No Cabin Fever (Florence, OR)

With almost three weeks of rain, I'm working on keeping cabin fever away with lots of projects, reading, and walks.  It has rained so much that there are new springs popping up in the campgrounds dirt roads.  Makes for an interesting walk to look for new springs and small creeks.  Our walking has become a  fast-paced walk between the downpours so I haven't taken the time for photos.  We move on Thursday.  I'm hoping for better photo ops once we are settled in our new site.

Needles and Pearls

I finished the second book by Gil McNeil.  Not as much swearing in this one.  Jo has many new challenges to face with her two boys, being in two weddings, a fire in her wool shop, and to top it off - she is pregnant.  Jo receives comforting support from family and friends making this a warm and cozy story. 

I don't know what it is about Gil's story about knitters that has me wanting to learn how to knit.  Maybe she added subliminal messages to take up knitting and buy yarn...lots of yarn.  I have read other books with knitters and crocheters -- never ever had a problem, but there is something about the way she describes all the knitting Jo does along with her friends that it sounds so productive and relaxing. While they are knitting tea cozies, elephants, shawls, and of course sweaters, I am dreaming of the wool and silk yarns being described in the story.  I need to read a non-yarn book next.  Maybe a sci-fi or a horror story by Dean Koontz with no hobbies involved.

Can you blame me?  Isn't this adorable?
and it is knitted!

photo source:  Pinterest and Etsy

Anyway, I enjoyed this book even more than the first one.  Sometime later, I will read the third one in this series...after the urge to buy yarn and knitting needles has gone away...far, far away.  I was going to start reading another knitting story with the character is living in the Florida Keys by Terri DuLong.  Oh no!  Talk about a double whammy!  Florida!  I want it bad.....especially right now with knitting needles and yarn!  Okay, that one will sit on the shelf a little longer.

Do you wonder why I talk about books?  I do it because I love reading and sharing.  I'm not trying to give a review.  I just like talking about what I am reading and I love to hear what others are reading.  I don't always read what they have read, but I like to read the book's description online and maybe add it to my loooong reading list.

Something I rarely talk about are our children.  I'm so proud of them. I want to wish them all the best on their new adventures. They have done wonders to beat the odds and build a good life for themselves.  Our daughter has been working part-time and on her college degree while taking care of her two daughters.  She recently announced she has been accepted for Grad school and she will start working full-time as an EA for the President of Cameron University!  In the meantime, her oldest daughter, our granddaughter has been accepted into the Upward Bound at Cameron University!  Only 70 high school students are accepted each year.  They both deserve this after all the years of struggling to make ends meet.

I have mentioned our son moving from Albuquerque, NM to Everett, WA.  His friends offered to share their home with him if he would move to Everett, WA.  He did just that.  He quit his job, packed his belongs, and moved in with them with no job lined up.  Very adventurous!  Well, he announced he found his dream job with an IT consultant company.  The pay and benefits are far better than anything he would have received from his old job.

On The Cutting Board

Since we are in a limited power site (which means: I cannot use the iron while running 2 electric heaters or the instant hot), I have been keeping myself busy with hand quilting the Cat's Welcome wall hanging. 

 I might have gone a bit overboard with the quilting, but it kept me happy.

I have been working on the Hawaiian sea turtle block.  I'm doing better than I thought with this applique technique.  I'm turning under only 1/8 of an inch.  It took me awhile to figure out not to turn under more than 1/2 inch in advance.  At first, I was losing the curves in the center holes.  By the time I got to the turtles tails and fins, I was getting a little more comfortable with this technique.  

I'm also finding this work a little hard on my eyes.  I thought using a white background with the blue-green would be easy on my eyes, but using such tiny stitches has me blurry-eyed after an hour of work.  

I have three of the four turtles backsides done and then I have all the seaweed and the turtles' heads to applique.  The seaweed makes me a little nervous.  I must make sure I take my time so the curves look good.  I probably should have picked an easier design with a brighter color.  I'm quite happy with my choices.  Plus, I know in the end I'll be a lot happier with the finished project.  Of course, I have not decided what it will be...a pillow?  a wall-hanging?  the center for a small quilt?  eh,  I'll decide later.

I have been daydreaming about making some little house mug rugs, so I spent some time looking at houses online along with some photos I have taken of some quaint houses during our travels.  I did not get very far along on this project.  I keep changing my mind.  So many options to think about, but I did some sketches of my little dream cottages on paper...in pencil in case I want to change something.  Seeing them take shape is starting to get my imagination going.

Oh, and I am working on some new Happy Camper mug rugs too.  I have a pile of patterns and fabric ready to go once we are in a better site with more power or the weather warms up so I can use the iron without freezing us in our motorhome.
Happy Quilting!