Covering the Bases

 I’m too short to get all the oatmeal on the top pantry shelf.  So I made two breakfast setups with the oatmeal, plate and spoon.  Now all I need to do is refill the tea kettle and put out tomorrow’s new sponge and kitchen towel. That will make me look so efficient.  

Not like I am dealing with a barometric change headache at the moment. Hopefully this cuppa will dull the headache and allow me to sleep.  

I would also like to say, since we got less than 1/8 of an inch of rain.  This headache is not justified, 

Stitch Markers

 While I was waiting for breakfast to cook, ie the water to boil and the quick cook oatmeal to soften in the boiling water.  I made a small batch of stitch markers easier to use by replacing the lobster claw hook with a closable earring wire.  This was a quick 10 minute process.  Just enough time to fill my heart dish. 

Something to Brag About

 It has taken a lot of years to get this far on my lifestyle change journey.  Notice that I said lifestyle change journey, instead of just weight loss more on that below. A lot of changes have been made.  Some of those changes have resulted in a big change in what gets recycled and what is trash, more on that later.  The journey has also impacted the overall quality of things I choose to keep and those I choose to let go.  

First off I started this lifestyle change journey wearing a size 4X. I no longer wear a size 4X, instead depending on the brand I am wearing regular size medium to large.  I also am not measuring myself with a tape measure weekly or monthly, that only lead to my frustration. The scale is used weekly instead of daily. The only thing that sees a tape measure is my rib cage for obvious reasons.  I am happy to announce that I have lost 14 inches or 35.56 centimeters or 355.6 millimeters. I have only 4 inches or 10.6 centimeters or 101.6 millimeters to go before I reach the same size I was on my wedding day so last century.  I may or may not make that goal. My goal is to live a healthier lifestyle.  That is where this journey began. 

Next these changes have resulted in a huge shift of what lands up in the land fill and what gets recycled.  The change has been very dramatic over the journey.  In the beginning we had a lot more trash than recycling. I attribute that fact to eating a diet full of processed foods. Processed foods come with an awful lot of non recyclable packaging.  Pizza boxes, even though they are made with cardboard can’t be recycled because they get greasy, that goes for a lot of processed foods.  The wrapping on frozen foods along with the boxes can’t be recycled either.  Snack food comes in containers that usually can’t be recycled either.  There is a definite trend going on here.  Highly processed foods usually come in non recyclable containers.  Which leads to the following question. If highly processed foods come in containers that are bad for the environment. Are highly processed foods good for the human body?  My non-scientific answer is a definite no. I phrase the answer like that because I am a fiber artist and not a scientist. If you are a scientist and disagree with my statement, I will happily give you a chance to rebut my argument. 

So what did I replace the highly processed food with? The answer is very simple, non-processed foods. I am talking about fresh fruits, raw nuts and vegetables. However, I still do use canned fruits without added sugar's and vegetables that come in recyclable cans. I also use frozen fruits and vegetables depending on the area you live in this material can be recycled or at the very least takes up a lot less space in the trash can.  

I usually eat between 1 to 2 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables per day alongside traditionally processed food like cheese and tofu. Cheese and tofu have been around a very long time, they are considered a way to store excess fresh soybeans and milk for later use by preserving them.  With the exception of the cheese all of these foods are lower in calories with a higher concentration of fiber which is good for the health of the gut. I also eat a fair amount of tofu, fish and chicken.  Beef is an occasional food to be consumed no more than once a week. 

I usually drink iced water year round.  I like my Yeti 30 ounce metal tumblers, yes I have 4 that I rotate through.  I refill them about 3 times a day in winter and more in summer, I live in the desert southwest.  This also eliminates plastic waste.  I find that my YETI tumblers last about 10 years, so if you price them out by years of use each cup cost about $3.00 a year to use.  Plastic water bottles cost more per use and leave micro plastic in the water.  Another recent article said that the high energy drinks are bad for gut health too. They suggested tea or water instead.  I have replaced almost all soda with tea or water. the exception is when a migraine hits and I don’t have time for a cuppa tea and a 4 hour nap. To clarify this, I have had exactly 2 bottles of Mexican Coke in the last decade.  All sodas and high energy drinks are considered a highly processed beverage. They are also very high in sugar, at least 12 teaspoons of sugar pre can or artificially sweetened, which have been shown to have bad side effects. My arthritis hates artificial sweeteners, they cause my inflammation to worsen.   I would strongly prefer not to have any inflammation.  

