4 Minutes

 I upped my exercise routine by four minutes today. That was two extra minutes on the sitting elliptical machine to bring it up to 25 minutes. Also two extra minutes on the treadmill going at 1.4 miles an hour. That also brings it up to 25 minutes.  50 minutes in one exercise session.That is the most I’ve exercised in one session for a very long time. I’m very happy with myself. 

Progress

 I know that the current show I am working on is not perfect but that’s OK. I’m trying to learn new things and I would drive myself batty If I went for perfection on every project.  As long as a shawl looks good from 5 feet away. I have no problems whatsoever. Also, I am not going to point out any mistakes if you are a member of the knitting police you are not welcome near my new shawl.  

You may have noticed that I have stitch markers at the beginning of every row. I have already accidentally torn out this pattern twice. So I’m to the point that if I want to rip out a row or two, I don’t want to rip out the whole shawl. So after I complete a row, I put a movable stitch marker in. If I have to rip out the number of rows, I just removed the number of stitch markers for the number of rows. I want to remove and that way I won’t tear out the entire project by accident again. Wendy from my Knitting Group thought this was a good idea. Wendy is really good at crocheting. 

The shawl is in Tunisian crochet which is my new deep dive project. I love learning new things and Tunisian crochet is so similar to both knitting and crochet but totally different. I want to explore what makes Tunisian crochet so different than crochet and knitting. At this point in time I think it will be a 5 to 10 year project. That’s OK I have a lot of yarn that I can use for crocheting, knitting and Tunisian crochet.  I think projects combining two or more styles would make some wonderful one of a kind projects.  I also think that at some point I can add some of my hand spun yarn too. 

My current project is from a class that I took from Lori of Aklori Designs.  The pattern is called Tunisian Quick Crescent Shawl. 

Re-Making My Stitch Markers Accessible

 This afternoon’s project is making a whole lot of stitch markers more accessible.  The tiny claw clasps while durable and pretty, they are very hard to use with limited hand mobility.   These are getting an earring wires which close in the back.  They are useful for both crocheting and knitting.  They make excellent right or wrong side markers because they are very easy to move.  

Don’t give up a craft that you love because the accessories are too painful or difficult to use. Either mend them yourself or find a crafty friend to fix them for you.  The ones on the right are waiting to be mended.  The ones on the red glass plate are mended  the ones on the left are waiting to be fixed because they are broken or mended to make them better.

Two Scarfs Finally Finished

 I finally finished 2 scarfs tonight.  The larger one weighs in at least a pound of yarn and is at least 6 feet long.  This scarf  is going up to northern Arizona next winter and is meant for a teenager.  The scarf on top weighs in at a mere 4 ounces and will be going to a children’s clothing bank in Tucson.  They are vastly different in size. Meant for entirely different climates.

Next I wound and prepared yarn for the next pounder scarf. I did a lot of stash busting on this one.  There will be some interesting stripes in this scarf. I wound yarn through 2 episodes of Star Gate SG1 before my arm said enough. 

Then it was time to cast on the next pounder scarf.  I am using a U.S. size 11 knitting needle with a 16 circular.  I am knitting 3 strands of yarn together to make a warmer scarf. I am also knitting this scarf right handed because the yarn was to difficult to knit left handed.  So far I like the color scheme, the colors pop just right and hope that 10 skeins of 50 grams worsted weight in dark blue is going to be enough.  I am using Patons Bella in color number 4088 Lot 3. The rest of the yarn is stash busting yarn. I just love projects that make space in my knitting room and help other people. It’s a win win for everyone involved.  The reason I make the pounders so big is that I expect shrinkage when washed and dried.  

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Apple Series 11 Watch

 I tend not to replace my electronics until they are almost completely dead or actually, ready to be recycled. I have been using Fitbit products since the Fitbit One hit the market a long time ago, I started with the Fitbit one just to keep track of my steps. As the Fitbit had evolved to include watches, I went along with it. I thought it was great innovation. My last Fitbit Was on the wonky side. About two or three years into the ownership of it. It decided that no matter how I programmed watch it only wanted to give me the temperature in Celsius. That would’ve been great if I would’ve been better at converting Celsius to Fahrenheit. Now what is that Conversion rate formula again? I grew up on Fahrenheit and still thinking Fahrenheit and when the watch battery started dying, I decided to take the lead of the younger generation in my family. Some of my family members were on their second or third Apple watches.

