Tag Archives: everythingiscoolandgroovyghan

Sep4

A week of WIPs

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Another week has whizzed by, though it didn’t feel like it at the time! In this heat, I am gasping for some cloudy, rainy, cool days, but we are still experiencing hot sun, 30 plus degrees (90+F), dry and smoky air.

A new wildfire started just a couple of days ago (photo above is from the day it started, viewed from our house). In the first day, it grew to 100 hectares, overnight it grew to 1000, and now I think it’s around 1500. It’s on the southern edge of a town south of us, and thankfully not heading towards the main residential area but into the forest. However the town south of that one is now threatened. Some people have been evacuated, others on notice to be ready just in case.

The crazy thing is that the vast majority of these fires are human caused. A discarded cigarette butt is often the reason and one moment’s carelessness is all it takes.

So what’s been going on in my crochet world? I did work on the Everything is Cool and Groovyghan a little bit. (I blogged about this on July 21st and showed you a photo of the progress.) Well, I’m just not enjoying the next part of the CAL. It requires a bunch of fiddling with little rectangular bits that stand up on their own and get filled in on the next row. Not feeling it!

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(A quick evening shot – the brown and green rows are the latest ones and I don’t like them.)

The three bags/baskets of DK are going down to my craft room tonight along with this WIP so that I can put it in time out while I consider its fate.

I have been loving this WIP, however…

The yarn is Katia Polaris which a kind Raveler sent me a little while ago. I only have one skein and decided to start out with 3 stitches and work Tunisian Simple Stitch, increasing at the beginning of every alternate row, until the yarn runs out. The colours are very vibrant and I always find this stitch very meditative.

Today I started playing with some Phildar Phil Techno that a friend gave me ages ago. After experimenting with knitting needles and crochet hooks without success, and asking for ideas on a Facebook crochet group, I am using a 5mm crochet hook and some Red Heart with Love to actually crochet around the thick rubber ‘yarn’ to make a coaster or hot pad. So far it’s going well.

I am off to the kitchen now to help clean up. Tai Chi Man has been busy, taking out the old range hood (cooker hood) which is a dated colour, rusty and inefficient. Of course, with an old house, fitting a new appliance to an existing space is always going to be a challenge and this one is no different. He has been adding bits of wood to the opening and messing about with wires and has run out of time as far as fitting in the new hood.

I’m glad he is such a Mr Fixit and has oodles of experiences at DIY and installations. I’m sure it’s saved us thousands of dollars over the years.

If you’re in North America, I hope you enjoyed your Labour Day. Roll on fall/autumn!

 

Jul21

Fabulous Friday

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Let’s see, what do I have to share with you today? I probably should have got out of bed earlier this morning. I was up at about 7, and had to be at work by 9.15. So the first thing was to grab my lemon water and cup of tea, and then get on with making a pot of chili. It took about an hour to get everything going in the pressure cooker but it was a great way to use up the beans in the fridge and freezer, some spinach, Swiss chard, a couple of mushrooms, some grated carrot, a partial can of diced tomatoes and so on.

We used to have “refrigerator soup” most Fridays before I started working at Fabricland, because we always did our weekly shop on Saturdays and it was nice to clear out the wilting vegetables. Our routine is not so set in stone any more, because my shifts are all over the place. This week my only shifts were a five hour stretch last night plus an eight hour one today. I had a busy morning but because we are open until 9pm on Fridays we have more staff arriving at lunchtime to see us through to closing, and a couple of us were able to leave early today. So I’ve only actually earned ten hours worth of pay this week.

So to get back to the chili, and the fact that I put in a couple of loads of laundry and hung one load outside on the line, and had to eat breakfast and make a lunch, I didn’t have time to meditate this morning. And I actually missed it! It’s only Day 4 but I already feel it’s something I want to keep doing. So when I was told I could go home early if I wanted, I jumped at the chance (as usual) and fitted in my 35 minute session before dinner.

Awesome!

I also had time to review the slideshow that I have put together for a presentation I’m making tomorrow night. This presentation, which I’m calling Wholistic Nutrition, has been scheduled for months and I had started writing things down and mulling over how it was all going to come together back in May or June. With the deadline looming, I discovered Google Slides, which is a free Powerpoint type tool which is easy to use. Using the material I wrote weeks ago, plus some text from my blog posts on Grains, Greens, Berries and Beans (my whole-food plant-based blog), plus some nifty photos from Pixabay (free Creative Commons pictures), I found that doing a slideshow was a better way to get my thoughts in order and present everything attractively.

I sound like an advertisement, don’t I!

I ended up putting the whole thing together in a day, with a couple of tweaks since, and I even had to get a bit of advice from my techie sons about changing my display to incorporate two screens, as my laptop will hook up to a projector. I feel a bit nervous about relying heavily on technology, and just in case my speaker notes aren’t visible while the slideshow is playing I will be printing them out.