I have also been trying to lighten my life in other ways too.  I have gotten rid of all my purses that were too heavy when empty.  I go through my books and magazines every so often to see what I no longer find useful, they are passed along or recycled.  A couple of times a day I spend five minutes or so putting things away or deciding if they should be recycled or passes along.  During one of these 5 minute cleanups yesterday I found 15 hats and scarfs that needed to be photographed and placed in the right bags to leave the house. I am still a work in progress. The house is still a work in progress. I am going at a snails pace right now which is perfect for me. 

Bits and Pieces of Yarn

I know that I do much better when my yarn is made into individual kits.  So far I have only gone through 3 boxes, 1 very large bag and a basket.  So far I have only made kits for my miscellaneous wool, both hand spun and commercially produced.  This has yielded enough kits for 18 ridged heddle loom made scarfs.  Yes, it is that big pile of kits on the den floor.  

I still have 1 very large basket and some smaller stashes to go through. I might wait on those, it depends on how much energy I have. Then again I am now to the 100% cotton yarn which I use to make my pounder scarves. I only have 4 kits ready to go right now. These scarfs always take a bit of planning on the color way of each scarf. So as long as the yarn is piled on the counter I might as well make a few more kits. 

The net result is that 1 red plastic tub with some de stash yarn in it will leave the house.  Currently I only use clear tubs or bags for yarn.  I find it much easier to see what I have to use up.  After a little over 25 years of knitting I am currently trying to get a hold on my yarn and fiber stash.  

I have also come to the conclusion that she who dies with the most yarn loses.  She did not go to fiber festivals or spend money on other things she might have pursued in life. Also, after she’s gone, Goodwill or other charities will not treat her carefully curated stash with the respect she expects. They will take her entire stash and put it in kitchen or outdoor trash bags and sell it for $5 to $10 dollars a bag just to get rid of it if she is lucky.  The family is more than likely to put it all in the trash.  But on the serious side of this issue call your local Knitting Guild they will take all the yarn and supplies. The Knitting Guild will then make more charity projects than you can imagine.  They will help children, veterans, service members, people under going chemo therapy and more with hand knit items.  I know the old Pueblo Knitting Guild in Tucson made over 2,000 items for charity alone for charity in 2025.  This included hats, scarfs, socks, sweaters, blankets and mittens.  This is a win in so many different ways.   So if you are in Southern Arizona and have a yarn stash to relocate please feel free to contact us at The Old Pueblo Knitting Guild. If you knit by hand or machine, crochet or weave you can become a member.  We always love to see new people.  You can also make a monetary donation to help cover expenses. Since we are a nonprofit, you will be able to take a tax deduction, always talk to your tax advisor first.

I have also come to the conclusion that too much yarn leads to clutter and inefficiency.  I am really jealous of those knitters who can do one project from start to finish.  Then go and buy their next project. Instead of someone like me that has any where from 10 to 20 projects going at once with at least 100 projects waiting in the wings.  This is after rehousing about 95% of my yarn stash.  

I am also a someday kind of knitter.  I primarily knit for charity.  I also pick up yarn to make things for myself, someday when I have the time.   This year I actually started knitting some of those someday projects.  It was also very helpful that after losing 50 pounds most of my shawls did not fit and most were literally dragging on the floor.  

Now on to a picture of today’s progress.  

Happy spring equinox

 Happy spring equinox or if you’re in southern Arizona, welcome to the first day of summer. It reached over 100° in southern Arizona yesterday. This means that the ice broke on the Rillito River and it is now sand trout fishing season.  

To celebrate I put all my felted shoes on the shoe rack. To make room for my winter shoes, I took out all my Birkenstock and Finn Comfort sandals.  I took a quick inventory and do not need to buy any replacements. 

What this means for me is that I will be spending most of my time inside.  I have not been able to tolerate the higher temperatures since I got sick 2 years ago.  

So I have patterns to write, Christmas gifts to knit.  Jewelry for holiday presents to make and a few sewing projects to make.  I will be putting my feet up as per doctors orders by knitting, at which time I partake in reading and watching chicklit on television.  

Have fun and stay hydrated.   

Gym Etiquette

 I’m not sure what gym etiquette is supposed to be. This being said, at my gym there is a 30 minute limit on exercise equipment during busy times. When I got to the gym this afternoon, my starter piece of equipment was being used by somebody. I walked by casually. He was already passed 60 minutes, but he ignored me. So I went to the treadmill and did my 30 minutes there. The man still wasn’t ready to get off of the sitting elliptical.

