Yarn along....and getting a move on....

Good morning everyone!  It is Wednesday, and we are Yarning Along with Ginny and joining in with Tami's Amis' Work in Progress  and Ambassador Crochet today!

Well, the morning is starting a bit better than last Wednesday....although it is Vermont, there is no snow on the ground, and therefore, no shoveling to be done....

But I admit, it seems strange....temps in the 40's and 50's at this time of year is completely odd....and it makes it a bit difficult to get ready for the holidays.

I do need to get in gear and get moving!  I have crafts to finish!!

Now that the emerald shawl is complete, and the felted slippers are packed away, the only project currently on my list for the holidays is this teal shawl.  I am hoping at it will continue to come together well - and with a fish net stitch (my new favorite, I think), it has been speeding along....about 1/4 the way through at this point. 

The reading list is moving along as well.  Thanks to BookSneeze, I am reading my way through Softly & Tenderly by Sara Evans. 
\

I admit, it was the pretty cover that attracted me ;)  But, unfortunately, I think there was a predecessor to this one...'cause I am a bit lost in the first few chapters.  Once I battle on, through, I am sure I will figure it all out :)

Well, that is all on this end :)  Head on over to Ginny's, Tami's, and Ambassador's Crochet other interesting ventures into fiber and literary fun.

I will see you there!

A little holiday decorating!

Hi everyone!!  Once again, I am early...but here we go!  Onward to join in with Tonya at Plain and Joyful Living, for the Handmade Holiday!!

And this week - we are all about holiday decorating!

We have never really gotten into decorating the outside of the abode for the holidays, but this year, we are making an exception.



Along with little fairy lights, we used the trimmings of a fir tree at the border of our property to gather fragrant boughs.  They were twined up with the bindings of the last bales of hay (upcycling as its best ;)  ) to secure to the plant hangers attached to the porch columns.

And, to top it all off - an older and unused pillowcase was taken apart and used for decorative bows.  I am loving the plaid :)

For more fun in the Handmade Holiday venue, head on over the Tonya's site, Plain and Joyful Living.  I will see you there!

Finished!!!

I am soooo excited!!  I can finally join in with Tami's Amis for the FO Friday!

'Cause...I have finished the felted slippers!!

Before:

After: 

The pattern was easy and a bit 'by the cuff.  I used a double half crochet stitch on the round for the toe, and then changed to simple rows for the rest of the sole.  I did a mirror of the sole to stitch to the bottom to work as reinforcement.  I used Patons Classic Wool Roving for the fiber - which was a dream to work with.  I HIGHLY recommend!

What is next, you ask?

Just check this out!!

 

"Perfect holiday gift for the chicken who has everything!"

By: Knit and Crochet Now!

 

I have gotta give this a try!!  Huge thanks to my FB friends for passing this along!!

For other FO Friday fun, check in with Tami at Tami's Amis - I will see you there!!

Giving thanks on Thanksgiving...

To all of my friends celebrating the day, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

We have much to give thanks for on this day....

I am thankful for my family...

my daughter who spent a peaceful morning coloring a beautiful picture of turkeys....

my son who is trying to tackle Star Wars on the Wii....

and...

my husband who stole the espresso I just brewed for myself....

I am thankful for my extended family - especially my mother who is roasting a turkey and preparing a spread to feast upon...

and all of our friends who continuely touch our lives with their blessed presence....

We are very lucky...

and very thankful.

Snow and Fiber...and some shoveling....

Good morning everyone!  It is Wednesday, and we are Yarning Along with Ginny and joining in with Tami's Amis' Work in Progress  and Ambassador Crochet today!

And I am totally late!!

As you can see, we had the first snow fall of the year....much of the morning was spent shoveling....only wish I had a pic of the chickens...those ladies were none too pleased by the cold wet stuff this morning....

But, I have had some time for handcrafting - I have finally gotten into the felted slipper project - I am nearly ready for the felting stage!!  Just want to build up the slipper sides and add some more bulk to the sole...and we will be on our way!

And....I am running towards a four day weekend!!!!  Can't wait to see what I can accomplish with all that time!  Unless, of course, if gets filled with more shoveling and housework...hmmm...will have to work on that...

Well, that is all on this end :)  Head on over to Ginny's, Tami's, and Ambassador's Crochet other interesting ventures into fiber and literary fun.

I will see you there!

An Amish Wedding...a book review :)

So...I don't think that I mentioned this to anyone, but I signed up to review books with BookSneeze.com....and I just finished my first book.   So, without further ado, it is time to tell you what I really think!

