Projects

I have several crochet projects going at one time, I cannot say that I make great progress on either of them since I flit from project to project.

Two of my project containers/baskets.  I prefer to keep like supplies together.  I crochet mostly while sitting on the couch watching TV.   Sometimes I crochet at my computer desk with my ear phones on....blocking out the whole world watching a movie.  

I finally got to see the movie Where the Crawdads Sing on Netflix...the movie was not as good as the book.   Much of the flavor of the book was lost in the screenplay.  I give the movie a 6. 

Far Guy struggled through the address list for the Christmas cards..it is updated and printed.   I ordered the paper for the Christmas letter and will pick it up from the Printing Company next week.  Far Guy says I should write the Christmas letter this year...so I may give it a whirl. 

I finished packaging the Christmas ornaments and they are all set to go to the Post Office one morning next week.  Yeah me...I had packaging supplies spread all over my desk and the dining table for the better part of two days.  

I have been scanning old photos, it is a never ending project.   I have a new project to tackle from cousin Leann...old letters from our Uncle that was killed in WWII.   Once I get them transcribed I will share them here on the blog.  

I have enough projects to keep me out of trouble for a bit. 

Far Side

Day Off

 Monday was our day off this week to do what ever we wanted to do.    Far Guy woodcarved.  We took Ranger Blue to recycle and then washed Blue up after the mud holes we were in last weekend. 

I did some more organizing on my Christmas Card project and began some of the water coloring.  I decided what the inside of the card should say...yeah for progress.

I did some laundry and put a bunch of my stuff away...we cooked supper together...Philly's, sweet potatoes and fruit. 

The Obedient Plant is nearly done blooming in the wild gardens.  Physostegia virginiana. 

Far Side

Making Progress

 I finally saved all the photographs on my old computer, photos were copied to flash drives and the  HP Simple Saves were wiped clean.  Simple Saves are awesome if you use Windows.  They are not compatible with a Mac. 

Kind of bittersweet as I had that old Windows 7  Desktop since 2011 and it had great photo editing software! AND it still worked a bit slow but it worked...they no longer did updates to Windows 7 so the writing was on the wall. ... the hard drive will be smashed and the rest recycled.  I did run into some great photos...they still need to be organized...a good project for the winter!  I may even order some prints over the winter.  Added bonus is the table that computer sat on is now all cleaned up...one area looks less cluttered!

I have been busy with lots of projects.   I am finishing up a Christmas gift and spent some time upstairs organizing stuff...one thing leads to another to another.

130 Christmas Cards were mailed.  One last ornament was mailed to someone special!  

Here is part five of my afghan. 

I am still waiting for the yarn for the Winter Wonderland afghan to get here.  It is being held hostage in West Fargo ND, I finally had the Post Office nice gal that has a working brain track it down as it has been in West Fargo for eight days.  In the meantime I began working on part six of the afghan pictured.   It has one more part and then the border. 

My fever blisters( from the fever I had after the Covid Shot) are just about healed up.  That is a relief! 

We had a quiet Thanksgiving Day. 

Far Side

Day Three: No Furnace

 Still no news on a new furnace.  They must be hard to find.  

I finished up the Christmas Letter and Christmas Photo Card project. 

I have four folders full.  Some of the longer photo cards had to be trimmed. 

It is fun to read all the old letters again.   

Fireplace

We are staying warm. Sometimes it is a bit chilly/drafty in the house so we run the fireplace for awhile or the furnace fan to help circulate the air.   If all else fails the corn bags get heated in the microwave and join me under the down comforter!  Far Guy sometimes wears a stocking hat! 

Our weather is still horrid I believe our high for the day was -5 F. 

Far Side

Yarn projects

 I took the latest shawl off the blocking mats. 

It is a beautiful burgundy/wine color.  It will go into the finished project drawer.   It is Lion Brand Amazing Lace Yarn part acrylic and part nylon and the yarn people call the color Cranberry Garland....fancy smancy color name.

As I was looking at my stash of yarn....I came across a skein of plain grey yarn...I recalled I said I would make my brothers some of the wasp nests that I made last summer. 

Remember these...they are crochet in the round...I think just a single crochet...they are stuffed with plastic grocery bags and I sealed them with Mod Podge.  I hung one near the front door of the sauna and one under the back deck...and we had no wasps last summer.  I declare them a winning idea...the idea is that the wasps think other wasps started a nest so they move on to someplace else...works for me as there is nothing quite as painful as a wasp sting.   I have one more place I could hang one...so I will make nests for awhile. 

