Month: October 2021

Mystery Shawl Clue 3

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While it took me a week and a half to finish clue 2, it only took me half a week to finish clue 3. I finished the day clue 4 came out so I am feeling pretty good about that. This clue doesn’t feel like it adds all that much to the shawl, a bit of brioche and some criss crossed stitches.

Clue 4 is the final clue which adds a pretty large border to the piece and then I am done for this year. Another very pleasant and inspiring mystery knit!

In other news, our 9th foster dog went to her forever home last evening. It’s a bit sad because she was a foster we truly enjoyed. On the other hand, I do get a lot more done when I don’t have a very young dog in the house to constantly monitor. We were supposed to get our 11th foster dog this weekend, but she is ill and we aren’t quite sure why so she needs to stay at the vet and recover. I am hoping that she will recover and that she can join us next month but it’s hard to say when we don’t even know what is wrong in the first place.

So in the meantime I am doing some other interesting work. Miss Butterfly and I switched rooms. Her bedroom is my former craft room and my new craft room is her former bedroom. I am delighted because the room is arranged in a way that’s easier to configure furniture wise, plus it’s painted in a way I really love. It’s yellow with teal stripes on one wall! At one time, my daughter was super into teal and wanted teal stripes so my parents came out and helped us paint. Now she’s older and not so sure about them anymore. I will be spending the upcoming weeks repairing the walls as kids are rather hard on walls. I am also determining how I will use the space. Previously I really wanted to add a sofa sleeper to the room but it turns out the doorway just isn’t large enough to get one in there. I am now more contemplating a large comfy chair and ottoman which has been my dream for the room for quite some time. I suppose guests will just have to use an air mattress until Miss Butterfly’s room becomes a guest room.

In any case, I have purchased sheer curtains and a curtain rod to hang some really pretty matching curtains a friend handed down to me. I will have a computer desk which will be one Miss Butterfly was using for now but maybe eventually will become a sit to stand desk. I now have a work laptop to use at home and they are giving me a full dual screen set up at home. I will be purchasing a kneeling chair for the set up immediately as I will also have the opportunity to use my comfy chair when that’s the type of set up I prefer. So things are really coming along in my craft room and I am enjoying the process of using the space!

That’s about it from here but I hope to have the final shawl post in about a week!

Mystery Shawl Clue 2

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While clue 3 came out on Friday, due to a number of circumstances I was unable to finish clue 2 until yesterday after work. I’d had my covid vaccine booster on Friday and while it didn’t make me as sick as shot 2, I was pretty under the weather for the weekend and not really knitting.

I also made an interesting discovery. I keep talking about how I am not terribly inspired about knitting these days. Which is true. But, I had an eye doctor appointment where it was discovered that like so many people who are aging, I am struggling with my near sight, and could benefit from readers. I got readers. And it may be that some of my lack of inspiration about knitting has to do with not being able to see my stitches. It was pretty amazing how much better and more comfortable with knitting I was the moment I put on those readers!

In any case, here’s clue 2 finished. I still think the grey colors are too similar. One is a grey and the other is a speckled yarn that lends itself grey. Both are used on the outer edges of the shawl but it’s pretty hard to determine that there are two different colored yarns being used there. Nevertheless, the shawl will be quite interesting when completed and this far in I am not inclined to change it.

Now I am on to clue 3 which includes brioche so that’s been fun!

Mystery Shawl

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I’ve begun the process of knitting the current westknits mystery shawl. Clue 2 is out so I am going to post my clue one.

The three darker colors all look a bit alike and if I could do it all over again I would have chosen some additional jewel tones. I was trying to save a little cash and use some yarn from my stash but I think I would have been happier if I’d chosen all new colors. That being said, I am enjoying the process quite a lot and will likely continue to do so.

A to Z Project Pan update #5

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While I don’t typically do monthly updates on this project because it’s been so very long term, this has been one of those strange months where quite a few goals are being hit all at once. Last month I had hit goal on two products, leaving me with 18 out of the original goals still left to meet. Here’s a little spoiler, I hit 6 goals over the past month! 6! So, only 12 goals left to meet on this project. Let’s take a look.

Last Month:

This month:
My highlighter has broken so after today I intend to repress it, it will not look this way next time I update.

A: Mario Badescu facial spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater. This is finished, but I forgot to save the empty container. (21 uses this update, total uses 40.)
B: ABH Sultry palette Bloom-goal is to hit pan. (1 uses this update, with 10 uses total)
C: ABH Sultry Palette Cinder-goal is to hit pan. (1 uses this update and 9 total)
D: ABH Sultry Palette Dystopian-goal is to hit pan. (7 uses this update with 35 uses total)
E: ABH Sultry Palette Ember-goal is to hit pan. (2 uses this month, 3 total)
F: ABH Sultry Palette Fresh-goal is to hit pan. (4 uses this update with 40 uses total and goal met!)
G: Grace & Stella Spray all Day Rose Spray-goal is to finish. (17uses, with 67 uses total and now used up)
H: Pur Highlighter-goal is to use up. (12 uses this update with 102 uses total)
I: IT Cosmetics CC cream-Goal is to finish. (9 uses to finish, so a total 24 uses in the project.)
J: Elf Jellypop primer-goal is to finish. (10 uses this update with 74 uses total)
L: Estee Lauder Doublewear-goal is to finish. (15 uses this update, 34 uses total)
M:Tarte palette Mermosa-goal is to hit pan. (5 uses this update with 33 uses total and goal met!)
N: Tarte palette Nude Beach-goal is to hit pan. (5 uses with 34 uses total and pan hit!)
O: C.Y.O Lifeproof foundation-goal is to finish. (13 uses with 29 total to finish)
P: ABH Sultry Palette Pearl-goal is to hit pan. (12 uses with 88 uses total)

Look at all the pan hit in the Nyx shadow pan!


