Well, I reported the finished projects last week, so today I’ll share new projects and progress of others.
My new flower balloon is grounded. The dark drill eyestrain is done.
The yoga socks on the Hiya-Hiya Flyers are coming along. The more I work with these skinny, sharp needles, the more I like them. I just need my stronger glasses to ensure nice stitches.
My experimental yoga socks will teach me, soon, how to leave out a heel. But will I have enough yarn for the ankle? Playing yarn chicken.
The watermelon socks have progressed to the arch.
The slipper socks are coming along.
I’m sight-reading through this book. I’m about halfway through, song titles starting with “I” as in “I’ll Be There”. This is fun. Some songs surprise me. Eleanor Rigby was fun to sing and play. As I play I’m finding the ones that challenge me while being doable. Then I will systematically print them. Then I can learn them well enough to sing.
Having not found a website to track my November novel, I’ve started to prepare anyway. My friend and I got together today to start finding characters. We’ve done it often this way. In person when we could, but now on Zoom.
We take each characteristic, randomly select a trait, and move on to the next.
It’s always a surprise how quickly the new character becomes nearly flesh and blood. As my first character came through, Ervin Norbert Dorris (the name randomly generated in WriteItNow 6.03c) seems a dirty troll under his homemade bridge with an attitude like Dexter. Well, the antagonist showed up first. That’s different.
My friend found a rather strong pretty punk character I think will be quite fun.
How do you start a book? For us the characters seem to people a world. Hopefully, all that prep gives us a start.
Yay! Finished! I need to seal it but I’m starting another balloon diamond painting tomorrow.
I finished a Kindle book, an actual visually read book. I’ll post the review Sunday.
I love socks!
Up to the arches in this pair of Yoga socks.
Ribbing the arch on my watermelon socks.1
Almost to the arch on these slipper socks.
Future scrappy socks. Or should I frog and make yoga slipper socks? I don’t have much of my favorite yarn leftover.
Reawakening an old project. Convertible fingerless glove mittens. They are completely knitted, I just need to sew up the finger bits and attach the mitten part. I sewed one index finger. Nine more to go. Have I mentioned, I don’t like the sewing parts of knitting or crocheting? Ugh. But I feel it’s a good project for a gift or because it’s getting cold.
Look what I found in my piano bench! I’m sight-reading through the book figuring out what songs to concentrate on. Eleanor Rigby I can sing while playing. Most songs are too hard for me to do both.
I’ve skimmed through about a fourth of the book so far.Up, Up and away!
Rather than show you the progress of my projects today, I decided to share the places I am trying to learn from. I am tired of frogging (ripping the knitted fabric apart and starting over) and tinking (knitting backwards). There’s got to be ways to fix mistakes without going to all that. So here are videos I have found helpful. And now I won’t have to re-search the answer every time I need it.
Hopefully I’ll finish the Balloon Diamond Painting by next week. I like the pretty colors, but all the dark skies are hard on my eyes.I hope I have enough of this yarn for a full pair of at least anklets.Because my friend and I seem to go through our heels and sometimes toes, I found a pattern in A La Carte Toes -Up book.https://a.co/d/7XRqJGT
The thing is, there aren’t many YouTubes teaching open-toe cast-on for two at a time, magic loop, long cable needles. In this case Chiaogoo 40″. Still by casting on (long-tail) 1/2 of sock one, drop 1st sock yarn, pick up sock yarn 2. Long tail cast-on first half of sock two. I used a marker between front and back, then cast-on second half of sock two. Slide down sock two. Pinch and pull to divide front and back by magic loop. Now finish casting on second half of first sock.
It is fiddly at first, but now it’s coming together. The pattern calls for stockinette stitch between toes and heel. But I plan on an inch of stockinette then the arch ribbing that feels so good.
Another slipper sock pair. This is my favorite yarn.This is a fun yarn. But fine yarn and needles make it more difficult.Finally, Sammie wanted to be a part of the blog. He’s a small tiger now and so very confident.
I hope to add a Warts and All video next week. I have four songs that are working on me.
Finished Scrappy Socks. I still need to sew in ends.
I can’t leave the needles empty so I’ve cast on (Turkish) the toes.
Finally made it to the balloon and the sky.
Since I got back from camping, I’m so tired. Exercise and piano times are less this week. But unpacking and laundry are done. Maybe energy will come next week.
The colorful balloon diamond painting is more than halfway finished.
The Fleegle Heel Scrappy Socks are an ankle from being finished. I have quite a bit of that pretty yarn left to start my next pair.
This week I’ve been busy planning for company and a camping trip this next week. I wish I could take Milo but the camping spot would cost us two vintage ladies more for the site. So the guys will bach it while we try to show that over 70 ladies can rough it. We did it before, a couple years ago. We can do it again.
I may not have a lot of time to blog. But maybe I’ll share a picture or two.
I can’t wait! And I’m grateful for the motivation to clean up a bit, too.