What is the book, you ask?  It is An Amish Wedding, by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, and Kelly Long.

At this title, I bet I have some friends shaking their heads...Amish?  Lee Ann?  She can't even pass for kind-of religious!

Well, it is true.  I don't go much for organized religion, but there is just something about Amish fiction that I love.

And, that is how I felt about this book.  I absolutely loved it!  I found it to be a more modern, refreshing take on the Amish, showing how bits of the English can at time seep in the corners.  And, at the end of the day, it is family and their beliefs that tie them together.

The book is written by three women, who in turn tell the tales of three different Amish women.  And these tales are focused around one community during the busy Amish wedding season.

In A Perfect Secret, Rose readies herself to marry her best friend, while at the same time, longing for a bit more excitement and intrigue for her life.  In A Perfect Match, Naomi, the older sister of Priscilla, Rose's best friend, meets  a new young man who has come to town for the celebration Priscella's marriage to Chester.  And in A Perfect Plan, we learn more about Priscilla as she trys oh-so-hard to plan the most perfect wedding to her fiance, Chester.

These interweavings storylines hug you tight and pull you right in.  They are engaging, hopeful, and spirited, and I can't wait to see what these authors do next!

Handmade holiday...just a bit early....

OK....I am a bit early, but....it is the week of Thanksgiving....and the holidays are nearly on the doorstep....and I just couldn't wait anymore.

So, here I am - early...and joining in with Tonya over at Plain and Joyful Living, for the Handmade Holiday!!

I actually have some projects to share!  Now that the emerald shawl is complete, I am moving towards two other projects - a second shawl, to gift to another close family member, and the felted slippers I have been planning for over a month.

The projects are moving along faster, with the shawl in a fishnet stitch, and the slippers crafting up in a bulky yarn.  My only issue is that I ran out of yarn for the slippers before I was finished!  Back to the yarn store we must go!

For more fun in the Handmade Holiday venue, head on over the Tonya's site, Plain and Joyful Living.  I will see you there!

Relax....

This weekend, I am trying to focus on relaxing.

I say "trying" because it is actually very difficult to do.  I have such a huge desire to be productive and speedy fast at everything, that sitting down just to relax seems very foreign.

However, I had a bit of a wake up call on Friday. 

For as long as I can remember, I have been a very stressed, high strung kind of person.  I try not to let this show, but it is what it is.  And, lately, this stress has become down right painful.

My back hurts, my neck aches, and my face is so tense, it is positively painful to eat an apple.  Crazy, right?

So, wanting something different, I went to a chiropractor on Friday.  And I learned I was all kinds of messed up.  My high stress level, compounded with my extreme caffeine habit, has now made it virtually impossible to relax my body. 

Unbelievable! 

But, the doctor fixed and straightened me out.  And I have learned a very, very important lesson. 

Relaxation is an important part of living.

Now, if only I can remember this.....and put down the coffee pot....

Road block!!

We were rushing to get the kids to school this morning....only to find a road block along our normal route ;)

The emerald shawl....mission completion!

Good morning everyone!  It is Wednesday, and we are Yarning Along with Ginny and joining in with Tami's Amis' Work in Progress  and Ambassador Crochet today!

It was a busy weekend, with the husband away at "deer" camp, but I found plenty of time to work on my handicrafts.  And I am sooo excited to announce that the emerald green shawl is DONE!!!

Before: 

After:

I haven't started up another project yet, nor have I mustered the drive to take the ever-so-slightly disassembled hat from last weeks post...but it is a comfortable kind of stand-still.  And, I do need to finish up my daughter's blanket...but, hey!  We will get there!

On this exciting Wednesday, I did, however, want to introduce Justsama Creations, a new Etsy handicrafter that I connected with over the weekend.  



Justsama Creations!

The artist is Samantha and she works alongside her husband Justin to create joyful and whimsical handicrafts.  I find it impossible not to feel a delightful lifting of the heart at just viewing her creations!  She lives ocean side, and therefore brings plenty of the spirit of the sea to her Art. 

And currently, she is donating a percentage of her profits to benefit their local school's art department, which underwent a severe budget cut this school year.  Please visit and enjoy :)



Well, that is all on this end :)  Head on over to Ginny's, Tami's, and Ambassador's Crochet other interesting ventures into fiber and literary fun.

I will see you there!

A Handmade Holiday, and a new Etsy friend!

