I Should Knit and Other Random Stuff

The socks that I got into the mail has inspired me to get my knitting out and finish the dress that I started for Hannah. Becky has found a jumpsuit pattern. From that I think I can recreate the jumpsuit that I had mad for Angela when she was little. Family members will remember it. It was the one with the flower pot pocket on the knee and a poinsettia growing out of it. I can do different flowers and use different colors. I am jazzed to start on that but I need to finish the little dress first. I am going to get right on that. I hope I can remember where I left off. I have been altering the pattern.

I hope Frankie cooperates with the knitting plan. She is napping now. I hope she does not do like last night and wake up to play around 11:00pm. She is doing pretty good and seems to be settling down somewhat. She did pee on my office floor today. I thought I would let her play in my office while I watched. She is so fast. I guess she still thinks that this room is her bathroom. I will get some of those enzymes and try that. She has not been using the rest of the house in this manner. She has be a good girl for the most part.

When Becky gets here I will see if we by this I mean she can get some video of her and Roscoe playing. It is so funny especially when she rolls when he rolls and when she wrestles with him. This video will possibly be cuter than the piano playing cat. Alright...you caught me with my tongue in my cheek.

I took Shyla cat in to get her stitches removed. The good news is that she does not have cancer. I am so relieved. We do have to watch the site of the growth to make sure it does not come back. She was a good girl at the vet. She did not even flinch when the stitches came out. She is also getting better at taking her medicine. I gave it to her all by myself tonight and did not even wrap her in a towel. I just pried her mouth open and shot it in.

Am I boring you to tears yet? I am just about boring myself to tears so I guess I should quit while I am ahead.

Oh, Becky should be here tomorrow so I can take all kinds of pictures of my grandkids and have some different things to post about! Thank goodness!

So, Today Is Thursday

I love getting parcels in the mail. It feels like Christmas. This came in from Fab grandma Karen. I won this wait book from her when she was promoting her Etsy Store.

I love it! It even came with the crayons and notebook. Her sewing is perfection.
I ordered an apron for my daughter's birthday. It is perfect as well. I give her products a resounding two thumbs up.

I have almost finished this sweater. All that is left is to sew the pockets on.

And buttons. I have to go and pick some. I don't think I want to put on red ones.

Seems like I should be writing something more but all the little birds in my head are doing is flying in circles. They are not stopping to tell me anything.

For Fluffy

Look what came in the mail last week! Little baby Fluffy socks! I love them. Fluffy made them and sent them for Abigail. I waited to post about them because I wanted them to be a surprise. I took them with to the baby shower.

We tried them on. They are big but they sure make nice slippers. They match her outfit. I think Abigail likes them. Thank you ever so much Fluffy.

This motivated me to get to work! I assembled everything that I would need.

I sharpened the tools. I think some of them are still a bit dull. I am going to get John to take a look at them for me. They have to be a sharp as you can get them. Dull blades cause injuries.

It is a messy business. I did not require any band aids today.

I worked five hours on it today. I decided against carving cats. I am doing Saskatoon berries instead. I am going to tuck a surprise in the box.

The top of the nesting box is finished. I did have some troubles with it. I am used to carving on much sturdier wood. You can see, I caused a small crack. I am hoping I can hide it with wood filler. I think the wood was too dry as well. I am going to humidify it before I try to do any more. Now all I have left to carve are the sides and find my paints. I have looked all over the place for them and I don't have a clue where I put them. I may have to wait a couple of weeks for Becky to bring me her paints. I forgot to take them home with me when we were out there last weekend.

Voila!

Etsy Store and Pay It Forward

Etsy Store

This is something entirely new to me. It probably is not new to you but I am sure that you have been around the whole internet world much more than I have. What a fun thing. An Etsy store sells homemade and vintage items on line. Fab Grandma Karen has just opened her own store selling some of her handmade items. I love her aprons and she is going to draw names to give away a Wait Book: crayon and paper tote that is fantastic to take anyplace that your children have to sit quietly like the doctor's office. I want one because this is how I store my crayons:



Go on over and check out her store and enter her contest. I am interested in opening my own Etsy store too. What do you think? I could sell woodcarvings and knitting. Maybe the girls and other family members would like to sell things on there too. It could be really fun.