I am also working on two other crochet projects.   Always something to finish! 

We got about 1/2 inch of snow...so I shoveled...easy outside work! 

Far Side

Saturday Roundup

 Here we are at the end of another week.  My online grocery order was number 45. They keep track.  This week we were missing Yogurt.  I spent some time planning meals...Far Guy had a couple of requests. 

I waded through the Insurance and Medicare paperwork that you get in the mail...not sure why I keep them...I suppose in case I have a question. They are now shredded.  New folders were made to collect the 2021 papers. 

I am still working on the granny square lapghan...in a couple more days it will be done.  I am working on the border now.  Not sure how wide of a border I will put on it.  

I am reading the book for Book Club.  It is a good read so far.  The Untamed Land by L Snelling...about Norwegians coming from Norway and making their way to the Red River Valley in North Dakota and Minnesota.  

I am enjoying the Discovery + channels...no ads...no news...just perfect.  I watch a number of cooking shows.

Far Guy reports no horrid side effects from the vaccination...his arm was a bit stiff.  One of his infusion nurses said it is not really a vaccine...it is a protein that protects you from the virus.  She also said the Moderna is 80% effective shortly after the injection and then goes up to 95% after the second injection.  The Pfizer injection is just the opposite....begins with 15% and goes up to 95%.   Far Guy's sister and brother in law in Indiana are supposed to get their shots today.   Far Guy is a bit bugged that I do not have the shot yet...I told him that he is the important one as he has to go out to the Infusion Center once a week...I do not have to go anywhere...so I am very safe at home. 

A cheerful photo I took last year inside a grocery store. 

Our weather has turned cold...down right bitterly cold.  Normal for us in January. 

Far Side

Fizzled out

 Not much of a storm at our house...but who knows what it is like out of these woods.  We did not venture out.  I will shovel the small amount of snow that we got sometime today. 

Yesterday was a catch up day.  Some household duties that were let slide earlier in the week...cleaning the bathroom and steam mopping the tile floors. 

Then we were free to do whatever...Far Guys whatever was taking a nap.  My whatever was trying to figure out a NEW to me crochet stitch...the stitch  is a good one...no problem with it but I am stumped on the binding...I will figure it out...in the meantime it is frustrating.  I remind myself this is why I do a practice swatch...it can be accomplished or thrown out.  The important thing is I am trying something new to me.

I got the flag changed this week!  Yeah me! 

After supper...Chicken and Noodles... I was done...just done..fizzled out...headed to the couch for a two hour nap filled with strange dreams.  That will teach me not to crochet all afternoon during nap time. 

Far Side

Woodcarving

 I had two woodcarving projects...one has been in my carving tote for a year...the other was out in the woodshop just hanging around.  I have more unfinished carving projects...these were just the two I chose for this week.

The rolling pin was a turned project from my Cousin Chuckie.  Nice to have that one done...I put a hanger on it and hung it by the fireplace...yes Christmas decorations are still up.  The Santa was a project started years ago and is now finished. 

I have not carved in a while...I miss going to the Woodcarving Group on Monday afternoons...soon it will be a year since we have gathered.  The group always shared ideas and tips and tricks. 

Far Guy carves just about every day.  

We are making progress on going through the woodcarving stash of magazines.  My goal has been four issues a day, by the end of the week I should be done. 

Far Side

New Projects

 I decided sometime over the New Year to try some new to me things or finish an old project every week.  I was tired of the same old same old in Isolation 2020 that carried over to Isolation 2021.

Baking dinner rolls from scratch.  I have made bread from scratch but not dinner rolls.

They don't look much like the photo that was on Facebook but they were still good and easy peasy. 

Big Fat Yeast Rolls

1 cup warm water

1 package or 2 1/2 teaspoons of dry yeast

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons softened butter

1 egg beaten

3 1/2 to 4 cups of flour

Put water and yeast in a large mixing bowl (I mixed this gently with a spatula)  add the sugar, salt, butter and egg. Beat with dough hook until well blended.

Add 3 1/2 to 4 cups of flour, mix until soft dough forms that is not sticky.

Put the dough on a floured board and knead a few times until smooth.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for about 45 minutes.  I  use a corn/rice bag that is toasty warm after a few minutes in the microwave...I nestle the bowl onto the top of the bag. 

