Life Update!!

It has been so long since the last time I posted in this forum! I have been living my life through Instagram lately. My sister got my hooked up when she was in town last month. I am still getting the hang of things, but it is nice to be able to snap a pic with my phone and upload it right then and there.

I am still working on the one Granny Burst Square afghan that I started last year. My hands become so sore from the lingering onset of arthritis that I have to put it down for a few months. Getting old really sucks!! I really only have a few squares left to make and then I begin joining. I will try and complete this project this month and will post the finish result!

My sister visited in May and we took a quick trip down to Moab, UT. We hiked Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. It was a great trip and we picked the perfect time of year. It wasn't too, too hot or crowded at the parks. Only time it was pretty busy was our first day at Arches, but it was a Sunday. We were honked and fussed at a few times while waiting on places to park. Luckily it did not ruin our hikes and all the glorious views we encountered. Not to mention the town itself was pretty empty so no long waits at restaurants. All and all it was a great trip and my sister loved the hikes and views. She wants to make it an annual adventure!! I am down for it since it is only a 4 hour drive from my home. 

I have so many pictures that I am still editing just from my camera. This little collage was created with pics I took with my phone. So not as great, but I know how long it takes me to edit pics. I figured I would snap a few with my phone as well so I could post on FaceBook. We had family members that were concerned that us little ladies went on a hiking trip alone. Really find it funny how old fashion some people are still. But we posted pics to show that we were doing great and having lots of fun.

One thing I have been doing a lot of is yard work. Now that the snow has melted and the hours of raining have lessened, I have spent many hours in the yard. The years we have been in this new home I have not really put much work into the backyard. The front yard flowerbeds needed so much work that I really spent the past couple of years getting them manageable. Now that I feel they are, I started working on the back area.

This is right off the back stoop. I had been depositing plants in the corner that did not survive the constant sunlight and heat from the front beds. This little spot stays shaded most of the day, so I decided to make a small shade garden. I must say it is hard to find plants that require more shade than sun in this area of Utah. I guess we do have so many sunny days in the summer that the garden centers sell more Full Sun plants.

I am also lucky (I guess) that my yard has plenty of large rocks to use as border. All of these rocks were gathered from the land around me. There has been a lot of utility construction and we had a septic issue this winter, so the ground has been dug up and lots of rocks are available. I did find some really cool looking rocks that look petrified on the land parcel further behind me. Plus some that look like they have their own little ecosystem growing upon them. I was able to use plenty of these rocks as filler and decor in the bed.

I plan on extending this bed all the way to the end of the house. I just wanted to get something completely done this weekend and I did. I started cleaning the area up on Saturday morning and then bought all the plants on Sunday. The bed was planted and fully decorated by the end of the day on Sunday!! This shows I can finish a project!!

Finished Project - and no it isn't an Old WIP Sadly to Say

I am still working away on my Granny Sunburst Square afghan. I have a few more squares to make up and then will decide on just how I want to join.

I did whip up a quick Beanie Project. I call it the Knit Look-a-Like Beanie and completely made it up as I went along.

I used the rib stitch for the brim and then used the Herringbone stitch for the body. I crocheted it flat and then seamed it up the back with a whip stitch. After closing it up at the top I added a little pompom that I made using the pompom maker I purchased a year ago. It was still in its package and after making it, I should have made it a little puffier. But all and all I am pleased with it.

For the yarn, I used Cascade 220 Superwash in Colonial Blue. Nearly 2 full skeins. That is why I should have made the pompom puffier, I have only a small amount left that I will not be able to use for anything unless I decide to use it as a small accent color in another Beanie. Which just might have to happen.