Episode 59: Goodbye to 2020

Welcome viewers! Glad to have you all back.  Hello new viewers.  Don't forget to subscribe to be updated on new posts, and join our group on Ravelry.

I am DaniGirlCO on Instagram and Ravelry.  Come and follow along.
Here are the show notes for Episode 59:  

On the Needles: 
Knitting Projects - 
FO's:  

WIPs:
Swirl E. Socks for my niece.  Took the heel setup out and am just going to do an afterthought heel.
Blueberry Waffle socks no longer for Brian.  Heel doesn't fit over his foot, even with a 72 stitch count.  Maybe for his dad?

Walk on the Moon going in fits and starts, although there's plenty of dog hair knitted in.  Did a cool little no turn, work right side row twice thing.

Stalking:  patterns that use Advent mini skeins

Acquisitions - $120 gift card at Ewe & Me, so shopping in the new year is on!

Spinning Projects -

Under the Needle:
Sewing Projects -  PPQG learning how to do things via Zoom.  I volunteered to do Membership again this year.  Hoping somebody wants to help out.  Hoping we can meet in person again.

Block Heads 3 by Moda, a new block every week. 
Earth, Wind, Fire and Time - top, with borders, complete, back pieced, need to find a longarmer and pick quilting design.

Hexis - am I done with one block?  started flower hexis in small batches.

Doing the APQ UFO Challenge for 2021 in hopes of finishing off things that have been languishing for YEARS.
Looking to purchase a new sewing machine.  My Viking Interlude 435 is 16 years old and I'm jealous of my mom's with all the bells and whistles.  Want something with more throat space, but under $2000.  No embroidery, just quilting.  Top of list is a Janome.

On Paper:

Visited my MIL at a crop retreat and had so much fun.  It inspired me to go through my scrapbooking and card making supplies.  I sorted and organized, and made sure everything had it's own place.  Had so much fun organizing I went through some of my knitting things and sorted them out too.  Sorted shelves of books and magazines.  Bag for Goodwill when I can.

Decided to make Christmas cards this year.  I haven't sent out cards in years, and this year I decided to make them, too.  Joy in the process.

In the Garden: n/a

In the Beeyard - n/a

Off Topic:  
Watching/Listening: Vlogmas from some of my favorite podcasts; Stitching the High Notes, Corner of Craft, Stranded, Suburban Stitcher.  Board games with family - Sequence and Rummikube.

I was #1 seed going into winners bracket in Fantasy Football, and got knocked out immediately.  Josh Allen is continuing to play well and it's just so good to see someone from my school doing well.  You know, not from the SEC.  

Craftsy membership for ridiculous price.  Do it.

Purchased New Year's Eve dinner from local restaurant.  Have sparking wine chilling and will be in bed by 9.

Thanks for watching!

Episode 56: Same As It's Always Been

Welcome viewers! Glad to have you all back.  Hello new viewers.  Don't forget to subscribe to be updated on new posts, and join our group on Ravelry.
I am DaniGirlCO on Instagram and Ravelry.  Come and follow along.
Here are the show notes for Episode 56:  

On the Needles: 
Knitting Projects - 
FO's:  

Prayer Shawl #5 in Lion Brand Homespun on K hook.

WIPs:
1898 Hat with modifications for Brian.  Doing a Latvian braid and plaid pattern, but he requested "ear flaps."

Swirl E. Socks for my niece.  Stalled out on the heel.  Cat Bordhi's Sweet Tomato Heel.

Summer Sanctuary I picked it up again.

Walk on the Moon that I started for Nashville trip.  Yarn is a dream.  

Charity Hat #2.  Using donated bulky yarn that's just sooooo smooshy.  Improvising Breckle pattern for the top, designed by my friend Shilo.

Dragon No. 34 by Shibui Knits. Ready to cast on.

Stalking:  

Acquisitions - Hedgehog Fibers alpaca boucle and Smooshy for a cowl.

Spinning Projects - A wool, silk plied together to clean up singles that have been sitting around forever.  Bled like a head wound when soaking, and I know I dyed at least the silk.
Braid from 100th Sheep in Violet Headed Hummingbird that I've divided in thirds.  Singles are spun, now on to the plying.  Traditional 3-ply.

Under the Needle:
Sewing Projects - 
Block Heads 3 by Moda, a new block every week.
Quilting workshop in Feb with MJ Kinman about quilting gems, facets, and light.  Intend to finish block I made and use for quilting practice.

Beading more stitch markers, shamrocks and koalas.  Thanks to BeadCrumbsHawaii for the pattern.

In the Garden:  

In the Beeyard - 

Off Topic:  Croatia is OFF!  Other than cancelled trip and hubby working from home, life is pretty much same as it's always been.  A few more board games, pulled out the puzzles.  we've been sitting around the fire pit in the evenings when the weather is nice.  More of those nights, although it's forecast to snow on Sunday.  Been sleeping a bit more, but surprisingly depression hasn't worsened.
Watching/Listening: Lincoln Rhymes: Hunt for the Bone Collector.  Zooming with the knit ladies.  Not the best, but getting to see the ones who've moved away is nice.

Thanks for watching!

