneven so took it out and restarted.  The second attempt is looking a lot better so now to try and get it finished this week.  Yes, I am using up some of my stash with my loom.

Did I have a good relaxing weekend?  Yes, I sure did.  I am finding it difficult thinking about work right now but I know that if I work hard today I can go home and weave again this evening.

So off to work as I can hear my loom calling me already.

10 Michaels in 12 hours - formated with extra comments

Here is the start of my blog for today. New comments will be in blue so you can see what has been added besides this post now being formatted.

Now here is how today works, I have 12 hours to make it to 10 Michaels.  Besides going into each of the store I need to be in the store a minimum of 15 minutes and end up with a receipt for something. (10 receipts were collected, one from each store)

Store 1 - Billy Bishop Way
Arrived shortly before 9 so had to wait for store to open. After the people in a rush got in I took my time and enjoyed looking around. Had lots of energy at this point and figured it would be an easy day. It's going to be interesting to see what I see in each store. Not all stores carry the same stock. on way to Dixie.

Store 2 - Dixie Outlet Mall
Another stop and picked up a bit more stuff that I wanted to get. It's a lot of fun seeing peoples faces when I say what we are doing today. This store enjoyed hearing our plans. 2 stores in under two hours so things are going pretty well. Now the next store is a bit of a drive. Off to Airport Rd and Highway 7.

Store 3 - Airport Rd and Highway 7
This store had different things on sale but I was good and continued to pick up the pieces that I needed. We are having fun on this drive as the weather is nice out. Now off to Weston Rd and Highway 7. The blogging will continue all day as we are between stores. Thank goodness for mobile devices.  Having my iPad and my mobile internet connection meant that I was able to blog while in the car.

Store 4 -Weston Rd and Highway 7
Had a nice walk and look around the store. I was good and avoided the yarn that was on sale. See I am trying to behave on this trip and not add to my yarn stash. We are now heading north to Barrie to go to that store and then will start the trip south and east. DH is being great and making sure of food and drinks along the way. So far breakfast and coffee along the way. Lunch may be in Barrie but will see once we are up there.

The trip up to Barrie was nice and relaxing and we took the back roads part of the way and then only when the back roads would take us too far out of our way did we take the 400.
 
Store 5 - Mapleview and 400 (Barrie)
This now means we are at the half way mark of our trip. Finished shopping in the Barrie store and it's just after 1 pm so we are making good time. We haven't stopped for lunch yet but think we will in Bradford before going to Newmarket store. Traffic on the 400 was a little heavy but not bad. Now heading back south.

Decided to actually stop and sit and have lunch instead of eating in the car.  My energy level was starting to decrease so figured it might help recharge the battery.  It did a bit but not for too long.

Store 6 - Green Lane and Yonge St 
Had a good walk and found some buttons for biscornus while looking around. They were on clearance and one package I had been looking for. After being in a few Michaels it was great seeing someone that I recognized from the Newmarket Store.  This helped me remember which store I was in.  We are now heading towards the Elgin Mills and 404 store. As I am writing this we are driving by a friend's street. Hi Marie, sorry we couldn't stop this time. Will plan a visit soon with you and will bring wine.

Again we decided to take the back roads instead of just heading down the 404.  The speed is slower but we are enjoying it a lot more.  Yes we probably could have done more store if we only did highway but that wasn't the purpose of this.   While on the drive to the Elgin store I realized that I needed a coffee but knew that with two stores very close together I would wait until after store 8.

Store 7 - Elgin Mills and 404
So this store meant we were going to achieve our goal today based on time. Again basically forgot how long I was in the store and it was over 20 minutes. Lots of looking and comparing stores. Thank goodness DH was writing down the times we got to each store and left each store.  At this point my brain was getty foggy.

Store 8 - Woodbine and Highway 7 
This store I don't normally go to as it's on the part of Highway 7 that is extremely busy. Again got parts of things and this time for some scissor fobs that I want to make. We are now heading out to Oshawa for those two stores and then we are done. I admit that coffee was needed after store 8. This has been a challenge because some parts of the stores look the same so can't remember which store I'm in. So Harmony Rd is next.

