Get Crafting

So says the cat.  

Patches the Cat

I'm doing the best I can, but my time has been occupied elsewhere.  And it'll only get worse as I start my course next week . . . 


Meanwhile, I did go to knit night where I worked on my sock (and we lamented the decreasing yardage in Patons Kroy).  Slowly but surely I am working my way to the toes (and I better have enough yarn or I'll be very, very cross).

Sock in Progress

And although I have assembled all the pieces of Toadette, there are a few pieces that need making before I can finish her (although that hasn't stopped me from using her on my boys' blog Mushrooms and Octopi.  We have fun working on it together).

Toadette#2 in Progress

On top of all that, I started another project--and not 'cuz I wanted to.  This was a project of necessity.  I need new slippers.  All my other lovely slippers have holes in the soles.  No one else has holey slippers.  Just me.  Maybe I'm too rough on my feet . . . 

Slippers in Progress

I'm none too pleased with my seaming technique, but I don't think these slippers will last long.  Maybe I need to sew on  some sort of leather or leather-like sole to the bottom . . . I'm thinking about it.

One Finished Slipper

Guess I'd better listen to cat and get back to crafting.  Have a good week.

On the Farm . . .

So much has happened in the last month here at casa d'acrylic . . . 


Veggie Garden:
Finally it's in--all of it!  Potatoes, onions, beans, lettuce, corn, squash, tomatoes . . . It was a lot of hard work clearing the field: picking out the rocks, getting the rows in, planting the seeds and seedlings, building the fence . . . 

Veggie Garden

The solar powered electric fence isn't quite finished yet, but it should get done within the week.  Hoping it'll keep away the local deer and rabbits.  Of the latter, we think its a family.  We often see different sized rabbits frolicking in the grass munching on clover.  

Chickens:
The girls were gettin' a wee bit crowded in their melon box (and don't they look rather homely as their feathers grow in?  Ugly!).

Big Box

Now they have some room to roam in their new chicken coop.  It's a reno to the back of the shed.

New Chicken Coop

We've got to add a door flap and ramp so they can venture outdoors to scratch in the dirt.  Hopefully that'll get done in the next week or so.


Flower Garden:
Quite a few perennials got planted, but they're so small relative to the big garden space.  

Purple Irises

Tiny Dicentra 

Hoping to pick up a few annuals in the next week to fill in the empty space.  Still, not a bad looking spot.  It'll be pretty in the next few years.

Front Flower Garden

And of course there's lots of wildlife from squirrels, chipmunks, chickadees, mourning doves, gold finches and purple finches.  The big bush also attracts lots of honeybees and butterflies.

Local squirrel

Yup, life grows very nicely on the farm ;)

Not a Good Week . . .

This has not been a good week: battling a bad cold;  lack of sleep; facing cold wet weather; dealing with a little stress . . . let's just say I was more than a wee bit happy to see the weekend arrive.  


Needless to say, there is little progress to report.  My socks are almost ready to turn the heel--almost, but not quite.  Need about another inch to go, maybe less.  I'm aiming for a 6.5 inch leg (my previous socks have had 7 inch legs, so there should be enough yarn).

Sock Progress

The most vexing thing about them are the needles that keep slipping out!  Twice I had to deal with a mischievous missing needle, resulting in dropped stitches and a little tinking back . . .not happy!  When I went to buy more needle protectors, my favorite brand was no longer being carried . . . not happy!


At least my crochet is cooperating.  I'm attempting to finish Toadette #2:  I stuffed her head and body and attached some of the pieces.

Assembling Toadette #2

There are a few more pieces to finish making too, namely her vest and braids.

Toadette's Vest

I'd like to finish her as soon as possible.  There are a couple of other WIPs that need attention.


Why the rush?  I don't know how much extra time I'll have once I start my course . . . did I mention I was going back to school?  Part-time of course.  And online.  It's been a long time since I've been in school . . . I have few more weeks reprieve.  


Hope you had a better week than mine. :S

Craftiness

So we've been working on the veggie garden and I've been adding perennials to the flower garden.  But I haven't neglected my crafts.  There's still craftiness over at casa d'Acrylic-girl--it just happens in short spurts.


First off, I started a new project for no reason other than I wanted to.  I bought Patons Kroy on sale a few weeks back (not that I need more sock yarn); it's a pretty stripey red colour.  I finally cast on this week.

New Sock Project

I've used this pattern before: its Ladies Vintage Ribbed Socks from Vogue.  And yes, it is a cuff down pattern (I tired of the toe-up).  My previous attempt at this pattern netted a well-fitting pair of socks.


Since I had previously used 2.25mm dpn's, I was hoping to pick up a couple of circulars in the same size.  I prefer socks on two circulars.  Do you think I could find needles in that size?  I looked online and had a hard time finding them on a Canadian website.  Thankfully my in-laws were travelling to the city and kindly dropped into a yarn shop; sadly they only bought one circular.  I need two . . . So new plan: work the leg with dpn's and then switch to a combo of circular and dpn for the foot--unless I find something suitable.


In crochet news, my work progresses slowly.  Did you figure out the identity of the yellow object?  I've added more parts to it.  

Minion

Does it look familiar now?  It's a minion (from the movie Despicable Me).  It's a free pattern from Wolfdreamer.  I've used her patterns before and they are well written with stitch counts and ample directions.


Hope you had a crafty weekend.  
Later,  :)