The Year of the Sock

Yup 2011 was full of socks.  Given that the first half of the year found my knitting mojo often waning (and sometimes non-existent), socks were the perfect project: small, portable and sometimes non-committal.  Amongst the socks are a few items that might look unfamiliar (a vest, a blanket and a baby outfit).  They were the last projects for BlogBernat (sadly that partnership has ended but it was time for me to move on anyways).

The Finished Items of 2011

On the plus side, I learned some new techniques (hurray for toe-ups!) and published my first pattern.  And I'm still plugging away at my cardi, so I'm hoping to get another pattern published in the not-too-distant future.


And to be fair, I did work on some bigger projects that didn't quite make it to the finishing line: lots of "almost done".

The Works in Progress of 2011

Let's hope they get finished in the new year.  Maybe 2012 can be the year of FOs?  Let's hope it'll be better than 2011.  It's already off to a better start.


Cheers :)

A Life in the Country

A few days ago I posted something rather cryptic about changes.  My reticence came from not wanting to put the proverbial cart before the proverbial horse.  Now I can fully reveal those "changes": Acrylic-girl is gonna be a Farm-girl! 


Its no secret that I live in a small rural community (surely you've noticed my laments over the lack of available crafting supplies).  Nevertheless, we still live in town.  Even in a small town, there is traffic, noise and other people to contend with (made even more so with the annual influx of  university students--suffice to say the town almost doubles in size).  And I won't lie that there has been a certain amount of convenience--especially since my commute consists of a vigorous walk each morning. As convenient as that may be, we've always longed for the country life: a quaint farm house with a few chickens, a few pigs (maybe a goat or two; perhaps a cow eventually), a large veggie garden, a greenhouse and lots of green features (mainly solar heating and wind power--eventually).  I even shared my dream online a few years ago (although we'd been thinking about it for a while).


Finally the dream has come to pass!  In about a month or so, we'll be living in the country in an old farm house.  Yes we'll be sharing the place with family, but that will be a good thing.  The more hands, the better 'cuz there will be lots of work.  Lots of work!

Our New Home

Wish us luck as we embark on this new and exciting adventure.

Changes

Remember that David Bowie song: "Ch-ch-ch-changes . . . "?

I am a creature of habit: I can eat the same foods and basically follow the same routines day-in and day-out and be quite content.  Suffice to say I'm none too pleased 'bout change in general.  But sometimes change can be good--even if it comes with uncertainty and challenges.

Without getting into too much detail right now, let's say there's a whole lotta change comin' to Acrylic-girl's life in the not-too-distant future.

Where the Country Road Leads . . .

So hot the last few days . . . we've been on little jaunts through the countryside to catch a cool breeze.
And maybe stop for a little picnic lunch or snack.

The air can be as much as five degrees cooler, depending how close to the ocean you are--a very welcome cool, indeed! I guess ya never know where the country road leads (well, dear hubby knew where it led, but I didn't and that's okay since I wasn't the driver--ha!).

And this countryside got me thinking . . .and dreaming . . . **sigh** Some day, we'll be living on a country road--at the very least, in the country on a little farm.

We visited a little place last night. It needs work--a lot of work--but its a definite possibility. We'll have a huge vegetable garden and also a greenhouse to extend the growing season. Definitely need a cow (to fertilize that garden--nothing like cow poop to make things grow!), some chickens (for eggs and meat) and a few pigs ('cuz who doesn't like pork?). Eventually, we'd have goats (and they better stay out of my flowerbeds!) and of course sheep. I'll need to learn how to spin . . .

It's fun to dream . . .
:)