Thursday, May 28, 2015

Struggling Yet Feeling Good

I am struggling with two things. One is eating healthy. In order to eat healthy and be cost effective you must cook. And that is one thing that I am not a fan of. But when I am in the mood I do cook A lot and freeze some. So I've been working on eating salads every day and cooking more vegetables which I love. Not the cooking but the vegetables.

The other thing that I have been struggling with is my knitting. It's not the knitting per say, but as I've said in the past I am a process knitter so with some projects I get to a certain place with it and then I move onto a new project without completing the last one. That of course creates a lot of UFO's.

I wanted to start with some of the UFO's to complete them and of course new projects I want to make or have already started. I will be working on a project and see something else and if it is a quick project I will slip it in between. But time is surly not on my side. With working full-time at my regular job and then working at the knitting shop and other places I teach time is scarce. Crazy world we have built filled with wonderful colors of yarns and a great selection of patterns to choose from has made it even harder to stay focus on one project. I'm like a mad scientist. When I am into my knitting I don't want to be disturbed and I don't want to go anywhere. Of course, that includes work. I just want to knit.

So I want to share one UFO of a little boys pullover. It's called Infant's Aran Hoodie from an old Crochet World magazine of October 2008. Just because it is an older magazine it doesn't mean you can't find some really great projects in them because you can. You would usually hear of Aran projects in knitting but this one is crochet. It is adorable and I had to make it. Sometimes I knit and crochet for the technique, construction of it or in this case it was just too cute to pass up.

I also needed a cozy for my phone.

So I made that since it was a quicky. And with both I was able to dig into my stash of buttons and I found two I loved for these projects. I love looking at my buttons and using them. I just don't get a chance that often. Two completed projects - Yah! Of course these two projects are not all I've been working on, but I want to leave something for the next time.

Happy crafting.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Time Will Tell

My time has been limited and with working full-time that takes up the biggest chunk of it. But I finally feel that I am finding a handle on managing my time better. I am always working on my schedule and hurrah it is at that point of my efforts I get rewarded where it works out, for a while at least.

With all the craziness that happened last year something actually happened that ended the year on a good note. I started working at a yarn shop. What a wonderful surprise that was since I've been wanting to work in one for a while and thought that it might still be on the back burner. You never know where life is going to take you. The shop is called Knit's Fabulous in the Maple Tree Plaza shopping center, 130 Highway 79, Marboro NJ. I have been able to teach a lot and that's been a joy. The owner is a doll and very down to earth and the manager has joined the ranks of knitting and she is a sweetheart. Check out the website at Knit's Fabulous and you can read about all the artisans that work there. If you are near the area please stop by. It is a wonderful shop with a great array of choices in yarn and other accessories for your knitting pleasure.

I am getting back to my knitting and crocheting and it feels good to be able to. So what have I been doing lately? During every year I always work on some of those UFO's that cry out "help me - I want to be finished" and this year is no exception. I pulled out this crochet vest called Leona - #145-4 that is found on the Drops pattern site (a European company that has all of free patterns but they are not always easy to follow). I was making it out of the Patons Grace cotton and I wanted to finish it but there is a problem. Since I started it and then put it down for a while I have developed a weight gain problem. So the vest does not fit me. What a bummer because it is so nice. I like the construction of it since it is minimal seaming and it did fit nice. I need to go on a health diet anyway because clothes in general in my closet does not fit me either. I am not going to go up another size. So the clothes are staying and the weight has to go - at least some of it. Now the question of the day is will I loose enough to fit the vest? Time will tell. But in the meantime, I just need to put on the edging and a couple of buttons and it is done. So this will be one of my incentives to loose the weight. Stay tune for report.

So what about your UFO's? Have you brought out anything lately that you would like to get back to? I hope it can still fit you. As always, have fun with your craft of choice.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

A Funny Thing Happened

I did something that I've never did before. I got to work an hour earlier but unintentional. I was thinking too hard, left the house and had looked at the clock wrong - obviously and while I was driving I looked at the clock and said that time can't be right. Then I looked at my watch and saw it was right. At first I was mad that I had left so early so what am I gong to do. Then it hit me. I have a wonderful chance of using 45 minutes to work on my projects. I always have a project because I work on it during lunchtime. All of a sudden the joy came across my face and I was elated.

There is a picnic bench on the lawn and I took my bag over there, relaxed and knitted. But I first checked the two small trees with budding flowers to make sure none of my friends were there - bees. We really need the bees but I didn't want to see or hear any while I enjoyed my special time.

It was the best thing I could have done to start my day off, especially on a Monday. The weather was beautiful and I had the two beautifully budding trees in front of me and I could smell a scent of sweet aroma. But when it was time to go inside I had such a hard time of it.

I don't have an area where I can sit and knit with flowers and seating where I live so I just wanted it not to end. It put me in such calm mood and it was so therapeutic.

If you have a special place to sit and knit outdoors just don't take it for granted but treasure it because I truly treasured that 45 minutes that I could spend outdoors enjoying the birds singing and looking at the budding flowers.

Enjoy your day.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

I'm Back

Yes, Miss Craft Diva is back. Last year was not a good year for me. I had the accident and was dealing with healing and then my mother passed away so I was up and down the road to Virginia and so I wasn't really active in my craft. I posted about my accident because I thought it might help someone else that would go through the same or similar thing.

I have been knitting and crocheting again and a couple of really good things have happened which I will share in future posts. I thought I would return talking about one of the best festivals annually. And I took my first road trip by myself in a long time.

I took a road trip to Maryland for the annual Sheep and Wool Festival. What a wonderful day it was. The weather was perfect, the crowds even though it was a lot of people it wasn't overwhelming. I made some purchases and had me some fun. It has been about 5 years since my last visit there so I enjoyed it even more.

There are days in life that you just want to put it in a bottle and keep it on a shelf when the day is so good. Or you want to start the day all over again just to repeat it. That is how yesterday was It was a great day or should I call it FUNTASTIC! Yes I made up a special word.

I ended up going by myself because one of my former students was going to go but she forgot about previous plans she had made. So I did the road trip by myself. I haven't done a road trip by myself in a long time.

The festival was great and as you can see from the pictures it was variety as usual. They had the sheep dog show showing you how he gathers the sheep and that is always fun to watch. They had a young dog in training so it was really funny because he didn't want to listen because he just was so focused on wanting to do his job so his eyes did not move from eyeing those sheep. He was so excited that it was funny. But he did good. Then the competition with the sheep and competition with what people entered in to the contest of mostly knitted items and they also had a photography contest which was great. There were a lot of vendors. IN fact, when I was leaving I discovered one section I didn't get to but I had enough for the day and I had an ice cream cone in hand so that was a no no.

I really enjoyed shopping which I usually don't. And I love my finds that I purchased which you can see from the pictures. My foot was hurting, well I should say an ache when I started the day and the 3 hour drive didn't help, but after a while of walking around it stopped aching and every chance I got I would exercise by flexing the foot.

My favorite part in going is to see the different animals they have. The sheep, alpacas and rabbits. There wasn't a lot of animals this time but I got a couple of shots. Of course I just love, love the babies and they had some baby sheep which were adorable. And I love to see the different shades of color in the animals fur which gives you an idea of what the yarn will bring out. Over all it was just a wonderful, peaceful and enjoyable road trip. Even the ride was great - no traffic - crazy drivers but I just tuned them out with my music.

If you haven't had a chance to visit the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival plan a road trip for next year. It is usually the same time of year and it is fun. Below are some more pictures i took - enjoy.

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