DH got me a coffee while I was shopping in the Woodbine store and was very happy to have it for the next part of the drive.  Back roads are so nice and it gave me time to write each part of the blog as well as relax some.

Store 9 - Harmony Rd
So I wasn't good in this store as I did find some yarn with glitter in it on sale. I guess now I have a project to make a shawl for myself with it. One lady had a good laugh because as I went to pay she asked if my husband was the guy asleep in the car in the parking lot.  She was joking as she had seen us arrive and enjoying watching DH relax while I headed into the store.  Heading to Thickson and 401 and that is the last store and it's just 5:40.

Store 10 - Thickson and 401
After walking out of this store with more supplies for my scissor fobs I can say we did it and in under 9 and a half hours. Have to admit that I am now tired and looking forward to a nice and relaxing dinner. Yes, DH is buying. Need energy first. Bye for now.

Extra comments since original post:
At one of the store there was a little boy looking at the drawing pencils.  He was having problems deciding what pencils he wanted so I helped him pick them out.  After the big smile from him and the thanks I knew I had helped someone during my trip.

Did notice that there are clear differences between the stores.  Items on clearance vary per store and even clearance prices can be different.  In some cases an item was on clearance in one store and regular price in another.  I know that it depends on the turnover of product per store so wasn't surprised to see this.

This trip was about 350 kilometers and it turned out to be a very nice drive.  I think taking the back roads when we could really helped both of us.  The trip wasn't just to see how many Michaels we could shop at in one day it was a chance for the two of us to spend some time together and enjoy seeing things around us.  I know we could have done more stores if we had of really pushed it but that wasn't the idea.  Now I just need to know someone else was able to get to 14 or 15 stores in a day before DH suggests we do that.

Sorry for the delay in updating this post but after Saturday I took yesterday to just curl up and craft and do things that were different.  I didn't have the energy to try and work on this post and actually be able to write clean comments.  

Hope you had fun reading about my Saturday.  Would I do it again, probably but not for a while.

10 Michaels in 12 hours

Here is the start of my blog for today. Will format this better later. Now here is how today works, I have 12 hours to make it to 10 Michaels. Besides going into each of the store I need to be in the store a minimum of 15 minutes and end up with a receipt for something. Store 1 - Billy Bishop Way Arrived shortly before 9 so had to wait for store to open. After the people in a rush got in I took my time and enjoyed looking around. It's going to be interesting to see what I see in each store. Not all stores carry the same stock. on way to Dixie. Store 2 - Dixie Outlet Mall Another stop and picked up a bit more stuff that I wanted to get. It's a lot of fun seeing peoples faces when I say what we are doing today. This store enjoyed hearing our plans. 2 stores in under two hours so things are going pretty well. Now the next store is a bit of a drive. Off to Airport Rd and Highway 7. Store 3 - Airport Rd and Highway This store had different things on sale but I was good and continued to pick up the pieces that I needed. We are having fun on this drive as the weather is nice out. Now off to Weston Rd and 7. The blogging will continue all day as we are between stores. Thank goodness for mobile devices. Store 4 -Weston Rd and Highway 7 Had a nice walk and look around the store. I was good and avoided the yarn that was on sale. See I am trying to behave on this trip and not add to my yarn stash. We are now heading north to Barrie to go to that store and then will start the trip south and east. DH is being great and making sure of food and drinks along the eay. So far breakfast and coffee along the way. Lunch may be in Barrie but will see once we are up there. Store 5 - Mapleview and 400 (Barrie) This now means we are at the half way mark of our trip. Finished shopping in the Barrie store and it's just afer 1 pm so we are making good time. We haven't stopped for lunch yet but think we will in Bradford before going to Newmarket store. Traffic on the 400 was a little heavy but not bad. Now heading back south. Store 6 - Green Lane and Yonge St Had a good walk and found some buttons for biscornus while looking around. They were on clearance and one package I had been looking for. We are now heading towards the Elgin Mills and 404 store. As I am writing this we are driving by a friend's street. Hi Marie, sorry we couldn't stop this time. Will plan a visit soon with you and will bring wine. Store 7 - Eglin Mills and 404 So this store meant we were going to achieve our goal today based on time. Again basically forgot how long I was in the store and it was over 20 minutes. Lots of looking and comparing stores. Store 8 - woodbine and Highway 7 This store I don't normally go to as it's on the part of Highway 7 thatis extremely busy. Again gots vits and this time for some scissor fobs that I want to make. We are now heading out to Oshawa for those two stores and then we are done. I admit that coffee was needed after store 8. Thisnhas been a challenge because some parts of the stores look the same so can't remember which store I'm in. So Harmony Rd is next. Store 9 - Harmony Rd So I wasn't good in this store as I did find some yarn with glitter in it on sale. I guess now I have a project to make a shawl for myself with it. Heading to Thickson and 401 and that is the last store and it's just 5:40. Store 10 - Thickson and 401 after walking out of this store with more supplies for my scissor fobs I can say we did it and in under 9 and a half hours. Have to admit that I am now tired and looking forward to a nice and relaxing dinner. Yes, DH is buying. Will neither format this post tonight or tomorrow. Need energy first. Bye for now.

