Another Yarn Along

I'm so enjoying Ginny's Yarn Along. I missed last week because I didn't want to bore readers with the same project and book for three weeks! I'm moving on though, a new project and a new book. I'm working on my second Milo vest, I'm changing it up though. I'm going to try to girly it up by making the bodice section a bit shorter and then adding stitches to make it fuller on the bottom, similar to a play dress. I'm also using up several yarns to make it a scrappy project. It seems that no matter how many scrapy projects I do (longies, sweater), there's still more bits of yarn to use up!

My new book is again a book that's worth picking up again, The Backwoods of Canada. When I'm done this though I need to catch up reading the few magazines we get.

Another Fun Custom Order

I Just finished this order today. It includes a large hanging wetbag and 12.5" pads and 8.5" pads. This order was a bit different because the customer had her own flannel shipped to me to use for the tops (I love the prints she chose, so bright and a great quality flannel too). I used all my other usual core and microfleece fabrics to turn it into some pretty pads.

I don't generally do this type of order (where fabric is sent to me) but I'll definitely be open to it in the future. And if you're wondering the left over fabric will get sent back to the buyer with her order. It all worked out just right, and the customer has been just perfect to work with.

She picked the wetbag fabric from my collection, I'll be adding one just like it to my shop sometime very soon.

A very cold morning

Here's a picture from our morning, can you make out the figures standing at the end of the driveway? The tallest is my partner Bill, the other figures are two kids with a blanket over them waiting for the school bus. They also had on all their winter gear but this morning it was so cold Bill went up with a blanket and stood to wait with them. It was about as cold as gets here this morning -28*c (or 18*f). Brrrrr. You can also see the hood of my van is up due to a battery that was too weak to start. Ahhh, winter. I'm thankful the sun is shining brightly at least!

New Fabrics

I looked at my fabric gallery last week and realized that it's been very, very neglected. I went through and deleted a bunch of prints I no longer have and it's looking kind of bare (even though my drawers of fabric are over flowing-how does that happen?!) I blame my love of the remnant bin and my good intentions to make this or that for someone or another.

Anyway, I loved these two cotton prints and got some of each. They have a great vintage look to them, I wish I'd got more to make some curtains for my kitchen. I got two new great flannels too, I can't find the photos though so I'll add them next week. I'm so glad the local fabric shop is getting many more non-cutesy flannels.

This little set will go in the mail this week as a trade for some hand dyed yarn. Knitting is keeping me sane this winter so I just keep on going with it. This is an 8.5" pad topped with swirl dyed bamboo velour.

Yarn Along

My first Yarn Along was so fun I wanted to squeeze in another. I did start on my own Some Cloudy Day leg warmers, I'm hoping to have them done by the first week of February...it's been much too cold here for skirts even with legwarmers anyway so there's time to finish them.

I'm still reading 'Roughing it in the Bush' and soaking up all the local historical information. The youngest has taken to 'I Love You, Little One' and I'm also skimming over 'The Busy Toddler Book' for ideas to keep my own toddler busy (wishful thinking I'm sure).

Using the heat

I finally brought our drying rack up from the basement to start drying clothes by the wood stove. I thought this was going to be an awful chore but I'm finding it very easy. I've done lots of indoor clothes drying but as a family of five I thought it would be a major pain. It's not though, and I'm only using my dryer about 1x per 1.5-2 days. Compared to my normal 2-3x per day! Plus the dryer doesn't seem to be running that well so I was sometimes needing to run the dryer 2x for a load (not something this frugal mama likes to do!) Even the diapers go on the rack. I'm sure we'll see savings on our next electricity bill. I still use the dryer to dry all the diaper wipes, dish cloths, socks, and family cloth etc. Hanging all those little things would be a bit too much for me!

Our wood stove has paid for itself in less than a season, we're so happy that we (Bill) put it in. We've even got enough wood to get us through most of next winter too, it's a good feeling. We were shocked by our heating bills last winter. The furnace is original to the house (so about 30 years old) and it's electric. Our bills were just shocking, we managed to get through but the wood stove was a necessity.

Now, a quick stocking update...

I'm busy with custom orders, but I'm sewing them up as they come in, I'll add bits of stock to my shop here and there. I added some wool backed pads to my Etsy shop today and I've got a few more pads to add in the coming days but my computer is running painfully slow today so I need a break! Here's a peek at some :)

Yarn Along!

This is my first time joining in on Ginny's Yarn Along. I cast on a pixie hat for the youngest, her hat from last year has gotten too small (oh my how she's grown!) This time I'm making up my own simple pattern, I'm not sure what the yarn is but I love how the colour is working up. I do know it's 100% wool and hand dyed by a WAHM on Hyenacart. I'm hoping to find the details on the colourway, pastels kind of scare me (due to the ease of staining) but add in some shades of brown and pastels no longer scare me! You can also see my first Milo vest, also knit for the youngest, she's so tiny though and I knit this too big so I'm going to try adding some stitches at the back to make the fit a bit snugger and add some length to so that it will fit her for much longer. It will be worth the work to have the vest fit longer. The Milo pattern was a great knit and I can see myself knitting many more.

Quintin and I finished Farmer Boy last night, we love these books and I can't wait to start on the next book in the Little House series. Rowan has been loving Good Night Harry. I read it to her two times and nap and bed time while she nurses to sleep. She was on a Red is Best kick but Harry seems to have won out for now. I've pulled out my copy of Roughing it in the Bush by Susanna Moodie. I can't remember the first time I read the book, it was years and years ago. Possibly even before Quintin was born. I don't often re-read books but it's like I'm reading this book for he first time. The struggles of emigrant families in a new and challenging place....it reminds me that though life may seem rough at times I just can't imagine the struggles these pioneers endured and now as a mother myself the my reading of the book has changed again.