I've graduated ....

 I have completed my new graduate degree, I am now a clinical mental health counselor. It's bittersweet ... a challenging three years .... working full-time, family responsibilities, stress of the world, the death of my mom .... I made it through. Patting myself on the back here .... it's important to remind oneself how resilient we are. Life is not always a piece of cake. Thank you for being on this life journey with me.

On another note, now that I have some free bandwidth, I started a new knitting project. The pattern is called Aristea by Evelyn Siatra. 

I purchased the yarn at Les Laines Biscotte in St Eustache. Love the hand dyed look. The yarn consist of 90% Merino SW and 10% Silk. It's so soft!

It took me forever, like three (3) days to figure out how to properly do a 2 x 2 Tubular cast-on. OMG, what a nightmare ... but persevered and finally got it to look right. I wouldn't get that continuous look from front to back.

It's been pushing my comfort zone ... slowly moving into more complex patterns. I'm enjoying creating new pieced for my wardrobe. 

Thanks for stopping by .... Peace to all! Namaste

March already?!

 I really had the intentions of posting regularly on this blog ... somehow that went out the way side. 

It has been an interesting year so far. I've been pre-occupied with lots, mainly personal life stuff. 

For me, thus far, it has been a year of evaluating what is beneficial for me? What can I cut out that has become a chore? I'm looking to have more joy in my life. Although I've implemented many new decisions, my life seems busier. How can that be???

I am still knitting away every chance I get. Seems quilting has been placed on the side line. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's because I feel ... gasp ... I have enough quilts?!!!! How can that be?

As a form of relaxation, knitting seems easier for me at the moment. I like connecting with the yarn. I do not use commercial yarns and do like to support small crofts. A new stage of creativity for me, perhaps all in acquiring new wardrobe pieces.

I started a new project. A shawl!

The pattern is called ... Aito by Melody Hoffmann

Photo taken from the first page of the pattern

This is my finished version of the pattern. I love the lace work!

It is knit with Istex Plotulopi unspun Icelandic yarn, which I absolutely love. 

It requires six (6) different colours. 

Since I had some left over yarn from the first project, I decided to knit another shawl but in reverse. In other words, I used the last colour first. I didn't have enough of the second colour so I interspersed the first colour in the second colour segment. I do love how it's turning out.

That's pretty much it for me at the moment. I'm actually procrastinating and do need to get to some other "stuff" ... Thanks for stopping by ..... Catch you all later!

Many moons ago

 I've been thinking about my life, my experiences and what I enjoyed most. More specifically, what do I want to do with my life .... what is my next path.

Photography came to mind. I attended Dawson Institute of Photography many moons ago. This was back in the days where digital photography was just coming on the scene and much too expensive. I loved the whole process of photography, from shooting to developing my photos. I spent many hours in the darkroom. 

My camera and meters were all precisely gauged to the zone system. I'm a black & white kind of gal. I love the beauty of this medium. 

Many moons ago, I attended the Calgary Stampede and took this photograph of this beautiful soul. I do not know her name, nor have I ever met her. And yet, I feel that I have an inner knowing of her ... her strength .... there's an innocence about her.

I found this print a while back and took a picture of it. Not sure why I keep going back to it. There's something about that picture that speaks to me .... speaks to my soul. 

It's been a rough few months, with many challenges. Perhaps I'm looking for a time in my past when it was peaceful ... a time where all that mattered was photography and capturing the beauty around me.

Perhaps it's time to brush the dust off my camera and start taking photographs again, in black and white. Sort of wished I hadn't gotten rid of my darkroom equipment. Digital, although convenient, just doesn't seem to cut it for me. There's something about watching a print develop that is satisfying ... soulful.

Thanks for stoping by. 

How can it be .....

Wow, hard to believe that summer is almost over. In a few weeks I'll be back to this insanely busy schedule. I must admit, I've been enjoying this down time, getting lots of knitting and reading done.

 I FINALLY sewed the buttons on Pumpkin's cardigan. OMG, was she not coming up I think the buttons would still be waiting patiently to be sewn!