Punch down and turn onto a floured board. Divide dough into 12 large pieces and shape into round balls. Place in greased 13 x 9 inch  baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise about 30 minutes on a warm corn/rice bag.

Bake for 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Brush tops with butter. 

I timed this and you should start the recipe about 2 hours before you want warm fresh out of the oven dinner rolls for supper. 

Far Guy liked them...and I liked them also so we declare it a winner of a recipe!  I used all white flour but will try it with my mix of whole wheat and white flour..I mix my own flour... half and half.

Old project: Looking through all of our woodcarving magazines and books.  I tear out instructions for projects that I might want to do someday and put them in a folder and recycle the rest of the magazine after Far Guy has paged through them...I keep more than he does.. This project is about half done so it will continue a few more days.  

Far Side

Projects on Sunday

 Far Guy worked on his new old car ...the horn doesn't work and the brake lights need some work.   I think he may have used the vacuum cleaner too!  He moved a bunch of tools over there...my garage is being transformed into an auto repair shop.  The radio works...his project continues.

I carded dog fur for quite some time, my other baby brother and she who sees Robins first were our visitors along with my parents.  

I put my Christmas Card project away for a while...I am about half done.   I was getting bored with that project so I got out some different cards to work on...with an emphasis on Fall cards. 

I straightened out some of my yarn stash.  

The latest shawl project is Fall inspired...and it is almost finished.  After it has been blocked I will take a photo! 

Our summer type weather is leaving us for a few days...nights will be REAL cool with a possible frost and daytime highs in the 50's ...uffda.  I may have to move my carding dog hair project into the woodshop/greenhouse. 

School starts here in Minnesota this week.  They always start the day after Labor Day.  The kids will need jackets! 

Far Side

Milk Can Project

 The Milk Can Project began many many years ago. 

Photo taken about 1990.

We had two daughters and three Shetland Sheep Dogs or Shelties.   Jen with G'Day Mate, Trica with Misty and Moses.  Misty and Moses were the parents of G'Day Mate...and also Captain who lived for awhile with my parents, we took care of him when they went on vacation and one time he just stayed living with us.  

Moses, Mate and Captain in 1996.  Misty died in  the spring of 1996, Moses died in 1997 and G Day Mate in 1998. Captain held on and was a wonderful companion for us until 2002.

One constant was that I groomed them and cleaned their teeth...usually twice a week..  G'Day Mate loved double turns and Moses would fall asleep while I cleaned his teeth.  Bathing them was a group effort...I would wash and the girls would take turns towel drying them...we bathed them once a month more often if they found a smelly fish to roll in.

I saved all the dog hair.  INSIDE the milk can.  It has been waiting for me to do something with since about 1987.  

I began by sorting the hair outside in the evenings on the patio. 

Getting rid of all the twigs, burrs etc...  I rather enjoyed sorting...I could tell which dog was which and enjoyed the unique fragrance of all the dogs.  Just a few tears were shed.  When I had a bin full I washed it in the kitchen sink. I do like the smell of a wet dog...what can I say I am weird.

I rinsed it many times and took it out to the greenhouse/woodshop to let it dry out.  Batch after batch...I should have counted. I started washing and sorting mid June and finished the first part of July. 

Dog fur drying out. After it was dry I collected the fur in paper grocery bags. 

I ordered some carders.   Through the miracle of You Tube I taught myself to card.  It takes practice. 

I struggled with making rolags...but I think I have the hang of it now. 

The one on the far left  is correct the others will be carded again...although usable they will take up space! 

Otto Bruce my spinning wheel is waiting...Can I spin it ???...that remains to be seen...and that will be a winter project...right now I am concentrating on carding and making rolags. The rolags will be stored in old pillowcases or paper bags until I can work with them.  I have some special roving from some of my favorite sheep to mix in with the dog fur if needed when carding.   Did you know dog fur that is spun into yarn is  called Chiengora?? Someday I hope to make a lap blanket.

So my Milk Can project is coming along.   I hope to work on this project every day for awhile...the weather is cooler and I finally have time to concentrate on carding! 

The Milk Can itself found a new home and is going to be a project for Jen. 

I bet it will be painted burgundy or red and be used on her front porch.  ( She probably will not store dog hair in it as seeing the paper bags of dog hair made her gag.)

Far Side

Projects and Visitors

Projects were varied yesterday.  It was hot outside.  In the morning I woodcarved  and worked on my milk can project.  (It involved water and Dawn dish soap and a trip to the greenhouse for drying.)

My brothers and wives were visitors.  During the day and in the evening.

