Sunday, December 13, 2015

snow days

Yesterday it snowed allllll day long.  Best part is that I didn't have anywhere I needed to be so I got to have a real snow day!  Cozy and snug in the house while it snowed as much as it liked outdoors.
I received a much anticipated parcel yesterday in the mail!  I actually won something!!!  This is from Leigh, which she has the blog Louleigh.  Click on the link to her blog and she also has a podcast and etsy shop which are all linked on her blog.  But anyway, I found her from the Bakery Bears Ravelry forum.  Her comments were clever and funny so I checked out her profile, which had a link....and you know how that rabbit hole goes! ha!  On one of her recent podcasts she was talking about Shetland Wool Week and said she'd like to offer a giveaway of a tote and pattern booklet.  And I won!

Look at that cute sheepie tote!!!  It's pretty huge!  Also she put some little extra goodies which was very nice.  I just have to say how special it is to connect with others over this crazy internet.  To find people who share this fibery hobby, that are in so many ways kindred spirits.  When I started my blog I was totally copying my friend Jennifer, Rosey Little Things.  I saw her blog, sharing her crafts and thrifts and such and I felt a pull of "I could do that". Not so much in a competitive way but more like I wanted to be a part of it.  

I haven't ever sought followers, or tried to be hugely "out there" if you know what I mean.  Because my blog has also been very personal and a journal.  But!  The connections to others that get what I do is priceless to me.  All that to say I'm so glad to have "met" Leigh :)

This morning I was shoveling a little path from the back door out to the craft house and I heard a cracking sound.  But didn't see anything.  Back in the house I saw out the window that branch had fallen in the park across the street!  Yikes!  Good thing it wasn't on a car or house.
Rocky does appreciate the little path I made.  He could almost blend into the background!

So yesterday I finished the quilting on these pillows.  The top one is a gift for Jan and I had actually gotten it all finished last weekend.  The bottom one I am keeping because it came out pretty wonky in the center.  Sometimes quilting can sort of camouflage imperfections and I think it did help but still pretty noticeable.
 I do really love it still!

In knitting news I started a new project.  Because Christmas.  It's a bankhead hat.  I started it Tuesday and haven't really given it as much time as I should.  The yarn is Madelinetosh sport in the colorway Aura.
This morning I clipped Rocky's nails, which he HATES! and fights me horribly.  Well, repeatedly pulls his paws away just as I'm trying to line up the clippers.  Here he is trying to avoid looking at me.  But, we got it done and now I can tell his feet do feel, in fact, better!  He acts like I abuse him while I'm trying to clip!  Maybe he had a traumatic puppy experience before we had him? idk.
While I've been writing the sun has come out!  And there are strips of blue sky peeking out.  I do have to go out today, stock up on food for the week.  And I'm going to meet Jan to watch Mockingjay 2, which I've already seen but wanted to see again.  That will be a nice wrap up to the weekend!  I hope you're all keeping cozy and well.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

festivity

I made this pillow cover yesterday.  About this time every year it dawns on me that it's almost Christmas and some people might expect gifts.  And I don't really want to be embarrassed by not having anything to give.  But anyway, I came across this tutorial for this fair isle pillow which is kind of based on a fair isle Christmas quilt.  I had seen the quilt before but thought it was just too many small pieces for me to enjoy doing an entire quilt.  But a pillow?  yes!  

I changed the middle spires to green instead of red, I thought it may look a little Christmasy with more green.  And!  I finally got to use the striped fabric I bought at Hobby Lobby for binding.  I love it.

So today, I thought I'd make a couple more.  One for myself and one possibly for (maybe!) a craft fair box.  They both turned out a bit wonky in the centers.  The one on the right is super wonky.  I realized too late that I wasn't using my 1/4 inch foot.  Which really is a bigger than 1/4 inch seam but at least my points match up when I use it.  So! lesson learned.  Maybe once I quilt them it won't be as noticeable?

I do like the pattern.  It's festive without being tied down to only Christmas.  I think these can be used longer than just December.  I'm almost ready to quilt up the two I sewed today, then buy a couple pillow forms and be good to go.

I don't know if I mentioned that I put up my Christmas decorations last weekend.  I decided to just do it right at the beginning of December so the time wouldn't get away from me.  I've been enjoying the multicolored lights.  And I have my light up village set up and my nutcracker collection too.  I didn't get pics of those.

It's been really cold so it feels nice and cozy inside.  Oh! I just remembered I have some hot chocolate :) that will be nice tonight after dinner.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

build up let down

I'm not sure how or when it started, but I don't get excited about things.  I do and I don't.  Big things I don't until it's a concrete, for sure, actual thing.  I know it throws a lot of people off.  Things that other people get excited about I suppress until it is happening.

Recently I had something come up that I suppressed my excitement about in my usual manner.  But it wormed it's way into my mind.  I started planning for it.  Hoping for it.  Picturing things.  Then it didn't happen.

Which is why, precisely, that I don't get excited!  So then what do you do?  Can you dial it back down?  Sure, there are other things, opportunities....but then the comparison happens.  And nothing else quite satisfies.  Then I think why did I even ever think I could do/have that thing?  What if it wasn't meant to be anyway?

Constantly putting a damper on myself sometimes is tiresome.  But so is disappointment.  December is a hard month for me so I need to be gentle.  I am having more days that I don't want to get out of bed.  I have to drag myself.  I do it, I do what is necessary to survive, buy food and shelter.  Work is a good distraction, it is always busy - keeps my mind busy and the days go fast.  I am so thankful for my job and the people I work with.

I don't really have a point to this post.  I'm not ready to put it out there what has been going on.  It's nothing relationship related, there is no love life.  Just in case anyone may wonder in that direction.  Ha!  I can't even imagine....