Happy Monday everyone!  This day is back again, made sweeter by the opportunity to join in with Tonya at Plain and Joyful Living, for the Handmade Holiday.

The weekend was busy, but a great kind of busy.  I was able to tackle much of the home chores, and put in a great amount work on the emerald shawl.  And in less then 2 months, it will be traveling to its new home in the rush of holiday giving.

Next up is another shawl for a different family member - this time in a teal.  I haven't quite decided on the stitch and pattern to use, but I know it will soon come to me.

I also wanted to take a moment in this post to share an Etsy vendor I have recently visited.  The artist is Samantha, and she brings such joy and whimsy to her craft, I find it impossible not to feel a delightful lifting of the heart at just viewing her creations.  She is fairly new to the Etsy marketplace, so I wanted to share her site here so that others of similiar mind and heart might enjoy her creations as well.   Her site is Justsama at Etsy- please visit and enjoy :)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Handmade Holiday Monday!

And, for other Handmade Holiday fun, stop on by at Tonya's site Plain and Joyful Living - I will see you there!

A busily peaceful weekend...

The weekend is nearly through with us...and what a weekend it has been.

The husband retreated to the side of a mountain in celebration of the hunting seasons so the children and I were left to our own devices.  While I missed him, as always, we found so much to keep us busy.

Friday night was spent in a celebration of community as the kids and I (and a friend of my daughter as well) gathered at the local elementary school for a movie night.  It was such a wonderful experience, seeing families gathered together, kids, clad in pajamas, relishing in the joy of being let loose in the gymnasium after hours.  I can't think of why we hadn't gone previously.  This will definitely be a repeat event for our family.

And, as a side note, this experience was made all that much sweeter by the vote earlier in the week not to merger our little school with a neighboring one.  I know that this might sound dramatic, but I fear that a vote to merge school would be just one step from closing ours...  I can understand how such a move could be a great cost cutting measure for the town, but I would hate to lose our small school with its safe and comfortable feel...it is such a treasure...

But, to get back on topic...after an evening out at the "movies" it was back home for a late tuck in for the kids.  And once all was quiet, I found it hard to go to sleep.  I loved the quiet of the house and spent way too long that evening reading by the dim living room lamp.

Saturday was spent at home, cooking and cleaning, enjoying the moments with my children.  Even the cats were at peace, both curling up on corners of the couch, strangely resembling throw pillows with an occasional wide mouthed yawn.

And now, the children are gathered upstair, watching a movie and building their lego creations.  I have prepped the crock pot with chops and sweet potatoes that were grown from our own soil.  NPR is playing on the radio, and shortly I will pull out my nearly finished emerald green shawl in hopes of releasing it from its hook later in the day.

What a busily peaceful weekend...

Early morning in the chicken yard...

It is Saturday, and we had the blessed pleasure to wait until daylight to let the chickens out.  The feathered ladies are full of energy this morning.





Sugar's molting season seems to be coming to an end as her white plummage begins to return with avengance.



Cinnamon would prefer not to share the coveted blue water dish this morning.  We will have to have a chat about sharing with this one!



Rudy and Spark are all business as they set to eating the leftover popcorn from last night's movie fun.







It is a busy morning in the chicken yard this brisk Saturday!

Wonder if we even might get some eggs from these ladies?  Hmmm...well....let's not set our sights too high with this bunch! ;)

Home early...

A cold and wet November afternoon on the homestead....  and I am actually home.  It is kind of surreal being here, having left the office early to pick the kids up from school....

Usually it is the husband who pulls the evening shift, but today, we mixed things up.  Having left for "deer" camp around mid-day, the husband is gone for the weekend. 

And knowing that the afternoon pickup duties would come to me, I fled the homestead early to squeeze a few extra hours in at the office...therefore leaving early on the other end.

And, now we are here. 

I would love to brew a cup of espresso, cuddle under the blankets and just indulge for an hour or two.  Watch the ice-edged rain drops descend from the sky, only to create uneven patterns upon the porch.

I might just do that.



A step forward, followed by a step back....

Good morning everyone!  It is Wednesday, and we are Yarning Along with Ginny and joining in with Tami's Work in Progress  and Ambassador Crochet today!

This past weekend, I had a goal of housework and handicrafting.  I wanted to end Sunday with a clean house and some finished projects.

However, as is often the case, as soon as I focus on such a goal, little road blocks start to appear...

