Posted in R projects

Knitting project surprise

I wanted to knit with something cozy, so I ordered this Chenille Yarn 🧶. I was thinking about making a cowl.

Obviously, I didn’t pay enough attention to the description. When a huge box arrived I thought- oh no, what did I do? – order multiples? I’ve been known to make that mistake from drop down menus. I laughed out loud when I saw this giant cake inside.

My first thought – I think I’m going to need a bigger knitting bag 🙂 Then I realized, I won’t be weaving in tails with this baby. With one cake, I will end up with a single 4’x4’ blanket. For you non knitters out there, commercial yarn usually comes in a skein that you wind into a ball by hand to knit. Cakes have been wound – on a winder for you. This is the biggest cake I have ever seen, but of course I haven’t been in a yarn or craft store for 10 months, so maybe they are everywhere. It won’t be a portable project. In fact, I had to do some redecorating to find a spot to place it next to my chair.

I started last night, and it is nice and soft and cozy to work with. It knits up quickly and I like the dark sea glass colors. I think we have a winner.

With a winter storm watch in the forecast, I will be all set for a couple of days, at least…. Let it snow….

Posted in R Favorites

Bubble therapy

I have always been a fan of bubbles

In champagne and in baths,of course, but blowing bubbles is my favorite. I like to take a deep breath and watch the bubbles float and catch the light. For me, it’s a way to refocus and live in wonder for a second or two.

I have had all kinds of bubble containers and wands. I have made wands from pipe cleaners and wire hangers and butcher string. I have made bubble mixtures (dawn and glycerine) and bought bubble mixtures. I have made giant bubbles with drywall buckets and gazillion bubbles with flat round wands with many holes. I even had a bubble machine at my 50th birthday party. I have blown bubbles at weddings, birthdays,baptisms and graduations, from decks, in yards and on porches. I tried to make it a holiday thing with my family, but it didn’t catch on, except for Easter. Bubbles like humidity and cold air, which means, more often than not, I am in ideal bubble climates. Yay!

I put them out in our little free library and I give them out to children at our farm stand and summer outdoor concerts. Before Covid I use to bring them with me on pet therapy visits to a memory care center. Bubbles restore childhood memories and made even the grumpiest residents smile. Bubbles are calming for fussy animals and children too.

After decades of bubble adventures, these are my go to brand. Simplicity. They are easy to open and don’t leak. I keep them in pencil holders around the house for when I need a break. Deep breath in and out and smile. You can put a string or ribbon through the hole on the top to wear around your neck. You can find them at Michael’s or Joann’s in the wedding section. I buy them on line.

Bubbles link