She loved the cardigan ... It's such a great feeling when a hand made gift is appreciated! :)

Then, all of a sudden, I was in a "let's get this done" mode. I had a of pairs of socks on the needles and it was high time to finish them. I started that project last year, late September, and had very little left to knit. The pattern is called Gretel by Winwick Mum. It's a free pattern! Click here. I used the recommended yarn, West Yorkshire Spinner's Signature yarn. It was a kit from Wool & Company, which is still available here.

I am ready for the holiday! I do like how they turned out. 

August 2022, I visited this wonderful yarn store in Belfast Prince Edward Island called Fleece & Harmony. Every year, they offer a stitch marker advent calendar from Firefly Fibers. This year's theme is Celestial ... I couldn't pass it up.

I also purchased two skeins of yarn ... colour .... Mermaids Tail. I mean, seriously! I love Mermaids! No plans yet for the yarn.

BTQ, they are sold out of the advent calendar, however if you are interested, you can purchase it from Firefly Fiber here.

Well, that's it for now. I do hope you are safe and enjoying the season. Cheers!

Got sheep?! ....

Most of us have a bucket list and I'm no exception. I've always wanted to attend a Sheep and & Wool festival and this year, I had the opportunity to check that off that long bucket list!

Pumpkin, Goofball and I met up in Tunbridge, Vermont for the Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival. It was a gorgeous fall day ... the weather was warmish and the leaves were starting to show their autumn colours. 

It was my first time attending a sheep & wool festival. I'm hooked! I just loved it! It is somewhat of a small festival but a great introduction. I would definitely attend again! There were lamas

Their fleece is so soft. They make gorgeous yarn! Just saying

And of course, the sheep!

Love how she stuck her tongue out at me! lol Love that fleece! 

A couple of weeks ago, Pumpkin and I attended the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck. It is the Mecca of the yarn and fleece world, a much talked about festival amongst knitters. So many wonderful creative people walking around ... so many designers. It's huge, so much to see ... I actually found it overwhelming! It was such a gorgeous autumn day, we did a lot of walking around and enjoying the beauty of the season.

There were so much beautiful unique yarns/fleece from small farmers. I love that ... I want to know where my yarn/fleece comes from, the sheep ... it's important to me. 

I did not purchase any yarn, however I did buy a book I had been eyeing for quite some time. I had the opportunity to chat with the author, Hannah Thiessen.

Great book with some lovely patterns. 

I love agriculture fairs and would encourage you all to support them. Small farms need our support. There's something about knowing where our goods comes from that appeals to me. There's a connection and it speaks to my heart. 

Thanks for stopping by! Catch you all later!

ZOOM ZOOM .... Chookyblue shed meet!

 Thank you ladies for a wonderful and inspiring time.

Always a treat to meet like minded quilters. 

Thank you Donna for hosting these.

Zoom ... Zoom ... Chookshed party

 It was a hectic work night ... short staffed, busy as all heck ... I didn't think I was going to make it to Chookyblue's zoom party. But after a way too long work night, I finally said enough is enough .... 2:00 am (ET) I turned off my work computer.

Went downstairs, made myself a drink and joined the party ... Chookshed's 10th Anniversary Celebration!

It was great catching up with everyone. I so enjoy these zoom gatherings. I find them inspiring. 

Thank you Donna for hosting these ... Happy Anniversary!

Channelling my inner Martha Stewart

Quite a few years ago, I had purchased some beeswax blocks at a rummage sale. They were a bargain ... four (4) blocks for a song. 

Given how hard these bees worked to make the wax, I wasn't about to throw them out ... I love the smell of bees wax .... so I thought of candles.

I didn't want to invest in another hobby so I started to keep my empty tea light containers; bought some wicks and a wax melting container ... I was ready to melt.  

The thing about bees wax, it's not as easy to clean off. It's best to have it's own container and I used freezer paper to protect the counter. 

I read up a bit on the subject, didn't want to blow up my house lol ... and voila ... a lot of tea light candles.