Pay It Forward

Paying it forward from Jientje's blog. This is how it works. Jientje has won a handmade item from the blog site that she entered the game at. Now she is going to pay it forward by making something for three other people one of who is moi! Yes! I won and I am going to receive a lovely Belgium lace item hand made by herself! EEEEEEE! I am so excited. Now ladies and possibly one or two gentlemen, it is time for me to pay it forward too so here is your chance. A note to Fluffy...I am working on your box. Hehehe! I have not forgotten. I wanted to finish it by Christmas but hangs head in shame maybe in February. You can still play this if you want as well. I can do a picture frame that matches your box!

The Rules are quite simple:

1. Be one of the first three bloggers to leave a comment on this post, where the first word in the comment is "Yes". By saying "Yes" as the first word, you signify you want to participate in this give away. Being one of the first three to say "Yes" will then entitle you to a handmade item from me. So...that could be a knit item or a woodcarved item. That is about all I know how to do. You don't want me to experiment on you do you? That would be a very brave thing and you may not be happy with the results!

2. Winners must post this challenge on their blog, meaning that they then must Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first three bloggers who say "Yes" in a comment on THEIR post.

3. The gift that you send to your three friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the spirit and the thought that count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!

5. If you are not one of the top three commentors on today’s post, you’re still a winner in this Time of Grace and Giving. Please take this symbol of the seasonal spirit and post it on your blog; start your own Pay It Forward Chain, and encourage your bloggy friends to do the same!

Little Things

Sometimes small things make me happy. Today it is Chicken Gumbo soup. I have not been able to find this soup for years! While I like the soup, the main reason that I am so happy is the fact it is the main ingredient in my mothers Sloppy Joe recipe. Another thing that just made me happy is the fact that I just managed to spell the word recipe correct without my spell check underlining the word.


I bought 5 cans! One is already missing. I had to have some. Today I am going to make the Chicken Gumbo Sloppy Joe's. Oh...Yeah!


All that is needed is half a Kg. of lean ground beef. Brown that using extra virgin olive oil. Add the can of soup. Give the whole works a squirt of ketchup and a squirt of mustard. Ha! It's just that easy. I am going to add a disclaimer to this recipe. I am a person who has very simple food tastes. A good dinner for me is plain fried ground beef with ketchup and some toast! Also: when I showed this marvelous find to my husband, he shook his head and gave me a funny look. That is not a good sign.

This is all I have time for today. Later this week I plan to post the Mennonite style chicken noodle soup recipe and a picture of the finished sweater. I am waiting for the model to feel better and maybe shave his face. His hair is coming back in. He is still feeling sick. I am hoping the new antibiotics will kick in and that he will start to perk up. He is so sick and tired of being sick and tired. The sweater is too big on him. He did lose some weight. I am disappointed in it. I feel like taking the whole thing apart but it really is not worth it. I think that my better option is to go and get new yarn and redo the whole thing and make the adjustments then donate the other sweater to charity.

It Ain't Just Chicken Feed

Miss. March

I meant to feature
each months creature
until today, I forgot!

From the Post Office!

I love getting parcels in the mail. It makes my day. Yesterday I received these beauties in the post. They were sent by Fluffy. She made them. They fit perfectly. She put a surprise in the package with the mittens. She sent a sock pattern the she has designed herself and material to make the socks. I have not made socks before. I will now. I have a friend who was hoping that I knew how to make socks. I have the perfect opportunity now to learn how. Thanks Fluffy. I am going to start a project for you very soon. I think it will involve the carving of some cats on bass wood.

I carved these mirror frames. They were the first carvings I did.

Fluffy, I have three items for you to select from. A recipe box or a nesting box or a small picture frame. Let me know which of these you would like. Let me know if you would like something different than cats. Let me know what colors you would like. Earth tones? Pastels?

Sweater For My Sweetie

Row 54

Isn't that a cute couple in the pattern book? After I finish John's sweater I plan to make one for myself. Mine will be in a different color just like in the picture. I shall take a picture of us and we will be just as cute. This is going to take a bit longer than I thought even thought I am knitting like a mad woman. There is a lot at stake. I have a $10.00 wager with John as to whether I can finish this sweater before he gets discharged. I am starting to think that he is going to win. I will not go down without a fight! So...P3...C6B...P4...faster! faster! Ho! my needles are smoking!