So I went to see if I could find somebody that worked at the gym that would get him off for me. The only person working was with a client. So I did a kind of passive aggressive move. I got a cleaning towel and sprayed it down with cleaning solution and walked over to the machine. He noticed me and said oh, do you want to use the machine? I said yes he says wait a few minutes and I will wipe it down for you.

I replied no problem. I’ve got the cleaning cloth ready to go. I’ll just wipe it down right now. So he got off the seated elliptical and I did my 30 minutes on the seated elliptical. Cleaned off then cleaned the machine for the next person. In my humble opinion it was the best way to handle the situation.  

I would like to add that I accomplished 30 minutes on both the treadmill and the seated elliptical.  That is at my maximum exercise time limit right now.  That may or may not change depending upon the outcome of the tests my new cardiologist has planned for me.

I made a little progress on the pounder scarf.  I like how the color palette looks so far.  It has also reached, the need to constantly turn the work as I’m knitting. Right now this means about three times per row. I am starting to feel the weight of the scarf right now. 

Yet Another Discovery

 Last week I drove to Marana. The reason is very simple.  My newest doctor is in Marana.  I have to say she is fabulous and well worth the drive.  I was out of spoons for the rest of the day and in to the next.  

As usual I am working on multiple projects at once.  I am 25 inches into the next pounder scarf.  Only 49 or so inches to go.  I am in stages of other projects.  I also need to start a new UFO basket before I get terribly lost in projects.  Things like ripping out the boarder of a shawl because I don’t like it. Fixing a shawl in progress for dropped stitches, multiple rows back.  You should certainly get the drift.  Finding time and the right amount of caffeine to tackle the hard for me to complete projects. 

Most importantly completing as many holiday gifts for the children’s clothing bank that I support.  

So much yarn. So few spoons*.

*Spoons are units of my personal energy.  Think kilowatts, or British thermal units. My

energy allowance changes daily which makes it very hard to plan.  When I am low on spoons I can sit down and get ready to knit. I will wake up hours later with the knitting still in my hands and not a single stitch done.  Think of it as zero to sleep in less than 60 seconds.  

A New Discovery

 Today I started the day with some spring cleaning. I decided to get rid of all the Tupperware that I have not used in years. With the arthritis in my hands the lids on certain containers became impossible to open especially when taken straight out of the refrigerator.  Since I had previously done at least 2 Tupperware destashes, I did not realize that I had so much left.  I almost filled an oversized shipping box.  

Then I moved the Oxo storage containers to the space that the Tupperware previously occupied.  The Stasher bags went into the Tupperware lid storage drawer. I also started 2 loads of laundry.  By the time I was done with the big project and a few smaller chores, it was nap time.  I had this silly idea that I could take a 20 minute nap then drive to the gym to work out for 50 minutes and get home before lunch.  

My body decided to sleep longer.  It won of course.  Sometimes lately my body and mind disagree, my body seems to be the winner in these things lately. So it was time to get ready for lunch. After lunch at our favorite bakery, they do make a mean turkey and avocado sandwich.  Then shopping at Trader Joe’s, I was definitely too tired to work out.  

So it was time to make more progress in the knitting room. I put projects along with the appropriate patterns in bags. I had room on the shelves for all the unboxed yarn and patterns.  Then it was time to deal with the shipping containers.  The boxes were broken down and put into recycling.  All the other packaging materials went into the trash.  Then it was time for a bit of knitting before dinner.  

My current couch project is another pounder scarf in shades of blue, green and yellows with white thrown in as a neutral color.  I started the scarf just before our last trip and made a lot of progress today.  I have 1 foot done and only 5 feet and a few inches to go.  Since I am spending less time on my iPad and iPhone the knitting is going faster.  

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.  

,

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.

The OldPueblo Knitting Guild Luncheon and more

 After months of planning down to the littlest possible detail, I can say that the Old Pueblo Knitting Guilds annual luncheon and fashion show went off without a hitch. We even exceeded last year’s luncheon of total people in attendance.  The last time that happened was the last fashion show that I planned over a decade ago.  I am extremely happy and tired.  I will ask that the basic plan for people be added to the guild’s documentation page so that the wheel does not have to be reinvented ever again.  I came home and took a nap. 