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I do actually have two WIPs to show you. I have finished and joined Parts 1 to 5 of the Everything is Cool and Groovyghan CAL 2016. Part 6 is a long strip that attaches to this piece, and I had to wonder why it was made separately when I could just work it straight onto the piece I already had. So what I did was crochet a row of sc along the edge of the joined blocks (after I took this photo) instead of making a row of foundation sc, and whilst I have a few extra stitches I think it will be okay (famous last words) as I think the pattern repeat for part 6 is a multiple of 5 plus 2, and I have 172 stitches. This is only five more than the pattern calls for so I think I’m good.

Good grief, that photo makes the blocks look so wonky. There’s going to have to be some serious blocking when all the parts are joined.

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This is my other WIP. It’s the Kanata Kerchief Tank, available as a free Ravelry download. It’s a pretty top, made quite simply with four large squares, partially joined and finished to make the shoulder straps. It calls for a DK yarn so I’m using a new yarn to me, Scheepjes Linen Soft, and a 6mm hook.

I figured that this top should be the priority, so that I can wear it this summer, and then I’ll probably follow that up with the toddler dress with the pink Linen Soft. I’m really looking forward to making that.

I also managed to binge watch Season Six of ‘Suits’ on Netflix this week. There are only 10 episodes and I’m 99% sure there won’t be another season, considering how it ended, but I could be wrong. (Who, me?)

Wishing you all a happy sunny weekend. Have fun, stay healthy, be happy!

 

 

Jul15

WIP: blanket, FO: hat, OMG: heat!

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I hope you are enjoying a lovely weekend wherever you are. I have a surprise five-day-off stretch, thanks to booking Monday off to take the kids to the dentist, and I intend to make the most of it.

It’s all crochet today but two very different projects. This little hat is made with Loops & Threads Facets, a discontinued yarn that I picked up at Michaels  a while back. (No pattern, I just make hats top down until they look about the right size!)

When I have a large project on the go, I like to throw in some small, quick ones to stop me from getting bored. This is bulky yarn, I used a big hook, and I made it (hopefully) child-sized so I can send it to my great-niece. I have a few things in the pipeline for her so will send a parcel later this year.

I’m still waiting for a package from Wool Warehouse – it’s been over a week and as you probably know time drags when you’re excited about getting something in the mail. Especially yarn! I will take photos to show you when it arrives.

My WIP is the Everything is Cool and Groovyghan blanket CAL. I have to say, there’s nothing cool around here, as we have had a run of 32 – 34 degree weather (90 – 95 Fahrenheit) and the only respite has been when I have been working in an air-conditioned store.

I wouldn’t mind too much if the nights were cooler but sometimes you go to bed and you can barely stand having a sheet over you. Yuk!

Anyhoo, here are some photos of the progress. I did intend to go out on the deck and get some better ones but right now it’s too darned hot and windy outside. So I quickly laid things out on my bed, took a few pics, and dashed back to the couch in front of the big fan.

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This is the overview – part 1 of the CAL was the strip of grannies at the top – part 2 were the popcorn blocks – part 3 the ripple blocks – part 4 the large central granny – and part 5 is currently under construction. Part 5 is two blocks, each made up of eight small squares.

As you can see, this is looking pretty scrappy.

And I have rather a lot of ends to weave in.

When my new yarn arrives, I will probably neglect this WIP a bit as I want to make the Kanata Kerchief Tank (Ravelry link as it’s a free Ravelry download) for myself. I ordered a linen blend (Scheepjes Linen Soft, I think) in a soft grey, thinking I’d wear a colourful tank or tee underneath. Now I’m wondering whether a bright yarn would have been better with a neutral tank underneath, but it’s too late to second-guess myself now. I also ordered three balls of the same yarn in a deep pink so that I can make a cute little toddler dress with a crocheted bodice and a fabric skirt (this one). And two shade cards will be in the package, one for Stylecraft Special DK and one for Scheepjes Colour Crafter. Oooh!

Well, my brain is cooked and I need to go shower and cool off. Have an awesome Sunday and I’ll be back as soon as my Wool Warehouse parcel gets here.

 

Jul1

WIP: Everything is Cool and Groovyghan ctd

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So last time I wrote, I showed you Parts 1 and 2 of the Groovyghan. Part 1 was the Tri-tonal traditional granny square, except I did it with five colours, not three. Part 2 was the Hot-Butter Popcorn panel.

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Part 3 involves two blocks named On the Groovy Waves which are about 10 inches square. I’m not paying too much attention to my gauge. I’m going to make all the parts and if I need to fudge it to get them all to fit later, then so be it.

This also was supposed to have three colours – mine has six.

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In keeping with the plan to tie the whole thing together with greens, this block has two of my greens: the minty one in the third band from the bottom and the khaki in the middle. This one will need a good blocking as it’s not sitting very flat at the moment.

One down, one to go.