 

I still have 2 1/2 blocks left for the the next batch.  Hum ... I could make small shapes to use as thread conditioner ... but hat would involve investing in a mold.

Thanks for stopping by. Catch you all later ... Cheers!

Churn Dash Sew A long

Donna from Chookyblue blogspot is hosting a Sew-A-Long and I thought I would join in. Heck, you must have read yesterday's BREAKING NEWS! lol

I decided to open EQ8 to work out the layout. I am not that fond of EQ8 but it is what it is. Sometimes updates are not always a good thing. I've owned EQ for numerous years, since EQ2 ... let's just say I had to update due to Apple's recent change in their system ... we'll leave it at that.

Back to the quilt. The suggested block size is 9 inches ...

I love small blocks and have been thinking about doing a 6 inch block. I'm going for the crappy look. This is what the layout would look like. 

That's a lot of blocks to piece ... but so pretty. I do like small blocks, they require smaller pieces. It would certainly put a dent in the scrap fabric stash. My bins are overflowing!

Now, this is what the quilt would look like with a 9 inch block ... less blocks to piece!

A different look, but pretty none the same.

Well, I guess I have some thinking to do. 

Catch you all later! Cheers!

Zoom ... Zoom!

 Had a Chookyblue zoom meet! What a lovely way to start the new year ... catching up with everyone

Thanks for the creative inspiration!

Chookyblue Zoom Zoom ...

 Yesterday, I had the pleasure of catching up with like minded gals. I so enjoy Chooky's Zoom Zoom gatherings. The ladies are all so wonderful. As a bonus, I get to practice understanding the Aussie Accent! lol

I did a bit of knitting on a pull over I'm working on for Pumpkin. The pattern is called Le Classic by Espace Tricot. It's free on Ravelry.

I also worked on Seaside Cottage, a kit/pattern by Primitive Gatherings: a new wool piece I started a couple of weeks ago. 

It's a great feeling to catch up on the various wool kits I have on my "To do" list. 

Hope you all had a wonderful December 25th! 

Catch you all later! Cheers!

Chookyblue zoom .... zoom!

 Friday evening well into Saturday morning, I had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with these lovely ladies.

Always a treat to chat about life the universe and quilting. It's so inspirational! Even more so since I seem to have found my quilting groove! I also got to meet Swooze for the first time. 

Thank you Donna for hosting theses wonderful zoom get together!

Catch you all later! Cheers!

Creative therapy

 After a summer break, our Sew we Gather group is meeting in mid September. I decided that I needed more fabric ... yea I know. Have you seem my closet? In my defense, I do not have a wide variety of Kim Diehl fabrics, especially backgrounds .... time for some shopping.

I stopped by the Fat Quarter shop and bought some backgrounds, Butter Churn Basics. Of course I couldn't resist and started to look around ... you know how that goes .... down a rabbit hole I go!

I ended up getting a fat quarter tower of Gratitude and Grace as well as some yardage of other lines. Look at that gorgeous package.

Oh ... and those fabrics! 

So delicious! I just love them. They certainly get the creative energy flowing.

Bought a new Kim Diehl book ... Simple Friendship II co-authored with Jo Morton

I feel inspired! I think it's time for me to start a new project!

Catch you all later! Cheers!

I've been in a mood ...

 A piecing mood! A different kind of piecing but piecing nonetheless! ;)

As you all know by now, I love Lego! I've had a few kits that I hadn't built yet and today was the day I would tackle them.

It all started with the Bonsai tree. I had pieced it a while back. 

I decided it was time for the flowers to come out!

I've added my own personal touch .... a Lady bug, a chocolate frog and a bee! 

After the Bonsai tree, came piecing Fawkes!

Who has joined Hedwig .... he's been pieced for quite a while! Yes, I'm a huge HP fan! :)

After piecing the flowers on the Bonsai tree and Fawkes, I thought it was time I continued building the Discovery Shuttle that Pumpkin and I started back in May. I brought it from:

To this:

It's quite an intricate built! Loving every moment of it!