I my humble opinion, the trick to handling a successful event is to break the event down to the smallest possible detail. So most people will not have more than 30 minutes of work before they can go and join their friends.  Then when planning for the event figure out how many people you will need to cover all the jobs.  Put one person in charge of each task and add 10% or 1 extra person for each task, which ever is greater.  That way when people drop out for family or health reasons you will have most jobs covered and have to find fewer last minute replacements.  

Also today I had to actually pull yarn from my shelf to start a new scarf.  What that means is that I have finished a lot of projects.  Now all I have to do is keep knitting until it’s time for charity work drop off in November or December.  Unless the pile to go over to the clothing bank fills the allocated space.  Then it heads out of the door earlier.  I personally don’t think that I will get a 20 gallon bag filled that fast this year.  

The Yarn Knows Best

 I wanted to make a scarf out of this yarn.  I tried 2 different patterns.  They were just not looking good. The yarn wanted to be a shawl for summer.  I guess it’s a shawl for summer. The shawl even at this early stage looks a lot better than either scarf. Also if the iPad wants to take the photo sideways, who am I to argue with new technology when I specialize in very old technology. We are talking about ice age technology in some cases.

The Forth Skein

 This afternoon I hit the magical 4th skein of yarn in the 4 color fade shawl.  I did not even notice when I went over the Russian join.  Which was very surprising to me.  We were returning from a day trip to Scottsdale. Of course John was driving, I would never knit while driving. It just feels so unsafe, like a very distracted driver. I was exhausted when it was time to add the join. I always add the Russian join a few yards before I need to.  I like the yarn to rest and settle into place. We were going down I-10 going the speed limit of 75 mph. We were on a straight stretch of freeway.  I got my tool kit out and managed to make a pretty decent join considering I was not at a table. This is definitely not a beginner move.  

Each row is now taking about 30 minutes to complete. The shawl bottom is in excess of 50 inches. The only question I have is will it be ready by Thursday for the Old Pueblo Knitting Guild Fashion Show. Now I did tell my husband that I would model it even if it was not finished. Even if I had the yarn on my spinner yarn holder, minus the bottom of the butler part of course. If you want a yarn spinner like mine, Grandma’s Spinning Wheel in Tucson  carries them. I think I will have about 2 to 3 hours to knit tomorrow, which should be another 4 to 6 rows.  I am so bad at the math figuring out how far the yarn will actually go that I will be playing yarn chicken with this shawl.  

You will notice that I keep my Lantern Moon tightening tool and dropped stitch tool in the center of my yarn spinner. This is so that they are always ready when I need them. You can also see all the colors of the fade. 

Rock On

 Several years ago my favorite purse had a run in with a black gel pen and lost. This is what the stain looked like after a full bottle of ink remover and multiple washing by hand. I even scrubbed the detergent into the spot. As you can see the stain got smaller but did not go away completely.

So I thought about it for a while.  Pins just did not seem big enough or practical for the bottom of my purse.  So I thought about making a design with buttons. Then I came across a button someone had sent me a few years back saying that I would come up with the perfect use for such an odd shaped button made of stone.  I have forgotten the name of the rock.  

The button was just the right shape to cover the remainder of the ink stain.  The light color of the stone matches the material in the main part of the purse perfectly.  

My finished repair looks good and saved my favorite purse.  I wish I would have thought of the button solution before I spent the day scrubbing the stain out. Or better yet a few years ago.  The only thing I would have done differently is to use a small embroidery hoop to hold all of the layers of material even.  That way the material would not have bunched up inside on the purse lining.  By the way I will no longer put gel pens in my purse.  

Catch me if you can..

 I did house work, laundry and paperwork. I managed to get 2 loads of laundry completed from start to finish all by myself, my taller half was at work. I actually got my heart rate up enough to get 20 minutes of exercise without leaving the house. I fell asleep after all that work. Forgetting that I had a teleconference call.  Oops. 

Then I decided instead of playing games on my tablet, I would knit and binge watch some television.  After dinner I continued to binge watch television and knit until my thumb was sore.  Then it was rubbing Tiger Balm on the thumb until it stopped hurting.  While binge watching television until bedtime.

By the way I got two days worth of knitting done on my 4 color fade shawl completed this afternoon and evening. All by skipping games on my pad.  I think now that I am doing a tiny bit better, maybe this should be my new routine. It might help with my stash reduction efforts. Of course on top of the three days that I continue my cardio rehab routine at the gym.  