Progress this month

More baby hats

This week I have to admit that I haven't had a lot of time to sit and craft.

The first picture is of some baby and preemie hats that I have been working on this month.  I am hoping to have 60 hats finished before the end of July and currently have just over 30 hats completed.  No one told me I needed to get that many done it's just a goal that I have set for myself.  If I don't get that many done that is fine as well.

Someone was here

Now, as for the cross stitch.  Yes I am making some progress but haven't even picked it up this week.  Part of the reason for not picking it up this week is because the weather just wasn't ideal for cross-stitching.  The temperature for the last three days with the humidex was into the 40s that is 40C and no way was I going to try and work on this project.  Now that the weather has cooled down some I hope to be able to make some progress on it.

I am happy that I can get back to doing all the things that I love to do but I haven't really had the time this week to do it.  The weekend is almost here so I hope to be able to lose myself in my crafting for part of the weekend.

Off to finish a couple of work related things and then it's crafting time.

Thumb update

Thumb with splint

So what have I been up to lately.  Well besides trying to get back to doing everything that I love doing I can't say much.

I have been crocheting, knitting, cross-stitching and yes working as well over the last little while.  The good news is that after 12 weeks of dealing with the thumb in a splint I can now report that as of this morning I no longer have to wear the splint.

Now, on a side note I don't see the specialist until mid August so I know that I am going to have to be careful until then so I don't damage it again.  After wearing the splint for 6 straight weeks 24 hours a day and then 6 weeks of at night and out and when doing stuff it's great to see it gone.

Thumb 12 weeks later

I have been working on my Someone Was Here cross stitch as well as some crocheted baby hats over the last little while.  It's been a rough 12 weeks dealing with the thumb but at least now I know that if I am careful I don't have to wear the brace again.  I will be carrying it with me over the next while so that if it starts to feel tired I can put it on to protect it.

The support I got from some friends and husband has been really appreciated because it has been stressful dealing with an injured thumb.  You don't realize how much you use your thumb until you can't use it.   Saying "Thanks" just doesn't seem to be enough right now after the last 12 weeks.

Now off to try and get some work done so that I can spend this evening doing what I love the most.  Crafting.

P.S. Got a weaving loom today from husband so can't wait to try it out.  Will let you know how it goes.

Back to some stitching

Tea Time - Kathrin Ellison

So you want to know what I have been up to lately.

Believe it or not I have been stitching but it still is slower than normal for me so I haven't been seeing a lot of progress each time I sit down and stitch.

The good news is I finished Tea Time and am very happy with how it looks.  The picture I took doesn't really do it justice as the colours are a lot nicer than they show in this picture.  I am so looking forward to doing another petit point soon but I also need to finish some of the cross stitch projects that I currently have on the go.

Now that Tea Time is finished I decided to pick up Someone Was Here and see if I can make some progress on it over the next little while.

Someone Was Here - David Ellison

The first picture of it is when I picked it up last Thursday and the second picture is after the weekend work that I did on it.