Fawn in our yard.  My baby brothers bride took this photo.

I cleaned part of the linen closet in the downstairs bath...the shelves with baskets of like types of medications; cold stuff., cough stuff, wound stuff, stuff to make you poop or to stop you from pooping...(that is Far Guys stuff...I prefer cheese or dried apricots), all types of Aspirins PM, all day, low dose etc...I thought I was low on toothpaste....not so much as I found 5 tubes.

After that adventure I worked on some of my stamped cards...coloring with various mediums and using glitter!

After supper I attacked some ants that want to move near the house.   Toward dark Odda came to visit.

She still loves us.

Far Side

Someday Projects

We kept saying someday we should clean up that old woodshop/greenhouse.  It became a dumping spot for many projects and lots of wood that might be a wood carving someday.  I finally finished cleaning up out there.  That was a long project...36 days but some days were too warm or I was too busy to work out there.  I am so happy to be done cleaning in there.  Now I can enjoy the space again and work on some more dish flowers.  Far Guy still has a bit more wood to sort through and some "stuff" to organize whenever he feels like it.

I have a big project waiting in the wings.  Not sure I am ready to revisit this project yet. It was a project I started back in about 1986.

The old milk can was painted by my friend Susie.   I kept something inside the can all these years.  The milk can sat in the kitchen at the resort and at the house in Harwood it sat in the foyer.  The box on top holds two special tools to  help with this project.  It will be an adventure.  Take a guess if you like...what am I up to now? 

Far Side

Snow again

It warmed up enough to snow...it snowed somewhere between 1 and 2 inches.  I was too tired to measure it....I just wanted to get it off the walk and patio.

The blur off to the right is another Woodpecker...they were "talking" to each other when I went out to take photos.

It says 10 inches now at the snowstick...snow settles...

Mail: Christmas Cards are coming in!  Also yummy fudge and cookies from Cathie in Texas and a  pretty little stitch marker from Betsy in Washington!  Getting the mail is so much fun this time of year!  Thank you ladies!

My sock knitting has been non existent the past few weeks.  Maybe when things calm down again I can knit and knit!  Right now my crochet brain is at work. ...I am about half done with the baby blanket.  As my luck would have it...the yarn was spliced...I almost always wind my yarn myself to check for imperfections...I didn't  do that this time..it will be okay...I just don't like unplanned splices. Everything went wrong at that point and I ended up with a huge snarl...how yarn can wind up so messed up is beyond me.  Lesson learned wind your yarn every time!

Far Side

Just another day

Saturday was a day of projects.   Far Guy worked on his latest carving.  I went out to the old greenhouse/woodshop and gathered together some of the Cottonwood Bark and cut it to size.  I managed to use the chop saw without chopping off any fingers...only one piece of wood went flying...no one will ever notice that dent in the garage door.   So I am all set to carve little bark houses/buildings/churches if I am so inclined.   Last winter I needed bark and I had to shovel a path...not this year!  My bark pieces are safely in the house!

It was about 40 F or 4 C  eh practically summer like.  Most of the snow melted!

I got a whole bunch of cards done in the afternoon.  Mostly Sympathy cards...as I seem to go through them very fast....people are dying to get them.

I did some laundry, vacuumed in a few spots where the robot vacuum cleaner is challenged. Far Guy cooked supper while I supervised from the table whilst knitting.  Far Guy had a nap...I did not.

Far Side

Chilly

It is a tad chilly...it went below zero...about -6 F  I think maybe lower.  That is -21 C  eh!

Icy roots on Fish Hook River.

There will be ice on the lakes soon but the ice is too new to be safe.

Fish Hook Lake.

I have a pair of socks on my knitting needles and plan to cast on another pair soon.  I should work on cards...maybe I should clean some kitchen cupboards...the list goes on and on...I flit from one shiny thing to another.
 Far Side

Catching up

On sleep and small projects!

 I began to use some of my Christmas boxes for ornaments for 2019...getting them ready to mail.  It is a work in progress and at least it is organized and manageable now.   I used up a fair amount of boxes and tins and nearly every small Christmas gift bag I had in the gift wrapping box.  (Jen says I am a box hoarder...I call it being amply prepared.) I even organized my gift wrapping container...it was a mess...now I know what I have!

I went through my closet and took a bunch of clothing I will probably never wear again upstairs...if it is still up there in the spring I will deal with it then.