Color Number 3

I started the third color in my fade shawl today.  The first and second colors had very little difference in the contrast.  Color number 3 took a big leap.  You will notice that I am putting the darker colors lower in the design. They will not show the dirt as much.  

It is taking me about a week to do each color change.  So the shawl will be ready on time.  

A very busy day

 Today was a very busy day around here.  I was not as efficient as I had hoped to be.  That being said it was a day of multiples of 4 as in 4 loads of laundry completed. 4 bags of recycling left the house. Four large piles of paper work dispatched.  Then to shake things up the 2 naps I took when I was too tired to move. Then 4 rows of knitting tonight, including going back 4 rows to pick up a dropped stitch. After the repair it was impossible to tell where I dropped the stitch.

With all that I accomplished today, I am still not done.  Hopefully I will finish the rest of today’s work tomorrow. I really want to finish the 4 color fade shawl this coming week. With the longer rows I am going through the second skein faster than the first skein.  

With tomorrow being an early and busy day, I need to get to sleep early tonight.  

A busy day.

 Today was a short attention span day.  I was doing chores by 5 minute or less increments with the exception of Sprouts and Bookman’s.  I got enough trade credit for another pair of socks for my charity project. The only chore that I really did not enjoy was finding a poisonous spider in the bathroom. You know the kind that from a distance looks like a ladybug that I would let outdoors. However on closer inspection it had a red bulging back. I did not even scream, just said oh dam and got a piece of toilet. It was nasty to kill but even worse to clean up.  I do admit that tomorrow I will have to get the cleaning supplies out to finish the clean up. 

I have made it through the first color change in my 4 color fade shawl.  I had just changed out the cord to a longer one on my interchangeable knitting needles from the 30 inch to the 37 inch and added the tip. The knitting needle tip just kept spinning in place. So my decision tomorrow will be do I use the 50 inch cord which I will be there soon or start piecing  and smaller cords together? I will sleep on that one. I have let the maker know, I will see what happens.  I am hoping for a replacement.  

Almost Time…

 It’s almost time for the color change on my 4 color fade shawl. There’s more slightly darker pink and less very light pink in skein number 2.  Since the shawl has 6 increases every other row the next section will not have as many rows as color number 1.  

It is also almost time to add an extension onto the ChaiGoo’s. I will only add a 16 inch extension since I don’t want the knitting needles to get too unwieldy.  Of course if the shawl needs another extension, I will switch to one long cord by knitting the shawl onto the longer cord.  

Below is a picture of my work in progress on my very over crowded couch. Which By the way has a number of other work in progress projects.  

The New Year

 Welcome to my 2026 year of the continuing decluttering efforts.  I have started going through my old knitting magazines.  Still seeing if I want to make the projects contained in the magazines.  One sweater that I dearly loved only comes in one size. For a 34 inch bust line.  Could I adjust the pattern to fit me, yes. Will I take the time and effort? Absolutely not.  I figured it would take me about a month to make a workable pattern to fit the not size extra small size me. By the time I had finished doing the math and making sure my numbers matched the yarn, I would be so over it with nothing to show.  So it is leaving the house.  

Other magazines had stitch tutorials that were very helpful to a new knitter in her 40’s. Now not so much so they are leaving for a new knitter to find.  

Projects that I absolutely had to make. If I do not love them they are going too.  The aspirational lace patterns, I know me as a knitter much better now. Can anyone truly see me knitting an Orenburg lace shawl.  If you said yes, first let me stop laughing so hard I just fell on the floor.  Yes, technically I have the ability to knit Orenburg lace. Do I want to follow a tedious pattern to complete a very fragile shawl? Absolutely not.  

Now it’s time for everyone to join me in clearing out those old aspirational projects in magazines and books. Pass them on to new knitters, put them in the free Little Libraries around town.  Just be kind and only put in one or two at a time. Let’s finish January with a cleaning spree so we can spend the rest of the year knitting, crocheting, spinning and weaving or whatever craft you are currently delving into at the moment.  

Getting my Sumo Citrus Home

 There is something to be said about old fashioned keys made of metal that fit perfectly into a lock. First and foremost is that they never run out of energy leaving one’s self stranded for want of power.  That little battery that runs out of energy at the wrong moment. Take today for instance.  I had just finished grocery shopping and had a fresh supply of Sumo Citrus which are in season and they are a must eat one or two a day. The season is short January through April. Along with some grapes and oatmeal. Thank goodness that nothing was perishable. The bad news is the car did not recognize my car key. So was it the car key battery that my husband just replaced a few months ago or was it the car battery that still has 2 more years under warranty?