Someone Was Here - David Ellison

I am going to continue working on this cross stitch in between trying to get back to both knitting and crocheting.  The physio on the thumb is going pretty well and I am slowing getting back to normal. Now in two weeks I go and see if I can get rid of the splint.  I am really hoping that I can finally say good bye to the splint as it has been 10 weeks now of trying to deal with it.  The good thing right now is I can take it off at home and at work so I am getting back to normal a bit at a time.  The biggest step is going to be out in public without the splint on and that is the part that worries me the most.  I know that the thumb is feeling a lot better than it did.

Now to work on getting back to all the crafts that I love doing.  Step by step is what I am doing and will continue to do for the next while.

An interesting challenge

I have been given a very interesting challenge by my husband.  He is wondering if within a 12 hour period could I manage to shop at 10 Michael's stores.  Yes there are 10 Michael's within driving range from where I live.

Is this a possible task? I would say it could be done with some planning and some determination.  First I would need to determine the exact location of all 10 stores and then figure out a route to get to all of these stores within the given time slot and have time to shop at all of them.  The good thing is the stores open at 9am and close at 9pm so this could be planned for a Saturday.

Also how can I prove that I have been to all of the stores within the 12 hours?  My idea is to at least purchase something at each of the stores so that I end up with 10 receipts at the end of the day.

Now what I need is other suggestions on how I can accomplish this within the 12 hours.  Any ideas would be appreciated. 

Will try and keep everyone up to date on the progress of the planning of this challenge. 

Rejected love

This picture was taken a couple of evenings ago in our apartment hall.  Yes we noticed this little guy sitting by a door so I grabbed my camera and had to take a picture of him.

This poor little monkey is sitting rejected leaning against the garbage chute door.  I hope he found a new home instead of being put in the garbage.  By where he was sitting someone figured maybe someone would take him home instead of throwing him out.

This is the funniest thing I have seen sitting out in our hall and one that probably made a few people smile. 

So I hope rejected love found a new love.

What have I been up to

Tea Time - Kathrin Ellison

So, what have I been up to lately?

I have been trying to do a lot of different things lately to get the thumb bending like it needs to do.  The biggest challenge is finding something that I can do easily at a given time.  With my thumb I have had to be very careful lately so that I don't overdo anything that I have been doing.  The good news is each day I am seeing progress on how the thumb is feeling and even bending. 

The one project that I have found that works most days is my petit point that I picked up at the NeedleWorkers Marketplace in April.  As you can see I really don't have a lot more to do so will need to figure out something else that works well once this is done.  After I fill in the area you can see I have 10 rows at the top and bottom to fill in with the pink and then the project is done.  I am happy to see the progress that I have made on this project but also sad to see if coming to the end.

I have also found that I can crochet some which is helping as well because I am one of those people that has to have a few projects on the go at once.  I have only been working on granny squares since getting back to working some without the splint on.  My knitting needles haven't been used much since I hurt my thumb but hope that in the next couple of weeks I will be able to get to knitting as well.

Now to try and figure out what project will work for the next little while as I work on getting the thumb to bend to 90 degrees again.  It's been two weeks since I starting using the thumb a bit without the splint and so far so good.  Now to remember that I need to take it easy sometimes so that I don't overdo it.

Time for some tea.

Update on thumb

Thumb splint

So last week I had to go back to the hand clinic and see the specialist so that he could tell me if I could start bending my thumb again after the 6 weeks of keeping it straight.  There was a bit of a concern on my part because just over 2 weeks ago my thumb did bend a little bit while trying to dry it.

Now the results of seeing the specialist is I can slowing start to use my thumb without the brace on.  It still means I have to wear the brace at night, out in public and when my thumb gets tired.  So now for the next three weeks before going back for more physio I just have to try and start using my thumb.

Finding out that I could start using my thumb again without the splint was great news.  I know it's still a while away before I am free of the splint totally as I don't see the hand specialist for 3 months but at least this is a start.

This weekend I finally was able to start crocheting a bit.  I know I'm not as fast as I normally am but at least I can do it without the splint on, so I am not complaining.

So now to just take things slowing and see how the thumb feels each day and see how the bending progresses over the next little while.  Yes slowly is what I need to remember.