This and That

 It's February, so there is not much activity going on here at the homestead.  Not even home repairs at the moment.  Weather is the cause with freezing rain and bad roads.  Weather continues to jump all over the map.  We still need a trip for home repair supplies.  The freezing rain put a thick layer of ice on everything over night last night.  

My entire day was just changed thanks to the ice covered roads.  If we lived in town, it would be a different story, but we live in the country.  Nothing is just a hop, skip and jump to get to. 

You get blessed with a rambling sort of post today.

I've made a bit of progress on the blue and white baby blanket.  I haven't really devoted much time to it lately.  I do need to verify her due date, so I can get this finished in time.

My intention this month, was to work in the utility room (purging first), while our affordable hired hand, worked in another area with wall repairs/painting, and stairway work, but that is changing.

We have once again have to locate a new handyman.  Until we locate another reliable, and trusted person, the repair work falls on us, and when we can work on it.

The beauty of having a local library, is that you can borrow free books and movies.  Of course libraries offer more than that, but I love that I can borrow a book to see if it is worthy to buy as a guide for our adventures with nature.  I have ordered us more movies on DVD and more non-fiction books.  I'm still waiting on some DVD's we ordered via the free library inter-loan program.

I love tea samples.  I have already tried the British Black Tea.  Yum.  I have yet to try the other one yet. I can't remember how I got them, but I will be enjoying them.

A purchase for the camper.  It is a foldable drying rack that can hang on a door, or for instance, the back of a camper to dry kitchen/bath towels etc. outside the camper.  We can also bring it indoors to use in the house on rainy or wintery days.

A few new items from the Dollar Tree - notepad and magnetic bookmarks.  The notepad is convenient for short list days, and not a sticky type notepad.  I shared some bookmarks with one of the kids.  They are great for traveling books or on-the-go reading.

Speaking of bookmarks, do you prefer a flat bookmark or have you ever used or purchased a crocheted bookmark?  Or have you been gifted a crocheted bookmark?  Do you use it?  Like it?  Prefer not to use it, due to it's thickness?

The "blind date" puzzle has been opened. The puzzle is not a new puzzle.  We were surprised at this, as the clerk never advertised this at the store, and didn't say anything.  We literally paid a higher price for it, but apparently, because the puzzle is an art portrait from a famous artist.  The box was falling apart, so we had to tape the sides and ends to re-box it later.   I am hoping all the pieces are there, but we'll find out.  The pieces are smaller, and not uniform to size.  I see a headache instead of relaxation.  Should be interesting.  I may, or may not, be back with an updated photo.

Don't panic if you don't see a post for a week or so.  Again, it's February, ha ha!  Winter at it's best. I may be trying a few recipes, we have doctor appointments to check off our calendar, and now my husband is not feeling well (adding another doctor appointment to the list).  I really want to tackle the home repairs, so we'll see if anything happens in that department, along with more installation of new shelf liner put in three other areas of the house.  Not to mention, if we get a break in the weather, I need to muck the chicken coop.

This and That  © February 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Tidbits . . . from the Handiwork Journal {Jan 15 , 2025}

It's been cold here lately.

Tuesday (1-14-25) we woke up to -3°F.   It snowed the entire day, making all of the roadways slick. Accidents, multiple car pile up's, and my husband stuck in traffic on his way home (due to another pile up).  I'm not kidding, it was that bad on the roads. I was out on them.  The doctor found no fractures, but I have an injured hamstring.  No wonder I have been in pain.  My husband missed his own doctor appt due to the accidents delaying him.

Today we woke up to a brisk -7°F, and we are in for a really cold snap next week.  Like below -20 or something.  I had the delight to watch a herd of deer this morning, and will post those photos in another post. 

We had a front porch visitor.  A raccoon. 

 It's been fun with the snow on the ground lately. I can track the animals so easily.  There are rabbit prints and deer prints all around the chicken coop, and all over the property.  I see the fat squirrel often, and now we also have kitty cat tracks that lead to every door of the house. I actually saw the cat again Monday morning.  It has been bedding down in one of our barns, according to the tracks in the snow.

On the handiwork front . . .

It may look like a lot, but it is winter, and the weather is too cold to do much of anything outside.

. . . finished three jar openers, using up some red thread, but I now have just small bits left from two.  I'll do some research on what I can use it up with. 

 

Any suggestions?  Size 3 crochet thread. Not much left on them.  I looked at 32 pages of patterns on Ravelry.  It is not a thread that would work for scrap dishcloths either.  Mini hearts, but for what?  Earrings are not well accepted as gifts. I made my Mom a pair for Christmas one year, and she never wore them.  Maybe donate it?  I may try and come up with a small Christmas ornament to donate to nursing homes etc.

. . . made a few "sunshine" Christmas tree ornaments to use up some yellow cotton I had in my stash.  These will be donated.  Would you stiffen these?  They are #4 worsted weight cotton.  If you would, what would you use to stiffen them?

. . .blocking more crocheted baby washcloths, and using up some discontinued 2 ply cotton thread.  When the thread is gone, these will be the last of the last of these.  

. . .first granny square for my 2025 creative project (watch for a post on this soon!)  I shared this granny square earlier.

. . . started another lap afghan.  The colors were inspired by the latest granny square, and uses up some more stash yarn.  

