Here is a little picture of a washcloth that I am knitting for a future spa gift basket that I will be making for Christmas. A little more about that farther in today's post.
I am crazy about the texture in this stitch!!To everything there is a season...
And I seem to be constantly running at least one behind.
At the beginning of summer, actually at the first inkling of warm weather this Spring, I made quite a list of things I wanted to accomplish outside and inside. How'd I do?
Terrible.
The list included:
1. Planting a large garden so we could grow our own veggies and fruit.
This did not happen at all. I guess I got lazy and just put it aside. I am mad at myself now since I could be canning tomatoes in order to have fresh salsa and spaghetti sauce for the winter and without all the high fructose corn syrup and other additives the food companies like to slip in...
2. Plant a pear and an apple tree in the backyard for future fruit.
We still have time to do this one since it is still warm. I bought a cherry tree this time last year and saved a substantial amount over the beginning of summer cost. I just mulch the tree extra heavy for the winter freeze and make sure I keep it watered and fertilized right up until the time it gets cold enough for the tree to go dormant. We should have cherries next year. I am going to hit the garden centers this weekend to find some dwarf trees. I would also like to find a dwarf peach tree since I love going to the U pick peach orchard but haven't had time to get there this year.
3. Get the house in order and the garage completely cleaned out.
I will be getting that one more in line as the weeks progress. The kids are back in school so I am trying to get myself focused and motivated. It would be great to actually be able to park cars in the 2 car garage! Especially when it hails, as it did several times this Spring.
Most of my major goals had to do with home related stuff, but there were a couple other things I had thought about doing:
1. Learn to weave.
I already spin, so weaving seemed like a good idea. However, right now I think I am going to take a drawing class as a means to express my need create. Not only does drawing require less space, it is portable and the skills I learn will allow me to make artwork for my walls as I see fit. I took art in college. I started out as an art major, but becoming a single parent focused me on another major--sometimes I regret it. But I have gotten rusty on the foundations like perspective and composition. There is an awesome art center here in town that offers drawing classes. They are pricey, but the instructor is good, so that offsets the cost. I would still like to learn to weave, but I don't have the money or space for a loom setup, so that may have to be put on the back burner for now. I was seriously considering taking both classes, but I have recognized that I have a BAD habit of spreading myself thin and need to monitor that better. Cute man is working on his masters degree and working full time, the kids are in sports and other activities, one son and I are continuing in pottery classes, so I have reached capacity on things/activities to do away from the house.
2. Use up my yarn stash and get more stuff knitted for the Christmas season for gifts.
I have fallen down on this one since I have had several health issues going on and just haven't sat down and focused on accomplishing anything. I realize that I tend to have SEVERAL projects going at all times and it takes forever to get one thing finished. I am only going to work on two detailed projects at a time. Right now I have a lace panel and a pair of Norwegian mittens on the needle (pics later, I promise!). Everything else is going to be taken apart and the wool re-balled until I get these two projects completed. I am keeping one washcloth project on the needles since a washcloth is portable and finishes quickly. I bought a couple Barbara Walker stitch dictionaries this summer and have been trying different stitch pattens out of those. The books were pricey, but for the breadth of pattens and the details in the instructions, they were worth every penny! I am seriously considering working towards getting the other 2 books to complete the set as finances allow. Ideally I would like to make several washcloths and some handmade soap this season so I can make gift "baskets" out of pottery. I am going to make the baskets in the upcoming month so we have that portion of the gift completed, either homemade or store bought (as time permits) soap and the washcloths to round out the gift baskets. You see the beginning of the first washcloth in the picture above. I am going to wrap 3 or 4 washcloths with a bar of specialty soap. I know how to make soap, but will do this only if time permits -- it does take 6 weeks to cure soap, so I have a time limit...
A friend mentioned she wanted to take cake decorating classes and I found a cake supply store in Wichita that has formal classes. They don't start until September, which is good. I took cake decorating classes a while back and it saved big bucks over buying a store decorated cakes (plus it tasted much better), but I need a refresher since it has been so long. This will be a great opportunity to refresh my skills and hang out with my friend. I have done classes clear up to the wedding cake classes, but definitely need to refresh my flower skills. I loved being able to make all the cakes for family functions and parties--when you do it yourself, you can make it much more elaborate and festive than when a stranger does it.
I know, quite a lengthy post about trivial stuff. But it is the basis for my goal of giving homemade this Christmas.
And I seem to be constantly running at least one behind.
At the beginning of summer, actually at the first inkling of warm weather this Spring, I made quite a list of things I wanted to accomplish outside and inside. How'd I do?
Terrible.
The list included:
1. Planting a large garden so we could grow our own veggies and fruit.
This did not happen at all. I guess I got lazy and just put it aside. I am mad at myself now since I could be canning tomatoes in order to have fresh salsa and spaghetti sauce for the winter and without all the high fructose corn syrup and other additives the food companies like to slip in...
2. Plant a pear and an apple tree in the backyard for future fruit.
We still have time to do this one since it is still warm. I bought a cherry tree this time last year and saved a substantial amount over the beginning of summer cost. I just mulch the tree extra heavy for the winter freeze and make sure I keep it watered and fertilized right up until the time it gets cold enough for the tree to go dormant. We should have cherries next year. I am going to hit the garden centers this weekend to find some dwarf trees. I would also like to find a dwarf peach tree since I love going to the U pick peach orchard but haven't had time to get there this year.
3. Get the house in order and the garage completely cleaned out.
I will be getting that one more in line as the weeks progress. The kids are back in school so I am trying to get myself focused and motivated. It would be great to actually be able to park cars in the 2 car garage! Especially when it hails, as it did several times this Spring.
Most of my major goals had to do with home related stuff, but there were a couple other things I had thought about doing:
1. Learn to weave.
I already spin, so weaving seemed like a good idea. However, right now I think I am going to take a drawing class as a means to express my need create. Not only does drawing require less space, it is portable and the skills I learn will allow me to make artwork for my walls as I see fit. I took art in college. I started out as an art major, but becoming a single parent focused me on another major--sometimes I regret it. But I have gotten rusty on the foundations like perspective and composition. There is an awesome art center here in town that offers drawing classes. They are pricey, but the instructor is good, so that offsets the cost. I would still like to learn to weave, but I don't have the money or space for a loom setup, so that may have to be put on the back burner for now. I was seriously considering taking both classes, but I have recognized that I have a BAD habit of spreading myself thin and need to monitor that better. Cute man is working on his masters degree and working full time, the kids are in sports and other activities, one son and I are continuing in pottery classes, so I have reached capacity on things/activities to do away from the house.
2. Use up my yarn stash and get more stuff knitted for the Christmas season for gifts.
I have fallen down on this one since I have had several health issues going on and just haven't sat down and focused on accomplishing anything. I realize that I tend to have SEVERAL projects going at all times and it takes forever to get one thing finished. I am only going to work on two detailed projects at a time. Right now I have a lace panel and a pair of Norwegian mittens on the needle (pics later, I promise!). Everything else is going to be taken apart and the wool re-balled until I get these two projects completed. I am keeping one washcloth project on the needles since a washcloth is portable and finishes quickly. I bought a couple Barbara Walker stitch dictionaries this summer and have been trying different stitch pattens out of those. The books were pricey, but for the breadth of pattens and the details in the instructions, they were worth every penny! I am seriously considering working towards getting the other 2 books to complete the set as finances allow. Ideally I would like to make several washcloths and some handmade soap this season so I can make gift "baskets" out of pottery. I am going to make the baskets in the upcoming month so we have that portion of the gift completed, either homemade or store bought (as time permits) soap and the washcloths to round out the gift baskets. You see the beginning of the first washcloth in the picture above. I am going to wrap 3 or 4 washcloths with a bar of specialty soap. I know how to make soap, but will do this only if time permits -- it does take 6 weeks to cure soap, so I have a time limit...
A friend mentioned she wanted to take cake decorating classes and I found a cake supply store in Wichita that has formal classes. They don't start until September, which is good. I took cake decorating classes a while back and it saved big bucks over buying a store decorated cakes (plus it tasted much better), but I need a refresher since it has been so long. This will be a great opportunity to refresh my skills and hang out with my friend. I have done classes clear up to the wedding cake classes, but definitely need to refresh my flower skills. I loved being able to make all the cakes for family functions and parties--when you do it yourself, you can make it much more elaborate and festive than when a stranger does it.
I know, quite a lengthy post about trivial stuff. But it is the basis for my goal of giving homemade this Christmas.
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