My husband and I both got the Apple series 11 watch. The first Apple Watch for both of us. For me it had a great big learning curve because it was so different than the Fitbit watches. I think I almost have the hang of it after a few months of use, well more than a few months of use. The only thing I can’t figure out is why the watch keeps asking me if I need help? Should the watch call emergency services? This does not happen to my husband. I can’t figure out why the watch thinks I’m in constant need of help. Well, I am in need of some assistance but I don’t think the watch washes dishes, polishes wood, dusts the house or any of those basic household chores that are so annoying. My Apple Watch also asks if I’ve fallen down and need help getting up should they call somebody? It has even gotten my iPhone 15 into the act. Seriously walking around my own house, it’s not even like I’m trying to climb up to finger rock  hill the first time. I’m wondering if I’ve gotten a nanny watch who is so overprotective it just is worse than Rosie from the Jetsons making sure everybody is OK. This glitch happens four or five times a week. At first, I thought it was me that I was doing something wrong or I tripped. But I’m beginning to think my watch is a little bit off kilter. Today while I was sitting down at the table eating my salad at lunch the watch asked me if I had fallen and did I need help getting up? Then later today while I was knitting and watching TV, of course I was sitting down. If you have to ask. The watch asked me if I needed of medical assistance. This is getting a little bit annoying. Just how many times is the Apple series 11 watch supposed to ask me if I need medical assistance a week? Did I mention the time last week when a random alarm just kept going off and only stopped when I put the watch back on the charger? The watch battery was full. Is the watch just bored and needs to do something more? Am I wearing the watch the wrong way. Just what is its problem? I think it’s time that this watch paid a visit to the Apple store near us. Maybe somebody at the genius bar has heard of this and can fix it.

In other news, my body has still not recoup from my very busy week last week.  I was even too tired to go to go hang out with friends.  After breakfast, I took a four hour nap. Then did 3 very small loads of laundry. I am talking about hand wash that is currently hanging out on the clothes line.  John did the shopping and brought home some nice salads for dinner.  

The rest of my afternoon was spent with my feet up. Trying to finish the next pounder scarf while watching television.  I am even heading to bed early tonight.  

The Great American Snail Race

 Any week that starts with me going to Mayo then adding 4 activities from Wednesday through Friday will end with me in a couch potato mode.  Don’t worry, it is highly recommended by one of my doctors. My feet are up as recommended. 

For those of you keeping track of the race between myself and the snail. Today the snail went flying past me shortly before breakfast. At the rate I am going today the snail will win the day.  

Is it time for the second nap of the day yet?

Stash Diving is Fun

 I have finally finished enough UFO’s to go stash diving for charity Scarfs for my favorite kids clothing bank.  So I picked out some very colorful yarn from Bear and Bee Yarn Company in from Canada.  I had bought 3 skeins intending to knit them right away before I got sick in 2023.  I wanted something bright and cheerful to knit.  I forgot just how soft and squishy the worsted weight super wash merino was.  

I put the first skein on the squirrel cage to wind the first skein earlier today.  I started knitting a new scarf tonight while talking to my daughter.  I am 6 inches into the scarf am I am in love with the feel of the yarn. I am a very tactical person and this yarn just hit the “ it’s a joy to knit with” spot.  Unfortunately for me this is the Zoom scarf so it stays by the computer to be worked on only when I am at the computer. 

I do know one thing for certain. The child or teenager who gets this scarf is going to love wearing it as much as I am going to enjoy knitting it.  Luckily for me I still have 2 more skeins to go.  Luckily for you there are sales on roving, t shirts, yarn and stitch markers going on as of February 20, 2026. I do not know how long the sale will be going on. There is also a wide array of fresh from the dye pots yarn and t-shirts too. The new colors look lovely.  If you have the ability to help out our friends from Canada please buy a skein or more. Share this post with your friends.  I know the expletive deleted from Washington D.C. have not been kind to our gentle neighbors to the north. Below is a before the scarf is knit photo. Just yarn in the skein’s.