My stash of sympathy cards is getting low.  I had to order more photos...I found a few that would work...and some other photos that were stashed away that will make great cards....so I made a bunch.  I completed that part of the project!

I am almost caught up with the Crochet Along Project, I enjoy learning new stitches.

I am STILL working on Christmas Cards....glittering a few every few days...not many left in the to do pile.  Then I have to square them up and mount them on card stock...at least I have that all cut and ready to go...then there is the small problem of a sentiment... I don't have that figured out yet...although I have many ideas.

We may have sunshine sometime soon so outside work will commence again.
Far Side

Slow progress

Appointments are done for the week!  I am making slow progress in Physical Therapy.  It is a literal pain in the butt.  My "sit bone" is still painful.  Sometimes it is better and sometimes worse.

 
We can finally see out the living room window...well we could see out before but it was all snow.  At least now I can see trees and the sky and sunshine!

My socks are coming along.  I have two pairs of socks going at once...that way I do stuff four times and maybe my old brain will "get it." I am just beginning the heel flap on this set above.

This pair is working up nicely.  I am still  working on the legs of this set. 
I am learning as I go...I am keeping notes...and keeping track of my rows.
I am reasonably glad I began this adventure in socks, when I get these four socks off the needles I will make a final decision about my ability to knit socks!

Far Side

Knitting

I learned to knit as a teenager.  I used to go over to my Aunt Marie and Uncle Otto’s house to help with the twins and then my Aunt would take out a few minutes to teach me how to knit.  I can still hear her say “Don’t make your cast on stitches too tight or you will be in big trouble.”

I decided I wanted to TRY knitting socks.  OH MY it was harder than I thought.  I am using the four needle method.  I  cast on…frogged…cast on…frogged. ( Frogged is when you rip out all your stitches and begin again)  Threw the needles on my desk and gave up many times.   I watched videos.  I learned a long tail cast on.  I watched how they made their join.  More frogging …more giving up…one video said “Keep at it, if you have to cast on and knit that first round 100 times eventually you will GET it.”

I wanted to spend more time with my Aunts that knit…but sadly they are dead. Both my Aunt Marie and my Aunt Mia were extraordinary knitters.

I dropped some stitches, four needles is a challenge…I knit my join too loosely and made “ladders.” Uffda.

Finally I made an acceptable join.

AND I have a cuff!!!

I am now working on the body of my sock. My reward for making it this far was to go to town and get some more needles and some worsted weight sock yarn that is a wool mix…sock yarn is quite expensive.

I was astonished that I still knew a knit stitch from a pearl stitch…and could do both decently after all these years.

Will I be able to do a heel??  I hope so.  This first pair is made out of some practice yarn…I will let you know how it goes.  I will wear these socks no matter what they turn out like!

I have to remember to relax and go with the flow. Relax was my word for this year.  I do find knitting relaxing…I keep my yarn and needles on my desk or the dining room table and when I take a break I can do a few stitches.  I have found out that knitting uses different muscles in your hands versus crochet.

Far Side

Crochet Projects

Our friend the “Silver Fox” asked me to make him another face mask. ( I made him and Far Guy each one last year to help warm the air before they breathe it in) He wears it outside and he says his other one gets wet and if he had two one could dry out whilst he is wearing the other…and could I make it grey to match his ski jacket…and longer than the one I made him last year.  Sure.  I made it and delivered it and he was pleased as punch.

I made myself a helmet scarf with thick ties so it is like a scarf and a hat all in one.  Mine is a bit wonky …one tie is longer than the other ( I ran out of yarn)…but I was not going to rip it out and start over.  It was admired one day even with it’s flaws.. “ I used to have a scarf/hat like that in middle school sure wish I had it now when it is so cold.  Back then I was embarassed to wear it.”

I had time, I had yarn.  I had attempted a wide rimmed hat with this yarn once upon a time…and then frogged it. There is no pattern, I made it to fit my head and the scarf to fit over my ears …you can tie it in place, tuck it in your coat or let it flop around.

I had Far Guy take a photo before I delivered it. (She loved it!)

Me and the helmet scarf.  Who knows it may become a Minnesnowda fashion statement...or not.

I finished Hey Mikey’s winter hat and got it mailed off to him.

I didn’t take a photo of the finished hat but here it is in progress.  It was a real soft fuzzy yarn.

I still have a bag filled with scrubby yarn and I crochet scrubbies when I am in the car or waiting at an appointment.

I am also revisiting knitting.  THAT has been a real adventure.

Far Side