FINALLY AN UPDATE ON MY MOTHER AND CHILD RUG

 I have finally decided to make an update on my rug this evening since it will never be to my satisfaction and it could take forever to achieve my goal.   I have such difficulty getting the right directional hooking and the right shade. I've dyed so many shades of blue and I constantly have to pull out the loops or reversed hooking as it's called by seasoned rug hookers.  I just can't visualize how best to go about hooking the blue cape or mantel.  For some reason, the face was very easy to hook, probably because it is smaller but the rest is just a pain in the patootie.  I still have so many sections to reverse hook. I have removed most of the darker blue except a tiny spot by Mary's hand and I need to dye a tiny piece of wool for the baby's lips. I have removes the too pale highlights, but still have lots left to undo and rehook.   The baby's lips are the least of my worries.  I think because all the folds are diagonal, it's adding to my dilemma. I've never had instruction on how to tackle a project like this. 

I finished my baby blanket last week. I used my iPhone to take the photo and I discovered to get the right color, I had to tilt my phone, otherwise, it was washed out. Surprisingly, it came out exactly true to color.  I so enjoyed crocheting this design and it hooked up quite fast. The easiest pattern yet. 

 I started another blanket and the pattern is another chevron but with a different pattern. Somehow, I make the required number of chains and when I hook the second row, I was short of two stitches.  I tried it a second time and was short of two stitches again, darn it... I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I've put it aside for now and will try it again when my brain is rested.

I have discovered that when I'm tired and play Freecell on my computer and I run into a difficult game that I can't solve, I try the same game the next day and usually solve it quickly. I guess it goes to prove that a tired brain needs rest. I will not let two little chains stop me for long.  Maybe, I better concentrate on my rug but I find hooking so pleasant. I will definitely try again. 

 I only had one small poinsettia for Christmas and it's still doing well so far. I usually get some from the church but because of the lockdown, I didn't get any this time which is just fine with me. 

And from my kitchen, a speedy but yummy dish. I love making my own hummus and it only takes a few minutes and is so good for our health so. My little Sweet potato vines are slowly growing in the cool sunroom. It's warm in sunny daytime but cool at night as I don't have the heat on. 

There you have it, not much going on in my lockdown life but thanks for stopping for a visit and leaving a comment. Kind comments from blogger friends are the sparkles to my posts.   Stay safe and well and start counting days to spring. It's getting nearer and will be here before you know it.

Hugs, Julia

 

SNOW, SOUP AND STITCHES

Oh no, it's snowing again and I decided that I would share what I've been working on today.   I felt lazy today probably because of my booster shot so I sat and crocheted a bit.  I'm a soup and chowder lover.  I made a big pot of delicious and hearty soup and had some for supper.  My husband loved it and I sent some to my son Vaughan.

It's called Upstate Minestrone Soup although it doesn't have pasta in it. I got the recipe from Robin, of  The Cranky Crow's blog. I  saved the recipe so I'll probably make it again as I love soup in cold weather and  I put more cabbage than the recipe called for as I love cabbage. I may add a little bit of macaroni to it next time just because I love Minestrone soup... Hopefully, I'll have beef bouillon for the next time. 

I had my Covid booster at our Co-op pharmacy yesterday and I was in a rush for my appointment so  I forgot to check my pantry shelves before I left to make sure I had beef bouillion and Northern beans for my soup.  I usually always have some on hand in my well-stocked pantry but it turned out I only had chicken bouillion and no beef bouillion.  I bought the sausage meat, and one zucchini and used the chicken bouillon instead and  I used a can of yellow beans instead of the Northern beans. I mostly use what I have on hand whenever I make soup anyway and it's always tasty. 

This is my new crochet project.  I'm glad I gave it a try and it's easier than I thought.

I've never worked a chevron pattern before and I chose an easy one for beginners. It's a very easy pattern to work on although it looks complicated because there is no decrease and it is hooked the same way on both sides and it goes fast because it all double crochet. I got the pattern online and watched a tutorial before attempting it. I made a few silly mistakes like forgetting to chain three at the end and hook two double crochet in the last stitch. but soon realized my mistake. I was so anxious to start. 

Report on my rug, Mother and Child are bonding while I leave them alone, lol. I may work on it tomorrow. 

Keep warm and safe and hang in there. Thanks for visiting and please, leave a comment. 

FEELING GUILTY FOR NOT POSTING MORE OFTEN

 Why do I feel guilty for not posting more often? Is it only me who feels this way?

    

It's so dark and gloomy today, snowy and windy and I thought I'd show you some color. One of my blooming Christmas Cacti. I tried to show the underside of the blooms with my cell phone  I had to use the Selfie mode.

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Last night around 11:00pm, I was up later than usual. I was hooking on my rug and I got a ping on my cell phone. 

I was wondering who could that be, so late at night.  My first thought was maybe some family member needed my help. No, it was Google, telling me that I had changed my password to my Google account one hour ago. 

The only thing was, I didn't change my password. I went to check my Google account and I couldn't get in. It asked me to verify my new password but I didn't have a new password that I could verify. I got the runaround. So I turned off my computer and went to say my night prayers and got into bed and slept undisturbed all night. 

Today at lunchtime, I told my husband what had happened to my Google account last night.  He said,         " Oh, I think I changed your password last night".  I said," Impossible, you could not have changed my password from your own computer." He said, last night I got into the Catholic Crusade site, (and being visually impaired), he got stuck somehow. He saw the red Subscribe sign and clicked on it and he said your name came up and it asked me to put in a new password and I did." 

To make a long story short, I used to belong to that site years ago using my recovery email address, the same email address that he is using right now)  but I was getting too many emails and I unsubscribed from it because I couldn't keep up with all the emails.

 Thank goodness, he wrote down the new password. He gave me the password that he used and I tried it and it worked. I got back into my Google account.  Mystery solved. The only thing, I can't use my recovery email address, which is my old email address that we used to share together before I created my Google account for my blog. 

 When my new laptop was set up, somehow,  it still had the old email address,  and when I click on the share button, it opens up to my old email which I can no longer access, so I cannot share.  My computer can only recognize my google account. I have no idea how to fix this, but life goes on.

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I have cuttings from my very own grown sweet potatoes started. I'll only show one here. I have others rooting in water that needs transplanting. 

I finished my little baby blanket on New Year's day, a bit smaller than the other ones I've made earlier.  The pattern is very easy as it uses only a single crochet and a half double crochet. 

This was what it looked like yesterday, today is snowy, what a contrast. I'll spare you the picture.

More color, of another Christmas cactus on this somber day.

This Christmas cactus has seen better days. It desperately needs either repotting or a new start but it keeps on blooming anyway. It's getting old and pot-bound.

It came crashing down yesterday as it's top-heavy and broke several branches but it's still blooming.

Thanks for stopping by. I enjoy reading your comments.