Woke up to Christmas hatching out in the living room. My brother decided it was time to try and see how the furries will deal with trees and decorations.
Our John Deere Santa hanging on the room divider, with mermaid tail looking for a home.
Nutcracker trying to hide the stationary bike.
Dragon coming along.
Challenging piano solosNice easy carols, easy font to read. Fun, quick to master.
More challenging less known carols like the Wookiee one.
All 7 pages of When Christmas Comes Around (Polar Express)Probably the most challenging to me sounds the easiest, Linus and Lucy. And one I want to sing with (and my hands take all my concentration for now) Oh Holy Night.
For next year, I hope I start Christmas music before Halloween. I’d like to be more proficient by this point. And I hope I know those last few songs with very little brush up time.
Oh, in case you need to see how gentle goals help:
I started back to piano last October. The goal: sit and play as long as it’s fun, then move on to something else. At first, I’d only play a song, or five minutes. Today I’ve clocked an hour and a half! And it’s still fun! And I’m not hurting as much as I used to.
Ties waiting for their turn in the light.
The two frogged and reworked. Still not striping up like I’d like.
And a new writing goal: 500 words a day starting today. And work 4 scenes a day on Folie à Plusieurs. But TrackBear is being a BEAR! So I need to find another way to keep track. I did get 637 words in a zoom sprint with Yvensong.
Not so finished as midway or just getting started.
I still had enough of this yarn to make one more pair of socks. Besides I can’t stand to see naked needles. Size 2 40″ Chiaogoo needles TwoAtATime socks, Turkish cast-on done now on increasing section. I’m at 20 stitches per side and foot. I need 32 so 12 more rows to the arch.
My last pair of Yoga socks. These seem so pretty and soft. These are the size 1 Hiya-Hiya Flyers. They take some getting used to, but I’m liking the process more and more.
Watermelon socks are coming along. Size 2 40″ Chiaogoo needles TwoAtATime socks. I’m working on the arches now.
I never quite know what to call these. They are acrylic. Still, the yarn is soft and warm. Thick socks or slipper socks. Size 7 40″ Chiaogoo needles TwoAtATime socks. I need 2 more inches of arch ribbing before the start of the Fleegle Heel.
Bottom third of balloon diamond painting picture is done. I have some Halloween DPs waiting that I am anxious to start.
Well, look at that. I still enjoy Duo. I am sick of ads but I can’t afford the super or max. Still, I’m learning as much as I was way back when everything was free.
I’m still sight reading my way through this book. I am highlighting the ones I really want to work on. Those I will print out and tape together so I won’t have pages to turn.
I’ve made it through the ‘S’s. So much fun!
What I still need to do is NaNo characters and nearly two weeks of Inktober prompts. I tried today but couldn’t seem to get myself together enough. Maybe tomorrow.
Finished the bottom of the DP and now in the basket area.
The sock above is farther along. I think they’re pretty but the work is difficult. Too pretty for yoga socks.
This pair is nearing the heel hole
Watermelon socks arching.
Pinky slipper socks arching.Another pair of Yoga slipper socks nearing the heel hole.
I’ve sight read to the ‘O’s. I wasn’t at all impressed with Ode to Billy Joe. Some songs call for guitar not piano.
It is full fall now. It seemed the leaves turned and are falling within a couple of days. We’re back to dripping faucets and heaters. I’m still rebelling with bare feet. My brother and son still wear shorts with heavy jackets to take out the dog.
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.
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.
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.
About 2/3s finished. Lots of black and dark colors make this a tough one.
Two more inches until the heel.
Scrappy Socks. About an inch until the heel. I have more scraps below.
Should I use this for the heel and ankle?
Two more inches until arch ribbing.
Piano is harder to show progress. Has anyone noticed that once the usual mistakes are eliminated almost regularly, that brand new mistakes pop up? Even still, I think I’m ready to tape another Warts and All. While polishing up old challenges, I have new ones I’m learning bit by bit. I’ll list them later. I’m running out of energy and words.
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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