Much of the house was cleaned, but the handicrafting was a one step forward, two steps back sort of affair.

I added some rows to my daughter's blanket, but it is still far from finished.  I did add quite a few rows to the shawl I am crafting as a gift for the holiday season, and can now say that it is approximstely one third of the way done.

But the hat that was nearly finished last week?  Well, that is another story.

The dear hat was nearly finished, just another half hour to put in for a few more rows, and it would be complete.  But I put it off...and put it off some more...  And when my kids decided that they wanted to make a "trap" in the living room for "alligators", and wanted to use some yarn that they had found to do so, I said no problem.  I was cleaning afterall, and happy for the peace such playtime provided.

That is, until I saw the yarn they were using....they didn't realize it at the time, but the bundle of gray yarn that was being pullled and tangled around the room was connected it to the nearly-done hat....which is no longer so nearly-done....

But, the kids did have fun...and that's the important part, right?  Right???

Well, that is all on this end :)  Head on over to Ginny's, Tami's, and Ambassador's Crochet other interesting ventures into fiber and literary fun.

I will see you there!

A handmade holiday....the count down is on!

So....now that it is November, the Christmas commercials have taken over the television, and you can tell....the count down is on!!

The days until the holidays are ticking away.  And I am realizing that I need to bring my focus to the larger items that I am planning to gift, so that I can be certain they will be ready for their new homes... 

Therefore, on this great day, I am psyched to be joining in with Tonya over at Plain and Joyful Living, for the Handmade Holiday!!

The large project that I am speaking of is the emerald woolen shawl I am working on.  The pattern is coming to me more naturally, the more that I work on it, and I am already thinking about trying in again after this shawl is complete, in a different fiber.  Something with a bit more shine, perhaps? :)

For more fun in the Handmade Holiday venue, head on over the Tonya's site, Plain and Joyful Living.  I will see you there!

Frost has fallen

Yesterday, upon arriving home with the kids from school, the sky was angrily spitting wet snow at us...but, of course, this being Vermont, this weather changed in less than five minutes as the sun shone and the blue sky tried to beckon us outside. And, of course, no sooner had I contemplated heading outside did everything change and rain began to fall.  Such is Fall in Vermont.

And this morning, frost has fallen....in crusty, crunchy coatings upon each blend of grass.  Early this morning, I was was trekking to the side yard in order to compost the guinea pig bedding, and felt each individual strand break under foot.  I nearly stopped in place, not wanting to cause any more damage...but remembering my seven year old, guarding the laundry basket that was temporary housing for her tiny fuzzy friends, defending against possible attacks of the feline inhabitants of our house...I trekked on.

The chickens were none to pleased by the frost either.  In the midst of their molting season, most are half naked and exposed to the cold.  I hope their downy winter feathers arrive soon....for I know that snow is just around the corner.

So, we are inside for now, and being inside brings a certain comfort.  The kids are currently hard at work on floor puzzles, and none of us have changed out of our sleepwear.  I may cuddle under a blanket for a spell, and continue work on some handicrafts... Such will be our morning. 

I hope you all are enjoying a slice of the same :)

Twilight in Vermont...

The scene was so beautiful, I just had to stop and take a picture.

We are so blessed to live here...

Taking stock....of my fiber world

Good morning everyone!  It is Wednesday, and we are Yarning Along with Ginny and joining in with Tami's Work in Progress  and Ambassador Crochet today!

Now that the immediate tax filing deadline of October 31st has been met and gone by, the focus on the home has returned.  In taking stock of the large canvas bag that holds all of my works in progress, I see that I have several in the mix. 

The gray hat is nearly complete, needing just a few more rounds before it gets to a wearable stage.  The green shawl, on the other hand, needs a great deal more attention if it is going to be complete before the holidays.  And, the little Virginia Rose is going to need about 11 more companions before a small table centerpiece can be formed.

I think I have some good fiber work in my future.

On the reading front....well, not much is happening....I am nearly done with the audio book I was listening to, and am excited to return it and pick up another when I am at the library next.  I downloaded some reading on to my phone, for some literary fun on the go, but quickly realized that these downloads were of very short stories.  Being a lover of lengthy reading or triologies, I am left wanting for something a bit more. 

Any suggestions?  Would love some ideas for something in the fiction-fiber-homesteading-supernatural-etc... venue!!

Well, that is all on this end :)  Head on over to Ginny's, Tami's, and Ambassador's Crochet other happy ventures into fiber and literary fun.

I will see you there!