. . .started another baby blanket in blue and white.  We have someone expecting, so I'm making sure I have a variety of color options to gift.  Note:  After I starting drafting this post, I found out she is having a girl now, so there is no rush on this one.

. . . started a knitted dishcloth.  These are great gifts, host/hostess gifts, house warming gifts, and to use myself.

On the new purchase front . . .

I wanted crochet stitch minders, to help remind me what hook size I was using on projects like the granny square project.  I went online and found exactly what I wanted, but it was over $30 with shipping.  

I settled for these "knitting" markers, but will be writing the crochet letter hook size on the opposite side.  Cost?  $4.98 total cost.  I could make my own, but this will do the job.  The numbers are small and hard to read, so I'll use a marker to go over them.  It will work for now anyway.  

I could have also used letter beads slipped onto a safety pin, but guess what??  I donated those letter beads a few years ago, ha ha!  Anyway, I wanted the letter of the hook and the size on the markers, because for some reason some newer hooks have not been the same coordinates.  For example, I found an "I" hook to have other size numbers on them vs. the size 5.50mm.

By the way, I went to our nearest JoAnn Fabrics store, and they did not have any type of "hook" minders for projects.  I was surprised.  Also, I only had the time to check at Meijer, but to buy new "letter" beads it would cost $4.99 plus tax.  If you make your own hook size minders to remind you of your hook size on patterns, let me know.

Tidbits ~ . . . from the Handiwork Journal  © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Chicken Predator ~ Current Crochet Project ~ Prayers for Florida

 

A quick post.  My chickens would not leave their run the last few days, and now I know why.  I had a feeling something was a threat to them.  It was literally watching them, so I may need to come up with a way to net the entire coop to cover their current run.  I'm hoping it just moves on.  Between everything needing done or going on around here, we have not finished the new coop yet (and I wish we had).

I picked these balls of yarn to decide on my next go-to project (with very limited free time).  All of them were in my stash.  The color on the left may end up a winter hat/scraf for my husband, and the right was chosen to crochet a new baby blanket pattern.  My husband was shocked the white and pick were in my stash (huge on pound from Caron).  Yes they were.  I was an ambitious person when I did baby items for craft shows.

Current crochet project.  A big thank you to Betsy at Blogspot The Simple Life of a Queen.  She had shared her crocheted blankets on her blog, and graciously shared where to find the pattern.  I don't think I have any blue in my stash, but this one is turning out stunning.  Plus, my husband is happy to see me de-stash the stash.  I'm not sure yet if I will keep this one, or donate it.  I do like to have a few on hand for gifting.

A big thank you to Leigh for her post on 5 Acres and a Dream blogspot, for her Prepper Check post.  We are currently working on more prepping.  The hurricane, and everything else going on in this world, has us concerned.  If you haven't read her post, it has some very good information.  

Rebecca's Hearth and Home blogspot is doing a giveaway for a very nice planner.  Be sure to go and enter.   She has several options for your entry.

Prayers for Florida, as they prepare for another devastating hurricane.  Prayers for all of Florida and any surrounding areas.

Chicken Predator ~ Current Crochet Project ~ Prayers for Florida © October 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Lemon Facial Toner ~ Butterfly Pea Flower Tea? ~ Weeding

I am trying a new facial toner to use at bedtime.  It's made with real lemon juice.  In the past, I have made one with rose petals.  I do have yet one more new recipe to try, but it uses a flower I would have to buy.  I'm on the fence with trying it yet.

Question for tea drinkers?  Has anyone tried butterfly pea flower tea?  Any benefits of drinking it?  Good sources to purchase the dried flowers for tea making?  

Question for those who crochet - what's the best beginner crochet kit for someone who wants to learn?  I have all the supplies, but I thought a kit would be a great way to teach the basics and actually make something too.  I see Knit Picks has kits, but wondered if any of you had suggestions.  I have another person asking me to teach them.

Or....if you have a book suggestion, and then I can put together the yarn and hook for the person, that would be great too.  I learned from my Mom, so have no "how to crochet" beginner books here.

(One of many books)

I have a bunch of library books to look at yet.  I have just been putting it off, as I'm exhausted at the end of the day.  I flipped through a few of them, and that's about it. 

The song "with a little help from my friends" comes to mind on a daily basis here lately (ha ha!).

I was gifted these garden knee pads by one of the kids.  I've used them once already, and love them.

I am back to weeding, but have only had one full, good day of it.  The weather is whacky for us again.  It goes from storm weather, to rain, to cold and windy, and so forth.  I have purchased disposable covers to put over my medical boot to keep it clean and dry.  It works for now.

 I have not meant to turn my blog into a "recipe" blog, but with everything I do, taking 5 times the amount of time to get done, there hasn't been much to post about.  I don't think you'd enjoy me prattling on about how I managed to get myself to my dental cleaning, and survived the long walk to get in and out of the place.  It's always busy, and the parking lot is always full.  I was actually late, but they smiled as they saw me hobbledehoy into the office (see, I'm prattling on...).

Having said it takes me longer to get things done, I have had little time to read or to crochet, but I have added a few more rows to the current baby blanket. 

I have also finished another baby washcloth (using discontinued thin cotton yarn).  

Lemon Facial Toner ~ Butterfly Pea Flower tea? ~ Weeding  © May 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart