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!!

Catching Up!!

Sorry for the long absence from blogging.... I didn't realize how many months it has been..... This year is almost over and I feel as if I didn't do as much crocheting. Maybe I did but this year has just flown by. I have a few projects still going but I haven't picked my hook up in over a month.

Just a few pictures showing you what I have been up to of late.

Fresh Pomegranate Juice!! Took some time but got a whole mason jar out of 4 pomegranates.

Decorating for Christmas

A trip to Pigeon Forge, TN to visit the family!

Hiking the Smokey Mountains with niece, nephew, and daughter! Oh the hubs was there too!!

Smokey Mountain National Forest in Gatlinburg, TN

4th of July and a CAL

We have had some really hot weather lately! Yep we went from rainy and cold to no rain and crazy hot!! Oh how I can't wait for Fall & Winter!! But the 4th of July festivities are wonderful here in the Wasatch Mountains and we are lucky enough to either sit in our drive or make the short walk across the street to the resort and watch the wonderful fireworks display.

I have decided to do a Crochet Along project!! I have always looked at different CALs but just never made the commitment. I found this CAL on facebook and joined the group the moment I saw it! She has over 2000 members now from all over the world. I think it will be fun plus I have never crocheted a bag before.

Picture courtesy of littlemonkeyscrochet. 

My linen stitch afghan has gone into hibernation these past couple of weeks. It is just too hot to crochet with wool right now. Once the weather begins to cool down again I will get back to it.

Other than biking and hiking the trails around town, it has been a rather relaxing summer. Hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July here in America.

SUMMER FUN

Well our June has been a mix of rain, hail, and beautiful sunshine!! We have finally got a break in all the rain these past couple of weeks. We have been enjoying graduation ceremonies, hiking, biking, and DIYing!! Plus some extra fun time crocheting outdoors while listening to the laughter of kids playing in the park close to our townhome and the song birds in our shady trees.

First off my daughter graduated from high school this month!! She was doing the online virtual high school program and decided not to walk for graduation. She did go and support her friends at her old high school. She is a low key type of person and didn't want a big fuss made over it.

So a picture of a graduation bouquet that one of her friend's gave her. It was very sweet and thoughtful of her. My daughter said for us to save the big celebration when she graduates from college! Wow, I'm not ready to think about that just yet!!

We have enjoyed some great off the beaten path hiking up around the Provo Falls area near Mirror Lake! It was raining most of the time while we were hiking, but it didn't deter us at all!! I am loving the wildflowers that are blooming all around us. Here are a few we captured along our hikes and a hiking selfie!! :))

I was able to go on a nice long bike ride this weekend. I started on the rail trail then jumped onto Round Valley which then I biked through the Kimball Junction area to Willow Creek Park where I followed the trail path onto McPollin Farms. It ended up being a 20 mile loop. It was so sunny and warm. A lot of other bikers were out enjoying the pleasant weather along with lots of hikers with their four legged pals!

I finally finished up my futon bed frame transformation project! My husband made a nice large lawn chair that I painted a vibrant teal. I then painted the other half of the futon frame and the husband mounted my planters that I had painted vibrant plum, teal, and yellow! I have some strawberries, onion chives, burpee onions, and lemon thyme planted in a couple of the planters and they are growing and blooming! I planted some petunias, verbana, and lobelia in the other two. The planter trellis can hold even more plants and by the end of summer and fall I am hoping it is busting from all the flowers and plants it can bear. I also have some marigolds in another planter that the husband mounted on the privacy fence. I am also attempting to grow a blue hydrangea in a planter. I am hoping it survives.

My chair needs a cushion made for it. I haven't had the chance to go to Joann's in Salt Lake City as of yet. But I can't wait to tackle that project. Any ideas on the color I should choose? I was thinking either a plum or a cream to match the painted planters.

So with the new chair made and my courtyard filled with pretty plants and herbs I have been enjoying some outdoor crocheting. I am almost to the point on my linen stitch afghan where I need to begin weaving in the ends and start the border!!

I hope everyone's summer has been filled with lots of fun activities and the sweet smells of blooming flowers!!

Cheers,
Winnie

Elf Hat & Snow Hiking

Hello everyone!! Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but it has been a very busy few weeks for me and not much crafting has been happening.

Elf Hat Pattern

I am very much into the Christmas spirit! I have been perusing Pinterest and Ravelry for some Christmas ornaments and hat ideas. I found a great pattern for a pixie/elf hat on Ravelry and just had to sit down and make one. The Crochet Pixie Cap by Teresa Richardson is an easy and fun little cap to make.

I went with non-traditional colors of aqua and grey. The brim has a row of popcorn stitches that make it a little more whimsical. One great thing about this pattern is once you are at the width you want you just keep crocheting in the round until you reach your desired length. Also the pattern link has video instructions!! I find video instructions very useful when you are trying a new stitch. I had never done the popcorn stitch prior to this pattern, so having the video was great. I am now working on another cap that will be striped.

Snow Hiking!!

This weekend we had some phenomenal snow fall! Sunday was a day off for the husband and I, so we decided on a nice snow hike. Enjoy the few pics we took during our hike!

Enjoy your week!!

Fall Foliage - Inspiration all around!!

Yesterday was such a lovely day that the hubby and I did a quick hike at Park City Mountain Resort. It was the last day for Summer/Fall operations. Time to start readying the mountain for ski season!!

From my last post, you saw where it snowed Thursday night. Well most of the snow has melted that is at the lower elevations. There is still some snow on the ground, plus the melted snow made the trail a little muddy. It was still great fun to do an afternoon hike. Here are a few pictures of the glorious fall foliage we are able to enjoy living in Park City!!

One of the many old structures you find around the town of Park City. This is actually an original part of a lift at PCMR.



I love that we are able to enjoy all the colors of Fall. From the deep reds to the bright yellows!!

You can see how muddy the trail was. Also the small amount of snow remaining mixed with the falling leaves is just gorgeous.

 

Fall is my favorite season and time of the year. It is filled with cold nights and perfect days. The vibrant colors are so very inspiring. It puts me in a creative state of mind. I begin working on Winter ensembles such as scarves and hats. It also gets me geared up and planning for Christmas décor. Is there a certain season that inspires you the most? Leave a comment and let me know which season and why. Everyone have a great week!!