Here is where I keep myself accountable to me for progress on projects of my passions. But yesterday I got behind and then ahead on this episode.
Sometimes I feel I make other people feel inferior through my checklist. Please don’t. I feel inferior to everyone else in that I’m sure they’re getting other stuff done that they don’t even need to report because they are so good at getting their adulting jobs done that I feel guilty not getting done or just overlook, like dishes and shampooing. The same 24 hours is all we get and we make choices of what we can do. What we need to do. And what we can’t wait to do, leaving other necessities hanging with futile hopes.
And since this blog is attached to ‘Warts and All’ I’ll start with what hasn’t gotten done. My husband asked me today why I haven’t been playing the uke, recorder, or violin. Well, I thank Mrs. Skinner for this sidetrack path straightener.
When I got sick of practicing piano and ready to quit lessons, she came up with this bait and switch. Forced practice came from Mom. But I adore my teacher. She sent me home with her ukulele. It helped so much in bringing me back to the piano.
So in hopes of keeping my music alive I tried the recorders and strings. And sure enough it worked.
When my dad was in the rest home over a decade ago, the lady in the room next to his played her piano all the time. I decided I wanted to grow up to be her, or Huge Lauri of House fame. He would sit down and just play, no sheet music just music.
I’ve been stuck with eye music since I was 5 years old. My goal this time is to learn to improvise and play. Still, there is so much to learn to get to that stage of free-playing. The other instruments help with learning chords and meandering melodies. And a change of positions. So I need to get back to them sometimes.
Shiloh sleeps waiting for me.
Shiloh makes it hard to skip piano. So I’ll need to plug in other musical play elsewhere in my day.
Scrap socks 1 Milo refuses to look.
Scrap socks 2
Watermelon socks
Blue boho socks. Not much progress for research booklets.
Duo still rides my stationary bike managing a few lessons for the half-hour 4-5 miles on #3 grade. So… There’s that.
I think I did a row or two here. After frogging back several rows. I’m sharing the cakes with the socks to show the way it looks knitted or wound. I love these colors.
It may not look like it, but I did spend time on the watermelon socks. I still have an inch or two before the arch ribbing.
This sea turtle is coming along. This one has a lot of black. I find black yarn or diamonds hard on my eyes.
Some things seem harder to see progress.
Milo looks sweet and innocent when he’s asleep, but OMG!!! He takes over my bed and when I try to find my spot on the bed, he gets grumpy. Yet, at times, that cuddle bug feels like Heaven, you know?
He understands outside pee time but comes back in to leave a surprise in the hallway right next to the kitty litter.
Oh, the barking! I remember with Kali, all the energy, many of the same issues. I used to say having a dog was 100% harder than raising 4 kids. Yet with love the issues faded and when she passed… Well, I’m still not over her. So I know Milo will get it and the rest of my heart. Any hints to help with these issues? Cats are easy!
On the plus side, these guys are the best audience, source of laughter, and love in furry suits.
On the piano end of things I surprised myself with a whole hour of fun a couple days this week. AND with the discomfort and lack of sleep, my bike time reduced every day but today. I finally got 40 minutes today. Yay!
I have 3 reviews to write. Yeah, being uncomfortable in bed makes me sit up and read. Lots of reading. I like reading in the quiet of night.
How was your week? What positive progress have you seen in your life?
My newest sea turtle diamond painting is nearly 1/3 done.
I haven’t done but a row or two on my watermelon socks. Still not up to the arch ribbing.
See the yellow marker? I was ribbing along while chatting and oopsed. So now I have to tink back a couple rows. Darn!
My hands were longing for larger needles. So I started on scrappy socks. See how much faster the larger needles and yarn move along? Already to the arch ribbing. Turkish cast-on, 8, increase toe to 16. Then knit until arch. Then knit, purl until time for Fleegle Heel.
My son told me I would love the Skyrim Theme. He’s right. There are a lot of YouTubes to hear it for now. Soon I’ll do a Warts and All with all I’m working on.
My favorite song, played often on Grey’s Anatomy, Chasing Cars. Every time I hear it I cry. I don’t know why exactly. Now I’m enjoying learning how to play and sing it. Next to that song, is God Bless The Child. The closest to ready of all. It is so much fun to play.
I’m starting to relent and do scales and exercises, hence Hanon’s 1st exercise. Almost polished Ash Grove. Still working Con Te Partiro, another favorite.
And for my constant audience member in my Dabbling Den, Shilo for Shiloh. It’s coming along. I seem to be learning more about improv on this one. Daylight is HARD so I’m taking a measure or two at a time. And I’m still loving Succession.
And Italian is my favorite on Duolingo keeping me going.
Just following my passions. Book reviews coming soon.
Working on my series: Haven.
Doodler (zendoodle.com)
Music major: voice and piano
Mom of four great adults
Reiki II practitioner
I have been on disability/retired for 10 years now from depression, anxiety and fibromyalgia.
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