Q: Tarte blush color Quirky-goal is to hit pan. (9 uses with 88 uses total and I have hit pan!)
R: Rom&nd bronzer: goal is to hit pan-goal achieved!. (34 uses with 105 uses total)
S: ABH Sultry Palette Steamunk-goal is to hit pan. (3 uses with 29 total uses)
T: ABH Sultry Palette Twig-goal is to hit pan. (6 uses with 41 total uses and a goal met)
U: Urban Decay Eye Primer-goal is to finish. (24 uses with 61 total uses before finish)
V: Urban Decay eyeliner in Voodoo-goal is to use past the 24/7. (10 uses with 50 total uses)
W: Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear foundation-goal is to finish. (12 uses with 28 uses total and I am finished.)
X: Too Faced Boudoir Eyes (soft and sexy) eyeshadow palette use up In The Buff eyeshadow. (0 uses with a total of 34 uses)
Y: NYX eyeshadow pan (forgot to get a photo this update) goal is to use up. (16 uses for a total of 56 uses)
Z: BH Cosmetics Zodiac Palette-goal is to hit pan on the matte Virgo shade. (1 uses for a total of 17 uses)

While I fully expected to hit pan on both the tarte palette shades I was concentrating on, I did not at all expect to hit pan on two sultry palette shades. I am thrilled! I think I am getting close on steampunk as well. But, I am not going to commit to trying to get pan in that shade by next update. The other shades are quite underused so I think I’d rather concentrate on something else for a bit and see how I go. I think I might commit to trying to get the one pink matte “virgo” shade done in the zodiac palette, then I can put that entire palette away for a bit.

That’s all from here, I doubt I’ll be updating again in a month, I think this much progress in such a short time is not likely twice in a row. I’ll keep after it though, this has been a fun project to work on!

Progress and Mystery Knitting

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I had determined I’d do the westknits mystery shawl this fall. It started on the 8th. So, I’ve been working on that, though the first clue is not yet done.

Between the time I decided to do the mystery knit and the time the mystery knit started, I decided to focus on my quadri shawl (scarf) in progress. I had been feeling like I wasn’t actually making much progress and not doing much knitting, but then I looked at the previous photo. Most of the turquoise and all of the grey was not there before. So, I did make some good steady progress while waiting for the mystery knit to start.

Now it’s a bit on the back burner while I work on the mystery shawl, but I am super glad to have made forward movement with it!

Everything but the Sink Project Pan

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I have just invented this project pan right now. I decided to go through my skincare and bathroom storage. I gave two facemasks to my daughter. But then I realized that I was feeling overwhelmed by all the small items I had for travel, the samples, the items I hadn’t finished using yet because I moved on to something new, and the items I have gotten in subscription boxes that I haven’t even wanted to use.

So, I pulled a whole bunch of little items out of my collection, threw them all in a plastic bin, and decided to try to use them up.

Originally I thought I would take them all out and photograph and document them. But then I decided I couldn’t be bothered. So, instead, I am going to leave them in this box and pull from the box. Once they are done, we’ll have a traditional empties. I threw in there even things like travel size toothpaste and floss because the idea was to truly clean out my drawer and those were in my drawer. There’s a real mix of items. Makeup removing products I don’t use because I’d prefer to use a plain cleansing oil or balm, a couple hotel conditioners that I rather liked, some sheet masks, some actives and toners, just a total mix. All that being said, I don’t think it’ll take me all that long to complete this project, maybe 3 months? In the end, I just need to concentrate on these to get them used up.

10th Foster Dog

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Our 9th foster came to us mid-May and didn’t leave until over 2 months later. She went to a good home a fair bit more confident than she was when she came to us. All in all, a job well done. She also joined a dog who was previously a foster from our organization so that was nice!

Because we had a bit of travel planned, we decided to hold off on accepting another foster dog until we were back from that travel. During our final trip, we’d seen photos of a dog who was extremely emaciated and hurt. She’d been picked up by animal control and given to our sister rescue in another state. The rescue owner took her into her own home. It was touch and go, she was too weak to stand and too weak to have a much needed limb amputation. She had about a week to see if she could be ok. We were asked to take her if she pulled through, and of course we said yes!

For the first two days she pooped nothing but trash and rocks, giving us an indication of how starved she was. After a vet visit, it was determined that she’d been shot, and her leg was infected. She needed antibiotics before she could have her surgery. A week later, after sufficient nutrition and antibiotics and love, she was ready for surgery. She did not appreciate being at the vet and cried constantly. But as soon as the rescue owner brought her home, she was a happy dog again.

She came to us on a transport a few days after her stitches came out. She still had some healing to do. But, over time, she’s gotten her scars totally sealed, and she definitely doesn’t hurt as much as she did. She’s around 8 months old and she wants to play play play! She’s not at all timid, she adores humans and other dogs, and she has fit in beautifully in our family.

In this photo you can see her ample scarring. But, don’t think for a second that she’s not capable of all that other dogs do! She’s fast and playful and I regularly have to remind myself she’s missing a limb.
Seriously, how pretty is she?

I do love a tan dog with a black face, but with this one, our whole family is ready to foster fail. We won’t. Probably. But we are ready to. She’s a complete delight, so funny with so much character. We are 10 dogs in to this foster project and I am still consistently amazed at how they are so resilient! They just keep loving and trusting despite terrible treatment before their arrival in rescue!