If I would have had an old fashioned metal key, I would not be stuck in the Sprouts Market parking lot.  Yes, keyless ignitions are all well and fine, however I just don’t see the need for them. Especially at this moment.  

I called my husband and he was sure it was the keyless fob.  So I walked down the hill to the Brake Max Oro Valley on Oracle just south of Sprouts Market.  It took about 5 minutes and there was no charge. The Service Technician just said have a nice day.  

The walk up the hill was taken very slowly and I was out of breath by the time I got back to my car.  The car started and I let my husband know that I was on the way home.  I put almost everything away.  I made a small plate for lunch of a Sumo and grapes to eat while I wrote this post.  

I am still tired from walking up the hill so I think it’s time to turn some music on and take a nap.  

Shopping

 I took part in stress shopping tonight. No yarn was bought.  I have not done that in a long time.   Enough said.  Sweet dreams everyone.  

Row 10 Completed

 After taking the basic Tunisian Basic Crochet class at Birdhouse Yarns  with Lori of Aklori Designs a couple of weeks back, I decided that tonight was the night that I would try out my new skills.  I have been practicing some of the stitches on a scarf.  I do admit it was not smooth sailing. I took out rows 9&10 one time each.  I am working on the Tunisian Quick Crescent Shawl.   As I get ready to call it a night I am very happy with my progress.  

I am hopeful that progress will continue to happen. My wish is for a slightly faster pace with the caveat that I am fast enough to make positive progress and slow enough not to have to rip out entire rows.  

The First Project Finished in 2026

 My first knitting project for 2026 was finished last night.  Amy first charity project is a scarf. For one of my favorite kids charity projects.  The Flowing Wells School District Clothing Bank. This is a scarf for a teenager. It is 100% cotton knit in a broken rib pattern. 

Now how many more UFO’s can I finish this month? I have about 19 to go. 

Walking Away

 Sometimes I just have to know when to walk away from a project for the night.  I dropped a stitch on my fade shawl tonight and it took off running.  I know we have all been there.  I personally find when I drop a stitch close to bed time it’s best to try to fix it right the first time.  If I can’t fix it right the first time, I wait until the next day to fix it.  Preferably at a table.  I find that if I continue to try to fix it, I tend to make more of a mess of things.  

I am using the pattern Grandma’s Summer Shawl on my Ravelry pattern. I am using a fade set from Lanier Aimee yarn out of Paris France. I purchased this yarn sometime ago and I find it a delightful knit. You can find la Bien Aimee yarn at the link.  Right now they are having a sale and the prices look decent.  If you are in the United States they are currently using UPS for shipping and UPS will collect the tariffs. I really do wish they were using Federal Express for shipping because they have the tariff thing down pretty good. Fortunately, for my husband, all the 4 color fade set in the colors that I like are sold out. 

More things are leaving the house

Today’s to-do list was simple enough. First get my doctors and hospital to send paperwork to another provider. That seems like a simple enough task. It took me over 30 minutes to figure out how to do it because it was deeply hidden in the application. Then I had to email them with a complete list of what I needed and where it needed to be sent. I thought it was all done so I thought I’d do a bonus chore of going through books and deciding on which ones I didn’t want to keep. My goal was five books.

At book number three out of the five I get an email back saying that I needed to fill out another form. They sent a PDF so I couldn’t fill it out online. So that was printed out, fill it out and then I had to take a picture of it. Then in the reply email, I added the picture as an attachment and send it back. Back to picking out more books to leave The house. 

The first bag I picked was a bag that would hold the five books. I got that bag filled very quickly. Then I got another larger bag and added more books. By dinner time I had 15 books that were ready to go to Bookmans. After dinner and TV time I decided to try to get pick out five more books to make it an even 20. I figured even with a basket 20 was all the books I could carry in without tiring myself out. 

In the 20 books, there were books that I picked up because everybody said you had to read it. After the books have been on the shelf for more than eight years, it was time for them to go. I obviously wasn’t interested in the have to read book from eight years ago. I also took out books of things that I would no longer knit and other crafts. 

After all was said and done, I forgot to do my 46 minutes of exercise. I guess it was a squirrel kind of a day. Maybe tomorrow I’ll be more organized. I don’t think I should get that optimistic this late at night.

So I am still counting this day as a win because I finished 2 out of 3 things on my task list.  With a bonus of 20 out of a goal of 5 books leaving the house.