Episode 42: Catching Up With Life

Welcome viewers! Glad to have you all back.  Hello new viewers.  Don't forget to subscribe to be updated on new posts, and join our group on Ravelry.
I am DaniGirlCO on Instagram, Periscope and Ravelry.  Come and follow along.
Here are the show notes for Episode 42:  

On the Needles: 
Knitting Projects - 
FO's:  n/a

WIPs:
Vanilla Supergirl socks for E.  Doing the toes and cuffs in Hedgehog Fibers Electric blue, body in Madtosh red. How can these not be done yet?

Runa by Gudrun Johnston.  Loving the rhythm of the seed stitch.  Have finished with the body decreases and about to point where pattern continues for all sizes.

Mix #34 cowl (dragon scale cowl) with my Maiden Hair and Bambu 7 held together.  Ended up casting on 10 extra stitches (I think) because I cast on at porch knitting.  Not sure if I like the fabric with these yarns held together, so haven't put much time into it.  Frog it?

Lattice Socks out of Oh Loops in Pickett.  Ended up ripping back to where heel finished and picking up pattern again.  Doing the extra wraps this time.

Stalking:  n/a

Acquisitions -  just a little fabric, bought by the pound

Spinning Projects - hand dyed silk mawatas on a spindle made by my dad.  Really need to soften up my hands, but the gardening season is conspiring against me.  Supported spindle.

Under the Needle:
Sewing Projects - Prairie Woman Sewing Circle, 
Black and White Crazy Circle quilts, finished two tops while my mom was here.  Need to figure out how to make the first one into a king size quilt.  The fabric yardage isn't cooperating.  Then I pulled out another WIP and my mom and I started back up on it.  Remember why I loved it to begin with, and can't believe I've been hiding this fabric away for so many years.

In the Garden: The yard work commences.  Vines are trellised, perennials are trimmed up, weeds slowly being pulled.  Haven't planted the garden due to weeds.  

In the Beeyard - I've stuck with keeping the bees at Homestake Nursery, because when I went to pick up equipment I'd left there, they had made me a road right up to my bees between all the compost and dirt piles.  Change in that status.  I set up two hives, and my bee packages arrived in mid May.  I ordered Carniolan queens, and they were marked.  I left them for two days, then released the queens.  I can't describe the happiness I felt watching those pretty little queens marching down into the hive.  I did put some feeders on them, but haven't been consistent about refilling them.  I am slightly reassured by seeing honeybees on my catmint, but don't know if they are mine or not.  First batch of brood should hatch in about a week.  A definite difference between the two hives, and a bit spotty, but I saw both queens.

Off Topic:  The parents visited for almost two weeks.  I got my bed fixed!  Lots of quilting with my mom, and I took her to knit group with me.  Board games and cards.  Sequence is the new favorite, as I don't think we had enough attention the night we tried Anomia (recommended by Amy Beth).
Are you doing Stash Dash with the Knit Girllls?
Watching/Listening:  Midsomer Murders courtesy of my parents.  Thanks guys.  Spin Control by aJoyfulGirl.  Shilo has moved here to COS and has joined our knit group!  I've listened to her for several years off and on.  Her server crashed and she was down for awhile, so you might need to resubscribe to the RSS feed.

Thanks for watching!

Episode 15: Playing Catch Up

Thanks for coming back to watch My High Plains Life!  I'd like to welcome any new viewers we have. 
I am DaniGirlCO on Instagram and Ravelry.
Here are the show notes for Episode 15:  

On the Needles: 
Knitting Projects - 
FO's: Atlantic Current Socks, yeah!

Diagonal Ribbed cowl by Mel Clark 

WIPs: 

Yowza Weigh-it Shawl 4 by Susan B. Anderson, color Night Lights
Lina hat by Johanna of Joko Knits, using Koigu in a beautiful variegated green 
the dropped stitch cowl, finished but don't like it so I'm frogging it to do again with fewer stitches. 
Evolution shawl by Rachel Henry for the Fiber Factor and Skacel Collection. I'm on section 6a out of 6c. Alpaca Sox in Wasabi.

Stalking - Long-tail Triangle Shawl by Kimberly Perkins, to use my Cat Mountain Fusion 800 yarn with.
Celtic Myths shawl by Asita Krebs, my knit group Spinners with Altitude is looking to do a KAL for this in the new year.

Acquisitions - fiber from Into the Whirled, fabric 

Spinning Projects -
WIP: same cormo, can't wait to spin up some of my new fiber!

Under the Needle:
Sewing Projects - 
Binding my table runner, my Dec mystery blocks 
My Quilt notebook which tracks most of what I've made.  Do you have something like this?

In the Garden: n/a

In the Beeyard - n/a

Off Topic:  
Watching:  Yarnder Woman, Melinda in Perth, Australia.  She's doing a Color Affection/multi-color shawl KAL in 2016, and I keep wanting to cast on the Echoes of Color by Joji Locatelli.  Knit ALL the things!
Finally bought our own Catan board game, can't wait to get it out.
Tried to do a virtual knit night but couldn't get Google Hangout to work correctly.  We're going to try again soon.  Check the Ravelry thread for more info.  Come join us!
We are handy!  Replaced the heating element in our oven all by ourselves.  Thanks YouTube.  Thanksgiving with the CA family was wonderful.  Do you write a Christmas letter?  Or just send cards?  Nothing?

Thanks for watching!