I'm a huge space buff ... Love reading about the space program .... mainly from Gemini onward. Here is my space collection .... so far! ;)

The ISS, Saturn V rocket and the Hubble Telescope, which will go into the Discovery Shuttle cargo bay. I haven't decided if I'll keep it out or in the cargo bay!

Thanks for stopping by and indulging me in one of my many passions! Catch you all Later!

Farmer's Market

 I have now switched to working from home. I had avoided this for quite some time. I figured, working at the office would get me out of the house. But, I will admit, I am enjoying working from home. 

Because I am such a home body (what can I say I'm comfortable in my home ... it's so peaceful and there's so much to do) I have to plan outings. So ... on Saturday, I went to the Farmer's Market. It was nice to get out ... it was such a gorgeous day. 

Bought lots of locally grown organic vegetables and treated myself to a bouquet of flowers from Mossbrook Roots Flower Farm. Who knew we had a flower farm in our area.

They included Thai Basil in the bouquet, it smells so lovely!

I do hope you are taking the time to enjoy the outdoors. We have had such a lovely summer here in way upstate NY.

Thanks for stopping by. Catch you all later.

Chookyblue Zoom time!

 Participated in Chookyblue's Zoom get together. 

It was wonderful to catch-up with everyone. 

We were all working on different projects. Myself I decided to knit. I finally figured out how to work a German Short row! Hurry me!

Thanks for stopping by! Catch you all later! Cheers!

Sew we Gathered!

 We had our Sew we gather meet on Sunday! What fun!

What food! I made a batch of Southwestern Egg-rolls by Valerie Bertinelli. OMG, they were a hit! The egg rolls below are uncooked and once they were cooked, everyone wanted to try them ... totally forgot to take a picture. The homemade salsa was amazing too!

You can find the recipe Southwestern Egg-Rolls with Salsa Dipping Sauce here.

The Shoppe Troll likes to use us as guinea pigs and tries new cheesecake recipes on us. This time she made a Cinnamon bun cheese cake. 

Took one for the team and lived to tell about it! lol OMG, it was delish!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we are working with Kim Diehl's new book Simple Whatnots II

Our first project was Hickory Dickory ... Here is my version:

I love how it turned out ... I'm a scrappy kind of gal!

We've already picked out next project ... Double Dutch Star. Our next meet is in September! Plenty of time to work on it!

Thank for stopping by. Catch you all later!

We're back in action ....

 Now that most of my friends feel a certain level of comfort being together in a closed area, we have resumed our ...

I think it's safe to say that most of us have had our life on hold during the pandemic. I certainly have ... I feel I've done more sitting on the couch during that time than I have in my whole life! lol

To get motivated and accountable ... OK, to get us out of a creative slum, we decided that we would work on projects from Kim Diehl's newest book Simple Whatnots II.

Our first project is Hickory Dickory. The quilt measures 18.5" x 22.5" ... I've been busy cutting/trimming away ... 

Such small pieces ... but oh so worth it. I love small quilts, don't you?

In the meantime, I decided that I wanted to enjoy my back porch more this summer. The issue was the sun, my porch is fully exposed and it faces west. Not against the sun ... Love the sun, but shade is such a beautiful thing.

I'm enjoying my new parasol. I can sit out in the middle of the day without getting fried. Such a beautiful thing! lol

AND ... my quilting groove is back on .... stay tune ... I'm back in business!

Catch you all later! Cheers!

Chookyblue Zoom time ....

 On Monday, I had a wonderful opportunity to zoom sew with quilters from across this beautiful planet. It was great to meet new quilters. We chatted as we worked on our projects.

Wow! Looking at the picture and noticing how long my hair is .... Covid hair I guess! lol

Gosh, I came on at 2:00 pm and left around 10:00 pm EST. I worked on an EPP project, Star Quilt. As you can imagine I managed to get quite a bit sewn ... Progress is a good thing! 

Voila!

I've been plugging away. I'm really enjoying working on this project.

Hoping you are finding time to relax and work on your favourite projects. Catch you all later! Cheers!