In other news, I had a lovely evening out at a concert given by The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, which apparently was first formed in 1956 and has been going continuously since then. No, the musicians are not the originals from 1956!

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The conductor was also the male vocalist, and they occasionally brought on a female vocalist for some numbers. They looked like they were having fun, and the audience was too. I think the average age of the audience was 80. We were all familiar with the tunes, like Pennsylvania 65000, Chattanooga Choo Choo and Moonlight Serenade. I always tear up when listening to live music and this was no exception. I remember listening to Glenn Miller records (yes, vinyl ones) as a child on mum and dad’s record player.

The band was introduced gradually over the course of the evening – their names and home towns – and they apparently tour for 48 weeks a year playing multiple times a week. If these guys have families, they must not see them very often.

I’m limping a bit today. I managed to knock a small saucepan off the counter last night and it hit my foot. I screamed, my husband probably thought I was overreacting, I swore, he saw the blood welling out of a hole in the top of my foot, and maybe he changed his mind a bit! He had to grab some tissues and a Band Aid as the blood was making a small puddle on the floor. It’s beyond me how the curved rim of a saucepan can puncture skin, but there you go! It’s going a bit black from the bruising but at least the bleeding stopped quickly.

Temperatures are staying in the 30s Celsius this week (90 plus). We are about to go out for a Canada Day event at someone’s house, so hopefully I will be able to find some shade.

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian readers, eh! Have an awesome weekend.

 

Jun26

WIP: Everything is Cool and Groovyghan

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I’m only a year and a half ‘late’ on doing this Crochet-along. It actually started in January 2016 and all the parts were published, done and dusted long ago. However it fitted my criteria for a summer blanket project. It’s modular which means I  can work on small pieces without being swamped in yarn on hot summer evenings. I can use multiple colours and get a scrappy look because, hey, it’s a Groovyghan and it’s supposed to be a bit wacky.

It’s coming along quite quickly. I’m using my stash of DK yarn, which is combination of Stylecraft Special, Deramores Studio and Mark & Kattens Carolina. I’ve had that Carolina for so long that it’s now discontinued and it was annoying me that it was still hanging around. I invested a lot of money in greens and browns, thinking I’d make this gorgeous cardigan, an adult version of a pattern I had with fiddlehead ferns embroidered on it. Nope, that stalled, as did the other projects I tried with it.

I see most people use a 4mm hook with DK, even a 3.5mm, but I’m using my Addi Swing 4.5mm because (a) it’s an awesomely comfortable hook, (b) I tend to crochet tightly, and (c) I don’t want my blanket coming out too small.

Here’s the pile of stash, sorted by colour:

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And here’s my progress:

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One strip of granny squares is finished (though I haven’t woven in all the ends yet). To control the colours somewhat, all the centres are yellow, and all the second and fifth rounds are shades of green (I have a lot of greens). That was part 1 of the CAL. Then part 2 is the popcorn blocks, where I chose to use the same purple for the background on both blocks and two of the greens for the popcorns to tie things in with the grannies.

The Ravelry link for the CAL is here. And the page on the Keep Calm and Crochet On UK website where it all comes together is here. Whilst I’m not crocheting along with other people, I have the benefit of working at my own pace, which means I’m not waiting around for the next part to be published, or rushing to finish a section and feeling pressured.

As you can see, this is not a portable project. I have three large bags/baskets of yarn and I’m choosing colours as I go. So I needed a small project which would fit into a project bag for taking to work and other places. This is one which I have worked on solely in my lunchbreaks the last three days:

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It’s a nice bit of comforting Tunisian crochet in simple stitch using a bulky yarn from Michaels and an 8mm hook. This will probably end up being another co-worker gift. No rush to finish this one either.

So that’s that! Summer has officially hit here, with temperatures into the 30s, though I think maybe it will be mid-20s for the next few days. The over-full lake has started to recede, and hopefully the beaches will all be open again soon (that’s if they are usable, considering the debris, dead grass etc all over the place). I have started an exercise routine as I need to firm things up for MAUI! Yes, we have booked a week in Maui for our 30th wedding anniversary in December. I’ve been wanting to go there for a long time and see for myself if all the rumours are true – that it’s an amazing place!

Tai Chi Man has sadly been given extra work around the house that he really didn’t need. He has the week off and already has a “honey-do” list as long as his arm, but we’re having trouble with the plumbing. The water pressure is triple what it should be which of course we discovered just before the weekend, the extra pressure is making the toilets and dishwasher quite unhappy, and he has had to phone around for parts and make numerous trips to the hardware store. I guess the pressure valve on the pipe coming into the house failed (no cold water tank like we used to have in the UK, just a direct line). What a nuisance! Old houses are always giving you little surprises. Nasty ones. Sometimes expensive ones.

I’d better go and get started on straightening up around here. The water is off so I can’t clean the bathrooms but I can certainly vacuum, and hem curtains, and get some things crossed off MY to-do list.

Happy crafting!